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An efficient method for the highly sensitive and specific detection of cancer cells is crucial for the early diagnosis of cancer. In this work, we propose a one-pot approach to fabricating magnetic-fluorescent iron oxide-carbon hybrid nanomaterials (MCNP) with excellent stable, high quantum yield and excellent magnetic properties for breast cancer cells recognition and detection via magnetic resonance and multicolour fluorescence imaging. MCNPs were efficiently synthesised via one-pot, multi-component reactions of FeCl 3 , FeCl 2 •4H 2 O, citric acid and ethylenediamine in diethylene glycol. The MCNPs showed strong excitation wavelength-dependent fluorescence in the blue-red region with a high quantum yield of 58.4%, and they presented higher stability and T 2 relaxivity than pure iron oxide nanoparticles. After conjugating with CD44 monoclonal antibodies, the fabricated targeting nanoprobe, MCNPs-CD44, demonstrated a specific fluorescence/MRI dual imaging contrast effect in 4T1 breast cancer cells. Biological transmission electron microscope imaging showed a significant preferential uptake of the nanoparticle conjugates by the 4T1 cells. By taking advantage of the high binding affinity and specificity of the CD44 antibodies to the overexpressed CD44 on the cancer cell surface, the developed MCNPs-CD44 probe distinguished 4T1 breast cancer cells from normal cells and detected as low as a few hundred cancer cells, thus indicating the potential application of multifunctional nanocomposites in the MR diagnosis and fluorescence positioning of breast cancer at cellular-level resolution., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Solid electrolytes are considered as strong alternatives for conventional liquid electrolytes to overcome the safety issues of next-generation high-energy-density lithium metal batteries (LMBs). Although Li 1.5 Al 0.5 Ge 1.5 (PO 4 ) 3 (LAGP) has satisfied ionic conductivity at room temperature (∼10 -4 S cm -1 ), high stability in air, and can be easily sintered, it still suffers from instability of the lithium metal. Moreover, the large interfacial resistance between solid electrolytes and solid electrodes and the stress generated by the volumetric change of lithium metal anodes during cycling would deteriorate the performance of LMBs. Here, we report an effective solution to overcome the abovementioned problems by introducing a three-dimensional gel polymer electrolyte at the interface between LAGP pellets and lithium metal anodes, achieving stable cycling of LiFePO 4 //Li cells at room temperature for 300 cycles. Besides, the degeneration mechanisms of the interfaces of LAGP pellets under different conditions are compared, and peculiar properties different from their counterparts were found.

The lithium-ion capacitor (LIC) has been regarded as a promising device that combines the merits of lithium-ion batteries and supercapacitors, and that meets the requirements for both high energy and high power density. The development of advanced electrode materials is the key requirement. Herein, we report the bottom-up synthesis of activated carbon nanofiber (a-PANF) with a hierarchical porous structure and a high degree of graphitization. Electrospinning has been employed to prepare an interconnected fiber network with macropores, and ferric acetylacetonate has been introduced as both a mesopore-creating agent and a graphitic catalyst to increase the degree of graphitization. Furthermore, chemical activation enlarges the specific surface area by producing abundant micropores. Half-cell evaluation of the as-prepared a-PANF gave a discharge capacity of 80 mA h g -1 at 0.1 A g -1 within 2-4.5 V and no capacity fading after 1000 cycles at 2 A g -1 , which represents a significant improvement compared to conventional activated carbon (AC). Furthermore, an as-assembled LIC with a-PANF cathode and Fe 3 O 4 anode showed a superior energy density of 124.6 W h kg -1 at a specific power of 93.8 W kg -1 , which remained at 103.7 W h kg -1 at 4687.5 W kg -1 . This indicates promising application potential of a-PANF as an electrode material for efficient energy storage systems., (© 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Purpose: To compare 3D liver acceleration volume acquisition (LAVA) and digital subtraction angiography (DSA) for evaluating the presence of accessory hepatic veins (AHV) in Budd-Chiari syndrome (BCS)., Materials and Methods: This was a retrospective study in 228 patients with BCS who underwent 3.0T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with the 3D LAVA sequence. Two reviewers noted AHV: openings located in the inferior vena cava (IVC), caliber, and the angle of entering into the IVC. MRI results were compared to DSA. Kappa statistics were calculated to quantify intrareader variability in detecting AHVs., Results: On MRI, 63 patients demonstrated no AHV on LAVA images, 70 had one AHV, 62 had two AHVs, 26 patients had three AHVs, six patients had four AHVs, and one patient had five AHVs (P < 0.05 vs. DSA). The mean caliber of the AHVs was 8.3 ± 4.0 mm compared to 9.9 ± 3.2 for DSA (P < 0.001). Among the 301 AHVs, there were 140 with acute angles (46.5%), 71 with right angles (23.6%), and 90 with obtuse angles (29.8%). The prevalence of AHVs on DSA was 54.8% (125/228), while MRI demonstrated 301 AHVs in 165 patients, for a prevalence of 72.4% (165/228) compared to 54.8% for DSA (P = 0.001). The two methods were concordant in only 116/228 (50.9%) patients. The kappa coefficient demonstrated good intrareader consistency for all documented MRI findings of AHVs (κ = 0.626 for caliber and κ = 0.65 for angles)., Conclusion: More AHVs were visible on MRI LAVA sequences than on conventional DSA., Level of Evidence: 4 J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2017;45:401-409., (© 2016 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.)

Target: Our study was to investigate the effects of interleukin-6 (IL-6) polymorphisms (rs2069837 and rs17147230) on the risk for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)., Methods: A total of 226 HCC cases and 220 healthy controls were admitted into the study and genomic DNA was extracted from the peripheral blood. The genotyping was conducted by the method of polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). Odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were used to evaluate the relationship of IL-6 rs2069837 and rs17147230 polymorphisms with HCC susceptibility., Results: The frequency of GG genotype of rs2069837 was higher in HCC patients, compared with controls (P < 0.05). Moreover, the results indicated that GG genotype was related with increased risk for HCC (OR = 2.303, 95% CI = 1.056-5.025). Similarly, the risk for G allele carriers was higher than that of A allele (OR = 1.392, 95% CI = 1.046-1.852). For rs17147230, TT genotype showed strong effect on HCC susceptibility (OR = 2.089, 95% CI = 1.135-3.845) and T allele appeared to be a risk factor for HCC (OR = 1.326, 95% CI = 1.010-1.740). Further analysis showed that G-T haplotype was associated with increased risk for HCC (OR = 3.125, 95% CI = 1.845-5.294, P = 0.000)., Conclusion: IL-6 rs2069837 as well as rs17147230 were associated with HCC susceptibility. In addition, G-T haplotype also served as a genetic-susceptibility factor for HCC.

Click chemistry, a new strategy for organic chemistry, has been widely used in the chemical modification of calixarenes because of its reliability, specificity, biocompatibility, and efficiency. Click-derived triazoles also play a critical role in sensing ions and molecules. This in-depth review provides an overview of calixarene-based chemosensors that incorporate click-derived triazoles, and their three characteristics (chromogenic, fluorescence, and wettability) are reviewed., (© 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Inspired from their biological counterparts, chemical modification of the interior surface of nanochannels with functional molecules may provide a highly efficient means to control ionic or molecular transport through nanochannels. Herein, we have designed and prepared a aldehyde calix[4]arene (C4AH), which was attached to the interior surface of a single nanochannel by using a click reaction, and that showed a high response for arginine (Arg). Furthermore, the nanofluidic sensing system has been challenged with complex matrices containing a high concentration of interfering sequences and serum. Based on this finding, we believe that the artificial nanochannel can be used for practical Arg-sensing devices, and be applied in a biological environment., (© 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

A novel biomimetic ion-responsive multi-nanochannel system is constructed by covalently immobilizing a metal-chelating ligand, 2,2'-dipicolylamine (DPA), in polyporous nanochannels prepared in a polymeric membrane. The DPA-modified multi-nanochannels show specific recognition of zinc ions over other common metal ions, and the zinc-ion-chelated nanochannels can be used as secondary sensors for HPO4(2-) anions. The immobilized DPA molecules act as specific-receptor binding sites for zinc ions, which leads to the highly selective zinc-ion response through monitoring of ionic current signatures. The chelated zinc ions can be used as secondary recognition elements for the capture of HPO4(2-) anions, thereby fabricating a sensing nanodevice for HPO4(2-) anions. The success of the DPA immobilization and ion-responsive events is confirmed by measurement of the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), contact angle (CA), and current-voltage (I-V) characteristics of the systems. The proposed nanochannel sensing devices display remarkable specificity, high sensitivity, and wide dynamic range. In addition, control experiments performed in complex matrices suggest that this sensing system has great potential applications in chemical sensing, biotechnology, and many other fields., (Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Channel tunneling: We have prepared functional biomimetic nanochannels in polyethylene terephthalate (PET) polymer films (see illustration). We used p-sulfonatocalix[4]arene to modify the channel surface by flexible layer-by-layer electrostatic assembly. Using this method we were able to detect acetylcholine with high sensitivity., (Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

We employed gold nanoparticles to visually enrich lead ions, which led to selective magnetic separation with 99% removal efficiency.

Novel beta-cyclodextrin-4,4'-dipyridine supramolecular inclusion complex-modified silver nanoparticles were synthesized for the colorimetric determination of Yb(3+) ions in aqueous solution with high sensitivity (the visual detection limit was 2 x 10(-7) M), via Yb(3+)-induced aggregation to form chain-like supramolecular aggregates.