Synthesis of multiphase MoS2 heterostructures using temperature-controlled plasma-sulfurization for photodetector applications.

Two-dimensional (2D) materials exhibit outstanding performance in photodetectors because of their excellent optical and electronic properties. Specifically, 2D-MoS2, a transition metal dichalcogenide, is a prominent candidate for flexible and portable photodetectors based on its inherent phase-dependent tunable optical band gap properties. This research focused on creating high-performance photodetectors by carefully arranging out-of-plane 2D heterostructures. The process involved stacking different phases of MoS2 (1T and 2H) using controlled temperature during plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition. Among the various phase combinations, the best photocurrent response was obtained for the 1T/2H-MoS2 heterostructure, which exhibited an approximately two-fold higher photocurrent than the 2H/1T-MoS2 heterostructure and 2H/2H-MoS2 monostructure. The 1T/2H-MoS2 heterostructure exhibited a higher photoresponse than the monostructured MoS2 of the same thickness (1T/1T- and 2H/2H-MoS2, respectively). The effect of the stacking sequences of different phases was examined, and their photoperformances were investigated. This study demonstrates that phase engineering in 2D-MoS2 van der Waals heterostructures has significant potential for developing high-performance photodetectors.

Extracellular matrix collagen biomarker levels in patients who underwent pulmonary endarterectomy.

OBJECTIVES: The role of extracellular matrix collagen biomarkers in chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) is not well known. Our goal was to investigate the matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and -9 protein levels in patients with CTETH. METHODS: This is a prospective, cross-sectional study. Patients with CTETH who underwent pulmonary endarterectomy comprise group 1, and the control group included patients who underwent lung surgery without pulmonary hypertension (group 2) between March 2020 and March 2021. In addition to serum levels of MMP-9, the pulmonary endarterectomy and control pulmonary artery tissue samples were measured by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay  4pl, cubic, quadratic and Western blot techniques. Levels of MMP-2, which consist of pro MMP-2/ß-actin and active MMP-2/ß-actin and MMP-9/ß-actin, were measured only in the tissue samples. RESULTS: Forty-eight patients were enrolled consecutively in group 1 (n: 24) and group 2 (n: 24). The serum concentrations of MMP-9 were similar in both groups. Similarly, a comparison of tissue sample levels of pro MMP-2/ß-actin (P = 0.496) and active MMP-2/ß-actin (P = 0.216) showed no significant difference between the groups. The tissue samples from patients with CTETH had significantly lower amounts of MMP-9/ß-actin compared to the control group (P = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: This study indicates that serum levels of extracellular matrix collagen biomarkers were similar in patients with CTETH who were candidates for surgery and in patients who had non-pulmonary hypertension who underwent lung surgery. Differences in levels of MMP-9/ß-actin in tissue samples may play a role in pulmonary vascular remodelling in operable patients.

Concurrent and Selective Determination of Dopamine and Serotonin with Flexible WS2 /Graphene/Polyimide Electrode Using Cold Plasma.

Makers of point-of-care devices and wearable diagnostics prefer flexible electrodes over conventional electrodes. In this study, a flexible electrode platform is introduced with a WS2 /graphene heterostructure on polyimide (WGP) for the concurrent and selective determination of dopamine and serotonin. The WGP is fabricated directly via plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) at 150 °C on a flexible polyimide substrate. Owing to the limitations of existing fabrication methods from physical transfer or hydrothermal methods, many studies are not conducted despite excellent graphene-based heterostructures. The PECVD synthesis method can provide an innovative WS2 /graphene heterostructure of uniform quality and sufficient size (4 in.). This unique heterostructure affords excellent electrical conductivity in graphene and numerous electrochemically active sites in WS2 . A large number of uniform qualities of WGP electrodes show reproducible and highly sensitive electrochemical results. The synergistic effect enabled well-separated voltammetric signals for dopamine and serotonin with a potential gap of 188 mV. Moreover, the practical application of the flexible sensor is successfully evaluated by using artificial cerebrospinal fluid.

Low-Temperature and Large-Scale Production of a Transition Metal Sulfide Vertical Heterostructure and Its Application for Photodetectors.

The conventional synthesis of two-dimensional (2D) transition metal dichalcogenide (TMDC) heterostructures is low yielding and lack the heterojunction interface quality. The chemical vapor deposition (CVD) techniques have achieved high-quality heterostructure interfaces but require a high synthesis temperature (>600 °C) and have a low yield of heterostructures. Therefore, the large scale and high interface quality of TMDC heterojunctions using low-temperature synthesis methods are in demand. Here, high-quality, wafer-scale MoS2 and WS2 heterostructures with 2D interfaces were prepared by a one-step sulfurization of the molybdenum (Mo) and tungsten (W) precursors via plasma-enhanced CVD at a relatively low temperature (150 °C). The 4 inch wafer-scale synthesis of the MoS2-WS2 heterostructures was validated using various spectroscopic and microscopic techniques. Further, the photocurrent generation and photoswitching phenomenon of the so-obtained MoS2-WS2 heterostructures were studied. The photodevice prepared by the MoS2-WS2 heterostructures at 150 °C showed a photoresponsivity of 83.75 mA/W. The excellent photoresponse and faster photoswitching highlight the advantage of MoS2-WS2 heterostructures toward advanced photodetectors.

Rhegmatogenous retinal detachment secondary to isolated retinal metastasis from small cell lung carcinoma: An uncommon complication.

PURPOSE: To report a case of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment associated with isolated retinal metastasis from lung carcinoma. METHODS: Multimodal imaging, including wide-field retinal imaging, ultrasonic imaging, and magnetic resonance imaging. RESULTS: Systemic chemotherapy and cranial prophylactic radiotherapy resulted in shrinkage of these lesions and retinal breaks making them much smaller and preventing progression of retinal detachment transiently. CONCLUSION: This is the first reported case of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment secondary to retinal metastasis from a lung cancer.

GLASS: Global Lorlatinib for ALK(+) and ROS1(+) retrospective Study: real world data of 123 NSCLC patients.

Lorlatinib is a third-generation tyrosine-kinases inhibitor (TKI) targeting ALK/ROS1 fusions. The FDA has approved lorlatinib for TKI-pretreated ALK(+) NSCLC, while its approval for ROS1(+) is still pending. Here we present the largest real-world data of NSCLC patients harboring ALK/ROS1 rearrangements treated with lorlatinib. METHODS: 123 patients were enrolled retrospectively (data cut-off 1/1/2019). Lorlatinib was administered through an early access program for patients with no other available therapy. Outcome and response were defined by each investigator upon RECIST 1.1 criteria. RESULTS: 106 ALK(+) and 17 ROS1(+) patients recruited from 8 different countries. The ALK(+) cohort included 50 % males, 73 % never-smokers and 68 % with brain metastases. Extracranial (EC) and intracranial (IC) response rates (RR) were 60 % and 62 %, with disease control rates (DCR) of 91 % and 88 % respectively. Mean duration of therapy (DoT) was 23.9 ±â€¯1.6 months and median overall survival (mOS) was 89.1 ±â€¯19.6 months. ROS1 cohort enrolled 53 % males, 65 % never-smokers and 65 % had brain metastases. EC and IC RR were 62 % and 67 % with DCR of 92 % and 78 % respectively. Median DoT was 18.1 ±â€¯2.5 months and mOS of 90.3 ±â€¯24.4 months. OS and DoT in both cohorts were not significantly correlated with line of therapy nor other parameters. The most common adverse events of any grade were peripheral edema (48 %), hyperlipidemia (47 %), weight gain (25 %) and fatigue (30 %). CNS adverse events such as cognitive effect of grade 1-2 were reported in 18 % of patients. CONCLUSION: Lorlatinib shows outstanding EC/IC efficacy in ALK/ROS1(+) NSCLC. The observed mOS of 89 ±â€¯19 months in ALK(+) NSCLC supports previous reports, while mOS from of 90 ±â€¯24 months is unprecedented for ROS1(+) NSCLC.

Assessment of Hidden Hearing Loss in Normal Hearing Individuals with and Without Tinnitus.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the functions of cochlear structures and the distal part of auditory nerve as well as dead regions within the cochlea in individuals with normal hearing with or without tinnitus by using electrophysiological tests. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Nine individuals (ages: 21-59 years) with normal hearing with tinnitus were included in the study group. Thirteen individuals (ages: 25-60 years) with normal hearing without tinnitus were included in the control group. Immitancemetric examination, pure-tone audiometry (125Hz-16kHz), speech audiometry in quiet and noise environments, transient evoked otoacoustic emissions (TEOAEs), distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs), threshold equalizing noise (TEN test (500Hz-4kHz), and ECochG tests, Beck Depression Questionnaire, Tinnitus Handicap Questionnaire, and Visual Analog Scale were performed. RESULTS: In the study group, three patients were found to have a minimal depression and six were found to have a mild depression. In pure-tone audiometry, the threshold (6-16 kHz) in the study group was significantly higher than that of the control group at all frequencies. In the study group, lower performance scores were obtained in speech discrimination in noise in both ears. In the control group, no dead region was detected in the TEN test whereas 75% of subjects in the study group had dead regions. DPOAE and TEOAE responses between study and control group subjects were not different. In the ECochG test, subjects in the study group showed an increase in the summating potential/action potential (SP/AP) ratio in both ears. CONCLUSION: Determination of the SP/AP ratio in patients with tinnitus may be useful in diagnosing hidden hearing loss. Detection of dead regions in 75% of patients in the TEN test may indicate that inner hair cells may be responsible for tinnitus.

Fat percentage cutoff values to define obesity and prevalence of sarcopenic obesity in community-dwelling older adults in Turkey.

PURPOSE: Sarcopenic-obesity (SO) is associated with low-functional-status and mortality. Few studies evaluated the definition and prevalence of SO. We aimed to investigate the fat-percentage cut-off values for obesity and prevalences of obesity, SO in community-dwelling older adults in Turkey. METHODS: Body-composition was measured using bioimpedance-analysis. Sarcopenia was defined by European-Working-Group-on-Sarcopenia-in-Older-People criteria. Obesity was defined by two different methods, a fat-percentile above 60th percentile (Zoico-method) or a BMI of ≥30 kg/m2 (WHO-definition). RESULTS: We enrolled 992 subjects (308 men, 684 women). Body fat-percentage thresholds for obesity were 27.3% for men and 40.7% for women according to Zoico-method. The rates of obesity were about 40% in both genders by Zoico-method; 29.2% versus 53.7% for men and women by WHO definition. Prevalences-of-sarcopenia was 3.1% versus 0.4%; SO was 0.3% versus 0.1% when obesity was assessed with Zoico-method in men and women, respectively. No case of SO was defined when obesity was assessed using WHO-definition. CONCLUSION: The threshold for obesity definition according to Zoico-method was similar to other European-populations. While obesity-prevalences were considerably high, SO prevalences were low but comparable to other populations. This low-prevalence seems to be due to underestimation of sarcopenia in obese subjects when skeletal-muscle-mass was adjusted by height2 to recognize low-muscle-mass.

Prognostic factors of patients who received chemotherapy after cranial irradiation for non-small cell lung cancer with brain metastases: A retrospective analysis of multicenter study (Anatolian Society of Medical Oncology).

PURPOSE: Almost half of all patients diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) have distant metastases at presentation. One-third of patients with NSCLC will have brain metastases. Without effective treatment, the median survival is only 1 month. However, it is difficult to treat brain metastases with systemic chemotherapy since the agents have difficulty crossing the blood-brain barrier. Therefore, it is important to estimate the patient's survival prognosis. The aim of this study was to analyze prognostic factors for survival in Turkish patients who received chemotherapy after cranial irradiation for NSCLC with brain metastases. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 698 patients with brain metastases resulting from NSCLC. Ten potential prognostic variables were chosen for analysis. Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted to identify prognostic factors associated with overall survival (OS). RESULTS: Among the 10 variables for univariate analysis, six were identified to have prognostic significance; these included sex, smoking history, histology, number of brain metastases, extracranial metastases, and neurosurgical resection. Multivariate analysis by the Cox proportional hazard model showed that a smoking history, extracranial metastases, and neurosurgical resection were independent negative prognostic factors for OS. CONCLUSION: Smoking history, extracranial metastases, and neurosurgical resection were considered independent negative prognostic factors for OS. These findings may facilitate pretreatment prediction of survival and can be used for selecting patients for more appropriate treatment options.

Pretreatment PET/CT Standardized Uptake Values Play a Role in Predicting Response to Treatment and Survival in Patients with Small Cell Lung Cancer.

BACKGROUND: We investigated the role of standardized uptake values (SUVs) of the primary tumor in small cell lung cancer (SCLC) patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The relationship between SUV and response to treatment was investigated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, and the efficient cut-off value for detecting response to treatment was determined. The effects of SUV on response to treatment and survival were investigated. RESULTS: 90 patients with a median age of 58 years (range 39-83 years) were included. Median follow-up was 11 months. The suitable cut-off SUV for determination of response was found to be 10 in ROC analysis. The sensitivity and specificity of this value were 85.7% (95% confidence interval (95% CI) 63-96) and 61.8% (95% CI 49-73) (area under the curve 0.783; p = 0.0001), respectively. The overall objective response rate in patients with involvement above the cut-off value was 93.3% compared to 59.1% in those with involvement below the cut-off value (p < 0.0001). In uni- and multivariate analysis, favorable effects of limited-stage disease on response to treatment were established (p < 0.05). The effect of an SUV higher than the cut-off value on progression-free survival was borderline (p = 0.085). CONCLUSION: These data may contribute to identifying prognostic disease characteristics and response to treatment.

Is second-line systemic chemotherapy beneficial in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)? A multicenter data evaluation by the Anatolian Society of Medical Oncology.

Patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) generally require second-line treatment although their prognosis is poor. In this multicenter study, we aimed to detect the characteristics related to patients and disease that can predict the response to second-line treatments in advanced NSCLC. Data of 904 patients who have progressed after receiving first-line platinum-based chemotherapy in 11 centers with the diagnosis of stage IIIB and IV NSCLC and who were evaluated for second-line treatment were retrospectively analyzed. The role of different factors in determining the benefit of second-line treatment was analyzed. Median age of patients was 57 years (range 19-86). Docetaxel was the most commonly used (20.9 %, n = 189) single agent, while gemcitabine-platinum was the most commonly used (6.7 %, n = 61) combination chemotherapy regimen in second-line setting. According to survival analysis, median progression-free survival after first-line treatment (PFS2) was 3.5 months (standard error (SE) 0.2; 95 % confidence interval (CI), 3.2-3.9), median overall survival (OS) was 6.7 months (SE 0.3; 95 % CI, 6.0-7.3). In multivariate analysis, independent factors affecting PFS2 were found to be hemoglobin (Hb) level over 12 g/dl and treatment-free interval (TFI) longer than 3 months (p = 0.006 and 0.003, respectively). Similarly, in OS analysis, Hb level over 12 g/dl and time elapsed after the first-line treatment that is longer than 3 months were found to be independent prognostic factors (p = 0.0001 and 0.045, respectively). In light of these findings, determining and using the parameters for which the treatment will be beneficial prior to second-line treatment can increase success rate.

Expression Profiles of TGF-ß and TLR Pathways in Porphyromonas gingivalis and Prevotella intermedia Challenged Osteoblasts.

BACKGROUND: The presence of certain oral pathogens at implant sites can hinder the osseointegration process. However, it is unclear how and by what microorganisms it happens. OBJECTIVES: This study investigated whether the presence of oral pathogens of Porphyromonas gingivalis and Prevotella intermedia individually, play a role in the failure of bone formation by determining the expression profiles of Transforming Growth Factor Beta (TGF-ß/Bone Morphogenic Protein (BMP) and Toll-Like Receptor (TLR) pathways in challenged osteoblasts. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Cell viability of P. gingivalis and P. intermedia challenged osteoblasts were determined by WST assay. Changes in osteoblast morphology and inhibition of mineralization were observed by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Von Kossa staining, respectively. Expression of TGF-ß and TLR pathway genes on challenged cells were identified by RT profiler array. Both P. gingivalis and P. intermedia challenges resulted in reduced viability and mineralization of osteoblasts. RESULTS: Viability was reduced to 56.8% (P. gingivalis) and 52.75% (P. intermedia) at 1000 multiplicity. Amongst 48 genes examined, expressions of BMPER, SMAD1, IL8 and NFRKB were found to be highly upregulated by both bacterial challenges (Fold Change > 4). CONCLUSIONS: P. gingivalis and P. intermedia could play a role in implant failure by changing the expression profiles of genes related to bone formation and resorption.

Predictive and prognostic significance of p27, Akt, PTEN and PI3K expression in HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: The phosphatidylinositol 3'-kinase/Akt (PI3K/Akt) pathway is a key regulator for HER2- overexpressing breast cancer, but data about whether activation of PI3K/Akt is associated with poor prognosis and resistance to trastuzumab therapy is controversial. In this study we investigated predictive and prognostic significance of expression of p27, Akt, PTEN and PI3K, which are components of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway, in HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer (MBC), retrospectively. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty-four HER2- positive MBC patients who had received first-line trastuzumab-based therapy were recruited for the study group. All of the patient's breast tissue samples were examined for p27 and Akt expression. In addition, twenty-five patients with sufficient amount of tumor tissue were also examined for PTEN and PI3K expression. p27, Akt, PTEN and PI3K were evaluated by immunohistochemistry and their relationship with patient demographic features, tumor characteristics, response to trastuzumab-based treatment and survival outcomes were analyzed. RESULTS: p27, Akt, PTEN and PI3K were positive in 25.9%, 70.4%, 24% and 96% of the cases, respectively. Nomne were significantly associated with response to trastuzumab and time to progression (TTP). A trend toward statistical significance for longer overall survival (OS) was found for PTEN-positive patients (p=0.058); there was no significant relationship between the other immunohistochemical variables and OS. When we analyzed groups regarding co-expression, the PTEN-negative/Akt-negative group had a significantly lower objective response rate (ORR) (20% vs 80%, p=0.023) and the PTEN-negative/p27-negative and PTEN-negative/Akt-negative groups had significantly lower median OS compared to other patients (26.4 months vs 76.1 months, p=0.005 and 25.6 months vs 52.0 months, p=0.007, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: p27, Akt, PTEN and PI3K expression is not statistically significantly associated with ORR, TTP and OS, individually. However, the combined evaluation of p27, Akt and PTEN could be helpful to predict the response to trastuzumab-based therapy and prognosis in HER2-positive MBC.

Serum interleukin 17 levels in patients with Crohn's disease: real life data.

UNLABELLED: The aim of this study was to investigate serum IL17 levels in patients with Crohn's disease (CD) and to investigate the relationship between serum IL17 levels with disease activity. METHODS: Fifty patients with CD and sex- and age-matched 40 healthy controls were included in the study. The serum IL17 levels, complete blood count, blood chemistry, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels were measured, and Crohn's disease activity was calculated using Crohn's disease activity index (CDAI). RESULTS: The mean serum IL17 level of CD patients did not differ from those of healthy controls (P > 0.05). There was no difference between the mean serum IL levels of active CD patients and of quiescent CD patients (P > 0.05). However, the mean IL17 level of active patients was lower than of control subjects (P = 0.02). Serum IL17 was not correlated with inflammatory markers (ESR, CRP, white blood count, platelet count, and albumin) and CDAI. CONCLUSIONS: Peripheral blood serum IL17 levels of CD patients were not higher than of healthy controls, and also, serum IL17 level was not correlated with clinical disease activity. Peripheral IL17 measurement is not a useful tool for detecting and monitoring Crohn's disease which is understood to have complex etiopathogenesis.

Clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis of patients according to recurrence time after radical nephrectomy for localized renal cell carcinoma: a multicenter study of Anatolian Society of Medical Oncology (ASMO).

AIM: We investigated the clinicopathological features in patients with recurrent RCC within 5 years or more than 5 years after nephrectomy and determined predictors of survival and response treatment after recurrence. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated 144 patients with disease recurrence; 73 had recurrence more than 5 years after radical nephrectomy. We compared clinicopathological characteristics in patients with disease recurrence before vs. after 5 years. In addition, we investigated predictors of survival and response to treatment after recurrence. RESULTS: Seventy-one patients (49%) were diagnosed with recurrence within 5 years after radical nephrectomy (early recurrence) and 73 patients (51%) were diagnosed with recurrence more than 5 years after radical nephrectomy (late recurrence). Fuhrman grade, tumor necrosis and lymphovascular invasion were statistically significantly different between the two groups (p<0.001, p=0.013, p=0.026, respectively). The late recurrence patients were significantly associated with the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) favorable risk group compared to patients with early recurrence (p=0.001). From the time of disease recurrence, median Overall Survival (OS) was 36.0 (95% Confidence Interval (CI) 30.7-41.2) months in the late recurrence group, and 19 (95% CI 15.4-22.5) months in the early recurrence group (p=0.01). The median Progression Free Survival (PFS) was 6 (95% CI 3.87-8.12) months in the early recurrence group, and 18 (95% CI 15.4-20.5) months for the late recurrence group (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: Early recurrence was significantly associated with Fuhrman grade 3-4, tumor necrosis, lymphovascular invasion, MSKCC poor-risk group compared to patients with late recurrence. The study also demonstrated a potential prognostic value of late recurrence in terms of PFS and OS.

Locally metastatic mucinous rectal adenocarcinoma: Imaging diagnosis with DW-MRI in comparison with PET-CT.

A 56-year-old male patient with locally advanced mucinous rectal cancer underwent neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy. Follow-up imaging with positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) revealed a local response to chemoradiotherapy, whereas diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DW-MRI) showed newly presented sacral bone metastasis. Histopathologically confirmed bone metastasis and the local tumor were surgically removed. Repeat DW-MRI revealed tumor recurrence in the sacral excision zone eight months after surgery, which was reconfirmed by histopathology. This case shows the superior imaging ability of DW-MRI in the diagnosis of mucinous tumors in comparison to PET-CT.

Fulminant abdominal gas gangrene in metastatic colon cancer.

We report a case of fulminant abdominal gas gangrene in a patient with metastatic colon cancer. A 39-year-old patient with descending colon, high-grade adenocarcinoma and coexisting liver and lymph node metastases received two courses of chemotherapy. The patient developed sudden acute abdominal symptoms accompanied by septic shock parameters. The imaging findings on computed tomography were characteristic for abdominal gas gangrene, involving liver metastases, portal vein and lymph nodes with associated pneumoperitoneum. The patient succumbed to the disease within hours following the onset of symptoms.

Pleomorphic carcinoma of the lung with high serum beta-human chorionic gonadotropin level and gynecomastia.

Although gynecomastia is a well-defined paraneoplastic syndrome in patients with non-small cell lung cancer, the association with pleomorphic carcinoma has not been reported. A 50-yr-old man presented with bilateral gynecomastia and elevated serum beta-human chorionic gonadotropin (ßhCG) level. Chest tomography showed a mass in the right middle lobe. Right middle lobectomy and mediastinal lymph node dissection were performed. ßhCG levels decreased rapidly after surgery. Histological examination revealed pleomorphic carcinoma with positive immunostaining for ßhCG. Serum ßhCG levels began to increase gradually on postoperatively 4th month. Computed tomography detected recurrence and chemotherapy was started. After second cycle of chemotherapy, ßhCG levels decreased dramatically again and tomography showed regression in mass. Patient died 6 months later due to brain metastasis. ßhCG expression may be associated with aggressive clinical course and increased risk of recurrence, also ßhCG levels may be used to evaluate therapy response in patients with pleomorphic carcinoma.