Granulosa Cells-Related MicroRNAs in Ovarian Diseases: Mechanism, Facts and Perspectives.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of short single-stranded, noncoding RNAs that affect the translation of mRNAs by imperfectly binding to homologous 3'UTRs. Research on miRNAs in ovarian diseases is constantly expanding because miRNAs are powerful regulators of gene expression and cellular processes and are promising biomarkers. miRNA mimics, miRNA inhibitors and molecules targeting miRNAs (antimiRs) have shown promise as novel therapeutic agents in preclinical development. Granulosa cells (GCs) are supporting cells for developing oocytes in the ovary. GCs regulate female reproductive health by producing sex hormones and LH receptors. Increasing research has reported the relevance of miRNAs in GC pathophysiology. With in-depth studies of disease mechanisms, there are an increasing number of studies on the biomolecular pathways of miRNAs in gynecology and endocrinology. In the present review, we summarize the different functions of GC-related microRNAs in various ovarian disorders, such as polycystic ovary syndrome, premature ovarian insufficiency, premature ovarian failure and ovarian granulosa cell tumors.

Super-amphiphobic arabic gum-based coatings on textile for on-demand oily and dye wastewater treatment.

Different membrane materials have broadly been constructed for oil-containing water separation, but most of preparation routes involve corrosive or toxic chemicals and especially many materials have only single superwetting property. Herein, a novel and eco-friendly cellulose-based textile membrane is developed by incorporating the composite coating consisting of arabic gum (AG), attapulgite (APT), and iron (Fe) onto cellulose textiles. The functionalized textile is superoleophobic underwater and superhydrophobic underoil. As a result, the textile prewetted with water or oil can be employed to separate light oil layer/water and heavy oil layer/water mixtures, respectively, and the separation efficiency to the two types of mixtures is larger than 98.3 %. Results also reveal that the decorated textile possesses superior stability and recyclability in purifying oily wastewater. More importantly, such coated textile is capable of filtrating water-soluble contaminants (dyes) from polluted water. Due to the versatility and environmental compatibility of product as well as the accessibility as agricultural and forestry product as raw materials, the advanced textiles may offer effective solutions to oily wastewater purification and water-soluble contaminant removal.

Perovskite quantum dot one-dimensional topological laser.

Various topological laser concepts have recently enabled the demonstration of robust light-emitting devices that are immune to structural deformations and tolerant to fabrication imperfections. Current realizations of photonic cavities with topological boundaries are often limited by outcoupling issues or poor directionality and require complex design and fabrication that hinder operation at small wavelengths. Here we propose a topological cavity design based on interface states between two one-dimensional photonic crystals with distinct Zak phases. Using a few monolayers of solution-processed all-inorganic cesium lead halide perovskite quantum dots as the ultrathin gain medium, we demonstrate a lithography-free, vertical-emitting, low-threshold, and single-mode laser emitting in the green. We show that the topological laser, akin to vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs), is robust against local perturbations of the multilayer structure. We argue that the design simplicity and reduction of the gain medium thickness enabled by the topological cavity make this architecture suitable for low-cost and efficient quantum dot vertical emitting lasers operating across the visible spectral region.

Prognostic significance of sarcopenia diagnosed based on the anthropometric equation for progression-free survival and overall survival in patients with colorectal cancer.

Background: The purpose of this study was to investigate the prognostic significance of sarcopenia diagnosed based on anthropometric equations for progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). Methods: A total of 1,441 CRC patients who underwent surgical treatment between January 2012 and December 2016 were enrolled in this study. Sarcopenia was diagnosed according to validated anthropometric equations. The Kaplan-Meier method with the log-rank test was used to estimate the survival curve. Cox proportional hazards regression models with forward selection were used to evaluate risk factors affecting the prognosis of CRC patients. R package "survival" was used to build the prognostic nomograms to predict 1-5 years of PFS and OS in CRC patients. The concordance index (C-index) and calibration curve were used to evaluate the prognostic accuracy of the prognostic nomogram. Results: Two hundred and seventy-one patients (18.8%) were diagnosed with sarcopenia. Sarcopenia was significantly associated with advanced age, large tumor size, and high mortality. Compared with the non-sarcopenia patients, the PFS of sarcopenia patients was worse (5-year PFS, 48.34 vs. 58.80%, p = 0.003). Multivariate survival analysis showed that patients with sarcopenia had a higher risk (23.9%) of adverse PFS (HR, 1.239; 95%CI: 1.019-1.505, p = 0.031) than patients without sarcopenia. The OS of patients with sarcopenia was significantly worse than that of patients without sarcopenia (5-year OS: 50.92 vs. 61.62%, p = 0.001). In CRC patients, sarcopenia was independently associated with poor OS (HR: 1.273, 95%CI: 1.042-1.556, p < 0.001). Moreover, sarcopenia effectively differentiated the OS of CRC patients in the normal carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) subgroup but not in the high CEA subgroup. Notably, sarcopenia can provide effective prognostic stratification in CRC patients at different pathological stages. Nomograms that integrated prognostic features were built to predict the risk of adverse outcomes in CRC patients. The C-index and calibration curves showed that these nomograms had good prediction accuracy. Internal validation confirmed that our nomogram has wide application potential. Conclusion: Sarcopenia diagnosed based on anthropometric equations is an independent risk factor for PFS and OS in CRC patients.

Prediction model for missed abortion of patients treated with IVF-ET based on XGBoost: a retrospective study.

Aim: In this study, we established a model based on XGBoost to predict the risk of missed abortion in patients treated with in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET), evaluated its prediction ability, and compared the model with the traditional logical regression model. Methods: We retrospectively collected the clinical data of 1,017 infertile women treated with IVF-ET. The independent risk factors were screened by performing a univariate analysis and binary logistic regression analysis, and then, all cases were randomly divided into the training set and the test set in a 7:3 ratio for constructing and validating the model. We then constructed the prediction models by the traditional logical regression method and the XGBoost method and tested the prediction performance of the two models by resampling. Results: The results of the binary logistic regression analysis showed that several factors, including the age of men and women, abnormal ovarian structure, prolactin (PRL), anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), anticardiolipin antibody (ACA), and thyroid peroxidase antibody (TPO-Ab), independently influenced missed abortion significantly (P < 0.05). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) score and the F1 score with the training set of the XGBoost model (0.877 ± 0.014 and 0.730 ± 0.019, respectively) were significantly higher than those of the logistic model (0.713 ± 0.013 and 0.568 ± 0.026, respectively). In the test set, the AUC and F1 scores of the XGBoost model (0.759 ± 0.023 and 0.566 ± 0.042, respectively) were also higher than those of the logistic model (0.695 ± 0.030 and 0.550 ± 049, respectively). Conclusions: We established a prediction model based on the XGBoost algorithm, which can accurately predict the risk of missed abortion in patients with IVF-ET. This model performed better than the traditional logical regression model.

Application of artificial neural networks in reproductive medicine.

With the emergence of the age of information, the data on reproductive medicine has improved immensely. Nonetheless, healthcare workers who wish to utilise the relevance and implied value of the various data available to aid clinical decision-making encounter the difficulty of statistically analysing such large data. The application of artificial intelligence becoming widespread in recent years has emerged as a turning point in this regard. Artificial neural networks (ANNs) exhibit beneficial characteristics of comprehensive analysis and autonomous learning, owing to which these are being applied to disease diagnosis, embryo quality assessment, and prediction of pregnancy outcomes. The present report aims to summarise the application of ANNs in the field of reproduction and analyse its further application potential.

Prognostic significance of preoperative prognostic immune and nutritional index in patients with stage I-III colorectal cancer.

BACKGROUND: To explore the value of preoperative prognostic immune and nutritional index (PINI) in predicting postoperative complications and long-term outcomes in patients with stage I-III colorectal cancer (CRC). METHODS: Restricted cubic splines were used to assess the relationship between PINI and survival in patients with CRC. The Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test were used to plot the survival curves. The Cox proportional hazards model was used to evaluate independent prognostic predictors in patients with CRC. A logistic regression analysis was performed to identify independent predictors of postoperative complications. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) logistic regression algorithm was used for feature screening. RESULTS: An evident positive dose-response relationship between PINI and survival in patients with CRC was identified. Compared with patients with a high PINI, those with a low PINI had worse disease-free survival (DFS) (47.9% vs. 66.9%, p < 0.001) and overall survival (OS) (49.7% vs. 70.2%, p < 0.001). The Cox proportional hazards model revealed that PINI was independently associated with DFS (hazard ratio [HR], 0.823; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.754-0.898; p < 0.001) and OS (HR, 0.833; 95% CI, 0.761-0.912; p < 0.001) in patients with CRC. In the logistic regression analysis, PINI was an independent factor affecting postoperative complications in patients with CRC (odds ratio, 0.710; 95%CI: 0.610-0.810, p < 0.001). The LASSO logistic regression algorithm was used to screen for effective prognostic variables. Finally, we constructed PINI-based nomograms to predict postoperative 1-5-year PFS, and OS in patients with CRC. CONCLUSION: PINI is an effective biomarker for predicting postoperative complications, DFS, and OS in patients with stage I-III CRC.

Neutrophil-albumin ratio as a biomarker for postoperative complications and long-term prognosis in patients with colorectal cancer undergoing surgical treatment.

Background: To explore the prognostic value of the preoperative neutrophil-albumin ratio (NAR) in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) undergoing surgical treatment. Materials and methods: The standardized log-rank statistic was used to determine the optimal cut-off value for NAR. A logistic regression model was used to evaluate the value of NAR in predicting postoperative complications. Cox proportional hazards models were used to assess the independent association of NAR with progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in CRC patients. Restricted cubic splines were used to assess the relationship between continuous NAR and survival in CRC patients. The Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test were used to compare survival differences between low and high NAR groups. NAR-based prognostic nomograms were constructed to predict the 1-5-year PFS and OS of CRC patients. The concordance index (C-index) and calibration curve were used to evaluate the prognostic accuracy of the nomograms. Results: A total of 1,441 CRC patients were enrolled from January 2012 to December 2016. There were 904 men (62.7%) and 537 women (37.3%), with an average age of 58.12 ± 13.15 years. High NAR was closely associated with low BMI, advanced pathological stage, colon cancer, large tumors, vascular invasion, poor differentiation, high CEA levels, long hospital stay, and recurrence and metastasis. A high NAR was an independent risk factor for postoperative complications in CRC patients (OR: 2.298, 95% CI: 1.642-3.216, p < 0.001). Patients with a high NAR had worse PFS (40.7 vs. 59.5%, p < 0.001) and OS (42.6 vs. 62.4%, p < 0.001). After adjusting for confounders, high NAR was independently associated with PFS (HR: 1.280, 95% CI: 1.031-1.589, p = 0.025) and OS (HR: 1.280; 95% CI: 1.026-1.596, p = 0.029) in CRC patients. The C-index and calibration curves showed that the NAR-based prognostic nomograms had good predictive accuracy. Conclusion: High NAR was an independent risk factor for postoperative complications and long-term prognosis of CRC patients. NAR-based research could provide references for prognostic judgment and clinical decision-making of CRC patients.

Structural Regulation of Oxygen Vacancy-Rich K0.5 Mn2 O4 Cathode by Carbon Hybridization for Enhanced Zinc-Ion Energy Storage.

High-voltage manganese-based materials are considered as promising cathode materials for aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs). Herein, oxygen vacancy-rich K0.5 Mn2 O4 sheets were anchored uniformly onto honeycomb-like interconnected carbon nanoflakes (CNF@K0.5 Mn2 O4 ) for AZIB cathode applications. In the composite, the CNFs provided excellent intergranular electron transport capability, while the oxygen vacancies enhanced the electron transport efficiency inside crystals, and the embedded K ions expanded the interlayer spacing and stabilized the layered crystal structure. A reversible specific capacity of 241 mAh g-1 could be maintained by the composite at 0.5 A g-1 for 400 cycles. A combination of ex-situ analytical methods and density functional theory calculations was carried out to elucidate the electrochemical mechanism of reversible zinc storage. In addition, flexible quasi-solid-state batteries of Zn//CNF@K0.5 Mn2 O4 were constructed by substituting the traditional aqueous electrolyte for a quasi-solid-state gel electrolyte, which worked efficiently and exhibited high bending durability.

Combination of Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index and Carcinoembryonic Antigen to Predict the Survival of Patients With Colorectal Cancer.

Background: This study explored the value of the combination of Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index (GNRI) and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) for the prognosis assessment of CRC patients. Methods: This study retrospectively enrolled 1,014 CRC patients who underwent surgery between 2012 and 2014. Kaplan-Meier and log-rank tests were used to compare survival differences. Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was used to assess risk factors associated with progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Nomograms were constructed to predict the prognosis of CRC patients. Randomized internal validation was used to confirm the predictive accuracy of the prognostic nomograms. Results: The GNRI-CEA score was established by combining GNRI and CEA. Compared with patients with normal GNRI-CEA scores, patients with mild/moderate/severe GNRI-CEA scores had significantly lower survival (PFS, 68.99% vs. 57.75% vs. 41.34% vs. 31.36%, p < 0.001; OS, 68.99% vs. 57.75% vs. 41.34% vs. 31.36%, p < 0.001). The GNRI-CEA score is an independent factor predicting the prognosis of CRC patients. The risk of death was twofold higher in patients with low GNRI and high CEA than in those with both normal GNRI and CEA [PFS, hazard ratio (HR), 2.339; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.656-3.303; p < 0.001; OS, HR, 2.340; 95% CI, 1.645-3.329; p < 0.001]. Prognostic nomograms had good resolution and accuracy in predicting 1-5 year PFS and OS. Randomized internal validation showed that the nomograms were reliable. Conclusion: The combination of GNRI and CEA can effectively stratify the prognosis of CRC patients. The nomogram established based on the two indices can provide a personalized reference for prognostic assessment and clinical decision-making for CRC patients.

Construction of Economic Security Early Warning System Based on Cloud Computing and Data Mining.

Economic security is a core theoretical issue in economics. In modern economic conditions, the ups and downs caused by economic instability in any economic system will affect the stability of the financial market, bring huge losses to the economy, and affect the development of the whole national economy. Therefore, research on the regularity of economic security and economic fluctuations is one of the important contents to ensure economic stability and scientific development. Accurate monitoring and forecasting of economic security are an indispensable link in economic system regulation, and it is also an important reference factor for any economic organization to make decisions. This article focuses on the construction of an economic security early warning system as the main research content. It integrates cloud computing and data mining technologies and is supported by CNN-SVM algorithm and designs an early warning model that can adaptively evaluate and warn the economic security state. Experiments show that when the CNN network in the model uses ReLU activation function and SVM uses RBF function, the prediction accuracy can reach 0.98, and the prediction effect is the best. The data set is verified, and the output Q province's 2018 economic security early warning comprehensive index is 0.893. The 2019 economic security early warning index is 0.829, which is consistent with the actual situation.

Prognostic Value of Prognostic Nutritional Index in Patients With Colorectal Cancer Undergoing Surgical Treatment.

Background: To investigate the relationship between prognostic nutritional index (PNI) and the survival of patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) undergoing surgical treatment. Methods: In total 1,014 CRC patients who underwent surgical treatment were enrolled. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify the features that influenced postoperative complications in CRC patients. Restricted cubic spline was used to assess the dose-response relationship between PNI and survival in CRC patients. Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test were used to compare survival differences between groups of CRC patients. Cox proportional risk regression models was used to assess independent risk factors for progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) of CRC patients. Results: Low PNI was associated with high tumor burden, invasive pathological features, and poor host status. Compared with patients with high PNI, patients with low PNI have a higher incidence of complications and longer hospital stay. Low PNI was an independent risk factor for postoperative complications in CRC patients. for every SD increased in PNI, the risk of poor prognosis for CRC patients was reduced by 2.3% (HR = 0.977, 95%CI = 0.962-0.993, p = 0.004) in PFS, and 2.3% (HR = 0.977, 95%CI = 0.962-0.993, p = 0.004) in OS. PNI was an independent prognostic factor affecting the PFS and OS of CRC patients. Finally, we constructed the PNI-based nomograms to predict postoperative complications, 1-5 years PFS and OS in CRC patients. Concordance index and calibration curve indicated that the PNI-based nomograms have moderate prediction accuracy. Conclusion: PNI is an independent risk factor affecting postoperative complications, PFS and OS of CRC patients, and is a useful supplement to the TNM stage.

Establishment of a nomogram model for predicting adverse outcomes in advanced-age pregnant women with preterm preeclampsia.

AIM: To establish a model for predicting adverse outcomes in advanced-age pregnant women with preterm preeclampsia in China. METHODS: We retrospectively collected the medical records of 896 pregnant women with preterm preeclampsia who were older than 35 years and delivered at the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University from June 2018 to December 2020. The pregnant women were divided into an adverse outcome group and a non-adverse outcome group according to the occurrence of adverse outcomes. The data were divided into a training set and a verification set at a ratio of 8:2. A nomogram model was developed according to a binary logistic regression model created to predict the adverse outcomes in advanced-age pregnant women with preterm preeclampsia. ROC curves and their AUCs were used to evaluate the predictive ability of the model. The model was internally verified by using 1000 bootstrap samples, and a calibration diagram was drawn. RESULTS: Binary logistic regression analysis showed that platelet count (PLT), uric acid (UA), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), prothrombin time (PT), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) were the factors that independently influenced adverse outcomes (P < 0.05). The AUCs of the internal and external verification of the model were 0.788 (95% CI: 0.737 ~ 0.764) and 0.742 (95% CI: 0.565 ~ 0.847), respectively. The calibration curve was close to the diagonal. CONCLUSIONS: The model we constructed can accurately predict the risk of adverse outcomes of pregnant women of advanced age with preterm preeclampsia, providing corresponding guidance and serving as a basis for preventing adverse outcomes and improving clinical treatment and maternal and infant prognosis.

Pretreatment Albumin-to-Fibrinogen Ratio is a Promising Biomarker for Predicting Postoperative Clinical Outcomes in Patients with Colorectal Cancer.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the prognostic value of pretreatment albumin-to-fibrinogen ratio (AFR) in colorectal cancer (CRC). METHODS: This retrospective study included 657 CRC patients who underwent surgical resection in 2012-2014. Kaplan-Meier survival curve and Cox proportional hazards model were used to determine independent predictors. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was used to assess and compare the ability of indicators to predict survival. RESULTS: The optimal cutoff value of AFR was 8.3. Compared with high AFR group, low AFR group had shorter progression-free survival (PFS) (65.32% vs 52.28%, p < 0.001) and overall survival (OS) (67.47% vs 56.14%, p = 0.001). In the stratified analysis of TNM stage, AFR had good prognostic discrimination for early- and advanced-stage patients. Multivariate analysis suggested that AFR was an independent prognostic factor of PFS [hazard ratio (HR) = 1.385, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.043-1.839, p = 0.024) and OS (HR = 1.342, 95% CI = 1.022-1.763, p = 0.034) for CRC patients. AFR had better prognostic prediction ability than other inflammation-related markers. The AFR-based nomograms had good predictive capabilities. CONCLUSIONS: Pretreatment AFR is an independent prognostic factor for CRC patients undergoing surgical resection and is superior to other established inflammation-related markers.

In situ construction of ball-in-ball structured porous vanadium pentoxide intertwined with carbon fibers induces superior electronic/ionic transport dynamics for aqueous zinc-ion batteries.

HYPOTHESIS: Using V2O5 as an aqueous zinc-ion battery (ZIB) cathode has major drawbacks, including inferior electrode/electrolyte contact interfaces, morphological and structural deterioration, and unsatisfactory conductivity. Purposeful construction of ball-in-ball structured V2O5 with porous and void architectures wrapped with carbon fibers is expected to overcome the drawbacks, thus bringing the electrochemical performance of V2O5 into full play. EXPERIMENTS: In situ construction of ball-in-ball structured porous V2O5 wrapped by intertwined carbon fibers (V2O5@void@V2O5@CFs) is implemented through a simple combined hydrothermal and calcination route. A combination of in/ex situ analytical methods and density functional theoretical calculations are performed to clarify the energy storage mechanism of the material for aqueous ZIBs. FINDINGS: The reversible reaction to generate ZnxV2O5·nH2O executes during the zinc ion insertion/extraction procedure in V2O5@void@V2O5@CFs. Benefitting from the synergistic effect of the porous ball-in-ball structure with void space and the wrapped CFs, the material exhibits boosted specific capacity (455 mAh g-1 after 100 cycles and 149 mAh g-1 after 2000 cycles at 4 and 25 A g-1, respectively), cyclic stability, rate ability and energy density (355 Wh kg-1 at 739 W kg-1) when used for aqueous ZIBs due to improved capacitive contribution, fast zinc ion transport dynamics, and enhanced conductivity.

Preoperative computed tomography-assessed sarcopenia as a predictor of complications and long-term prognosis in patients with colorectal cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: The relationship between computed tomography (CT)-assessed sarcopenia and colorectal cancer (CRC) prognosis varies in different studies. This systematic review aimed to examine the impact of preoperative CT-assessed sarcopenia on complications and long-term survival in CRC patients. METHODS: The PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and Embase databases were searched for relevant literature up to September 10, 2020. Data and characteristics for each study were extracted. Long-term outcomes were assessed using a comprehensive HR with a 95% CI. Complications were assessed using a comprehensive OR with 95% CI. The heterogeneity and publication bias were also investigated, and subgroup and sensitivity analyses were performed. RESULTS: A total of 19 studies comprising 15,889 patients were included. The comprehensive results demonstrated that sarcopenia is significantly associated with overall survival of CRC patients (HR = 1.40, 95% CI = 1.25-1.58, p < 0.001). Patients with sarcopenia have a higher risk of complications compared to those without sarcopenia. In addition, sarcopenia is strongly associated with poor cancer-specific survival (HR = 1.49, 95% CI = 1.32-1.68, p < 0.001) and disease-free survival (HR = 1.59, 95% CI = 1.32-1.92, p < 0.001) in CRC patients. There is no significant relationship between sarcopenia and recurrence-free survival (HR = 1.32, 95% CI = 0.92-1.89, p = 0.126). CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative CT-assessed sarcopenia can be employed as an effective predictor of complications and long-term prognosis in CRC patients. Standardization of CT-assessed sarcopenia requires comprehensive consideration of race, muscle mass index, body mass index, and gender.

Prognostic Significance of Preoperative Fibrinogen-to-Prealbumin Ratio in Patients with Stage I-III Colorectal Cancer Undergoing Surgical Resection: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to explore the role of preoperative fibrinogen-to-prealbumin ratio (FPR) in evaluating the prognosis of patients with stage I-III colorectal cancer (CRC). METHODS: This retrospective study enrolled 584 stage I-III CRC patients undergoing surgical resection. Logistic regression analysis was used to explore the correlation between FPR and postoperative complications. The Kaplan-Meier curve and Cox proportional hazards model were used to identify the prognostic factors. The nomograms were constructed based on the prognostic factors. The concordance index and calibration curve were used to determine the accuracy of the nomograms. Time-dependent receiver operating characteristic was used to compare the predictive prognostic efficacy of nomograms and TNM stage. RESULTS: FPR was determined to be an independent factor affecting postoperative complications. Patients with a low-FPR had a significantly better prognosis than those with a high-FPR (disease-free survival, p = 0.028; overall survival, p = 0.027), especially patients with stage I CRC (disease-free survival, p = 0.015; overall survival, p = 0.017). The Cox proportional hazards model identified FPR as an independent poor prognostic factor of disease-free survival (hazard ratio (HR) = 1.459, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.074-1.954, p = 0.011) and overall survival (HR = 1.405, 95% CI = 1.034-1.909, p = 0.030). The prognostic nomograms had good accuracy and were superior to the traditional TNM stage. CONCLUSIONS: FPR is a potential indicator for predicting short- and long-term prognosis of stage I-III CRC patients undergoing surgical resection.

Far-field controllable excitation of phonon polariton via nanostructure engineering.

Hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) as a natural mid-infrared (mid-IR) hyperbolic material which supports a strong excitation of phonon polariton (PhP) has enabled a new class of photonic devices with unprecedented functionalities. The hyperbolic property of h-BN has not only brought in new physical insights but also spurred potential applications. However, most of the current h-BN devices are designed repying on near-field excitation and manipulation of PhP. For fully realizing the potentials of h-BN, research on far-field controllable excitation and control of PhP is important for future integrated photonic devices. In this work, we exploit the designs of controllable far-field excitation of PhP in nanostructure-patterned h-BN thin film for deep subwavelength focusing (FWHM∼λ0/14.9) and interference patterns of 1D (FWHM∼λ0/52) and 2D standing waves (FWHM∼λ0/36.8) which find great potential for super-resolution imaging beyond diffraction limit. These polaritonic patterns could be easily tuned remotely by manipulating the polarization and phase of incident laser. This approach provides a novel platform for practical IR nanophotonic devices and potential applications in mid-IR bio-imaging and sensing.

The value of preoperative controlling nutritional status score in evaluating short-term and long-term outcomes of patients with colorectal cancer following surgical resection.

Background: This study aimed to explore the value of controlling nutritional status (CONUT) score in assessing short-term and long-term outcomes of colorectal cancer (CRC) patients, and construct CONUT-based nomograms to predict risk of postoperative comorbidities and survival. Methods: We retrospectively enrolled 512 patients from 2012 to 2014. Patients were categorized into low-CONUT and high-CONUT groups. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine characteristics influencing postoperative comorbidities. Kaplan-Meier survival curve and Cox proportional hazards analysis were used to determine characteristics affecting prognosis. The receiver operating characteristic was used to compare ability of the CONUT score with other immune-nutritional indicators to predict prognosis. Results: Logistic regression analysis suggested that high CONUT score was an independent risk factor affecting postoperative comorbidities (odds ratio, 1.792; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.113-2.886; P = 0.016). Patients with low-CONUT score had longer disease-free survival (DFS) (P < 0.001) and overall survival (OS) (P < 0.001) compared to those with high-CONUT score, especially at the early stage. CONUT score was an independent factor affecting both DFS (hazard ratio [HR], 1.820; 95% CI, 1.204-2.752; P = 0.005) and OS (HR, 1.815; 95% CI, 1.180-2.792; P = 0.007). The area under the curve of CONUT score was higher than for other immune-nutritional indicators. The CONUT-based nomograms had good predictive capability. Conclusions: CONUT score is a strong independent predictor of postoperative comorbidities and long-term outcomes in CRC patients, and might be a better prognostic factor than other immune-nutritional indicators. The CONUT-based nomograms are conducive to the individualized formulation of follow-up strategies and treatment plans.

Exciton-Enabled Meta-Optics in Two-Dimensional Transition Metal Dichalcogenides.

Optical wavefront engineering has been rapidly developing in fundamentals from phase accumulation in the optical path to the electromagnetic resonances of confined nanomodes in optical metasurfaces. However, the amplitude modulation of light has limited approaches that usually originate from the ohmic loss and absorptive dissipation of materials. Here, an atomically thin photon-sieve platform made of MoS2 multilayers is demonstrated for high-quality optical nanodevices, assisted fundamentally by strong excitonic resonances at the band-nesting region of MoS2. The atomic thin MoS2 significantly facilitates high transmission of the sieved photons and high-fidelity nanofabrication. A proof-of-concept two-dimensional (2D) nanosieve hologram exhibits 10-fold enhanced efficiency compared with its non-2D counterparts. Furthermore, a supercritical 2D lens with its focal spot breaking diffraction limit is developed to exhibit experimentally far-field label-free aberrationless imaging with a resolution of ∼0.44λ at λ = 450 nm in air. This transition-metal-dichalcogenide (TMDC) photonic platform opens new opportunities toward future 2D meta-optics and nanophotonics.