Intercalation of Metal into Transition Metal Dichalcogenides in Molten Salts.

Van der Waals (vdW)-layered materials have drawn tremendous interests due to their unique properties. Atom intercalation in the vdW gap of layered materials can tune their electronic structure and generate unexpected properties. Here a chemical-scissor-mediated method that enables metal intercalation into transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) in molten salts is reported. By using this approach, various guest metal atoms (Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, and Ag) are intercalated into various TMDC hosts (such as TiS2 , NbS2 , TaS2 , TiSe2 , NbSe2 , TaSe2 , and Ti0.5 V0.5 S2 ). The structure of the intercalated compound and intercalation mechanism are investigated. The results indicate that the vdW gap and valence state of TMDCs can be modified through metal intercalation, and the intercalation behavior is dictated by the electron work function. The adjustable charge transfer and intercalation endow a channel for rapid mass transfer to enhance the electrochemical performances. Such a chemical-scissor-mediated intercalation provides an approach to tune the physical and chemical properties of TMDCs, which may open an avenue in functional application ranging from energy conversion to electronics.

A comparative study on ctDNA and tumor DNA mutations in lung cancer and benign cases with a high number of CTCs and CTECs.

BACKGROUND: Liquid biopsy provides a non-invasive approach that enables detecting circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) and circulating tumor cells (CTCs) using blood specimens and theoretically benefits early finding primary tumor or monitoring treatment response as well as tumor recurrence. Despite many studies on these novel biomarkers, their clinical relevance remains controversial. This study aims to investigate the correlation between ctDNA, CTCs, and circulating tumor-derived endothelial cells (CTECs)  while also evaluating whether mutation profiling in ctDNA is consistent with that in tumor tissue from lung cancer patients. These findings will help the evaluation and utilization of these approaches in clinical practice. METHODS: 104 participants (49 with lung cancer and 31 with benign lesions) underwent CTCs and CTECs detection using integrating subtraction enrichment and immunostaining-fluorescence in situ hybridization (SE-iFISH) strategy. The circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) concentration was measured and the mutational profiles of ctDNA were examined by Roche AVENIO ctDNA Expanded Kit (targeted total of 77 genes) by next generation sequencing (NGS) in 28 patients (20 with lung cancer and 8 with benign lesions) with highest numbers of CTCs and CTECs. Mutation validation in matched tumor tissue DNA was then performed in 9 patients with ctDNA mutations using a customized xGen pan-solid tumor kit (targeted total of 474 genes) by NGS. RESULTS: The sensitivity and specificity of total number of CTCs and CTECs for the diagnosis of NSCLC were 67.3% and 77.6% [AUC (95%CI): 0.815 (0.722-0.907)], 83.9% and 77.4% [AUC (95%CI): 0.739 (0.618-0.860)]. The concentration of cfDNA in plasma was statistically correlated with the size of the primary tumor (r = 0.430, P = 0.022) and CYFRA 21-1 (r = 0.411, P = 0.041), but not with the numbers of CTCs and CTECs. In this study, mutations were found to be poorly consistent between ctDNA and tumor DNA (tDNA) in patients, even when numerous CTCs and CTECs were present. CONCLUSION: Detection of CTCs and CTECs could be the potential adjunct tool for the early finding of lung cancer. The cfDNA levels are associated with the tumor burden, rather than the CTCs or CTECs counts. Moreover, the poorly consistent mutations between ctDNA and tDNA require further exploration.

DOA Estimation of Unknown Emitter Signal Based on Time Reversal and Coprime Array.

In this paper, a novel direction-of-arrival (DOA) estimation for unknown (anonymous) emitter signal (ES) based on time reversal (TR) and coprime array (CA) is proposed. The resolution and accuracy of DOA estimation are enhanced from two aspects: one is from the view of array arrangement: the new distribution of CA is designed to reduce the holes, increase the degree of freedom (DOF) and apertures by rotating and translating only one subarray, which simplifies the operation. The other one is from the view of the algorithm: a neoteric DOA estimation algorithm with noise suppression based on TR, Capon and adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) is proposed for solving the wide sidelobe, multipath effect, low resolution and accuracy produced by conventional algorithms, in particular, those cannot work effectively under the existed hole condition. Furthermore, the resubmitting distorted noise and channel noise are suppressed effectively, which is not taken into considered in the conventional Capon algorithm. Simulation results including the resolution, accuracy, root mean square error (RMSE), Cramér-Rao lower bound (CRLB) and the compared analyses on uniform linear array (ULA), nested array (NA) and minimum redundancy array(MRA) demonstrate the performance advantages of the proposed DOA estimation algorithm even at very low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) condition.

A High Accuracy Time-Reversal Based WiFi Indoor Localization Approach with a Single Antenna.

In this paper, we study the influence of multipath magnitude, bandwidth, and communication link number on the performance of the existing time-reversal (TR) based fingerprinting localization approach and find that the localization accuracy deteriorates with a limited bandwidth. To improve the localization performance, by exploiting two unique location-specified signatures extracted from Channel State Information (CSI), we propose a high accuracy TR fingerprint localization approach, HATRFLA. Furthermore, we employ a density-based spatial clustering algorithm to minimize the storage space of the fingerprint database by adaptively selecting the optimal number of fingerprints for each location. Experimental results confirm that the proposed approach can efficiently mitigate accuracy deterioration caused by a limited bandwidth and consequently, achieve higher accuracy compared with the existing TR localization approach.

Effect of C8mimPF6 on miniemulsion polymerization for application in new latex coating products.

C8mimPF6, as a type of room temperature ionic liquid (RTIL) with non-volatility and a low melting point, may replace conventional coalescing agents in latex coatings, thus preventing volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions caused by coalescing agents. In this study, systematic investigations on the effect of various factors including initiator type, initiator concentration, temperature and C8mimPF6 concentration on the conversion of latex and droplet/particle size of a miniemulsion during polymerization have been conducted. The presence of C8mimPF6 has shown to have a marked effect on the reaction rate. Such an effect strongly depends on the type of initiator being used. For polymerization initiated by 2,2-azobis (isobutyronitrile) (AIBN), C8mimPF6 had a promoting effect on the reaction rate at low concentrations, but this effect might be reversed upon certain C8mimPF6 concentrations, e.g. 10 wt%. While initiated by H2O2/Vc, this promoting effect faded even at low C8mimPF6 concentrations. The different limiting factors, which determine the reaction rate with different types of initiator, may contribute to the results. For reactions initiated by hydrophobic AIBN, the reaction was dominated by kinetics. The presence of C8mimPF6 may cause an enhanced chain propagation rate and reduced chain termination rate, which may further contribute to the increase in reaction rate at lower concentrations of C8mimPF6. With hydrophilic H2O2/Vc, the resistance for the transfer of radicals into a droplet/particle might be increased significantly with increasing C8mimPF6 concentration due to a tighter interfacial structure at lower concentrations of C8mimPF6. Thus, such transfer of radicals may become a limiting step whilst the presence of C8mimPF6 increases the transfer resistance on radicals resulting in a decrease in reaction rate. The reaction temperature, which is related to the decomposition temperature of the initiator being used, was another factor affecting the conversion of latex and the size of latex particles. A higher temperature e.g. 50 °C promotes the coalescence of droplets/particles, and hence produces larger latex particles. In the presence of C8mimPF6, the reaction temperature could be significantly reduced to as low as 40 °C, which prevents phase separation. The final particle size depends on the nucleation mechanism as well as the coalescence of droplets/particles during polymerization.

Study of miniemulsion formulation containing 1-octyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate for its application in low-emitting coating products.

Room temperature ionic liquids (RTILs) are non-volatile organic salts, and few of them with low melting point may replace the conventional coalescing agents in waterborne coatings, thus preventing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emission, caused by coalescing agents. The formation of waterborne coating containing RTILs can be achieved by the encapsulation of RTILs inside latexes via miniemulsion polymerization. Achieving a stable miniemulsion is a crucial step for further polymerization. In this study, 1-octyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate (C8mimPF6) was chosen, and various factors which might affect droplet size and its stability, including surfactant type, surfactant concentration, and C8mimPF6 concentration, were investigated. It was found that the presence of a small amount of C8mimPF6 coupled with the surfactant would offer marked effects on the droplet size reduction and droplet stability. Such effect may reach its maximum from 1 to 5 wt% C8mimPF6. Above the critical concentration, adding more C8mimPF6 to the oil phase may cause a larger initial droplet size as well as weaken the droplet stability. Such observations were consistent with the zeta potential measurements for miniemulsions prepared under similar conditions.

A Creative Helicobacter pylori Diagnosis Scheme Based on Multiple Genetic Analysis System: Qualification and Quantitation.

BACKGROUND: Currently, several diagnostic assays for Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) are available, but each has some limitations. Further, a high-flux quantitative assay is required to assist clinical diagnosis and monitor the effectiveness of therapy and novel vaccine candidates. METHODS: Three hundred and eighty-seven adult patients [nonulcer dyspepsia (NUD) 295, peptic ulcer disease (PUD) 77, gastric cancer (GC) 15] were enrolled for gastrointestinal endoscopies. Three biopsy samples from gastric antrum were collected for the following tests: culture, rapid urease test (RUT), histopathology, conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and Multiple Genetic Analysis System (MGAS). The diagnostic capability of H. pylori for all methods was evaluated through the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. RESULTS: Based on the gold standard, the sensitivity and specificity of MGAS were 92.9 and 92.4%, and positive predict value (PPV) and negative predict value (NPV) were 96.0 and 87.1%, respectively. All the above parameters of MGAS were higher than that of culture (except its specificity), RUT and histopathology, and nearly closed to that of conventional PCR. The area under curve (AUC) was 0.7575 (Culture), 0.8870 (RUT), 0.9000 (Histopathology), 0.9496 (Conventional PCR), and 0.9277 (MGAS). No significant statistical difference was observed for the H. pylori DNA load in different disease groups (p = .067). In contrast, a statistically significant difference in the H. pylori DNA copy number was observed based on age (p = .043) and gender (p = .021). CONCLUSIONS: The data showed that MGAS performed well in detecting H. pylori infection. Furthermore, the quantitative analysis showed that the load of H. pylori was significantly different within both age and gender groups. These results suggested that MGAS could be a potential alternative method for clinical detection and monitoring of the effectiveness of H. pylori therapy.

Inhaled heparin: Past, present, and future.

While heparin has traditionally served as a key anticoagulant in clinical practice for nearly a century, recent years have witnessed a growing interest in its role as a potent antiinflammatory and antiviral agent, as well as an anticancer agent. To address challenges with injection-based delivery, exploring patient-friendly routes such as oral and pulmonary delivery is crucial. This review specifically highlights the multiple therapeutic benefits of inhaled heparin. In summary, this review serves as a valuable source of information, providing deep insights into the diverse therapeutic advantages of inhaled heparin and its potential applications within clinical contexts.

Bone Marrow Disseminated Tumor Cell Detection Is Beneficial for the Early Finding of Bone Metastasis and Prognosis.

BACKGROUND: Disseminated tumor cells (DTCs) are thought to be the initiators of tumor recurrence and metastasis. However, based on the current imaging examination methods, early detection of DTCs is extremely difficult due to their small number and dormant state. METHODS: We used the SE-iFISH approach to detect bone marrow DTCs (mDTCs) in patients with breast or prostate cancer, and compared it with various imaging examination methods to explore its role in predicting metastasis and prognosis. RESULTS: Fifteen patients were enrolled in this study. Among them, 11 patients showed imaging-confirmed bone metastases in different sites of the body, of which seven patients had iliac mDTCs and signs of iliac bone metastases on imaging. For the remaining four patients, imaging confirmed that the bone metastatic foci were far from the ilium, but in one patient, mDTCs were detected in the ilium. Interestedly, iliac mDTCs were also detected in two out of four patients who had no sign of bone metastases on imaging. Furthermore, the epithelial marker, CK18, was ubiquitously expressed in mDTCs, but its expression was very low in peripheral circulating tumor cells (pCTCs). The Kaplan-Meier plot suggested that CK18+ mDTCs ≥ 5 was related to poor overall survival (OS) compared with that of CK18+ mDTCs < 5 in breast cancer patients (median OS: 22.1 vs. 46.9 months; log-rank, p = 0.035). CONCLUSIONS: SE-iFISH examination for mDTCs is more sensitive than the conventional methods used for detecting bone metastases. mDTC detection facilitated the early finding of tumor cells in the bone marrow and ≥5 CK18+ mDTCs was associated with a poor prognosis in breast cancer patients.

Synergistic Effects of 1-Octyl-3-Methylimidazolium Hexafluorophosphate and Cellulose Nanocrystals on Improving Polyacrylate Waterborne Anti-Corrosion Coatings.

In this study, three copolymers of poly(methyl methacrylate) and poly(butyl acrylate) (PMMA-co-PBA) latex containing 1-octyl-3 methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate (C8mimPF6), cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs), and C8mimPF6-CNCs were successfully synthesized through mini emulsion polymerization. These novel composites were each coated on mild steel panels and tested for their anti-corrosion performance by immersion of the coated samples in 3.5 wt% sodium chloride (NaCl) solution over a certain period. The synergistic anti-corrosion effects of the C8mimPF6-CNCs sample led to the highest coating resistance, charge transfer resistance, and corrosion inhibition efficiency and the lowest diffusion coefficient and corrosion rate. The proposed synergistic mechanism revealed that CNCs enhanced the barrier effect of the coating while C8mimPF6 inhibited corrosion when released.

Wideband Omnidirectional Antenna Featuring Small Azimuthal Gain Variation.

Wideband omnidirectional antennas are essential components in radio monitoring and communication systems, enabling the reception of signals from all directions over a wide bandwidth. This paper presents a novel wideband omnidirectional antenna design that achieves a 1-dB gain variation across its azimuthal plane within a bandwidth of 1.8 GHz to 7.77 GHz. The antenna's exceptional performance is attributed to two flower-bud-shaped monopoles that, through pattern superposition, generate a wideband omnidirectional radiation pattern. Analysis shows that the use of a circular ground plane also reduces the azimuthal gain variation. Additionally, an embedded matching structure integrated into the antenna's base enhances the impedance bandwidth without compromising its compact size. Analytical investigations demonstrate that the matching structure effectively behaves as a five-order LC circuit, explaining its wideband matching capabilities. Furthermore, structural modifications effectively reduce side lobe levels, ensuring minimal interference. Experimental measurements corroborate the antenna's omnidirectional radiation pattern and confirm that the azimuthal gain variation remains within 1-dB throughout its bandwidth, while maintaining an S11 below -10 dB from 1.8 GHz to 7.7 GHz. The antenna's bandwidth overlaps with the spectrum intensively used in mobile communication technologies, such as LTE, Bluetooth, and IEEE 802.11be, as well as radiolocation applications, making it a promising choice for unmanned aerial vehicles conducting communication and radio monitoring missions.

Cancer Cells Enter an Adaptive Persistence to Survive Radiotherapy and Repopulate Tumor.

Repopulation of residual tumor cells impedes curative radiotherapy, yet the mechanism is not fully understood. It is recently appreciated that cancer cells adopt a transient persistence to survive the stress of chemo- or targeted therapy and facilitate eventual relapse. Here, it is shown that cancer cells likewise enter a "radiation-tolerant persister" (RTP) state to evade radiation pressure in vitro and in vivo. RTP cells are characterized by enlarged cell size with complex karyotype, activated type I interferon pathway and two gene patterns represented by CST3 and SNCG. RTP cells have the potential to regenerate progenies via viral budding-like division, and type I interferon-mediated antiviral signaling impaired progeny production. Depleting CST3 or SNCG does not attenuate the formation of RTP cells, but can suppress RTP cells budding with impaired tumor repopulation. Interestingly, progeny cells produced by RTP cells actively lose their aberrant chromosomal fragments and gradually recover back to a chromosomal constitution similar to their unirradiated parental cells. Collectively, this study reveals a novel mechanism of tumor repopulation, i.e., cancer cell populations employ a reversible radiation-persistence by poly- and de-polyploidization to survive radiotherapy and repopulate the tumor, providing a new therapeutic concept to improve outcome of patients receiving radiotherapy.

Detection of circulating rare cells benefitted the diagnosis of malignant solitary pulmonary nodules.

INTRODUCTION: Solitary pulmonary nodules (SPNs) are challenging in differentiating between benignancy and malignancy. Therefore, more effective non-invasive biomarkers are urgently needed. The purpose of this investigation was to examine whether circulating rare cells (CRCs) could facilitate the differentiation between benign and malignant SPNs as well as its sensitivity and specificity. METHODS: 164 patients diagnosed with SPNs, 24 healthy volunteers, and 25 patients diagnosed with advanced-stage lung cancer were included. CT/PET-CT images, serum tumor markers, and biopsy results were collected. The CRCs were examined using subtraction enrichment and immunostaining-fluorescence in situ hybridization (SE-iFISH) and their relationship with malignant or benign SPNs was analyzed. RESULTS: The total CRC numbers from patients with malignant SPNs diagnosed by biopsy were significantly greater compared to those with benign SPNs (P < 0.0001), but not significantly different from patients with advanced lung cancer (P > 0.05). The total CRCs, with a cut-off value of 21.5 units, showed 67.6% sensitivity and 73.3% specificity [area under curve (AUC) 95% CI, 0.778 (0.666-0.889)] in discriminating benign and malignant SPNs and the triploid CRCs exhibited a high positive likelihood ratio of 8.4, which suggested that CRCs appeared to have a distinct advantage in discriminating benign and malignant SPNs compared to CT/PET-CT images and serum tumor markers and could be a potential screening indicator for lung cancer in the high-risk population. CONCLUSIONS: SE-iFISH could effectively detect CRCs including circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and circulating tumor-derived endothelial cells (CTECs) and the detection of CRCs could benefit the differentiation of patients with benign and malignant SPNs.

Comprehensive Atlas of Circulating Rare Cells Detected by SE-iFISH and Image Scanning Platform in Patients With Various Diseases.

Objective: Circulating rare cells (CRCs) are known as a crucial nucleated cellular response to pathological conditions, yet the landscape of cell types across a wide variety of diseases lacks comprehensive understanding. This study aimed at detecting and presenting a full spectrum of highly heterogeneous CRCs in clinical practice and further explored the characterization of CRC subtypes in distinct biomarker combinations and aneuploid chromosomes among various disease groups. Methods: Peripheral blood was obtained from 2,360 patients with different cancers and non-neoplastic diseases. CRC capture and identification were accomplished using a novel platform integrating subtraction enrichment and immunostaining-fluorescence in situ hybridization (SE-iFISH) strategy with a high-throughput automated image scanning system, on which hemocyte, tumor, epithelial, endothelial, mesenchymal, and stemness biomarkers were immunostained and displayed simultaneously. Double chromosome enumeration probe (CEP8 and CEP12) co-detection was performed on isolated CRCs from an extended trial for two chromosome ploidy patterns. Results: A comprehensive atlas categorizing the diverse CRCs into 71 subtypes outlining was mapped out. The presence of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) or endothelial-mesenchymal transition (EndoMT), the cells with progenitor property, hematologic CRCs expressing multiple biomarkers, CRCs at "naked nuclei" status, and the rarely reported aneuploid mesenchymal epithelial-endothelial fusion cluster were described. Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) were detected in 2,157 (91.4%) patients; the total numbers of CTCs and circulating tumor-derived endothelial cells (CTECs) were relatively higher in several digestive system cancer types and non-neoplastic infectious diseases (p < 0.05). Co-detection combining CEP8 and CEP12 showed a higher diagnostic specificity on account of 57.27% false negativity of CRC detection through a single probe of CEP8. Conclusions: The alternative biomarkers and chromosomes to be targeted by SE-iFISH and the image scanning platform, along with the comprehensive atlas, offer insight into the heterogeneity of CRCs and reveal potential contributions to specific disease diagnosis and therapeutic target cell discovery.

Emcoating Architecture Construction via CO2 /H2 Coupling Treatment Doubles Reversible Capacity of NbO2 /C Anode.

As a promising alternative as lithium-ion anode, niobium dioxide appeals to researchers due to high theoretical capacity and good electron conductivity. However, rarely work about NbO2 based high performance anode is reported. Here, NbO2 nanoparticles emcoated in continuous carbon matrix is constructed through CO2 /H2 coupling treatment. CO2 activation introduces unique carbon emcoating structure, which builds interconnected electron conductive network with low carbon content. Furthermore, crystallographic phase of NbO2 is enhanced during H2 treatment, which increases the lithium storage ability. Electrochemical performance of NbO2 anodes is significantly improved based on the carbon emcoating structure. A high reversible capacity of 391 mAh g-1 is retained after 350 cycles at 0.2 C. Additionally, at a current density of 1 A g-1 , the reversible capacity reaches 139 mAh g-1 . Compared with conventional NbO2 /C nanohybrids, the lithium diffusion coefficient of carbon-emcoated sample shows improvement of three orders of magnitude. Moreover, the in situ XRD investigation shows a reversible lithium insertion behaviour with a limited volume change.

Development of Thermally Responsive PolyNIPAm Microcarrier for Application of Cell Culturing-Part I: A Feasibility Study.

Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (polyNIPAm) microspheres were synthesized via the suspension polymerization technique. Thermal and redox initiators were compared for the polymerization, in order to study the effect of initiator type on the surface charge and particle size of polyNIPAm microspheres. The successful polymerization of NIPAm was confirmed by FTIR analysis. Microspheres of diameter >50 µm were synthesized when a pair of ammonium persulfate (APS) and N,N,N',N'-tetramethylene-diamine (TEMED) redox initiators was used, whilst relatively small microspheres of ~1 µm diameter were produced using an Azobis-isobutyronitrile (AIBN) thermal initiator. Hence, suspension polymerization using a redox initiator pair was found to be more appropriate for the synthesis of polyNIPAm microspheres of a size suitable for human embryonic kidney (HEK) cell culturing. However, the zeta potential of polyNIPAm microspheres prepared using an APS/TEMED redox initiator was significantly more negative than AIBN thermal initiator prepared microspheres and acted to inhibit cell attachment. Conversely, strong cell attachment was observed in the case of polyNIPAm microspheres of diameter ~90 µm, prepared using an APS/TEMED redox initiator in the presence of a cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) cationic surfactant; demonstrating that surface charge modified polyNIPAm microspheres have great potential for use in cell culturing.

Caspase-3 knockout attenuates radiation-induced tumor repopulation via impairing the ATM/p53/Cox-2/PGE2 pathway in non-small cell lung cancer.

Radiotherapy is an effective treatment for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, irradiated, dying tumor cells generate potent growth stimulatory signals during radiotherapy that promote the repopulation of adjacent surviving tumor cells to cause tumor recurrence. We investigated the function of caspase-3 in NSCLC repopulation after radiotherapy. We found that radiotherapy induced a DNA damage response (DDR), activated caspase-3, and promoted tumor repopulation in NSCLC cells. Unexpectedly, caspase-3 knockout attenuated the ataxia-telangiectasia mutated (ATM)/p53-initiated DDR by decreasing nuclear migration of endonuclease G (EndoG), thereby reducing the growth-promoting effect of irradiated, dying tumor cells. We also identified p53 as a regulator of the Cox-2/PGE2 axis and its involvement in caspase-3-induced tumor repopulation after radiotherapy. In addition, injection of caspase-3 knockout NSCLC cells impaired tumor growth in a nude mouse model. Our findings reveal that caspase-3 promotes tumor repopulation in NSCLC cells by activating DDR and the downstream Cox-2/PGE2 axis. Thus, caspase-3-induced ATM/p53/Cox-2/PGE2 signaling pathway could provide potential therapeutic targets to reduce NSCLC recurrence after radiotherapy.