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Background Acute lung injury (ALI) is a common lung disorder that affects millions of people every year. The infiltration of inflammatory cells into the lungs and death of the alveolar epithelial cells are key factors to trigger a pathological cascade. Trophoblast stem cells (TSCs) are immune privileged, and demonstrate the capability of self-renewal and multipotency with differentiation into three germ layers. We hypothesized that intratracheal transplantation of TSCs may alleviate ALI. Methods ALI was induced by intratracheal delivery of bleomycin (BLM) in mice. After exposure to BLM, pre-labeled TSCs or fibroblasts (FBs) were intratracheally administered into the lungs. Analyses of the lungs were performed for inflammatory infiltrates, cell apoptosis, and engraftment of TSCs. Pro-inflammatory cytokines/chemokines of lung tissue and in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were also assessed. Results The lungs displayed a reduction in cellularity, with decreased CD45+ cells, and less thickening of the alveolar walls in ALI mice that received TSCs compared with ALI mice receiving PBS or FBs. TSCs decreased infiltration of neutrophils and macrophages, and the expression of interleukin (IL) 6, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) and keratinocyte-derived chemokine (KC) in the injured lungs. The levels of inflammatory cytokines in BALF, particularly IL-6, were decreased in ALI mice receiving TSCs, compared to ALI mice that received PBS or FBs. TSCs also significantly reduced BLM-induced apoptosis of alveolar epithelial cells in vitro and in vivo. Transplanted TSCs integrated into the alveolar walls and expressed aquaporin 5 and prosurfactant protein C, markers for alveolar epithelial type I and II cells, respectively. Conclusion Intratracheal transplantation of TSCs into the lungs of mice after acute exposure to BLM reduced pulmonary inflammation and cell death. Furthermore, TSCs engrafted into the alveolar walls to form alveolar epithelial type I and II cells. These data support the use of TSCs for the treatment of ALI.

Some studies demonstrated that female genital mycoplasmas play important roles in human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, abnormal cervical cytopathology, and cervical cancer. However, those results remained inconclusive. We aimed to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate the association between female genital mycoplasmas and those disorders. Computerized databases were comprehensively searched before 26 January 2017. Pooled odd radios (ORs) and correlative 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were adopted to evaluate the strength of association. Our meta-analysis included 22 studies with 16,181 participants. Ureaplasma urealyticum and Ureaplasma parvum were associated with a significantly increased risk of overall HPV infection (OR 1.57, 95% CI 1.05–2.34; OR 3.02, 95% CI 2.10–4.33, respectively), and U. urealyticum and Mycoplasma genitalium were associated with a significantly increased risk of high-risk HPV infection (OR 1.37, 95% CI 1.05–1.80; OR 1.50, 95% CI 1.11–2.02, respectively). In addition, U. urealyticum, U. parvum, and Mycoplasma hominis were associated with a significantly increased risk of abnormal cervical cytopathology (OR 1.51, 95% CI 1.23–1.85; OR 1.41, 95% CI 1.10–1.80; OR 1.48, 95% CI 1.10–1.99, respectively). We found that U. urealyticum and M. genitalium may increase the risk of high-risk HPV infection, while U. urealyticum, U. parvum, and M. hominis may increase the risk of abnormal cervical cytopathology.

Photodetectors based on the AlGaN/GaN heterostructure suffer from persistent photoconductivity (PPC) in which recovery from the optical stimulus can take days. This behavior is unsuitable for many applications where reliable and consistent optical response is required. This letter presents a method for suppressing PPC in AlGaN/GaN photodetectors by employing device suspension and in situ heating. The highly conductive two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) at the interface of AlGaN and GaN serves as both a sensor and a heater (via Joule heating). Microfabricated AlGaN/GaN-on-Si ultraviolet (UV) photodetectors (suspended and unsuspended) were exposed to UV (365 nm) for 60 s and the transient responses were measured under various in situ heating conditions. The measured transient response showed a decay time of ~39 h when the photodetector was not heated and 24 s for a suspended photodetector with in situ 2DEG heating (270°C with a power of 75 mW). This remarkable suppression of the PPC in AlGaN/GaN UV photodetectors can be attributed to the novel device architecture and in situ heating capability, which enables acceleration of the carrier capture rate during operation.

A microscale soot-particulate sensor using interdigitated platinum-gallium nitride (Pt-GaN) Schottky interfaces was developed to monitor fine soot particles within high-temperature environments (e.g., combustion exhausts and flues). Upon exposure to soot particles (30 to 50 nm in diameter) from an experimental chimney, an increased current (∼43.6%) is observed through the back-to-back Schottky contact to n-type GaN. This is attributed to a reduction in the effective Schottky barrier height (SBH) of ∼10 meV due to the electric field from the charged soot particles in the depletion region and exposed GaN surface. Furthermore, the microfabricated sensor was shown to recover sensitivity and regenerate the sensing response (∼11 meV SBH reduction) after exposure to temperature as high as 550 °C. This study supports the feasibility of a simple and reliable soot sensor to meet the increasing market demand for particulate matter sensing in harsh environments.

Ovarian cancer (OC) is one of the leading causes of cancer-related death in women. Accumulating evidence showed an evolving role of HE4 in monitoring the progression and prognosis of OC but without a comprehensive analysis for prognosis and survival data. Areas covered: The present meta-analysis aims to explore the association of HE4 with survival and the clinicopathological features of OC patients. PubMed, Embase, Web of Science and the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) were searched for relevant studies regarding the role of both serum and tissue HE4 expression in ovarian cancer. Expert commentary: HE4 has been proposed as the most promising biomarker that may complement the CA125 expression and has been approved by the FDA in monitoring the follow-up and relapse of OC patients. Our results are in accordance with the most recent evidence suggesting its important role in the prognostic surveillance of OC and a better performance in the early prediction of OC recurrence than CA125.

Concentrations and vertical distributions of organophosphate esters (OPEs) were investigated in the sediment cores collected from the Laizhou Bay, Bohai Sea of China. The total concentrations of OPEs in the sediment core (CA) collected near the Yellow River Estuary were in the range of 11.8-102ng/g, while the total concentrations in the sediment core (CB) near a mariculture area were 6.65-41.5ng/g. Significantly high concentrations of OPEs were found in the sediments near the Yellow River Estuary than those in the mariculture area. Vertical distributions in the sediment cores demonstrated a recent increase of OPE emissions, especially for tri-n-butyl phosphate (TnBP), tris (2-chloroethyl) phosphate (TCEP), and tris (2-chloroisopropyl) phosphate (TCPP). Generally, TCEP and TCPP were the dominant congeners in the sediment cores, while the profiles of TnBP were increase in the surface 0-20cm layers of the CA core. OPEs in the CA core may be remarkably influenced by the discharge of Yellow River, whereas OPEs in the CB core may originate from the transport through seawater. The remarkable increase of OPE flame retardants in the surface sediments raises the concern about their emissions and risks to the environment and indicates the need for further monitoring.

A 41-year-old G6P1 woman presented for first prenatal visit at 26 weeks gestation. It was her sixth pregnancy. The details of the previous four pregnancies cannot be acquired, but all the four pregnancies were ended by stillbirth at approximately 3, 4, 5, and 6 months gestation, respectively, and the fourth fetus was diagnosed with fetal hydrops before death. Three years ago, she was in fifth pregnancy, fetal hydrops was found at 27 weeks gestation. She was hospitalized, laboratory examination showed her blood type was O Rh-negative, and the titer of anti-RhD was 256. Amniocentesis and intrauterine transfusion were suggested to her. Being worried about neonatal adverse outcome, the patient gave up any treatment and was discharged. The fetus was dead 3 weeks later and the patient received induced labor at a village hospital. In her childhood, the patient was hospitalized and received platelet transfusion several times because of immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), and Rh blood type was not analyzed at that time. This was her sixth pregnancy. She was hospitalized at 28 weeks gestation because of high-risk pregnancy. The vital signs were stable. And the BMI was 31 kg/m. OGTT test suggested she had GDM. The titer of anti-RhD was 256. Ultrasound did not find any sign of fetal hydrops. Insulin was used to control the patient’s glycemia. Rh antibody and Doppler ultrasound screening (including the peak systolic velocity in the middle cerebral artery i.e. MCA-PSV, fetal growth, and fetal hydrops) were checked every 1–2 weeks regularly (see Table 1). Anti-RhD titer rose to 512 at 30 weeks gestation, but the MoM of the MCA-PSV did not change obviously, and there was no sign of fetal hydrops from ultrasound. Single-course dexamethasone was used to enhance fetal lung maturity. Serial MCA-PSV, anti-Rh titer and fetal monitoring were screened weekly. At 34 gestational weeks, the titer of antiRhD reached 1,024, emergency caesarean section (CS) was performed. A boy was born with Apgar score 10-10-10 and weight 1.77 kg. The newborn was transmitted to NICU immediately. Laboratory test showed the baby’s blood hemoglobin was 57 g/L, total bilirubin was 292 lmol/L and unconjugated bilirubin was 283 lmol/L. Direct coombs test, indirect coombs test and ABO radiation test were all positive. The titers of anti-D in the newborn’s serum were 0 for IgM and 16 for IgG. No other disorders were found in the preterm infant. After one blood exchange transfusion (1.5 ll for leukocyte privative red blood cells of O, Rh-dccee and 75 ml for blood plasma of AB, Rhnegative) and two times transfusion of O Rh-negative leukocyte privative red blood cells (0.25 and 0.4 ll respectively), the baby was cured and discharged healthy 3 weeks later. The blood type and antibody titers of the patient’s family are shown in Table 2 and the changes of the fetus’s hemoglobin, total bilirubin and unconjugated bilirubin of pre-, intraand post-blood exchanging M. Hou A. Xing (&) Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, West China Second Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China e-mail: aiyun-x@126.com

The development of radiation-hardened, temperature-tolerant materials, sensors and electronics will enable lightweight space sub-systems (reduced packaging requirements) with increased operation lifetimes in extreme harsh environments such as those encountered during space exploration. Gallium nitride (GaN) is a ceramic, semiconductor material stable within high-radiation, high-temperature and chemically corrosive environments due to its wide bandgap (3.4 eV). These material properties can be leveraged for ultraviolet (UV) wavelength photodetection. In this paper, current results of GaN metal-semiconductor-metal (MSM) UV photodetectors behavior after irradiation up to 50 krad and temperatures of 15°C to 150°C is presented. These initial results indicate that GaN-based sensors can provide robust operation within extreme harsh environments. Future directions for GaN-based photodetector technology for down-hole, automotive and space exploration applications are also discussed.

This paper reports the steady-state and transient temperature response of AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) based structures. In this study, three localized heating schemes, namely, continuous self-heating, pulsed self-heating and heating with on-chip heaters are studied for sensor applications that require controlled heating profiles. Two scenarios were considered for the GaN sensor structure: 1) the silicon substrate under the AlGaN/GaN sensor is not removed, and 2) the silicon substrate is removed to form a suspended AlGaN/GaN diaphragm on which the sensor is located. The three heating schemes are analyzed by finite element thermal analysis, evaluated and compared. In addition, general guidelines for designing localized heating architectures for AlGaN/GaN HEMT based sensors are provided.