Phase-Tunable Molybdenum Boride Ceramics as an Emerging Sensitive and Reliable SERS Platform in Harsh Environments.

Traditional surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) sensors rely heavily on the use of plasmonic noble metals, which have limitations due to their high cost and lack of physical and chemical stability. Hence, it is imperative to explore new materials as SERS platforms that can withstand high temperatures and harsh conditions. In this study, the SERS effect of molybdenum boride ceramic powders is presented with an enhancement factor of 5 orders, which is comparable to conventional noble metal substrates. The molybdenum boride powders synthesized through liquid-phase precursor and carbothermal reduction have ß-MoB, MoB2 , and Mo2 B5 phases. Among these phases, ß-MoB demonstrates the most significant SERS activity, with a detection limit for rhodamine 6G (R6G) molecules of 10-9  m. The impressive SERS enhancement can be attributed to strong molecule interactions and prominent charge interactions between R6G and the various phases of molybdenum boride, as supported by theoretical calculations. Additionally, Raman measurements show that the SERS activity remains intact after exposure to high temperature, strong acids, and alkalis. This research introduces a novel molybdenum boride all-ceramic SERS platform capable of functioning in harsh conditions, thereby showing the promising of boride ultrahigh-temperature ceramics for detection applications in extreme environments.

Biomass-derived lightweight SiC aerogels for superior thermal insulation.

Silicon carbide (SiC) aerogels, which possess unique porous structure and high ablation resistance, show great potential as thermal insulation materials, but their wide application is limited by expensive and cumbersome synthetic procedures. Therefore, it is pivotal to develop a facile, versatile, and cost-effective method for producing SiC aerogels. Herein, we have successfully prepared ultra-light SiC nanowire aerogels (SNWAs) boasting remarkably low thermal conductivity, using biomass-derived carbon templates (BCTs) through a direct carbothermal reduction method. The BCTs obtained by simply carbonizing freeze-dried eggplants can serve not only as the carbon sources but also as the templates for the in situ growth of SiC nanowires. The resultant three-dimensional (3D) SNWAs possess various porous structures, incorporating the original micro-sized pores inherited from the eggplant and nano-sized pores constructed from interconnected SiC nanowires. These multi-scale pore structures bestow SNWAs with lower gas-phase heat conduction characteristics. Besides, the numerous stacking faults and heterojunctions present in the SiC nanowires play a key role in obstructing the solid-phase heat transfer and reinforcing the SiC skeleton. As a result, the SNWAs show an exceptionally low thermal conductivity, measuring 0.0149 W m-1 K-1 at room temperature, and maintain this low value (0.0256 W m-1 K-1) even at 500 °C. Remarkably, even after being exposed to air at 1200 °C for 2 h, the SNWAs maintain a low thermal conductivity of 0.0226 W m-1 K-1. Such low-cost and effective preparation of biomass-derived SiC aerogels is anticipated to pave a new avenue for the development of advanced thermal insulators.

Kirkendall effect induced ultrafine VOOH nanoparticles and their transformation into VO2(M) for energy-efficient smart windows.

Vanadium dioxide (VO2) has received widespread attention for application in energy-efficient smart windows because of its distinct thermochromic property in the near-infrared region during the reversible metal-insulator phase transition. In this study, lepidocrocite VOOH ultrafine nanoparticles (NPs) with a diameter less than 30 nm were prepared by a mild and efficient hydrothermal method, and the Kirkendall effect played a vital role in the growth of the VOOH NPs. It was found that VOOH could be transformed into VO2via a subsequent annealing treatment during which the size and morphology of VOOH are well preserved even though the annealing temperature is up to 500 °C. The ultrafine VO2 NPs are crucial for achieving excellent nanothermochromic performance with a luminous transmittance (Tlum) up to 56.45% and solar modulation ability (ΔTsol) up to 14.95%. The environmental durability is well improved by coating VO2 NPs with an SiO2 shell as confirmed via progressive oxidation and acid corrosion experiments. Meanwhile, the Tlum of the VO2@SiO2 film is further increased from 56.45% to 62.29% while the ΔTsol remained unchanged. This integrated thermochromic performance presents great potential for the development of VO2-based smart windows.

Non-pharmacological interventions for smoking cessation: analysis of systematic reviews and meta-analyses.

BACKGROUND: Although non-pharmacological smoking cessation measures have been widely used among smokers, current research evidence on the effects of smoking cessation is inconsistent and of mixed quality. Moreover, there is a lack of comprehensive evidence synthesis. This study seeks to systematically identify, describe, and evaluate the available evidence for non-pharmacological interventions in smoking populations through evidence mapping (EM), and to search for best-practice smoking cessation programs. METHODS: A comprehensive search for relevant studies published from the establishment of the library to January 8, 2023, was conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, the Cochrane Library, CNKI, CBM, Wan Fang, and VIP. Two authors independently assessed eligibility and extracted data. The PRISMA statement and AMSTAR 2 tool were used to evaluate the report quality and methodology quality of systematic reviews/meta-analyses (SRs/MAs), respectively. Bubble plots were utilized to display information, such as the study population, intervention type, evidence quality, and original study sample size. RESULTS: A total of 145 SRs/MAs regarding non-pharmacological interventions for smoking cessation were investigated, with 20 types of interventions identified. The most commonly used interventions were cognitive behaviour education (n = 32, 22.07%), professional counselling (n = 20, 13.79%), and non-nicotine electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) (n = 13, 8.97%). Among them, counselling and behavioural support can improve smoking cessation rates, but the effect varies depending on the characteristics of the support provided. These findings are consistent with previous SRs/MAs. The general population (n = 108, 74.48%) was the main cohort included in the SRs/MAs. The total score of PRISMA for the quality of the reports ranged from 8 to 27, and 13 studies (8.97%) were rated as high confidence, and nine studies (6.21%) as moderate confidence, in the AMSTAR 2 confidence rating. CONCLUSIONS: The abstinence effect of cognitive behaviour education and money incentive intervention has advantages, and non-nicotine e-cigarettes appear to help some smokers transition to less harmful replacement tools. However, the methodological shortcomings of SRs/MAs should be considered. Therefore, to better guide future practice in the field of non-pharmacological smoking cessation, it is essential to improve the methodological quality of SRs and carry out high-quality randomized controlled trials (RCTs).

Flexible 3D Substrate of Ag Nanoparticle-Loaded Carbon Aerogels with Outstanding Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering Performance.

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), an ultra-sensitive and non-destructive analytic technique, has attracted wide attention from the scientific community. Despite its rapid development, limited hotspots on the SERS substrates have restricted their potential in practical applications. Herein, we developed a facile method to fabricate a flexible three-dimensional (3D) SERS substrate composed of silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs)-loaded carbon aerogels (CAs). Such a flexible Ag NPs/CAs substrate exhibited numerous hotspots, which can facilely be adjusted not only by tuning the density of Ag NPs but also by controlling the bending degree of the flexible substrate. In addition, the influence of hotspots on the local electric field enhancement was investigated by theoretical calculations. Moreover, the 3D network structure of the CAs with a large specific surface area and strong adsorption ability can improve the capture of target molecules. Consequently, the optimal Ag NPs/CAs substrate has a low detection limit of 10-12 M for rhodamine 6G molecules as well as good repeatability. Furthermore, based on the good performance of SERS detection of the Ag NPs/CAs substrate, it can also be practically used for the detection of thiram molecules on the surface of cherry tomatoes. Such a flexible 3D Ag NPs/CAs substrate has great potential for practical environmental monitoring applications.

Engineered Macrophage-Membrane-Coated Nanoparticles with Enhanced PD-1 Expression Induce Immunomodulation for a Synergistic and Targeted Antiglioblastoma Activity.

Glioblastoma (GBM), the most common subtype of malignant gliomas, is characterized by aggressive infiltration, high malignancy, and poor prognosis. The frustrating anti-GBM outcome of conventional therapeutics is due to the immunosuppressive milieu, in addition to the formidable obstacle of the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Combination therapy with an immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) has emerged as a critical component in the treatment of GBM. Here, we report an engineered macrophage-membrane-coated nanoplatform with enhanced programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) expression (PD-1-MM@PLGA/RAPA). Using both in vitro and in vivo GBM models, we demonstrate that PD-1-MM@PLGA/RAPA can efficiently traverse across the BBB in response to the tumor microenvironment (TME) recruitment with nanoparticles accumulating at the tumor site. Furthermore, we show a boosted immune response as a result of enhancing CD8+ cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) infiltration. Together we provide a new nanoplatform for enhancing ICB in combination with conventional chemotherapy for GBM and many other cancers.

The efficacy of low-power cumulative high-intensity focused ultrasound treatment for recurrent desmoid tumor.

BACKGROUND: Desmoid tumors are rare neoplasms that are locally invasive. However, optimal treatment strategies for recurrent desmoid tumors remain controversial. High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) has been reported as a noninvasive modality for treating recurrent desmoid tumors. However, its efficacy against massive desmoid tumors or those with complex anatomies remains unclear. METHODS: We developed a new therapeutic strategy called low-power cumulative HIFU and applied it to treat recurrent desmoid tumors. RESULTS: We retrospectively collected data from 91 patients with recurrent desmoid tumors who underwent low-power cumulative HIFU treatment after surgical treatment failure. The mean ablation proportion of the HIFU treatment was 69.5%, and the objective response rate was 47.3%. The 5-year estimated progression-free survival rate for these patients was 69.3%. CONCLUSION: Low-power cumulative HIFU treatment could achieve significant efficacy and long-term control of recurrent desmoid tumors.

Al doped Ni-Co layered double hydroxides with surface-sulphuration for highly stable flexible supercapacitors.

In this work, a strategy of using fast co-precipitation method has been developed to synthesize stable Al doped α-phase NiCo layered double hydroxides (NCA-LDH). A subsequent surface sulphuration of NCA-LDH (S-NCA-LDH) was carried out to improve the conductivity. The as-synthesized S-NCA-LDH exhibits a good electrochemical performance with a specific capacity of 727.1C g-1 at 1 A g-1. At 20 A g-1, the specific capacity still remains 556C g-1. The capacity retention reaches 95.1 % after 10,000 cycles. Moreover, S-NCA-LDH as positive electrode, activated carbons (AC) as negative electrode and KOH doped polybenzimidazole (PBI-KOH) as solid polymer electrolyte have been employed to assemble flexible all-solid-state supercapacitors (S-NCA-LDH//PBI-KOH//AC). The device exhibits a specific capacitance of 182.6F g-1 at 0.5 A g-1 within 1.8 V. It corresponds to a specific energy of 82.2 Wh kg-1 at 450 W kg-1. It also shows a good cycling stability with capacitance retention of about 92.5 % after 10,000 cycles. Further considering the good mechanical performance under bending and folding deformation conditions, the S-NCA-LDH based flexible devices demonstrate the superiority in applications of flexible wearable electronics.

LncRNA NFYC-AS1 promotes the development of lung adenocarcinomas through autophagy, apoptosis, and MET/c-Myc oncogenic proteins.

BACKGROUND: Nuclear transcription factor Y subunit C antisense RNA 1 (NFYC-AS1) was revealed to be a potential prognostic biomarker in lung adenocarcinoma (LAUD) by analyzing The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. However, the function of NFYC-AS1 has not been verified in cancers, including LAUD. We plan to verify the function of NFYC-AS1 in LAUD through this study. METHODS: We determined NFYC-AS1 expression in 4 LAUD cell lines, and 1 normal lung cell line (HBE) by quantitative real-time reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR). small interfering RNA (siRNA) was employed to specifically knockdown NFYC-AS1 in H1299 and PC9 cell lines. Cell growth and invasion activity of LAUD cells was assessed by WST-1, colony formation and transwell assay, respectively. The effect of NFYC-AS1 expression on cell apoptosis was then assessed by flow cytometry assay. Furthermore, the expression of downstream proteins of NFYC-AS1 was investigated by Western blot. RESULTS: The proliferation, migration, and invasion of cells were inhibited and apoptosis was increased after NFYC-AS1 knockdown in LAUD cells. The cells transfected with NFYC-AS1 siRNA had a higher rate of apoptosis compared with that in control cells. The apoptosis-related proteins p53 and PARP were upregulated. These suggested NFYC-AS1 could inhibit the apoptosis of LAUD cells. In terms of the expression of major autophagy proteins, p62 was downregulated while Beclin 1 was upregulated after NFYC-AS1 knockdown, which suggested that autophagy was activated. The expression of oncogenic proteins MET and c-Myc was downregulated. CONCLUSIONS: In summary, the above results suggest that NFYC-AS1 may promote the proliferation of LAUD through autophagy and apoptosis.

The efficacy of a new high-intensity focused ultrasound therapy for metastatic pancreatic cancer.

PURPOSE: To compare the survival benefit, pain control and safety of low-power cumulative and traditional high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) for metastatic pancreatic cancer. METHOD: We retrospectively analyzed 55 patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer who received HIFU treatment between January 2008 and April 2014 in our department. 23 patients received low-power cumulative HIFU treatment (L group), 32 received the traditional HIFU treatment (T group). Performance status, cancer-related pain and serum biochemistry results were assessed before and after treatment. All patients were followed up until death. The survival rate and adverse events of the two groups were compared. RESULTS: The baseline characteristics of the two groups were generally well balanced (p > 0.05). The average KPS score after treatment was significantly improved in both groups compared with the baseline score. 36 patients exhibited tumor-related pain at baseline. The pain response rate was significantly higher in the L group (92.3%) than in the T group (52.2%) (p = 0.025). The median overall survival (OS) for the L group was 7.0 months, which was significantly longer than that of the T group (p = 0.000). The 3-month and 6-month survival rates were higher in the L group. The adverse events in both groups included abdominal pain, elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) and elevated amylase. The incidence was lower in the L group than in the T group. CONCLUSION: Compared with traditional HIFU treatment, low-power cumulative HIFU treatment showed a significantly higher pain relief rate and survival benefit with a better safety profile in patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer.

Intermittent ice-cooling to prevent skin heat injury caused by high-intensity focused ultrasound therapy targeting desmoid-type fibromatosis: A case report.

INTRODUCTION: Desmoid-type fibromatosis (DF) is a fibrous tumor characterized by low-grade malignant and easy invasive growth and high recurrence. High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) therapy has been identified as a novel non-invasive approach for DF treatment; however, the ultrasonic energy generated by HIFU can cause skin heat injury. CASE: A 31-year-old female patient with signs and symptoms of DF received treatment in our institution. The patient had undergone HIFU treatment six times from April 27, 2018, to August 21, 2019. After HIFU therapy for the third time, she had a third-degree skin burn showing as orange peel-like change and spent three months to promote the recovery of the skin lesions. An intermittent ice-cooling strategy was used to avoid skin damage during the fourth HIFU treatment. This patient did not have any apparent skin injury during the last three HIFU therapy and acquired satisfactory anti-tumor therapeutic effect. CONCLUSIONS: There are differences in the thermal selectivity of tumor tissues, which leads to different critical thermal injury temperature values that the tissue can tolerate. Ice-cooling can lower skin tissue temperature and reduce the thermal damage caused by HIFU treatment.

High-intensity focused ultrasound treatment as an alternative regimen for myxofibrosarcoma.

Myxofibrosarcoma is a common soft-tissue sarcoma in elderly patients, characterized by an infiltrative growth pattern and a high risk for persistent local recurrence. A 35-years-old woman was diagnosed with myxofibrosarcoma on the right upper arm and the tumor is surgically resected. The tumor relapsed 7 months later. Then the patient received five cycles of low power cumulative high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) treatments, which completely ablated the tumor without complications. Now the patient is disease free with a high quality of life more than 30 months. This case indicates HIFU ablation might be a novel, promising therapy for recurrent myxofibrosarcoma.

High-intensity focused ultrasound for treatment of recurrent uterine leiomyosarcoma: a case report and literature review.

Uterine leiomyosarcoma has the characteristics of high malignancy, a poor prognosis, and a high recurrence rate. Surgery is the main treatment option, supplemented by chemotherapy and radiotherapy. We report on a patient with recurrent uterine leiomyosarcoma who was treated with high-intensity focused ultrasound combined with chemotherapy. Tumor growth was controlled and the patient's survival time was prolonged. High-intensity focused ultrasound combined with chemotherapy may thus provide a new treatment strategy for patients with recurrent and surgically difficult uterine leiomyosarcoma.

Author Correction: GPU-Accelerated GLRLM Algorithm for Feature Extraction of MRI.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.

A split-type structure of Ag nanoparticles and Al2O3@Ag@Si nanocone arrays: an ingenious strategy for SERS-based detection.

Herein, we report a facile strategy of combined SERS measurements based on a split-type SERS substrate, which exhibits excellent SERS activity, detection signal reproducibility and chemical stability. The SERS substrate consists of an ordered Al2O3@Ag@Si nanocone array and Ag nanoparticles (Ag-NPs), both of which are fabricated individually. The Al2O3@Ag@Si nanocone array is obtained by ion-sputtering Ag on an Si nanocone array and then coating an ultrathin (∼2 nm) Al2O3 dielectric layer via atomic layer deposition (ALD). Ag-NPs are synthesized via the liquid phase method and then immersed in an organic solvent for liquid seal. For the SERS measurement, Ag-NPs are dispersed in a liquid containing the probe molecules and then, they self-assemble on the surface of the Al2O3@Ag@Si nanocones. Subsequently, the ultrathin Al2O3 dielectric layer separates Ag-NPs from the Ag@Si nanocones, forming massive gap-introduced hot spots. This substrate is sensitive to 1 pM Rhodamine R6G with an average enhancement factor of up to 109, exhibiting excellent SERS activity. Moreover, due to the protection of the Al2O3 dielectric layer and the organic solvent for the Ag@Si nanocones and Ag-NPs against oxidation, the split-type SERS substrate achieves an SERS signal with almost no attenuation after five months, indicating its good chemical stability.

Silver nanoparticle-assembled micro-bowl arrays for sensitive SERS detection of pesticide residue.

It is of great significance to develop a simple and effective method for constructing large-scale high-quality surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrate. Here, an Ag nanoparticle-assembled micro-bowl array was prepared by a close-packed polystyrene (PS) sphere monolayer templated electrodeposition approach. The fabricated Ag nanoparticle-assembled micro-bowl array shows high SERS sensitivity to rhodamine 6G (R6G) under an ultra-low concentration of 1 fM, and exhibits excellent SERS spectral uniformity with a small relative standard deviation (RSD) of 7.6% and good reproducibility (a RSD ∼8.2% for the average peak intensities from different batches of SERS substrates). The fabricated micro-bowl array SERS substrate was employed to detect pesticide residue (thiram and methyl parathion) on vegetables. The limit of detections (LODs) for the two pesticides are lower than the maximum residue limits (MRLs) set by the European Union respectively, showing promising application in rapid inspection of food safety.

Silver-nanoparticles/graphene hybrids for effective enrichment and sensitive SERS detection of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are one of the most widespread and dangerous group of pollutants existing in the environment. Trace detection of PAHs is essential and important. Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is a powerful analytical tool for ultrasensitive chemical analysis. However, the direct detection of PAHs by SERS is difficult due to poor affinity of PAHs to metal surfaces. In this work, we present a SERS platform based on the Ag-nanoparticles/graphene hybrid for the direct detection of PAHs with graphene as PAHs assemblies. The target PAHs are captured by the graphene through π-π electronic stacking, and brought close to the hot spots generated by dense Ag-nanoparticles decorated on the graphene. Sensitive detection of PAHs has been realized using this SERS substrate without further surface modification. The limit of detection for the three typical PAHs including pyrene, anthracene and phenanthrene was as low as 0.73 ppb, 1.1 ppb and 0.57 ppb, respectively. Our results indicate that the immobilization of PAHs on graphene is a process that can be applied in the design of sensitive sensors for these aromatic pollutants. This functional SERS sensor shows a great potential application in food safety inspection and environment pollutants monitoring.

Drug-drug interaction between crizotinib and entecavir via renal secretory transporter OCT2.

Both entecavir and crizotinib are substrates of organic cation transporter 2 (OCT2). The aim of present study was to investigate the mechanisms of drug interactions between these two drugs. Kinetic analysis of entecavir on crizotinib uptake was conduct. Plasma concentration of crizotinib in rats and lung cancer patients, uptake of crizotinib in kidney slices and OCT2 transfected cells, were determined by LC-MS/MS. The clinical pharmacokinetic interactions and impact on adverse reaction of crizotinib in lung cancer patients were investigated. Steady-state through concentration of crizotinib was measured. The crizotinib-related adverse reactions were recorded in lung cancer patients with and without entecavir. Entecavir and 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium iodide significantly inhibited the uptake of crizotinib in kidney slices. Kinetic constants for crizotinib uptake by OCT2 were Km 1.16 ± 0.26 µM, Vmax 12.05 ± 0.53 µmol/min mg-1 protein and Ki 9.711 nM. Entecavir can inhibit crizotinib transport by OCT2 in kidney. Co-administration of entecavir significantly reduced the elimination of crizotinib in rats. In lung cancer patients, the steady-state AUCss of crizotinib increased approximately 1.2 fold (p < 0.05) but clearance was decreased by approximately 15% in the presence of entecavir. Steady-state through concentration of crizotinib significantly increased 1.3-fold when co-administrated with entecavir (p>0.001). Co-medication of entecavir significantly (p < 0.05) increased the risks of vision disorders, diarrhea and vomiting 1.6-, 2.3- and 1.8-fold. Entecavir could increase the exposure and reduce the elimination of crizotinib in lung cancer patients. Moreover, the presence of entecavir could significantly increase the incidences of adverse reaction of crizotinib.

Corrigendum: NCNet: Deep Learning Network Models for Predicting Function of Non-Coding DNA.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2019.00432.].

GPU-Accelerated GLRLM Algorithm for Feature Extraction of MRI.

The gray level run length matrix (GLRLM) whose entries are statistics recording distribution and relationship of images pixels is a widely used method for extracting statistical features for medical images, e.g., magnetic resonance (MR) images. Recently these features are usually employed in some artificial neural networks to identify and distinguish texture patterns. But GLRLM construction and features extraction are tedious and computationally intensive while the images are too big with high resolution, or there are too many small or intermediate Regions of Interest (ROI) to process in a single image, which makes the preprocess a time consuming stage. Hence, it is of great importance to accelerate the procedure which is nowadays possible with the rapid development of massively parallel Graphics Processing Unit, i.e. the GPU computing technology. In this article, we propose a new paradigm based on mature parallel primitives for generating GLRLMs and extracting multiple features for many ROIs simultaneously in a single image. Experiments show that such a paradigm is easy to implement and offers an acceleration over 5 fold increase in speed than an optimized serial counterpart.