Identification of the CD8+ T-cell Related Signature for Predicting the Prognosis of Gastric Cancer Based on Integrated Analysis of Bulk and Single-cell RNA Sequencing Data.

The infiltration of CD8+ T cells in the tumor microenvironment is associated with better survival and immunotherapy response. However, their roles in gastric cancer have not been explored so far. In here, the profiles of GC gene expression were collected from The Cancer Genome Atlas database. Single-cell transcriptomic data originated from GSE134520. Cell clustering, annotation, and CD8+ T-cell differential genes were from the TISCH database. We determined 896 CD8+ T-cell differential genes by scRNA-seq analysis. After integrating immune-related genes, 174 overlapping genes were obtained and a novel risk model was subsequently built. The performance of CD8+ T-cell-associated gene signature was assessed in the training and external validation sets. The gene signature showed independent risk factors of overall survival for GC. A quantitative nomogram was built to enhance the clinical efficacy of this signature. Furthermore, low-risk individuals showed higher mutation status, higher immune checkpoint expression, low Tumour Immune Dysfunction and Exclusion (TIDE) scores, and higher IPS-PD-1 combined IPS-CTLA4 scores, indicating a greater response to immunotherapy. In addition, analysis of IMvigor210 immunotherapy cohort demonstrated that low-risk individuals had a favorable response to prognosis and immunotherapy. In conclusion, we generated a CD8+ T-cell-related signature that can serve as a promising tool for personalized prognosis prediction and guiding decisions regarding immunotherapy in GC patients.

[The Study of Recombinant Interfering Lentiviruses and Overexpressed Adenovirus Vectors Targeting Human c-Cbl Gene： Construction, Identification and Efficacy].

OBJECTIVE: To construct recombinant lentivirus and adenovirus which regulate the expression of c-Cbl gene and evaluate their efficacy. METHODS: The interference lentivirus and overexpressed adenovirus targeting human c-Cbl gene were constructed by gene recombination technology. Quantitative PCR and western blotting were used to detect the expression changes in c-Cbl gene and its transcription after leukemia cells (HL60,THP1) were infected by virus. RESULTS: Three recombinant interfering lentiviral vectors targeting human c-Cbl genes to successfully constructed and were identified by DNA sequencing, and the titers of the packaged viruses were all greater than 1×108 TU/ml. Among them, shRNA-2 lentivirus had the highest interference efficiency, and the expression of c-Cbl gene and CBL protein were decreased about 95% and 60% respectively after leukemia cells were infected with shRNA-2; In addition, the recombinant overexpression adenovirus targeting human c-Cbl gene was packaged successfully with the virus titer greater than 1×109 TU/ml. When leukemia cells were infected with adenovirus, the expression of c-Cbl gene and CBL protein were up-regulated about 10 times and 1.5 times respectively. CONCLUSION: Both recombinant interfering lentivirus and overexpression adenovirus can efficiently infect leukemia cells and affect the expressions of c-Cbl gene and CBL protein. It will lay a preliminary foundation for the subsequent study on the function of c-Cbl gene in tumor cells.

Proteasomal inhibitors induce myeloma cell pyroptosis via the BAX/GSDME pathway.

Proteasomes are overexpressed in multiple myeloma (MM) and proteasomal inhibitors (PIs) have been widely used for the treatment of MM. PIs are reported to induce MM cell apoptosis but impair necroptosis. In the present study, we found that PIs MG132 and bortezomib induce MM cell pyroptosis, a novel type of cell death, in a GSDME-dependent manner. Lack of GSDME totally blocks PI-induced pyroptosis. Interestingly, we found that Caspase-3/6/7/9 are all involved in pyroptosis triggered by PIs because the specific inhibitor of each caspase ablates GSDME activation. PIs markedly reduce mitochondrial membrane potential. Moreover, PIs disrupt the interaction of Bcl-2 and BAX, induce cytochrome c release from mitochondria to cytosol and activate GSDME. Furthermore, we found that overexpression of an N-terminal portion of GSDME suffices to release cytochrome c from mitochondria and to activate Caspase-3/9, suggesting N-GSDME might penetrate the mitochondrial membrane. Consistent with Bcl-2 inhibition, BAX can induce MM cell pyroptosis in a GSDME-dependent manner. In accordance with these findings, inhibition of Bcl-2 synergizes with PIs to induce MM cell pyroptosis. Therefore, the present study indicates that PIs trigger MM cell pyroptosis via the mitochondrial BAX/GSDME pathway and provides a rationale for combined treatment of MM with Bcl-2 and proteasome inhibitors to increase therapeutic efficiency via induction of pyroptosis.

Integrated analysis of senescence-associated genes in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

Background: Cellular senescence plays a critical role in the occurrence and development, and immune modulation of cancer. This research primarily investigated the role of senescence-associated genes (SAGs) in the survival and tumor microenvironment of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Methods: From the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) database, the gene expression profiles and clinical data of PDAC samples were downloaded. SAGs in the TCGA cohort were used to build a novel prognostic model and validated in the ICGC cohort. The relationship of signature with the immune landscape, tumor mutational burden (TMB), as well as the sensitivity of different therapies, was explored. Moreover, a nomogram was developed to predict the overall survival of PDAC patients. Results: A prognostic signature was constructed on basis of three SAGs, and patients in the low-risk score group had a longer survival time. The accuracy of the signature to distinguish different score groups was confirmed through principal component analysis (PCA) and the Receiver operator curves curve. The mRNA expression of the three signature genes was also verified in normal pancreatic and PDAC cell lines by RT-qPCR. The signature could independently predict the prognosis of PDAC patients and had broad applicability. Meanwhile, the nomogram predicted that 1- and 3-years survival rates were in good agreement with the observed overall survival rates. Low-risk patients had lower tumor mutational burden, and low-TMB patients had a better prognosis. Low- and high-risk patients exhibit distinct immune cell infiltration and immune checkpoint changes. By further analyzing the risk score, patients in the low-risk group were more responsive to immunotherapy and a variety of commonly used chemotherapeutic drugs. Conclusion: The prognostic signature can well predict the prognosis and assess the possibility of immunotherapy in personalized PDAC treatment.

Comparison of gene mutation spectra in younger and older Chinese acute myeloid leukemia patients and its prognostic value.

Differences in the gene mutation spectra of younger and older Chinese adult AML patients and the prognostic significance of these differentially presented gene mutations are rarely reported. One hundred and thirteen newly diagnosed Chinese adults with AML, divided into groups of younger and older patients, were enrolled in this study. Bone marrow samples from the patients were analyzed using targeted next-generation sequencing with a panel of 141 genes. Ninety-eight mutated genes were detected and the top 10 mutated genes were KMT2D, FLT3, FAT1, ASXL1, NRAS, DNMT3A, RELN, TET2, JAK2, and KRAS. The top five functional groups were the tyrosine kinase pathway, transcription factors, DNA methylation, chromatin modifiers, and the JAK-STAT signaling pathway. Younger patients exhibited higher incidences of KMT2D (33.8% vs 10.4%, P = 0.004) and KRAS (15.4% vs 2.1%, P = 0.042) mutations than older patients; whereas, older patients harbored more SRSF2 (20.8% vs 0%, P = 0.002), transcription factor (85.4% vs 67.7%, P = 0.031), DNA methylation (58.3% vs 36.9%, P = 0.024), and RNA splicing (31.3% vs 12.3%, P = 0.013) mutations than younger patients. Moreover, patients with SRSF2 mutations exhibited a lower rate of overall survival (P < 0.001) and relapse-free survival (P < 0.001) than patients carrying wild-type SRSF2. In conclusion, rarely reported KMT2D, FAT1, and RELN mutations were detected at high frequencies in our cohort. The gene mutation spectrum of older patients was different to that of younger patients. Moreover, older patients harbored more SRSF2 mutations, which predicted lower rates of overall and relapse-free survival.

Improving Stability of Cesium Lead Iodide Perovskite Nanocrystals by Solution Surface Treatments.

Cesium lead halide perovskite nanocrystals have a narrow emission peak tunable in the visible wavelength range with a high quantum yield. They hold great potential for optoelectronic applications such as light-emitting diodes or electronic displays. However, cesium lead iodide (CsPbI3) is not stable under ambient conditions, limiting its applications. Here, we use a solution surface treatment approach to improve the photostability of CsPbI3 suspensions in toluene. When a CsPbBr3 precursor is used via the method of heterogeneous surface treatment, the photoluminescence (PL) intensity is enhanced but the PL only lasts 2 days. In contrast, when a CsPbI3 precursor is used via the method of homogeneous surface treatment, not only the PL intensity of CsPbI3 suspensions is enhanced but also the stability with the PL lasts for 11 days. It is likely that a better protection on the core CsPbI3 by itself can be achieved because of better matching of the material structure and surface chemistry.

A CpG Methylation Classifier to Predict Relapse in Adults with T-Cell Lymphoblastic Lymphoma.

PURPOSE: Adults with T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma (T-LBL) generally benefit from treatment with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL)-like regimens, but approximately 40% will relapse after such treatment. We evaluated the value of CpG methylation in predicting relapse for adults with T-LBL treated with ALL-like regimens. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: A total of 549 adults with T-LBL from 27 medical centers were included in the analysis. Using the Illumina Methylation 850K Beadchip, 44 relapse-related CpGs were identified from 49 T-LBL samples by two algorithms: least absolute shrinkage and selector operation (LASSO) and support vector machine-recursive feature elimination (SVM-RFE). We built a four-CpG classifier using LASSO Cox regression based on association between the methylation level of CpGs and relapse-free survival in the training cohort (n = 160). The four-CpG classifier was validated in the internal testing cohort (n = 68) and independent validation cohort (n = 321). RESULTS: The four-CpG-based classifier discriminated patients with T-LBL at high risk of relapse in the training cohort from those at low risk (P < 0.001). This classifier also showed good predictive value in the internal testing cohort (P < 0.001) and the independent validation cohort (P < 0.001). A nomogram incorporating five independent prognostic factors including the CpG-based classifier, lactate dehydrogenase levels, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status, central nervous system involvement, and NOTCH1/FBXW7 status showed a significantly higher predictive accuracy than each single variable. Stratification into different subgroups by the nomogram helped identify the subset of patients who most benefited from more intensive chemotherapy and/or sequential hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. CONCLUSIONS: Our four-CpG-based classifier could predict disease relapse in patients with T-LBL, and could be used to guide treatment decision.

Flexible inorganic CsPbI3 perovskite nanocrystal-PMMA composite films with enhanced stability in air and water for white light-emitting diodes.

Perovskite nanocrystals are a new type of fluorescent material with the advantages of facile preparation process, bright tunable color with high quantum yield. They are ideal candidates for optoelectronic devices such as light-emitting diode (LED) and display. However, for practical applications of iodine-based perovskite nanocrystals, the photostability remains a great challenge because of their sensitivity to environmental factors such as oxygen, humidity etc. In this paper, we improve the photostability of CsPbI3 by introducing the polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) as a matrix to form flexible perovskite/PMMA composite films. The composite films maintain good photoluminescence quantum yield for 25 d in air and 4 d in water. Furthermore, these films are flexible and can sustain multiple bending and folding while maintaining their photoluminescence properties. This photostability against mechanical deformation allows for the development of flexible devices. As an example, flexible white light-emitting diodes (WLED) were produced with chromaticity coordination (0.31, 0.32), color temperature 6735 K and good stability over time.

A gene-expression-based signature predicts survival in adults with T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma: a multicenter study.

We aimed to establish a discriminative gene-expression-based classifier to predict survival outcomes of T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma (T-LBL) patients. After exploring global gene-expression profiles of progressive (n = 22) vs. progression-free (n = 28) T-LBL patients, 43 differentially expressed mRNAs were identified. Then an eleven-gene-based classifier was established using LASSO Cox regression based on NanoString quantification. In the training cohort (n = 169), high-risk patients stratified using the classifier had significantly lower progression-free survival (PFS: hazards ratio 4.123, 95% CI 2.565-6.628; p < 0.001), disease-free survival (DFS: HR 3.148, 95% CI 1.857-5.339; p < 0.001), and overall survival (OS: HR 3.790, 95% CI 2.237-6.423; p < 0.001) compared with low-risk patients. The prognostic accuracy of the classifier was validated in the internal testing (n = 84) and independent validation cohorts (n = 360). A prognostic nomogram consisting of five independent variables including the classifier, lactate dehydrogenase levels, ECOG-PS, central nervous system involvement, and NOTCH1/FBXW7 status showed significantly greater prognostic accuracy than each single variable alone. The addition of a five-miRNA-based signature further enhanced the accuracy of this nomogram. Furthermore, patients with a nomogram score ≥154.2 significantly benefited from the BFM protocol. In conclusion, our nomogram comprising the 11-gene-based classifier may make contributions to individual prognosis prediction and treatment decision-making.

Prognostic and predictive value of a microRNA signature in adults with T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma.

New prognostic factors are needed to establish indications for haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) in first complete remission (CR1) for T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma (T-LBL) patients. We used microarray to compare T-LBL tissue samples (n = 75) and fetal thymus tissues (n = 20), and identified 35 differentially expressed miRNAs. Using 107 subjects as the training group, we developed a five-miRNA-based classifier to predict patient survival with LASSO Cox regression: lower risk was associated with better prognosis (disease-free survival (DFS): hazard ratio (HR) 4.548, 95% CI 2.433-8.499, p < 0.001; overall survival (OS): HR 5.030, 95% CI 2.407-10.513, p < 0.001). This classifier displayed good performance in the internal testing set (n = 106) and the independent external set (n = 304). High risk was associated with more favorable response to HSCT (DFS: HR 1.675, 95% CI 1.127-2.488, p = 0.011; OS: HR 1.602, 95% CI 1.055-2.433, p = 0.027). When combined with ECOG-PS and/or NOTCH1/FBXW7 status, this classifier had even better prognostic performance in patients receiving HSCT (DFS: HR 2.088, 95% CI 1.290-3.379, p = 0.003; OS: HR 1.996, 95% CI 1.203-3.311, p = 0.007). The five-miRNA classifier may be a useful prognostic biomarker for T-LBL adults, and could identify subjects who could benefit from HSCT.

Development and validation of a nomogram for predicting survival in patients with gastrointestinal stromal tumours.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to develop and validate nomograms for predicting long-term overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) in gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GISTs). METHODS: Patients diagnosed with GISTs between 2004 and 2015 were selected for the study from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. Patients were randomly separated into the training set and the validation set. Multivariate analysis was used on the training set to obtain independent prognostic factors to build nomograms for predicting 3- and 5-year OS and CSS. The discrimination and calibration plots were used to evaluate the predictive accuracy of the nomograms. RESULTS: Data for a total of 5622 patients with GISTs were collected from the SEER database. Nomograms were established based on variables that were significantly associated with OS and CSS identified by the Cox regression model. The nomograms for predicting OS and CSS displayed better discrimination power than did the SEER stage and Tumour-Node-Metastasis (TNM) staging systems (7th edition) in the training set and validation set. Calibration plots of the nomograms indicated that OS and CSS closely corresponded to actual observation. CONCLUSIONS: The nomograms were able to more accurately predict 3- and 5-year OS and CSS of patients with GISTs than were existing models.

Development and Validation of a Nomogram for Predicting Overall Survival in Pancreatic NeuroendocrineTumors.

BACKGROUND: The objective of current study was to develop and validate a nomogram to predict overall survival in pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PNETs). METHODS: The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database was queried for patients with PNETs between 2004 and 2015. Patients were randomly separated into the training set and the validation set. Cox regression model was used in training set to obtain independent prognostic factors to develop a nomogram for predicting overall survival (OS). The discrimination and calibration plots were used to evaluate the predictive accuracy of the nomogram. RESULTS: A total of 3142 patients with PNETs were collected from the SEER database. Sex, age, marital status, primary site, TNM stage, tumor grade, and therapy were associated with OS in the multivariate models. A nomogram was constructed based on these variables. The nomogram for predicting OS displayed better discrimination power than the Tumor-Node-Metastasis (TNM) stage systems 7th edition in the training set and validation set. The calibration curve indicated that the nomogram was able to accurately predict 3- and 5-year OS. CONCLUSIONS: The nomogram which could predict 3- and 5-year OS were established in this study. Our nomogram showed a good performance, suggesting that it could be served as an effective tool for prognostic evaluation of patients with PNETs.

A nomogram to predict overall survival for biliary tract cancer.

BACKGROUND: The aim of the study was to develop and validate a nomogram to predict overall survival (OS) in biliary tract cancer (BTC). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients diagnosed with BTC between 2004 and 2014 were selected for the study from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. All patients were randomly allocated to 2 sets, the training set (n = 8,869) and the validation set (n = 8,766), for the purposes of validation. The prognostic effects of each variable were examined using univariate and multivariate analyses. Cox regression models and a nomogram were developed based on significant prognostic factors. The predictive and discriminatory capacity of the nomogram was evaluated by Harrell's concordance index (C-index) and calibration plots. RESULTS: Data of 17,635 patients with BTC were collected from the SEER database. Age; race; tumor site; tumor grade; T, N, and M stage; marital status; and therapy were associated with survival in the multivariate models. All these factors were integrated to construct the nomogram. The nomogram for predicting OS displayed better discrimination power than the tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) stage system 6th edition in the training set and validation set. The calibration curve indicated that the nomogram was able to accurately predict 3- and 5-year OS. CONCLUSION: This predictive model has the potential to provide an individualized risk estimate of survival in patients with BTC.

The Pathogenesis of Subacute Subdural Hematoma: A Report of 3 Cases and Literature Review.

OBJECTIVE: To discuss the pathologic mechanism of subacute subdural hematoma (sASDH). METHODS: Three typical cases of sASDH were reported, and related literature in Chinese published in the past 15 years was reviewed. RESULTS: Intervals from onset of acute subdural hematoma to surgery or symptom deterioration resulting in sASDH were 12.5-15.5 days (mean 14.1 days). Delayed liquefaction of hematoma clots occurred in all 3 reported cases. One patient achieved good curative effect after administration of dexamethasone, and another patient relapsed owing to poor drainage after evacuation of hematoma. CONCLUSIONS: The conversion of acute subdural hematoma to sASDH is an inflammatory reaction process with very regular in time, and it is speculated that the pathologic mechanism may be a delayed hypersensitivity reaction. Antigen released during the liquefaction process of blood clot, with subdural neomembrane cells as antigen-presenting cells, is presented to the T lymphocytes released from the capillaries in the neomembrane and forms sensitized T lymphocytes. When the subsequent antigen is released from the blood clots with a delayed liquefaction and is exposed to sensitized T lymphocytes, the delayed hypersensitivity process occurs.

2D Photonic Crystal Hydrogel Sensor for Tear Glucose Monitoring.

Photonic crystal (PC) materials have huge potentials as sensors for noninvasive and real-time monitoring glucose in tears. We developed a glucose-sensitive PC material based on monolayered colloidal crystals (MCCs). Polystyrene nanoparticles were first self-assembled into a highly ordered MCC, and this two-dimensional (2D) template was then coated by a 4-boronobenzaldehyde-functionalized poly(vinyl alcohol) hydrogel. Such a sensor efficiently diffracts visible light, whose structural color could change from red through yellow to green, as the glucose concentration altered from 0 to 20 mM, covering both tears' and bloods' physiological ranges. The sensor also represents a rapid response within 180 s at each titration of glucose, combining the characteristics of high accuracy and sensitivity in detecting the glucose concentration in tears, and this intelligent sensing material presents certain possibility for the frontier point-of-care glucose monitoring.

Elevated Expression of DLG1 Is Associated with Poor Prognosis in Patients with Colorectal Cancer.

AIMS AND BACKGROUND: Discs large homolog 1 (DLG1) belongs to the modular proteins Membrane Associated Guanylate Kinases (MAGUKs) and plays a major role in the formation of cell-cell junctions and cell polarity. DLG1 varies in expression and localization among malignancies. However, the clinical significance of DLG1 in the context of human colorectal cancer (CRC) remains unclear. The purpose of this study study is to determine the association of DLG1 with clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis of CRC patients. METHODS: DLG1 expression in human CRC was detected by immunohistochemical analysis and validated with mRNA data from a high-throughput sequencing TCGA datasets. The association of DLG1 expression with clinicopathological features in CRC patients was then statistically analyzed. RESULTS: Immunohistochemistry analysis found that DLG1 expression was significantly elevated in CRC tissues, compared with the expression in adjacent non-cancerous colon tissues (P=0.000). High DLG1 expression was significantly associated with advanced clinical stage (P=0.011) and enhanced tumor invasion (P=0.002). The TCGA mRNA expression data revealed that DLG1 mRNA expression was up-regulated in CRC tissues with advanced clinical stage (P=0.008), enhanced tumor invasion (P=0.042), lymph node metastasis (P=0.030), and distant metastasis (P=0.043). Kaplan-Meier survival curves revealed that CRC patients with high DLG1 levels had shorter survival (P=0.040). Furthermore, DLG1 was an independent prognostic factor for CRC patients (HR 2.202, 95% CI 1.057-4.587; P=0.035). CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that the increased expression of DLG1 may be predictive of an unfavorable prognosis in CRC patient and serve as a novel therapeutic target in this malignancy.

Current and Emerging Technology for Continuous Glucose Monitoring.

Diabetes has become a leading cause of death worldwide. Although there is no cure for diabetes, blood glucose monitoring combined with appropriate medication can enhance treatment efficiency, alleviate the symptoms, as well as diminish the complications. For point-of-care purposes, continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) devices are considered to be the best candidates for diabetes therapy. This review focuses on current growth areas of CGM technologies, specifically focusing on subcutaneous implantable electrochemical glucose sensors. The superiority of CGM systems is introduced firstly, and then the strategies for fabrication of minimally-invasive and non-invasive CGM biosensors are discussed, respectively. Finally, we briefly outline the current status and future perspective for CGM systems.

A Gelated Colloidal Crystal Attached Lens for Noninvasive Continuous Monitoring of Tear Glucose.

Patients of diabetes mellitus urgently need noninvasive and continuous glucose monitoring in daily point-of-care. As the tear glucose concentration has a positive correlation with that in blood, the hydrogel colloidal crystal integrated into contact lens possesses promising potential for noninvasive monitoring of glucose in tears. This paper presents a new glucose-responsive sensor, which consists a crystalline colloidal array (CCA) embedded in hydrogel matrix, attached onto a rigid gas permeable (RGP) contact lens. This novel sensing lens is able to selectively diffract visible light, whose wavelength shifts between 567 and 468 nm according to the alternation of the glucose concentration between 0 and 50 mM and its visible color change between reddish yellow, green, and blue. The detection limit of responsive glucose concentration can be reduced to 0.05 mM. Its combination with a contact lens endows it with excellent biocompatibility and portability, which shows great possibility for it to push the development of glucose-detecting devices into new era.

Structural, Infrared and Magnetic Properties of Nanosized Ni(x)Zn1-xFe2O4 Powders Synthesized by Sol-Gel Technique.

Ni-Zn ferrites Ni(x)Zn1-xFe2O4 (x = 0.2, 0.4, 0.5, 0.6, 0.8) powders were synthesized by sol-gel technique. Structural, infrared and magnetic properties of samples were investigated. Spinel structural characteristics are shown by XRD spectra and the morphologies observed by atomic force microscopy demonstrate the samples are in nano-range. For all the samples, FTIR spectra exhibit obvious v1 infrared absorbing bands, in the range 500-600 cm-1, corresponding to intrinsic stretching vibrations of the metal ions at the tetrahedral site (Td), Mtetra <--> O. Furthermore, the central position of v1 band is tending to shift to larger wave numbers with the increasing Ni contents in the samples. For the samples Ni(x)Zn1-xFe2O4 (x = 0.2, 0.4), the v2 infrared absorbing bands, in the range 450-385 cm(-1), corresponding to stretching vibrations of the metal ions at the octahedral-metal stretching (Oh), Mocta <--> O, were also observed. However, for samples Ni(x)Zn1-xFe2O4 with higher Ni content (x = 0.5, 0.6, 0.8), the v2 infrared absorbing bands were obscure. The magnetic hysteretic loops at room temperature obtained from vibration samples magnetometer reveal the soft magnetism of the samples. The sample with lowest Ni content, Ni0.2Zn0.8Fe2O4, presents much higher saturation field than the other samples. The coercive field rises with increased Ni content, which is ascribed to the increased magnetocrystalline anisotropy constant with Ni content.

Facile Preparation and Self-Assembly of Monodisperse Polystyrene Nanospheres for Photonic Crystals.

We have developed boiling emulsifier-free emulsion polymerization recipes for the synthesis of monodisperse polystyrene (PS) nanospheres with diameters between ca. 100 and 300 nm. The morphologies of the nanospheres during growth were characterized and the results showed that the PS nanospheres with uniform structures could be synthesized rapidly by modifying the reaction conditions. These nanospheres readily self-assemble into three-dimensionally colloidal photonic crystal film and whose photonic band-stop could be tuned over the entire visible spectral region by altering the sphere diameters.