Locked in

Tissue stiffness is a critical prognostic factor in breast cancer and is associated with metastatic progression. Here we show an alternative and complementary hypothesis of tumor progression whereby physiological matrix stiffness affects the quantity and protein cargo of small EVs produced by cancer cells, which in turn aid cancer cell dissemination. Primary patient breast tissue produces significantly more EVs from stiff tumor tissue than soft tumor adjacent tissue. EVs released by cancer cells on matrices that model human breast tumors (25 kPa; stiff EVs) feature increased adhesion molecule presentation (ITGα2β1, ITGα6β4, ITGα6β1, CD44) compared to EVs from softer normal tissue (0...

Increasing the stem size during surgery is associated with a higher incidence of intraoperative periprosthetic fractures in cementless total hip arthroplasty with fully coated tapered wedge stems, especially in femurs of Dorr type A. If in contrast a stem is implanted and sufficient primary stability is not achieved, such preventing successful osseointegration due to increased micromotions, it may also fail, especially if the stem is undersized. Stem loosening or periprosthetic fractures due to stem subsidence can be the consequence...

The presence of global synchronization of vasomotion induced by oscillating visual stimuli was identified in the mouse brain. Endogenous autofluorescence was used and the vessel 'shadow' was quantified to evaluate the magnitude of the frequency-locked vasomotion. This method allows vasomotion to be easily quantified in non-transgenic wild-type mice using either the wide-field macro-zoom microscopy or the deep-brain fiber photometry methods. Vertical stripes horizontally oscillating at a low temporal frequency (0...

Creating hierarchical crystalline materials using simple colloids or nanoparticles is very challenging, as it is usually impossible to achieve hierarchical structures without nonhierarchical colloidal interactions. Here, we present a hierarchical self-assembly (SA) route that employs colloidal rings and anisotropic colloidal particles to form complex colloids and uses them as building blocks to form unusual colloidal columnar liquid crystals or crystals. This route is realized by designing hierarchical SA driving forces that is controlled by the colloidal shape and shape-dependent depletion attraction...

Alterations in attention to cues signaling the need for inhibitory control play a significant role in a wide range of psychopathology. However, the degree to which motivational and attentional factors shape the neurocomputations of proactive inhibitory control remains poorly understood. The present study investigated how variation in monetary incentive valence and stake modulate the neurocomputational signatures of proactive inhibitory control. Adults ( N = 46) completed a Stop-Signal Task (SST) with concurrent EEG recording under four conditions associated with stop performance feedback: low and high punishment (following unsuccessful stops) and low and high reward (following successful stops)...

BACKGROUND: Actigraphy is often used to measure sleep in pediatric populations, despite little confirmatory evidence of the accuracy of existing sleep/wake algorithms. The aim of this study was to determine the performance of 11 sleep algorithms in relation to overnight polysomnography in children and adolescents. METHODS: One hundred thirty-seven participants aged 8-16 years wore two Actigraph wGT3X-BT (wrist, waist) and three Axivity AX3 (wrist, back, thigh) accelerometers over 24-h...

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study is to determine the best plate to use as a substitute to fix a medial femoral condyle fracture. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The first part is to measure the best fit between several anatomical plates including the Proximal Tibia Anterolateral Plate (PT AL LCP), the Proximal Tibia Medial Plate (PT M LCP), the Distal Tibia Medial Locking Plate (DT M LCP) and the Proximal Humerus (PHILOS) plate against 28 freshly embalmed cadaveric distal femurs...

Despite the effectiveness of antiretroviral therapy (ART) in prolonging the lifespan of individuals infected with HIV-1, it does not offer a cure for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). The "block and lock" approach aims to maintain the provirus in a state of extended transcriptional arrest. By employing the "block and lock" strategy, researchers endeavor to impede disease progression by preventing viral rebound for an extended duration following patient stops receiving ART. The crux of this strategy lies in the utilization of latency-promoting agents (LPAs) that are suitable for impeding HIV-1 provirus transcription...

Epigenetic defects caused by hereditary or de novo mutations are implicated in various human diseases. It remains uncertain whether correcting the underlying mutation can reverse these defects in patient cells. Here we show by the analysis of myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1)-related locus that in mutant human embryonic stem cells (hESCs), DNA methylation and H3K9me3 enrichments are completely abolished by repeat excision (CTG2000 expansion), whereas in patient myoblasts (CTG2600 expansion), repeat deletion fails to do so...

OBJECTIVE: The current study aimed to identify distinctive functional brain connectivity characteristics that differentiate patients with restless legs syndrome (RLS) from those with primary insomnia. METHODS: Quantitative electroencephalography (QEEG) was employed to analyze connectivity matrices using the phaselocking value technique. A total of 107 patients with RLS (RLS group) and 17 patients with insomnia without RLS (primary insomnia group) were included in the study...

Nectin and nectin-like (Necl) co-receptor axis, comprised of receptors DNAM-1, TIGIT, CD96, PVRIG, and nectin/Necl ligands, is gaining prominence in immuno-oncology. Within this axis, the inhibitory receptor PVRIG recognizes Nectin-2 with high affinity, but the underlying molecular basis remains unknown. By determining the crystal structure of PVRIG in complex with Nectin-2, we identified a unique CC' loop in PVRIG, which complements the double-lock-and-key binding mode and contributes to its high affinity for Nectin-2...

As a member of transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), NbTe2 has a work function of 5.32 eV and a band gap of 0 eV at the Fermi level, which enables it to possess broadband absorption characteristics and has huge potential in optoelectronic devices. In this work, a combination of liquid phase exfoliation (LPE) and optical deposition methods (ODMs) were used to fabricate a NbTe2 saturable absorber (SA). Based on the NbTe2 SA, a ring passive mode-locked erbium-doped fiber laser (PML-EDFL) was constructed by adding NbTe2 SA into the laser cavity...

This paper presents a high-precision CMOS fluorescence photometry sensor using a novel lock-in amplification scheme based on switched-biasing and ping-pong auto-zeroing techniques. The CMOS sensor includes two photodiodes and a lock-in amplifier (LIA) operating at 1 kHz. The LIA comprises a differential low-noise amplifier using a novel switched-biasing ping-pong auto-zeroed scheme, an automatic phase aligner, a programmable gain amplifier, a band-pass filter, a mixer, and an output low-pass filter. The design is fabricated in 0...

The literature has demonstrated the potential for detecting accurate electrical signals that correspond to the will or intention to move, as well as decoding the thoughts of individuals who imagine houses, faces or objects. This investigation examines the presence of precise neural markers of imagined motivational states through the combining of electrophysiological and neuroimaging methods. 20 participants were instructed to vividly imagine the desire to move, listen to music or engage in social activities...

Ternary organic solar cells (T-OSCs) represent an efficient strategy for enhancing the performance of OSCs. Presently, the majority of high-performance T-OSCs incorporates well-established Y-acceptors or donor polymers as the third component. In this study, a novel class of conjugated small molecules has been introduced as the third component, demonstrating exceptional photovoltaic performance in T-OSCs. This innovative molecule comprises ethylenedioxythiophene (EDOT) bridge and 3-ethylrhodanine as the end group, with the EDOT unit facilitating the creation of multiple conformation locks...

OBJECTIVES: This scoping review maps the literature on psychosocial distress and coping among nursing assistants (CNAs) in long-term care facilities (LTC) during the COVID-19 pandemic onto the Social Ecological Model (SEM) of Occupational Stress. METHODS: Searches yielded 862 unique studies. Inclusion criteria were sample CNAs or equivalent in LTC; includes psychosocial variable; and collect data from February 2020-. A multi-phasic, meta-synthesis was used to synthesize qualitative data...

OBJECTIVES: In far-distal extra-articular tibia fracture "extreme" nailing, debate surrounds the relative biomechanical performance of plating the fibula compared with extra distal interlocks. This study aimed to evaluate several constructs for extreme nailing including one interlock (one medial-lateral interlock), one interlock + plate (one medial-lateral interlock with lateral fibula compression plating), and two interlocks (one medial-lateral interlock and one anterior-posterior interlock)...

Phase-entrainment of cells by theta oscillations is thought to globally coordinate the activity of cell assemblies across different structures, such as the hippocampus and neocortex. This coordination is likely required for optimal processing of sensory input during recognition and decision-making processes. In quadruple-area ensemble recordings from male rats engaged in a multisensory discrimination task, we investigated phase-entrainment of cells by theta oscillations in areas along the cortico-hippocampal hierarchy: somatosensory barrel (S1BF), secondary visual cortex (V2L), perirhinal cortex (PER) and dorsal hippocampus (dHC)...

Primary implant stability, which refers to the stability of the implant during the initial healing period is a crucial factor in determining the long-term success of the implant and lays the foundation for secondary implant stability achieved through osseointegration. Factors affecting primary stability include implant design, surgical technique, and patient-specific factors like bone quality and morphology. In vivo, the cyclic nature of anatomical loading puts osteosynthesis locking screws under dynamic loads, which can lead to the formation of micro cracks and defects that slowly degrade the mechanical connection between the bone and screw, thus compromising the initial stability and secondary stability of the implant...

INTRODUCTION: Vertebral artery injury (VAI) following blunt trauma can lead to acute or delayed life-threatening posterior fossa ischemic stroke. Its management raises controversial issues and is still open to debate. MATERIAL & METHOD: We report the case of a 48-year-old male who presented a life-threatening posterior circulation ischemic stroke, secondary to a vertebral artery dissection caused by a cervical spine fracture. This case was successfully managed through intravenous thrombolysis and endovascular thrombectomy followed by antiplatelet therapy and an anterior cervical discectomy and fusion...