A Self-Sensing and Self-Powered Wearable System Based on Multi-Source Human Motion Energy Harvesting.

Wearable devices play an indispensable role in modern life, and the human body contains multiple wasted energies available for wearable devices. This study proposes a self-sensing and self-powered wearable system (SS-WS) based on scavenging waist motion energy and knee negative energy. The proposed SS-WS consists of a three-degree-of-freedom triboelectric nanogenerator (TDF-TENG) and a negative energy harvester (NEH). The TDF-TENG is driven by waist motion energy and the generated triboelectric signals are processed by deep learning for recognizing the human motion. The triboelectric signals generated by TDF-TENG can accurately recognize the motion state after processing based on Gate Recurrent Unit deep learning model. With double frequency up-conversion, the NEH recovers knee negative energy generation for powering wearable devices. A model wearing the single energy harvester can generate the power of 27.01 mW when the movement speed is 8 km h-1, and the power density of NEH reaches 0.3 W kg-1 at an external excitation condition of 3 Hz. Experiments and analysis prove that the proposed SS-WS can realize self-sensing and effectively power wearable devices.

Androgen-repressed lncRNA LINC01126 drives castration-resistant prostate cancer by regulating the switch between O-GlcNAcylation and phosphorylation of androgen receptor.

BACKGROUND: Prostate cancer (PCa) initially shows satisfactory response to therapies targeting the androgen receptor (AR). However, progression to a castration-resistant stage indicates poor prognosis in PCa patients. AR signalling still plays a central role in most castration-resistant prostate cancers (CRPC). Therefore, unveiling the mechanisms of AR reactivation under androgen-deprived conditions is imperative to discover novel therapeutic targets for CRPC. METHODS: Using an integrative analysis of the transcriptomics of three independent PCa cohorts and a published landscape of AR-regulated long non-coding RNA (lncRNA), lncRNA LINC01126 was selected as a candidate gene that could drive CRPC progression for further study. Quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, in situ hybridisation (ISH) and fluorescent ISH were performed to detect LINC01126 in PCa tissues and cells. The functional role and mechanism of LINC01126 were further investigated using in vitro and in vivo gain and loss of function assays. RESULTS: LINC01126, identified as an AR-repressed lncRNA, was significantly upregulated after AR-targeted therapies. In addition, we found that LINC01126 was upregulated in CRPC and was associated with poor prognosis. We also proved that LINC01126 stabilised AR protein and enhanced AR nuclear translocation and transactivation by promoting the transition from O-GlcNAcylation at threonine 80 to phosphorylation at serine 81 (S81) within the AR protein. Mechanism analysis revealed that LINC01126 facilitates the interaction of CDK9 with AR and impedes the binding of O-linked N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc) transferase to AR. Consequently, LINC01126 expression was sufficient to activate AR signalling without androgen. LINC01126 overexpression increased, whereas LINC01126 knockdown decreased castration resistance traits in PCa cells in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, our data showed that LINC01126-targeting antisense oligonucleotides (ASO) substantially inhibited CRPC cells in vitro. CONCLUSIONS: Our research expands the functions of AR-regulated lncRNA in sustaining androgen-independent AR activity and promoting CRPC progression and reveals that LINC01126 may be a new therapeutic target for PCa.

Imperceptible, designable, and scalable braided electronic cord.

Flexible sensors, friendly interfaces, and intelligent recognition are important in the research of novel human-computer interaction and the development of smart devices. However, major challenges are still encountered in designing user-centered smart devices with natural, convenient, and efficient interfaces. Inspired by the characteristics of textile-based flexible electronic sensors, in this article, we report a braided electronic cord with a low-cost, and automated fabrication to realize imperceptible, designable, and scalable user interfaces. The braided electronic cord is in a miniaturized form, which is suitable for being integrated with various occasions in life. To achieve high-precision interaction, a multi-feature fusion algorithm is designed to recognize gestures of different positions, different contact areas, and different movements performed on a single braided electronic cord. The recognized action results are fed back to varieties of interactive terminals, which show the diversity of cord forms and applications. Our braided electronic cord with the features of user friendliness, excellent durability and rich interaction mode will greatly promote the development of human-machine integration in the future.

Relationship between outpatient duration of young outpatient physicians and lower urinary tract symptoms and sexual dysfunction.

Background: In China, physicians aged 30-45 years who work in tertiary hospitals perform most of the clinical duties, especially outpatient services, and the high-intensity, high-pressure workplace may through long-term sedentary affect their health, particularly urinary health. Methods: The study, conducted from October 2020 to October 2021, included male physicians in Xiangya Hospital, the Second Xiangya Hospital, and the Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University (Hunan, China). They were divided into surgeon and non-surgeon groups. We collect the data on age, body mass index (BMI), duration of outpatient duties and the International Prostate Symptom Score-voiding (IPSS-V) and IPSS-storage (IPSS-S), and the IPSS-Total, and the IPSS-Quality of Life Index (IPSS-QOL), and the Athens insomnia scale (AIS), and the International Prostate Symptom Score (IIEF-5). Results: The duration of outpatient duties positively correlated with IPSS-Total (P<0.001), IPSS-S (P<0.001), and IPSS-QOL (P<0.001) and negatively correlated with IIEF-5 (p=0.032). Compared to non-surgeons, surgeons performed fewer outpatient duties. The IPSS-Total (P=0.016), IPSS-Storage (P=0.005), and QOL scores (P=0.046) of the non-surgeon group were higher and the IIEF-5 scores were lower (P=0.039). There were no significant differences between the groups regarding age, body mass index, IPSS-Voiding, and Athens insomnia scale scores. A positive correlation between outpatient visit duration and lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) in the IPSS-Storage subscale was observed and there was a weak negative correlation between duration of outpatient duties and the IIEF-5 score. Conclusions: Compared to surgeons, non-surgeons had more outpatient duties, and they experienced more severe LUTS and sexual dysfunction, which suggests that outpatient duties maybe should not be more than 4 days/week in Chinese tertiary medical centers.

AuNPs and graphdiyne nanocomposite as robust electrocatalyst for methyl parathion detection in real samples.

The present work describes a simple and rapid synthesis method of gold nanoparticles and graphdiyne (AuNPs@GDY) nanocomposites including porous structure. Moreover, the synthesized AuNPs@GDY material was decorated on the glassy carbon electrode (GCE) with a drop coating method to construct a non-enzymatic electrochemical pesticides sensor. The micro-morphology and elemental composition of the materials were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). The electrocatalysis and conductivity of the material were studied with cyclic voltammetry (CV) and impedance method, respectively. The properties of the sensor were investigated by CV and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). The results showed that AuNPs@GDY exhibited excellent electrocatalytic ability for methyl parathion in a wide linear range (from 0.25 ng/mL to 24.43 µg/mL) and low limit of detection value (6.2 pg/mL). Furthermore, the DPV method used in this paper was accurate and sensitive, and could be used for routine quality control of methyl parathion in kiwi fruit and tomato samples.

Bio-Inspired Propulsion: Towards Understanding the Role of Pectoral Fin Kinematics in Manta-like Swimming.

Through computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations of a model manta ray body, the hydrodynamic role of manta-like bioinspired flapping is investigated. The manta ray model motion is reconstructed from synchronized high-resolution videos of manta ray swimming. Rotation angles of the model skeletal joints are altered to scale the pitching and bending, resulting in eight models with different pectoral fin pitching and bending ratios. Simulations are performed using an in-house developed immersed boundary method-based numerical solver. Pectoral fin pitching ratio (PR) is found to have significant implications in the thrust and efficiency of the manta model. This occurs due to more optimal vortex formation and shedding caused by the lower pitching ratio. Leading edge vortexes (LEVs) formed on the bottom of the fin, a characteristic of the higher PR cases, produced parasitic low pressure that hinders thrust force. Lowering the PR reduces the influence of this vortex while another LEV that forms on the top surface of the fin strengthens it. A moderately high bending ratio (BR) can slightly reduce power consumption. Finally, by combining a moderately high BR = 0.83 with PR = 0.67, further performance improvements can be made. This enhanced understanding of manta-inspired propulsive mechanics fills a gap in our understanding of the manta-like mobuliform locomotion. This motivates a new generation of manta-inspired robots that can mimic the high speed and efficiency of their biological counterpart.

Bioaccumulation of mercury along continuous fauna trophic levels in the Yellow River Estuary and adjacent sea indicated by nitrogen stable isotopes.

Mercury (Hg), and its organic forms, are some of the most hazardous elements, with strong toxicity, persistence, and biological accumulation in marine organisms. Hg accumulation in continuous trophic levels (TL) in marine food chains remains unclear. In this study, individual invertebrate and fish samples collected from the Yellow River Estuary adjacent sea were grouped into continuous TL ranges, and the bioaccumulations of total Hg (THg) and methylmercury (MeHg) were analyzed. The trophic magnification factor in invertebrates and fish was 1.40 and 1.72 for THg, and 2.56 and 2.17 for MeHg, indicating that both THg and MeHg were significantly biomagnified with increasing TL in both invertebrates and fish through trophic transfer. To evaluate the health risk of seafood consumption, the target hazard quotient (THQ) was calculated. Increasing THQ values indicated that the health risks of invertebrate and fish consumption in humans, especially children, were both elevated with increasing TL. THQ values > 1 indicated that consumption of invertebrates at a TL above 4.0 and fish above 4.5 may pose a relatively higher risk for children. Therefore, the consumption of both individual invertebrates and fish at high trophic positions may present greater health risk, especially in young children.

Flexible thermochromic fabrics enabling dynamic colored display.

Color-changeable fibers can provide diverse functions for intelligent wearable devices such as novel information displays and human-machine interfaces when woven into fabric. This work develops a low-cost, effective, and scalable strategy to produce thermochromic fibers by wet spinning. Through a combination of different thermochromic microcapsules, flexible fibers with abundant and reversible color changes are obtained. These color changes can be clearly observed by the naked eye. It is also found that the fibers exhibit excellent color-changing stability even after 8000 thermal cycles. Moreover, the thermochromic fibers can be fabricated on a large scale and easily woven or implanted into various fabrics with good mechanical performance. Driven by their good mechanical and physical characteristics, applications of thermochromic fibers in dynamic colored display are demonstrated. Dynamic quick response (QR) code display and recognition are successfully realized with thermochromic fabrics. This work well confirms the potential applications of thermochromic fibers in smart textiles, wearable devices, flexible displays, and human-machine interfaces.

Combination therapy with curcumin plus tamsulosin and finasteride in the treatment of men with benign prostatic hyperplasia: a single center, randomized control study.

BACKGROUND: To perform a prospective, randomized, single center study to investigate the efficacy of combined use of curcumin, an anti-inflammatory agent, with the best standard management (BSM, tamsulosin and finasteride) in benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) patients. METHODS: One hundred and twenty-two consecutive patients were randomized to receive tamsulosin 0.2 mg, finasteride 5 mg, and curcumin 2,250 mg once a day (curcumin + BSM group, n=61) versus tamsulosin 0.2 mg, finasteride 5 mg, and placebo (BSM group, n=61) for 6 months. The safety of treatments and their efficacy on improving waist circumference (WC), periprostatic fat thickness (PPFT), lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), and sexual function were assessed at baseline and month 6. RESULTS: One hundred and sixteen patients completed the whole procedure (116/122, 95.1%). There were significant improvements in prostate volume (PV), maximum flow rate (Qmax), the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), IPSS-voiding subscore (IPSS-V), IPSS-storage subscore (IPSS-S), and quality of life (QoL) from baseline after treatment in both groups. Additionally, both WC and PPFT decreased significantly after treatments than those at baseline in the curcumin + BSM group. Also, WC and PPFT in the curcumin + BSM group were significantly lower than those in the BSM group. In addition, IPSS-S, QoL score, and the 5-item version of the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-5) in the curcumin + BSM group improved significantly compared with those in the BSM group. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that curcumin combined with tamsulosin and finasteride has more beneficial effects in reducing PPFT, protecting erectile function, improving urinary retention symptoms, and QoL scores in BPH patients compared to tamsulosin and finasteride alone. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry ChiCTR2100043800.

A randomized placebo-controlled study: Phellodendron Bawei tablets combined with standard management can improve storage symptoms, sleep quality, and medication compliance in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia compared to placebo with standard management.

BACKGROUND: Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a common micturition disorder in middle-aged and elderly males, and it is one of the most common urology-related diseases worldwide. However, standard therapeutic drugs (α1-receptor blockers + 5α reductase inhibitors) do not provide anti-inflammatory or anti-infective effects. The Phellodendron Bawei tablet is a proprietary Chinese medicine with anti-inflammatory and anti-infective effects. Here, we analyzed whether the combination of standard therapeutic drugs and Phellodendron Bawei tablets has more advantages than placebo with standard management in improving the lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTs), sleep quality, sexual function, and medication compliance in patients with BPH. METHODS: This study was a prospective, double-blind, single-center, 6-month clinical trial in patients with BPH. Male patients, 45-75 years old, a history of moderate-to-severe BPH/LUTs for more than 6 months, moderate-to-severe LUTs [International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) ≥8], maximum urine flow rate (Qmax) of <15 mL/s, and prostate volume (PV) of >30 mL. All patients were randomly divided into two cohorts at baseline. The standard management (SM) group was treated with tamsulosin + finasteride + placebo, while the experimental group was treated with tamsulosin + finasteride + Phellodendron Bawei tablets. The clinical indicators were as follows: Age, body mass index (BMI), blood prostate-specific antigen (PSA), PV, Qmax, IPSS; IPSS voiding subscore (IPSS-V), IPSS storage subscore (IPSS-S), and IPSS quality of life (IPSS-QOL)], five-item version of the International Index of Erectile Function (IEFF-5) score, Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS) score, and the Medication Adherence Questionnaire (MAQ). And adverse drug reactions were observed. Student's t-test was used to analyze results. RESULTS: We randomly divided 120 patients into two groups, with 60 patients in each group, and a total of 105 patients completed the study. IPSS-S (P=0.027) and AIS scores (P<0.001) improved more significantly in the Phellodendron Bawei tablets + SM group, and the MAQ score in this group was lower (P=0.003). CONCLUSIONS: Phellodendron Bawei tablets combined with α1-receptor blockers and 5α-reductase inhibitors can improve lower urinary tract symptoms associated with urine storage, sleep quality, and medication compliance in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia compared to placebo with standard management. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry ChiCTR2100046463.

3-D Gabor-based anisotropic diffusion for speckle noise suppression in dynamic ultrasound images.

Speckle noise contaminates medical ultrasound images, and the suppression of speckle noise is helpful for image interpretation. Traditional ultrasound denoising (i.e., despeckling) methods are developed on two-dimensional static images. However, one of the advantages of ultrasonography is its nature of dynamic imaging. A method for dynamic ultrasound despeckling is expected to incorporate both the spatial and temporal information in successive images of dynamic ultrasound and thus yield better denoising performance. Here we regard a dynamic ultrasound video as three-dimensional (3-D) images with two dimensions in the spatial domain and one in the temporal domain, and we propose a despeckling algorithm for dynamic ultrasound named the 3-D Gabor-based anisotropic diffusion (GAD-3D). The GAD-3D expands the classic two-dimensional Gabor-based anisotropic diffusion (GAD) into 3-D domain. First, we proposed a robust 3-D Gabor-based edge detector by capturing the edge with 3-D Gabor transformation. Then we embed this novel detector into the partial differential equation of GAD to guide the 3-D diffusion process. In the simulation experiment, when the noise variance is as high as 0.14, the GAD-3D improves the Pratt's figure of merit, mean structural similarity index and peak signal-to-noise ratio by 24.32%, 10.98%, and 6.51%, respectively, compared with the best values of seven other methods. Experimental results on clinical dynamic ultrasonography suggest that the GAD-3D outperforms the other seven methods in noise reduction and detail preservation. The GAD-3D is effective for dynamic ultrasound despeckling and may be potentially valuable for disease assessment in dynamic medical ultrasonography.

miR-139-5p Inhibits Lung Adenocarcinoma Cell Proliferation, Migration, and Invasion by Targeting MAD2L1.

BACKGROUND: miR-139-5p is lowly expressed in various human cancers and exerts its antitumor effect through different molecular mechanisms, yet the molecular mechanism of miR-139-5p in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) remains to be further elucidated. The study is aimed at investigating the role and the regulatory mechanism of miR-139-5p in LUAD progression. METHODS: Differential analysis was performed on miRNA expression data in the TCGA-LUAD dataset. qRT-PCR was employed to detect the transcription levels of miR-139-5p and MAD2L1 in LUAD cells, while western blot was carried out for the detection of MAD2L1 protein expression. CCK-8 and Transwell assays were implemented to assess LUAD cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. A dual-luciferase reporter gene assay was conducted to verify the direct targeting relationship between miR-139-5p and MAD2L1. RESULTS: miR-139-5p was significantly downregulated in LUAD cells in comparison with that in human normal bronchial epithelial cells. Overexpressing miR-139-5p inhibited LUAD cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, while opposite results could be observed when miR-139-5p was inhibited. MAD2L1 was identified as a direct target of miR-139-5p in LUAD. Besides, the inhibitory effect of miR-139-5p overexpression on LUAD cell proliferation, migration, and invasion was attenuated by overexpressing MAD2L1. CONCLUSION: Our study suggests that miR-139-5p is lowly expressed in LUAD cells and inhibits LUAD cell proliferation, migration, and invasion by targeted suppressing MAD2L1 expression. It is of potential significance for the prognosis and treatment of LUAD.

A highly efficient recombinant canarypox virus-based vaccine against canine distemper virus constructed using the CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing method.

Canine distemper virus (CDV) is the causative agent of canine distemper (CD), which is one of the most important infectious diseases affecting wild and domestic carnivores. Vaccination represents an effective approach to prevent CDV infection among domestic carnivores. Canarypox-vectored recombinant CD vaccines (such as Recombitek CDV, PureVax Ferret Distemper, and Merial) with the CDV hemagglutinin (H) and fusion (F) genes can induce a potent immune response in dogs and ferrets. However, the vaccine's effectiveness varies with the species. In the current study, we developed a highly efficient recombinant canarypox virus termed as "ALVAC-CDV-M-F-H/C5-" that contained CDV virus-like particles (VLPs) by using the CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing method, which enabled concurrent expression of the matrix (M), H, and F genes. The recombinant strain provided faster seroconversion than the parent strain among minks as well as provided higher rates of antibody positivity than the parent strain among foxes and minks even before the administration of a second booster vaccination. We demonstrated, for the first time, that the CRISPR/Cas9 system can be applied for the rapid and efficient modification of the ALVAC-CDV-F-H genome and also that a high-dose new recombinant strain that produces CDV VLPs may present good outcomes in the prevention of CD among foxes and minks.

Molecular Phylogeny of an Avipoxvirus Isolated from Red-Flanked Blue Robin in China.

We first report avipoxvirus (APV) infection and an isolate named APV/03/2016 from a red-flanked blue robin (Tarsiger cyanurus) captured at Songhua Lake Scenic Area in Jilin City (Jilin Province, China) on March 24, 2016. The partial sequence of the 4b core protein gene and DNA polymerase gene of APV/03/2016 suggests that the virus belongs to the subclade B1 cluster of clade B (canarypox virus). The BLAST results showed the highest similarity of the two genes with the Pacific shearwater-isolated strain SWPV-2 (KX857215), canarypox virus strain D98-11133 (GQ487567), canarypox virus strain ATCC VR-111 (AY318871), avipoxvirus Mississippi isolate P89 (KC018048), and avipoxvirus Wisconsin isolate P92 (KC018051). The results indicate that APV/03/2016 is a canarypox-like virus. These findings demonstrate the continuous emergence of new APV hosts such as red-flanked blue robins and suggest that monitoring of APV circulation and evolution should be strengthened for T. cyanurus conservation.

Filogenia molecular de un Avipoxvirus aislado de ruiseñor coliazul en China. Se reporta por primera vez la infección por poxvirus aviar (APV) y un aislamiento denominado APV/03/2016 obtenido de un ruiseñor coliazul (Tarsiger cyanurus) capturado en el área escénica del Lago Songhua en la ciudad de Jilin (provincia de Jilin, China) el 24 de marzo de 2016. La secuencia parcial del gene de la proteína central 4b y el gene de la polimerasa de ADN del virus APV/03/2016 sugiere que el virus pertenece al subclado B1 del clado B (virus de la viruela del canario). Los resultados de la búsqueda mediante BLAST mostraron la mayor similitud de los dos genes con la cepa aislada de aves pelágicas del Pacífico (KX857215), virus de la viruela del canario cepa de virus D98-11133 (GQ487567), cepa de virus de la viruela del canario ATCC VR-111 (AY318871), aislamiento de avipoxvirus de Mississippi P89 (KC018048), y el aislamiento P89 de avipoxvirus en Wisconsin (KC018051). Los resultados indican que el virus APV/03/2016 es un virus similar al de la viruela del canario. Estos hallazgos demuestran la aparición continua de nuevos hospedadores de poxvirus aviares como el ruiseñor coliazul y sugieren que el monitoreo de la circulación y evolución de poxvirus aviares debería fortalecerse para la conservación del T. cyanurus.