Chronic Exposure to Sunset Yellow Promotes Susceptibility to Experimental Colitis in Mice through Gut Microbiota.

Sunset yellow (SY) is a widely used food additive. However, its impacts on ulcerative colitis (UC) development remain unclear. Here, SY exposure exacerbated dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced UC symptoms in mice, including body weight loss, elevated disease activity index, histological damage, inflammation, gut barrier impairment, disruption of gut microbiota composition, and sulfur metabolism.

A Correlation between Inflammatory Factors and Epileptic Seizures: A Meta-analysis.

Background: The pathophysiological mechanisms and relevant biological markers for epileptic seizures largely remained unknown. However, several studies have reported elevated levels of inflammatory factors in the serum of individuals with epileptic seizures. Therefore, this study aims to explore the relationship between inflammatory factors and epileptic seizures.

A wearable echomyography system based on a single transducer.

Wearable electromyography devices can detect muscular activity for health monitoring and body motion tracking, but this approach is limited by weak and stochastic signals with a low spatial resolution. Alternatively, echomyography can detect muscle movement using ultrasound waves, but typically relies on complex transducer arrays, which are bulky, have high power consumption and can limit user mobility. Here we report a fully integrated wearable echomyography system that consists of a customized single transducer, a wireless circuit for data processing and an on-board battery for power.

Study on the mechanism of family resilience on loneliness in older adults with stroke.

Objective: This study examines loneliness in stroke patients who were ≥60 years of age, identifying key factors such as family resilience, social support, family function, and psychological capital.

Methods: We sampled 234 stroke patients who were ≥60 years of age. These patients were diagnosed with stroke (ischemic stroke, hemorrhagic stroke) by the hospital and their condition is stable in the recovery period.

Correlation between early corneal edema and endothelial cell loss after phacoemulsification cataract surgery.

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the correlation between early corneal edema and loss of corneal endothelial cells after phacoemulsification.

Methods: The corneal condition of each operated eye was observed using slit-lamp biomicroscopy at different time points, and the clinical score of corneal edema was determined. Central corneal thickness (CCT) and endothelial cell density (ECD) of each operative eye were measured by corneal endothelial microscopy at different time points.

In Situ Diagnosis and Therapy Monitoring of Radiation-Induced Enteritis via Ratiometric NIR-II Fluorescence Imaging.

Radiation-induced enteritis (RIE) remains a critical clinical challenge, demanding advanced strategies for diagnostic and therapeutic monitoring. Conventional assessment methods are often time-consuming and primarily detect anatomic changes at moderate or late stages, limiting timely intervention. Here, DSNP@786s@EM, an innovative biomimetic nanoprobe based on NaYbF:2%Er,2%Ce@NaYF:30%Nd downshifting nanoparticles (DSNP) is presented for real-time, in situ monitoring of RIE via ratiometric near-infrared II (NIR-II) fluorescence imaging.

Mechanism of Shu-Mu Brain-Kidney Acupoint in Treating Oligoasthenospermia in Rats via the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Testicular Axis.

Oligoasthenospermia is a common cause of male infertility. The hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular (HPT) axis regulates gonadal differentiation and maturation through reproductive hormone synthesis and release, playing a vital role in male fertility. Disrupting HPT axis stability impairs sperm production, reducing semen quality.

Micro-Nano Convergence-Driven Radiotheranostic Revolution in Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Radiotherapy, as an important means of treating hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), has shown unique therapeutic advantages, especially in patients who are unable to undergo surgery or transplantation. It mainly includes external radiotherapy, transarterial radioembolization and intratumoral radioactive particle implantation. However, under the influence of factors such as the hypoxic characteristics of the liver tumor microenvironment and the radioresistance of tumor cells, the effect of radiotherapy may be unstable and may cause side effects, affecting the quality of life of patients.

Long-Term Effects of Vegetative-Propagation-Mediated TuMV-ZR Transmission on Yield, Quality, and Stress Resistance in .

(Miq.) Pax () was a valued traditional Chinese herbal medicine. Previous studies have shown that TuMV spreads during the vegetative propagation cycle using tuberous roots as carriers.

Radio-Activated Selenium-Doped Janus Ag/AgSeS Nanoparticles for Precise Cancer NIR-II Fluorescence Imaging and Radiosensitization Therapy.

The efficacy of radiotherapy (RT) is often limited by insufficient tumor selectivity and suboptimal therapeutic responses. To overcome these problems, a new kind of selenium-doped Ag/AgS Janus nanoparticles (Ag/AgSeS JNPs) is presented as radio-responsive molecular probes for precise tumor imaging and enhanced radiosensitization. By adjusting the selenium precursor input, heterojunction nanoparticles with tunable doping ratios are synthesized, optimizing X-ray absorption and energy storage properties.

Challenges of Serum Creatinine Level in GFR Assessment and Drug Dosing Decisions in Kidney Injury.

Serum creatinine (SCr) is widely regarded as a standard biomarker for assessing glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and is commonly used to guide dose adjustments for renally eliminated drugs. However, the application of SCr as a marker for evaluating GFR and drug dosing in kidney injury has significant limitations that are often overlooked in clinical practice. This oversight can result in subtherapeutic drug concentrations or adverse drug reactions due to inappropriate dosing adjustments based on SCr levels alone.

Precision medication based on the evaluation of drug metabolizing enzyme and transporter functions.

Pharmacogenomics, therapeutic drug monitoring, and the assessments of hepatic and renal function have made significant contributions to the advancement of individualized medicine. However, their lack of direct correlation with protein abundance/non-genetic factors, target drug concentration, and drug metabolism/excretion significantly limits their application in precision drug therapy. The primary task of precision medicine is to accurately determine drug dosage, which depends on a precise assessment of the ability to handle drugs , and drug metabolizing enzymes and transporters are critical determinants of drug disposition in the body.

Semi-Autonomous Continuous Robotic Arm Control Using an Augmented Reality Brain-Computer Interface.

Noninvasive augmented-reality (AR) brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) that use steady-state visually evoked potentials (SSVEPs) typically adopt a fully-autonomous goal-selection framework to control a robot, where automation is used to compensate for the low information transfer rate of the BCI. This scheme improves task performance but users may prefer direct control (DC) of robot motion. To provide users with a balance of autonomous assistance and manual control, we developed a shared control (SC) system for continuous control of robot translation using an SSVEP AR-BCI, which we tested in a 3D reaching task.

Assessment of Electroacupuncture Therapy with Distant-Approximal Acupoints Based on the HPT Axis in Rats with Oligoasthenospermia Through Transcriptomic Analysis.

The transcriptomic analysis was used to explore the effect of electroacupuncture therapy with distant-approximal acupoints based on the hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular (HPT) on gene expression patterns and pathways in oligoasthenospermia (OAT) rats. In this study, the rat model of OAT after intragastric administration of adenine was selected as the research object, and randomly divided into a blank group (C), a model group (M), and a electroacupuncture therapy with distant-approximal acupoints group (D). After electroacupuncture intervention, the epididymal sperm quality and serum sex hormone levels of rats was detected and three tissue samples of HPT axis were taken, and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were screened by transcriptome sequencing technology.

Vapor-Deposited MOF for Low-k Dielectric Seamless High-Aspect-Ratio Interconnect Gap Fill.

A vapor-phase ZIF-8 MOF deposition procedure for seamless high-aspect-ratio interconnect gap fill has been developed with a short process time (15 min) at a 160 °C process temperature. This is the most rapid documented vapor technique to produce a MOF film and is made possible by a higher process temperature and a low background HO environment. The process consists of ALD of a thin (<5 nm) ZnO film followed by conversion to ZIF-8 in an organic linker (ALD + soak cycle).

Approaches to Radiolabeling Nanobodies for Biomedical Applications.

Molecular imaging plays a vital role in diagnosing diseases, monitoring treatments, and evaluating therapeutic efficacy by enabling noninvasive visualization of biological processes. Nanobodies, single-domain antibodies derived from camelids, have emerged as promising candidates for a wide range of biomedical applications due to their unique properties, including small size, high affinity, rapid clearance, and deep-tissue penetration. While effective radiolabeling techniques remain a major challenge to fully realize their clinical potential, this review aims to present recent advances in nanobody radiolabeling, focusing on radionuclides like Cu, Ga, Zr, and In, along with their associated chelators and conjugation methods.

PET-Based Dual-Modal Probes for In Vivo Imaging.

Molecular imaging has significantly advanced the detection and analysis of in vivo metabolic processes, while single-modal techniques remain limited. Dual-modal imaging, particularly positron emission tomography (PET)-based combinations has emerged as a powerful solution, offering enhanced capabilities through integration with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or near-infrared fluorescence (NIRF) imaging. This review highlights recent progress in PET-based dual-modal imaging, focusing on the development of various bimodal probes derived from antibodies, nanoparticles, and peptides, and key applications including image-guided surgery and disease assessment.

Development of a TaqMan qPCR for the Simultaneous Detection of the TuMV and BBWV2 Viruses Responsible for the Viral Disease in .

(Miq.) Pax, a highly valued Chinese medicinal plant, is experiencing a notable decline in yield and quality due to viral diseases, particularly caused those by TuMV and BBWV2. Currently, the absence of a quantitative detection method for these viruses in impedes the accurate diagnosis.

X-ray-activated nanoscintillators integrated with tumor-associated neutrophils polarization for improved radiotherapy in metastatic colorectal cancer.

Radiotherapy, employing high-energy rays to precisely target and eradicate tumor cells, plays a pivotal role in the treatment of various malignancies. Despite its therapeutic potential, the effectiveness of radiotherapy is hindered by the tumor's inherent low radiosensitivity and the immunosuppressive microenvironment. Here we present an innovative approach that integrates peroxynitrite (ONOO)-mediated radiosensitization with the tumor-associated neutrophils (TANs) polarization for the reversal of immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME), greatly amplifying the potency of radiotherapy.

Transcriptomic analysis of the HPT axis in a model of oligoasthenozoospermia induced by Adenine in rats.

Male infertility is most commonly caused by oligozoospermia, and its pathogenesis is still poorly understood at the molecular level. This study used RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) technology to identify candidate genes and regulatory pathways that regulate semen quality in the hypothalamic, pituitary, and testicular tissues of healthy rats and Adenine-induced oligozoospermia model rats. Semen quality testing and histological analysis of testicular tissues were performed on both groups of rats.

Near-Infrared Optogenetic Nanosystem for Spatiotemporal Control of CRISPR-Cas9 Gene Editing and Synergistic Photodynamic Therapy.

Controlling CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing at the spatiotemporal resolution level, especially for in vivo applications, remains a great challenge. Here, we developed a near-infrared (NIR) light-activated nanophotonic system (UCPP) for controlled CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing and synergistic photodynamic therapy (PDT). Lanthanide-doped upconversion nanoparticles are not only employed as carriers for intracellular plasmid delivery but also serve as the nanotransducers to convert NIR light (980 nm) into visible light with emission at 460 and 650 nm, which could result in simultaneous activation of gene editing and PDT processes, respectively.

NIR-II Ratiometric Optical Theranostic Capsule for Diagnosis and Precise Therapy of Intestinal Inflammation.

Capsules were widely used in clinical settings for the oral delivery of various drugs, although it remains challenging to trace real-time drug release behavior and adjust dosages based on the therapeutic effect. To address these issues, we developed theranostic capsules that loaded two kinds of fluorescence nanoparticles, HO-responsive Janus Ag/AgS nanoparticles (Ag/AgS JNPs) and the downconversion nanoparticles (DCNPs), and the dexamethasone (Dex) drug. The Ag/AgS JNPs exhibit a highly sensitive fluorescence (FL) signal at 1250 nm in response to HO, while the FL signal from the DCNPs at 1550 nm remains stable under physiological conditions.

Feasibility study of a game-based virtual reality intervention for functional prosthesis use training: A preclinical assessment.

Objective: This paper presents a preclinical feasibility study to investigate the efficacy of a game-based virtual reality (VR) intervention in the functional training of upper-limb prosthesis use.

Methods: The study compared the skill of 2 able-bodied groups (intervention and control, 5 participants in each group) using a surface electromyography controlled self-experience prosthetic hand and wrist through the Box and Blocks Test (BBT). The Intervention Group followed the game-based VR intervention for 4 weeks and underwent real-life (RL) BBT assessments before and after the intervention using the self-experience prosthesis.

Nanocarriers for intracellular delivery of proteins in biomedical applications: strategies and recent advances.

Protein drugs are of great importance in maintaining the normal functioning of living organisms. Indeed, they have been instrumental in combating tumors and genetic diseases for decades. Among these pharmaceutical agents, those that target intracellular components necessitate the use of therapeutic proteins to exert their effects within the targeted cells.

Relationship between inflammation/immunity and epilepsy: A multi-omics mendelian randomization study integrating GWAS, eQTL, and mQTL data.

Objectives: Increasing evidence suggests that activated innate/adaptive immunity induces an inflammatory response, thereby participating in epileptogenesis. However, the biological explanation of inflammation/immunity as a potential cause for epilepsy remains largely unknown. This research aimed to determine the causal effects of inflammation/immune-related genes in epilepsy based on multi-omics mendelian randomization (MR).