Biphasic Scaffold Loaded With Autologous Cartilage Yields Better Clinical Outcome and Magnetic Resonance Imaging Filling Compared With Marrow Stimulation for Focal Osteochondral Lesions in the Knee.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effectiveness of marrow stimulation (MS) versus biphasic scaffold loaded with autologous cartilage (scaffold) in treating focal osteochondral lesions of the knee. METHODS: In total, 54 patients with symptomatic focal chondral or osteochondral lesion in the knee were randomized to either the scaffold group or the MS group. International Knee Documentation Committee subjective score, the Knee Injury Osteoarthritis Outcome Score, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were assessed preoperatively and at 1 and 2 years after operation to compare treatment outcomes. Biopsy and second-look arthroscopy were performed at 1 year postoperatively for consenting patients. RESULTS: There were 27 patients (mean age 31.33 ± 10.95 years) in the scaffold group, and 27 patients (31.74 ± 11.44) in the MS group. The scaffold group and the MS group both included 23 patients with lesions ≤12.5 × 12.5 mm2 mm in size. In addition, each group had 4 patients with lesions between than 12.5 × 12.5 mm2 and ≤12.5 × 25 mm2. Both interventions achieved significant improvement in clinical outcome scores at 2 years. The scaffold group had greater International Knee Documentation Committee score than the MS group at 2 years (93.85 ± 9.55 vs 92.11 ± 9.84) and in the Symptoms/Stiffness and Sport/Recreation subscales of Knee Injury Osteoarthritis Outcome Score at 2 years (96.57 ± 5.97 vs 93.57 ± 6.52, P < .05) and (90.2 ± 17.76 vs 82.8 ± 16.08, P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: The use of biphasic scaffold loaded with autologous cartilage in treating focal osteochondral lesions demonstrates superior clinical outcomes and better cartilage refill on magnetic resonance imaging at the 2-year follow-up compared to marrow stimulation. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level I, Randomized controlled trial.

Tissue Expression of Growth Differentiation Factor 11 in Patients with Breast Cancer.

Protein growth differentiation factor 11 (GDF11) plays crucial roles in cellular processes, including differentiation and development; however, its clinical relevance in breast cancer patients is poorly understood. We enrolled 68 breast cancer patients who underwent surgery at our hospital and assessed the expression of GDF11 in tumorous, ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), and non-tumorous tissues using immunohistochemical staining, with interpretation based on histochemical scoring (H-score). Our results indicated higher GDF11 expressions in DCIS and normal tissues compared to tumorous tissues. In addition, the GDF11 H-score was lower in the patients with a tumor size ≥ 2 cm, pathologic T3 + T4 stages, AJCC III-IV stages, Ki67 ≥ 14% status, HER2-negative, and specific molecular tumor subtypes. Notably, the patients with triple-negative breast cancer exhibited a loss of GDF11 expression. Spearman correlation analysis revealed associations between GDF11 expression and various clinicopathological characteristics, including tumor size, stage, Ki67, and molecular subtypes. Furthermore, GDF11 expression was positively correlated with mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration and negatively correlated with neutrophil count, as well as standard deviation and coefficient of variation of red cell distribution width. These findings suggest that a decreased GDF11 expression may play a role in breast cancer pathogenesis.

Outcome of Tocilizumab Treatment in Febrile Neutropenic Children with Severe Sepsis/Septic Shock in a Single-Center Retrospective Case Series.

PURPOSE: To assess the efficacy of an IL-6 blockade with tocilizumab on treatment outcome of severe sepsis/septic shock in children with febrile neutropenia. METHODS: We performed a retrospective study of febrile neutropenic patients younger than 18 years old who developed severe sepsis/septic shock at a single medical center between November 2022 and October 2023. RESULTS: Seven patients with febrile neutropenia complicated with severe sepsis/septic shock were identified. Four of seven patients received tocilizumab in addition to standard of care. The median IL-6 level before administration of tocilizumab was 14,147 pg/mL (range: 672-30,509 pg/mL). All four patients successfully recovered from severe sepsis/septic shock. Three of seven patients received standard of care without tocilizumab. IL-6 levels were checked intwo2 patients, with a median of 1514.5 (range: 838-2191). Only one of three (33%) patients without tocilizumab therapy made a full recovery from severe sepsis/septic shock. The mortality rate was higher in patients without tocilizumab therapy compared to patients with tocilizumab therapy (67% vs. 0%). CONCLUSIONS: Administration of tocilizumab reduced mortality of severe sepsis/septic shock in children with febrile neutropenia. However, it warrants confirmation with a larger number of patients and a longer follow-up.

Unraveling the causal role of immune cells in gastrointestinal tract cancers: insights from a Mendelian randomization study.

Background: Despite early attempts, the relationship between immune characteristics and gastrointestinal tract cancers remains incompletely elucidated. Hence, rigorous and further investigations in this domain hold significant clinical relevance for the development of novel potential immunotherapeutic targets. Methods: We conducted a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis using the tools available in the "TwoSampleMR" R package. The GWAS data for these 731 immune traits were sourced from the GWAS Catalog database. Concurrently, data on gastrointestinal tract cancers, encompassing malignant tumors in the esophagus, stomach, small intestine, colon, and rectum, were extracted from the FinnGen database. The immune traits subjected to MR analysis predominantly fall into four categories: median fluorescence intensities (MFI), relative cell (RC), absolute cell (AC), and morphological parameters (MP). To ensure the reliability of our findings, sensitivity analyses were implemented to address robustness, account for heterogeneity, and alleviate the impact of horizontal pleiotropy. Results: A total of 78 immune traits causally linked to gastrointestinal tract cancers were identified, encompassing esophageal cancer (12 traits), gastric cancer (13 traits), small intestine cancer (22 traits), colon cancer (12 traits), and rectal cancer (19 traits). Additionally, 60 immune traits were recognized as protective factors associated with gastrointestinal tract cancers, distributed across esophageal cancer (14 traits), gastric cancer (16 traits), small intestine cancer (7 traits), colon cancer (14 traits), and rectal cancer (9 traits). Furthermore, it was observed that seven immune traits are causally related to gastrointestinal tract cancers in at least two locations. These traits include "CCR2 on CD14- CD16+ monocyte," "CD19 on IgD+ CD38-," "CD19 on IgD+ CD38- naive," "CD25hi CD45RA+ CD4 not Treg AC," "CD27 on unsw mem," "CD28 on CD39+ activated Treg," and "CD45 on CD4+." Conclusion: This study elucidates a causal link between immune cells and gastrointestinal tract cancers at various sites through genetic investigation. The findings of this research open up new perspectives and resources for exploring tumor prevention strategies and immunotherapeutic targets.

Refining risk stratification in paediatric B-acute lymphoblastic leukaemia: Combining IKZF1plus and Day 15 MRD positivity.

This study investigates the potential utility of IKZF1 deletion as an additional high-risk marker for paediatric acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL). The prognostic impact of IKZF1 status, in conjunction with minimal/measurable residual disease (MRD), was evaluated within the MRD-guided TPOG-ALL-2013 protocol using 412 newly diagnosed B-ALL patients aged 1-18. IKZF1 status was determined using multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification. IKZF1 deletions, when co-occurring with CDKN2A, CDKN2B, PAX5 or PAR1 region deletions in the absence of ERG deletions, were termed IKZF1plus. Both IKZF1 deletion (14.6%) and IKZF1plus (7.8%) independently predicted poorer outcomes in B-ALL. IKZF1plus was observed in 4.1% of Philadelphia-negative ALL, with a significantly lower 5-year event-free survival (53.9%) compared to IKZF1 deletion alone (83.8%) and wild-type IKZF1 (91.3%) (p < 0.0001). Among patients with Day 15 MRD ≥0.01%, provisional high-risk patients with IKZF1plus exhibited the worst outcomes in event-free survival (42.0%), relapse-free survival (48.0%) and overall survival (72.7%) compared to other groups (p < 0.0001). Integration of IKZF1plus and positive Day 15 MRD identified a subgroup of Philadelphia-negative B-ALL with a 50% risk of relapse. This study highlights the importance of assessing IKZF1plus alongside Day 15 MRD positivity to identify patients at increased risk of adverse outcomes, potentially minimizing overtreatment.

Transcription factor 21 rs12190287 polymorphism is related to stable angina and ST elevation myocardial infarction in a Chinese Population.

Background: Transcription factor 21 (TCF21, epicardin, capsuling, pod-1) is expressed in the epicardium and is involved in the regulation of cell fate and differentiation via epithelial-mesenchymal transformation during development of the heart. In addition, TCF21 can suppress the differentiation of epicardial cells into vascular smooth muscle cells and promote cardiac fibroblast development. This study aimed to explore whether TCF21 gene (12190287G/C) variants affect coronary artery disease risk. Methods: We enrolled 381 patients who had stable angina, 138 with ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), and 276 healthy subjects. Genotyping of rs12190287 of the TCF21 gene was performed. Results: Higher frequencies of the CC genotype were found in the patients with stable angina/STEMI than in the healthy controls. After adjusting for diabetes mellitus, hypertension, age, sex, smoking, body mass index and hyperlipidemia, the patients with the CC genotype of the TCF21 gene were associated with 2.49- and 9.19-fold increased risks of stable angina and STEMI, respectively, compared to the patients with the GG genotype. Furthermore, TCF21 CC genotypes showed positive correlations with both stable angina and STEMI, whereas TCF21 GG genotypes exhibited a negative correlation with STEMI. Moreover, the stable angina and STEMI patients with the CC genotype had significantly elevated high-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels than those with the GG genotype. In addition, significant associations were found between type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia with TCF21 gene polymorphisms (p for trend < 0.05). Conclusion: TCF21 gene polymorphisms may increase susceptibility to stable angina and STEMI.

Pretreatment Circulating Albumin, Platelet, and RDW-SD Associated with Worse Disease-Free Survival in Patients with Breast Cancer.

Objective: Breast cancer is the second most common malignancy globally and a leading cause of cancer death in women. Analysis of factors related to disease-free survival (DFS) has improved understanding of the disease and characteristics related to recurrence. The aim of this study was to investigate the predictors of DFS in patients with breast cancer to enable the identification of patients at high risk who may benefit from prevention interventions. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 559 women with breast cancer who underwent treatment between 2004 and 2022. The study endpoint was DFS. Recurrence was defined as local recurrence, regional recurrence, distant metastases, contralateral breast cancer, other second primary cancer, and death. Baseline tumor-related characteristics, treatment-related characteristics, sociodemographic and biochemical data were analyzed using Cox proportional hazards analysis. Results: The median DFS was 45 months (range, 2 to 225 months). Breast cancer recurred in 86 patients (15.4%), of whom 10 had local recurrence, 10 had regional recurrence, 17 had contralateral breast cancer, 29 had distant metastases, 10 had second primary cancer, and 10 patients died. Multivariate forward stepwise Cox regression analysis showed that AJCC stage III, Ki67 ≥14%, albumin, platelet, and red cell distribution width-standard deviation (RDW-SD) were predictors of worse DFS. In addition, the effects of albumin, platelet, and RDW-SD on disease recurrence were confirmed by structural equation model (SEM) analysis. Conclusion: In addition to the traditional predictors of worse DFS such as AJCC stage III and Ki67 ≥14%, lower pretreatment circulating albumin, higher pretreatment circulating platelet count and RDW-SD could significantly predict worse DFS in this study, and SEM delineated possible causal pathways and inter-relationships of albumin, platelet, and RDW-SD contributing to the disease recurrence among Chinese women with breast cancer.

Postoperative Rehabilitation after Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction through Telerehabilitation with Artificial Intelligence Brace during COVID-19 Pandemic.

BACKGROUND: Due to the rapid spread of the coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19), most of the patients expressed a reluctance to undergo postoperative rehabilitation at a rehabilitation clinic. Therefore, in this scenario it was necessary to reshape the crucial role of postoperative rehabilitation of these patients. We conducted a telerehabilitation program based on an artificial intelligence brace (AI brace) which can monitor the progress of rehabilitation through an app and an internet server. Our hypothesis was that home-based telerehabilitation might provide clinical outcomes comparable to face-to-face, hospital-based rehabilitation programs in terms of effectiveness. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study enrolled patients who received anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) between January and September 2020. Patients were divided into two groups: the tele-AI group received telerehabilitation with an AI brace while the FTF group had face-to-face, hospital-based rehabilitation. Clinical knee functional scores and Tegner Activity Scale (TAS) were assessed and analyzed until 12 months after the operation. RESULTS: The tele-AI group had higher IKDC scores at 3 months (p = 0.0443) and 6 months (p = 0.0052) after surgery and higher KOOS scores at 1 month (p = 0.0365) and 6 months (p = 0.0375) after surgery. However, no significant difference between the two groups was detected at the end of the follow-up. The tele-AI group had higher TAS than FTF group after 1 year. CONCLUSIONS: Telerehabilitation after ACLR seems to provide a superior short-term outcome compared to hospital-based rehabilitation during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Hyaluronic Acid-Based Nanocarriers for Anticancer Drug Delivery.

Hyaluronic acid (HA), a main component of the extracellular matrix, is widely utilized to deliver anticancer drugs due to its biocompatibility, biodegradability, non-toxicity, non-immunogenicity and numerous modification sites, such as carboxyl and hydroxyl groups. Moreover, HA serves as a natural ligand for tumor-targeted drug delivery systems, as it contains the endocytic HA receptor, CD44, which is overexpressed in many cancer cells. Therefore, HA-based nanocarriers have been developed to improve drug delivery efficiency and distinguish between healthy and cancerous tissues, resulting in reduced residual toxicity and off-target accumulation. This article comprehensively reviews the fabrication of anticancer drug nanocarriers based on HA in the context of prodrugs, organic carrier materials (micelles, liposomes, nanoparticles, microbubbles and hydrogels) and inorganic composite nanocarriers (gold nanoparticles, quantum dots, carbon nanotubes and silicon dioxide). Additionally, the progress achieved in the design and optimization of these nanocarriers and their effects on cancer therapy are discussed. Finally, the review provides a summary of the perspectives, the lessons learned so far and the outlook towards further developments in this field.

Surgical treatment confers prognostic significance in pediatric malignant mediastinal germ cell tumors.

BACKGROUND: Primary malignant mediastinal germ cell tumors (GCTs) are rare pediatric tumors that have a poorer prognosis compared to GCTs occurring elsewhere in the body. The current study aimed to assess the prognostic factors and treatment outcomes of children with primary malignant mediastinal GCT in Taiwan. METHODS: The authors retrospectively reviewed children 0-18 years old who were newly diagnosed with primary malignant mediastinal GCT between January 1, 2005 and December 31, 2019 and were registered in the Taiwan Pediatric Oncology Group patient registry. The impact of presenting characteristics, including sex, age, tumor stage, histology subtype, surgical treatment, and chemotherapy regimens of the patients were analyzed. RESULTS: This study enrolled 52 children with malignant mediastinal GCT who had a median age of 16.0 (range, 6.0-17.9) years at diagnosis. The most common histological subtypes were mixed GCTs (n = 20) and yolk sac tumors (n = 15). Advanced disease stage and choriocarcinoma histology subtype were associated inferior outcomes. Children who received surgical treatment exhibited better outcomes compared to those who did not (5-year overall survival, 78% vs. 7%, p < .001). After comparing patients who received first-line cisplatin- and carboplatin-based chemotherapy, no difference in treatment outcomes was observed. Multivariate analysis showed that surgical management was the only independent predictor for superior OS. CONCLUSIONS: Surgical treatment is recommended for mediastinal GCT. Cisplatin-based chemotherapy was not superior to carboplatin-based chemotherapy as first-line treatment and may be avoided due to toxicity concerns.

Association between environmental exposure to perchlorate, nitrate, and thiocyanate and serum α-Klotho levels among adults from the National Health and nutrition examination survey (2007-2014).

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Aging is a pathophysiological process driven by a diverse set of complex biological processes, and environmental pollution plays an important role in this process. This study aimed to explore the association between serum α-Klotho levels and urinary perchlorate, nitrate, and thiocyanate levels. METHODS: This secondary dataset analysis included 4875 participants (mean age, 57.69 year; male, 49.58%; non-Hispanic White, 47.67%) from the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2007-2014). Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to quantify α-Klotho levels, and ion chromatography coupled with electrospray tandem mass spectrometry was used to quantify thiocyanate, nitrate, and perchlorate levels. Multivariate linear regression models were applied to estimate the association between perchlorate, nitrate, and thiocyanate levels and serum α-Klotho levels. RESULTS: Urinary thiocyanate levels were negatively associated with α-Klotho levels (ß = - 0.006; 95% confidence interval, - 0.010 to - 0.003; P = 0.0004) after adjusting for age, sex, body mass index, race, alcohol consumption, estimated glomerular filtration rate, underlying disease, physical activity, smoking status, usual energy intake, and urinary creatinine and serum cotinine levels and mutual adjustment of urinary perchlorate, urinary nitrate, and urinary thiocyanate levels. The α-Klotho level in participants in the highest quartile was higher by 50.567 ng/mL (ß = 50.567; 95% confidence interval, 14.407 to 86.726; P = 0.009) than that in participants in the lowest quartile of urinary perchlorate. A linear relationship was observed between urinary thiocyanate and α-Klotho levels. CONCLUSIONS: Urinary thiocyanate levels were negatively associated with serum α-Klotho levels. Urinary thiocyanate should be further investigated as a potential mediator of aging and age-related diseases.

TADF-based NIR-II semiconducting polymer dots for in vivo 3D bone imaging.

Intraoperative fluorescence imaging in the second near-infrared (NIR-II) region heralds a new era in image-guided surgery since the success in the first-in-human liver-tumor surgery guided by NIR-II fluorescence. Limited by the conventional small organic NIR dyes such as FDA-approved indocyanine green with suboptimal NIR-II fluorescence and non-targeting ability, the resulting shallow penetration depth and high false positive diagnostic values have been challenging. Described here is the design of NIR-II emissive semiconducting polymer dots (Pdots) incorporated with thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) moieties to exhibit emission maxima of 1064-1100 nm and fluorescence quantum yields of 0.40-1.58% in aqueous solutions. To further understand how the TADF units affect the molecular packing and the resulting optical properties of Pdots, in-depth and thorough density-functional theory calculations were carried out to better understand the underlying mechanisms. We then applied these Pdots for in vivo 3D bone imaging in mice. This work provides a direction for future designs of NIR-II Pdots and holds promising applications for bone-related diseases.

Retroperitoneal congenital epidermoid cyst misdiagnosed as a solid pseudopapillary tumor of the pancreas: A case report.

BACKGROUND: Retroperitoneal cysts are rare and usually asymptomatic abdominal lesions. Epidermoid cysts are frequent benign cutaneous tumors, but retroperitoneal localization of these cysts does not occur very often. CASE SUMMARY: We report a case report of a 25-year-old woman with a giant mass in the abdominal cavity. Because imaging examination indicated that the mass probably originated from the pancreas, the mass was considered a solid pseudopapillary tumor of the pancreas (SPTP). However, surgery revealed a retroperitoneal epidermoid cyst located behind the pancreas neck and the root of the superior mesenteric artery (SMA). We performed complete resection of the tumor. Postoperative pathology showed an epidermoid cyst. The patient fared well after two months of follow-up. CONCLUSION: Surgery is the gold standard for the diagnosis and treatment of retroperitoneal epidermoid cysts. Retroperitoneal epidermoid cysts around the pancreas are easily misdiagnosed as cystic SPTPs. Surgeons should pay particular attention to preoperative diagnosis to reduce severe surgical complications and improve the quality of life of patients.

Skin cells undergo asynthetic fission to expand body surfaces in zebrafish.

As an animal's surface area expands during development, skin cell populations must quickly respond to maintain sufficient epithelial coverage. Despite much progress in understanding of skin cell behaviours in vivo1,2, it remains unclear how cells collectively act to satisfy coverage demands at an organismic level. Here we created a multicolour cell membrane tagging system, palmskin, to monitor the entire population of superficial epithelial cells (SECs) in developing zebrafish larvae. Using time-lapse imaging, we found that many SECs readily divide on the animal body surface; during a specific developmental window, a single SEC can produce a maximum of four progeny cells over its lifetime on the surface of the animal. Remarkably, EdU assays, DNA staining and hydroxyurea treatment showed that these terminally differentiated skin cells continue splitting despite an absence of DNA replication, causing up to 50% of SECs to exhibit reduced genome size. On the basis of a simple mathematical model and quantitative analyses of cell volumes and apical surface areas, we propose that 'asynthetic fission' is used as an efficient mechanism for expanding epithelial coverage during rapid growth. Furthermore, global or local manipulation of body surface growth affects the extent and mode of SEC division, presumably through tension-mediated activation of stretch-activated ion channels. We speculate that this frugal yet flexible mode of cell proliferation might also occur in contexts other than zebrafish skin expansion.

Characteristics and outcomes of second cancers in patients with childhood cancer: A report from the Taiwan Pediatric Oncology Group.

BACKGROUND: Patients with childhood cancer are at increased risk for the development of second cancers. METHODS: A national multicenter survey of second cancers conducted by the Taiwan Pediatric Oncology Group retrieved retrospective data from the database at the Children Cancer Foundation in Taiwan beginning in 1995. The characteristics of second cancers and associations of patient demographic and clinical characteristics with time to death due to a second cancer were analyzed. RESULTS: We examined the records of 8782 patients with a primary cancer diagnosed between January 1, 1995 and December 31, 2013, and a total of 99 patients with a second cancer were identified. The most common type of second cancer was acute myeloid leukemia (n = 35), followed by acute lymphoblastic leukemia (n = 15), central nervous system (CNS) tumors (n = 15), and sarcomas (n = 10). Secondary hematological malignancies occurred earlier than other secondary cancers. The frequencies of second CNS tumors and second bone cancers and sarcomas were notably increased when prior radiation doses increased from zero, low dose to high dose. The overall 5-year survival of patients with a second cancer was poor (33.7%). Multivariate survival analysis revealed that the year of primary diagnosis ≤2002, secondary hematological malignancies, and age at second cancer diagnosis ≤9.3 years or >26.8 years increased the risk of death following second cancer. CONCLUSION: Children who develop a second cancer have an unfavorable outcome. Early detection and improved treatment for second cancers are needed.

Acute appendicitis in the short term following radical total gastrectomy misdiagnosed as duodenal stump leakage: A case report.

BACKGROUND: Common diseases after radical gastrectomy include cholecystitis and pancreatitis, but the sudden onset of acute appendicitis in a short period following radical gastrectomy is very rare, and its clinical symptoms are easily misdiagnosed as duodenal stump leakage. CASE SUMMARY: This is a case report of a 77-year-old woman with lower right abdominal pain 14 d after radical resection of gastric cancer. Her pain was not relieved by conservative treatment, and her inflammatory markers were elevated. Computed tomography showed effusion in the perihepatic and hepatorenal spaces, right paracolic sulcus and pelvis, as well as exudative changes in the right iliac fossa. Ultrasound-guided puncture revealed a slightly turbid yellow-green fluid. Laparoscopic exploration showed a swollen appendix with surrounding pus moss and no abnormalities of the digestive anastomosis or stump; thus, laparoscopic appendectomy was performed. The patient recovered well after the operation. Postoperative pathology showed acute purulent appendicitis. The patient continued adjuvant chemotherapy after surgery, completing three cycles of oxaliplatin plus S-1 (SOX regimen). CONCLUSION: Acute appendicitis in the short term after radical gastrectomy needs to be differentiated from duodenal stump leakage, and early diagnosis and surgery are the most important means of treatment.

Molecular and nano structures of chiral PEDOT derivatives influence the enantiorecognition of biomolecules. In silico analysis of chiral recognition.

In this study we investigated the synergistic effects of the chirality (molecular structure) and surface morphology (nanostructure) of a newly designed sensing platform for the stereoselective recognition of biomolecules. We synthesized 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene monomers presenting an OH functional group on the side chain (EDOT-OH) with either R or S chirality and then electropolymerized them in a template-free manner to engineer poly(EDOT-OH) nanotubes and smooth films with R or S chirality. We used a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) to examine the differential binding of fetal bovine serum, RGD peptide, insulin, and (R)- and (S)-mandelic acid (MA) on these chiral polymeric platforms. All of these biomolecules bound stereoselectively and with greater affinity toward the nanotubes than to the smooth films. The sensitive chiral recognition of (S)- and (R)-MA on the (R)-poly(EDOT-OH) nanotube surface occurred with the highest chiral discrepancy ratio of 1.80. In vitro experiments revealed a greater degree of protein deposition from MCF-7 cells on the chiral nanotube surfaces. We employed ab initio molecular dynamics simulations and density functional theory calculations to investigate the mechanism underlying the sensitive chiral recognition between the chiral sensing platforms and the chiral analyte molecules.

A Single-Substrate Biosensor with Spin-Coated Liquid Crystal Film for Simple, Sensitive and Label-Free Protein Detection.

A liquid crystal (LC)-based single-substrate biosensor was developed by spin-coating an LC thin film on a dimethyloctadecyl[3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl]ammonium chloride (DMOAP)-decorated glass slide. Compared with the conventional sandwiched cell configuration, the simplified procedure for the preparation of an LC film allows the film thickness to be precisely controlled by adjusting the spin rate, thus eliminating personal errors involved in LC cell assembly. The limit of detection (LOD) for bovine serum albumin (BSA) was lowered from 10-5 g/mL with a 4.2-µm-thick sandwiched cell of the commercial LC E7 to 10-7 g/mL with a 4.2-µm-thick spin-coated E7 film and further to 10-8 g/mL by reducing the E7 film thickness to 3.4 µm. Moreover, by exploiting the LC film of the highly birefringent nematic LC HDN in the immunodetection of the cancer biomarker CA125, an LOD comparable to that determined with a sandwiched HDN cell was achieved at 10-8 g/mL CA125 using a capture antibody concentration an order of magnitude lower than that in the LC cell. Our results suggest that employing spin-coated LC film instead of conventional sandwiched LC cell provides a more reliable, reproducible, and cost-effective single-substrate platform, allowing simple fabrication of an LC-based biosensor for sensitive and label-free protein detection and immunoassay.

Molecular Design of Ultrabright Semiconducting Polymer Dots with High NIR-II Fluorescence for 3D Tumor Mapping.

Fluorescence probes emitting in the second near-infrared (NIR-II, 1000-1700 nm) window with the ability for deep-tissue imaging in mammals herald a new era in surgical methodology. However, the brightness of these NIR-II probes is still far from satisfactory due to their low fluorescence quantum yields (QYs), preventing the observation of high-resolution images such as whole-organ vascular networks in real time. Described here is the molecular engineering of a series of semiconducting polymer dots (Pdots) incorporated with aggregation-induced emission moieties to exhibit the QYs as high as 14% in the NIR-II window. Benefiting from the ultrahigh brightness, a 1400 nm long-pass filter is utilized to realize in vivo 3D tumor mapping in mice. To further understand how the geometrical and electron structures of the semiconducting polymers affect their optical properties, the in-depth and thorough density-functional theory calculations are performed to interpret the experimental results. This study lays the groundwork for further molecular design of highly bright NIR-II Pdots.

Effects of oxygen flow ratio and thermal annealing on defect evolution of aluminum doped zinc oxide thin films by reactive DC magnetron sputtering.

Al doped ZnO (AZO) is a promising transparent conducting oxide to replace the expensive Sn doped In2O3(ITO). Understanding the formation and evolution of defects in AZO is essential for its further improvement. Here, we synthesize transparent conducting AZO thin films by reactive DC magnetron sputtering. The effects of oxygen flow ratio as well as the rapid thermal annealing (RTA) in different conditions on their structural and optoelectrical properties were investigated by a variety of analytical techniques. We find that AZO thin films grown in O-rich conditions exhibit inferior optoelectrical performance as compared with those grown in Zn-rich conditions, possibly due to the formation of excessive native acceptor defects and/or secondary phases (e.g. Al2O3). Temperature-dependent Hall measurements indicate that mobilities of these highly degenerate AZO films withN> 1020 cm-3are primarily limited by ionized and neutral impurities, while films with relatively lowN∼ 1019 cm-3exhibit a temperature-activated mobility owing to the grain-barrier scattering. AsNincreases, the optical band gap of AZO thin film increases as a result of Burstein-Moss shift and band gap narrowing. RTA treatments under appropriate conditions (i.e. at 500 °C for 60 s in Ar) can further improve the electrical properties of AZO thin film, with low resistivity of ∼6.2 × 10-4Ω cm achieved, while RTA at high temperature with longer time can lead to the formation of substantial sub-gap defect states and thus lowers the electron mobility. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy provides further evidence on the variation of Al (Zn) content at the surface of AZO thin films with different processing conditions.