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Pancreatic cancer (PC) is a highly fatal disease correlated with an inferior prognosis. The tumor protein p53 (TP53) is one of the frequent mutant genes in PC and has been implicated in prognosis. We collected somatic mutation data, RNA sequencing data, and clinical information of PC samples in the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. TP53 mutation was an independent prognostic predictor of PC patients. According to TP53 status, Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) suggested that TP53 mutations were related to the immunophenotype of pancreatic cancer. We identified 102 differentially expressed immune genes (DEIGs) based on TP53 mutation status and developed a TP53-associated immune prognostic model (TIPM), including Epiregulin (EREG) and Prolactin receptor (PRLR). TIPM identified the high-risk group with poor outcomes and more significant response potential to cisplatin, gemcitabine, and paclitaxel therapies. And we verified the TIPM in the International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) cohort (PACA-AU) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) cohort (GSE78229 and GSE28735). Finally, we developed a nomogram that reliably predicts overall survival in PC patients on the bias of TIPM and other clinicopathological factors. Our study indicates that the TIPM derived from TP53 mutation patterns might be an underlying prognostic therapeutic target. But more comprehensive researches with a large sample size is necessary to confirm the potential. more...

High-gain Tm

Spectral radiation could cause color damage to dyed cultural relics, and finding a method to obtain a minimum-damage light source is a key issue to be solved. In this paper, the color change behavior of pigments under exposure was experimentally investigated by irradiating 17 typical inorganic pigments used for dyed cultural relics with 10 different narrow-band LED light sources. Through an analysis of the color difference of the test pigments against the amount of exposure, the responsivity equations of the pigments were obtained and a mathematical model for predicting the color damage degree was proposed. The 10 kinds of narrow-band light were combined to obtain 106 LED by using the exhaustive method. The Ra, R9, and | Duv | value of the above spectra were calculated. Ra≥90, R9≥0, and | Duv | ≤0.0054 were taken as the evaluation basis, and 35,398 spectra that met color rendering requirements were obtained. The established mathematical model was used to calculate the color damage value to find the minimum-damage spectrum, which was then input into a Thouslite LEDCube system for reduction. An experiment was conducted among the minimum-damage LED and 3 randomly selected light sources, and results showed that the minimum-damage LED light source has an obvious illumination protection effect. more...

Synthesis of a variety of optically transparent polyolefin elastomers consisting of hard segment of polynorbornene and several kinds of soft segments such as atactic polypropylene, poly(ethylene-co... more...

Grassland plays a key role in human production and life, especially in the protection and improvement of the natural environment, which cannot be replaced by other ecosystems, such as maintaining water and soil, preventing wind and sand fixation, maintaining carbon balance, affecting climate change, and producing biological products,.. More importantly, contemporary society attaches great importance to the development of agriculture and animal husbandry. Protecting and nurturing grassland plants and animals, maintaining biodiversity, rational grazing, and maintaining the sustainable development of the grassland ecological environment have become the top priorities. In view of the current serious grassland degradation and the decline of livestock carrying capacity, this paper proposes a grassland environmental monitoring system based on the ZigBee wireless sensor network. The system consists of a grassland wireless monitoring network and a remote PC, which realizes real-time and remote monitoring of environmental information, such as air temperature and humidity, light intensity, and rainfall that affect the growth of grassland pastures. Based on the requirements of the agricultural field data monitoring system, the overall framework of the system was designed and built. The system mainly includes two parts: the ZigBee wireless sensor network subsystem and the remote management software subsystem, and data communication is realized between the two through the Ethernet system data exchange protocol. Among them, the ZigBee wireless sensor network subsystem is deployed in the grassland area and mainly realizes the functions of real-time collection, processing, and wireless transmission of grassland data. The remote management software subsystem is mainly used for data reception, storage, and display and can maintain communication with the gateway node to support real-time monitoring of grassland data by remote browsers. more...

Rare-earth (RE) ions doped laser glass has attracted the interest of many researchers because of its numerous potential applications in planar waveguides and fiber lasers. In this work, the 2-µm and upconversion luminescence properties of Ho3+ are simultaneously enhanced through the design of components used to regulate the network structure of the germanate glass. Furthermore, the thermal, structural, and spectroscopic properties of the Ho3+/Yb3+ co-doped germanate laser glass are systematically investigated. It is noted that the calculated gain coefficient of the Nb2O5 modified germanate laser glass can reach as high as 3.05 cm−1 at 2047 nm. These results suggest that the prepared germanate laser glass with superior performances is a promising candidate for 2-µm mid-infrared laser materials applications. more...

Microbially induced carbonate precipitation (MICP) is a promising technology for solidifying sandy soil, ground improvement, repairing concrete cracks, and remediation of polluted land. By solidifying sand into soil capable of growing shrubs, MICP can facilitate peak and neutralization of CO2 emissions because each square meter of shrub can absorb 253.1 grams of CO2 per year. In this paper, based on the critical review of the microbial sources of solidified sandy soil, models used to predict the process of sand solidification and factors controlling the MICP process, current problems in microbial sand solidification are analyzed and future research directions, ideas and suggestions for the further study and application of MICP are provided. The following topics are considered worthy of study: (1) MICP methods for evenly distributing CaCO3 deposit; (2) minimizing NH4+ production during MICP; (3) mixed fermentation and interaction of internal and exogenous urea-producing bacteria; (4) MICP technology for field application under harsh conditions; (5) a hybrid solidification method by combining MICP with traditional sand barrier and chemical sand consolidation; and (6) numerical model to simulate the erosion resistance of sand treated by MICP. more...

In SOFT study, subgroup analysis for hormone receptor-positive (HR+) breast cancer women younger than 35 years indicated better 5-year DFS in OFS+exemestane arm than OFS+tamoxifen. Since only about 11% of women included were younger than 35 years of age, this subgroup analysis result is underpowered. In addition, there still no specific randomized clinical trial focusing on endocrine treatment in women younger than 35 years of age. The purpose of this study is to compare the efficacy of gonadotropin releasing hormone agonists (GnRHa)+tamoxifen versus GnRHa+AIs in HR+ early breast cancer patients under age 35 with intermediate or high risk for disease recurrence. Study design This is a prospective, open label, multicentre, randomized controlled trial that compared the efficacy of GnRHa+tamoxifen versus GnRHa+AIs in HR+ early breast cancer patients under age 35 with intermediate or high risk for disease recurrence. This study was initiated by the first affiliated hospital of Sun Yat-sen university in 2016. Twenty-four hospitals in China participate in this trial. The protocol was approved by the appropriate regulatory and ethics authorities for each centre. This trial has been registrated at ClinicalTrials.gov. The NCT Number is NCT02914158. Criteria for patient eligibility: 1. Written informed consent must be signed. 2. ECOG≤2. 3. Histologically proven HR+ (ER≥1% by IHC) invasive breast cancer. 4. Age≤35, premenopausal. 5. No distant metastatic disease. 6. T≥2cm or with at least 1 axillary lymph node involved. 7. Patient must accept proper surgery, systemic therapy and radiation therapy if necessary. 8. Laboratory exam criteria for enrollment: hemoglobin ≥10g/dl, white blood cell ≥4,000/mm3, platelets ≥100,000/mm3, glutamic oxalacetic transaminase, glutamic-pyruvic transaminase, alkaline phosphatase ≤2 times upper limit of normal (ULN), total bilirubin, creatinine clearance rate ≤1.5 times ULN. Criteria for patient ineligibility: 1. Patients who are pregnant or lactating at the time of randomization or refuse to contraception.2. Patients who received organ transplantation. 3. Patients who have other malignant diseases within 5 years. 4. Patients with psychiatric disorder, peripheral or central nerve system disease or any disorder, which compromises ability to give informed consent or participate in this study. 5. Patients with sever hepatic, renal, cardiovascular, respiratory, digestive diseases or uncontrolled diabetes. 6. Patients who participate in other clinical trials. 7. Patients who allergy to goserelin, leuprorelin, tamoxifen or AIs. Statistical analysis According to previous results, 5-year DFS for OFS+tamoxifen in HR+ breast cancer patients under age 35 with intermediate or high risk of disease recurrence was 73% vs. 81% for OFS+AIs. This trial designed 80% power to detect a between-group difference using a two-sample log-rank test (two-sided a=0.05). To allow for missing 10% data, the study planned to enroll 680 patients (340 patients for each group) in 5 years. The statistical design assumed that 197 primary end point events should occur during 5-year follow-up and OFS+AIs should decrease 30% DFS relative risk. The calculations were performed using PASS 11. Treatment details Patients enrolled are randomized 1:1 to two arms in 8 weeeks after surgery, adjuvant chemotherapy or radiation therapy. Goserelin 3.6mg or leuprorelin 3.75mg is injected subcutaneously every 28 days for 5 years. Arm A: Tamoxifen 20mg orally daily. Arm B: Exemestane 25mg, letrozole 2.5mg or anastrozole 1mg orally daily. Stratification Stratified by HER2 and axillary lymph node status. Primary end point: Disease free survival. Secondary end point: Overall survival. Invasive Breast Cancer Recurrence-Free Interval. Adverse Effects Rate. Citation Format: Zhen Shan, Nan Shao, Zhongyu yuan, Qianjun Chen, Anqin Zhang, Kun Wang, Ailing Zhang, Li Cai, Yuhua Song, Herui Yao, Hongmin Ma, Heng Huang, Jianwen Li, Yuanqi Zhang, Lehong Zhang, Jincai Zhong, Hui Liu, Zhiyong Wu, Li Zhao, Feihai Ling, Weixiong Yang, Rui Zhuo, Xiangyang Song, Ying Lin. Adjuvant ovarian suppression plus aromatase inhibitor or tamoxifen for hormone receptor-positive breast cancer in women younger than 35 (ASPAIT): A multicenter randomized clinical trial [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2019 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2019 Dec 10-14; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(4 Suppl):Abstract nr OT1-04-01. more...

In museum lighting, traditional Chinese paintings are the artworks with the highest light sensitivity. They are vulnerable to the color damage to pigments and the mechanical damage to substrates after the irradiation from light sources. As the basis of effective preventive protection, the research on the two lighting quantity indexes of illuminance and annual exposure (illuminance × time) is currently missing. In this study, the halogen lamp was used as the experimental light source to conduct a 1440 h irradiation experiment on the samples of paper and silk substrates under 4 illuminance levels, respectively, and the test of infrared spectrum was carried out on the samples every 240 h. The oxidation index of paper and crystallinity degree of silk were calculated then. Three-dimensional visual curved surface plots of mechanical damage to samples with the change of illuminance and time were established and then fitted into damage evaluation equations, which revealed and described mathematically the mechanical damage law of samples. Through the equations, the recommended values of illuminance and annual exposure for samples could be calculated. Combining the previous researches on pigments, the lighting quantity indexes of traditional Chinese paintings with different combinations of substrates and pigments were proposed. more...

Dyed artworks are highly sensitive to light and are easily affected by museum lighting, resulting in irreversible permanent color damage such as fading and discoloration. Exposure, light source spectrum and material properties are the three indicators causing damage to artworks. Therefore, it is the basis for effective lighting protection to reveal the quantitative influence of exposure and light source spectrum composition on the damage degree of different pigments and establish a mathematical model that can accurately express the above rules. At present, the color damage calculation model of dyed artworks under three parameters’ coupling action is missing. This research established a visual three-dimensional change surface of the color difference values of 23 pigments varying with the spectral wavelength and exposure through experimental methods. The relative responsivity function ΔEn = fn(λ, Q), where n = 1 ~ 23, was obtained for 23 pigments under the coupling effects of exposure and light source spectra. Furthermore, a mathematical model $$D_{n} = \mathop \smallint \limits_{380}^{780} S\left( \lambda \right) \cdot f_{n} \left( {\lambda ,Q} \right)d\lambda$$ D n = ∫ 380 780 S λ · f n λ , Q d λ calculating the color damage of pigments in the range of visible light was proposed. The proposed model was verified by the experimental method, which realizes the mathematical expression of the damage law of museum lighting on dyed artworks. more...

Because commonly used organic pigments are highly responsive to visible light, high-light-sensitivity art is vulnerable to irreversible illumination-induced damage caused by radiation from light sources. With application of the four primary white light-emitting diodes (fp-WLEDs) in museums, it is urgent to evaluate the illumination-induced damage to high-light-sensitivity art caused by the fp-WLEDs. Four narrowband LEDs with different peak wavelengths of 450, 510, 583, and 650 nm that constitute the spectra of the fp-WLEDs were used to irradiate three commonly used organic pigments: safflower, gamboge, and indigo. Based on the fundamental reason for the illumination-induced damage, that is, photochemical reactions, Raman spectroscopy was introduced into the study. The Raman spectra of pigments were measured before and after illumination. The characteristic Raman peaks corresponding to the functional groups that determine color and structure of pigments were selected, and the variations in their peak intensities were calculated. The illumination-induced damage coefficients of four narrowband LEDs on three organic pigments were obtained, providing a data basis for illumination-induced damage evaluation equation proposed in this study, which was expected to further realize museum admission evaluation of the new fp-WLEDs. more...

Effects of the addition of 2-naphthol and 2-naphthol-7-sulfonate on the dilute acid pretreatment of mixed wood sawdust were investigated, respectively. Compared to 2-naphthol, 2-naphtnol-7-sulfonate was more effective to enhance delignification and facilitate the enzymatic hydrolysis. The 72 h hydrolysis yield was improved by 47.8% for 2-naphthol-7-sulfone, while only 9.1% was observed for 2-naphthol. The surface charges, enzyme adsorption, and cellulose accessibility of dilute acid pretreated substrates with or without naphthol derivatives were examined. The improved enzymatic hydrolysis by adding 2-naphthol-7-sulfonate was ascribed to the higher negative surface charges, the lower enzyme non-productive binding, and the higher cellulose accessibility of pretreated substrates. Additionally, the HSQC NMR and 31P NMR analysis were carried out on both decomposed lignins and residual bulk lignins. It indicated that the addition of the naphthol derivatives during pretreatment could suppress the lignin repolymerization, which further mitigated the inhibition of residual lignins on enzymatic hydrolysis. more...

The increasing frequency of early breast cancer cases has driven an increasing number of patients to choose immediate reconstruction with an autologous flap. Omentum-flap-based breast reconstruction is a unique strategy that is highly suitable for repairing moderate tissue defects. However, all available evidence comes from individual reports with small numbers of cases, and the overall effectiveness and safety of the procedure have yet to be reported. Here, we reported 7 cases of laparoscopically harvested omental free flap breast reconstruction and performed a systematic review to assess the applicability and safety of this approach. The data were gathered from MEDLINE, Ovid, Google Scholar and the China Knowledge Resource Integrated Database. In total, we combined 15 articles (410 cases) for analysis. The data revealed that almost all patients (87.6%) were reported to have undergone laparoscopy instead of laparotomy; pedicle flaps were used in 90.9% of the cases, while only 5 (37 cases) used free flaps for reconstruction; and 96.6% (396/410) of all reconstruction procedures were immediate. Almost all of these cases had a small tumour burden (T0/Tis/T1 59.8%; T2 36.8%), and the distribution of tumour location was similar among the four quadrants. The cosmetic outcomes were desirable in most cases (83.9%). There were 41 complications identified in the dataset: partial graft necrosis accounted for the largest percentage (41.5%) of all events, followed by skin necrosis (19.5%), haematoma (12.2%) and wound infection (9.8%). During the follow-up period, which had a short median duration, 2 cases of tumour recurrence were reported. Overall, our systematic review found that omentum-flap-based breast reconstruction could achieve a satisfactory aesthetic outcome, especially for small breasts and tissue replacement after breast-conserving surgery, and the safety of the procedure was also acceptable. more...

In this work, Er3+/Yb3+ co-doped 40Bi2O3-30GeO2-15Ga2O3-15Na2O glass was papered by melt-quenching method. The thermal properties and spectroscopic were studied. The glass has good thermal stability and the maximum phonon energy is 750 cm−1, which is benefited for 1.53 μm emission. According to the J-O theory and absorption spectra, the J-O intensity parameters were calculated, the spectral quality factor χ = Ω4/Ω6 of BGGN4 glass is 2.236. Under 980 nm excitation, the 1.53 μm luminescence characteristics of these glasses were studied. When the Er3+/Yb3+ ions doping concentration ratio (mol%) reaches 0.5:1.0, the maximum fluorescence intensity can be obtained, and the maximum emission cross section is 6.4 × 10−21cm2. The maximum stimulated gain coefficient in the 1.53 μm band is 4.6 cm−1. Finally, the up-conversion emission and energy transition mechanism of Er3+/Yb3+ co-doped BGGN glass were studied. The results indicate the prepared Er3+/Yb3+ co-doped bismuth germanate glass have good gain performance and is an ideal 1.53 μm laser gain material. more...

In this paper, the glass network of a newly developed bismuthate glass was adjusted and analyzed by changing the Al2O3 content, thus effectively increasing the doping concentration of Tm3+. The fundamental physical and thermal properties including density, molar volume, refractive indices, and characteristic temperatures were systematically investigated, suggesting the B2O3/Al2O3 anomaly ratio of the prepared host glass is 35%/10%. Various glass network units were found in the host glasses, so that the flexibility of the glasses was enhanced, which is favorable for highly and homogeneously doping of Tm3+ ions. A highly Tm3+-doped bismuthate glass with a concentration of 20.5 × 1020 ions/cm3 was prepared without quenching. Radiative parameters of the presented glass were determined from absorbance spectra. Moreover, relatively large emission cross-section (5.29 × 10−21 cm2) and gain coefficient (10.87 cm-1) were achieved in the prepared highly Tm3+-doped bismuthate glass. Finally, the microparameters for energy transfer processes were calculated by a spectral overlap method. Results show that the presented highly Tm3+-doped bismuthate glass has ideal potential for high gain fibers in ∼2 µm band. more...

Copolymerizations of ethylene and 1-dodecene were conducted with a series of ansa-fluorenylamidodimethyltitanium complexes, [t-BuNSiMe2Flu]TiMe2 (1a), [t-BuNSiMe2(2,7-tBu2Flu)]TiMe2 (1b), and [(1-adamantyl)NSiMe2(2,7-tBu2Flu)]TiMe2 (1c) activated by modified methylaluminoxane. The activity increased by the introduction of the alkyl groups on the fluorenyl and amido ligands, and 1c produced the highest molecular weight copolymers. Complex 1c also promoted copolymerization of ethylene and iBu3Al protected 10-undecen-1-ol with high activity (~2000 kg·mol−1·h−1), affording hydroxy-functionalized ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene. The hydroxy content of the copolymers obtained was controllable by changing comonomer feed ratio. The introduction of a small amount of hydroxy group can alter the surface properties of polyethylene. more...

Arsenic pollution in waters has become a worldwide issue, constituting a severe hazard to whole ecosystems and public health worldwide. Accordingly, it is highly desirable to design high-performance adsorbents for arsenic decontamination. Herein, a feasible strategy is developed for in situ growth of β-FeOOH nanorods (NRs) on a three-dimensional (3D) carbon foam (CF) skeleton via a simple calcination process and subsequent hydrothermal treatment. The as-fabricated 3D β-FeOOH NRs/CF monolith can be innovatively utilized for arsenic remediation from contaminated aqueous systems, accompanied by remarkably high uptake capacity of 103.4 mg/g for arsenite and 172.9 mg/g for arsenate. The superior arsenic uptake performance can be ascribed to abundant active sites and hydroxyl functional groups available as well as efficient mass transfer associated with interconnected hierarchical porous networks. In addition, the as-obtained material exhibits exceptional sorption selectivity toward arsenic over other coexisting anions at high levels, which can be ascribed to strong affinity between active sites and arsenic. More importantly, the free-standing 3D porous monolith not only makes it easy for separation and collection after treatment but also efficiently prevents the undesirable potential release of nanoparticles into aquatic environments while maintaining the outstanding properties of nanometer-scale building blocks. Furthermore, the monolith absorbent is able to be effectively regenerated and reused for five cycles with negligible decrease in arsenic removal. In view of extremely high adsorption capacities, preferable sorption selectivity, satisfactory recyclability, as well as facile separation nature, the obtained 3D β-FeOOH NRs/CF monolith holds a great potential for arsenic decontamination in practical applications. more...

In this paper, Tm3+-doped Bi2O3-GeO2-Ga2O3 Na2O glass was synthesized using melt-quenching method. Spectroscopic and thermal properties of the presented glass was characterized. The effects of Ga2O3 oxide on the glass structure and ~1.8 µm emission properties were investigated. The thermal stability and Raman spectroscopic analysis showed that partial substitution of GeO2 by Ga2O3 resulted in decreasing of glass transition temperature and maximum phonon energy (745 cm−1). It is known that relatively low maximum phonon energy is good for ~1.8 µm emission. Based on the measured absorption spectra, Judd-Ofelt intensity parameters and other spectroscopic parameters were calculated to elucidate the radiative properties of the presented Tm3+-doped glass. Moreover, under the excitation of 808 nm laser diode, broadband ~1.8 µm fluorescence was observed. For Bi2O3-GeO2-Ga2O3 Na2O glass doped with 1.0 mol% Tm2O3, the large values of σemi × τmea product (8.30 × 10−21 cm2ms) and σemi × ∆λeff product (16.00 × 10−26 cm3) indicate a good gain property as well as a good gain bandwidth. Finally, the energy transfer coefficient (CD-A = 12.0 × 10−40 cm6/s) of cross relaxation (3H4, 3H6 → 3F4, 3F4) between Tm3+ ions is calculated. These results indicate that the prepared Tm3+-doped Bi2O3-GeO2-Ga2O3 Na2O glass is a promising gain material for ~1.8 µm band solid-state laser applications. more...

Long-term accumulation and overdose of nitrite ions have been proven to pose a great threat to the ecological environment and public health. Therefore, it is highly desirable to construct a novel architecture electrode for the accurate quantification of nitrite in a simple and inexpensive manner. Herein, a simple and cost-effective strategy is developed for the construction of a three-dimensional (3D) α-Fe2O3 nanorod arrays (NAs)/carbon foam (CF) architecture, in which CF is initially obtained from the direct carbonization of commercially available melamine foam and then α-Fe2O3 NAs are grown in situ on the underlying CF skeleton via a simple hydrothermal treatment and secondary pyrolysis. In the unique 3D architecture, α-Fe2O3 NAs provide abundant active sites for electrocatalytic reactions; meanwhile, CF features a large amount of interconnected channels to facilitate fast mass diffusion and electron transfer besides good electrical conductivity. Benefiting from these collective effects, the unique 3D architecture is innovatively exploited as a binder-free electrode for the determination of nitrite. As expected, the as-fabricated α-Fe2O3 NAs/CF sensor exhibits enhanced electrochemical performance towards the oxidation of nitrite in terms of higher catalytic peak current and reduced oxidation potential as compared with the binder-containing counterparts. Importantly, the as-fabricated sensor demonstrates excellent detection performance towards nitrite with a fast response time of approximately 3 s, a wide linear range from 0.5 μM to 1000 μM, a high sensitivity of 116.8 A mM−1 cm−2 and a low detection limit of 0.12 μM, which is dramatically lower than the maximum allowable level of nitrites (∼65 μM) in drinking water set by the World Health Organization (WHO). It is noteworthy that the current electrochemical sensor has a specific recognition capability towards nitrite ions, and hardly interfered with by the coexisting species in natural waters. Additionally, the proposed sensor can still maintain excellent reproducibility and stability after 30 days of storage under ambient conditions, supported by the negligible decrease in electrocatalytic activity. Furthermore, the α-Fe2O3 NAs/CF electrode also shows prospective applications in the determination of nitrite ions in real samples, as illustrated by satisfactory recoveries in tap water and lake water. more...

Although phosphate plays important roles in aquatic ecosystems as an indispensible nutrient, excessive levels are responsible for severe environmental issues. Hence, it is of considerable significance to develop highly sensitive and reliable probes for the detection of phosphate with the purpose of monitoring of water quality security and early-warning of eutrophication occurrence. In this work, uniform europium-based infinite coordination polymer (Eu-ICP) nanospheres are rationally constructed by a facile one-step solvothermal treatment. It is demonstrated that the newly developed sensing platform features excellent fluorescence properties, which can be efficiently quenched by the presence of phosphate ions (Pi). Typically, a good linearity exists between the decrease in fluorescence intensities and the Pi analyte content ranging from 2–100 μM, allowing the reliable determination of Pi concentration. Accordingly, the detection limit is estimated to be 0.83 μM, which is far below the detection requirement of phosphate discharge criteria in the water environment. It is noteworthy that the prepared Eu-ICP probe displays a specific recognition towards Pi, and is hardly affected by other possible existing species in natural water. More importantly, the proposed fluorescent probe can be utilized for reliable determination of Pi concentration in real water with acceptable recoveries, highlighting its feasibility in complicated environmental samples. Further research suggests that the underlying sensing mechanism is based on the strong affinity between europium centers and Pi, resulting in the collapse of the inherent structure of Eu-ICP and the corresponding fluorescence quenching. These findings show that the developed Eu-ICP probe holds great prospect in monitoring water quality and early warning of eutrophication based on the unique features associated with this simple preparation procedure, high selectivity, and excellent sensitivity. more...

The hierarchical flower-like iron containing γ-MnO2 hollow microspheres assembled by ultrathin nanosheets have been successfully fabricated via a facile one-step co-precipitation route in the absence of additional templates or surfactants. Structural characterization show that iron element is uniformly incorporated into γ-MnO2 framework, and no segregated iron oxide appears. The resulting iron containing MnO2 hollow microspheres exhibit a noticeable enhanced performance for As(III) removal compared to that of the undoped counterparts, accompanied by 102.84 mg/g of the saturated removal capacity towards As(III). The excellent performance for the arsenic removal may be attributed to the unique structural characteristics of highly accessible surface and fully exposed active sites inherited from the hierarchical iron containing γ-MnO2 samples. The co-existence of oxidation and adsorption is another key factor for the improvement of As(III) removal efficiency, in which manganese dioxide is mainly responsible for oxidizing As(III) to As(V) and ferrous species may serve to the adsorption of the generated As(V), as evidenced by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis. Importantly, the composites exhibit an excellent regenerative ability over three cycles without a significant decrease in its removal efficiency towards As(III). Furthermore, the relatively large micrometer-scale particles can be easily separated by filtration, accompanied by fewer secondary contaminants risks than nanoparticles. Therefore, the fabricated hierarchical Fe-containing γ-MnO2 hollow spheres in the present study will be an excellent candidate for the arsenic transformation and removal from the contaminated water based on the synergistic effects of effective oxidizing and adsorptive performance, good regeneration together with the convenient separation. more...

A metal-free pathway for constructing 6-aryl(alkyl)thiophenanthridines through oxidative cascade cyclization of isocyanides with thiols is developed. This pathway is characterized by SH bond cleavage of commercially available thiols, and subsequent CS/CC bond formation, which is suitable for a wide scope of substrates and by which a variety of 6-aryl(alkyl)thiophenanthridines could be synthesized in good to excellent yields. more...

Background: Although dual blockade HER2-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy is associated with excellent outcomes for human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive breast cancer, pertuzumab is not available to all patients due to cost. The optimal neoadjuvant chemotherapy for HER2-positive breast cancer in the presence of a single HER2 blockade is unknown. This study aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of epirubicin/cyclophosphamide followed by docetaxel/trastuzumab (EC-TH) with docetaxel/carboplatin/trastuzumab (TCH) neoadjuvant setting for HER2-positive breast cancer under the single HER2 blockade. Methods: Patients with stage II-IIIC HER2-positive breast cancer were randomly assigned to either eight cycles of EC-TH every 3 weeks during all chemotherapy cycles, or six cycles of TCH every 3 weeks. The primary endpoint was pathological complete response (pCR) (defined as the absence of invasive tumor cells in breast and axilla, ypT0/is ypN0). Results: From May 2017 to November 2019, 140 patients were randomly assigned, and 135 patients were ultimately found evaluable for the primary endpoint. The pCR was recorded in 25 of 67 patients [37.3%; 95% confidence interval (CI), 25.8–50.0] in the EC-TH group and in 38 of 68 patients (55.9%, 95% CI, 43.3–67.9) in the TCH group ( p = 0.032). The most common adverse events (AEs) were neutropenia in 24 of 67 (35.8%) patients in the EC-TH group versus 27 of 68 (39.7%) in the TCH group ( p = 0.642), anemia in 33 of 67 (49.3%) patients in the EC-TH group versus 34 of 68 (50.0%) in the TCH group ( p = 0.931), and thrombocytopenia in five of 67 (7.5%) patients in the EC-TH group versus 17 of 68 (25.0%) in the TCH group ( p = 0.006). Conclusion: For patients receiving the single HER2 blockade trastuzumab for HER2-positive breast cancer, TCH regimen might be a preferred neoadjuvant therapy. Trial registration: This trial was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03140553) on 2 May 2017. more...

Tm3+ doped Bi2O3-GeO2-Na2O glass samples were synthesized by conventional melt-quenching method. The Raman spectra measurements showed the maximum phonon energy of prepared glass is 794 cm−1, which is considerably lower than silicate glasses. Based on the measured absorption spectra, Judd-Ofelt intensity parameters, spontaneous radiative transition probabilities and radiative lifetimes were calculated to elucidate the radiative properties of Tm3+ in the presented glass. Intense near infrared emission around ~2 μm was obtained under the pump of 808 nm laser diode. A large stimulated emission cross section (5.51 × 10−21 cm2 at 1851 nm) of Tm3+: 3F4 → 3H6 was achieved in the prepared bismuth germanate glass doped with 1 mol% Tm2O3. Besides, the energy transfer processes among Tm3+ were analyzed using the extended overlap integral method. These results indicate that the presented glass is a promising candidate for ~2 μm laser applications. more...

Salmonella is an important pathogen for public health due to food poisoning and acute infectious intestinal disease by zoonotic trait. We isolated Salmonella enterica QH which represents the normal growth condition in Luria-Bertani culture and displays a wide range of susceptibility for multiple antibiotics. To further investigate genetic and pathogenic traits of S. enterica QH, the sequencing genome of S. enterica QH and oral Salmonella infection in mice were performed in this study. Compared with other Salmonella strains, several large sequences containing prophages and genomic islands were inserted into S. enterica QH genome. Furthermore, nucleotide and synonymous codon usage patterns display mutation pressure and natural selection serving as drivers for the evolutionary trend of S. enterica QH at gene level. The unique codon usage pattern of S. enterica QH probably contributes to adaptation to environmental/host niches and to pathogenicity. In an early oral S. enterica QH infection, the levels of CD4+ and CD8+ lymphocytes significantly reduce in peripheral blood of mice, but the increasing transcription levels of some cytokines (IFN-β1, IFN-γ and CXCL10) might have pleiotypic immune effects against S. enterica QH infection. Of note, IL10 displays significant enhancement at levels of transcription and translation, suggesting that immunosuppressive effects mediated by IL10 may function as an early oral S. enterica QH infection. The systemic investigations, including genomic and genetic characterizations and biological traits of S. enterica QH in vivo and in vitro may reflect the basic lifestyle of S. enterica QH, requiring intestine colonization, undergoing environmental stresses and performing dissemination. more...

Background The presence of lignin normally affects enzymatic saccharification of lignocellulose detrimentally. However, positive effects of lignin on enzymatic hydrolysis have been recently reported. Enzyme–lignin interactions could be the key to reveal the underlying mechanism of their discrepant behaviors. In this study, to elucidate the positive effects of extractable lignin (EL) on enzymatic hydrolysis of ethanol organosolv-pretreated wood sawdust, two lignin fractions, EL and milled wood lignin (MWL), were isolated sequentially from pretreated substrates. Quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation (QCM-D) was then used to investigate the lignin aggregation effects on enzyme adsorption. Results We found that both EL and MWL had a narrow molecular weight distribution. However, MWL had an obviously higher molecular weight than EL. This indicated that EL and MWL likely represent two distinct lignin fractions from ethanol organosolv-pretreated substrates. HSQC NMR analysis revealed that less β-O-4, β-β, and β-5 linkages and a higher S/G ratio was present in EL, as compared to MWL. QCM-D analysis showed that the enzyme adsorption on lignin was highly relevant to these lignin structural characteristics. An obviously lower maximum enzyme adsorption capacity was observed on EL films (152.63–168.09 ng/cm2) compared to MWL films (196.71–224.73 ng/cm2). Furthermore, enzyme desorption on lignin films was determined. A significantly lower irreversible enzyme adsorption was observed on EL (75.40 ng/cm2) compared to MWL (137.35 ng/cm2). More importantly, two reconstructed lignin films were designed to investigate lignin assembly on enzyme adsorption. The results indicated that the presence of EL reduced irreversible enzyme adsorption on the reconstructed lignin films by 39.2–45.0%. Conclusions Lignin structure determined the interaction between enzyme and lignins. A positive correlation was observed between molecular weight, the content of β-5 linkages, and enzyme adsorption on lignin. EL, which was more depolymerized and less condensed, had the lower enzyme adsorption of the two preparations tested. Additionally, the presence of EL reduced enzyme adsorption on reconstructed lignin films, perhaps through a mechanism involving the blocking of non-productive enzyme binding sites on the MWL. This could be the mechanism for the positive effects of EL on enzymatic hydrolysis. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13068-019-1402-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. more...