AIM: To examine whether polymorphisms in SULT1A1 and GSTP1 genes contribute to colorectal cancer development and whether they are associated with clinicopathological variables are not well identified.METHODS: We exami...AIM: To examine whether polymorphisms in SULT1A1 and GSTP1 genes contribute to colorectal cancer development and whether they are associated with clinicopathological variables are not well identified.METHODS: We examined the genotypes of 125colorectal cancer patients and 666 healthy controls in a Swedish population by using PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP).RESULTS: SULT1A1*2/*2 genotype (OR=2.49,95%CI=1.48-4.19, P=0.0002) and *2 allele (OR=1.56, 95%CI = 1.16-2.10, P = 0.002) had an effect on colorectal cancer susceptibility, while GSTP1 genotype was without effect. However, GSTP1 G-type predicted a worse prognosis in the patients independently of gender,age, Dukes'stage, growth pattern, and differentiation (P=0.03).CONCLUSION: Polymorphism in SULT1A1 may predispose to colorectal cancer and GSTP1 may be a biological indicator of prognosis in the patients.展开更多
The tremendous amount of wasted heat from solar radiation and industry dissipation has motivated the development of thermoelectric concepts that directly convert heat into electricity.The main challenge in practical a...The tremendous amount of wasted heat from solar radiation and industry dissipation has motivated the development of thermoelectric concepts that directly convert heat into electricity.The main challenge in practical applications for thermoelectrics is the high cost from both materials and manufacturing.Recently,breakthrough progresses in ionic thermoelectrics open up new possibilities to charge energy storage devices when submitted to a temperature gradient.The charging voltage is internally from the ionic Seebeck effect of the electrolyte between two electrodes.Hence electrolytes with high thermoelectric figure of merit are classified as ionic thermoelectric materials.Most ionic thermoelectric materials are composed of abundant elements,and they can generate hundreds of times larger thermal voltage than that of electronic materials.This emerging thermoelectric category brings new hope to fabricate low cost and large area heat-to-energy conversion devices,and triggers a renewed interest for ionic thermodiffusion.In this review,we summarize the state of the art in the new field of ionic thermoelectrics,from the driving force of the ionic thermodiffusion to material and application developments.We present a general map of ionic thermoelectric materials,discuss the unique characters of each type of the reported electrolytes,and propose potential optimization and future topics of ionic thermoelectrics.展开更多
Mosul Dam is an earth fill dam located on the River Tigris northern part of Iraq. The capacity of its reservoir is 11.11 billion cubic meters which makes it the fourth biggest dam in the Middle East. From geological p...Mosul Dam is an earth fill dam located on the River Tigris northern part of Iraq. The capacity of its reservoir is 11.11 billion cubic meters which makes it the fourth biggest dam in the Middle East. From geological perspective, the dam is located on double plunging anticlines. The rocks of the site are mainly composed of highly jointed and karistified alternating beds of limestones, gysum and marls, since the impoundment of the reservoir seepage of water was recognized under the foundation of the dam. To stop or minimize the seepage, intensive grouting operations were conducted. Recent investigations and evaluation of the conditions of the dam indicate that it is in a critical situation. In this paper, consequences of the dam failure are discussed and possible solutions are given.展开更多
Our premise for this literature review is the global demographic change caused by the world’s population living longer and becoming older, and extensive international migration leading to multicultural societies. Inc...Our premise for this literature review is the global demographic change caused by the world’s population living longer and becoming older, and extensive international migration leading to multicultural societies. Increasing age leads to health problems, often long-term or chronic, requiring investments in health care. Worse health and dissimilarities in pattern of morbidity/ mortality have been found in foreign-compared to Swedish-born persons, so it is reasonable to assume that this affects use of health care. The exploratory review focuses on elderly migrants’ (>65 years) use of healthcare. The databases Pub Med, EBSCO, CINAHL and ERIC were searched in 2000-2013. A limited number of studies were found;few had a comparative approach, most were from the USA, and focused on migrants from the former Soviet Union or countries in South-East Asia. A range of factors were identified that influence patterns of health care use: language fluency, ability to communicate, self-reported health status, prevalence of chronic disease, physical distance from care provision, availability of transport to reach care, cost of care, the health insurance system, cultural norms and values regarding different forms of care, level of education, and length of residence in the host country. Most studies treated health care from a general perspective and collected data from community and hospital settings, without analysing usage separately. Some studies indicated elderly migrants making use of health care less than other groups but the pattern is not unambiguous: other studies show that there is an overuse of health care. It is therefore difficult to show any particular pattern, or possible differences in use, regarding community versus in-patient care. Studies focusing on migrants’ actual use of health care are few and further research is needed, especially because elderly people form the largest group of users of health care and will be even larger in the future.展开更多
Organic solar cells(OSCs)have attracted huge attention because of their unique merits[1−3].In last few years,thanks to the design of new materials and device engineering,the power conversion efficiencies(PCEs)of OSCs ...Organic solar cells(OSCs)have attracted huge attention because of their unique merits[1−3].In last few years,thanks to the design of new materials and device engineering,the power conversion efficiencies(PCEs)of OSCs have surpassed 18%[4−8].The PM6:Y6 cells are efficient binary cells,offering high PCEs over 16%[9−11].The high performance originates from the efficient free charge generation and the ground state dipole field at the donor-acceptor interface that promotes the exciton dissociation[12].展开更多
AIM: The relationships between microsatellite instability(MSI) and survival in colorectal cancer patients are not consistent. The favorable survival of patient with MSI has been suggested to be related to pronounced i...AIM: The relationships between microsatellite instability(MSI) and survival in colorectal cancer patients are not consistent. The favorable survival of patient with MSI has been suggested to be related to pronounced inflammatory infiltration; however, the reason for non-association of MSI with survival is unclear. Our aims were to investigate the associations of inflammatory infiltration and tumor necrosis (TN) with microsatellite status and clinicopathological factors in colorectal cancer patients in whom MSI was not related to survival.METHODS: Three hundred and one colorectal adenocarcinomas were evaluated for inflammatory infiltration and 300 for TN under light microscope.RESULTS: Low infiltration at invasive margin (χ^2 = 3.94,P = 0.047) and in whole tumor stroma (χ^2 = 3.89, P = 0.049)was associated with MSI, but TN was not (χ^2=0.10,P = 0.75). Low infiltration was related to advanced stage(χ^2= 8.67, P = 0.03), poorer differentiation (χ^2= 8.84,P = 0.03), DNA non-diploid (χ^2= 10.04, P = 0.002),higher S-phase fraction (χ^2 = 11.30, P = 0.004), positive p53 expression (χ^2= 7.94, P = 0.01), and worse survival(P = 0.03 for both univariate and multivariate analyses).Abundant TN was related to advanced stage (χ^2 = 17.74,P = 0.001) and worse survival (P = 0.02 for univariate,and P = 0.05 for multivariate analysis).CONCLUSION: The result that high inflammatory infiltration was not related to MSI might help explain the non-association of MSI with survival in colorectal cancer patients.展开更多
Herein we report an electrochemical DNA biosensor for the rapid detection of sequence (5’ AAT GGA TTT ATC TGC TCT TCG 3’) specific for the breast cancer 1 (BRCA1) gene. The proposed electrochemical genosensor is bas...Herein we report an electrochemical DNA biosensor for the rapid detection of sequence (5’ AAT GGA TTT ATC TGC TCT TCG 3’) specific for the breast cancer 1 (BRCA1) gene. The proposed electrochemical genosensor is based on short oligonucleotide DNA probe immobilized onto zinc oxide nanowires (ZnONWs) chemically synthesized onto gold electrode via hydrothermal technique. The morphology studies of the ZnONWs, performed by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), showed that the ZnO nanowires are uniform, highly dense and oriented perpendicularly to the substrate. Recognition event between the DNA probe and the target was investigated by differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) in 0.1 M acetate buffer solution (ABS), pH 7.00;as a result of the hybridization, an oxidation signal was observed at +0.8 V. The influences of pH, target concentration, and non-complimentary DNA on biosensor performance were examined. The proposed DNA biosensor has the ability to detect the target sequence in the range of concentration between 10.0 and 100.0 μM with a detection limit of 3.32 μM. The experimental results demonstrated that the prepared ZnONWs/Au electrodes are suitable platform for the immobilization of DNA.展开更多
Green hydrogen is identified as one of the prime clean energy carriers due to its high energy density and a zero emission of CO_(2).A possible solution for the transport of H_(2)in a safe and low-cost way is in the fo...Green hydrogen is identified as one of the prime clean energy carriers due to its high energy density and a zero emission of CO_(2).A possible solution for the transport of H_(2)in a safe and low-cost way is in the form of liquid organic hydrogen carriers(LOHCs).As an alternative to loading LOHC with H_(2)via a two-step procedure involving preliminary electrolytic production of H_(2)and subsequent chemical hydrogenation of the LOHC,we explore here the possibility of electrochemical hydrogen storage(EHS)via conversion of proton of a proton donor into a hydrogen atom involved in covalent bonds with the LOHC(R)via a protoncoupled electron transfer(PCET)reaction:2nH^(+)+2ne^(-)+Rox■n H_(2)^(0)Rred.We chose 9-fluorenone/fluorenol(Fnone/Fnol)conversion as such a model PCET reaction.The electrochemical activation of Fnone via two sequential electron transfers was monitored with in-situ and operando spectroscopies in absence and in presence of different alcohols as proton donors of different reactivity,which enabled us to both quantify and get the mechanistic insight on PCET.The possibility of hydrogen extraction from the loaded carrier molecule was illustrated by chemical activation.展开更多
Mosul Dam is located on the River Tigris about 60 km northwest Mosul in Iraq. It is the biggest dam where its storage capacity reaches 11.11 billion cubic meters at normal operational level (330 m. above sea level). T...Mosul Dam is located on the River Tigris about 60 km northwest Mosul in Iraq. It is the biggest dam where its storage capacity reaches 11.11 billion cubic meters at normal operational level (330 m. above sea level). The dam was constructed on alternating beds of karistified limestone, gypsum and marl. This dam suffered from water seepage under its foundation since its operation in 1986. Grouting operations were implemented since that time to overcome this problem. This seepage is believed to be due to dissolution of gypsum beds under the foundation, which was not carefully considered by the designers. It was recommended by the international board of experts that the water level should be kept at or below 319 m.a.s.l. to minimize damages in case of the failure of the dam. ISIS occupied the dam site on 8 August 2014 and it was seized back from the hands of ISIS on the 16th of the same month. They did plenty of damage despite the short period they occupied the area. After that, the Iraqi Ministry of Water Resources rebuilt the damaged parts and used new grouting and maintenance program. Now, the dam looks very safe at 319 m water level at its reservoir. In addition, the impounding was raised 325 m.a.s.l. for few days and nothing abnormal was noticed.展开更多
In this paper it is attempted to investigate the Leca blocks as sustainable construction material for the exterior walls of passive house. The building physical properties of Leca design wall structure are studied alo...In this paper it is attempted to investigate the Leca blocks as sustainable construction material for the exterior walls of passive house. The building physical properties of Leca design wall structure are studied along with the environmental impact and load-bearing capacity. To compare the results, a similar analysis is carried out considering the traditional wooden wall construction of passive houses. The results showed that Leca design wall structure can be an alternative sustainable solution to the traditional wooden wall structure of passive house, mainly due to its low U-value, its ability to handle moisture, and comparable structural load-bearing capacity. However, the wooden wall structure is more environmentally friendly than the Leca blocks due to its lower emissions to the environment and reduced energy use, especially during the manufacturing process.展开更多
In this study, novel nickel oxide (NiO) flowers like nanostructures were fabricated onto gold coated glass substrate by hydrothermal method using high alkaline pH medium. The structural study of nickel oxide nanostruc...In this study, novel nickel oxide (NiO) flowers like nanostructures were fabricated onto gold coated glass substrate by hydrothermal method using high alkaline pH medium. The structural study of nickel oxide nanostructures was performed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray differaction (XRD) techniques. Nickel oxide nanostructures are highly dense, uniform and possess good crystalline quality. The so prepared structures were investigated for their electrochemical properties by cyclic voltammetry and amperometric techniques. The nickel oxide flower like morphology has shown good electrochemical performances for the oxidation of glucose. The presented sensing material was able to detected glucose in a wide range of concentration of 0.001 mM to 8 mM with a high sensitivity (123 μmA/mM) and regression coefficient of 0.99. Moreover, the NiO nanostructures based sensor is highly reproducible, stable, exhibiting a fast response time and selective in the response. All the obtained results indicate the potential use of this material in the development of enzyme free sensors for the detection of glucose.展开更多
Diabetes (DM) requires self-care that is demanding and may cause stress. Social support can buffer effects of stress. No previous study has been found comparing perceptions of foreign-born persons with DM, concerning ...Diabetes (DM) requires self-care that is demanding and may cause stress. Social support can buffer effects of stress. No previous study has been found comparing perceptions of foreign-born persons with DM, concerning the content of and need for social support with a population of origin. The aim was to compare the meaning of support and its impact on the life situation in Swedish- and foreign-born persons diagnosed with type 2 DM living in Sweden. A purposive sample of 74 persons;34 foreign- and 40 Swedish-born, aged 32-80 years, diagnosed with type 2 DM, was included. The foreign-born persons were mostly Middle Eastern and Ex-Yugoslavian refugees. Mixed methods were used and data were collected by qualitative interviews and quantitative data collected by the Norbeck Social Support Questionnaire (NSSQ). Studying the figures measured by NSSQ, no significant differences were found according to gender but foreign-born men scored lower than Swedish, especially in emotional support and aid. The main findings showed that respondents, irrespective of origin, described the meaning of the concept of support mainly as information support in learning to manage DM. However, foreign-born persons also focused on medical support with regular follow-ups while Swedes emphasized the need for emotional support. Foreign- and Swedish-born persons are in general more similar than dissimilar in describing the meaning, need and impact of support. Irrespective of origin they want to learn to manage their disease and thus desire and need regular follow-up and information immediately from being diagnosed. Further studies are needed as the study is based on a limited sample.展开更多
Daily life close to death involves physical, psychological, and social strain, exposing patients and their family members to major transitions affecting relational patterns and identity. For the individual family memb...Daily life close to death involves physical, psychological, and social strain, exposing patients and their family members to major transitions affecting relational patterns and identity. For the individual family member, this often means sharing life with a changing person in a changing relationship, disrupting both individual identity and family identity. Our aim was to deepen the understanding of individual experiences that are important in constructing family identity close to death at home. We performed a secondary analysis of qualitative data collected through 40 interviews with persons with life-threatening illness and the family members who shared everyday life with them. The analysis resulted in interpretive descriptions which provided three patterns important for creating family identity, which we here call “we-ness” close to death. The patterns were: being an existential person, being an extension of the other, and being together in existential loneliness. Together, these three patterns seemed to play a part in the construction of family identity;we-ness, close to death. One important finding was the tension between the search for togetherness in “we-ness” while dealing with an existential loneliness, which seemed to capture an essential aspect of being a family of which one member is dying.展开更多
Iraq covers an area of 437072 km2 in the northeastern part of the Middle East. Its population now is more than 40 million. It relies mainly on its water resources from the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers and their tributa...Iraq covers an area of 437072 km2 in the northeastern part of the Middle East. Its population now is more than 40 million. It relies mainly on its water resources from the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers and their tributaries. Recently, Iraq has been experiencing a severe water scarcity problem. This is mainly due to climate change, increased hydrological projects in riparian countries, and water resources mismanagement inside Iraq itself. To overcome the problem, a new strategy should be implemented. Such strategy should consider two main courses of action: a) serious negotiations with riparian countries to reach an agreement giving Iraq equitable water shares from the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers and their tributaries. b) Prudent water management practices inside Iraq that consider adopting realistic distribution of water between the governorates, rational policies aiming at increased water use efficiencies within Irrigation networks, increased use of non-conventional sources of water, adjustment of water tariffs and their collection procedures, improving agricultural techniques, introduction of intensive guidance and public awareness programs, and promulgation of new legislations, in addition to creation of human resources development programs.展开更多
Patients with cardiovascular disease and their partners expect health care providers to provide sexual counseling to assist them in maintaining sexual quality of life. Evidence suggests however, that there is a gap in...Patients with cardiovascular disease and their partners expect health care providers to provide sexual counseling to assist them in maintaining sexual quality of life. Evidence suggests however, that there is a gap in integrating evidence into practice and that relatively few cardiac patients receive sexual counseling. This can result in negative psychological, physical, and quality of life outcomes for couples who may needlessly decide sexual activity is too risky and cease all sexual activity. Two scientific statements now exist that provide ample guidance to health care providers in discussing this important topic. Using a team approach that includes physicians, nurses, physical therapists, rehabilitation staff, and others is important to ensure that sexual counseling occurs throughout recovery. In addition, several trials using interventional approaches for sexual counseling provide insight into successful approaches for sexual counseling in practice. This article provides practical strategies and evidence-based approaches for assessment and sexual counseling for all cardiac patients and their partners, and specific counseling for those with ischemic conditions, heart failure, and implanted devices.展开更多
Leveraging the biocatalytic machinery of living organisms for fabricating functional bioelectronic interfaces,in vivo,defines a new class of micro-biohybrids enabling the seamless integration of technology with living...Leveraging the biocatalytic machinery of living organisms for fabricating functional bioelectronic interfaces,in vivo,defines a new class of micro-biohybrids enabling the seamless integration of technology with living biological systems.Previously,we have demonstrated the in vivo polymerization of conjugated oligomers forming conductors within the structures of plants.Here,we expand this concept by reporting that Hydra,an invertebrate animal,polymerizes the conjugated oligomer ETE-S both within cells that expresses peroxidase activity and within the adhesive material that is secreted to promote underwater surface adhesion.The resulting conjugated polymer forms electronically conducting and electrochemically activeμm-sized domains,which are inter-connected resulting in percolative conduction pathways extending beyond 100μm,that are fully integrated within the Hydra tissue and the secreted mucus.Furthermore,the introduction and in vivo polymerization of ETE-S can be used as a biochemical marker to follow the dynamics of Hydra budding(reproduction)and regeneration.This work paves the way for well-defined self-organized electronics in animal tissue to modulate biological functions and in vivo biofabrication of hybrid functional materials and devices.展开更多
基金Supported by grants from the Swedish Cancer Foundation and the Health Research Council in the South-East of Sweden
文摘AIM: To examine whether polymorphisms in SULT1A1 and GSTP1 genes contribute to colorectal cancer development and whether they are associated with clinicopathological variables are not well identified.METHODS: We examined the genotypes of 125colorectal cancer patients and 666 healthy controls in a Swedish population by using PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP).RESULTS: SULT1A1*2/*2 genotype (OR=2.49,95%CI=1.48-4.19, P=0.0002) and *2 allele (OR=1.56, 95%CI = 1.16-2.10, P = 0.002) had an effect on colorectal cancer susceptibility, while GSTP1 genotype was without effect. However, GSTP1 G-type predicted a worse prognosis in the patients independently of gender,age, Dukes'stage, growth pattern, and differentiation (P=0.03).CONCLUSION: Polymorphism in SULT1A1 may predispose to colorectal cancer and GSTP1 may be a biological indicator of prognosis in the patients.
基金support by the French National Research Agency through grant ANR-19-CE300012by the European Research Council(ERC)through grant No.772725。
文摘The tremendous amount of wasted heat from solar radiation and industry dissipation has motivated the development of thermoelectric concepts that directly convert heat into electricity.The main challenge in practical applications for thermoelectrics is the high cost from both materials and manufacturing.Recently,breakthrough progresses in ionic thermoelectrics open up new possibilities to charge energy storage devices when submitted to a temperature gradient.The charging voltage is internally from the ionic Seebeck effect of the electrolyte between two electrodes.Hence electrolytes with high thermoelectric figure of merit are classified as ionic thermoelectric materials.Most ionic thermoelectric materials are composed of abundant elements,and they can generate hundreds of times larger thermal voltage than that of electronic materials.This emerging thermoelectric category brings new hope to fabricate low cost and large area heat-to-energy conversion devices,and triggers a renewed interest for ionic thermodiffusion.In this review,we summarize the state of the art in the new field of ionic thermoelectrics,from the driving force of the ionic thermodiffusion to material and application developments.We present a general map of ionic thermoelectric materials,discuss the unique characters of each type of the reported electrolytes,and propose potential optimization and future topics of ionic thermoelectrics.
文摘Mosul Dam is an earth fill dam located on the River Tigris northern part of Iraq. The capacity of its reservoir is 11.11 billion cubic meters which makes it the fourth biggest dam in the Middle East. From geological perspective, the dam is located on double plunging anticlines. The rocks of the site are mainly composed of highly jointed and karistified alternating beds of limestones, gysum and marls, since the impoundment of the reservoir seepage of water was recognized under the foundation of the dam. To stop or minimize the seepage, intensive grouting operations were conducted. Recent investigations and evaluation of the conditions of the dam indicate that it is in a critical situation. In this paper, consequences of the dam failure are discussed and possible solutions are given.
文摘Our premise for this literature review is the global demographic change caused by the world’s population living longer and becoming older, and extensive international migration leading to multicultural societies. Increasing age leads to health problems, often long-term or chronic, requiring investments in health care. Worse health and dissimilarities in pattern of morbidity/ mortality have been found in foreign-compared to Swedish-born persons, so it is reasonable to assume that this affects use of health care. The exploratory review focuses on elderly migrants’ (>65 years) use of healthcare. The databases Pub Med, EBSCO, CINAHL and ERIC were searched in 2000-2013. A limited number of studies were found;few had a comparative approach, most were from the USA, and focused on migrants from the former Soviet Union or countries in South-East Asia. A range of factors were identified that influence patterns of health care use: language fluency, ability to communicate, self-reported health status, prevalence of chronic disease, physical distance from care provision, availability of transport to reach care, cost of care, the health insurance system, cultural norms and values regarding different forms of care, level of education, and length of residence in the host country. Most studies treated health care from a general perspective and collected data from community and hospital settings, without analysing usage separately. Some studies indicated elderly migrants making use of health care less than other groups but the pattern is not unambiguous: other studies show that there is an overuse of health care. It is therefore difficult to show any particular pattern, or possible differences in use, regarding community versus in-patient care. Studies focusing on migrants’ actual use of health care are few and further research is needed, especially because elderly people form the largest group of users of health care and will be even larger in the future.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(21875067,11604099,51811530011)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Central Universities,Shanghai Rising-Star(19QA1403100)+6 种基金East China Normal University Multifunctional Platform for Innovationthe STINT grant(CH2017-7163)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(51803060)the Science and Technology Program of Guangdong Province(2018A030313045)the National Key Research and Development Program of China(2017YFA0206600)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(51773045,21772030,51922032,21961160720)for financial supportthe open project of State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices(2021-skllmd-07).
文摘Organic solar cells(OSCs)have attracted huge attention because of their unique merits[1−3].In last few years,thanks to the design of new materials and device engineering,the power conversion efficiencies(PCEs)of OSCs have surpassed 18%[4−8].The PM6:Y6 cells are efficient binary cells,offering high PCEs over 16%[9−11].The high performance originates from the efficient free charge generation and the ground state dipole field at the donor-acceptor interface that promotes the exciton dissociation[12].
基金Supported by grants from the Swedish Cancer Foundation and the Health Research Council in the South-East of Sweden
文摘AIM: The relationships between microsatellite instability(MSI) and survival in colorectal cancer patients are not consistent. The favorable survival of patient with MSI has been suggested to be related to pronounced inflammatory infiltration; however, the reason for non-association of MSI with survival is unclear. Our aims were to investigate the associations of inflammatory infiltration and tumor necrosis (TN) with microsatellite status and clinicopathological factors in colorectal cancer patients in whom MSI was not related to survival.METHODS: Three hundred and one colorectal adenocarcinomas were evaluated for inflammatory infiltration and 300 for TN under light microscope.RESULTS: Low infiltration at invasive margin (χ^2 = 3.94,P = 0.047) and in whole tumor stroma (χ^2 = 3.89, P = 0.049)was associated with MSI, but TN was not (χ^2=0.10,P = 0.75). Low infiltration was related to advanced stage(χ^2= 8.67, P = 0.03), poorer differentiation (χ^2= 8.84,P = 0.03), DNA non-diploid (χ^2= 10.04, P = 0.002),higher S-phase fraction (χ^2 = 11.30, P = 0.004), positive p53 expression (χ^2= 7.94, P = 0.01), and worse survival(P = 0.03 for both univariate and multivariate analyses).Abundant TN was related to advanced stage (χ^2 = 17.74,P = 0.001) and worse survival (P = 0.02 for univariate,and P = 0.05 for multivariate analysis).CONCLUSION: The result that high inflammatory infiltration was not related to MSI might help explain the non-association of MSI with survival in colorectal cancer patients.
基金the Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia for the ERGS grant(600/RMI/st/ERGS/5/3/fst12/2011)Universiti Teknologi MARA for financial support via postgraduate teaching assistant scheme(UPTA)to Nur Azimah Mansor for conducting this research.
文摘Herein we report an electrochemical DNA biosensor for the rapid detection of sequence (5’ AAT GGA TTT ATC TGC TCT TCG 3’) specific for the breast cancer 1 (BRCA1) gene. The proposed electrochemical genosensor is based on short oligonucleotide DNA probe immobilized onto zinc oxide nanowires (ZnONWs) chemically synthesized onto gold electrode via hydrothermal technique. The morphology studies of the ZnONWs, performed by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), showed that the ZnO nanowires are uniform, highly dense and oriented perpendicularly to the substrate. Recognition event between the DNA probe and the target was investigated by differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) in 0.1 M acetate buffer solution (ABS), pH 7.00;as a result of the hybridization, an oxidation signal was observed at +0.8 V. The influences of pH, target concentration, and non-complimentary DNA on biosensor performance were examined. The proposed DNA biosensor has the ability to detect the target sequence in the range of concentration between 10.0 and 100.0 μM with a detection limit of 3.32 μM. The experimental results demonstrated that the prepared ZnONWs/Au electrodes are suitable platform for the immobilization of DNA.
基金financially supported by the Swedish Research Council(grant 2016-05990)the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation(H2O2 and Cellfion)the Swedish Government Strategic Research Area in Materials Science on Advanced Functional Materials at Link?ping University(Faculty Grant SFO-Mat-Li U No.200900971)。
文摘Green hydrogen is identified as one of the prime clean energy carriers due to its high energy density and a zero emission of CO_(2).A possible solution for the transport of H_(2)in a safe and low-cost way is in the form of liquid organic hydrogen carriers(LOHCs).As an alternative to loading LOHC with H_(2)via a two-step procedure involving preliminary electrolytic production of H_(2)and subsequent chemical hydrogenation of the LOHC,we explore here the possibility of electrochemical hydrogen storage(EHS)via conversion of proton of a proton donor into a hydrogen atom involved in covalent bonds with the LOHC(R)via a protoncoupled electron transfer(PCET)reaction:2nH^(+)+2ne^(-)+Rox■n H_(2)^(0)Rred.We chose 9-fluorenone/fluorenol(Fnone/Fnol)conversion as such a model PCET reaction.The electrochemical activation of Fnone via two sequential electron transfers was monitored with in-situ and operando spectroscopies in absence and in presence of different alcohols as proton donors of different reactivity,which enabled us to both quantify and get the mechanistic insight on PCET.The possibility of hydrogen extraction from the loaded carrier molecule was illustrated by chemical activation.
文摘Mosul Dam is located on the River Tigris about 60 km northwest Mosul in Iraq. It is the biggest dam where its storage capacity reaches 11.11 billion cubic meters at normal operational level (330 m. above sea level). The dam was constructed on alternating beds of karistified limestone, gypsum and marl. This dam suffered from water seepage under its foundation since its operation in 1986. Grouting operations were implemented since that time to overcome this problem. This seepage is believed to be due to dissolution of gypsum beds under the foundation, which was not carefully considered by the designers. It was recommended by the international board of experts that the water level should be kept at or below 319 m.a.s.l. to minimize damages in case of the failure of the dam. ISIS occupied the dam site on 8 August 2014 and it was seized back from the hands of ISIS on the 16th of the same month. They did plenty of damage despite the short period they occupied the area. After that, the Iraqi Ministry of Water Resources rebuilt the damaged parts and used new grouting and maintenance program. Now, the dam looks very safe at 319 m water level at its reservoir. In addition, the impounding was raised 325 m.a.s.l. for few days and nothing abnormal was noticed.
文摘In this paper it is attempted to investigate the Leca blocks as sustainable construction material for the exterior walls of passive house. The building physical properties of Leca design wall structure are studied along with the environmental impact and load-bearing capacity. To compare the results, a similar analysis is carried out considering the traditional wooden wall construction of passive houses. The results showed that Leca design wall structure can be an alternative sustainable solution to the traditional wooden wall structure of passive house, mainly due to its low U-value, its ability to handle moisture, and comparable structural load-bearing capacity. However, the wooden wall structure is more environmentally friendly than the Leca blocks due to its lower emissions to the environment and reduced energy use, especially during the manufacturing process.
文摘In this study, novel nickel oxide (NiO) flowers like nanostructures were fabricated onto gold coated glass substrate by hydrothermal method using high alkaline pH medium. The structural study of nickel oxide nanostructures was performed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray differaction (XRD) techniques. Nickel oxide nanostructures are highly dense, uniform and possess good crystalline quality. The so prepared structures were investigated for their electrochemical properties by cyclic voltammetry and amperometric techniques. The nickel oxide flower like morphology has shown good electrochemical performances for the oxidation of glucose. The presented sensing material was able to detected glucose in a wide range of concentration of 0.001 mM to 8 mM with a high sensitivity (123 μmA/mM) and regression coefficient of 0.99. Moreover, the NiO nanostructures based sensor is highly reproducible, stable, exhibiting a fast response time and selective in the response. All the obtained results indicate the potential use of this material in the development of enzyme free sensors for the detection of glucose.
基金SvenskaDiabetesforbundet (The Swedish Diabetes Association) the research profile AMER (Labour market, Migration and Ethnic Relations), University of Vaxjo, Vaxjo, Sweden.
文摘Diabetes (DM) requires self-care that is demanding and may cause stress. Social support can buffer effects of stress. No previous study has been found comparing perceptions of foreign-born persons with DM, concerning the content of and need for social support with a population of origin. The aim was to compare the meaning of support and its impact on the life situation in Swedish- and foreign-born persons diagnosed with type 2 DM living in Sweden. A purposive sample of 74 persons;34 foreign- and 40 Swedish-born, aged 32-80 years, diagnosed with type 2 DM, was included. The foreign-born persons were mostly Middle Eastern and Ex-Yugoslavian refugees. Mixed methods were used and data were collected by qualitative interviews and quantitative data collected by the Norbeck Social Support Questionnaire (NSSQ). Studying the figures measured by NSSQ, no significant differences were found according to gender but foreign-born men scored lower than Swedish, especially in emotional support and aid. The main findings showed that respondents, irrespective of origin, described the meaning of the concept of support mainly as information support in learning to manage DM. However, foreign-born persons also focused on medical support with regular follow-ups while Swedes emphasized the need for emotional support. Foreign- and Swedish-born persons are in general more similar than dissimilar in describing the meaning, need and impact of support. Irrespective of origin they want to learn to manage their disease and thus desire and need regular follow-up and information immediately from being diagnosed. Further studies are needed as the study is based on a limited sample.
基金The Erling-Persson Family Foundation the Signhild Engkvist Foundation.
文摘Daily life close to death involves physical, psychological, and social strain, exposing patients and their family members to major transitions affecting relational patterns and identity. For the individual family member, this often means sharing life with a changing person in a changing relationship, disrupting both individual identity and family identity. Our aim was to deepen the understanding of individual experiences that are important in constructing family identity close to death at home. We performed a secondary analysis of qualitative data collected through 40 interviews with persons with life-threatening illness and the family members who shared everyday life with them. The analysis resulted in interpretive descriptions which provided three patterns important for creating family identity, which we here call “we-ness” close to death. The patterns were: being an existential person, being an extension of the other, and being together in existential loneliness. Together, these three patterns seemed to play a part in the construction of family identity;we-ness, close to death. One important finding was the tension between the search for togetherness in “we-ness” while dealing with an existential loneliness, which seemed to capture an essential aspect of being a family of which one member is dying.
文摘Iraq covers an area of 437072 km2 in the northeastern part of the Middle East. Its population now is more than 40 million. It relies mainly on its water resources from the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers and their tributaries. Recently, Iraq has been experiencing a severe water scarcity problem. This is mainly due to climate change, increased hydrological projects in riparian countries, and water resources mismanagement inside Iraq itself. To overcome the problem, a new strategy should be implemented. Such strategy should consider two main courses of action: a) serious negotiations with riparian countries to reach an agreement giving Iraq equitable water shares from the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers and their tributaries. b) Prudent water management practices inside Iraq that consider adopting realistic distribution of water between the governorates, rational policies aiming at increased water use efficiencies within Irrigation networks, increased use of non-conventional sources of water, adjustment of water tariffs and their collection procedures, improving agricultural techniques, introduction of intensive guidance and public awareness programs, and promulgation of new legislations, in addition to creation of human resources development programs.
文摘Patients with cardiovascular disease and their partners expect health care providers to provide sexual counseling to assist them in maintaining sexual quality of life. Evidence suggests however, that there is a gap in integrating evidence into practice and that relatively few cardiac patients receive sexual counseling. This can result in negative psychological, physical, and quality of life outcomes for couples who may needlessly decide sexual activity is too risky and cease all sexual activity. Two scientific statements now exist that provide ample guidance to health care providers in discussing this important topic. Using a team approach that includes physicians, nurses, physical therapists, rehabilitation staff, and others is important to ensure that sexual counseling occurs throughout recovery. In addition, several trials using interventional approaches for sexual counseling provide insight into successful approaches for sexual counseling in practice. This article provides practical strategies and evidence-based approaches for assessment and sexual counseling for all cardiac patients and their partners, and specific counseling for those with ischemic conditions, heart failure, and implanted devices.
基金innovation programme under grant agreement No 800926(FET-OPEN-HyPhOE)by the Swedish Research Council(VR-2017-04910)+5 种基金Additional funding was provided by the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundationthe Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research(SSF)The European Research Council(ERC)project e-NeuroPharma 834677the Swedish Government Strategic Research Area in Materials Science on Advanced Functional Materials at Linkoping University(Faculty Grant SFO-Mat-LiU No.2009-00971)supported by MultiPark-A Strategic Research Area at Lund Universitythe MIUR project SHARID-ARS01-01270 for financial support.
文摘Leveraging the biocatalytic machinery of living organisms for fabricating functional bioelectronic interfaces,in vivo,defines a new class of micro-biohybrids enabling the seamless integration of technology with living biological systems.Previously,we have demonstrated the in vivo polymerization of conjugated oligomers forming conductors within the structures of plants.Here,we expand this concept by reporting that Hydra,an invertebrate animal,polymerizes the conjugated oligomer ETE-S both within cells that expresses peroxidase activity and within the adhesive material that is secreted to promote underwater surface adhesion.The resulting conjugated polymer forms electronically conducting and electrochemically activeμm-sized domains,which are inter-connected resulting in percolative conduction pathways extending beyond 100μm,that are fully integrated within the Hydra tissue and the secreted mucus.Furthermore,the introduction and in vivo polymerization of ETE-S can be used as a biochemical marker to follow the dynamics of Hydra budding(reproduction)and regeneration.This work paves the way for well-defined self-organized electronics in animal tissue to modulate biological functions and in vivo biofabrication of hybrid functional materials and devices.