Cross-sensitivity immune SPR sensor based on fan-shaped microstructured optical fiber for temperature and refractive index sensing.

To avoid coating and filling into the fiber holes, facilitate the phase-matching and eliminate cross-sensitivity problems, we propose a surface plasmon resonance sensor based on a fan-shaped microstructured optical fiber (MOF) for the simultaneous sensing of temperature and refractive index (RI). The fan-shaped structure is fabricated by polishing two sides of MOF with an angle of 120°. One side is coated with the gold film and polydimethylsiloxane layer for temperature sensing, and the other side is only coated with the gold film for RI sensing. The two sensing sides can support resonance peaks with two polarized directions at the angle of 120°, which are independent without cross-sensitivity. By monitoring the shifts of the two polarized peaks, our numerical results show that the temperature sensitivity is 2.932 nm/°C in the range of 30 °C to 40 °C, and RI sensitivity is 4235 nm/RIU in the range of 1.38 to 1.39, respectively.

Efficient and Stable Blue Perovskite Light-Emitting Devices Based on Inorganic Cs4PbBr6 Spaced Low-Dimensional CsPbBr3 through Synergistic Control of Amino Alcohols and Polymer Additives.

Perovskite light-emitting devices (PeLEDs) have drawn a great deal of attention because of their exceptional optical and electrical properties. However, as for the blue PeLEDs based on low-dimensional (LD) CsPbBr3, the low conductivity of the widely used organic spacers as well as the difficulty of forming pure and uniform LD CsPbBr3 phase have severely inhibited the device performance such as stability and efficiency. In this work, we report an effective strategy to obtain high-quality LD CsPbBr3 by using a novel spacer of inorganic Cs4PbBr6 instead of the common long-chain ammonium halides. We found that a 3-amino-1-propanol (3AP)-modified PEDOT:PSS was helpful to stimulate the formation of the LD blue emissive CsPbBr3:Cs4PbBr6 composite. We also revealed that an additive of poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP) in the precursor can limit further growth of LD perovskite phase into 3D perovskite phase upon annealing, thus resulting in a uniformly distributed LD perovskite with high color stability. Consequently, efficient blue PeLEDs @ 485 nm with a brightness of 2192 cd/m2, current efficiency of 2.68 cd/A, and external quantum efficiency of 2.3% was successfully achieved. More importantly, the device showed much improved working stability compared to those with the spacer of organic ammonium halides. Our results provide some helpful insights into developing efficient and stable blue PeLEDs.

Design and analysis of trench-assisted dual-mode multi-core fiber with large-mode-field-area.

A novel trench-assisted dual-mode multi-core fiber with large-mode-field-area is proposed. The structure consists of 17 conventional cores and two air holes according to a regular hexagon, which can realize strict dual-mode transmission. The structural parameters' effect on mode transmission characteristics, mode-field-area, and bending loss are analyzed systematically. By optimizing the structural parameters, the mode-field-area of the fundamental mode can reach ${2100.619}\;{{\unicode{x00B5}{\rm m}}^2}$. The introduction of the trench with a lower refractive index than cladding can reduce the bending loss to ${9.88} \times {{10}^{- 4}}\;{\rm dB}/{\rm m}$ when the bending radius is 2.3 cm. Besides, the structural design is flexible, and the manufacturing process is simple, which has broad application prospects.

Efficient Thermally Evaporated Perovskite Light-Emitting Devices via a Bilateral Interface Engineering Strategy.

Physical vapor deposition has emerged as a promising strategy for efficient and stable all-inorganic perovskite light-emitting devices (PeLEDs). However, the thermally evaporated PeLEDs still suffer from unsatisfactory optoelectrical performance because of the massive nonradiative defects. Herein, we demonstrate an efficient bilateral interfacial defect-passivation strategy toward high-performance PeLEDs with a thermally deposited CsPbBr3 emissive layer (EML). Specifically, the nonradiative defects from the bulk as well as the EML/charge transport layer (CTL) interface are significantly suppressed by implementing the 3-amino-1-propanol (3AP)-modified PEDOT:PSS and introducing ammonium salts, respectively. Simultaneously, both the 3AP induced less-conductive Cs4PbBr6 and ammonium salts can balance the charge injection into the EML effectively. As a result, we achieved efficient PeLEDs based on thermally evaporated CsPbBr3 with a luminance of 15745 cd/m2, current efficiency of 32 cd/A, external quantum efficiency of 8.86%, and lifetime of 3.74 h. The strategy proposed here may shed light on the development of highly efficient thermally evaporated PeLEDs.

LINC00997/MicroRNA 574-3p/CUL2 Promotes Cervical Cancer Development via Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Signaling.

Cervical cancer (CC) is a common gynecological malignancy with high morbidity and mortality. Mounting evidence has highlighted that long noncoding RNAs are essential regulators in cancer development. Long intergenic non-protein-coding RNA 997 (LINC00997) was identified for study due to its high expression in CC tissues. The aim of the study was to investigate the function and mechanism of LINC00997 in CC. Reverse transcription-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) revealed that LINC00997 RNA expression was also increased in CC cells and LINC00997 copy number was upregulated in CC tissues. 3-(4,5-Dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT), colony formation, and Transwell assays as well as transmission electron microscopy observation exhibited that LINC00997 depletion inhibited CC cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and autophagy. The relationship between LINC00997 and its downstream genes was confirmed by RNA pulldown, luciferase reporter, and RNA-binding protein immunoprecipitation assays. Mechanistically, LINC00997 upregulated the expression of cullin 2 (CUL2) by interacting with microRNA 574-3p (miR-574-3p). Moreover, Western blot analysis was employed to detect the protein levels of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway-associated factors in CC cells. LINC00997 activated the MAPK signaling by increasing CUL2 expression, thus promoting malignant phenotypes of CC cells. In conclusion, the LINC00997/miR-574-3p/CUL2 axis contributes to CC cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and autophagy via the activation of MAPK signaling.

MRPL15 is a novel prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target for epithelial ovarian cancer.

PURPOSE: To analyze the role of six human epididymis protein 4 (HE4)-related mitochondrial ribosomal proteins (MRPs) in ovarian cancer and selected MRPL15, which is most closely related to the tumorigenesis and prognosis of ovarian cancer, for further analyses. METHODS: Using STRING database and MCODE plugin in Cytoscape, six MRPs were identified among genes that are upregulated in response to HE4 overexpression in epithelial ovarian cancer cells. The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) ovarian cancer, GTEX, Oncomine, and TISIDB were used to analyze the expression of the six MRPs. The prognostic impact and genetic variation of these six MRPs in ovarian cancer were evaluated using Kaplan-Meier Plotter and cBioPortal, respectively. MRPL15 was selected for immunohistochemistry and GEO verification. TCGA ovarian cancer data, gene set enrichment analysis, and Enrichr were used to explore the mechanism of MRPL15 in ovarian cancer. Finally, the relationship between MRPL15 expression and immune subtype, tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, and immune regulatory factors was analyzed using TCGA ovarian cancer data and TISIDB. RESULTS: Six MRPs (MRPL10, MRPL15, MRPL36, MRPL39, MRPS16, and MRPS31) related to HE4 in ovarian cancer were selected. MRPL15 was highly expressed and amplified in ovarian cancer and was related to the poor prognosis of patients. Mechanism analysis indicated that MRPL15 plays a role in ovarian cancer through pathways such as the cell cycle, DNA repair, and mTOR 1 signaling. High expression of MRPL15 in ovarian cancer may be associated with its amplification and hypomethylation. Additionally, MRPL15 showed the lowest expression in C3 ovarian cancer and was correlated with proliferation of CD8+ T cells and dendritic cells as well as TGFßR1 and IDO1 expression. CONCLUSION: MRPL15 may be a prognostic indicator and therapeutic target for ovarian cancer. Because of its close correlation with HE4, this study provides insights into the mechanism of HE4 in ovarian cancer.

Numerical Analysis and Recursive Compensation of Position Deviation for a Sub-Millimeter Resolution OFDR.

We analyze the source of the position deviation and propose a demodulation recursive compensation algorithm to ensure a sub-millimeter resolution in improved optical frequency domain reflectometry. The position deviation between the geometric path and optical path changes with the temperature or strain, due to the elastic-optic and thermal-optic effects. It accumulates along the fiber and becomes large enough to affect the spectral correlation between the measured and reference spectra at the fiber end. The proposed algorithm compensates for the position deviation of each measuring point and aligns the measured spectra with its reference. The numerical and experimental results both reveal that the signal-to-noise ratio of the correlation is improved doubly and a sub-millimeter spatial resolution becomes available at a 30 m fiber end. The recursive compensation algorithm helps to restrain the correlation degeneration at the fiber end and promises an effective approach to a sub-millimeter resolution in optical frequency domain reflectometry.

Fluorinated Polyimide-Film Based Temperature and Humidity Sensor Utilizing Fiber Bragg Grating.

We propose and demonstrate a temperature and humidity sensor based on a fluorinated polyimide film and fiber Bragg grating. Moisture-induced film expansion or contraction causes an extra strain, which is transferred to the fiber Bragg grating and leads to a humidity-dependent wavelength shift. The hydrophobic fluoride doping in the polyimide film helps to restrain its humidity hysteresis and provides a short moisture breathing time less than 2 min. Additionally, another cascaded fiber Bragg grating is used to exclude its thermal crosstalk, with a temperature accuracy of ±0.5 °C. Experimental monitoring over 9000 min revealed a considerable humidity accuracy better than ±3% relative humidity, due to the sensitized separate film-grating structure. The passive and electromagnetic immune sensor proved itself in field tests and could have sensing applications in the electro-sensitive storage of fuel, explosives, and chemicals.

Boosting the Efficiency and Stability of Perovskite Light-Emitting Devices by a 3-Amino-1-propanol-Tailored PEDOT:PSS Hole Transport Layer.

Properties of the underlying hole transport layer (HTL) in perovskite light-emitting devices (PeLEDs) play a critical role in determining the optoelectronic performance through influencing both the charge transport and the quality of the active perovskite emission layer (EML). This work focuses on manipulating the carrier transport behavior and obtaining a high-quality EML film by tailoring the poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) HTL with previously unused amino alcohol 3-amino-1-propanol (3AP). The modified PEDOT:PSS rendered a deeper work function that is more suitable for the hole injection from the HTL to EML. More importantly, the 3AP-modified PEDOT:PSS film can induce a low-dimensional perovskite phase that can passivate the defects in the EML, resulting in a significantly improved light emission. Such ameliorations consequently result in a dramatical enhancement in performance of PeLED with a low turn-on voltage of 2.54 V, a maximum luminance of 23033 cd/m2, a highest current efficiency of 29.38 cd/A, a corresponding maximum external quantum efficiency of 9.4%, and a prolonged lifetime of 6.1 h at a proper Cs/Pb ratio.

Surface Plasmon Resonance Sensor Based on Dual-Side Polished Microstructured Optical Fiber with Dual-Core.

A surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensor based on a dual-side polished microstructured optical fiber (MOF) with a dual core is proposed for a large analyte refractive index (RI; na) detection range. Gold is used as a plasmonic material coated on the polished surface, and analytes can be directly contacted with the gold film. The special structure not only facilitates the fabrication of the sensor, but also can work in the na range of 1.42-1.46 when the background material RI is 1.45, which is beyond the reach of other traditional MOF-SPR sensors. The sensing performance of the sensor was investigated by the wavelength and amplitude interrogation methods. The detailed numerical results showed that the proposed sensor can work effectively in the na range of 1.35-1.47 and exhibits higher sensitivity in the na range of 1.42-1.43.

Decreased PTGDS Expression Predicting Poor Survival of Endometrial Cancer by Integrating Weighted Gene Co-Expression Network Analysis and Immunohistochemical Validation.

PURPOSE: To identify key pathogenic genes and reveal the potential molecular mechanisms of endometrial cancer (EC) using bioinformatics analysis and immunohistochemistry validation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Through weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), a co-expression network was constructed based on the top 25% variant genes in the GSE50830 dataset downloaded from gene expression omnibus (GEO). GO and KEGG pathway enrichment analyses were performed using the DAVID online tool. Candidate genes were selected using the cytoHubba plug-in of Cytoscape, mRNA expression levels and prognostic values in EC were analyzed by Oncomine, GEPIA, and Kaplan-Meier Plotter database to determine hub genes. One hub gene was validated by immunohistochemical (IHC) staining of 116 paraffin-embedded endometrial tissues and TCGA-UCEC cohort. Genes co-expressed with this hub gene were identified by LinkedOmics. Finally, its correlation with immune infiltration was evaluated by TIMER. RESULTS: Three co-expression modules and five candidate genes in each module were obtained by WGCNA; four hub genes were identified (LGR5, SST, ZNF558, and PTGDS). The mRNA levels of LGR5 and SST were significantly upregulated in EC, whereas those of ZNF558 and PTGDS were significantly downregulated; the expression of all four genes was associated with EC prognosis. Further validation demonstrated that PTGDS was significantly downregulated in the EC group compared with the atypical hyperplasia and normal endometrial groups, and its low expression was an independent risk factor for worse prognosis of EC. Biological function analysis indicated that PTGDS might be involved in the adaptive immune response, leukocyte migration, as well as in the regulation of cell adhesion molecules and chemokine signaling. Additionally, PTGDS expression was positively correlated with immune infiltration status of B cells, CD4+ T cells and macrophages. CONCLUSION: LGR5, SST, ZNF558, and PTGDS may participate in the development, progression, and prognosis of EC, in which PTGDS may be a novel biomarker and therapeutic target for EC.

Improved Performance for Thermally Evaporated Perovskite Light-Emitting Devices via Defect Passivation and Carrier Regulation.

Efficient inorganic perovskite light-emitting devices (PeLEDs) with a vacuum-deposited CsPbBr3 emission layer were realized by introducing an ultrathin 2-phenylethanamine bromide interlayer. The PEA+ cations not only passivated the nonradiative defects by terminating on the CsPbBr3 surface but also regulated the charge transport to balance the hole and electron transport. Consequently, the PeLEDs exhibit significantly promoted performance with a turn-on voltage of 3 V, a maximum current efficiency of 14.64 cd A-1, and an external quantum efficiency of 4.10%. Our work would provide instructive guidance for realizing efficient PeLEDs based on a vacuum processing method via focusing on the interface modification between the perovskite layer and the carrier transport layer.

A Large Detection-Range Plasmonic Sensor Based on An H-Shaped Photonic Crystal Fiber.

An H-shaped photonic crystal fiber (PCF)-based surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensor is proposed for detecting large refractive index (RI) range which can either be higher or lower than the RI of the fiber material used. The grooves of the H-shaped PCF as the sensing channels are coated with gold film and then brought into direct contact with the analyte, which not only reduces the complexity of the fabrication but also provides reusable capacity compared with other designs. The sensing performance of the proposed sensor is investigated by using the finite element method. Numerical results show that the sensor can work normally in the large analyte RI (na) range from 1.33 to 1.49, and reach the maximum sensitivity of 25,900 nm/RIU (RI units) at the na range 1.47-1.48. Moreover, the sensor shows good stability in the tolerances of 10% of the gold-film thickness.

External oxidant-free alkylation of quinoline and pyridine derivatives.

A novel and efficient method for the generation of alkyl radicals and the alkylation of quinoline and pyridine derivatives under mild conditions has been developed. This strategy allows the direct alkylation of heteroaromatics in the absence of an external oxidant. A preliminary mechanistic study suggests that the present reaction probably proceeds via an intermolecular HAT process.

A Temperature Plasmonic Sensor Based on a Side Opening Hollow Fiber Filled with High Refractive Index Sensing Medium.

A surface plasmon resonance temperature sensor based on a side opening hollow-core microstructured optical fiber is proposed in this paper. This design employs a gold nanowire to excite the plasmon mode, and can be easily filled with the sensing medium through the side opening of the fiber, which not only simplifies the fabrication of the sensor but can also use the high refractive index sensing medium. The coupling characteristics, sensing performance and fabrication tolerance of the sensor are analyzed by using the finite element method. The simulation results indicate that the maximum sensitivity is 3.21 nm/°C for the x-polarized core mode in the temperature range of 13.27-50.99 °C, and 4.98 nm/°C for the y-polarized core mode in the temperature range of 14.55-51.19 °C, when benzene is used as the sensing medium. The sensor also shows a good stability in the range of ±10% fabrication tolerance.

Palladium-Catalyzed Hiyama Cross-Couplings of Arylsilanes with 3-Iodoazetidine: Synthesis of 3-Arylazetidines.

The first palladium-catalyzed Hiyama cross-coupling reactions of arylsilanes with 3-iodoazetidine were described. The protocol provides a convenient access to a variety of useful 3-arylazetidines which are of great interest in pharmaceutical laboratories in moderate to good yields (30%-88%). In addition, this strategy has the advantage of easy operation and mild reaction conditions.

Lentivirus-mediated PHLDA2 overexpression inhibits trophoblast proliferation, migration and invasion, and induces apoptosis.

Inadequate trophoblast invasion and increased trophoblast apoptosis cause serious pregnancy complications. Pleckstrin homology-like domain, family Α, member 2 (PHLDA2) has been linked to fetal size at birth and growth restriction in a number of studies. However, the impact of PHLDA2 on trophoblast function had not been studied previously, to the best of our knowledge. In the present study, immunofluorescence staining demonstrated that primary trophoblasts isolated from placental villous tissues were positive for cytokeratin 18 (CK18), vimentin and human placental lactogen (hPL). JEG-3 cells and primary trophoblasts were infected with lentivirus overexpressing PHLDA2. RT-qPCR and western blot analysis detected high levels of PHLDA2. A Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay showed that PHLDA2 overexpression inhibited trophoblast proliferation. In addition, PHLDA2 significantly induced apoptosis, as evidenced by Annexin V-FITC/propidium iodide (PI) and Hoechst staining, along with activation of Bax and caspase-3 and also decreased Bcl-2 expression. Further investigation showed that PHLDA2 effectively induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, caused cytochrome c release from the mitochondria into the cytosol and decreased mitochondrial membrane potential. PHLDA2 likely induced apoptosis through the mitochondrial pathway. Wound healing and Transwell assays indicated that PHLDA2 overexpression efficiently suppressed cell migration and invasion. These data suggest that PHLDA2 plays an important role in the occurrence and development of pregnancy complications by promoting trophoblast apoptosis and suppressing cell invasion.

The expression of the imprinted gene pleckstrin homology-like domain family A member 2 in placental tissues of preeclampsia and its effects on the proliferation, migration and invasion of trophoblast cells JEG-3.

Preeclampsia (PE) is one of the most common hypertensive disorders and is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality for pregnant women and perinatal babies. Additionally, pleckstrin homology-like domain family A member 2 (PHLDA2) is associated with placental dysfunction. However, the effect of PHLDA2 on trophoblast cell proliferation, migration and invasion has not been investigated. In this study, 15 PE patients and 15 normal pregnant women were recruited and clinical characteristics were summarized. Pleckstrin homology-like domain family A member 2 levels in placental tissues were examined using real-time PCR and western blot. Overexpression plasmid and PHLDA2 siRNA was introduced into JEG-3 cells, respectively. Cell proliferation was measured using MTT assay and flow cytometry. Cell migration and invasion capacities were assessed by wound healing and Transwell assays. It was found that PE patients collectively presented proteinuria, elevated systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and lower gestational ages and birth weights. Pleckstrin homology-like domain family A member 2 levels in the preeclamptic placenta were significantly upregulated. Pleckstrin homology-like domain family A member 2 overexpression significantly arrested cells in the G0/G1 phase, inhibited cell proliferation and suppressed the migration and invasion of JEG-3 cells. Pleckstrin homology-like domain family A member 2 knockdown significantly blocked the cells in the S phase of the cell cycle. Knockdown of PHLDA2 alleviated the inhibition on the migration and invasion of trophoblast cells JEG-3. These findings illustrate that PHLDA2 may participate in PE pathogenesis and indicate its potential application in the early diagnosis of PE.

Surface plasmon resonance sensor based on D-shaped microstructured optical fiber with hollow core.

To solve the phase matching and analyte filling problems in the microstructured optical fiber (MOF)-based surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensors, we present the D-shaped hollow core MOF-based SPR sensor. The air hole in the fiber core can lower the refractive index of a Gaussian-like core mode to match with that of a plasmon mode. The analyte is deposited directly onto the D-shaped flat surface instead of filling the fiber holes. We numerically investigate the effect of the air hole in the core on the SPR sensing performance, and identify the sensor sensitivity on wavelength, amplitude and phase. This work allows us to determine the feasibility of using the D-shaped hollow-core MOFs to develop a high-sensitivity, real-time and distributed SPR sensor.

Nonlinear reduction in risk for colorectal cancer by oral contraceptive use: a meta-analysis of epidemiological studies.

PURPOSE: Although the relationship between oral contraceptive (OC) use and colorectal cancer (CRC) risk has been studied extensively, the results of epidemiological studies are controversial. Therefore, we carried out a meta-analysis of epidemiological studies to summarize the available evidence and to quantify the potential dose-response relation. METHODS: We searched PubMed database for studies of OC use and CRC risk that were published until the end of March 2014. Random- and fixed-effects models were applied to estimate summary relative risks (RRs) and 95 % confidence intervals (CIs). RESULTS: Twelve cohorts and seventeen case-control studies with a total of 15,790 CRC cases were included in the final analysis. The summary RR for the ever versus never category of OC use was 0.82 (95 % CI 0.76-0.88). Similar result was observed when we compared the longest duration of OC use with the shortest duration (RR = 0.86, 95 % CI 0.76-0.96). Furthermore, the results of stratified analysis were comparable to those of overall meta-analysis. In dose-response analysis, significant inverse associations emerged in nonlinear models for the duration of OC use and CRC (P nonlinearity = 0.001). The greatest risk reduction was observed when the duration of OC use was approximately 42 months. There was moderate heterogeneity in the analysis, and no evidence of small-study bias was observed. CONCLUSIONS: Based on the findings of this meta-analysis, ever use of OC is associated with lower risk of CRC. Additionally, there is a statistically significant nonlinear inverse association between the duration of OC use and CRC risk.