Contrast-enhanced ultrasound for diagnosing subtypes of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma: a comparative study with poorly differentiated hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background: Pathologically, intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) is classified into small-duct (SD) type and large-duct (LD) type, each with distinct clinicopathological characteristics. The contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) features of the two ICC types remain insufficiently explored.

Purpose: To evaluate liver CEUS imaging for differentiating the SD and LD types of ICC and further compare them with poorly differentiated hepatocellular carcinoma (pHCC).

Mechanical Agitation-Assisted Transmembrane Drug Delivery by Magnetically Powered Spiky Nanorobots.

Breaking through cell membrane barriers is a crucial step for intracellular drug delivery in antitumor chemotherapy. Hereby, a magnetic nanorobot, capable of exerting mechanical agitation on cellular membrane to promote intracellular drug delivery, was developed. The main body of the nanorobots was composed of nano-scaled gold nanospikes that were deposited with Ni and Ti nanolayers for magnetic activation and biocompatibility, responsively.

Host-Guest Interactions Induced Self-Assembly of Colloidal Micromotors with Regulated Motion Behavior.

In recent years, extensive strategies are developed for designing and manufacturing micro- and nanomotors. However, the controlled assembly and motion modulation of self-assembled micromotors via directional interactions remain challenging. While host-guest systems, particularly azobenzene-β-cyclodextrin (Azo-β-CD) interactions, are well-established in supramolecular chemistry, their application to structurally guided micromotor assembly and motion control is underexplored.

Pan-cancer analysis of ARNT2 and its oncogenic role in cervical cancer.

Objective: This study aims to elucidate the role of aryl hydrocarbon receptor nuclear transporter 2 (ARNT2) in cervical cancer (CC) and explore the potential mechanism by which ARNT2 promotes the progression of CC through the protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A)/Akt signaling pathway.

Methods: Bioinformatics tools were used to analyze the expression level of ARNT2 in cancer and its correlation with cancer prognosis. Western Blot and immunohistochemistry staining were used to detect the expression of ARNT2 protein in CC tissues and cells.

Liquid Metal Amplified Charge Separation in Photocatalytic Micro/Nanomotors for Antibacterial Therapy.

Photocatalytic micro/nanomotors (MNMs) driven by electrophoresis have attracted considerable attention by virtue of their active mobility and versatile functionality. However, the rapid recombination of photogenerated electron-hole pairs on light illumination severely compromises the involvement of charge species in the catalytic redox reactions of fuels, thus hindering both the propulsion and the application performance of photocatalytic MNMs. Herein, we report a facile strategy to amplify charge separation by incorporating liquid metal (LM) into the construction of photocatalytic MNMs, thereby strengthening the electrophoretic propulsion of MNMs and promoting the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) for antibacterial application.

Beyond surface tension-dominated water surface jumping.

Water surface jumping motions of semi-aquatic insects are primarily rely on surface tension-dominated jumping mechanism to achieve impressive jumping performance. However, this mechanism faces an inherent physical constraint: the propulsion force must remain below the threshold required to break the water surface, limiting efficient momentum acquisition. Herein, we present a water surface jumping strategy that addresses the limitations of surface tension-dominated mechanism.

Contrast-enhanced US Bosniak Classification: intra- and inter-rater agreement, confounding features, and diagnostic performance.

Background: The contrast-enhanced US (CEUS) Bosniak classification, proposed by the European Federation for Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology (EFSUMB) in 2020, predicts malignancy in cystic renal masses (CRMs). However, intra- and inter-rater reproducibility for CEUS features has not been well investigated.

Purpose: To explore intra- and inter-rater agreement for US features, identify confounding features, and assess the diagnostic performance of CEUS Bosniak classification.

Magnetic soft microrobots for erectile dysfunction therapy.

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a major threat to male fertility and quality of life, and mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) are a promising therapeutic option. However, therapeutic outcomes are compromised by low MSC retention and survival rates in corpus cavernosum tissue. Here, we developed an innovative magnetic soft microrobot comprising an ultrasoft hydrogel microsphere embedded with a magnetic nanoparticle chain for MSC delivery.

Machine Learning Model Based on Prognostic Nutritional Index for Predicting Long-Term Outcomes in Patients With HCC Undergoing Ablation.

Aims: To develop multiple machine learning (ML) models based on the prognostic nutritional index (PNI) and determine the optimal model for predicting long-term survival outcomes in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients after local ablation.

Methods: From January 2009 to December 2019, we analyzed data from 848 primary HCC patients who underwent local ablation. ML models were constructed and evaluated using the concordance index (C-index), concordance-discordance area under curve (C/D AUC), and Brier scores.

Investigating the Impact of IL-6 and CXCL8 on Neurodegeneration and Cognitive Decline in Alzheimer Disease.

Background: Alzheimer disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder primarily affecting the elderly, characterized by severe cognitive impairment and memory loss. Emerging evidence suggests that neuroinflammation plays a significant role in AD pathogenesis, with cytokines like interleukin-6 (IL-6) and C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 8 (CXCL8) contributing to the disease progression.

Methods: We utilized Gene Expression Omnibus datasets to identify IL-6 and CXCL8 as pivotal inflammatory markers in AD.

Magnetically Responsive Gallium-Based Liquid Metal: Preparation, Property and Application.

Magnetically responsive soft smart materials have garnered significant academic attention due to their flexibility, remote controllability, and reconfigurability. However, traditional soft materials used in the construction of these magnetically responsive systems typically exhibit low density and poor thermal and electrical conductivities. These limitations result in suboptimal performance in applications such as medical radiography, high-performance electronic devices, and thermal management.

Fracture-driven power amplification in a hydrogel launcher.

Robotic tasks that require robust propulsion abilities such as jumping, ejecting or catapulting require power-amplification strategies where kinetic energy is generated from pre-stored energy. Here we report an engineered accumulated strain energy-fracture power-amplification method that is inspired by the pressurized fluidic squirting mechanism of Ecballium elaterium (squirting cucumber plants). We realize a light-driven hydrogel launcher that harnesses fast liquid vapourization triggered by the photothermal response of an embedded graphene suspension.

Ultrasound findings and clinical characteristics in differentiating renal urothelial carcinoma from endophytic clear cell renal cell carcinoma.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the clinical characteristics and features of conventional ultrasound (CUS) and contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) in differentiating between renal urothelial carcinomas (RUC) and endophytic clear cell renal cell carcinomas (EccRCC).

Methods: A total of 72 RUCs and 120 EccRCCs confirmed by pathology were assessed retrospectively. Both CUS and CEUS were performed within 4 weeks before the surgery.

Enzymatic Reaction Enhanced Diffusion Accelerates Cargo Transport through Micro/Nano-Channels.

Energy conversion and transfer of enzyme-catalyzed reactions at molecular level are an interesting and challenging scientific topic that helps understanding biological processes in nature. In this study, it is demonstrated that enzyme-catalyzed reactions can enhance diffusion of surrounding molecules and thus accelerate cargo transport within 1D micro/nanochannels. Specifically, urease is immobilized on the inner walls of silica micro/nano-tubes to construct bio-catalytically active micro/nanochannels.

Supramolecular Modular Assembly of Imaging-Trackable Enzymatic Nanomotors.

Self-propelled micro/nanomotors (MNMs) have shown great application potential in biomedicine, sensing, environmental remediation, etc. In the past decade, various strategies or technologies have been used to prepare and functionalize MNMs. However, the current preparation strategies of the MNMs were mainly following the pre-designed methods based on specific tasks to introduce expected functional parts on the various micro/nanocarriers, which lacks a universal platform and common features, making it difficult to apply to different application scenarios.

Modularized microrobot with lock-and-detachable modules for targeted cell delivery in bile duct.

The magnetic microrobots promise benefits in minimally invasive cell-based therapy. However, they generally suffer from an inevitable compromise between their magnetic responsiveness and biomedical functions. Herein, we report a modularized microrobot consisting of magnetic actuation (MA) and cell scaffold (CS) modules.

Reactive wetting enabled anchoring of non-wettable iron oxide in liquid metal for miniature soft robot.

Magnetic liquid metal (LM) soft robots attract considerable attentions because of distinctive immiscibility, deformability and maneuverability. However, conventional LM composites relying on alloying between LM and metallic magnetic powders suffer from diminished magnetism over time and potential safety risk upon leakage of metallic components. Herein, we report a strategy to composite inert and biocompatible iron oxide (FeO) magnetic nanoparticles into eutectic gallium indium LM via reactive wetting mechanism.

High-fat diet promotes tumor growth in the patient-derived orthotopic xenograft (PDOX) mouse model of ER positive endometrial cancer.

Endometrial cancer, one of the common gynecological malignancies, is affected by several influencing factors. This study established a unique patient-derived orthotopic xenograft (PDOX) nude mouse model for the study of influencing factors in ER positive endometrial cancer. The aim of this study was to demonstrate that a high-fat diet can affect the growth of ER positive endometrial cancer PDOX model tumors.

A novel prognostic model based on AFP, tumor burden score and Albumin-Bilirubin grade for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma undergoing radiofrequency ablation.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to develop prognostic scores, including the tumor burden score (TBS) and albumin-bilirubin (ALBI) grade, for evaluating the outcomes of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients after radiofrequency ablation (RFA).

Materials And Methods: This retrospective study enrolled treatment-naïve HCC patients with BCLC 0-A who underwent RFA between January 2009 and December 2019. Regular follow-up was conducted after RFA to determine progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS).

Ultrasonic-Enabled Nondestructive and Substrate-Independent Liquid Metal Ink Sintering.

Printing or patterning particle-based liquid metal (LM) ink is a good strategy to overcome poor wettability of LM for its circuits' preparation in flexible and printed electronics. Subsequently, a crucial step is to recover conductivity of LM circuits consisting of insulating LM micro/nano-particles. However, most widely used mechanical sintering methods based on hard contact such as pressing, may not be able to contact the LM patterns' whole surface conformally, leading to insufficient sintering in some areas.

Active Micro/Nanoparticles in Colloidal Microswarms.

Colloidal microswarms have attracted increasing attention in the last decade due to their unique capabilities in various complex tasks. Thousands or even millions of tiny active agents are gathered with distinctive features and emerging behaviors, demonstrating fascinating equilibrium and non-equilibrium collective states. In recent studies, with the development of materials design, remote control strategies, and the understanding of pair interactions between building blocks, microswarms have shown advantages in manipulation and targeted delivery tasks with high adaptability and on-demand pattern transformation.

Swarming self-adhesive microgels enabled aneurysm on-demand embolization in physiological blood flow.

The recent rise of swarming microrobotics offers great promise in the revolution of minimally invasive embolization procedure for treating aneurysm. However, targeted embolization treatment of aneurysm using microrobots has significant challenges in the delivery capability and filling controllability. Here, we develop an interventional catheterization-integrated swarming microrobotic platform for aneurysm on-demand embolization in physiological blood flow.

Enzyme-Powered Tubular Microrobotic Jets as Bioinspired Micropumps for Active Transmembrane Drug Transport.

In nature, there exist a variety of transport proteins on cell membranes capable of actively moving cargos across biological membranes, which plays a vital role in the living activities of cells. Emulating such biological pumps in artificial systems may bring in-depth insights on the principles and functions of cell behaviors. However, it poses great challenges due to difficulty in the sophisticated construction of active channels at the cellular scale.