Comparison of Pipeline embolization device versus Tubridge embolization device in unruptured intracranial aneurysms: a multicenter, propensity score matched study.

BACKGROUND: Flow diverter devices (FDs) are increasingly used for treating unruptured intracranial aneurysms (UIAs), but limited studies compared different FDs. OBJECTIVE: To conduct a propensity score matched analysis comparing the Pipeline embolization device (PED) and Tubridge embolization device (TED) for UIAs. METHODS: Patients with UIAs treated with either PED or TED between July 2016 and July 2022 were included. Propensity score matching was performed to adjust for age, sex, comorbidities, smoking, drinking, aneurysm size, morphology, neck, location, parent artery diameter, adjunctive coiling, and angiographic follow-up duration. Perioperative complications and clinical and angiographic outcomes were compared after matching. RESULTS: 735 patients treated by PED and 290 patients treated by TED were enrolled. Compared with the PED group, patients in the TED group had a greater number of women and patients with ischemia, a smaller proportion of vertebrobasilar and non-saccular aneurysms, a smaller size and neck, and fewer adjunctive coils and overlapping stents, but a larger parent artery diameter and lumen disparities. After adjusting for these differences, 275 pairs were matched. No differences were found in perioperative complications (4.4% vs 2.5%, P=0.350), in-stent stenosis (16.0% vs 15.6%, P>0.999), or favorable prognosis (98.9% vs 98.5%, P>0.999). However, PED showed a trend towards better complete occlusion over a median 8-month angiographic follow-up (81.8% vs 75.3%, P=0.077). CONCLUSION: Compared with PED, TED provides a comparable rate of perioperative and short-term outcomes. Nevertheless, a better occlusion status in the PED group needs to be further verified over a longer follow-up period.

Gas nanosensors for health and safety applications in mining.

The ever-increasing demand for accurate, miniaturized, and cost-effective gas sensing systems has eclipsed basic research across many disciplines. Along with the rapid progress in nanotechnology, the latest development in gas sensing technology is dominated by the incorporation of nanomaterials with different properties and structures. Such nanomaterials provide a variety of sensing interfaces operating on different principles ranging from chemiresistive and electrochemical to optical modules. Compared to thick film and bulk structures currently used for gas sensing, nanomaterials are advantageous in terms of surface-to-volume ratio, response time, and power consumption. However, designing nanostructured gas sensors for the marketplace requires understanding of key mechanisms in detecting certain gaseous analytes. Herein, we provide an overview of different sensing modules and nanomaterials under development for sensing critical gases in the mining industry, specifically for health and safety monitoring of mining workers. The interactions between target gas molecules and the sensing interface and strategies to tailor the gas sensing interfacial properties are highlighted throughout the review. Finally, challenges of existing nanomaterial-based sensing systems, directions for future studies, and conclusions are discussed.

Heparin-binding protein as a biomarker of severe sepsis in the pediatric intensive care unit: A multicenter, prospective study.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study is to assess Heparin-binding protein (HBP) as a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker of severe sepsis in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). METHODS: A multicenter, prospective study was conducted among children with sepsis in nine PICUs in China from October 2019 to June 2021. Plasma levels of HBP, procalcitonin (PCT), C-reactive protein (CRP), lactate, and white blood cell (WBC) count were determined at enrollment and 72 h after enrollment. RESULTS: Of 355 included patients, 132 patients were diagnosed with non-severe sepsis (referred to as sepsis), 223 patients had severe sepsis. Patients with severe sepsis had significantly elevated levels of HBP compared with sepsis (median 170.5 vs. 74.1 ng/mL, P < 0.001). Adding HBP to a diagnostic model with PCT and lactate could significantly improve the diagnostic capability for severe sepsis. The plasma levels of HBP correlated positively with the number of dysfunctional organs. After adjusting for confounding factors, the declined levels of HBP at 72 h had a significant association with decreased in-hospital mortality (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 0.242, P < 0.001). The levels of HBP showed weak positive correlations with PCT, CRP, WBC, and no correlation to lactate. CONCLUSIONS: HBP at enrollment can be an independent indicator for severe sepsis and the dynamic changes at 72 h can be a predictor for in-hospital mortality in PICU.

Heat shock protein 40 of Streptococcus pneumoniae induces immune response of human dendritic cells via TLR4-dependent p38 MAPK and JNK signaling pathways.

INTRODUCTION: Heat shock protein 40 (HSP40) is a vaccine adjuvant candidate for Streptococcus pneumoniae. The mechanism by which HSP40 activates the human dendritic cells (DCs) is unclear. METHODS: DCs were isolated from human peripheral blood and their markers (HLA-DR, CD86, CD83, and CD80) were detected by flow cytometry. The messenger RNA (mRNA) and secretion levels of inflammary cytokines were measured after DCs were stimulated with recombinant HSP40 (rHSP40). Short hairpin RNAs were used to knock down toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) and TLR4. The TLR2- or TLR4-deficient DCs were treated with lipopolysaccharides, rHSP40, or peptidoglycan, and then the secretion levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) were measured. Moreover, the secretion levels of TNF-α and IL-6 were measured after DCs were treated with mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) inhibitors including SB203580, SP600125, and U0126. In addition, the phosphorylation levels of p38 MAPK and Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) in DC cells were determined using western blot analysis after treatment with rHSP40 for different times. RESULTS: DCs were successfully isolated and cultured. rHSP40 treatment significantly increased cytokine levels in a concentration-dependent manner. TLR4 deficiency, but not TLR2 deficiency, significantly suppressed the rHSP40-induced secretion of tumor necrosis factor-α  (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6). SB203580 and SP600125 significantly inhibited the rHSP40-induced secretion of TNF-α and IL-6. rHSP40 significantly enhanced the phosphorylation of p38 MAPK and JNK. CONCLUSION: HPS40 stimulates the immune response of DCs via the p38 MAPK and JNK signaling pathways, which depend on TLR4.

Impact of LncRNA GAS5 Genetic Variants and the Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Phenotypes on the Clinicopathological Characteristics of Lung Adenocarcinoma Patients.

The aim of the current study was to evaluate the combined effect of the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in long non-coding RNA growth arrest-specific 5 (GAS5) and the phenotypes of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) on the clinicopathological characteristics of lung adenocarcinoma. The present study examined the relationship between the GAS5 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs; rs145204276 Ins/Del, rs55829688 T/C) and the clinicopathological factors in 539 lung adenocarcinoma patients with or without EGFR mutations. We found that the genotype distributions of the two GAS5 SNPs between different EGFR genotypes were similar after adjusting for age, gender and smoking history. The GAS5 SNP rs145204276 Ins/Del + Del/Del illustrated a higher distribution with an advanced tumor stage (p = 0.030), larger tumor T status (p = 0.019), positive lymph node status (p = 0.014) and distal metastases (p = 0.011) in the EGFR wild type group. In the subgroup analysis of the EGFR wild type population, the presence of GAS5 SNP rs145204276 Ins/Del + Del/Del was correlated to an advanced tumor stage (p = 0.014) and distal metastases (p = 0.020) in non-smokers. In conclusion, these data indicate that the GAS5 SNP rs145204276 variant may help predict tumor stage, lymph node metastasis and distal metastases in patients with EGFR wild type lung adenocarcinoma.

Impact of carbonic anhydrase 9 gene polymorphism on the progression of colorectal cancer.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a commonly occurring tumor type worldwide, and its development is governed by a connection between genetic variations and acquired factors. Carbonic anhydrase 9 (CA9) is a cell-surface pH modulator that has been demonstrated to contribute to key steps of cancer progression. Here, we attempted to interrogate the effect of CA9 gene polymorphisms on the development of CRC in 470 cases and 470 gender- and age-matched non-cancer controls. We found that none of three CA9 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) tested, including rs2071676, rs3829078, and rs1048638, was significantly associated with the occurrence of CRC. Yet, while evaluating the clinicopathological variables, cases carrying at least one reference allele (G allele) of rs2071676 tended to develop poorly differentiated tumors less frequently than those who are homozygous for the alternative allele (A allele) of rs2071676 (GA+GG vs AA; OR, 0.483; 95% CI, 0.242-0.963; p=0.036). Further stratification revealed that as compared to homozygous carriers of the alternative allele (AA), cases of colon cancer bearing at least one reference allele of rs2071676 (GA+GG) less frequently developed poorly differentiated tumors (OR, 0.449; 95% CI, 0.221-0.911; p=0.024) and lymphovascular invasion (OR, 0.570; 95% CI, 0.361-0.900; p=0.015). Such genetic effect was exclusively observed in colon cancer but not in rectal cancer. Our results indicate an anatomical site-specific impact of CA9 gene polymorphisms on modulating the progression of colorectal malignancies.

UHPLC-MS/MS method for the determination of azithromycin in human plasma of pediatric patients.

The presence of azithromycin in the human plasma of pediatric patients was determined with a UHPLC-MS/MS assay. Sample preparation was done by protein precipitation, and the separation was achieved on a C18 column by the gradient mixture of the mobile phase A (0.1% acetic acid and 3 mM ammonium acetate in water) and the mobile phase B (0.1% acetic acid and 3 mM ammonium acetate in the solution of acetonitrile, methanol, and water, 47.5/47.5/5, V/V/V). The multiple reaction monitoring mode was adopted to monitor the precursor-to-product ion transitions of m/z 749.6 → m/z 591.5 for azithromycin and m/z 753.6 → m/z 595.5 for azithromycin-13 C-d3 (the internal standard) at the positive ionization mode. The calibration curve ranged from 0.5 to 500.0 ng·mL-1 , and the correlation coefficient was greater than 0.99. The intra- and inter-batch precision was less than 13.7%. Accuracy determined at four concentrations ranged from 99.5 to 110.8%. The extraction recoveries were more than 95%, and the matrix effects were 98-100%. The stability under various conditions was acceptable with the accuracy deviation within 9.2%. In conclusion, our method was simple, sensitive, and reliable for quantifying azithromycin in plasma among pediatric patients.

Peripheral blood lymphocyte counts in patients with infectious mononucleosis or chronic active Epstein-Barr virus infection and prognostic risk factors of chronic active Epstein-Barr virus infection.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the peripheral blood lymphocyte counts and analyze the prognostic risk factors for the death in patients with chronic active Epstein-Barr virus (CAEBV) infection. METHODS: Clinical data of 64 patients infected with CAEBV (CAEBV group) and 64 patients with infectious mononucleosis (IM group) in our hospital were retrospectively analyzed. Meanwhile, 64 healthy individuals came for physical examination were enrolled in the control group. The three groups were compared for white blood cell count, lymphocyte count, and levels of peripheral blood NK cells, B cells, CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, CD4+CD28+, CD8+CD28+, CD4+CD25+, DR+CD8+, CD38+CD8+, CD4+ and CD8+ naive T cells and subsets of memory T cells. Patients infected with CAEBV were further divided into a survival subgroup and a death subgroup according to the survival outcome. The data were processed using univariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, the IM group had higher levels of white blood cell count, lymphocyte count, CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, CD4+CD25+, DR+CD8+, CD38+CD8+, effector-memory CD4+CD62L-CD45RO+ and effector-memory CD8+CD62L-CD45RO+, but lower levels of NK cells, B cells, CD4+CD28+, CD8+CD28+, naive CD4+CD62L+CD45RA+ and naive CD8+CD62L+CD45RA+ (all P<0.05). Compared with the control group, the CAEBV group had lower levels of white blood cell count, lymphocyte count, CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, NK cells, B cells, CD4+CD28+, CD8+CD28+, naive CD4+CD62L+CD45RA+ and naive CD8+CD62L+CD45RA+, but higher levels of CD4+CD25+, DR+CD8+, CD38+CD8+, effector-memory CD4+CD62L-CD45RO+ and effector-memory CD8+CD62L-CD45RO+ (all P<0.05). Univariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that EBV DNA>105 copies/mL, platelet count <50×1012/L, albumin <30 g/L and serum ferritin >5000 µg/L were independent risk factors for the death of patients with CAEBV. CONCLUSION: Patients infected with CAEBV showed imbalance of lymphocyte subsets and immune dysfunction. EBV DNA>105 copies/mL, platelet count <50×1012/L, albumin <30 g/L and serum ferritin >5000 µg/L are risk factors of death in patients with CAEBV.

Sensitive pH-responsive point-of-care electrochemical immunoassay for influenza A (H1N1) virus using glucose oxidase-functionalized Ti3C2-MXene nanosheets.

Influenza A (H1N1) virus is a serious health threat and potential leading cause of death around the world during the processes of immunity and inflammation. Herein a sensitive pH-responsive point-of-care (POC) electrochemical immunoassay was designed for the quantitative monitoring of H1N1 influenza virus using glucose oxidase (GOx) and secondary antibody-functionalized Ti3C2-MXene nanosheets. The assay was carried out on the basis of the sandwich-type immunoreaction in the capture antibody-coated microplate. Two-dimensional (2D) Ti3C2-MXene nanosheets with a large surface area could efficiently enhance the loading amount of GOx molecules, thereby resulting in the signal amplification. Accompanying the formed immunocomplexes, labeled GOx molecules catalyzed glucose into gluconic acid and hydrogen peroxide. The generated gluconic acid caused a pH change of the detection solution, which was quantitatively determined on a handheld pH meter. Two labeling strategies with and without Ti3C2-MXene nanosheets were investigated to determine the target H1N1 influenza virus, and improved properties were acquired with the Ti3C2-MXene-labeled system. Under optimum conditions, the Ti3C2-MXene-based immunoassay gave good dynamic responses toward the target H1N1 influenza virus from 0.01 µg mL-1 to 100 µg mL-1 with a detection limit of 1.3 ng mL-1. Good reproducibility, high specificity, and acceptable stability were also achieved in the analysis of the target H1N1 influenza virus. Significantly, measurements of the H1N1 influenza virus from clinical human samples were demonstrated to further confirm the method reliability and accuracy of the Ti3C2-MXene-based electrochemical immunoassay. Importantly, such a pH-meter-based immunoassay can be suitable for use in point-of-care applications and opens new opportunities for diagnostics.

Time Distributions of Common Respiratory Pathogens Under the Spread of SARS-CoV-2 Among Children in Xiamen, China.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to observe the effect of COVID-19 prevention and control measures on the transmission of common respiratory viruses in a pediatric population. Methods: This was a retrospective observational study. The study population was selected from children with respiratory diseases who attended Xiamen Children's Hospital from January 1, 2018 to January 31, 2021. All children were screened for influenza virus, parainfluenza virus, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), adenovirus, and Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The changes in respiratory virus detection rates before and after the SARS-CoV-2 intervention were analyzed using an interrupted time-series model. Polynomial curve fitting was also used to predict future short-term trends in respiratory virus detection. Results: A total of 56,859 children were seen at Xiamen Children's Hospital from January 1, 2018 to Jan 31, 2021, of which 32,120 were tested for respiratory viruses via pharyngeal swabs. The overall positive detection rates of the four respiratory viral infections decreased significantly (P = 0.0017) after the implementation of the quarantine and school suspension measures in January 2020. Among them, the detection rate of RSV decreased most significantly (P = 0.008), and although there was no statistically significant difference in the detection rates of the influenza virus, parainfluenza virus, and adenovirus, a downward trend in the graph was observed. The positive detection rates of RSV in the 0-1-, 1-3-, and 3-7-year-old groups all decreased significantly (P = 0.035, 0.016, and 0.038, respectively). The change in the positive detection rate of RSV was relatively stable in the 7-18-year-old group. A total of 10,496 samples were tested for SARS-CoV-2, and no positive cases were reported. Conclusions: The combination of preventive and control measures for COVID-19 reduced the detection rate of four common respiratory viruses, with the greatest impact on RSV. If prevention and control measures continue to be maintained, the overall detection rate or absolute number of detections for the four respiratory viruses will remain low in the short term. However, this trend is likely to vary with the changes in measures.

Gender differences in femoral trochlea morphology.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to analyze the morphology of the anterior femoral condyle using a quantitative three-dimensional reconstruction method. The morphological data were compared between genders. METHODS: Computed tomography scans of femurs were taken from 90 healthy subjects and then reconstructed in 3D modeling software. Coaxial cutting planes were created at 10° increments to measure the lateral and medial anterior condylar heights (LACH and MACH, respectively), lateral and medial trochlear groove widths (LTW and MTW, respectively), and for trochlear groove tracking. The absolute values and normalized data were compared between male and female subjects. The sulcus angle and deepest point of the trochlear groove at each cross-section were also analyzed to determine the differences in the depth of the trochlear groove. RESULTS: The absolute dimensions of LACH, MACH, LTW, and MTW were significantly smaller in the female subjects, by 10.5%, 36.9%, 10.3%, and 11.0%, respectively, than in the males (p < 0.05). After normalization, no significant difference was found in the condylar height between the genders. However, the female subjects had a significantly larger value of approximately 7.9% for the normalized trochlear width. CONCLUSION: Male subjects had greater condylar heights and widths than the female subjects. Although the trajectory of the trochlear groove varied greatly among the subjects, the trochlear groove appeared to be wider and shallower in the female subjects than in the male subjects. These results provide important information for the design of femoral trochlea to fit Asian female patients. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III.

Impact of Matrix Metalloproteinase-11 Gene Polymorphisms on Biochemical Recurrence and Clinicopathological Characteristics of Prostate Cancer.

Prostate cancer is among the most common malignant tumors worldwide. Matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-11 is involved in extracellular matrix degradation and remodeling and plays an essential role in cancer development and metastasis. This study investigated the association of MMP-11 polymorphisms with the clinicopathological characteristics and biochemical recurrence of prostate cancer. Five single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the MMP-11 were analyzed in 578 patients with prostate cancer through real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis. A prostate-specific antigen level of >10 ng/mL, Gleason grade groups 4 + 5, advanced tumor stage, lymph node metastasis, invasion, and high-risk D'Amico classification were significantly associated with biochemical recurrence in the patients (p < 0.001). MMP-11 rs131451 "TC + CC" polymorphic variants were associated with advanced clinical stage (T stage; p = 0.007) and high-risk D'Amico classification (p = 0.015) in patients with biochemical recurrence. These findings demonstrate that MMP-11 polymorphisms were not associated with prostate cancer susceptibility; however, the rs131451 polymorphic variant was associated with late-stage tumors and high-risk D'Amico classification in prostate cancer patients with biochemical recurrence. Thus, the MMP-11 SNP rs131451 may contribute to the tumor development in prostate cancer patients with biochemical recurrence.

Intranasal dexmedetomidine versus oral midazolam premedication to prevent emergence delirium in children undergoing strabismus surgery: A randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Dexmedetomidine is being used increasingly as a premedicant in the paediatric population. However, the effectiveness of pre-operative intranasal dexmedetomidine premedication, compared with oral midazolam, for emergence delirium is not well characterised. OBJECTIVE: To identify the effectiveness of pre-operative intranasal dexmedetomidine for emergence delirium in the paediatric patient population following general anaesthesia. DESIGN: A prospective, randomised, double-blind, parallel-group, placebo-controlled trial. SETTING: Single university teaching hospital, from September 2013 to August 2014. PATIENTS: One hundred and fifty-six patients undergoing anaesthesia for strabismus surgery were included in the study. INTERVENTION: Patients were randomised in a 1 : 1 : 1 ratio to receive premedication with intranasal dexmedetomidine 2 µg kg (the dexmedetomidine group), oral midazolam 0.5 mg kg (the midazolam group), or 0.9% saline (the placebo group). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome was the incidence of emergence delirium assessed by the Paediatric Anaesthesia Emergence Delirium scale. Secondary outcomes included the quality of the inhalational induction, emergence time, postoperative pain intensity, length of stay in the postanaesthesia care unit, the incidence of postoperative nausea or vomiting (PONV) and parents' satisfaction. RESULTS: The incidence of emergence delirium was lower in patients given dexmedetomidine compared with that in patients given midazolam (11.5 versus 44%, relative risk = 0.262, 95% confidence interval 0.116 to 0.592) or 0.9% saline (11.5 versus 49%, relative risk = 0.235, 95% confidence interval 0.105 to 0.525). Likewise, the incidence of PONV was lower in the dexmedetomidine group (3.8%) than that in the midazolam (22%; P = 0.006) or placebo (29.4%; P < 0.001) groups. However, there was no difference among the groups concerning postoperative pain scores and length of postanaesthesia care unit stay. CONCLUSION: In paediatric patients undergoing strabismus surgery intranasal dexmedetomidine 2 µg kg premedication decreases the incidence of emergence delirium and PONV, and improves parents' satisfaction compared with oral midazolam. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov (identifier: NCT01895023).

Study of GaN-Based Thermal Decomposition in Hydrogen Atmospheres for Substrate-Reclamation Processing.

This study investigates the thermal decomposition behavior of GaN-based epilayers on patterned sapphire substrates (GaN-epi/PSSs) in a quartz furnace tube under a hydrogen atmosphere. The GaN-epi/PSS was decomposed under different hydrogen flow rates at 1200 °C, confirming that the hydrogen flow rate influences the decomposition reaction of the GaN-based epilayer. The GaN was completely removed and the thermal decomposition process yielded gallium oxyhydroxide (GaO2H) nanostructures. When observed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), the GaO2H nanostructures appeared as aggregates of many nanograins sized 2⁻5 nm. The orientation relationship, microstructure, and formation mechanism of the GaO2H nanostructures were also investigated.

Glycemic control and adipokines after periodontal therapy in patients with Type 2 diabetes and chronic periodontitis.

The mechanism by which chronic periodontitis (CP) affects type 2 diabetes (T2DM) remains unclear. Therefore, the aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of periodontal therapy (PT) on the glycemic control and adipokines of patients with T2DM and CP with the purpose of elucidating the possible mechanisms by which CP influences T2DM. Forty-four patients with T2DM and CP were randomly divided into two groups according to whether they underwent PT. Periodontal status, blood glucose, and the levels of serum tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), adiponectin (APN), and fibroblast growth factor-21 (FGF-21) were measured at baseline and after 3 months. The results revealed that the probing depth (PD) and attachment loss (AL) were significantly improved, the serum levels of TNF-α and IL-6 were significantly decreased, and APN and FGF-21 exhibited substantial increases in the intervention group after 3 months (p < 0.05), whereas no significant changes were observed in the control group. The glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels in both groups decreased significantly after 3 months compared with baseline (p < 0.05), but the intervention group exhibited a significantly greater change (p < 0.05). In conclusion, PT may relieve periodontal inflammation, which causes a reduction of insulin-antagonizing adipokines and an increase in insulin-sensitizing adipokines, thereby eliciting an improvement in glycemic control.

Photovoltaic Performance Characterization of Textured Silicon Solar Cells Using Luminescent Down-Shifting Eu-Doped Phosphor Particles of Various Dimensions.

This paper reports on efforts to enhance the photovoltaic performance of textured silicon solar cells through the application of a layer of Eu-doped silicate phosphor with particles of various dimensions using the spin-on film technique. We examined the surface profile and dimensions of the Eu-doped phosphors in the silicate layer using optical microscopy with J-image software. Optical reflectance, photoluminescence, and external quantum efficiency were used to characterize the luminescent downshifting (LDS) and light scattering of the Eu-doped silicate phosphor layer. Current density-voltage curves under AM 1.5G simulation were used to confirm the contribution of LDS and light scattering produced by phosphor particles of various dimensions. Experiment results reveal that smaller phosphor particles have a more pronounced effect on LDS and a slight shading of incident light. The application of small Eu-doped phosphor particles increased the conversion efficiency by 9.2% (from 12.56% to 13.86%), far exceeding the 5.6% improvement (from 12.54% to 13.32%) achieved by applying a 250 nm layer of SiO2 and the 4.5% improvement (from 12.37% to 12.98%) observed in cells with large Eu-doped phosphor particles.

Electrical and Optical Characterization of Sputtered Silicon Dioxide, Indium Tin Oxide, and Silicon Dioxide/Indium Tin Oxide Antireflection Coating on Single-Junction GaAs Solar Cells.

This study characterized the electrical and optical properties of single-junction GaAs solar cells coated with antireflective layers of silicon dioxide (SiO2), indium tin oxide (ITO), and a hybrid layer of SiO2/ITO applied using Radio frequency (RF) sputtering. The conductivity and transparency of the ITO film were characterized prior to application on GaAs cells. Reverse saturation-current and ideality factor were used to evaluate the passivation performance of the various coatings on GaAs solar cells. Optical reflectance and external quantum efficiency response were used to evaluate the antireflective performance of the coatings. Photovoltaic current-voltage measurements were used to confirm the efficiency enhancement obtained by the presence of the anti-reflective coatings. The conversion efficiency of the GaAs cells with an ITO antireflective coating (23.52%) exceeded that of cells with a SiO2 antireflective coating (21.92%). Due to lower series resistance and higher short-circuit current-density, the carrier collection of the GaAs cell with ITO coating exceeded that of the cell with a SiO2/ITO coating.

Plasmonic Light Scattering in Textured Silicon Solar Cells with Indium Nanoparticles from Normal to Non-Normal Light Incidence.

In this study, we sought to improve the light trapping of textured silicon solar cells using the plasmonic light scattering of indium nanoparticles (In NPs) of various dimensions. The light trapping modes of textured-silicon surfaces with and without In NPs were investigated at an angle of incidence (AOI) ranging from 0° to 75°. The optical reflectance, external quantum efficiency (EQE), and photovoltaic performance were first characterized under an AOI of 0°. We then compared the EQE and photovoltaic current density-voltage (J-V) as a function of AOI in textured silicon solar cells with and without In NPs. We observed a reduction in optical reflectance and an increase in EQE when the cells textured with pyramidal structures were coated with In NPs. We also observed an impressive increase in the average weighted external quantum efficiency (∆EQEw) and short-circuit current-density (∆Jsc) in cells with In NPs when illuminated under a higher AOI. The ∆EQEw values of cells with In NPs were 0.37% higher than those without In NPs under an AOI of 0°, and 3.48% higher under an AOI of 75°. The ∆Jsc values of cells with In NPs were 0.50% higher than those without In NPs under an AOI of 0°, and 4.57% higher under an AOI of 75°. The application of In NPs clearly improved the light trapping effects. This can be attributed to the effects of plasmonic light-scattering over the entire wavelength range as well as an expanded angle of incident light.

R3D-BLAST2: an improved search tool for similar RNA 3D substructures.

BACKGROUND: RNA molecules have been known to play a variety of significant roles in cells. In principle, the functions of RNAs are largely determined by their three-dimensional (3D) structures. As more and more RNA 3D structures are available in the Protein Data Bank (PDB), a bioinformatics tool, which is able to rapidly and accurately search the PDB database for similar RNA 3D structures or substructures, is helpful to understand the structural and functional relationships of RNAs. RESULTS: Since its first release in 2011, R3D-BLAST has become a useful tool for searching the PDB database for similar RNA 3D structures and substructures. It was implemented by a structural-alphabet (SA)-based method, which utilizes an SA with 23 structural letters to encode RNA 3D structures into one-dimensional (1D) structural sequences and applies BLAST to the resulting structural sequences for searching similar substructures of RNAs. In this study, we have upgraded R3D-BLAST to develop a new web server named R3D-BLAST2 based on a higher quality SA newly constructed from a representative and sufficiently non-redundant list of RNA 3D structures. In addition, we have modified the kernel program in R3D-BLAST2 so that it can accept an RNA structure in the mmCIF format as an input. The results of our experiments on a benchmark dataset have demonstrated that R3D-BLAST2 indeed performs very well in comparison to its earlier version R3D-BLAST and other similar tools RNA FRABASE, FASTR3D and RAG-3D by searching a larger number of RNA 3D substructures resembling those of the input RNA. CONCLUSIONS: R3D-BLAST2 is a valuable BLAST-like search tool that can more accurately scan the PDB database for similar RNA 3D substructures. It is publicly available at http://genome.cs.nthu.edu.tw/R3D-BLAST2/ .

Glycemic control and adipokines after periodontal therapy in patients with Type 2 diabetes and chronic periodontitis

Abstract: The mechanism by which chronic periodontitis (CP) affects type 2 diabetes (T2DM) remains unclear. Therefore, the aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of periodontal therapy (PT) on the glycemic control and adipokines of patients with T2DM and CP with the purpose of elucidating the possible mechanisms by which CP influences T2DM. Forty-four patients with T2DM and CP were randomly divided into two groups according to whether they underwent PT. Periodontal status, blood glucose, and the levels of serum tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), adiponectin (APN), and fibroblast growth factor-21 (FGF-21) were measured at baseline and after 3 months. The results revealed that the probing depth (PD) and attachment loss (AL) were significantly improved, the serum levels of TNF-α and IL-6 were significantly decreased, and APN and FGF-21 exhibited substantial increases in the intervention group after 3 months (p < 0.05), whereas no significant changes were observed in the control group. The glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels in both groups decreased significantly after 3 months compared with baseline (p < 0.05), but the intervention group exhibited a significantly greater change (p < 0.05). In conclusion, PT may relieve periodontal inflammation, which causes a reduction of insulin-antagonizing adipokines and an increase in insulin-sensitizing adipokines, thereby eliciting an improvement in glycemic control.