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Objectives To systematically present and interpret the current literature on research and treatment perspectives for mandibular osteoradionecrosis (mORN) in the field of biomaterials. Material and methods A systematic review of the literature using the “Synthesis without meta-analysis” (SWiM) methodology was performed on PubMed, Embase and Cochrane, focusing on the implantation of synthetic biomaterials for bone reconstruction in mORN in humans and/or animal models. The primary endpoints were the composition, efficacy on mORN and tolerance of the implanted synthetic biomaterials. Results Forty-seven references were obtained and evaluated in full-text by two assessors. Ten (8 in humans and 2 in animal models) met the eligibility criteria and were included for analysis. Materials most often comprised support plates or metal mesh (5 of 10 cases) in combination with grafts or synthetic materials (phosphocalcic ceramics, glutaraldehyde). Other ceramic/polymer composites were also implanted. In half of the selected reports, active compounds (molecules, growth factors, lysates) and/or cells were associated with the reconstruction material. The number of articles referring to implantation of biomaterials for the treatment of mORN was small, and the properties of the implanted biomaterials were generally poorly described, thus limiting a thorough understanding of their role. Conclusion In preventing the morbidity associated with some reconstructive surgeries, basic research has benefitted from recent advances in tissue engineering and biomaterials to repair limited bone loss.

Cancers of the digestive system (DS), including esophageal, gastric, colorectal, liver, and pancreatic cancers, have a high incidence and mortality worldwide. Current cancer models cannot faithfully recapitulate the critical features of the original tumor, resulting in the failure of translation from basic research into clinical practice. More advanced cancer models are in urgent need of pathogenesis exploration and anticancer medicine development. Organoids are in vitro cultured three dimensional (3D) self-organizing organotypic structures derived from tissues and pluripotent stem cells, which faithfully mimic the histological features and preserve the genetic heterogeneity of the original tissues. Both normal and malignant organoids can now be efficiently established from the DS tissues of patients. In this review, we summarize the general methods to generate human DS organoids and their applications as a novel model in basic cancer research, preclinical medical practice, and precision medicine.

Numerous strategies for linking desired chemical probes with target peptides and proteins have been developed and applied in the field of biological chemistry. Approaches for site-specific modification of native amino acid residues in test tubes and biological contexts represent novel biological tools for understanding the role of peptides and proteins. Selective N-terminal modification strategies have been broadly studied especially in the last 10 years, as N-terminal positions are typically solvent exposed and provide chemically distinct sites for many peptide and protein targets, making N terminus distinct from other functional groups. A growing number of chemical and enzymatic techniques have been developed to modify N-terminal amino acids, and those techniques have the potential in the fields of medicine, basic research and applied materials science. This review focuses on appraising modification methodologies with the potential for biological applications from the past 10 years.

There are still fundamental problems lying in the basic research of bulk nanobubbles. Are the bulk nanobubbles reported in the literature nano scale bubbles or contaminants in fact? At present, there is not yet sufficient experimental evidence to show that the bulk nanoparticles are only gas bubbles but not other nano scale contaminants. If they are indeed nanobubbles, what causes the bulk nanobubbles observed in the literature to be much more stable than being predicted by the Epstein-Plesset theory? This paper firstly discusses the contradiction between the traditional theory prediction and the observed lifetime of the bulk nanobubbles, and then discusses whether the so-called nanobubbles are gas aggregates. We review the existing typical models, and the influence of different conditions on the stability of bulk nanobubbles, for paving the road to a clear understanding of the stability mechanism of bulk nanobubbles. In addition, the representative production methods and characterization methods of bulk nanobubbles are discussed in order to offer some guidance to their wide range of commercial applications.

Devices that can record or modulate neural activity are essential tools in clinical diagnostics and monitoring, basic research, and consumer electronics. Realizing stable functional interfaces between manmade electronics and biological tissues is a longstanding challenge that requires device and material innovations to meet stringent safety and longevity requirements and to improve functionality. Compared to conventional materials, nanocarbons and carbides offer a number of specific advantages for neuroelectronics that can enable advances in functionality and performance. Here, we review the latest emerging trends in neuroelectronic interfaces based on nanocarbons and carbides, with a specific emphasis on technologies developed for use in vivo. We highlight specific applications where the ability to tune fundamental material properties at the nanoscale enables interfaces that can safely and precisely interact with neural circuits at unprecedented spatial and temporal scales, ranging from single synapses to the whole human body.

Model organisms such as mice are important for basic research and serve as valuable tools in preclinical translational studies. A challenge with translating findings from mice to humans is identifying and separating evolutionarily conserved mechanisms in the immune system from those diverging between species. A significant emphasis has been placed on defining conserved gene regulation principles, with divergent mechanisms often overlooked. We put forward the perspective that both conserved and divergent mechanisms that regulate gene expression programs are of equal importance. With recent advances and availability of datasets, immunologists should take a closer look at the role for genetic diversity in altering gene expression programs between mouse and human immune cells.

Summary The introduction of disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug therapies for treating children and adolescents with chronic arthritis (ie, juvenile idiopathic arthritis [JIA]) has revolutionised care and outcomes. The biologic revolution continues to expand, with ever-changing immunological targets coming to market after basic research and clinical trials. The first class of biologics that was beneficial for children with JIA was tumour necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors. If used early and aggressively, TNF inhibitors are capable of inducing disease remission for most of the seven subtypes of JIA, with the exception of systemic JIA (which more frequently responds to interleukin [IL]-1 or IL-6 inhibition). Nevertheless, there are still subsets of patients with JIA with disease that is difficult to treat or who develop extra-articular features that require a different therapeutic approach. Although finding an effective biological therapy for individual children with JIA can be trial and error, ongoing research and clinical trials are providing insight into a more personalised approach to care. In addition, redefining the JIA classification, in part based on shared similarities with various adult arthritides, could allow for extrapolation of knowledge from studies in adults with chronic arthritis.

Engineering synthetic minimal cells provide a controllable chassis for studying the biochemical principles of natural life, increasing our understanding of complex biological processes. Recently, synthetic cell engineering has enabled communication between both natural live cells and other synthetic cells. A system such as these enable studying interactions between populations of cells, both natural and artificial, and engineering small molecule cell communication protocols for a variety of basic research and practical applications. In this review, we summarize recent progress in engineering communication between synthetic and natural cells, and we speculate about the possible future directions of this work.

The CRISPR/Cas9 system has been harnessed to cleave a targeted DNA fragment via its Cas nuclease activity under the direction of guide RNA for rendering gene insertions, deletions, and point mutations in basic research and clinical applications. There are a number of vehicles, including lipofectamine, viruses, and nanoparticles, that can deliver the CRISPR/Cas9 system, but all these methods face numerous challenges during their application in life science contexts. Here, we focus on the delivery of CRISPR/Cas9 via nanoparticles because this method has shown great advantages in terms of safety, simplicity and flexibility.

Sepsis-associated encephalopathy (SAE), a major cerebral complication of sepsis, occurs in 70% of patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU). This condition can cause serious impairment of consciousness and is associated with a high mortality rate. Thus far, several experimental screenings and radiological techniques (e.g., electroencephalography) have been used for the non-invasive assessment of the structure and function of the brain in patients with SAE. Nevertheless, the pathogenesis of SAE is complicated and remains unclear. In the present article, we reviewed the currently available literature on the epidemiology, clinical manifestations, pathology, diagnosis, and management of SAE. However, currently, there is no ideal pharmacological treatment for SAE. Treatment targeting mitochondrial dysfunction may be useful in the management of SAE.

Base editing technology is an efficient tool for genome editing, particularly in the correction of base mutations. Diverse base editing systems were developed according to the dCas9 or nCas9 linked with different deaminase or reverse transcriptase in the editors, including ABEs, CBEs, PEs and dual-functional of base editor (such as CGBE1, A&C-BEmax, ACBE, etc.). Currently, Base editing technology has been widely applied to various fields such as microorganisms, plants, animals and medicine for basic research and therapeutics. Here, we reviewed the advancement of base editing technology. We also discussed the application of base editors in different areas in the future.

The success of preclinical drug discovery strongly relies on the ability of experimental models to resemble human pathophysiology. The number of compounds receiving approval for clinical use is limited, and this has led to the development of more physiologically relevant cellular models aimed at making preclinical results more prone to be successfully translated into clinical use. In this review, we summarize the technologies available in the field of high-throughput screening (HTS) using complex cellular models, and describe collaborative initiatives, such as EU-OPENSCREEN, which can efficiently support researchers to easily access state-of-the-art chemical biology platforms for improving the drug discovery process.

Protozoan parasites acquire essential ions, nutrients and other solutes from their insect and vertebrate hosts by transmembrane uptake. For intracellular stages, these solutes must cross additional membranous barriers. At each step, ion channels and transporters mediate not only this uptake, but also the removal of waste products. These transport proteins are best isolated and studied with patch-clamp, but these methods remain accessible to only a few parasitologists due to specialized instrumentation and the required training into both theory and practice. Here, we provide an overview of patch-clamp, describing the advantages and limitations of the technology and highlighting issues that may lead to incorrect conclusions. We aim to help non-experts understand and critically assess patch-clamp data in basic research studies.

Photoacoustic imaging (PAI) has attracted increasing attention both in basic research and clinical applications. PAI in the second near-infrared (NIR-II) window shows deeper penetration depth, better spatial resolution, higher maximum permissible exposure, and lower background noise than PAI in the first near-infrared (NIR-I) window. By introducing contrast agents, NIR-II PAI enables visualization of biological processes occurring at depths of several centimeters. Herein, we review a variety of contrast agents ranging from inorganic materials to organic materials and their further development as activatable NIR-II PAI probes to change their signals in response to a biomarker of interest. The physical and biochemical characteristics of the existing photoacoustic contrast agents are discussed, with their potential applications highlighted. Finally, potential challenges and prospects in the investigation of NIR-II PAI contrast agents in biomedical research are discussed.

The effective long-term cryopreservation of human mesenchymal stem cells is an essential prerequisite step and represents a critical approach for their sustained supply in basic research, regenerative medicine, and tissue engineering applications. Off-the-shelf availability of human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (UC-MSCs) for regenerative medicine application requires the development of nontoxic, safe, and efficient protocols for cryopreservation. In the long-term low-temperature storage process of cells, traditional manual storage has a great impact on cell activity, recovery, and function due to repeated exposure of cells to room temperature. To minimize the effect of fluctuation in ambient temperature on stored cells, we designed an automatic cryopreservation system that handles cells under controlled temperatures. In this work, UC-MSCs were utilized to investigate and compare the influence of manual and automatic cryopreservation approaches. To simulate the manual process, the UC-MSCs were transferred back and forth repeatedly (up to 400 times) between the liquid nitrogen (LN2) tank (−150 °C) and room temperature by a robotic arm. Similarly, the UC-MSCs from the same batch were collected and transferred repeatedly between two storage units by the automatic cryopreservation system, where the cells were maintained below-150 °C throughout the cold chain process. Viability, percent recovery, adherence capability, cell proliferation, and multilineage differentiation ability were assessed for UC-MSCs. Compared to the manual approach, UC-MSCs handled by the automatic system demonstrated higher viability, percent recovery, and cell proliferation, as well as improved adherence to culture plate with greater potential in multilineage differentiation after 400 temperature cycles. The described entire cold chain system may provide a powerful tool to develop safe, reliable and efficient protocols for manufacturing and banking of UC-MSCs, improving their off-the-shelf availability for regenerative medicine applications.

The rapid development and application of different SARS-Cov2 vaccines world-wide has resulted in impressive efficacy and protection from this deadly pandemic. However, the existence of different and continuously developing vaccine candidates coupled with the likelihood of continued application due to both waning immune responses and emergence of viral mutants, means that more basic research regarding their efficacy and continued application are needed. This is particularly true with use of preclinical models involving effects when given during pregnancy. The substantial body of data on the impact of maternal immune activation (MIA) on neurologic development and behavior in the progeny necessitates the need to have all vaccine candidates, particularly when inducing strong toll receptor (TLR) responses, involving these models. Use of other preclinical models involving autoimmunity and allergy coupled with incorporation of human modifying variables of aging and obesity should also be applied to better reflect the heterogeneity of the general population and potential off-target effects that may arise. Additionally, the use of human ACE2 receptor transgenic mouse models can shed insights given the differential tissues expression at different stages in development. However, to foster these types of basic research studies involving different vaccine products, initiatives must first be implemented and supported at the governmental level even while clinical data still accumulates.

This study tests the hypothesis that the research and development activity that is taking place in medical schools will influence the research and development activity that is occurring in hospitals, and vice-versa. To do so, we present a game in which the flow (short run) and level (long run) of research and development activities in medical schools determines the flow and level of research and development endeavors in hospitals (and vice-versa). The division of labor that occurs in our game entails the specialization in basic research by medical schools that leads to application and refinement of the results from that work by hospital practitioners. In turn, the refinements made by hospital practitioners informs further medical school research. Empirical support for our hypothesis is provided using data from the Association of American Medical Colleges, the Association for Healthcare Philanthropy and the National Science Foundation.

To realize a circular, carbon-neutral economy, it will become important to utilize the greenhouse gas CO2 as a sustainable carbon source. Carboxylases, the enzymes that capture and convert gaseous CO2 are the prime candidates to pave the way towards realizing this vision of a CO2-based bio-economy. In the last couple of years, the interest in using and engineering carboxylases has been steadily growing. Here, we discuss how basic research on the mechanism of CO2 binding and activation by carboxylases opened the way to develop new-to-nature CO2-fixing enzymes that found application in the development of synthetic CO2-fixation pathways and their further realization in vitro and in vivo. These pioneering efforts in the field pave the way to realize a diverse CO2-fixation biochemistry that can find application in biocatalysis, biotechnology, and artificial photosynthesis.

Dielectric properties and heating characteristics of stibnite concentrate and pure antimony compounds were assessed. Stibnite concentrate and Sb2S3 have high dielectric properties and heating efficiency while Sb2O4 and Sb2O3 are relatively low. Sb2O5 is high from 25 to 300 °C and sharply decreases due to decomposition. Microwave heating process in air has four stages and the roasting process appears at the third stage with corresponding phase changes as Sb2S3 → Sb2O3 → Sb2O5 → Sb2O4. XRD and SEM-EDS results show that Sb2S3 is thoroughly oxidized to Sb2O3 before 400 °C and Sb2O3 is further oxidized into Sb2O4 above 500 °C. Sb2O4 reacts with Fe2O3 above 800 °C to form FeSbO4. Microwave heating mechanism shows FeS2 is the main absorber from 25 to 300 °C, and Sb2S3 was the main absorber above 331.6 °C, indicating theoretical basis for microwave selective roasting stibnite concentrate to produce antimony oxide powder.

By reviewing the development history of stimulation techniques for deep/ultra-deep oil and gas reservoirs, the new progress in this field in China and abroad has been summed up, including deeper understanding on formation mechanisms of fracture network in deep/ultra-deep oil and gas reservoir, performance improvement of fracturing fluid materials, fine stratification of ultra-deep vertical wells, and mature staged multi-cluster fracturing technique for ultra-deep and highly deviated wells/horizontal wells. In light of the exploration and development trend of ultra-deep oil and gas reservoirs in China, the requirements and technical difficulties in ultra-deep oil and gas reservoir stimulation are discussed: (1) The research and application of integrated geological engineering technology is difficult. (2) The requirements on fracturing materials for stimulation are high. (3) It is difficult to further improve the production in vertical profile of the ultra-deep and hugely thick reservoirs. (4) The requirements on tools and supporting high-pressure equipment on the ground for stimulation are high. (5) It is difficult to achieve efficient stimulation of ultra-deep, high-temperature and high-pressure wells. (6) It is difficult to monitor directly the reservoir stimulation and evaluate the stimulation effect accurately after stimulation. In line with the complex geological characteristics of ultra-deep oil and gas reservoirs in China, seven technical development directions are proposed: (1) To establish systematic new techniques for basic research and evaluation experiments; (2) to strengthen geological research and improve the operational mechanism of integrating geological research and engineering operation; (3) to develop high-efficiency fracturing materials for ultra-deep reservoirs; (4) to research separated layer fracturing technology for ultra-deep and hugely thick reservoirs; (5) to explore fracture-control stimulation technology for ultra-deep horizontal well; (6) to develop direct monitoring technology for hydraulic fractures in ultra-deep oil and gas reservoirs; (7) to develop downhole fracturing tools with high temperature and high pressure tolerance and supporting wellhead equipment able to withstand high pressure.

Objectives The underlying mechanisms behind the therapeutic and side effects of deep brain stimulation (DBS) need further investigation. The utilization of transgenic mouse lines is a suitable approach to better understand the cellular and network effects of DBS. However, not many bilateral DBS studies have been conducted in mice. This might be due to a lack of commercially available bilateral DBS constructs.Materials and Methods We developed an approach to perform repetitive long-term DBS in freely moving mice. In this study, we implanted an in-house custom-made DBS construct containing two bipolar concentric electrodes to target the subthalamic nucleus (STN) bilaterally. Subsequently, we stimulated half of the animals with clinically relevant parameters three to five times a week with a duration of 20 min for ten weeks. Several behavioral tests were conducted of which the open field test (OFT) is shown to validate the reliability of this electrode construct and implantation method. Furthermore, we performed fiber photometry measurements to show the acute effect of STN-DBS on serotonin network activity in the dorsal raphe nucleus.Results Repetitive DBS and long-term behavioral testing were performed without complications. STN-DBS resulted in an increase of the distance traveled in the OFT and a reduction of calcium levels in serotonergic neurons of the dorsal raphe nucleus. None of the mice had lost their electrodes and postmortem evaluation of the tissue showed accurate targeting of the STN without excessive gliosis.Conclusion The DBS electrode construct and implantation method described can be used for long-term DBS studies to further investigate the mechanisms underlying DBS.

As the use of hydrogen gas (H2) as a renewable energy carrier experiences a major boost, one of the key challenges for a constant supply is safe and cost-efficient storage of surplus H2 to bridge periods with low energy demand. For this purpose, underground gas storage (UGS) in salt caverns, deep aquifers and oil-/gas reservoirs has been proposed, which are environments with potentially high microbial abundance and activity. Subsurface microorganisms can use H2 in their metabolism and thus may lead to a variety of undesired side effects such as H2 loss, H2S formation, methane formation, acid formation, clogging and corrosion. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge and methodologies on microbial related risks related to H2 UGS, including basic research on subsurface microbiology, results from field trials, and experience from other industries including oil & gas. For safe underground storage of H2 gas we recommend to analyze the relevant microbiological and geochemical characteristics of each site to be able to predict the most suitable storage strategy and establish a good monitoring and mitigation approach to follow and counter potential microbial side effects.

Background The National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) is an important part of China’s innovation system. In the last decade, the pig has become more and more widely used in the field of medical science, especially in otology research. Objective By analyzing and summarizing the funding information over recent years, we intend to identify the characteristics and trends of funding for research using pig models and provide references for future development. Material and methods This is a comprehensive analysis of features in funding for research projects involving pig models by the NSFC in the past 10 years, with a focus on projects in the field of otolaryngology/head and neck surgery. Results Both the number and amount of funding provided by the NSFC for research involving pig models are on the rise with each passing year. Researchers at the PLA General Hospital have completed a number of studies using miniature pigs in cochlear morphology, electrophysiology, cochlear implantation, cochlear transcription analysis, gene therapy, inner ear disease modeling and Eustachian tube pathology modeling. Conclusion Pigs as an ideal large mammal model are well suited in the current national basic research strategy in China, and can help further strengthen China’s leading position in basic research in the world.

RESUMEN El presente artículo es el resultado de una investigación, desde las perspectivas bioética y biojurídica, acerca de los lineamientos existentes en Colombia para el manejo de las pruebas farmacogenómicas y farmacogenéticas en los ensayos clínicos. La revisión de la legislación existente en nuestro medio se comparó con estándares internacionales y los propuestos por organismos supranacionales. Se encontró que en Colombia falta una regulación específica en esta área, lo que expone a una serie de riesgos bioéticos y jurídicos a los participantes e investigadores. No se deben subestimar estos riesgos, pues comprometen la viabilidad ética de la investigación clínica y básica en nuestro medio. Al final, desde la perspectiva de la ética de los principios, se proponen una serie de acciones para la creación y la promoción a escala nacional de lineamientos que sirvan para conformar una legislación aplicable a la protección de los datos genéticos y, por ende, los derechos de los sujetos que participan en esta clase de estudios de investigación en Colombia. ABSTRACT This paper is the result of research, from the bioethics and bio-legal perspectives, on the existing guidelines in Colombia for the handling of pharmacogenomic and pharmacogenetic tests in clinical trials. Colombian legislation on this kind of research was reviewed and then compared with international and supranational standards. It was found that Colombia lacks specific legislation in this area, a situation that puts both participants and researchers at risk, from bioethical and legal perspectives. These risks should not be underestimated, as they compromise the ethical viability of clinical and basic research in our setting. In the end, a proposal, based on principles of ethics is made, proposing a series of actions for the creation and promotion nationwide of guidelines which can be used to shape legislation to be applied to protect the genetic data and the rights of subjects participating in these types of research studies in Colombia.

The electrochemical machining (ECM) is a non-conventional machining process which has the competency to fabricate microchannel, micro holes, cavity, and difficult to cut materials. There are lots of research papers on ECM and micro-ECM. The objective of this review is to summarize some of the significant processing parameters of electrochemical machining. This review article aims to discuss process capability and research development of ECM and its variant, considering the knowledge of both applied and basic research fields. It also provides new sights into the technological understanding of ECM and micro-ECM, which will be helpful in future engineering developments of this technology.

In this paper, we propose an OCR system that recognizes the contents of manual writing in handouts. Since the target handouts contain a mixture of Japanese and mathematical formulas, we thought that one type of OCR systems alone would not provide sufficient accuracy. Therefore, in this proposed system, we will consider combining two types of OCR systems. The OCRs to be combined are Tesseract and Mathpix, which are good at recognizing Japanese and mathematical formulas, respectively. When the two OCRs are combined, the final plausible result must be selected, but we wondered if the OCR score could be used as an indicator of selection. The OCR score is a self-evaluation value that is output together with the recognition result. However, there is no guarantee that the OCR score and the actual recognition result show the same tendency. Therefore, in this paper, after classifying the written contents into three categories, words, sentences, and mathematical formulas, we verified whether the recognition results of each OCR can be appropriately selected based on the OCR score. At this point, the result is that further improvement is needed to make the selection based on the OCR score alone. However, if it becomes possible to classify handwritten contents with the proposal system by additional learning etc., it will be possible to analyze the handwritten contents efficiently, and it is expected that it will be possible to improve the handouts and provide feedback to the lesson plan.

Angkor monuments/temples in the Southeast Asia are UNESCO World Cultural Heritage of the Khmer Civilization and they require preservation and protection from destruction. In this article, activity- and process-based approaches are used to present the current available results on the active microorganisms and their biochemical processes associated with the biodeterioration of sandstone cultural heritage under the tropical climate in Cambodia. Such information is important for effectively protection and management. Severe deterioration of sandstone monuments is a result of weathering processes of a combination of physical, chemical and biological forces, including both natural and anthropogenic ones. Given the fact that water is an important natural factor affecting the stability of sandstone cultural heritage under the tropical regions, subsequent microbial colonization and contribution to the deterioration of sandstone have been investigated with both culture-dependent and culture-independent techniques to provide information about the microbiota associated with the sandstone. Recent data show that both sulfur and nitrogen cycles are active biochemical processes by specific microorganisms on sandstone temples/monuments in the tropical region. Both sulfur-oxidizing bacteria and fungi are active involved and, more recently, ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) are implicated with higher abundance than ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) on sandstone monuments. It is clear that a research paradigm shift is taking place on microbiology of cultural heritage, and the active, and biochemically and physiologically functional microbes are focused to advance our fundamental understanding and knowledge on the biodeteriogens for a better protection and management of cultural heritage. Biochemically and physiologically functional and important microorganisms, as well as the biochemical mechanisms involved, shall be focused in order to advance the basic research on cultural heritage, while providing essential information for its protection, including Angkor sandstone temples and monuments.

Myofascial pain syndrome (MPS), trigger points (TrPs), and dry needling (DN) continue to be of interest to researchers and clinicians worldwide. In this quarterly overview, we included studies from 19 countries, including Pakistan, Iran, Spain, Israel, the US, Australia, Turkey, the UK, China, Italy, Germany, Brazil, Denmark, Canada, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, India, New Zealand, and Thailand. As encouraging as it may be that myofascial pain is being considered worldwide, it is frustrating how many studies do not include a proper control group making them not very useful. It is not clear why researchers would go through the trouble of setting up a study, which requires many hours of work and dedication, and not produce a meaningful paper for clinicians and researchers alike. Fortunately, several papers are high quality studies. This overview covers 39 basic research studies, systematic reviews and meta-analyses, clinical studies, and a few case reports.

Childhood cancer is a leading cause of death in children. Some childhood cancers have a particularly high mortality rate. Following the World Health Organization's emphasis on child health, most governments worldwide have taken measures to facilitate childhood cancer research. Thus, the scientific community is showing increasing interest in this area. Chinese government has prominence in building a system for the diagnosis and treatment of childhood cancer, thereby promoting the development of childhood cancer research. This review summarizes the research progress, challenges, and perspectives in childhood cancer, and the increasing contributions of National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) in the past decade (2008-2018).

The two-dimensional surfaces have been fueled by the infinite possibility they offered for basic research, and for novel technologies in nanoelectronics. To realize many of these promises, the effective strategies were to design and control their surface chemistry, which plays a vital role in determining the chemical and physical properties. Macrocyclic host–guest chemistry with the reversible noncovalent interactions between macrocyclic hosts and suitable guests can be readily used for constructing multifunctional surfaces. Macrocyclic pillararenes, possessed the unique structure, have attracted the attentions of researchers in recent years. This feature article covers the recent development of pillararene-based two-dimensional interfaces, including the fabrication and function of the hybrid composite. The combination of pillararenes and materials platform exhibited the novel property because of the characteristic of cavity of macrocyclic host and confined spaces of surfaces. We anticipate that this review will be helpful to the researchers working in the fields of supramolecular chemistry and materials science.

Background: Pitching induces elbow valgus stress, which can lead to an increase in medial elbow joint-space gapping when repeated. Previous basic research on the medial elbow joint shows that the contraction associated with gripping reduces medial elbow joint-space gapping. However, no studies have investigated the relationship between grip strength and increased medial elbow joint-space gapping during repetitive pitching. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether grip strength is related to medial elbow joint-space gapping during repetitive pitching. Our hypothesis was that increased grip strength would correlate with a reduction in medial elbow joint-space gapping. Methods: A total of 25 high school baseball players participated in this study. Each subject pitched 100 times. The medial elbow joint-space gapping and grip strength were measured before and after pitching. Correlation analysis was used to identify the relationship between medial elbow joint-space gapping and grip strength. Results: Medial elbow joint-space gapping (mm) increased by 25.5% ± 8.0% after 100 pitches (gapping before, 5.0 ± 0.9; gapping after, 6.2 ± 1.1; P < .001). Grip strength (kg) after 100 pitches decreased by 2.8% ± 7.4% to that before pitching (before, 40.4 ± 5.5; after 39.2 ± 5.6; P < .05). There was no significant correlation between the change rate of medial elbow joint gapping and grip strength at any time (grip strength: before pitching, P = .74; after pitching, P = .40; change rate from before to after pitching, P = .24). Conclusions: Grip strength is not related to increased medial elbow joint-space gapping induced by repetitive pitching. This indicates that physical ability expressed by grip strength is not associated with preventing increases in medial elbow joint-space gapping during repetitive pitching. Further studies are required to investigate the stabilization mechanism of the medial elbow joint during pitching.

Through retrieving the relevant experimental researches from Pubmed, CNKI, Wanfang and VIP databases, it is discovered that the effects of moxibustion on liver are mainly reflected in the following three aspects, namely, maintaining the normal functions of liver, promoting the repair of liver injury and delaying liver aging. By further analysis and in view of experiments, the factors influencing these effects may include stimulation site, stimulation intensity and heat source. The effects of moxibustion on liver and its influencing factors are explored and discovered in the perspective of experimental researches and these discoveries have been verified in clinical practice correspondingly. Based on the current study situation, moxibustion therapy is still limited in clinical studies on liver disorders as compared with the experimental researches. Hence, the deep exploration of moxibustion on its specific biological effect and mechanism and the excavation of moxibustion on its clinical application are likely to be the coming emphasis of the basic research and clinical practice for moxibustion.

Zinc ion hybrid supercapacitors (ZISCs), as one of emerging energy storage devices, have gained numerous attentions due to their high safety, satisfied energy/power output, low-cost and long-term durability. To construct a satisfying ZISC with good charge storage behavior, well-developed electrode structures and optimized electrolytes by effective strategies are highly demanded. However, current basic research is relatively far from its practical application, which has greatly deferred the large-scale production of ZISC and has become a key issue. Here, recent advances towards the ZISCs have been systematically summarized to meet such challenges, with a focus on the charge storage mechanism. In addition, insights into the development of electrodes and electrolytes are presented. It is worth believing that this review could be a medium for attracting more efforts to the early rise of ZISCs in terms of the sustainable material preparations and the advanced technique inventions.

The concept of a human body-on-a-chip model emulating entire organismal homeostasis has raised high expectations during the past decade. Microphysiological systems combining all essential organs in a common medium circuit have the potential to revolutionize not only basic research but also the drug development process. Hence, various researchers aimed at developing such organismal systems, but none went beyond initial scientific publication. In the following, we will highlight the current consensus of opinion on how to approach organismal homeostasis on-a-chip and summarize major challenges and how they might be tackled by current developments.

Version 2 of the Intranuclear Cascade with Emission of Light Fragments (INC-ELF) code is developed and incorporated into the Particle and Heavy Ion Transport code System (PHITS). The aim of INC-ELF2 is to expand it to the lower incident-energy range of 30–200 MeV, where the original INC theory is not applicable. The refinement of the code is based faithfully on the results of basic research on direct reactions within the framework of the INC model. INC-ELF2 can deal with the emission of light fragments from nuclear reactions induced by protons and neutrons. Double-differential cross-sections are calculated by a two-step model combining INC-ELF2 and GEM (generalized evaporation model) in PHITS, and they are compared with experimental data to examine the predictive ability. Excellent agreement is confirmed for various reactions over a wide range of target masses and over the incident-energy range of 30–200 MeV.

Gas bubble formation is a common phenomenon in numerous electrochemical processes, such as water splitting, chloralkaline process, and fuel cells. Many efforts have been made to understand the behaviors of microsized or larger gas bubbles in electrochemical systems in the past few decades. It was not until recent years that the electrochemistry of nanosized gas bubbles (nanobubbles) has begun receiving attention. In this short review, we summarize recent advances in the field of electrochemistry of nanobubbles, ranging from new fundamental understandings of nanobubble behaviors to the development of novel bubble-based applications inspired by the basic research of nanobubble electrochemistry.

Consensus reaching process is a very powerful decision tool to eliminate the preference conflict in group decision making. In general, the consensus is achieved by the decision makers modifying their preferences (or opinions) toward a point of mutual consent, and the feedback mechanism aims to provide preference-modifications suggestions. In many situations, the preference-modifications mean cost and the resources for the consensus reaching process are limited. So, in the last decade, the feedback mechanism with minimum adjustment or cost (FMMA/C) has been developed and widely used in various group decision making contexts to improve consensus efficiency. In this review, we first analyze the origin and basic research paradigm of the FMMA/C. Then, we review the FMMA/C in two decision contexts: (1) the FMMA/C in classical group decision making problems, and (2) the FMMA/C in complex group decision making problems (e.g., social network, large-scale, and opinion dynamic group decision making problems). Finally, we identify research challenges and propose future research direction.

We are sad to report that following this issue, Dr. Li-Wei Chou will no longer be able to contribute to this quarterly literature overview. Unfortunately, his work responsibilities have increased to such an extent that they need to take priority. On behalf of the team, we would like to thank Dr. Chou for his thoughtful and balanced reviews during the past few years. Not only were we able to include an occasional Chinese-language study, he also was able to assist us in interpreting more complex medical studies. Li-Wei, we wish you all the best professionally and personally, and of course, we cannot wait until our paths will cross again sometime in the future! You may have noted that this overview article was missing from the January 2020 issue of the journal due to an administrative mix up. With the current issue we aimed to catch up and therefore, you will find a greater number of reviewed articles than usual. It becomes increasingly challenging to cover the wide range of the published myofascial pain and trigger point (TrP) literature just due to its volume. In this edition, we included 10 basic research articles, 4 reviews, 14 articles on dry needling (DN), acupuncture, and injections, 3 on manual therapies, and 4 on other clinical approaches.

In this review, we compare behavioral protocols (e.g., equipment specification, test duration), evaluation indexes, application characteristics, and advantages and disadvantages of six tests used to assess post-stroke depression and anxiety in rodent models. We also discuss experimental models of intracerebral hemorrhage, the neuroanatomic and pathophysiologic basis of behavioral tests, their applications in drug screening, and their limitations. This review will facilitate the performance of behavioral tests in basic research and ultimately provide references for the clinical diagnosis and treatment of post-stroke depression.

The current tuberculosis (TB) predicament poses numerous challenges and therefore every incremental scientific work and all positive socio-political engagements, are steps taken in the right direction to eradicate TB. Progression of the late stage TB-drug pipeline into the clinics is an immediate deliverable of this global effort. At the same time, fueling basic research and pursuing early discovery work must be sustained to maintain a healthy TB-drug pipeline. This review encompasses a broad analysis of chemotherapeutic strategies that target the DNA replication, protein synthesis, cell wall biosynthesis, energy metabolism and proteolysis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). It includes a status check of the current TB-drug pipeline with a focus on the associated biology, emerging targets, and their promising chemical inhibitors. Potential synergies and/or gaps within or across different chemotherapeutic strategies are systematically reviewed as well.

Objective A computational model that accounts for heterogeneous tissue properties was used to compare multiple independent current control (MICC), multi-stim set (MSS), and concurrent activation (co-activation) current steering technologies utilized in deep brain stimulation (DBS) on volume of tissue activated (VTA) and power consumption. Methods A computational model was implemented in Sim4Life v4.0 with the multimodal image-based detailed anatomical (MIDA) model, which accounts for heterogeneous tissue properties. A segmented DBS lead placed in the subthalamic nucleus (STN). Three milliamperes of current (with a 90 mu s pseudo-biphasic waveform) was distributed between two electrodes with various current splits. The laterality, directional accuracy, volume, and shape of the VTAs using MICC, MSS and co-activation, and their power consumption were computed and compared. Results MICC, MSS, and coactivation resulted in less laterality of steering than single-segment activation. Both MICC and MSS show directional inaccuracy (more pronounced with MSS) during radial current steering. Co-activation showed greater directional accuracy than MICC and MSS at centerline between the two activated electrodes. MSS VTA volume was smaller and more compact with less current spread outside the active electrode plane than MICC VTA. There was no consistent pattern of power drain between MSS and MICC, but electrode co-activation always used less power than either fractionating paradigm. Conclusion While current fractionalization technologies can achieve current steering between two segmented electrodes, this study shows that there are important limitations in accuracy and focus of tissue activation when tissue heterogeneity is accounted for.

Inattention, distractibility, and problems inhibiting irrelevant information impose a large disease burden in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Problems with cognitive function are found in many major psychiatric disorders, and our understanding of ADHD might add to our knowledge of other neuropsychiatric disorders. Despite the high impact of ADHD, the pathophysiology and the mechanism of treatment action remains poorly understood. Increasing evidence suggests that elevated neuronal and retinal background noise plays a prominent role in ADHD. However, the effect of treatment (e.g., methylphenidate) on noise remains unclear. For this study, retinal background noise was assessed with the pattern-electroretinogram (PERG) in 20 drug-naive adults with ADHD before and after treatment with methylphenidate and in 21 control subjects. Background noise was identified using the Fourier magnitude at frequencies adjacent to the stimulus-response frequency of 12.5 Hz. At baseline, we found an elevated retinal background noise in ADHD patients (Mdn = 0.079 μV) compared to controls (Mdn = 0.062 μV; z = −2.79, p = 0.016, r = −0.44). The noise in the ADHD group decreased significantly at follow-up after treatment with methylphenidate (Mdn = 0.069 μV, z = −2.39, p = 0.035, r = −0.39) while there was no change in the control group. PERG-based retinal noise is increased in adult ADHD and normalizes along with clinical symptoms following treatment with methylphenidate. The retinal noise level might be a promising marker of ADHD in clinical and basic research and illustrates the biological match with nonhuman ADHD models.

The degradation of Pt-based catalyst severely limits the lifetime of a fuel cell with a proton-conductive polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM FC) operating with H2 as the fuel and O2 as the oxidant. In this paper, a review of recent progress in the description of degradation mechanisms by experimental techniques and a prediction of the extent of degradation by means of mathematical modelling are presented. Significant progress in the development of PEM FCs has been achieved both by basic research and advanced single-cell testing, often combining electrochemical and in situ analytical methods. The intensity of degradation processes is strongly dependent on operating conditions and, consequently, their experimental investigation requires a different scientific approach for each type of PEM FC. Mathematical modelling complements experimental studies to describe the individual degradation mechanisms.

A cell contains numerous protein molecules. One of the fundamental goals in molecular cell biology is to determine their subcellular locations since this information is extremely important to both basic research and drug development. In this paper, we report a novel and very powerful predictor called "pLoc_bal-mHum" for predicting the subcellular localization of human proteins based on their sequence information alone. Cross-validation tests on exactly the same experiment-confirmed dataset have indicated that the new predictor is remarkably superior to the existing state-of-the-art predictor in identifying the subcellular localization of human proteins. To maximize the convenience for the majority of experimental scientists, a user-friendly web-server for the new predictor has been established at http://www.jci-bioinfo.cn/pLoc_bal-mHum/, by which users can easily get their desired results without the need to go through the detailed mathematics.

Application of the impedance spectroscopy technique to detection of bacteria has advanced considerably over the last decade. This is reflected by the large amount of publications focused on basic research and applications of impedance biosensors. Employment of modern technologies to significantly reduce dimension of impedimetric devices enable on-chip integration of interdigitated electrode arrays for low-cost and easy-to-use sensors. This review is focused on publications dealing with interdigitated electrodes as a transducer unit and different bacteria detection systems using these devices. The first part of the review deals with the impedance technique principles, paying special attention to the use of interdigitated electrodes, while the main part of this work is focused on applications ranging from bacterial growth monitoring to label-free specific bacteria detection.

This editorial highlights submissions to part II of the 3rd IBCN Seminars Series particularly focusing on the tools required for conduction of translational research in bladder cancer. One of the submissions describe the ex vivo culture of primary tumor cells from N-methyl-N-nitrosourea-induced bladder tumors in rats and subsequent establishment of an immortalized cell line. In a next step the authors thoroughly characterize this cell line. They conclude that differentiation marker expression patterns observed in the original tumors are largely retained in the spheroids. Although new cancer models, such as organoid tissue cultures, hold great promise for studying cancer progression and might have a potential for development and selection of an optimal treatment, their limitations must be kept in mind. The second submission, therefore, critically questions the current role of organoid tissue culture as a predictive tool in urothelial cancer patients. The third manuscript of this series provides a broader overview of post-translational modification in bladder cancer is presented and how PTMs can be exploited as potential therapeutic targets. The 3 manuscripts featured in this issue demonstrate especially how basic research is being channeled to inform clinically actionable discoveries.

Site-directed RNA editing (SDRE) is invaluable to basic research and clinical applications and has emerged as a new frontier in genome editing. The past few years have witnessed a surge of interest in SDRE, with SDRE tools emerging at a breathtaking pace. However, off-target effects of SDRE remain a tough problem, which constitutes a major hurdle to their clinical applications. Here we discuss the diverse strategies for combating off-target editing, drawing lessons from the published studies as well as our ongoing research. Overall, SDRE is still at its infancy, with significant challenges and exciting opportunities ahead.

Here, we discuss the transition model of receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) activation, which is derived from biophysical investigations of RTK interactions and signaling. The model postulates that (1) RTKs can interact laterally to form dimers even in the absence of ligand, (2) different unliganded RTK dimers have different stabilities, (3) ligand binding stabilizes the RTK dimers, and (4) ligand binding causes structural changes in the RTK dimer. The model is grounded in the principles of physical chemistry and provides a framework to understand RTK activity and to make predictions in quantitative terms. It can guide basic research aimed at uncovering the mechanism of RTK activation and, in the long run, can empower the search for modulators of RTK function.