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Considering that soft airbag sensors made from soft materials are limited to detecting only normal forces, a novel PEBA–silicone composite magneto-sensitive airbag sensor is proposed for simultaneously detecting normal contact force and horizontal motion during human–robot interaction. In terms of structural design, the PEBA–silicone composite airbag is manufactured using fused deposition modeling, 3D printing, and silicone casting, achieving a balance between high airtightness and adjustable stiffness. Beneath the airbag, a magneto-sensitive substrate with several NdFeB magnets is embedded, while a fixed Hall sensor detects spatially varying magnetic fields to determine horizontal displacements without contact. The results of contact-force and motion experiments show that the proposed sensor achieves a force resolution of 20 g, a force range of 0 to 1100 g, a fitting sensitivity of 7.54 N/Pa, an average static stiffness of 4.82 N/mm, and a horizontal motion detection range of 0.125 to 1 cm/s. In addition, the prototype of the sensor is lightweight (with the complete assembly weighing 81.25 g and the sensing part weighing 56.13 g) and low-cost, giving it potential application value in exoskeletons and industrial grippers.

Early detection and appropriate medical treatment are of great use for ear disease. However, a new diagnostic strategy is necessary for the absence of experts and relatively low diagnostic accuracy, in which deep learning plays an important role. This paper puts forward a mechanic learning model which uses abundant otoscope image data gained in clinical cases to achieve an automatic diagnosis of ear diseases in real time. A total of 20,542 endoscopic images were employed to train nine common deep convolution neural networks. According to the characteristics of the eardrum and external auditory canal, eight kinds of ear diseases were classified, involving the majority of ear diseases, such as normal, Cholestestoma of the middle ear, Chronic suppurative otitis media, External auditory cana bleeding, Impacted cerumen, Otomycosis external, Secretory otitis media, Tympanic membrane calcification. After we evaluate these optimization schemes, two best performance models are selected to combine the ensemble classifiers with real-time automatic classification. Based on accuracy and training time, we choose a transferring learning model based on DensNet-BC169 and DensNet-BC1615, getting a result that each model has obvious improvement by using these two ensemble classifiers, and has an average accuracy of 95.59%. Considering the dependence of classifier performance on data size in transfer learning, we evaluate the high accuracy of the current model that can be attributed to large databases. Current studies are unparalleled regarding disease diversity and diagnostic precision. The real-time classifier trains the data under different acquisition conditions, which is suitable for real cases. According to this study, in the clinical case, the deep learning model is of great use in the early detection and remedy of ear diseases.

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a major otorhinolaryngological disease with limited effective therapeutic options. This work focused on the function of microRNA-384 (miR-384) on the NPC pathogenesis and the molecules involved. miR-384 expression in cancer tissues and cells was detected. Gain- and loss-of-functions of miR-384 were performed to identify its role in NPC progression. The target mRNA of miR-384 was predicted on an online system and validated through a luciferase reporter assay. The activity of Wnt/β-catenin signaling was detected. Consequently, miR-384 was found to be poorly expressed in NPC tissues and cell lines and was linked to unfavorable survival rates in patients. Overexpression of miR-384 in 6-10B cells suppressed growth, migration, invasion and resistance to apoptosis of cells, but inverse trends were presented in C6661 cells where miR-384 was downregulated. miR-384 targeted Smad5 mRNA. Upregulation of Smad5 counteracted the roles of miR-384 mimic in cells. The NPC-inhibiting effects of miR-384 mimic were also blocked by Wnt/β-catenin activation. To conclude, miR-384 targets Smad5 and inactivates the Wnt/β-catenin pathway, which exerts a suppressing role in NPC cell behaviors as well as tumor growth in vivo. The findings may offer novel thoughts into NPC therapy.

In order to develop high power lithium ion batteries (LIBs), urgent requirements including adequate safety, higher current density and superior cyclic stability are proposed for separator. Tissue paper, composed of packed cellulose fibers, possesses lower production cost, easier accessibility, superior wettability together with outstanding thermostability, and is thus a candidate to be the substrate for high performance separator. To address the issue of structural failure usually encountered by single polymer as binder during long term cycling, crosslinked binder was constructed on tissue paper to adhere nano-SiO 2 through chemical reactions between poly (vinylidene fluoride- co -hexafluoropropylene) (PVDF-HFP) and hyperbranched polyethyleneimine (PEI) in this work. The effects of crosslinking degree on physical properties and electrochemical performance were studied thoroughly. When the feed ratio of PVDF-HFP and PEI is fixed at 10:1, the crosslinked composite separator displays excellent electrolyte uptake and wettability, superior ionic conductivity, better interfacial compatibility as well as higher Li + transference number (0.56), thus offering battery with prominent rate capabilities. Besides, this crosslinked composite separator exhibits satisfying dimensional stability even treated at 250 °C, better flame retardancy, enhanced mechanical behavior, wider electrochemical window and outstanding cycle stability. Accordingly, tissue paper-based crosslinked composite separators can meet higher requirements put forward by high power LIBs. Graphical abstract

Pancreatic cancer is a malignancy with poor prognosis and high mortality. This study investigated the use of chitosan nanoparticles (CS-NPs) to encapsulate AMTB, a TRPM8 inhibitor, as a novel strategy to enhance therapeutic efficacy in pancreatic cancer. TRPM8 was overexpressed in pancreatic cancer tissues and associated with poor patient prognosis. AMTB inhibited pancreatic cancer cell proliferation, migration, and invasion by suppressing the EMT process and MMP2/9 expression. CS-NPs@AMTB were successfully synthesized, exhibiting excellent drug release profiles and stronger anti-tumor effects than free AMTB. Both AMTB and CS-NPs@AMTB demonstrated favorable biological safety. This is the first study to apply chitosan nanoparticles for AMTB delivery in pancreatic cancer, significantly enhancing its anti-tumor and anti-metastatic effects (ahout 70% reduction in tumor size). These findings suggest that CS-NPs@AMTB might overcome current therapeutic limitations by improving drug efficacy and targeting metastasis in pancreatic cancer. With further validation through preclinical and clinical studies, this nanoparticle-based delivery strategy holds promise for integration into future therapeutic regimens and personalized treatment approaches.

Background The intramuscular fat content and the level of unsaturated fatty acids influence meat quality and nutritional value. microRNAs can participate in lipid metabolic processes. Understanding how novel miRNAs regulate lipogenesis and fatty acid metabolism is key to enhancing buffalo meat quality and nutritional value. Results In this study, miRNA sequencing was conducted on 36 adipose tissues from six anatomical sites in river buffaloes (Murrah). A total of 1,682 miRNAs were identified in 36 adipose tissues, of which 987 were novel and 695 were known miRNAs. Weighted gene co-expression networks analysis (WGCNA) revealed that bta-novel-miR-25336 was highly expressed in sternum subcutaneous adipose tissue (SSAT) and had a high correlation with unsaturated fatty acids (UFA). Functional studies showed that bta-novel-miR-25336 was positively correlated with the proliferation and adipogenic differentiation of both buffalo preadipocytes and intramuscular adipocytes. Additionally, we used bioinformatics analysis and a 3’ untranslated region (3’UTR) luciferase reporter assay to validate acyl-CoA dehydrogenase short chain ( ACADS ) as a target gene of bta-novel-miR-25336. Conclusions In summary, bta-novel-miR-25336 may regulate biological processes associated with cell proliferation, lipid differentiation and unsaturated fatty acid synthesis through ACADS . This study provides a theoretical basis for further elucidating the regulation of lipid metabolism by novel miRNAs in farm animals.

Objective Lifestyle sports refer to the stable forms and behavioral characteristics formed by individuals or groups of individuals who regularly and consciously participate in sports activities, which are divided into six dimensions: joviality type, challenge type, health type, beauty type, study type, and society type. High school students have a high prevalence of depression, and lifestyle sports are important factors affecting depression and depression-induced sleep quality problems. This paper intends to investigate the relationship between the six dimensions of lifestyle sports and the sleep quality of depressed high school students. Methods In 129 high schools in 13 cities of Jiangsu Province, approximately 300 male and female students were selected for a questionnaire survey in each high school via the Lifestyle Sports Scale, the Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS), and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index Scale (PSQI), and a stratified random sampling method was used. A total of 40,000 questionnaires were distributed, and 32,974 questionnaires were valid. The mediation model of depression between lifestyle sports and sleep quality was constructed via the Model4 model and other models in the SPSS macro program Process4.0. From the 32,974 valid questionnaires, 14,943 depressed high school students (SDS ≥ 53) were screened out, and structural equation modeling of the relationships between the six dimensions of lifestyle sports and the sleep quality of depressed high school students has been established via AMOS 28.0. Results (1) Lifestyle sports significantly and positively predicted depression ( P  < 0.001), positively predicted sleep quality ( P  < 0.001), and depression significantly and positively predicted sleep quality ( P  < 0.001), and depression significantly mediated the relationship between high school students’ lifestyle sports and sleep quality ( β  = 0.004, accounting for 29.91% of the total effect value). (2) The joviality type, challenge type, health type, beauty type, study type and society type of lifestyle sports significantly and positively predicted sleep quality in depressed high school students ( P  < 0.01), with the correlation coefficients between joviality type ( β  = 0.75, P  < 0.01) and study type ( β  = 0.75, P  < 0.01) of lifestyle sports and the sleep quality of depressed high school students being the largest. Conclusion Depression significantly mediated the relationship between lifestyle sports and sleep quality in high school students. All six dimensions of lifestyle sports are significantly positively correlated with sleep quality in depressed high school students, with the strongest correlations for the joviality type and study type.

Objective The efficacy of lymph node ratio (LNR) as a prognostic indicator in locally advanced gastric cancer (LAGC) patients underwent radical resection after neoadjuvant immunochemotherapy (NICT) remains to be demonstrated. The objective of the current retrospective study is to investigate the relationship between LNR and survival in patients with LAGC who underwent radical resection after NICT. Methods A retrospective analysis was performed on 121 cases of LAGC in patients underwent radical resection after NICT between July 2020 and October 2023. The LNR values of the patients were divided into two groups using X-tile software. The first group, designated the low LNR group, comprised patients with LNR values of ≤ 33%. The second group, designated the high LNR group, comprised patients with LNR values of > 33%. The correlation between patient survival rates and a range of clinical and pathological variables was examined. Results Overall, 121 patients were enrolled: 108 with low-LNR (LNR ≤ 33%) and 13 with high-LNR (LNR > 33%). A better 2-year overall survival (OS) (88.5% vs. 32.6%; p  < 0.001) and progression-free survival (PFS) (80.2% vs. 23.5%; p  < 0.001) were observed in patients with low LNR. A similar result was also found in those with non-pathological complete response group (non-pCR), where the 2-year OS was 87.2% vs. 32.6% ( p  < 0.001), and the 2-year PFS was 77.7% vs. 23.5% ( p  < 0.001). Compared to the pathologic lymph nodes staging (ypN), LNR exhibited similar prognostic capabilities for OS and PFS. Multivariate analysis indicated that LNR was an independent prognostic factor for both OS ( H R 6.258, 95% CI 1.798–21.778; p  = 0.004) and PFS ( HR 3.431, 95% CI 1.341–8.780; p  = 0.010), but not ypN. Conclusions LNR may serve as a viable indicator for prognostication in LAGC patients treated with NICT.

Background Anxiety disorder is a significant concern in the context of mental health among Chinese high school students. Based on cross-sectional study and longitudinal study, this study constructed mediation models in order to evaluate the mediation effects of sleep quality in the improvement of anxiety by physical activity among Chinese high school students. Methods A total of 32,974 Chinese high school students were surveyed using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item Scale (GAD-7). We conducted the survey to construct a mediation model of anxiety, and then verified it with longitudinal data. After 12 weeks of exercise, 80 high school students were tested for physical activity level, sleep quality score and anxiety level. Results The mediation model based on cross-sectional study showed a good fit with the data. Physical activity significantly positively predicted sleep quality but negatively predicted anxiety. Sleep quality significantly negatively predicted anxiety and had a mediation effect between physical activity and anxiety. Further longitudinal study proved that physical activity could improve both sleep quality and anxiety among high school students. Conclusions Evidence from cross-sectional study and longitudinal study indicated the mediation role of sleep quality in the relationship between physical activity and anxiety among high school students, providing a theoretical and practical basis for physical exercise to improve high school students’ anxiety and other psychological problems. Besides, physical activity could relieve anxiety through sleep quality, but causality cannot be inferred when using only a cross-sectional study design.

ObjectivesThe objectives are to explore the relationship between study stress and anxiety in high school students and the mediating role of physical activity and mobile phone addiction.DesignA cross-sectional study.Setting129 high schools were randomly selected in 13 cities of Jiangsu province, China.ParticipantsHigh school students aged 16–19 years, age and gender balance. A total of 40 000 questionnaires were distributed, with 32 974 effectively recovered.Primary and secondary outcome measuresQuestionnaires were administered offline, covering four parts: General Demographics, Learning Stress Scale, International Physical Activity Questionnaire, Mobile Phone Addiction Scale and Generalized Anxiety Scale-7. Data analysis included path analysis and correlation analysis, along with descriptive statistics, independent sample t-test, correlation analysis and structural equation model.ResultsIn this study, the proportions of anxiety, high academic pressure, low physical activity level and high mobile phone addiction were 58.18%, 46.48%, 36.40% and 39.26%, respectively. Study stress was positively correlated with anxiety (r=0.130, p<0.01) and mobile phone addiction (r=0.049, p<0.01). Physical activity was negatively correlated with learning stress (r=−0.352, p<0.01), anxiety (r=−0.105, p<0.01) and mobile phone addiction (r=−0.040, p<0.01). The findings were tested by mediating effect analysis that the indirect effect size value of the path ‘learning stress → physical activity level → anxiety path’ was 0.461, 95% CI of Bootstrap (0.367, 0.554), the mediating effect was significant. The indirect effect size value of the path ‘learning stress → mobile phone addiction → anxiety’ was 0.072, 95% CI of Bootstrap (0.042, 0.102), and the mediating effect was significant. The indirect effect size value of the path ‘learning stress → physical activity level → mobile phone addiction → anxiety’ was 0.072, and the 95% CI of Bootstrap (0.226, 0.400), and the mediating effect was significant.ConclusionsHigh school students’ learning stress can significantly positively predict anxiety levels. High school students learning stress indirectly predicts anxiety through the independent mediating effect of physical activity and mobile phone addiction, as well as the chain mediating effect of physical activity and mobile phone addiction.