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Abstract Black-to-transparent electrochromism is hailed as the holy grail of organic optoelectronics. Despite its potential, designing black electrochromic materials that fully absorb visible light remains a significant challenge. Electroactive materials that simultaneously possess excellent cyclic stability, fast switching times, and high coloration efficiency are rare. In this study, we successfully designed copolymers that fully absorb the entire visible spectrum by judiciously selecting four types of monomers. We incorporated two types of polar side chains to synergistically enhance the ionic conductivity of the copolymers, thus improving the performance of electrochromic devices. Among these electrochromic devices, the P2-a device exhibits cycling stability exceeding 105 cycles, and the P2-c device demonstrates a coloring/ bleaching time of 0.82 s/0.86 s and achieves a coloration efficiency of 1078 cm²/C. This study proposes a strategy for designing and synthesizing high-performance black electrochromic copolymers.

Abstract Background Coarctation of the aorta (CoA) is the most common undiagnosed congenital heart defect during prenatal screening. High false positive and false negative rates seriously affect prenatal consultation and postnatal management. The objective of the study was to assess the utility of various measurements to predict prenatal CoA and to derive a diagnostic algorithm. Methods One hundred and fifty-four fetuses with suspected CoA who presented at Fuwai Hospital between December 2017 and August 2021 were enrolled and divided into confirmed CoA cases (n = 47) and false positive cases (n = 107), according to their postnatal outcomes. The transverse aortic arch, isthmus, and descending aorta were measured in the long-axis view of the aortic arch. The angle between the transverse aortic arch (TAO) and the descending aortic arch (DAO) was defined as the TAO-DAO angle and measured in the long axis or sagittal view. Based on the database in GE Voluson E10 and the formula (Z = $$\frac{\text{x}-{\mu }}{\alpha }$$ ), the standard score (Z-score) of the dimensions of the aorta were calculated in relation to the gestational age. The main echocardiographic indices were combined to design a 3-step diagnostic protocol. The TAO-DAO angle was used as the first step in the diagnostic model. The diameter of the transverse arch and the Z-score of the isthmus were the second step. The third-step indices included a Z-score of the transverse arch, diameter of the isthmus, distance from the left subclavian artery (LSA) to left common carotid artery (LCCA), the ratio of isthmus diameter and LSA diameter and ratio of the distances (the distance between the LSA and LCCA to the distance between the right innominate artery and LCCA). The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve determined the predictive capability of each diagnostic parameter, and the kappa test determined the diagnostic accuracy of the proposed model. Results The cases with confirmed CoA had thinner transverse arches (1.92 ± 0.32 mm vs. 3.06 ± 0.67 mm, P = 0.0001), lower Z-scores of the isthmus (-8.97 ± 1.45 vs. -5.65 ± 1.60, P = 0.0001), smaller TAO-DAO angles (105.54 ± 11.51° vs. 125.29 ± 8.97°, P = 0.0001) and larger distance between the LSA and LCCA (4.45 ± 1.75 mm vs. 2.74 ± 1.07 mm, P = 0.0001) than the false positive cases. The area under the curve (AUC) was 0.947 (95% CI 0.91–0.98) for the TAO-DAO angle ≤ 115.75°, 0.942 (95% CI 0.91–0.98) for the transverse arch diameter ≤ 2.31 mm, 0.937 (95% CI 0.90–0.98) for the Z-score of the isthmus ≤ -7.5, and 0.975 (95% CI 0.95–1.00) for the 3-step diagnostic protocol with 97.8% sensitivity and 97.2% specificity. The kappa test showed that the model’s diagnostic accuracy was consistent with postnatal outcomes (kappa value 0.936, P = 0.0001). Conclusions The 3-step diagnostic protocol included the three most useful measurements and the additional indices with appropriate cut-off values. The algorithm is useful for the detection of aortic coarctation in fetuses with a high degree of accuracy. Trial registration Retrospectively registered.

Abstract Prediabetes and related complications constitute significant public health burdens globally. As an indicator closely associated with abnormal glucose metabolism and atherosclerosis, the utility of Pulse Pressure Index (PPI) as a prediabetes risk marker has not been explored. We performed a retrospective cohort analysis to investigate this putative association between PPI and prediabetes hazard. Our analysis encompassed 183,517 Chinese adults ≥ 20 years registered within the Rich Healthcare Group 2010–2016. PPI was defined as (systolic blood pressure − diastolic blood pressure)/systolic blood pressure. The relationship between PPI and prediabetes risk was assessed via Cox proportional hazards regression modeling. Non-linearity evaluations applied cubic spline fitting approaches alongside smooth curve analysis. Inflection points of PPI concerning prediabetes hazard were determined using two-piecewise Cox models. During a median follow-up of 3 years (2.17–3.96 years), new-onset prediabetes was documented in 20,607 patients (11.23%). Multivariate regression analysis showed that PPI was an independent risk factor for prediabetes, and the risk of prediabetes increased by 0.6% for every 1% increase in PPI (Hazard Ratio [HR]: 1.006, 95% Confidence Interval [CI] 1.004–1.008, P

Abstract:: Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) emerges as a pivotal risk determinant for unfavorable outcomes in septic patients. Despite its recognized role, the enduring impact of AF on sepsis prognosis remains ambiguous. This investigation seeks to elucidate the connection between AF and both short and long-term outcomes in sepsis patients. Additionally, it aims to formulate a prognostic model for 1-year mortality utilizing pertinent clinical variables. Methods: A retrospective analysis encompassed sepsis patients admitted to Beth Israel Deacon Medical Center's intensive care unit. The evaluation encompassed the prevalence of AF and its influence on hospitalization duration, stays in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), and mortality rates at distinct intervals. Propensity score matching was implemented to mitigate confounding factors. Machine learning techniques, including the Least Absolute Selection and Shrinkage Operator (LASSO) regression and random forest, were deployed for model development. Results: AF exhibited a correlation with heightened mortality rates at 7 days, 28 days, and 1 year. The resultant predictive model demonstrated superior efficacy compared to prevailing clinical critical illness scores in forecasting mortality risk. Crucial predictors in the model included variables such as RDW, weight, age, BUN, lactate, temperature, MCHC, MBP, ALP, and hemoglobin. Conclusions: AF emerges as a substantial peril for adverse outcomes in sepsis patients. The risk model, encompassing pertinent clinical variables, outperformed existing clinical critical illness scores in mortality prediction. This model furnishes valuable insights for risk stratification, augmenting prognostic precision in sepsis patients with concomitant AF.

IntroductionTo evaluate the safety and efficacy of microwave ablation (MWA) for high-risk pulmonary nodules in patients infected with the Omicron variant within 3 months, a retrospective study was conducted.MethodsThe study included patients with multiple high-risk nodules who underwent CT-guided MWA from April 2022 to April 2023. Patients were divided into an observation group and a control group. The primary endpoints were postoperative complications and hospital length of stay, while the secondary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS).ResultsA total of 157 patients were included in the analysis, with 64 in the observation group and 93 in the control group. No deaths occurred within 30 days after MWA. In the observation group, the median follow-up time was 7 months, during which 5 patients experienced disease progression after MWA, including 3 cases of pulmonary metastases. Complications were primarily pneumothorax, pleural effusion, and hemorrhage, with an incidence rate of 57.8%, which was statistically significant (p=0.005). The median length of hospital stay was 5 days for the observation group and 6 days for the control group. There was no statistically significant difference in PFS between the two groups after the removal of lung metastases (p=0.265).DiscussionCT-guided MWA is an alternative treatment for patients with high-risk lung nodules who have been infected with Omicron within the past 3 months.

Abstract Background Ubiquitin-specific protease 38 (USP38), belonging to the USP family, is recognized for its role in controlling protein degradation and diverse biological processes. Ventricular arrhythmias (VAs) following heart failure (HF) are closely linked to ventricular electrical remodeling, yet the specific mechanisms underlying VAs in HF remain inadequately explored. In this study, we examined the impact of USP38 on VAs in pressure overload-induced HF. Methods Cardiac-specific USP38 knockout mice, cardiac-specific USP38 transgenic mice and their matched control littermates developed HF induced by aortic banding (AB) surgery. After subjecting the mice to AB surgery for a duration of four weeks, comprehensive investigations were conducted, including pathological analysis and electrophysiological assessments, along with molecular analyses. Results We observed increased USP38 expression in the left ventricle of mice with HF. Electrocardiogram showed that the USP38 knockout shortened the QRS interval and QTc, while USP38 overexpression prolonged these parameters. USP38 knockout decreased the susceptibility of VAs by shortening action potential duration (APD) and prolonging effective refractory period (ERP). In addition, USP38 knockout increased ion channel and Cx43 expression in ventricle. On the contrary, the increased susceptibility of VAs and the decreased expression of ventricular ion channels and Cx43 were observed with USP38 overexpression. In both in vivo and in vitro experiments, USP38 knockout inhibited TBK1/AKT/CAMKII signaling, whereas USP38 overexpression activated this pathway. Conclusion Our data indicates that USP38 increases susceptibility to VAs after HF through TBK1/AKT/CAMKII signaling pathway, Consequently, USP38 may emerge as a promising therapeutic target for managing VAs following HF.

Abstract Aims Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide. Anxiety disorders are common psychiatric conditions associated with cardiovascular outcomes. This two‐sample Mendelian randomization (MR) study investigated the causal relationship between anxiety disorders and coronary heart disease (CHD), myocardial infarction (MI), heart failure (HF), and atrial fibrillation (AF). Methods Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with anxiety disorders (16 730 cases; 101 021 controls) were obtained from the UK Biobank genome‐wide association study (GWAS). Cardiovascular outcome data were derived from the FinnGen study (CHD: 21 012 cases and 197 780 controls; MI: 12 801 cases and 187 840 controls; HF: 23 397 cases and 194 811 controls; and AF: 22 068 cases and 116 926 controls). Inverse variance weighted (IVW), MR–Egger, weighted median, simple mode, and weighted mode analyses examined causality. Results IVW analysis demonstrated significant causal relationships between anxiety disorders and increased risk of CHD [odds ratio (OR): 4.496; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.777–11.378; P = 0.002], MI (OR: 5.042; 95% CI: 1.451–17.518; P = 0.011), and HF (OR: 3.255; 95% CI: 1.461–7.252; P = 0.004). No relationship was observed with AF (OR: 1.775; 95% CI: 0.612–5.146; P = 0.29). Other methods showed non‐significant associations. Two‐way analysis indicated no reverse causality. Conclusions Anxiety disorders were causally associated with greater risk of CHD, MI, and HF but not AF among individuals of European descent. Further research on mediating mechanisms and in diverse populations is warranted.

Despite the vast progress in fire-extinguishing agents and technology, the early-stage fire suppression in small-sized confined space (SCS) remains a challenge. This study introduces the reliability of SCS flame inhibition using dodecafluoro-2-methylpentan-3-one (C6F12O) through a self-assessment experimental platform to investigate the effectiveness, thermal effects, and toxic characteristics of gaseous products of C6F12O in extinguishing SCS fires. The results show that the fire extinguishing and cooling effects of C6F12O, as well as the smoke toxicity of its products, can be influenced by the agent dosage, SCS fire source setup, and spatial structure. The fire extinguishing and cooling effects of C6F12O are superior to those of H2O, and these effects can be enhanced with the increase in flow rates that are applied. However, after the extinguishing of the fire, a large quantity of toxic and irritating gaseous products will be produced, and such a risk can be reduced with excessive application of C6F12O. For SCSs with a simple structure (unobstructed condition), fires breaking out in their middle sections will pose a greater fire thermal hazard, and gas products after the application of C6F12O for fire extinguishing will present greater smoke toxicity. The thermal hazards of fires in the middle sections of SCSs can be significantly reduced with the addition of obstruction conditions inside the SCSs. However, there is an insignificant effect on the smoke toxicity of products after the extinguishing of fire. These research conclusions offer a breakthrough in the development of new fire-extinguishing materials (devices) primarily based on C6F12O for active prevention and control of initial SCS fires.

Understanding the initial oxidation mechanism is critical for studying the oxidation resistance of high-entropy diborides. However, related studies are scarce. Herein, the initial oxidation mechanism of (Zr0.25Ti0.25Nb0.25Ta0.25)B2 high-entropy diborides (HEB2-1) is investigated by first-principles calculations at the atomic level. By employing the two-region model method, the most stable surface of HEB2-1 is determined to be (112¯0) surface. The dissociative adsorption process of the oxygen molecule on the HEB2-1-(112¯0) surface is predicted to proceed spontaneously, where OO bond breaks and each oxygen atom is chemisorbed on the most preferable hollow site. The adsorption energy and the diffusion barrier of the oxygen atom on the (112¯0) surface of HEB2-1 are in the vicinity of the average level of the corresponding four individual diborides. In addition, ab initio molecular dynamics simulations indicate a high initial oxidation resistance of HEB2-1 at 1 000 K. Our results are beneficial to further designing the high-entropy diborides with excellent oxidation resistance.

Abstract The occurrence of nonenzymatic glycosylation reactions in skin fibroblasts can lead to severe impairment of skin health. To investigate the protective effects of the major functional ingredient from Gentianaceae, gentiopicroside (GPS) on fibroblasts, network pharmacology was used to analyse the potential pathways and targets underlying the effects of GPS on skin. At the biochemical and cellular levels, we examined the inhibitory effect of GPS on AGEs, the regulation by GPS of key ECM proteins and vimentin, the damage caused by GPS to the mitochondrial membrane potential and the modulation by GPS of inflammatory factors such as matrix metalloproteinases (MMP-2, MMP-9), reactive oxygen species (ROS), and IL-6 via the RAGE/NF-κB pathway. The results showed that GPS can inhibit AGE-induced damage to the dermis via multiple pathways. The results of biochemical and cellular experiments showed that GPS can strongly inhibit AGE production. Conversely, GPS can block AGE-induced oxidative stress and inflammatory responses in skin cells by disrupting AGE-RAGE signalling, maintain the balance of ECM synthesis and catabolism, and alleviate AGE-induced dysfunctions in cellular behaviour. This study provides a theoretical basis for the use of GPS as an AGE inhibitor to improve skin health and alleviate the damage caused by glycosylation, showing its potential application value in the field of skin care.

Background: Tricuspid transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (T-TEER) has emerged as an attractive option for severe tricuspid regurgitation (TR). To avoid the radiation exposure for both patients and medical staff, we propose a sole-echocardiography-guided method for T-TEER. The purpose of this article was to investigate the feasibility of sole-echocardiography-guided T-TEER. Methods: This was a retrospective observational study, including 43 patients who underwent sole-echocardiography-guided T-TEER at two medical centers in China between June 2022 and September 2023. Clinical and echocardiographic data were collected at baseline, discharge and 6-month follow-up. Results: Patients enrolled in this study were elderly (71.6 ± 8.2 years) with significant comorbidities, 67.4% had baseline massive or torrential TR and 76.7% were classified as New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class III/IV. All patients achieved successful device implantation, and no severe device-related complications or mortality occurred during the follow-up period. Significantly reduced TR and reversed right ventricular remodeling were observed at 6-month follow-ups. Patients classified as NYHA functional class I/II increased from 23.3% at baseline to 81.4% at 6-month follow-up (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Sole-echocardiography-guided T-TEER has a low incidence of complications and can effectively reduce TR. It is feasible to substitute conventional fluoroscopy and echocardiography guidance for echocardiography guidance alone. Further large-scale randomized controlled trials are needed to validate the safety, efficacy and patient benefits of this technique.

The development of high-entropy borides with combined structural and functional performance holds untold scientific and technological potential, yet relevant studies have been rarely reported. In this work, we report nanocrystalline (La0.25Ce0.25Nd0.25Eu0.25)B6 high-entropy rare-earth hexaboride (HEReB6-1) ceramics fabricated through the high-pressure sintering of self-synthesized nanopowders for the first time. The as-fabricated samples exhibited a highly dense (96.3%) nanocrystalline (94 nm) microstructure with major (001) fiber textures and good grain boundaries without any impurities, resulting in a remarkable mechanical, electrical, and thermionic emission performance. The results showed that the samples possessed outstanding comprehensive mechanical properties and a high electrical resistivity from room temperature to high temperatures; these were greater than the average values of corresponding binary rare-earth hexaborides, such as a Vickers hardness of 23.4 ± 0.6 GPa and a fracture toughness of 3.0 ± 0.4 MPa•m1/2 at room temperature. More importantly, they showed high emission current densities at elevated temperatures, which were higher than the average values of the corresponding binary rare-earth hexaborides. For instance, the maximum emission current density reached 48.3 A•cm−2 at 1873 K. Such superior performance makes the nanocrystalline HEReB6-1 ceramics highly suitable for potential applications in thermionic emission cathodes.

Abstract Highly permeable polyamide (PA) membrane capable of precise ionic sieving can be utilized for many energy-efficient chemical separations. To fulfill this target, it is crucial to innovate membrane-forming process to induce a narrow pore-size distribution. Herein, we report an anhydrous interfacial polymerization (AIP) at a solid-liquid interface where the amine layer sublimated is in direct contact with the alkane containing acyl chlorides. In such a heterophase interface, water-caused side reactions are eliminated, and the amines in compact arrangement enable an intensive and orderly IP reaction, leading to a unique PA layer with an ionic sieving accuracy of 0.5 Å. The AIP-PA membrane demonstrates excellent separation selectivities of monovalent and divalent cations such as Mg2+/Li+ (78.3) and anions such as Cl-/SO4 2- (29.2) together with a high water flux up to 13.6 L m−2 h−1 bar−1. Our AIP strategy may provide inspirations for engineering high-precision PA membranes available in various advanced separations.

ABSTRACT Influenza A virus is a respiratory virus that can cause complications such as acute bronchitis and secondary bacterial pneumonia. Drug therapies and vaccines are available against influenza, albeit limited by drug resistance and the non-universal vaccine administration. Hence there is a need for host-targeted therapies against influenza to provide an effective alternative therapeutic target. Sec13 was identified as a novel host interactor of influenza. As Sec13 is a member of the nuclear pore complex and coat protein complex II (COPII) vesicles, localization of both Sec13 and non-structural protein 1 (NS1) in the nucleus, endoplasmic reticulum (ER), COPII vesicles (ER-to-Golgi transport), and Golgi was studied during infection. Sec13 is associated with ER, COPII, and Golgi in infected lung epithelial cells and not the nucleus during PR8 infection. This observation would imply the functional role of Sec13 in the COPII vesicles (ER-to-Golgi transport). Moreover, the colocalization of NS1 and Sec13 were correlated at several time points of infection, indicating the function of Sec13 during influenza infection. Inhibiting the ER-to-Golgi transport and silencing Sec13 decreased viral titers, whereas overexpressing Sec13 increased viral titers. Hence, we propose that the ER-to-Golgi transport is an important pathway of viral replication and viral export, and specifically, Sec13 has a functional role in influenza replication and virulence. IMPORTANCE Influenza A virus is a respiratory virus that can cause complications such as acute bronchitis and secondary bacterial pneumonia. Drug therapies and vaccines are available against influenza, albeit limited by drug resistance and the non-universal vaccine administration. Hence there is a need for host-targeted therapies against influenza to provide an effective alternative therapeutic target. Sec13 was identified as a novel host interactor of influenza. Endoplasmic reticulum-to-Golgi transport is an important pathway of influenza virus replication and viral export. Specifically, Sec13 has a functional role in influenza replication and virulence.

Achieving a water–oil interface imbalance has been identified as a critical factor in the demulsification of water-in-oil emulsions. However, conventional demulsifying membranes generally break the interface balance by depending on a relatively high transmembrane pressure. Here, we present a “contact demulsification” concept to naturally and quickly achieve disruption of the water–oil interface balance. For this purpose, a novel demulsifying membrane with a high flux of the organic component has been developed via the simple vacuum assembly of zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8)@reduced graphene oxide (rGO) microspheres (ZGS) on a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) support, followed by immobilization processing in a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) crosslinking solution. Due to the micro-nano hierarchies of the ZGS, the prepared ZIF-8@rGO@PDMS/PTFE (ZGPP) membranes feature a unique superhydrophobic surface, which results in a water–oil interface imbalance when a surfactant-stabilized water-in-oil emulsion comes into contact with the membrane surface. Under a low transmembrane pressure of 0.15 bar (15 kPa), such membranes show an excellent separation efficiency (∼99.57%) and a high flux of 2254 L·m−2·h−1, even for surfactant-stabilized nanoscale water-in-toluene emulsions (with an average droplet size of 57 nm). This “contact demulsification” concept paves the way for developing next-generation demulsifying membranes for water-in-oil emulsion separation.

Abstract Two newly designed and synthesized [3+2+1] iridium complexes through introducing bulky trimethylsiliyl (TMS) groups are doped with a terminal emitter of v–DABNA to form an coincident overlapping spectra between the emission of these two phosphors and the absorption of v–DABNA, creating cascade resonant energy transfer for efficient triplet harvesting. To boost the color quality and efficiency, the fabricated hyper‐OLEDs have been optimized to achieve a high external quantum efficiency of 31.06%, which has been among the highest efficiency results reported for phosphor sensitized saturated‐blue hyper‐OLEDs, and pure blue emission peak at 467 nm with the full width at half maxima (FWHM) as narrow as 18 nm and the CIEy values down to 0.097, satisfying the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) requirement for saturated blue OLEDs display. Surprisingly, such hyper‐OLEDs have obtained the converted lifetime (LT50) up to 4552 h at the brightness of 100 cd m−2, demonstrating effective Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) process. Therefore, employing these new bulky TMS substituent [3+2+1] iridium(III) complexes for effective sensitizers can greatly pave the way for further development of high efficiency and stable blue OLEDs in display and lighting applications.

Abstract Aims Sodium‐glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2is) have made considerable progress in the field of heart failure, but their application in arrhythmia remains to be in‐depth. Right heart disease (RHD) often leads to right heart dysfunction and is associated with atrial fibrillation (AF). Here, we explored the possible electrophysiologic effect of dapagliflozin (a type of SGLT2is) in the development of AF in rats with RHD. Methods and results Rats in the experimental group were intraperitoneally injected with a single dose of 60 mg/kg monocrotaline (MCT group, n = 32) on the first day of the experiment, whereas rats in the control group were injected with vehicle (CTL group, n = 32). Rats in the treatment subgroup were treated with dapagliflozin solution orally (MCT + DAPA and CTL + DAPA groups) for a total of 4 weeks, whereas rats in the rest of subgroups were given sterile drinking water. After 4 weeks, echocardiography demonstrated that MCT group rats developed obvious pulmonary arterial hypertension and right heart dysfunction. In addition, there were also obvious inflammatory infiltration, fibrosis, and muscularization in right atrial and pulmonary arteries. The P‐wave duration (17.00 ± 0.53 ms, vs. 14.43 ± 0.57 ms in CTL; 14.00 ± 0.65 ms in CTL + DAPA; 14.57 ± 0.65 ms in MCT + DAPA; P

Adsorptive removal of heavy metal ions from wastewater is very important, and the key is the development of efficient sorbents. In this work, oxygenated alkynyl carbon materials (OACMs) were synthesized via mechanochemical reaction of CaC2 and a carbonate (CaCO3, Na2CO3, or NaHCO3) at ambient temperature. The resultant OACMs are micro mesoporous carbon nanomaterials with high specific area (>648 m2 g−1), highly crosslinked texture, and rich alkynyl and oxygenated groups. The OACMs exhibit excellent Hg(II) adsorption due to the soft acid-soft base interaction between alkynyl and Hg(II), and OACM-3 derived from CaC2 and NaHCO3 has the saturated Hg(II) adsorbance of 483.9 mg g−1 along with good selectivity and recyclability. The adsorption is mainly chemisorption following the Langmuir mode. OACM-3 also shows high adsorbance for other heavy metal ions, e.g. 256.6 mg g−1 for Pb(II), 232.4 mg g−1 for Zn(II), and 198.7 mg g−1 for Cu(II). This work expands the mechnochemical reaction of CaC2 with carbonates and possibly other oxyanionic salts, provides a new synthesis approach for functional alkynyl carbon materials with excellent adsorption performance for heavy metal ions, as well as a feasible approach for CO2 resource utilization.

Membrane separation technology has been taken up for use in diverse applications such as water treatment, pharmaceutical, petroleum, and energy-related industries. Compared with the design of membrane materials, the innovation of membrane preparation technique is more urgent for the development of membrane separation technology, because it not only affects physicochemical properties and separation performance of the fabricated membranes, but also determines their potential in industrialized application. Among the various membrane preparation methods, spray technique has recently gained increasing attention because of its low cost, rapidity, scalability, minimum of environmental burden, and viability for nearly unlimited range of materials. In this Review article, we summarized and discussed the recent developments in separation membranes using the spray technique, including the fundamentals, important features and applications. The present challenges and future considerations have been touched to provide inspired insights for developing the sprayed separation membranes.

Abstract Geographical, environmental and pollution conditions affect facial skin health, but their effects on skin appearance have not been elucidated. This study aimed to describe the skin barrier and skin tone characteristics of Chinese subjects according to lifestyle and environmental conditions using in vitro measurements. In total, 1092 women aged 22–42 years were recruited from 7 representative Chinese cities. Eight skin parameters (hydration, sebum, pH, transdermal water loss, individual type angle, melanin index, erythema index, yellowness) were measured using noninvasive instruments; individual lifestyle data were also collected. Data on four meteorological factors (air temperature, relative humidity, sunshine duration, wind speed) and seven air pollution indicators (air quality index, fine particulate matter, breathable particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide and ozone) were collected in each city from the China Meteorological Administration. Facial skin characteristics differed significantly between cities. Facial skin barrier characteristics and skin tones showed regional differences, with a better skin barrier associated with the western region, as indicated by high skin hydration and sebum secretion and a low pH value. According to the value of transdermal water loss, lighter and darker skin tones were found in the western and southern regions, respectively. Environmental conditions affected facial skin status. Air pollution induced facial skin issues, with fine particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide contributing the most. Individual lifestyles affected the facial skin barrier and skin tone.

Abstract Background Williams syndrome is an autosomal dominant multisystem disorder caused by a 1.5–1.8 Mb deletion on chromosome 7q11.23. It is characterized by facial deformations, cardiovascular abnormalities, developmental delays, gastrointestinal manifestations, and endocrine disorders. Case description A 1‐year‐old child presenting with developmental delays, special facial features, gastrointestinal bleeding, renal calcium deposition, and hypotonia was admitted to the hospital for “hypercalcemia and gastrointestinal bleeding.” Genetic testing showed a deletion mutation in the 7q11.23 region. Currently, the child receiving treatment to promote calcium excretion and rehabilitation training, but hypercalcemia has recurred. Conclusion The clinical phenotype of Williams syndrome is complex, and different severities, characterized by developmental delays, facial deformities, cardiovascular abnormalities, gastrointestinal symptoms and endocrine disorders, should be considered in children. The syndrome may require thorough genetic testing for diagnosis and early intervention treatment to improve patient quality of life.

Abstract Background Understanding the genetic basis of yield related traits contributes to the improvement of grain yield in maize. Results Using 291 excellent maize inbred lines as materials, six yield related traits of maize, including grain yield per plant (GYP), grain length (GL), grain width (GW), kernel number per row (KNR), 100 kernel weight (HKW) and tassel branch number (TBN) were investigated in Jinan, in 2017, 2018 and 2019. The average values of three environments were taken as the phenotypic data of yield related traits, and they were statistically analyzed. Based on 38,683 high-quality SNP markers in the whole genome of the association panel, the MLM with PCA model was used for genome-wide association analysis (GWAS) to obtain 59 significantly associated SNP sites. Moreover, 59 significantly associated SNPs (P

Abstract The advancement of Internet of Things has stimulated huge demands on low-voltage flexible electronics. Carbon-nanotube (CNT)-based electronics are of great promise to this end for their intrinsic flexibility, high carrier mobility, and capability to synthesize as semiconducting or metallic to serve as the channels, electrodes, and interconnects of circuits. However, the gate dielectric often has to adopt brittle oxides, which can seriously limit the device flexibility. Herein, we show that a hybrid polyimide-Al2O3 material can serve as a good gate dielectric to realize truly intrinsic flexibility of transistors and circuits based on CNTs. With this hybrid dielectric, high-performance all-CNT transistors and integrated circuits of inverters, ring oscillators, and logic gates are demonstrated. Particularly, the inverters exhibit a remarkably high gain of 342.5 and can be used as an analog amplifier for millivolt small signals. Ultralow voltage (50 mV) operation is also feasible, which highlights the great promise for low-power applications.

Intracellular recognition of self and non-self -nucleic acids can result in the initiation of effective pro-inflammatory and anti-tumorigenic responses. We hypothesized that macrophages can be activated by tumor-derived nucleic acids to induce inflammasome activation in the tumor microenvironment. We show that tumor conditioned media (CM) can induce IL-1β production, indicative of inflammasome activation in primed macrophages. This could be partially dependent on caspase 1/11, AIM2 and NLRP3. IL-1β enhances tumor cell proliferation, migration and invasion while coculture of tumor cells with macrophages enhances the proliferation of tumor cells, which is AIM2 and caspase 1/11 dependent. Furthermore, we have identified that DNA-RNA hybrids could be the nucleic acid form which activates AIM2 inflammasome at a higher sensitivity as compared to dsDNA. Taken together, the tumor-secretome stimulates an innate immune pathway in macrophages which promotes paracrine cancer growth and may be a key tumorigenic pathway in cancer. Broader understanding on the mechanisms of nucleic acid recognition and interaction with innate immune signaling pathway will help us to better appreciate its potential application in diagnostic and therapeutic benefit in cancer.

Abstract Limited to the structure of traditional light‐emitting devices, electronic devices that can directly convert machine language into human visual information without introducing any back‐end circuit are still not easy to achieve. Based on a specially designed three‐phase co‐planar electrode structure, a new type of three‐phase alternating current driven organic light‐emitting device with the integration of emission and control functions, full‐color tunability and simple device structure is demonstrated in this study. We integrate the light‐emitting function of color‐tunable light‐emitting devices and the switching of three triodes in a single three phase organic light‐emitting device. The state control of luminous color and luminance intensity merely requires the introduction of a kind of machine language, that is an easy‐to‐program 6‐bit binary number coded digital signals. The color adjustable area covers 66% of the color triangle of the National Television System Committee. Such simple and easy‐to‐integrate light‐emitting system has great potential applications in the next‐generation man‐machine interface.

One of the major challenges when fabricating high gamut colour-converted micro-light-emitting diodes (LEDs) displays is severe crosstalk effect among adjacent pixels because of the wide view-angle feature of micro-LED chips. In this study, potential factors that contribute to the crosstalk effect were systematically simulated. We observed that precisely filling the space between each micro-LED chip with a light blocking matrix (LBM) can be a promising solution to alleviate this risk. After careful investigations, a press-assisted moulding technique was demonstrated to be an effective approach of fabricating the LBM. Nevertheless, experimental observations further revealed that residual black LBM on the surface of micro-LEDs severely reduces the brightness, thereby compromising the display performance. This problem was successfully addressed by employing a plasma etching technique to efficiently extract the trapped light. Eventually, a top-emitting blue micro-LED-based backlight fine-moulded with a black LBM was developed and combined with red and green quantum dot colour-conversion layers for full-colour display. The colour gamut of our manufactured display prototype can cover as high as 122% that of the National Television Standards Committee.

Abstract Background Functional tricuspid regurgitation (TR) is common among patients with left heart disease and may recur during the follow-up period after selective tricuspid valve annuloplasty (TVA). This study aims to analyse the relationship between left atrial (LA) strain and the degree of preoperative functional TR and to explore the role of LA strain in predicting TR recurrence. Methods This study included 63 patients with rheumatic mitral stenosis who underwent mitral valve replacement and concomitant TVA. Additionally, 20 healthy controls were enrolled. Preoperative conventional LA echocardiographic parameters and LA strain were measured. The association between LA strain and preoperative functional TR severity was analysed by Pearson correlation. Predictors of recurrent TR were determined by multivariate logistic regression analyses. Results Compared with the control group, the mitral stenosis group developed a significant impairment in terms of LA strain. The degree of preoperative functional TR exhibited moderate correlations with LA reservoir strain (r = − 0.57) and LA conduit strain (r = 0.48). During a median follow-up period of 66.4 ± 36.4 months, TR recurred in 18 patients. Preoperative LA reservoir strain and the mean transmitral gradient were predictors of postoperative TR recurrence. When the two indexes were combined to establish a prediction, the sensitivity and specificity of prediction increased. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of the combined indicator was higher than those of the single indicators (0.90 vs. 0.70 and 0.72). Conclusions LA strain correlates with preoperative functional TR severity in patients with rheumatic mitral stenosis. The LA reservoir strain and preoperative mean transmitral gradient are independent predictive factors for recurrent TR after TVA.

Abstract Solution processable quasi‐2D (Q‐2D) perovskite materials are emerging as a promising candidate for blue light source in full‐color display applications due to their good color saturation property, high brightness, and spectral tunability. Herein, an efficient energy cascade channel is developed by introducing sodium bromide (NaBr) in phenyl‐butylammonium (PBA)‐containing mixed‐halide Q‐2D perovskites for a blue perovskite light‐emitting diode (PeLED). The incorporation of alkali metal contributes to the nucleation and growth of Q‐2D perovskites into graded distribution of domains with different layer number . The study of excitation dynamics by transient absorption (TA) spectroscopy confirms that NaBr induces more Q‐2D perovskite phases with small n number, providing a graded energy cascade pathway to facilitate more efficient energy transfer processes. In addition, the nonradiative recombination within the Q‐2D perovskites is significantly suppressed upon Na+ incorporation, as validated by the trap density estimation. Consequently, the optimized blue PeLEDs manifest a peak external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 7.0% emitting at 486 nm with a maximum luminance of 1699 cd m−2. It is anticipated that these findings will improve the understanding of alkali‐metal‐assisted optimization of Q‐2D perovskites and pave the way toward high‐performance blue PeLEDs.

The solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) strongly affects the cycling behaviour of rechargeable alkali metal cells. Here, the authors investigate via cryo-electron microscopy the SEI formed on a Na metal electrode using fluoroethylene carbonate-containing electrolyte.

Designing efficient light-emitting components without utilizing intricate back-end circuits remains a challenge. Here the authors present three-phase electric power driven electroluminescent devices capable to realize pixel units, interactive rewritable displays and to drive organic light-emitting devices with red, green and blue-emitting pixels.

Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) are promising materials for separation membranes, but their wide pores prevent selective gas separation through molecular sieving. Here, the authors demonstrate a Metal-organic framework (MOF)-in-COF membrane with a significant enhancement of separation selectivity of hydrogen over other gases.

Objective To retrospectively evaluate early clinical outcomes of percutaneous microwave ablation (MWA) for stage T1a renal cell carcinomas (RCCs) in solitary kidney patients. Materials and methods 15 solitary kidney patients with 16 stage T1a N0M0 biopsy-proved RCCs underwent CT-guided percutaneous microwave ablation between October 2016 and July 2020. The patients were followed up with contrast-enhanced computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging at 1, 3, and 6 months and every 6 months thereafter. Serum creatinine levels of each patient pre MWA, 1 day after MWA and the most recent record were collected. Technical effectiveness, local recurrence, survival rates and complications were accessed. Results Complete ablation was achieved in all 16 tumors (100%) including 13 clear cell carcinomas and 3 papillary carcinomas. Within the follow-up time (median: 24 months) no tumor recurrence or major complication was detected. No significant change in serum creatinine level was noted. The cancer-specific survival rate was 100% (15 of 15), and 1-, 2-, and 3-year overall survival rates were 100%, 93.3%, and 93.3%, respectively. Conclusion Percutaneous MWA is an effective and safe treatment option for stage T1a RCCs in solitary kidney patients; it can achieve high complete ablation rate in selected lesions of appropriate size and location.

The antidepressant mechanism of acupuncture has not been fully elucidated recently. Thus, the objective of the present study is to investigate the antidepressant mechanism of acupuncture of modulating the neuroinflammation induced by high mobility group box-1 (HMGB1) in rats subjected to chronic restraint stress (CRS). Forty-four male Sprague Dawley rats were randomly divided into control, model, escitalopram, and acupuncture group. Except for rats in the control group, all rats were exposed to CRS for 21 days continuously. Rats in the escitalopram group were subjected to a suspension of escitalopram and saline. One hour before CRS procedures, acupuncture was performed at Baihui (GV20) and Yintang (GV29) for rats in the acupuncture group, 20 min per day for 21 days. All rats in each group were conducted to detect the body weight, sucrose preference test at 0, 7, 14, 21 days to evaluate the depression-like behaviors. The expression of microglial activation and HMGB1 in the hippocampus was detected by immunofluorescence. The expression of hippocampal interleukin-10 (IL-10) was detected by western blot. And the content of serum tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) was detected by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method. CRS-exposed rats showed obviously decreased body weight and sucrose preference when compared with the control group, which was reversed by acupuncture. The results have also shown that acupuncture ameliorated the CRS-induced activation of microglia and HMGB1 in the hippocampus CA1 region. Furthermore, acupuncture reduced the stress-induced upregulation of TNF-α in serum. Collectively, the current study highlights the role of acupuncture in alleviating depressive behavior associated with stress-induced neuroinflammation mediated by HMGB1 in the CRS model of depression.

Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) are a series of stable compounds produced under non-enzymatic conditions by the amino groups of biomacromolecules and the free carbonyl groups of glucose or other reducing sugars commonly produced by thermally processed foods. AGEs can cause various diseases, such as diabetes, atherosclerosis, neurodegeneration, and chronic kidney disease, by triggering the receptors of AGE (RAGEs) in the human body. There is evidence that AGEs can also affect the different structures and physiological functions of the skin. However, the mechanism is complicated and cumbersome and causes various harms to the skin. This article aims to identify and summarise the formation and characteristics of AGEs, focussing on the molecular mechanisms by which AGEs affect the composition and structure of normal skin substances at different skin layers and induce skin issues. We also discuss prevention and inhibition pathways, provide a systematic and comprehensive method for measuring the content of AGEs in human skin, and summarise and analyse their advantages and disadvantages. This work can help researchers acquire a deeper understanding of the relationship between AGEs and the skin and provides a basis for the development of effective ingredients that inhibit glycation.

BackgroundFacial skin is exposed to the environment, which marks it with obvious signs of aging. Based on multi-dimensional non-invasive evaluation data, female facial skin can be characterized in detail. However, there are few studies on the general aging rules of facial skin. Most skin aging studies divide the ages into 5–10-year intervals, so they have lacked dynamic matching with facial skin aging.AimTo explore facial skin aging rules, discuss the main parameters of facial skin aging, propose an unequal-distance aging division method based on the main skin parameters, and study the skin characteristics of Chinese women of different aging stages.MethodsWe comprehensively described the skin status as 24 non-invasive skin parameters belonging to five dimensions: skin wrinkles, texture, stain, color and barrier function. We performed polynomial fitting on the 21 skin parameters that were significantly correlated with age and derived the rules of aging in the different dimensions. Based on the wrinkle dimension, the facial skin aging process was divided into four stages, and the skin characteristics of the different stages were compared.ResultsSkin wrinkles increased, texture deteriorated, acne decreased, pigment spots increased, skin tone darkened, and sebum secretion decreased with age, according to the polynomial fitting. The aging stage was divided into an incubation period (18–30 years old), an aging occurrence period (31–42 years old), a rapid aging period (43–47 years old), and a stable aging period (48–60 years old), according to the wrinkles. Different aging stages had different skin characteristics.ConclusionThe incubation period is the critical period for the appearance of skin stains; the skin texture gradually deteriorates during the aging occurrence period; the rapid aging period is a critical period for the aging of skin parameters; skin status during the stable aging period is the worst.

Abstract Compared with p-type terpolymers, less effort has been devoted to n-type analogs. Herein, we synthesized a series of n-type terpolymers via incorporating three electron-deficient third components including thienopyrroledione (TPD), phthalimide, and benzothiadiazole into an imide-functionalized parent n-type copolymer to tune optoelectronic properties without sacrificing the n-type characteristics. Due to effects of the third components with different electron-accepting ability and solubility, the resulting three polymers feature distinct energy levels and crystallinity. In addition, heteroatoms (S, O, and N) attached on the third components trigger intramolecular noncovalent interactions, which can increase molecule planarity and have a significant effect on the packing structures of the polymer films. As a result, the best power conversion efficiency of 8.28% was achieved from all-polymer solar cells (all-PSCs) based on n-type terpolymer containing TPD. This is contributed by promoted electron mobility and face-on polymer packing, showing the pronounced advantages of the TPD used as a third component for thriving efficient n-type terpolymers. The generality is also successfully validated in a benchmark polymer donor/acceptor system by introducing TPD into the benchmark n-type polymer N2200. The results demonstrate the feasibility of introducing suitable electron-deficient building blocks as the third components for high-performance n-type terpolymers toward efficient all-PSCs.

Covalent Organic Frameworks (COFs) have attracted significant interest as promising separation membrane materials for their well-organized porous system and highly ordered crystalline structure. However, compared with the molecular and ionic separation in liquid phase, the advance of the COF membrane in gas separation has been relatively slow. To achieve desirable gas separation performance, the pore size of the COF membrane is expected to be regulated into the gas molecule-selective region, and also the tuning of pore enviroment is of importance. This review focuses on the key progress of the pore regulation strategies for the COF membrane towards gas separation. We highlight the different design concepts for selective gas transport channels, and introduce the specific applications to elucidate the structure-performance relationship of the COF membrane. We discuss the critical challenges and opportunities faced by the COF membranes in the field of gas separation, aiming at guiding the direction of the future efforts and promoting their development.

Background: There have been no systemic studies about right heart filling pressure and right ventricular (RV) distensibility in patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH). Therefore, we aimed to explore combinations of echocardiographic indices to assess the stages of RV diastolic dysfunction.Methods and Results: We recruited 32 healthy volunteers and 71 patients with CTEPH. All participants underwent echocardiography, cardiac catheterization (in patients with CTEPH), and a 6-min walk test (6MWT). The right atrial (RA) end-systolic area was adjusted for body surface area (BSA) (indexed RA area). RV global longitudinal diastolic strain rates (SRs) and RV ejection fraction (EF) were measured by speckle tracking and three-dimensional echocardiography (3D echo), respectively. All 71 patients with CTEPH underwent pulmonary endarterectomy. Of the 71 patients, 52 (73%) had decreased RV systolic function; 12 (16.9%), 26 (36.6%), and 33 (46.5%) patients had normal RV diastolic pattern, abnormal relaxation (stage 1), and pseudo-normal patterns (stage 2), respectively. The receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that the optimal cut-off values of early diastolic SR 8.8 cm2/BSA had the best accuracy in identifying patients with RV diastolic dysfunction, with 87% sensitivity and 82% specificity. During a mean follow-up of 25.2 months after pulmonary endarterectomy, the preoperative indexed RA area was shown as an independent risk factor of the decreased 6MWT distance.Conclusions: Measuring early diastolic SR and indexed RA area would be useful in stratifying RV diastolic function.

Cyclometalated iridium (III) complexes are indispensable in the field of phosphorescent organic light-emitting diodes (PhOLEDs), while the improvement of blue iridium (III) complexes is as yet limited and challenging. More diversified blue emitters are needed to break through the bottleneck of the industry. Hence, a novel [3+2+1] coordinated iridium (III) complex (noted as Ir-dfpMepy-CN) bearing tridentate bis-N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) chelate (2,6-bisimidazolylidene benzene), bidentate chelates 2-(2,4-difluorophenyl)-4-methylpyridine (dfpMepy), and monodentate ligand (-CN) has been designed and synthesized. The tridentate bis-NHC ligand enhances molecular stability by forming strong bonds with the center iridium atom. The electron-withdrawing groups in the bidentate ligand (dfpMepy) and monodentate ligand (-CN) ameliorate the stability of the HOMO levels. Ir-dfpMepy-CN shows photoluminescence peaks of 440 and 466 nm with a high quantum efficiency of 84 ± 5%. Additionally, the HATCN (10 nm)/TAPC (40 nm)/TcTa (10 nm)/10 wt% Ir-dfpMepy-CN in DPEPO (10 nm)/TmPyPB (40 nm)/Liq (2.5 nm)/Al (100 nm) OLED device employing the complex shows a CIE coordinate of (0.16, 0.17), reaching a deeper blue emission. The high quantum efficiency is attributed to rapid singlet to triplet charge transfer transition of 0.9–1.2 ps. The successful synthesis of Ir-dfpMepy-CN has opened a new window to develop advanced blue emitters and dopant alternatives for future efficient blue PhOLEDs.

Abstract Recent investigations reveal that lactate is not a waste product but a major energy source for cells, especially in the mitochondria, which can support cellular survival under glucose shortage. Accordingly, the new understanding of lactate prompts to target it together with glucose to pursue a more efficient cancer starvation therapy. Herein, zeolitic imidazolate framework‐8 (ZIF‐8) nanoplatforms are used to co‐deliver α‐cyano‐4‐hydroxycinnamate (CHC) and glucose oxidase (GOx) and fulfill the task of simultaneous depriving of lactate and glucose, resulting in a new nanomedicine CHC/GOx@ZIF‐8. The synthesis conditions are carefully optimized in order to yield monodisperse and uniform nanomedicines, which will ensure reliable and steady therapeutic properties. Compared with the strategies aiming at a single carbon source, improved starvation therapy efficacy is observed. Besides, more than boosting the energy shortage, CHC/GOx@ZIF‐8 can block the lactate‐fueled respiration and relieve solid tumor hypoxia, which will enhance GOx catalysis activity, depleting extra glucose, and producing more cytotoxic H2O2. By the synergistically enhanced anti‐tumor effect, both in vitro and in vivo cancer‐killing efficacies of CHC/GOx@ZIF‐8 show twice enhancements than the GOx mediated therapy. The results demonstrate that the dual‐depriving of lactate and glucose is a more advanced strategy for strengthening cancer starvation therapy.

Bombyx batryticatus (BB) is an anticonvulsant animal medicine in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and acts on the central nervous system. This research aimed to study the anticonvulsant effects of different polarity fractions of extracts from BB and to explore the components conferring anticonvulsant activity. Materials and methods: Crude extracts of BB at 20 g/kg were divided into different polarity fractions (petroleum ether, chloroform, ethyl acetate, water) and were administered to groups of mice before injecting pentylenetetrazol (PTZ) to induce convulsions. The animals were placed in chambers, and their behaviors were recorded for 30 min following the injection. Latency time, percent of protection, convulsion, convulsion rate, and convulsion score were determined for these mice. The compounds present in the different fractions were analyzed, and those from the fraction that conferred anticonvulsant activity were identified by high-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-Q-TOF MS) and molecular networking (MN). The chloroform extract fractions (B-C) clearly increased the seizure latency time and protection percentage and decreased the convulsion percentage compared to the control group. The anticonvulsant effect of other extract fractions was not significant. Our study shows that the chloroform extract fractions (B-C) of BB have a significant anticonvulsant effect. We also identified 17 compounds including lumichrome, pheophorbide A, and episyringaresinol 4′-O-beta-d-glucopyranose that were found for the first time. The results of this study may lay the groundwork for studying compounds derived from Bombyx batryticatus and their anticonvulsant effect.

Background To evaluate the efficacy and safety of artificial pneumothorax with position adjustment for computed tomograpy (CT)‐guided percutaneous transthoracic microwave ablation (MWA) of small subpleural lung tumors. Methods Fifty‐six patients with small subpleural lung tumors (< 3.0 cm) entered the study and underwent CT‐guided MWA with (group I: 24 patients with 24 tumors) or without (group II: 32 patients with 34 tumors) the support of artificial pneumothorax. Follow‐up contrast‐enhanced CT scans were reviewed. Pain VAS (visual analog scale) scores at, during, and after ablation were compared between the two groups. Technical success, technique efficacy, local tumor control and complications were compared. Results Creation of the artificial pneumothorax was achieved for 24/24 (100%) in group I and no complication related to the procedure was observed. Technical success of MWA was achieved for all 58 tumors. Primary efficacy of MWA was achieved in 23 of 24 tumors (95.8%) treated in group I, and 32 of 34 tumors (94.1%) treated in group II (P = 0.771). The 12‐month local tumor control was achieved in 87.5% (21/24) in group I compared with 88.2% (30/34) in group II (P = 0.833). Pain VAS scores in group I were significantly decreased after the pneumothorax induction at, during, and after ablation compared with group II (P 0.05). Conclusion Artificial pneumothorax with position adjustment for CT‐guided MWA is effective and may be safely applied to small subpleural lung tumors. Artificial pneumothorax is a reliable therapy for pain relief.

Background This study prospectively investigated the efficacy and radiation dose of ultralow dose computed tomography (CT)‐guided hook‐wire localization (HWL) at 100 kV with tin filtration (100Sn kV) for small solitary pulmonary nodules. Methods All HWL procedures were performed on a third generation dual‐source CT system. Eighty‐eight consecutive patients undergoing CT‐guided HWL were randomly assigned to standard dose CT (Group A: n = 44; reference 110 kV and 50 mA) or ultralow dose CT (Group B: n =44; 100Sn kV and 96 mA) protocols. The technical success rate, complications, subjective image quality, and radiation dose were compared between the groups. Results The mean volume CT dose index and total dose‐length product were significantly lower in Group B compared to Group A (0.32 mGy vs. 3.2 ± 1.1 mGy and 12.1 ± 0.97 mGy‐cm vs. 120 ± 40.6 mGy‐cm; P < 0.001). The effective dose in Group B was significantly lower than in Group A (0.17 ± 0.01 mSv vs. 1.68 ± 0.57 mSv, ‐89.8%; P < 0.001). The technical success rates were 100% for both groups. There were no significant differences in complication rates between the protocols (P > 0.05). The image quality of ultralow dose CT met the requirements for HWL procedure. Conclusion Ultralow dose CT‐guided HWL of solitary pulmonary nodules performed at 100Sn kVp spectral shaping significantly reduced the radiation dose compared to standard dose CT, with high technical success and acceptable patient safety.

Research aimed at developing a wearable electrochromic fabric providing active camouflage has been ongoing for many years. Despite recent progress, no architecture has been shown to be suitable for practical applications, due to some major problems at the device level. The complicated structure of these prototype devices and their complex electrode materials reduce their practicability and make it difficult to achieve the aim of chameleon-like camouflage capabilities. Here, we use a laterally-configured electrode structure and inexpensive and commercially available ITO film as electrodes to construct an electrochromic (EC) fabric via an all-solution process. This novel EC fabric exhibits camouflage EC performance by changing colour between vegetable-green and soil-brown; it is also practical for camouflage applications due to its excellent flexibility and stability as well as being thin and lightweight. Moreover, this strategy can also be used to fabricate flexible transparent EC devices on plastics and “chameleon camouflage” on human skin. This approach is simple to configure and easy to operate, and has potential for the development of EC device systems that can change colour in camouflage applications. Keywords: Electrochromic, Fabric, ITO, Laterally configured, Camouflage

Abstract In past decades, Ni-based catalytic materials and electrodes have been intensively explored as low-cost hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalysts for water splitting. With increasing demands for Ni worldwide, simplifying the fabrication process, increasing Ni recycling, and reducing waste are tangible sustainability goals. Here, binder-free, heteroatom-free, and recyclable Ni-based bifunctional catalytic electrodes were fabricated via a one-step quick electrodeposition method. Typically, active Ni nanodot (NiND) clusters are electrodeposited on Ni foam (NF) in Ni(NO3)2 acetonitrile solution. After drying in air, NiO/NiND composites are obtained, leading to a binder-free and heteroatom-free NiO/NiNDs@NF catalytic electrode. The electrode shows high efficiency and long-term stability for catalyzing hydrogen and oxygen evolution reactions at low overpotentials (10 η HER = 119 mV and 50 η OER = 360 mV) and can promote water catalysis at 1.70 V@10 mA cm−2. More importantly, the recovery of raw materials (NF and Ni(NO3)2) is quite easy because of the solubility of NiO/NiNDs composites in acid solution for recycling the electrodes. Additionally, a large-sized (S ~ 70 cm2) NiO/NiNDs@NF catalytic electrode with high durability has also been constructed. This method provides a simple and fast technology to construct high-performance, low-cost, and environmentally friendly Ni-based bifunctional electrocatalytic electrodes for water splitting.

Abstract The position of a chlorine atom in a charge carrier of polymer solar cells (PSCs) is important to boost their photovoltaic performance. Herein, two chlorinated D‐A conjugated polymers PBBD‐Cl‐α and PBBD‐Cl‐β are synthesized based on two new building blocks (TTO‐Cl‐α and TTO‐Cl‐β) respectively by introducing the chlorine atom into α or β position of the upper thiophene of the highly electron‐deficient benzo[1,2‐b:4,5‐c′]dithiophene‐4,8‐dione moiety. Single‐crystal analysis demonstrates that the chlorine‐free TTO shows a π‐π stacking distance (dπ‐π) of 3.55 Å. When H atom at the α position of thiophene of TTO is replaced by Cl, both π‐π stacking distance (dπ‐π = 3.48 Å) and Cl···S distance (dCl‐S = 4.4 Å) are simultaneously reduced for TTO‐Cl‐α compared with TTO. TTO‐Cl‐β then showed the Cl···S non‐covalent interaction can further shorten the intermolecular π‐π stacking separation to 3.23 Å, much smaller than that of TTO‐Cl‐α and TTO. After blending with BTP‐eC9, PBBD‐Cl‐β:BTP‐eC9‐based PSCs achieved an outstanding power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 16.20%, much higher than PBBD:BTP‐eC9 (10.06%) and PBBD‐Cl‐α:BTP‐eC9 (13.35%) based devices. These results provide an effective strategy for design and synthesis of highly efficient donor polymers by precise positioning of the chlorine substitution.

Overactivation of androgen receptor (AR)-mediated signal has been extensively implicated in prostate cancer (CaP) development, progression, and recurrence, which makes it an attractive therapeutic target. Meanwhile, as an endogenous inhibitor of histone deacetylase 1 (HDAC 1), tumor-suppressive mammary serine protease inhibitor (maspin) was reported to sensitize drug-induced apoptosis with a better therapeutic outcome in CaP, but the relationship between AR and maspin remains unclear. In the current study, treatment of 5′-Aza or MS-275/enzalutamide induced poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) cleavage and p-H2A.X in CaP cells with an increase of maspin expression but a decrease of AR. Then, treatment with protease inhibitor MG132 did not rescue the above drug-induced loss of AR. In addition, modulation of maspin expression by gene recombinant or siRNA technology showed an inverse correlation between expression of maspin and AR, consequently affecting the AR-regulated downstream gene transcription (e.g., NKX3.1 and TMPRSS2). Bioinformatics analysis of the data extracted from the National Center for Biotechnology Information Gene Expression Omnibus (NCBI GEO) database also revealed an inverse correlation between low maspin expression and high AR level in advanced CaP. Furthermore, chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assay using anti-maspin antibody identified that a portion of AR promoter sequence was co-precipitated and presented in the immunoprecipitated complex. Finally, maspin-mediated repression of AR was induced by treatment of MS-275, which promoted enzalutamide treatment efficacy with decrease of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) expression in LNCaP and 22RV1 cells. Taken together, the data not only demonstrated maspin-mediated repression of AR to augment drug anti-tumor activity but also provided in-depth support for combination of HDAC inhibitors with AR antagonist in CaP therapy.

Organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) are of the core units in organic electronic circuits, and the performance of OFETs replies critically on the properties of their dielectric layers. Owing to the intrinsic flexibility and natural compatibility with other organic components, organic polymers, such as poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA), have emerged as highly interesting dielectric materials for OFETs. However, unsatisfactory issues, such as hysteresis, high subthreshold swing, and low effective carrier mobility, still considerably limit the practical applications of the polymer-dielectric OFETs for high-speed, low-voltage flexible organic circuits. This work develops a new approach of using supercritical CO2 fluid (SCCO2) treatment on PVA dielectrics to achieve remarkably high-performance polymer-dielectric OFETs. The SCCO2 treatment is able to completely eliminate the hysteresis in the transfer characteristics of OFETs, and it can also significantly reduce the device subthreshold slope to 0.25 V/dec and enhance the saturation regime carrier mobility to 30.2 cm2 V−1 s−1, of which both the numbers are remarkable for flexible polymer-dielectric OFETs. It is further demonstrated that, coupling with an organic light-emitting diode (OLED), the SCCO2-treated OFET is able to function very well under fast switching speed, which indicates that an excellent switching behavior of polymer-dielectric OFETs can be enabled by this SCCO2 approach. Considering the broad and essential applications of OFETs, we envision that this SCCO2 technology will have a very broad spectrum of applications for organic electronics, especially for high refresh rate and low-voltage flexible display devices.

Depression and pain disorders share a high degree of comorbidity. Inflammatory mechanisms play an important role in the pathogenesis of depression-chronic somatic pain comorbidity. In this study, we investigated the effects of acupuncture on blood and brain regional tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) in rats with depression and chronic somatic pain comorbidity. Forty Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into the following 4 groups with 10 each: control, model, model treated with transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS), and model treated with electroacupuncture (EA). Chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) with chronic constriction injury of the sciatic nerve (CCI) was used to produce depression and chronic somatic pain comorbidity in the latter 3 groups. The rats of the taVNS and EA groups received, respectively, taVNS and EA at ST 36 for 28 days. Pain intensity was measured using a mechanical withdrawal threshold and thermal stimulation latency once biweekly. Depressive behavior was examined using a sucrose preference test at baseline and the end of modeling and intervention. The level of plasma TNF-α and the expression of TNF-α in the prefrontal cortex (PFC), hippocampus, amygdala, and hypothalamus were measured. While CUMS plus CCI produced remarkable depression-like behavior and pain disorders, EA and taVNS significantly improved depression and reduced pain intensity. CUMS plus CCI also resulted in a significant increase in plasma TNF-α level and the expression in all brain regions examined compared to the intact controls. Both EA and taVNS interventions, however, suppressed the elevated level of TNF-α. These results suggest that EA and taVNS have antidepressant and analgesic effects. Such effects may be associated with the suppression of TNF-α-related neuroinflammation.