IL-35 Stabilizes Treg Phenotype to Protect Cardiac Allografts in Mice.

BACKGROUND: Interleukin-35 (IL-35), secreted by regulatory T cells (Treg) and B cells, is immunosuppressive under both physiological and pathological conditions. However, the role of IL-35 in all responses has yet to be investigated. Here, we demonstrate that IL-35 protects allografts by stabilizing the Treg phenotype and suppressing CD8 + T-cell activation in a mouse heart transplantation model. METHODS: The effect of IL-35 on immune cell infiltration in grafts and secondary lymphoid organs was examined using mass cytometry, flow cytometry, and immunofluorescence. Moreover, using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, flow cytometry, and phospho-flow assays, we demonstrated that IL-35 maintains Treg phenotypes to restrain CD8 + T cells via the gp130/signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 pathway. RESULTS: Mass cytometry analysis of intragraft immune cells showed that IL-35 decreased CD8 + T-cell infiltration and increased Foxp3 and IL-35 expressions in Treg. In vitro, we demonstrated that IL-35 directly promoted Treg phenotypic and functional stability and its IL-35 secretion, generating a positive feedback loop. However, Treg are required for IL-35 to exert its suppressive effect on CD8 + T cells in vitro. After depleting Treg in the recipient, IL-35 did not prolong graft survival or decrease CD8 + T-cell infiltration. Mechanistically, we found that IL-35 sustained Treg stability via the gp130/signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 signaling pathway. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings highlight that IL-35 stabilizes the Treg phenotype to ameliorate CD8 + T-cell infiltration in the allograft, which has never been described in the transplanted immunological milieu.

Graphene-based Two-Stage Enhancement Pressure Sensor for Subtle Mechanical Force Monitoring.

The development of pressure sensors with high sensitivity and a low detection limit for subtle mechanical force monitoring and the understanding of the sensing mechanism behind subtle mechanical force monitoring are of great significance for intelligent technology. Here, we proposed a graphene-based two-stage enhancement pressure sensor (GTEPS), and we analyzed the difference between subtle mechanical force monitoring and conventional mechanical force monitoring. The GTEPS exhibited a high sensitivity of 62.2 kPa-1 and a low detection limit of 0.1 Pa. Leveraging its excellent performance, the GTEPS was successfully applied in various subtle mechanical force monitoring applications, including acoustic wave detection, voice-print recognition, and pulse wave monitoring. In acoustic wave detection, the GTEPS achieved a 100% recognition accuracy for six words. In voiceprint recognition, the sensor exhibited accurate identification of distinct voiceprints among individuals. Furthermore, in pulse wave monitoring, GTEPS demonstrated effective detection of pulse waves. By combination of the pulse wave signals with electrocardiogram (ECG) signals, it enabled the assessment of blood pressure. These results demonstrate the excellent performance of GTEPS and highlight its great potential for subtle mechanical force monitoring and its various applications. The current results indicate that GTEPS shows great potential for applications in subtle mechanical force monitoring.

Glymphatic-System Function Is Associated with Addiction and Relapse in Heroin Dependents Undergoing Methadone Maintenance Treatment.

This study investigates the impact of methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) on the brain glymphatic system (GS) in opioid addiction in China. A total of 51 male MMT patients, 48 demographically matched healthy controls (HCs), and 20 heroin dependents (HDs) were recruited for this study. The GS functioning was assessed using diffusion-tensor-imaging analysis along perivascular spaces (DTI-ALPS index) and the bilateral ALPS divergency (DivALPS). Group differences were analyzed utilizing ANOVA and two-sample t-tests. The relationship between DivALPS and relapse rate was explored using regression analysis. The DTI-ALPS index was significantly higher for the left-side brain than the right side in all three groups. There was a significant difference for the right side (p = 0.0098) between the groups. The MMT and HD groups showed significantly higher DTI-ALPS than the HC group (p = 0.018 and 0.016, respectively). The DivALPS varied significantly among the three groups (p = 0.04), with the HD group showing the lowest and the HC group the highest values. Significant negative relationships were found between relapse count, DivALPS (p < 0.0001, Exp(B) = 0.6047), and age (p < 0.0001, Exp(B) = 0.9142). The findings suggest that MMT may contribute to promoting brain GS recovery in heroin addicts, and modulation of the GS may serve as a potential biomarker for relapse risk, providing insights into novel therapeutic strategies.

Optimization of three-dimensional traveling wave drive for a PZT thin-film micro-motor based on stiffness tuning of the supporting structure.

This paper is based on the analysis of the three-dimensional motion of the PZT (lead zirconate titanate) thin-film traveling wave micro-motor and presents an optimization study of the effect of the radial component on the output torque and maximum speed. Based on theoretical analysis, it is proposed that the inconsistency of the equivalent constraint stiffness of the inner and outer rings is the main factor in the radial component of the traveling wave drive. Considering the large computational and time costs of 3D (three-dimensional) transient simulation, the residual stress-relieved deformation state in a steady state is used to equivalently characterize the inner and outer ring constraint stiffness of the micro-motor, and then the outer ring support stiffness is adjusted to achieve the consistency of the inner and outer ring constraint stiffness and the optimization of the radial component reduction, as well as to improve the flatness of the micro-motor interface under residual stress and optimize the contact state between the stator and rotor. Finally, performance testing of the device prepared by the MEMS process showed that the output torque of the PZT traveling wave micro-motor increased by 21% (14.89 µN*m), the maximum speed increased by 18% (>12000 rpm), and the speed instability was optimally reduced by a factor of 3 (<10%).

Highly Sensitive Fabric Sensors Based on Scale-like Wool Fiber for Multifunctional Health Monitoring.

Highly sensitive, multifunctional, and comfortable fabric sensors with splendid electrical properties for precise detection of human physiological health parameters have attractive prospects in next-generation wearable flexible devices. However, it remains a non-ignorable challenge to construct a multifunctional fabric sensor to meet the requirements of compact structure, high sensitivity, fast response, excellent stability, and air permeability. Here, a wool felt@MXene fabric sensor (WF@MFS) prepared by felting large quantities of wool coated with MXene is reported for measuring multiple physiological parameters in a noninvasive manner. With the high conductivity and outstanding mechanical properties of MXene and the special scale-like surface structure of the wool fiber, the sensor exhibits remarkable sensing performance such as high pressure sensitivity (80.79 kPa-1), fast response (40 ms), low detection limit (12 Pa), and strong stability (>12,500 cycles). Furthermore, to avoid direct contact between MXene and the human body, the WF@MFS is encapsulated in pure wool without MXene, thereby enabling the fabricated sensor to be tightly integrated into a variety of clothing for monitoring different physiological signals and information about human activities. More importantly, we develop an intelligent cushion with a square and panda pattern and an intelligent neckerchief in the form of arrays based on the WF@MFS, which can intuitively observe the real-time force distribution of the thigh and cervical spine by means of machine learning when a human body sits in different postures. The sensor proposed in this work demonstrates the great ability to prevent cardiovascular disease and the related diseases caused by improper sitting postures in advance, paving a promising path for future wearable smart fabric electronics.

DTI-ALPS: An MR biomarker for motor dysfunction in patients with subacute ischemic stroke.

Purpose: Brain glymphatic dysfunction is involved in the pathologic process of acute ischemic stroke (IS). The relationship between brain glymphatic activity and dysfunction in subacute IS has not been fully elucidated. Diffusion tensor image analysis along the perivascular space (DTI-ALPS) index was used in this study to explore whether glymphatic activity was related to motor dysfunction in subacute IS patients. Methods: Twenty-six subacute IS patients with a single lesion in the left subcortical region and 32 healthy controls (HCs) were recruited in this study. The DTI-ALPS index and DTI metrics (fractional anisotropy, FA, and mean diffusivity, MD) were compared within and between groups. Spearman's and Pearson's partial correlation analyses were performed to analyze the relationships of the DTI-ALPS index with Fugl-Meyer assessment (FMA) scores and with corticospinal tract (CST) integrity in the IS group, respectively. Results: Six IS patients and two HCs were excluded. The left DTI-ALPS index of the IS group was significantly lower than that of the HC group (t = -3.02, p = 0.004). In the IS group, a positive correlation between the left DTI-ALPS index and the simple Fugl-Meyer motor function score (ρ = 0.52, p = 0.019) and a significant negative correlation between the left DTI-ALPS index and the FA (R = -0.55, p = 0.023) and MD (R = -0.48, p = 0.032) values of the right CST were found. Conclusions: Glymphatic dysfunction is involved in subacute IS. DTI-ALPS could be a potential magnetic resonance (MR) biomarker of motor dysfunction in subacute IS patients. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the pathophysiological mechanisms of IS and provide a new target for alternative treatments for IS.

Stretchable Ink Printed Graphene Device with Weft-Knitted Fabric Substrate Based on Thermal-Acoustic Effect.

Thermal-acoustic devices have great potential as flexible ultrathin sound sources. However, stretchable sound sources based on a thermal-acoustic mechanism remain elusive, as realizing stable resistance in a reasonable range is challenging. In this study, a stretchable thermal-acoustic device based on graphene ink is fabricated on a weft-knitted fabric. After optimization of the graphene ink concentration, the device resistance changes by 8.94% during 4000 cycles of operation in the unstretchable state. After multiple cycles of bending, folding, prodding, and washing, the sound pressure level (SPL) change of the device is within 10%. Moreover, the SPL has an increase with the strain in a specific range, showing a phenomenon similar to the negative differential resistance (NDR) effect. This study sheds light on the use of stretchable thermal-acoustic devices for e-skin and wearable electronics.

Cyclo-(Phe-Tyr) reduces cerebral ischemia/reperfusion-induced blood-brain barrier dysfunction through regulation of autophagy.

Cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury is the result of ischemic stroke, a serious threat to public health. I/R injury can damage the blood-brain barrier (BBB), adversely affecting the brain environment and aggravating the injury. Cyclo-(Phe-Tyr) (sparganin C, SC) is a small molecule derived from the Chinese yam Dioscorea opposita Thunb. or Sparganii rhizoma. In our previous study, SC mitigates I/R injury both in vivo and in vitro through the action of JUNB and SOX5. However, the exact pharmacological effects of SC on BBB protection after an I/R injury remain unclear. We constructed a rat model of middle cerebral artery occlusion-reperfusion (MCAO/R) injury to evaluate the therapeutic actions of SC, and the integrity of the BBB was evaluated by ELISA, western blotting, and Evans blue staining. It was found that SC significantly reduced the amount of Evans blue staining in the brain, inhibited the expression of inflammatory factors IL-6, IL-1ß, IL-17, IL-23, and TNF-α as well as TIPM1/MMP proteins, and promoted the expression of the tight junction proteins occludin, ZO-1, and claudin-5. SC was found to inhibit the excess autophagy induced by I/R injury to protect BBB integrity through the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway, and the PI3K inhibitor LY294002 significantly reduced the SC-mediated protection. Overall, this is the first demonstration of the alleviation of BBB damage caused by I/R injury by SC and suggests a potential treatment for the effects of an ischemic stroke.

LINC01140 Targeting miR-452-5p/RGS2 Pathway to Attenuate Breast Cancer Tumorigenesis.

Background: LINC01140 has been known to be involved in various cancers. However, its underlying molecular mechanism in breast cancer (BC) needs further exploration. Methods: The LINC01140, miR-452-5p, and RGS2 levels in BC cells and tissues were evaluated by means of RT-qPCR and western blotting. The variations in the biological functions of BC cells were analyzed through CCK-8, transwell, western blotting, and xenograft experiments to observe cell viability, migration, levels of apoptosis-related proteins (Bax and Bcl-2), and tumor growth. The correlations existing among LINC01140, miR-452-5p, and RGS2 were validated through luciferase reporter and RIP assays. Results: LINC01140 and RGS2 were remarkably downregulated in BC cells and tissues, whereas miR-452-5p was upregulated. LINC01140 overexpression diminished BC cell viability, migration, and tumor growth and facilitated apoptosis. MiR-452-5p upregulation enhanced cell viability and migration and suppressed apoptosis. Nevertheless, the additional upregulation of LINC01140 could reverse the promotive effects of miR-452-5p upregulation. Additionally, RGS2 overexpression inhibited the malignant phenotypes of BC cells, but miR-452-5p upregulation abolished this effect. In terms of mechanisms, LINC01140 acted as a miR-452-5p sponge. Moreover, RGS2 was determined to be miR-452-5p's downstream target gene in BC. Conclusion: LINC01140 functioned as an antitumor agent in BC by sponging miR-452-5p to release RGS2. This hints that LINC01140 is a promising therapeutic target for BC.

Dose of intra-operative opioids has no impact on recurrence or survival in primary liver cancer.

BACKGROUND: Intra-operative use of opioid analgesics might have an impact on cancer recurrence and survival after surgery. The objective of this study was to investigate the association between the intra-operative fentanyl equivalents and survival outcomes in patients with primary liver cancer after receiving hepatectomy. METHODS: This was a retrospective single-center cohort study, and clinical data of 700 patients with primary liver cancer who underwent hepatectomy in Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital from September 2013 to August 2018 were reviewed. After propensity matching, 376 patients were included. Patients were divided into high-dose and low-dose groups according to the median intra-operative fentanyl equivalents (1.500 mg). Kaplan Meier curve and Cox proportional hazards regression model were used. RESULTS: Results of univariable analysis showed there were no significant differences in recurrence-free survival (RFS) (p = 0.136) and overall survival (OS) (p = 0.444) between high-dose fentanyl equivalents and low-dose fentanyl equivalents group. The multivariable Cox regression analysis found that the dose of intra-operative fentanyl equivalents was not associated with RFS (HR: 1.119, 95%CI: 0.851-1.472, p = 0.422) or OS (HR: 0.939, 95%CI: 0.668-1.319, p = 0.715). CONCLUSIONS: The amounts of intra-operative fentanyl equivalents had no impact on recurrence-free or overall survival in patients with primary liver cancer after curative hepatectomy.

Electrooculography and Tactile Perception Collaborative Interface for 3D Human-Machine Interaction.

The human-machine interface (HMI) previously relied on a single perception interface that cannot realize three-dimensional (3D) interaction and convenient and accurate interaction in multiple scenes. Here, we propose a collaborative interface including electrooculography (EOG) and tactile perception for fast and accurate 3D human-machine interaction. The EOG signals are mainly used for fast, convenient, and contactless 2D (XY-axis) interaction, and the tactile sensing interface is mainly utilized for complex 2D movement control and Z-axis control in the 3D interaction. The honeycomb graphene electrodes for the EOG signal acquisition and tactile sensing array are prepared by a laser-induced process. Two pairs of ultrathin and breathable honeycomb graphene electrodes are attached around the eyes for monitoring nine different eye movements. A machine learning algorithm is designed to train and classify the nine different eye movements with an average prediction accuracy of 92.6%. Furthermore, an ultrathin (90 µm), stretchable (∼1000%), and flexible tactile sensing interface assembled by a pair of 4 × 4 planar electrode arrays is attached to the arm for 2D movement control and Z-axis interaction, which can realize single-point, multipoint and sliding touch functions. Consequently, the tactile sensing interface can achieve eight directions control and even more complex movement trajectory control. Meanwhile, the flexible and ultrathin tactile sensor exhibits an ultrahigh sensitivity of 1.428 kPa-1 in the pressure range 0-300 Pa with long-term response stability and repeatability. Therefore, the collaboration between EOG and the tactile perception interface will play an important role in rapid and accurate 3D human-machine interaction.

Two-stage amplification of an ultrasensitive MXene-based intelligent artificial eardrum.

We report an artificial eardrum using an acoustic sensor based on two-dimensional MXene (Ti3C2Tx), which mimics the function of a human eardrum for realizing voice detection and recognition. Using MXene with a large interlayer distance and micropyramid polydimethylsiloxane arrays can enable a two-stage amplification of pressure and acoustic sensing. The MXene artificial eardrum shows an extremely high sensitivity of 62 kPa-1 and a very low detection limit of 0.1 Pa. Notably, benefiting from the ultrasensitive MXene eardrum, the machine-learning algorithm for real-time voice classification can be realized with high accuracy. The 280 voice signals are successfully classified for seven categories, and a high accuracy of 96.4 and 95% can be achieved by the training dataset and the test dataset, respectively. The current results indicate that the MXene artificial intelligent eardrum shows great potential for applications in wearable acoustical health care devices.

Intelligent and Multifunctional Graphene Nanomesh Electronic Skin with High Comfort.

As the aging population increases in many countries, electronic skin (e-skin) for health monitoring has been attracting much attention. However, to realize the industrialization of e-skin, two factors must be optimized. The first is to achieve high comfort, which can significantly improve the user experience. The second is to make the e-skin intelligent, so it can detect and analyze physiological signals at the same time. In this article, intelligent and multifunctional e-skin consisting of laser-scribed graphene and polyurethane (PU) nanomesh is realized with high comfort. The e-skin can be used as a strain sensor with large measurement range (>60%), good sensitivity (GF≈40), high linearity range (60%), and excellent stability (>1000 cycles). By analyzing the morphology of e-skin, a parallel networks model is proposed to express the mechanism of the strain sensor. In addition, laser scribing is also applied to etch the insulating PU, which greatly decreases the impedance in detecting electrophysiology signals. Finally, the e-skin is applied to monitor the electrocardiogram, electroencephalogram (EEG), and electrooculogram signals. A time- and frequency-domain concatenated convolution neural network is built to analyze the EEG signal detected using the e-skin on the forehead and classify the attention level of testers.

An Ultra-Sensitive and Multifunctional Electronic Skin with Synergetic Network of Graphene and CNT.

Electronic skin (e-skin) has attracted tremendous interest due to its diverse potential applications, including in physiological signal detection, health monitoring, and artificial throats. However, the major drawbacks of traditional e-skin are the weak adhesion of substrates, incompatibility between sensitivity and stretchability, and its single function. These shortcomings limit the application of e-skin and increase the complexity of its multifunctional integration. Herein, the synergistic network of crosslinked SWCNTs within and between multilayered graphene layers was directly drip coated onto the PU thin film with self-adhesion to fabricate versatile e-skin. The excellent mechanical properties of prepared e-skin arise from the sufficient conductive paths guaranteed by SWCNTs in small and large deformation under various strains. The prepared e-skin exhibits a low detection limit, as small as 0.5% strain, and compatibility between sensitivity and stretchability with a gauge factor (GF) of 964 at a strain of 0-30%, and 2743 at a strain of 30-60%. In physiological signals detection application, the e-skin demonstrates the detection of subtle motions, such as artery pulse and blinking, as well as large body motions, such as knee joint bending, elbow movement, and neck movement. In artificial throat application, the e-skin integrates sound recognition and sound emitting and shows clear and distinct responses between different throat muscle movements and different words for sound signal acquisition and recognition, in conjunction with superior sound emission performance with a sound spectrum response of 71 dB (f = 12.5 kHz). Overall, the presented comprehensive study of novel materials, structures, properties, and mechanisms offers promising potential in physiological signals detection and artificial throat applications.

Quantitative susceptibility mapping to evaluate brain iron deposition and its correlation with physiological parameters in hypertensive patients.

BACKGROUND: Regional excessive iron overload is pernicious to motor functions and cognitive functioning of the brain. The aim of this research was to utilize quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM) to inspect brain iron accumulation in patients with hypertension (HP), and to evaluate whether it is correlated with physiological parameters. METHODS: Thirty-one HP and 31 age- and sex-matched healthy controls (HC) were included. All participants underwent brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and QSM data were obtained. Differences in brain iron deposition in deep gray matter nuclei of participants were compared between HP and HC. The correlations between iron deposition, body mass index (BMI), maximum systolic blood pressure (SBP), and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) were analyzed. RESULTS: The HP group showed increased susceptibility values in the caudate nucleus (CA), putamen (PU), globus pallidus (GP), and dorsal thalamus (TH), compared with the HC group. There was a significant positive correlation between BMI and the susceptibility values in the dentate nucleus (DN); the maximum SBP and DBP were positively correlated with magnetic susceptibility of the CA, PU, GP, and TH, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: These results are indicative of the role of overload brain iron in deep brain gray matter nuclei in HP and suggest that HP is associated with excess brain iron in certain deep gray matter regions.

Graphene-Based Multifunctional Textile for Sensing and Actuating.

Textiles are materials that are extensively used in everyday life; textile-based sensors can, therefore, be regarded as ideal devices for a health monitor. However, previously reported textile sensors have limited prospects due to their single function or incompatibility. Traditional textile sensors generally focus on signal detection, which has not been able to be combined with an actuator to provide real-time health status feedback. Thus, to date, there are no well-established health monitoring systems based on intelligent textiles. Herein, we present a wearable batch-prepared graphene-based textile based on laser-scribing and thermal-transfer technology. Integrated with four functions of strain sensing, pressure sensing, physiological electrical sensing, and sound emitting, the GT is able to detect human body signals and transduce them to sound signals when the user is in an abnormal physical state. Moreover, the GT has high linearity for both strain and pressure sensing; the coefficients of determination exceed 99.3% and 98.2%, respectively. The performance of the device remains stable up to a pressure of 1000 kPa. The response time of the GT possession reaches as low as 85 ms at 4.2 Pa pressure. Therefore, due to their diversified functions and good performance, the research on GT is expected to extend to the fields of health monitoring, sports monitoring, and so forth.

Substrate-Free Multilayer Graphene Electronic Skin for Intelligent Diagnosis.

Current wearable sensors are fabricated with substrates, which limits the comfort, flexibility, stretchability, and induces interface mismatch. In addition, the substrate prevents the evaporation of sweat and is harmful to skin health. In this work, we have enabled the substrate-free laser scribed graphene (SFG) electronic skin (e-skin) with multifunctions. Compared with the e-skin with the substrate, the SFG has good gas permeability, low impedance, and flexibility. Only assisted using water, the SFG can be transferred to almost any objects including silicon and human skin and it can even be suspended. Many through-holes like stomas in leaf can be formed in the SFG, which make it breathable. After designing the pattern, the gauge factor (GF) of graphene electronic skin (GES) can be designed as the strain sensor. Physiological signals such as respiration, human motion, and electrocardiogram (ECG) can be detected. Moreover, the suspended SFG detect vibrations with high sensitivity. Due to the substrate-free structure, the impedance between SFG e-skin and the human body decreases greatly. Finally, an ECG detecting system has been designed based on the GES, which can monitor the body condition in real time. To analyze the ECG signals automatically, a convolutional neural network (CNN) was built and trained successfully. This work has high potential in the field of health telemonitoring.

Design, Characterization, and Analysis of PZT Micromachined Piezoelectric Ultrasonic Transducers With Good Coupling to Solids.

This article presents the piezoelectric micromachined ultrasonic transducer (PMUT) and its arrays that were based on a sputtered PZT/Si diaphragm structure and prototyped from an SOI substrate. Due to the high piezoelectric coefficient of PZT, polarization tuning pretreatment, and membrane thickness optimization, the PMUT shows high transmitting sensitivity in air and good coupling capability to liquid and solid. The PMUT transmitter exhibited a high sensitivity of 809, 190, and 135 nm/V at a resonant frequency of 0.450, 0.887, and 1.689 MHz, respectively, in air. The 5 ×5 array of 0.5-MHz PMUTs' acoustic output in water was measured as 42.4 Pa at a distance of 3 cm with a 10.0- [Formula: see text] input. Thickness-measuring ability in solids was evaluated with an 8 ×8 array of 1-MHz PMUTs as transmitter providing 8.0- [Formula: see text] input and another single PMUT of identical frequency response as receiver showing 0.2 [Formula: see text] (after 20 times magnification) output when the acoustic wave was transmitted through a 5-cm-thick graphite plate. Meanwhile, the time response of the receiver through different thicknesses of graphite plates is in reasonable agreement with predication from the analytical calculation. This high-performance PMUT with good coupling to solids will be utilized in various applications for solid-state sensing and detecting or as an alternative to the bulk piezoelectric ceramic transducers in the near future.

Triode-Mimicking Graphene Pressure Sensor with Positive Resistance Variation for Physiology and Motion Monitoring.

The flexible pressure sensor is one of the essential components of the wearable device, which is a critical solution to the applications of artificial intelligence and human-computer interactions in the future. Due to its simple manufacturing process and measurement methods, research related to piezoresistive mechanical sensors is booming, and those sensors are already widely used in industry. However, existing pressure sensors are almost all based on negative resistance variations, making it difficult to reach a balance between the sensitivity and the detection range. Here, we demonstrated a low-cost flexible pressure sensor with a positive resistance-pressure response based on laser scribing graphene. The sensor can be customized and modulated to achieve both an ultrahigh sensitivity and a broad detection range. Furthermore, the device possesses the signal amplification property like a mechanical triode under the external pressure bias. Based on its amplification ability, varieties of physiological signals and human movements have been detected using our devices; then, an integrated gait monitoring system has been realized. The reported positive graphene pressure sensor has outstanding capability, showing a wide application range such as intelligent perception, an interactive device, and real-time health/motion monitoring.

Survival outcomes of neoadjuvant versus adjuvant chemotherapy in triple-negative breast cancer: a meta-analysis of 36,480 cases.

BACKGROUND: The survival outcomes of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) versus adjuvant chemotherapy (ACT) for patients with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) remain unclear. Therefore, in this study, a meta-analysis was conducted to analyze current evidence on the survival outcomes of NACT versus ACT in TNBC. METHODS: A systematic search was performed on the PubMed and Embase databases to identify relevant articles investigating the survival outcomes of NACT versus ACT in TNBC. RESULTS: A total of nine studies involving 36,480 patients met the selection criteria. Among them, 10,728 (29.41%) received NACT, and 25,752 (70.59%) received ACT. The pathological complete response (pCR) rate was 35% (95% CI = 0.23-0.48). Compared with ACT, the overall survival (OS) of NACT was poor (HR = 1.59; 95% CI = 1.25-2.02; P = 0.0001), and there was no significant difference in disease-free survival (DFS) between the two treatments (HR = 0.85; 95% CI = 0.54-1.34; P = 0.49). NACT with pCR significantly improved the OS (HR = 0.53; 95% CI = 0.29-0.98; P = 0.04) and DFS (HR = 0.52; 95% CI = 0.29-0.94; P = 0.03), while the OS (HR = 1.18; 95% CI = 1.09-1.28; P < 0.0001) and DFS (HR = 2.36; 95% CI = 1.42-3.89; P = 0.0008) of patients with residual disease (RD) following NACT were worse compared to those receiving ACT. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that, for TNBC, NACT with pCR is superior to ACT in improving OS and DFS, and it turns to be opposite when patients are receiving NACT with RD.