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In engineering measurements, metal foil strain gauges suffer from a limited range and low sensitivity, necessitating the development of flexible sensors to fill the gap. This paper presents a flexible, high-performance piezoresistive sensor using a composite consisting of graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). The proposed sensor demonstrated a significantly wider range (97%) and higher gauge factor (GF) (6.3), effectively addressing the shortcomings of traditional strain gauges. The microstructure of the GNPs/PDMS composite was observed using a scanning electron microscope, and the distribution of the conductive network was analyzed. The mechanical behavior of the sensor encapsulation was analyzed, leading to the determination of the mechanisms influencing encapsulation. Experiments based on a standard equal-strength beam were conducted to investigate the influence of the base and coating dimensions of the sensor. The results indicated that reducing the base thickness and increasing the coating length both contributed to the enhancement of the sensor's performance. These findings provide valuable guidance for future development and design of flexible sensors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background CD133 has been identified as a putative cancer stem cell marker in colorectal cancer (CRC). However, the clinical and prognostic significance of CD133 in CRC remains controversial. Methods Publications were identified which assessed the clinical or prognostic significance of CD133 in CRC up to October 2012. A meta-analysis was performed to clarify the association between CD133 expression and clinical outcomes. Results A total of 12 studies met the inclusion criteria, and comprised 3652 cases. Analysis of these data showed that CD133 was not significantly associated with the depth of CRC invasion (odds ratio [OR] = 1.44, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.77–2.68, Z = 1.15, P = 0.252) or tumor differentiation (OR = 0.63, 95% CI: 0.28–1.46, Z = −1.06, P = 0.286). Also, there was no statistically significant association of CD133 with lymph node metastasis (OR = 1.16, 95% CI: 0.87–1.54, Z = 1.05, P = 0.315) or lymphatic invasion (OR = 1.08, 95% CI: 0.81–1.43, Z = 0.53, P = 0.594). However, in identified studies, overexpression of CD133 was highly correlated with reduced overall survival (relative risk [RR] = 2.14, 95% CI: 1.45–3.17, Z = 3.81, P = 0.0001). Conclusions CD133 may play an important role in the progression of CRC, and overexpression of CD133 is closely related with poorer patient survival. If these findings are confirmed by well-designed prospective studies, CD133 may be a useful maker for clinical applications.

Bipolar materials, which work as both the cathode and anode material in aqueous sodium-ion batteries, have advantages over aqueous electrolytes such as the low cost of sodium and high convenience of the material processing. However, the available materials are greatly limited. Herein, Prussian blue FeFe(CN)6 nanocubes were successfully synthesized by using a modified co-precipitation method. Owing to the well-separated redox reactions, fair cycling stability and rate capability of FeFe(CN)6, it could be developed as a bipolar material in an aqueous sodium-ion battery. The as-obtained full battery exhibits good cycling stability and rate capability. It was able to deliver a capacity of 32 mAhg-1 at 20 C, 76% of the capacity at 2 C. After 200 cycles at 2 C, 97% of the initial capacity was maintained for this battery, which suggests good cycling stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Methods: Curcumin has extraordinary anticancer properties but has limited use due to its insolubility in water and instability, which leads to low systemic bioavailability. We have developed a novel nanoparticulate formulation of curcumin encapsulated in stearic acid-g-chitosan oligosaccharide (CSO-SA) polymeric micelles to overcome these hurdles., Results: The synthesized CSO-SA copolymer was able to self-assemble to form nanoscale micelles in aqueous medium. The mean diameter of the curcumin-loaded CSO-SA micelles was 114.7 nm and their mean surface potential was 18.5 mV. Curcumin-loaded CSO-SA micelles showed excellent internalization ability that increased curcumin accumulation in cancer cells. Curcumin-loaded CSO-SA micelles also had potent antiproliferative effects on primary colorectal cancer cells in vitro, resulting in about 6-fold greater inhibition compared with cells treated with a solution containing an equivalent concentration of free curcumin. Intravenous administration of curcumin-loaded CSO-SA micelles marginally suppressed tumor growth but did not increase cytotoxicity to mice, as confirmed by no change in body weight. Most importantly, curcumin-loaded CSO-SA micelles were effective for inhibiting subpopulations of CD44(+)/CD24(+) cells (putative colorectal cancer stem cell markers) both in vitro and in vivo., Conclusion: The present study identifies an effective and safe means of using curcumin-loaded CSO-SA micelles for cancer therapy.