Centimeter-Long Single-Crystalline Si Nanowires.

The elongation of free-standing one-dimensional (1D) functional nanostructures into lengths above the millimeter range has brought new practical applications as they combine the remarkable properties of nanostructured materials with macroscopic lengths. However, it remains a big challenge to prepare 1D silicon nanostructures, one of the most important 1D nanostructures, with lengths above the millimeter range. Here we report the unprecedented preparation of ultralong single-crystalline Si nanowires with length up to 2 cm, which can function as the smallest active material to facilitate the miniaturization of macroscopic devices. These ultralong Si nanowires with augmented flexibility are of emerging interest for flexible electronics. We also demonstrate the first single-nanowire-based wearable joint motion sensor with superior performance to reported systems, which just represents one example of novel devices that can be built from these nanowires. The preparation of ultralong Si nanowires will stimulate the fabrication and miniaturization of electric, optical, medical, and mechanical devices to impact the semiconductor industry and our daily life in the near future.

Thyroxine therapy ameliorates serum levels of eicosanoids in Chinese subclinical hypothyroidism patients.

AIM: The eicosanoids derived from phospholipids play key roles in inflammation. However, the profiles of serum eicosanoids in subclinical hypothyroidism (SH) patients and the effects of thyroxine replacement therapy (TRT) on these eicosanoids remain unclear. Many studies show that TSH regulates lipid metabolism. As eicosanoids derived from phospholipids play key roles in oxidative stress and immune function and inflammatory process, it was necessary to explore the profiles of serum eicosanoids in SH patients and the effects of thyroxine replacement therapy (TRT) on the eicosanoids. METHODS: A total of 50 Chinese SH patients and 22 healthy volunteers were recruited. SH patients received TRT (L-T4, 25 and 50 mcg/d for patients with TSH≤10.0 mIU/L and TSH>10.0 mIU/L, respectively) for 3 months. Serum levels of major eicosanoids and cPLA2 were analyzed using LC-MS and clinical biochemical assays. RESULTS: The serum levels of cPLA2, eicosanoids (8-isoPGF2a, 11-dehydroTXB2 and 12-HETE) and 11-dehydroTXB2/6-Keto-PGF1a were significantly elevated in SH patients. The serum TSH levels were significantly correlated with the levels of cPLA2 (r=+0.65), 11-dehydroTXB2 (r=+0.32) and 11-dehydroTXB2/6-Keto-PGF1a (r=+0.37). After 3-month TRT, the serum levels of TSH, cPLA2 and the above-mentioned eicosanoids in SH patients were significantly decreased. CONCLUSION: The metabolism of eicosanoids is significantly altered in Chinese SH patients, and TRT can ameliorate the abnormalities of serum eicosanoid levels.

KILLER CELL IMMUNOGLOBULIN-LIKE RECEPTOR GENES AND THEIR HLA-C LIGANDS IN HASHIMOTO THYROIDITIS IN A CHINESE POPULATION.

OBJECTIVE: Natural killer (NK) cells serve as primary immune surveillance and are partially regulated by combinations of killer immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIR) and their human leukocyte antigen-C (HLA-C) ligands. Alterations in NK cell activity have been associated with Hashimoto thyroiditis (HT). The aim of this study was to determine whether certain KIR/HLA-C genotype combinations play a role in HT pathogenesis. METHODS: The present study enrolled 107 unrelated HT patients and 108 random healthy individuals in a case-control study. Blood was collected for DNA extraction; typing of KIR genes and HLA-C alleles was performed by polymerase chain reaction with sequence specific primers (PCR-SSP), followed by electrophoresis on agarose gels. RESULTS: Among a panel of KIR2D/HLA-C genotype combinations, the frequency of KIR2DS2/HLA-C1 was significantly increased in HT patients compared to controls (33.64% vs. 12.96%, P<.001). To further analyze the precise genotype, we investigated inhibitory or activating KIR/HLA-C gene pairs when their corresponding activating or inhibitory KIR genes were absent in the 2 groups. Only the frequency of KIR2DS2(-)2DL2/3(+)HLA-C1(+) was significantly decreased in HT patients compared to controls (48.60% vs. 70.37%, P = .001). CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that KIR2DS2/HLA-C1 may correlate with HT pathogenesis. On the contrary, the predominance of KIR2DL2/3/HLA-C1 in the absence of KIR2DS2 suggests a potential inhibitory role in HT pathogenesis. In conclusion, our findings may further elucidate the mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of HT and other autoimmune diseases. ABBREVIATIONS: HLA-C = human leukocyte antigen-C HT = Hashimoto thyroiditis KIR = killer immunoglobulin-like receptor NK = natural killer PCR = polymerase chain reaction.

Killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptor genotypes and haplotypes with susceptibility to pulmonary tuberculosis infection.

BACKGROUND: Killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs) are expressed on natural killer (NK) cells and T cells and organized in highly polymorphic families. Genetic diversity is an important characteristic of KIR genes. The aim of the study was to investigate the influence of KIR genotypes and halotypes on the risk of pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB). METHODS: A sequence specific primer polymerase chain reaction (SSP-PCR) was employed to amplify the KIR genes and pseudogenes in 139 pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) patients and 30 healthy controls. The innovative point of our study was the subdivision of the patient group according to sputum smear test (positive and negative). KIR genotype and haplotype frequencies were compared between the PTB group and the control group by Chi-square test, and p < 0.05 was regarded as statistically significant. RESULTS: The genotype AH and FZ14 may be associated with the clearance of Mycobacterium. In addition, haplotype B may be the susceptive haplotype that facilitated the clearance of Mycobacterium and haplotype A may be protective haplotype of PTB. CONCLUSIONS: Therefore, the diversity of genotypes and haplotypes induced an inflammatory reaction that resulted in continuous infection.

Single-Crystalline Silicon Frameworks: A New Platform for Transparent Flexible Optoelectronics.

Single-crystalline silicon (sc-Si) is the dominant semiconductor material for the modern electronics industry. Despite their excellent photoelectric and electronic properties, the rigidity, brittleness, and nontransparency of commonly used silicon wafers limit their application in transparent flexible optoelectronics. In this study, a new type of Si microstructure, named single-crystalline Si frameworks (sc-SiFs), is developed, through a combination of wet-etching and microfabrication technologies. The sc-SiFs are self-supported, flexible, lightweight, tailorable, and highly transparent. They can withstand a small bending radius of less than 0.5 mm and have a transparency of up to 96% in all wavelength ranges, owing to the hollowed-out framework structures. Thus, the sc-SiFs provide a new platform for high-performance transparent flexible optoelectronics. Taking transparent flexible photodetectors (TFPDs) as an example, substrate-free and self-driven TFPDs are achieved based on the sc-SiFs. The devices exhibit superior performance compared to other reported TFPDs and reveal the great potential for integrated optoelectronic applications. The development of sc-SiFs paves the way toward the fabrication of high-performance transparent flexible devices for a host of applications, including e-skins, the Internet of Things, transparent flexible displays, and artificial visual cortexes.

Serotype distribution and clinical characteristics associated with streptococcus pneumoniae among Chinese children and adults with invasive pneumococcal disease: a multicenter observational study.

Few studies in China focused on serotypes of Streptococcus pneumoniae in patients with invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD). We aimed at investigating the serotype distribution for IPD-causing S. pneumoniae and vaccine coverage among Chinese children and adults. This was a multicenter, observational study to collect S. pneumoniae isolates from normal sterile sites and IPD-related clinical information among children and adults. Serotyping was performed by a Capsule-Quellung reaction test using type-specific antisera. The study collected a total of 300 eligible isolates (pediatric = 148, adult = 152) were serotyped in a central laboratory. The most prevalent serotypes were 19A (20.9%) and 23 F (20.3%) in the pediatric group; 3 (21.7%) and 19 F (11.8%) in the adult group. PCV10 had low-to-moderate serotype coverage rates for children (60.8%) and adults (34.2%). PCV13 and PPV23 had high coverage rates for children (89.9%, 93.2%) and adults (70.4%, 82.9%), respectively, Investigational PCVs including PCV15 and PCV20 had high estimated coverage rates in children (89.9%, 93.9%). The study identified 269 subjects with IPD reported as the primary diagnosis in the medical records. Sepsis (48/136, 35.3%) and pneumonia (48/133, 36.1%) had the highest occurrence in the pediatric and adult groups, respectively. Study findings showed that non-PCV7 S. pneumoniae 19A and 3 were the most prevalent serotypes in Chinese children and adults, respectively. High-valent vaccines had similar coverage rates and may have a greater potential in preventing IPD.

Polymorphisms of KIR gene and HLA-C alleles: possible association with susceptibility to HLA-B27-positive patients with ankylosing spondylitis.

Accumulating evidences indicate that killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs) and their corresponding specific HLA-C ligands contribute to the pathogenesis of multiple autoimmune diseases via the modulation of natural killer (NK) cell and T cell functions. The present study was performed to investigate whether the polymorphism of KIR genes and HLA ligands associates with the susceptibility of ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Previous studies have demonstrated a strong association between HLA-B27 gene and the pathogenesis of AS. In this study, 115 unrelated HLA-B27-positive AS patients and 119 HLA-B27-positive healthy controls were recruited. Polymerase chain reaction using sequence-specific primers was used to determine the genotypes of KIR genes and HLA-C alleles. The results showed that the frequencies of KIR2DL1 and KIR2DL5 were significantly higher in the AS patient group than those in the control group (p = 0.012 and p = 0.009, respectively). Meanwhile, individuals with AS showed an increased frequency of HLA-Cw*08 (p = 0.001, p (c) = 0.008) compared with that in controls. Our findings indicate that with the genetic background of HLA-B27, variation at the KIRs and their corresponding specific HLA-C ligands may influence the ability of NK cells and T cells to recognize and lyse targets in immune responses, which thereby contributes to pathogenesis of AS.

Habitat-specific environmental factors regulate spatial variability of soil bacterial communities in biocrusts across northern China's drylands.

Biocrusts are common biotic components in dryland ecosystems worldwide, they contain diverse soil organisms and effectively enhance soil stability and perform a series of key ecological functions. However, the geographical pattern of microbial communities in biocrusts is rarely assessed, despite it is closely related to the spatial variation of ecosystem functions in drylands. We assessed soil bacterial communities in biocrusts across four ecosystems (Gobi, desert, desert steppe and grassland) in a precipitation gradient (16-566 mm yr-1) in northern China. Bacterial OTU number and phylogenetic diversity did not linearly increase with decreasing aridity, they were significantly lower in Gobi and similar among desert, desert steppe and grassland. Soil bacterial community composition in Gobi and desert were different than those in desert steppe and grassland, and they were similar between Gobi and desert, this suggests the key role of habitat in structuring soil bacterial communities. The geographic pattern of soil bacterial communities was strongly influenced by both geographic distance and environmental factors. The first explanatory factor for the geographic variation of bacterial community dissimilarity differed among four ecosystems, being aridity in Gobi and desert, precipitation in desert steppe, and soil inorganic nitrogen in grassland. The geographic pattern of the bacterial functional group profile showed a similar pattern with community composition across four ecosystems, and the groups of containing mobile elements and gram negative bacteria were more abundant in drier habitats of Gobi and desert. Our results reveal the non-linear changes in diversity, composition and functional group of soil bacterial communities in biocrusts across the precipitation gradient from hyper-arid to semi-humid regions, and suggest that the geographic distance and habitat-specific environmental factors determine the distribution of soil bacterial communities in different ecosystems.

Association of estrogen receptor alpha gene polymorphisms with cytokine genes expression in systemic lupus erythematosus.

AIM: To analyze the association of estrogen receptor alpha (OR alpha) gene polymorphisms with cytokine genes expression in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and controls. METHODS: Genomic DNA was extracted and polymorphisms of XbaI, Ukrainian (XX, Xx, or xx genotype) and PvuII (PP, Pp, or pp) in intron 1 of OR alpha gene were detected by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphisms (PCR-RFLP) method. The messenger RNA (mRNA) levels of interleukin (IL)-10, IL-4, interferon (IFN)-gamma, and IL-2 were assessed by semiquantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). RESULTS: In patients with SLE with PpXx genotype, IL-10 and IL-4 mRNA expression was higher (P < 0.001 and P = 0.013, respectively), while in patients with SLE with Ppxx genotype IFN-gamma and IL-2 mRNA expression was lower than in controls (P < 0.001). There was no significant difference in mRNA expression of 4 cytokines among controls with various genotypes. CONCLUSION: OR alpha gene polymorphism may be associated with the expression of IL-10, IL-4, IL-2, and IFN-gamma in patients with SLE.

[Genotype and haplotype analysis of killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors in ankylosing spondylitis].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association of killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIR) genotype and haplotype with ankylosing spondylitis (AS). METHODS: Peripheral blood samples were collected from 105 AS patients, 62 patients of osteoarthritis (OA), and 412 randomly selected healthy controls. Polymerase chain reaction with sequence-specific primers (PCR-SSP) was used to detect the KIR genotype and haplotype. RESULTS: The genotype frequency of 3DL3-2DL3-2DL1-2DP1-2DL4-3DL1-2DS4-3DL2 (6.67%) was significantly lower in the AS patients than in the control subjects (20.15%) and OA patients (17.74%, P = 0.001, 0.037 respectively). The genotype frequency of 3DL3-2DL3-2DL2-2DL1-2DP1-2DLA-3DL1-2DL5-2DS1-2DS2-2DS3-2DS4-2DS5-3DS1-3DL2 and 3DL3-2DL3-2DL2- 2DL1-2DP1-2DL4-3DL1-2DL5-2DS1-2DS4-3DL2 of the AS patients (9.52%, 5.71%)was significantly higher than that of the controls(2.18%, 0.49%; P = 0.001, 0.001), and these two genotypes were not detected in the OA patients. There were not significant differences in the haplotypes A and B among the AS patients, OA patients, and healthy controls. CONCLUSION: KIR genotypes may be associated with the susceptibility to AS.

The diameter-dependent photoelectrochemical performance of silicon nanowires.

We demonstrate the first systematic study of the diameter-dependent photoelectrochemical performance of single silicon nanowires within a broad size range from 200 to 2000 nm. SiNWs with a diameter of 1415 nm exhibit the highest solar energy conversion efficiency, which can be mainly traced to their diameter-dependent light absorption properties.

Large-scale assembly of highly sensitive Si-based flexible strain sensors for human motion monitoring.

Silicon is the dominant semiconductor in modern society, but the rigid nature of most Si structures hinders its applications in flexible electronics. In this work, Si-based flexible strain sensors are fabricated with Si fabric consisting of long Si nanowires. The as-obtained sensors demonstrate a large strain range of 50% and a gauge factor of up to 350, which are sufficient to detect human motions with superior performance over traditional sensors. The results reveal that the assembling strategy may potentially be applied to large-scale fabrication of highly sensitive, flexible strain sensors for emerging applications such as healthcare and sports monitoring. Moreover, the Si fabric would also enable broad applications of Si materials in other flexible and wearable devices such as flexible optoelectronics and displays.

Increase in myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) associated with minimal residual disease (MRD) detection in adult acute myeloid leukemia.

Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) are thought to help provide a cellular microenvironments in many solid tumors, in which transformed cells proliferate, acquire new mutations, and evade host immunosurveillance. In the present study, we found that MDSCs (CD33 + CD11b + HLA-DR(low/neg)) in bone marrow were significantly increased in adult acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients. MDSCs levels in newly diagnosed AML patients correlated well with extramedullary infiltration and plasma D-dimer levels. Remission rates in the MDSCs > 1500 group and MDSCs < 1500 group were 72.73 and 81.25 %, respectively. No significant differences were found between the two groups. MDSC levels in the complete remission group were significantly decreased after chemotherapy, while in the partial remission and non-remission groups, there were no significant differences. The level of MDSCs in the high minimal residual disease (MRD) group was significantly higher than that in the middle and low MRD groups. High levels of Wilms' Tumor-1 (WT-1) protein were strongly correlated with higher bone marrow MDSC levels. In conclusion, we report here a population of immunosuppressive monocytes in the bone marrow of patients with AML characterized by the CD33(high)CD11b + HLA-DR(low/neg) phenotype. These cells appear to impact the clinical course and prognosis of AML. This data may provide potentially important targets for novel therapies.

The Usage of Separating Gel Vacuum Tube with Different IgG Concentration.

BACKGROUND: Observing serum IgG concentration on the distribution of serum, blood cells, and separation gel after centrifugation in different separation gel vacuum tubes. METHODS: 3 mL venous blood was collected in each of two separation gel procoagulant vacuum tubes: BD Vacutainer SST II(3.5ml, 75×13 mm) and BD Vacutainer SST(5ml, 100×13 mm). After complete solidifaction, both tubes were centrifuged at 2000g for 10 minutes. The distribution of serum, blood cells, and separation gel in the vacuum tube was observed. The immunoglobulin concentration was detected using the special protein analyzer Siemens BNII. RESULTS: 1. In the group of BD Vacutainer SST II where the IgG concentration exceeded 50g/L but less than 122g/L: The serum was located below the separation gel and was distributed in three layers: separation gel, serum, and blood cells. 2. In the group of BD Vacutainer SST where the IgG concentration exceeded 50g/L but less than 122g/L: The serum was located above the separating gel, and was distributed in three layers: serum, separation gel, and blood cells. 3. Increases in IgA and IgM serum concentration did not cause the separation gel inversion. CONCLUSIONS: Increases in serum IgG were positively correlated with the concentration of total protein. The rising of serum IgG caused the floating of separation gel after centrifugation. The BD Vacutainer SST was more suitable for clinical blood sample collection.

Short low concentration cisplatin treatment leads to an epithelial mesenchymal transition-like response in DU145 prostate cancer cells.

BACKGROUND: Prostate cancer is one of the main causes of cancer death, and drug resistance is the leading reason for therapy failure. However, how this occurs is largely unknown. We therrfore aimed to study the response of DU145 cells to cisplatin. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Du145 prostate cancer cells were treated with a low dose of cisplatin for 24 h and cell viability and number were determined by MTT assay and trypan blue exclusion assay, respectively. The real time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to assess responses to cisplatin treatment. RESULTS: After 24h 2 µg/ml treatment did not result in significant reduction in cell viability or number. However, it led to enhanced cancer cell invasiveness. E-cadherin mRNA was reduced, and vimentin, Snail, Slug, metalloproteinase 9 (MMP9) mRNA expression increased significantly, a feature of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). CONCLUSIONS: Short time low concentration cisplatin treatment leads to elevated invasiveness of DU145 cancer cells and this is possibly due to EMT.

[Roles of moisture in constructing man-made algal crust with Micocoleus vaginatus].

To explore the roles of moisture in the construction of man-made algal crust with inoculated Micocoleus vaginatus, a laboratory experiment was conducted to study the variations of the microalgal biomass, algal crust thickness, crust compressive strength, and crust microstructure under six moisture doses and four moisture treatment intervals. When M. vaginatus was inoculated to the naked sands without moisture addition, the microalgal biomass was very low, and no algal crust was formed. With increasing dose of moisture, the microalgal biomass, algal crust thickness, and crust compressive strength increased significantly, and the algal filaments and extracellulhr polysaccharides (EPS) had a gradual increase, wrapped around the sands and formed a complex network. After 15 days moisture treatment, stable algal crust was formed, which had the highest microalgal biomass, crust thickness, and crust compressive strength. The optimal moisture dose for M. vaginatus to form man-made algal crust was 3-4 L.m-2.d-1, and the addition of moisture should be continued for 15 d. The availability of the moisture promoted the metabolic processes of M. vaginatus and the synthesis of the algal EPS, which increased the microalgal biomass and its ability to resist desiccation. The moisture availability at early stage was the key factor for M. vaginatus to successfully form algal crust. This study could offer some guidance for the recovery of biological soil crusts in the field.

[Clinical situation and analysis on the detection result of HIV antibody in Shandong province from 2003 to 2011].

OBJECTIVE: To provide the basis for clinical acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) surveillance and to avoid cross infection in hospital, we study the infection status of AIDS in Shandong province. METHODS: The fourth-generated Akzo's ELISA kit and the fourth generated Immunoluminometric detection reagent were used for HIV antibody screening for 399 303 cases of both inpatients and outpatients from Jan. 2003 to Dec. 2011. Beijing WanTai ELISA kit and Se-marked rapid detection reagent were used for re-detection, and the positive samples were sent to the local CDC for confirming test by Western Blot. RESULTS: The HIV-1 antibody detection results of 129 (0. 3230 per thousand) patients were confirmed to be positive, including 54 (0. 1352 per thousand) cases of outpatients and 75 (0. 1878 per thousand) cases of inpatients. HIV infection rates in outpatients from 2003 to 2011 were 0.050 per thousand, 0.030 per thousand, 0.111 per thousand, 0.120 per thousand, 0.124 per thousand, 0.113 per thousand, 0.148 per thousand, 0.201 per thousand, 0.2152 per thousand; and that in inpatients were 0. 150 per thousand, 0.089 per thousand, 0.138 per thousand, 0. 144 per thousand, 0. 104 per thousand, 0. 132 per thousand, 0. 197 per thousand, 0. 329 per thousand, 0. 313 per thousand respectively. Among these inpatients, there were 61 cases of medical patients and 14 cases of surgical patients, and most were youths and farmers. CONCLUSIONS: HIV infection rate was increasing year by year. Most inpatients whose HIV-1 antibody was positive were in the phase of AIDS. Therefore, it's very necessary to execute routine testing for inpatients and outpatients who need special examination for early diagnosis of HIV infection