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The highly strained, phenylene‐derived organic cages are typically regarded as very rigid entities, yet their deformation potential and supramolecular properties remain underexplored. Herein, we report a pliable conjugated phenylene nanocage by synergistically merging rigid and flexible building blocks. The anisotropic cage molecule contains branched phenylene chains capped by a calix[6]arene moiety, the delicate conformational changes of which endow the cage with a remarkably deformable cavity. When complexing with fullerene guests, the cage showcases excellent guest‐adaptivity, with its cavity volume capable of swelling by as much as 85 %. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cristobalite‐type boron phosphate BPO4, an important nonlinear‐optical (NLO) crystal, exhibits nearly the largest bandgap (Eg ≈ 9.3 eV) and a significant second‐harmonic‐generation (SHG) effect (d36 ≈ 0.7 pm V−1) in the deep‐ultraviolet (DUV, < 200 nm) spectral region. However, its conventional tetrahedral framework structure tends to have low structural anisotropy, resulting in a severe deficiency of birefringence (Δn < 0.01), which fails to achieve DUV birefringent phase matching. In this work, the local anisotropy of tetrahedral structures are proposed to enlarge by constructing van der Waals (vdW) anisotropic motifs under synthetic chemical conditions, which can effectively convert unattainable extreme external forces into internal stresses in chemical bond structures. Depending on unique hierarchical vdW assemblies, enormous tetrahedral distortions can be achieved by stable in‐plane or in‐line bond matching between rigid tetrahedral primitives. First‐principles calculations demonstrate that the birefringence of 2D layered and 1D chained BPO4 achieved by vdW engineering are scaled from Δn < 0.01 to 0.07–0.13, with the shortest birefringent phase‐matched wavelengths down to DUV 189–154 nm. The finding is of seminal importance for the design of vdW NLO crystals in structural chemistry and would provide opportunities to explore unique vdW DUV NLO materials under extreme synthetic conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To evaluate the effect of age and disease duration on the efficacy and safety of iGlarLixi versus insulin glargine 100 units/ml (iGlar) or lixisenatide (Lixi) alone in Asian people with type 2 diabetes (T2D) uncontrolled on oral antidiabetic drugs (LixiLan‐O‐AP) or basal insulin ± oral antidiabetic drugs (LixiLan‐L‐CN). Materials and Methods: In this post hoc analysis, the glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) changes were assessed from baseline to week 24 (LixiLan‐O‐AP) or 30 (LixiLan‐L‐CN) in subgroups defined by baseline age (<65, ≥65 years) and duration of T2D. The proportion who achieved the composite of HbA1c <7% (<53.0 mmol/mol) without weight gain and without symptomatic hypoglycaemia (plasma glucose ≤3.9 mmol/L) and the incidences of hypoglycaemia and gastrointestinal disorders were also analysed. Results: HbA1c reductions were consistently greater with iGlarLixi versus iGlar or Lixi across all subgroups, including participants aged ≥65 years and those with T2D for ≥15 or ≥20 years. Greater proportions of participants achieved HbA1c <7% (<53.0 mmol/mol) without weight gain or hypoglycaemia with iGlarLixi versus iGlar or Lixi, regardless of age or T2D duration. Hypoglycaemia incidence was similar with iGlarLixi versus iGlar across most subgroups; the incidence of gastrointestinal disorders was lower with iGlarLixi versus Lixi in all subgroups. Conclusions: iGlarLixi showed consistent efficacy and safety across all age and disease duration subgroups in Asian people with uncontrolled T2D, including older individuals and those with longstanding disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Radiomics aims to develop novel biomarkers and provide relevant deeper subvisual information about pathology, immunophenotype, and tumor microenvironment. It uses automated or semiautomated quantitative analysis of high‐dimensional images to improve characterization, diagnosis, and prognosis. Recent years have seen a rapid increase in radiomics applications in nuclear medicine, leading to some promising research results in digestive system oncology, which have been driven by big data analysis and the development of artificial intelligence. Although radiomics advances one step further toward the non‐invasive precision medical analysis, it is still a step away from clinical application and faces many challenges. This review article summarizes the available literature on digestive system tumors regarding radiomics in nuclear medicine. First, we describe the workflow and steps involved in radiomics analysis. Subsequently, we discuss the progress in clinical application regarding the utilization of radiomics for distinguishing between various diseases and evaluating their prognosis, and demonstrate how radiomics advances this field. Finally, we offer our viewpoint on how the field can progress by addressing the challenges facing clinical implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sodium‐based layered oxide cathodes are competitive candidates for commercial sodium‐ion batteries owing to their high theoretical capacities, low costs, and simple synthesis. P3‐type layered oxides with large open channels enable fast Na+ transport and hence good rate performance. However, the lower crystal symmetry of P3‐type oxides and variation of Na+ contents in the Na layer during desodiation/sodiation lead to large electrostatic repulsion changes between TMO2 slabs (TM=Transition Metal), resulting in irreversible phase transitions, and fast performance degradation. Herein, a potential Na+ conductor Na2SeO4 is first found that it can be easily in situ grown on P3‐Na0.45Ni0.2Mn0.8O2 to form a novel heterostructure P3‐Na0.45Ni0.2Mn0.8O2/Na2SeO4. The synergy between P3‐Na0.45Ni0.2Mn0.8O2 and Na2SeO4 functions in promoting Na+ diffusion and suppressing P3‐O3 phase transitions upon deep sodiation, which results in recorded high‐rate capability (68.2% capacity retention with retained 83.9 mAh g−1 capacity at 6400 mA g−1) and superior cycling stability (capacity retention 75% after 1000 cycles) among all reported P3‐type cathodes. Thus, it is believed that this novel heterostructure design opens a new pathway to promote practical applications for layered oxide cathodes in sodium‐ion batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transmembrane glycoprotein adhesion molecule CD146 is overexpressed in a wide variety of cancers. CD146 expression constitutes a marker of poor prognosis and correlates with cancer progression. Through molecular imaging, a specific biomarker's expression and distribution can be viewed in vivo non‐invasively. Radionuclide‐labeled monoclonal antibodies or relevant fragments that target CD146 may find potential applications in cancer imaging, thereby offering tremendous value in cancer diagnosis, staging, prognosis evaluation, and prediction of drug resistance. This review discusses the recent developments of CD146‐targeted molecular imaging via nuclear medicine, especially in malignant melanoma, brain tumor, lung cancer, liver cancer, breast cancer, and pancreatic cancer. Many studies have proved that CD146 targeting may present a promising strategy for cancer theranostics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Converting and patterning high‐quality perovskite quantum dots (PQDs) into flexible thin films is of great significance for high‐performance solid‐state optical applications. However, the poor stability and low quantum efficiency of PQDs after film formation is a big challenge hindering their usability. Here, an in situ synthesis strategy to prepare ligand‐free long‐term stable CsPb(Br0.3I0.7)3@poly(methylmethacrylate) (PMMA) PQDs fibers with thermal responsive fluorescence performance is demonstrated. The luminescence of the CsPb(Br0.3I0.7)3@PMMA PQDs fibers can rapidly and reversibly quench and recover between heating and cooling cycles. It reveals that the thermally induced phase transition of CsPb(Br0.3I0.7)3 results in this thermally reversible luminescence phenomenon. This temperature‐reversible luminescence characteristic not only deepens the comprehension of the temperature‐dependent phase transition behavior of perovskite materials but also broadens their applications in the fields of information encryption storage, anti‐counterfeiting, temperature warning, and other temperature‐responsive fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To evaluate the efficacy of iGlarLixi in the Asian Pacific (AP) population with type 2 diabetes (T2D) using derived time‐in‐ranges calculated from seven‐point self‐measured blood glucose. Methods: Two phase III trials were analysed. LixiLan‐O‐AP was performed in insulin‐naive T2D patients (n = 878) randomized to iGlarLixi, glargine 100 units/mL (iGlar) or lixisenatide (Lixi). LixiLan‐L‐CN was performed in insulin‐treated T2D patients (n = 426) randomized to iGlarLixi or iGlar. Changes in derived time‐in‐ranges from baseline to end‐of‐treatment (EOT) and estimated treatment differences (ETDs) were analysed. The proportions of patients achieving 70% or higher derived time‐in‐range (dTIR), 5% or higher dTIR improvement, and the composite triple target (≥ 70% dTIR, < 4% derived time‐below‐the‐range [dTBR] and < 25% derived time‐above‐the‐range [dTAR]) were calculated. Results: The changes from baseline to EOT in dTIR with iGlarLixi were greater versus iGlar (ETD1: 11.45% [95% CI, 7.66% to 15.24%]) or Lixi (ETD2: 20.54% [95% CI, 15.74% to 25.33%]) in LixiLan‐O‐AP, and versus iGlar (ETD: 16.59% [95% CI, 12.09% to 21.08%]) in LixiLan‐L‐CN. In LixiLan‐O‐AP, the proportions of patients achieving 70% or higher dTIR or 5% or higher dTIR improvement at EOT with iGlarLixi were 77.5% and 77.8%, respectively, higher than with iGlar (61.1% and 75.3%) or Lixi (47.0% and 53.0%). In LixiLan‐L‐CN, the proportions of patients achieving 70% or higher dTIR or 5% or higher dTIR improvement at EOT were 71.4% and 59.8% with iGlarLixi, greater than with iGlar (45.4% and 39.5%). More patients achieved the triple target with iGlarLixi compared with iGlar or Lixi. Conclusion: iGlarLixi achieved greater improvements in dTIR parameters versus iGlar or Lixi in insulin‐naïve and insulin‐experienced AP people with T2D. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is very appealing to develop cheap, highly sensitive and efficient metal ion fluorescence sensors as traditional instrument methods are inherently costly and time‐consuming. Carbon dots (CDs) are widely used for sensing metal ions, attributing to their merits of good biocompatibility, low toxicity, easy surface modification and excellent photostability. This article reviewed the research progress of CDs as metal ion sensors in recent years, and studied their modification methods and detection performances. Finally, the challenges and opportunities of CDs as metal ion sensors were also analyzed. This article is expected to provide inspiration and help for researchers focusing on CDs as metal ion sensors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chiral nanostructures have immense potential for complete polarization control of light. Given the intrinsic 3D structure of circularly polarized light, nanoarchitectures with structural chirality in 3D space are usually required to achieve "full" chiroptical response. On the other hand, due to the lack of available active materials at optical wavelengths, examples of chiral photonic devices that can be tuned in an active manner remain rare. Here, based on the large Kerr nonlinearities of silicon, the nonlinear chiroptical response from a planar Si metasurface supporting high quality (Q)‐factor guided mode resonances (GMRs) at near‐infrared wavelengths, are numerically demonstrated. In the linear regime, the optical anisotropy of the C2‐symmetric structure associated with the observed GMRs leads to a pair of chiral resonance modes, enabling pronounced cross‐polarization transmission circular dichroism and a strong handedness‐dependent field enhancement effect. Owing to the nonlinear Kerr effect, such Si metasurfaces are seen to exhibit prominent chiral‐selective optical nonlinearity. Importantly, a pronounced co‐polarization transmission circular dichroism is observed, suggesting that the circularly polarized waves in the nonlinear regime possess asymmetric Jones matrices. Dielectric chiral metasurfaces with Kerr nonlinearities can be utilized to facilitate polarization‐state modulators with simple planar structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the synthesis and biological evaluation of 131I‐labeled antihuman tumor‐derived immunoglobulin G (IgG) light chain monoclonal antibody (4E9) ([131I]I‐4E9) as a promising probe for tumor imaging. [131I]I‐4E9 was synthesized in radiochemical yield of 89.9 ± 4.7% with radiochemical purity of more than 99%. [131I]I‐4E9 showed high stability in normal saline and human serum. In cell uptake studies, [131I]I‐4E9 exhibited favorable binding affinity and high specificity in HeLa MR cells. In biodistribution studies, [131I]I‐4E9 showed high tumor uptake, high tumor/non‐tumor ratios, and specific binding in BALB/c nu/nu mice bearing human HeLa MR xenografts. Single‐photon emission computerized tomography (SPECT) imaging of [131I]I‐4E9 in the HeLa MR xenograft model demonstrated clear visualization of tumor after 48 h and confirmed specific binding in tumor. These findings suggest that [131I]I‐4E9 possesses favorable biological characteristics and warrants further investigation as a prospective probe for imaging and treatment of cancers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogen solubility was determined in olivine and orthopyroxene under water‐saturated conditions at P = 3–5 GPa and T = 1373–1573 K. For olivine, polycrystalline samples were prepared from San Carlos olivine, and for orthopyroxene synthetic samples were prepared from oxide mixture containing 1.5–5 wt% of Al2O3. Olivine and orthopyroxene were placed next to each other and annealed under various pressure and temperature conditions for 3–5 hr. Hydrogen content was measured across each sample by FTIR spectroscopy. Under the water‐saturated conditions, the hydrogen solubility in olivine increases with pressure and temperature similar to previous results. Hydrogen solubility in Al2O3‐bearing orthopyroxene also increases with temperature and pressure for a fixed Al2O3 content. Based on these observations we calculated the partition coefficients of hydrogen between orthopyroxene and olivine assuming the fugacity dependence of hydrogen solubility in olivine and Al2O3‐bearing orthopyroxene reported by previous studies. We find that the partition coefficient depends weakly on temperature but strongly on pressure and water fugacity. Our results are extended to an open system where Al2O3 content in orthopyroxene changes with pressure and temperature. At relatively low pressures and low water fugacity (in the lithosphere (shallower than ∼50 km)), the partition coefficient is high and a majority of hydrogen is present in orthopyroxene. Consequently, the influence of water on the bulk physical properties is small. In contrast, at higher pressures and higher water fugacity (in the asthenosphere), the partition coefficient is smaller and a substantial amount of hydrogen is present in olivine. Consequently, hydrogen has a strong effect on the bulk properties of the asthenosphere reducing viscosity and increasing electrical conductivity. Plain Language Summary: Water has strong influence on a number of physical and chemical properties of minerals and rocks, and therefore distribution of hydrogen in the deep Earth has been studied extensively. For the upper mantle, some rock samples are available and we can directly determine the hydrogen content in these minerals. However, samples collected from various localities have experienced a broad range of thermodynamic conditions since they were at chemical equilibrium when partial melting (including cooling) occurred and water loss during transportation to the surface. Therefore, a correction needs to be applied to the influence of thermodynamic history if one wants to learn hydrogen distribution in Earth from these rock samples. So, the purpose of this study is to determine the hydrogen partition coefficient between olivine and orthopyroxene at a variety of thermodynamic conditions including pressure, temperature and water fugacity. Key Points: Hydrogen solubility was determined in olivine and orthopyroxene under water‐saturated conditions at P = 3–5 GPa and T = 1373–1573 KWe found that hydrogen content in Al2O3‐bearing orthopyroxene increases with temperature and pressure for a fixed Al2O3 contentThe hydrogen partition coefficient between olivine and orthopyroxene depends weakly on temperature but strongly on pressure and water fugacity [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metamaterials consisting of subwavelength resonators offer an exciting opportunity for realizing asymmetric transmission (AT) of linearly polarized light. However, to date, only moderate/narrow‐band AT responses have been obtained in metadevices based on stacked planar nanostructures. Here, leveraging a combination of a genetic algorithm (GA) based optimization method and a membrane projection lithography (MPL) fabrication approach, a quasi‐3D metamaterial for broadband AT of linearly polarized mid‐infrared light is demonstrated. Facilitated by the customized GA, an efficient exploration of 3D plasmonic meta‐atoms with broken mirror symmetry in the light propagation direction allows the satisfaction of the rigorous conditions for AT of linearly polarized waves over a broad wavelength range. Confirmed by surface current analysis, the observed AT behavior is attributed to the resonant coupling between the plasmonic nanostructures located on the two orthogonal walls of the MPL cavities. Incorporating an advanced inverse‐design method and a state‐of‐art fabrication technique, the methodology used in the present study provides a promising route for exploiting 3D metamaterials with sophisticated functionalities via effectively exploring the high‐dimensional parametric space offered by true 3D meta‐atoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid and high‐resolution histological imaging with minimal tissue preparation has long been a challenging and yet captivating medical pursuit. Here, the authors propose a promising and transformative histological imaging method, termed computational high‐throughput autofluorescence microscopy by pattern illumination (CHAMP). With the assistance of computational microscopy, CHAMP enables high‐throughput and label‐free imaging of thick and unprocessed tissues with large surface irregularity at an acquisition speed of 10 mm2/10 s with 1.1‐µm lateral resolution. Moreover, the CHAMP image can be transformed into a virtually stained histological image (Deep‐CHAMP) through unsupervised learning within 15 s, where significant cellular features are quantitatively extracted with high accuracy. The versatility of CHAMP is experimentally demonstrated using mouse brain/kidney and human lung tissues prepared with various clinical protocols, which enables a rapid and accurate intraoperative/postoperative pathological examination without tissue processing or staining, demonstrating its great potential as an assistive imaging platform for surgeons and pathologists to provide optimal adjuvant treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stemming from bound states in the continuum (BICs), momentum‐space polarization vortices observed in photonic structures provide an attractive approach to generating optical vortex (OV) beams. On the other hand, dominated by the selection rules, the harmonic generation from nanostructures exhibits a nonlinear geometric phase that depends on both the harmonic orders and the handedness of circularly polarized harmonic signals. Here, the third‐ and fifth‐harmonic optical vortex generation from an amorphous silicon photonic crystal slab, supporting the guided resonance associated with BICs at near infrared wavelengths, is numerically demonstrated. The results show that, determined by the nonlinearity phase, the topological charge (lnω) associated with the nth‐harmonic OV beams follows σ(n∓1)q, where q is the polarization charge of the BIC and the ∓ sign represents the opposite or same polarization of the nth‐harmonic signal relative to the circular polarization state (σ) of the fundamental waves. Exploiting harmonic multiplexing, this approach can significantly improve the channel capacity of OV generators based on topologically protected optical BICs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Van der Waals (vdW) deep‐UV (DUV) nonlinear optical (NLO) crystal is an important material system recently developed. Herein, we review its concept and original intention, and then summarized the discovery process of related materials, including the role of A‐site cations and the resulting two‐/one‐dimensional vdW DUV NLO systems. Finally, we evaluate the practical DUV NLO performance and prospected the opportunities and challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Van‐der‐Waals (vdW) deep‐ultraviolet (DUV) nonlinear‐optical (NLO) materials hold great potential to extend DUV NLO applications to two dimensions, but they are rare in nature. In this study, we propose a design principle to realize vdW DUV NLO materials via structural evolution from the non‐vdW (BO3)‐(BeO3F) layers in KBe2BO3F2 (KBBF) to the vdW (BO3)‐(BeO4H) layers in berborite Be2BO5H3 (BBH) and the vdW (BO4)‐(BeO4) layers in beryllium metaborate BeB2O4 (BEBO). Based on first‐principles calculations, the fundamental NLO properties of BBH and BEBO demonstrate that a balanced DUV NLO performance can be achieved in these two systems. Importantly, BBH, a layered material existing in nature, can achieve an available DUV phase‐matched output with strong second harmonic generation (SHG) for 177.3/193.7 nm DUV lasers, which is almost identical to that of KBBF. Remarkably, BEBO shows an excellent DUV SHG capacity and an even shorter phase‐matching wavelength than KBBF. Therefore, the newly discovered vdW BBH and BEBO, once verified by experiments, could provide an ideal platform to study DUV NLO effects in three dimensions and two dimensions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deep‐ultraviolet (DUV) nonlinear optical (NLO) crystals are vital to the development of science and state‐of‐the‐art technologies, but the exploration of these important optoelectronic materials is hindered by the contradiction between NLO effect and energy band gap as well as the sensitivity of DUV phase‐matching to optical birefringence. Here, in order to achieve a well balanced DUV NLO performance, we chose the diamond‐like structure as the prototype template for the material design and synthesized the first DUV NLO hydroxycarbonate crystal, LiZn(OH)CO3. This compound simultaneously has a wide band gap (>6.53 eV), a strong second harmonic generation response (ca. 3.2×KDP), and a large birefringence (0.147 at 1064 nm) with the shortest DUV phase‐matching capability (λPM<190 nm) among all reported NLO carbonates. Moreover, the structure–property relationships in LiZn(OH)CO3 are analyzed by first‐principles calculations. This work presents an effective design strategy to push the NLO performance of hydroxycarbonates into the DUV region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lymphoma is a heterogeneous disease with varying clinical manifestations and outcomes. Many subtypes of lymphoma, such as Burkitt′s lymphoma and diffuse large B cell lymphoma, are highly aggressive with dismal prognosis even after conventional chemotherapy and radiotherapy. As such, exploring specific biomarkers for lymphoma is of high clinical significance. Herein, a potential marker, CD38, is investigated for differentiating lymphoma. A CD38‐targeting monoclonal antibody (mAb, daratumumab) is then radiolabeled with Zr‐89 and Lu‐177 for theranostic applications. As the diagnostic component, the Zr‐89‐labeled mAb is highly specific in delineating CD38‐positive lymphoma via positron emission tomography (PET) imaging, while the Lu‐177‐labeled mAb serves well as the therapeutic component to suppress tumor growth after a one‐time administration. These results strongly suggest that CD38 is a lymphoma‐specific marker and prove that 89Zr/177Lu‐labeled daratumumab facilitates immunoPET imaging and radioimmunotherapy of lymphoma in preclinical models. Further clinical evaluation and translation of this CD38‐targeted theranostics may be of significant help in lymphoma patient stratification and management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ultraviolet (UV) transparency, second harmonic effect and optical birefringence are three vital but mutually restrictive factors in the application of UV nonlinear optical (NLO) materials. It is difficult for traditional phosphates to achieve a good balance among these factors. In this communication, we propose that the structural evolution of the NLO motif from traditional phosphate to oxythiophosphate would enhance the birefringence and second harmonic generation (SHG) effect while maintaining wide UV transparency, which is confirmed by first‐principles calculations and preliminary experimental measurements. Following this strategy, we predict that, compared with the well‐known NLO phosphate KH2PO4, the oxythiophosphate KH2PO3S exhibits better balance for the UV NLO performance, including wide UV transparency (UV cutoff down to 203 nm), strong SHG effect (ca. 0.9 pm V−1), and large birefringence (ca. 0.1 at 1 μm) with short phase‐matching SHG output wavelength (≈214 nm). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To investigate the retinal vessel oxygen saturation in patients with internal carotid artery stenosis (ICAS). Methods: This is a cross‐sectional study. Sixteen patients with unilateral moderate or worse ICAS (≥50%) and no fundus diseases were included in the study. Sixteen gender‐ and age‐matched healthy subjects were selected as controls. The mean oxygen saturation and vessel diameters of the retinal arterioles and venules were obtained using a dual‐wavelength spectrophotometric retinal oximeter. Results: In the eye of the stenotic side, the retinal vessel oxygen saturation was 100.14 ± 10.27% in the arterioles and 56.50 ± 10.79% in the venules, and the arteriovenous (A‐V) difference was 43.63 ± 7.71%. In the eye of the contralateral side, the oxygen saturation was 96.55 ± 7.50% in the arterioles and 57.42 ± 9.84% in the venules, and the A‐V difference was 39.39 ± 6.33%. In healthy subjects, the oxygen saturation was 93.22 ± 5.98% in the arterioles and 56.57 ± 7.05% in the venules, and the A‐V difference was 36.65 ± 7.33%. The arteriolar oxygen saturation in the stenotic side was higher than that in the contralateral side (p = 0.025) and that in the healthy subjects (p = 0.027), and the A‐V difference in the stenotic side was significantly higher than that in the contralateral side (p = 0.009) and that in the healthy subjects (p = 0.013). The diameters of the arterioles in the stenotic side were smaller than those in the healthy subjects (p = 0.030). Conclusions: Patients with ICAS had decreased retinal arteriole diameters and increased retinal vessel oxygen saturation in the arterioles and A‐V differences, suggesting the presence of microcirculation disorder and hyperoxia in the retina. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Optical activity is the ability of chiral materials to rotate linearly polarized electromagnetic waves. A knotted chiral metamolecule is introduced here that exhibits strong optical activity corresponding to a 90° polarization rotation of the incident waves. More importantly, the torus knot structure is intrinsically chiral and multifold axisymmetric. Consequently, the observed polarization rotation behavior is found to be independent of how the incident wave is polarized. The metamolecule is fabricated through selective laser melting and experimentally validated in the microwave spectrum. This work represents the first ever metamolecule to be reported that is intrinsically axisymmetric and capable of simultaneously exhibiting strong optical activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To compare the morphological characteristics of the nailfold capillaries in glaucoma patients with those in healthy subjects. To evaluate the relationship of nailfold capillary morphology with retinal thickness and retinal vessel density in patients with primary open‐angle (POAG) and primary angle‐closure glaucoma (PACG). Methods: Fifty‐one patients with normal‐tension glaucoma, thirty‐two patients with hypertension glaucoma, thirty‐two PACG patients and sixty‐one healthy subjects were included in this cross‐sectional study. Patients with connective tissue diseases or taking anticoagulation or antiplatelet agents were excluded. Nailfold capillaroscopy, spectral‐domain optical coherence tomography and optical coherence tomography angiography were used to evaluate the nailfold capillary morphology, retinal thickness and retinal vessel density, respectively. Results: Nailfold capillary morphological features, including lower capillary density, greater tortuosity, more dilated capillaries >50 μm and more avascular zones >100 μm, were more common in POAG and PACG patients than in control subjects (all p < 0.001). In the POAG group, nailfold vessel density was negatively correlated with ganglion cell complex (GCC) thickness (odds ratio [OR] = 0.908, p = 0.010) and radial peripapillary capillary (RPC) density (OR = 0.787, p = 0.025). Tortuosity degree was negatively associated with RPC density (OR = 0.804, p = 0.016). In the PACG group, no evident relationship between nailfold capillary morphology and retinal thickness or retinal vessel density was detected (all p > 0.05). Conclusions: Nailfold capillary bed abnormalities were observed in both POAG and PACG patients. The nailfold capillary features, especially microvascular density and tortuosity degree, had a significant association with GCC thickness and RPC density in subjects with POAG but not in those with PACG. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel concept to obtain the deep‐ultraviolet (DUV) nonlinear optical (NLO) materials is proposed based on the assembling of one‐dimensional (1D) polar motifs into quasi‐1D polymer patterns. Based on the first‐principles calculations, we have successfully discovered an excellent DUV NLO polymer, i.e. poly(difluorophosphazene), with the chemical formula of (PNF2)n. Calculations reveal that PNF2 has a larger band gap, a stronger second harmonic generation effect, a larger birefringence, and a shorter phase‐matching cutoff than KBe2BO3F2. These findings not only demonstrate that the PNF2 is the first reported DUV NLO polymer, but also could open a new direction to discover novel DUV NLO materials in polymer systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The previous literature on common pulmonary vein atresia (CPVA) mainly consists of neonatal case reports. There is a lack of research on the prenatal diagnosis of CPVA. Methods: We conducted a retrospective study of all fetuses with CPVA confirmed by autopsy between August 2010 and May 2018. Prenatal echocardiographic features, autopsy findings, and genetic test results were analyzed. We compared fetal CPVA with total anomalous pulmonary venous return (TAPVR) and neonatal CPVA. Results: During the study period, fetal echocardiography was performed on 31 617 fetuses. Six cases of CPVA were identified by autopsies, including 1 case performed with a cardiovascular cast. All 6 cases (100%) had asplenia syndrome (AS) and bilateral superior vena cava (BSVC). In 1 case (16.7%), the prenatal ultrasound results were in complete agreement with the postmortem findings. Four cases (66.7%) were misdiagnosed as TAPVR by prenatal echocardiography. For the remaining case (16.7%), no pulmonary venous anomalies were detected on prenatal echocardiography. No aneuploidy was identified in any of the cases. There were no statistically significant differences among the proportions of associated complex anomalies and AS between the fetal CPVA and TAPVR groups. The proportion of associated complex anomalies and AS in the fetal CPVA group was higher than that in the neonatal group (P < 0.05). Conclusions: Prenatal diagnosis of fetal CPVA is difficult and challenging even for experts. Our study showed that fetal CPVA is often combined with AS, complex cardiac malformations, and BSVC. These findings may help in the diagnosis of fetal CPVA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The first alkaline‐earth metal tin(II) phosphate, BaSn2(PO4)2, has been discovered, which consists of layered structures constructed from strictly alternating [SnO3]4− and [PO4]3− moieties. This compound is expected to have a large birefringence with Δn≈0.071 at 1064 nm, owing to the presence of stereochemically active lone pair metal cations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we propose a strategy to design new deep‐ultraviolet (deep‐UV) nonlinear optical (NLO) materials through the combination of borate and phosphate NLO material genome. Accordingly, a series of borophosphates are predicted with very large energy bandgaps, strong second harmonic generation (SHG) effects, and moderate birefringence in the deep‐UV region. In particular, two novel fluoride borophosphates, PBO3F2 and PB3O6F2, are able to achieve the deep‐UV SHG laser output with shorter phase‐matching wavelengths (≈155 and 137 nm) than that of KBe2BO3F2 (KBBF, ≈161 nm). Further calculations show that these two structures are dynamically and thermodynamically stable, thus triggering possible synthesis, growth, and applications of them. The results attest that the proposed strategy is instructive and pave a comprehensive road map for us to discover new NLO crystals, especially in the borophosphate catalog with excellent deep‐UV phase‐matching capabilities beyond KBBF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: KBe2BO3F2 (KBBF) is still the only practically usable crystal that can generate deep‐ultraviolet (DUV) coherent light by direct second harmonic generation (SHG). However, applications are hindered by layering, leading to difficulty in the growth of thick crystals and compromised mechanical integrity. Despite efforts, it is still a great challenge to discover new nonlinear optical (NLO) materials that overcome the layering while keeping the DUV SHG available. Now, two new DUV NLO beryllium borates have been successfully designed and synthesized, NH4Be2BO3F2 (ABBF) and γ‐Be2BO3F (γ‐BBF), which not only overcome the layering but also can be used as next‐generation DUV NLO materials with the shortest type I phase‐matching second‐harmonic wavelength down to 173.9 nm and 146 nm, respectively. Significantly, γ‐BBF is superior to KBBF in all metrics and would be the most outstanding DUV NLO crystal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A practical zinc acetate dihydrate‐catalyzed reductive amination of various carbonyl compounds with N,N‐dimethylformamide (DMF) as dimethylamino (Me2N) source, reductant and solvent has been developed. This reaction shows broad substrate scope, good functional group tolerance, avoids the need for a pressure‐proof reactor and column chromatographic isolation operations and gives up to 98% yield, to make it an attractive method for the preparation of tertiary N,N‐dimethylamines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acetycholinesterase (AChE) that regulates hydrolysis of acetylcholine (ACh) in the brain, is an important target for treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD), a feature of which is ACh deficiency. However, the methods to precisely determine AChE activity are still under development. We developed a new method to exploit acetylcholine-d4 as a surrogate substrate of ACh and measure product choline-d4 via liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). This assay detected activity of AChE present in the normal mouse brain, which is consistent with the standard Ellman assay that determines products spectrophotometrically. In AD mouse models, the result of LC-MS/MS assay showed significant higher AChE activity than that seen in control normal mice, while treatment of AD mice with an AChE inhibitor, huperzine A, led to partial decreases in AChE activity. Our results suggest that this surrogate-based LC-MS/MS method is a new, sensitive and convenient assay for the determination of AChE activity, providing a useful means for screening active compounds that target AChE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reconfigurability is one of the most critical properties of nanophotonic systems and, consequently, methods for enabling a significant degree of functionality are highly sought after. However, dynamically responsive control in top-down fabricated photonic structures often requires extreme conditions and yields moderate modulation capability. In sharp contrast to top-down methods, directed self-assembly of micro- and nanoparticles offers a distinct avenue for reconfigurable photonics. In the present work, gold nanowire lattices are formed via electric field directed assembly in order to take advantage of their collective optical properties. The lattices are reconfigured on-demand between two different functional states, in the form of broadband polarizers. By selectively switching the electric field between two orthogonal electrode pairs, a maximum transmission contrast of ≈50% is observed in the near-infrared regime. Moreover, the reconfigurable transmission spectra, which are highly dependent on the nanowire size and electric field conditions, are reversible. The demonstrated proof-of-concept nanowire lattice polarizer provides potential for electrically reconfigurable photonic devices such as ultra-compact polarization components, electro-optic switches, and on-chip modulators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the biodiversity and the geochemical signature of the Beishan region in the Central Asian Orogenic Belt during the Late Carboniferous‐Early Permian period.

A new 0D iron-based magnetic chalcohalide, Ba3FeS4Br, has been prepared by the spontaneous crystallization method. It crystallizes in the orthorhombic space group Pnma. Interestingly, the structure contains a Ba-Br reticulate structure in which isolated FeS4 tetrahedra are located. Its band gap was experimentally determined to be 1.65 eV. Despite the large separation between the Fe atoms, with the shortest distance being more than 6.33(2) Å, temperature-dependent magnetic susceptibility and field-dependent magnetization measurements on Ba3FeS4Br unexpectedly showed an antiferromagnetic phase transition at 85 K, which may be due to the antiferromagnetic super exchange of Fe3+ spins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ammonia-borane (AB) is a promising chemical hydrogen-storage material However, the development of real-time, efficient, controllable, and safe methods for hydrogen release under mild conditions is a challenge in the large-scale use of hydrogen as a long-term solution for future energy security. A new class of low-cost catalytic system is presented that uses nanostructured Ni2P as catalyst, which exhibits excellent catalytic activity and high sustainability toward hydrolysis of ammonia-borane with the initial turnover frequency of 40.4mol(H2) mol(Ni2P) -1 min-1 under air atmosphere and at ambient temperature. This value is higher than those reported for noble-metal-free catalysts, and the obtained Arrhenius activation energy (Ea = 44.6 kJmol-1) for the hydrolysis reaction is comparable to Ru-based bimetallic catalysts. A clearly mechanistic analysis of the hydrolytic reaction of AB based on experimental results and a density functional theory calculation is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been considered as important biomarkers for malignant tumors. In this study, we introduced an improved 99mTc labeling method for noninvasive visualization of overexpressed miRNAs in tumor-bearing mice. Anti-miRNA- 21 oligonucleotide (AMO) with partial 2′-O-methyl and phosphorothioate modification was designed and chemically synthesized. After conjugated with NHS-MAG3, AMO was labeled with 99mTc. Optimization was made to shorten reaction time and to improve labeling efficiency. Labeling efficiency was 97%, and specific activity was 2.78 MBq/ng. During 12 h, 99mTc-AMO showed no significant degradation by gel electrophoresis. Its radiochemical purity was stable, between 95.8% and 99.1%. Further, 99mTc-AMO decreased the level of miR-21 and increased the expression of PTEN protein at cellular level, shown by qRT-PCR and Western blot. Fluorescent protein labeled AMO displayed specific distribution and good stability in tumor cells. After the administration in tumor-bearing mice, 99mTc-AMO showed more radioactive uptake in the miR-21 overexpressed tumors than scramble control. Biodistribution results further proved the significant difference of tumor uptake between 99mTc-AMO and 99mTc-control. Therefore, this study presents an improved method with shorten time to prepare a 99mTc radiolabeled AMO. In addition, it supports the role of 99mTc-AMO for noninvasive visualization of miR-21 in malignant tumors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept of invisibility has garnered long-standing interest throughout human history but has only been realized experimentally within the past decade, albeit over a limited bandwidth. While the physical wave phenomenon of a reduced scattering signature has been demonstrated with different cloaking methods such as transformation optics and scattering cancellation, such technology has yet to be incorporated into any practical real-world devices. Through the use of quasi-2D functional metasurfaces, the long-standing issue of simultaneous mutual coupling and radiation blockage is addressed that occurs when two or more electromagnetic radiators are placed in close proximity to one another. The proposed compact and ultralightweight metasurfaces, comprising arrays of subwavelength electric and magnetic resonators with tailored dispersive properties, are capable of fully restoring the intrinsic properties of real-world electromagnetic radiators when placed in a multiradiator environment. This work introduces a general design approach to bridge the gap between the theory and practice for cloaks, which is applicable to microwave, terahertz, and optical radiators, as well as acoustic and thermal sources. Moreover, this technology provides an unprecedented opportunity for enabling high-density deployment of radiating systems with low interference and undistorted signal wave fronts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, Ca2+-Cr3+ co-doped LaAlO3, a novel energy-saving material with significantly enhanced infrared emissivity, was synthesized by solid-state reaction. The experimental results demonstrated that 20 mol% Ca2+ and 10 mol% Cr3+-doped LaAlO3, namely La0.8Ca0.2Al0.9Cr0.1O3, had an infrared emissivity as high as 0.92 in the spectral region of 1-5 μm, which was 12 times higher than that of pure LaAlO3. The first-principles electronic structure calculations revealed that the Ca2+-Cr3+ co-doping results in the occurrence of impurity energy levels in the forbidden band of LaAlO3, which were mainly composed of the Cr 3 d orbitals. Electrons partly occupied these impurity donor states and significantly reduced the energy bandgap, thus the infrared radiation property of LaAlO3 was enhanced. This novel material with high infrared emissivity shows promising applications for energy-saving in the field of thermal process equipment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A metal-free oxidative decarbonylative coupling of aliphatic aldehydes with various electron-deficient heterocycles has been developed. This reaction is supposed to be realized via a Minisci-type mechanism, based on the substrate scope, regioselectivity and radical trapping experiments. The ready availability of aliphatic aldehydes, metal-free conditions and broad substrate scope should make this method attractive for the late-stage alkylation of bioactive heterocycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For the first time, octahedral NiGa2O4 nanocrystals having reactive pH-dependent {111} facets are synthesized through a facile hydrothermal route without using any template or organic surfactant. The {111} facets of octahedral NiGa2O4 display clearly enhanced photocatalytic generation of hydrogen and oxygen from water splitting and good photocatalytic stability. Density functional calculations suggest that mixed statistically occupied Ga/Ni (fourfold- and sixfold-coordinated Ga/Ni) are most likely to be exposed at the {111} surface of NiGa2O4, which is very favorable for enhancing the photocatalytic activities, and the photoelectrochemical properties show that the NiGa2O4 octahedron displays a better photocurrent than NiGa2O4 nanorods with the [100] growth direction. The transient photocurrent decay scan results demonstrate that the NiGa2O4 octahedron exposed {111} facet electrode exhibits a transient decay time of 4 s, whereas this time is only 2 s for NiGa2O4 nanorod electrodes with the [100] growth direction. This longer transient decay time indicates that the charge-carrier recombination rate is lower in the NiGa2O4 octahedron electrode, which will contribute to the enhancement of the photocatalytic activity. The present study also demonstrates that designing nanostructures with the appropriate morphology and surface structures is a feasible approach for enhancing the photoexcited charge-transfer lifetime and developing highly active semiconductor photocatalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Changshagou adakite, an outcrop in the middle segment of the South Altyn Tagh ultra-high pressure metamorphism (UHPM) terrane, contains medium-K cal-alkaline and weakly peraluminous compositions (SiO2= 66.79% to 68.65%, Al2O3= 17.48% to 18.31%, K2O + Na2O = 6.32% to 6.88%, K2O/Na2O = 0.25 to 0.33, A/CNK = 1.01 to 1.06). This outcrop is also enriched with large ion lithophile elements but with depleted high-field strength elements (HFSE) showing clearly negative Nb, Ta, and Ti anomalies. REE distribution patterns show a positive anomaly of Eu (δEu = 1.15 to 1.31) and weakly enriched with LREE compared with HREE (LREE/HREE = 1.02 to 4.20). Experimental results and several characteristics, including relatively low Nb/Ta ratios (6.03 to 8.45) and high Sr, Sr/Y, (La/Yb)N and low Y and Yb, which indicate the presence of residual garnet and the absence of plagioclase in the source region, show that adakite may form at a pressure ranging from 1.2 GPa to 1.5 GPa and at a temperature of approximately 900°C. Low Cr, Ni, and Mg# values, trace element patterns, and SiO2-Mg# and SiO2-MgO diagrams indicate that rocks are formed by the partial melting of a thickened lower continental crust LA-ICP-MS in situ U-Pb dating yields two group ages: 503.1 ± 1.7 Ma (core) and 453.1 ± 3.0 Ma (rim). The Th/U ratios of the core and the rim are 0.11 to 0.40 and 0.03 to 0.07, respectively. Considering the zircon CL image characteristics, Th/U ratios, and previous studies on regional UHPM rocks, adakite formed at 503.1 ± 1.7 Ma and underwent a tectothermal event as a result of the break-off of the Altyn deep subducted continental crust at 453.1 ± 3.0 Ma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]