Flexible silicon solar cells with high power-to-weight ratios.

Silicon solar cells are a mainstay of commercialized photovoltaics, and further improving the power conversion efficiency of large-area and flexible cells remains an important research objective1,2. Here we report a combined approach to improving the power conversion efficiency of silicon heterojunction solar cells, while at the same time rendering them flexible. We use low-damage continuous-plasma chemical vapour deposition to prevent epitaxy, self-restoring nanocrystalline sowing and vertical growth to develop doped contacts, and contact-free laser transfer printing to deposit low-shading grid lines. High-performance cells of various thicknesses (55-130 µm) are fabricated, with certified efficiencies of 26.06% (57 µm), 26.19% (74 µm), 26.50% (84 µm), 26.56% (106 µm) and 26.81% (125 µm). The wafer thinning not only lowers the weight and cost, but also facilitates the charge migration and separation. It is found that the 57-µm flexible and thin solar cell shows the highest power-to-weight ratio (1.9 W g-1) and open-circuit voltage (761 mV) compared to the thick ones. All of the solar cells characterized have an area of 274.4 cm2, and the cell components ensure reliability in potential-induced degradation and light-induced degradation ageing tests. This technological progress provides a practical basis for the commercialization of flexible, lightweight, low-cost and highly efficient solar cells, and the ability to bend or roll up crystalline silicon solar cells for travel is anticipated.

Unlocking Mixed-Metal Oxides Active Centers via Acidity Regulation for K&SO2 Poisoning Resistance: Self-Detoxification Mechanism of Zeolite-Confined deNOx Catalysts.

Selective catalytic reduction of nitrogen oxides (NOx) with ammonia (NH3-SCR) is an efficient NOx reduction strategy, while the denitrification (deNOx) catalysts suffer from serious deactivation due to the coexistence of multiple poisoning substances, such as alkali metal (e.g., K), SO2, etc., in industrial flue gases. It is essential to understand the interaction among various poisons and their effects on the deNOx process. Herein, the ZSM-5 zeolite-confined MnSmOx mixed (MnSmOx@ZSM-5) catalyst exhibited better deNOx performance after the poisoning of K, SO2, and/or K&SO2 than the MnSmOx and MnSmOx/ZSM-5 catalysts, the deNOx activity of which at high temperature (H-T) increased significantly (>90% NOx conversion in the range of 220-480 °C). It has been demonstrated that K would occupy both redox and acidic sites, which severely reduced the reactivity of MnSmOx/ZSM-5 catalysts. The most important, K element is preferentially deposited at -OH on the surface of ZSM-5 carrier due to the electrostatic attraction (-O-K). As for the K&SO2 poisoning catalyst, SO2 preferred to be combined with the surface-deposited K (-O-K-SO2ads) according to XPS and density functional theory (DFT) results, the poisoned active sites by K would be released. The K migration behavior was induced by SO2 over K-poisoned MnSmOx@ZSM-5 catalysts, and the balance of surface redox and acidic site was regulated, like a synergistic promoter, which led to K-poisoning buffering and activity recovery. This work contributes to the understanding of the self-detoxification interaction between alkali metals (e.g., K) and SO2 on deNOx catalysts and provides a novel strategy for the adaptive use of one poisoning substance to counter another for practical NOx reduction.

Simultaneous determination of serum homocysteine, cysteine, and methionine in patients with schizophrenia by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

Schizophrenia is a debilitating psychiatric disorder affecting approximately 1% of the population worldwide. Disturbances in the homocysteine metabolism are an important factor in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. In this research, a novel validated liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) quantification procedure was developed to investigate three significant compounds of homocysteine metabolism: homocysteine, cysteine, and methionine in patients with schizophrenia and healthy controls. Sample preparation involved a reduction with dithiothreitol followed by protein precipitation, and the chromatographic runtime was 2 min. The LC-MS/MS method was validated according to CLSI C62-A and the Chinese Guidance for Liquid Chromatography and Mass Spectrometry Clinical Application. The performance of the method was excellent with a coefficient of variation for precision in the range of 0.5-6.9%, an accuracy of 90.4-101.6%. In addition, the practical applicability of the method was demonstrated by applying it in the routine sample analysis for a schizophrenic patient. Increased homocysteine levels and decreased cysteine levels were observed in the patient with schizophrenia. These results indicate that the activity of the transsulfuration pathway may play a key role in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia.

Investigation on the urea deposit formation and thermal decomposition characteristics in the SCR aftertreatment system of a diesel engine.

Selective catalytic reduction is the most efficient and reliable equipment for NOx control in current diesel engines. However, the issue of urea crystallization becomes increasingly serious with the implement of the new emissions standards. In this paper, urea deposit samples collected from engine test bed and tube furnace were characterized by thermogravimetric analysis and Fourier transform-infrared analysis to aid the comprehension of urea deposit formation. Moreover, thermogravimetric tests were conducted to disclose the effects of catalyst on the thermal decomposition processes of urea deposit. The results indicated that less temperature resistant species are formed in the engine test bed than in the tube furnace at conditions with the same temperatures. The main compositions in the World Harmonized Transient Cycle (WHTC) urea deposits are urea, cyanuric acid (CYA) and ammelide, implying that accelerating the decomposition of these species could prevent the accumulation of urea deposit. CuWTi, Cuß and CuZSM catalysts could lead to increased yield of CYA during pure urea thermolysis. Cuß, CuWTi and VWTi catalysts tend to promote the thermolysis of CYA while VWTi has the most significant catalytic effects on the thermal decomposition of ammelide and ammeline.

[Quality standards of Gleditsiae Spina and its decoction pieces].

In view of the current inadequate standards for Gleditsiae Spina in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia, this study put forward some new items of the quality standards of Gleditsiae Spina. Thin-layer chromatography(TLC) was performed for identification with the reference substance of taxifolin and the reference material of Gleditsiae Spina as the control. According to the general principles of the Chinese Pharmacopoeia(2020 edition, Vol. 4), the moisture, total ash content, and alcohol-soluble extract of medicinal materials and decoction pieces of Gleditsiae Spina were determined. The content determination method for medicinal materials and decoction pieces of Gleditsiae Spina was established using high-performance liquid chromatography(HPLC), with taxifolin as the quality control index. Based on the determination results of 30 batches of samples of Gleditsiae Spina from different habitats, the draft quality standards of Gleditsiae Spina were developed, which provided suggestions for the revision of the quality standards of Gleditsiae Spina in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia.

Engineering the Nucleophilic Active Oxygen Species in CuTiOx for Efficient Low-Temperature Propene Combustion.

Industrialization has resulted in the rapid increase of volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions, which have caused serious issues to human health and the environment. In this study, an extensive Cu incorporating TiO2 induced nucleophilic oxygen structure was constructed in the CuTiOx catalyst, which exhibited superior low-temperature catalytic activity for C3H6 combustion. Thorough structural, surface characterization and density functional theory (DFT) calculations revealed that the Cu-O-Ti hybridization induced nucleophilic oxygen initiates C3H6 combustion by abstracting the C-H bond. In situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS) results indicated that incorporated copper species acted as the major adsorbent site for the propene molecule. In combination of the DRIFTS and DFT results, the promotion effect of the nucleophilic O on the C-H bond abstraction and CO2 formation pathway was proposed. The surface doping induced nucleophilic oxygen as strong Brønsted basic sites for low-temperature propene combustion exemplified an efficient strategy for rational design of next-generation environmental catalysts.

Pharmacokinetic Characterizations of Ginsenoside Ocotillol, RT5 and F11, the Promising Agents for Alzheimer's Disease from American Ginseng, in Rats and Beagle Dogs.

BACKGROUND: Ocotillol, RT5 and F11, the main active components of ocotillol type ginsenosides, have attracted a lot of attention due to their beneficial effects on neurodegenerative disease models of Alzheimer's disease. Pharmacokinetic (PK) is a bridge linking the herbal medicines and their pharmacological responses. However, few data are available regarding PK behaviors of ocotillol type ginsenosides. METHODS: The liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry methods were developed and validated to calculate the concentrations of 3 ginsenosides in different biological matrices. Rat and beagle dog plasma samples were deproteinized with methanol and separated on Shim-pack GIST C18 column. All of the analytes were detected in positive ion mode using multiple reaction monitoring. RESULTS: The methods showed good linearity (r > 0.996) in the established concentration range. All validated data, such as specificity, intra- and inter-day precision, accuracy, extraction recovery, matrix effect, and stability were within required limits. The values of Cmax and AUC(0-t) indicated ocotillol type ginsenosides had low systemic exposure and poor absorption into blood. T1/2 and MRT(0-t) demonstrated the elimination process of ocotillol type ginsenosides might be slow. Double peaks were observed in the mean plasma concentration versus time profiles of ocotillol, RT5, and F11 after oral intake. CONCLUSIONS: This was the first PK investigation of the ocotillol type ginsenosides in rats and beagle dogs. The results we found here were helpful to our understanding of the absorption mechanism of ocotillol type ginsenosides and provided the scientific basis for further pre-clinical research.

Antiproliferative Phenothiazine Hybrids as Novel Apoptosis Inducers against MCF-7 Breast Cancer.

We designed a series of novel phenothiazine-1,2,3-triazole hybrids by the molecular hybridization strategy and evaluated their antiproliferative activity against three cancer cell lines (MDA-MB-231, MDA-MB-468 and MCF-7). For the structure-activity relationships, the importance of 1,2,3-triazole and substituents on phenyl ring was explored. Among these phenothiazine-1,2,3-triazole hybrids, compound 9f showed the most potent inhibitory effect against MCF-7 cells, with an IC50 value of 0.8 µM. Importantly, compound 9f could induce apoptosis against MCF-7 cells by regulating apoptosis-related proteins (Bcl-2, Bax, Bad, Parp, and DR5). These potent phenothiazine-1,2,3-triazole hybrids as novel apoptosis inducers might be used as antitumor agents in the future.

The high-affinity phosphodiesterase PdeH regulates development and aflatoxin biosynthesis in Aspergillus flavus.

Cyclic AMP signaling controls a range of physiological processes in response to extracellular stimuli in organisms. Among the signaling cascades, cAMP, as a second messenger, is orchestrated by adenylate cyclase (biosynthesis) and cAMP phosphodiesterases (PDEs) (hydrolysis). In this study, we investigated the function of the high-affinity (PdeH) and low-affinity (PdeL) cAMP phosphodiesterase from the carcinogenic aflatoxin producing fungus Aspergillus flavus, and found that instead of PdeL, inactivation of PdeH exhibited a reduction in conidiation and sclerotia formation. However, the ΔpdeL/ΔpdeH mutant exhibited an enhanced phenotype defects, a similar phenotype defects to wild-type strain treated with exogenous cAMP. The activation of PKA activity was inhibited in the ΔpdeH or ΔpdeL/ΔpdeH mutant, both of whom exhibited increasing AF production. Further analysis by qRT-PCR revealed that pdeH had a high transcriptional level compared to pdeL in wild-type strain, and affected pdeL transcription. Green fluorescent protein tagging at the C-terminus of PDEs showed that PdeH-GFP is broadly compartmentalized in the cytosol, while PdeL-GFP localized mainly to the nucleus. Overall, our results indicated that PdeH plays a major role, but has overlapping function with PdeL, in vegetative growth, development and AF biosynthesis in A. flavus.

[Chemical constituents from lipophilic parts in roots of Angelica dahurica cv.Yubaizhi].

The chemical constituents from lipophilic parts in the roots of Angelica dahurica cv. Yubaizhi were studied in this paper. The compounds were separated and purified by repeated column chromatographic methods on silica gel and HPLC, and the chemical structures of compounds were determined by spectral data analyses. Thirty-three compounds were obtained and identified as isoimperatorin (1), imperatorin (2), stigmasterol (3), isooxypeucedanin (4), pabulenol (5), psoralen (6), bergapten (7), isodemethylfuropinarine (8), phellopterin (9), osthenol (10), alloimperatorin (11), xanthotoxin (12), xanthotoxol (13), isopimpinellin (14), alloisoimperatorin (15), ß-sitosterol (16), oxyalloimperatorin (17), pabularinone (18), 5-hydroxy-8-methoxypsoralen (19), columbianetin (20), heracol (21), isogosferol (22), 2″R-neobyakangelicol (23), byakangelicin ethoxide (24), byakangelicin (25), oxypeucedanin hydrate (26), uracil (27), umbelliferone (28), bergaptol (29), demethylfuropinarine (30), isobyakangelicol (31), oxypeucedanin ethanolate (32), heraclenol (33). Among them, compounds 8, 10, 17, 21, and 30 were obtained from the roots of title plant for the first time.

sRNA profiling in Aspergillus flavus reveals differentially expressed miRNA-like RNAs response to water activity and temperature.

Small non-coding RNA (sRNA) in various organisms remains a mysterious subject. Although microRNAs (miRNAs) have been intensively investigated in plants and animals, the study of miRNAs in fungi has been limited. Only microRNA-like RNAs (milRNAs) have been reported in several filamentous fungi. In this study, Illumina deep sequencing was performed to characterize the sRNA in Aspergillus flavus and to evaluate their responses to water activity and temperature. Global expression analysis showed an extensively differential expression of sRNA loci in A. flavus under different temperature or water activities. In addition, a total of 135 milRNAs were identified in A. flavus. The milRNA profiles obtained in deep sequencing were further validated by RT-qPCR assay. The presence and differential expression of milRNAs under different temperature or water activities in A. flavus imply that milRNAs might play important roles in the mycotoxin biosynthesis and mycelium growth in fungi A. flavus.

Correlation of the changes in the framework and active Cu sites for typical Cu/CHA zeolites (SSZ-13 and SAPO-34) during hydrothermal aging.

The relative framework stability of Cu/CHA zeolites (SAPO-34 and SSZ-13) was studied during hydrothermal aging at 800 °C, and the fundamental mechanism for the framework change was investigated. Additionally, the relationship between the variation in the framework and active SCR reaction sites was established. SAPO-34 showed stronger stability during hydrothermal aging than SSZ-13. The results showed that dealumination occurred in the SSZ-13 zeolite, leading to the loss of crystallinity and a severe decrease of the Brönsted acid sites. Simultaneously, the detached Al(OH)3 species deactivated the Cu species by the transformation of isolated Cu(2+) ions to CuAlOx species. While the vacancy in the SAPO-34 framework caused by desilication could be healed with the migration of extra-framework Al and P atoms to the defects. And the Cu species showed a certain degree of aggregation with the improved redox ability of the aged Cu/SAPO-34 zeolite and the acidic properties were well maintained.

Theoretical Analysis of Thermophysical Properties of 3D Carbon/Epoxy Braided Composites with Varying Temperature.

A three-dimensional helix geometry unit cell is established to simulate the complex spatial configuration of 3D braided composites. Initially, different types of yarn factors, such as yarn path, cross-sectional shape, properties, and braid direction, are explained. Then, the multiphase finite element method is used to develop a new theoretical calculation procedure based on the unit cell for predicting the impacts of environmental temperature on the thermophysical properties of 3D four-direction carbon/epoxy braided composites. The changing rule and distribution characteristics of the thermophysical properties for 3D four-direction carbon/epoxy braided composites are obtained at temperatures ranging from room temperature to 200 °C. The influences of environmental temperature on the coefficients of thermal expansion (CTE) and the coefficients of thermal conduction (CTC) are evaluated, by which some important conclusions are drawn. A comparison is conducted between theoretical and experimental results, revealing that variations in temperature exert a notable influence on the thermophysical characteristics of 3D four-directional carbon/epoxy braided composites. The theoretical calculation procedure is an effective tool for the mechanical property analysis of composite materials with complex geometries.

Investigations of Li-Ion Battery Thermal Management Systems Based on Heat Pipes: A Review.

With increasing concerns about carbon emissions and the resulting climate impacts, Li-ion batteries have become one of the most attractive energy sources, especially in the transportation sector. For Li-ion batteries, an effective thermal management system is essential to ensure high-efficiency operation, avoid capacity degradation, and eliminate safety issues. Thermal management systems based on heat pipes can achieve excellent cooling performance in limited space and thus have been widely used for the temperature control of Li-ion batteries. In this paper, the thermal management systems of Li-ion batteries based on four types of heat pipes, i.e., flat single-channel heat pipes, oscillating heat pipes, flexible heat pipes, and microchannel heat pipes, are comprehensively reviewed based on the studies in the past 20 years. The effects of different influencing factors on the cooling performance and thermal runaway behavior of Li-ion batteries are thoroughly discussed in order to provide an in-depth understanding for researchers and engineers. It is concluded that for all types of thermal management systems based on heat pipes, water spray cooling could achieve better cooling performance than forced air cooling and water bath cooling, while its energy consumption is obviously smaller than forced air cooling. For thermal management systems based on oscillating heat pipes, improved heat transfer characteristics could be achieved by increasing the number of turns, using a relatively larger inner hydraulic diameter and using a length ratio between the evaporator and condenser higher than 1.0. Heat pipes fabricated by flexible materials suffer from permeation of noncondensable gases from ambient and leakage of working fluid. These issues could be partly resolved by adding thermal vias filled with metallic materials and covering the sealing part with indium coating or designing a multilayered structure with metallic materials in it. Moreover, the limitations and future trends of Li-ion battery thermal management systems based on heat pipes are presented. It is pointed out that the thermal runaway behavior and heating performance of battery thermal management systems based on heat pipes should be further elaborated. The analysis of this paper could provide valuable support for future investigations on Li-ion battery thermal management systems based on heat pipes; it could also guide the choice and design of Li-ion battery thermal management systems based on heat pipes in commercial use.

Surface reconstruction of pyrite-type transition metal sulfides during oxygen evolution reaction.

Reconstruction universally occurs over non-layered transition metal sulfides (TMSs) during oxygen evolution reaction (OER), leading to the formation of active species metal (oxy)hydroxide and thus significantly influences the OER performance. However, the reconstruction process and underlying mechanism quantitatively remain largely unexplored. Herein, we proposed an electrochemical reaction mechanism, namely sulfide oxidation reaction (SOR), to elucidate the reconstruction process of pyrite-type TMSs. Based on this mechanism, we evaluated the reconstruction capability of NiS2 doped with transition metals V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Cu, Mo, Ru, Rh, and Ir within different doped systems. Two key descriptors were thus proposed to describe the reconstruction abilities of TMSs: USOR (the theoretical electric potential of SOR) and ΔU (the difference between the theoretical electric potential of SOR and OER), representing the initiation electric potential of reconstruction and the intrinsic reconstruction abilities of TMSs, respectively. Our finding shows that a lower USOR readily initiate reconstruction at a lower potential and a larger ΔU indicating a poorer reconstruction ability of the catalyst during OER. Furthermore, Fe-doped CoS2 was used to validate the rationality of our proposed descriptors, being consistent with the experiment findings. Our work provides a new perspective on understanding the reconstruction mechanism and quantifying the reconstruction of TMSs.

An overview of detecting gene-trait associations by integrating GWAS summary statistics and eQTLs.

Detecting genes that affect specific traits (such as human diseases and crop yields) is important for treating complex diseases and improving crop quality. A genome-wide association study (GWAS) provides new insights and directions for understanding complex traits by identifying important single nucleotide polymorphisms. Many GWAS summary statistics data related to various complex traits have been gathered recently. Studies have shown that GWAS risk loci and expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs) often have a lot of overlaps, which makes gene expression gradually become an important intermediary to reveal the regulatory role of GWAS. In this review, we review three types of gene-trait association detection methods of integrating GWAS summary statistics and eQTLs data, namely colocalization methods, transcriptome-wide association study-oriented approaches, and Mendelian randomization-related methods. At the theoretical level, we discussed the differences, relationships, advantages, and disadvantages of various algorithms in the three kinds of gene-trait association detection methods. To further discuss the performance of various methods, we summarize the significant gene sets that influence high-density lipoprotein, low-density lipoprotein, total cholesterol, and triglyceride reported in 16 studies. We discuss the performance of various algorithms using the datasets of the four lipid traits. The advantages and limitations of various algorithms are analyzed based on experimental results, and we suggest directions for follow-up studies on detecting gene-trait associations.

Bamboo vinegar regulates the phytoremediation efficiency of Perilla frutescens (L.) Britt. by reducing membrane lipid damage and increasing cadmium retention.

The gap between serious soil heavy metals pollution and inefficient soil remediation threatens human health. This study proposed a method to improve the phytoremediation efficiency using bamboo vinegar (BV) solution and the potential mechanism was discussed. The results demonstrated that the application of BV increases the content of cadmium (Cd) in vacuole and cell wall hemicellulose 2 in leaves of Perilla frutescens. Simultaneously, it enhanced enzyme activities of superoxide dismutase and catalase in leaves. Therefore, this process alleviated the damage of Cd to functional tissues of Perilla frutescens, thus improving the tolerance of plants to Cd. Moreover, the BV application reduced the Cd content bound by root cell wall pectin fractions and insoluble phosphate, subsequently improving the ability of oxalic acids to carry Cd to the aerial parts. Consequently, the aerial parts obtained a larger amount of Cd enrichment. Overall, the Transfer Factor of Cd from roots to stems and enrichment of Cd in Perilla frutescens were maximally increased by 57.70 % and 54.03 % with the application of 50-fold and 300-fold diluted BV under 2 mg·L-1 Cd stress, respectively. The results can provide a theoretical basis for the promotion of phytoremediation of Cd-contaminated soil treatment technology.

Achieving High Dispersion of Pd in Small-Pore Zeolite SSZ-13: A High-Efficiency Low-Temperature NOx Adsorber.

Passive NO x adsorber (PNA) materials are primarily considered for reducing nitrogen oxide emissions during the low-temperature cold start of a motor vehicle. Pd/SSZ-13 has attracted considerable attention because of its outstanding hydrothermal stability and sulfur resistance. Optimizing the dispersion of precious metal Pd in Pd/SSZ-13 is crucial for enhancing PNA performance and nitrogen oxide adsorption capability. In this study, we prepared Pd/SSZ-13 using different methods and evaluated their influence on the NO x adsorption capability. The characterization results show that the dispersion of precious metal Pd in the Pd/SSZ-13 catalyst prepared by the quantitative ion-exchange method is as high as 92.13%, and the loading amount is as high as 98.93%. Pd predominantly exists as Pd2+, achieving near-total loading and further improving the catalyst's NO x adsorption capacity. This study offers innovative approaches and methods for applying Pd/SSZ-13 as a PNA material, serving as a reference for its further optimization and performance enhancement. Continued research into the preparation and adsorption performance of Pd/SSZ-13 materials could offer solutions to reduce motor vehicle nitrogen oxide emissions.

Experimental investigation on the effects of DPF Cs-V-based non-precious metal catalysts and their coating forms on non-road diesel engine emission characteristics.

Non-precious metal catalysts with good soot catalytic properties and a low cost have great potential for application in diesel particulate filters (DPF). In this study, we compared the effects of DPF supported by Cs2V4O11 (Cs-V-based) non-precious metal catalysts and conventional Pt-Pd-based precious metal catalysts on the performance of a non-road diesel engine. Furthermore, the effects of on-wall coating and in-wall coating of Cs-V-based catalysts on DPF performance were also investigated. The results indicated that the particulate emissions from DPF with Cs-V-based catalysts were reduced slightly less than that with Pt-Pd-based catalysts; however, the particle number (PN) and particulate matter (PM) emissions were still reduced by 94.4% and 91.7%, respectively, meeting the non-road China IV limits under the non-road steady cycle (NRSC). In addition, CO, HC, and NO can also be slightly oxidized by the non-precious metal catalysts. On the other hand, the DPF with in-wall coating induced comparatively higher gaseous substances and particulate emissions and caused a higher exhaust back pressure (EBP), which was 9.6% higher than the on-wall coating under NRSC, negatively affecting engine performance. Additionally, the geometric mean diameter (GMD) for the DPF with in-wall coating was only 33.3 nm because of the large emission proportion of nuclear mode particles.

Serum CXCL8 and CXCR2 as diagnostic biomarkers for noninvasive screening of cervical cancer.

BACKGROUND: Cervical cancer (CC) is the fourth most frequently diagnosed cancer and the fourth leading cause of cancer-related death in women. Identifying new biomarkers for the early detection of CC is an essential requirement in this field. CXCL8 was originally discovered because of its role in inflammation by binding to CXCR1 and CXCR2; however, it is now known to play an important role in cancer. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the expression levels of potential biomarkers (CXCL8, CXCR1, and CXCR2) and to explore their diagnostic potential in CC. METHODS: The expression levels of serum CXCL8, CXCR1, and CXCR2 were investigated by kit method on Immulite-1000 in 30 healthy volunteers, 30 precancerous patients and 70 CC patients. RESULTS: The results indicated that the expression of CXCL8 and CXCR2 was significantly higher in the serum of CC patients than in healthy volunteers, similar to the well-established tumor marker (squamous-cell cancerantigen [SCC]). Receiver operating characteristic analyses showed that the combination of CXCL8, CXCR2, and SCC had the highest diagnostic sensitivity and area under the curve value. Meanwhile, the positive predictive value and negative predictive value were not very low. Moreover, high concentrations of CXCL8 and CXCR2 are associated with an increased risk of CC. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, our data demonstrated that combined serum CXCL8, CXCR2, and SCC measurements are helpful for CC diagnosis and can be used as potential biomarkers for the early detection of CC. Cytokines, such as CXCL8 and CXCR2, can be easily measured in most university hospital laboratories and in some private laboratories with a routine test.