Enhanced device performance and stability of perovskite solar cells with low-temperature ZnO/TiO bilayered electron transport layers.

The instability of perovskite films is a major issue for perovskite solar cells based on ZnO electron transport layers (ETLs). Here, ZnO nanoparticle (NP)- and ZnO sol-gel layers capped with low-temperature processed TiO, namely ZnO/TiO bilayered films, have been successfully employed as ETLs in highly efficient MAPbI-based perovskite solar cells. It is demonstrated that these ZnO/TiO bilayered ETLs are not only capable of enhancing photovoltaic performance, but also capable of improving device stability.

Evaluation of the HOXA11 level in patients with lung squamous cancer and insights into potential molecular pathways via bioinformatics analysis.

Background: This study was carried out to discover the underlying role that HOXA11 plays in lung squamous cancer (LUSC) and uncover the potential corresponding molecular mechanisms and functions of HOXA11-related genes.

Methods: Twenty-three clinical paired LUSC and non-LUSC samples were utilized to examine the level of HOXA11 using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The clinical significance of HOXA11 was systematically analyzed based on 475 LUSC and 18 non-cancerous adjacent tissues from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database.

Urban Resources Selection and Allocation for Emergency Shelters: In a Multi-Hazard Environment.

This study explores how emergency shelters can adapt to a multi-hazard environment by geographic information system (GIS) and takes Guangzhou as a case for analysis. The physical suitability of the overall urban resources was first assessed by aiming to select the suitable resources and safe locations for emergency shelters in the context of multiple disasters. Afterward, by analyzing the scale and spatial distribution of affected areas and populations under different types of disaster scenarios, the demand for different kinds of shelters were predicted.

ATF3 and PRAP1 play important roles in cisplatin-induced damages in microvascular endothelial cells.

Background: The early intervention is a rational approach to reduce the cardiovascular disease mortality in cancer patients. Here, we tried to identify potential biomarkers for the endothelial damage caused by cisplatin, a typical chemotherapy compound, and explore its underlying mechanisms.

Methods: Microarray dataset GSE62523 were utilized to assess the gene differential expression from human micro-vascular endothelial cells (HMEC-1) treated with cisplatin.

Biomedical application and controlled drug release of electrospun fibrous materials.

Electrospinning, as a nanotechnology, is able to produce polymeric fibers materials with nanoscale structure which are also named electrospun fibers material (EFM). These EFMs can be used in many biomedical applications such as wound dressing, tissue engineering, and medical textile materials. Over the last decades, electrospun nanofibers also have been applied to drug delivery such as orodispersible film, solid dispersion and various controlled release dosage forms due to many properties such as high surface to volume ratio, high porous, ease of fabrication and adaptability and so on.

Recent advances in electrospun for drug delivery purpose.

Electrospun, an advanced technology, has been successfully employed for fibre production and offers many merits in novel drug delivery systems (DDSs). In recent years, electrospun has gained significant attention and attraction of the scientists in soaring numbers. This technology is superior to other technologies in fabricating the fibres which range from micrometers to manometers scale.

[Comparison of prognostic value of (18)F-FDG PET/CT myocardial metabolism imaging and coronary collateral circulation in patients with CTO lesions].

To evaluate the location, extent of viable myocardial of chronic total coronary occlusions(CTO)lesions by (18)F-FDG PET myocardial metabolism imaging and then compare with coronary collateral circulation(CCC) to evaluate the prognostic evaluation in patients with CTO lesions. A total of Sixty consecutive patients with CTO lesions referred for viability assessment from April 2016 to April 2017 in Department of Cardiology, Beijing Anzhen Hospital were included in the study. These patients underwent (99m)Tc-sestamibi ECG-gated SPECT rest myocardial perfusion imaging and ECG-gated (18)F-FDG PET/CT myocardial metabolic imaging, as well as coronary arteriography were recruited in this study.

A High-Speed Imaging Method Based on Compressive Sensing for Sound Extraction Using a Low-Speed Camera.

This paper reports an efficient method for sound extraction from high-speed light spot videos reconstructed from the coded light spot images captured with a low-speed camera based on compressive sensing, but at the expense of consuming time. The proposed method first gets the high-speed video of the light spot that is illuminated on the vibrating target caused by sound. Then the centroid of the light spot is used to recover the sound.

Recent progress of functionalised graphene oxide in cancer therapy.

In recent years, graphene oxide (GO) nanomaterials have attracted wide attention due to their large surface area, strong light sensitivity and good biocompatibility in cancer treatment. The rich oxygen-containing functional groups on the surface provide it with the opportunity to be modified by many functional molecules to expand biological applications and reduce toxicity. In this review, the properties of GO and the methods of surface modification are presented, and the toxicity of GO is analysed.

Morphologies and optical and electrical properties of InGaN/GaN micro-square array light-emitting diode chips.

InGaN/GaN micro-square array light-emitting diode (LED) chips (micro-chips) have been prepared via the focused ion beam (FIB) etching technique, which can not only reduce ohmic contact degradation but also control the aspect ratio precisely in three-dimensional (3D) structure LED (3D-LED) device fabrication. The effects of FIB beam current and micro-square array depth on morphologies and optical and electrical properties of the micro-chips have been studied. Our results show that sidewall surface morphology and optical and electrical properties of the micro-chips degrade with increased beam current.

Uses of selection strategies in both spectral and sample spaces for classifying hard and soft blueberry using near infrared data.

In the current work, we attempt to leverage the fewer wavelengths and samples to develop a classification model for classifying hard and soft blueberries using near infrared (NIR) data. To do this, random frog selection and active learning approaches are used in the spectral space and the sample queue, respectively. To reduce the spectral number, a random frog spectral selection approach was applied to collect wavelengths informative with hardness.

Peroxiredoxin1 promotes cell proliferation, migration and invasion of colorectal cancer via p38MAPK signaling.

Objective: Peroxiredoxin1 (PRDX1), a class of thiol peroxidases, is a multifunctional protein. We aimed at analyzing the effect of PRDX1 on proliferation, apoptosis, migration and invasion of colorectal cancer and to investigate the potential mechanism.

Materials And Methods: Western blot and PCR were used to validate the silencing efficiency in SW480 cell by transfection of PRDX1-siRNA.

Towards understanding the initial performance improvement of PbS quantum dot solar cells upon short-term air exposure.

An initial improvement in performance of PbS quantum dot solar cells composed of one thick layer of PbS quantum dots (QDs) treated with tetrabutylammonium iodide (PbS-TBAI) and one thin layer of PbS QDs capped with 1,2-ethanedithiol (PbS-EDT) over short-term air exposure is widely observed. However, the underlying mechanisms still remain elusive. In the work, we sought to understand the mechanisms as well as their physicochemical origins using a combination of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and various electronic measurements.

DNA methylation affects metastasis of renal cancer and is associated with TGF-β/RUNX3 inhibition.

Background: Renal cell carcinoma accounts for 2-3% of all cancers and metastasis increased the malignancy of renal cancer. However, the role of methylation in metastasis of renal cancer is poorly understood.

Methods: We performed targeted gene array to compare the differential expressions of methylation regulated genes in metastatic and primary renal cancer tissues.

P3-P4 ureas and reverse carbamates as potent HCV NS3 protease inhibitors: Effective transposition of the P4 hydrogen bond donor.

A series of tripeptidic acylsulfonamide inhibitors of HCV NS3 protease were prepared that explored structure-activity relationships (SARs) at the P4 position, and their in vitro and in vivo properties were evaluated. Enhanced potency was observed in a series of P4 ureas; however, the PK profiles of these analogues were less than optimal. In an effort to overcome the PK shortcomings, modifications to the P3-P4 junction were made.

Application of Deep Learning Architectures for Accurate and Rapid Detection of Internal Mechanical Damage of Blueberry Using Hyperspectral Transmittance Data.

Deep learning has become a widely used powerful tool in many research fields, although not much so yet in agriculture technologies. In this work, two deep convolutional neural networks (CNN), viz. Residual Network (ResNet) and its improved version named ResNeXt, are used to detect internal mechanical damage of blueberries using hyperspectral transmittance data.

Development of redox-responsive theranostic nanoparticles for near-infrared fluorescence imaging-guided photodynamic/chemotherapy of tumor.

The development of imaging-guided smart drug delivery systems for combinational photodynamic/chemotherapy of the tumor has become highly demanded in oncology. Herein, redox-responsive theranostic polymeric nanoparticles (NPs) were fabricated innovatively using low molecular weight heparin (LWMH) as the backbone. Chlorin e6 (Ce6) and alpha-tocopherol succinate (TOS) were conjugated to LMWH via cystamine as the redox-sensitive linker, forming amphiphilic Ce6-LMWH-TOS (CHT) polymer, which could self-assemble into NPs in water and encapsulate paclitaxel (PTX) inside the inner core (PTX/CHT NPs).

Space microgravity drives transdifferentiation of human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells from osteogenesis to adipogenesis.

Bone formation is linked with osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in the bone marrow. Microgravity in spaceflight is known to reduce bone formation. In this study, we used a real microgravity environment of the SJ-10 Recoverable Scientific Satellite to examine the effects of space microgravity on the osteogenic differentiation of human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs).

An evolutionary learning and network approach to identifying key metabolites for osteoarthritis.

Metabolomics studies use quantitative analyses of metabolites from body fluids or tissues in order to investigate a sequence of cellular processes and biological systems in response to genetic and environmental influences. This promises an immense potential for a better understanding of the pathogenesis of complex diseases. Most conventional metabolomics analysis methods exam one metabolite at a time and may overlook the synergistic effect of combining multiple metabolites.

The enhanced effect of tetrahydrocurcumin on radiosensitivity of glioma cells.

Objectives: To evaluate the effects of tetrahydrocurcumin (THC) on the radiosensitivity of glioma cells and the possible molecular mechanism.

Methods: MTT assay, colony forming and wound healing assays were performed to detect the proliferation, radiosensitivity and migration of cells with various treatments. Cell apoptosis, cell cycle and GHS level were determined for exploring potent sensitization mechanism of THC.

An Integrated Approach Based on a DNA Self-Assembly Technique for Characterization of Crosstalk among Combinatorial Histone Modifications.

Combinatorial histone post-translational modifications (HPTMs) form a complex epigenetic code that can be decoded by specific binding proteins, termed as readers. Their specific interplays have been thought to determine gene expression and downstream biological functions. However, it is still a big challenge to analyze such interactions due to various limitations including rather weak, transient, and complicated interactions between HPTMs and readers, the high dynamic property of HPTMs, and the low abundance of reader proteins.

Values of miR-34a and miR-218 expression in the diagnosis of cervical cancer and the prediction of prognosis.

The expression levels of microribonucleic acid 34a (miR-34a) and miR-218 in the serum and tumor tissues of patients with cervical cancer were investigated to explore their relationship with the diagnosis of cervical cancer. Fifty patients with cervical cancer were selected, and 30 normal patients were selected as the control group. The expression levels of miR-34a and miR-218 were detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction.

Metabolite identification of the antimalarial naphthoquine using liquid chromatography-tandem high-resolution mass spectrometry in combination with multiple data-mining tools.

Naphthoquine (NQ) is one of important partner drugs of artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT), which is recommended for the treatment of uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum. NQ shows a high cure rate after a single oral administration. It is absorbed quickly (time to peak concentration 2-4 h) and has a long elimination half-life (255 h).