A Novel SE-CNN Attention Architecture for sEMG-Based Hand Gesture Recognition

In this article,to reduce the complexity and improve the generalization ability of current gesture recognition systems,we propose a novel SE-CNN attention architecture for sEMG-based hand gesture recognition.The proposed algorithm introduces a temporal squeeze-and-excite block into a simple CNN architecture and then utilizes it to recalibrate the weights of the feature outputs from the convolutional layer.By enhancing important features while suppressing useless ones,the model realizes gesture recognition efficiently.The last procedure of the proposed algorithm is utilizing a simple attention mechanism to enhance the learned representations of sEMG signals to performmulti-channel sEMG-based gesture recognition tasks.To evaluate the effectiveness and accuracy of the proposed algorithm,we conduct experiments involving multi-gesture datasets Ninapro DB4 and Ninapro DB5 for both inter-session validation and subject-wise cross-validation.After a series of comparisons with the previous models,the proposed algorithm effectively increases the robustness with improved gesture recognition performance and generalization ability.

Mutations in spike protein and allele variations in ACE2 impact targeted therapy strategies against SARS-CoV-2

Coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19), which is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2(SARS-Co V-2), has spread rapidly worldwide with high rates of transmission and substantial mortality. To date, however, no effective treatments or enough vaccines for COVID-19 are available. The roles of angiotensin converting enzyme 2(ACE2) and spike protein in the treatment of COVID-19 are major areas of research. In this study, we explored the potential of ACE2 and spike protein as targets for the development of antiviral agents against SARS-Co V-2. We analyzed clinical data, genetic data, and receptor binding capability.Clinical data revealed that COVID-19 patients with comorbidities related to an abnormal reninangiotensin system exhibited more early symptoms and poorer prognoses. However, the relationship between ACE2 expression and COVID-19progression is still not clear. Furthermore, if ACE2 is not a good targetable protein, it would not be applicable across a wide range of populations. The spike-S1 receptor-binding domain that interacts with ACE2 showed various amino acid mutations based on sequence analysis. We identified two spike-S1 point mutations(V354 F and V470 A) by receptorligand docking and binding enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. These variants enhanced the binding of the spike protein to ACE2 receptors and were potentially associated with increased infectivity. Importantly, the number of patients infected with the V354 F and V470 A mutants has increased with the development of the SARS-Co V-2 pandemic. These results suggest that ACE2 and spike-S1 are likely not ideal targets for the design of peptide drugs to treat COVID-19 in different populations.

Mapping the Piconewton Cellular Forces and its Applications in Diagnosis and Therapy

Mechanical forces produced from cells regulate cell functions and fate for tissue development and regeneration.Knowledge in mechanobiology thus provides new strategy for diagnosis and prosthetics.In our work,we develop a platform which could precisely detect cellular traction force with resolution of 100 pN,enabling quantification of chemotherapy at early stage,re-epithelialization and cell collision.Additionally,a better solution for antimicrobial dressing managing infection has been provided by modifying the surface to enable both the disruption on biofilm and the elimination of engaged planktonic bacteria.Mechanobiological study demonstrated our dual-function surface remains harmless to host mammalian cells during thermalablation.Our design could pave the way further for creating soft miniaturized medical robots that defend our living system via safe interaction down to cellular level.

Dengue virus infection:A review of advances in the emerging rapid detection methods

Dengue virus infections are increasing worldwide generally and in Asia,Central and South America and Africa,particularly.It poses a serious threat to the children population.The rapid and accurate diagnostic systems are essentially required due to lack of effective vaccine against dengue virus and the progressive spread of the dengue virus infection.The recent progress in developing micro-and nano-fabrication techniques has led to low cost and scale down the biomedical point-of-care devices.Starting from the conventional and modern available methods for the diagnosis of dengue infection,this review examines several emerging rapid and point-of-care diagnostic devices that hold significant potential for the progress in smart diagnosis tools.The given review revealed that an effective vaccine is required urgently against all the dengue virus serotypes.However,the rapid detection methods of dengue virus help in early treatment and significantly reduce the dengue virus outbreak.

Machine Learning Models in Type 2 Diabetes Risk Prediction:Results from a Cross-sectional Retrospective Study in Chinese Adults

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) has become a prevalent health problem in China,especially in urban areas.Early prevention strategies are needed to reduce the associated mortality and morbidity.We applied the combination of rules and different machine learning techniques to assess the risk of development of T2DM in an urban Chinese adult population.A retrospective analysis was performed on 8000 people with non-diabetes and 3845 people with T2DM in Nanjing.Multilayer Perceptron (MLP),AdaBoost (AD),Trees Random Forest (TRF),Support Vector Machine (SVM),and Gradient Tree Boosting (GTB) machine learning techniques with 10 cross validation methods were used with the proposed model for the prediction of the risk of development of T2DM.The performance of these models was evaluated with accuracy,precision,sensitivity,specificity,and area under receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC).After comparison,the prediction accuracy of the different five machine models was 0.87,0.86,0.86,0.86 and 0.86 respectively.The combination model using the same voting weight of each component was built on T2DM,which was performed better than individual models.The findings indicate that,combining machine learning models could provide an accurate assessment model for T2DM risk prediction.

A wearable real-time telemonitoring electrocardiogram device compared with traditional Holter monitoring

Arrhythmias are very common in the healthy populations as well as patients with cardiovascular diseases.Among them,atrial fibrillation(AF)and malignant ventricular arrhythmias are usually associated with some clinical events.Early diagnosis of arrhythmias,particularly AF and ventricular arrhythmias,is very important for the treatment and prognosis of patients.Holter is a gold standard commonly recommended for noninvasive detection of paroxysmal arrhythmia.However,it has some shortcomings such as fixed detection timings,delayed report and inability of remote real-time detection.To deal with such problems,we designed and applied a new wearable 72-hour triple-lead H3-electrocardiogram(ECG)device with a remote cloud-based ECG platform and an expertsupporting system.In this study,31 patients were recruited and 24-hour synchronous ECG data by H3-ECG and Holter were recorded.In the H3-ECG group,ECG signals were transmitted using remote real-time modes,and confirmed reports were made by doctors in the remote expert-supporting system,while the traditional modes and detection systems were used in the Holter group.The results showed no significant differences between the two groups in 24-hour total heart rate(HR),averaged HR,maximum HR,minimum HR,premature atrial complexes(PACs)and premature ventricular complexes(PVCs)(P>0.05).The sensitivity and specificity of capture and remote automatic cardiac events detection of PACs,PVCs,and AF by H3-ECG were 93%and 99%,98%and 99%,94%and 98%,respectively.Therefore,the long-term limb triple-lead H3-ECG device can be utilized for domiciliary ECG self-monitoring and remote management of patients with common arrhythmia under medical supervision.

The cancer-testis gene,MEIOB,sensitizes triple-negative breast cancer to PARP1 inhibitors by inducing homologous recombination deficiency

Objective:The newly defined cancer-testis(CT)gene,MEIOB,was previously found to play key roles in DNA double-strand break(DSB)repair.In this study,we aimed to investigate the effects and mechanisms of MEIOB in the carcinogenesis of triple-negative breast cancers(TNBCs).Methods:The Cancer Genome Atlas database was used to quantify the expression of MEIOB.Cox regression analysis was used to evaluate the association between MEIOB expression and the prognosis of human TNBC.The effects of MEIOB on cell proliferation and migration in TNBCs were also assessed in vitro.Patient-derived xenograft(PDX)models were used to assess the sensitivity of breast cancers with active MEIOB to PARP1 inhibitors.Results:We confirmed MEIOB as a CT gene whose expression was restricted to the testes and breast tumors,especially TNBCs.Its activation was significantly associated with poor survival in breast cancer patients[overall,hazard ratio(HR)=1.90(1.16–2.06);TNBCs:HR=7.05(1.16–41.80)].In addition,we found that MEIOB was oncogenic and significantly promoted the proliferation of TNBC cells.Further analysis showed that MEIOB participated in DSB repair in TNBCs.However,in contrast to its function in meiosis,it mediated homologous recombination deficiency(HRD)through the activation of poly ADP-ribose polymerase(PARP)1 by interacting with YBX1.Furthermore,activated MEIOB was shown to confer sensitivity to PARP inhibitors,which was confirmed in PDX models.Conclusions:MEIOB played an oncogenic role in TNBC through its involvement in HRD.In addition,dysregulation of MEIOB sensitized TNBC cells to PARP inhibitors,so MEIOB may be a therapeutic target of PARP1 inhibitors in TNBC.

CircAST:Full-length Assembly and Quantification of Alternatively Spliced Isoforms in Circular RNAs

Circular RNAs(circ RNAs),covalently closed continuous RNA loops,are generated from cognate linear RNAs through back splicing events,and alternative splicing events may generate different circ RNA isoforms at the same locus.However,the challenges of reconstruction and quantification of alternatively spliced full-length circ RNAs remain unresolved.On the basis of the internal structural characteristics of circ RNAs,we developed Circ AST,a tool to assemble alternatively spliced circ RNA transcripts and estimate their expression by using multiple splice graphs.Simulation studies showed that Circ AST correctly assembled the full sequences of circ RNAs with a sensitivity of 85.63%–94.32%and a precision of 81.96%–87.55%.By assigning reads to specific isoforms,Circ AST quantified the expression of circ RNA isoforms with correlation coefficients of 0.85–0.99 between theoretical and estimated values.We evaluated Circ AST on an in-house mouse testis RNA-seq dataset with RNase R treatment for enriching circ RNAs and identified 380 circ RNAs with full-length sequences different from those of their corresponding cognate linear RNAs.RT-PCR and Sanger sequencing analyses validated 32 out of 37 randomly selected isoforms,thus further indicating the good performance of Circ AST,especially for isoforms with low abundance.We also applied Circ AST to published experimental data and observed substantial diversity in circular transcripts across samples,thus suggesting that circ RNA expression is highly regulated.Circ AST can be accessed freely at https://github--com.3pco.8686c.com/xiaofengsong/CircAST.

Adaptive iron-based magnetic nanomaterials of high performance for biomedical applications

With unique physicochemical properties and biological effects,magnetic nanomaterials(MNMs)play a crucial role in the biomedical field.In particular,magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles(MIONPs)are approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration(FDA)for clinical applications at present due to their low toxicity,biocompatibility,and biodegradability.Despite the unarguable effectiveness,massive space for improving such materials'performance still needs to be filled.Recently,many efforts have been devoted to improving the preparation methods based on the materials'biosafety.Besides,researchers have successfully.regulated the performance of magnetic nanoparticles(MNPs)by changing their sizes,morphologies,compositions;or by.aggregating as-synthesized MNPs in an orderly arrangement to meet various clinical requirements.The rise of cloud computing and artificial intelligence techniques provides novel ways for fast material characterization,automated data analysis,and mechanism demonstration.In this review,we summarized the studies that focused on the preparation routes and performance regulations of high-quality MNPs,and their special properties applied in biomedical detection,diagnosis,and treatment.At the same time,the future.development of MNMs was also discussed.

Comprehensive functional annotation of susceptibility variants identifies genetic heterogeneity between lung adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma

Although genome-wide association studies have identified more than eighty genetic variants associated with non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC)risk,biological mechanisms of these variants remain largely unknown.By integrating a large-scale genotype data of 15581 lung adenocarcinoma(AD)cases,8350 squamous cell carcinoma(SqCC)cases,and 27355 controls,as well as multiple transcriptome and epigenomic databases,we conducted histology-specific meta-analyses and functional annotations of both reported and novel susceptibility variants.We identified 3064 credible risk variants for NSCLC,which were overrepresented in enhancer-like and promoter-like histone modification peaks as well as DNase I hypersensitive sites.Transcription factor enrichment analysis revealed that USF1 was AD-specific while CREB1 was SqCC-specific.Functional annotation and genebased analysis implicated 894 target genes,including 274 specifics for AD and 123 for SqCC,which were overrepresented in somatic driver genes(ER=1.95,P=0.005).Pathway enrichment analysis and Gene-Set Enrichment Analysis revealed that AD genes were primarily involved in immune-related pathways,while SqCC genes were homologous recombination deficiency related.Our results illustrate the molecular basis of both wellstudied and new susceptibility loci of NSCLC,providing not only novel insights into the genetic heterogeneity between AD and SqCC but also a set of plausible gene targets for post-GWAS functional experiments.

Surface plasmon polaritons generated magneto–optical Kerr reversal in nanograting

Controlling the phase of light in magnetoplasmonic structures is receiving increasing attention because of its already shown capability in ultrasensitive and label-free molecular-level detection.Magneto-optical Kerr reversal has been achieved and well explained in nanodisks by using the phase of localized plasmons.In this paper,we report that the Kerr reversal can also be produced by surface plasmon polaritons independently.We experimentally confirm this in Co and Ag/Co/Ag metal nanogratings,and can give a qualitative explanation that it is the charge accumulation at the interface between the grating surface and air that acts as the electromagnetic restoring force to contribute necessary additional phase for Kerr reversal.Our finding can enrich the means of designing and fabricating magneto-optical-based biochemical sensors.

Modulation of macrophage polarization by iron-based nanoparticles

Macrophage polarization is an essential process involved in immune regulation.In response to different microenvironmental stimulation,macrophages polarize into cells with different phenotypes and functions,most typically M1(pro-inflammatory)and M2(anti-inflammatory)macrophages.Iron-based nanoparticles have been widely explored and reported to regulatemacrophage polarization for various biomedical applications.However,the influence factors and modulation mechanisms behind are complicated and not clear.In this review,we systemically summarized different iron-based nanoparticles that regulate macrophage polarization and function and discussed the influence factors and mechanisms underlying the modulation process.This review aims to deepen the understanding of the modulation of macrophage polarization by iron-based nanoparticles and expects to provide evidence and guidance for subsequent design and application of iron-based nanoparticles with specific macrophage modulation functions.

Comparison of different treatment planning approaches using VMAT for head and neck cancer patients with metallic dental fillings

Objective:To explore treatment planning approaches using volumetric modulated arc therapy(VMAT)for head and neck cancer patients with metallic dental fillings.Methods:Fifty-six patients with metallic dental fillings treated with radiotherapy were selected,and three VMAT plans,the jaw-tracking plan,fixed-jaw plan,and non-coplanar plan,were designed for each patient.In the jawtracking plan,two coplanar partial arc fields that avoid the metal area were set,and the jaw was automatically tracked.In the fixed-jaw plan,different fields were set in three sections according to the fixed-jaw method.The fields were the same as those in the jaw-tracking plan for the section containing metal implants,while full arc fields were set in the nonmetal sections.In the non-coplanar plan,a non-coplanar arc field was added based on the jaw-tracking plan.The treatment plan in the jaw-tracking plan was optimized,and the constraints on the planning target volume(PTV)or organs at risk(OARs)in the jaw-tracking plan were copied to the other two plans.The dose distribution in PTV and OARs of the patients in the three treatment plans was compared.Results:There were no significant differences in the maximum doses to the spinal cord or optic nerves among the three treatment plans.However,compared with the jaw-tracking plan,the fixed-jaw plan showed lower mean doses to the pharynx[(42.9±7.1)Gy vs.(44.1±7.1)Gy,P<0.05]and larynx[(43.9±3.9)Gy vs.(45.4±4.7)Gy,P<0.05],while the non-coplanar plan obtained significantly better dose distribution in PTV and all OARs except for the spinal cord and optic nerves.Meanwhile,the non-coplanar plan performed significantly better than the fixed-jaw plan in terms of the maximum doses to the brainstem[(50.24.0)Gy vs.(51.4±4.6)Gy,P<0.05],left lens[(5.8±0.2)Gy vs.(6.3±0.4 Gy),P<0.05],and right lens[(5.9±0.3)Gy vs.(6.2±0.3)Gy,P<0.05].Conclusions:The non-coplanar VMAT is an optimal method for treating head and neck cancer patients with metallic dental fillings since it can provide better dose distribution in PTV and reduce doses to OARs.

Protective effects of lignin fractions obtained from grape seeds against bisphenol AF neurotoxicity via antioxidative effects mediated by the Nrf2 pathway

Lignin exhibits antioxidative and various other biological properties.However,its neuroprotection capability has rarely been studied.In this study,three types of lignin with different structures were prepared from grape seeds by using different isolation techniques.The antioxidative and neuroprotective effects of the lignin fractions were evaluated with the apoptosis model of murine neuroectodermal(NE-4C)neural stem cells stimulated with bisphenol AF.The results demonstrated that the half maximal inhibitory concentration for scavenging 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl with water-soluble lignin(L-W,58.19μg·mL^(–1))was lower than those of lignin in the autohydrolyzed residue of grape seeds(84.27μg·mL^(–1))and original lignin in grape seeds(99.44μg·mL^(–1)).BPAF exposure had negative effects on the reactive oxygen species,malondialdehyde content,and superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase activities in NE-4C cells,which can be reversed by using the prepared lignin to reduce oxidative stress.An immunofluorescence assay demonstrated that grape seed lignin induced protective effects on BPAF-injured NE-4C cells via the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related Factor 2 pathway.In addition,correlational analyses showed that lignin(L-W)with lower molecular weights and noncondensed phenolic hydroxyl group content and higher contents of COOH groups effectively prevented cell apoptosis,scavenged reactive oxygen species,and ensured protection from nerve injury.This study demonstrated that grape seed lignin can be used as a neuroprotective agent and serves as a demonstration of active lignin production from grape seed waste.

Extracellular magnetic labeling of biomimetic hydrogel-induced human mesenchymal stem cell spheroids with ferumoxytol for MRI tracking

Labeling of mesenchymal stem cells(MSCs)with superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles(SPIONs)has emerged as a potential method for magnetic resonance imaging(MRI)tracking of transplanted cells in tissue repair studies and clinical trials.Labeling of MSCs using clinically approved SPIONs(ferumoxytol)requires the use of transfection reagents or magnetic field,which largely limits their clinical application.To overcome this obstacle,we established a novel and highly effective method for magnetic labeling of MSC spheroids using ferumoxytol.Unlike conventional methods,ferumoxytol labeling was done in the formation of a mechanically tunable biomimetic hydrogel-induced MSC spheroids.Moreover,the labeled MSC spheroids exhibited strong MRI T2 signals and good biosafety.Strikingly,the encapsulated ferumoxytol was localized in the extracellular matrix(ECM)of the spheroids instead of the cytoplasm,minimizing the cytotoxicity of ferumoxytol and maintaining the viability and stemness properties of biomimetic hydrogel-induced MSC spheroids.This demonstrates the potential of this method for post-transplantation MRI tracking in the clinic.

Cooperative Chemical Coupling and Physical Lubrication Effects Construct Highly Dynamic Ionic Covalent Adaptable Network for High-Performance Wearable Electronics

Covalent adaptable networks(CANs),which combine the benefits of traditional thermosets and thermoplastics,have attracted considerable attention.The dynamics of reversible covalent bonds and mobility of polymer chains in CANs determine the topological rearrangement of the polymeric network,which is critical to their superior features,such as self-healing and reprocessing.Herein,we introduce an ionic liquid to dimethylglyoximeurethane(DOU)-based CANs to regulate both reversible bond dynamics and polymer chain mobility by cooperative chemical coupling and physical lubrication.Small-molecule model experiments demonstrated that ionic liquids can catalyze dynamic DOU bond exchange.Ionic liquid also breaks the hydrogen bonds between polymeric chains,thereby increasing their mobility.As a combined result,the activation energy of the dissociation of the dynamic network decreased from 110 to 85 kJ mol^(−1).Furthermore,as a functional moiety,the ionic liquid imparts new properties to CANs and will greatly expand their applications.For example,the consequent conductivity of resultant ionic CAN(iCAN)has demonstrated a great power to build high-performance multifunctional wearable electronics responsive to multiple stimulations including temperature,strain,and humidity.This study provides a new design principle that simultaneously uses the chemical and physical effects of two structural components to regulate material properties enabling novel applications.

Differential regulation of JAK1 expression by ETS1 associated with predisposition to primary biliary cholangitis

Primary biliary cholangitis(PBC)is an autoimmune liver disease characterized by the destruction of intrahepatic small bile ducts and progressive cholestasis,eventually leading to liver cirrhosis and hepatic failure without appropriate treatment(Terziroli Beretta-Piccoli et al.,2019).

装载自噬抑制剂的纳米银核介孔硅协同增强胶质瘤放疗

先前研究表明,银纳米颗粒可作为潜在的胶质瘤放疗的增敏剂,但这一作用受到自噬的限制.作为最有前途的药物递送载体之一,介孔二氧化硅纳米球由于其优异的药物负载性能、固有的生物相容性和可调节的孔径,对生物医学的发展做出了巨大贡献.在此,我们设计了一种负载自噬抑制剂3-甲基腺嘌呤的纳米银核介孔二氧化硅纳米球,其在体外和体内均表现出优异的协同抗癌作用.并且证实了抑制自噬可以进一步改善胶质瘤放疗的效果.此外,还从与氧化应激相关的核转录因子Nrf2的角度探讨了可能的机制,包括自噬抑制增强辐射诱导的氧化应激损伤以及Nrf2与自噬的相互作用.这项研究为将纳米银作为与自噬抑制剂结合用于胶质瘤放射增敏提供了一个愿景,并为其临床转化提供了一种可行的策略.

Spy chemistry enables stable protein immobilization on iron oxide nanoparticles with enhanced magnetic properties

Iron oxide nanoparticles(IONPs)modified with functional proteins hold great promise in the biomedical field.However,conventional protein modification strategies,such as adsorption and covalent coupling,are either unstable or nonspecific,or may result in the changes of protein structure and ultimately the loss of protein activity.Modification of active proteins on small-sized IONPs with a particle size of less than 30 nm is especially difficult due to their high surface energy.Herein,we developed a universal modifica-tion method based on Spy chemistry for rapid and stable protein immobilization on small-sized IONPs,which only requires the presence of active groups on the surface of nanoparticles that can couple with SpyCatcher.In short,the SpyCatcher peptides were first coated on the surface of IONPs by cross-linking with activated groups,and then the SpyTag peptide fused with a model protein(enhanced green fluo-rescent protein,EGFP)was engineered(SpyTag-EGFP)and directly coupled to SpyCatcher-modified IONPs by self-assembly,which is spontaneous and robust while avoiding the effect of chemical reactions on functional protein activity.The obtained EGFP-functionalized IONPs exhibited enhanced and stable green fluorescence and improved magnetic properties.In addition,the cell internalization efficiency of EGFP-functionalized IONPs was significantly increased as compared to unmodified IONPs,providing an ideal solution for efficient cell labeling and tracking.In conclusion,here we report a rapid and easy strategy for EGFP immobilization on IONPs based on Spy chemistry,which could be further adapted to other functional proteins in the future.SpyCatcher-modified IONPs and SpyTag-X(arbitrary functional fusion proteins)hold great potential to be applied as a versatile platform for protein immobilization on IONPs and enable its multifunctional application in the future.

Geodesics in the Engel Group with a Sub-Lorentzian Metric——the Space-Like Case

Let E be the Engel group and D be a bracket generating left invariant distribution with a Lorentzian metric, which is a nondegenerate metric of index 1. In this paper, the author constructs a parametrization of a quasi-pendulum equation by Jacobi functions, and then gets the space-like Hamiltonian geodesics in the Engel group with a sub-Lorentzian metric.