Impact of residual microcalcifcations on prognosis after neoadjuvant chemotherapy in breast cancer patients.

BACKGROUND: Residual microcalcifications after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) are challenging for deciding extent of surgery and questionable for impact on prognosis. We investigated changes in the extent and patterns of microcalcifications before and after NAC and correlated them with pathologic response. We also compared prognosis of patients depending on presence of residual microcalcifications after NAC. METHODS: A total of 323 patients with invasive breast carcinoma treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy at Kangbuk Samsung Hospital and Samsung Medical center from March 2015 to September 2018 were included. Patients were divided into four groups according to pathologic response and residual microcalcifications. Non-pCRw/mic group was defined as breast non-pCR with residual microcalcifications. Non-pCRw/o mic group was breast non-pCR without residual microcalcifications. pCRw/mic group was breast pCR with residual microcalcifications. pCRw/o mic group was breast pCR without residual microcalcifications. The first aim of this study is to investigate changes in the extent and patterns of microcalcifications before and after NAC and to correlate them with pathologic response. The second aim is to evaluate oncologic outcomes of residual microcalcifications according to pathologic response after NAC. RESULTS: There were no statistical differences in the extent, morphology, and distribution of microcalcifications according to pathologic response and subtype after NAC (all p > 0.05). With a median follow-up time of 71 months, compared to pCRw/o mic group, the hazard ratios (95% confidence intervals) for regional recurrence were 5.190 (1.160-23.190) in non-pCRw/mic group and 5.970 (1.840-19.380) in non-pCRw/o mic group. Compared to pCRw/o mic group, the hazard ratios (95% CI) for distant metastasis were 8.520 (2.130-34.090) in non-pCRw/mic group, 9.120 (2.850-29.200) in non-pCRw/o mic group. Compared to pCRw/o mic, the hazard ratio (95% CI) for distant metastasis in pCRw/mic group was 2.240 (0.230-21.500) without statistical significance (p = 0.486). CONCLUSIONS: Regardless of residual microcalcifications, patients who achieved pCR showed favorable long term outcome compared to non-pCR group.

Influence of data acquisition modes and data analysis approaches on non-targeted analysis of phthalate metabolites in human urine.

Humans are often exposed to phthalates and their alternatives, on account of their widespread use in PVC as plasticizers, which are associated with harmful human effects. While targeted biomonitoring provides quantitative information for exposure assessment, only a small portion of phthalate metabolites has been targeted. This results in a knowledge gap in human exposure to other unknown phthalate compounds and their metabolites. Although the non-targeted analysis (NTA) approach is capable of screening a broad spectrum of chemicals, there is a lack of harmonized workflow in NTA to generate reproducible data within and between different laboratories. The objective of this study was to compare two different NTA data acquisition modes, the data-dependent (DDA) and independent (DIA) acquisition (DDA), as well as two data analysis approaches, based on diagnostic ions and Compound Discoverer software for the prioritization of candidate precursors and identification of unknown compounds in human urine. Liquid chromatography coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry was used for sample analysis. The combination of three-diagnostic-ion extraction and DDA data acquisition was able to improve data filtering and data analysis for prioritizing phthalate metabolites. With DIA, 25 molecular features were identified in human urine, while 32 molecular features were identified in the same urine samples using DDA data. The number of molecular features identified with level 1 confidence was 11 and 9 using DIA and DDA data, respectively. The study demonstrated that besides sample preparation, the impact of data acquisition must be taken into account when developing a NTA method and a consistent protocol for evaluating such an impact is necessary.

Exploring chemical space in non-targeted analysis: a proposed ChemSpace tool.

Non-targeted analysis (NTA) using high-resolution mass spectrometry allows scientists to detect and identify a broad range of compounds in diverse matrices for monitoring exposure and toxicological evaluation without a priori chemical knowledge. NTA methods present an opportunity to describe the constituents of a sample across a multidimensional swath of chemical properties, referred to as "chemical space." Understanding and communicating which region of chemical space is extractable and detectable by an NTA workflow, however, remains challenging and non-standardized. For example, many sample processing and data analysis steps influence the types of chemicals that can be detected and identified. Accordingly, it is challenging to assess whether analyte non-detection in an NTA study indicates true absence in a sample (above a detection limit) or is a false negative driven by workflow limitations. Here, we describe the need for accessible approaches that enable chemical space mapping in NTA studies, propose a tool to address this need, and highlight the different ways in which it could be implemented in NTA workflows. We identify a suite of existing predictive and analytical tools that can be used in combination to generate scores that describe the likelihood a compound will be detected and identified by a given NTA workflow based on the predicted chemical space of that workflow. Higher scores correspond to a higher likelihood of compound detection and identification in a given workflow (based on sample extraction, data acquisition, and data analysis parameters). Lower scores indicate a lower probability of detection, even if the compound is truly present in the samples of interest. Understanding the constraints of NTA workflows can be useful for stakeholders when results from NTA studies are used in real-world applications and for NTA researchers working to improve their workflow performance. The hypothetical ChemSpaceTool suggested herein could be used in both a prospective and retrospective sense. Prospectively, the tool can be used to further curate screening libraries and set identification thresholds. Retrospectively, false detections can be filtered by the plausibility of the compound identification by the selected NTA method, increasing the confidence of unknown identifications. Lastly, this work highlights the chemometric needs to make such a tool robust and usable across a wide range of NTA disciplines and invites others who are working on various models to participate in the development of the ChemSpaceTool. Ultimately, the development of a chemical space mapping tool strives to enable further standardization of NTA by improving method transparency and communication around false detection rates, thus allowing for more direct method comparisons between studies and improved reproducibility. This, in turn, is expected to promote further widespread applications of NTA beyond research-oriented settings.

Reconfigurable, Reversible, and Redefinable Deformation of GO Based on Quantum-Confined-Superfluidics Effect.

Graphene oxide (GO) films with natural "quantum-confined-superfluidics" (QSF) channels for moisture actuation have emerged as a smart material for actuators and soft robots. However, programming the deformation of GO by engineering QSF nanochannels around 1 nm is extremely challenging. Herein, we report the reconfigurable, reversible, and redefinable deformation of GO under moisture actuation by tailoring QSF channels via moisture-assisted strain-induced wrinkling (MSW). The shape fixity ratio of a general GO film can reach ∼84% after the MSW process, and the shape recovery ratio is ∼83% at room temperature under moisture actuation. The flexible shaping and deformation abilites, as well as the self-healing property of GO make it possible to fabricate soft robots using GO. Besides, as a proof-of-concept, passive electronics and soft robots capable of crawling, turning, switching circuit, and automatic somersault are demonstrated. With unique shaping and deformation abilities, GO may bring great implications for future soft robotics.

SYT-SSX1 enhances the invasiveness and maintains stem-like cell properties in synovial sarcoma via induction of TGF-ß1/Smad signaling.

BACKGROUND: Synovial sarcoma (SS) is a type of soft tissue sarcoma (STS) of undetermined tissue origin, which is characterized by the recurrent pathognomonic chromosomal translocation t (X;18)(p11.2; q11.2). Studies have shown that SS is a malignant tumor originating from cancer stem cells or pluripotent mesenchymal stem cells and may be related to fusion genes. In addition, some studies have indicated that the induction of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) via the TGF-ß1/Smad signaling pathway leads to SS metastasis. METHODS: We analyzed the effects of SYT-SSX1 on the stemness of SS cells via TGF-ß1/Smad signaling in vitro. The SYT-SSX1 fusion gene high expression cell was constructed by lentiviral stable transfer technology. SYT-SSX1 and SW982 cells were cultured and tested for sphere-forming ability. The transwell migration assay and flow cytometry were used to assess the migration ability of the sphere cells as well as the expression of CSC-related markers. We treated SYT-SSX1 cells with rhTGF-ß1 (a recombinant agent of the TGF-ß1 signaling pathway) and SB431542 and observed morphological changes. A CCK-8 experiment and a western blot (WB) experiment were conducted to detect the expression of TGF-ß1 signaling pathway- and EMT-related proteins after treatment. The SYT-SSX1 cells were then cultured and their ability to form spheres was tested. Flow cytometry, WB, and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) were used to detect the expression of CSC surface markers on SYT-SSX1 sphere cells. RESULTS: It was found that SYT-SSX1 has stronger sphere-forming ability, migration ability, and higher expression of CSC-related molecules than SW982 cells. Through treating SYT-SSX1 and SW982 cells with rhTGF-ß1 and SB431542, we found that TGF-ß1 enhanced the proliferation of cells, induced EMT, and that TGF-ß1 enhanced the characteristics of tumor stem cells. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that SYT-SSX1 enhances invasiveness and maintains stemness in SS cells via TGF-ß1/Smad signaling. These findings reveal an effective way to potentially improve the prognosis of patients with SS by eliminating the characteristics of cancer stem cells (CSCs) during treatment.

The relationship between using estrogen and/or progesterone and the risk of mammary gland hyperplasia in women: a meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: As reported that the usage of estrogen and/or progesterone increases the risk of mammary gland hyperplasia (MGH) with conflicting results. Therefore, we conducted a meta-analysis to higher elucidate the relationship between hormones and MGH. METHOD: PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, and Wan-fang database were searched for studies until April 28, 2021. RESULTS: Nine related studies were included in the present meta-analysis. We found that the usage of estrogen and/or progesterone had a significant association with increasing the risk of MGH (RR = 1.56, 95% CI: 1.13-2.15, p = .000). The subgroup results showed that the risk of MGH increased in the Mix population (RR = 1.72, CI: 1.58-1.88, p < .001) but no significant difference in the Asian population. Meanwhile, as for using estrogen plus progesterone (EPP) and postmenopausal women the risk of MGH, respectively, increased (RR = 1.74, CI: 1.22-2.47, p = .002) and (RR = 1.75, CI: 1.24-2.47, p = .001) but no significant different for using estrogen alone and premenopausal women. CONCLUSIONS: This study findings indicated that using estrogen and/or progesterone might increase the risk of MGH in premenopausal and postmenopausal women.

Light-Driven Magnetic Encoding for Hybrid Magnetic Micromachines.

Remote manipulation of a micromachine under an external magnetic field is significant in a variety of applications. However, magnetic manipulation requires that either the target objects or the fluids should be ferromagnetic or superparamagnetic. To extend the applicability, we propose a versatile optical printing technique termed femtosecond laser-directed bubble microprinting (FsLDBM) for on-demand magnetic encoding. Harnessing Marangoni convection, evaporation flow, and capillary force for long-distance delivery, near-field attraction, and printing, respectively, FsLDBM is capable of printing nanomaterials on the solid-state substrate made of arbitrary materials. As a proof-of-concept, we actuate a 3D polymer microturbine under a rotating magnetic field by implementing γ-Fe2O3 nanomagnets on its blade. Moreover, we demonstrate the magnetic encoding on a living daphnia and versatile manipulation of the hybrid daphnia. With its general applicability, the FsLDBM approach provides opportunities for magnetic control of general microstructures in a variety of applications, such as smart microbots and biological microsurgery.

An Introduction to the Benchmarking and Publications for Non-Targeted Analysis Working Group.

Non-targeted analysis (NTA) encompasses a rapidly evolving set of mass spectrometry techniques aimed at characterizing the chemical composition of complex samples, identifying unknown compounds, and/or classifying samples, without prior knowledge regarding the chemical content of the samples. Recent advances in NTA are the result of improved and more accessible instrumentation for data generation and analysis tools for data evaluation and interpretation. As researchers continue to develop NTA approaches in various scientific fields, there is a growing need to identify, disseminate, and adopt community-wide method reporting guidelines. In 2018, NTA researchers formed the Benchmarking and Publications for Non-Targeted Analysis Working Group (BP4NTA) to address this need. Consisting of participants from around the world and representing fields ranging from environmental science and food chemistry to 'omics and toxicology, BP4NTA provides resources addressing a variety of challenges associated with NTA. Thus far, BP4NTA group members have aimed to establish a consensus on NTA-related terms and concepts and to create consistency in reporting practices by providing resources on a public Web site, including consensus definitions, reference content, and lists of available tools. Moving forward, BP4NTA will provide a setting for NTA researchers to continue discussing emerging challenges and contribute to additional harmonization efforts.

War on Diabetes in Singapore: a policy analysis.

BACKGROUND: In April 2016, the Singapore Ministry of Health (MOH) declared War on Diabetes (WoD) to rally a whole-of-nation effort to reduce diabetes burden in the population. This study aimed to explore how this policy has been positioned to bring about changes to address the growing prevalence of diabetes, and to analyse the policy response and the associated challenges involved. METHODS: This qualitative study, using Walt and Gilson's policy triangle framework, comprised analysis of 171 organizational documents on the WoD, including government press releases, organizational archives, YouTube videos, newspaper reports and opinion editorials. It also involved interviews with 31 policy actors, who were policy elites and societal policy actors. RESULTS: Findings showed that the WoD policy generated a sense of unity and purpose across most policy actors. Policy actors were cognisant of the thrusts of the policy and have begun to make shifts to align their interests with the government policy. Addressing those with diabetes directly is essential to understanding their needs. Being clear on who the intended targets are and articulating how the policy seeks to support the identified groups will be imperative. Issues of fake news, unclear messaging and lack of regulation of uncertified health providers were other identified problem areas. High innovation, production and marketing costs were major concerns among food and beverage enterprises. CONCLUSION: While there was greater public awareness of the need to combat diabetes, continuing dialogues with the various clusters of policy actors on the above issues will be necessary. Addressing the various segments of the policy actors and their challenges in response to the WoD would be critical.

Social Work Competencies in an Academic Medical Center: The Case of Singapore Health Services.

In 2014, the Singapore Health Services (SingHealth), an academic medical center, implemented a dual-level competency framework for medical social workers; it comprises 23 behavioral descriptors and six competency clusters at the general level and 30 behavioral descriptors and six competency clusters at the advanced level. This study adopted a qualitative approach to explore the experience among medical social workers with supervisory roles in the implementation of this competency framework. Findings showed that implementation of the competency framework lifted professional standards and image of the profession. The competency framework also helped foster stronger networks, trust, and partnerships among SingHealth organizations. Contextual features that influenced its implementation were as follows: workforce capacity and capability, management support, opportunities, training road maps, and staff's personal life stage. Operationalizing terms used in the competency framework and specifying the validity period of each competency domain within the framework were found to be crucial to its implementation.

Mammographic breast density, its changes, and breast cancer risk in premenopausal and postmenopausal women.

BACKGROUND: The risk of breast cancer related to changes in breast density over time, including its regression and persistence, remains controversial. The authors investigated the relationship between breast density and its changes over time with the development of breast cancer in premenopausal and postmenopausal women. METHODS: The current cohort study included 74,249 middle-aged Korean women (aged ≥35 years) who were free of breast cancer at baseline and who underwent repeated screening mammograms. Mammographic breast density was categorized according to the American College of Radiology Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS). A dense breast was defined as heterogeneously dense or extremely dense, and changes in dense breasts between baseline and subsequent follow-up were classified as none, developed, regressed, or persistent dense breast. RESULTS: During a median follow-up of 6.1 years (interquartile range, 4.1-8.8 years), a total of 803 incident breast cancers were identified. Baseline breast density was found to be positively associated with incident breast cancer in a dose-response manner, and this association did not significantly differ by menopausal status. The multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) for breast cancer comparing "heterogeneously dense" and "extremely dense" categories with the nondense category were 1.96 (95% confidence interval [95% CI], 1.40-2.75) and 2.86 (95% CI, 2.04-4.01), respectively. With respect to changes in dense breasts over time, multivariable-adjusted HRs for breast cancer comparing persistent dense breast with none were 2.37 (95% CI, 1.34-4.21) in premenopausal women and 3.61 (95% CI, 1.78-7.30) in postmenopausal women. CONCLUSIONS: Both baseline dense breasts and their persistence over time were found to be strongly associated with an increased risk of incident breast cancer in premenopausal and postmenopausal women. LAY SUMMARY: Both baseline breast density and its changes over time were found to be independently associated with the risk of breast cancer in both premenopausal and postmenopausal women. The risk of incident breast cancer increased in women with persistent dense breasts, whereas the breast cancer risk decreased as dense breasts regressed. The findings of the current study support that both dense breasts at baseline and their persistence over time are independent risk factors for developing breast cancer.

Ag nanoparticle ink coupled with graphene oxide cellulose paper: a flexible and tunable SERS sensing platform.

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is highly promising for ultra-sensitive detection in a series of applications. Although extensive advances have been achieved in SERS technologies, the preparation of highly efficient SERS substrates still suffers from several limitations, including complex preparation procedures, high cost, and instability for long time storage. To address these problems, we report a novel, to the best of our knowledge, SERS platform that combines graphene oxide (GO) and cellulose composite paper with colloidal silver nanoparticle (Ag NP) ink. As an efficient substrate, the GO and cellulose composite paper that features hierarchical micro-nanostructures and improved interaction with target molecules can be fabricated on a large scale, and the Ag NP ink can be well stored, avoiding being oxidized in ambient conditions. In this way, our SERS platform not only reduces the cost, but also improved the stability. The sensitivity, reproducibility, and tunable SERS detection performance were evaluated using rhodamine 6G as probing molecules. To demonstrate the capability of our SERS platform in practical analysis, the SERS spectra of two monosodium salt solutions of different concentrations have been collected. The SERS platform has revealed great potential for practical application of SERS technologies.

Perception survey of crisis and emergency risk communication in an acute hospital in the management of COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore.

BACKGROUND: Emergency risk communication is a critical component in emergency planning and response. It has been recognised as significant for planning for and responding to public health emergencies. While there is a growing body of guidelines and frameworks on emergency risk communication, it remains a relatively new field. There has also been limited attention on how emergency risk communication is being performed in public health organisations, such as acute hospitals, and what the associated challenges are. This article seeks to examine the perception of crisis and emergency risk communication in an acute hospital in response to COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore and to identify its associated enablers and barriers. METHODS: A 13-item Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication (CERC) Survey, based on the US Centers for Disease and Control (CDC) CERC framework, was developed and administered to hospital staff during February 24-28, 2020. The survey also included an open-ended question to solicit feedback on areas of CERC in need of improvement. Chi-square test was used for analysis of survey data. Thematic analysis was performed on qualitative feedback. RESULTS: Of the 1154 participants who responded to the survey, most (94.1%) reported that regular hospital updates on COVID-19 were understandable and actionable. Many (92.5%) stated that accurate, concise and timely information helped to keep them safe. A majority (92.3%) of them were clear about the hospital's response to the COVID-19 situation, and 79.4% of the respondents reported that the hospital had been able to understand their challenges and address their concerns. Sociodemographic characteristics, such as occupation, age, marital status, work experience, gender, and staff's primary work location influenced the responses to hospital CERC. Local leaders within the hospital would need support to better communicate and translate hospital updates in response to COVID-19 to actionable plans for their staff. Better communication in executing resource utilization plans, expressing more empathy and care for their staff, and enhancing communication channels, such as through the use of secure text messaging rather than emails would be important. CONCLUSION: CERC is relevant and important in the hospital setting to managing COVID-19 and should be considered concurrently with hospital emergency response domains.

[Systematic review and trial sequential analysis of randomized clinical trial of Hongjin Xiaojie Capsules for treatment of hyperplastic disease of breast].

To systemically evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of Hongjin Xiaojie Capsules for hyperplastic disease of breast(HDBA), so as to provide the evidence for its clinical application. The inclusion criteria are the RCT of single administration of Hongjin Xiaojie Capsules for treatment of HDBA. We retrieved following databases(CNKI, WanFang, VIP, SinoMed, Cochrane Library and PubMed) from their inception to October 1, 2019. Two researchers independently screened out literatures and extracted data, and assessed the methodological quality of eligible RCT according to the criteria in Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions. RevMan 5.3 was used for data analysis, binary data was summarized by risk ratio(RR) with confidence intervals(CI) of 95%, and continuous data were summarized by mean difference(MD) with CI of 95%. To estimate the sample size of systematic review, trial sequential analysis(TSA) was performed base on software TSA v0.9 version. Totally 14 RCTs were included, involving 3 057 patients. The results of Meta-analysis showed a significantly higher cure rate(RR=1.13, 95%CI[1.03, 1.25], P=0.01) and higher total effective rate(RR=1.09, 95%CI[1.05, 1.13], P<0.000 1) in Hongjin Xiaojie Capsules group than those in the Juyuansuan Tamoxifen group. The incidence of adverse events was significantly higher in Juyuansuan Tamoxifen group than that in Hongjin Xiaojie Capsules group(RR=0.28 95%CI[0.16, 0.49], P<0.001), and the adverse events included nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, irregular menstruation, amenorrhea, unclear vision, dizziness and headache. The TSA for the cure rate demonstrated that the current available data reached the expected value. However, due to the low effect intensity of evidence, the pooled results might be affected by high risk bias of trials. The quality of evidence of included trials was generally low or very low. Inverted funnel diagram showed possible publication bias. This review suggested that Hongjin Xiaojie Capsules were potentially effective and safe in treatment of HDBA, especially, the incidences of drug-related adverse events from Hongjin Xiaojie Capsules were significantly lower than those from tamoxifen. However, because of lack of high-quality evidence for drawing a conclusion, more rigorously designed and high-quality trials are needed to confirm the efficacy and safety of Hongjin Xiaojie Capsules.

Serum concentration of thyroid hormones in abnormal and euthyroid ranges and breast cancer risk: A cohort study.

The impact of variations in serum thyroid hormone concentration within the euthyroid range on breast cancer risk remains unclear. We investigated the effect of serum thyrotropin (TSH) and thyroid hormone concentration on breast cancer risk. This cohort study involved 62,546 Korean women, aged ≥40 years, who were free of breast cancer at baseline and underwent health examination with determination of free thyroxine (FT4) and TSH. A parametric proportional hazard model was used to estimate the adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) and 95% confidence interval (CI). During a median follow-up of 4.8 years (interquartile range: 2.8-7.3 years), 834 incident breast cancers were identified. Compared to normal FT4 level, abnormally high serum FT4 level was associated with an increased risk of incident breast cancer with a corresponding multivariable aHR (95% CI) of 1.98 (1.02-3.83). This association tended to be stronger in postmenopausal women than in premenopausal women. Within the euthyroid range, the highest TSH tertile was associated with a lower risk of breast cancer than the lowest TSH tertile with a corresponding aHR (95% CI) of 0.68 (0.55-0.84). In contrast, highest FT4 tertile was associated with a higher risk of breast cancer than the lowest FT4 tertile. Abnormally high FT4 as well as higher FT4 within the euthyroid range were positively associated with breast cancer risk, while higher TSH concentration within the euthyroid range was negatively associated with breast cancer risk. Our findings indicate that thyroid function within both the abnormal and euthyroid ranges may contribute to the development of breast cancer.

Laser fabrication of graphene-based electrothermal actuators enabling predicable deformation.

Electrothermal actuators (ETAs) that can convert electric energy into mechanical works have been extensively studied for their great potential in artificial muscles and robotics. However, the production of ETAs that enable complex and predictable deformation is still challenging. In this Letter, an ETA based on reduced graphene oxide (RGO) and polyethylene (PE) bimorph is developed through a facile laser-scribing method. Since the laser-scribing technology permits flexible patterning, conductive RGO electrodes with complex circuit patterns can be readily produced on a thermally active PE film, forming an ETA capable of fast and reversible deformation. In addition, the laser-scribed ETA demonstrated orientation-defined bending performance, enabling more sophisticated deformation control. The laser scribing of graphene oxide has opened up a new way to produce ETAs towards cutting-edge applications such as soft robotics and intelligent systems.

Hierarchically structuring and synchronous photoreduction of graphene oxide films by laser holography for supercapacitors.

Herein, we report a simple laser holography technology for hierarchically structuring and synchronous photoreduction of graphene oxides (GO), toward the development of efficient graphene-based electrodes for supercapacitor applications in cost effectively manners. Hierarchical micro-nanostructures, formed due to laser treatment induced photoreduction and ablation effect. Interestingly, both the morphology and reduction degree of the laser holography reduced GO (LHRGO) show strong dependence on the laser intensity, providing the feasibility for controlling the micro-nanostructures, chemical composition, and the conductivity of the graphene electrodes. Furthermore, the supercapacitors based on LHRGO show higher capacitance values and better electrochemical performance compared to that based on thermal reduced GO (TRGO) of same reduction level. Photoredution and micro-nanostructuring of GO using laser holography may hold great promise for production of effective carbon-based electrodes towards practical applications in energy storage devices.

Predictive factors for the presence of invasive components in patients diagnosed with ductal carcinoma in situ based on preoperative biopsy.

BACKGROUND: In patients diagnosed with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) with needle biopsy before surgery, invasive component (IC) is often found in the postoperative tissue, which results in altered post-surgical care. However, there are no clinically available factors to predict IC, and few MRI studies are available for the detection of IC in DCIS patients. The purpose of this study was to evaluate which risk factors can predict IC preoperatively. METHODS: Patients with a DCIS diagnosis based on preoperative biopsy, who underwent breast surgery Kangbuk Samsung Hospital between Jan 2005 and June 2018, were retrospectively evaluated. Clinico-pathological and breast MRI factors were compared between DCIS and DCIS with IC in postsurgical specimens. RESULTS: Of the 431 patients with a preoperative diagnosis of DCIS, 34 (7.9%) showed IC during the postoperative pathological investigations, and 217 (50.3%) underwent breast MRI. Among MRI-related factors, Mass-like enhancement on MRI was the sole but significant predictor of IC (HR = 0.26, C.I. = 0.07-0.93, p = 0.038), while nipple-areolar complex invasion, enhancement peak and pattern were not statistically significant. Nuclear grade was the only significant predictor of IC in the analysis of other clinico-pathological factors (HR = 2.39, C.I. = 1.05-5.42, p = 0.038 in univariate analysis, HR = 2.86, C.I. = 1.14-7.14, p = 0.025 in multivariate analysis). CONCLUSIONS: Mass-like enhancement on MRI and high nuclear grade were associated with IC in patients with preoperative diagnosis of DCIS. Considering the high sensitivity of breast MRI for IC, further evaluation of the predictive value of MRI in preoperative DCIS patients is desirable.

Kraft Mesh Origami for Efficient Oil-Water Separation.

Inspired from fish scales that exhibit unique underwater superoleophobicity, artificial porous membranes featuring similar wettability have been successfully developed for oil-water separation. However, most of the superoleophobic meshes are workable only for underwater oil/water separation and become disabled in air. In this article, we reported the facile fabrication of underwater superoleophobic kraft mesh and demonstrated efficient oil-water separation using kraft mesh origamis. Kraft paper that features porosity, natural hydrophilicity, and relatively high elasticity and tear resistance has been found to be an ideal candidate for developing underwater superoleophobic origami. Direct laser drilling has been employed to make microhole arrays on the kraft paper, forming a flexible mesh. The hydrophilic nature and the hierarchical microstructures that consist of microhole arrays and porous microfiber networks make the resultant kraft mesh superoleophobic underwater, enabling oil-water separation. More importantly, the kraft mesh can retain a large amount of water (2.5 times its weight under dry conditions) owing to its porous and hydrophilic structure. Thus, the wet kraft mesh became a slippery surface for oil droplets when it was taken out of the water. This unique feature makes it possible to directly fish out oil droplets from water using a simple kraft mesh origami. Direct laser drilling of paper mesh for flexible origami may open up a new route to the rational design and fabrication of oil-water separation devices.

TBAI-catalyzed selective synthesis of sulfonamides and ß-aryl sulfonyl enamines: coupling of arenesulfonyl chlorides and sodium sulfinates with tert-amines.

A simple, practical and metal-free method has been developed for the synthesis of sulfonamides and ß-arylsulfonyl enamines via the selective cleavage of C-N and C-H bonds through the iodine-catalyzed oxidation of arenesulfonyl chlorides and sodium sulfinates with tert-amines. The method uses commercially available inexpensive catalysts and oxidants, and has a wide substrate scope and operational simplicity.