Electroacupuncture at Tianshu (ST 25) for diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome using positron emission tomography Changes in visceral sensation center

Previous studies have demonstrated that electroacupuncture therapy is effective in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome. However, the precise mechanism of this therapy is unknown. The present study served to investigate the effects of electroacupuncture therapy on treatment of patients with diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome （IBS）. We compared brain activation maps based on the changes of cerebral glucose metabolism obtained by 18-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography scanning under three conditions： resting, rectal balloon distension and rectal balloon distension plus electroacupuncture. Under the resting condition, compared with healthy controls, IBS patients displayed an increasing regional cerebral metabolic rate of glucose over a wide range： bilateral superior temporal gyrus, right middle occipital gyrus, superior frontal gyrus and bilateral middle frontal gyrus. However, there was no significant activity in the visceral pain center. Compared with the resting condition, under the rectal balloon distension condition, patients with IBS had a greater regional cerebral metabolic rate of glucose in the prefrontal cortex, left anterior cingulate cortex, postcentral gyrus, precentral gyrus and temporal gyrus. Under the rectal balloon distension plus electroacupuncture condition, stimulation by electroacupuncture at Tianshu （ST 25） manifested a decreased regional cerebral metabolic rate of glucose in the left cingulate gyrus, right insula, right caudate nucleus, fusiform gyrus and hippocampal gyrus. Electroacupuncture therapy relieved abdominal pain, distension or discomfort by decreasing glucose metabolism in the brain.

Analgesic action of suspended moxibustion in rats with chronic visceral hyperalgesia correlates with enkephalins in the spinal cord

Rats that modeled chronic visceral hyperalgesia received suspended moxibustion at bilateral Tianshu （ST25） and Shangjuxu （ST37） once daily over a period of 7 days. Results show that suspended moxibustion significantly depressed abdominal withdrawal reflex scores and increased enkephalin concentration in the spinal cord. The experimental findings suggest that spinal enkephalins contributed to the analgesic effect of suspended moxibustion in rats with chronic visceral hyperalgesia.

CRISPR-Cas12a-Empowered Electrochemical Biosensor for Rapid and Ultrasensitive Detection of SARS-CoV-2 Delta Variant

Coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)is a highly contagious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2(SARS-CoV-2).The gold standard method for the diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 depends on quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction till now,which is time-consuming and requires expensive instrumentation,and the confirmation of variants relies on further sequencing techniques.Herein,we first proposed a robust technique-methodology of electrochemical CRISPR sensing with the advantages of rapid,highly sensitivity and specificity for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 variant.To enhance the sensing capability,gold electrodes are uniformly decorated with electro-deposited gold nanoparticles.Using DNA template identical to SARS-CoV-2 Delta spike gene sequence as model,our biosensor exhibits excellent analytical detection limit(50 fM)and high linearity(R2=0.987)over six orders of magnitude dynamic range from 100 fM to 10 nM without any nucleic-acid-amplification assays.The detection can be completed within 1 h with high stability and specificity which benefits from the CRISPR-Cas system.Furthermore,based on the wireless micro-electrochemical platform,the proposed biosensor reveals promising application ability in point-of-care testing.

Effects of moxibustion on heat-shock protein 70 expression in the spinal cord and colonic mucosa in a rat model of ulcerative colitis

Pathological changes in the colon are closely associated with the spinal cord, and innervation of spinal cord can regulate cellular functions. Our previous studies verified that moxibustion protects and restores the colonic mucosa, but the mechanisms of action remain unknown. The present study observed the effects of moxibustion and salicylazosulfapyridine on expression of heat-shock protein 70 （HSP70） and its mRNA in the spinal cord and colonic mucosa of ulcerative colitis rats. Results demonstrated that moxibustion and salicylazosulfapyridine increased HSP70 mRNA expression in the spinal cord and colonic mucosa of ulcerative colitis rats. The decreased transcriptional activity of HSP70 in the spinal cord and colonic mucosa might participate in damage to the colonic mucosa in ulcerative colitis rats. Moxibustion exerted protective effects on colonic mucosa by up-regulating HSP70 transcriptional activity in the spinal cord and colonic mucosa.

A potential NMR-based wettability index using free induction decay for rocks

The wettability of reservoir rocks saturated with oil and water is one of the most important factors influencing petrophysics and oil recovery.Minerals with different wettability constitute the overall heterogeneous wettability in rocks.Variations in sample composi-tion can be detected by nuclear magnetic resonance(NMR)measurements.In this paper,the method of using the magnetic susceptibility contrast between rock skeleton and saturated fluid to estimate wettability is proposed.The theoretical feasibility was firstly analyzed,and then the internal gradients caused by magnetic susceptibility contrasts were employed to interpret wettability alteration before and after ageing process in rocks.It was discovered that water and oil in the same pores experienced different internal gradients after ageing,which were associated with the differences in magnetic susceptibility con-trasts.After that,the free induction decay measurement was performed to acquire mag-netic susceptibility contrasts of artificial sandstone samples with the intermediate-wet condition.A refined NMR wettability index was presented and correlated with the Amott wettability tests.The experimental results demonstrate that the new method for deter-mining wettability is feasible.

Sequence-controlled dynamic covalent units enable decoupling of mechanical and self-healing performance of polymers

Sequence regulation provides an effective approach to controlling the properties of polymer materials.However,this approach remains an open question in the field of dynamic polymers,which emerge as more and more important new generation materials.Herein,we systematically investigate the effect of sequence control of dynamic covalent units in tuning the properties of materials.Different sequence-controlled poly(oxime-urethanes)are designed.The dynamic oxime-urethane groups are relatively dispersed(SCP-1)or concentrated(SCP-2)distributed in their molecular chains.The sequence control strategy provides an efficient way to decouple the mechanical and self-healing performance of polymers,which is one of the most pressing challenges in the field.The relatively dispersed oxime-urethane groups in SCP-1 not only facilitate the reorganization of the dynamic covalent bonds but also increase the probability of the reformation of hydrogen bonds.The reversible dissociation/reassociation of dynamic bonds is conducive to dissipating energy to enhance mechanical performance and promote self-healing properties.As a result,SCP-1 exhibits much faster self-healing than SCP-2,and its tensile strength is nearly twice that of SCP-2.In addition,energy dissipation capacity and degradation behavior also show significant sequence dependence.Overall,this work reveals a new molecular structure-property relationship and provides a powerful strategy to construct high-performance polymers.

Nano-imaging agents for brain diseases: Environmentally responsive imaging and therapy

Precise imaging is essential for the accurate diagnosis and surgical guidance of brain diseases but it is challenging due to the difficulties in crossing the blood-brain barrier(BBB),the difficulties in disease lesion targeting,and the limited contrast in the brain environment.Nano-imaging agents were characterized by functionalized modifications,high contrast,small size,and high biocompatibility,thus providing advantages in BBB crossing,brain targeting,imaging resolution,and real-time monitoring,holding great potential in brain disease imaging.Specific characteristics in brain environment and brain diseases(e.g.,marker proteins on the BBB,the pathogenic proteins in the neurodegenerative diseases or brain tumors,and the tumor and inflammatory microenvironment)provide opportunities for the functionalized nano-imaging agents to improve BBB crossing and disease targeting.Moreover,the versatile nano-imaging agents are endowed with therapeutic agents to facilitate the theranostics of brain diseases.Here,we summarized the common materials and imaging techniques of nano-imaging agents and their imaging treatment applications.We discussed their BBB penetration,environmental response for disease targeting,and therapeutic effects.We also provided insights on the advantages,challenges,and application of nano-imaging agents in detecting and treating brain diseases such as neurodegenerative diseases,brain tumors,stroke,and traumatic brain injury.These discussions will help develop nano-imaging agents-based theranostic platforms for the precise diagnosis and treatment of brain diseases.

Nanomaterials for visualized tumor surgical navigation and postoperative recurrence inhibition

Preoperative localization of the tumor sites and intraoperative real-time monitoring are essential for precise surgery but are meanwhile challenging due to the lack of high-resolution,easy-to-operate,and fast visualization techniques.On the other hand,tumor recurrence and metastasis after surgery greatly reduce the survival rate of patients.Intervening tumor recurrence during surgery is a future direction of tumor treatment.Nanomaterials with external condition responsiveness(light,ultrasound,and magnetic field)can accurately assist intraoperative detection and surgical resection due to their functions such as tumor cell targeting,fluorescence imaging,and real time monitoring,providing a more accurate,shorter duration,and visualization method of surgical resection.Moreover,nanomaterials are versatile and can easily be tailored for application in different tumors.Locally filled or systemically circulating nanomaterials with slow drug release and residual tumor cell-targeting ability have promising applications in inhibiting tumor recurrence.Here,we review surgical navigation and postoperative recurrence interventional nanomaterials and their landscape in guiding tumor treatment.We summarize the classification and characteristics of these nanomaterials and discuss their application in the surgical navigation and recurrence inhibition of different tumors.We also provide an outlook on the challenges and future development of nanomaterials for visualized tumor surgical navigation and postoperative recurrence inhibition.

Indirubin-30 -monoxime-loaded PLGA-PEG nanoparticles for potential Alzheimer's disease treatment

Alzheimer's disease(AD)is an irreversible neurodegenerative disorder,which is pathologically characterized by the deposits of β-amyloid(Aβ),and plays an important role in neuronal death.Indirubin-30-monoxime(I3M)showed neuroprotective effects against Aβ-induced neuronal apoptosis.However,the use of I3M in AD treatment is limited due to its low bioavailability.Herein,PLGA-PEG nanoparticles were synthesized for I3M loading.I3M could release sustainedly sustain release from the I3M-loaded PLGA-PEG nanoparticles(PLGA-PEG-I3M NPs)without obvious burst release.What's more,the PLGA-PEG-I3M NPs could significantly promote the uptake of I3M by PC12 cells through nanoparticle-mediated transport,and improve the efficacy of I3M on the inhibition of Aβfibrillization and oligomerization as well as the neuroprotective activity of I3M on Aβoligomers-induced neuronal death.Thus,the PLGA-PEG-I3M NPs may be a promising platform for AD therapy.