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The elimination of methylammonium (MA) cation from mixed tin–lead (Sn–Pb) narrow‐bandgap (NBG) perovskites is an effective approach to enhance the operational stability of all‐perovskite tandem solar cells (TSCs). Unfortunately, the uncontrolled nucleation and crystallization processes of MA‐free Sn–Pb perovskites usually lead to inferior film quality and device performance. Herein, a bimolecular crystallization modulation strategy is reported by using guanidine thiocyanate (GuaSCN) and aminoacetamide hydrochloride (AHC) together as additives to improve the film quality of MA‐free Sn–Pb perovskites. It is demonstrated that the use of bimolecular additives can effectively improve the crystallinity, increase the grain size, and induce a preferred (100) orientation for the corresponding films, leading to high‐quality absorber with considerably reduced defect density and suppressed non‐radiative recombination. In addition, the bimolecular additives can reduce the self‐p‐doping hole concentration within the perovskite films and enhance the charge extraction at the perovskite/electron transport layer interface. The modified NBG perovskite solar cells deliver a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 22.14%. Coupled with the wide‐bandgap (WBG) subcell, the all‐perovskite TSCs give a champion certified PCE of 27.15%, which is the highest certified PCE for MA‐free all‐perovskite TSCs. Encapsulated tandem devices maintain 90% of the initial PCE after 473 h operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Primary ectopic meningiomas, although widely reported in multiple sites of the body, are particularly rare in the pleura. Here, we report a 35-year-old asymptomatic woman who was found to have a large mass in the right pleural area on physical examination chest radiography. Chest CT scan showed a large irregular mass from the right second anterior costal pleura to the right supradiaphragm, in which calcified plaques of varying sizes were widely and heterogeneously distributed. The mass was connected to the pleura (anterior rib pleura, mediastinal pleura, diaphragmatic pleura) in a wide base, with oblique "Z" changes in the coronal view. After the contrast agent injection, the mass exhibited mild enhancement on both arterial and venous phase scans. Furthermore, a linear enhancement that was indicative of "pleural tail sign" changes in the pleura adjacent to the mass was observed. The disease was preoperatively misdiagnosed as malignant pleural mesothelioma, and the postoperative pathological diagnosis was right pleural meningioma (gritty type). Therefore, we carefully analyzed its imaging features and differential diagnosis by consulting relevant literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, both records of a digital accelerometer and a seismograph at a far-field station for the 2008 Ms8.0 Wenchuan earthquake were analyzed, and a pulsive noise model for acceleration record was found. By comparing with the result of a rotary-table tilt test, we concluded that the noises in the acceleration records were caused by ground tilt as a result of rotational ground motion. We analyzed the key noises that may cause baseline offset, and proposed a baseline-correction scheme for preserving the long-period ground motion in accordance with specific pulse positions. We then applied this correction method to some near-field strong-motion acceleration records. The result shows that this method can obtain near-field ground displacements, including permanent displacements, in agreement with GPS data, and that this method is more stable than other methods.

The Ms8.0 Wenchuan earthquake in 2008 caused huge casualties, economic losses, and building damages, which are analyzed. The results show that damages of houses designed according to the current seismic code were significantly smaller than those without such design, suggesting that the code has achieved the desired goal of seismic fortification. Buildings of different kinds of structures showed large differences in damages : Houses with steel-frames and shear walls or steel structures suffered the least damages: those with frames or with brick-and-concrete structures suffered more; old cottages, the most.

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is one of the most common human cancers; however, its outcome of pharmacotherapy is always very limited. Herein, we performed a batch query in the connectivity map (cMap) based on bioinformatics, queried out 35 compounds with therapeutic potential, and screened out parbendazole as a most promising compound, which had an excellent inhibitory effect on the proliferation of HNSCC cell lines. In addition, tubulin was identified as a primary target of parbendazole, and the direct binding between them was further verified. Parbendazole was further proved as an effective tubulin polymerization inhibitor, which can block the cell cycle, cause apoptosis and prevent cell migration, and it exhibited reasonable therapeutic effect and low toxicity in the in vivo and in vitro anti-tumor evaluation. Our study repositioned an anthelmintic parbendazole to treat HNSCC, which revealed a therapeutic utility and provided a new treatment option for human cancers. In this work, with the help of cMap, anthelmintic parbendazole was repositioned as an anti-head and -neck squamous cell carcinoma, and its mechanism of action was studied. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Proteolysis targeting chimeras (PROTACs) are dual-functional hybrid molecules that can selectively recruit an E3 ubiquitin ligase to a target protein to direct the protein into the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS), thereby selectively reducing the target protein level by the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. Nowadays, small-molecule PROTACs are gaining popularity as tools to degrade pathogenic protein. Herein, we present the first small-molecule PROTACs that can induce the α 1A -adrenergic receptor (α 1A -AR) degradation, which is also the first small-molecule PROTACs for G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) to our knowledge. These degradation inducers were developed through conjugation of known α 1 -adrenergic receptors (α 1 -ARs) inhibitor prazosin and cereblon (CRBN) ligand pomalidomide through the different linkers. The representative compound 9c is proved to inhibit the proliferation of PC-3 cells and result in tumor growth regression, which highlighted the potential of our study as a new therapeutic strategy for prostate cancer. Small-molecule proteolysis targeting chimeras (PROTACs) of α 1A -adrenergic receptor (α 1A -AR) were designed and synthesized through conjugation of known α 1 -ARs inhibitor prazosin and CRBN ligand pomalidomide through different linkers. Selected compounds displayed remarkable degradation activity. Inhibition of PC-3 cells proliferation and tumor growth regression of these compounds were investigated. Image 1 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thegrowth of semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes (s-SWNTs)on flat substrates is essential for the application of SWNTs in electronicand optoelectronic devices. We developed a flexible strategy to selectivelygrow s-SWNTs on silicon substrates using a ceria-supported iron orcobalt catalysts. Ceria, which stores active oxygen, plays a crucialrole in the selective growth process by inhibiting the formation ofmetallic SWNTs via oxidation. The so-produced ultralong s-SWNT arraysare immediately ready for building field effect transistors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury (MIRI) is a common complication of acute myocardial infarction that seriously endangers human health. Cinnamon, a traditional Chinese medicine, has been used to counteract MIRI as it has been shown to possess anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. To investigate the mechanisms of action of cinnamon in the treatment of MIRI, a deep learning-based network pharmacology method was established to predict potential active compounds and targets. The results of the network pharmacology showed that oleic acid, palmitic acid, beta-sitosterol, eugenol, taxifolin, and cinnamaldehyde were the main active compounds, and phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt), mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), interleukin (IL)-7, and hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1) are promising signaling pathways. Further molecular docking tests revealed that these active compounds and targets exhibited good binding abilities. Finally, experimental validation using a zebrafish model demonstrated that taxifolin, the active compound of cinnamon, has a potential protective effect against MIRI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photovoltaic properties of the two polymers (named as PBQ-0F and PBQ-4F) were investigated by employing [6, 6]-phenyl-C 71 -butyric acid methyl ester (PC 71 BM) as the acceptor and a water-alcohol-soluble polymer interlayer material (named as PFNBr) to fabricate photovoltaic devices. For the PBQ-0F:PC 71 BM blend, the device using Ca/Al as cathode showed very similar efficiency as the device using PFNBr/Al as cathode, while for the PBQ-0F:PC 71 BM blend, photovoltaic performance of the device can be distinctly improved by replacing Ca/Al with PFNBr/Al. As a result, the best PCE of the PBQ-4F:PC 71 BM based devices reached 9.04%, which is much higher than that of the PBQ-0F:PC 71 BM based devices. The results obtained from the quantum chemistry calculations and water contact angle measurements demonstrate that these two polymers are low polar materials, and also the films based on them have hydrophobic surfaces. Since PFNBr has an amphipathic structure (hydrophobic backbone and hydrophilic side chain) and the blend films of PBQ-4F:PC 71 BM and PBQ-4F:PC 71 BM have different surface energies, the PFNBr organization atop these two blend types of should be different, which will affect device photovoltaic performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photopharmacology is a powerful approach to investigate biological processes and overcomes the common therapeutic challenges in drug development. Enhancing the photopharmacology properties of photoswitches contributes to extend their applications. Deuteration, a tiny structural modification, makes it possible to improve the photopharmacology and photophysical properties of prototype compounds, avoiding extra complex chemical changes or constructing multicomponent systems. In this work, we developed a series of D-labeled azobenzenes to expand the azobenzene photoswitchable library and introduced the D-labeled azobenzene unit into the photoagonist of α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (α7 nAChRs) to investigate the effects of deuteration in photopharmacology. Spectral data indicated that deuteration maintained most of the photophysical properties of azobenzenes. The D-labeled photoagonist exhibited good control of the activity of α7 nAChRs than the prototype photoagonist. These results confirmed that deuteration is a promising strategy to improve the photopharmacological properties., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interest., (© 2024 American Chemical Society.)

Natural killer (NK) cells, in addition to their cytotoxicity function, harbor prominent cytokine production capabilities and contribute to regulating autoimmune responses. T-cell immunoglobulin and mucin domain containing protein-3 (Tim-3) is one of the inhibitory receptors on NK cells and a promising immune checkpoint target. We recently found that phosphatidylserine (PS) binding to Tim-3 can suppress NK cell activation. Therefore, based on the therapeutic potential of Tim-3 in NK-cell-mediated diseases, we developed a photoswitchable ligand of Tim-3, termed photophosphatidylserine ( phoPS ), that mimics the effects of PS. Upon 365 or 455 nm light irradiation, the isomer of phoPS cyclically conversed the cis/trans configuration, resulting in an active/inactive Tim-3 ligand, thus modulating the function of NK cells in vitro and in vivo . We also demonstrated that reversible phoPS enabled optical control of acute hepatitis. Together, phoPS may be an appealing tool for autoimmune diseases and cytokine storms in the future.

Local polarity can affect the physical or chemical behaviors of surrounding molecules, especially in organisms. Cell polarity is the ultimate feedback of cellular status and regulation mechanisms. Hence, the abnormal alteration of polarity in organisms is closely linked with functional disorders and many diseases. It is incredibly significant to monitor and detect local polarity to explain the biological processes and diagnoses of some diseases. Because of their in vivo safe and real-time monitoring, several polarity-sensitive fluorophores and fluorescent probes have gradually emerged and been used in modern research. This review summarizes the fluorescence properties and applications of several representative polarity-sensitive fluorescent probes., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

The novel fluorescent agonists were discovered herein for α 1 -adrenergic receptors (α 1 -ARs) based on photoinduced electron transfer (PeT) off-on switch by conjugating the fluorophore 7-(diethylamino)coumarin-3-carboxylic acid with phenylephrine. After careful evaluation, these probes exhibited efficient binding affinity with α 1 -ARs and could be applied to selectively imaging α 1 -ARs or successfully tracing the dynamic process of α 1 -AR internalization in living cells. Meanwhile, a bioluminescence resonance energy transfer binding assay with these new probes has been well-established and applied. Therefore, these PeT-based on-off agonists may serve as powerful tools for the α 1 -AR-associated study during drug discovery.

Proteolysis targeting chimeras (PROTACs) are dual-functional hybrid molecules that can selectively recruit an E3 ubiquitin ligase to a target protein to direct the protein into the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS), thereby selectively reducing the target protein level by the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. Nowadays, small-molecule PROTACs are gaining popularity as tools to degrade pathogenic protein. Herein, we present the first small-molecule PROTACs that can induce the α 1A -adrenergic receptor ( α 1A -AR) degradation, which is also the first small-molecule PROTACs for G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) to our knowledge. These degradation inducers were developed through conjugation of known α 1 -adrenergic receptors ( α 1 -ARs) inhibitor prazosin and cereblon (CRBN) ligand pomalidomide through the different linkers. The representative compound 9c is proved to inhibit the proliferation of PC-3 cells and result in tumor growth regression, which highlighted the potential of our study as a new therapeutic strategy for prostate cancer., (© 2020 Chinese Pharmaceutical Association and Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V.)

The Ca 2+ release-activated Ca 2+ (CRAC) channels control many Ca 2+ -modulated physiological processes in mammals. Hyperactivating CRAC channels are known to cause several human diseases, including Stormorken syndrome. Here, we show the design of azopyrazole-derived photoswitchable CRAC channel inhibitors (designated piCRACs ), which enable optical inhibition of store-operated Ca 2+ influx and downstream signaling. Moreover, piCRAC-1 has been applied in vivo to alleviate thrombocytopenia and hemorrhage in a zebrafish model of Stormorken syndrome in a light-dependent manner.

Based on structural optimization work, probes 9 - 11 with practical activity and selectivity in tissue as well as living cell lines are well designed and synthesized. All the probes showed potent inhibitory and acceptable cell toxicity compared with the commercially available p53-MDM2 inhibitor Nutlin-3, and can increase the protein expression level of p53 and MDM2 in the A549 cell line; in particular, probes 10 and 11 can increase the protein expression level of p53 better than Nutlin-3. Moreover, their application in imaging and detecting wild-type p53-MDM2 protein-protein interactions have been well demonstrated in at the cell and tissue levels. Overall, these environmentally sensitive fluorescent turn-on probes are affordable and rapid for imaging, which is expected for applications in target drug screening as well as in pathologic diagnosis.

A series of novel fluorescent agonists were well developed herein with turn-on switch for α 1 -adrenergic receptors (α 1 -ARs) by conjugating the environment-sensitive fluorophore 4-chloro-7-nitrobenzoxadiazole with phenylephrine. Overall, these probes exhibited efficient binding and apparent fluorescence intensity changes (up to 10-fold) upon binding with α 1 -ARs. Moreover, these probes have been successfully applied for selectively imaging α 1 -ARs in the living cells. The dynamic process of α 1 -ARs internalization was traced successfully with these newly designed fluorescent agonists. Fluorescence polarization assay demonstrated specific interactions between these probes and α 1 -ARs. With these new probes, a bioluminescence resonance energy transfer binding assay has been well established and applied to the high-throughput screening of unlabeled α 1 -ARs agonist and antagonist. It is expected that these environment-sensitive fluorescent turn-on agonists may provide useful new tools in studying pharmacology and physiology of α 1 -ARs during drug discovery.

Pantetheinase, a glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchored enzyme, overexpresses in intestine, liver, and kidney with various biological functions such as its linkage to the inflammation and some metabolic diseases. It can hydrolyze pantetheine to cysteamine, an antioxidant, and pantothenic acid (Vitamin B5) that is an essential component of coenzyme A (CoA). Until now, very few analytic methods were developed for this enzyme, hampering the further investigation of its biological functions. In this work, we report the design, synthesis, and biological examination of a highly sensitive bioluminogenic probe for pantetheinase with a limit of detection of 1.14 ng/mL. Furthermore, animal experiments validated that our probe can be applied to detect the endogenous pantetheinase activity. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first bioluminogenic probe achieving the detection of pantetheinase level in vivo.

A manganese dioxide (MnO2)-methanesulfonic acid (CH3SO3H) oxidation system has been developed to efficiently promote direct coupling of benzylic ethers and carbamates with simple ketones via oxidative C-H bond activation. The alkylation proceeds smoothly under air atmosphere to afford the corresponding products in good to excellent yields (53-87%). The employment of the combination of MnO2 and CH3SO3H is attractive on the basis of economical and environmental issues.

Compared with carbon nanotubes and graphene, graphene oxide (GO) exhibits excellent water solubility and biocompatibility in addition to the characteristic G band in Raman spectra. Therefore GO might be able to act as a flexible Raman probe to image cells or tissues through Raman mapping. However, the weak intensity of the G band restricts such applications of GO. Here we decorated GO with Au nanoparticles and found that the Raman intensity of GO in aqueous dispersions were remarkably enhanced by the surface enhancement effect. Therefore, rapid Raman imaging for Hela 229 cells was realized using Au/GO hybrids as Raman probes. The cell internalization mechanism of GO and Au/GO hybrids were also studied using Raman imaging. An endocytosis pathway was proposed from the results. In addition, the aqueous dispersions of Au/GO hybrids are stable for several weeks. Therefore, relying on the surface enhancement effect of Au nanoparticles, GO exhibits great potential as a general Raman imaging tool for biosystems.