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Background: The rate of breast-conserving surgery is very low in China, compared with that in developed countries; most breast cancer patients receive mastectomy. It is great important to explore the possibility of omitting axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) in early-stage breast cancer patients with 1 or 2 positive sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs) in China. The aim of this study was to develop a nomogram based on elastography for the prediction of the risk of non-SLN (NSLN) metastasis in earlystage breast cancer patients with 1 or 2 positive SLNs. Methods: A total of 601 breast cancer patients were initially recruited. According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 118 early-stage breast cancer patients with 1 or 2 positive SLNs were finally enrolled and were assigned to the training cohort (n=82) and the validation cohort (n=36), respectively. In the training cohort, the independent predictors were screened by logistic regression analysis and then were used to conducted the nomogram for the prediction of NSLN metastasis in early-stage breast cancer patients with 1 or 2 positive SLNs. The calibration curves, concordance index (C-index), the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC), and Decision curve analysis (DCA) were used to verified the performance of the nomogram. Results: The multivariable analysis showed that the enrolled patients with positive HER2 expression (OR=6.179, P=0.013), Ki67≥14% (OR=8.976, P=0.015), larger lesion size (OR=1.038, P=0.045), and higher Emean (OR=2.237, P=0.006) were observed to be the independent factors of NSLN metastasis. Based on the above four independent predictors, a nomogram was conducted to predict the risk of the NSLN metastasis in early-stage breast cancer patients with 1 or 2 positive SLNs. The nomogram showed good discrimination in the prediction of NSLN metastasis, with bias-corrected C-index of 0.855 (95% CI, 0.754-0.956) and 0.853 (95% CI, 0.724-0.983) in the training and validation cohorts, respectively. Furthermore, the AUC was 0.877 (95%CI: 0.776- 0.978) and 0.861 (95%CI: 0.732-0.991), respectively, indicating a good performance of the nomogram. The calibration curve suggested a satisfactory agreement between the predictive and actual risk in both the training (x² = 11.484, P=0.176, HL test) and validation (x² = 6.247, p = 0.620, HL test) cohorts, and the obvious clinical nets were revealed by DCA. Conclusions: We conducted a satisfactory nomogram model to evaluate the risk of NSLN metastasis in early-stage breast cancer patients with 1 or 2 SLN metastases. This model could be considered as an ancillary tool to help such patients to be selectively exempted from ALND. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Molecularly imprinted photonic polymers can serve as ideal sensing elements for efficiently creating cross-reactive sensor arrays. Based on this concept, a new method for sensitive and label-free detection of challenging PBDEs was developed, by which the direct detection and discrimination of trace levels of PBDEs against a high-background of interferents was achieved with 100% accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two conjugated molecules with a [2,2]paracyclophane core were designed as non-fullerene electron acceptors for photovoltaic cells. Using P3HT as the donor, a high power conversion efficiency (2.69%) is achieved for the blending thin film of 1b with P3HT, which is relatively high for solution-processed OPVs based on small molecular non-fullerene acceptors and P3HT as the electron donor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A facile and convenient fluorescence detection of gamma-ray radiation is reported. This is based on the ensemble of silole 1and polymer 2, by taking advantages of AIE (aggregation-induced emission) behavior of silole compounds and the fact that polymers with –SO2groups in the main chain can be degraded upon gamma-ray radiation. The fluorescence intensity of the ensemble of silole 1and polymer 2decreases gradually after exposure to increasing dose of gamma-ray radiation. The detection of gamma-ray radiation with silole 1and polymer 2can be performed at ambient conditions and gamma-ray radiation as low as 0.13 kGy dose can be successfully detected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gold nanoparticles (Au-NPs) with negative charges aggregate in the presence of Arg6due to electrostatic interactions resulting in the red-shift of the plasmon absorption. But, after incubation of Arg6with trypsin the aggregation of Au-NPs can be prohibited. Accordingly, a newly designed-Au-NPs based colorimetric assay method for trypsin activity is established. Trypsin with a concentration as low as 1.6 ng mL−1can be assayed with this new colorimetric assay. This colorimetric label-free assay for trypsin can be performed in aqueous solution and both Au-NPs and Arg6are easily accessible. Thus, this assay method is useful for screening inhibitors of trypsin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A resorufin derivative with a DBS group (probe 1) was designed and investigated for the detection of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and inhibitor screening. The new assay is based on cascade enzymatic and chemical reactions of ATC, AChE and probe 1, and it can be carried out in a dual-signal detection mode. Moreover, the results show that probe 1can be used for cell fluorescence staining. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As essential enzymes in the body, monoamine oxidases (MAOs), including MAO-B, help maintain the proper balance of neurotransmitters and other dietary and biogenic amines. Thus, development of convenient and continuous assays for MAO-B and its inhibitor-screening is highly desirable since the inhibitors have implications for therapeutics for many brain diseases. In this paper, we report a direct continuous fluorescence turn-on assay for MAO-B and its inhibitor-screening with the ensemble of silole 1, heptylamine and HSO3−, which are either easily accessible or commercially available. Fluorescent spectral investigations show that this fluorometric assay can be performed continuously in aqueous solution and MAO-B of concentrations as low as 0.25 μg/mL can be analyzed. Moreover, the ensemble of silole 1, heptylamine, HSO3−and MAO-B can be employed to screen the inhibitors of MAO-B. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite a large steric bulk of C60, a molecular graphene with a covalently linked C60 pendant [hexabenzocoronene (HBC)-C60; 1] self-assembles into a coaxial nanotube whose wall consists of a graphite-like π-stacked HBC array, whereas the nanotube surface is fully covered by a molecular layer of clustering C60. Because of this explicit coaxial configuration, the nanotube exhibits an ambipolar character in the field-effect transistor output [hole mobility (μh) = 9.7 × 10-7 cm² V-1 s-1; electron mobility (μe) = 1.1 × 10-5 cm² V-1 s-1) and displays a photovoltaic response upon light illumination. Successful coassembly of 1 and an HBC derivative without C60 (2) allows for tailoring the p/n heterojunction in the nanotube, so that its ambipolar carrier transport property can be optimized for enhancing the open-circuit voltage in the photovoltaic output. As evaluated by an electrodeless method called flash-photolysis time-resolved microwave conductivity technique, the intratubular hole mobility (2.0 cm² V-1 s-1) of a coassembled nanotube containing 10 mol % of HBC-C60 (1) is as large as the intersheet mobility in graphite. The homotropic nanotube of 2 blended with a soluble C60 derivative [(6,6)-phenyl C61 butyric acid methyl ester] displayed a photovoltaic response with a much different composition dependency, where the largest open-circuit voltage attained was obviously lower than that realized by the coassembly of 1 and 2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Besides a traditional use for the development of organic conducting materials, the tetrathiafulvalene (TTF) unit and its derivatives have recently appeared as key constituents for new applications, exploiting remarkable redox properties: a high π-donating ability and occurrence of three stable redox states. Indeed, in very recent years, an impressive variety of switchable TTF-based molecular and supramolecular (multifunctional) architectures have been designed and synthesized. In this feature article, we discuss recent developments of TTF-based molecular and supramolecular systems in this respect, including molecular sensors, redox-fluorescent switches, multi-input systems for logic gates, electrochemically-driven conformational controls, molecular clips and tweezers, and redox-controlled gelation processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new silole derivative with an ammonium group was designed and studied with a view to developing a convenient fluorescence turn-on assay for heparin by taking advantage of the aggregation-induced enhanced emission (AIE) feature of silole (silacyclopentadiene) molecules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]