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Abstract Introduction Paragangliomas that originate from the urinary bladder are extremely rare. In most series, bladder paragangliomas often cause micturitional attacks. Treatment modalities include transurethral resection and cystectomy (partial or total). Prognosis of bladder paraganglioma is similar to that of adrenal pheochromocytoma. Case presentation A 55-year-old Chinese woman presenting with the sole complaint of lower abdominal pain for one month was admitted to our hospital. Ultrasound and computed tomography revealed a mass on the dome of the bladder measuring 4.0 × 3.0 cm. The tumor was completed removed by laparoscopic partial cystectomy. Histological examination of the tumor indicated paraganglioma of the urinary bladder. The clinical features, diagnosis, management and pathological findings of paraganglioma of the urinary bladder are discussed. Conclusions Bladder paraganglioma should be considered as a differential diagnosis to neoplasm in the urinary bladder, although there is no characteristic symptom. Laparoscopic partial cystectomy may be the first choice in treating paraganglioma of the urinary bladder, offering several advantages such as less invasion, rapid recovery and early discharge from the hospital.

Hepatocellular cancer (HCC) has been reported to belong to one of the highly vascularized solid tumours accompanied with angiogenesis of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). KDM5A, an attractive drug target, plays a critical role in diverse physiological processes. Thus, this study aims to investigate its role in angiogenesis and underlying mechanisms in HCC. ChIP‐qPCR was utilized to validate enrichment of H3K4me3 and KDM5A on the promotor region of miR‐433, while dual luciferase assay was carried out to confirm the targeting relationship between miR‐433 and FXYD3. Scratch assay, transwell assay, Edu assay, pseudo‐tube formation assay and mice with xenografted tumours were conducted to investigate the physiological function of KDM5A‐miR‐433‐FXYD3‐PI3K‐AKT axis in the progression of HCC after loss‐ and gain‐function assays. KDM5A p‐p85 and p‐AKT were highly expressed but miR‐433 was down‐regulated in HCC tissues and cell lines. Depletion of KDM5A led to reduced migrative, invasive and proliferative capacities in HCC cells, including growth and a lowered HUVEC angiogenic capacity in vitro. Furthermore, KDM5A suppressed the expression of miR‐433 by demethylating H3K4me3 on its promoterregion. miR‐433 negatively targeted FXYD3. Depleting miR‐433 or re‐expressing FXYD3 restores the reduced migrative, invasive and proliferative capacities, and lowers the HUVEC angiogenic capacity caused by silencing KDM5A. Therefore, KDM5A silencing significantly suppresses HCC tumorigenesis in vivo, accompanied with down‐regulated miR‐433 and up‐regulated FXYD3‐PI3K‐AKT axis in tumour tissues. Lastly, KDM5A activates the FXYD3‐PI3K‐AKT axis to enhance angiogenesis in HCC by suppressing miR‐433. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been demonstrated to exhibit important regulatory roles in multiple malignancies, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). hsa-miR-497-5p was reported to involve in cancer progression and poor prognosis in many kinds of tumors. However, the expression and its clinical significance of hsa-miR-497-5p in HCC remain unclear. Methods. In the present study, we investigated the expression of hsa-miR-497-5p in HCC and analyzed the correction of clinical features with prognosis. The expression levels of hsa-miR-497-5p and potential target genes were analyzed in HCC and adjacent noncancerous tissues using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) datasets. Real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to analyze hsa-miR-497-5p levels in 328 HCC tissues and 30 paired adjacent noncancer tissues. Overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) of patients with HCC were assessed using the Kaplan-Meier method and the log-rank test. Results. The hsa-miR-497-5p expression levels were decreased, and its target genes ACTG1, CSNK1D, PPP1CC, and BIRC5 were upregulated in HCC tissues compared with normal tissues. Lower levels of hsa-miR-497-5p expression and higher levels of the four target genes were significantly associated with higher tumor diameter. Moreover, patients with lower hsa-miR-497-5p expression and higher target genes levels had shorter OS. Conclusion. The expression levels of hsa-miR-497-5p may play an important regulatory role in HCC and are closely correlated with HCC progression and poor prognosis in patients. The hsa-miR-497-5p may be a specific therapeutic target for the treatment of HCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the present study was to assess the oncological and functional outcomes of testis-sparing surgery (TSS) for testicular tumors compared with radical orchiectomy (RO) in a single center. A retrospective comparative cohort study was conducted in Changzheng Hospital. Patients were identified using the hospital information system from January 1999 to December 2016, collecting all of the data regarding clinical, treatment and prognostic profiles. Patient follow-up was also executed to obtain information on patients' survival status, serum markers profiles, disease progression, androgen substitution requirement and paternity status. In total 158 patients were enrolled into the cohort study, including 23 TSS cases. The TSS procedure was primarily conducted in younger patients (average age, 31.9 vs. 47.7 years) or those with smaller tumors (average tumor diameter, 26.0 vs. 51.5 mm). The overall survival and recurrence free survival revealed no differences in the two groups, suggesting similar oncological outcomes. Kaplan-Maier analysis demonstrated a higher cumulative paternity rate in the TSS group than in RO group, indicating a possible advantage of preserving patients' fertility in TSS over RO. TSS with proper adjuvant therapies proved to be a promising alternative in the avoidance of emasculation, infertility, life-long androgen substitution and other psychosexual difficulties, as the oncological outcomes were not inferior to RO in the selected cases. However, further investigation is required in order to assess its oncological and functional values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The next generation of optoelectronic devices requires transparent conductive electrodes to be flexible, inexpensive and compatible with large scale manufacturing processes. We report an ultrasmooth, highly conductive and transparent composite electrode on a flexible photopolymer substrate by employing a template stripping method. A random silver nanowire (AgNW) network buried in poly(3,4ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) film constituted the composite electrode. Besides the effectively decreased surface roughness, its sheet resistance and transmittance are comparable to those of conventional PEDOT:PSS electrode. As a result, the efficiency of the OLEDs based on the composite electrode exhibited 25% enhancement compared to the OLEDs with conventional PEDOT:PSS electrode. Moreover, the performance of the flexible OLEDs remains stable after over one hundred bending cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents a study of the textbooks composed and released by the Tibetan Government-in-Exile for the Central School for Tibetans in India. By examining the textbooks on Social Studies and history, it looks at how the Tibetan Government-in-Exile engages with various external and internal ‘others’ in the process of constructing knowledge of the Tibetan nation, and at how it represents Tibetan life to those who were born in exile. It is contended that schooling and power are interrelated, and textbook curricula represent a way in which national power dominates the selection and representation of public knowledge. The article concludes by suggesting that the limits applied by their refugee status to the Tibetans in India has sometimes turned into the energy/force of empowerment, which not only permits flexibility in the shaping of a national identity but creates spaces for negotiating the multiple boundaries. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background and Purpose: Seminal vesicle cyst (SVC) is a rare disease and its treatment is still controversial. This article contains the largest series of transperitoneal laparoscopic excision of SVC to date, summarizing our surgical techniques and clinical experience with this disease. Patients and Methods: From December 2003 to May 2010, seven patients received transperitoneal laparoscopic excision of SVC using a five-port transperitoneal approach. Nearly the total cyst was removed by only leaving a narrow strip of the cyst wall with the bilateral vas deferens and SV preserved completely. Pelvic CT or MRI was performed 3 and 6 months after surgery, and thereafter annually for at least 3 years. Results: Transperitoneal laparoscopic excision of SVC was completed successfully in all seven patients without conversion to open surgery. The mean operative time was 73 minutes (range 60-100 min) with negligible blood loss (less than 20 mL). The mean postoperative hospital stay was 4.3 days (range 3-5 days). No intraoperative or postoperative complication occurred. The patients were followed up for a mean of 45 months (range 18-84 mos), during which they all remained symptom free with normal erectile and ejaculatory function without evidence of recurrence. Conclusion: Our study has demonstrated that transperitoneal laparoscopic excision of SVC is a safe, feasible, and efficacious procedure, and offers an excellent option for minimally invasive treatment of patients with SVC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The externally doped sulfonated polyaniline (ED-SPANI) has emerged as a potential candidate for electrochemical sensors because of its unique electroactive property and water solubility. However, the lower conductivity is the major drawback for the application of ED-SPANI. Thus, this study describes a simple procedure for the fabrication of water-soluble and high conductivity composites containing ED-SPANI and multiwalled carbon nanotubes with attached carboxylic groups (c-MWCNTs) by electrostatic adsorption in aqueous colloids. The results of Fourier transform JR and Raman spectroscopy demonstrate the electrostatic interaction between the C-N+ species of the ED-SPANI structures and the COOspecies of the c-MWCNTs. The incorporation of the c-MWCNTs into ED-SPANI can significantly enhance the electrical conductivity and electrochemical activity of ED-SPANI/cMWCNT composites. Furthermore, the morphology of ED-SPANI/c-MWCNT composites measured by scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy indicates the presence of well-distributed tubular structures that are individually coated with ED-SPANI on the surface of the composite, in accordance with the high electrical conductivity and electrochemical properties of the composites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Paragangliomas that originate from the urinary bladder are extremely rare. In most series, bladder paragangliomas often cause micturitional attacks. Treatment modalities include transurethral resection and cystectomy (partial or total). Prognosis of bladder paraganglioma is similar to that of adrenal pheochromocytoma.Case Presentation: A 55-year-old Chinese woman presenting with the sole complaint of lower abdominal pain for one month was admitted to our hospital. Ultrasound and computed tomography revealed a mass on the dome of the bladder measuring 4.0 x 3.0 cm. The tumor was completed removed by laparoscopic partial cystectomy. Histological examination of the tumor indicated paraganglioma of the urinary bladder. The clinical features, diagnosis, management and pathological findings of paraganglioma of the urinary bladder are discussed.Conclusions: Bladder paraganglioma should be considered as a differential diagnosis to neoplasm in the urinary bladder, although there is no characteristic symptom. Laparoscopic partial cystectomy may be the first choice in treating paraganglioma of the urinary bladder, offering several advantages such as less invasion, rapid recovery and early discharge from the hospital. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A rapid and reliable technique for identifying the strains of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) was developed in this study, and the 16S ribosomal RNA gene (16S rRNA gene) was used as the target. Several species-specific primer pairs were designed based on the variability of 16S rRNA sequence(s) for differentiating 5 strains of lactobacilli which were added into probiotic products in Taiwan. It was simple to identify Lactobacillus acidophilus and L. delbrueckii by species-specific primers, but it could not be used to distinguish L. casei, L. paracasei and L. rhamnosus. Another PCR approach was developed with hybridization probes which were designed according to the difference among the 16S rRNA genes of L. casei, L. paracasei and L. rhamnosus, and melting curve analysis of the hybridization probe was used to distinguish them. It was found that this approach could identify L. paracasei and L. rhamnosus correctly but not separate L. paracasei from L. casei, the result was due to both of them had the same 16S rRNA sequence. These results suggest that melting curve analysis of PCR approach in this study is a rapid, simple and accurate method in distinguishing the closely related strains of lactobacilli. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Glazed hollow bead insulation concrete (GHBC) presents a promising application prospect in terms of its light weight and superior fire resistance. However, only a few studies have focused on the creep behaviour of GHBC exposed to high temperatures. Therefore, in this study, the mechanism of high temperature on GHBC is analysed through a series of tests on uniaxial compression and multistage creep of GHBC, exposed from room temperature up to 800 °C. The results show a decrease in the weight and compressive strength of GHBC as the temperature rises. After 800 °C, the loss of weight and strength reach to 9.67% and 69.84%, respectively. The creep strain and creep rate increase, with a higher target temperature and higher stress level, while the transient deformation modulus, the creep failure threshold stress, and creep duration are reduced significantly. Furthermore, the creep of GHBC exhibits a considerable increase above 600 °C and the creep under the same loading ratio at 600 °C increases by 74.19% compared to the creep at room temperature. Indeed, the higher the temperature, the more sensitive the stress is to the creep. Based on our findings, the Burgers model agrees well with the creep test data at the primary creep and steady-state creep stages, providing a useful reference for the fire resistance design calculation of the GHBC structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Tufa is a carbonate sediment contains inorganic and organic substances such as algae, microorganism and invertebrate. Microbial diversity of tufa found in Taroko National Park was investigated using 16S rRNA cloning and fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH). Eleven 16S rRNA phylotypes and 37 genus and group of bacteria were identified. Of total 381 clones isolated, proteobacteria occupied 25–30% whereas cyanobacteria dominated 16–28% in total microbial population in the three sites. Acidobacteria, agricultural soil bacterium, verrucomicrobia and firmicutes were, generally, distributed in the three sampling sites. Among the three sampling sites, Baiyang walkway is found to be the most diverse site in its tufa microbial composition, indicated by species richness plot and FISH. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

We report an improved light extraction in all-inorganic perovskite light-emitting devices (PeLEDs) by integrating a periodic corrugated nanostructure at the metallic cathode/organic interface. Nanoimprinting lithography was used to introduce the nanostructures onto the surface of the electron transport layer directly to avoid influencing the morphology and crystallinity of the perovskite film underneath. The trapped energy at the metallic electrode has been successfully outcoupled by the excitation of the surface plasma polariton (SPP) modes induced by the periodic corrugations. The luminance and current efficiency of the periodically corrugated PeLED exhibit enhancements of 42% and 28%, respectively, compared to those of the planar PeLED. The finite-difference time-domain simulation was used to confirm the efficient outcoupling of the SPP modes.

All-inorganic cubic α - C s P b I 3 perovskite for red perovskite light-emitting device (PeLED) applications is suffering from a phase transition. Unstable black α phase tends to transit to yellow δ phase under ambient conditions, which results in poor performance of the C s P b I 3 -based PeLEDs. Partial replacement of iodine anion with a comparatively smaller bromine anion in the perovskite film can effectively adjust the Goldschmidt tolerance factor and stabilize the α -phase. A phase-stable C s P b ( B r 1- x I x ) 3 perovskite has been obtained at low annealing temperature of 50°C by tuning the iodine-to-bromine ratios. A PeLED with pure red emission based on the C s P b ( B r 0.43 I 0.57 ) 3 perovskite has been demonstrated. The maximum luminance and efficiency were 2200 c d / m 2 and 0.38 cd/A, respectively. Moreover, the PTAA layer was introduced between the PEDOT:PSS and perovskite film to improve the surface morphologies of perovskite. As a result, red PeLEDs with a maximum luminance of 2765 c d / m 2 have been achieved.

We demonstrate an enhanced efficiency of all-inorganic perovskite light-emitting diodes (PeLEDs) by doping an electron acceptor of 2,3,5,6-tetrafluoro-7,7,8,8-tetracyanoquinodimethane (F4-TCNQ) as a p-type dopant into the hole-transport layer (HTL) of poly-triarylamine (PTAA). The conductivity of the PTAA was improved by the formation of the CT complex through the electron transfer from the PTAA to F4TCNQ. Moreover, the hydrophobic surface of the PTAA leads to an improved surface morphology of the perovskite films compared to that on the conventionally used HTL of PEDOT:PSS. As a result, the maximum luminance and efficiency for the doped PTAA-based PeLEDs are 28020  cd/m 2 and 13.5 cd/A, respectively, corresponding to 32.7% and 48% improvement in the efficiency compared to those of the pure PTAA or PEDOT:PSS-based PeLEDs.

Objective : The purpose of this prospective study was to investigate the perceptions and attitudes to participate in radical and palliative clinical trials among Chinese lymphoma and head/neck cancer patients. Patients and Methods : A self-developed questionnaire was administered to hospitalized patients in the Department of Medical Oncology in Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center between 20 September 2014 and 20 September 2015. This study included lymphoma patients who were enrolled into a radical treatment clinical trial, and head/neck cancer patients participating in a palliative clinical trial. Results : There were 136 lymphoma patients and 87 head/neck cancer patients who completed and returned the questionnaire. The questionnaire return rate was 100%. More than 90% of the patients in both groups showed trust and acceptance for medical care personnel, and more than 50% of the patients in both groups were in hope of trying new medication, receiving free medication, and receiving new treatment at an earlier rate. As compared with those in the radical trials, patients in the palliative clinical trials were more likely to hope to try new medication ( P <0.001) and receive a new treatment at an earlier date ( P =0.025), but less likely to hope to receive free medication ( P =0.047). Conclusions : This study reveals several shared perceptions and needs of patients in both the radical (lymphoma) and palliative (head/neck cancer) settings and explores the differences in patients' attitudes between radical clinical trials and palliative clinical trials. These findings may provide a basis for improving recruitment of patients for different types of clinical trials and ensuring that patients have a better understanding of clinical trials., Competing Interests: Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interest exists.

Organic-inorganic hybrid perovskite materials have received much attention in light-emitting applications during the past several years. The commonly used indium tin oxide (ITO) electrodes in perovskite light-emitting devices (PeLEDs) have unavoidable drawbacks of increasing cost and incompatibility with flexible devices, which limit the development of PeLEDs. Here, high-performance and ITO-free flexible PeLEDs utilizing ultrathin Au electrodes have been achieved and exhibited high brightness (>10,000  cdm -2 ). By introducing a MoO 3 /SU-8 modification layer, the ultrathin Au film with a thickness of 7 nm exhibits excellent surface morphology with a root-mean-square roughness value of 0.307 nm. Meanwhile, the ultrathin Au film demonstrates an outstanding optical property with transparency of 83% at the wavelength of 550 nm. Simultaneously, favorable conductivity with a sheet resistance of 13  Ω sq -1 has been achieved. High mechanical robustness and flexibility have been obtained for the flexible PeLEDs by surviving 1000 bending cycles. The flexible PeLEDs reported here exhibit tremendous potential for commercial applications.

We demonstrate an effective approach to realize excitation and outcoupling of the SPP modes associated with both cathode/organic and anode/organic interfaces in OLEDs by integrating dual-periodic corrugation. The dual-periodic corrugation consists of two set gratings with different periods. The light trapped in the SPP modes associated with both top and bottom electrode/organic interfaces are efficiently extracted from the OLEDs by adjusting appropriate periods of two set corrugations, and a 29% enhancement in the current efficiency has been obtained.

The finding of mRNA acting as a systemic information molecule is one of the most exciting discoveries in recent plant biology. However, evidence demonstrating the functional significance of non-cell autonomous RNA remains limited. Recent analyses of Arabidopsis and rice revealed FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT) protein as a systemic florigenic signal. However, whether the FT RNA also participates in systemic floral regulation remains controversial. By using Arabidopsis cleft-grafting experiments, we showed that the RNA of Arabidopsis FT undergoes long-distance movement from the stock to the scion apex in both FT transformants and non-transformants. In addition, the sequences of FT RNA are sufficient to target a cell-autonomous RNA for long-distance movement. Therefore, FT RNA is a bona fide non-cell autonomous RNA. To examine the systemic action of FT RNA, we uncoupled the movement of FT RNA from protein by fusing FT with RED FLUORESCENT PROTEIN (RFP). When RFP-FT protein was retained in companion cells, the detection of RFP-FT RNA correlates with floral promotion in the scion. Further depletion of the translocated RFP-FT RNA by RNAi or artificial miRNA against FT delayed the floral promotion, indicating that the translocated FT RNA acts as a part of the systemic floral signaling. Our results indicate that both FT RNA and protein move long distance and act redundantly to integrate the photoperiodic signals.