Neurological disorders such as post-stroke hemiplegia, spinal cord injury, and Parkinson disease represent a major global health burden. Brain-computer interface (BCI), which creates direct communication pathways between the nervous system and external devices, offers a promising strategy for functional restoration. The long-term efficacy of such BCI fundamentally depends on the performance of biomaterials at the neural interface. Ideal materials must concurrently satisfy biocompatibility, electrical conductivity, enduring chemical stability, and mechanical compatibility with brain tissue. This review systematically outlines the application of conductive polymers, inorganic nanomaterials, natural biomaterials, and composites in BCI, with a focus on how advanced designs, such as bionic and encapsulated electrodes, improve signal fidelity and surgical feasibility through structural innovation. It further summarizes key material-modification techniques and analyzes the complex foreign-body response orchestrated by microglia, astrocytes, and peripheral immune cells. Finally, it provides insights into future research directions and clinical translation of BCI-based neurorehabilitation, while highlighting critical challenges including long-term biosafety and the establishment of standardized evaluation frameworks, aiming to bridge the gap between laboratory innovation and effective clinical deployment.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical effect of minimally invasive technique in the treatment of moderate and severe gluteal muscle contracture. METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted on 85 patients (170 sides) with bilateral gluteal muscle contracture admitted from January 2016 to December 2019. All patients were treated with minimally invasive release of tendon knife. There were 32 males and 53 females, ranging in age from 15 to 37 years old, with an average age of (22.3±6.3) years old. Operation time, intraoperative blood loss, incision length, first postoperative ambulation time, complication rate, recurrence rate, and Harris hip score (HHS) were analyzed and evaluated. RESULTS: The average follow-up time was (16.2±4.6) months, ranging from 12 to 30 months. The operation time ranged from 7 to 15 min, with an average of (10.2±3.1) min. Intraoperative blood loss ranged from 2 to 20 ml, with an average of (8.4±2.2) ml. The incision length ranged from 0.6 to 2.0 cm, with an average of (0.8±0.3) cm. The time to postoperative ambulation ranged from 12 to 28 h, with an average of (20.0±3.2) h. All patients achieved primary wound healing without sciatic nerve injury or recurrence. HHS hip function scores ranged from 90 to 98, with an average score of (96.2±1.4). Complications included intraoperative tendon blade tip fracture in two cases (removed under fluoroscopic guidance) and subcutaneous hematoma in three cases-two resolved with compression and one with open evacuation.. Twenty-nine patients exhibited transient swaying gait postoperatively, of which 24 patients returned to normal after 4 weeks and 5 patients returned to normal after 6 weeks. CONCLUSION Minimally invasive tendon blade release is a safe and effective technique for treating gluteal muscle contracture, offering minimal trauma, rapid recovery, and excellent cosmetic and functional outcomes. However, it exhibits a low risk of blade tip fracture and sciatic nerve injury, warranting experienced surgical handling.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Adult ; Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures/methods* ; Adolescent ; Retrospective Studies ; Buttocks/surgery* ; Young Adult ; Contracture/surgery* ; Tendons/surgery* ; Muscle, Skeletal/surgery*

Drug resistance is one of the key factors affecting the effectiveness of cancer treatment methods, including chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and immunotherapy. Its occurrence is related to factors such as mRNA expression and methylation within cancer cells. If drug resistance in patients can be accurately identified early, doctors can devise more effective treatment plans, which is of great significance for improving patients' survival rates and quality of life. Cancer drug resistance prediction based on artificial intelligence (AI) technology has emerged as a current research hotspot, demonstrating promising application prospects in guiding clinical individualized and precise medication for cancer patients. This review aims to comprehensively summarize the research progress in utilizing AI algorithms to analyze multi-omics data including genomics, transcriptomics, epigenomics, proteomics, metabolomics, radiomics, and histopathology, for predicting cancer drug resistance. It provides a detailed exposition of the processes involved in data processing and model construction, examines the current challenges faced in this field and future development directions, with the aim of better advancing the progress of precision medicine.

[Purpose]To investigate the potential causal relationships between serum levels of trace elements and head and neck cancers.[Methods]Single nucleotide polymorphism(SNP)of oral cancer,oropharyngeal cancer,laryngeal cancer and thyroid cancer,associated with calcium,copper,iron,magnesium,zinc,were obtained from genome-wide association studies(GWAS).A two-sample bidirectional Mendelian randomization(MR)analysis was performed using the inverse variance weighting(IVW)method by calculating odds ratio(OR)and 95％confidence interval(CI).Pleiotropy was assessed using MR-PRESSO and MR-Egger regression,and sensitivity analysis was conducted via the"leave-one-out"method.[Results]IVW analysis revealed a causal association between serum magnesium levels and the incidence of oral cancer(OR=0.976,95％CI:0.956～0.997,P=0.025),also between thyroid cancer and serum calcium levels(OR=1.008,95％CI:1.001～1.015,P=0.023).No significant causal associations were observed between other trace ele-ments and head and neck cancers(all P＞0.05).[Conclusion]This MR study suggests that serum magnesium levels serve as a protective factor against oral cancer,while thyroid cancer leads to el-evated serum calcium levels.

Objective:To investigate the efficacy and mechanism of botulinum toxin type A (BTX-A) combined with static progressive stretching (SPS) in the treatment of traumatic knee stiffness in rats.Methods:Forty healthy male SD rats aged 8 weeks and weighing 220-300 g, were randomly divided into blank control group ( n=8) and model groups ( n=28) (including injury group, BTX-A group, SPS group and BTX-A+SPS group, with 7 in each group). Hlidebrand′s method was used to construct a traumatic knee stiffness model, with the following main steps: destruction of the joint capsule, Kirschner wire fixation, joint drilling, and removal of the internal fixation at 4 weeks. The blank control group did not receive any treatment and could move freely in the cage. The injury group moved freely after successful modeling. On the day of internal fixation removal, BTX-A was injected into the joint cavity in group BTX-A, SPS treatment was started in the SPS group, BTX-A was injected into the joint cavity and SPS treatment was started in the BTX-A+SPS group. The treatments lasted 16 days. The range of motion (ROM) and joint stiffness were measured before treatment and at 16 days after treatment. At 16 days after treatment, knee joint tissue was collected and the rats were sacrificed, and the articular capsule fibrous tissue proliferation was observed by HE and Masson staining. The expression levels of phosphorylated (p)-Smad2, Smad2, p-Smad3, Smad3, Smad4, transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1), collagen type I, collagen type III, and α-smooth actin (α-SMA) were determined by Western blot. The ratio of phosphorylated protein to total protein was calculated to reflect the phosphorylation level. Results:(1) ROM: Before treatment, the ROM in the blank control group was significantly higher than that in the other groups ( P<0.05), with no significant difference in ROM among the other groups ( P>0.05). At 16 days after treatment, ROM in the injury group, BTX-A group, SPS group, and BTX-A+SPS group was lower than that in the blank control group ( P<0.05), among which ROM in the BTX-A+SPS group was significantly higher than that in the injury group, BTX-A group, and SPS group ( P<0.05). At 16 days after treatment, there was no significant difference in ROM before and after treatment in the blank control group ( P>0.05), and ROM in the other groups was significantly increased compared with that before treatment ( P<0.01). (2) Joint stiffness: At 16 days after treatment, the joint stiffness levels in the injury group, the BTX-A group, and the SPS group were (0.95±0.24)N·cm/°, (0.86±0.22)N·cm/°, and (0.65±0.09)N·cm/° respectively, which were significantly lower than (0.36±0.03)N·cm/° in the blank control group ( P<0.05). The joint stiffness level of the BTX-A+SPS group was (0.49±0.04)N·cm/°, which was not significantly different from that in the blank control group ( P>0.05), but was significantly lower than those in the injury group, BTX-A group, and SPS group ( P<0.05). (3) Fibrous tissue proliferation: at 16 days after treatment, the joint capsular structure in the blank control group was complete and clear, the fibers were arranged in order, and there was no obvious fibrous tissue proliferation. The pathological changes in the injury group were the most serious, with a large number of synovial fibrous tissue proliferation, significantly increased blood vessels in the tissue, and inflammatory cell infiltration. Compared with the SPS group and BTX-A group, the lesions in BTX-A+SPS group were milder, with only slight increase in the number of synovial cells but no obvious vascular proliferation or lymphocytes, and the overall lesions were the least severe. (4) Protein expression: the ratios of p-Smad2/Smad2 in the injury group, BTX-A group and SPS group were 1.552±0.234, 1.328±0.272 and 1.194±0.277 respectively, which were higher than 0.794±0.082 in the blank control group ( P<0.05). The ratio of p-Smad2/Smad2 in the BTX-A+SPS group was 1.013±0.123, which was not significantly different from those in the blank control group, BTX-A group or SPS group ( P>0.05), but was lower than that in the injury group ( P<0.05). At 16 days after treatment, the p-Smad3/Smad3 ratios in the injury group, BTX-A group, SPS group and BTX-A+SPS group were 2.272±0.309, 1.664±0.285, 1.381±0.276 and 1.003±0.060 respectively, which were higher than 0.515±0.051 in the blank control group ( P<0.05). The p-Smad3/Smad3 ratio in the BTX-A+SPS group was significantly lower than those in the injury group, BTX-A group and SPS group ( P<0.05). At 16 days after treatment, the level of Smad4 in the injury group (1.001±0.015) was higher than 0.294±0.076 in the blank control group ( P<0.05). However, there was no significant difference between the BTX-A group (0.664±0.051), SPS group (0.833±0.045), BTX-A+SPS group (0.467±0.068) or the blank control group ( P>0.05). The level of Smad4 in the BTX-A+SPS group was significantly lower than those in the injury group, BTX-A group and SPS group ( P<0.05). At 16 days after treatment, the level of TGF-β1 in the injury group (1.004±0.407) was higher than 0.269±0.122 in the blank control group ( P<0.05), while there was no significant difference between the BTX-A group (0.564±0.194), SPS group (0.422±0.086) and BTX-A+SPS group (0.347±0.161) and the blank control group ( P>0.05). The level of TGF-β1 in the BTX-A+SPS group was significantly lower than those in the injury group, BTX-A group and SPS group ( P<0.05). At 16 days after treatment, the level of type I collagen in the injury group was 0.999±0.170, higher than 0.299±0.139 in the blank control group ( P<0.05), while there was no significant difference between the BTX-A group (0.542±0.278), SPS group (0.561±0.165), and BTX-A+SPS group (0.537±0.045) and the blank control group ( P>0.05). The level of collagen type I in the BTX-A+SPS group was significantly lower than those in the injury group, BTX-A group, and SPS group ( P<0.05). At 16 days after treatment, the level of type III collagen in the injury group was 1.002±0.126, higher than 0.239±0.106 in the blank control group ( P<0.05), while there was no significant difference between the BTX-A group (0.661±0.062), SPS group (0.595±0.062), and BTX-A+SPS group (0.504±0.269) and the blank control group ( P>0.05). The level of collagen type III in the BTX-A+SPS group was significantly lower than those in the injury group, BTX-A group, and SPS group ( P<0.05). At 16 days after treatment, the level of α-SMA in the injury group was 0.998±0.074, higher than 0.130±0.023 in the blank control group ( P<0.05), while there was no significant difference between the BTX-A group (0.358±0.060), SPS group (0.432±0.230), and BTX-A+SPS group (0.293±0.135) and the blank control group ( P>0.05). The level of α-SMA in the BTX-A+SPS group was significantly lower than those in the injury group, BTX-A group and SPS group ( P<0.05). Conclusions:Compared with single treatment, the combination of BTX-A and SPS demonstrates significantly greater efficacy in the treatment of traumatic knee stiffness in rats. This combined approach not only enhances joint mobility and elasticity but also effectively inhibits joint capsule fibrosis. The underlying mechanism may involve the further suppression of TGF-β1 expression in the joint capsule, leading to reduced phosphorylation levels of Smad2 and Smad3. This, in turn, inhibits the binding of Smad2 and Smad3 to the Smad4 receptor, ultimately downregulating the expression of the downstream proteins of the TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway, such as collagen type I, collagen type III and α-SMA.

Gene regulation relies on the precise binding of transcription factors (TFs) at regulatory elements, but simultaneously detecting hundreds of TFs on chromatin is challenging. We developed cFOOT-seq, a cytosine deaminase-based TF footprinting assay, for high-resolution, quantitative genome-wide assessment of TF binding in both open and closed chromatin regions, even with small cell numbers. By utilizing the dsDNA deaminase SsdAtox, cFOOT-seq converts accessible cytosines to uracil while preserving genomic integrity, making it compatible with techniques like ATAC-seq for sensitive and cost-effective detection of TF occupancy at the single-molecule and single-cell level. Our approach enables the delineation of TF footprints, quantification of occupancy, and examination of chromatin influences on TF binding. Notably, cFOOT-seq, combined with FootTrack analysis, enables de novo prediction of TF binding sites and tracking of TF occupancy dynamics. We demonstrate its application in capturing cell type-specific TFs, analyzing TF dynamics during reprogramming, and revealing TF dependencies on chromatin remodelers. Overall, cFOOT-seq represents a robust approach for investigating the genome-wide dynamics of TF occupancy and elucidating the cis-regulatory architecture underlying gene regulation.
Transcription Factors/genetics* ; Humans ; Chromatin/genetics* ; Animals ; Binding Sites ; Mice ; DNA Footprinting/methods*

OBJECTIVE: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a major health concern in northwest China; however, the impact of particulate matter (PM) exposure during sand-dust storms (SDS) remains poorly understood. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the association between PM exposure on SDS days and COPD hospitalization risk in arid regions. METHODS: Data on daily COPD hospitalizations were collected from 323 hospitals from 2018 to 2022, along with the corresponding air pollutant and meteorological data for each city in Gansu Province. Employing a space-time-stratified case-crossover design and conditional Poisson regression, we analyzed 265,379 COPD hospitalizations. RESULTS: PM exposure during SDS days significantly increased COPD hospitalization risk [relative risk ( RR) for PM _2.5, lag 3:1.028, 95% confidence interval ( CI): 1.021-1.034], particularly among men and the elderly, and during the cold season. The burden of PM exposure on COPD hospitalization was substantially high in Northwest China, especially in the arid and semi-arid regions. CONCLUSION Our findings revealed a positive correlation between PM exposure during SDS episodes and elevated hospitalization rates for COPD in arid and semi-arid zones in China. This highlights the urgency of developing region-specific public health strategies to address adverse respiratory outcomes associated with SDS-related air quality deterioration.
Humans ; China/epidemiology* ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive/chemically induced* ; Particulate Matter/analysis* ; Hospitalization/statistics & numerical data* ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Aged ; Air Pollutants/analysis* ; Environmental Exposure/adverse effects* ; Spatio-Temporal Analysis ; Adult ; Sand ; Air Pollution

Background::B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA)-directed chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) therapy yield remarkable responses in patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (R/RMM). Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) reportedly exhibits distinct advantages in addressing the challenges posed by tumor heterogeneity in the distribution and genetic variations in R/RMM.Methods::Herein, the ctDNA of 108 peripheral blood plasma samples from patients with R/RMM at the First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University was thoroughly investigated before administration of anti-BCMA CAR-T therapy to establish its predictive potential. Flow cytometry is used primarily to detect subgroups of T cells or CAR-T cells.Results::In this study, several tumor and T cell effector-mediated factors were considered to be related to treatment failure by an integrat analysis, including higher percentages of multiple myeloma (MM) cells in the bone marrow ( P = 0.0125), lower percentages of CAR-T cells in the peripheral blood at peak ( P = 0.0375), and higher percentages of CD8 + T cells ( P = 0.0340). Furthermore, there is a substantial correlation between high ctDNA level (>143 ng/mL) and shorter progression-free survival (PFS) ( P = 0.007). Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that high levels of ctDNA (>143 ng/mL), MM-driven high-risk mutations (including IGLL5 [ P = 0.004], IRF4 [ P = 0.024], and CREBBP [ P = 0.041]), number of multisite mutations, and resistance-related mutation ( ERBB4, P = 0.040) were independent risk factors for PFS. Conclusion::Finally, a ctDNA-based risk model was built based on the above independent risk factors, which serves as an adjunct non-invasive measure of substantial tumor burden and a prognostic genetic feature that can assist in predicting the response to anti-BCMA CAR-T therapy.

BACKGROUND:Degenerative scoliosis is defined as a condition that occurs in adulthood with a coronal cobb angle of the spine>10° accompanied by sagittal deformity and rotational subluxation,which often produces symptoms of spinal cord and nerve compression,such as lumbar pain,lower limb pain,numbness,weakness,and neurogenic claudication.The finite element method is a mechanical analysis technique for computer modelling,which can be used for spinal mechanics research by building digital models that can realistically restore the human spine model and design modifications. OBJECTIVE:To review the application of finite element method in the etiology and treatment of degenerative scoliosis. METHODS:The literature databases CNKI,PubMed,and Web of Science were searched for articles on the application of finite element method in degenerative scoliosis published before October 2023.Search terms were"finite element analysis,biomechanics,stress analysis,degenerative scoliosis,adult spinal deformity"in Chinese and English.Fifty-four papers were finally included. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)The biomechanical findings from the degenerative scoliosis model constructed using the finite element method were identical to those from the in vivo experimental studies,which proves that the finite element method has a high practical value in degenerative scoliosis.(2)The study of the etiology and treatment of degenerative scoliosis by the finite element method is conducive to the prevention of the occurrence of the scoliosis,slowing down the progress of the scoliosis,the development of a more appropriate treatment plan,the reduction of complications,and the promotion of the patients'surgical operation.(3)The finite element method has gradually evolved from a single bony structure to the inclusion of soft tissues such as muscle ligaments,and the small sample content is increasingly unable to meet the research needs.(4)The finite element method has much room for exploration in degenerative scoliosis.

BACKGROUND:The highest incidence of spinal fracture is in the thoracolumbar segment,and its symptoms are back pain,posterior convexity deformity,activity limitation,or with spinal cord nerve injury causing lower limb pain,numbness,and even paraplegia and other complications.The finite element method is a digital computer modeling technique,which can simulate the physical model and carry out force analysis realistically.OBJECTIVE:To review the application of finite element method in thoracolumbar spine fractures.METHODS:We searched the Chinese and English literature databases PubMed,Web of Science,and CNKI for relevant literature on the application of the finite element analysis method in spinal thoracolumbar fracture published before March 2024.The search terms in Chinese and English were:finite element analysis methods,biomechanical phenomena,stress analysis,thoracolumbar fractures,spinal fractures.Finally,55 papers were included.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)The exploration of thoracolumbar fractures caused by different etiologies(osteoporotic,traumatic,and pathological)through the finite element method is conducive to a deeper understanding of the biomechanics of various types of thoracolumbar fractures,and to improve the individualized and fine-tuned treatment of thoracolumbar fractures.(2)The finite element analysis of a single sample or a small number of samples has the chance,and a larger number of samples are required for the future finite element analysis to reduce the chance caused by the sample.(3)The rigid structure of bones alone cannot meet the biomechanical working conditions of the integrity of the physical object,and future finite element models need to incorporate all the structures of the physical object(e.g.,soft tissues,such as muscles and ligaments)as far as possible.(4)The finite element method has been used in more studies on osteoporotic and traumatic thoracolumbar spine fractures,which will need to be more in-depth in the future,and less in the field of pathologic thoracolumbar fractures,which has a wider scope for future research.