Thermal-Assisted Vertical Electron Injections in Few-Layer Pyramidal-Structured MoS2 Crystals

The interlayer screening effects and charge conduction mechanisms in atomically thin two-dimensional (2D) materials are crucial for electronics and optoelectronics applications. However, such effects remain largely unexplored in chemical vapor deposition (CVD)-grown molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂) crystals. Here, we report a controllable CVD-grown monolayer MoS₂ and layer-by-layer pyramidal-structured MoS₂ crystals with an oxidized Mo foil precursor. The interlayer screening effects and charge conduction mechanisms in the pyramidal-structured MoS₂ crystals are studied. Although the Fowler-Nordheim (FN) tunneling model is widely adopted to describe the vertical charge transport mechanism at the 2D semiconductor/bulk metal interface, we found that such a mechanism cannot satisfactorily explain the electrical measurement obtained from our CVD-grown MoS₂ samples. Instead, our analysis reveals that Richardson-Schottky (RS) emission is the dominant transport mechanism when V_bias < 1 V. Our findings provide a fundamental understanding of the charge conduction mechanism in CVD-grown MoS₂ crystals, which is crucial for development of MoS₂ electronics and optoelectronics devices.

Effects of precursor pre-treatment on the vapor deposition of WS2 monolayers

Transition metal oxide powders have been widely used as the growth precursors for monolayer transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) in chemical vapor deposition (CVD). It has been proposed that metal oxide precursors in the gas phase undergo a two-step reaction during CVD growth, where transition metal sub-oxides are likely formed first and then the sulfurization of these sub-oxides leads to the formation of TMDCs. However, the effects of stoichiometry of transition metal oxide precursors on the growth of TMDC monolayers have not been studied yet. In this contribution, we report the critical role of the WO3 precursor pre-annealing process on the growth of WS2 monolayers. Besides, several WO3 precursors with different types of oxygen vacancies have also been prepared and investigated by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and density functional theory calculation. Among all the non-stoichiometric WO3 precursors, thermally annealed WO3 powder exhibits the highest oxygen vacancy concentration and produces WS2 monolayers with significantly improved quality in terms of lateral size, density, and crystallinity. Our comprehensive study suggests that the chemical composition of transition metal oxide precursors would be fundamentally critical for the growth of large-area and high-quality WS2 monolayers, which further pave the way for revealing their intrinsic properties and unique applications.

Location-selective growth of two-dimensional metallic/semiconducting transition metal dichalcogenide heterostructures

An electrical contact between metallic electrodes and semiconductors is critical for the performance of electronic and optoelectronic devices. Two-dimensional (2D) transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) contain semiconducting, metallic and insulating material members, which enables the fabrication of highly integrated electronic devices fully based on 2D TMDs. However, location-selective synthesis of metallic/semiconducting heterostructures by a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method has rarely been reported. In this study, a two-step CVD method was applied to fabricate 2D metallic/semiconducting heterostructures. Semiconducting WS2 was first synthesized and served as the template for the following CVD growth of metallic NbS2. In the growth process, NbS2 flakes selectively nucleate at the edges of WS2 monolayers, thus resulting in the formation of NbS2 islands circling around the WS2 monolayers. The as-grown NbS2/WS2 heterostructure was further systematically characterized by Raman spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning transition electron microscopy (STEM). The NbS2 layers epitaxially grown on the WS2 monolayers exhibit a 3R phase and there was no discernible lattice strain in the NbS2/WS2 van der Waals (vdW) heterostructure. The growth of the metallic/semiconducting 2D heterostructures could benefit the nanoelectronic device fabrication and provide a platform for the 2D contact resistance study.

Germagraphene as a promising anode material for lithium-ion batteries predicted from first-principles calculations

Finding electrode materials with high capacity is a key challenge for developing lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Graphene was once expected to be a promising candidate, but it turns out to be too inert to interact with Li. Here, by using first-principles calculations, we predict that germanium doped graphene, termed as Germagraphene, which has been achieved in a recent experiment, is a promising LIB anode material. We find that at the optimal Ge concentration, which corresponds to the chemical formula C₁₇Ge, the specific capacity for Germagraphene can be as high as 1734 mA h g^-1, over four times larger than that of graphite. We show that the material has good electrical conduction before and after Li adsorption. We also investigate the diffusion process of Li on Germagraphene, and find that the diffusion barrier is low (∼0.151 eV), implying fast Li diffusion. The calculated average intercalation potential is very low (∼0.03 V), which is beneficial for increasing the working voltage for full-cells. In addition, during the process of Li intercalation, the lattice change for the material is quite small (∼0.48%), implying a good cycling performance. These results suggest that Germagraphene could be a promising high-capacity anode material for LIBs.

Dual-Ion Electrochemical Deionization System with Binder-Free Aerogel Electrodes

Desalination devices such as capacitive deionization (CDI) have been developed for many years as an approach to relief freshwater shortage. However, due to the limitation of physical adsorption capacity of CDI, the salt removal capacity is unable to reach high value. To enhance the desalination capacity effectively, battery materials are employed to fabricate a dual-ion electrochemical deionization (DEDI) device. Herein, a binder-free DEDI system with two free-standing aerogel electrodes is reported. A Na₃ V₂ (PO₄ )₃ /graphene hybrid aerogel is used as sodium electrode and a AgCl/graphene hybrid aerogel is used as chloride electrode. With electric current passing through, sodium and chloride ions are released or absorbed by two aerogel electrodes. This system achieves super high desalination capacity, excellent cycling stability, and rapid desalination rate. The desalination capacity is as high as 107.5 mg g^-1 after 50 cycles with the current density of 100 mA g^-1 . The outstanding desalination performance of this system shows a synergistic effect of combining battery materials with graphene for deionization and promises a new potential alternative of future desalination design.

Efficient Sodium-Ion Intercalation into the Freestanding Prussian Blue/Graphene Aerogel Anode in a Hybrid Capacitive Deionization System

In this study, we introduced an efficient hybrid capacitive deionization (HCDI) system for removal of NaCl from brackish water, in which Prussian blue nanocubes embedded in a highly conductive reduced graphene oxide aerogel have been used as a binderfree intercalation anode to remove Na⁺ ions. The combination of redox-active nanocubes and the three-dimensional porous graphene network yielded a high salt removal capacity of 130 mg g^-1 at the current density of 100 mA g^-1. Moreover, energy recovery and energy consumption upon different desorption voltages of the HCDI system were investigated and the result showed a notably low energy consumption of 0.23 Wh g^-1 and a high energy recovery of 39%. Furthermore, the real-time intercalation process was verified by in situ X-ray powder diffraction measurements, which confirmed the intercalation and deintercalation processes during charging and discharging, respectively. Eventually, a perfect stability of the desalination unit was confirmed through the steady performance of 100 cycles. The improved efficiency as well as ease of fabrication opens a shiny horizon for our HCDI system toward commercialization of such technology for brackish water desalination.

[Preliminary application of three-dimensional printing in dental education]

As one of the rapid prototyping technology, three-dimensional (3D) printing is booming since its birth. 3D printing has already been applied in biomedical engineering, medical mold processing and many healthcare fields, but its application in dental education is still in the exploratory stage. Nowadays, educators are seeking to integrate 3D printing and dental education. On the basis of the advantages of 3D printing, the quality of dental education will be further improved and students' enthusiasm for learning will be stimulated. This article will focus on elaborating the recent advances of 3D printing in dental education and exploring its direction in the field of teaching.

[Clinical evaluation of dry chemical enzyme method for detecting Neisseria gonorrhoeae and analysis of external quality assessment results]

Objective:Neisseria gonorrhoeae in female cervix sample was detected by dry chemical enzymatic method and culture method. The detection effects of two detection methods were analyzed to provide reference for clinical detection. At the same time, strains were separated and identified to evaluate reliability of different methods. Methods: During October 2015 to December 2017, 8 860 samples of female cervix from the Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University and Henan Provincial Peoples Hospital were detected by dry chemical enzymatic method and culture method. Because of the possible leak detection by culture method, the inconsistent results were supplemented by real-time PCR assay. The data were analyzed by SPSS 19.0. Fifteen strains of external quality assessment of Neisseria gonorrhoeae identification and validation during 2015 to 2017 years were identified by latex chromatography, culture method, dry chemical enzyme method and PCR- fluorescent probe method. Results: The positive rates of dry chemical enzymatic method and culture method for detection of Neisseria gonorrhoeae were 0.88% (78/8 860) and 0.41% (36/8 860), respectively. Among these, 26 samples were tested positive by dry chemical enzymatic method which were consistent with real-time PCR assay. Meanwhile, the culture method was negative. Dry chemistry enzyme method external quality assessment results of 3 years were accurate. Conclusion: The positive rate of dry chemical enzymatic method was markedly higher than that of culture method (P<0.05). The dry chemical enzymatic method, while exhibiting a high specificity, had high detection rate compared to culture method. And external quality assessment results are accurate. The clinical coincidence rate of dry chemical enzymatic detection was higher.

[ORAI1 variation induced combined immunodeficiency: a case report and literature review]

Objective: To summarize the clinical manifestations and gene variations of combined immunodeficiency caused by ORAI1 variation with a case report and literature review. Methods: The clinical data of the patient who was diagnosed with ORAI1 variation caused combined immunodeficiency in the Department of Pediatrics in Xiangya Hospital of Central South University in February 2018 were extracted and analyzed. The literature till August 2018 was searched with key words of 'ORAI1', and 'immunodeficiency' in both English and Chinese in the database of China national knowledge infrast ructure (CNKI), Wanfang and Pubmed. Results: The patient was a 15 months old girl with acute onset of bilateral ptosis after upper respiratory tract infection, which was rapidly progressed to systemic myasthenia and accompanied with recurrent respiratory tract infection during the treatment. The patient poorly to responded immunomodulatory therapy and anti-infection therapy. Laboratory tests demonstrated decreased complement C3 and NK cell (CD3(-)CD56(+)), increased anti-thyroglobulin, thyroid peroxidase antibody and B lymphocyte (CD3(-)CD19(+)), and slightly increased anti-acetylcholine receptor antibody. Genetic analysis showed the homozygous variation of ORAI1 gene exon l c.12 G>T (p.E4D), with heterozygostty of both parents. There were only 4 papers reporting this disease in the literature review. A total of 7 patients with ORAI1 gene variation were reported, including 3 homozygous variations, 2 heterozygous variations and 2 complex heterozygous variations. The clinical manifestations included early onset recurrent infection, congenital hypotonia, elevated serum IgA and IgM, decreased NK cells, and family history of hereditary diseases. Four of the 7 reported cases died of pulmonary infection and sepsis, and the other 3 survived with low muscular tone and poor self-care ability. Conclusions: The most common clinical manifestations of ORAI1 variation caused combined immunodeficiency are recurrent infection and congenital hypotonia. Myasthenia induced recurrent respiratory tract infection is an important factor of poor prognosis in severe patients. There is a lack of effective treatment for this disease, and the prognosis is poor.

Activated Luffa derived biowaste carbon for enhanced desalination performance in brackish water

Membrane capacitive deionization (MCDI) is an effective process to remove salt ions from brackish water. In this work, a systematic investigation was carried out to study the effects of applied potential and salt concentration on salt adsorption capacity (SAC), charge efficiency (Λ) and energy consumption in an MCDI system using Luffa biowaste derived carbon as electrodes. We studied the comparative MCDI performance of Luffa derived carbon as electrodes before and after activation. Furthermore, the desalination capacities of the electrodes were quantified by batch-mode experiments in a 2500 mg L⁻¹ NaCl solution at 0.8–1.2 V. Activated Luffa carbon showed a high SAC of 38 mg g⁻¹ at 1.2 V in a 2500 mg L⁻¹ NaCl solution with a low energy consumption of 132 kJ mol⁻¹ salt as compared to non-activated samples (22 mg g⁻¹, 143 kJ mol⁻¹). The adsorption mechanisms were investigated using kinetic models and isotherms under various applied potentials. Consequently, the excellent SAC of activated Luffa carbon can be attributed to the presence of micro/mesoporous network structure formed due to the activation process for the propagation of the salt ions.

Membrane capacitive deionization (MCDI) is an effective process to remove salt ions from brackish water.

[Identification and evaluation on methods with upstream flank sequences of CRISPR1, regarding Escherichia coli and Shigella]

Objective: To analyze the effect of the identification and evaluation of Escherichia (E.) coli and Shigella, based on the upstream flanking sequences of CRISPR1. Methods: Both CRISPR and cas sequences were obtained through the BLAST with repeating sequences against the publicly complete genome in GenBank that related to E. coli and Shigella. Clustal X was used to perform multi-sequences alignment of the flanking sequences. PCR method was used to amplify the upstream flanking sequences of CRISPR1 in order to appraise the effect of identification and evaluation of upstream flanking sequences on E. coli and Shigella, which were based on the upstream flanking sequences of CRISPR1. Results: The results showed that 73.4% of the strains containing the I-E CRISPR/Cas that belonged to the phylogroups A, B1, D while 8.4% strains carried the I-F CRISPR/Cas. Another 17.2% of the strains owned CRISPR3-4 (non-CRISPR/Cas) only belonged to the phylogroups B2. All the Shigella strains carried I-E CRISPR/Cas. More than 99% of similarity the CRISPR1 upstream-flanking sequences was seen in E. coli (except B2) and Shigella and E. coli (B2). Both sensitivity and specificity were greater than 91% after PCR amplification in the region to identify the E.coli and Shigella. Conclusion: The upstream of CRISPR1 could achieve a preliminary identification effect on E.coli and Shigella.

Ultrahigh-Desalination-Capacity Dual-Ion Electrochemical Deionization Device Based on Na3V2(PO4)3@C-AgCl Electrodes

Seawater desalination is a promising way to alleviate water scarcity nowadays. Present capacitive desalination methods have limitation of salt removal capacity. Herein, a new dual-ion electrochemical desalination system with an ultrahigh desalination capacity is reported. It is composed of Na₃V₂(PO₄)₃@C wires as a sodium ion Faradaic electrode, AgCl as a chloride ion Faradaic electrode, and salt feed solution as the electrolyte. When a constant current is applied, redox reactions occur on electrodes, releasing or removing sodium ions and chloride ions. Na₃V₂(PO₄)₃ has a high sodium specific capacity, and as a sodium superionic conductor, Na₃V₂(PO₄)₃@C wires form an ion conductor network, providing high sodium ion mobility. Additionally, both the wire structure and carbon shell enhance the electrical conductivity of Na₃V₂(PO₄)₃. Benefiting from these, outstanding desalination performance, rate capability, and cycle capability have been achieved with the Na₃V₂(PO₄)₃@C wire-AgCl device. An ultrahigh desalination capacity of 98.0 mg/g is obtained at a current density of 100 mA/g for more than 50 cycles. This system provides a viable dual-ion electrochemical desalination strategy, which outperforms most of the existing desalination methods.

[A family with Allan-Herndon-Dudley syndrome due to SLC16A2 gene mutation]

Objective: To report a family diagnosed with Allan-Herndon-Dudley syndrome (AHDS) due to SLC16A2 gene mutation and to summarize the phenotypes, genotypes, diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis. Methods: The clinical features of a family of AHDS diagnosed in Xiangya Hospital of Central South University in November 2017 were analyzed. Related literature was searched at Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM), PubMed, CNKI and Wanfang database (from the establishment of databases to June 2018) by using "Allan-Herndon-Dudley syndrome" , and "AHDS" as keywords and the case reports from April 2013 to June 2018 were reviewed. Results: The proband was a boy aged 8 months who presented with global developmental retardation, inability to hold up the head, disability to sit independently or grab, no language development, elongated face, big ears, esotropia, scoliosis, hypotonia in the trunk, hypertonia in extremities, and hyperreflexia. Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed widening of the extracerebral space and delayed myelination. Thyroid function tests revealed increased FT3, decreased FT4 and normal TSH. Whole exome sequencing (WES) revealed the SLC16A2 gene c.431-1 (IVS1) G>C hemizygous mutation. The infant's mother and grandmother are carriers, but whose father had no related mutation. One uncle from maternal side had severe psychomotor retardation as well as dystonia and died at one year of age with unknown etiology. A total of 97 articles were retrieved in which 19 case reports were reviewed. Forty-two cases (22 from 8 families and 20 sporadic) were reported. Among these 42 cases (all males), all of them presented with moderate to severe cognitive dysfunction, 15 with seizures; 36 were bedridden, only 4 could walk; 31 had no language development, 2 could speak sentences, 4 could speak few words, 1 had babbling sounds. Furthermore,16 had microcephaly, 18 had facial dysmorphism, 6 had esotropia, 2 had hearing loss,14 had scoliosis, 11 had joint contracture, 30 had low body weight/muscle wasting, 37 had hypotonia in trunk or extremities, 32 had progressive spastic paraplegia or hypertonia. In terms of thyroid function, 33 had abnormal results, within whom 30 had increased T3, 25 had decreased T4 and 3 had increased TSH. Brain MRI showed delayed myelination in 22 cases, within which one normalized with development. Genetic tests showed that 31 had missense mutation (14 sporadic), 5 had deletion mutation (3 sporadic, and 1 due to frameshift mutation), 5 had insertion mutation (2 sporadic), and 1 had repeated mutation. The prognosis was poor as patients often died of recurrent respiratory tract infection. Conclusions: The main clinical manifestations of AHDS are severe global developmental retardation, hypotonia, spastic paraplegia, abnormal serum levels of thyroid hormone and delayed brain myelination. SLC16A2 c. 431-1 (IVS1) G > C mutation is accountable for this disease.

Cost-effectiveness of health coaching and financial incentives to promote physical activity after total knee replacement

OBJECTIVE

We evaluated the cost-effectiveness of Telephonic Health Coaching and Financial Incentives (THC + FI) to promote physical activity in total knee replacement recipients.

DESIGN

We used the Osteoarthritis Policy Model, a computer simulation of knee osteoarthritis, to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of THC + FI compared to usual care. We derived transition probabilities, utilities, and costs from trial data. We conducted lifetime analyses from the healthcare perspective and discounted all cost-effectiveness outcomes by 3% annually. The primary outcome was the Incremental Cost-Effectiveness Ratio (ICER), defined as the ratio of the differences in costs and Quality-Adjusted Life Years (QALYs) between strategies. We considered ICERs <$100,000/QALY to be cost-effective. We conducted one-way sensitivity analyses that varied parameters across their 95% confidence intervals (CI) and limited the efficacy of THC + FI to 1 year or to 9 months. We also conducted a probabilistic sensitivity analysis (PSA), simultaneously varying cost, utilities, and transition probabilities.

RESULTS

THC + FI had an ICER of $57,200/QALY in the base case and an ICER below $100,000/QALY in most deterministic sensitivity analyses. THC + FI cost-effectiveness depended on assumptions about long-term efficacy; when efficacy was limited to 1 year or to 9 months, the ICER was $93,300/QALY or $121,800/QALY, respectively. In the PSA, THC + FI had an ICER below $100,000/QALY in 70% of iterations.

CONCLUSIONS

Based on currently available information, THC + FI might be a cost-effective alternative to usual care. However, the uncertainty surrounding this choice is considerable, and further research to reduce this uncertainty may be economically justified.

Recent Advances in Growth of Novel 2D Materials: Beyond Graphene and Transition Metal Dichalcogenides

Since the discovery of graphene just over a decade ago, 2D materials have been a central focus of materials research and engineering because of their unique properties and potential of revealing intriguing new phenomena. In the past few years, transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) have also attracted considerable attention because of the intrinsically opened bandgap. The exceptional properties and potential applications of graphene and TMDs have inspired explosive efforts to discover novel 2D materials. Here, emerging novel 2D materials are summarized and recent progress in the preparation, characterization, and application of 2D materials is highlighted. The experimental realization methods for these materials are emphasized, while the large-area growth and controlled patterning for industrial productions are discussed. Finally, the remaining challenges and potential applications of 2D materials are outlined.

[Surgical technique and outcomes of uteri retrieval from brain-dead multi-organ donors: a preclinical research of human uterine transplantation]

Objective: To evaluate the surgical technique and outcomes of uteri retrieval from brain-dead multi-organ donors.This study is a preclinical research of human living uterine transplantation. Methods: From May, 2015 to May, 2017, four uteri retrieval procedures, characterized with radical hysterectomy and uterine vascular pedicles dissection, were performed in multi-organ brain-dead donors.The uterus was the third authorized organ after the kidney and liver retrieval procedures in the first two cases.The uterine pedicles included the uterus, ovaries, fallopian tubes, the upper one-third of the vagina and internal iliac vessels or external iliac vessels.The perfusion of the uterus was conducted after the retrieval for evaluating the availability, followed by histopathological examination of the uterine issues per 30 minutes. Results: Since the uterine vein was quite difficult to identify and dissect in the first two case, which result in the rupture of triple uterine veins.Therefore, the uterine venous vessels including uterine vein connected with internal iliac vein and internal iliac arteries were selected as vascular grafts and dissected successfully in the last two cases, which could be perfused with the mixture of 4 ℃ heparinized physiological saline through each artery because of shortening the surgical time and arranging the uterine procurement as the first authorized organ procedure.Mean (SD) operative time was 152.5±39.0 min (115-215 min, n=4). Conclusion: Our preliminary experience indicated that the uterus could be retrieved from the brain-dead multi-organ donors and transplanted to the recipient.The attempt of skeletonizing the uterine veins should be replaced by dissection of internal iliac vein.

Vertical fast electron bremsstrahlung diagnostic on J-TEXT tokamak

Fast electron bremsstrahlung (FEB) emission during Ohmic discharge experiments on the Joint Texas Experimental Tokamak (J-TEXT) has been measured by a recently developed vertical multi-channel FEB diagnostic based on CdZnTe detectors. There are 5 sight lines to observe the vertical emission of fast electrons at the high-field side with a spatial resolution of 5 cm. The FEB emission in the energy range of 30-300 keV can be measured. The generation of fast electrons accelerated by loop voltage has been confirmed during the early phase of discharge by analyzing the signals of FEB emission. The runaway electron beam instabilities have been observed with the FEB diagnostic on J-TEXT.

Mechanism Investigation of High-Performance Li-Polysulfide Batteries Enabled by Tungsten Disulfide Nanopetals

Understanding the reaction kinetics and mechanism of Li-polysulfide batteries is critical in designing advanced host materials for improved performance. However, up to now, the reaction mechanism within the Li-polysulfide batteries is still unclear. Herein, we study the reaction mechanism of a high-performance Li-polysulfide battery by in situ X-ray diffraction (XRD) and density functional theory (DFT) calculations based on a multifunctional host material composed of WS₂ nanopetals embedded in rGO-CNT (WS₂-rGO-CNT) aerogel. The WS₂ nanopetal serves as a "catalytic center" to chemically bond the polysulfides and accelerate the polysulfide redox reactions, and the 3D porous rGO-CNT scaffold provides fast and efficient e^-/Li⁺ transportation. Thus, the resulting WS₂-rGO-CNT aerogel accommodating the polysulfide catholyte enables a stable cycling performance, excellent rate capability (614 mAh g^-1 at 2 C), and a high areal capacity (6.6 mAh cm^-2 at 0.5 C). In situ XRD results reveal that the Li₂S starts to form at an early stage of discharge (at a depth of 25% of the lower voltage plateau) during the discharge process, and β-S₈ nucleation begins before the upper voltage plateau during the recharge process, which are different from the conventional Li-S battery. Moreover, the WS₂ itself could be lithiated/delithiated during the cycling, making the lithiated WS₂ (Li _xWS₂, 0 ≤ x ≤ 0.3) a real host material for Li-polysulfide batteries. DFT calculations suggest that Li _xWS₂ (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.3) exhibits moderate binding/anchoring interactions toward polysulfides with adsorption energies of 0.51-1.4 eV. Our work reveals the reaction mechanism of the Li-polysulfide batteries and indicates that the lithiated host plays an important role in trapping the polysulfides.

Long non-coding RNA CRNDE may be associated with poor prognosis by promoting proliferation and inhibiting apoptosis of cervical cancer cells through targeting PI3K/AKT

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are attracting more and more attention from researchers because they are relatively new factors in regulating biological processes in human cancers. The Colorectal Neoplasia Differentially Expressed (CRNDE) lncRNA is transcribed from chromosome 16 on the opposite strand to the neighboring IRX5 gene. It was originally discovered abnormally expressed in colorectal cancer (CRC) and was certified a critical biomarker in many cancers. However, its biological function and mechanism underlying the tumorigenesis of cervical cancer still require exploration. This study confirmed that CRNDE is markedly up-regulated in clinical tissues and cell lines of cervical cancer. The high expression of CRNDE positively correlates with advanced FIGO stage and lymph node metastasis. Furthermore, the overall survival rate in the group with highly expressed CRNDE was worse, and the high level of CRNDE may be regarded a prognostic factor because of its results from proportional hazard analysis. Loss-of-function assays revealed that CRNDE influences proliferation and apoptosis in cervical cancer cells, and Western blot assays revealed that the PI3K/AKT pathway was inactivated in response to CRNDE knockdown. Therefore, we conclude that CRNDE exerts oncogenic function in cervical cancer and should be further explored as a novel prognostic predictor.

High-Performance Membrane Capacitive Deionization Based on Metal-Organic Framework-Derived Hierarchical Carbon Structures

Membrane capacitive deionization (MCDI) is a simple and highly energy efficient method to convert brackish water to clean water. In this work, a high-performance MCDI electrode architecture, which is composed of three-dimensional graphene networks and metal-organic frameworks (MOFs)-derived porous carbon rods, was prepared by a facile method. The obtained electrode material possesses not only the conducting networks for rapid electron transport but also the short diffusion length of ions, which exhibits excellent desalination performance with a high salt removal capacity, i.e., 37.6 mg g^-1 at 1.2 V in 1000 mg L^-1 NaCl solution. This strategy can be extended to other MOF-derived MCDI electrodes.

Universal Scaling Laws in Schottky Heterostructures Based on Two-Dimensional Materials

We identify a new universality in the carrier transport of two-dimensional (2D) material-based Schottky heterostructures. We show that the reversed saturation current (J) scales universally with temperature (T) as log(J/T^{β})∝-1/T, with β=3/2 for lateral Schottky heterostructures and β=1 for vertical Schottky heterostructures, over a wide range of 2D systems including nonrelativistic electron gas, Rashba spintronic systems, single- and few-layer graphene, transition metal dichalcogenides, and thin films of topological solids. Such universalities originate from the strong coupling between the thermionic process and the in-plane carrier dynamics. Our model resolves some of the conflicting results from prior works and is in agreement with recent experiments. The universal scaling laws signal the breakdown of β=2 scaling in the classic diode equation widely used over the past sixty years. Our findings shall provide a simple analytical scaling for the extraction of the Schottky barrier height in 2D material-based heterostructures, thus paving the way for both a fundamental understanding of nanoscale interface physics and applied device engineering.

[Evaluation of two methodologies for Chlamydia trachomatis detection in cervical samples of two clinics]

Objective: To compare the positive rates of Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) in gynecological clinic and reproductive medicine clinic by detecting cervical samples from two clinics with three assays of different methodologies. To determine the performances of enzyme assay and immunochromatography (ICA) assay compared to the real-time PCR assay. Methods: Seven hundred and eleven samples of gynecological clinic from May 2014 to May 2015 and 711 samples of reproductive medicine clinic from June 2014 to April 2015 were collected in Henan Province People's Hospital. Three cervical swabs were collected from each participant. The three samples were eluted with saline water then mixed. The samples were detected with three methodologies respectively after dividing the mixture into three. Results: The positive rates of CT in gynecological clinic and reproductive medicine clinic were 9.98% (71/711) and 4.22% (30/711) by real-time PCR assay, 10.83% (77/711) and 5.06% (36/711) by enzyme assay, 4.78% (34/711) and 2.11% (15/711) by ICA assay. The sensitivity and specificity were 85.1% (86/101) and 98.0% (1 294/1 321) by enzyme assay. The sensitivity of ICA assay was 45.5% (46/101) and specificity was 99.8% (1 318/1 321) compared to the real-time PCR assay. Conclusion: The positive rate of CT in gynecological clinic was markedly higher than that in reproductive medicine clinic (P<0.05). The ICA assay, while exhibiting a high specificity, had unacceptably low sensitivity compared to real-time PCR assay. The enzyme assay had higher sensitivity but slightly worse specificity.

Tailoring NiO Nanostructured Arrays by Sulfate Anions for Sodium-Ion Batteries

In this contribution, a novel sulfate-ion-controlled synthesis is developed to fabricate freestanding nickel hydroxide nanoarrays on Ni substrate. As an inorganic morphology-controlled agent, SO₄^2- ions play a critical role in controlling the crystal growth and the nanoarray morphologies, by modulating the growth rate of adsorbed crystal facets or inserting into the metal hydroxide interlayers. By controlling the SO₄^2- concentration, the nanostructured arrays are tailored from one-dimensional (1D) Ni(SO₄ )_0.3 (OH)_1.4 nanobelt arrays to hierarchical β-Ni(OH)₂ nanosheet arrays. With further graphene oxide modification and postheat treatment, the obtained NiO/graphene hybrid nanoarrays show great potential for high-performance sodium-ion batteries, which exhibit a cyclability of 380 mAh g^-1 after undergoing 100 cycles at 0.5 C and reach a rate capability of 335 mA h g^-1 at 10 C.

Efficient Sodium Storage in Rolled-Up Amorphous Si Nanomembranes

Alloying-type materials are promising anodes for high-performance sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) because of their high capacities and low Na-ion insertion potentials. However, the typical candidates, such as P, Sn, Sb, and Pb, suffer from severe volume changes (≈293-487%) during the electrochemical reactions, leading to inferior cycling performances. Here, a high-rate and ultrastable alloying-type anode based on the rolled-up amorphous Si nanomembranes is demonstrated. The rolled-up amorphous Si nanomembranes show a very small volume change during the sodiation/desodiation processes and deliver an excellent rate capability and ultralong cycle life up to 2000 cycles with 85% capacity retention. The structural evolution and pseudocapacitance contribution are investigated by using the ex situ characterization techniques combined with kinetics analysis. Furthermore, the mechanism of efficient sodium-ion storage in amorphous Si is kinetically analyzed through an illustrative atomic structure with dangling bonds, offering a new perspective on understanding the sodium storage behavior. These results suggest that nanostructured amorphous Si is a promising anode material for high-performance SIBs.

Crystallization-Induced Morphological Tuning Toward Denim-like Graphene Nanosheets in a KCl-Copolymer Solution

Although nucleation and crystallization in solution-processed materials synthesis is a natural phenomenon, the morphology design of graphene nanosheets by controlling the dual crystallization has not been established. In this work, we systematically demonstrate how the dual crystallization of ice and potassium chloride induces the morphological variation of the freeze-dried scaffold from fractal structure toward stepped sheet-like structure. A denim-like graphene nanosheet (DGNS) has been fabricated by annealing the F127-coated stepped sheet-like scaffold in nitrogen. DGNS shows parallel and straight stripes with an average stripe spacing of 10 nm. When used as a lithium-ion battery anode, DGNS possesses a superhigh reversible capacity of 1020 mAh g^-1 at the current density of 1 A g^-1 after 600 cycles. This work reports the control of dual crystallization of ice and salt crystals and provides an efficient way to design the morphology of two-dimensional materials by adjusting the crystallization.

Significant photoluminescence enhancement in WS2 monolayers through Na2S treatment

Tungsten disulfide monolayers have attracted extensive attention in nanoelectronics and optoelectronics applications due to their remarkable electronic and optical properties. High-quality WS2 monolayers with a scalable size and uniform thickness can be synthesized by a chemical vapor deposition method (CVD). However, they commonly contain intrinsic structural defects and different populations of charge carriers, which are responsible for different contributions of excitons, trions, and biexcitons to their photoluminescence (PL) emission. Here, we adopt sodium sulphide (Na2S) solution to chemically treat CVD-grown WS2 monolayers by a simple immersing method. The results show that WS2 monolayers have a significantly enhanced PL emission by a factor of 25-fold and an obvious red-shift of the PL wavelength, resulting from the different excitonic states induced by effective n-type doping after Na2S treatment. This work provides a simple but promising chemical doping route to significantly improve the optical properties of WS2 monolayers and paves the way for the realization of practical WS2 monolayer based optoelectronic applications.

[Analysis on the role of Sirius combined topography and tomography system in screening for suspect keratoconus]

Objective: To evaluate the role of Sirius combined topography and tomography system in screening for suspect keratoconus among the corneal refractive surgery candidates. Methods: Retrospective case series study. Eight hundred and sixteen consecutive ametropic patients (1 632 eyes) who underwent routine examinations before corneal refractive surgery at Peking University Third Hospital from January 2016 to September 2016 were reviewed. All the cases were analyzed with Sirius combined topography and tomography system. Fifty-nine eyes of 37 patients, aged (28.9±7.4) years, classified as suspect keratoconus by the system were enrolled in the suspect group, including 25 females (40 eyes) and 12 males (19 eyes). A random eye of the first 59 patients, aged (27.1±6.4)years, whose both eyes were classified as normal by Sirius system were enrolled in the control group, including 38 females and 21 males. The corneal anterior surface, posterior surface and minimum thickness data of the suspect group were analyzed and then compared with the control group. The classified results were further verified by Pentacam system. Independent-samples t test and Mann-Whitney U test were applied to analyze the normal distribution and non-normal distribution data respectively. Results: The medians of anterior surface and posterior surface symmetry index and Baiocchi Calossi Versaci index of anterior surface and posterior surface of the suspect group were 0.84, 0.22, 0.58 and 0.51 D, and that of the control group were 0.05, 0.04, 0.09 and 0.06 D, and the differences were of statistical significance (Z=-18.764, -8.351, -12.248, -10.709, P<0.01). Mean corneal minimum thickness data of the suspect group were (504.4±30.0)μm, and that of the control group were (541.2±32.1)μm, the differences were of statistical significance (t=-6.408, P<0.01). In the suspect group, the eyes related with suspect or abnormal corneal anterior indices accounted for 47.5% (28/59), the eyes related with suspect or abnormal corneal posterior indices accounted for 55.9% (33/59), and the eyes related with suspect or abnormal corneal minimum thickness accounted for 40.7% (24/59). In the suspect group, 45 eyes (76.3%) were classified as suspect or abnormal according to the overall variance index "D" by Belin-Ambrósio Display (BAD) of the Pentacam system, and the other 14 eyes exhibited at least one abnormal index related with keratoconus. Conclusions: Sirius 3D combined topography and tomography and its integral automatic classification system is capable to screen out the suspect keratoconus simply and effectively. These indices maybe arranged in descending order in terms of the sensitivity as corneal posterior surface, followed by corneal anterior surface and then corneal thinnest point thickness. (Chin J Ophthalmol, 2018, 54: 33-38).

[Survival of patients with primary central nervous system diffuse large B-cell lymphoma: impact of gene aberrations and protein overexpression of bcl-2 and C-MYC, and selection of chemotherapy regimens]

Objective: To investigate the impact of clinicopathological features, gene rearrangements and protein expression of bcl-6, bcl-2, C-MYC and chemotherapy regime on the prognosis of patients with primary central nervous system diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (PCNS-DLBCL). Methods: Thirty-three cases of PCNS-DLBCL diagnosed from January 2006 to December 2016 at Zhejiang Cancer Hospital were collected. The expression of CD10, bcl-6, bcl-2, MUM1 and MYC were detected by immunohistochemical staining (IHC). The presence of EB virus was detected by in situ hybridization(EBER). Copy number variation (ICN) and translocation status of bcl-6, bcl-2 and C-MYC genes were detected by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). The relationship between the above indexes and the prognosis was analyzed by univariate, bivariate survival analysis and multiple Cox hazard regression analysis. Results: The study included 33 patients of PCNS-DLBCL, without evidence of primary or secondary immunodeficient disease. Male to female ratio was 1.36∶1.00, and the average age was 56 years. Twenty cases had single lesion while 13 had multiple lesions. Deep brain involvement was seen in 12 cases. All patients underwent partial or total tumor resection. Five patients received whole brain post-surgery radiotherapy, nine patients received high-dose methotrexate (HD-MTX) based chemotherapy, and 12 patients received whole-brain radiotherapy combined with HD-MTX based chemotherapy. Severn patients received no further treatment and rituximab was used in 8 patients. According to the Hans model, 27 cases were classified as non-GCB subtypes (81.8%). Bcl-2 was positive in 25 cases (75.8%, 25/33) and highly expressed in 8 (24.2%). MYC was positive in 12 cases (36.4%) and double expression of bcl-2 and MYC was seen in 6 cases. EBER positive rate was 10.0%(3/30), all of which had multiple lesions. Two bcl-6 gene translocations and 3 amplifications were found in 28 patients. Two translocations, 3 ICN or with both bcl-2 gene translocation and ICN were found in 30 patients. Four ICNs of C-MYC gene were found in 28 patients. Elevated protein in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) was found in 13 patients. LDH increased in 10 cases. Follow-up period was 2-90 months with the average survival time of (23.0±3.7) months and two-year survival rate of 39.0%. Univariate survival analysis showed that overexpression of bcl-2 protein (≥70%) and MYC protein (≥40%), bcl-2 gene abnormality (including copy number increase and translocation), C-MYC gene copy number increased were adverse factors for survival. C-MYC/ bcl-2 gene double hit was seen in 2 cases. Bivariate survival analysis found that of bcl-2/MYC protein double expression and bcl-2 and C-MYC genes double aberration were significantly associated with adverse outcomes. Cox multivariate risk regression analysis found that gender, cerebrospinal fluid protein increasing, and ICN of C-MYC gene were independent poor prognostic factors. DH-MTX based comprehensive chemotherapy was associated with better prognosis. Conclusions: Double hit at genomic level (copy number variations and gene rearrangements) and double protein expression of bcl-2 and C-MYC in PCNS-DLBCL are significantly associated with an adverse outcome. DH-MTX based comprehensive treatment may prolong the patient survival.

[Research on blood distribution of Tibetan population in Ali area]

Objective: To explore the distribution of ABO blood group in the healthy population in the Ali area of Tibet, and to analyze the difference of blood group distribution between the Tibetan population in Ali and the Tibet Tibetan population. Methods: The blood distribution of 509 apparent healthy volunteers of Tueti County and Gal County, Tibet, which were randomly selected from September to November in 2016; 137 Tibetan blood donors, from 2016 September to2017 July and 84 Tibetan blood donors from 2015 August to 2017 July was analyzed retrospectively. The blood type was tested by the slide method. By reviewing the Chinese and foreign language database, seven articles on Tibetan blood group distribution were obtained. And the data of the blood distribution of the Ali area population and the Tibet Tibetan population were compared. Results: The ABO phenotype frequencies of 507 apparent healthy people, 137 blood donors and 84 recipients were B>O>A>AB. The composition ratio were 36.1%, 34.5%, 21.5 %, 7.9%; 40.1%, 35.0%, 17.5%, 7.3%; 39.3%, 34.5%, 20.2%, 6.0%.There was no statistically significant difference in blood group distribution between the donors and the recipients (P>0.05). And there was no significant difference in the blood group distribution between Ali and Shigatse, Nagqu, Lhasa, Shannan. However, the differences between Ali and Qamdo, Nyingchi areas were statistically significant. Conclusion: The geographical position of the blood from the west to east, B type shows a downward trend, O type blood composition ratio shows an upward trend.

Electrical Homogeneity of Large-Area Chemical Vapor Deposited Multilayer Hexagonal Boron Nitride Sheets

Large-area hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) can be grown on polycrystalline metallic substrates via chemical vapor deposition (CVD), but the impact of local inhomogeneities on the electrical properties of the h-BN and their effect in electronic devices is unknown. Conductive atomic force microscopy (CAFM) and probe station characterization show that the tunneling current across the h-BN stack fluctuates up to 3 orders of magnitude from one substrate (Pt) grain to another. Interestingly, the variability in the tunneling current across the h-BN within the same substrate grain is very low, which may enable the use of CVD-grown h-BN in ultra scaled technologies.

[Effect of cannabinoid receptor-2 agonist AM1241 on platelet-derived growth factor expression in the liver tissue of mice with hepatic fibrosis]

Objective: To investigate the effect of cannabinoid receptor-2 (CB2) agonist AM1241 on the mRNA and protein expression of platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) and collagen-III (Col-III) in the liver tissue of mice with experimental liver fibrosis induced by carbon tetrachloride (CCl(4)). Methods: Totally 38 8-week-old male C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into control group, model group, 3 mg/kg CB2 receptor agonist (AM1241) group, and 9 mg/kg AM1241 group. All mice, except for the control group, were treated with 30% CCl(4) (three times a week, 5 ml/kg body weight, 16 weeks) to establish a liver fibrosis model. Meanwhile, 3 and 9 mg/kg AM1421 was intraperitoneally injected for daily intervention, respectively. The dosage was adjusted according to actual body weight. The same solvent was given in the control group. The serum level of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) was measured by serum enzyme digestion. The liver inflammation and fibrosis were observed by HE staining of tissue slices. The mRNA and protein expression of PDGF and Col-III in hepatic tissue was determined by real-time PCR and immunohistochemistry. Results: Compared with the control group, the mice in model group showed severe liver fibrosis, significantly elevated serum AST level (742 ± 300.8 U/L vs 118.1 ± 31.1 U/L, P < 0.05), and significantly increased mRNA and protein expression of PDGF and Col-III in liver tissue (P < 0.05). Compared with the model group, the mice in 3 mg/kg AM1241 group and 9 mg/kg AM1241 group had less severe liver fibrosis, and significantly reduced serum AST levels (116.6 ± 13.68 U/L vs 742 ± 300.8 U/L, P < 0.05; 113.8 ± 16.01 U/L vs 742 ± 300.8 U/L, P < 0.05) and mRNA and protein expression of PDGF and Col-III in liver tissue (P < 0.05). Conclusion: CB2 receptor agonist AM1241 can inhibit the mRNA and protein expression of PDGF in the liver tissue of mice with hepatic fibrosis, and reduce extracellular matrix synthesis.

Green Fabrication of Silkworm Cocoon-like Silicon-Based Composite for High-Performance Li-Ion Batteries

Designing yolk-shell nanostructures is an effective way of addressing the huge volume expansion issue for large-capacity anode and cathode materials in Li-ion batteries (LIBs). Previous studies mainly focused on adopting a SiO₂ template through HF etching to create yolk-shell nanostructures. However, HF etching is highly corrosive and may result in a significant reduction of Si content in the composite. Herein, a silkworm cocoon-like silicon-based composite is prepared through a green approach in which Al₂O₃ was selected as a sacrificial template. The void space between the outer nitrogen-doped carbon (NC) shell formed by chemical vapor deposition using a pyridine precursor and the inside porous silicon nanorods (p-Si NRs) synthesized by magnesiothermic reduction of ordered mesoporous silica nanorods can be generated by etching Al₂O₃ with diluted HCl. The obtained p-Si NRs@void@NC composite is utilized as an anode material for LIBs, which exhibits a large initial discharge capacity of 3161 mAh g^-1 at 0.5 A g^-1, excellent cycling behavior up to 300 cycles, and super rate performance. Furthermore, a deep understanding of the mechanism for the yolk-shell nanostructure during the Li-alloying process is revealed by in situ transmission electron microscopy and finite element simulation.

Correction: A dual-ion electrochemistry deionization system based on AgCl-Na0.44MnO2 electrodes

Correction for 'A dual-ion electrochemistry deionization system based on AgCl-Na_0.44MnO₂ electrodes' by Fuming Chen et al., Nanoscale, 2017, 9, 10101-10108.

A Prussian blue anode for high performance electrochemical deionization promoted by the faradaic mechanism

Desalination is a sustainable process that removes sodium and chloride ions from seawater. Herein, we demonstrate a faradaic mechanism to promote the capacity of capacitive deionization in highly concentrated salt water via an electrochemical deionization device. In this system, ion removal is achieved by the faradaic mechanism via a constant current operation mode, which is improved based on the constant voltage operation mode used in the conventional CDI operation. Benefiting from the high capacity and excellent rate performance of Prussian blue as an active electrochemical reaction material, the designed unit has revealed a superior removal capacity with an ultrafast ion removal rate. A high removal capacity of 101.7 mg g^-1 has been obtained with proper flow rate and current density. To further improve the performance of the EDI, a reduced graphene oxide with nanopores and Prussian blue composite has been synthesized. The PB@NPG has demonstrated a high salt removal capacity of 120.0 mg g^-1 at 1 C with an energy consumption of 6.76 kT per ion removed, which is much lower than most CDI methods. A particularly high rate performance of 0.5430 mg g^-1 s^-1 has been achieved at 40 C. The faradaic mechanism promoted EDI has provided a new insight into the design and selection of host materials for highly concentrated salt water desalination.

[Advances of self-healing dental composite resin]

Degradation of composite resin during ageing always produces micro-cracks, the latter could gradually expand, leading to the fracture of tooth restoration. In order to extend the service life of composite resin by repairing cracks intelligently, self-healing microcapsule models have been introduced in resin-based dental materials. This paper will present the concept and classification of self-healing materials, and review the research progresses on self-healing dental resin.

A dual-ion electrochemistry deionization system based on AgCl-Na0.44MnO2 electrodes

Novel desalination technologies with high ion removal capacity and low energy consumption are desirable to tackle the water shortage challenge. Herein, we report a dual-ion electrochemistry deionization (DEDI) system with silver chloride as the electrochemical chloride release/capture anode, sodium manganese oxide as the electrochemical sodium release/capture cathode, and flow salt solution as the electrolyte. Sodium and chloride ions are synergistically released to the flow electrolyte feed at an applied positive current. Under negative current conditions, the two ions are extracted from the flow electrolyte feed to their corresponding electrodes at the same time, which can cause a conductivity decrease indicating salt removal. The salt absorption/desorption capacity of the novel deionization system is stable and reversible, up to 57.4 mg g^-1 for 100 cycles, which is much higher than that obtained by conventional or hybrid capacitive deionization devices. The charge efficiency is 0.979/0.956 during the salt desorption/absorption process. This research will be of great significance for high efficiency and low energy consumption seawater desalination.

Nontopotactic Reaction in Highly Reversible Sodium Storage of Ultrathin Co9 Se8 /rGO Hybrid Nanosheets

Transition metal chalcogenide with tailored nanosheet architectures with reduced graphene oxide (rGO) for high performance electrochemical sodium ion batteries (SIBs) are presented. Via one-step oriented attachment growth, a facile synthesis of Co₉ Se₈ nanosheets anchored on rGO matrix nanocomposites is demonstrated. As effective anode materials of SIBs, Co₉ Se₈ /rGO nanocomposites can deliver a highly reversible capacity of 406 mA h g^-1 at a current density of 50 mA g^-1 with long cycle stability. It can also deliver a high specific capacity of 295 mA h g^-1 at a high current density of 5 A g^-1 indicating its high rate capability. Furthermore, ex situ transmission electron microscopy observations provide insight into the reaction path of nontopotactic conversion in the hybrid anode, revealing the highly reversible conversion directly between the hybrid Co₉ Se₈ /rGO and Co nanoparticles/Na₂ Se matrix during the sodiation/desodiation process. In addition, it is experimentally demonstrated that rGO plays significant roles in both controllable growth and electrochemical conversion processes, which can not only modulate the morphology of the product but also tune the sodium storage performance. The investigation on hybrid Co₉ Se₈ /rGO nanosheets as SIBs anode may shed light on designing new metal chalcogenide materials for high energy storage system.

[Effect of a nano hydroxyapatite desensitizing paste application on dentin bond strength of three self-etch adhesive systems]

Objective: To evaluate a nano-hydroxyapatite (nano-HA) desensitizing paste application on the bond strength of three self-etch adhesives. Methods: Three dentin specimens of about 1 mm thick were cut from two teeth. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) was used to evaluate the dentin surfaces without treatment, after citric acid treatment and after nano-HA treatment. Thirty-six intact third molars extracted for surgical reasons were cut to remove the occlusal enamel with isomet, and then were etched with 1% citric acid for 20 s to simulate the sensitive dentin and divided into two groups randomly using a table of random numbers (n=18): the control group (no treatment) and the HA treated group (with nano-HA paste treatment). Each group was divided into three subgroups randomly using a table of random numbers (n=6). Subgroup A, B and C was bonded with G-Bond, Clearfil S(3) Bond and FL-Bond Ⅱ according to the manufacture's instruction separately. At 24 h after bonding procedure, and after water storage for 6 months, microtensile bond strength of the specimens was tested and the failure mode was analyzed. Results: SEM obeservation showed that citric acid could open the dentin tubules to set up the sensitive dentin model, and the nano-HA could occlude the dentin tubules effectively. For subgroup A, bonding strength of specimens treated with nano-HA ([41.14±8.91] MPa) was significantly high than that of the control group ([34.27±6.16] MPa) at 24 h after bonding procedure (P<0.05). However, after 6 month water ageing, the bonding strength of the control group and the HA treated group showed no significant difference (P>0.05). For subgroup B, specimens with nano-HA application showed lower bonding strength ([30.87±6.41] MPa) than that of the control group ([36.73±5.82] MPa) at 24 h after bonding procedure (P<0.05), and after 6 month water ageing, the bond strength of nano-HA application ([25.73±6.99] MPa) was also lower than that of the control group ([32.33±5.08] MPa) (P<0.05). For subgroup C, the bond strength of the control group and the HA treated group have no significant difference either before or after 6 month water ageing (P>0.05). Failure mode analysis showed that more than half of the samples in all groups were adhesive failure. Conclusions: Nano-HA treatment decreased the bond strength of subgroup B, while had no adverse effect on subgroup A and subgroup C.

Effect of sodium aescinate treatment on PCOS rat model with insulin resistance

BACKGROUND

Recent studies indicated that insulin resistance may contribute to the pathogenesis of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS); however, the specific mechanism is still unclear.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the effect of sodium aescinate (SA) on PCOS-IR rat models.

METHODS

Sixty rats were randomly divided into the five groups: un-treated rats (n = 12), PCOS-IR group (n = 12), PCOS-IR group plus 50 mg/kg SA (n = 12), PCOS-IR group plus 10 mg/kg SA (n = 12), PCOS-IR group plus 150 mg/kg metformin (n = 12). On day 21, rats were sacrificed, and H(and)E staining was performed for histopathologic examination of the ovaries; moreover, the serum level of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), testosterone, and luteotropic hormone (LH) were measured, and the expression as well as phosphorylation of PI3K, Akt and Gsk-3β were examined using western blot assay.

RESULTS

High dosage of SA treatment improved the morphological features of the ovaries in PCOS rats, and also induced significant decrease in serum expression of testosterone and LH/FSH ratio and significant decrease in the expression of p-PI3K, p-Akt and p-Gsk-3β.

CONCLUSION

Our results demonstrated that SA treatment could alleviate the symptom of PCOS in rat model through regulating the PI3K/Akt/GSK3-β pathway (Fig. 4, Ref. 22).

[Effects and related mechanism of angiotensin-(1-7) on Toll-like receptor 4-mediated oxidative stress in human umbilical vein endothelial cells]

Objective: To explore the role and related mechanisms of angiotensin-(1-7)(Ang-(1-7)) on Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) mediated oxidized low-density lipoprotein(ox-LDL)-induced oxidative stress in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Methods: HUVECs were cultured in vitro and divided into six groups: the control group (normal medium), the ox-LDL group(treated with 75 mg/L ox-LDL), the ox-LDL+ Ang-(1-7) group (1 μmol/L Ang-(1-7) pretreated for 30 minutes, then intervened with 75 mg/L ox-LDL), the ox-LDL+ Ang-(1-7)+ A-779 group(1 μmol/L A-779 (Mas receptor) pretreated for 30 minutes, 1 μmol/L Ang-(1-7) pretreated for 30 minutes, then intervened with 75 mg/L ox-LDL), the ox-LDL+ A-779 group (1 μmol/L A-779 pretreated for 30 minutes, then intervened with 75 mg/L ox-LDL), the ox-LDL+ HTA125 group (10 μg/L HTA125 (TLR4-blocking antibody) pretreated for 30 minutes, then intervened with 75 mg/L ox-LDL ). The corresponding index was detected after 24 hours after intervention. Apoptosis of cells were detected by Annexin V-FITC/PI double staining flow cytometry and transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate-biotin nick end labeling (TUNEL). The generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), products in oxidative stress, were detected by DCFH-DA staining. The mRNA and protein expression levels of NADPH oxidase 4(NOX4) and TLR4 were detected by real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blotting analysis respectively. Results: (1) The results of Annexin V-FITC/PI double staining flow cytometry showed that the proportion of apoptotic cells was higher in ox-LDL group than in control group ((21.18±1.40)% vs. (1.59±0.26)%, P<0.01), lower in ox-LDL+ Ang-(1-7) group((7.42±1.07)%) and ox-LDL+ HTA125 group((9.19±1.01)%) than in ox-LDL group (both P<0.01), higher in ox-LDL+ Ang-(1-7)+ A-779 group ((19.91±1.30)%) and ox-LDL+ A-779 group((20.47±0.95)%) than in ox-LDL+ Ang-(1-7) group (both P<0.01). (2) The TUNEL results showed that the proportion of apoptotic cells was higher in ox-LDL group than in control group((10.83±0.77)% vs. (2.83±0.82)%, P<0.01), lower in ox-LDL+ Ang-(1-7) group ((3.66±0.54)%)and ox-LDL+ HTA125 group((4.97±0.60)%) than in ox-LDL group(both P<0.01), higher in ox-LDL+ Ang-(1-7)+ A-779 group((10.69±0.62)%) and ox-LDL+ A-779 group((11.43±0.42)%) than in ox-LDL+ Ang-(1-7) group (both P<0.01). (3) ROS level was higher in ox-LDL group than in control group(0.093±0.014 vs. 0.053±0.011, P<0.01), lower in ox-LDL+ Ang-(1-7) group (0.063±0.011, P<0.01)and ox-LDL+ HTA125 group(0.070±0.010, P<0.05)than in ox-LDL group, higher in ox-LDL+ Ang-(1-7)+ A-779 group(0.088±0.003) and ox-LDL+ A-779 group(0.095±0.005) than in ox-LDL+ Ang-(1-7) group (both P<0.01). (4) The mRNA expression level of NOX4 was higher in ox-LDL group than in control group(11.74±0.65 vs. 1.00±0.00, P<0.01), lower in ox-LDL+ Ang-(1-7) group (2.85±0.75)and ox-LDL+ HTA125 group(5.57±0.52) than in ox-LDL group(both P<0.01), higher in ox-LDL+ Ang-(1-7)+ A-779 group(10.51±0.54) and ox-LDL+ A-779 group (11.04±1.01) than in ox-LDL+ Ang-(1-7) group (both P<0.01), higher in ox-LDL group than in control group(27.60±1.86 vs. 1.00±0.00, P<0.01), lower in ox-LDL+ Ang-(1-7) group (8.00±1.03)and ox-LDL+ HTA125 group(14.83±0.97)than in ox-LDL group(both P<0.01), higher in ox-LDL+ Ang-(1-7)+ A-779 group(24.81±2.19) and ox-LDL+ A-779 group (26.64±0.65)than in ox-LDL+ Ang-(1-7) group (both P<0.01). (5)The protein expression level of NOX4 was higher in ox-LDL group than in control group (0.61±0.09 vs. 0.23±0.02, P<0.01), lower in ox-LDL+ Ang-(1-7) group(0.27±0.03) and ox-LDL+ HTA125 group(0.22±0.02) than in ox-LDL group(both P<0.01), higher in ox-LDL+ Ang-(1-7)+ A-779 group (0.58±0.06)and ox-LDL+ A-779 group(0.61±0.03) than in ox-LDL+ Ang-(1-7) group (both P<0.01). The protein expression level of TLR4 was higher in ox-LDL group than in control group(0.18±0.02 vs. 0.08±0.01, P<0.01), lower in ox-LDL+ Ang-(1-7) group(0.07±0.01) and ox-LDL+ HTA125 group(0.09±0.01) than in ox-LDL group(both P<0.01), higher in ox-LDL+ Ang-(1-7)+ A-779 group(0.18±0.02) and ox-LDL+ A-779 group(0.20±0.02) than in ox-LDL+ Ang-(1-7) group (both P<0.01). Conclusion: TLR4 mediated the ox-LDL induced injury in HUVECs, and Ang-(1-7) could attenuate ox-LDL induced injury in HUVECs by modulating the specific Mas receptors.

[Study of epidemic area on Tsutsugamushi disease in Taizhou from 2013 to 2014]

Objective: To study the epidemiological characteristics of tsutsugamushi disease, and to confirm the existence of the disease's epidemic foci in Taizhou. Methods: From 2013 to 2014, Dongxing town hospital and Xingqiao town hospital were selected as specimen collection sites in Jingjiang city. Blood samples (5 ml) were collected from 40 patients with acute tsutsugamushi disease. A total of 59 rodents were captured with cage night method in the survey sites at 5, 7, 9, 10, and 11 months in 2013, from which, the spleen, liver, and kidney specimens were selected. Chigger mites were captured by small blackboard method and from the ears of the captured rodents. A total of 226 small blackboards were laid, 27 mites were captured, and the samples were grounded into suspension. Nested-polymerase chain reaction and cell and tissue culture techniques were used to test the specimen from the probable patients, host animals and chigger mites. Results: Among the 40 acute tsutsugamushi disease blood samples, 29 were found to meet the test requirements, 17 were positive for orientia tsutsugamushi nucleic acid with 59% of the positive rate, and 1 stran orientia tsutsugamushi was isolated. 59 rats were captured and the density of mice was 5.5%. Among them, there were 26 Mus musculus (2.4%), 18 Rattus flavipectus (1.7%) and 15 Smelly shrew (density 1.4%). 1 Smelly shrew was tested positive for orientia tsutsugamushi nucleic acid, and the negative results were found in the other rodent specimens. 27 Chigge mites were collected by small blackboard method and the density of mites was 0.12 for each blackboard, among which 3 larvae and 24 nymphs were found. 33 Chigger mites were collected from the ears of 3 Smelly shrew, and the density of the mite was 11 per mouse. All the captured Chigger mites were identified as Leptotrombidium scutellare and 1 group of specimens of Chigger mites from the external environment were positive for orientia tsutsugamushi nucleic acid. Conclusion: There was a high density of mice in the epidemic area from May to November and the species of the chigger mites were Chigger mites in Taizhou. The nucleic acid of the oriental tsutsugamushi was detected in the patients with acute scrub typhus, rodents and vectors. According to the above-mentioned results, it was considered that the scrub typhus epidemic area of Taizhou city has the natural foci of scrub typhus.

[Changes of resistant phenotype and CRISPR/Cas system of four Shigella strains passaged for 90 times without antibiotics]

Objective: To explore the stability of resistant phenotypes and changes of clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated (Cas) gene system on four Shigella strains in the absence of antibiotics. Methods: Four clinical isolated Shigella strains that resistant to different antibiotics were consecutive passaged for 90 times without antibiotics. Agar dilution method was used to determine the minimum inhibitory concentration of Shigella strains. After sequence analysis with PCR, CRISPR Finder and Clustal X 2.1 were applied to identify the changes of CRISPR loci in the Shigella strains. Results: After the consecutive transfer of 90 generations, sensitivity to certain antibiotics of four Shigella strains with different drug resistant spectrums increased. Mel-sf1998024/zz resistance to ampicillin, cephalexin, cefotaxime, chloramphenicol decreased, mel-s2014026/sx resistance to norfloxacin, trimethoprim decreased, mel-sf2004004/sx drug resistance to ampicillin, cefuroxime, cefotaxime, chloramphenicol, trimethoprim decreased and mel-sf2013004/bj resistance to chloramphenicol decreased. The spacer of which matched gene codes Cas and its upstream repeat in 3'end of CRISPR3 got lost in mel-sf1998024/zz and mel-sf2013004/bj. Conclusions:Shigella strains could reduce or lose their resistance to some antibiotics after consecutive transfers, without the interference of antibiotics. CRISPR3 locus had dynamic spacers in Shigella strains while CRISPR3 locus and cas genes might have been co-evolved.

[Inhibitory effect of quercetin on the biofilm formation of Streptococcus mutans]

OBJECTIVE

To observe the inhibitory effect of quercetin on the biofilm formation of Streptococcus mutans(Sm), to preliminarily reveal the possible underlying mechanisms, and to evaluate the cytotoxicity of quercetion to human dental pulp cells so as to provide the theoretical basis for the application of quercetin in oral biomaterials.

METHODS

Quercetin storage solution was diluted to 0, 3.125, 6.25, 12.5, 25, 50, 100, 200, 400 and 800 mg/L, and added into Sm medium for 4 h and 24 h, crystal violet staining was used to evaluate the biofilm volume. In subsequent detections, three groups were set: control(0 mg/L), 200 mg/L quercetin and 400 mg/L quercetin. Confocal laser scanning microscopy was used to observe the morphology of the biofilm; qPCR for gtfB, gtfC, comD, comE, and luxS were assessed to preliminarily investigate the mechanisms. Finally, the methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium(MTT)test using human dental pulp cells was used to investigate cytotoxicity.

RESULTS

Quercetin could significantly inhibit up to(86.16±0.45)% of the biofilm formation of Sm(Compared with the control group P=0.00)and effectively removed(43.04±0.53)% of the mature biofilm(Compared with the control group P=0.00). Confocal laser scanning microscopy photographs showed that after co-incubated for 24 h, the dense biofilm structures of the experimental group were destroyed by quercetin both at 200 mg/L and 400 mg/L. Quercetin suppressedover 50% of the expression of gtfB, gtfC, comD, comE(compared with the control group P<0.05)and promoted the expression of luxS up to 2.18 ± 0.24 and 2.84 ± 0.26 after 4 h and 24 h, respectively(compared with the control group P<0.05). Quercetin also exhibited acceptable compatibility for human dental pulp cells.

CONCLUSIONS

Quercetin could effectively reduce the biofilm formation of Sm by inhibiting the expression of the related genes, and exhibited no cytotoxicity for human dental pulp cells. Quercetin has good potential to be applied in oral biological materials.

Nitrogen-doped graphene oxide for effectively removing boron ions from seawater

Elemental boron exists in the form of boric acid or borate salts in aqueous solution. The human body is very sensitive to the amount of boron, and boron contamination in drinking water affects our health adversely. However, boron is not easily removed due to its small ionic size and is a problem to water treatment systems. Herein, we report a new method to remove boron using nitrogen-doped graphene oxide (N-GO). The maximum adsorption capacity we have obtained is 58.7 mg g^-1 and this makes N-GO one of the best materials to adsorb boron. Real seawater with 5 mg L^-1 as boron is used as a feed for testing and the absorption capacity is shown to be up to 2.42 mg g^-1. This high adsorption capacity is mainly attributed to the large amount of hydroxyl groups distributed across the high surface area of graphene oxide and the enhanced adsorption that results from nitrogen-doped sites. Once N-GO is saturated with boron ions, it can be easily regenerated via acid treatment. Our proposed technique has high commercial value and we believe that it is very valuable to the water treatment industry.

3D nitrogen-doped graphene foam with encapsulated germanium/nitrogen-doped graphene yolk-shell nanoarchitecture for high-performance flexible Li-ion battery

Flexible electrochemical energy storage devices have attracted extensive attention as promising power sources for the ever-growing field of flexible and wearable electronic products. However, the rational design of a novel electrode structure with a good flexibility, high capacity, fast charge–discharge rate and long cycling lifetimes remains a long-standing challenge for developing next-generation flexible energy-storage materials. Herein, we develop a facile and general approach to three-dimensional (3D) interconnected porous nitrogen-doped graphene foam with encapsulated Ge quantum dot/nitrogen-doped graphene yolk-shell nano architecture for high specific reversible capacity (1,220 mAh g⁻¹), long cycling capability (over 96% reversible capacity retention from the second to 1,000 cycles) and ultra-high rate performance (over 800 mAh g⁻¹ at 40 C). This work paves a way to develop the 3D interconnected graphene-based high-capacity electrode material systems, particularly those that suffer from huge volume expansion, for the future development of high-performance flexible energy storage systems.

The development of materials for energy storage hinges on the design of electrodes with large capacity, flexibility, fast charge–discharge rate and long cycling lifetime. Here, the authors develop electrodes based on nitrogen doped graphene with encapsulated Ge quantum dots with yolk-shell architecture.

A Microfluidic DNA Sensor Based on Three-Dimensional (3D) Hierarchical MoS₂/Carbon Nanotube Nanocomposites

In this work, we present a novel microfluidic biosensor for sensitive fluorescence detection of DNA based on 3D architectural MoS₂/multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) nanocomposites. The proposed platform exhibits a high sensitivity, selectivity, and stability with a visible manner and operation simplicity. The excellent fluorescence quenching stability of a MoS₂/MWCNT aqueous solution coupled with microfluidics will greatly simplify experimental steps and reduce time for large-scale DNA detection.

[Study on the survival rate of random flap using pre-injection of ADSCs]

Objective: To determine the effects of adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) on the survival rate of flaps by transplanting ADSCs into the experimental flaps pre-operatively. Methods: ADSCs were isolated from fresh human fat and cultured in vitro. Their morphological characters were observed, and flowcytometry and differentiation test and evaluation were conducted. A total of 40 BALB/c mice were divided into 5 groups randomly with each of 8 mice. 1 cm×4 cm random skin flap was designed on the mice back, ADSCs were injected in advance into subcutaneous tissues of 3 groups, the operation was performed on the 2^nd, 5^th and 7^th day after the ADSCs injection, meanwhile skin flap operation was conducted in the immediate injection group and control group. Survival condition of the skin flaps was observed and von willebrand factor (vWF) staining was used to detect the number of micro-vessels in the skin flap. The enzyme-linked immuno sorbent assay (ELISA) method was used to detect the concentration of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the skin flap. Results: The immediate injection group had a significantly higher survival rate of skin flap than the pre-injection groups and the control group [(51.5±6.3)% vs (38.3±6.7)%, (21.0±2.9)%, (30.0±3.9)% and (34.5±4.2)%, all P<0.01]. The immediate injection group had a significantly higher number of micro-vessels in the skin flap than the pre-injection groups and the control group [(21.0±4.3) vs (17.5±3.9), (9.9±2.6), (13.9±2.6) and (16.1±3.3)/LPF, all P<0.01]. The laboratory results of the concentration of VEGF in skin flap kept a consistent tendency with the flap survival rate. Conclusion: Pre-injection with the ADSCs into the skin flap prevents the survival of the flap to a certain extend and does not show the function of promoting tissue angiogenesis.

Tracking Optical Welding through Groove Modes in Plasmonic Nanocavities

We report the light-induced formation of conductive links across nanometer-wide insulating gaps. These are realized by incorporating spacers of molecules or 2D monolayers inside a gold plasmonic nanoparticle-on-mirror (NPoM) geometry. Laser irradiation of individual NPoMs controllably reshapes and tunes the plasmonic system, in some cases forming conductive bridges between particle and substrate, which shorts the nanometer-wide plasmonic gaps geometrically and electronically. Dark-field spectroscopy monitors the bridge formation in situ, revealing strong plasmonic mode mixing dominated by clear anticrossings. Finite difference time domain simulations confirm this spectral evolution, which gives insights into the metal filament formation. A simple analytic cavity model describes the observed plasmonic mode hybridization between tightly confined plasmonic cavity modes and a radiative antenna mode sustained in the NPoM. Our results show how optics can reveal the properties of electrical transport across well-defined metallic nanogaps to study and develop technologies such as resistive memory devices (memristors).

[The prevalence of temporomandibular disorder symptoms in 898 university students and its relationship with psychological distress and sleep quality]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the prevalence of temporomandibular disorders(TMD) symptoms, psychological distress and sleep quality in a population of Chinese university students, and discuss the relationship between psychological distress, sleep quality and TMD symptoms.

METHODS

A total of 898 stomatological university students from 5 Chinese universities(342 males and 556 females with a mean age of 20.5 years) were included in the study. Self-reported TMD symptoms using diagnostic criteria for temporomandibular disorders symptom questionnaire were collected. Depression, anxiety and stress scales-21(DASS-21) and Pittsburgh sleep quality index(PSQI) were used to measure psychological distress and sleep quality.

RESULTS

61.9% (556/898) of the students had TMD symptoms. The most common symptoms were pain and clicking of joint, with a prevalence of 42.3% (380/898) and 34.2% (307/898), respectively. The prevalence of depression, anxiety, stress and sleep quality among the students who had TMD symptoms was 33.5%(186/556), 63.1%(351/556), 29.5%(164/556) and 30.2%(243/556), respectively, which was significantly higher than those who had no TMD symptoms(24.3% [83/342], 48.5% [166/342], 21.6%[74/342] and 21.9%[75/342])(P<0.05). Stepwise logistic regression analysis demonstrated that anxiety (OR 1.57, 95%CI 1.14-2.15) and female(OR 1.57, 95%CI 1.19-2.08) were possible risk indicators for TMD symptoms(P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Chinese university students reported a high prevalence of TMD symptoms, which may have a correlation with psychological distress symptoms such as anxiety.

Borophene as an extremely high capacity electrode material for Li-ion and Na-ion batteries

"Two-dimensional (2D) materials as electrodes" is believed to be the trend for future Li-ion and Na-ion battery technologies. Here, by using first-principles methods, we predict that the recently reported borophene (2D boron sheets) can serve as an ideal electrode material with high electrochemical performance for both Li-ion and Na-ion batteries. The calculations are performed on two experimentally stable borophene structures, namely β12 and χ3 structures. The optimized Li and Na adsorption sites are identified, and the host materials are found to maintain good electric conductivity before and after adsorption. Besides advantages including small diffusion barriers and low average open-circuit voltages, most remarkably, the storage capacity can be as high as 1984 mA h g(-1) in β12 borophene and 1240 mA h g(-1) in χ3 borophene for both Li and Na, which are several times higher than the commercial graphite electrode and are the highest among all the 2D materials discovered to date. Our results highly support that borophenes can be appealing anode materials for both Li-ion and Na-ion batteries with extremely high power density.