A novel strategy for the enhancement of electrochemiluminescence (ECL) was developed by combining CdSe nanocrystals (NCs), carbon nanotube−chitosan (CNT−CHIT), and 3-aminopropyl-triethoxysilane ...(APS). A label-free ECL immunosensor for the sensitive detection of human IgG (HIgG) was fabricated. The colloidal solution containing CdSe NCs/CNT−CHIT composite was first covered on the Au electrode surface to form a robust film, which showed high ECL intensity and good biocompatibility. After APS as a cross-linker was covalently conjugated to the CdSe NCs/CNT−CHIT film, the ECL intensity was greatly enhanced. And, an intensity about 20-fold higher than that of the CdSe NCs/CNT−CHIT film was observed. After antibody was bound to the functionalized film via glutaric dialdehyde (GLD), the modified electrode could be used as an ECL immunosensor for the detection of HIgG. The specific immunoreaction between HIgG and antibody resulted in the decrease in ECL intensity. The ECL intensity decreased linearly with HIgG concentration in the range of 0.02−200 ng mL−1, and the detection limit was 0.001 ng mL−1. The immunosensor has the advantages of high sensitivity, speed, specificity, and stability and could become a promising technique for protein detection.
Photoelectrochemical (PEC) bioanalysis is a newly developed technique for innovative biomolecular detection. Quantum dots (QDs) with unique photophysical properties are key components in realization ...of various exquisite PEC bioanalyses. Particularly, significant progress has been made in the QD-based PEC bioanalysis. In this work, we briefly summarize the most recent and important developments in the use of traditional and newly emerging QDs for novel PEC bioanalytical applications. The future prospects in this dynamic field are also highlighted.
This review summarizes the most recent advances in the use of quantum dots (QDs) for photoelectrochemical bioanalysis.
Background
We aimed to analyze the radiation dose and compare survival among combined modality therapy using modern radiation techniques for patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC).
...Methods
This retrospective study included patients with clinically staged T1‐4N0‐3M0 ESCC from 2014 to 2018. Patients who received combined modality therapies with curative intent were enrolled. The overall survival (OS) rates among combined modality therapy were compared. The clinical variables and impacts of radiation dose on survival were analyzed by the Kaplan–Meier method and Cox regression model.
Results
Of the 259 patients, 141 (54.4%) received definitive concurrent chemoradiotherapy (DCCRT); 67 (25.9%) underwent neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy followed by surgery (NCRT+S); 51 (19.7%) obtained surgery followed by adjuvant chemoradiotherapy (S+ACRT). Two‐year OS rates of the DCCRT, NCRT+S and S+ACRT group were 48.9, 61.5 and 51.2%. In the subgroup analysis of DCCRT group, the 2‐year OS of patients receiving radiation dose 55–60 Gy was 57.1%. Multivariate analyses showed that clinical stage (p = 0.004), DCCRT with 55–60 Gy (p = 0.043) and NCRT+S with pathological complete response (pCR) (p = 0.014) were significant prognostic factors for better OS. The radiation dose–survival curve demonstrated a highly positive correlation between higher radiation dose and better survival.
Conclusion
Our results suggest that NCRT+S can provide a favorable survival for patients with ESCC, especially in patients who achieved pCR. The optimal radiation dose might be 55–60 Gy for patients receiving DCCRT via modern radiation techniques. Further randomized clinical studies are required to confirm the survival benefits between NCRT+S and DCCRT with escalated dose.
(a) Overall survival (Kaplan–Meier method) stratified by combined therapy. DCCRT with radiation dose 55–60 Gy may have a potential comparable 2‐year overall survival as compared with NCRT+S group (57.1% vs. 61.5%). (b) Radiation dose–survival curve of the patients receiving DCCRT. Patients are divided into the 45–50 Gy, 50–55 Gy, 55–60 Gy and 60–65 Gy groups. There is a highly positive correlation (R2 = 0.997) between the higher radiation dose and better survival.
This paper is aimed at a detailed study of the behaviors of random walks which is defined by the dyadic expansions of points. More precisely, let x=(ϵ1(x),ϵ2(x),…) be the dyadic expansion for a point ...x∈0,1) and Sn(x)=∑k=1n(2ϵk(x)−1), which can be regarded as a simple symmetric random walk on Z. Denote by Rn(x) the cardinality of the set {S1(x),…,Sn(x)}, which is just the distinct position of x passed after n times. The set of points whose behavior satisfies Rn(x)∼cnγ is studied (c>0 and 0<γ≤1 being fixed) and its Hausdorff dimension is calculated.
Background and Aims
Despite the success of universal infant immunization initiated in Taiwan in 1984, occult hepatitis B virus infection (OBI) and circulating surface antigen mutants remain potential ...obstacles for eventual eradication of HBV infection.
Methods
From 3299 apparently healthy, neonatally–vaccinated subjects (<30 years of age ) enrolled during 2014 serosurvey, we recruited all HBsAg–positive (n = 17), all HBsAg–negative but anti‐HBc–positive (n = 132) and randomly selected HBsAg–negative and anti‐HBc–negative subjects (n = 411). These recruited subjects and 81 HBsAg–negative children with various forms of hepatitis and multiple transfusions were analysed for serum HBV DNA.
Results
In healthy, HBsAg–negative subjects, OBI frequency was higher in anti‐HBc–positive than anti‐HBc‐negative individuals (8/908.9% vs 8/3012.7%, P = 0.0192) aged <18‐years, but was not different between anti‐HBc–positive and anti‐HBc–negative individuals (0/110% vs 3/1102.7%, P > 0.05) aged 18 to 30 years. OBI occurred more frequently in children of HBsAg–positive mothers than in children of HBsAg–negative mothers (10/101 9.9% vs 1/75 1.3%, P = 0.025). The prevalence of surface ‘a’ determinant (aa110‐160) mutants was 13.3% (2/15) in OBI subjects compared to 36.4% (4/11) in HBsAg–positive subjects (P > 0.05). OBI was found in 30% (3/10) of serologic ‘non‐A to E’ viral hepatitis, 14.3% (3/21) of chronic hepatitis C and 2.0% (1/50) of multitransfused, thalassemic children.
Conclusions
In this highly immunized population, surface antigen mutant infection is uncommon and has low contribution to OBI development. HBsAg screening plus highly sensitive HBV DNA assays are needed for assurance of blood supply safety. Multiple transfusions from HBsAg–negative blood donors rarely result in persistent HBV infection. HBV might be related to some of serologic ‘non‐A to E’ viral hepatitis.
The structural, electronic, and optical properties of N, P mono‐doped and N–N, N–P, P–P co‐doped monolayer MoS2 (ML‐MoS2) have been calculated in contrast with the pure ML‐MoS2 so as to investigate ...if double‐hole‐mediated co‐doping with anion–anion pairs will improve the photocatalytic activity of ML‐MoS2. The unfilled impurity states appearing in the N‐doped system and the formation of S vacancy in N, P mono‐doped systems suppress the photocatalytic activities of N and P mono‐doped systems. N–P co‐doped in configuration (ii) as well as N–N and P–P co‐doped ML‐MoS2 also introduce unoccupied impurity states above the Fermi levels, and these impurity states accelerating the recombination of photo‐generated charge carriers will suppress the photocatalytic activity. The N–P co‐doped in configuration (i) ML‐MoS2 has the suitable band‐gap with respect to the water redox levels, and N–P co‐doping will suppress the formation of MoS2 bilayer. Therefore, N–P co‐doped (i) is a promising visible light photocatalyst for water splitting.
Proper N–P co‐doped MoS2 monolayer is a promising visible light photocatalyst for water splitting due to the suitable bandgap for visible light absorption and appropriate band edge positions with respect to the water redox levels for spontaneous production of hydrogen and oxygen.
As the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) is widely used in all walks of life, the signal structure of satellite navigation is open, and the vulnerability to spoofing attacks is also becoming ...increasingly prominent, which will seriously affect the credibility of navigation, positioning, and timing (PNT) services. Satellite navigation signal authentication technology is an emerging technical means of improving civil signal anti-spoofing on the satellite navigation system side, and it is also an important development direction and research focus of the GNSS. China plans to carry out the design and development of the next-generation Beidou navigation satellite system (BDS), and one of its core goals is to provide more secure and credible PNT services. This paper first expounds on the principles and technical architecture of satellite navigation signal authentication, then clarifies the development history of satellite navigation signal authentication, and finally proposes the BDS authentication service system architecture. It will provide technical support for the construction and development of the follow-up Beidou authentication service.
The advantage of adjuvant chemotherapy for upper urinary tract urothelial cancer (UTUC) has been reported, whereas its impact on upper tract cancer with variant histology remains unclear. We aimed to ...answer the abovementioned question with our real-world data.
Patients who underwent radical nephroureterectomy (RNU) and were confirmed to have variant UTUC were retrospectively evaluated for eligibility of analysis. In the Taiwan UTUC Collaboration database, we identified 245 patients with variant UTUC among 3,109 patients with UTUC who underwent RNU after excluding patients with missing clinicopathological information.
Those patients with variant UTUC were grouped based on their history of receiving adjuvant chemotherapy or not.
Propensity score matching was used to reduce the treatment assignment bias. Multivariable Cox regression model was used for the analysis of overall, cancer-specific, and disease-free survival.
For the patients with variant UTUC who underwent adjuvant chemotherapy compared with those without chemotherapy, survival benefit was identified in overall survival in univariate analysis (hazard ratio (HR), 0.527; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.285-0.973;
= 0.041). In addition, in multivariate analysis, patients with adjuvant chemotherapy demonstrated significant survival benefits in cancer-specific survival (OS; HR, 0.454; CI, 0.208-0.988;
= 0.047), and disease-free survival (DFS; HR, 0.324; 95% CI, 0.155-0.677; (
= 0.003). The main limitations of the current study were its retrospective design and limited case number.
Adjuvant chemotherapy following RNU significantly improved cancer-related survivals in patients with UTUC with variant histology.
Because graphene has nearly zero density of states at the Dirac point, charging it must overcome Pauli repulsion. We show here that this repulsion causes graphene to expand, which is measurable with ...an optical edge-tracking method despite that graphene is the strongest material. The expansion increases quadratically with applied voltage as predicted by theory and has a coefficient of ∼10–4 per V at 1 V. Graphene has many attractive properties, but it lacks piezoelectricity, which limits its electromechanical applications. The observed Pauli repulsion-induced expansion provides an alternative way to electrically control graphene dimension. It also provides a simple and direct method to measure the elastic properties of graphene and other low dimensional materials.
