Although preoperative CRT induced high clinical and pathological response, there was no statistically significant benefit in OS and EFS.

Use of retrievable expandable nitinol stents seems to be a safe and effective method of treatment in selected patients with benign esophageal strictures.

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Graphene quantum dots (GQDs) are an allotrope of carbon with a planar surface amenable to functionalization and nanoscale dimensions that confer photoluminescence. Collectively, these properties render GQDs an advantageous platform for nanobiotechnology applications, including optical biosensing and delivery. Towards this end, noncovalent functionalization offers a route to reversibly modify and preserve the pristine GQD substrate, however, a clear paradigm has yet to be realized. Herein, we demonstrate the feasibility of noncovalent polymer adsorption to GQD surfaces, with a specific focus on single-stranded DNA (ssDNA). We study how GQD oxidation level affects the propensity for polymer adsorption by synthesizing and characterizing four types of GQD substrates ranging ~60-fold in oxidation level, then investigating noncovalent polymer association to these substrates. Adsorption of ssDNA quenches intrinsic GQD fluorescence by 31.5% for low-oxidation GQDs and enables aqueous dispersion of otherwise insoluble no-oxidation GQDs. ssDNA-GQD complexation is confirmed by atomic force microscopy, by inducing ssDNA desorption, and with molecular dynamics simulations. ssDNA is determined to adsorb strongly to no-oxidation GQDs, weakly to low-oxidation GQDs, and not at all for heavily oxidized GQDs. Finally, we reveal the generality of the adsorption platform and assess how the GQD system is tunable by modifying polymer sequence and type. Graphene is a two-dimensional hexagonal carbon lattice that possesses a host of unique properties, including exceptional electronic conductivity, mechanical strength, and adsorptive capacity 1-3. However, graphene is a zero-bandgap material, and this lack of bandgap limits its use in semiconducting applications 4. To engineer a bandgap, the lateral dimensions of graphene must be restricted to the nanoscale, resulting in spatially confined structures such as graphene quantum dots (GQDs) 5. The bandgap of GQDs is attributed to quantum confinement 6,7 , edge effects 8 , and localized electron-hole pairs 9. Accordingly, this gives rise to tunable fluorescence properties based upon GQD size, shape, and exogenous atomic composition. In comparison to conventional semiconductor quantum dots, GQDs are an inexpensive and less environmentally harmful alternative 10,11. Moreover, for biological applications, GQDs are a low toxicity, biocompatible, and photostable material that offer a large surface-to-volume ratio for bioconjugation 11,12. Exploiting the distinct material properties of graphene often requires or benefits from exogenous functionalization. The predominant mechanism for graphene or graphene oxide (GO) functionalization is via covalent linkage to a polymer. However, noncovalent adsorption of polymers to carbon substrates is desirable in applications requiring reversibility for solution-based manipulation and tunable ligand exchange 13 , and preservation of the pristine atomic structure to maintain nanoscale graphene's fluorescence characteristics 14. Functionalization of graphene and GO ...

A self-expanding silicone-covered tube constructed of Gianturco stents was used for palliative treatment of esophagorespiratory fistula related to esophageal carcinoma in eight patients. All eight were unable to swallow food or water before treatment. The tubes were inserted under fluoroscopic guidance, without technical failure or complication. Clinical improvement was determined by grading food intake capacity on a five-point scale: none, liquid, soft food, most food, or all food. After the procedure, all fistulas were occluded. Four patients could swallow most foods, two could swallow soft food, one could swallow all foods, and one (who died of preexisting pneumonia 10 days after the procedure) could manage only liquids. Three patients were surviving without symptoms of aspiration for 4-24 weeks. Four patients died 6-16 weeks after placement of the stent tubes. Insertion of a silicone-covered stent tube was an effective palliative treatment for esophagorespiratory fistulas caused by esophageal cancer.

We demonstrate that iodine-doping into single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) can be effectively done using an electrochemical method. It is shown by in situ Raman measurements that the iodine-doping level can be easily and finely controlled because de-doping is also possible by changing the polarity. In situ synchrotron XRD measurements reveal that iodine molecules are mainly inserted into the hollow core of SWCNTs. The dispersion state of the iodine-doped SWCNTs in water as a function of temperature is also investigated. It is shown that the iodine-doped SWCNTs can be homogeneously dispersed in water at low temperature (ca. <15 °C).