Multi-Atlas Based Segmentation of Brainstem Nuclei from MR Images by Deep Hyper-Graph Learning.

Accurate segmentation of brainstem nuclei (red nucleus and substantia nigra) is very important in various neuroimaging applications such as deep brain stimulation and the investigation of imaging biomarkers for Parkinson's disease (PD). Due to iron deposition during aging, image contrast in the brainstem is very low in Magnetic Resonance (MR) images. Hence, the ambiguity of patch-wise similarity makes the recently successful multi-atlas patch-based label fusion methods have difficulty to perform as competitive as segmenting cortical and sub-cortical regions from MR images.

Insight into In Situ Amphiphilic Functionalization of Few-Layered Transition Metal Dichalcogenide Nanosheets.

A facile route toward functionalized amphiphilic layered transition-metal dichalcogenide nanosheets through in situ polymerization of polystyrene-polyacrylamide copolymers is established. The attachment of copolymers greatly affects their dispersibility in different kinds of solvents. Surface-tension components, polarity, and coordination effects of the copolymer are found to be the main factors affecting the dispersibility.

Unveil the Size-Dependent Mechanical Behaviors of Individual CNT/SiC Composite Nanofibers by In Situ Tensile Tests in SEM.

In situ quantitative tensile tests of individual carbon nanotube (CNT)/SiC core-shell nanofibers are carried out in both a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and a transmission electron microscope (TEM). The incorporation of CNTs into a SiC matrix led to improved elastic modulus and fracture strength of the CNT/SiC nanofibers as compared to SiC alone.

Cobalt-Doped FeSe2-RGO as Highly Active and Stable Electrocatalysts for Hydrogen Evolution Reactions.

Herein, we describe the preparation and testing of Co-doped FeSe2 hybridized with graphene (Fe1-xCoxSe2/RGO), a high-active yet stable electrocatalyst for hydrogen evolution reactions (HERs) in acidic solutions. First, we systematically analyze the composition and morphology of Fe1-xCoxSe2/RGO and attribute its excellent electrochemical performance to its unique architecture-a base of highly conductive graphene with fully exposed active edges that enhances conductivity and facilitates ion/electron transfer. Our experimental measurements indicate elevated HER activity with a moderate overpotential of ∼166 mV at a hydrogen production current density of 10 mA cm(-2), a small Tafel slope of ∼36 mV dec(-1), and long cycling lifespan more than 20 h.

Controlled synthesis and comparison of NiCo2S4/graphene/2D TMD ternary nanocomposites for high-performance supercapacitors.

Novel ternary electrode materials based on graphene, NiCo2S4, and transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) were designed and fabricated with the intention of exploiting synergistic effects conducive to supercapacitive energy storage. Compared to NiCo2S4-g-MoSe2, the NiCo2S4-g-MoS2 electrode exhibited higher specific capacitance, enhanced rate capability (1002 F g(-1) even at 5 A g(-1), 6.01 F cm(-2) at a current density of 25 mA cm(-2)) and cycling stability (94.

Magnetic Core-Shell to Yolk-Shell Structures in Palladium-Catalyzed Suzuki-Miyaura Reactions: Heterogeneous versus Homogeneous Nature.

This study describes a comparative investigation on the heterogeneous versus homogeneous nature of the Pd-catalyzed Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reaction mechanism with specific magnetic hierarchical core-shell and yolk-shell structures. The hierarchical core-shell Fe O @SiO -Pd@mCeO (m=mesoporous) catalyst contains a core of nonporous silica-sheltered magnetite (Fe O ) nanoparticles (NPs), a transition layer of active palladium (Pd) NPs, and an outer shell of porous ceria (CeO ). The magnetic yolk-shell Fe O @h-Pd@mCeO (h=hollow) catalyst was prepared by selectively etching the nonporous silica interlayers.

Interphase Induced Dynamic Self-Stiffening in Graphene-Based Polydimethylsiloxane Nanocomposites.

The ability to rearrange microstructures and self-stiffen in response to dynamic external mechanical stimuli is critical for biological tissues to adapt to the environment. While for most synthetic materials, subjecting to repeated mechanical stress lower than their yield point would lead to structural failure. Here, it is reported that the graphene-based polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) nanocomposite, a chemically and physically cross-linked system, exhibits an increase in the storage modulus under low-frequency, low-amplitude dynamic compressive loading.

Identification and validation of AIB1 and EIF5A2 for noninvasive detection of bladder cancer in urine samples.

We previously demonstrated that amplified in breast cancer 1 (AIB1) and eukaryotic initiation factor 2 (EIF5A2) overexpression was an independent predictor of poor clinical outcomes for patients with bladder cancer (BCa). In this study, we evaluated the usefulness of AIB1 and EIF5A2 alone and in combination with nuclear matrix protein 22 (NMP22) as noninvasive diagnostic tests for BCa. Using urine samples from 135 patients (training set, controls [n = 50] and BCa [n = 85]), we detected the AIB1, EIF5A2, and NMP22 concentrations using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

Discovery of biomarkers for oxidative stress based on cellular metabolomics.

Oxidative stress has a close relationship with various pathologic physiology phenomena and the potential biomarkers of oxidative stress may provide evidence for clinical diagnosis or disease prevention. Metabolomics was employed to identify the potential biomarkers of oxidative stress. High-performance liquid chromatography-diode array detector, mass spectrometry and partial least squares discriminate analysis were used in this study.

A dynamic interaction process between KaiA and KaiC is critical to the cyanobacterial circadian oscillator.

The core circadian oscillator of cyanobacteria consists of three proteins, KaiA, KaiB, and KaiC. This circadian oscillator could be functionally reconstituted in vitro with these three proteins, and therefore has been a very important model in circadian rhythm research. KaiA can bind to KaiC and then stimulate its phosphorylation, but their interaction mechanism remains elusive.

Layer-by-layer self-assembly of polyelectrolyte functionalized MoS2 nanosheets.

Few-layered polyelectrolyte functionalized MoS2 nanosheets were obtained for the first time through in situ polymerization of MoS2 nanosheets with poly(acrylic acid) and poly(acrylamide), both of which demonstrated excellent dispersibility and stability in water. After designing and optimizing the components of this series of polyelectrolyte functionalized MoS2 nanosheets, by exploiting the electrostatic interactions present in the modified MoS2 nanosheets, we further created a series of layer-by-layer (LBL) self-assembling MoS2-based films. To this end, uniform MoS2 nanosheet-based LBL films were precisely deposited on substrates such as quartz, silicon, and ITO.

Surface Tension Components Based Selection of Cosolvents for Efficient Liquid Phase Exfoliation of 2D Materials.

A proper design of direct liquid phase exfoliation (LPE) for 2D materials as graphene, MoS2 , WS2 , h-BN, Bi2 Se3 , MoSe2 , SnS2 , and TaS2 with common cosolvents is carried out based on considering the polar and dispersive components of surface tensions of various cosolvents and 2D materials. It has been found that the exfoliation efficiency is enhanced by matching the ratio of surface tension components of cosolvents to that of the targeted 2D materials, based on which common cosolvents composed of IPA/water, THF/water, and acetone/water can be designed for sufficient LPE process. In this context, the library of low-toxic and low-cost solvents with low boiling points for LPE is infinitely enlarged when extending to common cosolvents.

The Effect of Preoperative Apolipoprotein A-I on the Prognosis of Surgical Renal Cell Carcinoma: A Retrospective Large Sample Study.

The prognostic value of serum lipid-profile in renal cell cancer (RCC) remains unknown. The purpose of the study is to explore the association between the serum lipid-profile and RCC patients.The levels of preoperative serum lipid-profile (including cholesterol, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol [HDL-C], low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol [LDL-C], apolipoprotein A-I [ApoA-I], and apolipoprotein B [ApoB]) were retrospectively performed in 786 patients with RCC.

Prognostic value of perioperative leukocyte count in resectable gastric cancer.

Aim: To investigate the prognostic significance of perioperative leukopenia in patients with resected gastric cancer.

Methods: A total of 614 eligible gastric cancer patients who underwent curative D2 gastrectomy and adjuvant chemotherapy were enrolled in this study. The relationship between pre- and postoperative hematologic parameters and overall survival was assessed statistically, adjusted for known prognostic factors.

A clinical prognostic scoring system for resectable gastric cancer to predict survival and benefit from paclitaxel- or oxaliplatin-based adjuvant chemotherapy.

Background: Gastrectomy with D2 lymphadenectomy is a standard procedure of curative resection for gastric cancer (GC). The aim of this study was to develop a simple and reliable prognostic scoring system for GC treated with D2 gastrectomy combined with adjuvant chemotherapy.

Methods: A prognostic scoring system was established based on clinical and laboratory data from 579 patients with localized GC without distant metastasis treated with D2 gastrectomy and adjuvant chemotherapy.

Genome-Wide Identification and Characterization of Long Non-Coding RNAs from Mulberry (Morus notabilis) RNA-seq Data.

Numerous sources of evidence suggest that most of the eukaryotic genome is transcribed into protein-coding mRNAs and also into a large number of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs). Long ncRNAs (lncRNAs), a group consisting of ncRNAs longer than 200 nucleotides, have been found to play critical roles in transcriptional, post-transcriptional, and epigenetic gene regulation across all kingdoms of life. However, lncRNAs and their regulatory roles remain poorly characterized in plants, especially in woody plants.

Overexpression of RNF2 Is an Independent Predictor of Outcome in Patients with Urothelial Carcinoma of the Bladder Undergoing Radical Cystectomy.

RNF2 (ring finger protein 2) is frequently overexpressed in several types of human cancer, but the status of RNF2 amplification and expression in urothelial carcinoma of the bladder (UCB) and its clinical/prognostic significance is unclear. In this study, immunohistochemical analysis and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) were used to examine the expression and amplification of RNF2 in 184 UCB patients after radical cystectomy. Overexpression of RNF2 was observed in 44.

Surface functionalization of two-dimensional metal chalcogenides by Lewis acid-base chemistry.

Precise control of the electronic surface states of two-dimensional (2D) materials could improve their versatility and widen their applicability in electronics and sensing. To this end, chemical surface functionalization has been used to adjust the electronic properties of 2D materials. So far, however, chemical functionalization has relied on lattice defects and physisorption methods that inevitably modify the topological characteristics of the atomic layers.

Solid-Liquid Self-Adaptive Polymeric Composite.

A solid-liquid self-adaptive composite (SAC) is synthesized using a simple mixing-evaporation protocol, with poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) and poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) as active constituents. SAC exists as a porous solid containing a near equivalent distribution of the solid (PVDF)-liquid (PDMS) phases, with the liquid encapsulated and stabilized within a continuous solid network percolating throughout the structure. The pores, liquid, and solid phases form a complex hierarchical structure, which offers both mechanical robustness and a significant structural adaptability under external forces.

An epigenetic biomarker combination of PCDH17 and POU4F2 detects bladder cancer accurately by methylation analyses of urine sediment DNA in Han Chinese.

To develop a routine and effectual procedure of detecting bladder cancer (BlCa), an optimized combination of epigenetic biomarkers that work synergistically with high sensitivity and specificity is necessary. In this study, methylation levels of seven biomarkers (EOMES, GDF15, NID2, PCDH17, POU4F2, TCF21, and ZNF154) in 148 individuals-which including 58 urothelial cell carcinoma (UCC) patients, 20 infected urinary calculi (IUC) patients, 20 kidney cancer (KC) patients,20 prostate cancer (PC) patients, and 30 healthy volunteers (HV)-were quantified by qMSP using the urine sediment DNA. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were generated for each biomarker.

Dose fractionation in synchrotron radiation x-ray phase micro-tomography.

Phase sensitive x-ray imaging expands the applicability of standard attenuation based techniques by offering several orders of magnitude of increase in sensitivity. Due to the short wavelength, x-ray phase is not directly measurable, but has to be put in evidence by the use of phase contrast techniques. The phase can then be reconstructed from one or several phase contrast images.

The waaL gene mutation compromised the inhabitation of Enterobacter sp. Ag1 in the mosquito gut environment.

Background: The mosquito gut harbors a variety of bacteria that are dynamically associated with mosquitoes in various contexts. However, little is known about bacterial factors that affect bacterial inhabitation in the gut microbial community. Enterobacter sp.

Metal diselenide nanoparticles as highly active and stable electrocatalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction.

In this communication, nickel diselenide (NiSe2) nanoparticles are synthesized by a facile and low-cost hydrothermal method. The synthesis method can be extended to other metal diselenides as well. The electrode made of NiSe2 exhibits superior electrocatalytic activity in the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER).

3D Band Diagram and Photoexcitation of 2D-3D Semiconductor Heterojunctions.

The emergence of a rich variety of two-dimensional (2D) layered semiconductor materials has enabled the creation of atomically thin heterojunction devices. Junctions between atomically thin 2D layers and 3D bulk semiconductors can lead to junctions that are fundamentally electronically different from the covalently bonded conventional semiconductor junctions. Here we propose a new 3D band diagram for the heterojunction formed between n-type monolayer MoS2 and p-type Si, in which the conduction and valence band-edges of the MoS2 monolayer are drawn for both stacked and in-plane directions.