A simple microwave-assisted method was applied to synthesize zinc oxide (ZnO) with controllable hierarchical structures. In a surfactant-free solvent system, the hierarchical structure of the ZnO precursor can be regulated by the concentration of urea at normal temperature and pressure. Upon annealing, ZnO with different morphologies shows its unique response towards six kinds of gases. The response data were clustered and analyzed by principal component analysis (PCA) to provide a basis for feature extraction. The classification to six kinds of gases was conducted through a model based on linear ridge classification (LRC), support vector machine (SVM). The prediction of ethanol concentration was achieved using backpropagation (BP) neural network and extreme learning machine (ELM). The results indicate that the six confusing gases can be distinguished clearly using SVM with an accuracy more than 0.99. Furthermore, the prediction of ethanol concentration shows a prominent performance (R² > 0.98) by the ELM-based regressor, despite the nearly saturated response of the sensor array. This study explores the possibility of pattern recognition analysis based on machine learning to further improve the detection performance of the gas sensor array with different response characteristics regulated by the morphology.

To achieve better antitumour efficacy, it is urgent to improve anticancer drug delivery efficiency in targeting cancer cells. In this work, chitosan-functionalized graphene oxide (ChrGO) nanosheets were fabricated via microwave-assisted reduction, which were employed to the intracellular delivery nanosystem for anticancer drug agent in breast cancer cells. Drug loading and release research indicated that adriamycin can be efficiently loaded on and released from the ChrGO nanosheets. Less drug release during delivery and better biocompatibility of ChrGO/adriamycin significantly improve its safety and therapeutic efficacy in HER2-overexpressing BT-474 cells. Furthermore, ChrGO/adriamycin in combination with trastuzumab exhibited synergistic antitumour activity in BT-474 cells, which demonstrated superior therapeutic efficacy compared with each drug alone. Cells treated with trastuzumab (5 μg/mL) or equivalent ChrGO/adriamycin (5 μg/mL) each elicited 54.5% and 59.5% cell death, respectively, while the combination treatment with trastuzumab and ChrGO/adriamycin resulted in a dramatic 88.5% cell death. The dual-targeted therapy displayed higher apoptosis, indicating superior therapeutic efficacy due to the presence of different mechanisms of action. The combined treatment of ChrGO/adriamycin and trastuzumab in BT-474 cells induced cell cycle arrest and apoptosis, which ultimately led to the death of augmented cancer cells. This work has provided a facile microwave-assisted fabrication of ChrGO as a controlled and targeted intracellular drug delivery nanosystem, which is expected to be a novel promising therapy for treating HER2-overexpressing breast cancer cells.

Objectives: Diabetes mellitus is associated with refractory wound healing, yet current therapies are insufficient to accelerate the process of healing. Recent studies have indicated chemically modified mRNA (modRNA) as a promising therapeutic intervention. The present study aimed to explore the efficacy of small skin engineered to express modified mRNAs encoding the stromal cell‐derived factor‐1α (SDF‐1α) facilitating wound healing in a full‐thickness skin defect rat model. This study, devised therapeutic strategies for diabetic wounds by pre‐treating small skin with SDF‐1α modRNA.Materials and Methods: The in vitro transfection efficiency was evaluated using fluorescence microscopy and the content of SDF‐1α in the medium was determined using ELISA after the transfection of SDF‐1α into the small skin. To evaluate the effect of SDF‐1α modRNA and transplantation of the small skin cells on wound healing, an in vivo full‐thickness skin defect rat model was assessed.Results: The results revealed that a modRNA carrying SDF‐1α provided potent wound healing in the small skin lesions reducing reduced scar thickness and greater angiogenesis (CD31) in the subcutaneous layer. The SDF‐1α cytokines were significantly secreted by the small skin after transfection in vitro.Conclusions: This study demonstrated the benefits of employing small skin combined with SDF‐1α modRNA in enhancing wound healing in diabetic rats having full‐thickness skin defects.

Network pharmacology and molecular docking analysis reveals the mechanism of asiaticoside on COVID-19 Jia Huang, Xiaobo Zhou, Yiyi Gong, Jun Chen, Yali Yang, Ke Liu

Background: The main goal of excision of a pigmented nevus is to achieve an esthetically pleasing result. A single nevus can be removed by simple excision, whereas S-shaped suture can be used for the excision of 2 adjacent nevi. However, the choice of suturing method is based on the experience of the dermatologic surgeon, as there is no uniform standard for suture following the excision of 2 adjacent nevi. The aim of the present study was to determine whether S-shaped wound closure is appropriate for the excision of 2 adjacent nevi. Methods: The outcomes of 21 patients who underwent simultaneous resection of 2 adjacent nevi were retrospectively reviewed. Of these patients, 17 chose S-shaped suture and 4 chose direct suture. Patients were followed-up for more than 6 months to review their postoperative scars. Differences between the 2 methods were compared based on the patient and observer scar assessment scale. Diameters and the proportional relationship between the 2 nevi were analyzed. Results: Patients who underwent S-shaped wound closure surgery were more satisfied compared to those who had direct suturing (P<0.05); the nevus diameter-to-spacing diameter ratio was 0.68±0.35:1:0.99±0.56 in the S-shaped wound closure group. Conclusions: S-shaped wound closure following the excision of 2 adjacent nevi resulted in better patient satisfaction than the conventional direct suturing method.