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Lead sulfide colloid quantum dots (PbS QDs) offer great opportunities to revolutionize large‐area short‐wave infrared (SWIR) detection technologies due to high absorption coefficients and spectral selectivity. However, a critical issue for QDs‐based SWIR detectors is high dark current noise due to thermal carriers and the large amounts of surface defect states induced by the ligand exchange process, which hinders the improvement of the room temperature detectivity and linear dynamic range. Herein, it is demonstrated that these dilemmas can be overcome by adopting a novel hybrid‐layered phototransistor device architecture composed of a self‐assembly high‐mobility organic conduction channel and a bulk heterojunction infrared absorber containing PbS QDs as sensitizers. Strong photo absorption in the photoactive layer creates photogenerated charges that are transferred to the conduction channel, where they recirculate many times due to the long trapped‐electron lifetime in the photoactive layer and the high carrier mobility of the channel. Therefore, low dark current noise and high photoconductive gain are achieved by both electrical gating and photodoping for carrier‐density modulation of phototransistors. Finally, an optimized SWIR phototransistor device with a low room‐temperature dark current of 7 pA and a high detectivity of 8 × 1012 Jones under 1650 nm light illumination is demonstrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flavor plays an essential role in the sensory and consumer acceptance of complementary food products for infants and young children. To improve the quality of infant complementary food nutrition powder, the volatile flavor substances in nutrition powder and those with kiwifruit powder, orange powder and quinoa flour were analyzed by headspace-gas chromatography-ion migration spectrometry. A total of 61 compounds were identified in the nutrition powder of two different formulations, of which 58 could be clearly identified. The study showed that supplementation with kiwifruit powder, orange powder and quinoa flour could inhibit the production of (E)-2-nonenal, 2-octanone, delta-nonalactone, ethyl disulfide. The inhibitory rate of (E)-2-nonenal was the highest, achieving 37.00 ± 3.07%, delta-Nonalactone was 28.86 ± 3.69% and 2-octanone was 14.12 ± 0.46%. It may delay their conversion to acids, aldehydes, ketones, and other compounds. In addition, the intensity of the saturated acids signal in the YYB-300 was different significantly than the YYBS-300, which was 1.99 ± 0.07 cm−1 in the YYB-300 group, 1.941 ± 0.12 cm−1 in the YYBS-300 group, severally. The results of electron spin resonance (ESR) showed that the free radical content material of the YYB-300 group was 6.57 × 105, but the free radical content material of YYBS-300 group was low significantly, which used to be 6.18 × 105. The consequence of Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and electron spin resonance (ESR) confirmed that the addition of kiwifruit powder, orange powder and quinoa flour maybe delay the lipid oxidation. The results also provided a theoretical basis for improving the flavor quality and nutritional quality of infant nutrition powder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There is a rapidly increasing incidence of early-onset colorectal cancer (EO-CRC) which threatens the survival of young people, while aging also represents a challenging clinical problem. Objectives: We aimed to investigate the differences in the clinical characteristics and prognosis in stage III rectal cancer (RC), to help optimize treatment strategies. Design and methods: This study included 757 patients with stage III RC, all of whom received neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy and total mesorectal excision. The whole cohort was categorized as very early onset (VEO, ⩽30 years old), early onset (EO, >30 years old, ⩽50 years old), intermediate onset (IO, >50 years, ⩽70 years), or late onset (LO, >70 years old). Results: There were more female VEO patients than males, more mucinous adenocarcinoma, signet-ring cell carcinoma, pre-treatment cT4 stage, and higher pre-treatment serum carbohydrate antigen 19-9 compared with the other three groups. VEO patients had the worst survival with the highest RC-related mortality (34.5%), recurrence (13.8%), and metastasis (51.7%). LO patients had the highest non-RC-related mortality rate (16.6%). The Cox regression model showed VEO was a negative independent prognostic factor for disease-free survival [DFS, hazard ratio (HR): 2.830, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.633–4.904, p < 0.001], distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS, HR: 2.969, 95% CI: 1.720–5.127, p < 0.001), overall survival (OS, HR: 2.164, 95% CI: 1.102–4.249, p = 0.025), and cancer-specific survival (CSS, HR: 2.321, 95% CI: 1.145–4.705, p = 0.020). LO was a negative independent factor on DFS (HR: 1.800, 95% CI: 1.113–2.911, p = 0.017), DMFS (HR: 1.903, 95% CI: 1.150–3.149, p = 0.012), OS (HR: 2.856, 95% CI: 1.745–4.583, p < 0.001), and CSS (HR: 2.248, 95% CI: 1.282–3.942, p = 0.005). VEO patients had better survival in the total neoadjuvant therapy-like (TNT-like) pattern on DFS (p = 0.039). IO patients receiving TNT-like patterns had better survival on DFS, OS, and CSS (p = 0.006, p = 0.018, p = 0.006, respectively). Conclusion: In stage III RC, VEO patients exhibited unique clinicopathological characteristics, with VEO a negative independent prognostic factor for DFS, DMFS, OS, and CSS. VEO and IO patients may benefit from a TNT-like treatment pattern. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spectrally selective photodetection has been used in many areas where only band‐specific optical signals are aimed to be detected. Organic photodiodes (OPDs) based on internal light depletion mechanisms have been utilized to realize narrowband photodetection. However, the fabrication of the photoactive layers by conventional solution methods can result in the deterioration of the underneath organic depletion layers and cause high‐density defect states at their interface. Herein, a new approach is presented to realize efficient charge transfer by adopting a self‐assembly strategy to prepare donor/acceptor bulk heterojunctions as the photoactive layers for narrowband OPDs. This method is able to prepare highly smooth, phase‐uniform, and low‐defect‐density thin films with controlled thickness. With this strategy, a narrowband near‐infrared OPD centered at 760 nm with a full‐width‐at‐half‐maximum of around 60 nm, peak external quantum efficiency of 49%, and peak specific detectivity of over 1013 Jones under −5 V is achieved. Multiple material combinations for the depletion and photoactive layers are examined, and the results show the effectiveness to realize the spectrally selective photodetection (from 740 to 900 nm) in general. More importantly, the narrowband OPDs can be integrated into a matrix for imaging, which demonstrates the mass‐scale fabrication feasibility of these OPDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transition-metal oxides are widely used to improve the power conversion efficiencies of organic or perovskite solar cells because their chemical and electronic properties can be tuned to enable charge exchange with a wide variety of semiconductor materials. In this work, the atomic-layer-deposition of ultrathin Co3O4 anode interlayers which are used as hole transporting/electron blocking layers in organic photodetectors is investigated. Incident light loss and carrier transport loss could be minimized due to the ultrashort transport path. It is found that the highly smooth Co3O4 interlayer with a deep valence band of 5.3 eV and a shallow conduction band of 1.6 eV effectively promotes photogenerated charge extraction and suppresses the electron injection under reverse bias, resulting in a significantly improved photodetection performance. At an optimal Co3O4 thickness of 1 nm, the dark current of the Co3O4 device is almost 1 order of magnitude lower than that of the PEDOT:PSS device. As a result, we have demonstrated a P3HT:PC61BM-based device with a low dark current of 2.5 nA cm−2 and a high detectivity of 1013 Jones at −1 V bias, which are higher than those of the commercial silicon-based photodiodes. Such ultrathin charge blocking layers are proved to be versatile in reducing the dark current for devices with NIR-absorbing NFA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Standard treatment of locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) was neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (CRT), followed by total mesorectal excision (TME). Total neoadjuvant treatment (TNT), a new concept, attempts to deliver both systemic chemotherapy and neoadjuvant CRT prior to surgery. Patients treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy were more likely to show higher tumor regression. The objective of this trial was to increase complete clinical rate (cCR) for LARC patients by optimizing tumor response, using TNT regimen as compared to conventional chemoradiotherapy. TESS, a prospective, open‐label, multicenter, single‐arm, phase 2 study, is underway. Methods: Main inclusion criteria include cT3‐4aNany or cT1‐4aN+ rectal adenocarcinoma aged 18‐70y; Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance 0–1; location ≤5 cm from anal verge. Ninety‐eight patients will receive 2 cycles of neoadjuvant chemotherapy Capeox (capecitabine + oxaliplatin) before, during, and after radiotherapy 50Gy/25 fractions, before TME (or other treatment decisions, such as Watch and Wait strategy) and adjuvant chemotherapy capecitabine 2 cycles. Primary endpoint is the cCR rate. Secondary endpoints include ratio of sphincter preservation strategy; pathological complete response rate and tumor regression grade distribution; local recurrence or metastasis; disease‐free survival; locoregional recurrence‐free survival; acute toxicity; surgical complications; long‐term anal function; late toxicity; adverse effect, ECOG standard score, and quality of life. Adverse events are graded per Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events V5.0. Acute toxicity will be monitored during antitumor treatment, and late toxicity will be monitored for 3 years from the end of the first course of antitumor treatment. Discussion: The TESS trial aims to explore a new TNT strategy, which is expected to increase the rate of cCR and sphincter preservation rate. This study will provide new options and evidence for a new sandwich TNT strategy in patients with distal LARC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Collagen in the tumor microenvironment is recognized as a potential biomarker for predicting treatment response. This study investigated whether the collagen features are associated with pathological complete response (pCR) in locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) patients receiving neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) and develop and validate a prediction model for individualized prediction of pCR. The prediction model was developed in a primary cohort (353 consecutive patients). In total, 142 collagen features were extracted from the multiphoton image of pretreatment biopsy, and the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (Lasso) regression was applied for feature selection and collagen signature building. A nomogram was developed using multivariable analysis. The performance of the nomogram was assessed with respect to its discrimination, calibration, and clinical utility. An independent cohort (163 consecutive patients) was used to validate the model. The collagen signature comprised four collagen features significantly associated with pCR both in the primary and validation cohorts (p < 0.001). Predictors in the individualized prediction nomogram included the collagen signature and clinicopathological predictors. The nomogram showed good discrimination with area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.891 in the primary cohort and good calibration. Application of the nomogram in the validation cohort still gave good discrimination (AUC = 0.908) and good calibration. Decision curve analysis demonstrated that the nomogram was clinically useful. In conclusion, the collagen signature in the tumor microenvironment of pretreatment biopsy is significantly associated with pCR. The nomogram based on the collagen signature and clinicopathological predictors could be used for individualized prediction of pCR in LARC patients before nCRT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Precise timing of granitoids and constraints of their magma sources are critical to understanding the subduction–collision tectonic evolution of the Altun orogenic belt (AOB), a vital part of the Qinghai-Tibet plateau in northwestern China. We provide in-situ zircon U–Pb age, Hf isotopic composition and whole-rock geochemistry of the Yusupualeke granitic pluton in the South Altun orogenic belt (SAOB), an integral unit of the AOB, to determine the tectono-magmatic evolution of the SAOB at early Palaeozoic. The Yusupualeke granitic pluton comprises the medium-coarse grained porphyritic monzogranite and medium-fine grained granodiorite. The monzogranite sample yielded a weighted mean 206Pb/238U age of 476.8 ± 3.6 Ma (MSWD = 0.59), while the granodiorite yielded a weighted mean 206Pb/238U age of 453.2 ± 4.7 Ma (MSWD = 0.013). Zircon U–Pb ages suggest that the subduction–collision process of the SAOB remained from the middle stage of the early Palaeozoic to the end. Both of the studied granitoids belong to metaluminous to weakly peraluminous series and show typical I-type granite characteristics with depletions in Ba, Nb, Sr, P, and Ti, and enrichments in light rare earth elements (LREEs), Rb, Th, K, and slightly negative Eu anomalies. Based on the geochronological data and regional geological background, we believe that the porphyritic monzogranites were formed during the northward subduction process of the South Altun ocean (SAO), while the granodiorites were formed during the tectonic regime transition stage. Besides, combing the previous research achievements with our newly obtained data, we put forward a new division and geodynamic model of the early Palaeozoic tectono-magmatic evolution for the South Altun orogenic belt. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photonic synapses provide fast response, high bandwidth, and less crosstalk in neuromorphic computation as well as simulation of visual perception systems. Herein, phototransistor-based photonic synapses that can be triggered by near-infrared light are reported. The artificial synapse is based on organic heterojunction phototransistors comprising the organic polymer semiconductor PDPPBTT and inorganic SnO2. The organic semiconducting polymer PDPPBTT serves as the near-infrared light absorbing materials and transistor channel, whereas SnO2 serves as the charge trapping materials. By adopting the heterojunction architecture, generation, separation, and transport of charge carriers are optimized under near-infrared illumination and electrical gating to yield photonic synaptic properties that can be readily modulated, including the excitatory postsynaptic current and paired-pulse facilitation. The results reveal a simple and effective concept for photonic synapses in the near-infrared region and provide insights into the development of advanced visual processing, neuromorphic computation, and biological nervous systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The brain‐inspired neuromorphic parallel computing has become one of the most promising technologies for efficient information processing by overcoming the von Neumann bottleneck of sequential operations. Synapses transmit information among neurons and act as the basic component in neuromorphic computing platforms. Despite the rapid advances in developing artificial synapses, most synaptic devices function electronically and thus numerous merits for photonics such as visual/imaging information processing, less corsstalk, and fast response, have to be compromised. Herein, a light‐stimulated synaptic device (photonic synapses) based on perovskite/In‐Ga‐Zn‐O heterojunction phototransistor is reported. The combination of high‐efficiency light absorber, high‐mobility channel, and heterojunction device architecture leads to efficient photon‐to‐electron conversion and intrinsic high‐gain mechanism for such light‐stimulated synapses. As a result, high performance photonic synapses are obtained with the basic functions of excitatory postsynaptic current (EPSC), paired‐pulse facilitation (PPF), and short‐term memory to long‐term memory conversion (STM‐LTM). Importantly, owing to the ultrasensitive photodetection characteristics, the light power consumption of such photonic artificial synapse can be as low as 2.6 picojoule. This study proposes a simple, efficient, and industry‐compatible device concept providing the photosensitive synapses for photonic neural networks by combining the merits of appropriate materials and device architecture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Immune checkpoint blockade has led to a significant improvement of patient survival in metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC) with DNA mismatch repair-deficiency (dMMR)/microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H). However, not all these patients are sensitive to monoimmunotherapy. We firstly presented a case series of advanced dMMR/MSI-H CRCs treating with PD-1 inhibitor-based chemoradioimmunotherapy (CRIT). Methods and Materials: We assessed the short-term efficacy and safety of CRIT in advanced dMMR/MSI-H CRCs, and also did next-generation sequencing (NGS) assays. Results: Our analysis included five advanced dMMR/MSI-H CRCs who have received toripalimab-based CRIT. Toripalimab was given 240mg every three weeks, and the radiation dose was 45-50 gray in 25 fractions. Chemotherapy regimens consisted of CAPOX in three patients, capecitabine in one patient, and mFOLFOX6 in one patient. Initially, two patients displayed complete response (CR), and three patients achieved partial response (PR) on imaging findings. Afterwards, one PR patient was confirmed pathological complete response after surgery, leading to three CR cases in total. Hematological toxicity was the most common adverse effect, and only two patients developed mild immune-related adverse effects besides. All the treatment-related adverse events were under control. Based on the NGS results, the median intratumor heterogeneity was 0.19 (range 0-0.957), which was less in CR patients than PR patients (P = 0.019). Genetic mutations at DNA damage repair genes and the JAK1 gene were also observed. Conclusions: For advanced dMMR/MSI-H CRC, anti-PD-1 based CRIT is effective and safe. Further studies are required to better clarify the potential role and mechanism of CRIT as a viable therapeutic strategy in this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The optimal treatment of stage IV rectal cancer remains controversial. The purpose of this study was to assess the treatment outcomes and toxicity of neoadjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy followed by local treatment of all tumor sites and subsequent adjuvant chemotherapy in stage IV rectal cancer patients with potentially resectable metastases.Methods: Adult patients diagnosed with locally advanced rectal adenocarcinoma with potentially resectable metastases, who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy from July 2013 and September 2019 at Sun Yat-sen University cancer center, were included. Completion of the whole treatment schedule, pathological response, treatment-related toxicity and survival were evaluated.Results: A total of 228 patients were analyzed with a median follow-up of 33 (range 3.3 to 93.4) months. Eventually, 112 (49.1%) patients finished the whole treatment schedule, of which complete response of all tumor sites and pathological downstaging of the rectal tumor were observed in three (2.7%) and 90 (80.4%) patients. The three-year overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) of all patients were 56.6% (50.2 to 63.9%) and 38.6% (95% CI 32.5 to 45.8%), respectively. For patients who finished the treatment schedule, 3-year OS (74.4% vs 39.2%, P < 0.001) and 3-year PFS (45.5% vs 30.5%, P = 0.004) were significantly improved compared those who did not finish the treatment. Grade 3-4 chem-radiotherapy treatment toxicities were observed in 51 (22.4%) of all patients and surgical complications occurred in 22 (9.6%) of 142 patients who underwent surgery, respectively.Conclusions: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy followed by resection/ablation and subsequent adjuvant chemotherapy offered chances of long-term survival with tolerable toxicities for selected patients with potentially resectable stage IV rectal cancer, and could be considered as an option in clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The relationship between collagen features (CFs) in the tumor microenvironment and the treatment response to neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) is still unknown. This study aimed to develop and validate a perdition model based on the CFs and clinicopathological characteristics to predict the treatment response to nCRT among locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) patients. Methods: In this multicenter, retrospective analysis, 428 patients were included and randomly divided into a training cohort (299 patients) and validation cohort (129 patients) [7:3 ratio]. A total of 11 CFs were extracted from a multiphoton image of pretreatment biopsy, and a support vector machine (SVM) was then used to construct a CFs-SVM classifier. A prediction model was developed and presented with a nomogram using multivariable analysis. Further validation of the nomogram was performed in the validation cohort. Results: The CFs-SVM classifier, which integrated collagen area, straightness, and crosslink density, was significantly associated with treatment response. Predictors contained in the nomogram included the CFs-SVM classifier and clinicopathological characteristics by multivariable analysis. The CFs nomogram demonstrated good discrimination, with area under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUROCs) of 0.834 in the training cohort and 0.854 in the validation cohort. Decision curve analysis indicated that the CFs nomogram was clinically useful. Moreover, compared with the traditional clinicopathological model, the CFs nomogram showed more powerful discrimination in determining the response to nCRT. Conclusions: The CFs-SVM classifier based on CFs in the tumor microenvironment is associated with treatment response, and the CFs nomogram integrating the CFs-SVM classifier and clinicopathological characteristics is useful for individualized prediction of the treatment response to nCRT among LARC patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Total neoadjuvant therapy (TNT) is a novel approach for locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC), which attempts to deliver both systemic chemotherapy and neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy prior to surgery. However, its efficacy and safety remain controversial in randomized controlled trials (RCTs). We conducted this meta‐analysis to assess such concerns. Materials and Methods: Head‐to‐head phase II/III RCTs were searched in Embase, PubMed, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library, as well as other sources. The primary endpoint was pathologic complete response (pCR). Secondary endpoints were disease‐free survival (DFS), overall survival (OS), local recurrence‐free survival, distant metastasis‐free survival, and the R0 resection rate. Results: Eight phase II/III RCTs involving 2,196 patients with LARC were assessed. The primary analysis demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in the pCR rate for TNT treatment (odds ratio, 1.77; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.28–2.45; p =.0005). TNT treatment also showed improvements in DFS and OS outcomes compared with standard chemoradiotherapy (hazard ratio [HR], 0.83; 95% CI, 0.72–0.96; p =.03 and HR, 0.88; 95% CI, 0.74–1.05; p =.15). In addition, TNT treatment showed significant efficacy in reducing the risk of distant metastasis (HR, 0.81; 95% CI, 0.68–0.95; p =.012). Conclusion: The overall pCR rate may be improved with TNT compared with standard treatment. The TNT strategy may also improve DFS and OS and reduce the risk of distant metastasis. Implications for Practice: Locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) is a relatively common disease, with a poor prognosis because of its high metastatic potential. The role of total neoadjuvant therapy (TNT) has always been controversial. This meta‐analysis found that TNT in LARC is associated with a significant improvement in overall pathologic complete response rate, disease‐free survival, overall survival, and distant metastasis‐free survival compared with standard treatment. TNT is a promising strategy for LARC, especially for patients who have little desire for surgery. Total neoadjuvant therapy (TNT) is a novel therapeutic approach for locally advanced rectal cancer that delivers both systemic chemotherapy and neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy before surgery; however, this approach remains controversial. This article reports the results of a meta‐analysis comparing TNT with standard chemotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Following standard neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy and total mesorectal excision, some patients with locally advanced rectal cancer achieve good response (pathological T0–2N0), while others show nonresponse (pathological T3–4N0 or node‐positive). To date, the clinicopathological predictors of good response and the necessity of adjuvant chemotherapy treatment (ACT) in good responders remain unclear. In this retrospective study, clinicopathological characteristics were surveyed to investigate the correlation with good response; furthermore, a propensity score matching (PSM) model was designed to balance the confounding factors between good responders treated with ACT or observation. A total of 2255 patients were enrolled, including 1069 good responders and 1186 nonresponders. The results of the survival analysis showed a good response predicted a better 3‐year prognosis (p < 0.001). The logistic regression analysis showed less advanced T and N stages (T3 vs. T4; N0 vs. N1–2), more neoadjuvant chemotherapy (nCT) cycles (≥4 vs. 1–3), and delayed surgery (≥8 weeks vs. <8 weeks) were independent predictors of a good response (p < 0.05). Especially, patients treated with both more nCT cycles and a delay in surgery included the greatest number of good responders (p < 0.001). For good responders, after PSM (1:3), 235 observation cases were matched to 705 ACT cases. As compared with observation, ACT had no greater impact on prognosis analysis (p > 0.05). In conclusion, more cycles of nCT and a delay in surgery predicted a better response, and the delivery of ACT might be omitted in good responders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Profiling heterologous cell types within tumors is essential to decipher tumor microenvironment that shapes tumor progress and determines the outcome of therapeutic response. Here, we comprehensively characterized transcriptomes of 34,037 single cells obtained from 12 treatment‐naïve patients with colorectal cancer. Our comprehensive evaluation revealed attenuated B‐cell antigen presentation, distinct regulatory T‐cell clusters with different origin and novel polyfunctional tumor associated macrophages associated with CRC. Moreover, we identified expanded XCL1+ T‐cell clusters associated with tumor mutational burden high status. We further explored the underlying molecular mechanisms by profiling epigenetic landscape and inferring transcription factor motifs using single‐cell ATAC‐seq. Our dataset and analysis approaches herein provide a rich resource for further study of the impact of immune cells and translational research for human colorectal cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aimed to predict the risks of distant metastasis (DM) of locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) patients with pathological complete response (pCR) after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (NACRT) and total mesorectal excision (TME), and to find the association between adjuvant chemotherapy (ACT) and their survival outcomes. Methods and Materials: A total of 242 patients with LARC achieving pCR after NACRT were enrolled in this retrospective study. We developed a nomogram model using logistic regression analyses for predicting risk of DM. The model performance was evaluated by the concordance index and calibration curve. Survival was determined using Kaplan–Meier survival curve. Results: Age, pre-operative CEA, pre-treatment CEA and distance of tumor to anal verge were identified as significantly associated variables that could be enrolled in the model to predict the risk of DM for pCR patients. The nomogram we created had a bootstrapped-concordance index of 0.731 (95% CI = 0.627 to 0.834) and was well calibrated. The high risk group was more likely to develop DM than low risk group (total score) (95% CI = 1.439 to 6.493, P = 0.0036). The 1-year, 3-year, and 5-year distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) for the low and high risk groups (total score ≤ 90 vs > 90) was 97.8%, 94.2%, 94.2% and 91.3%, 83.4%, 81.8%, respectively (P = 0.0036). DM occurred within 1 and 2 years after TME surgery was 33.3% and 55.6% for the low risk group, and 47.3% and 84.2% for the high risk group. The value of ACT was assessed among the whole cohort, patients with cT3-4, with cN+ or with either DM risk group, but no significant difference was observed concerning DMFS whether ACT was given or not (all P > 0.05). Active treatment after DM was more beneficial than palliative treatment (P < 0.001). Conclusion: The nomogram model, including age, pre-operative CEA, pre-treatment CEA and distance to anal verge, predicted the probability of DM among LARC patients achieving pCR after NACRT. The effects of ACT were not seen in different subgroups, while closer clinical follow-up may have greater contribution to pCR patients in the first 2 years, especially for patients with relatively higher risk to develop DM. It is suggested that timely active treatment can bring survival benefit for pCR patients developing DM after NACRT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Colorectal cancer (CRC) rarely occurs in children and adolescents. This study aimed to perform a retrospective analysis and disclose more detailed information about CRC in patients under 20 years old. Methods: Medical records of CRCs in patients under 20 years old referred to three tertiary hospitals in China from September 2000 to July 2019 were retrospectively reviewed. Clinicopathological characteristics, treatment processes and laboratory findings were summarized and treatment outcomes and prognostic factors were analyzed. Results: A total of 33,394 CRC medical records were analyzed, and we identified seventy (0.21%) CRCs in patients under 20. The most common primary tumor location was the left hemicolon (35.7%). The prominent pathological types were mucinous adenocarcinoma (22.9%) and signet ring cell carcinoma (22.9%). Nearly half (47.1%) of the patients presented with distant metastasis at diagnosis. The fractions of patients with deficient mismatch repair (dMMR) protein expression and microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) were 23.8% (5/21) and 71.4% (5/7), respectively. Forty-four patients underwent radical surgery. Fifty-five patients received chemotherapy and six patients received radiotherapy. One dMMR/MSI-H rectal cancer patient received immunotherapy and achieved a clinically complete response. The median overall survival (OS) time was 80 months. The 3-year and 5-year OS rates were 61.8% and 57.2%, respectively. An absence of distant metastasis was a favorable factor for OS. For stage II/III CRCs, classic adenocarcinoma and radical surgery were favorable factors for OS. For stage IV CRCs, primary location at the colon was a favorable factor for OS. Conclusion: Child and adolescent CRC patients are likely to have distant metastasis, undifferentiated, left hemicolon location, and a dMMR/MSI-H phenotype at diagnosis. Additional efforts are needed to improve their survival outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The incidence of anal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) has been steadily growing globally in the past decade. Clinical data on anal SCC from China are rare. We conducted this study to describe the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of anal SCC in China and explore prognostic factors of outcomes among patients with anal SCC.Methods: We audited demographic characteristics, relevant symptoms, risk factors, treatment modalities and outcomes for patients diagnosed with anal SCC at 11 medical institutions in China between January 2007 and July 2018.Results: A total of 144 patients (109 females) were diagnosed with SCC during this period. Median age at initial diagnosis was 52.0 (interquartile range: 46.0-61.8) years. The most common symptoms were bleeding (n = 93, 64.6%), noticing a lump (n = 49, 34.0%), and pain (n = 47, 32.6%). The proportion of patients at the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) stages I-IV were 10 (6.9%), 22 (15.3%), 61 (42.4%) and 8 (5.6%), respectively, and AJCC stages in 43 (29.9%) patients were unknown. Thirty-six patients (25.0%) underwent abdominoperineal resection initially. Univariable analysis showed that T stage predicted recurrence-free survival (RFS) (Hazard ratio [HR] = 3.03, 95% Confidence interval [CI]: 1.10-8.37, p = 0.032), and age group (HR = 2.90, 95% CI: 1.12-7.49, p = 0.028), AJCC stage (HR = 4.56, 95% CI: 1.02-20.35, p = 0.046), and N stage (HR = 3.05, 95% CI: 1.07-8.74, p = 0.038) predicted overall survival (OS).Conclusions: T stage was identified as prognostic factor of RFS, and age, AJCC stage, and N stage were identified as prognostic factors of OS. Improving symptom awareness and earlier presentation among patients potentially at risk for anal SCC should be encouraged. Familiarity with the standard treatment among health care providers in China should be further improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Efficient production of ammonia using environmentally friendly techniques under ambient conditions is crucial to renewable energy storage and industrial applications, and catalysts with new reaction pathways are highly desirable. In this work, black phosphorus (BP) is used as a metal‐free 2D catalyst for the photoelectrochemical (PEC) nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR). The electrode is fabricated by layer‐by‐layer assembly of BP nanosheets on an indium tin oxide substrate. The PEC NRR activity in the N2 saturated aqueous electrolyte without a sacrificial agent is excellent, as exemplified by an ammonia yield rate of 102.4 µg h−1 mgcat.−1 and Faradaic efficiency of 23.3% at −0.4 V, which are the best among nonmetal catalysts for synthesis of ammonia by photocatalysis and electrocatalysis. Furthermore, the BP electrode shows excellent stability after 6 consecutive cycles. The excellent PEC catalytic properties are attributed to the light excitation enhanced electrocatalytic process and that the external bias promoted photocatalytic process improves ammonia production synergistically. The results not only demonstrate the great potential of BP in PEC catalysis, but also identify a promising technique to produce ammonia under ambient conditions using solar energy and electric energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The purpose of this study was to investigate the value of the postsurgical pathological T and N (ypTN) category combined with the American Joint Committee on Cancer-tumor regression grade (AJCC-TRG) in evaluating the prognosis of neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy (NeoCRT) for locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) to screen for a subgroup of patients with the worst prognosis. Patients and methods: In total, 265 patients with LARC were enrolled in the trial. All patients received NeoCRT. Total mesorectal excision was performed 6–8 weeks after the completion of radiotherapy. The surgical specimens were re-evaluated based on the AJCC-TRG (seventh edition) and the AJCC-tumor-node-metastasis (TNM; seventh edition) systems. We followed up these patients and calculated their overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS), local recurrence-free survival (RFS), and distant metastasis (DM)-free survival (MFS) rates through the Kaplan–Meier analysis. The logrank test was further applied to evaluate the predictive value of the ypTN stage combined with AJCC-TRG for several survival indexes. Results: The median follow-up period was 65.1 months. The 5-year OS, DFS, RFS, and MFS rates were 79.4%, 68.8%, 94.4%, and 76.5%, respectively. There were significant differences in OS, DFS, and MFS rates among different ypT+AJCC-TRG and ypN+AJCC-TRG subgroups. The 5-year OS, DFS, and MFS rates for ypT3–4+TRG 1 and ypT3–4+TRG2–3 subgroups were 73.9% vs 65.3%, 61.2% vs 52.9%, and 65.0% vs 61.5%, respectively. The 5-year OS, DFS, and MFS rates for ypN1–2+TRG 0–1 and ypN1–2+TRG2–3 subgroups were 64.8% vs 54.1%, 44.9% vs 41.7%, and 61.4% vs 46.3%, respectively. Conclusion: The ypTNM category combined with the AJCC-TRG can more accurately evaluate the prognosis of patients with LARC and identify the subgroup of patients with the worst prognosis and high risk of developing DM, thereby demonstrating clinical significance in guiding individualized postoperative adjuvant therapy and follow-up for LARC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Oligometastatic disease can potentially be cured when an optimal approach is performed. Early recurrence after liver resection is an intractable problem, and the clinical implications remain unknown in colorectal liver oligometastases (CLOM) patients. This study aimed to investigate the clinical characteristics, risk factors, and prognosis related to early recurrence in these patients.Methods: A total of 307 consecutive patients with CLOM undergoing curative liver resection were retrospectively reviewed between September 1999 and June 2016. Early recurrence was defined as any recurrence or death from CLOM that occurred within 6 months of liver resection.Results: With a median follow-up time of 31.7 months, the 3-year overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival rates were 68.7 and 42.5%, respectively. Forty-nine (16.0%) patients developed early recurrence and showed a poorer 3-year OS than those with non-early recurrence (22.3 vs. 75.8%, P < 0.001) or later recurrence (22.3 vs. 52.8 vs. 63.2%, P < 0.001). Moreover, early recurrence was identified as an independent predictor of 3-year OS [hazard ratio (HR) 6.282; 95% confidence interval (CI) 3.980–9.915, P < 0.001]. In multivariate analysis, a node-positive primary tumor [odds ratio (OR) 2.316; 95% CI 1.097–4.892, P = 0.028) and metastatic diameter > 3 cm (OR 2.560; 95% CI 1.290–5.078; P = 0.007) were shown to be risk factors for early recurrence. The salvage liver resection rate for patients with early recurrence was significantly lower than that for patients with later recurrence (4.1 vs. 19.7%, P = 0.010).Conclusions: Early recurrence should be investigated in routine clinical practice, even in patients with CLOM after curative liver resection. Detailed preoperative comprehensive measurements might help stratify high-risk patients, and a non-surgical treatment for early recurrence might represent an effective alternative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atomic layer deposition (ALD) of vanadium oxide (VOx) thin films, using tetrakis(dimethylamino)vanadium as the vanadium precursor, is comprehensively reported in this work. The vanadium precursor is highly volatile and can be used at room temperature for deposition. Either H2O or O3 can be used as the coreactant for depositing VOx at 50–200 °C. However, partial precursor decomposition is suggested for the deposition temperature higher than 160 °C. The as-deposited VOx films are pure, smooth, and amorphous, and can be crystallized into monoclinic VO2 phase by postdeposition annealing under N2 ambient. The minimum annealing temperature for film to crystallize is found, by in situ high-temperature X-ray diffraction experiments, at around 550–600 °C. In situ quartz crystal microbalance experiments are performed to further analyze the surface reaction mechanism involved in this ALD process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: In addition to tumor factors, poor nutritional status before and during anti-tumor treatment might compromise prognosis in several types of cancer. This study was done to determine the impact of weight loss during preoperative chemoradiotherapy (CRT) on the survival outcome of patients with locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC). Methods: The retrospective study examined consecutive patients with LARC who underwent preoperative CRT followed by radical resection in a single institute, between 2003 and 2013. Correlation of proportional body mass index (BMI) change after preoperative CRT and patient's demographics, tumor characteristics, treatment parameters, CRT-related toxicity, disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) were investigated. Results: A total of 364 patients were enrolled, and BMI loss was found in 243 patients (66.2 %) after preoperative CRT. Severe weight loss (SWL) was defined as BMI loss ≥7 %. Thirty-nine (10.7 %) cases were enrolled in SWL cohort and found to have higher incidence of diarrhea ( P = 0.033), renal disorder ( P = 0.033) and grade 3-4 radiation proctitis ( P = 0.041). Although no significant difference was found in 3-year DFS, patients in SWL cohort showed significantly worse 3-year OS rate (71.8 vs 88.0 %, P = 0.030) than the others. In univariate analysis, BMI loss ≥7 %, completed dose of preoperative chemotherapy, pathologic T and N stages were correlated with OS (all P < 0.05). In multivariable analysis, BMI loss ≥7 % (HR 1.984; 95 % CI 1.061-3.709; P = 0.032) remained the independent prognostic factor for OS. Conclusions: Our results demonstrate that SWL during preoperative CRT indeed compromises survival outcome in patients with LARC. Routine nutritional monitoring and nutritional support during preoperative CRT are suggested as the integral part of the multidisciplinary approach for these patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Charge injection at metal/organic interface is a critical issue for organic electronic devices in general as poor charge injection would cause high contact resistance and severely limit the performance of organic devices. In this work, a new approach is presented to enhance the charge injection by using atomic layer deposition (ALD) to prepare an ultrathin vanadium oxide (VOx) layer as an efficient hole injection interlayer for organic field-effect transistors (OFETs). Since organic materials are generally delicate, a gentle low-temperature ALD process is necessary for compatibility. Therefore, a new low-temperature ALD process is developed for VOx at 50 °C using a highly volatile vanadium precursor of tetrakis(dimethylamino)vanadium and non-oxidizing water as the oxygen source. The process is able to prepare highly smooth, uniform, and conformal VOx thin films with precise control of film thickness. With this ALD process, it is further demonstrated that the ALD VOx interlayer is able to remarkably reduce the interface contact resistance, and, therefore, significantly enhance the device performance of OFETs. Multiple combinations of the metal/VOx/organic interface (i.e., Cu/VOx/pentacene, Au/VOx/pentacene, and Au/VOx/BOPAnt) are examined, and the results uniformly show the effectiveness of reducing the contact resistance in all cases, which, therefore, highlights the broad promise of this ALD approach for organic devices applications in general. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examined the petrography, litho-geochemistry, and geochronology of granite plutons in the Altyn orogenic belt, northern margin of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau, to investigate the geodynamic history of the belt. The granites are peraluminous, with variable chondrite-normalized rare earth element patterns but generally similar trace element compositions; all are depleted in Ba, Nb, Sr, P, and Ti, and enriched in Rb, Th, Ta, Zr, and Hf. Their U–Pb zircon ages record multiple magmatic episodes between 500 and 404 Ma (north Altyn block (NAB)), 522 and 432 Ma (central Altyn block (CAB)), and 483 and 226 Ma (south Altyn block (SAB)). We propose a geodynamic model for the Altyn orogenic belt. Prior to 467 Ma, the north Altyn Ocean subducted southward below the NAB. The north Altyn region saw a change from subduction to collision between the Dunhuang block and the NAB during 467–450 Ma. The collision lasted until 430 Ma and was followed by post-collisional extension until 400 Ma. Farther south, the central Altyn Ocean subducted northwards beneath the CAB, resulting in 520–500 Ma granitic magmatism and leading to collision of the south Altyn micro-block (SAMB) with the CAB. Deep subduction of SAMB crust below the CAB resulted in granite intrusions during 490–455 Ma. The SAMB–CAB collision gave way to post-collisional extension, slab break-off, and delamination during 450–430 Ma. Bidirectional subduction of the south Altyn Ocean after ~485 Ma, dominated by southward subduction, continued until 456 Ma. Closure of the south Altyn Ocean led to continent–continent collision between the SAMB and the Qaidam block at 450–430 Ma, followed after ~410 Ma by repeated break-offs of slab segments until 337 Ma. Subsequent intrusions formed at 264–226 Ma in a setting of either post-collisional extension or sinistral strike-slip. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Zircon SHRIMP dating of granites from Dulan, east segment of North Qaidam UHP belt shows that they are 406.6±3.5 Ma for Yematan-E, 407.3±4.3 and 397±6 Ma for Balijiehatan-W, 404.5±4.0 and 397.0±3.7 Ma for Shuiwenzhan-N, 380.5±5.0 Ma for Shuiwenzhan-S, 382.5±3.6 and 372.5±2.8 Ma for Chachagongma. These granites from Dulan represent the products of the third and fourth periods of Paleozoic magmatism in North Qaidam. Geochemically, the granitoids with metalumious to weak peratuminous are quartz diorite, granodiorite, and granite in composition and mainly belong to calc-alkaline series, a few samples to calc or alkali-calc series. The third period of granites is a rock association of granodiorite + granite, with initial Sr/Sr ratios from 0.7082 to 0.7110 and T model ages from 1.41-1.90 Ga; and the fourth period of granites is a rock association of quartz diorite+granodiorite+granite, with initial Sr/Sr ratios from 0.7072 to 0.7091 and T model ages from 1.07-1.38 Ga. Therefore, the third period of granites has higher initial Sr/Sr ratios and T model ages. On the contrary, the fourth period of granites has ɛ( t) values from 0.6 to −3.0, higher than that of the third granite with ɛ( t) values −3.2 to −9.3. Thus, the data comparison indicates that the third granites may derive from Paleo-proterzoic continental crust with mantle material whereas the fourth granites may derive from the Meso-proterzoic basalt crust with continental material. Combined with regional geology, we thought that the third granites were formed relative to plate exhumation and the fourth granites to delamination of the lithospheric mantle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphene was grown on Cu foil by chemical vapor deposition with CH as carbon source, and then was transferred onto various substrates for device applications. The structural and optical properties of graphene were investigated, comprehensively. Raman spectra indicate as-grown and transferred graphene films are homogenous monolayer graphene. Optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy images reveal wrinkle-free and smooth surface of transferred graphene, confirming the high quality of graphene. In addition, the transferred graphene on glass exhibits excellent transmittances in the visible region (89.3 % at ~500 nm). Therefore, the results present the controllable approaches to achieve as-grown and transferred high quality graphene for the fabrication of multiple nanoelectronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Over expression of tissue factor (TF) occurs in more than 50 % of colorectal cancer (CRC). Therefore, TF represents an attractive target antigen for immunotherapy in CRC. Methods: Here, we assessed the safety and efficacy of a recombinant adenovirus vector encoding the light chain of human coagulation factor VII (hfVII-LC) and human IgG1 Fc fragment (hIgG1-Fc), termed 'benc vector,' by targeting TF in the mouse model with colon cancer. Benc vector was administered intravenously or intratumorally in SCID mice with TF over-expressing HT-29 colon cancer. The safety and efficacy of benc vector were observed during animal experiments. Results: Complete inhibition of tumor growth (5/5) was observed not only in the intravenously injection of benc vector group but also in the intratumorally of benc vector group. We also observed a precautionary effect on lung metastases of HT-29 cells by intratumoral injection of benc vector. In the control group of animals given empty control vector, all animals (5/5) developed lung tumors and exhibited a higher number of nodules after injection with HT-29 cells via the tail vein. In contrast, only three animals (3/5) in the treatment group receiving benc vector had any observable lung metastases and a lower number of nodules. No animals died and no bleeding was observed both in treatment groups and control groups. Moreover, only moderate liver damage was detected in mice receiving benc vector by intravenous injections. Conclusions: Benc vector encoding hfVII-LC and hIgG1-Fc can effectively inhibit tumor growth and metastases in SCID mice with TF over-expressing colon cancer and shows promise as an agent for CRC immunotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The North Qilian Orogenic Belt (NQOB), which consists of ophiolitic melange and island-arc assemblages containing many granites, blueschists, and eclogites, lies between the Alax and Qilian terranes in northwestern China. The Minleyaogou and Niuxinshan granitoids occur at the northern and southern margins, respectively, in the middle segment of the NQOB. The Minleyaogou pluton is granodiorite in composition, whereas the Niuxinshan pluton consists mainly of red granite with minor grey quartz diorite. Geochemically, the Minleyaogou granite differs from the Niuxinshan granite in that it contains a smaller range in SiO2, has lower total alkalis, and is more peraluminous. Both granitoids are magnesian but the Niuxinshan granite is alkali-calcic, whereas the Minleyaogou granodiorite is calcic. Both granitoids have similar chondrite-normalized rare earth element patterns with light rare earth element enrichment and negative Eu anomalies. They have pronounced negative Ba, Nb, Sr, P, and Ti anomalies indicating that they have an affinity to island-arc or active continental margin magmatism. SHRIMP U-Pb dating of zircons from the granitoids yields a formation age of 477 Ma for the Niuxinshan granite and 463 Ma for the Minleyaogou granodiorite. These ages, combined with the geochemistry and locations of the plutons, suggest that they formed by the double subduction of the North Qilian oceanic plate during early Palaeozoic time. Formation of the Niuxinshan granite may be related to southward subduction under the Qilian terrane at 477 Ma, whereas the Minleyaogou granodiorite was formed by northward subduction at 463 Ma under the Alax terrane. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Perifosine is a membrane-targeted alkylphospholipid developed to inhibit the PI3K/Akt pathway and has been suggested as a favorable candidate for combined use with radiotherapy. In this study, we investigated the effect of the combined treatment of perifosine and radiation (CTPR) on prostate cancer cells in vitro and on prostate cancer xenografts in vivo.Methods: Human prostate cancer cell line, CWR22RV1, was treated with perifosine, radiation, or CTPR. Clonogenic survival assays, sulforhodamine B cytotoxity assays and cell density assays were used to assess the effectiveness of each therapy in vitro. Measurements of apoptosis, cell cycle analysis by flow cytometry and Western blots were used to evaluate mechanisms of action in vitro. Tumor growth delay assays were used to evaluate radiation induced tumor responses in vivo.Results: In vitro, CTPR had greater inhibitory effects on prostate cancer cell viability and clonogenic survival than either perifosine or radiation treatment alone. A marked increase in prostate cancer cell apoptosis was noted in CTPR. Phosphorylation of AKT-T308 AKT and S473 were decreased when using perifosine treatment or CTPR. Cleaved caspase 3 was significantly increased in the CTPR group. In vivo, CTPR had greater inhibitory effects on the growth of xenografts when compared with perifosine or radiation treatment alone groups.Conclusions: Perifosine enhances prostate cancer radiosensitivity in vitro and in vivo. These data provide strong support for further development of this combination therapy in clinical studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Low-dose metronomic chemotherapy has anti-angiogenic activity and inhibits tumor growth. Therefore, we investigated the benefits of low-dose metronomic maintenance therapy (MT) in high-risk neuroblastoma (NB) patients who are unable to undergo autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) or anti-GD2 antibody therapy. A total of 217 high-risk NB patients were enrolled. One hundred and eighty-five (85%) had a complete/very good partial remission/partial remission (CR/VGPR/PR) to treatment, of them, 167 patients with stage 4, that did or did not receive oral metronomic MT, 3 years of event-free survival (EFS) were 42.5% versus 29.4%, and overall survival (OS) was 71.1% versus 59.4%, respectively. Totally, 117 high-risk patients with oral metronomic MT had an EFS rate of 42.7%. The results were similar to those of ASCT from other studies. The toxicities of metronomic MT were lower. Our study showed that oral metronomic MT is an optimal option for high-risk NB patients without ASCT or anti-GD2 antibody therapy. Despite aggressive treatment, the prognosis of high-risk NB patients is still poor. This retrospective study investigated the benefits of metronomic maintenance treatment (MT) in high-risk NB patients without ASCT or GD2 antibody therapy. Patients aged ≤ 21 years with newly diagnosed high-risk NB were included. Patients with complete/very good partial remission (CR/VGPR/PR) to conventional treatment received, or not, oral metronomic MT for 1 year. Two hundred and seventeen high-risk NB patients were enrolled. One hundred and eighty-five (85%) had a CR/VGPR/PR to conventional treatment, of the patients with stage 4, 106 receiving and 61 not receiving oral metronomic MT, and the 3-year event-free survival (EFS) rate was 42.5 ± 5.1% and 29.6 ± 6%, respectively (p = 0.017), and overall survival (OS) rate was 71.1 ± 4.7% and 59.4 ± 6.4%, respectively (p = 0.022). A total of 117 high-risk patients with oral metronomic MT had EFS rate of 42.7 ± 4.8%. The toxicity of MT was mild. For high-risk NB patients without ASCT or anti-GD2 antibody therapy, stage 4, MYCN amplication and patients with stage 4 not receiving oral metronomic MT after CR/VGPR/PR were independent adverse prognostic factors. Oral metronomic MT can improve survival in high-risk NB patients in CR/VGPR/PR without ASCT or anti-GD2 antibodies therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photoelectrochemical Ammonia Synthesis: Photoelectrochemical Synthesis of Ammonia with Black Phosphorus (Adv. Funct. Keywords: 2D materials; black phosphorus; nitrogen reduction reaction; photoelectrochemical catalysis; synthesis of ammonia EN 2D materials black phosphorus nitrogen reduction reaction photoelectrochemical catalysis synthesis of ammonia 1 1 1 06/13/20 20200615 NES 200615 Black phosphorus (BP) is developed as a highly efficient metal-free photoelectrochemical (PEC) ammonia synthesis catalyst for the first time. 2D materials, black phosphorus, nitrogen reduction reaction, photoelectrochemical catalysis, synthesis of ammonia. [Extracted from the article]

Charge injection at metal/organic interfaces is a critical issue for organic electronic devices in general. On page 4456, X. Wang and co‐workers present how they use low‐temperature atomic layer deposition to prepare a high‐quality ultrathin vanadium oxide interlayer to efficiently enhance the interface‐hole injection for organic field‐effect transistors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate prognostic significance of clinical and pathological stages in patients with locally advanced rectal carcinoma treated with neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (neo-CRT) and total mesorectal excision.Patients and Methods: 210 patients with locally advanced rectal carcinoma (cT3-4 or cN+) treated with neo-CRT followed by total mesorectal excision. Treatment outcomes were compared according to clinical and pathological stage. Overall survival (OS), disease free survival (DFS) among patients with different clinical stage and pathological stage after neo-CRT.Results: The median follow-up time was 47 months (range, 14-98 months). Clinical T stage was associated with 5 year OS (p = 0.042) and 5 year DFS (p = 0.014) while clinical N stage was not associated with 5 year OS (p = 0.440), 5 year DFS (p = 0.711). Pathological T stage was associate with 5 year OS (p = 0.001) and 5 year DFS (p = 0.046); and N stage was associated with 5 year OS (p = 0.001), 5 year DFS (p = 0.002). The pathological stage was further classified into three groups: ypT0-2N0 in 91 patients (43.3 %), ypT3-4N0 in 69 patients (32.9 %) and ypT0-4N+ in 50 patients (23.8 %). While pathological stage (ypT0-2 vs ypT3-4N0 vs ypT0-4N+) was associated with 5 year OS (87.9 %, 75.5 %, 56.7 %, p = 0.000), 5 year DFS (74.5 %, 77.4 %, 50.5 %, p = 0.003). Multivariate analysis showed that ypN stage was an independent prognostic factor for patients 5 year DFS.Conclusions: Pathological stage is strongly associated with treatment outcomes in patients with locally advanced rectal carcinoma treated with neo-CRT followed by total mesorectal excision, which may be used as guidance for further individualized treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]