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In this study, a novel nanocomposite of graphene oxide-zinc oxide-manganese (GO-ZnO-M) was successfully synthesized using a modified Hummers method and hydrothermal technique. Enhanced electrochemical performance was observed in the GO-ZnO-M nanocomposite when utilized as an electrode material for the detection of rutin, a flavonoid known for its significant health benefits. The GO-ZnO-M modified electrode demonstrated excellent sensitivity, selectivity, reproducibility, and stability during rutin detection. Furthermore, the sensor exhibited a wide linear detection range and a low detection limit. The practical applicability of the GO-ZnO-M/GCE sensor was assessed by detecting rutin in pharmaceutical tablet samples, yielding satisfactory results. This study highlights the potential of GO-ZnO-M nanocomposites as promising materials for the electrochemical detection of rutin and other biologically significant compounds.

Peripheral tumor-specific CD8+ T cells often fail to infiltrate into tumor parenchyma due to the immunosuppression of tumor microenvironment (TME). Meanwhile, a significant portion of tumor-specific CD8+ T cells infiltrated into TME are functionally exhausted. Despite the enormous success of anti-PD-1/PD-L1 immune-checkpoint blockade (ICB) treatment in a wide variety of cancer types, the majority of patients do not respond to this treatment largely due to the failure to efficiently drive tumor-specific CD8+ T cell infiltration and reverse their exhaustion states. Nowadays, tumor cell pyroptosis, a unique cell death executed by pore-forming gasdermin (GSDM) family proteins dependent or independent on inflammatory caspase activation, has been shown to robustly promote immune-killing of tumor cells by enhancing tumor immunogenicity and altering the inflammatory state in the TME, which would be beneficial in overcoming the shortages of anti-PD-1/PD-L1 ICB therapy. Therefore, in this review we summarize the current progresses of tumor cell pyroptosis in enhancing immune function and modulating TME, which synergizes anti-PD-1/PD-L1 ICB treatment to achieve better anti-tumor effect. We also enumerate several strategies to better amply the efficiency of anti-PD-1/PD-L1 ICB therapy by inducing tumor cell pyroptosis.

BackgroundSurgery is the main treatment for recurrent patellar dislocation (PD). However, due to the complexity of anatomical factors, there is still a lack of consensus on the choice of combined surgical methods. This study aimed to compare the clinical and radiological outcomes of medial patellofemoral ligament reconstruction combined with derotational distal femur osteotomies (MPFLR + DDFO) and combined with tibial tubercle osteotomies (MPFLR + TTO) for recurrent PD with increased femoral anteversion angles (FAA) and excessive tibial tubercle-trochlear groove (TT-TG) distance.MethodsIn this retrospective analysis, MPFLR + DDFO and MPFLR + TTO patients from 2015 to 2020 were included. Group A (MPFLR + DDFO, n = 42) and B (MPFLR + TTO, n = 46) were formed. Clinical outcomes included physical examinations, functional outcomes (Kujala, Lysholm, International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC), visual analog scale (VAS) and intermittent and persistent osteoarthritis pain scale (ICOAP), Tegner scores), and complications. The Caton-Deschamps index (CD-I), patellar title angle, patellar congruence angle, patella-trochlear groove distance, TT-TG distance, and FAA were used to assess radiological outcomes.ResultsAll clinical outcomes improved significantly in both groups, but Group A had significantly better postoperative scores than Group B (Kujala: 89.8 ± 6.4 vs. 82.9 ± 7.4, P

A Cable-Driven Continuum Robot (CDCR) that consists of a set of identical Cable-Driven Continuum Joint Modules (CDCJMs) is proposed in this paper. The CDCJMs merely produce 2-DOF bending motions by controlling driving cable lengths. In each CDCJM, a pattern-based flexible backbone is employed as a passive compliant joint to generate 2-DOF bending deflections, which can be characterized by two joint variables, i.e., the bending direction angle and the bending angle. However, as the bending deflection is determined by not only the lengths of the driving cables but also the gravity and payload, it will be inaccurate to compute the two joint variables with its kinematic model. In this work, two stretchable capacitive sensors are employed to measure the bending shape of the flexible backbone so as to accurately determine the two joint variables. Compared with FBG-based and vision-based shape-sensing methods, the proposed method with stretchable capacitive sensors has the advantages of high sensitivity to the bending deflection of the backbone, ease of implementation, and cost effectiveness. The initial location of a stretchable sensor is generally defined by its two endpoint positions on the surface of the backbone without bending. A generic shape-sensing model, i.e., the relationship between the sensor reading and the two joint variables, is formulated based on the 2-DOF bending deflection of the backbone. To further improve the accuracy of the shape-sensing model, a calibration method is proposed to compensate for the location errors of stretchable sensors. Based on the calibrated shape-sensing model, a sliding-mode-based closed-loop control method is implemented for the CDCR. In order to verify the effectiveness of the proposed closed-loop control method, the trajectory tracking accuracy experiments of the CDCR are conducted based on a circle trajectory, in which the radius of the circle is 55mm. The average tracking errors of the CDCR measured by the Qualisys motion capture system under the open-loop and the closed-loop control are 49.23 and 8.40mm, respectively, which is reduced by 82.94%.

Rigid robots have found wide-ranging applications in manufacturing automation, owing to their high loading capacity, high speed, and high precision. Nevertheless, these robots typically feature joint-based drive mechanisms, possessing limited degrees of freedom (DOF), bulky structures, and low manipulability in confined spaces. In contrast, continuum robots, drawing inspiration from biological structures, exhibit characteristics such as high compliance, lightweight designs, and high adaptability to various environments. Among them, cable-driven continuum robots (CDCRs) driven by multiple cables offer advantages like higher dynamic response compared to pneumatic systems and increased working space and higher loading capacity compared to shape memory alloy (SMA) drives. However, CDCRs also exhibit some shortcomings, including complex motion, drive redundancy, challenging modeling, and control difficulties. This study presents a comprehensive analysis and summary of CDCR research progress across four key dimensions: configuration design, kinematics and dynamics modeling, motion planning, and motion control. The objective of this study is to identify common challenges, propose solutions, and unlock the full potential of CDCRs for a broader range of applications.