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.