Large High Quality Research Articles

Spontaneous Relaxation of Heteroepitaxial Thin Films by van der Waals-Like Bonding on Te-Terminated Sapphire Substrates.

Here the novel direct heteroepitaxial growth method of a 3D heteroepitaxial system is demonstrated on a 3D substrate, CdTe (111)/Al2 O3 (0001), which forms a spontaneous vdW-like bond at the interface, instead of the two 3D crystals being strongly bound. Despite a large lattice mismatch, the thin films are single crystals and maintain high quality due the compliance of the interface which accommodates strain. This weak bonding interface is accomplished by the self-assembly of a pseudomorphic chalcogenide layer on the sapphire surface during growth. Since the vdW-like interface forms spontaneously in situ during growth, it is easily scalable to large wafer sizes, without the need to layer transfer 2D materials onto the growth substrate for remote epitaxy. Further, the weak adhesion of the films on the substrates allow for epitaxial film transfer to a variety of other substrates, leaving the original growth substrate for future reuse. This type of 3D/3D vdW-like interface is exploitable as a compliant interlayer for additional epitaxy, and may even be observable directly in other material systems grown on complex oxides, allowing for the production of large area high quality freestanding and layer transferred epitaxial devices for material systems not currently possible by conventional processing techniques.

Indium Tin Oxide Nanoparticle-Coated Silica Microsphere with Large Optical Nonlinearity and High Quality Factor

High nonlinearity optical devices are of interest for compact, low power devices. Whispering gallery mode (WGM) microresonators offer strong nonlinear optical responses due to high quality factors ...

Abstract 6584: The ‘AstroPath' platform for spatially resolved, single cell analysis of the tumor microenvironment (TME) using multispectral immunofluorescence (mIF)

Abstract Background: Multidimensional, spatially resolved analyses of immune and tumor cells within the TME of patients treated with checkpoint inhibitors will provide clinically translatable mechanistic insights and potentiate biomarker discovery. To achieve this goal, information from pathology specimens needs to be captured at a single cell level with high fidelity and in meaningfully sized cohorts. To date, efforts have been limited by inadequate tissue sampling and previously unrecognized errors in staining, imaging and data analysis. Here we describe the ‘AstroPath' platform, where strategies from the field of astronomy were adapted to study pathology specimens and generate large high quality mIF data. Methods: Potential error was identified and addressed at each stage of 6-plex (PD-1, PD-L1, FoxP3, CD163, CD8, tumor marker) mIF assay development. Whole slides from formalin-fixed paraffin embedded tissue specimens were stained with the optimized assay and imaged using a multispectral microscope (Vectra 3.0) with 20% overlap of high power fields (HPFs). The overlaps were used to quantify and correct optical lens distortion, HPF alignment, and illumination variation. Errors from cell segmentation algorithms, batch-to-batch staining variation, and HPF sampling were also addressed. The resultant mIF data were organized and analyzed using a large, relational database. Results: The optimized mIF assay captured equivalent signal compared to gold standard chromogenic immunohistochemistry and 2x more signal for PD-1, PD-L1 and FoxP3 compared to the manufacturer's recommended protocol. Errors and corrections for imaging included: pixel alignment error reduced from ~10 to <0.5 pixels at edges of HPFs; illumination variation reduced from 10% to 3% per HPF; over-counting of larger cells, e.g. tumor cells, reduced by ~25% using custom cell segmentation and ‘multi-pass' phenotyping algorithms; and batch-to-batch variation reduced by ~50% by normalizing to tissue controls. Correction of these errors that would otherwise be compounded at each stage, allowed for more accurate and reliable cell type and marker intensity comparisons across samples. Lastly, the entire slide rather than select HPFs were imaged, resulting in ~100x more HPFs analyzed per slide. The whole slide imaging approach also corrected for other potential source of errors, i.e., sampling error due to tumor heterogeneity and operator-dependent field selection. Conclusion: Here we present an end-to-end pathology workflow with rigorous quality control for creating quantitative, spatially resolved mIF datasets using lessons derived from the field of astronomy. Such approaches will vastly improve standardization and scalability of mIF technologies, enabling cross-site comparisons and eventual clinical translation as biomarker discovery platforms or standard diagnostic tests. Citation Format: Sneha Berry, Nicolas Giraldo, Benjamin Green, Elizabeth Engle, Haiying Xu, Aleksandra Ogurtsova, Daphne Wang, Julie E. Stein, Peter Nguyen, Suzanne Topalian, Angelo DeMarzo, Drew M. Pardoll, Robert A. Anders, Tricia R. Cottrell, Alexander S. Szalay, Janis M. Taube. The ‘AstroPath' platform for spatially resolved, single cell analysis of the tumor microenvironment (TME) using multispectral immunofluorescence (mIF) [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research 2020; 2020 Apr 27-28 and Jun 22-24. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(16 Suppl):Abstract nr 6584.

Fast growth of large single-crystalline WS2 monolayers via chemical vapor deposition

Two-dimensional (2D) tungsten disulfide (WS2) has emerged as a promising ultrathin semiconductor for building high-performance nanoelectronic devices. The controllable synthesis of WS2 monolayers (1L) with both large size and high quality remains as a challenge. Here, we developed a new approach for the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) growth of WS2 monolayers by using K2WS4 as the growth precursor. The simple chemistry involved in our approach allowed for improved controllability and a fast growth rate of ~ 30 μm·min−1. We achieved the reliable growth of 1L WS2 flakes with side lengths of up to ~ 500 μm and the obtained WS2 flakes were 2D single crystals with low density of defects over a large area as evidenced by various spectroscopic and microscopic characterizations. In addition, the large 1L WS2 single crystals we obtained showed higher electrical performance than their counterparts grown with previous approaches, demonstrating the potential of our approach in producing high quality and large 2D semiconductors for future nanoelectronics.

Intravenous administration of dexmedetomidine and quality of recovery after elective surgery in adult patients: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Study objectiveTo evaluate the efficacy and safety of pre- and perioperative intravenous administration of dexmedetomidine for enhancing quality of recovery (as measured by 40-item quality of recovery questionnaire (QoR-40), ranged from 40 to 200) after surgery. DesignMeta-analysis. SettingAdult patients undergoing elective surgery. InterventionIntravenous administration of dexmedetomidine during pre- and perioperative period. MeasurementsThe primary outcome was quality of recovery after surgery. The secondary outcome was the incidence of dexmedetomidine-related adverse events. Main resultsModerate to low quality evidence suggested that dexmedetomidine (DEX) increased the quality of recovery after surgery (WMD, weighted mean difference 15.71, 95% CI, confidence interval 0.43 to 31.00; 428 participants; 5 RCTs; low quality evidence), decreased the incidence of postoperative nauseas or vomiting (RR, risk ratio 0.60, 95% CI 0.44 to 0.83; 404 participants; 6 RCTs; moderate quality evidence; RR 0.32, 95% CI 0.19 to 0.55; 356 participants; 5 RCTs; moderate quality evidence) without increased risk of bradycardia (RR: 1.78, 95% CI 0.78 to 4.02; 275 participants; 4 RCTs; moderate quality evidence), dizziness (RR 0.78, 95% CI 0.31 to 2.00; 183 participants; 3 RCTs; moderate quality evidence), pruritus (RR 1.32, 95% CI 0.39 to 4.44; 186 participants; 3 RCTs; moderate quality evidence), hypotension requiring an intervention (RR: 1.48, 95% CI, 0.68 to 3.23; 254 participants; 3 RCTs; moderate quality evidence) and longer length of hospital stay (WMD: −0.75 days, 95% CI −1.95 to 0.44; 246 participants; 3 RCTs; low quality evidence) in early postoperative period. ConclusionsDexmedetomidine as an anesthetic adjuvant to general anesthesia was associated with an enhanced quality of recovery (15.71; far more than a clinically significant improvement of 6.3) without increased risk of adverse events in the early postoperative period (moderate to low quality evidence). Further large sample and high quality RCTs are needed to confirm the current findings.

Smart waste management of waste cooking oil for large scale high quality biodiesel production using Sr-Ti mixed metal oxide as solid catalyst: Optimization and E-metrics studies

Biodiesel was prepared at laboratory scale via transesterification reaction from waste cooking oil using Sr-Ti mixed metal oxide as a heterogeneous base catalyst. The solid base catalyst was synthesized by polymer precursor method. The most efficient active phase of catalyst was explored by varying the Sr/Ti atomic ratio in mixed metals oxides. The synthesized catalyst underwent for TGA, Powder XRD, SEM, EDX, FT-IR, XPS, and BET surface area analysis to assess its physicochemical characteristics. Additionally, basicity which has been observed as the most process governing factor was also evaluated through Hammett indicator-benzoic acid titration method. The Sr-Ti mixed metals oxide with 4:1 was observed with highest catalytic activity for methanolysis reaction. Its potency was facilitated by fairly acquired BET surface area (43.6 m2/g) and basic strength (2.89 mmol/g). The appreciable values of both the parameters imparted the high catalytic activity in Sr-Ti mixed metals oxide with atomic ratio 4:1. Onward, transesterification reaction was optimized for the maximum FAME conversion through RSM using CCD. The confirmatory tests showed the consistency with the conclusions drawn from RSM study regarding optimized values of concerned process variables. Transesterification reaction turned out 98% FAME conversion exerting catalyst dose (1.0 wt%), methanol to oil molar ratio (11:1), and reaction time (80 min) at reaction temperature (65 °C) and agitation speed (600 rpm) featured by RSM study. The closeness in optimized value of anticipated and confirmatory results perceived the efficiency of CCD and approving its potency as successful tool to estimate the highest FAME conversion. Next, a pseudo-first-order kinetic model of transesterification reaction was established. In addition to this, the thermodynamic functions were also computed through Eyring plot dictating the non-spontaneity and endergonic nature of transesterification reaction. The Environment-factor (E-factor) and Turn Over Frequency (TOF) were enumerated and they approved the prepared Sr-Ti mixed metals oxide as an efficient and sustainable catalyst for biodiesel production through transesterification. Finally, all the important fuel properties of prepared biodiesel from waste cooking oil was discerned within the range laid by ASTM D-6751 standards for biodiesel which coined the compatibility of prepared methyl ester with CI engines as a substitute of diesel fuel.

Evaluation of yield and quality performance of some spring bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) genotypes under rainfall conditions

The study was conducted in randomized complete block design with four replications at two locations (Sanliurfa and Diyarbakir) under rainfall conditions during 2013-2014 growing season. The purpose of the study is to determine the bread wheat genotypes with high yield, large adaptation ability and high grain quality. Twenty advanced bread wheat lines and five check varieties were used as material. The data were evaluated by using variance and GGE-biplot analysis methods. Significant differences among genotypes were determined for test weight (TW), thousand grain weight (TGW), grain yield (GY) and heading time (HT) at the significant level of 1%, while, less significant levels (p<5%) were found for wet gluten content (WG), zeleny sedimentation (ZS) and protein content (PR). According to GGE-biplot analysis results, positive correlations were determined between TW and TGW, and also PR, WG and ZS. It has also been determined that there is a negative relationship between HT and TW, TGW. According to the stability graph, the genotypes of G23 and G8 were found to be highly efficient and moderately stable and both could be candidate varieties. Additionally, Dinç variety and G11 advanced line can be used as genitor in bread wheat breeding programs for grain yield and quality.

Large size Sm-doped YCOB crystal grown by Bridgman method for QPCPA application

Abstract Quasi-parametric chirped-pulse amplification (QPCPA) is a new scheme that enables ideal chirped-pulse amplification with high conversion efficiency and broad gain bandwidth. In this work, high quality 4 in. Sm0.18Y0.82Ca4O(BO3)3 (Sm:YCOB) crystal was grown by Bridgman method for the first time. The crystal composition, rocking curve, transmittance and emission spectrum, bulk laser induced damage threshold (LIDT) of Sm:YCOB crystal were characterized detailedly. The transmission and emission spectrum shows that the Sm:YCOB crystal may be a potential laser gain medium operating in visible region pumped by diode lasers around 404 nm. The rocking curve and LIDT results indicate the high quality of Sm:YCOB, which is comparable to those of Sm:YCOB and YCOB crystal grown by Czochralski method. The large size and high quality Sm:YCOB crystal harvested in this work may support the development of high efficiency and broadband parametric amplification.

Efficacy and harms of orally, intramuscularly or intravenously administered glucocorticoids for sciatica: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Sciatica can be a debilitating condition and there is limited guidance on the use of glucocorticoids administered via the oral, intramuscular or intravenous route for this condition. These represent viable treatment options in the primary care setting. To evaluate the evidence on efficacy and harms of oral, IM and IV glucocorticoid administration for sciatica. MEDLINE, EMBASE, CENTRAL, CINAHL, PsycINFO (inception to October 2018) were searched for randomised placebo-controlled trials evaluating oral, IV or IM glucocorticoid administration for sciatica. Two authors extracted outcomes data. Continuous pain and disability outcomes were converted to a 0 (no pain/disability) to 100 (worst pain/disability) scale. Data were pooled using a random effects model. Overall quality of evidence was assessed using GRADE. Primary outcomes were leg pain and disability. Primary follow-up period was the immediate-term (<2weeks from administration). We also considered adverse events. Nine trials were eligible. One study [n=27] provided low quality evidence of a small reduction in disability with early administration of oral prednisone (within 1week); MD -13.4 [-23.3, -3.5] but not for pain MD -2.5 [-16.9, 11.9]. There was low quality evidence from one study [n=78] of moderate reduction in disability and small reduction in pain with early (within 72hr of symptom onset) single intramuscular administration of methylprednisolone acetate; MD -24.5 [-38.8, -10.2] and -14.0 [-27.4, -0.6], respectively. There were no immediate-term benefits with IV administration. The effects of glucocorticoids on immediate-term leg pain or disability are uncertain. Future large high quality trials are needed to resolve this uncertainty.

Realization of 2D crystalline metal nitrides via selective atomic substitution.

Two-dimensional (2D) transition metal nitrides (TMNs) are new members in the 2D materials family with a wide range of applications. Particularly, highly crystalline and large area thin films of TMNs are desirable for applications in electronic and optoelectronic devices; however, the synthesis of these TMNs has not yet been achieved. Here, we report the synthesis of few-nanometer thin Mo5N6 crystals with large area and high quality via in situ chemical conversion of layered MoS2 crystals. The versatility of this general approach is demonstrated by expanding the method to synthesize W5N6 and TiN. Our strategy offers a new direction for preparing 2D TMNs with desirable characteristics, opening a door for studying fundamental physics and facilitating the development of next-generation electronics.

Resonance-driven ion transport and selectivity in prokaryotic ion channels.

Ion channels exhibit a remarkably high accuracy in selecting uniquely its associated type of ion. The mechanisms behind ion selectivity are not well understood. Current explanations build mainly on molecular biology and bioinformatics. Here we propose a simple physical model for ion selectivity based on the driven damped harmonic oscillator (DDHO). The driving force for this oscillator is provided by self-organizing harmonic turbulent structures in the dehydrating ionic flow through the ion channel, namely, oscillating pressure waves in one dimension, and toroidal vortices in two and three dimensions. Density fluctuations caused by these turbulences efficiently transmit their energy to aqua ions that resonate with the driving frequency. Consequently, these release their hydration shell and exit the ion channel as free ions. Existing modeling frameworks do not express the required complex spatiotemporal dynamics, hence we introduce a macroscopic continuum model for ionic dehydration and transport, based on the hydrodynamics of a dissipative ionic flow through an ion channel, subject to electrostatic and amphiphilic interactions. This model combines three classical physical fields: Navier-Stokes equations from hydrodynamics, Gauss's law from Maxwell theory, and the convection-diffusion equation from continuum physics. Numerical experiments with mixtures of chemical species of ions in various degrees of hydration indeed reveal the emergence of strong oscillations in the ionic flow that are instrumental in the efficient dehydration and cause a strong ionic jet into the cell. As such, they provide a powerful engine for the DDHO mechanism. Theoretical predictions of the modeling framework match significantly with empirical patch-clamp data. The DDHO standard response curve defines a unique resonance frequency that depends on the mass and charge of the ion. In this way, the driving oscillations act as a selection mechanism that filters out one specific ion. Application of the DDHO model to real ion data shows that this mechanism indeed clearly distinguishes between chemical species and between aqua and bare ions with a large Mahalanobis distance and high oscillator quality. The DDHO framework helps to understand how SNP mutations can cause severe genetic pathologies as they destroy the geometry of the channel and so alter the resonance peaks of the required ion type.

Broad emission spectral enhancement of polyfluorene copolymer by coupling to assembled plasmonic crystal of silver nanocubes

The plasmonic enhancement of conjugated polymer (CP) based light-emitting device calls for large scale and high quality plasmonic crystals (PlCs). Herein, silver nanocubes with diameters of 55 nm and 100 nm have been respectively assembled into closely packed PlC-55 and PlC-100 through oil-water interfacial assembly method. By coupling with the PlCs, the photoluminescence (PL) of polyfluorene copolymer can be enhanced in a broad range of excitation and emission wavelengths, exhibiting over 10-fold enhancement in PL intensity as the PlC-CP separation is controlled at 11 nm by using polyvinylalcohol as a spacer. The Purcell factors of CPs show both particle size and emission wavelength dependence, where the maximum value of 4.5 are found in CPs that are placed on PlC-100 at wavelengths near the CP emission peak.

Evaluation of the diagnostic value of multi-slice spiral CT in acute mesenteric ischemic diseases: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

This study aimed to investigate the diagnostic value of multi-slice spiral CT (MSCT) in acute mesenteric ischemia. A systematic review was performed from the databases of PubMed, Web of Science and EMBASE by two researchers updated to July 1, 2018. The search terms included in the databases were mesenteric ischemia and multi-slice spiral computed tomography. A self-made data extraction form was used for data extraction, followed by quality assessment and heterogeneity testing of literature that met the requirements. Combined specificity and sensitivity were calculated and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses were conducted. Meta-analysis was performed by STATA 12.0. In this meta-analysis, 231 patients with acute mesenteric ischemic disease and 651 patients in the control group in 8 independent randomized case-control studies were enrolled. Our meta-analysis showed that MSCT had significantly improved the diagnosis of acute mesenteric ischemia. Because of statistical heterogeneity in the study, we used the random effects model for analysis. The combined sensibility was 94% (95% CI: 83%-98%), and the combined specificity was 97% (95% CI: 93%-99%). The combined positive predictive value was 32.48 (95% CI: 13.53-77.98), the combined negative predictive value was 0.07 (95% CI: 0.02-0.18), and the combined diagnostic odds ratio was 6.21 (95% CI: 4.58-7.84). In terms of comprehensive diagnostic performance, the AUC was 0.99 (95% CI: 0.98-1.00) after plotting the SROC curve. MSCT had a high sensitivity and specificity for the diagnosis of acute mesenteric ischemia. In addition, these studies with large samples and high quality in a multi-center hospital were needed to further confirm the reliability.

A guide to sample delivery systems for serial crystallography.

Crystallography has made a notable contribution to our knowledge of structural biology. For traditional crystallography experiments, the growth of crystals with large size and high quality is crucial, and it remains one of the bottlenecks. In recent years, the successful application of serial femtosecond crystallography (SFX) provides a new choice when only numerous microcrystals can be obtained. The intense pulsed radiation of X-ray free-electron lasers (XFELs) enables the data collection of small-sized crystals, making the size of crystals no longer a limiting factor. The ultrafast pulses of XFELs can achieve 'diffraction before destruction', which effectively avoids radiation damage and realizes diffraction near physiological temperatures. More recently, the SFX has been expanded to serial crystallography (SX) that can additionally employ synchrotron radiation as the light source. In addition to the traditional ones, these techniques provide complementary opportunities for structural determination. The development of SX experiments strongly relies on the advancement of hardware including the sample delivery system, the X-ray source, and the X-ray detector. Here, in this review, we categorize the existing sample delivery systems, summarize their progress, and propose their future prospectives.

Spatial distribution of bolls affects yield formation in different genotypes of Bt cotton varieties

To optimize the spatial distribution of cotton bolls and to increase the yield, the relationship between yield components and boll spatial distribution was investigated among different Bt (Bacillus thuringensis) cotton varieties. A five-year field experiment was conducted to reveal the reasons for the differences in lint yield and fiber quality across three Bt cotton varieties with different yield formations from 2013 to 2017. The lint yield of Jiman 169 (the average yield from 2013–2017 was 42.2 g/plant) was the highest, i.e., 16.3 and 36.9% higher than Lumianyan 21 (L21) and Daizimian 99B (99B), respectively. And the differences in boll weight among the three cultivars were similar to the lint yield, while the others yield components were not. So the increase in lint yield was mainly attributed to the enlargement in boll weight. However, the change in fiber quality was inconsistent with the lint yield, and the quality of L21 was significantly better than that of Jimian 169 (J169) and 99B, which was caused by the diversity of boll spatial distribution. Compared with 99B, the loose-type J169 had the highest number of large bolls in inner positions; the tight-type L21 had a few large bolls and the highest number of lower and middle bolls. And approximately 80.72% of the lint yield was concentrated on the inner nodes in Jiman 169, compared with 77.44% of L21 and 66.73% of 99B during the five-year experiment. Although lint yield was significantly affected by the interannual changes, the lint yield of J169 was the highest and the most stable, as well as its yield components. These observations demonstrated the increase in lint yield was due to the increase in boll weight, and the large bolls and high fiber quality were attributed to the optimal distribution of bolls within the canopies.

Mass production of 2D materials by intermediate-assisted grinding exfoliation.

The scalable and high-efficiency production of 2D materials is a prerequisite to their commercial use. Currently, only graphene and graphene oxide can be produced on a ton scale, and the inability to produce other 2D materials on such a large scale hinders their technological applications. Here we report a grinding exfoliation method that uses micro-particles as force intermediates to resolve applied compressive forces into a multitude of small shear forces, inducing the highly efficient exfoliation of layer materials. The method, referred to as intermediate-assisted grinding exfoliation (iMAGE), can be used for the large-scale production of many 2D materials. As an example, we have exfoliated bulk h-BN into 2D h-BN with large flake sizes, high quality and structural integrity, with a high exfoliation yield of 67%, a high production rate of 0.3 g h−1 and a low energy consumption of 3.01 × 106 J g−1. The production rate and energy consumption are one to two orders of magnitude better than previous results. Besides h-BN, this iMAGE technology has been used to exfoliate various layer materials such as graphite, black phosphorus, transition metal dichalcogenides, and metal oxides, proving its universality. Molybdenite concentrate, a natural low-cost and abundant mineral, was used as a demo for the large-scale exfoliation production of 2D MoS2 flakes. Our work indicates the huge potential of the iMAGE method to produce large amounts of various 2D materials, which paves the way for their commercial application.

Biological and physiological effects of pyriproxyfen insecticide and amino acid glycine on silkworm, Bombyx mori L

BackgroundNatural silk is one of the best yarns that attract large number of users and become a very important industry. Mulberry leaves is a natural food of silkworm, therefore scientists have recently incorporated methods for increasing production of silk. These methods use the insect growth regulators (IGRs) or similar peptide hormones and amino acids to prolong the last larval instar to obtain large cocoon and high quality silk recipes.ResultsThe present investigation was carried during the spring (season 2018) to evaluate the effect of growth regulator pyriproxyfen at concentrations 1, 10, and 100 μg/larva on Bombyx mori L., as well as the effect of amino acid glycine 1% concentration solely or in combination with pyriproxyfen at the fifth day of fifth larval instar. Feeding fifth instar larvae of B. mori on mulberry leaves dipped in glycine 1% resulted in a significant increase in the weight of mature larvae and shorter larval duration, recording 5.12 g and 9.00 days, respectively. Meanwhile, the highest significant pupal weight (1.277 g) was attained when larvae were treated topically with pyriproxyfen at 10 μg/larva in the fifth day in combined with glycine 1%. Regarding technological parameters, larvae which were topically treated with pyriproxyfen at 10 μg/larva at fifth day and fed on mulberry leaves immersed in 1% glycine possessed the highest means of cocoon weight, cocoon shell weight, cocoon shell ratio, silk filament weight, and size over other treatments. The total protein and ALT were attained a higher mean recording 78.433 mg/ml and 51.053 mg/ml for control larvae, successively. Meanwhile, it showed the lowest values for total carbohydrate and AST.ConclusionThe study showed that pyriproxyfen prolonged the fifth larval instar, while the use of glycine led to shortening the fifth larvae instar. Exposure to mixture of IGR and glycine, however, enhanced the parameters of silk compared with control.

Parent material for breading winter wheat with high disease resistance under environments of forest-steppe of Ukraine

Aim. Main goals were to study the Bulgarian samples of winter wheat, to identify sources of disease resistance for further breeding work and to develop high-yielding varieties being adapted to the conditions of Forest-steppe. Methods. The experimental part of the work was carried out in 1987-2013 in breeding crop rotations of MIW. 1470 Bulgarian samples were the starting material used. Results. The samples M-61-185, 97 / 58-1, 1769-64, 668-2, 49 / 94-168, 301-44-55, 1990 50, 836 / 87-2 were characterized with stabile high resistance to brown rust in combination with yield on the level of adaptive norm; 3324-1, 1919-50, 77 / 83-71, 2579-30-19, 704 / 90-30, 411 / 92-57, 97 / 58-1, Liliia, Milena – to powdery mildew; 1919-50, Liliia, 836 / 87-2, 6532-5, 49 / 94-168, DM-62-44, 835 / 87-44-38, 97 / 58-1 – to Septoria leaf blotch. Genotypes 759-1, 2579-30-19, 836 / 87-2, DM-62- 44, 1919-50 that combine resistance to group of three diseases with complex of traits: winter-hardiness, large grain, productivity, high quality levels and high-yielding; samples with large grain and high quality – 97 / 58-1, MT-17131-87, 71 / 90-1097, 2514-114 are the most valuable for breeders. Based on 2579–30–19 the new winter wheat variety Hospodynia Myronivska has been developed. Conclusions. Bulgarian samples are valuable as a starting material for winter wheat breeding for disease resistance in Forest-steppe zone of Ukraine.&#x0D; Keywords: winter wheat, Bulgarian sample, disease resistance.

Fast chemical exfoliation of graphite to few-layer graphene with high quality and large size via a two-step microwave-assisted process

Scalable preparation of graphene with both large size and high quality is an important prerequisite for fully realizing its commercial use. Herein, we propose a high-efficient route for preparing few-layer graphene, in which the chemical exfoliation of graphite to ~100% few-layer graphene can be realized within only about 15 min by using a novel two-step microwave irradiation strategy. The as-obtained graphene sheets behave a few-layer feature (average layer number ≤5 layers) and possess large size (the average area size is up to 256.8 μm2). The graphene film prepared from the obtained graphene sheets exhibits an excellent electrical conductivity of up to 2.03 × 105 S m−1, among the highest ones reported so far for the graphene, suggesting the high quality of the prepared graphene. Most importantly, no water-washing and effluent-treatment are needed during the whole preparation process, which will greatly reduces the consumption of water resource and alleviates the environmentally detrimental impact caused by the effluent of used chemicals compared with those conventional chemical exfoliation routes. Benefiting from its simplicity, high-efficiency and high-quality, the present method will show great promise for the mass production of high-quality graphene sheets.

TNF-α blockers for the treatment of Kawasaki disease in children

Kawasaki disease (KD) is an acute inflammatory vasculitis (inflammation of the blood vessels) that mainly affects children between six months and five years of age. The vasculitis primarily impacts medium-sized blood vessels, especially in the coronary arteries. In most children, intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) and aspirin therapy rapidly reduce inflammatory markers, fever, and other clinical symptoms. However, approximately 15% to 20% of children receiving the initial IVIG infusion show persistent or recurrent fever and are classified as IVIG-resistant. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) is an inflammatory cytokine that plays an important role in host defence against infections and in immune responses. Several studies have established that blocking TNF-α is critical for obtaining anti-inflammatory effects in children with KD, thus, there is a need to identify benefits and risks of TNF-α blockers for the treatment of KD. To evaluate the efficacy and safety of using TNF-α blockers (i.e. infliximab and etanercept) to treat children with Kawasaki disease. The Cochrane Vascular Information Specialist searched the Cochrane Vascular Specialised Register, CENTRAL, MEDLINE, Embase and CINAHL databases, the World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry Platform and ClinicalTrials.gov trials register to 19 September 2018. We also undertook reference checking of grey literature. We included randomised controlled trials (RCTs) that compared TNF-α blockers (i.e. infliximab and etanercept) to placebo or other drugs (including retreatment with IVIG) in children with KD, reported in abstract or full-text. Two review authors independently applied the study selection criteria, assessed risk of bias and extracted data. When necessary, we contacted study authors for additional information. We used GRADE to assess the certainty of the evidence. We included five trials from 14 reports, with a total of 494 participants. All included trials were individual RCTs that examined the effect of TNF-α blockers for KD.Five trials (with 494 participants) reported the incidence of treatment resistance. TNF-α blockers reduced the incidence of treatment resistance (TNF-α blocker intervention group 30/237, control group 58/257; risk ratio (RR) 0.57, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.38 to 0.86; low-certainty evidence).Four trials reported the incidence of coronary artery abnormalities (CAAs). Three trials (with 270 participants) contributed data to the meta-analysis, since we could not get the data needed for the analysis from the fourth trial. There was no clear difference between groups in the incidence of CAAs (TNF-α blocker intervention group 8/125, control group 9/145; RR 1.18, 95% CI 0.45 to 3.12; low-certainty evidence).Three trials with 250 participants reported the adverse effect 'infusion reactions' after treatment initiation. The TNF-α blocker intervention decreased infusion reactions (TNF-α blocker intervention group 0/126, control group 15/124; RR 0.06, 95% CI 0.01 to 0.45; low-certainty evidence).Two trials with 227 participants reported the adverse effect 'infections' after treatment initiation. There was no clear difference between groups (TNF-α blocker intervention group 7/114, control group 10/113; RR 0.68, 95% CI 0.33 to 1.37; low-certainty evidence).One trial (with 31 participants) reported the adverse effect 'cutaneous reactions' (rash and contact dermatitis). There was no clear difference between the groups for incidence of rash (TNF-α blocker intervention group 2/16, control group 0/15; RR 4.71, 95% CI 0.24 to 90.69; very low-certainty evidence) or for incidence of contact dermatitis (TNF-α blocker intervention group 1/16, control group 3/15; RR 0.31, 95% CI 0.04 to 2.68; very low-certainty evidence).No trials reported other adverse effects such as injection site reactions, neutropenia, infections, demyelinating disease, heart failure, malignancy, and induction of autoimmunity. We found a limited number of RCTs examining the effect of TNF-α blockers for KD. In summary, low-certainty evidence indicates that TNF-α blockers have beneficial effects on treatment resistance and the adverse effect 'infusion reaction' after treatment initiation for KD when compared with no treatment or additional treatment with IVIG. Further research will add to the evidence base. Due to the small number of underpowered trials contributing to the analyses, the results presented should be treated with caution. Further large high quality trials with timing and type of TNF-α blockers used are needed to determine the effects of TNF-α blockers for KD.