Solvothermal Synthesis and Pyrolysis Toward Heteroatom-Doped Carbon Microspheres for Zinc-Ion Hybrid Capacitors.

Heteroatom-doped porous carbon materials have investigated to promote the energy density of zinc-ion hybrid capacitors (ZICs). Yet, the quest for high-performance carbon materials or cathodes brings to light the question of which dopants facilitate fast energy storage kinetics and various types of pseudocapacitive reactions. Investigation of carbon materials with precise quantitative dopants as the key variable represents an effective appropriate approach to comprehending the intricate role of dopants in energy storage areas. Here, a straightforward solvothermal strategy is demonstrated for a variety of pristine and iron-incorporated polymer microspheres, used as precursors for durable spherical carbons intended for cathode applications in ZICs. The strategy effectively governs the incorporation of dopants within the carbon materials, whilewhile maintaining consistent morphology, microtexture, and pore structure across different carbon variations. The synergistic effect of various dopants enhance the pseudocapacitance and facilitate the ion storage process. In consequence, the optimal cathode delivers considerable capacity (178.8 mAh g-1 at 0.5 A g-1), good energy density (120.2 Wh kg-1 at 336 W kg-1), and excellent cycling stability (101.5% capacity retention at 35 000 cycles). The demonstration showcases a viable method for crafting carbon materials with precise dopants to accommodate the zinc anode, thus enabling high-capacity and high-energy ZICs.

Monomer Emission Mechanism Research of Tetraphenylethene Derivative with Supramolecular Self-Assembly in Polymer Microspheres.

The monomer emission property of the tetraphenylethene (TPE) derivative is rarely reported, and its photoluminescence (PL) mechanism related to supramolecular self-assembly needs further in-depth research. Two long alkyl chain modified derivatives, the TPE derivative (TPE-C10) and pyrene derivative (Pyrene-C10), are designed and synthesized, which possess similar supramolecular assembly behavior but exhibit different PL properties. TPE-C10 not only forms self-assembly morphologies with monomer emission but also emits aggregation-induced emission (AIE). Moreover, the polymer microspheres containing TPE-C10 and Pyrene-C10 are prepared, which can dissolve or swell in different organic solvents. The changed binding effect of polymer chains achieves the luminescence transformation of TPE-C10 from AIE to monomer emission. This work hopefully can enrich luminescent materials based on the monomer emission of the TPE derivative and provide a new method for mechanism studies about supramolecular self-assembly and luminescence.

[Combining ability analysis for SP4 lines of maize from space flight].

Three maize (Zea mays L.) inbred lines 08-641, RP125, and 18-599 were carried into cosmic space by recoverable satellite "Shijian 8". Some mutant lines were selected from SP4 and combinations were made according to the NC II genetic design. The materials were planted in Sichuan and Yunnan separately to analyze combining ability based on the incomplete diallel cross design. The results showed that space flight affected the combining ability of mutant lines, and the GCA value of mutant lines were different in two kinds of environmental condition. The GCA of ear length, row per ear, kernel per row, and yield per plant for the mutant line C03 showed substantial increase compared with the control 08-641; the GCA of row per ear, kernel per row, and other yield component traits for the mutant lines C01 and C04 were significantly higher than those of the control. The SCA of yield and yield components for the combinations derived from the mutant lines C06, R18, and S22 were higher than others. These results laid a material foundation for maize breeding and provided some important references for improving and utilizing the mutant lines.

Synthetic and Computational Study of the Enantioselective [3+2]-Cycloaddition of Chromones with MBH Carbonates.

Highly efficient and straightforward access to enantioenriched five-membered ring-fused chromanones is developed via [3+2]-cycloaddition of 3-cyanochromones with Morita-Baylis-Hillman carbonates. Densely functionalized chiral cyclopenta[b]chromanones with three continuous quaternary and tertiary stereogenic carbon centers were obtained in high yields with high ee and dr (≤97% yield, 97% ee, and >20:1 dr). Moreover, density functional theory calculations have been carried out to investigate the mechanism and regio- and diastereoselectivity of the reaction.

[Successive projections algorithm and its application to selecting the wheat near-infrared spectral variables].

Successive projections algorithm combined with partial least squares regression, termed as SPA-PLS approach, was implemented as a novel variable selection approach to multivariate calibration. The proposed approach was applied to near-infrared reflectance data for analyzing moisture in wheat. The number of variables selected from 701 spectral variables was reduced to 16 by SPA, and the root mean squared error of prediction set (RMSEP) of the corresponding partial least squares regression models was decreased to 0.205 5% as well. The result indicates that the SPA-PLS approach by performing SPA prior to calibration not only can improve the model accuracy, but also decreases the number of spectral variables, so its resulting model becomes more concise. Moreover, as compared with genetic algorithm for wavelength selection, SPA is a deterministic search technique whose results are reproducible and it is more robust with respect to the choice of the validation set.

Prognostic and clinical significance of focal adhesion kinase expression in breast cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: The prognostic significance of focal adhesion kinase (FAK) in breast cancer remains controversial. Here, we conducted a meta-analysis to explore the prognostic value of FAK expression in breast cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Possible prognostic significance of protein or mRNA expression of FAK in breast cancer was investigated with searches of electronic databases for relevant publications. Pooled hazard ratios (HRs) and odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were extracted from eligible studies. RESULTS: A total of eight eligible studies which included 2604 participants were analyzed in this meta-analysis. Increased expression of FAK protein was found to significantly correlate with shorter overall survival (OS) (HR = 1.43, 95% CI: 1.12-1.83; P = 0.004), and not with disease-free survival (HR = 1.31, 95% CI: 0.92-1.85; P = 0.14). Elevated FAK protein expression was also associated with negative estrogen receptor (ER) expression (OR, 1.34; 95% CI, 1.06-1.68; P = 0.01), negative progesterone receptor (PR) expression (OR, 1.54; 95% CI, 1.22-1.93; P < 0.001), positive human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) expression (OR, 1.64; 95% CI, 1.28-2.09; P < 0.001), triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) (OR, 1.57; 95% CI, 1.14-2.17; P = 0.006), high nuclear grade (OR, 1.70; 95% CI, 1.05-2.78; P = 0.03), high Ki-67 expression level (OR, 2.87; 95% CI, 1.94-4.24; P < 0.001), and positive p53 status (OR, 2.28; 95% CI, 1.58-3.29; P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Our meta-analysis identifies an association between increased FAK protein expression and worse OS among breast cancer patients. Moreover, enhanced FAK expression is associated with negative ER expression, negative PR expression, positive HER2 expression, TNBC, high nuclear grade, high Ki-67 expression level, and positive p53 status in breast carcinoma.

Prognostic and clinical significance of syndecan-1 expression in breast cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: The prognostic value of syndecan-1 (SDC1, also called CD138) in breast cancer remains controversial. Therefore, we performed a meta-analysis to assess the clinical significance of SDC1 expression in breast cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Various databases were searched to evaluate possible correlations between SDC1 protein or mRNA expression and prognostic significance in breast cancer. Pooled hazard ratios (HRs) and odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were applied to perform a quantitative meta-analysis. RESULTS: A total of 1305 breast cancer patients from 9 eligible studies were included in this meta-analysis. Significant associations between elevated SDC1 protein expression and poor disease-free survival (DFS) (HR = 1.55, 95% CI: 1.12-2.14; P = 0.007) and overall survival (OS) (HR = 2.08, 95% CI: 1.61-2.69; P < 0.001) were observed. In addition, enhanced SDC1 protein expression correlated with negative estrogen receptor (ER) expression (OR, 2.38; 95% CI, 1.64-3.44; P < 0.001) and positive human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) expression (OR, 1.77; 95% CI, 1.14-2.76; P = 0.01). However, increased SDC1 protein expression did not correlate with relapse-free survival (RFS) (HR = 0.33, 95% CI: 0.03-3.13; P = 0.33). There were no additional significant correlations observed between SDC1 protein expression and other clinical factors, including tumor size, lymph node involvement, nuclear grade, and progesterone receptor (PR) expression. CONCLUSION: The results of this meta-analysis demonstrate that increased SDC1 protein expression in breast cancer is significantly associated with worse prognosis in terms of DFS and OS, and an aggressive phenotype is associated with negative ER expression and positive HER2 expression.

Microwave assisted hydrothermal preparation of rice straw hydrochars for adsorption of organics and heavy metals.

A series of rice straw hydrochars were produced through a microwave-assisted hydrothermal treatment method, characterized and used for the adsorption of three organics and two heavy metals from aqueous solutions. The hydrochars have carbon contents from 37.44% to 43.31%, are rich in oxygen containing functional groups, and the equilibrium of hydrothermal carbonization reactions could be reached rapidly in microwave environment. The hydrochars can effectively adsorb the model pollutants, the maximum adsorption capacities of Congo red, berberine hydrochloride and 2-naphthol at 298 K and initial concentration of 0.5 mg/mL were 222.1, 174.0 and 48.7 mg/g, respectively, and those of Zn2+ and Cu2+ were 112.8 and 144.9 mg/g, respectively. Adsorption thermodynamic parameters were calculated. These results suggest that microwave-assisted hydrothermal treatment is an effective method for the rapid production of hydrochars, and rice straw hydrochars are promising adsorbents for the removal of water pollutants such as organics and heavy metals.

Recent Hydrophobic Metal-Organic Frameworks and Their Applications.

The focus of discussion of this review is the application of the most recent synthesized hydrophobic metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). The most promising hydrophobic MOFs are mentioned with their applications and discussed. The various MOFs considered are sub-sectioned into the main application areas, namely alcohol adsorption and oil/water-alcohol/water separation, gas separation and storage, and other applications such as self-cleaning and liquid marbles. Again, the methods of synthesis are briefly described, showing how the features of the end product aid in their applications. The efficiency of the MOF materials and synthesis methods are highlighted and briefly discussed. Lastly, the summary and outlook section concludes the write-up giving suggestions that would be useful to present-day researchers.

Prognostic and clinical significance of histone deacetylase 1 expression in breast cancer: A meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: There are conflicting reports about the role of histone deacetylase 1 (HDAC1) in breast cancer prognosis. Here, we conducted a meta-analysis to investigate the prognostic significance of HDAC1 in breast cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We searched different databases to identify studies evaluating the association between HDAC1 expression and its prognostic value in breast cancer. The pooled hazard ratios (HRs) and odds radios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were calculated from these studies to assess specific correlation. RESULTS: Our meta-analysis of four databases identified 7 eligible studies with 1429 total patients. We found that HDAC1 over-expression did not correlate with disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) in breast cancer. Subgroup analysis indicated an association between up-regulated HDAC1 expression and better OS (HR = 0.47, 95% CI: 0.23-0.97; P = 0.04) in Asian breast cancer patients. However, false-positive report probability (FPRP) analysis and trial sequential analysis (TSA) indicated that the results need further validation. Furthermore, HDAC1 over-expression was associated with positive estrogen receptor (ER) expression (OR, 3.30; 95% CI, 1.11-9.83; P = 0.03) and negative human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) expression (OR, 1.79; 95% CI, 1.22-2.61; P = 0.003), but there were no significant differences between patients based on age, tumor size, lymph node metastasis, nuclear grade, or progesterone receptor (PR) expression. CONCLUSION: Overall, our meta-analysis demonstrated an association between increased HDAC1 expression and better OS in Asian breast cancer patients. In addition, HDAC1 over-expression correlated with positive ER and negative HER2 expression in breast cancer. However, researches in large patients' randomised controlled trials (RCTs) are needed to confirm the results.

Prognostic and clinicopathological value of CXCL12/SDF1 expression in breast cancer: A meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Several studies have demonstrated that stromal cell derived factor-1 (SDF1, also known as CXCL12) expression is a biomarker for breast cancer treatment; however, its significance of prognosis is inconsistent. This study uses a meta-analysis to explore the prognostic value of CXCL12/SDF1 expression in breast cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science databases were searched from inception to November 25, 2017. Studies investigating the correlation between CXCL12/SDF1 expression and survival in breast carcinoma were included. The pooled hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) was used to assess the prognostic value of CXCL12/SDF1 in breast cancer. The pooled odds radio (OR) and 95% CI was applied to evaluate the relationship between CXCL12/SDF1 expression and the clinical characteristics of breast cancer. RESULTS: Eight eligible studies involving 2205 patients were identified. Higher CXCL12/SDF1 protein expression was associated with better disease-free survival (DFS) (HR, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.68-0.86; P < .0001) and overall survival (OS) (HR, 0.66; 95% CI, 0.49-0.87; P = .004) in breast cancer. Furthermore, higher CXCL12/SDF1 protein expression was associated with positive ER status (OR, 1.92; 95% CI, 1.08-3.45; P = .03), negative HER2 status (OR, 2.64; 95% CI, 1.06-6.59; P = .04), and small tumor size (OR, 2.49; 95% CI, 1.47-4.22; P = .0007) in breast cancer, respectively. However, there were no significant associations between the CXCL12/SDF1 mRNA expression and other prognostic parameters, such as TNM stage, age, PR status, lymph node, and nuclear grade (P > .05 for all). CONCLUSIONS: This present meta-analysis suggests that CXCL12/SDF1 protein expression is a good prognostic biomarker in breast cancer. In addition, the over-expression of CXCL12/SDF1 protein was associated with positive ER status, negative HER2 status and small tumor size.

Prognostic and clinicopathological value of Twist expression in breast cancer: A meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Despite initial indications that the transcription factor Twist could be used as a breast cancer prognostic marker, there still exists some controversy about its reliability. Thus, the aim of the present study was to assess the relationship between Twist expression and prognosis in breast carcinoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We identified eligible studies that reported an association between Twist expression and breast cancer prognosis by searching the literature in PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, and Web of Science databases, through June 5, 2017. Studies investigating Twist protein or mRNA expression as well as reporting survival data in breast cancer were included. The pooled hazard ratio (HR) and odds radio (OR) with a 95% confidence interval (95% CI) were used to estimate associations. RESULTS: A total of 2,671 patients from seven included studies were assessed, and the data indicated that increased Twist expression significantly correlated with poor overall survival (OS) (HR, 1.15; 95% CI, 1.00-1.33; P = 0.04) in breast cancer. In addition, we also observed a significant correlation of elevated Twist expression with larger tumor size (OR, 1.92; 95% CI, 1.31-2.81; P = 0.0009), lymph node involvement (OR, 3.81; 95% CI, 1.16-12.54; P = 0.03), higher nuclear grade (OR, 1.45; 95% CI, 1.06-2.00; P = 0.02), and positive human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) status (OR, 1.49; 95% CI, 1.06-2.09; P = 0.02). However, no correlation between Twist expression and disease-free survival (DFS), age, estrogen receptor (ER) status, and progesterone receptor (PR) status was observed. CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrate that Twist over-expression is a statistically significant indicator of OS in breast cancer. In addition, our meta-analysis shows that increased Twist expression is significantly associated with larger tumor size, lymph node involvement, higher nuclear grade, and positive HER2 status.

Selective Hydrodeoxygenation of 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural to 2,5-Dimethylfuran over Heterogeneous Iron Catalysts.

This work provided the first example of selective hydrodeoxygenation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) to 2,5-dimethylfuran (DMF) over heterogeneous Fe catalysts. A catalyst prepared by the pyrolysis of an Fe-phenanthroline complex on activated carbon at 800 °C was demonstrated to be the most active heterogeneous Fe catalyst. Under the optimal reaction conditions, complete conversion of HMF was achieved with 86.2 % selectivity to DMF. The reaction pathway was investigated thoroughly, and the hydrogenation of the C=O bond in HMF was demonstrated to be the rate-determining step during the hydrodeoxygenation, which could be accelerated greatly by using alcohol solvents as additional H-donors. The excellent stability of the Fe catalyst, which was probably a result of the well-preserved active species and the pore structure of the Fe catalyst in the presence of H2 , was demonstrated in batch and continuous flow fixed-bed reactors.