Prognostic utility of neutrophil-to-albumin ratio in surgically treated oral squamous cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to evaluate the prognostic significance of preoperative neutrophil-to-albumin ratio (NAR) in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). METHODS: A total of 622 patients with surgically treated OSCC were enrolled. NAR was defined as the absolute neutrophil count divided by the serum albumin level in peripheral blood before the radical surgery. Cox proportional hazards model were used to discover survival outcome-associated factors. RESULTS: The optimal cut-off of NAR to predict overall survival (OS) was determined to be 0.1. In Cox model, high NAR was identified as an independent negative prognosticator of OS, cancer-specific survival, and recurrence-free survival (adjusted hazard ratio: 1.503, 1.958, and 1.727, respectively; all p < 0.05). The NAR-based nomogram accurately predicted OS (concordance index: 0.750). CONCLUSION: Our study suggests that preoperative NAR is a convenient and effective prognostic marker for OSCC and NAR-based nomogram can be a promising prognostic tool in clinical setting.

Periodic Ferroelectric Stripe Domains in α-In2Se3 Nanoflakes Grown via Reverse-Flow Chemical Vapor Deposition.

The two-dimensional (2D) layered semiconductor α-In2Se3 has aroused great interest in atomic-scale ferroelectric transistors, artificial synapses, and nonvolatile memory devices due to its distinguished 2D ferroelectric properties. We have synthesized α-In2Se3 nanosheets with rare in-plane ferroelectric stripe domains at room temperature on mica substrates using a reverse flow chemical vapor deposition (RFCVD) method and optimized growth parameters. This stripe domain contrast is found to be strongly correlated to the stacking of layers, and the interrelated out-of-plane (OOP) and in-plane (IP) polarization can be manipulated by mapping the artificial domain structure. The acquisition of amplitude and phase hysteresis loops confirms the OOP polarization ferroelectric property. The emergence of striped domains enriches the variety of the ferroelectric structure types and novel properties of 2D In2Se3. This work paves a new way for the controllable growth of van der Waals ferroelectrics and facilitates the development of novel ferroelectric memory device applications.

Analysis of phytochemical components of Tibetan medicine Pedicularis flava and Pedicularis muscicola by GC-MS and UHPLC-TOF-MS.

Traditional medicine, 'LuRu', is a commonly used Tibetan medicine for clearing away heat and detoxifying. Dried products of Pedicularis flava and Pedicularis muscicola are often used as 'LuRu' in the market. This study aims to compare the chemical constituents of P. flava and P. muscicola using GC-MS and UPLC-TOF-MS, and confirm which plant species is more suitable to be used as 'LuRu'. A total of 46 and 68 compounds were identified from the volatile and non-volatile components, respectively. Out of these, 17 and 37 volatile and non-volatile components, respectively, had pharmacological activities. P. flava showed a higher content of the same active components than P. muscicola. Good biological activities are only observed in the unique components in P. flava, and not in P. muscicola. The two herbs should not be mixed in clinical medication. Our study shows that P. flava is better suited as a high-quality herb for the Tibetan medicine, 'LuRu'.

Volatile components of Tibetan Pedicularis flava and Pedicularis muscicola were analysed for the first timewiooi.Non-volatile components of Tibetan Pedicularis flava and Pedicularis muscicola were analysed for the first time.Differences in chemical composition and content between Pedicularis flava and Pedicularis muscicola were studied.

Fermi Velocity Reduction of Dirac Fermions around the Brillouin Zone Center in In2 Se3 -Bilayer Graphene Heterostructures.

Emergent phenomena such as unconventional superconductivity, Mott-like insulators, and the peculiar quantum Hall effect in graphene-based heterostructures are proposed to stem from the superlattice-induced renormalization of (moiré) Dirac fermions at the graphene Brillouin zone corners. Understanding the corresponding band structure commonly demands photoemission spectroscopy with both sub-meV resolution and large-momentum coverage, beyond the capability of the current state-of-the-art. Here the realization of moiré Dirac cones around the Brillouin zone center in monolayer In2 Se3 /bilayer graphene heterostructure is reported. The renormalization is evidenced by reduced Fermi velocity (≈23%) of the moiré Dirac cones and the reshaped Dirac point at the Γ point where they intersect. While there have been many theoretical predictions and much indirect experimental evidence, the findings here are the first direct observation of Fermi velocity reduction of the moiré Dirac cones. These features suggest strong In2 Se3 /graphene interlayer coupling, which is comparable with that in twisted bilayer graphene. The strategy expands the choice of materials in the heterostructure design and stimulates subsequent broad investigations of emergent physics at the sub-meV energy scale.

Quantum Transport Signatures of a Close Candidate for a Type II Nodal-Line Semimetal.

The nodal-line semimetal is a new type of topological state of matter in which the crossing of two energy bands forms a nodal loop. In the absence of spin-orbit coupling, Mg3Bi2 is predicted as a type II nodal-line semimetal, which may evolve to a topological insulator with a small energy gap of ∼35 meV in the presence of spin-orbit coupling. However, the transport evidence is still lacking. Here, we measure the magneto-transport in Mg3Bi2. At low temperatures, the magnetoconductivity exhibits a weak antilocalization behavior. We fit the experimental data with a magnetoconductivity formula for the weak antilocalization effect of three-dimensional nodal-line semimetals as well as the well-known Hikami-Larkin-Nagaoka formula for two-dimensional weak (anti)localization effects. By comparing the fitting results of these two theories, we demonstrate that the weak antilocalization in Mg3Bi2 is better described by the theory for nodal-line semimetals. Our work will inspire more explorations to use the new weak localization theory to identify a large spectrum of nodal-line semimetals.

Direct Observation of One-Dimensional Peierls-type Charge Density Wave in Twin Boundaries of Monolayer MoTe2.

One-dimensional (1D) metallic mirror-twin boundaries (MTBs) in monolayer transition-metal dichalcogenides exhibit a periodic charge modulation and provide an ideal platform for exploring collective electron behavior in the confined system. The underlying mechanism of the charge modulation and how the electrons travel in 1D structures remain controversial. Here, for the first time, we observed atomic-scale structures of the charge distribution within one period in MTB of monolayer MoTe2 by using scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy. The coexisting apparent periodic lattice distortions and U-shaped energy gap clearly demonstrate a Peierls-type charge density wave (CDW). Equidistant quantized energy levels with varied periodicity are further discovered outside the CDW gap along the metallic MTB. Density functional theory calculations are in good agreement with the gapped electronic structures and reveal that they originate mainly from a Mo 4d orbital. Our work presents hallmark evidence of the 1D Peierls-type CDW on the metallic MTBs and offers opportunities to study the underlying physics of 1D charge modulation.

Correction and removal of expression of concern: Controllable 2H-to-1T' phase transition in few-layer MoTe2.

Removal of expression of concern for 'Controllable 2H-to-1T' phase transition in few-layer MoTe2' by Yuan Tan et al., Nanoscale, 2018, 10, 19964-19971.

Controllable 2H-to-1T' phase transition in few-layer MoTe2.

Most two-dimensional (2D) transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) exhibit more than one structural phase, leading to a number of remarkable physics and potential device applications beyond graphene. Here, we demonstrated a feasible route to trigger 2H-to-1T' phase transition in few-layer molybdenum ditelluride (MoTe2) by laser irradiation. The effects of laser power and irradiation duration were systematically studied in this study, revealing the accumulated heating effect as the main driving force for such a phase transition. By carefully adjusting laser power and irradiation time, we could control the structural phases of MoTe2 as 2H, 2H + 1T', and 1T'. After thermal annealing at a rather low temperature, the laser-irradiated MoTe2 showed a completely suppressed 2H component and a more stabilized 1T' phase, demonstrating that the microscopic origin of the irreversible 2H-to-1T' phase transition is the formation of Te vacancies in MoTe2 due to laser local instantaneous heating. Our findings together with the unique properties of MoTe2 pave the way for high-performance nanoelectronics and optoelectronics based on 2D TMDs and their heterostructures.

Controlled Layer-by-Layer Oxidation of MoTe2 via O3 Exposure.

Growing uniform oxides with various thickness on TMDs is one of the biggest challenges to integrate TMDs into complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) logic circuits. Here, we report a layer-by-layer oxidation of atomically thin MoTe2 flakes via ozone (O3) exposure. The thickness of MoO x oxide film could be tuning with atomic-level accuracy simply by varying O3 exposure time. Additionally, MoO x-covered MoTe2 shows a hole-dominated transport behavior. Our findings point to a simple and effective strategy for growing homogeneous surface oxide film on MoTe2, which is promising for several purposes in metal-oxide-semiconductor transistor, ranging from surface passivation to dielectric layers.

Phase-Controlled Growth of One-Dimensional Mo6Te6 Nanowires and Two-Dimensional MoTe2 Ultrathin Films Heterostructures.

Controllable synthesizing of one-dimensional-two-dimensional (1D-2D) heterostructures and tuning their atomic and electronic structures is nowadays of particular interest due to the extraordinary properties and potential applications. Here, we demonstrate the temperature-induced phase-controlled growth of 1D Mo6Te6-2D MoTe2 heterostructures via molecular beam epitaxy. In situ scanning tunneling microscopy study shows 2D ultrathin films are synthesized at low temperature range, while 1D nanowires gradually arise and dominate as temperature increasing. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy confirms the good stoichiometry and scanning tunneling spectroscopy reveals the semimetallic property of grown Mo6Te6 nanowires. Through in situ annealing, a phase transition from 2D MoTe2 to 1D Mo6Te6 is induced, thus forming a semimetal-semiconductor junction in atomic level. An upward band bending of 2H-MoTe2 is caused by lateral hole injection from Mo6Te6. The work suggests a new route to synthesize 1D semimetallic transition metal chalcogenide nanowires, which could serve as ultrasmall conducting building blocks and enable band engineering in future 1D-2D heterostructure devices.

[Prediction of drug-target interaction based on fingerprint similarity].

Drugs play the pharmacological effects by combining with target proteins. Identification of drug-target interactions is important for discovering new functions of drugs. In this paper, the target fingerprints based on molecular substructure and the drug-target similarity based on fingerprints are proposed to a random forest-based classification method, in order to identify the drug-target interactions. Experiments on enzymes, ion channels, G protein-coupled receptors and nuclear receptors proved the effectiveness of the proposed method. In addition, the proposed method is applied to predict the interactions between ingredients and targets of traditional Chinese medicines.

[Perfluorinated Compounds in Snow from Downtown Hangzhou, China].

Snow samples were collected from the snow event on January 20-22, 2016 from 11 sites in downtown Hangzhou to explore the occurrence of sixteen perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) in the atmosphere. All samples were prepared by solid-phase extraction with Oasis WAX cartridges and analyzed using ultra performance liquid chromatography interfaced with tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). The results showed that seven medium- and short-chain PFCs including C4 and C8 perfluorinated sulfonates (PFSAs) and C4-C6, C8, and C9 perfluorinated carboxylic acids (PFCAs) were detected in the snow samples. Total PFC concentrations ranged from 2.85 to 35.1 ng·L-1, whereas perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) dominated, with ranges of 2.15-23.0 ng·L-1, and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) was detected at lower levels, ranging from 0 to 0.46 ng·L-1. As compared to the results from other studies, the PFOA concentrations of the study region were at mid-level and the PFOS concentrations were relatively low. The spatial distribution of PFCs varied, and the pollutant concentrations of the snow samples from the sampling sites located in the urban areas were higher than those in the rural areas. The greatest total PFC concentrations were detected in Fuyang, whereas the lowest concentrations were detected in Jiande and Chun'an. In this study, the high concentrations of PFCs dominated by PFOA that were measured in the Hangzhou snow samples emphasize the importance of atmospheric wet deposition as one of the sources of PFC contamination in this ecological system and should be addressed. The occurrence of PFCs in the air, indicated by their presence in the snow, suggests that the atmospheric environment may be an important contributor in human and ecological exposure to PFCs by local residents.

All-carbon based graphene field effect transistor with graphitic electrodes fabricated by e-beam direct writing on PMMA.

A so called all-carbon based graphene field effect transistor (GFET) in which the electrodes are composed of graphite-like nano-sheets instead of metals in the traditional devices is fabricated by one-step e-beam direct writing (EBDW). It is also found that the graphite-like nano-sheets in electrodes are perpendicular to the channel graphene, which is confirmed by the transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). The one-step fabrication of the carbonaceous electrodes is more convenient and lower-cost comparing to the preparation of traditional metal electrodes and can be applied to many other nano-electronic devices.

[Residue Concentration and Distribution Characteristics of Perfluorinated Compounds in Surface Water from Qiantang River in Hangzhou Section].

This study studied the pollution characteristics of perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) in Qiantang River in Hangzhou section (QR). Surface water samples, collected in July 2014 and January 2015 from 14 sites in QR were analyzed for 16 PFCs. All samples were prepared by solid-phase extraction with Oasis WAX cartridges and analyzed using the ultra performance liquid chromatography interfaced to tandem mass spectrometry ( UPLC-MS/MS). The results showed that 8 medium-and short-chain PFCs including C4 and C8 perfluorinated sulfonates (PFSAs) and C4-C9 perfluorinated carboxylic acids (PFCAs) were detected in the surface waters. The total concentrations of PFCs ranged from 0.98 to 609 ng · L⁻¹, while perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) dominated, with range of 0.59-538 ng L⁻¹, and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) was detected at lower levels, ranging from 0 to 2.48 ng · L⁻¹. The spatial distribution of PFCs varied, and the pollutant concentrations at the sampling sites located in upstream of the river such as Lanjiangkou and Jiangjunyan were relatively high, PFCs concentration showed a decreasing trend from the upstream to the downstream. According to the ratio of feature components, PFCs in surface water of QR originated largely from the input of direct sewage emissions. Taken together, the PFCs pollution was highly correlated with the upstream of Qiantang River valley's industry distribution, and most of the mass load in the investigated river was attributed to upstream running water with a minor influence from the wastewater discharges along the river basin. Overall, the results presented here indicated that greater attention should be given to the contamination of PFCs, especially for PFOA in water body of QR.

[Simultaneous determination of sixteen perfluorinated organic compounds in surface water by solid phase extraction and ultra performance liquid chromatography with electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry].

A high-throughput detection method has been developed for the determination of sixteen perfluorinated organic compounds (PFCs) in surface water by solid phase extraction-ultra performance liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (SPE-UPLC-ESI-MS/MS). The water samples were concentrated and purified through WAX solid phase extraction cartridges. The UPLC separation was performed on an ACQUITY UPLC BEH C18 column utilizing a gradient elution program of methanol (containing 2 mmol/L ammonium acetate) and water (containing 2 mmol/L ammonium acetate) as the mobile phases at a flow rate of 0.4 mL/min. The MS/MS detection was performed under negative electrospray ionization ( ESI ) in multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode. Good linearities were observed in the range of 0.5-100 gg/L or 1.0 - 100 microg/L with correlation coefficients from 0.998 7 to 0.999 9. The limits of detection (LODs) for the sixteen perfluorinated organic compounds were in the range of 0.06-0.46 ng/L. The recoveries ranged from 67.6% to 103% with the relative standard deviations between 2.94% and 12.0%. This method was characterized by high sensitivity and precision, extensive range and high speed, and can be applied for the analysis of PFC contaminants in surface water.