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Decidualization is the process of conversion of endometrial stromal cells (ESCs) into decidual stromal cells (DSCs), which is caused by progesterone production that begins during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle and then increases throughout pregnancy dedicated to support embryonic development. Decidualization deficiency is closely associated with various pregnancy complications, such as recurrent miscarriage (RM). Here, we reported that Src-homology-2-containing phospho-tyrosine phosphatase (SHP2), a key regulator in the signal transduction process downstream of various receptors, plays an indispensable role in decidualization. SHP2 expression was upregulated during decidualization. SHP2 inhibitor RMC-4550 and shRNA mediated SHP2 reduction resulted in a decreased level of phosphorylation of ERK and aberrant cytoplasmic localization of progesterone receptor (PR), coinciding with reduced expression of IGFBP1 and various other target genes of decidualization. Solely inhibiting ERK activity recapitulated these observations. Administration of RMC-4550 led to decidualization deficiency and embryo absorption in mouse. Moreover, reduced expression of SHP2 was detected in decidua of RM patients. Our results revealed that SHP2 is key to PR's nuclear localization, thereby indispensable for decidualization and that reduced expression of SHP2 might be engaged in the pathogenesis of RM.

Mengxiong Li,1,* Zhi Zeng,2,* Aiqing Zhang,3 Qingjian Ye,4 Shujun Su,4 Tingting Xia5 1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518107, People’s Republic of China; 2The Department of Reproductive Medicine Center, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510000, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510630, People’s Republic of China; 4Department of Gynecology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510630, People’s Republic of China; 5Center for Reproductive Medicine, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510630, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Tingting Xia Tel +86-020-85256032Email xiatting@mail.sysu.edu.cnObjective: Dysfunction of cumulus granulosa cells has been suggested as a contributor to abnormal folliculogenesis and the development of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), but the underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear. Recent studies indicate that circular RNAs (circRNAs) exert important roles for diseases. We aimed to screen crucial circRNAs of PCOS patients and predict their functions.Methods: The high-throughput datasets of circRNAs (GSE145296), microRNAs (miRNAs; GSE72274) and messenger RNAs (mRNAs; GSE155489) in cumulus cells of PCOS patients and controls were collected from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. Differentially expressed circRNAs (DECs), miRNAs (DEMs) and protein-coding genes (DEGs) were identified by the limma method. The weighted correlation network analysis (WGCNA) was conducted using the DECs to mine PCOS-associated modules. Hub DECs in modules were defined as both of |gene significance| and |module membership| > 0.8. The downstream effectors of hub DECs were predicted by constructing DEC-DEM-DEG ceRNA and DEC-RNA binding protein (RBP) networks. Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analyses were performed to explore the functions of circRNAs.Results: A total of 3614 DECs, 3544 DEGs and 1469 DEMs were identified between PCOS and controls. WGCNA analysis yielded five PCOS-related modules, of which 190 DECs were hub circRNAs. Seventeen hub DECs, nine DEMs, and 315 DEGs were identified to construct the ceRNA network, while 56 hub DECs and two DEGs (MBNL2, RBPMS) constituted the circRNA-RBP network. Five hub DECs (hsa_circ_0063309, hsa_circ_0054275, hsa_circ_0056196, hsa_circ_0018108 and hsa_circ_0070987) were overlapped between ceRNA and DEC-MBNL2 regulatory networks and thus they may be pivotal for PCOS. Furthermore, hsa_circ_0099109 could interact with the RBP gene RBPMS. Function analyses showed these circRNAs were inflammation-, apoptosis- or steroidogenesis-related.Conclusion: Aberrant expression of six circRNAs that function as RBP regulators or miRNA sponges may be possible mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of PCOS by affecting apoptosis and steroidogenesis in cumulus cells.Keywords: circular RNAs, competitive endogenous RNAs, polycystic ovary syndrome, RNA-binding proteins, weighted gene co-expression network analysis

Two-dimensional (2D) heterostructures hold great promise in designing integrated materials, while the current synthesis strategies still confront challenges for multilayer heterostructure construction and scale-up production. Here we report a generalized host-guest strategy based on non-exfoliated layered graphene oxide (LGO) to construct graphene-based heterostructures that consist of multilayered, alternately aligned graphene and metal oxide nanosheets. The 2D-aligned GOs and open interlayer spaces make LGO an ideal platform to create periodic 2D host frameworks. Polyetheramine oligomers covalently bond the adjacent GOs. The extended chain conformation endows the resulting accordionlike GO frameworks with high structural stability, periodicity and enlarged interlayer space. Owing to the high affinity of the open and well-arranged 2D channels toward guest precursors, a variety of high-quality heterostructures can be synthesized. Furthermore, a variety of exfoliated, ultrathin metal oxide nanosheets can also be prepared by removing the graphene skeleton. The flexible interlayer chemistry presented in this study paves a way toward the synthesis of a large family of graphene-inorganic/organic 2D heterostructures.

The development of Li-S batteries is largely impeded by the complicated shuttle effect of lithium polysulfides (LiPSs) and sluggish reaction kinetics. In addition, the low mass loading/utilization of sulfur is another key factor that makes Li-S batteries difficult to commercialize. Here, a porous catalytic V2O3/V8C7@carbon composite derived from MIL-47 (V) featuring heterostructures is reported to be an efficient polysulfide regulator in Li-S batteries, achieving a substantial increase in sulfur loading while still effectively suppressing the shuttle effect and enhancing kinetics. Systematic mechanism analyses suggest that the LiPSs strongly adsorbed on the V2O3 surface can be rapidly transferred to the V8C7 surface through the built-in interface for subsequent reversible conversion by an efficient catalytic effect, realizing enhanced regulation of LiPSs from capture to conversion. In addition, the porous structure provides sufficient sulfur storage space, enabling the heterostructures to exert full efficacy with a high sulfur loading. Thus, this S-V2O3/V8C7@carbon@graphene cathode exhibits prominent rate performance (587.6 mAh g-1 at 5 C) and a long lifespan (1000 cycles, 0.017% decay per cycle). It can still deliver superior electrochemical performance even with a sulfur loading of 8.1 mg cm-2. These heterostructures can be further applied in pouch cells and produce stable output at different folding angles (0-180°). More crucially, the cells could retain 4.3 mAh cm-2 even after 150 cycles, which is higher than that of commercial lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). This strategy for solving the shuttle effect under high sulfur loading provides a promising solution for the further development of high-performance Li-S batteries.

Introduction Epidural analgesia has become a universal intervention for relieving labor pain, and its effect on the pelvic floor is controversial. Aim To investigate the effect of epidural analgesia on pelvic floor dysfunction (PFD) in primiparous women at 6 months postpartum. Methods We performed a prospective cohort study involving 150 primiparous women in preparation for vaginal delivery, with 74 (49.3%) receiving epidural analgesia. Baseline demographic and intrapartum data were collected. At 6 months postpartum, PFD symptoms, including stress urinary incontinence, overactive bladder, defecation disorder, pelvic organ prolapse, and 4 kinds of sexual dysfunction (arousal disorder, low sexual desire, dyspareunia, and orgasm disorder), were evaluated. Pelvic floor muscle (PFM) function and postpartum depression were also assessed. Multivariate logistic regression was applied to identify factors associated with the PFD symptoms affected by epidural analgesia. Main outcome measure PFD symptoms and sexual dysfunction were evaluated through Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory-20 (PFDI-20) and Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI-12). PFM function was examined with palpation and surface electromyography (sEMG). Postpartum depression was assessed using Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS). Results At 6 months postpartum, women who delivered with epidural analgesia had a higher incidence of dyspareunia (43.2% vs 26.3%, P 0.05). Multivariate logistic regression revealed that epidural analgesia (OR = 3.056, 95% CI = 1.217-7.671) and SDS scores (OR = 1.066, 95% CI = 1.009-1.127) were independent risk factors for dyspareunia. Conclusion At 6 months postpartum in primiparous women, epidural analgesia was associated with an increased risk of postpartum dyspareunia and longer labor durations, which deserves attention for rehabilitation after delivery. Future studies with a larger sample size are needed to evaluate the impact of epidural analgesia on other PFD symptoms.

Lithium metal is regarded as the “Holy Grail” for rechargeable batteries yet it still suffers from low coulombic efficiency caused by its high reactivity toward the electrolyte. The so-formed solid-electrolyte interphases (SEIs) are ununiform and sluggish-ion-conducting further inducing severe dendrite growth. Herein, we report the in situ LiF-embedded covalent organic framework (COF) as a novel artificial lithium/electrolyte interphase. Briefly, an electrochemically active COF ultrathin film is synthesized by interfacial aldimine condensation, in which lithiophilic moieties reside in the high-surface-area COF film and can locally concentrate Li-salts from a dilute electrolyte. This promotes the electrochemical in situ formation of anion-derived LiF-rich SEI during the first cycling. Owing to the coaxially orientated microporous channels displayed in the COF, the as-formed LiF grains are confined in the micropores and evenly distributed throughout the COF matrix, thereby enhancing the mechanical strength of the SEI against dendrite growth as well as retaining flexibility to tolerate the anode volume change over cycling. Also, the Li+ diffusion pathway is highly ordered along the 1D pore walls of the COF so as to spatially homogenize Li+ flux. Therefore, the LiF-embedded COF interphase exhibits cooperative effectiveness to greatly stabilize the lithium metal anode. The full cell maintains its excellent performances with stable cycling and high efficiency in the close-to-practice conditions.

Background: The number of published randomized clinical trials (RCTs) using targeted maintenance therapy for newly diagnosed epithelial ovarian cancer is increasing. Our objective was to evaluate the comparative effectiveness of each maintenance therapy using a network meta-analysis. Materials and methods: A systematic search for RCTs was conducted using Medline, Embase, and CENTRAL databases followed by a Bayesian network meta-analysis. The primary outcome was progression-free survival (PFS) and the secondary outcome was overall survival (OS). Pooled hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% credible intervals (95% CrIs) were used to estimate outcomes. Results: A total of 11 RCTs involving 6631 patients were included. Network meta-analysis showed that pure maintenance therapy with pazopanib resulted in a significantly better PFS compared with placebo (HR, 0.77; 95% CrI, 0.65-0.92). Bevacizumab-throughout treatment was also associated with a better PFS (HR, 0.76, 95% CrI, 0.69-0.84). However, anti-CA-125 monoclonal antibodies (abagovomab and oregovomab) showed no significant survival benefit. Moreover, combined analysis showed that targeted-throughout was not significantly superior to pure targeted maintenance therapy for PFS and OS. Stratified analysis showed paralleled results with no significant difference between pazopanib pure maintenance and bevacizumab-throughout treatments. Conclusion: Our study showed a survival advantage conferred by pazopanib and bevacizumab as maintenance therapy in newly diagnosed epithelial ovarian cancer. Further clinical trials are essential to both determine the effect of bevacizumab in the maintenance stage and identify the specific subgroup(s) that benefit.

Graphene film has potential to act as an excellent heat dissipation material. However, its thermal conductivity suffers from some limitations, including small graphene lateral sizes and low production efficiency from a practical viewpoint. To solve these issues, we propose an industrially viable protocol to synthesize homogeneously oxidized graphite oxide (GtO) with large lateral sizes and easy-purifying features. We employ polyacrylonitrile (PAN) as a coupling agent to repair the defects on GtO sheets and link these sheets together during the annealing treatment. The graphitized GtO/10%PAN film (g-GtO/10%PAN) shows excellent thermal and electrical properties, with an in-plane thermal conductivity of 1629.24 ± 43.88 W m−1 K−1 and an electrical conductivity of 9645.29 ± 199.44 S cm−1. Furthermore, it also exhibits outstanding flexibility; the original thermal conductivity can be maintained after 20,000 times bending. The g-GtO/10%PAN film offers an alternative to replace commercially used graphitized polyimide (PI) film. Our research provides a general method for the fabrication of high quality graphene film.

The development of energy devices based on iron oxides/hydroxides is largely hindered by their poor conductivity and large volume changes, especially with regard to specific capacitance and cycle stability. Herein, superior capacitance (1575 F g-1 at 1.25 A g-1 ) and high rate performance (955 F g-1 at 25 A g-1 ) were realized by synthesizing sub-nanometer, ultrafine α-Fe2 O3 sheets loaded on graphene (SU-Fe2 O3 -rGO). An assembled asymmetric supercapacitor showed outstanding cycle stability (106 % retention after 30 000 cycles). This excellent performance arises from the unique structural characteristics of the α-Fe2 O3 sheets, which not only enrich electrochemically reactive sites, but also largely eliminate the volume changes after long-term charge/discharge cycling. The synthesis of SU-Fe2 O3 -rGO critically depends on control of the crystallization kinetics during growth. A controlled heterogeneous nucleation mechanism results in the formation of atomically thin α-Fe2 O3 sheets on graphene rather than large particles in solvent, as clarified by theoretical calculations. This strategy paves a new way to synthesizing atomically thin transition metal oxide sheets and low-cost, eco-friendly iron-based energy storage.

Multi-stacked graphene oxide (GO) sheets containing intricate networks of microcapillary water channels are attractive as filtration membranes displaying both ultrahigh water permeation and ion exclusion properties. However, their practical utilization as desalination membranes is hampered by multiple issues, which include scalability, swelling of interlayer space, and mechanical instability under pressure-driven flux. To address these challenges, we have developed a process to laminate GO sheets with acryl binder to form large-area (>1 m2 in lab) free-standing membranes for high-performance desalination. The key to high-performance desalination lies in the control of interlayer spacing in the graphene sheets and the controlled oxidation of graphene. Our results show that the performance of partially oxidized few-layer graphene (POFG) is much better than heavily oxidized GO in forward osmosis (FO) due to its smaller interlayer distance and resistance to swelling. Our acryl-laminated, POFG membrane (79 L/m2/h water flux, 3.4 g/m2/h reverse salt flux) performs at least seven times (with respective to the water flux) and three times (with respective to the reverse salt flux) better than that of commercial cellulose triacetate (CTA) membrane (10 L/m2/h and 12 g/m2/h) in FO.

The development of Li-S batteries is largely impeded by the complicated shuttle effect of lithium polysulfides (LiPSs) and sluggish reaction kinetics. In addition, the low mass loading/utilization of sulfur is another key factor that makes Li-S batteries difficult to commercialize. Here, a porous catalytic V

Long cycle life has been the key factor that inhibits the practical application of transition metal oxides (TMOs)-based pseduocapacitors, due to their poor electrical conductivity and the limited interface charge transfer between TMOs and conductive substrates. We here demonstrate a novel strategy to address this issue by constructing strongly coupled, few-crystalline MnO2 nanosheets/reduced graphene oxide (rGO) composites. The covalent linkage of C O Mn at the interface effectively improves the charge transfer efficiency, avoiding the detachment of MnO2 nanosheets from rGO surfaces during the charge/discharge. Meanwhile, the few-crystalline MnO2 nanosheets are able to retain good structural integrity for the long cycling duration at large current densities. In the process of galvanostatic charge/discharge, the resulting composite electrode reveals a specific capacitance up to 234.8 F g−1 at 0.1 A g−1 and a 100% of capacitance retention after 20,000 cycles at 10 A g−1 in neutral Na2SO4 electrolyte. These extraordinary electrochemical properties reflect the synergistic role that the interface design and crystal structure control play in optimizing the performance of TMO-based pseduocapacitors.

Objective. To study the biological characteristics of paclitaxel resistant endometrial carcinoma cells and its mechanism of drug resistance.Method. The paclitaxel resistant cell lines were established by high-dose paclitaxel (TAX) injection. The IC50 of paclitaxel was determined by CCK-8 assay in Ishikawa and Ishikawa-TAX. The cell cycle and apoptosis rate were detected by flow cytometry. Western blot was used to detect the expression of p-AKT and p-p70S6K. The expression of drug resistance-related genes Pgp and MDR1 was determined by RT-PCR. Cell viability was determined by soft agarose assay and invasive ability in vitro by transwell assay.Results. Paclitaxel and NVP-BEZ235 cotreatment group can further inhibit the clonogenicity and invasion of Ishikawa and Ishikawa-TAX cells compared with paclitaxel alone and NVP-BEZ235 treatment group. Paclitaxel and NVP-BEZ235 cotreated groups increased the apoptosis rate of Ishikawa and increased G0/G1 phase arrest in both cells. Paclitaxel alone significantly inhibited p-AK and p-p70 S6K protein expression in Ishikawa and Ishikawa-TAX cells and the inhibition was enhanced by NVP-BEZ235 when cotreated with paclitaxel.Conclusion. Paclitaxel can inhibit Ishikawa and Ishikawa-TAX cell via PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway. Paclitaxel and NVP-BEZ235 cotreatment can enhance the inhibitory effect.

Defects make a difference in the performance of graphene or other carbonaceous materials when used as conductive additives in electrodes. Reduced graphene oxide (rGO) has been widely used in lithium iron phosphate cathode (LiFePO4) to promote electron transport and improve lithium storage. Though the defects in rGO or GO induce strong coupling between LiFePO4 nanoparticles and conductive sheets, they inevitably impair the in-plane carrier mobility and thus the conductivity throughout the electrode. In this work, LiFePO4 was robustly anchored on pristine graphene with the assistance of branched polyethylenimine. The pristine graphene used here features with high crystallinity and anti-restacking merit. The resulting composite electrodes reveal excellent rate performance: a specific capacity of 143 mAh g–1 at 10 C (1.7 A g–1) and 137 mAh g–1 at 20 C (3.4 A g–1).

NiCo2O4-based supercapacitors are promising for practical applications due to their high specific capacitance, good electrical conductivity and electrochemical activity. Significant advances are highly desired but few studies can simultaneously achieve good rate capability and long cycle life (>30 000 cycles) while maintaining high specific capacitance, three factors that dominate practical applications. Here, we demonstrate that when few-crystalline, porous NiCo2O4 nanosheets grown on graphene and carbon nanotubes were assembled into asymmetric supercapacitors, they delivered an energy density of 38.1 W h kg−1 at 797.8 W kg−1 or 13.3 W h kg−1 at 58.1 kW kg−1. Even at a current density of 20 A g−1, they retained 104.5% and 81.2% of the initial capacitance after 20 000 and 50 000 cycles, respectively. Such performance arises from a new strategy that balances the surface active site, ion diffusion, charge transfer and structural stability of active materials during high-rate cycling. Different from well-crystalline or amorphous pseudocapacitive materials, the few-crystalline, porous nanosheets not only afford an effective charge transfer path when combining with conductive graphene and carbon nanotubes, but also prevent the aggregation of conductive components and boost the diffusion of electrolyte ions within the electrode. The presence of the amorphous domains enriches the surface active sites of nanosheets and enhances their adaptability to deformation during large-current charge/discharge. This strategy holds promise for addressing critical issues facing pseudocapacitive materials, enabling the optimization of the comprehensive performance of supercapacitors in a mild manner.

We demonstrate a simple and scalable strategy to obtain N, S and Si co-doped biocompatible graphene foams (GFs) with different shapes using egg albumen as the template. The unique porous structure and element doping endow the GFs with a high charge–discharge rate and good wettability, which largely improve the electrochemical performance of the electrodes, including ultrahigh specific capacitance (534 F g−1 at 1 A g−1), and excellent rate capability (308 F g−1 at 100 A g−1) and cycling performance (96.1% retention of the initial capacitance after 10 000 cycles at a high current density of 10 A g−1). Besides, when used as an electrochemical sensor for dopamine, the GF exhibits a detection limit as low as 1.2 μM with a linear response up to 70 μM, due to the low equivalent series resistance. These reveal great potential for promoting the application of 3D graphene in energy storage and electrochemical sensors.

Three-dimensional (3D) graphene can fully bring the excellent properties of graphene into wide utilization. However, its production requires the use of graphene oxide as the intermediate or harsh chemical vapour deposition conditions, which do not meet the requirements of high quality and low cost simultaneously. Herein, we report a room-temperature low-cost strategy to produce 3D graphene under ambient conditions, which is achieved via carbocation-induced interlayer oxygen release. Graphite layers can transfer electrons to hydrogen peroxide, forming carbocations, which in turn oxidize hydrogen peroxide to release O2, substantially enlarging the interlayer space of graphite. We show that graphite can expand 1000 times or more into the liquid phase and no oxygen-containing groups are introduced on the basal plane. The obtained 3D graphene has an open porous structure and a specific surface area (SSA) of 1245 m2 g-1, which is comparable to that of CVD-grown 3D graphene networks and equivalent to that of 2-layer graphene. Moreover, the quality of 3D graphene is high, with ID/IG smaller than 0.2. The as-obtained 3D graphene can be easily exfoliated into graphene sheets with 100% yield. Gifted with well-maintained crystalline quality and highly accessible surface area, the 3D graphene-based composite exhibits ultra-long life when used as lithium anode, with slight capacity degradation after 1000 cycles.

// Juan Cheng 1, * , Zhi Zeng 3, * , Qingjian Ye 1, * , Yu Zhang 1 , Ronghua Yan 2 , Changyan Liang 1 , Jia Wang 1 , Mengxiong Li 1, * , Mixuan Yi 4 1 Department of Gynecology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510630, Guangdong Province, P.R. China 2 Department of Radiology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510630, Guangdong Province, P.R. China 3 Reproductive Medicine Center, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510655, Guangdong Province, P.R. China 4 Department of nephrology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410001, Hunan Province, P.R. China * These authors contributed equally to this work Correspondence to: Mengxiong Li, email: limengxiong496@163.com Mixuan Yi, email: 742976265@qq.com Keywords: inflammation, thrombocytosis, cervical cancer, prognosis, meta-analysis Received: July 05, 2016 Accepted: November 14, 2016 Published: February 15, 2017 ABSTRACT Previous studies reported inconsistent findings about the relationship between pretreatment thrombocytosis and survival in patients with cervical cancer. This study aimed to evaluate the prognostic significance of thrombocytosis in cervical cancer. We searched databases to identify relevant articles. Pooled hazard ratios (HRs), odds ratios (ORs), and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. Fourteen studies including 3,394 patients were eligible for the meta-analysis. Overall, an elevated platelet count was significantly associated with inferior overall survival (OS, hazard ratio [HR]: 1.66, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.42–1.95, P < 0.001) and recurrence-free survival (RFS, HR: 1.67, 95% CI: 1.15–2.42, P = 0.007) but not progression-free survival (PFS, HR: 1.21, 95% CI: 0.89–1.64; P = 0.235). The results were similar for low stage patients treated with surgery alone. Moreover, a pretreatment thrombocytosis status was significantly associated with higher clinical stage (odd ratio [OR]: 2.39, 95% CI: 1.68–3.38, P < 0.001), positive pelvic node status (OR: 1.58, 95% CI: 1.01– 2.45, P = 0.044) and larger tumor size (OR: 2.32, 95% CI: 1.39–3.87, P = 0.001). Pretreatment thrombocytosis is an independent prognosis predictor in cervical cancer patients. It may be used as a readily available biomarker to refine clinical outcome prediction for cervical cancer patients.

Almost 15 years have gone ever since the discovery of graphene as a single atom layer. Numerous papers have been published to demonstrate its high electron mobility, excellent thermal and mechanical as well as optical properties. We have recently seen more and more applications towards using graphene in commercial products. This paper is an attempt to review and summarize the current status of the research of the thermal properties of graphene and other 2D based materials including the manufacturing and characterization techniques and their applications, especially in electronics and power modules. It is obvious from the review that graphene has penetrated the market and gets more and more applications in commercial electronics thermal management context. In the paper, we also made a critical analysis of how mature the manufacturing processes are; what are the accuracies and challenges with the various characterization techniques and what are the remaining questions and issues left before we see further more applications in this exciting and fascinating field., YF, JH, YL, AZ, MK and JL acknowledge the financial support from The Swedish National Science Foundation (VR under the contract No 621-2007-4660), The Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research (SSF) under contract (No SE13-0061), the Swedish Board for innovation under the Siografen program and from the Production Area of Advance at Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden. SC, YZ and JL acknowledge the financial support by the Key R&D Development Program from the Ministry of Science and Technology of China with the contract No: 2017YFB040600 and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 51872182). XX is supported the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 11674245 & No. 11890703). MS and CMST acknowledge financial support from the CERCA programme/Generalitat de Catalunya, the Severo Ochoa Centres of Excellence programme, funded by the Spanish Research Agency (AEI, Grant No. SEV-2017-0706).

Vertical channels with expanded interlayer spacing based on a MoS2/Gr/C composite have been designed. This structure can simultaneously shorten the pathway of Li-ion diffusion across the electrode and enhance the kinetics of Li-ion intercalation/deintercalation within the bulk electrode. Thus, it exhibits a high rate performance and long cycle life in Li-ion batteries.

The aim of the present study was to investigate whether miRNA‑146a regulated the function of Th17 cell differentiation to modulate cervical cancer cell growth and apoptosis. miR‑146a expression was increased in human cervical cancer. Both overall survival (OS) and disease‑free survival (DFS) of low miR‑146a expression were higher than those of high miR‑146a expression. Additionally, IL‑17a expression was lower in patients with high miR‑146a expression compared to that of patients with lower miR‑146a expression. In a co‑culture of cervical cancer and CD4+ T cells, downregulation of miR‑146a inhibited cell growth and induced apoptosis of cervical cancer cells, while overexpression of miR‑146a promoted cell growth and reduced apoptosis of cervical cancer cells. Downregulation of miR‑146a induced TRAF6 and NF‑κB protein expression, increased IL‑6, IL‑17A and IL‑21 levels, and enhanced p‑STAT3 protein expression. The inhibition of TRAF6 attenuated the effects of anti‑miR‑146a on the function of Th17 cell differentiation to modulate cervical cancer cell growth and apoptosis. Collectively, miR‑146a regulated the function of Th17 cell differentiation to modulate cervical cancer cell growth and apoptosis through NF‑κB signaling by targeting TRAF6. miR‑146a may function as an oncogene in cervical cancer via Th17 cell differentiation by targeting TRAF6.

Docetaxel (DTX)-based chemotherapy of prostate cancer is still confronted with significant challenges due to insufficient drug accumulation at the tumor sites and the systemic side effects on normal cells and organs. Tumor microenvironment-responsive nanosized drug delivery systems have shown enormous potential to improve the anticancer efficacy and minimize the systemic side effects of chemotherapeutics. However, most of the currently redox-responsive nanoparticles respond only to single stimuli, which compromise the treatment effect. Hence, inspired by the abundance of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and intracellular glutathione (GSH) in cancer cells, we proposed a unique ROS and GSH dual responsive nanocarrier (PCL-SS) for DTX delivery. The DTX-loaded PCL-SS nanoparticles (PCL-SS@DTX NPs) were not only stable in a normal physiological environment but also rapidly triggered DTX release in prostate cancer cells. In vitro experiments showed that PCL-SS@DTX NPs had robust prostate cancer cell cytotoxicity, induced cell apoptosis, inhibited cell migration and invasion and exhibited satisfactory biocompatibility. In mice bearing orthotopic prostate cancer, PCL-SS@DTX NPs could accumulate in orthotopic tumor sites and then significantly weaken tumor growth by inhibiting prostate cancer cell proliferation and inducing cell apoptosis, without obvious damages to major organs. Overall, this dual responsive nanosized drug delivery system may act as a promising therapeutic option for prostate cancer chemotherapy.

The chromium leaching from stainless steel slag highly depends on the occurrence of chromium. The effect of MnO on the mineral composition of stainless steel slag was investigated through CaO-SiO2-MgO-Al2O3-Cr2O3 synthetic slags. The experiments were performed in a conductive furnace, and the samples collected during tests were analyzed using X-ray Diffrac-tion (XRD) and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) equipped Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS). The results show that the addition of MnO significantly reduces the solidus temperature of oxide systems from 1204oC to 950oC, promotes the spinel precipitation and increases the size of spinel crystals. The fraction of chromium contained in non-spinel mineral phases decreases and the amount of larnite dissolved into spinel phase slightly reduces with the content of MnO increasing. In addition, the amorphous phase forms when the content of MnO is up to 6 wt%. Hence, the addition of MnO is beneficial to suppress chromium leaching from slag.

Objective: To investigate the clinical value of ADNEX model in early diagnosis and staging of benign and malignant ovarian tumors. Method: 136 cases of ovarian cancer patients treated in our hospital were retrospectively analyzed using the ADNEX risk model and MRI data. The accuracy of the two diagnostic methods was compared with the results of pathological examination as gold standard. Results: For qualitative assessment, the accuracy and sensitivity of the ADNEX model were 78.70% and 93%, while the accuracy and sensitivity of MRI examination were 80.1%, and 90.7%, respectively. The diagnostic values of the two methods were not statistically different (P > 0.05). For ovarian tumor staging, the ADNEX model was significantly less accurate and specific for staging borderline tumor than MRI examination, although it had significantly higher sensitivity (P 0.05). Conclusion: ADNEX risk model has certain diagnostic and predictive value to distinguish benign from malignant ovarian tumors. It is useful to detect and exclude ovarian tumor. However, for early diagnosis, it is not accurate enough and further study is needed to validate this usefulness.

The development of energy devices based on iron oxides/hydroxides is largely hindered by their poor conductivity and large volume changes, especially with regard to specific capacitance and cycle stability. Herein, superior capacitance (1575 F g

Background: The number of published randomized clinical trials (RCTs) using targeted maintenance therapy for newly diagnosed epithelial ovarian cancer is increasing. Our objective was to evaluate the comparative effectiveness of each maintenance therapy using a network meta-analysis. Materials and methods: A systematic search for RCTs was conducted using Medline, Embase, and CENTRAL databases followed by a Bayesian network meta-analysis. The primary outcome was progression-free survival (PFS) and the secondary outcome was overall survival (OS). Pooled hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% credible intervals (95% CrIs) were used to estimate outcomes. Results: A total of 11 RCTs involving 6631 patients were included. Network meta-analysis showed that pure maintenance therapy with pazopanib resulted in a significantly better PFS compared with placebo (HR, 0.77; 95% CrI, 0.65–0.92). Bevacizumab-throughout treatment was also associated with a better PFS (HR, 0.76, 95% CrI, 0.69–0.84). However, anti-CA-125 monoclonal antibodies (abagovomab and oregovomab) showed no significant survival benefit. Moreover, combined analysis showed that targeted-throughout was not significantly superior to pure targeted maintenance therapy for PFS and OS. Stratified analysis showed paralleled results with no significant difference between pazopanib pure maintenance and bevacizumab-throughout treatments. Conclusion: Our study showed a survival advantage conferred by pazopanib and bevacizumab as maintenance therapy in newly diagnosed epithelial ovarian cancer. Further clinical trials are essential to both determine the effect of bevacizumab in the maintenance stage and identify the specific subgroup(s) that benefit.

Low-cost, stable and highly efficient catalysts are essential for practical energy applications. In this study, branched polyethylenimine (PEI)-decorated graphene oxide (GO) 3D structures were prepared through a hydrothermal reaction. Cobalt (Co) nanoparticles (NPs) were deposited on the PEI-GO 3D structures, forming the desired, low-cost composite catalyst PEI–GO3D/Co. The catalyst shows a quite high catalytic activity for the room temperature hydrolysis of ammonia borane, with a turnover frequency of 18.5 molH2 min−1 molCo−1 and a hydrogen generation rate of 7.68 LH2 min−1 gCo−1. The activation energy of the catalyst is relatively low (27.41 kJ mol−1), along with an ultrahigh cycle stability, that is, ∼83% of the initial catalytic activity was retained after 5 catalytic cycles, superior to the majority of non-noble metal catalysts.

INTRODUCTION The relationship between silent cerebral infarction (SCI) and the integrity of cognitive function is unknown. We intended to investigate whether cognitive impairment is associated with gray matter volume (GMV) in the SCI patients. METHODS Sixty-two patients with SCI and 62 age- and gender-matched healthy controls (HC) were evaluated with P300 test, Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) test, Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA), and Hamilton Depression Scale (HDRS). Whole brain high-resolution T1-weighted images were processed with SPM12b software and analyzed by voxel-based morphometry (VBM). Correlation analysis was performed between the GMV and the scores of MoCA Scale, P300 latency, P300 amplitude, HAMA, HDRS, age, and educational level. RESULTS The brains of the SCI patients have a significant reduction in GMV in the left superior and inferior frontal gyrus, left superior temporal gyrus, right middle temporal gyrus, and bilateral hippocampus gyrus (p

Our aim was to investigate the role of chemokines in promoting instability of coronary atherosclerotic plaques and the underlying molecular mechanism. Coronary angiography and intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) were performed in 60 stable angina pectoris (SAP) patients and 60 unstable angina pectoris (UAP) patients. The chemotactic activity of monocytes in the 2 groups of patients was examined in Transwell chambers. High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), regulated on activation in normal T-cell expressed and secreted (RANTES), and fractalkine in serum were examined with ELISA kits, and expression of MCP-1, RANTES, and fractalkine mRNA was examined with real-time PCR. In the SAP group, 92 plaques were detected with IVUS. In the UAP group, 96 plaques were detected with IVUS. The plaques in the UAP group were mainly lipid 51.04% (49/96) and the plaques in the SAP group were mainly fibrous 52.17% (48/92). Compared with the SAP group, the plaque burden and vascular remodeling index in the UAP group were significantly greater than in the SAP group (P

We previously identified and characterized a 66–68 kDa membrane-associated, tyrosine phosphorylated protein in murine leukemia L1210 cells as HSC70 which is a methotrexate (MTX)-binding protein. In order to further characterize the functional role of HSC70 in regulating MTX resistance in L1210 cells, we first showed that HSC70 colocalizes and interacts with reduced folate carrier (RFC) in L1210 cells by confocal laser scanning microscopy and Duolink in situ proximity ligation assay. The tyrosine phosphorylation status of HSC70 found in the membrane fraction was different from the parental L1210/0 and cisplatin (CDDP)–MTX cross resistant L1210/DDP cells. In MTX-binding assays, HSC70 from L1210/DDP cells showed less affinity for MTX–agarose beads than that of L1210/0 cells. In addition, genistein (a tyrosine phosphorylation inhibitor) significantly enhanced the resistance of L1210/0 cells to MTX. Moreover, site-directed mutation studies indicated the importance of tyrosine phosphorylation of HSC70 in regulating its binding to MTX. These findings suggest that tyrosine phosphorylation of HSC70 regulates the transportation of MTX into the cells via the HSC70–RFC system and contributes to MTX resistance in L1210 cells.

It is difficult to achieve high efficiency production of hydrophobic graphene by liquid phase exfoliation due to its poor dispersibility and the tendency of graphene sheets to undergo π−π stacking. Here, we report a water-phase, non-dispersion exfoliation method to produce highly crystalline graphene flakes, which can be stored in the form of a concentrated slurry (50 mg mL−1) or filter cake for months without the risk of re-stacking. The as-exfoliated graphene slurry can be directly used for 3D printing, as well as fabricating conductive graphene aerogels and graphene−polymer composites, thus avoiding the use of copious quantities of organic solvents and lowering the manufacturing cost. This non-dispersion strategy paves the way for the cost-effective and environmentally friendly production of graphene-based materials., Large-scale graphene production remains challenging because of the tendency of graphene to stack with itself, which requires its dispersion in large amounts of solvent. Here the authors achieve the environmentally favourable production of highly concentrated graphene in water through a non-dispersion, flocculation strategy.

Highly efficient heterogeneous catalysts are desired for the development of new energy storage materials. The rational choice and use of capping ligands are of significant importance for performance optimization of metal nanoparticle (NP) catalysts. By exploiting amine-rich polyethylenimine (PEI) and graphene oxide (GO) as a NP support, we demonstrate that as a capping ligand, PEI deposited on GO provides a novel pathway able to simultaneously control the morphology, spatial distribution, surface active sites of cobalt (Co) NPs, and remarkably enhances their catalytic properties for the hydrolytic dehydrogenation of ammonia borane (AB). Such a synergistic effect enables the synthesized PEI-GO/Co catalysts to reveal extremely high dehydrogenation activities under atmosphere condition. A total turnover frequency of 39.9 molH2 min(-1) molCo(-1) and an apparent activation energy of 28.2 kJ mol(-1) make the catalytic performance of these PEI-GO/Co catalysts comparable to those of noble metal-based catalysts, including bimetallic and multimetallic catalysts.

At atmospheric pressure, anatase TiO2 films with various nano-morphologies have been grown on quartz substrate by non-thermal TiCl4–O2–Ar reactive plasma vapor deposition. High concentration of oxygen vacancies and undercoordinated Ti atoms are incorporated into the crystal lattice of the deposited films, which can be tuned by changing the discharge conditions such as temperature and vapor flow rate. Strong visible luminescence is found for the deposited films, originating from the radiative recombination of trapped electrons due to uncoordinated Ti atoms and oxygen vacancies. To clarify the growth mechanism, an analytical model is proposed to explain the corresponding discharging process. We find the theoretical predictions agree well with experimental results. By effectively adjusting the morphology and lattice crystallinity, we believe this work can provide an expedient and controllable way to fabricate anatase films with interesting optical properties, which can meet the demands of complex practical situations to the maximum degree.

A series of PtxCo1−x bimetallic nanoparticles (NPs) were deposited on polyethyleneimine (PEI) decorated graphene oxide (GO) by a simple co-reduction method. The PEI molecules facilitated the uniform distribution of bimetallic NPs (∼2.3 nm) on GO. PEI–GO/Pt0.17Co0.83 showed extraordinary catalytic properties: a total turnover frequency of 377.83 molH2 min−1 mol−1metal, a hydrogen generation rate of 111.28 LH2 min−1 g−1metal at 298 K, an activation energy of 51.6 kJ mol−1 and good recyclability (∼80% of the original activity after five cycles). The synergistic effect between Pt and Co, and the small size of these NPs play important roles in improving their catalytic properties. Such low-cost, recyclable bimetallic catalysts will enable many practical applications in portable devices and fuel cells.