Xanthate-Modified Magnetic Fe3O4@SiO2-Based Polyvinyl Alcohol/Chitosan Composite Material for Efficient Removal of Heavy Metal Ions from Water.

Chitosan has several shortcomings that limit its practical application for the adsorption of heavy metals: mechanical instability, a challenging separation and recovery process, and low equilibrium capacity. This study describes the synthesis of a magnetic xanthate-modified polyvinyl alcohol and chitosan composite (XMPC) for the efficient removal and recovery of heavy metal ions from aqueous solutions. The XMPC was synthesized from polyvinyl alcohol, chitosan, and magnetic Fe3O4@SiO2 nanoparticles. The XMPC was characterized, and its adsorption performance in removing heavy metal ions was studied under different experimental conditions. The adsorption kinetics fit a pseudo-second-order kinetic model well. This showed that the adsorption of heavy metal ions by the XMPC is a chemical adsorption and is affected by intra-particle diffusion. The equilibrium adsorption isotherm was well described by the Langmuir and Freundlich equations. The XMPC reached adsorption equilibrium at 303 K after approximately 120 min, and the removal rate of Cd(II) ions was 307 mg/g. The composite material can be reused many times and is easily magnetically separated from the solution. This makes the XMPC a promising candidate for widespread application in sewage treatment systems for the removal of heavy metals.

Physiological and Transcriptomic Analyses Revealed the Implications of Abscisic Acid in Mediating the Rate-Limiting Step for Photosynthetic Carbon Dioxide Utilisation in Response to Vapour Pressure Deficit in Solanum Lycopersicum (Tomato).

The atmospheric vapour pressure deficit (VPD) has been demonstrated to be a significant environmental factor inducing plant water stress and affecting plant photosynthetic productivity. Despite this, the rate-limiting step for photosynthesis under varying VPD is still unclear. In the present study, tomato plants were cultivated under two contrasting VPD levels: high VPD (3-5 kPa) and low VPD (0.5-1.5 kPa). The effect of long-term acclimation on the short-term rapid VPD response was examined across VPD ranging from 0.5 to 4.5 kPa. Quantitative photosynthetic limitation analysis across the VPD range was performed by combining gas exchange and chlorophyll fluorescence. The potential role of abscisic acid (ABA) in mediating photosynthetic carbon dioxide (CO2) uptake across a series of VPD was evaluated by physiological and transcriptomic analyses. The rate-limiting step for photosynthetic CO2 utilisation varied with VPD elevation in tomato plants. Under low VPD conditions, stomatal and mesophyll conductance was sufficiently high for CO2 transport. With VPD elevation, plant water stress was gradually pronounced and triggered rapid ABA biosynthesis. The contribution of stomatal and mesophyll limitation to photosynthesis gradually increased with an increase in the VPD. Consequently, the low CO2 availability inside chloroplasts substantially constrained photosynthesis under high VPD conditions. The foliar ABA content was negatively correlated with stomatal and mesophyll conductance for CO2 diffusion. Transcriptomic and physiological analyses revealed that ABA was potentially involved in mediating water transport and photosynthetic CO2 uptake in response to VPD variation. The present study provided new insights into the underlying mechanism of photosynthetic depression under high VPD stress.

Zirconium-Doped Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles as Cathode Interfacial Layers for Efficiently Rigid and Flexible Organic Solar Cells.

Low-temperature zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) are widely applied as cathode interfacial layers (CILs) for rigid and flexible organic solar cells. However, the inferior optoelectronic properties of ZnO NPs constrain the improvement in the photovoltaic performance and enhance the thickness sensitivity. Herein, upon application of this ZnO:Zr NP as a CIL for inverted device construction, the maximum power conversion efficiency (PCEmax) is increased to 17.7%, with an enhancement of 12.0% compared to that of the pristine ZnO-based devices (15.8%). A series of optoelectronic characterizations have revealed that the Zr doping methodology would enhance the charge generation and extraction process and suppress trap-assisted recombination, which is beneficial for the synergistic improvement of the thickness tolerance and shelf stability. Encouragingly, ZnO:Zr NPs can be easily fabricated through a doctor-blade coating technique with remarkable performance (16.6%). More critically, this approach can be applied to the development of high-performance flexible solar cells, with a superb PCE of 16.0%.

SLC25A10 performs an oncogenic role in human osteosarcoma.

Osteosarcoma is one of the most common primary malignant bone tumors in adolescents. It is associated with high risk of relapse and the outcomes of patients with high-grade osteosarcoma remain poor. Therefore, additional studies investigating the molecular mechanisms involved in tumor initiation, growth, migration and invasion of osteosarcoma are necessary. In the present study, the protein levels of solute carrier family 25 member 10 (SLC25A10) were increased in osteosarcoma tissue, compared with normal bone tissue. In patients with osteosarcoma, high expression levels of SLC25A10 were associated with poor clinicopathological parameters, including metastasis, clinical Enneking stage, relapse-free survival and overall survival rates. Short hairpin RNA knockdown of SLC25A10 significantly suppressed cell proliferation as determined by cell counting, MTT assay and cell colony formation assays. In addition, SLC25A10 knockdown caused an increase in apoptosis and a decrease in mitosis in osteosarcoma cells. Cyclin E1 (CCNE1) was positively regulated by SLC25A10, while P21 and P27 were negatively regulated by SLC25A10. Therefore, SLC25A10 may play an oncogenic role in human osteosarcoma, which could be mediated by CCNE1, P21 and P27.

A new supramolecular catalytic system: the self-assembly of Rh8 cage host anthracene molecules for [4 + 4] cycloaddition induced by UV irradiation.

The supramolecular assembly, used as a molecular reactor, is of great significance in host-guest chemistry. In this work, we used a tetratopic pyridyl ligand as a building block to hierarchically combine a slightly twisted cuboid with half-sandwich rhodium fragments. The cuboid directionally self-assembled hydrophobic pockets that can encapsulate conjugated molecules like anthracene (ANT) as guests in solutions, by supramolecular interactions including hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions. The array of the ANT molecules in the confined pockets was subjected to a [4 + 4] photocycloaddition reaction under UV light irradiation as an external stimulus in a methanol solution. Furthermore, the mechanism underlying the process was proposed. The cuboid was fully characterized by 1H NMR, single-crystal X-ray diffraction (SCXRD), and mass spectrometry (MS), and its host-guest and cycloaddition processes were monitored by 1H NMR spectroscopy and UV-visible spectrophotometry.

Visible-light-triggered supramolecular valves based on ß-cyclodextrin-modified mesoporous silica nanoparticles for controlled drug release.

A high-efficiency drug delivery system has been successfully constructed based on visible-light triggered binding and releasing between tetra-ortho-methoxy-substituted azobenzene (mAzo) and ß-cyclodextrin (ß-CD) modified mesoporous silica nanoparticles. The drug releasing efficiency is calculated to be 56%. The high-efficiency visible-light-triggered drug delivery system may afford great potential for cancer therapy.

Diketopyrrolopyrrole-based acceptors with multi-arms for organic solar cells.

Three small molecules SBF-1DPPDCV, SBF-2DPPDCV and SBF-4DPPDCV consisting of a spirobifluorene (SBF) unit as the core and one, two, and four diketopyrrolopyrrole dicyanovinyl (DPPDCV) units as the arms have been designed and synthesized for solution-processed bulk-heterojunction (BHJ) solar cells. The UV-Vis absorption and cyclic voltammetry measurement of these compounds showed that all these compounds have an intense absorption band over 300-750 nm with a LUMO energy level at around -3.87 eV. When pairing with PTB7-Th as the donor, devices fabricated based on PTB7-Th : SBF-4DPPDCV blends showed a decent PCE of 3.85%, which is the highest power conversion efficiency (PCE) amongst the three DPP acceptor fabricated devices without extra treatment. Devices with SBF-1DPPDCV and SBF-2DPPDCV acceptors showed lower PCEs of 0.26% for SBF-1DPPDCV and 0.98% for SBF-2DPPDCV respectively. The three dimensional (3D) structure of SBF-4DPPDCV facilitates the formation of a 3D charge-transport network and thus enables a rational electron-transport ability (1.04 × 10-4 cm2 V-1 s-1), which further leads to a higher J sc (10.71 mA cm-2). These findings suggest that multi-arm acceptors present better performance than one-arm or two-arm molecules for organic solar cells.

PDI Derivative through Fine-Tuning the Molecular Structure for Fullerene-Free Organic Solar Cells.

A perylenediimide-based (PDI-based) small molecular (SM) acceptor with both an extended π-conjugation and a three-dimensional structure concurrently is critical for achieving high-performance PDI-based fullerene-free organic solar cells (OSCs). Herein, a novel PDI-based SM acceptor has been successfully synthesized through fusing PDI units with a spiro core 4,4'-spirobi[cyclopenta[2,1-b;3,4-b']dithiophene (SCPDT) together via ß-position coupling with thiophene bridges. An enhanced absorption from 350 to 520 nm has been observed. Moreover, compared with previously reported acceptor SCPDT-PDI4, in which the PDI units and SCPDT are not fused together, the LUMO energy level of FSP (the new SCPDT-based molecule) increases. OSCs containing PTB7-Th as a donor and FSP as an acceptor have been demonstrated to show an excellent performance with a power conversion efficiency as high as 8.89%. This result might be attributed to the efficient and complementary photoabsorption, balanced carrier mobilities, and favorable phase separation in the blend film. This research could offer an effective strategy to design novel high-performance PDI-based acceptors.

High-Performance Organic Solar Cells Based on a Non-Fullerene Acceptor with a Spiro Core.

Derived from perylenediimide (PDI) building blocks, 3D PDI molecules are considered as a type of promising structure to overcome molecular aggregation, thus improving the performance of organic solar cells. Herein, we report a novel PDI-based derivative, SCPDT-PDI4 , with four PDI units connected to a unique spiro core. Attributed to this novel molecular design, SCPDT-PDI4 exhibits a rigid 3D structure, in which the aggregation tendency of PDI chromophores could be effectively attenuated. Additionally, strong intramolecular charge transfer and high charge mobility are achieved due to the well-conjugated structure and electron-rich property of SCPDT. Therefore, fullerene-free organic solar cells based on SCPDT-PDI4 and PTB7-Th achieve a remarkable high efficiency of 7.11 %. Such an excellent result demonstrates the opportunity of SCPDT to be a promising building block for non-fullerene acceptors.

Comparative Study Between Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Banded Plication and Sleeve Gastrectomy in Moderate Obesity--2 Year Results.

BACKGROUND: The traditional bariatric surgery guidelines issued by the National Institute of Health in 1991 did not include moderate obesity as an indication for bariatric surgery. These patients also develop risk of significant comorbidity and mortality. Nonsurgical treatment for them is not generally effective. This study compared the results of patients undergoing laparoscopic adjustable gastric banded plication (LAGBP) with laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) in patients with BMI between 30 and 35. METHODS: A review of data was done for patients who underwent either LAGBP or LSG in our hospital from February 2007 to October 2012. The inclusion criterion for both groups was BMI between 30 and 35 with or without comorbidity. RESULTS: One hundred thirty-nine patients were included in the study out of which 42 underwent LAGBP and 97 LSG. The operating time for LAGBP was significantly longer: 105.39 ± 39 vs. 59 ± 29.56 min. The postoperative hospital stay was not statistically different between the two procedures. The mean percent excess weight loss (%EWL) was significantly lower for LAGBP at 1 year but became insignificant at 2 years. Both groups had two postoperative complications, but the rate was not statistically different. The comorbidity resolution data did not show any significant difference between the two groups. CONCLUSION: In the present study, both LAGBP and LSG seemed to be safe and effective bariatric procedures in moderate obesity with 2-year results. But the long-term results are still awaited.

Standardized Technique of Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Banded Plication with 4-Year Results.

BACKGROUND: No bariatric procedure is perfect, and a plethora of such procedures itself is a proof for the same. Laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding has a high safety profile, but also a high rate of re-operation has been reported (Schouten, Wiryasaputra, van Dielen et al. Obes Surg 20(12):1617-26, 2010). Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) is becoming popular, but has its own set of complications and is irreversible. We introduced laparoscopic adjustable gastric banded plication (LAGBP) in 2009 (Huang, Lo, Shabbir et al. Surg Obes Relat Dis 8(1):41-5, 2012) In a case matched comparative study with LSG, LAGBP showed similar results at 2 years in terms of weight loss, comorbidity resolution, and complications. (Huang, Chhabra, Goel et al. Obes Surg 23(8):1319-23, 2013). Several authors have reported variations in their technique, bougie size, and suture material used to perform plication. (Ramos, Galvao Neto, Galvao et al. Obes Surg 20(7):913-8, 2010, (Mui, Lee, Lam et al. Obes Surg 23(2): 179-83, 2013, Brethauer, Harris, Kroh et al. Surg Obes Relat Dis 7(1):15-22, 2011) Our initial technique of placing the band first and then plicating the stomach resulted in higher incidence of gastric fundus herniation compared to that reported in a systematic review (Abdelbaki, Huang, Ramos et al. Obes Surg 22(10):1633-9, 2012). After the first 65 cases, we reversed the order by performing the gastric plication first which ensures proper plication of the fundus and a more uniformly placed plication line. This technique has become our standard, and the same is described in this video in a stepwise fashion. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed LAGBP in 202 cases over the last 4 years and recorded the findings. Our standardized technique is shown in this video. The T-suspension technique was used for liver retraction. (Zachariah, Tai, Chang et al. J Laparoendosc Adv Surg Tech A 23(4):311-5, 2013) Gastric plication formula is shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 1 Gastric plication formula RESULTS: Two hundred two (69 male, 133 female) patients in over the last 4 years underwent LAGBP. Follow-up at 1 year was 168 patients, and 56 patients reached 4-year follow-up. Age was 16-60 years (mean = 31.1). Mean BMI was 39.5 ± 3.18 and body weight 110 kg ± 19.4. Mean operative time was 104 min ± 39 and length of hospital stay after surgery 2.1 ± 2.3 days. No mortality was recorded. Excess weight loss at 1 year was 57.84 % and at four years 68 %. CONCLUSION: LAGBP has been proven to be an effective bariatric procedure in the midterm results. Standardization with plication first and then placement of the band could be important to achieve best outcomes.

Monolithic NPG nanoparticles with large surface area, tunable plasmonics, and high-density internal hot-spots.

Plasmonic metal nanostructures have shown great potential in sensing, photovoltaics, imaging and biomedicine, principally due to the enhancement of local electric field by light-excited surface plasmons, i.e., collective oscillation of conduction band electrons. Thin films of nanoporous gold have received a great deal of interest due to the unique 3-dimensional bicontinuous nanostructures with high specific surface area. However, in the form of semi-infinite thin films, nanoporous gold exhibits weak plasmonic extinction and little tunability in the plasmon resonance, because the pore size is much smaller than the wavelength of light. Here we show that by making nanoporous gold in the form of disks of sub-wavelength diameter and sub-100 nm thickness, these limitations can be overcome. Nanoporous gold disks not only possess large specific surface area but also high-density, internal plasmonic "hot-spots" with impressive electric field enhancement, which greatly promotes plasmon-matter interactions as evidenced by spectral shifts in the surface plasmon resonance. In addition, the plasmonic resonance of nanoporous gold disks can be easily tuned from 900 to 1850 nm by changing the disk diameter from 300 to 700 nm. Furthermore, nanoporous gold disks can be fabricated as either bound on a surface or as non-aggregating colloidal suspension with high stability.

Passband modes beyond waveguide cutoff in metallic tilted-woodpile photonic crystals.

The infrared propagation character of metallic woodpile photonic crystals made of gold in the <110> direction was studied. The bandgap in metallic woodpile was found to be interrupted by a new propagating mode far beyond the waveguide cutoff. This new passband cannot be explained by the defect mode of the photonic crystal or the waveguide theorem. However, studies of surface plasmons within the structure showed that 3-D metallic photonic crystals can expand the propagating mode far beyond waveguide cutoff. This passband mode can be adjusted by design allowing for new optical filtering devices using 3-D photonic crystals. Finite-difference-time-domain (FDTD) simulations were applied to explain this phenomenon and matched well with experimental results.

Spontaneous regression of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma: a case report.

Spontaneous regression of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma is extremely rare. A 66-year-old Taiwanese male patient with liver cirrhosis related to chronic hepatitis C presented with hepatocellular carcinoma with portal vein thrombosis. At first, he refused curative therapy, except for silymarin medicine. Spontaneous regression of hepatocellular carcinoma occurred with a decline in tumour size and tumour marker in imaging studies. The patient agreed to undergo surgery approximately 14 months after presentation because of no further decrease in tumour size and an increase in tumour marker in the imaging studies. The resected tumour was hepatocellular carcinoma with portal vein thromboses. Presently, the patient is alive and in good condition without any symptoms or tumour recurrence. We concluded that this was a rare case of spontaneous regression of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma.

Hepatoid adenocarcinoma of the stomach with liver metastasis mimicking hepatocellular carcinoma: a case report.

INTRODUCTION: Hepatoid adenocarcinoma is a special type of extrahepatic alpha-fetoprotein-producing adenocarcinoma, which has a morphologic similarity to hepatocellular carcinoma. We report a patient with underlying hepatitis B virus infection and hepatoid adenocarcinoma with liver metastasis mimicking hepatocellular carcinoma. CASE PRESENTATION: We present the case of a 56-year-old Chinese female with underlying hepatitis B virus infection, who was found to have multiple hepatic tumors by abdominal ultrasound and an elevated level of serum alpha-fetoprotein. Hepatocellular carcinoma was considered based on the image findings, the elevated level of serum alpha-fetoprotein. and underlying hepatitis B virus infection. Moreover, the subsequent endoscopy revealed gastric tumor. However, the tumor histology of the stomach and liver revealed glandular adenocarcinoma with hepatoid foci. The final diagnosis is hepatoid adenocarcinoma of the stomach with liver metastasis. CONCLUSION: Hepatoid adenocarcinoma is an aggressive tumor with liver metastasis being the first clinical manifestation of the neoplasm. Hepatoid adenocarcinoma of the stomach with liver metastasis should be considered in older patients with elevated serum alpha-fetoprotein and multiple hepatic tumors with underlying chronic liver disease. An upper gastrointestinal endoscopy should be performed to exclude the possibility of hepatoid adenocarcinoma originating from the stomach to avoid potential misdiagnosis and inappropriate therapy.

Retroperitoneal hemorrhage caused by enoxaparin-induced spontaneous lumbar artery bleeding and treated by transcatheter arterial embolization: a case report.

Lumbar artery bleeding with retroperitoneal hematoma is an uncommon life-threatening complication secondary to enoxaparin use. We present a case of 73-year-old Chinese woman with acute retroperitoneal hemorrhage one month following hip surgery, due to enoxaparine. Enoxaparin induced hemorrhage caused by spontaneous rupture of lumbar artery was suspected and treated successfully by transcatheter arterial embolization.

Angioplasty treatment of hepatic vein stenosis in pediatric liver transplants: long-term results.

We reviewed long-term results of percutaneous venoplasty in children with hepatic vein stenosis after partial liver transplants, of which excellent early results were shown. Percutaneous transjugular hepatic venoplasty using balloon dilatation or stent implantation was performed in six cases with hepatic vein stenosis identified on routine post-transplant Doppler sonography and confirmed by transjugular hepatic venography from 1994 to 2003. Repeated procedure was carried out if necessary. Six of 105 patients with partial liver graft developed hepatic stenosis characterized by low hepatic venous velocity with monophasic waveform with significant pressure gradient (>5 mmHg). The incidence was 4.46% for all 112 pediatric liver transplants. Successful balloon venoplasty was achieved in four cases. Self-expanding stent was used in two cases with absent waisting or angulated balloon catheter during dilatation and persisted pressure gradient (>5 mmHg). Repeated procedure was required in two initially successful cases with additional stent used in one case. Three cases had transient hyperdynamic hepatic venous flow with markedly increased central venous pressure after stent implantation. Nonprocedural-related mortality rate was 16.7%. Patent hepatic vein was maintained in five patients after a mean follow-up of 3.67 years (0.75-9.5). Higher incidence of hepatic vein stenosis was noted in pediatric partial liver transplant. However, encouraging long-term results showed that hepatic venoplasty or stent implantation could be a preferable alterative to surgical revision or retransplantation, which has been the procedure of choice in our hospital.

Impact of pre-operative transarterial embolization on the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma with liver transplantation.

AIM: To determine the effectiveness of pre-liver transplant (LT) transarterial embolization (TAE) in treating hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and the patient categories, which are likely to have a good outcome after LT. METHODS: Twenty-nine patients with hepatitis-related cirrhosis and unresectable HCC after LT were studied over a 7-year period. The patients were divided into two groups: group A patients (19/29) received pre-LT TAE, whereas group B (10/29) underwent LT without prior TAE. According to Milan criteria, group A patients were further subdivided into: group A1 (12/19) who met the criteria, and group A2 (7/19) who did not. Patient survivals were compared. RESULTS: In the explanted liver, CT images correlated well with pathological specimens showing that TAE induced massive tumor necrosis (>85%) in 63.1% of patients in group A and all 7 patients in group A2 exhibited tumor downgrading that met Milan criteria. The overall 5-year actuarial survival rate was 80.6%. The TAE group had a better survival (84% at 5 years) than the non-TAE (75% at 4 years). The 3-year survival of group A2 (83%) was also higher than that of group A1 (79%). Tumor necrosis >85% was associated with excellent survival of 100% at 3 years, which was significantly better than the others who showed <85% tumor necrosis (57.1% at 3 years) or who did not have TAE (75% at 3 years). CONCLUSION: TAE is an effective treatment for HCC before LT. Excellent long-term survival was achieved in patients that did not fit Milan criteria. Our results broadened and redefined the selection policy for LT among patients with HCC. Meticulous pre-LT TAE helps in further reducing the rate of dropout from waiting lists and should be considered for patients with advanced HCC.

Risk factors for intraoperative portal vein thrombosis in pediatric living donor liver transplantation.

Pathologic changes of the recipient native portal venous system may cause thrombosis of the portal vein, especially in pediatric living donor liver transplantation (LDLT). This study assessed the utility of Doppler ultrasound (US) for the detection of intraoperative portal vein occlusion and identification of predisposing risk factors in the recipients. Seventy-three pediatric recipients who underwent LDLT at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taiwan, from 1994 to 2002 were included. Preoperative and intraoperative Doppler US evaluation of the portal vein was performed. Age, body weight, native liver disease, type of graft, graft recipient weight ratio (GRWR), type of portal anastomosis, portal velocity, portal venous size and presence of portosystemic shunt were analyzed for statistical significance of predisposing risk factors. Eight episodes of intraoperative portal vein thrombosis, with typical findings of absent Doppler flow in portal vein and prominent hepatic artery with a resistant index lower than 0.5 (p < 0.001), were detected during transplantation, which was then corrected by thrombectomy and re-anastomosis. Children age < or =1 yr (p = 0.025), weight < or =10 kg (p = 0.024), low portal flow < or =7 cm/s (p = 0.021), portal venous size < or =4 mm (p = 0.001), and GRWR >3 (p < 0.017) were all risk factors for intraoperative portal vein thrombosis. Doppler US is essential in the preoperative evaluation, early detection and monitoring of outcome of the portal vein in liver transplant.

Splenic embolization in treatment of portal vein occlusion deferring liver transplantation.

The number of liver transplantations performed in this country is limited to the availability of cadaver liver donors, which are always short of demand. Deterioration of patient's clinical condition during the long wait for a compatible donor usually casts a poor prognosis on the patient. We report a 6-year-old girl who underwent splenic artery embolization as an alternative procedure due to a life-threatening clinical condition while liver graft was not immediately available. She was a case of idiopathic portal hypertension with portal vein occlusion that had resulted in splenomegaly, pancytopenia, gastric and esophageal varices. Living graft transplantation was contraindicated due to portal vein lesion. She was listed as high-urgency for liver transplantation as she developed repeated esophageal variceal bleeding requiring frequent sclerotherapy and admission to the intensive care unit. Prevention of the ongoing worsening clinical complications, improvement of hematological disorders and correction of hypersplenism was achieved right after splenic artery embolization. The patient resumed normal daily life and has been successfully eliminated from the waiting list of liver transplantation. We conclude that this is a safe and effective alternative to splenectomy that might call of further liver transplantation.