Investigation into the content of red material in EUS-guided pancreatic cancer biopsies.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The red material occupying the larger portion of the acquired sample in EUS fine-needle biopsy (FNB) is seldom investigated. We aimed to evaluate the composition of the red material. METHODS: Patients with a solid pancreatic mass who received EUS FNB from September 2020 to June 2021 were enrolled. The white or yellowish content with apparent bulk (white material) and the rest of pasta-like red content (red material) were separated immediately after puncture. Needle passes proceeded until 2 specimens with >4 mm of white material were obtained. An extra needle pass was conducted for DNA collection. The DNA amount, Kirsten rat sarcoma virus (K-ras) mutation type, and mutation allele frequency were compared between the white and red material. RESULTS: Forty patients were enrolled with 68 paired white and red materials. The diagnostic accuracy was slightly higher in the white material (92.5% vs 82.5%, P = .219). On the histology slides, the area of the tumor gland was comparable in both materials, but the total tissue area was larger in the red material (9.74 mm2 and 10.74 mm2 larger according to generalized linear model and generalized estimating equation, respectively; both, P < .001). The amount of DNA was significantly higher in the red material (2.99 [interquartile range, 1.59-7.29] µg vs .70 [interquartile range, .27-1.24] µg; P < .001). Common pancreatic adenocarcinoma K-ras mutation was identified at a rate of 85% for the white material and 95% for the red material. Regardless of whether red or white material was used, there was a high concordance of K-ras mutation types (34 of 40 [85%]) and a high correlation of mutation allele frequency (ρ = .66, P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: In EUS FNB, the red material contains a higher amount of tumor DNA and can be an alternative source for tumor DNA analysis.

Evolution of the Correa's cascade steps: A long-term endoscopic surveillance among non-ulcer dyspepsia and gastric ulcer after H. pylori eradication.

BACKGROUND: This study is aimed toward investigating the evolution of each Correa's step after Helicobacter pylori eradication in a long-term follow-up and exploring the factors correlated with a high-risk of gastric cancer. METHODS: A total of 1824 H. pylori-infected subjects were enrolled to receive screening endoscopy. Among them, 491 received surveillance endoscopy. The patients were divided into Correa's steps I to VI, from normal to gastric cancer. A group-based trajectory model was used to classify patients as persistent high-risk status or not. RESULTS: The prevalence rates of positive corpus-predominant gastritis index (CGI) were 20%-40% in all age groups and Correa's steps IV-V increased >35% after 50 years based on screening endoscopy. Successful eradication of H. pylori regressed CGI after the 1st year-and-thereafter (P < 0.05) and decreased Correa's step progression (Relative risk 0.66 [95% CI 0.49-0.89], P = 0.01); however, it did not regress OLGA and OLGIM. Not only in steps IV-V, but also in step III, the patients had a risk of developing gastric cancer (11.13-76.41 and 4.61 per 1000 person-years). Age (Hazard ratio 1.012 [1.003-1.020], P = 0.01), OLGA stages ≥ I (2.127 [1.558-2.903], P < 0.001), and OLGIM stages ≥ I (1.409 [1.119-1.774], P = 0.004) were correlated independently with a persistent high-risk status. CONCLUSION: The patients in Correa's steps III-V, but not I-II, were at risk of gastric cancer after H. pylori eradication. Age, OLGA stages ≥ I, and OLGIM stages ≥ I were independent factors correlated to a persistent high-risk of gastric cancer. The data may be useful when scheduling surveillance endoscopy for subjects in each Correa's step (NCT04527055).

Efficacy of Coxsackievirus A5 Vaccine Candidates in an Actively Immunized Mouse Model.

Coxsackievirus A5 (CV-A5) has recently emerged as a main hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) pathogen. Following a large-scale vaccination campaign against enterovirus 71 (EV-71) in China, the number of HFMD-associated cases with EV-71 was reduced, especially severe and fatal cases. However, the total number of HFMD cases remains high, as HFMD is also caused by other enterovirus serotypes. A multivalent HFMD vaccine containing 4 or 6 antigens of enterovirus serotypes is urgently needed. A formaldehyde-inactivated CV-A5 vaccine derived from Vero cells was used to inoculate newborn Kunming mice on days 3 and 10. The mice were challenged on day 14 with a mouse-adapted CV-A5 strain at a dose that was lethal for 14-day-old suckling mice. Within 14 days postchallenge, groups of mice immunized with three formulations, empty particles (EPs), full particles (FPs), and a mixture of the EP and FP vaccine candidates, all survived, while 100% of the mock-immunized mice died. Neutralizing antibodies (NtAbs) were detected in the sera of immunized mice, and the NtAb levels were correlated with the survival rate of the challenged mice. The virus loads in organs were reduced, and pathological changes and viral protein expression were weak or not observed in the immunized mice compared with those in alum-inoculated control mice. Another interesting finding was the identification of CV-A5 dense particles (DPs), facilitating morphogenesis study. These results demonstrated that the Vero cell-adapted CV-A5 strain is a promising vaccine candidate and could be used as a multivalent HFMD vaccine component in the future.IMPORTANCE The vaccine candidate strain CV-A5 was produced with a high infectivity titer and a high viral particle yield. Three particle forms, empty particles (EPs), full particles (FPs), and dense particles (DPs), were obtained and characterized after purification. The immunogenicities of EP, FP, and the EP and FP mixture were evaluated in mice. Mouse-adapted CV-A5 was generated as a challenge strain to infect 14-day-old mice. An active immunization challenge mouse model was established to evaluate the efficacy of the inactivated vaccine candidate. This animal model mimics vaccination, similar to immune responses of the vaccinated. The animal model also tests protective efficacy in response to the vaccine against the disease. This work is important for the preparation of multivalent vaccines against HFMD caused by different emerging strains.

Association between estimated glomerular filtration rate and 10-year atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk among community residents in Shanghai, China.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The association between the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk is unknown. We aimed to evaluate whether eGFR can be used as a predictor in ASCVD risk assessment. METHODS AND RESULTS: Using baseline data from 28,187 participants from Shanghai Suburban Adult Cohort and Biobank study, we adopted Pooled Cohort Equations (PCEs) and Prediction for ASCVD Risk in China (China-PAR) to estimate 10-year ASCVD risk. Multivariate logistic regression was used to analyze the relationship between 10-year ASCVD risk and eGFR. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate predictive value of eGFR for 10-year high ASCVD risk. Compared with normal eGFR, both men and women with reduced eGFR had a higher prevalence of ASCVD risk factors. With the decrease of eGFR level, the median of 10-year ASCVD risk gradually increased. For men, the adjusted odds ratios (95% confidence interval (CI)) of 10-year high ASCVD risk by PCEs associated with eGFR (60-74 and <60 mL/min/1.73 m2) were 1.52 (95%CI:1.17-1.99) and 2.51 (95%CI:1.27-4.97). The corresponding result was significant only for eGFR < 60 mL/min/1.73 m2, OR of 1.57 (1.14-2.18) for women. Using China-PAR, the adjusted OR of 10-year high risk associated with eGFR < 60 mL/min/1.73 m2 was 1.82 (1.40-2.38) in men. ROC indicated that eGFR has a good predictive value for 10-year high ASCVD risk. CONCLUSION: eGFR may be an important risk factor in predicting and stratifying ASCVD risk. Consideration should be given to integrating eGFR into existing risk assessment tools to improve predictive performance.

Two-dimensional metal-organic frameworks: from synthesis to bioapplications.

As a typical class of crystalline porous materials, metal-organic framework possesses unique features including versatile functionality, structural and compositional tunability. After being reduced to two-dimension, ultrathin metal-organic framework layers possess more external excellent properties favoring various technological applications. In this review article, the unique structural properties of the ultrathin metal-organic framework nanosheets benefiting from the planar topography were highlighted, involving light transmittance, and electrical conductivity. Moreover, the design strategy and versatile fabrication methodology were summarized covering discussions on their applicability and accessibility, especially for porphyritic metal-organic framework nanosheet. The current achievements in the bioapplications of two-dimensional metal-organic frameworks were presented comprising biocatalysis, biosensor, and theranostic, with an emphasis on reactive oxygen species-based nanomedicine for oncology treatment. Furthermore, current challenges confronting the utilization of two-dimensional metal-organic frameworks and future opportunities in emerging research frontiers were presented.

Association between four nontraditional lipids and ischemic stroke: a cohort study in Shanghai, China.

BACKGROUND: The correlation between nontraditional lipids and ischemic stroke (IS) is inconsistent and controversial. This study aimed to examine the association of four nontraditional lipids with IS risk in Chinese adults. METHODS: This prospective community-based cohort study was performed in Songjiang District, Shanghai, China. The study began in 2016 and included 34,294 participants without stroke before the investigation. The association between nontraditional lipids (nonhigh-density lipoprotein cholesterol [non-HDL-C], total cholesterol/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol [TC/HDL-C], triglyceride [TG]/HDL-C, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol [LDL-C]/HDL-C) and IS was studied with multivariate Cox regression models. The dose-response associations between these four serum lipids and IS were explored using restricted cubic spline (RCS) analysis. RESULTS: There were a total of 458 IS cases with 166,380 person-years of follow-up. Compared with the lowest tertiles, the highest tertiles of the nontraditional blood lipids showed greater IS risk after controlling for potential confounders. The hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were as follows: TC/HDL-C, 1.63 (1.28-2.07); TG/HDL-C, 1.65 (1.28-2.13); LDL-C/HDL-C, 1.51 (1.18-1.92); and non-HDL-C, 1.43 (1.13-1.81). The fully adjusted RCS curves presented a nonlinear relationship, and the risk increased when the TC/HDL-C, TG/HDL-C, and LDL-C/HDL-C levels were > 3.47, > 0.92, and > 1.98, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: This community-based cohort study presents a positive association between the four nontraditional lipids and IS incidence. Maintaining relatively low lipid ratios can be beneficial for preventing stroke. Nontraditional lipids can be considered targets for managing blood lipids.

Prediction of 10-year atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk among community residents in Shanghai, China - a comparative analysis of risk algorithms.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The accuracy of various 10-year atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk models has been debatable. We compared two risk algorithms and explored clustering patterns across different risk stratifications among community residents in Shanghai. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 28,201 residents (aged 40-74 years old) who were free of ASCVD were selected from the Shanghai Survey in China. The 10-year ASCVD risk was estimated by applying the 2013 Pooled Cohort Equations (PCEs) and Prediction for ASCVD Risk in China (China-PAR). The agreement was assessed between PCEs and China-PAR using Cohen's kappa statistics. The mean absolute 10-year ASCVD risk calculated by PCEs and China-PAR was about 10.0% and 6.0%, respectively. PCEs estimated that 44.9% of participants [with a 95% confidence interval (CI):44.0%-45.8%] were at high risk, while China-PAR estimated only 16.7% (95%CI:15.8%-18.0%) were at high risk. In both models, the percentage of high ASCVD risk was higher for participants who were older, men, less educated, current smokers, drinkers and manual workers. Among high-risk individuals, almost all participants (PCEs:90.5%; China-PAR:98.6%) had at least one risk factor; hypertension being the most prevalent. The concordance between PCEs and China-PAR was moderate (kappa:0.428, 95%CI: 0.420-0.434) with a better agreement for women (kappa:0.503,95%CI: 0.493-0.513) than for men (kappa:0.211,95%CI: 0.201-0.221). CONCLUSION: The proportion of participants with a 10-year ASCVD high risk predicted by China-PAR was lower than the results of the PCEs. The risk stratifications of the two algorithms were inconsistent in terms of demographic and life-behaviour characteristics.

Association of Metabolic Syndrome and Its Components with Decreased Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate in Adults.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) and its metabolic components, the common risk factors, may be involved in the development and progression of decreased estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). The aim of this study was to examine the association of MetS and its metabolic components with eGFR status and severity among Chinese adults. METHODS: The population-based, cross-sectional study recruited a total of 33,300 Chinese adults (aged ≥18 years) from 4 study community sites in Songjiang District, Shanghai, between June 2016 and December 2017. Decreased eGFR was defined as a value of eGFR below 60 mL/min/1.73 m2. Weighted multiple logistic regression models were used to examine the association of MetS and its components with eGFR status and severity. RESULTS: After adjusting for potential confounders, subjects with MetS had an increased risk of decreased eGFR with an adjusted OR of 1.76 (95% CI 1.53-2.01), and subjects with increasing numbers of MetS components had a gradually increased risk for decreased eGFR (p trend <0.001). The multivariable-adjusted ORs (95% CI) of decreased eGFR were 1.66 (1.44-1.93) for abdominal obesity, 1.37 (1.18-1.60) for elevated triglycerides, 1.13 (0.96-1.33) for reduced high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, 0.84 (0.72-0.98) for elevated fasting glucose, and 1.92 (1.57-2.35) for elevated blood pressure (BP). Furthermore, these associations remained in most of the subgroups analyses. Significant associations between elevated BP and the risks of mildly, moderately, and severely decreased eGFR were also found. CONCLUSIONS: MetS was independently associated with an increased risk of decreased eGFR, and individual components of MetS each play a different role in decreased eGFR. Elevated BP may be an important risk factor for the progression of renal dysfunction or even chronic kidney disease.

Exhaled nitric oxide helps discriminating asthmatic children with and without positive specific IgE to aeroallergens.

BACKGROUND: Aeroallergen sensitization may predict higher fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) levels. OBJECTIVE: We evaluate cut-off values of FeNO in asthmatic children with and without positive specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) to at least one of 5 aeroallergens (Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, Dermatophagoides farinae, cat, dog, and cockroach). METHODS: 564 patients with asthma and allergic rhinitis (AR) aged 5 to 18 years were enrolled into two groups. Sensitized group included 378 children with positive IgE to at least one of 5 inhaled allergens. Non-sensitized group included 186 children. Pulmonary function tests, FeNO, eosinophil counts, and IgE levels were examined. Patients were divided into preschool age (5~6 years old), elementary school children (7~11 years old) and adolescents (12~18 years old). RESULTS: In preschool children, FeNO≥15.5 ppb differentiates between non-sensitized and sensitized groups. (sensitivity 54.3%; specificity 87.5%; positive predictive value (PPV) 86.2%; negative predictive value (NPV) 57.1%; area under receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) 0.72) Among elementary school children, the cut-off value of FeNO≥19.5 ppb showed sensitivity 66.4%; specificity 85.8%; PPV 90.5%; NPV 55.7%; AUC 0.81. In adolescents, FeNO≥27.5 ppb showed sensitivity 60.2%; specificity 85.4%; PPV 91.2%; NPV 46.1%; AUC 0.76. CONCLUSION: In asthmatic children, aeroallergen sensitization appears to contribute to higher FeNO levels than those not sensitized. Cut-off values of FeNO which well discriminate asthmatic children with and without aeroallergen sensitization should be chose according to different ages.

Frequent expression of PD-L1 in BLS-type diffuse large B-cell lymphoma: implications for aggressiveness and immunotherapy.

BLS-type diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) denotes an uncommon, aggressive variant of DLBCL presenting initially in bone marrow, liver and spleen without lymphadenopathy or mass lesion. Patients with BLS-type DLBCL present frequently with haemophagocytic syndrome which often leads to early patient demise. Programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) plays a negative regulatory role on effector T cells and is an important target of immunotherapy. Assessment of PD-L1 expression in BLS-type DLBCL may carry therapeutic implications and provide mechanistic insights. Standard immunohistochemical analysis for PD-L1 was performed in seven cohorts for this study: (1) DLBCL-not otherwise specified (NOS) (n=201); (2) Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-positive DLBCL (n=26); (3) thymic (primary mediastinal) DLBCL (n=12); (4) intravascular LBCL (n=3); (5) high-grade B-cell lymphoma, NOS (n=12); (6) BLS-type DLBCL (n=37); and (7) systemic DLBCL involving bone marrow (n=28). We found that PD-L1 was positive in 12.9% of DLBCL-NOS cases, 46.2% of EBV-positive DLBCL, 91.7% of thymic LBCL, none of intravascular LBCL, 8.3% of high-grade B-cell lymphoma-NOS, and 56.8% of BLS-type DLBCL. By comparison, only 14.3% of bone marrow cases involved by systemic DLBCL were positive for PD-L1 (p<0.001). Interestingly, BLS-type DLBCL more frequently showed activated B-cell phenotype (86.5% vs 65.2%, p=0.010), a high Ki-67 proliferative index (97.1% vs 63.3%, p<0.001), MYC overexpression (90.9% vs 56.2%, p=0.023), presence of haemophagocytic syndrome (86.5% vs 4.0%, p<0.001), and poorer overall survival (p<0.001) than DLBCL-NOS. These data suggest that the poor prognosis of BLS-type DLBCL may be explained by both extrinsic tumour microenvironment factors and intrinsic genetic factors of tumour cells, such as PD-L1-associated inactivation of anti-tumour immunity for the former, and MYC pathway activation-related aggressiveness for the latter.

Cross-Scale Fusion Transformer for Histopathological Image Classification.

Histopathological images provide the medical evidences to help the disease diagnosis. However, pathologists are not always available or are overloaded by work. Moreover, the variations of pathological images with respect to different organs, cell sizes and magnification factors lead to the difficulty of developing a general method to solve the histopathological image classification problems. To address these issues, we propose a novel cross-scale fusion (CSF) transformer which consists of the multiple field-of-view patch embedding module, the transformer encoders and the cross-fusion modules. Based on the proposed modules, the CSF transformer can effectively integrate patch embeddings of different field-of-views to learn cross-scale contextual correlations, which represent tissues and cells of different sizes and magnification factors, with less memory usage and computation compared with the state-of-the-art transformers. To verify the generalization ability of the CSF transformer, experiments are performed on four public datasets of different organs and magnification factors. The CSF transformer outperforms the state-of-the-art task specific methods, convolutional neural network-based methods and transformer-based methods. The source code will be available in our GitHub https://github.com/nchucvml/CSFT.

Variable radiographic and histologic presentations of amiodarone-related interstitial lung disease and the importance of avoiding re-exposure.

Amiodarone is a commonly used antiarrhythmic agent but exhibits potential pulmonary toxicity. In this case series, we describe the clinical, radiographic, and histologic manifestations of three patients who developed interstitial lung disease (ILD) following amiodarone treatment for variable lengths of time with different dosages. The presentations on computed tomographic images and in pulmonary pathology differed among the three patients. All three had immediate discontinuation of amiodarone and received treatment with systemic corticosteroids. One patient eventually died from ventilator-associated pneumonia after an initial improvement. The other two patients recovered well but later experienced ILD recurrence following brief re-exposure to amiodarone. Through this case series, we aim to demonstrate the variable features of amiodarone-related ILD, and highlight the importance of timely amiodarone cessation and avoiding re-exposure to prevent the progression and recurrence of ILD.

Impact of computed tomographic patterns and extent on clinical management and outcomes of patients with organising pneumonia.

Background: Organising pneumonia (OP) has variable clinical and radiographic presentations and unstandardised treatments. Most patients with OP have favourable outcomes, but some develop respiratory insufficiency, experience recurrence or die. In this study we investigated the impact of computed tomographic (CT) patterns and extent of OP on the diagnostic and therapeutic management that patients received, and that on the therapeutic response and prognosis (particularly the risk of respiratory insufficiency and death). Methods: We retrospectively studied 156 patients with OP followed at our hospital between 2010 and 2021. The diagnosis was confirmed histologically and verified by multidisciplinary specialists. We performed Firth's logistic regression to determine the relationship between CT features and aetiologies, management and outcomes including the risk of severe disease (defined as the need for supplemental oxygen or mechanical ventilation). We conducted Kaplan-Meier analyses to assess survival differences. Results: Patients exhibiting multilobe involvement or mixed patterns, or both, were more likely to have secondary OP and receive immunosuppressants. Higher proportions of these patients experienced recurrence. Compared to patients with single-lobe involvement and single-pattern, they also had an enhanced risk of severe disease (the adjusted odds ratio for patients who simultaneously had multilobe involvement and mixed patterns was 27.64; 95% confidence interval 8.25-127.44). Besides, these patients had decreased survival probabilities. Conclusion: Different CT features of OP impact patients' management and prognosis. When treating patients with OP exhibiting multilobe involvement or mixed patterns, or both, it is important to identify the possible causative aetiology and follow closely for adverse outcomes.

The experience of neoadjuvant chemotherapy versus upfront surgery in resectable pancreatic cancer: a cross sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Upfront resection (UR) followed by adjuvant chemotherapy remains the standard treatment for resectable pancreatic cancer. There is increasing evidence suggesting favourable outcomes toward neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) followed by surgery. METHODS: All clinical staging with resectable pancreatic cancer patients treated at a tertiary medical centre from 2013 to 2020 were identified. The baseline characteristics, treatment course, surgery outcome and survival results of UR or NAC were compared. RESULTS: Finally, in 159 resectable patients, 46 patients (29%) underwent NAC and 113 patients (71%) received UR. In NAC, 11 patients (24%) did not receive resection, 4 (36.4%) for comorbidity, 2 (18.2%) for patient refusal and 2 (18.2%) for disease progression. In UR, 13 patients (12%) were unresectable intraoperatively; 6 (46.2%) for locally advanced and 5 (38.5%) for distant metastasis. Overall, 97% of patients in NAC and 58% of patients in UR completed adjuvant chemotherapy. As of data cut-off, 24 patients (69%) in NAC and 42 patients (29%) in UR were still tumour free. The median recurrence-free survival in NAC, UR with adjuvant chemotherapy and without adjuvant chemotherapy were 31.3 months (95% CI, 14.4-not estimable), 10.6 months (95% CI, 9.0-14.3) and 8.5 months (95% CI, 5.8-11.8), P =0.036; and the median overall survival in each group were not reached (95% CI, 29.7-not estimable), 25.9 months (95% CI, 21.1-40.5) and 21.7 months (12.0-32.8), P =0.0053. Based on initial clinical staging, the median overall survival of NAC was not significantly different from UR with a tumour less than or equal to 2 cm, P =0.29. NAC patients had a higher R0 resection rate (83% versus 53%), lower recurrence rate (31% versus 71%) and harvested median number lymph node (23 versus 15). CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that NAC is superior to UR in resectable pancreatic cancer with better survival.

Clinical implications of PNA­sequencing as a complementary test for EGFR mutation analysis in human lung cancer.

Epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs) are the first-line regimen for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with EGFR mutations. However, false-negative results are occasionally observed, even with FDA-approved molecular tests. Such examples in have been reported in our pilot study showing a slightly upward-shifted amplification curve using commercial reverse transcription-quantitative (RT-q)PCR. Verification using peptide nucleic acid (PNA) clamping-sequencing, which has a sensitivity of ~0.1%, may allow better prediction of which patients will benefit from EGFR-TKI therapy. To confirm this hypothesis, samples were prospectively collected from 1,783 lung cancer cases diagnosed in National Cheng Kung University Hospital between 2012-2018. An independent lung cancer cohort of 1,944 cases was also recruited from other hospitals. The clinical significance of mutant-enriched PCR with PNA-sequencing was analyzed and patient outcomes were followed. A total of 17 of 34 cases (50%) were found to harbor EGFR mutations by PNA-sequencing. A total of 22 cases were discovered in the independent lung cancer cohort, and 14 of these (63.6%) cases had EGFR mutations. TKIs were administered to 14 of the 17 mutation-positive patients, and a partial response was observed in 4 cases and stable disease in 10 cases. Patients with EGFR mutations receiving a TKI regimen had a longer overall survival (OS) (median: 40.0 vs. 10.0 months) compared with those without treatment. The difference in OS was not significant. Based on the results of the present study, combining RT-qPCR with PNA-sequencing may be a practical supplementary technology in a clinical molecular laboratory for a subset of lung cancer patients in selection of EGFR TKI therapy.

Nickel oxide nanoparticles dispersed on biomass-derived amorphous carbon/cobalt silicate support accelerate the oxygen evolution reaction.

The development of robust, low-cost and efficient oxygen evolution reaction (OER) electrocatalysts, especially non-noble-metal-based OER catalysts, is of great significance and imperative to address the energy crisis, but remain challenging. Herein, a biomass-derived three-dimensional (3D) porous carbon/cobalt silicate (C/Co2SiO4) architecture is developed as a support for loading nickel oxide (NiOx) species to prepare an earth-abundant and non-noble-metal-based NiOx/C/Co2SiO4 electrocatalyst. The NiOx nanoparticles are dispersed on 3D C/Co2SiO4 support and the introduction of NiOx species improves the OER active sites and shows the bimetal (Co, Ni) synergetic effect. The NiOx/C/Co2SiO4 electrocatalyst exhibits the overpotential with 355 mV at 10 mA cm-2, Tafel slope with 40 mV dec-1 and large electrochemical active surface areas (ECSA), which are superior to C/Co2SiO4 support and NiOx. The catalytic properties achieved herein are superior or comparable to most transition metal oxides/hydroxides. The findings reveal that the introduction of NiOx nanoparticles can greatly boost the OER property of C/Co2SiO4 support. This work not only develops a non-noble-metal-based NiOx/C/Co2SiO4 catalyst, but also verifies that the introduction of metal oxide species on biomass-derived 3D C/Co2SiO4 provides a new horizon to explore economical, high-efficient and robust OER catalysts.

RGO/Manganese Silicate/MOF-derived carbon Double-Sandwich-Like structure as the cathode material for aqueous rechargeable Zn-ion batteries.

Aqueous rechargeable Zn-ion batteries (ARZIBs) have been attracting a great deal of attention due to their immense potential in large-scale power grid applications. It is of great significance to explore cathode material with novel designed structure and first-class performances for ARZIBs. Herein, we successfully construct a double-sandwich-like structure, MOF-derived carbon/manganese silicate/reduced graphene oxide/manganese silicate/MOF-derived carbon (denoted as rGO/MnSi/MOF-C), as the cathode material for ARZIBs. Among the double-sandwich-like structure, manganese silicate (Mn2SiO4, denoted as MnSi) is in the middle of internal reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and external MOF-8 derived carbon (MOF-C). This integrated rGO/MnSi/MOF-C with double-sandwich-like structure can not only avert the sluggish electronic conduction progress caused by the conventional three-phase mixture system of rGO, MnSi and MOF-C, but also display promising Zn2+ storing capability. As expected, in mild aqueous 2 M (mol L-1) ZnSO4 + 0.2 M MnSO4 electrolyte, the initial discharge capacity of rGO/MnSi/MOF-C cathode reaches to 246 mAh·g-1, and the peak discharge capacity reaches to 462 mAh·g-1 at 0.1 A·g-1. This work not only involves the novel MnSi-based cathode for ARZIBs, but also first demonstrates our assumption of constructing the double-sandwich-like structure to improve Zn2+ storage. Moreover, the concept "double-sandwich-like structure" provides an idea for synthesizing the integrated carbon/transition metal silicates (TMSs)/carbon structure to boost the electrochemical properties of TMSs for energy-storing devices.