Conventional 3D printing technologies typically rely on open‐loop, calibrate‐then‐print operation procedures. An alternative approach is adaptive 3D printing, which is a closed‐loop method that ...combines real‐time feedback control and direct ink writing of functional materials in order to fabricate devices on moving freeform surfaces. Here, it is demonstrated that the changes of states in the 3D printing workspace in terms of the geometries and motions of target surfaces can be perceived by an integrated robotic system aided by computer vision. A hybrid fabrication procedure combining 3D printing of electrical connects with automatic pick‐and‐placing of surface‐mounted electronic components yields functional electronic devices on a free‐moving human hand. Using this same approach, cell‐laden hydrogels are also printed on live mice, creating a model for future studies of wound‐healing diseases. This adaptive 3D printing method may lead to new forms of smart manufacturing technologies for directly printed wearable devices on the body and for advanced medical treatments.
An adaptive 3D printing system capable of printing functional conductive inks and bioinks on moving freeform surfaces yields wireless electronics on a moving human hand and cell‐laden biostructures on mice. The concept of printing functional and biological materials via an autonomous, adaptive 3D printing system suggests a new paradigm for printing on‐the‐fly wearable electronics on moving targets and for surgical applications.
Glycine is an amino acid with a diverse array of health benefits regarding metabolism, immunity, and development. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that glycine supplementation alters ...the intestinal microbial composition and improves the intestinal mucosal immunity of weaned piglets. One hundred and twenty-eight weaned piglets divided into 4 groups were fed with a corn- and soybean meal-based diet supplemented with 0 (control), 0.5, 1, or 2% glycine for 7 days. The intestinal microbiota and tissue samples from the control and the 2% glycine-supplemented piglets were collected for determination of the composition of microbial community and the intestinal mucosal barrier function. Piglets fed with diet containing 2% glycine, instead of 0.5% or 1% glycine, presented elevated average daily gain and feed conversion ratio, as compared with the control. 2% glycine enhanced the abundance of mucins in the jejunum and ileum and mRNA level of porcine β-defensin (pBD) 2 and pBD-3, as well as the protein level of secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA) in the jejunum. The mRNA expression of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-1β, and IL-6, and the protein level of phosphorylated p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), nuclear factor (NF)-κB p65, and claudin-2 in the jejunum were lower in the 2% glycine group than that in the control. In addition, an elevated ratio of CD4+/CD8+ T lymphocytes was observed in the jejunum of piglets receiving diet supplemented with 2% glycine. The colon content of piglets fed with 2% glycine exhibited a reduction in abundance of pathogenic bacteria (
Escherichia–Shigella
,
Clostridium
, and
Burkholderiales
) and an increase in short-chain fatty acid-producing bacteria (
Blautia
,
Lachnospiraceae
,
Anaerostipes
, and
Prevotella
) in comparison with the control. We conclude that dietary supplementation with 2% glycine improves the intestinal immunological barrier function and the microbial composition, therefore, contributing to the growth performance of weaned piglets.
High spatial resolution, low background, and deep tissue penetration have made near-infrared II (NIR-II) fluorescence imaging one of the most critical tools for in vivo observation and measurement. ...However, the relatively short retention time and potential toxicity of synthetic NIR-II fluorophores limit their long-term application. Here, we report the use of infrared fluorescent proteins (iRFPs) as in vitro and in vivo NIR-II probes permitting prolonged continuous imaging (up to 15 months). As a representative example, iRFP713 is knocked into the mouse genome to generate a transgenic model to allow temporal and/or spatial expression control of the probe. To demonstrate its feasibility in a genuine diagnostic context, we adopt two liver regeneration models and successfully track the process for a week. The performance and monitoring efficacy are comparable to those of μCT and superior to those of indocyanine green dye. We are also able to effectively observe the pancreas, despite its deep location, under both physiological and pathological conditions. These results indicate that the iRFP-assisted NIR-II fluorescence system is suitable for monitoring various tissues and in vivo biological processes, providing a powerful noninvasive long-term imaging platform.
Conflicting results existed about the role of prognostic nutritional index (PNI) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients who received curative hepatectomy. The aim of this study is to identify ...the predictive capacity of PNI for survival after hepatectomy.
Preoperative PNI, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), tumor feature and clinical information of 187 patients with HCC from Sir Run Run Shaw hospital were evaluated. We also conducted a meta-analysis of seven cohort studies.
Our study showed that HCC patients with a low PNI of <45 had a poor recurrence-free survival (RFS) rate (hazard ratio HR 1.762, 95% confidence interval CI 1.066-2.911, p = 0.027, respectively). The 5-year OS and RFS rates of the high PNI (≥45) vs low PNI (<45) were 76.7% vs 50.1% (p = 0.001) and 47.0% vs 28.9% (p = 0.001), respectively. In HCC TNM I patients (n = 144), a low PNI remained an independent prognostic factor of OS and RFS (HR 2.305, 95% CI 1.008-5.268, p = 0.048; HR 2.122, 95% CI 1.149-3.920, p = 0.016). The 5-year OS and RFS rates of the high PNI vs low PNI were 81.3% vs 62.4% (p = 0.041) and 53.4% vs 45.6% (p = 0.013), respectively. In the pooled analysis, the data showed that a low PNI was significantly associated with poor OS and RFS (HR 2.27, 95% CI 1.03-4.07, p < 0.001 and HR 1.68, 95% CI 1.45-1.94, p < 0.001, respectively).
The preoperative PNI was an independent prognostic factor for OS and RFS rates in HCC patients who received hepatectomy.
Abstract
The limited signal of long-wavelength near-infrared-II (NIR-II, 900–1880 nm) fluorophores and the strong background caused by the diffused photons make high-contrast fluorescence imaging in ...vivo with deep tissue disturbed still challenging. Here, we develop NIR-II fluorescent small molecules with aggregation-induced emission properties, high brightness, and maximal emission beyond 1200 nm by enhancing electron-donating ability and reducing the donor-acceptor (D-A) distance, to complement the scarce bright long-wavelength emissive organic dyes. The convincing single-crystal evidence of D-A-D molecular structure reveals the strong inhibition of the π-π stacking with ultralong molecular packing distance exceeding 8 Å. The delicately-designed nanofluorophores with bright fluorescent signals extending to 1900 nm match the background-suppressed imaging window, enabling the signal-to-background ratio of the tissue image to reach over 100 with the tissue thickness of ~4–6 mm. In addition, the intraluminal lesions with strong negatively stained can be identified with almost zero background. This method can provide new avenues for future long-wavelength NIR-II molecular design and biomedical imaging of deep and highly scattering tissues.
Lymph node metastasis is a major metastatic route of cancer and significantly influences the prognosis of cancer patients. Radical lymphadenectomy is crucial for a successful surgery. However, ...iatrogenic normal organ injury during lymphadenectomy is a troublesome complication. Here, this paper reports a kind of organic nanoprobes (IDSe‐IC2F nanoparticles (NPs)) with excellent second near‐infrared (NIR‐II) fluorescence and photothermal properties. IDSe‐IC2F NPs can effectively label lymph nodes and helped achieve high‐contrast lymphatic imaging. More importantly, by jointly using IDSe‐IC2F nanoparticles and other kinds of nanoparticles with different excitation/emission properties, a multichannel NIR‐II fluorescence imaging modality and imaging‐guided lymphadenectomy is proposed. With the help of this navigation system, the iatrogenic injury can be largely avoided. In addition, NIR‐II fluorescence imaging‐guided photothermal treatment (“hot” strategy) can ablate those metastatic lymph nodes which are difficult to deal with during resection (“cold” strategy). Nanoprobes‐assisted and multichannel NIR‐II fluorescence imaging‐guided “cold” and “hot” treatment strategy provides a general new basis for the future precision surgery.
A novel kind of second near‐infrared (NIR‐II) fluorescent nanoprobe is synthesized to label and trace lymph nodes (LNs). Together with other kinds of NIR‐II fluorescent NPs with different optical features, multichannel fluorescence imaging‐guided surgeries are successfully conducted. Photothermal ablation of metastatic LNs is introduced as a good complement to surgery. This platform offers a novel perspective through which a more precise surgery can be conducted.
The composite structure ZSM-5/HMS was synthesized, and modified with zinc species by three methods. The effects of Si/Al ratio of ZSM-5, zinc contents in ZSM-5/HMS, and modification methods on the ...catalytic performance were investigated. The prepared catalysts were conducted to synthesize iso-octanoic acid under atmospheric pressure, molecular oxygen (O
2
) as oxidant, and solvent-free conditions. The preparation methods for introducing Zn had a significant influence on the textural properties, zinc species state, acid site distribution of composite materials, and catalytic performance, which was confirmed by the XRD, FT-IR, UV–Vis and NH
3
-TPD analyses. Both the composite support and loaded zinc had a significant contribution to the catalytic performance, and Zn species could enhance a higher oxygen exchange rate between oxygen gas phase and support. The superior activity could be attributed to the synergistic effect between Zn–Al oxide solid solution, which increased the surface acidity and iso-octanol adsorption capability of the catalysts. The catalyst Zn(400)-3%ZH(52)-D exhibited the highest conversion and remarkable selectivity of around 49.2% and 58.9%, respectively.
Graphic Abstract
Schematic diagram of the catalytic oxidation of iso-octanol process
Altered metabolic patterns in tumor cells not only meet their own growth requirements but also shape an immunosuppressive microenvironment through multiple mechanisms. Noncoding RNAs constitute ...approximately 60% of the transcriptional output of human cells and have been shown to regulate numerous cellular processes under developmental and pathological conditions. Given their extensive action mechanisms based on motif recognition patterns, noncoding RNAs may serve as hinges bridging metabolic activity and immune responses. Indeed, recent studies have shown that microRNAs, long noncoding RNAs and circRNAs are widely involved in tumor metabolic rewiring, immune cell infiltration and function. Hence, we summarized existing knowledge of the role of noncoding RNAs in the remodeling of tumor metabolism and the immune microenvironment, and notably, we established the TIMELnc manual, which is a free and public manual for researchers to identify pivotal lncRNAs that are simultaneously correlated with tumor metabolism and immune cell infiltration based on a bioinformatic approach. Keywords: Noncoding RNAs, Tumor metabolism, Immune microenvironment, TIMELnc manual, Bioinformatic approach
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a highly heterogeneous, multigene-driven malignant tumor. ZNF384 is an overexpressed gene with a high frequency of alteration in HCC, but research on the function of ...ZNF384 in HCC is lacking. In this study, the expression level of ZNF384 in HCC was analyzed through immunohistochemical (IHC) staining, Western blot analysis and qRT-PCR. We also generated ZNF384 knockdown and knockout HCC cell lines using short hairpin RNA (shRNA) and CRISPR/Cas9 systems. MTS, colony formation, and 5-ethynyl-20-deoxyuridine (EdU) assays; flow cytometry; and a xenograft mouse model were used to evaluate the effects of ZNF384 on cell proliferation. Western blot analysis, a dual luciferase reporter assay and a ChIP assay were performed to explore the potential mechanism. We found that overexpression of ZNF384 in HCC and elevated expression of ZNF384 in HCC tissues was significantly correlated with tumor recurrence (P = 0.0097). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis revealed that high expression levels of ZNF384 were correlated with poor overall survival (P = 0.0386). Downregulation of ZNF384 expression suppressed HCC cell proliferation by inhibiting the expression of Cyclin D1. These findings suggest that ZNF384 tends to act as an oncogene in the development of HCC. ZNF384 promotes the proliferation of HCC cells by directly upregulating the expression of Cyclin D1 and might serve as a prognostic predictive factor for HCC patients.
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