Polypyrrole@CNT@PU Conductive Sponge-Based Triboelectric Nanogenerators for Human Motion Monitoring and Self-Powered Ammonia Sensing.

Elastic sponges are ideal materials for triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) to harvest irregular and random mechanical energy from the environment. However, the conductive design of the elastic materials in TENGs often limits its applications. In this work, we have demonstrated that an elastic conductive sponge can be used as the triboelectric layer and electrode for TENGs. Such an elastic conductive sponge is prepared by a simple way of adsorbing multiwalled carbon nanotubes and monomers of pyrrole to grow conductive polypyrroles on the surface of an elastic polyurethane (PU) sponge. Due to the porous structure of the PU sponge and the conductive multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), PPy on the surface of PU could provide a large contact area to improve the output performance of TENGs, and the conductive sponge-based TENG could generate an output of open-circuit voltage of 110 V or a short-circuit current of 12 µA, respectively. The good flexibility of the conductive PU sponge makes the TENG harvest the kinetic energy of disordered motion with different amplitudes, allowing for human motion monitoring. Furthermore, the porous structure of PU and the synergistic effects of PPy and MWCNTs enable the conductive sponge to sense NH3 as a self-powered NH3 sensor. This work offers a simple way to construct a flexible TENG system for random mechanical energy harvesting, human motion monitoring, and self-powered NH3 sensing.

Metal-Organic Framework Based Triboelectric Nanogenerator for a Self-Powered Methanol Sensor with High Sensitivity and Selectivity.

Triboelectric nanogenerators have shown great potential in the area of self-powered gas sensors in the past decade. In this paper, we developed a triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) based on spiky structured ZIF-8@ZnO, which can harvest energy with high efficiency and act as a self-powered methanol sensor. The open-circuit voltage and short-circuit current generated by a ZIF-8@ZnO-based TENG is 58 V and 10 µA, achieving 2.4 times and 3.3 times enhancement compared to ZnO-based TENGs. The TENG can charge capacitors fast and light up at least 40 LEDs. ZIF-8@ZnO-based TENGs show good sensitivity and selectivity to methanol gas at room temperature due to the porous structure provided by ZIF-8 and the heterostructure of ZIF-8@ZnO. The response of ZIF-8@ZnO-based TENG to methanol reaches 30.35% at 100 ppm with excellent response (∼5.9 s) and recovery time (∼2.2 s). This work demonstrates the application of MOF-modified metal oxide semiconductors based on a self-powered gas sensor and proposes a promising solution to enhance the output performance and sensing properties of TENGs based on metal oxide semiconductors.

Macromolecule Relaxation Directed 3D Nanofiber Architecture in Stretchable Fibrous Mats for Wearable Multifunctional Sensors.

Elastomer fiber mat sensors, which are capable of perceiving mechanical stimuli, temperature, and vapor of chemicals, are highly desirable for designing wearable electronics and human-robot interfacing devices due to good wearability, skin affinity, and durability, and so on. However, it is still challenging to fabricate multiresponsive flexible wearable sensors with three-dimensional (3D) architecture using simple material and structure design. Herein, we report an all-in-one multiresponsive thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) nanofiber mat sensors composed of crimped elastomer fibers with deposited platinum nanoparticles (PtNPs) on the fiber surface. The 1D TPU nanofibers could be transferred to nanofibers with different 3D nanofiber architectures by controllable macromolecular chain relaxation of aligned elastomer polymers upon poor solvent annealing. The conductive networks of PtNPs on wavy TPU fibers enable the sensor susceptible to multiple stimuli like strain/pressure, humidity, and organic vapors. Besides, the 3D nanofiber architectures allow the strain sensor to detect wider tensile strain and pressure with higher sensitivity due to delicate fiber morphology and structure control. Therefore, this work provides new insights into the fabrication of multifunctional flexible sensors with 3D architecture in an easy way, advancing the establishment of a multiple signal monitoring platform for the health care and human-machine interfacing.

Effects of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Depression and Anxiety, Response Rates and Adverse Events in Patients with Locoregional Advanced Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma.

PURPOSE: This retrospective study investigated the effects of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) on depression, anxiety, response rates, and adverse events in patients with locoregional advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). METHODS: A total of 269 patients with diagnosis of stage III-IVA NPC received either CBT plus chemoradiotherapy (CBT group, n = 136) or treatment as usual (TAU) plus chemoradiotherapy (TAU group, n = 133). Patients in the CBT group received a series of 6 CBT sessions for 6 weeks during concurrent chemoradiotherapy. Depression and anxiety were assessed using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) score at baseline, the completion of radiotherapy, and 6, 12, and 24 months after radiotherapy. Response rates and adverse events were also evaluated. RESULTS: Patients in the CBT group showed significantly less depression and anxiety than patients in the TAU group after the completion of radiotherapy (P < .05). Complete response rates were 99.3% (135/136) and 92.5% (123/133) in the CBT group and TAU group with a small effect size (Phi coefficient = .171), respectively (P = .005). Compared with the TAU group, the CBT group showed a significantly lower incidence of acute adverse events and late toxic effects. CONCLUSIONS: The addition of CBT to chemoradiotherapy significantly reduced depressive and anxiety symptoms. CBT combined with chemoradiotherapy is associated with improved response rates, with reduced incidence of toxic effects in patients with locoregional advanced NPC. Based on this study, we registered a randomized controlled clinical trials to better define the role of CBT in patients with locoregional advanced NPC (Registration number: ChiCTR2000034701).

Induction chemotherapy for the individualised treatment of hypopharyngeal carcinoma with cervical oesophageal invasion: a retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to evaluate the potential of induction chemotherapy as an indicator of the management of advanced hypopharyngeal carcinoma with cervical oesophageal invasion. METHODS: Sixty-eight patients admitted to our hospital between February 2003 and November 2016 with stage IVB hypopharyngeal carcinoma with cervical oesophageal invasion were retrospectively analysed. Patients were divided into two groups according to the treatment they selected following an explanation of the different treatments available. Patients in group A received induction chemotherapy and had (1) complete/partial remission following chemotherapy and radiotherapy/concurrent chemoradiotherapy or (2) stable disease following chemotherapy and surgery. Patients in group B underwent surgery followed by adjuvant radiotherapy/concurrent chemoradiotherapy. Survival analyses were performed using the Kaplan-Meier method, and differences between the groups were evaluated using the log-rank test. Laryngeal and oesophageal retention rates were compared using the cross-tabulation test. RESULTS: The 3- and 5-year overall survival rates were 22.86% and 11.43% in group A and 24.25% and 6.06% in group B, respectively (all P > 0.05). The laryngeal and oesophageal retention rates were 40.0% and 74.3% in group A and 0.0% and 27.3% in group B, respectively (all P < 0.01). There was no statistically significant difference in the incidence of post-operative complications between the two groups (group A 8.6%, group B 12.1%; P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Induction chemotherapy may be an appropriate first choice to ensure laryngeal and oesophageal preservation in the individualised treatment of advanced hypopharyngeal carcinoma with cervical oesophageal invasion.

Silencing novel long non-coding RNA FKBP9P1 represses malignant progression and inhibits PI3K/AKT signaling of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma in vitro.

BACKGROUND: Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play key roles in human cancers. In our previous study, we demonstrated that lncRNA FKBP prolyl isomerase 9 pseudogene 1 (FKBP9P1) was highly expressed in head and neck squamous cell cancer (HNSCC) tissues. However, its functional significance remains poorly understood. In the present study, we identify the role and potential molecular biologic mechanisms of FKBP9P1 in HNSCC. METHODS: Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction was used to detect the expression of FKBP9P1 in HNSCC tissues, matched adjacent normal tissues, human HNSCC cells (FaDu, Cal-27, SCC4, and SCC9), and human immortalized keratinocytes cell HaCaT (normal control). Cal-27 and SCC9 cells were transfected with sh-FKBP9P1-1, sh-FKBP9P1-2, and normal control (sh-NC) lentivirus. Cell counting kit-8 assay, colony formation assay, wound healing assay, and trans-well assay were used to explore the biologic function of FKBP9P1 in HNSCC cells. Furthermore, western blotting was used to determine the mechanism of FKBP9P1 in HNSCC progression. Chi-squared test was performed to assess the clinical significance among FKBP9P1 high-expression and low-expression groups. Survival analyses were performed using the Kaplan-Meier method and assessed using the log-rank test. The comparison between two groups was analyzed by Student t test, and comparisons among multiple samples were performed by one-way analysis of variance and a Bonferroni post hoc test. RESULTS: FKBP9P1 expression was significantly up-regulated in HNSCC tissues (tumor vs. normal, 1.914 vs. 0.957, t = 7.746, P < 0.001) and cell lines (P < 0.01 in all HNSCC cell lines). Besides, the median FKBP9P1 expression of HNSCC tissues (1.677) was considered as the threshold. High FKBP9P1 level was correlated with advanced T stage (P = 0.022), advanced N stage (P = 0.036), advanced clinical stage (P = 0.018), and poor prognosis of HNSCC patients (overall survival, P = 0.002 and disease-free survival, P < 0.001). Knockdown of FKBP9P1 led to marked repression in proliferation, migration, and invasion of HNSCC cells in vitro (P all < 0.01). Mechanistically, silencing FKBP9P1 was observed to restrain the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. CONCLUSIONS: Silencing lncRNA FKBP9P1 represses HNSCC progression and inhibits PI3K/AKT (phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase/AKT Serine/Threonine Kinase) signaling in vitro. Therefore, FKBP9P1 could be a potential new target for the diagnosis and treatment of HNSCC patients.

Early experience in endoscopic transoral resection for parapharyngeal space tumors.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the feasibility, safety, and efficacy of the resection of parapharyngeal space (PPS) tumors via an endoscopic transoral approach. We reviewed 9 patients who were diagnosed with PPS tumors and who were treated with an endoscopic transoral approach. PPS tumors ranging from 2.5 to 6 cm were removed completely with no complications and excellent recovery (mean inpatient hospital stay: 6.89 days). Pathology was pleomorphic adenoma (n = 7), schwannoma (n = 1) and malignant pleomorphic adenoma (n = 1). For the malignant lesion, the patient underwent postoperative radiotherapy (70 Gy). There was no radiographic evidence of recurrences, with mean follow-up of 11.22 months (range: 3 to 20). We conclude that resection of PPS tumors via an endoscopic transoral approach appears to be feasible, safe, and effective. Potential advantages of this approach include an excellent surgical view, rapid surgical access, less tissue injury, avoidance of external scar, fewer postoperative complications, and less morbidity.

PET/CT-guided dose-painting versus CT-based intensity modulated radiation therapy in locoregional advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: The effect of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (FDG-PET/CT)-guided dose-painting intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) in locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is unclear. This study aimed to assess the efficacy and toxicity of such combination. METHODS: From 2012 to 2014, 213 patients with stage III-IVB NPC received chemoradiotherapy by PET/CT-guided DP-IMRT (group A, n = 101) or CT-based IMRT (group B, n = 112). In group A, subvolume GTVnx-PET (gross tumor volume of nasopharynx in PET images) was defined within GTVnx (gross tumor volume of nasopharynx) as the SUV50%max isocontour; the dose to GTVnx-PET was escalated to DT 75.2 Gy/32 and 77.55 Gy/33 Fx, respectively, for patients with T1-2 and T3-4 disease, respectively. In group B, PGTVnx was irradiated at DT 70.4-72.6 Gy/32-33 Fx in 2.2 Gy per fraction. RESULTS: Complete response rates were 99.0% (100/101) and 92.9% (104/112) in groups A and B, respectively (P = 0.037). Compared with CT-based IMRT, FDG-PET/CT guided DP-IMRT significantly improved 3-year local failure-free survival (LFFS, 98.8% vs. 91.3%; P = 0.032), locoregional failure-free survival (LRFFS, 97.2 vs. 91.2%; P = 0.049), distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS, 92.9% vs. 87.4%; P = 0.041), disease free survival (DFS, 87.9% vs. 82.4%; P = 0.02), and overall survival (OS, 91.8% vs. 82.6%; P = 0.049). No statistically significant differences in acute and late toxic effects were observed. Multivariate analysis showed that dose painting (PET/CT-guided DP-IMRT vs CT-based IMRT without DP) was a significant independent prognostic factor for LFFS and DFS. CONCLUSION: FDG-PET/CT guided DP-IMRT plus chemotherapy is associated with a considerable survival benefit, without increasing toxicity in patients with locoregional advanced NPC. Further randomized trials are needed to fully assess the role of PET/CT-guided DP-IMRT.

Correction: RKIP regulates CCL5 expression to inhibit breast cancer invasion and metastasis by controlling macrophage infiltration.

Present: Due to an error made by the authors while submitting a revision, Dr. Tuan Zea Tan was omitted from the list of authors.Corrected: Correct author list can be found below. Authors sincerely apologize for this oversight. Ila Datar1, Xiaoliang Qiu1, Hong Zhi Ma1, Miranda Yeung1, Shweta Aras1, Ivana de la Serna1, Fahd Al-Mulla2, Tuan Zea Tan3, Jean Paul Thiery3, Robert Trumbly1, Xuan Fan4, Hongjuan Cui4 and Kam C. Yeung1 1 Department of Biochemistry and Cancer Biology, University of Toledo, College of Medicine, Health Science Campus, Toledo, OH, USA 2 Kuwait University, Faculty of Medicine. P.O. Box 24923, Safat, Kuwait 3 Department of Biochemistry, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 4 State Key Laboratory Of Silkworm Genome Biology, Chongqing, China Original article: Oncotarget. 2015; 6(36): 39050-61. doi: 10.18632/oncotarget.5176.

RKIP regulates CCL5 expression to inhibit breast cancer invasion and metastasis by controlling macrophage infiltration.

Accumulating evidence suggests that presence of macrophages in the tumor microenvironment add to the invasive and tumor-promoting hallmarks of cancer cells by secreting angiogenic and growth factors. RKIP is a known metastasis suppressor and interferes with several steps of metastasis. However, the mechanistic underpinnings of its function as a broad metastasis suppressor remain poorly understood. Here, we establish a novel pathway for RKIP regulation of metastasis inhibition through the negative regulation of RANTES/CCL5 thereby limiting tumor macrophage infiltration and inhibition of angiogenesis. Using a combination of loss- and gain-of- function approaches, we show that RKIP hinders breast cancer cell invasion by inhibiting expression of the CC chemokine CCL5 in vitro. We also show that the expression levels of RKIP and CCL5 are inversely correlated among clinical human breast cancer samples. Using a mouse allograft breast cancer transplantation model, we highlight that ectopic expression of RKIP significantly decreases tumor vasculature, macrophage infiltration and lung metastases. Mechanistically, we demonstrate that the inhibition of the CCL5 expression is the cause of the observed effects resulting from RKIP expression. Taken together, our results underscore the significance of RKIP as important negative regulator of tumor microenvironment.

[Total thyroidectomy: indications and complications].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the indications and complications of the total thyroidectomy in the management of thyroid cancer. METHODS: Fifty-one patients with thyroid cancer operated with total thyroidectomy in a period from April 2007 to June 2010, were retrospective analyzed. There were 48 cases of papillary adenocarcinoma, 1 follicular adenocarcinoma, and 2 medullary carcinoma as well, 2 cases with hyperthyroidism, 3 cases with remote metastasis. There were 17 males and 34 females who in their age ranged from 5 years old to 82 years old with a middle age of 50 years old. Among the 45 cases who were initial surgical management patients, there were 17 T1, 13 T2, 7 T3, 8 T4; and there were 31 N0, 11 N1a, 3 N1b, 2 M1. The recurrent laryngeal nerve and the parathyroid gland, and supper laryngeal nerve were exposed routinely. Lymph nodes in Level VI were dissected in all patients, and Level II-IV dissected in 25 patients. ¹³¹I were administrated in 8 patients. RESULTS: Patients were followed up from 1 month to 36 months. There were no patients died and lost of follow up. The two years survival rate was 100.0% (15/15). Pathological examination showed that the multiple focal disease rate was 42.2% (19/45), the cervical lymph nodes metastases rate was 51.0% (26/51). There was no permanent paralysis of recurrent laryngeal nerve and outer branch of supper laryngeal nerve. The permanent hypoparathyroidism rate was 3.9% (2/51). One case with contralateral lymph node metastasis was reoperated and survived without disease. Two cases with remote metastasis were alive with steadied disease. CONCLUSIONS: Under the skilled hand, total thyroidectomy is a safe procedure in the management of thyroid cancer. Totally exposing the parathyroid gland and laryngeal nerve is the key point to prevent the major complications.

On-site production of crude glucoamylase for kitchen waste hydrolysis.

Kitchen waste from dining rooms accounts for a considerable proportion of municipal solid garbage, and economical recycle ways are needed to be developed. This study investigated glucoamylase production from kitchen waste and the feasibility of kitchen waste hydrolysis by the crude enzymes produced. The key problems of high water content and poor porosity in kitchen waste for glucoamylase production under solid-state fermentation could be solved readily by the addition of corn stover or paddy husk. As a support medium, corn stover was better than paddy husk. Smashed kitchen waste (sKW) mixed with corn stover in the ratio of 3.75 : 1 (dry basis) produced 1838 U g(-1) of glucoamylase by Aspergillus niger UV-60 within 96 h. The enzyme productivity from kitchen waste was over two-fold higher than that from wheat bran with additional nutrients. Without any recovery treatment, the produced glucoamylase could be used directly to hydrolyse sKW slurry. The optimum enzyme dose 8% (crude enzyme/kichen waste, w/w) was not too big, and was sufficient to hydrolyse 10% (dry basis) sKW slurry to produce a maximum amount of reducing sugar of 55.4 g L(-1).

[Optimization of fuel ethanol production from kitchen waste by Plackett-Burman design].

Kitchen garbage was chosen to produce ethanol through simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) by Zymomonas mobilis. Plackett-Burman design was employed to screen affecting parameters during SSF process. The parameters were divided into two parts, enzymes and nutritions. None of the nutritions added showed significant effect during the experiment, which demonstrated that the kitchen garbage could meet the requirement of the microorganism without extra supplementation. Protease and glucoamylase were determined to be affecting factors for ethanol production. Single factor experiment showed that the optimum usage of these two enzymes were both 100 U/g and the corresponding maximum ethanol was determined to be 53 g/L. The ethanol yield could be as high as 44%. The utilization of kitchen garbage to produce ethanol could reduce threaten of waste as well as improve the protein content of the spent. This method could save the ethanol production cost and benefit for the recycle of kitchen garbage.

[Isolation of an amylolytic lactic acid bacterium and its application on lactic acid production from kitchen waste].

In order to realize resource recycling of kitchen waste, the enhancement of fermentative production of lactic acid (LA) by a strain of amylolytic lactic acid bacterium (ALAB) isolated from kitchen waste was investigated. A total of 6 strains of ALAB were isolated from anaerobically fermented kitchen waste. Among these isolates, the strain FH164 exhibited the highest starch-hydrolyzing rate and LA production. 32.67 g x L(-1) of LA was produced from 40.50 g x L(-1) of soluble starch by strain FH164 at pH 5.5-6.0 in 48 h of fermentation. On the basis of its morphological and physio-biochemical characteristics as well as 16S rDNA sequence, the strain FH164 was tentatively identified as Streptococcus sp.. 28.23 g x L(-1) of LA was obtained from kitchen waste by the strain FHl64 employing an open fermentation mode (substrate non-autoclaved), which was 19.2% higher than that of the fermentation without inoculum (control).

[Liu Yuduo, the first medical officer of the Qing dynasty].

Liu Yuduo was a royal physician with proficient medical techniques and was trusted by the royal family. He was praised as the "First medical officer" by Yongzheng emperor. With Wu Qian, he was the co-compiling officer of the Yi zong jin jian (Golden Mirror of Medicine) during the Qianlong reign and made immortal contributions to the development of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). There were scanty materials about Liu in TCM literature and orthodox history in later ages. However, much materials about him can be found in archives, memorials to the emperors. Emperors' instructions, or even local annals which provide much materials to the research of Liu Yuduo.