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BACKGROUND The brain is the most complex organ in the human body. Treatment for a glioma always involves a multi-disciplinary team. Nursing care in fast-track surgery or enhanced recovery after surgery is such kind of work implemented by an interdisciplinary team to provide services to patients to improve their outcomes. AIM To explore the effects of nursing care in fast-track surgery on postoperative pain, psychological state, and patient satisfaction with nursing for glioma. METHODS From June 2018 to June 2020, 138 patients who underwent operation for glioma at Cancer Hospital Affiliated to Chongqing University were selected. They were categorized into groups according to different nursing care that they received. Of them, 69 patients receiving nursing care in fast-track surgery were included in an experimental group, and 69 patients receiving conventional postoperative nursing were included in a control group. Visual analogue scale was used to evaluate postoperative pain in the two groups immediately after the operation and at 3 d after the operation. Self-rating anxiety scale (SAS) and self-rating depression scale (SDS) were used to evaluate the psychological status of patients immediately after operation and on the 3rd postoperative day. A self-made satisfaction scale for patient satisfaction with nursing was used to evaluate and compare patient satisfaction with nursing between the two groups. RESULTS Time to excretion, time to out-of-bed activities, and length of hospital stay were significantly shorter in the observation group than in the control group (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in duration of operative time or intraoperative bleeding between the two groups (P > 0.05). There was no significant difference in postoperative pain score between the two groups (P > 0.05). The pain score was significantly lower in the observation group than in the control group at 3 d after the operation (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in postoperative SAS or SDS score between the two groups (P > 0.05). SAS and SDS scores were significantly lower in the observation group than in the control group at 3 d after operation (P < 0.05). The rate of patient satisfaction with nursing was 94.2% in the observation group, which was significantly higher than that (81.2%) of the control group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION Nursing care in fast-track surgery can relieve postoperative pain, anxiety, and depression, and improve patient satisfaction with nursing in patients with glioma, which is worthy of clinical application.

Background Monosialotetrahexosylganglioside (GM1) is a neuroprotective glycosphingolipid that repairs nerves. Oxaliplatin‐based chemotherapy is neurotoxic. This study assessed the efficacy of GM1 for preventing oxaliplatin‐induced peripheral neurotoxicity (OIPN) in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients receiving oxaliplatin‐based chemotherapy. Methods In total, 196 patients with stage II/III CRC undergoing adjuvant chemotherapy with mFOLFOX6 were randomly assigned to intravenous GM1 or a placebo. The primary endpoint was the rate of grade 2 or worse cumulative neurotoxicity (NCI‐CTCAE). The secondary endpoints were chronic cumulative neurotoxicity (EORTC QLQ‐CIPN20), time to grade 2 neurotoxicity (NCI‐CTCAE or the oxaliplatin‐specific neuropathy scale), acute neurotoxicity (analog scale), rates of dose reduction or withdrawal due to OIPN, 3‐year disease‐free survival (DFS) and adverse events. Results There were no significant differences between the arms in the rate of NCI‐CTCAE grade 2 or worse neurotoxicity (GM1: 33.7% vs placebo: 31.6%; P = .76) or neuropathy measured by the EORTC QLQ‐CIPN20 or time to grade 2 neurotoxicity using NCI‐CTCAE and the oxaliplatin‐specific neuropathy scale. GM1 substantially decreased participant‐reported acute neurotoxicity (sensitivity to cold items [P, Neuropathy is the most prominent dose‐limiting toxicity of oxaliplatin. Patients receiving Monosialotetrahexosylganglioside (GM1) were less troubled by the symptoms of acute neuropathy. However, we do not support the use of GM1 to prevent cumulative neurotoxicity.

Our previous studies demonstrated that Curc-mPEG454, a curcumin derivative modified with short-chain polyethylene glycol (PEG), not only increased the blood concentration of curcumin, but also retained its anti-inflammatory activity. Here, we aimed to evaluate the anti-fibrotic effect of Curc-mPEG454 on a rat liver fibrosis model induced by carbon tetrachloride (CCl4), and to explore the underlying mechanisms by integrating our total liver RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) data with recent liver single-cell sequencing (scRNA-seq) studies. 50 mg/kg and 100 mg/kg Curc-mPEG454 treatment significantly reduced the elevation of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) induced by CCl4, and the incidence of liver cirrhosis decreased from 75% to 37% and 35%, respectively. RNA-seq analysis revealed that Curc-mPEG454 significantly upregulated aldehyde oxidase 1 (AOX1) while downregulated cytochrome p450 26A1 (CYP26A1) and cytochrome p450 26B1 (CYP26B1) resulting in restoring liver retinoic acid (RA) level, increased glutamate-cysteine ligase catalytic subunit (GCLC) and glutamate-cysteine ligase modifier subunit (GCLM) expression to synthesize hepatic glutathione (GSH), and inhibited liver inflammation via down-regulating the Prostaglandin E Synthase 2 (PTGES2)/prostacyclin E2 (PGE2) signaling. Integrating scRNA-seq data revealed that Curc-mPEG454 effectively inhibited the expansion of scar-associated macrophage subpopulation and scar-producing myofibroblasts in the damaged liver, and remodeled the fibrotic niche via regulation of ligand-receptor interactions including platelet-derived growth factor-B (PDGF-B)/platelet-derived growth factor receptor-α (PDGFR-α) signaling. As a multi-target prodrug, PEGylated curcumin deserves further attention and research.

Gastric cancer (GC) is the second most common cancer in China. The ToGA study showed that trastuzumab in combination with fluoropyrimidine plus cisplatin prolonged overall survival (OS) in patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive advanced GC (AGC). However, some patients may not be able to receive this regimen. We conducted a clinical study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of trastuzumab in combination with docetaxel+capecitabine (DX) in patients with HER2-positive AGC. This phase II, multi-center, open-label, single arm study enrolled patients with HER2-positive AGC who had not received prior treatment for metastatic disease. Patients were treated with a regimen of trastuzumab (8 mg/kg loading dose followed by 6 mg/kg, day 1), capecitabine (1000 mg/m(2) twice daily, days 1-14) and docetaxel (60 mg/m(2), day 1 for 6 cycles) every 3 weeks. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS) and the secondary endpoints were objective response rate (ORR), OS and safety profiles. Sixty-seven patients with AGC were enrolled from 14 centers. 64 were included in the full analysis set (FAS). The median PFS was 8.1 months (95% confidence interval [CI]: 5.6-12.8) and the median OS was 20.9 months (95% CI: 15.1-33.0). Response was evaluated in 59 patients. The ORR was 67.8%. The most common adverse events of Grade ≥3 were neutropenia, leukopenia, hand-foot syndrome, febrile neutropenia and anemia. We concluded that combination treatment with trastuzumab and DX was well-tolerated and highly effective in patients with HER2-positive AGC, and may offer an alternative to current treatments.

Summary Background Studies of a modified XELIRI (mXELIRI; capecitabine plus irinotecan) regimen suggest promising efficacy and tolerability profiles in the first-line and second-line settings. Therefore, we aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of the mXELIRI regimen with that of standard FOLFIRI (leucovorin, fluorouracil, and irinotecan), with or without bevacizumab in both regimens, as a second-line therapy for metastatic colorectal cancer. Methods We did a multicentre, open-label, randomised, non-inferiority, phase 3 trial. We enrolled patients from 98 hospitals in Japan, China, and South Korea who were aged 20 years or older with histologically confirmed and unresectable colorectal adenocarcinoma, and who had withdrawn from first-line chemotherapy for metastatic colorectal cancer. We randomly assigned patients (1:1) to receive either mXELIRI with or without bevacizumab (irinotecan 200 mg/m 2 intravenously on day 1 plus oral capecitabine 800 mg/m 2 twice daily on days 1–14, repeated every 21 days, with or without bevacizumab 7·5 mg/kg intravenously on day 1) or FOLFIRI with or without bevacizumab (irinotecan 180 mg/m 2 intravenously on day 1, leucovorin 200 mg/m 2 intravenously on day 1, fluorouracil 400 mg/m 2 intravenously on day 1, and a 46-h continuous intravenous infusion of fluorouracil [2400 mg/m 2 ], repeated every 14 days, with or without the addition of bevacizumab 5 mg/kg intravenously on day 1) via a centralised electronic system. We used the minimisation method to stratify randomisation by country, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status, number of metastatic sites, previous oxaliplatin treatment, and concomitant bevacizumab treatment. Patients and clinicians were not masked to the allocated treatment. The primary endpoint was overall survival analysed on an intention-to-treat basis with a non-inferiority upper margin of 1·30 for the hazard ratio (HR). This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01996306, and is ongoing but no longer recruiting participants. Findings Between Dec 2, 2013, and Aug 13, 2015, 650 patients were enrolled and randomly assigned to receive mXELIRI with or without bevacizumab (n=326) or FOLFIRI with or without bevacizumab (n=324). After a median follow-up of 15·8 months (IQR 8·7–24·9), a total of 490 patients had died (242 in the mXELIRI with or without bevacizumab group and 248 in the FOLFIRI with or without bevacizumab group) and the median overall survival was 16·8 months (95% CI 15·3–19·1) in the mXELIRI group and 15·4 months (13·0–17·7) in the FOLFIRI group (HR 0·85, 95% CI 0·71–1·02; p non-inferiority Interpretation mXELIRI with or without bevacizumab is well tolerated and non-inferior to FOLFIRI with or without bevacizumab in terms of overall survival. mXELIRI could be an alternative to FOLFIRI as a standard second-line backbone treatment for metastatic colorectal cancer, at least for Asian patient populations. Funding Chugai Pharmaceutical and F Hoffmann-La Roche.

Tetraphenylphosphonium chloride (TPPCl) is used as an additive in the antisolvent for preparing the quasi-two Dimensional (quasi-2D) perovskite film. This strategy is not only beneficial for the morphology formation but also the phase tuning of the quasi-2D perovskite film. Highly efficient and stable perovskite light-emitting diodes (PeLEDs) were achieved with the maximum luminance of 35,000 cd/m2, the maximum current efficiency of 48.0 cd/A and the maximum external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 12.42%. Due to the reduced exciton quenching rate, improved charge carrier injection and transport ability, the electroluminescent performance of the TPPCl-based PeLEDs has been enhanced.

An intermediate connector of Cs 2 CO 3 /Al/MoO 3 used in tandem organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) was investigated in this work. Here, an ultrathin Cs 2 CO 3 /Al was used as an electron-injection layer (EIL) from MoO 3 to the adjacent electron transporting layer (ETL). To verify the function of this intermediate connector, the device performances were evaluated through current density-voltage-luminance characteristics, current density-efficiency curves, and EL spectra. Additionally, the effect of photon energy on carriers behavior in the Cs 2 CO 3 /Al/MoO 3 connector is also estimated. The electrical properties and EL spectra of tandem OLEDs show that the Cs 2 CO 3 /Al/MoO 3 can function well for charge generation and transport, and the current density-voltage curves of Cs 2 CO 3 /Al/MoO 3 based special multilayer device shows the photovoltaic effect as a photovoltaic cell.

Low driving voltage, high luminance, and high efficiency are the important parameters of organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) for their application of display and lighting. Usually, synthesis of new materials, doping technique and designing suitable device structures were the main methods to use for realizing the aim of the wide application of OLEDs. In this paper, we try to obtain a high efficiency and low driving voltage tandem OLED with ultrathin films through optimizing the thickness of hole transporting layer (HTL), electron transport layer (ETL), emission layer (EML), and charge generation layer (CGL). As a result, we got the ultrathin tandem OLED with a very low driving voltage of 7.44 V, the luminance of 16,080 cd/m2, the current efficiency of 16.08 cd/A, and power efficiency of 6.28 lm/W, respectively. This research not only saves the cost and improves the power efficiency, which may supply a theoretical basis for the development of OLEDs in the lighting field.

The charge injection mechanism of a connector layer is one of the critical issues influencing the performance of tandem organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). In this paper, to explore the charge injection mechanism of an organic heterojunction connector (OHJC) layer, we studied the device current density (J) characteristics generated by the C60/CuPc OHJC layer under different applied voltages (V). By analyzing the log(J)–V1/2 and ln(J/E)–1/E2 characteristics of devices, we found that the charge injection mechanism of the C60/CuPc OHJC layer is in accordance with the Richardson–Schottky model. This study can be a theoretical basis to design high-efficiency OLEDs.

An efficient perovkite light-emitting diode (PeLED) is fabricated by incorporating 1,3,5-tri (m-pyrid-3-yl-phenyl)benzene (TmPyPB) between the emitting layer (EML) and the electron transporting layer (ETL), where TmPyPB plays an indispensable blocking effect on both excitons and holes. It shows a maximum current efficiency of 9.37 cd/A, and the corresponding external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 2.42% with a saturated green color Commission International de I'Eclairage (CIE1993) coordinated of (0.1279, 0.7951) under a driving voltage of 6 V. Meanwhile, the operational lifetime of the TmPyPB-based PeLED is improved to about 2.6-fold to that of the one with only the traditional ETL of aluminum 8-hydroxyquinolinate (Alq3). The enhancements of electroluminescence (EL) performance are mainly attributed to better confinement of both the holes and the excitons in the EML, and more balanced carrier transportation in the TmPyPB-based PeLED. This work offers a feasible strategy to develop high performance optoelectronic devices.

Bipolar host material and thermally activated delayed fluorescent (TADF) emitter were used in hybrid white organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) with the aim to achieve high performance. First of all, the single color OLEDs was optimized by changing the thickness of hole transporting layer, electron transporting layer and the doping concentration of emission material. Then, white organic light-emitting diodes (WOLEDs) were fabricated on the basis of the former single color OLEDs by modifying the doping concentration of TADF emitter. Finally, an optimized white device shows the best results of 43.67 cd/A, 45.73 lm/W and 18.52% for current efficiency, power efficiency and external quantum efficiency, respectively. This research may supply a theoretical basis for the development of WOLEDs.

The doping effect of cesium compounds (i.e., Cs 2 CO 3 , CsN 3 and CsF) doped electron injection layer (EIL) on charge transport properties and operational stability of organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) was systematically investigated in this work. It has been found that device characteristics and lifetime are highly dependent on the doping constituent materials. The doping of cesium compounds in EIL can improve the charge injection and transport of OLEDs, due to the increase in conductivity and reduction in electron injection barrier. Apart from the difference in electrical characteristics, the operational stability of OLEDs is strongly influenced by the doping mechanism of different cesium compounds in the EILs. The OLED device using Cs 2 CO 3 as the n-type dopant for the EIL shows a superiority in both electrical property and operational lifetime.

Background Angelicin is a furocoumarin found in Psoralea corylifolia L. fruit. The purpose of this study was to investigate the protective ability of angelicin against inflammation in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells and LPS-induced in vivo acute lung injury model. Materials and methods The concentrations of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin (IL)-6 in the culture supernatants of RAW 264.7 cells were determined 24 h after LPS administration. ALI was induced by intratracheal instillation of LPS. Six hours after LPS inhalation, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and lung tissue samples were obtained for enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, histologic, and Western blotting analyses. Results The results showed that pretreatment with angelicin markedly downregulated TNF-α and IL-6 levels in vitro and in vivo, and significantly decreased the amount of inflammatory cells, lung wet-to-dry weight ratio, and myeloperoxidase activity in LPS-induced ALI mice. Furthermore, Western blotting analysis results demonstrated that angelicin blocked the phosphorylation of IκBα, NF-κBp65, p38 MAPK, and JNK in LPS-induced ALI. Conclusions These results suggest that angelicin was potentially advantageous to prevent inflammatory diseases by inhibiting NF-κB and MAPK pathways. Our data indicated that angelicin might be a potential new agent for prevention of inflammatory reactions and diseases in the clinic.

Prime-O-glucosylcimifugin is an active chromone isolated from Saposhnikovia root which has been reported to have various activities, such as anti-convulsant, anticancer, anti-inflammatory properties. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of prime-O-glucosylcimifugin on acute lung injury (ALI) induced by lipopolysaccharide in mice. BALB/c mice received intraperitoneal injection of Prime-O-glucosylcimifugin 1 h before intranasal instillation (i.n.) of lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Concentrations of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-1β and interleukin (IL)-6 in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Pulmonary histological changes were evaluated by hematoxylin–eosin, myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity in the lung tissue and lung wet/dry weight ratios were observed. Furthermore, the mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) signaling pathway activation and the phosphorylation of IκBα protein were determined by Western blot analysis. Prime-O-glucosylcimifugin showed promising anti-inflammatory effect by inhibiting the activation of MAPK and NF-κB signaling pathway., Highlights • Prime-O-glucosylcimifugin regulated the expression of TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-10. • Prime-O-glucosylcimifugin inhibited the LPS-induced MAPK and NF-κB activation. • Prime-O-glucosylcimifugin protects mice from LPS-induced acute lung injury.

We report on a high-quality hybrid intermediate connector (IC) used in tandem organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), which is composed of an ultrathin MoO 3 interlayer sandwiched between a n-type Cs 2 CO 3 -doped 4,7-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthroline (BPhen) layer and a p-type MoO 3 -doped N , N ′-diphenyl- N , N′ -bis(1-naphthyl)-(1,1′-biphenyl)-4,4′-diamine (NPB) layer. The charge generation characteristics for light emission in tandem OLEDs have been identified by studying the interfaces and the corresponding devices. The hybrid IC structure exhibits superior charge generation capability, and its interfacial electronic structures are beneficial to the generation and injection of electrons and holes into bottom and top emission units, respectively. Compared to the organic-TMO bilayer and doped p–n junction structures, the hybrid IC structure combining MoO 3 -based interlayer and p-type doping can effectively decrease the driving voltage and improve the current efficiency of tandem devices due to the increased bulk heterojunction-like charge generation interfaces. Our results indicate that the TMO-based hybrid IC structure can be a good structure in the fabrication of high-efficiency tandem OLEDs.

BACKGROUND and AIMS: Recent observational studies showed that post-operative aspirin use reduces cancer relapse and death in the earliest stages of colorectal cancer. We sought to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of aspirin as an adjuvant therapy in Stage I and II colorectal cancer patients aged 65 years and older. METHODS: Two five-state Markov models were constructed separately for Stage I and II colorectal cancer using TreeAge Pro 2014. Two hypothetical cohorts of 10,000 individuals at a starting age of 65 years and with colorectal cancer in remission were put through the models separately. Cost-effectiveness of aspirin was evaluated against no treatment (Stage I and II) and capecitabine (Stage II) over a 20-year period from the United States societal perspective. Extensive one-way sensitivity analyses and multivariable Probabilistic Sensitivity Analyses (PSA) were performed. RESULTS: In the base case analyses, aspirin was cheaper and more effective compared to other comparators in both stages. Sensitivity analyses showed that no treatment and capecitabine (Stage II only) can be cost-effective alternatives if the utility of taking aspirin is below 0.909, aspirin's annual fatal adverse event probability exceeds 0.57%, aspirin's relative risk of disease progression is 0.997 or more, or when capecitabine's relative risk of disease progression is less than 0.228. Probabilistic Sensitivity Analyses (PSA) further showed that aspirin could be cost-effective 50% to 80% of the time when the willingness-to-pay threshold was varied from USD 20,000 to USD 100,000. CONCLUSION: Even with a modest treatment benefit, aspirin is likely to be cost-effective in Stage I and II colorectal cancer, thus suggesting a potential unique role in secondary prevention in this group of patients.

The charge generation and separation process in transition metal oxide (TMO)-based interconnectors for tandem organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) is explored using data on electrical and spectral emission properties, interface energetics, and capacitance characteristics. The TMO-based interconnector is composed of MoO3 and cesium azide (CsN3)-doped 4,7-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthroline (BPhen) layers, where CsN3 is employed to replace the reactive metals as an n-dopant due to its air stability and low deposition temperature. Experimental evidences identify that spontaneous electron transfer occurs in a vacuum-deposited MoO3 layer from various defect states to the conduction band via thermal diffusion. The external electric-field induces the charge separation through tunneling of generated electrons and holes from MoO3 into the neighboring CsN3-doped BPhen and hole-transporting layers, respectively. Moreover, the impacts of constituent materials on the functional effectiveness of TMO-based interconnectors and their influences on carrier recombination processes for light emission have also been addressed.

A series of benzofuropyrazoles 2a-i were synthesized in 10-92% from the reaction of 2-aroylbenzofuran-3-ols 1a-i with hydrazine hydrate, and screened for their antitumor activities toward four human solid tumor cell lines, including gastric carcinoma cells MKN45, hepatocellular carcinoma cells HepG2, breast cancer cells MCF-7, and lung cancer cells A549. The results indicated that both compounds 1a-i and 2a-i displayed moderate antitumor activities. Among them, compound 2e exhibited potent inhibitory activity toward all the four tumor cell lines. In addition, compounds 1e and 2e showed strong DNA-binding affinities, and induced an increase in the viscosity of calf-thymus DNA, suggesting that they might act as an intercalator.

Background and Objective: CD133-positive colon cancer stem like cells (CSLCs) are resistant to the conventional cytotoxic drug 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). Wnt signaling pathway plays important roles in colon cancer carcinogenesis and metastasis, and regulates the self-renewal capacity of CSLCs. In the present study, we explored the impact of 5-FU on Wnt signaling pathway of CD133-positive colon CSLCs, and the relation between Wnt signaling pathway and drug resistance of CD133-positive colon CSLCs. Methods: Magnetic activation cell separation was used to collect CD133-positive cells from colon cancer cell line DLD1, which was transfected with luciferase reporter for Wnt signaling activity. The activity of Wnt signaling pathway was compared between CD133-positive and CD133-negative cells. After the treatment with 1μg/mL of 5-FU, the cell proliferation rates of DLD1 cells, CD133-positive cells, and CD133-negative cells were compared. After the treatment with 1μg/mL and 10μg/mL of 5-FU for 48h, Wnt activity was compared between CD133-positive and CD133-negative cells. The expression of CD133 and cell apoptosis of CD133-positive cells was detected after exposure to 50ng/mL of dickkopf (DKK)-1, a Wnt pathway inhibitor. Results: After the treatment with 5-FU, the cell proliferation rate of CD133-positive cells was higher than that of CD133-negative cells and the sensitivity of CD133-positive cells to 5-FU decreased. Wnt activity was higher in CD133-positive cells than in CD133-negative cells [(46.3±0.3)% vs. (33.9±2.7)%, P=0.009]. After the treatment with 1μg/mL and 10μg/mL of 5-FU, Wnt activity of CD133-positive cells was (90.1±10.0)% (P=0.012) and (52.9±2.5)% (P=0.047), respectively, whereas that of CD133-negative cells was (35.5±3.3)% (P=0.434) and (26.5±0.4)% (P=0.046), respectively. CD133 expression in CD133-positive cells decreased from (87.2±5.3)% to (60.6±3.1)% (P=0.022) after treatment with DKK-1, whereas the cell apoptosis rate increased from (11.8±0.2)% to (28.3±0.6)% (P=0.013). Conclusions: Wnt activity is higher in CD133-positive DLD1 cells than in CD133-negative DLD1 cells. 5-FU can upregulate Wnt activity of CD133-positive colon CSLCs. Blocking Wnt activity may reverse drug sensitivity of CD133-positive cells to 5-FU.

This paper describes the first efficient one-step synthesis of 2-aroylbenzofuran-3-ols from the microwave-assisted Dieckmann reaction of substituted methylsalicylates with 2-bromo-1-aroylethanones in alkaline aprotic solvents. This method features excellent yields, short reaction time (15 min) and high functional group compatibility, making it an efficient and practical approach for the synthesis of 2-aroylbenzofuran-3-ols.

In blow molding, the temperature is an important parameter which influences the process, cycle times, and part properties, etc. In the current work, a PC-based temperature acquisition system, including hardware and software, was developed to measure the transient temperatures of an extrusion blow-molded part during its cooling and solidification, and of a reheated preform in stretch blow molding (SBM). Two issues were addressed. Firstly, the thermocouples in the acquisition system were specially designed by the authors to allow for their penetration into the wall of the cooling part or reheated preform. Secondly, in order to measure the temperature of reheated preform as it rotates, a special brush mechanism was designed. The acquisition system was tested through a series of experiments on industrial blow-molding machines under different conditions, such as die temperature, blowing pressure, and blow mold material in extrusion blow molding, and the kind of heating lamps and their voltage settings in SBM. The ability of fast and repeatable online measurement of transient temperature profiles using the acquisition system should prove to be helpful to better understand the molding phenomena, to validate the numerical simulation results and to derive optimum processing parameters for blow molding.

Polymeric films with different conductivities are widely used as coatings on electronic devices. For the reliability of their application, evaluation of mechanical properties is essential. In this paper, mechanical properties of conducting polythiophene (Pth) films are investigated with Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) to understand the relation between the mechanical properties and the electrochemical polymerization (ECP) deposition process and microstructure as well as film thickness. An attempt to explain the special properties exhibited by films with different thickness is made. The fatigue microcrack initiation and growth around a cross indent was observed in low cycle tension-tension fatigue tests. Three typical fatigue fracture models (short micro crack propagation, spallation and fragmentation) for films deforming coherently with the stainless steel substrate have been directly observed with SEM and conditions for their occurrences are discussed.

Intermediate connectors play an important role in semiconductor devices, especially in tandem devices. In this paper, four types of different intermediate connectors (e.g. Mg:Alq3/MoO3, MoO3, Mg:Alq3, and none) and two kinds of modified electrode materials (LiF and MoO3) integrated into the special multilayer devices are proposed, with the aim of studying the impact of light illumination and electrode adjustment on the carrier behavior of intermediate connectors through the current density–voltage characteristics, interfacial electronic structures, and capacitance–voltage characteristics. The results show that the illumination enhances the charge generation and separation in intermediate connectors, and further electrode interface modifications enhance the functionality of intermediate connectors. In addition, the device with an efficient intermediate connector structure shows a photoelectric effect, which paves the way for organic photovoltaic devices to realize optical-electrical integration transformation.

To evaluate the application value of magnetic resonance diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) combined with routine T2WI sequence in the determination of pathological complete response (pCR) after neoadjuvant therapy for rectal cancer.Clinical data of 51 cases with locally advanced mid-low rectal cancer undergoing neoadjuvant therapy plus radical resection in the Rectal Cancer Center at The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University from June 2012 to April 2013 were analyzed retrospectively. Magnetic resonance DWI and T2WI sequences scanning were performed within 1 week before neoadjuvant therapy and within 1 week before operation. Routine single T2WI sequence and DWI combined with T2WI sequence were used separately to predict the residual tumor and to compare with postoperative pathological examination. The prediction values of two methods were compared.Of 51 patients, 12 cases had pathological complete response (pCR). Prediction of DWI combined T2WI sequence was correct in 8 cases of pCR, whose sensitivity and specificity were higher than those of routine single T2WI sequence (66.7%, 94.9% vs. 33.3%, 84.6%). Prediction value of DWI combined T2WI sequence for pCR was significantly higher as compared to routine single T2WI sequence (AUC, 0.808 vs. 0.590, P=0.001).Compared with the routine single T2WI sequence, DWI combined with T2WI sequence can improve the prediction accuracy of pathological complete response.

Thirteen new analogues of flavone-8-acetic acid, that is, compounds 10a-m bearing a methoxy group at the 7-position and diverse subsitiuents on the benzene ring at the 2- and 3-positions of flavone nucleus, were synthesized and evaluated for their direct antiproliferative effects on two human tumor cell lines and for their indirect antiproliferative activities in the transwell co-culture system. The results indicated that most of compounds 10a-m showed moderate direct cytotoxicities. Among them, compound 10i exhibited higher direct cytotoxicity and selectivity for both cell lines over BJ human foreskin fibroblast cells than 5,6-dimethylxanthenone-4-acetic acid (DMXAA). Interestingly, compared with DMXAA, compound 10e showed comparable indirect cytotoxicity and higher selectivity. In addition, compound 10e was found to be able to induce tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) production in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells.

To assess the value of neoadjuvant therapy for resectable rectal cancer and the impact on postoperative complications.Literature search was performed in PubMed, Ovid, Web of Science, Springer-Link and Elsevier ScienceDirect for randomized controlled trials published before May 2010 that compared neoadjuvant therapy with surgery alone or postoperative adjuvant therapy. The computer search was supplemented with hand search of reference lists for available primary studies. Inclusion criteria and quality assessment were performed.Eleven studies including 7407 patients were enrolled for analysis. Neoadjuvant therapy group had significant advantages in local recurrence (OR=0.43, 95%CI:0.37-0.50, P0.01), distant recurrence (OR=0.85, 95%CI:0.76-0.95, P0.01), 5-year overall survival (RR=1.15, 95%CI:1.04-1.28, P0.01), and sphincter-saving surgery (RR=1.48, 95%CI:1.17-1.87, P0.01). There were no significant difference in postoperative mortality rate(OR=1.20, 95%CI:0.68-2.13, P=0.53) and anastomotic complications (OR=1.04, 95%CI:0.73-1.48, P=0.84).Neoadjuvant therapy improves local control, distant recurrence and long-term survival without increasing postoperative complications.

To investigate the lymph nodes distribution and metastatic pattern of the ultra-low rectal cancer after neoadjuvant therapy.A total of 21 rectal cancer gross specimen after neoadjuvant therapy and 23 rectal cancer gross specimen without neoadjuvant therapy were investigated by whole mount section and tissue microarray techniques with CK20. All the patients were treated by abdominoperineal resection.There were 138 lymph nodes retrieved from the mesorectum in the neoadjuvant group including 39 metastatic lymph nodes and 12 micro-metastatic lymph nodes. Among these nodes, there were 7 rectal cancer cases with lymph nodes and 2 cases with micro-metastatic lymph nodes, and 6 cases had pathological complete remission. There were 415 lymph nodes retrieved from the mesorectum in the group without neoadjuvant therapy including 169 metastatic lymph nodes and 59 micro-metastatic lymph nodes. Among these nodes, there were 12 rectal cancer cases with lymph nodes and 4 cases with micro-metastatic lymph nodes. The proportions of metastatic lymph nodes in outer zone between the two groups were 21.5% and 29.0%, and those in pre-zone were 17.6% and 17.2% respectively. The ratio of metastatic lymph nodes in ischiorectal fossa between the two groups were 25.0% vs. 22.2% respectively. The rate of metastatic or micro-metastatic lymph nodes cases between the two groups were 4.8% vs. 13.0% respectively.The lymph nodes distribution and metastatic pattern of the ultra-low rectal cancer are affected by neoadjuvant therapy. The proportions of the anal sphincter invasion and metastatic or micro-metastatic lymph nodes in ischiorectal fossa are lower after neoadjuvant therapy. Abdominoperineal resection as the standard treatment of the ultra-low rectal cancer after neoadjuvant therapy should be re-evaluated.

A series of 3-aryl-1H-benzofuro[3,2-c]pyrazoles (II) are synthesized and screened for their anti-tumor activities towards four human solid tumor cell lines (MKN45, HepG2, MCF-7, and A549).

To observe the effects of curcumin derivative on non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH).60 SD male rats were randomly divided into 5 groups. The NASH model was induced by high fat diet combined with carbon tetrachloride. These rats were then treated with curcumin and curcumin derivative, saline treating group as control. The serum biochemical parameters and liver histological examinations were observed. The TNF alpha, NF-kappa B and HMG-CoA reductase mRNA transcriptions of liver tissue were detected with RT-PCR. The protein expressions of TNF alpha and NF-kappa B were detected by western blot.Compared with the saline group, A remarkable reduction was observed in serum ALT (U/L), AST (U/L) and TC (mmol/L) in rats treated with curcumin derivatives [(69.20 +/- 27.58) vs (102.43 +/- 47.29), (158.00 +/- 39.15) vs (229.50 +/- 105.20) and (2.08 +/- 0.30) vs (2.58 +/- 1.02), P0.05]. The degrees of fibrosis were significantly alleviated; Compared with curcumin group, liver index and serum ALT, AST of curcumin derivative group were also significantly decreased [(4.88 +/- 0.62) vs (5.16 +/- 0.61); (69.20 +/- 27.58) vs (82.5 +/- 33.23); (158.00 +/- 39.15) vs (211.75 +/- 106.30), P0.05]; The liver steatosis and inflammation grade were also significantly improved .The gene transcriptions of TNF alpha, NF-kappa B and HMG-CoA reductase in curcumin derivative group were significantly lower than those in curcumin and saline group (P0.05).These results indicate that the water-soluble curcumin derivative displays superior bioavailability to the parent curcumin, which can effectively improve the lipid metabolism and delay the progression of hepatic fibrosis in rats with steatohepatitis.

This paper describes the first efficient one-step synthesis of 2-aroylbenzofuran-3-ols from the microwave-assisted Dieckmann reaction of substituted methylsalicylates with 2-bromo-1-aroylethanones in alkaline aprotic solvents. This method features excellent yields, short reaction time (15 min) and high functional group compatibility, making it an efficient and practical approach for the synthesis of 2-aroylbenzofuran-3-ols.

To explore the relationship between KRAS gene status and efficacy of Cetuximab (C225) combined with chemotherapy on advanced colorectal cancer in Chinese patients, and to evaluate the safety of C225.From May 2006 to March 2009, 81 patients with advanced colorectal cancer received Cetuximab combined with chemotherapy were enrolled in this study. The rate of KRAS mutation and the relationship of KRAS with response rate (RR), progression-free survivor (PFS), overall survival (OS) and adverse reaction of C225 were analyzed retrospectively.All the 81 patients received C225 therapy, and the overall RR was 33.3%. The RR of initiate therapy was 57.1%; of the second line and over the third line therapy was 38.5% and 22.0% respectively. KRAS gene phenotype examination was performed in 44 patients whose tumor samples were available. KRAS mutation was found in 20 cases (45%). Out of 44 patients, 43 were evaluable for response. RR was 5% and 43.48% in KRAS mutation and wild KRAS patients respectively (P =0.002). The median PFS was 7.0 weeks and 18.6 weeks in mutational KRAS patients and wild KRAS patients, reaching statistical significance (P =0.003). The median OS was 15.2 months and 17.3 months in mutational KRAS patients and wild KRAS patients respectively without statistical significance (P =0.463). The common adverse reactions were leucopenia, nausea, vomiting and rash. All the adverse reactions were tolerated. The incidence of skin rash in patients with mutational KRAS and patients without KRAS mutation was 40% and 42% respectively, without statistical significance (P =0.91).C225 combined with chemotherapy is well-tolerated in Chinese patients with advanced colorectal cancer, and it can significantly prolong PFS of patients with wild KRAS as compared to patients with KRAS mutation.

To investigate the toxicity and safety of FOLFOX regimen concurrent with radiotherapy in neoadjuvant setting in patients with low rectal cancer.Fifty-six patients with stage T(3-4)N(0)M(0) and T(1-4)N(1-2)M(0) were eligible from Aug. 2004 to Jul. 2007. Upon entry the study, they received 4 cycles of chemotherapy with FOLFOX regimen. Radiotherapy was added from the second cycle of chemotherapy (CT). The total dose of radiotherapy (RT) was 46 Gy (2 Gy x 23). Total mesorectal excision (TME) was performed 4-8 weeks after RT.Among them, 54 cases received 4 cycles of CT, 1 patient stopped CT after the second cycle of CT because of unrecovery from neutropenia. One patient stopped chemoradiotherapy(CRT) because of complicating with active pulmonary tuberculosis after 2 cycles of CT and 10 times of RT. Two occurred liver, lung and bone metastases after CT. Totally 220 cycles of CT were administrated. Fifty-two patients received operation after CRT, 50 with anal interior sphincter reservation, 19 with prophylactic ileac stoma. Anastomotic leakage occurred in 2 patients after operation, and rectal vaginal fistula in 2 patients 1 month after operation. According to the pathologic results, 7 patients achieved complete response, 41 partial response, 4 stable disease, and the objective response rate was 85.7%.Concomitant treatment of FOLFOX regimen and RT in neoadjuvant setting of rectal cancer was safe and tolerable, and it suggests that protective ileostomy for anastomotic leakage following anus-preserving operation should be performed.

Reheating of the preform represents an important stage in the two-stage stretch blow molding (SBM) process. This work aimed at developing a temperature acquisition system with an emphasis on the design of both thermocouples and brush mechanism, which leads the acquisition system to be used to measure in real time the transient temperature profiles within the wall of the reheated preform as it rotates. The measured temperature distributions both through the thickness of the preform and along its length were then compared with numerical results predicted by solving a thermal model for the preform reheating in the SBM. Both the radiative and convective heat transfers were considered in the simulation. After being verified by experimental dada, the thermal model was used to predict the transient temperature profiles within reheated preform under different conditions, such as preform thickness, air convection coefficient, and reheating time. This work helps to better deepen the understanding of the preform reheating in the two-stage SBM process.Copyright © 2007 by ASME

To investigate whether ulinastatin can alleviate the side effect in patients with gastrointestinal cancer undergoing adjuvant chemotherapy,and to explore the probable mechanism of its protective efficacy.Forty consecutive patients with gastrointestinal cancer who underwent surgical operations from May 2004 to October 2004 were recruited. The patients were randomly divided into therapeutic group and control group, receiving ulinastatin 150,000 U per day or 250 ml hydrochloric sodium before chemotherapy for 5 continuous days respectively. The prevalence of side effects and the levels IL-6 and TNF-alpha were compared between the two groups.There were no differences in the clinicopathological characteristics between the two groups. The prevalences of white blood cell decline (41.2% versus 13.1%), pigmentation (23.5% versus 4.3%), baldness (17.6% versus 4.3%) were higher in the control group than those in therapeutic group (all P0.05). In therapeutic group, IL-6 level was significantly decreased after ulinastatin treatment, but not in the control group while the levels of TNF-alpha were not changed in the both groups.Ulinastatin can reduce the common side effects of chemotherapy, and the mechanism may be associated with the decrease of IL-6.

The impact of illumination on the connection part of the tandem organic light-emitting diodes was studied by using a special organic multilayer sample consisted of two organic active layers coupled with different transition metal oxide (TMO)-based intermediate connectors (ICs). Through measuring the current density-voltage characteristic, interfacial electronic structures, and capacitance-voltage characteristic, we observe an unsymmetrical phenomenon in current density-voltage and capacitance-voltage curves of Mg:Alq3/MoO3 and MoO3 composed devices, which was induced by the charge spouting zone near the ICs region and the recombination state in the MoO3 layer. Moreover, Mg:Alq3/MoO3 composed device displays a photovoltaic effect and the Voc shifts to forward bias under illumination. Our results demonstrate that the TMO-based IC structure coupled with photovoltaic effect can be a good approach for the study of photodetector, light sensor, and so on.

The influence of constituent materials and the operational stability of charge generation layers (CGLs) on the device characteristics of tandem organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) is reported upon. The CGLs between two vertically stacked emission units consist of an abrupt heterointerface between a MoO3 film and an n-type doped organic electron-transporting layer, where the n-type dopants vary from reactive metal (Mg) to metallic compounds (i.e., Cs2CO3 and CsN3). Contrary to the almost identical electron injection barriers modulated by the n-type dopants, the device characteristics and operational stability of tandem OLEDs are found to be sensitive to the doping constituent materials used in the CGLs. Using data on the electrical and spectral emission properties, electronic structures and the lifetime characteristics, it is identified that the degradation of the n-type doped layers in CGLs provides the main contribution to the device lifetime, due to the different doping mechanisms.

A simple and efficient method has been developed to modify the anode interface of polymer light-emitting diode by incorporating solution-processable graphene oxide as hole transport layer. Interface engineering of ultraviolet-ozone treatment on graphene oxide is demonstrated to dramatically enhance the electrical properties, leading to 15% increase in efficiency compared to that with a traditionally used poly(styrenesulfonate)-doped poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) layer. As determined by photoelectron spectroscopy and impedance spectroscopy, an optimized ultraviolet-ozone treatment results in a more favorable energy level alignment and a decrease in series resistance, which can subsequently facilitate charge injection at the anodic interface.

We have demonstrated a new approach to realize the light extraction enhancement in organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) by using platinum–cobalt (Pt3Co) alloy nanoparticles (ANPs). The current efficiencies of 19.2 cd A−1 and 29.3 cd A−1 at a current density of 20 mA cm−2 are obtained for the device with Pt3Co ANPs unannealed and annealed, respectively, which correspond to a ∼46% and ∼123% enhancement compared to the control device without Pt3Co ANPs. A systematic study on the devices with and without unannealed Pt3Co ANPs shows that the significantly enhanced efficiency is mainly due to the resonance of localized surface plasmon (LSP). The analysis of surface topography, angular-dependent EL spectra and theoretical calculations of the devices with and without annealed Pt3Co ANPs reveals that the annealing treatment of Pt3Co ANPs could result in a further enhancement in light extraction due to the increased light scattering effect, thereby achieving a double-enhancement in light extraction by simultaneously realizing the resonance of LSP and the light scattering effect.

The effect of cesium carbonate (Cs2CO3) doping on the electron transport properties of 4,7-diphenyl-1, 10-phenanthroline (BPhen) layer has been investigated in organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). Temperature-dependent admittance spectroscopy studies show that the incorporation of Cs2CO3 from 0 to 42 wt. % can decrease the activation energy of the BPhen layer from 1.3 to 0.18 eV, resulting in the enhanced electron injection and transport with respect to reduced injection barrier and increased conductivity of the BPhen layer. This is consistent with the performance improvement in OLEDs, which yields better electrical characteristics and enhanced luminance efficiency.

Surface plasmon-enhanced electroluminescence (EL) in an organic light-emitting diode is demonstrated by incorporating the synthesized Au nanoparticles (NPs) in the hole injection layer of poly(3,4-ethylene dioxythiophene):polystyrene sulfonic acid. An increase of ∼25% in the EL intensity and efficiency are achieved for devices with Au NPs, whereas the spectral and electrical properties remain almost identical to the control device. Time-resolved photoluminescence spectroscopy reveals that the EL enhancement is ascribed to the increase in spontaneous emission rate due to the plasmonic near-field effect induced by Au NPs.

The impact of electronic structures on the functionality of transition metal oxide-based intermediate connectors for tandem organic light-emitting devices is investigated by studying the interfaces and the corresponding devices. For a typical transition metal oxide-based intermediate connector, consisting of a heterointerface between MoO3 and Mg-doped tris(8-quinolinolato)aluminum (Mg:Alq3), it is identified that MoO3 is essential to the charge generation and separation process, which occurs at the interface between MoO3 and the adjacent hole-transporting layer (HTL) viaelectron transfer from the highest occupied molecular orbital of the HTL into the conduction band of MoO3. In addition, the incorporation of a Mg:Alq3 layer is indispensable to the functionality of the intermediate connector, which not only facilitates the electron injection from MoO3 into the electron-transporting layer of the adjacent electroluminescent (EL) unit, but also blocks the leakage of holes across the intermediate connector into the HTL of the other adjacent EL unit.

Background Fluoropyrimidine and oxaliplatin are widely used for patients with colorectal cancer. This phase II study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy and safety of the combination of S-1, oxaliplatin, and leucovorin (SOL) in the treatment of Chinese patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). Methods Eligible patients with untreated mCRC from four hospitals in China received intravenous oxaliplatin (85 mg/m2) on day 1, oral S-1 twice daily (80–120 mg per day) on day 1–7, and leucovorin twice daily (50 mg per day) simultaneously with S-1, every 2 weeks. Results and discussion Forty patients were enrolled in our study. In total, 296 cycles of SOL were administered. The overall response rate was 50.0%. At a median follow-up of 27 months, progression-free survival and overall survival were 7.0 months (95% confidence interval [CI] 6.0–10.6 months) and 22.2 months (95% CI 15.1–29.3 months), respectively. The most common grade 3/4 non-hematological adverse events were diarrhea (n = 8, 20.0%), nausea (n = 3, 7.5%), and vomiting (n = 3, 7.5%). The most common grade 3/4 hematological toxicities were thrombocytopenia (n = 3, 7.5%), neutropenia (n = 1, 2.5%), and abnormal alanine transaminase/aspartate transaminase levels (n = 1, 2.5%). There was one treatment-related death. Conclusions The data indicate that the SOL regimen is effective and moderately tolerated in Chinese patients with mCRC. Trial registration: Clinical trial information: ChiCTR-TNRC-100000838

The impact of maintenance therapy on progression-free survival and overall survival as well as quality of life of Chinese patients with metastatic colorectal cancer has long been under discussion. Recently, some phase III clinical trials have revealed that maintenance therapy can significantly prolong the progression-free survival while maintain an acceptable safety profile. Based on this evidence and common treatment practice in China, we now generated one Expert Consensus on Maintenance Treatment for Metastatic Colorectal Cancer in China to further specify the necessity of maintenance therapy, suitable candidates for such treatment, and appropriate regimens.