SiN/SiO-Based Fabry-Perot Interferometer on Sapphire for Near-UV Optical Gas Sensing of Formaldehyde in Air.

Fabry-Perot interferometers (FPIs), comprising foundry-compatible dielectric thin films on sapphire wafer substrates, were investigated for possible use in chemical sensing. Specifically, structures comprising two vertically stacked distributed Bragg reflectors (DBRs), with the lower DBR between a sapphire substrate and a silicon-oxide (SiO) resonator layer and the other DBR on top of this resonator layer, were investigated for operation in the near-ultraviolet (near-UV) range. The DBRs are composed of a stack of nitride-rich silicon-nitride (SiN) layers for the higher index and SiO layers for the lower index.

Prognostic Significance of Excision Repair Cross-Complementation Group 1 on Circulating Tumor Cells for Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma.

Background: Liquid biopsy, including the detection of circulating tumor cells (CTCs), has emerged as a promising tool for cancer diagnosis and monitoring. However, the prognostic value of CTCs in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) remains unclear due to the lack of phenotypic characterization. The expression of Excision Repair Cross-Complementation Group 1 (ERCC1) and CTCs epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) have been associated with treatment efficacy.

Control Software Design for a Multisensing Multicellular Microscale Gas Chromatography System.

Microscale gas chromatography (μGC) systems are miniaturized instruments that typically incorporate one or several microfabricated fluidic elements; such systems are generally well suited for the automated sampling and analysis of gas-phase chemicals. Advanced μGC systems may incorporate more than 15 elements and operate these elements in different coordinated sequences to execute complex operations. In particular, the control software must manage the sampling and analysis operations of the μGC system in a time-sensitive manner; while operating multiple control loops, it must also manage error conditions, data acquisition, and user interactions when necessary.

Automatic peak detection algorithm based on continuous wavelet transform for complex chromatograms from multi-detector micro-scale gas chromatographs.

Peak detection for chromatograms, including the detection of peak retention times, peak start locations, and peak end locations, is an important processing step for extracting peak information that is used for chemical recognition. Compared to benchtop gas chromatographs, the chromatograms generated by microscale gas chromatographs (µGCs) often contain higher noise levels, peak overlap, peak asymmetry, and both positive and negative chromatographic peaks, increasing the challenges for peak detection. This paper reports an automatic peak detection algorithm based on continuous wavelet transform (CWT) for chromatograms generated by multi-detector µGCs.

The roles and applications of short-chain fatty acids derived from microbial fermentation of dietary fibers in human cancer.

Dietary fibers (DFs) and their metabolites attract significant attention in research on health and disease, attributing to their effects on regulating metabolism, proliferation, inflammation, and immunity. When fermented by gut microbiota, DFs mainly produce short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), such as acetic acid, propionic acid, and butyric acid. As the essential nutrients for intestinal epithelial cells, SCFAs maintain intestinal homeostasis and play essential roles in a wide range of biological functions.

Prognostic value of EBV DNA and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio in patients with non-metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma: a retrospective study.

Purpose: Analyzing the prognostic value of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) DNA load and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) in non-metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients, thereby developing a reliable and effective marker.

Methods: We compared survival rates among different groups using the Kaplan-Meier method and the Log-rank test. The factors affecting the prognosis of NPC patients were determined using univariate and multivariate cox regression analysis.

The role of EBV-encoded miRNA in EBV-associated gastric cancer.

Epstein-Barr virus ( 4, EBV) is a linear double-stranded DNA virus that infects over 90% of the population worldwide. However, our understanding of EBV's contribution to tumorigenesis of EBV-associated GC (EBVaGC) remains incomplete. Recent advancements in EBVaGC research have highlighted that EBV-encoded microRNAs (miRNAs) play prominent roles in critical cellular processes such as migration, cell cycle, apoptosis, cell proliferation, immune response, and autophagy.

Highly Integrated μGC Based on a Multisensing Progressive Cellular Architecture with a Valveless Sample Inlet.

Microscale gas chromatographs (μGCs) promise in-field analysis of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in environmental and industrial monitoring, healthcare, and homeland security applications. As a step toward addressing challenges with performance and manufacturability, this study reports a highly integrated monolithic chip implementing a multisensing progressive cellular architecture. This architecture incorporates three μGC cells that are customized for different ranges of analyte volatility; each cell includes a preconcentrator and separation column, two complementary capacitive detectors, and a photoionization detector (PID).

Effects of green tide on microbial communities in waters of the Jiangsu coastal area, China.

Recently, green tide outbreaks have resulted in severe coastal ecology and economic effects in China. Jiangsu coastal areas are usually the site of early green tide outbreaks. To clarify the effects of green tide outbreaks in Jiangsu coastal areas, this study analyzed microbial communities during green tide-free and green tide outbreak periods (May and July, respectively) through 16S rDNA sequencing.

Controlling the main source of green tides in the Yellow Sea through the method of biological competition.

Macroalgal blooms have become a serious threat to public health, fisheries, ecosystems, and global economies. Since 2007, in the Yellow Sea, China, Ulva green tides have occurred for 15 consecutive years. However, effective control methods are limited.

Progressive Cellular Architecture in Microscale Gas Chromatography for Broad Chemical Analyses.

Gas chromatography is widely used to identify and quantify volatile organic compounds for applications ranging from environmental monitoring to homeland security. We investigate a new architecture for microfabricated gas chromatography systems that can significantly improve the range, speed, and efficiency of such systems. By using a cellular approach, it performs a partial separation of analytes even as the sampling is being performed.

Complete chloroplast genome of (Ulvales: Ulvaceae).

is one of the causal green macroalgae in many countries. In this study, complete chloroplast genome sequence of was reported, and the total length of this species was 94,226 bp (GenBank accession number MT916929). The overall base composition of chloroplast genome was A (37.

A Microvalve Module with High Chemical Inertness and Embedded Flow Heating for Microscale Gas Chromatography.

This paper reports a multi-valve module with high chemical inertness and embedded flow heating for microscale gas chromatography (µGC) systems. The multi-valve module incorporates a monolithically microfabricated die stack, polyimide valve membranes, and solenoid actuators. The design incorporates three valves within a single module of volume 30.

A Bidirectional Knudsen Pump with a 3D-Printed Thermal Management Platform.

This paper reports on a bidirectional Knudsen pump (KP) with a 3D-printed thermal management platform; the pump is intended principally for microscale gas chromatography applications. Knudsen pumps utilize thermal transpiration, where non-viscous flow is created against a temperature gradient; no moving parts are necessary. Here, a specialized design leverages 3D direct metal laser sintering and provides thermal management that minimizes loss from a joule heater located on the outlet side of KP, while maintaining convective cooling on the inlet side.

Relative tumor volume is a better independent prognostic factor in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: Results of a retrospective study.

The present study is to evaluate the significance in prognosis of relative tumor volume (RTV) in patients with non-resectable esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) treated by definitive radiotherapy alone or in combination with chemotherapy.Fifty-eight consecutive patients with ESCC in UICC stage I to IV were retrospectively analyzed. Relative primary gross volume (RGTVp) was defined as primary gross volume (GTVp) divided by body volume.

Characterization of the complete mitochondrial genome of with phylogenetic analysis.

is a dominant species in the Yangtze River estuary. In this study, we first determined the complete mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) of . The mitogenome is 16,143 bp in length, consisting of 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 transfer RNA (tRNA) genes, two ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes, and one non-coding control region.

The complete mitochondrial genome of and its phylogenetic implication.

In this study, the complete mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) of was amplified and analyzed. The mitogenome is 16,062 bp in length, encoding the standard set of 13 protein-coding genes, 22 tRNA genes, 2 rRNA genes, and one control region. The nucleotide frequency of the mitogenome is as follows: A, 34.

The complete mitochondrial genome of .

In this study, the complete mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) of was amplified and analyzed. The mitogenome is 15,718 bp in length, encoding 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 tRNA genes, 2 rRNA genes, and a control region (CR). The nucleotide frequency of the mitogenome is as follows: A, 34.

Characterization of the complete mitochondrial genome sequence of and phylogenetic analysis.

In this study, the complete mitogenome of was sequenced and annotated. The mitogenome is 15,441 bp in length, containing 37 classical eukaryotic mitochondrial regions (13 typical protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 tRNA genes, two rRNA genes) and a non-coding control region. Most of the genes are initiated with ATA, ATG, and ATT, though GTG is also used as an initiation codon.

Biological role and clinical value of miR-99a-5p in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC): A bioinformatics-based study.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are confirmed to be tumor promoters or suppressors in multiple squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs). miR-99a-5p has been demonstrated to be downregulated in cancerous tissues, but its functional role in head and neck SCC (HNSCC) and its mechanism of action have not been fully elucidated. Here, we studied the expression of miR-99a-5p in HNSCC and performed a clinical value assessment and then extracted mature expression data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and microarrays from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO).

Standardized tumor volume: an independent prognostic factor in advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

The study evaluated the prognostic effect of standardized tumor volume in patients with advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) treated with concurrent chemoradiotherapy. Between Jan 1, 2009 and December 30, 2012, 143 patients diagnosed with NPC in UICC stage III-IVb by histopathology were enrolled in the study. These patients underwent intensity-modulated radiotherapy combined with concurrent chemotherapy.

Berberine sensitizes nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells to radiation through inhibition of Sp1 and EMT.

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a tumor of epithelial origin with radiotherapy as its standard treatment. However, radioresistance remains a critical issue in the treatment of NPC. This study aimed to investigate the effect of berberine on the proliferation, cell cycle regulation, apoptosis, radioresistance of NPC cells and whether specificity protein 1 (Sp1) is a functional target of berberine.

The complete mitochondrial genome of .

In this study, the complete mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) of the was amplified and analyzed. The mitogenome is 15,946 bp in length, encoding the standard set of 13 protein-coding genes, 22 tRNA genes and two rRNA genes. The overall A + T content is 67.

A fully electronic microfabricated gas chromatograph with complementary capacitive detectors for indoor pollutants.

This paper reports a complete micro gas chromatography (μGC) system in which all the components are lithographically microfabricated and electronically interfaced. The components include a bi-directional Knudsen pump, a preconcentrator, separation columns and a pair of capacitive gas detectors; together, these form the system. All the fluidic components of the system are fabricated by a common three-mask lithographic process.

Sp1 is over-expressed in nasopharyngeal cancer and is a poor prognostic indicator for patients receiving radiotherapy.

Nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC) is a tumor of epithelial origin with complex etiology. Currently the standard treatment of NPC is radiotherapy, but therapy failure is quite common, making radioresistance an important issue. This study explores the association of specificity protein 1 (Sp1) protein expression with clinicopathological significance and disease prognosis in NPC patients receiving radiotherapy.