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Graphene is a promising sensing material that has been widely used for high-performance sensors. However, the development of graphene-based sensing device is limited by complex manufacturing procedures. Here, we report a facile fabrication of humidity sensors by flash reduction of graphene oxides (GO) with the help of a photographic camera flash. The flash treatment triggers a drastic deoxygenation of oxygen functional groups (OCGs) from the GO sheets, which not only restores its conductivity partly but also induces the formation of a highly porous structure. The reduced GO sensor shows high sensitivity at the relative humidity atmosphere of 11%–95%, small hysteresis, rapid response, and enhanced durability. The sensitive mechanism was discussed through the investigation of complex impedance plots. This facile flash reduction strategy holds great promise for chemical-free production of graphene-based sensing devices. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Abstract: A new macrocyclic manganese(III) 18-azametallacrown-6 compound with the formula of [Mn6(4-ohashz)6(CH3OH)6]·12CH3OH (4-ohashz=N-acetyl-(4-hydroxysalicylhydrazidate)) was synthesized and characterized. In this complex, the metal ion is forcing the stereochemistry of the ligands arranged into a propeller shape with alternating Λ/Δ configurations. The disc-shaped hexanuclear complex has a cavity in the center with a dimension of 8.69′ in diameter and 3.13′ in thickness and aligned approximately along the crystallographic c-axis, one-dimensional channels are formed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Purpose: Whether the diagnosis of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease or metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty disease has a different impact on liver transplant recipients with hepatocellular carcinoma is not yet clear., Methods: Data from a two-center retrospective cohort study were collected to compare and investigate the differences between non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease in clinicopathologic parameters and prognosis among liver transplant recipients with hepatocellular carcinoma., Results: A total of 268 liver transplant recipients with hepatocellular carcinoma were included. The prevalence among pre- and post-transplant metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease was 10.82% and 30.22%, while for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, it was 7.09% and 26.87%, respectively. The clinicopathological parameters were similar between the two pre-transplant groups. In contrast, the post-transplant group with metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease exhibited a higher prevalence of diabetes mellitus and a greater body mass index. However, the other parameters were similar between the two post-transplant groups (p > 0.05). Factors such as the largest tumor size > 4 cm, microvascular invasion, lack of tumor capsule, post-transplant metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease, and decreased post-transplant lymphocyte percentage were related to an increased risk of recurrence., Conclusion: In patients undergone liver transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma, the diagnosis of metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty disease is more strongly associated with metabolic abnormalities than the diagnosis of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and is an independent predictor of hepatocellular carcinoma recurrence., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Zhu, Liu, Yang, Ren, Ye, Liu, Li, Han and He.)

B cells possess anti-tumor functions mediated by granzyme B, in addition to their role in antigen presentation and antibody production. However, the variations in granzyme B+ B cells between tumor and non-tumor tissues have been largely unexplored. Therefore, we integrated 25 samples from the Gene Expression Omnibus database and analyzed the tumor immune microenvironment. The findings uncovered significant inter- and intra-tumoral heterogeneity. Notably, single-cell data showed higher proportions of granzyme B+ B cells in tumor samples compared to control samples, and these levels were positively associated with disease-free survival. The elevated levels of granzyme B+ B cells in tumor samples resulted from tumor cell chemotaxis through the MIF- (CD74 + CXCR4) signaling pathway. Furthermore, the anti-tumor function of granzyme B+ B cells in tumor samples was adversely affected, potentially providing an explanation for tumor progression. These findings regarding granzyme B+ B cells were further validated in an independent clinic cohort of 40 liver transplant recipients with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. Our study unveils an interaction between granzyme B+ B cells and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, opening up potential avenues for the development of novel therapeutic strategies against this disease., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Microlens arrays (MLAs) with a tunable imaging ability are core components of advanced micro-optical systems. Nevertheless, tunable MLAs generally suffer from high power consumption, an undeformable rigid body, large and complex systems, or limited focal length tunability. The combination of reconfigurable smart materials with MLAs may lead to distinct advantages including programmable deformation, remote manipulation, and multimodal tunability. However, unlike photopolymers that permit flexible structuring, the fabrication of tunable MLAs and compound eyes (CEs) based on transparent smart materials is still rare. In this work, we report reconfigurable MLAs that enable tunable imaging based on shape memory polymers (SMPs). The smart MLAs with closely packed 200 × 200 microlenses (40.0 μm in size) are fabricated via a combined technology that involves wet etching-assisted femtosecond laser direct writing of MLA templates on quartz, soft lithography for MLA duplication using SMPs, and the mechanical heat setting for programmable reconfiguration. By stretching or squeezing the shape memory MLAs at the transition temperature (80 °C), the size, profiles, and spatial distributions of the microlenses can be programmed. When the MLA is stretched from 0 to 120% (area ratio), the focal length is increased from 116 to 283 μm. As a proof of concept, reconfigurable MLAs and a 3D CE with a tunable field of view (FOV, 160-0°) have been demonstrated in which the thermally triggered shape memory deformation has been employed for tunable imaging. The reconfigurable MLAs and CEs with a tunable focal length and adjustable FOV may hold great promise for developing smart micro-optical systems.

Background: Metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease was proposed by international consensus to redefine the metabolic abnormal condition. However, its impact on liver transplant recipients with hepatitis B virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma has not been explored., Methods: A two-center retrospective cohort study on liver transplant recipients with hepatitis B virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma was performed to analyze the impact of metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease on the clinicopathologic parameters and prognosis., Results: There were 201 liver transplant recipients enrolled from two hospitals in our study. The pre- and post-transplant prevalences of metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease were 9.95% and 28.86%, respectively. The clinicopathological parameters revealed a similarity between patients with and without pre-transplant metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease. In contrast, the group with post-transplant metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease was linked with older age, a higher hepatitis recurrence rate and incidence of cardiovascular disease, usage of calcineurin inhibitors, a greater body mass index and waist circumference, lower albumin and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, and poorer tumor-free survival and overall survival. The multivariate analysis showed the largest tumor size >4 cm (95% confidence intervals: 0.06~0.63, p = 0.006), microvascular invasion (95% confidence intervals: 1.61~14.92, p = 0.005), post-transplant metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (95% confidence intervals: 1.40~10.60, p = 0.009), and calcineurin inhibitors-based regimen (95% confidence intervals: 0.33~0.96, p = 0.036) were the independent risk factors for recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma., Conclusions: Our study suggests that post-transplant metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease is more closely to metabolic abnormalities and that it can help identify liver transplant recipients at high risk of recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited.)

Flexible electronic skin is a flexible sensor system that imitates human skin. Recently, flexible sensors have been successfully developed. However, the droplet sliding sensing technology on a flexible electronic skin surface is still challenging. In this Letter, a flexible droplet sliding sensing surface is proposed and fabricated by laser-reduced graphene oxide (LRGO). The LRGO shows porous structures and low surface energy, which are beneficial for infusing lubricants and fabricating stable slippery surfaces. The slippery surface guarantees free sliding of droplets. The droplet sliding sensing mechanism is a combination of triboelectricity and electrostatic induction. After a NaCl droplet slides from lubricant-infused LRGO, a potential difference (∼0.2 mV) can be measured between two Ag electrodes. This study reveals considerable potential applications in intelligent robots and the medical field.

Photothermal responsive slippery surfaces with switchable superwettability are promising in the fields of biomedicine, self-cleaning, anti-corrosion, and lab-on-a-chip systems. However, the development of a light switchable slippery surface that combines high-performance photothermal materials with hierarchical microstructures of special orientation remains challenging, which limits the applications in anisotropic droplet manipulation. Herein, we demonstrate a photothermal responsive slippery surface based on laser-structured graphene and polyvinylidene difluoride composites (L-G@PVDF) for controllable droplet manipulation. The L-G@PVDF film exhibits high light absorption (∼95.4%) in the visible and NIR region. After lubricating with paraffin, the resultant surface shows excellent self-healing ability and light-responsive wettability change due to the photothermal effect of L-G@PVDF and the hot melting effect of paraffin. Additionally, by introducing anisotropic grooved structures, the paraffin-infused L-G@PVDF surface displays anisotropic wettability that further affects droplet manipulation under light irradiation. Also, the photothermal responsive slippery property endows the paraffin-infused L-G@PVDF surface with excellent anti-frosting and de-icing capability. Moreover, the smart paraffin-infused L-G@PVDF surface can be combined with a microfluidics chip for light-driven automatic sampling. This study offers insight into the rational design of photothermal responsive slippery surfaces for controllable droplet manipulation., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

In this minireview, we comprehensively reviewed recent progress on fabricating anti-icing/de-icing surfaces by femtosecond laser technologies. Typical bioinspired micro-/nano-structures fabrication strategies, superhydrophobic surfaces with anti-icing properties, and photothermal surfaces with de-icing properties are summarized. At last, we discussed challenges and prospects in anti-icing/de-icing surfaces fabricated by femtosecond laser technologies., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Tang, Wang, Han, Zhou, Yan, Yu and Han.)

Electro-responsive actuators (ERAs) hold great promise for cutting-edge applications in e-skins, soft robots, unmanned flight, and in vivo surgery devices due to the advantages of fast response, precise control, programmable deformation, and the ease of integration with control circuits. Recently, considering the excellent physical/chemical/mechanical properties (e.g., high carrier mobility, strong mechanical strength, outstanding thermal conductivity, high specific surface area, flexibility, and transparency), graphene and its derivatives have emerged as an appealing material in developing ERAs. In this review, we have summarized the recent advances in graphene-based ERAs. Typical the working mechanisms of graphene ERAs have been introduced. Design principles and working performance of three typical types of graphene ERAs (e.g., electrostatic actuators, electrothermal actuators, and ionic actuators) have been comprehensively summarized. Besides, emerging applications of graphene ERAs, including artificial muscles, bionic robots, human-soft actuators interaction, and other smart devices, have been reviewed. At last, the current challenges and future perspectives of graphene ERAs are discussed., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2021 The Authors.)

A nanocomposite capable of simultaneously controlling multiple water pollutants (soluble organic dye and insoluble chemical solvent) has been obtained. The Au and Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles (NPs) were modified on a graphene oxide (GO) surface via light reduction and covalent attachment. The obtained Fe 3 O 4 -Au-GO nanocomposite has magnetic driving ability and catalytic applications. The nanocomposite can form emulsions after wrapping an insoluble and volatile organic solvent inside; moreover, the multi-layer graphene shell structure may delay volatilization of the solvent, ensuring that the oil droplets are collected efficiently and completely by the Fe 3 O 4 -Au-GO nanocomposite. At the same time, the Au NPs on the surface of the composite can effectively catalyze the decomposition of an organic dye in water and the recovery of the nanocomposite catalyst can also be realized using an external magnetic field. The simultaneous treatment of non-soluble oil (organic solvents) and organic dyes in water can be realized by the Fe 3 O 4 -Au-GO nanocomposite. Therefore, based on surface modification of GO, one material with two types of water pollution treatment functions was realized. This provides a new way for the simultaneous treatment of oil separation and dye decomposition, and the assembled structure may result in emulsions to give new applications in fuel cells and other fields.

Background: At the time of diagnosis, most patients with gallbladder cancer are in advanced stage and the cancer is unresectable. Long-term survivors are usually seen in a small number of patients with incidental gallbladder cancer. This study aimed to identify preoperative predictors of incidental gallbladder cancer in elderly patients., Methods: A total of 4014 patients of more than 44 years old who had undergone cholecystectomy at our department from January 2000 to December 2010 were retrospectively reviewed. Univariate and multivariate modalities were used to identify the predictive factors of incidental gallbladder cancer., Results: Twenty-nine of the 4014 patients who had undergone cholecystectomy for benign gallbladder diseases were histologically diagnosed as having incidental gallbladder cancer. Multivariate analysis identified that elevated carbohydrate antigen 19-9 combined with carcinoembryonic antigen and/or carbohydrate antigen 125 (P=0.045), a gallbladder polyp greater than or equal to 1.2 cm (P=0.043) and focal gallbladder wall thickening of more than or equal to 5 mm (P=0.002) were predictive factors of incidental gallbladder cancer., Conclusion: Cholecystectomy is suggested for patients with these predictive factors and intraoperative frozen section should be considered to rule out carcinoma.

Background: Autoimmune pancreatitis (AIP) is a unique chronic inflammation of the pancreas in which autoimmune mechanisms are involved in the pathogenesis. It is characterized by clinical, histopathological, radiographic, serologic and therapeutic features. Since it was first described in 1995, increasing numbers of AIP patients have been diagnosed., Methods: In this study, the data from 2 patients with AIP who had elevation of serum immunoglobulin G, positive autoantibody, swelling of the pancreas and narrowing of the main pancreatic duct on imaging were analyzed retrospectively., Results: With the initial diagnosis of AIP, both patients underwent regular prednisone therapy, which was initiated at a dose of 40 mg per day with a tapering schedule of 5 mg every 2 weeks. The patients responded very well to treatment with prednisone., Conclusions: AIP is a relatively new disease entity. Although it is diagnosed by distinct characteristics of the clinical, radiologic, histopathologic, and serologic findings, many questions require further clarification, including its relationship to other autoimmune diseases and misdiagnosis as pancreaticobiliary malignancies.

Objective: To analyze postoperative morbidity and mortality after gastrectomy for gastric carcinoma and identify main risk factors influencing mortality., Methods: A total of 1142 patients with gastric cancer received gastrectomy between January 1989 and April 2004. The patients were divided into three groups according to different period, the first group (n=405): from January 1989 to January 1994; the second group (n=377): from February 1994 to January 1999; the third group (n=360): from February 1999 to March 2004. Postoperative morbidity and mortality were compared among three groups, the risk factors influencing postoperative mortality were determined by multiple logistic regression analysis., Results: The total postoperative morbidity and mortality for all patients were 11.2% (128/1142) and 3.6% (41/1142), respectively. The postoperative morbidity was 13.1%, 10.1%, and 10.3% in the first, second, and third group respectively, there was no significant difference in morbidity among the three groups (P > 0.05). The postoperative mortality was 4.7%, 3.4%, and 2.5% respectively (P > 0.05), there was no significant difference in mortality among the three groups (P > 0.05). The most common postoperative complication was anastomotic leakage (24.2%, 31/128). The following clinicopathologic factors were found to be correlated with postoperative mortality: stage IV; palliative excision; multivisceral resection; and preoperative complications (P< 0.05). Multivariate analysis revealed that the extent of lymph node dissection or surgical procedure were not main risk factors influencing mortality., Conclusion: Patients with advanced gastric cancer have a high risk of postoperative mortality. Unnecessary lymph node dissection or multivisceral resection should be avoided for patients with stage IV gastric cancer.

Aim: To directly investigate the relationship between telomerase activity and its subunit expression and the inhibitory effect of antisense hTR on pancreatic carcinogenesis., Methods: We examined the telomerase activity and its subunit expression by cell culture, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), PCR-silver staining, PCR-ELISA, DNA sequencing, MTT and flow cytometry methods., Results: PCR-silver staining and PCR-ELISA methods had the same specificity and sensitivity as the TRAP method. Telomerase activity was detected in the extract of the 10(th),20(th) and 30(th) passages of P3 cells,while it was absent in fibroblasts. Furthermore, after the 30th generation, the proliferation period of fibroblast cells was significantly prolonged. Telomerase activity and hTERTmRNA were detected in two pancreatic carcinoma cell lines, but were found to be negative in human fibroblast cells. Telomerase activity and hTERTmRNA were tested in pancreatic carcinoma specimens of 24 cases. The telomerase activity was positive in 21 of the 24 cases (87.5 %), and the hTERTmRNA in 20 cases (83.3 %). In adjacent normal tissues positive rates were both 12.5 %. There was a significant difference between the two groups. This indicated a significant correlation between the expression level of telomerase activity and histologic differentiation, metastasis and advanced clinical stage of pancreatic carcinoma. Our findings showed that the expressions of hTR and TP1mRNA were not correlated with the activity of telomerase but the expression of hTERTmRNA was. After treatment with PS-ODNs, telomerase activity in P(3) cells weakened and the inhibiting effect became stronger with an increase in PS-ODNs concentration. There was a significant difference between different PS-ODN groups (P<0.05). Inhibition of telomerase activity occurred most significant with PS-ODN1. The results of the FCM test of pancreatic cancer P(3) cells showed an increase in the apoptotic rate with increasing PS-ODN1 and PS-ODN2 concentrations., Conclusion: The expression of telomerase activity has a significant relationship to carcinogenesis. A strong correlation exists between telomerase activity and hTERTmRNA expression. The up-regulation of hTERTmRNA expression may play a critical role in human carcinogenesis. The expression of telomerase activity and its subunit level in pancreatic carcinoma significantly correlate with the clinical stage of pancreatic carcinoma and hence, may be helpful in its diagnosis and prognosis. The anti-hTR complementary to the template region of hTR is sufficient to inhibit P3 cell telomerase activity and cell proliferation in vitro, and can lead to a profound induction of programmed cell death.