Search

Azoospermia is a condition that affects the reproductive health of approximately 1% of the male population, typically diagnosed through testicular biopsy. Noninvasive serum markers can play a significant role in the diagnosis of azoospermia diagnosis. This study aims at evaluating the predictive value of serum sex hormone levels to improve the outcome of sperm extraction in azoospermia patients. The data from 203 patients with azoospermia from the Urology and Reproductive Andrology Department of Peking University, Shenzhen Hospital, between January 2017 and March 2022. The cases were divided into the sperm extraction group (95 cases) and the non-sperm extraction group (108 cases), based on pathology results. The levels of serum follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), testosterone (T), and inhibin B (INHB) were collected and their predictive effect on the outcome of sperm extraction by testicular sperm aspiration was discussed using statistical analysis. The levels of FSH and LH were lower in the sperm extraction group were lower compared to those in the non-sperm extraction group, while the levels of T and INHB were higher in the sperm extraction group than those in the non-sperm extraction group. These differences were statistically significant (p < 0.05). Receiver Operating Characteristic-Area Under the Curve (ROC-AUC) of INHB was 0.950, ROC-AUC of FSH was 0.893, ROC-AUC of LH was 0.78, and that of testosterone was 0.593. The best predictive point of INHB was 94.30 pg/mL, and that of FSH was 10.95 IU/L, calculated by the Youden index. The levels of four serum sex hormones were significantly different between the sperm extraction group and the non-sperm extraction group. The findings suggest that FSH and inhibin B are the ideal serum predictors of the outcome of sperm extraction by testicular sperm aspiration.

Prostatic stromal tumors, encompassing prostatic sarcoma and stromal tumors of uncertain malignant potential (STUMP), represent an exceedingly rare category of prostatic diseases, with a prevalence of less than 1%. We present a rare case involving a man in his early 40s diagnosed with STUMP. Despite presenting with normal prostate-specific antigen (PSA) concentrations, the patient experienced persistent dysuria and gross hematuria for >7 months, leading to an initial misdiagnosis of benign prostatic hyperplasia. Persistent symptoms prompted further investigation, with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealing a suspicious lesion on the left side of the prostate, initially thought to be malignant. Transrectal prostatic biopsy subsequently confirmed the presence of mucinous liposarcoma, with no medical history of diabetes, coronary heart disease, or hypertension. The treatment approach comprised robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy, culminating in a postoperative pathological definitive diagnosis of STUMP. This case underscores the indispensable role of early MRI in the diagnostic process, highlighting the necessity of detailed pathological examination for a conclusive diagnosis. Our report aims to illuminate the diagnostic challenges and potential treatment pathways for STUMP, emphasizing its consideration in the differential diagnosis of prostatic tumors to advance clinical outcomes in this rare but important condition.

High-performance bi-functional materials are in urgent demand for the next-generation integrated optical devices. In this work, we successfully synthesized the first tricyanomelaminate with bi-functional optical responses, namely Cs3C6N9•H2O (I), from its analogue Na3C6N9•3H2O by a facile ion exchange method. In contrast to Na3C6N9•3H2O, I realizes an optimal arrangement of π-conjugated (C6N9)3− anion groups in its crystal structure. As a result, the second-order nonlinear optical (NLO) response is greatly enhanced from nearly zero of Na3C6N9•3H2O to ∼9.8 × KH2PO4 of I. Furthermore, I exhibits a giant linear optical anisotropic response (i.e. birefringence) of 0.52 at the wavelength of 550 nm. Both responses are almost the largest among the inorganic compounds of π-conjugated rings, which indicates that I has great potential as a bi-functional optical crystal. Structural and theoretical analyses reveal the microscopic origin of excellent optical properties. This work would attract a lot of interest to the persistently neglected potential of tricyanomelaminates as linear optical and NLO crystals.

Abstract Broadband spectral photoresponse has shown bright prospects for various optoelectronic devices, while fulfilling high photoactivity beyond the material bandgap is a great challenge. Here, we present a molecular pyroelectric, N-isopropylbenzylaminium trifluoroacetate (N-IBATFA), of which the broadband photo-pyroelectric effects allow for self-driven wide spectral photodetection. As a simple organic binary salt, N-IBATFA possesses a large polarization (~9.5 μC cm−2), high pyroelectric coefficient (~6.9 μC cm−2 K−1) and figures-of-merits (F V = 187.9 × 10−2 cm2 μC−1; F D = 881.5 × 10−5 Pa−0.5) comparable to the state-of-art pyroelectric materials. Particularly, such intriguing attributes endow broadband photo-pyroelectric effect, namely, transient currents covering ultraviolet (UV, 266 nm) to near-infrared (NIR, 1950 nm) spectral regime, which breaks the restriction of its optical absorption and thus allows wide UV-NIR spectral photodetection. Our finding highlights the potential of molecular system as high-performance candidates toward self-powered wide spectral photodetection.

Abstract Circularly polarized light (CPL) detection has wide applications in many fields, where the anisotropy factor (gIph) is an important indicator to characterize the CPL detection performance. So far, many materials with high gIph have been reported, however, the exploration of the regulation of gIph is still in its infancy. Herein, two novel alternating chiral‐achiral cations intercalation‐type chiral hybrid perovskites (CHPs), named (R/S‐1‐phenylpropylamine)(propylamine)PbBr4 (1‐R/S), exhibit above room‐temperature (RT) polar‐phase transition, which greatly regulates the gIph value. The gIph of 1‐R is 0.04 in high‐temperature phase chiral non‐polar (P212121) by applying 5 V bias, interestingly, with the temperature decrease, the gIph value in low‐temperature phase chiral polar (P21) gradually increases (0.22@360K, 0.40@340K, 0.47@320K), and finally reaches a maximum of 0.5 at RT. Such value is not only the highest among 2D CHPs to date, but presents a 12.5‐fold amplification compared with 0.04. Further, this rare phenomenon should be attributed to the built‐in electric field induced by the polar photovoltaic effect, which sheds light on further obtaining CHPs with large gIph.

Abstract Halide double perovskites have recently emerged as an environmentally green candidate toward electronic and optoelectronic applications owing to their non-toxicity and versatile physical merits, whereas study on high-temperature antiferroelectric (AFE) with excellent anti-breakdown property remains a huge blank in this booming family. Herein, we present the first high-temperature AFE of the lead-free halide double perovskites, (CHMA)2CsAgBiBr7 (1, where CHMA+ is cyclohexylmethylammonium), by incorporating a flexible organic spacer cation. The typical double P-E hysteresis loops and J-E curves reveal its concrete high-temperature AFE behaviors, giving large polarizations of ~4.2 μC/cm2 and a high Curie temperature of 378 K. Such merits are on the highest level of molecular AFE materials. Particularly, the dynamic motional ordering of CHMA+ cation contributes to the formation of antipolar alignment and high electric breakdown field strength up to ~205 kV/cm with fatigue endurance over 104 cycles, almost outperforming the vast majority of molecule counterparts. This is the first demonstration of high-temperature AFE properties in the halide double perovskites, which will promote the exploration of new “green” candidates for anti-breakdown energy storage capacitor.

The manipulation of anomalous photovoltaic current by changing the light helicity has attracted an increasing interest in the field. Here, the authors realize circular polarized light-dependent anomalous bulk photovoltaic effect in achiral hybrid perovskites with a large asymmetry factor of 0.24.

Abstract Broadband photodetectors (PDs) with low detection limits hold significant importance to next‐generation optoelectronic devices. However, simultaneously detecting broadband (i.e., X‐ray to visible regimes) and weak lights in a single semiconducting material remains highly challenging. Here, by alloying iodine‐substituted short‐chain cations into the 3D FAPbI3 (FA = formamidine), a new 2D bilayered lead iodide hybrid perovskite, (2IPA)2FAPb2I7 (1, 2IPA = 2‐iodopropylammonium), that enables addressing this challenge is reported. Such a 2D multilayered structure and lead iodide composition jointly endow 1 with a minimized dark current (6.04 pA), excellent electrical property, and narrow bandgap (2.03 eV), which further gives it great potential for detecting broadband weak lights. Consequently, its high‐quality single crystal PDs exhibit remarkable photoresponses to weak ultraviolet–visible lights (377–637 nm) at several tens of nW cm−2 with high responsivities (>102 mA W−1) and significant detectivities (>1012 Jones). Moreover, 1 has an excellent X‐ray detection performance with a high sensitivity of 438 µC Gy−1 cm−2 and an ultralow detection limit of 20 nGy s−1. These exceptional attributes make 1 a promising material for broadband weak lights detection, which also sheds light on future explorations of high‐performance PDs based on 2D hybrid perovskites.

Abstract The photopyroelectric effect in ferroelectrics has shown great potential for application in infrared detection and imaging. One particular subclass is broadband with dielectric bistability, which allows for large pyroelectric figures‐of‐merit (FOMs). Herein, an improper high‐Tc perovskite ferroelectric, (IA)2(EA)2Pb3Cl10 (1, where IA is isoamylammonium and EA is ethylammonium) is presented, in which spontaneous polarization (Ps) stems from the dynamic ordering of organic cations and the tilting of distorted PbCl6 octahedra. Notably, 1 displays unusual dielectric bistability with small variations in the temperature‐dependent dielectric constants near Tc = 392 K; this bistable attribute endows large pyroelectric FOMs with peak voltage efficiency (FV = 1.7×10−2 cm2 µC−1) and sensitivity (FD = 3.9×10−4 Pa−1/2). These FV and FD parameters, beyond those of their proper counterparts, make 1 a promising candidate for infrared photodetection. As expected, the broadband photopyroelectric effects observed in 1 covered the ultraviolet to infrared‐II spectral region (266–1950 nm). Such Ps‐directed photoactivities overcome the optical bandgap limitation and allow for wide‐wave photodetection. As an innovative study on improper ferroelectricity, light is shaded here on the targeted engineering of new electrically ordered candidate materials for smart optoelectronic devices.

Molecular ferroic materials receive considerable interest in view of field-induced switchable polar/magnetic orders. Here, the authors exploit metal-free antiferroelectrics in molecular solid solutions to assemble high-performance ferroic materials.

Abstract Organic–inorganic hybrid perovskites carry unique semiconducting properties and advanced flexible crystal structures. These characteristics of organic–inorganic hybrid perovskites create a promising candidacy for circularly polarized light (CPL) detection. However, CPL detections based on chiral perovskites are limited to UV and visible wavelengths. The natural quantum well structures of layered hybrid perovskites generate strong light–matter interactions. This makes it possible to achieve near‐infrared (NIR) CPL detection via two‐photon absorption in the sub‐wavelength region. In this study, cooperative strategies of dimension increase and mixed spacer cations are used to obtain a pair of chiral multilayered perovskites (R‐β‐MPA)EA2Pb2Br7 and (S‐β‐MPA)EA2Pb2Br7 (MPA = methylphenethylammonium and EA = ethylammonium). The distinctive bi‐cations interlayer and multilayered inorganic skeletons provide enhanced photoconduction. Moreover, superior photoconduction leads to the prominent NIR CPL response with a responsivity up to 8.1 × 10−5 A W−1. It is anticipated that this work can serve as a benchmark for the fabrication and optimization of efficient NIR CPL detection by simple chemical design.

Abstract Ferroelectricity, characterized by the reversible switching of spontaneous polarization (Ps) under external electric field, exists in polar crystalline materials without a spatial‐inversion symmetry. On account of inherent Ps, ferroelectric materials show intriguing physical properties including piezoelectricity, pyroelectricity, second‐order optical nonlinearity, and electro‐optic effect. Such functions of ferroelectric materials have been widely used for practical applications. Recently, hybrid perovskites are emerging as a promising ferroelectric family that enables the combination and/or coupling of ferroelectricity, photoexcitation, and semiconductor behaviors. Due to the polarization deterioration caused by leakage current of photoexcited carriers, however, it is still a challenge to accomplish practical applications of ferroelectric semiconductors in the photoelectric field. In this review, the recent progress of ferroelectric system of perovskite‐type hybrids with different dimensions is summarized. Primarily, a brief description of crystallographic symmetry breaking which is a fundamental criterion to creating ferroelectricity, is illuminated. The combination and/or coupling of photoelectric properties with ferroelectric Ps is then presented. Finally, the further development tendency and possible application outlooks of this ferroelectric material system are prospected.

Abstract Atomically thin two‐dimensional (2D) bismuth oxychalcogenides (Bi2O2X, X = S, Se, Te) have recently attracted extensive attention in the material research community due to their unique structure, outstanding long‐term ambient stability, and high carrier mobility, which enable them as promising candidates for high‐performance electronic and optoelectronic applications. Herein, we present a comprehensive review on the recent advances of 2D bismuth oxychalcogenides research. We start with an introduction of their fundamental properties including crystal structure and electronic band structure. Next, we summarize the common techniques for synthesizing these 2D structures with high crystallinity and large lateral size. Furthermore, we elaborate on their device applications including transistors, artificial synapses, optical switch and photodetectors. The last but not the least, we summarize the existing challenges and prospects for this emerging 2D bismuth oxychalcogenides field.

Most known electrocaloric materials show relatively poor cooling performance near room temperature, hindering their applications. Here, the authors achieve large electrocaloric effect near room temperature in a hybrid perovskite ferroelectric, useful for high-performance solid-state refrigeration.

Abstract Endocrine therapy for prostate cancer (PCa) mainly inhibits androgen receptor (AR) signaling, due to increased androgen synthesis and AR changes, PCa evolved into castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). The function of Family With Sequence Similarity 64 Member A (FAM64A) and its association with prostate cancer has not been reported. In our research, we first reported that FAM64A is up-regulated and positively associated with poor prognosis of patients with prostate cancer (PCa) by TCGA database and immunohistochemistry staining. Moreover, knockdown of FAM64A significantly suppressed the proliferation, migration, invasion, and cell cycle of PCa cells in vitro. Mechanistically, FAM64A expression was increased by dihydrotestosterone (DHT) through direct binding of AR to FAM64A promoter, and notably promoted the proliferation, migration, invasion, and cell cycle of androgen-dependent cell line of PCa. In addition, abnormal expression of FAM64A affects the immune and interferon signaling pathway of PCa cells. In conclusion, FAM64A was up-regulated by AR through directly binding to its specific promoter region to promote the development of PCa, and was associated with the immune mechanism and interferon signaling pathway, which provided a better understanding and a new potential for treating PCa.

2D lead-iodide ferroelectrics usually possess a wide bandgap along with the lacking of ferroelectric bulk photovoltaic effects due to the monolayered inorganic perovskite sheets. Here, the authors present a pathway to increase the thickness of inorganic sheets while retaining ferroelectricity.

Objective To explore the hypermethylated long non-coding (lnc)RNAs involved in bladder carcinogenesis and prognosis. Methods Reduced representation bisulfite sequencing and RNA sequencing were performed on five paired tumor and adjacent normal tissue samples from bladder cancer patients. The differentially methylated regions around transcription start sites and differentially expressed genes, including lncRNAs, were analyzed. Correlations between DNA methylation modifications and the expression of lncRNAs were examined. Survival analysis was surveyed on the GEPIA web server. Results We identified 19,560 hypomethylated and 68,781 hypermethylated differentially methylated regions around transcription start sites in bladder cancer tissues. In total, 2321 differentially expressed genes were found in bladder tumors, among which, 367 were upregulated and 1954 were downregulated. There were 141 downregulated genes involving eight lncRNAs that were consistently hypermethylated, while 24 upregulated genes were consistently hypomethylated. Survival analysis demonstrated that hypermethylation of lncRNAs LINC00683 and MSC-AS1 were associated with poor overall survival in bladder cancer patients. Conclusion Some lncRNAs are controlled by DNA methylation in bladder cancer and they might be important factors in bladder carcinogenesis. Hypermethylated lncRNAs including LINC00683 and MSC-AS1 have the potential to be prognostic biomarkers for bladder cancer.

13-Methyltetradecanoic acid (13-MTD), a saturated branched-chain fatty acid purified from soy fermentation products, induces apoptosis in human cancer cells. We investigated the inhibitory effects and mechanism of action of 13-MTD on T-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (T-NHL) cell lines both in vitro and in vivo. Growth inhibition in response to 13-MTD was evaluated by the cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay in three T-NHL cell lines (Jurkat, Hut78, EL4 cells). Flow cytometry analyses were used to monitor the cell cycle and apoptosis. Proteins involved in 13-MTD-induced apoptosis were examined in Jurkat cells by western blotting. We found that 13-MTD inhibited proliferation and induced the apoptosis of T-NHL cell lines. 13-MTD treatment also induced a concentration-dependent arrest of Jurkat cells in the G1-phase. During 13-MTD-induced apoptosis in Jurkat cells, the cleavage of caspase-3 and poly ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP, a caspase enzymolysis product) were detected after incubation for 2 h, and increased after extending the incubation time. However, there was no change in the expression of Bcl-2 or c-myc proteins. The appearance of apoptotic Jurkat cells was accompanied by the inhibition of AKT and nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) phosphorylation. In addition, 13-MTD could also effectively inhibit the growth of T-NHL tumors in vivo in a xenograft model. The tumor inhibition rate in the experimental group was 40%. These data indicate that 13-MTD inhibits proliferation and induces apoptosis through the down-regulation of AKT phosphorylation followed by caspase activation, which may provide a new approach for treating T-cell lymphomas.

PURPOSE: To investigate the biological function of HOXB5 in human bladder cancer and explore whether the HOXB5 3'-UTR SNP (1010A/G), which is located within the microRNA-7 binding site, was correlated with clinical features of bladder cancer. METHODS: Expression of HOXB5 in 35 human bladder cancer tissues and 8 cell lines were examined using real-time PCR and immunohistochemistry. Next, we explored the biological function of HOXB5 in vitro using cell proliferation, migration and colony formation assays. Using bioinformatics, a SNP (1010A/G) was found located within the microRNA-7 binding site in the 3'-UTR of HOXB5. Real-time PCR was used to test HOXB5 expression affected by different alleles. Finally, multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to determine the relationship between SNP (1010A/G) frequency and clinical features in 391 cases. RESULTS: HOXB5 was frequently over-expressed both in bladder cancer tissues and cell lines. Inhibition of HOXB5 suppressed the oncogenic function of cancer cells. Next, we demonstrated that a SNP (1010A/G), located within the microRNA-7 binding site in the 3'-UTR of HOXB5, could affect HOXB5 expression in bladder cancer mainly by differential binding activity of microRNA-7 and SNP-related mRNA stability. Finally, we also showed the frequency of 1010G genotype was higher in cancer group compared to normal controls and correlated with the risk of high grade and high stage. CONCLUSION: HOXB5 is overexpressed in bladder cancer. A miRNA-binding SNP (1010A/G) located within 3'-UTR of HOXB5 is associated with gene expression and may be a promising prognostic factor for bladder cancer.

Circularly polarized light (CPL) detection has sparked the booming interest for versatile chiral-optoelectronic and spintronic devices. For practical device applications, a large asymmetry factor is required to distinguish the handedness of incent light. However, for most chiral CPL active candidates, the difference in optical density or absorption anisotropy is quite subtle under CPL illumination, resulting in a relatively low asymmetry factor (usually ≤ 0.2). Up to date, it remains extremely challenging to achieve CPL response in the achiral crystals. Inch-size achiral perovskite-type crystals of (IBA)2(EA)2Pb3I10 (IBA = 4-isopropylbenzylammonium, EA = ethylammonium), which holds a promise to distinguish CPL with a large asymmetry factor up to ≈0.56 at 405 nm is presented here. This figure-of-merit is comparable or even superior than most of those chiral counterparts. Further First-principles calculations disclose such CPL-active behaviors of (IBA)2(EA)2Pb3I10 are associated with the splitting of its band spin-degeneracy, induced by the breaking of inversion symmetry and spin-orbital coupling (SOC) effects. As far as it is known, the structural origin of CPL-activities of (IBA)2(EA)2Pb3I10 is completely distinctive from the conventional chiral family, which paves a promising pathway to explore new candidates toward high-performance CPL detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reduced layered vanadate hybrid solids are synthesized using hydrothermal reactions at 200-230 degrees Celsius, and their structures determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. These reduced hybrid layered vanadates are analyzed with respect to their low-dimensional magnetic and electrical properties, spin-gap formation, and also for their thermal structural evolution and reactivity under heating.

Nonlinear optical (NLO) crystals are the vital components of laser science and technology, as they can convert lasers in common wavelengths into new wavelength bands for ultraviolet (UV), IR, and even terahertz laser output. Known UV NLO crystals mainly focus on crystals containing cations, but covalent crystals have rarely been reported. Here we report two covalent NLO crystals, B2O3 I and B2O3 II. According to the first-principles calculations, B2O3 I and II have extremely short absorption edges of about 134 nm and 141 nm, large NLO coefficients of d22=1.38 pm/V and d24= 0.702 pm/V, as well as sufficient birefringences of 0.037 and 0.031, respectively. Notably, the absorption edges are almost the shortest among NLO crystals. Meanwhile, the NLO coefficients are evidently larger than that of another wellknown covalent NLO crystal α-SiO2 and are comparable to those of the commercial UV NLO crystal LiBO3 with Li+ cation. Furthermore, the birefringences are significantly larger than that of α-SiO2, which are favorable to the phase matching for both crystals. These results reveal that B2O3 I and B2O3 II are excellent candidates for UV NLO applications. In-depth calculations are carried out to reveal the origin of excellent NLO properties. These covalent crystals provide a new direction for the research of UV NLO crystals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The construction and examination of a highly stable porous lanthanide metal-organic framework displaying highly selective sorption behaviors of hydrogen over nitrogen gas molecules for hydrogen storage are described. The studies have shown that an optimal pore size has strengthened the interactions between [H.sub.2] molecules with pore walls and has enhanced the hydrogen adsorption from the interaction between hydrogen molecules with the pore walls rather than with the open metal sites within the framework.

Research has been conducted on three-dimensional manganese(II) complex. The authors describe the synthesis and characterization of the complex, and report that the magnetic studies have demonstrated that the complex behaves as a three-dimensional metamagnet consisting of homometallic ferrimagnetic chains.

Research has been conducted on 2D bilayer cobalt(II)-organic framework with nanoscale rectangular channels clathrating large organic molecules. The authors describe the synthesis of this framework carried out via the reaction of cobalt(II) salt with 5-nitro-1,3-benzenedicarboxylic acid and 1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)ethylene.

The long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) urothelial carcinoma associated 1 (UCA1) is an oncogenic lncRNA in bladder cancer, and its upregulation is associated with enhanced cell invasion. However, the underlying mechanism remains to be elucidated. The present study demonstrated that UCA1 was positively associated with cell invasion ability and promoted epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of bladder cancer cells by inducing high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1). Furthermore, bioinformatics and luciferase reporter assays demonstrated binding sites of the tumor suppressive miR-143 within UCA1 and the 3'untranslated region of HMGB1. UCA1 negatively regulated miR-143 expression in a dose-dependent manner in bladder cancer cells. In addition, UCA1 and HMGB1 were upregulated and miR-143 was downregulated in bladder cancer specimens. Overall, the data suggested that UCA1 may promote the invasion and EMT of bladder cancer cells by regulating the miR-143/HMGB1 pathway, which exhibits an important regulatory role in the pathology of bladder cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cross sections of the 132Ba(n,2n)131m,gBa and 134Ba(n,2n)133m,gBa reactions and their isomeric cross section ratios σm/σg have been measured by means of the activation technique at three neutron energies in the range 13-15 MeV. BaCO3 samples and Nb monitor foils were activated together to determine the reaction cross section and the incident neutron flux. The quasimonoenergetic neutrons beam were produced via the 3H(d,n)4He reaction at the Pd-300 Neutron Generator of the Chinese Academy of Engineering Physics (CAEP). The activities induced in the reaction products were measured using high-resolution γ ray spectroscopy. The pure cross section of the groundstate was derived from the absolute cross section of the metastable state and the residual nuclear decay analysis. Cross sections were also evaluated theoretically using the numerical nuclear model code, TALYS-1.8 with different level density options at neutron energies varying from the reaction threshold to 20 MeV. Results are discussed and compared with the corresponding literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]