Search

Objective: To evaluate the diagnostic performance of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) using tapered-slit membrane filter (TSF)-based chipsets for the differential diagnosis of adnexal tumors. Methods: A total of 230 women with indeterminate adnexal tumors were prospectively enrolled. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of the CTC-detecting chipsets were analyzed according to postoperative pathological results and compared with those of cancer antigen (CA)-125 and imaging tests. Results: Eighty-one (40.3%) benign tumors, 31 (15.4%) borderline tumors, and 89 (44.3%) ovarian cancers were pathologically confirmed. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of CTC-detecting chipsets (75.3%, 58.0%, and 67.1%) for differentiating ovarian cancer from benign tumors were similar to CA-125 (78.7%, 53.1%, and 66.5%), but lower than CT/MRI (94.2%, 77.9%, and 86.5%). "CTC or CA125" showed increased sensitivity (91.0%) and "CTC and CA-125" revealed increased specificity (77.8%), comparable to CT/MRI. CTC detection rates in stage I/II and stage III/IV ovarian cancers were 69.6% and 81.4%, respectively. The sensitivity to detect high-grade serous (HGS) cancer from benign tumors (84.6%) was higher than that to detect non-HGS cancers (68.0%). Conclusion: Although the diagnostic performance of the TSF platform to differentiate between ovarian cancer and benign tumors did not yield significant results, the combination of CTC and CA-125 showed promising potential in the diagnostic accuracy of ovarian cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silk fibroin from Bombyx mori has traditionally been utilized for garment production; however, recently, it has become feasible to manufacture edible and cosmetic products using this material. Gamma‐ray irradiation can improve physiological activity through the modification of the structure of proteins in biological materials. In this study, we examined whether gamma ray‐irradiated fibroin protein (gFP) has a protective effect on tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF‐α)‐induced cellular stress through a change in protein structure. First, we confirmed that the structure of FP was changed by gamma‐ray irradiation using electrophoresis, UV spectra and Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy (FT‐IR). We further investigated the cytoprotective potential of 20 kGy‐irradiated fibroin protein (gFP20) in human skin keratinocytes (HaCaT cells) exposed to extracellular stress. gFP20 effectively decreased TNF‐α‐induced matrix metalloproteinase‐1 (MMP‐1) overexpression and restored reduced type‐1 procollagen in HaCaT cells. This reduction occurred concomitantly with suppressed nuclear factor‐κB (NF‐κB) nuclear translocation, resulting in a decreased level of inflammatory mediator and pro‐inflammatory cytokines. Furthermore, gFP20 protected cells from TNF‐α‐induced oxidative stress by attenuating reactive oxygen species (ROS) overexpression and increasing the production of the antioxidant enzyme heme oxygenase‐1 (HO‐1) through the stimulation of the translocation of nuclear factor erythroid 2‐related factor 2 (Nrf2) into the nucleus. Taken together, our findings indicate that low‐dose irradiated fibroin protein (gFP20) could be considered as a functional material for skincare products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study multifunctional wearable bioelectronics (MWBs) integrated with a piezoelectric sensor and a micropatterned temperature sensor for accurate detection of human physiological signals. Piezoelectric nanocomposite uniformity, stretchability, and adhesion is improved through the functionalization of nanoparticles with glycidyl silane and nonionic surfactants dispersion in the organic polymer matrix. Additionally, crack‐free nanometal layers are deposited on the nanocomposite interface with high adhesion by thiol silane functionalization and oxygen plasma treatment. The MWBs exhibit a temperature sensitivity of 7.1 Ω °C−1 (R2 of 0.999) between 30 °C to 40 °C, a pressure sensitivity of 72 mV kPa−1 (R2 of 0.998) within 0.5 kPa to 10 kPa, and a stable mechanical durability. MWBs have demonstrated to detect subtle pulse waveforms at an arm‐mimicking phantom and human skin, respectively. Furthermore, MWBs are applied to analyze physiological signal characteristics caused by human stress, demonstrating its potential for use in healthcare electronics in various medical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A tunable absorptive bandpass filter with two transmission zeros is presented. A lowpass absorptive filter prototype consisting of a matching section and a m‐drive filter section is established based on image parameter method, and the filter elements are easily derived through the image impedance with the required return loss and transmission zeros. Moreover, the two transmission zeros are controlled by adjusting the parameters of the m‐drive filter section. A distributed tunable absorptive bandpass filter is realized based on the proposed lowpass filter prototype. The fabricated filter shows a return loss of 21–25 dB and an insertion loss of 2.1–2.8 dB at the center frequency within the tuning range of 1.35–1.58 GHz. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an age-related neurodegenerative disorder characterized by cognitive deficits, which are accompanied by memory loss and cognitive disruption. Rhodiola sachalinensis (RSE) is a medicinal plant that has been used in northeastern Asia for various pharmacological activities. We attempted to carry out the bioconversion of RSE (Bio-RSE) using the mycelium of Bovista plumbe to obtain tyrosol-enriched Bio-RSE. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of Bio-RSE on the activation of the cholinergic system and the inhibition of oxidative stress in mice with scopolamine (Sco)-induced memory impairment. Sco (1 mg/kg body weight, i.p.) impaired the mice's performance on the Y-maze test, passive avoidance test, and water maze test. However, the number of abnormal behaviors was reduced in the groups supplemented with Bio-RSE. Bio-RSE treatment improved working memory and avoidance times against electronic shock, increased step-through latency, and reduced the time to reach the escape zone in the water maze test. Bio-RSE dramatically improved the cholinergic system by decreasing acetylcholinesterase activity and regulated oxidative stress by increasing antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT)). The reduction in nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)/heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) signaling in the brain tissue due to scopolamine was restored by the administration of Bio-RSE. Bio-RSE also significantly decreased amyloid-beta 1–42 (Aβ1–42) and amyloid precursor protein (APP) expression. Moreover, the increased malondialdehyde (MDA) level and low total antioxidant capacity in Sco-treated mouse brains were reversed by Bio-RSE, and an increase in Nrf2 and HO-1 was also observed. In conclusion, Bio-RSE protected against Sco-induced cognitive impairment by activating Nrf2/HO-1 signaling and may be developed as a potential beneficial material for AD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]