4D Printing of Robust Hydrogels Consisted of Agarose Nanofibers and Polyacrylamide

Hydrogels combined with complex 3D shapes and robust mechanical properties are extremely desired soft platforms in the fields of biomaterials, recently, 4D printing has been developed to be further shaped to form required patterns. On the basis of the excellent thixotropy of Laponite and the thermal-reversible sol–gel transition of agarose and easy formation of nanofibers below 35 °C, a 4D printing hydrogel (4D Gel) was fabricated by in situ polymerizing acrylamide in the agarose matrix containing Laponite. The experimental results demonstrated that Laponite played an important role in the improvement of 4D printing, such as endowing the ink with shear-thinning behavior to extrude easily and excellent shape stability after printing. The mechanical properties of 4D Gel were unexpectedly higher than those of both agarose and polyacrylamide hydrogels. The 4D Gel showed the ability to further transform its shapes, and was used successfully to construct a whalelike hydrogel, which opened mouth and cocked tail by treating with an external force and then cooling, as well as the octopus like hydrogel with waved tentacles to seem to “come alive”. This work opened a new avenue for creating more complex architectures than 3D with excellent properties, which is important in the macromolecule fields for the wide applications

Microwave-Assisted Synthesis and Antifungal Activities of Polysubstituted Furo[3,2-c]chromen-4-ones and 7,8,9,10-Tetrahydro-6<i>H</i>-benzofuro[3,2-c]chromen-6-ones

<div><p></p><p>An efficient and novel microwave-assisted synthesis of furo[3,2-c]chromen-4-ones and 7,8,9,10-tetrahydro-6H-benzofuro[3,2-c]chromen-6-ones via 4-hydroxycoumarins with α-chloroketones or α-bromocyclohexanone in the presence of acetic acid (AcOH)/ammonium acetate (NH₄OAc) using DMF as solvent under microwave irradiation is described. Systematically, antifungal biological tests showed that most of the compounds exhibited potent antifungal activity against <i>Botrytis cinerea, Collecterichum capsica, Alternaria solani, Gibberella zeae</i>, and <i>Rhizoctorzia solani</i> at the concentration of 50 µg/mL. The corresponding EC50 values of these analogues have been detected, and compound <b>4i</b> showed better antifungal activity against tested fungi <i>Botrytis cinerea</i> and <i>Collecterichum capsica</i> than the reference Osthol.</p> </div

Clinical characteristics of each GBS subtype (n,%).

<p>Comparisons of clinical characteristics among subtype groups by chi-square, α was corrected using Bonferroni correction in chi-square of multiple comparisons, <i>α</i>’ = 0.005.</p><p>Clinical characteristics of each GBS subtype (n,%).</p

The hatchability, antibody response and protection rate of SPF chickens in-ovo vaccinated with different doses of NDV strains.

<p>The hatchability, antibody response and protection rate of SPF chickens in-ovo vaccinated with different doses of NDV strains.</p

Histopathologic analyses of intestine and trachea tissues from SPF chickens in-ovo vaccinated with NDV strains.

<p>SPF chicken embryos were inoculated with NDV strain TS09-C (10^3.0 EID₅₀/egg), strain V4 (10^2.0 EID₅₀/egg), or PBS via the amniotic route at 18 embryo-days. The intestine and trachea tissues were collected from immunized chickens at 5 days post-hatch, fixed in 4% paraformaldehyde, paraffin embedded, sectioned and stained with hematoxylin-eosin (H&E), and analyzed by a microscope. Scale bar = 500μm.</p

DataSheet_1_Association between increased BMI and cognitive function in first-episode drug-naïve male schizophrenia.docx

ObjectiveAlthough the adverse effects of obesity in schizophrenia are documented, there is limited research exists on the implications for untreated initial schizophrenia. Our investigation aimed to explore the connections between BMI and cognitive function in first-episode drug-naïve (FEDN)schizophrenia.MethodsWe enrolled 143 FEDN schizophrenia patients, and collected data on their body mass index, fasting blood glucose and lipid levels. Cognitive function was measured with the MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery (MCCB). Using correlation and regression analysis to assess the relationship between BMI and cognitive performance.ResultsThe prevalence rate of overweight plus obesity in FEDN schizophrenia patients was 33.57%. Patients with FEDN schizophrenia exhibited extensive cognitive impairment, and those who were overweight/obesity demonstrated more severe impairments in working memory and visual learning when compared to normal/under weight counterparts. Correlation analysis indicated a negative association between working memory and BMI and TG, as well as a link between visual learning and BMI and LDL-C. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that a higher BMI predicted a decrease in working memory in FEDN schizophrenia patients.ConclusionOur results indicate that the rate of overweight plus obesity is high in FEDN schizophrenia patients, and there is an association between BMI and cognitive function in schizophrenia, particularly in relation to working memory.</p

Levels of p-Akt in the skin of mice in different ages.

<p>(A)(IF?)Immuno-fluorescence analysis barely detected the presence of p-Akt positive cells in the skin of 80 days and 6 months old mice, but detected evident p-Akt positive cells in the epidermis and hair follicle of 18 and 24 months old mice. For all IF analyses, representative images from 8–16 tissue sections in 3–6 mice are shown. (B) Fluorescence intensity of p-Akt of 80days, 6months, 18 months, 24months old mice were measured by image J. Scale bars, 20 μm for microscopic images. Data are expressed as the mean ± s.e.m. *** P<0.005, unpaired t-test, two-tailed.</p

Akt activation levels in the skin of mice in different ages.

<p>Representative results of Western blotting analysis of skin tissues from mice aged 80 days, 6 months,18 months and 24 months for the levels of Pten, p-Pten, Akt, p-Akt (Ser 473), p53, p21 and p16(A). For all Western blot analysis, data are representative of 3–5 independent experiments. Real time PCR analysis of skins from different age mice showed higher PTEN expression with the mice age grows (B). For all real-time PCR analyses, gene expression was normalized to GAPDH with 40 cycles, data are represented as the mean ± SD, and N = 3.</p

Table_2_Primary intraosseous Rosai–Dorfman disease: An analysis of clinicopathologic characteristics, molecular genetics, and prognostic features.docx

BackgroundRosai–Dorfman disease (RDD) is a rare histiocytic proliferative disorder of uncertain pathogenesis. Most patients present with proliferation in the lymph nodes manifesting as adenopathy; however, RDD may primarily arise in a variety of extranodal sites, including the bone, which is a great challenge in the diagnosis. The clinicopathological characteristics and prognostic features of primary intraosseous RDD have not been well characterized.MethodsWe retrospectively analyzed the clinicopathologic and prognostic features of four cases of primary intraosseous RDD during the past 10 years in our hospital, with a review of an additional 62 cases with complete follow-up data from the literature.ResultsPrimary intraosseous RDD was identified in 0.14% (4/2,800) of total bone biopsies performed at our institution over the study period. According to our retrospective analysis, a total of 18 cases of primary lymph node, skin, or other non-osseous site-based RDD were diagnosed in our hospital. The ages of the 66 total patients ranged from 1.5 to 76 years, with a median age of 25 years. There were 31 male and 35 female patients, with a male-to-female ratio of 0.89:1. Primary intraosseous RDD occurred most often in the bones of the extremities (60.6%, 40/66), with the proximal tibia being the most common location; 39.4% (26/66) of the cases arose in the axial skeleton, predominantly in the vertebra and craniofacial bones. Solitary masses and multiple tumors were present in 84.8% (56/66) and 15.2% (10/66) of the cases, respectively. Pain of the affected area was the most common presenting symptom. Radiographically, the lesions were lytic with well-defined and usually sclerotic margins. Immunohistochemistry showed that large histiocytes from patients with RDD were positive for OCT2, in addition to S100 and CD68. Molecular tests were performed in seven reported cases and four of our cases. All the 11 cases were non-decalcified. PCR results showed that there were no BRAF-V600E, KRAS, or NRAS mutations in primary intraosseous RDD; only one case with both RDD and Langerhans cell histiocytosis showed BRAF-V600E mutation. The survival data showed that 22.7% (15/66) of the patients experienced recurrences or developed RDD at distant sites during the follow-up period (median follow-up, 13 months; range, 1–106 months). The 5-year progression-free survival (PFS) of the patients with primary intraosseous RDD was 57.5%. We found that there was a significant difference in PFS between female and male patients (p = 0.031). However, there was no statistically significant difference in PFS between patients with solitary masses and multiple tumors (p = 0.698). Similarly, no statistically significant differences in PFS were found between the different age groups (p = 0.908) or tumor locations (p = 0.728).ConclusionPrimary intraosseous RDD is an extremely rare disease. The diagnosis of RDD may be quite challenging because of its non-specific clinical presentation and imaging. Immunohistochemistry showed that large histiocytes were positive for OCT2 in addition to S100 and CD68, which may be helpful for differential diagnosis. Molecular detection showed that RDD may be related to the MAPK pathway, though these results are also ultimately not specific. The pathogenesis of RDD is yet to be elucidated, but recent studies suggest possible clonality of hyperproliferative histiocytes.</p

Table_1_Reduced plasma levels of RGM-A predict stroke-associated pneumonia in patients with acute ischemic stroke: A prospective clinical study.DOCX

BackgroundStroke-induced immunodepression syndrome is considered the major etiology of stroke-associated pneumonia (SAP). Repulsive guidance molecule A (RGM-A) is an immunomodulatory protein that is closely related to inflammation and immune responses. To explore the relationship between RGM-A and SAP and facilitate the early identification of patients at high risk of developing SAP, we investigated the predictive value of RGM-A in SAP.MethodsWe enrolled 178 patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) and finally analyzed 150 patients, among whom 69 had SAP and 81 had non-SAP. During the same period, 40 patients with community-acquired pneumonia and 40 healthy participants were included as controls. SAP was defined according to the modified US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria. Blood samples were collected at 24 h, 48 h, 3 days, 4 to 7 days, and 8 to 14 days after stroke onset. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect the plasma levels of RGM-A and interleukin-6.ResultsThe plasma RGM-A levels were significantly decreased in both patients with community-acquired pneumonia and those with AIS, and the decline was most pronounced in patients with SAP (P ConclusionsWe demonstrated that reduced plasma levels of RGM-A might help in the early identification of high-risk patients with SAP and predict the occurrence of SAP in patients with AIS. RGM-A might provide new clues to a potential alternative therapy for SAP.</p