Explore the vast range of titles available.

Recent advances in wearable ultrasound technologies have demonstrated the potential for hands-free data acquisition, but technical barriers remain as these probes require wire connections, can lose track of moving targets and create data-interpretation challenges. Here we report a fully integrated autonomous wearable ultrasonic-system-on-patch (USoP). A miniaturized flexible control circuit is designed to interface with an ultrasound transducer array for signal pre-conditioning and wireless data communication. Machine learning is used to track moving tissue targets and assist the data interpretation. We demonstrate that the USoP allows continuous tracking of physiological signals from tissues as deep as 164 mm. On mobile subjects, the USoP can continuously monitor physiological signals, including central blood pressure, heart rate and cardiac output, for as long as 12 h. This result enables continuous autonomous surveillance of deep tissue signals toward the internet-of-medical-things. A wearable ultrasound patch monitors subjects in motion using machine learning and wireless electronics.

Continuous imaging of cardiac functions is highly desirable for the assessment of long-term cardiovascular health, detection of acute cardiac dysfunction and clinical management of critically ill or surgical patients 1 – 4 . However, conventional non-invasive approaches to image the cardiac function cannot provide continuous measurements owing to device bulkiness 5 – 11 , and existing wearable cardiac devices can only capture signals on the skin 12 – 16 . Here we report a wearable ultrasonic device for continuous, real-time and direct cardiac function assessment. We introduce innovations in device design and material fabrication that improve the mechanical coupling between the device and human skin, allowing the left ventricle to be examined from different views during motion. We also develop a deep learning model that automatically extracts the left ventricular volume from the continuous image recording, yielding waveforms of key cardiac performance indices such as stroke volume, cardiac output and ejection fraction. This technology enables dynamic wearable monitoring of cardiac performance with substantially improved accuracy in various environments. Innovations in device design, material fabrication and deep learning are described, leading to a wearable ultrasound transducer capable of dynamic cardiac imaging in various environments and under different conditions.

Accurate and continuous monitoring of cerebral blood flow is valuable for clinical neurocritical care and fundamental neurovascular research. Transcranial Doppler (TCD) ultrasonography is a widely used non-invasive method for evaluating cerebral blood flow 1 , but the conventional rigid design severely limits the measurement accuracy of the complex three-dimensional (3D) vascular networks and the practicality for prolonged recording 2 . Here we report a conformal ultrasound patch for hands-free volumetric imaging and continuous monitoring of cerebral blood flow. The 2 MHz ultrasound waves reduce the attenuation and phase aberration caused by the skull, and the copper mesh shielding layer provides conformal contact to the skin while improving the signal-to-noise ratio by 5 dB. Ultrafast ultrasound imaging based on diverging waves can accurately render the circle of Willis in 3D and minimize human errors during examinations. Focused ultrasound waves allow the recording of blood flow spectra at selected locations continuously. The high accuracy of the conformal ultrasound patch was confirmed in comparison with a conventional TCD probe on 36 participants, showing a mean difference and standard deviation of difference as −1.51 ± 4.34 cm s −1 , −0.84 ± 3.06 cm s −1 and −0.50 ± 2.55 cm s −1 for peak systolic velocity, mean flow velocity, and end diastolic velocity, respectively. The measurement success rate was 70.6%, compared with 75.3% for a conventional TCD probe. Furthermore, we demonstrate continuous blood flow spectra during different interventions and identify cascades of intracranial B waves during drowsiness within 4 h of recording. A conformal ultrasound patch can be used for hands-free volumetric imaging and continuous monitoring of cerebral blood flow

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. The system can be attached to the skin and provides accurate long-term wireless monitoring of muscles. To illustrate its capabilities, we use this system to detect the activity of the diaphragm, which allows the recognition of different breathing modes. We also develop a deep learning algorithm to correlate the single-transducer radio-frequency data from forearm muscles with hand gestures to accurately and continuously track 13 hand joints with a mean error of only 7.9°. An echomyography system based on a single transducer can be integrated into a wearable patch and used to monitor breathing patterns and hand gestures.

There is an emergent demand for high-flexibility, high-sensitivity and low-power strain gauges capable of sensing small deformations and vibrations in extreme conditions. Enhancing the gauge factor remains one of the greatest challenges for strain sensors. This is typically limited to below 300 and set when the sensor is fabricated. We report a strategy to tune and enhance the gauge factor of strain sensors based on Van der Waals materials by tuning the carrier mobility and concentration through an interplay of piezoelectric and photoelectric effects. For a SnS 2 sensor we report a gauge factor up to 3933, and the ability to tune it over a large range, from 23 to 3933. Results from SnS 2 , GaSe, GeSe, monolayer WSe 2 , and monolayer MoSe 2 sensors suggest that this is a universal phenomenon for Van der Waals semiconductors. We also provide proof of concept demonstrations by detecting vibrations caused by sound and capturing body movements. The Gauge factor (GF) enhancement in strain sensors remains a key challenge. Here the authors leverage the piezoelectric and photoelectric effects in a class of van der Waals materials to tune the GF, and obtain a record GF up to 3933 for a SnS 2 -based strain sensor.

MicroRNA (miRNA) are small noncoding RNAs that play vital roles in post-transcriptional gene regulation by inhibiting mRNA translation or promoting mRNA degradation. The dysregulation of miRNA has been implicated in numerous human diseases, including cancers. miR-34 family members (miR-34s), including miR-34a, miR-34b, and miR-34c, have emerged as the most extensively studied tumor-suppressive miRNAs. In this comprehensive review, we aim to provide an overview of the major signaling pathways and gene networks regulated by miR-34s in various cancers and highlight the critical tumor suppressor role of miR-34s. Furthermore, we will discuss the potential of using miR-34 mimics as a novel therapeutic approach against cancer, while also addressing the challenges associated with their development and delivery. It is anticipated that gaining a deeper understanding of the functions and mechanisms of miR-34s in cancer will greatly contribute to the development of effective miR-34-based cancer therapeutics.

PTEN is frequently mutated in prostate cancer. The tumor suppressor function of PTEN is attributed to its lipid phosphatase activity that counters PI3K action. Here, we report a PTEN-ARID4B-PI3K axis in which PTEN inhibits expression of ARID4B , while ARID4B is a transcriptional activator of the PI3K subunit genes PIK3CA and PIK3R2 that are crucial for activation of the PI3K/AKT pathway. Reciprocal binding of ARID4B and histone H1 to the PIK3CA and PIK3R2 promoters modulates chromatin condensation, suggesting a mechanism by which ARID4B activates these promoters. Functional analyses reveals that ARID4B is required for prostate tumorigenesis when PTEN is deficient. The biological significance is further substantiated by the existence of a PTEN / ARID4B / PIK3CA three-gene signature that improves the predictive power for prostate cancer recurrence in patients. In summary, we identify ARID4B as a master regulator in the PTEN-PI3K pathway, thus providing a potential therapeutic target for prostate cancer carrying PTEN mutations. The identification of synthetic essential genes of PTEN is of therapeutic potential for PTEN-deficient prostate cancers. Here, the authors show that ARID4B is a synthetic essential gene in these cancers in which deficiency of PTEN prompts the AKT-ARID4B feedback loop required for activation of the PI3K-AKT signaling pathway.

The gut microbiome and its metabolites are increasingly implicated in several cardiovascular diseases, but their role in human myocardial infarction (MI) injury responses have yet to be established. To address this, we examined stool samples from 77 ST-elevation MI (STEMI) patients using 16 S V3-V4 next-generation sequencing, metagenomics and machine learning. Our analysis identified an enriched population of butyrate-producing bacteria. These findings were then validated using a controlled ischemia/reperfusion model using eight nonhuman primates. To elucidate mechanisms, we inoculated gnotobiotic mice with these bacteria and found that they can produce beta-hydroxybutyrate, supporting cardiac function post-MI. This was further confirmed using HMGCS2-deficient mice which lack endogenous ketogenesis and have poor outcomes after MI. Inoculation increased plasma ketone levels and provided significant improvements in cardiac function post-MI. Together, this demonstrates a previously unknown role of gut butyrate-producers in the post-MI response. Here, Chen et. al . characterize the relationship between the gut microbiota and plasma metabolite changes in the context of ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), unveiling a role of butyrate-producing bacteria and their ketogenesis in post-STEMI cardiac repair, a finding validated in nonhuman primate and mouse models. They show that butyrate supplementation reduces myocardial infarction severity in mice, underscoring the significance of butyrate-producing bacteria and beta-hydroxybutyrate in improving post-MI outcomes.

Miniaturized spectrometers have great potential for use in portable optoelectronics and wearable sensors. However, current strategies for miniaturization rely on von Neumann architectures, which separate the spectral sensing, storage, and processing modules spatially, resulting in high energy consumption and limited processing speeds due to the storage-wall problem. Here, we present a miniaturized spectrometer that utilizes a single SnS 2 /ReSe 2 van der Waals heterostructure, providing photodetection, spectrum reconstruction, spectral imaging, long-term image memory, and signal processing capabilities. Interface trap states are found to induce a gate-tunable and wavelength-dependent photogating effect and a non-volatile optoelectronic memory effect. Our approach achieves a footprint of 19 μm, a bandwidth from 400 to 800 nm, a spectral resolution of 5 nm, and a > 10 4  s long-term image memory. Our single-detector computational spectrometer represents a path beyond von Neumann architectures. Recent studies have reported miniaturized spectrometers based on van der Waals heterostructures. Here, the authors demonstrate multifunctional SnS 2 /ReSe 2 heterojunction spectrometers providing photodetection, spectrum reconstruction, spectral imaging, long-term image memory, and signal processing capabilities.

Background Pear ( Pyrus ) is a globally grown fruit, with thousands of cultivars in five domesticated species and dozens of wild species. However, little is known about the evolutionary history of these pear species and what has contributed to the distinct phenotypic traits between Asian pears and European pears. Results We report the genome resequencing of 113 pear accessions from worldwide collections, representing both cultivated and wild pear species. Based on 18,302,883 identified SNPs, we conduct phylogenetics, population structure, gene flow, and selective sweep analyses. Furthermore, we propose a model for the divergence, dissemination, and independent domestication of Asian and European pears in which pear, after originating in southwest China and then being disseminated throughout central Asia, has eventually spread to western Asia, and then on to Europe. We find evidence for rapid evolution and balancing selection for S-RNase genes that have contributed to the maintenance of self-incompatibility, thus promoting outcrossing and accounting for pear genome diversity across the Eurasian continent. In addition, separate selective sweep signatures between Asian pears and European pears, combined with co-localized QTLs and differentially expressed genes, underline distinct phenotypic fruit traits, including flesh texture, sugar, acidity, aroma, and stone cells. Conclusions This study provides further clarification of the evolutionary history of pear along with independent domestication of Asian and European pears. Furthermore, it provides substantive and valuable genomic resources that will significantly advance pear improvement and molecular breeding efforts.