Influence of Smectic Liquid Crystallinity on Lamellar Microdomain Structure in a Main‐Chain Liquid Crystal Block Copolymer Fiber

The microlamellar and smectic liquid crystal (LC) structures of a block copolymer of a main‐chain LC polyester connected at both ends with poly(ethyl methacrylate) are investigated by fiber X‐ray scattering. In the as‐spun fiber, the lamellae are parallel to the fiber axis, while the smectic layers are perpendicular to it. Annealing the as‐spun fiber at a temperature higher than the isotropization temperature (T_i) of the LC segment preserves the lamellae, but the LC structure disappears. Further annealing the fiber at T < T_i improves the lamellar stacking coherence and aligns the smectic layers parallel to the lamellae. In contrast, annealing the as‐spun fiber at T < T_i conserves the smectic layers and arranges the lamellae in parallel to the smectic layers. Thus, the liquid crystallinity affects the lamellar ordering and orientation.

     

Development of a tablet PC-based portable device for colorimetric determination of assays including COVID-19 and other pathogenic microorganisms

There has been a strong and urgent demand to diagnose community transmission-driven coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) after it crossed borders. A large number of rapid and accurate tests and diagnoses are required at drive-through test stations, community clinics and hospitals. Isothermal amplification technology, such as loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) and recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA), provides excellent alternatives for resource limited test environments. LAMP has been shown to be comparable with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and can be performed in less than 30 min by non-laboratory staff without ribonucleic acid (RNA) extractions commonly associated with PCR. LAMP tests on assays with SARS-CoV-2 and other pathogenic microorganisms, such as Dengue, Malaria, and Influenza viruses and Helicobacter pylori show color changes allowing test results to be interpreted by the color change of the assays. However, visual inspection of a large number of assays is prone to human error and manual record keeping makes test result tracking for an epidemiologic investigation very difficult and inefficient. The epidemiologic investigation is an essential part of the fight against community transmission-driven viruses. We have developed a very accurate and reliable, human error free, tablet PC-based portable device for colorimetric determination of assays including SARS-CoV-2 and other pathogenic microorganisms.

There has been a strong and urgent demand to diagnose community transmission-driven coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) after it crossed borders. Tablet PC-based portable device for colorimetric determination and 3D printed sample holders.     

MRI影像组学在心脏疾病中的研究进展

影像组学从标准医学图像中高通量挖掘、提取并分析纹理特征,实现对不同疾病下心肌异质性的定量分析,从而提高心脏疾病诊断准确性、提供更精准治疗方案及评估疾病预后.作者围绕不同序列(包括电影磁共振成像、native T1 mapping、T1加权成像、钆对比剂延迟增强序列等)的磁共振成像(magnetic resonance imaging,MRI)影像组学在心脏疾病中的研究进展进行综述.     

影像组学在胰腺癌疗效评估中的研究进展

目前针对胰腺癌的治疗方法 进展迅速,但准确评估胰腺癌治疗疗效成为临床诊断与治疗中的难点之一,影像组学能够高通量地提取医学图像中蕴含的特征信息,不仅可以无创地定量分析肿瘤的异质性,还能通过分析肿瘤微环境的变化反映患者治疗疗效等重要信息.本文就影像组学评价手术治疗、放射治疗、化学治疗、新辅助治疗胰腺癌疗效的应用进展进行综述.