Yile Chen

As an emerging nitrogen-rich 2D carbon material, graphitic carbon nitride (CN) has drawn much attention for applications ranging from photo-/electrocatalysts to biosensors. Interfacial modification of CN is fundamentally vital but is still in its infancy and remains challenging due to the low reactivity of CN. Here we report that, in conjunction with a π-π stacking interaction, bulk CN could be simultaneously exfoliated via facile mechanical grinding. The obtained CN nanosheets (m-CNNS) not only retained the pristine optoelectronic properties of bulk CN but also enriched a friendly interface for further coupling biomolecules with advanced properties, overcoming the deficiencies of CN in surface science. The m-CNNS were further covalently linked to a DNA probe, and the resultant electrochemiluminescent biosensor for the target DNA exhibited much enhanced sensitivity with respect to that obtained by direct physical absorption of the DNA probe on unmodified CNNS. This noncovalent exfoliation and interfacial modification should greatly expand the scope of potential applications of CN in areas such as biosensing and should also be applicable to other 2D materials in interface modulation.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) can serve as biomarkers in human cancer. To determine the clinical value of urinary miRNAs for ovarian serous adenocarcinoma, we collected urine samples from 39 ovarian serous adenocarcinoma patients, 26 patients with benign gynecological disease and 30 healthy controls. The miRNA microarray data showed that only miR-30a-5p was upregulated and 37 miRNAs were downregulated in the urine samples of ovarian serous adenocarcinoma patients, when compared to healthy controls, which was confirmed after conducting quantitative PCR. The upregulation of urinary miR-30a-5p was closely associated with early stage of ovarian serous adenocarcinoma as well as lymphatic metastasis. Receiver operator characteristic (ROC) analysis demonstrated the potential use of urinary miR-30a-5p as a diagnostic marker for ovarian serous adenocarcinoma. Furthermore, a lower urine level of miR-30a-5p was found in 20 gastric cancer and 20 colon carcinoma patients when compared to ovarian serous adenocarcinoma, suggesting that the upregulation of urinary miR-30a-5p may be specific for ovarian serous adenocarcinoma. miR-30a-5p was also upregulated in ovarian serous adenocarcinoma tissues and cell lines, while urinary miR-30a-5p from ovarian cancer patients was notably reduced following the surgical removal of ovarian serous adenocarcinoma, suggesting that urinary miR-30a-5p was derived from the ovarian serous adenocarcinoma tissue. Notably, miR-30a-5p was concentrated with exosomes from the ovarian cancer cell supernatant or urine from ovarian serous adenocarcinoma patients, supporting a pathway for excretion into the urine. The results also showed that the knockdown of miR-30a-5p significantly inhibited the proliferation and migration of ovarian cancer cells. In summary, to the best of our knowledge, the present study provided the first evidence of increased miR-30a-5p in the urine of ovarian serous adeno-carcinoma patients, while the inhibition of miR-30a-5p suppressed the malignant phenotypes of ovarian cancer in vitro. Therefore, miR-30a-5p serves as a promising diagnostic and therapeutic target for ovarian serous adenocarcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical treatment effects of orthokeratology to slow the progression of myopia. METHODS: Several well-designed controlled studies have investigated the effects of orthokeratology in school-aged children. We conducted this meta-analysis to better evaluate the existing evidence. Relevant studies were identified in the Medline and Embase database without language limitations. The main outcomes included axial length and vitreous chamber depth reported as the mean ± standard deviation. The results were pooled and assessed with a fixed-effects model analysis. Subgroup analyses were performed according to geographical location and study design. RESULTS: Of the seven eligible studies, all reported axial length changes after 2 years, while two studies reported vitreous chamber depth changes. The pooled estimates indicated that change in axial length in the ortho-k group was 0.27 mm (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.22, 0.32) less than the control group. Myopic progression was reduced by approximately 45%. The combined results revealed that the difference in vitreous chamber depth between the two groups was 0.22 mm (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.14, 0.31). None of the studies reported severe adverse events. CONCLUSION: The overall findings suggest that ortho-k can slow myopia progression in school-aged children.

PURPOSE: To compare the clinical outcomes of small-incision lenticule extraction (SMILE) and femtosecond laser-assisted LASIK (FS-LASIK) for the correction of myopia and myopic astigmatism. METHODS: In this prospective, randomized, comparative study, SMILE surgery was performed in 113 eyes with a mean spherical equivalent (MSE) of -5.22 ± 1.70 diopters (D) and FS-LASIK was performed in 84 eyes with an MSE of -5.18 ± 1.93 D. Contrast sensitivity and uncorrected and corrected distance visual acuities were measured preoperatively and 1 day, 1 week, 1, 3, and 6 months postoperatively. Higher-order aberrations were evaluated preoperatively and 6 months postoperatively. RESULTS: At postoperative day 1, the uncorrected distance visual acuity in the FS-LASIK group was better (P < 0.05), whereas no statistically significant difference was found at 6 months postoperatively (P = 0.9). There was no significant difference in terms of logMAR corrected distance visual acuity and MSE during the 6 months of follow-up between the SMILE and FS-LASIK groups (all P > 0.05). The contrast sensitivity in the SMILE group was lower at 1 day and 1 week postoperatively (all P < 0.05). The spherical aberration at 6 mm diameter at 6 months postoperatively was lower (P < 0.05) in the SMILE group (0.12 ± 0.22 μm) than in the FS-LASIK group (0.28 ± 0.26 μm). CONCLUSIONS: Both FS-LASIK and SMILE procedures achieved good visual outcomes in the correction of myopia and myopic astigmatism. SMILE had a lower induction rate of spherical aberration at 6 months postoperatively in the analysis of 6 mm diameter than that of FS-LASIK.