Extremely Deformable, Transparent, and High-Performance Gas Sensor Based on Ionic Conductive Hydrogel.

Fabrication of stretchable chemical sensors becomes increasingly attractive for emerging wearable applications in environmental monitoring and health care. Here, for the first time, chemically derived ionic conductive polyacrylamide/carrageenan double-network (DN) hydrogels are exploited to fabricate ultrastretchable and transparent NO and NH sensors with high sensitivity (78.5 ppm) and low theoretical limit of detection (1.

Efficacy and safety of steroid in the prevention of esophageal stricture after endoscopic submucosal dissection: A network meta-analysis.

Background And Aim: Even though endoscopic submucosal dissection is an important endoscopic resection technique for gastrointestinal neoplasms, there are chances that postoperative esophageal stricture might take place as a side effect. Steroid applications were reported to be effective for the prevention of stricture formation. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of different steroid applications.

Sodium alginate-templated synthesis of g-CN/carbon spheres/Cu ternary nanohybrids for fire safety application.

Constructing novel graphic carbon nitride (g-CN)-based nanohybrids via a facile method for high-performance polymeric materials which exhibit enhanced fire safety properties are highly desirable. Here, the g-CN/carbon sphere/Cu (denoted as CSACS-C) nanohybrid was prepared by metal ions-induced gel reaction using sodium alginate as a green template, and thereafter introduced into thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) matrix to prepare nanocomposites. Microstructure analyses indicated the successful synthesis of the ternary nanohybrid, where both the g-CN nanosheets and Cu nanoparticles were well-dispersed in the carbon material.

Multiple integrin ligands provide a highly adhesive and osteoinductive surface that improves selective cell retention technology.

Among various bone tissue engineering strategies, selective cell retention (SCR) technology has been used as a practical clinical method for bone graft manufacturing in real time. The more mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are retained, the better the osteoinductive microenvironment provided by the scaffold, which in turn promotes the osteogenesis of the SCR-fabricated bone grafts. Integrin receptors are crucial to cell-matrix adhesion and signal transduction.

SnO-rGO nanocomposite as an efficient electron transport layer for stable perovskite solar cells on AZO substrate.

Electron transport layer (ETL) plays an important role in realizing efficient and stable perovskite solar cells (PSCs). There are continuous efforts in developing new types of low cost ETLs with improved conductivity and compatibility with perovskite and the conducting electrode. Here, in order to obtain high efficient and stable PSCs on ZnO:Al (AZO) substrate, reduced graphene oxide (rGO) is incorporated into SnO nanoparticles to form composite ETL.

Enhanced Detectivity and Suppressed Dark Current of Perovskite-InGaZnO Phototransistor via a PCBM Interlayer.

Hybrid phototransistors based on InGaZnO (IGZO) metal oxide thin-film transistors (TFT) and a photoabsorbing capping layer such as perovskite (MAPbI) are a promising low-cost device for developing advanced X-ray and UV flat-panel imagers. However, it is found that the introduction of MAPbI inevitably damages the IGZO channel layer during fabrication, leading to deteriorated TFT characteristics such as off-current rising and threshold voltage shift. Here, we report an effective approach for improving the performance of the perovskite-IGZO phototransistor by inserting a [6,6]-phenyl C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) or PCBM:PMMA interlayer between the patterned MAPbI and IGZO.

Virtual Hepatic Venous Pressure Gradient with CT Angiography (CHESS 1601): A Prospective Multicenter Study for the Noninvasive Diagnosis of Portal Hypertension.

Purpose To develop and validate a computational model for estimating hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG) based on CT angiographic images, termed virtual HVPG, to enable the noninvasive diagnosis of portal hypertension in patients with cirrhosis. Materials and Methods In this prospective multicenter diagnostic trial (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02842697), 102 consecutive eligible participants (mean age, 47 years [range, 21-75 years]; 68 men with a mean age of 44 years [range, 21-73 years] and 34 women with a mean age of 52 years [range, 24-75 years]) were recruited from three high-volume liver centers between August 2016 and April 2017.

Comprehensive comparative compositional study of the vapour phase of cigarette mainstream tobacco smoke and tobacco heating product aerosol.

A simple direct sample collection/dilution and introduction method was developed using quartz wool and Tenax/sulficarb sorbents for thermal desorption and comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography (TD-GC × GC) analyses of volatile organic compounds from vapour phase (VP) fractions of aerosol produced by tobacco heating products (THP1.0) and 3R4F mainstream tobacco smoke (MTS). Analyses were carried out using flame ionisation detection (FID) for semi-quantification and both low and high resolution time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LR/HR-TOFMS) for qualitative comparison and peak assignment.

[Exposure to propofol down-regulates myelin basic protein expression in zebrafish embryos: its neurotoxicity on oligodendrocytes and the molecular mechanisms].

Objective: To investigate the mechanism underlying propofol- induced down-regulation of myelin basic protein (MBP) in zebrafish embryos.

Methods: Zebrafish embryos (6-48 h post-fertilization [hpf]) were randomized into 4 equal groups for exposure to dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), 20 μg/mL propofol, 30 μg/mL propofol, or no particular treatment (control group). The larvae were collected at 48 or 72 hpf for detecting the mRNA levels of MBP, Olig1, Olig2, and Sox10 using qRT-PCR (=80).

Guided Formation of Large Crystals of Organic and Perovskite Semiconductors by an Ultrasonicated Dispenser and Their Application as the Active Matrix of Photodetectors.

The crystallization of organic or perovskite semiconductors reflects the intermolecular interactions and crucially determines the charge transport in opto-electronic devices. In this report, we demonstrate and investigate the use of an ultrasonicated dispenser to guide the formation of crystals of organic and perovskite semiconductors. The moving speed of the dispenser affects the match between the concentration gradient and evaporation rate near the three-phase contact lines and thus the generation of various crystallization morphologies.

MAD2 Combined with Mitotic Spindle Apparatus (MSA) and Anticentromere Antibody (ACA) for Diagnosis of Small Cell Lung Cancer (SCLC).

BACKGROUND MAD2 is the gene controlling mitosis. Many studies have assessed MAD2 in various types of carcinoma. Antinuclear mitotic spindle apparatus antibody (MSA) and anticentromere antibody (ACA) are related mitotic antibodies, playing roles in autoimmune diseases and carcinomas, but the expression of MAD2, MSA, and ACA in SCLC is unclear.

Structural and electronic properties of KY(BH): DFT+U study.

The structure, composition, and electronic property of mixed-cation borohydrides are of significant importance for understanding and improving their thermodynamic and kinetic activities. Conventional density functional theory (DFT) fails to correctly describe the electronic structure of the system due to insufficient cancellation of the self-interaction energy and underestimation of the band gap. In the present work, we present a systematic investigation of the structural and electronic properties of KY(BH) for the first time at the DFT+U level of theory.

Development and validation of a radiomics signature for clinically significant portal hypertension in cirrhosis (CHESS1701): a prospective multicenter study.

Clinically significant portal hypertension (CSPH) is associated with an incremental risk of esophageal varices and overt clinical decompensations. However, hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG) measurement, the gold standard for defining CSPH (HVPG≥10 mm Hg) is invasive and therefore not suitable for routine clinical practice. This study aims to develop and validate a radiomics-based model as a noninvasive method for accurate detection of CSPH in cirrhosis.

The synergistic effect of propofol and ulinastatin suppressed the viability of the human lung adenocarcinoma epithelial A549 cell line.

Ulinastatin and propofol (PPF) are recognized for their anticancer properties. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the synergistic antitumor effect of PPF followed by ulinastatin against A549 cells. In MTT assays, PPF (10, 20 and 30 µM) followed by 200 U/ml ulinastatin was more effective at inhibiting A549 cell viability compared with PPF (10, 20 and 30 µM) or 200 U/ml ulinastatin.

Accurate measurement of main aerosol constituents from heated tobacco products (HTPs): Implications for a fundamentally different aerosol.

ISO 4387 Standard determines the main aerosol constituents (total particulate matter, water, nicotine, and nicotine-free-dry-particulate matter, referred to as "tar") in cigarette mainstream smoke (ISO, 2000). Heated Tobacco Products (also called Tobacco Heating Products or Heat-not-Burn Products) are designed to form aerosol by heating tobacco rather than burning like in combustible cigarettes. In this study we have evaluated the suitability of ISO 4387 Standard to be adapted for quantifying main aerosol constituents for HTP aerosol.

Pb speciation in rare earth minerals and use of entropy and fuzzy clustering methods to assess the migration capacity of Pb during mining activities.

Ionic rare earth mining is of strategic importance in China; however, the heavy metal pollution it causes is of great concern, both at home and abroad. Data on Pb speciation at a rare earth mine were used to analyse the migration capacity of Pb during the process of ore leaching. The major factors thought to influence the migration capacity of Pb, including the clay mineral content, soil pH, oxidation-reduction potential, organic matter content, and cation exchange capacity (CEC), were quantified.

Effect of Bariatric Surgery on Urinary Incontinence in Obese Women: A Meta-analysis and Systematic Review.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to explore the effectiveness of bariatric surgery in obese women with urinary incontinence (UI) through meta-analysis.

Methods: Searches of PubMed, the Cochrane Library, and EMBASE databases were performed using "weight loss surgery/bariatric surgery/gastric bypass surgery" and "incontinentia urinae/uracratia/urinary incontinence/uroclepsia" in the title/abstract before January 2018. Then, meta-analysis was analyzed by Review Manager 5.

Photoresponsivity of an all-semimetal heterostructure based on graphene and WTe.

Heterostructures based on two-dimensional (2D) materials have sparked wide interests in both fundamental physics and applied devices. Recently, Dirac/Weyl semimetals are emerging as capable functional materials for optoelectronic devices. However, thus far the interfacial coupling of an all-semimetal 2D heterostructure has not been investigated, and its effects on optoelectronic properties remain less well understood.

Multifunctional Highly Sensitive Multiscale Stretchable Strain Sensor Based on a Graphene/Glycerol-KCl Synergistic Conductive Network.

Stretchable strain sensors have promising applications in health monitoring and human motion detection. However, only a few of the strain sensors reported to date have exhibited a multiscale strain range and a high gauge factor simultaneously. As such, most strain sensors cannot be used in applications that require both high sensitivity and a multiscale strain range.

RPA1 downregulation enhances nasopharyngeal cancer radiosensitivity via blocking RAD51 to the DNA damage site.

Background/aim: Nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC) has a high local recurrence rate due to its resistance to ionizing radiation (IR). Replication protein A1 (RPA1) is one of the main elements in the homologous repair (HR) pathway, which is closely associated with the repair of DNA double strand breaks (DDBs). Studies on the relationship between RPA1 and the radiosensitivity of NPC are substantially limited.

Establishment of a Macaca fascicularis gut microbiome gene catalog and comparison with the human, pig, and mouse gut microbiomes.

Macaca fascicularis, the cynomolgus macaque, is a widely used model in biomedical research and drug development as its genetics and physiology are close to those of humans. Detailed information on the cynomolgus macaque gut microbiota, the functional interplay between the gut microbiota and host physiology, and possible similarities to humans and other mammalians is very limited. The aim of this study was to construct the first cynomolgus macaque gut microbial gene catalog and compare this catalog to the human, pig, and mouse gut microbial gene catalogs.

LncRNA AK077216 promotes RANKL-induced osteoclastogenesis and bone resorption via NFATc1 by inhibition of NIP45.

Osteoclasts derived from the monocyte/macrophage hematopoietic lineage regulate bone resorption, a process balanced by bone formation in the continual renewal of the skeletal system. As dysfunctions of these cells result in bone metabolic diseases such as osteoporosis and osteopetrosis, the exploration of the mechanisms regulating their differentiation is a priority. A potential mechanism may involve long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), which are known to regulate various cell biology activities, including proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis.

Analytical Methods for Pesticides and Herbicides.

A review of the literatures published in 2017 on topics relating to analytical methods for pesticides and herbicides is presented in this paper. Based on different techniques, this review is divided into seven parts, i. e.

Allosteric mechanisms underlie GPCR signaling to SH3-domain proteins through arrestin.

Signals from 800 G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) to many SH3 domain-containing proteins (SH3-CPs) regulate important physiological functions. These GPCRs may share a common pathway by signaling to SH3-CPs via agonist-dependent arrestin recruitment rather than through direct interactions. In the present study, F-NMR and cellular studies revealed that downstream of GPCR activation engagement of the receptor-phospho-tail with arrestin allosterically regulates the specific conformational states and functional outcomes of remote β-arrestin 1 proline regions (PRs).