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Previous studies have shown that PD-L1 TPS ≥50% in lung cancer rarely overlaps with driver oncogenes such as epidermal growth factor receptor and anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK). The initial gene detection of the patient in this study showed ALK fusion combined with high expression of PD-L1. We explored the treatment options for this patient.A 34-year-old woman presented for the first time with "repeated fever and cough for 20 days." The patient denied any underlying medical history.After a series of imaging examinations and needle biopsy, the patient was diagnosed as stage IV lung adenocarcinoma with multiple liver and bone metastases (EML4-ALK fusion, PD-L1 TPS 80%).The patient was initially given alectinib targeted therapy. After progression, a second round of genetic testing was performed and the patient was detected to have both ALK fusion and BRAF mutation. The patient was then successively changed to treatment with ensatinib combined with dabrafenib, and lorlatinib combined with dabrafenib.The initial efficacy evaluation of alectinib was PR, but its PFS was only 4 months. The patient only achieved an overall survival of 10 months.Non-small cell lung cancer with an ALK fusion and high PD-L1 expression responds poorly to most current treatment options, with survival time after ALK-tyrosine kinase inhibitor treatment notably shorter than that of patients with an ALK fusion alone.

Background Sarcomatoid carcinoma (SaCa) of the palatine tonsil is a rare and aggressive subset of head and neck (H&N) cancer which is characterized by insensitivity to surgery and radiotherapy and a poor prognosis. Immunotherapy has led advances in the treatment of melanoma and H&N cancer, but the combined effects of immunotherapy and chemotherapy have not been sufficiently investigated. Case presentation Herein, we report the case of 29-year-old Chinese women with local advanced non-resectable SaCa of the palatine tonsil who exhibited a substantial partial response to toripalimab and chemotherapy followed by radiation therapy. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of its successful application in this context. Conclusion Toripalimab combined with chemotherapy may be an effective approach for locally advanced H&N cancer in rare categories of patients, which was the first application as far as we know.

Background Osimertinib has been adopted as the standard therapy for T790M-mediated acquired resistance to first-line epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs) in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The detection of EGFR T790M can be evaluated using different methods. The association between baseline T790M abundance and osimertinib efficacy has not been fully determined. Methods A total of 144 advanced NSCLC patients positive for T790M, at the time of progression, were retrospectively enrolled in this study. The effect of abundance of T790M mutation on the efficacy of osimertinib was explored. Results Among the 144 patients receiving T790M testing, 20 (13.9%) had adopted amplification refractory mutation system (ARMS), 63 (43.8%) adopted droplet digital PCR (ddPCR), and 61 (42.4%) used next-generation sequencing (NGS). The objective response rate was 54.2%, the median progression-free survival was 12.0 months, and the overall survival was 23.0 months for the NSCLC patients treated with osimertinib. Three different technologies to assess T790M mutation (including ARMS, ddPCR, and NGS) could accurately predict the efficacy of osimertinib. There was no significant relationship between the abundance of T790M mutation and the efficacy of osimertinib. Conclusions ARMS, ddPCR, and NGS are reliable methods to evaluate EGFR T790M mutation. Osimertinib was equally effective for NSCLC patients with various abundance of T790M mutation.

Background and Objective Metabolomics has recently been applied in the field of oncology. In this study, we aimed to use metabolomics to explore biomarkers in peritoneal metastasis of gastric cancer. Methods Peritoneal lavage fluid (PLF) of 65 gastric cancer patients and related clinical data were collected from the First Hospital of Jilin University. The metabolic components were identified by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). Total ion current (TIC) spectra, principal component analysis (PCA), and the Student's t-test were used to identify differential metabolites in PLF. A support vector machine (SVM) was used to screen the differential metabolites in PLF with a weight of 100%. Cluster analysis was used to evaluate the similarity between samples. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to assess the diagnostic ability of the metabolites. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to identify potential risk factors for peritoneal metastasis of gastric cancer. Results We found the differential levels of PLF metabolites by LC-MS, TIC spectra, PCA and the t-test. Cluster analysis showed the co-occurrence of metabolites in the peritoneal metastasis group (p

Background: Postoperative anastomotic stricture is a common complication after kinds of rectal cancer surgery, especially in low anterior resection and anal retention patients. Currently, various of treatments including anal expansion, endoscopic dilation and also surgery are applied with different efficacy and safety. Besides, bipolar plasma kinetic vaporization resection is a technique used to be applied for benign prostatic hyperplasia with minimally invasion and high safety. To the best of my knowledge, it had not been reported to be applied for narrow scars after rectal surgery.Methods: To analysis retrospectively the clinical data of 12 patients who suffered anastomotic strictures after rectal cancer surgery in the First Hospital of Jilin University from Feb 2015 to December 2017. Result：All of them were successfully treated by the technique of once bipolar plasma kinetic vaporization resection in 8 cases, twice in 3 cases, and more times in 1 cases without occurrence of additional complications. Conclusions: Demonstrated by these limited cases, bipolar plasma kinetic vaporization resection would be applied as an alternative method in the treatment of postoperative anastomotic strictures due to its advantages as well as its effectiveness and safety.

Background There is only limited knowledge of the treatment responses and clinical outcomes of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in driver gene‐negative non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with brain metastases (BM). This study aims to assess the efficacy of immunotherapy in these patients in a real world setting. Methods NSCLC‐BM patients without driver gene mutations who received ICIs were retrospectively identified between July 2017 and December 2019. The primary observation endpoint was intracranial objective response rate (iORR), and secondary objectives were objective response rate (ORR), intracranial and systemic progression‐free survival (iPFS, PFS), and overall survival (OS). Results We reviewed 1578 patients with lung cancer and BM. According to the exclusion criteria, 41 patients were finally enrolled. Among these 41 patients, iORR was 36.6% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 21.2%–52.0%), whereas iPFS was 6.8 (95% CI = 3.32–10.35) months. Additionally, ORR, PFS, and OS were 24.4% (95% CI = 10.7%–38.1%), 6.2 (95% CI = 4.57–7.83) months and 13.7 (95% CI = 11.20–16.26) months, respectively. ICIs combined with concurrent radiotherapy group exhibited preferred iORR (p = 0.030) compared with no radiotherapy group, and ICIs plus chemotherapy showed improved OS (p = 0.024) compared to ICI monotherapy. Moreover, the lines of ICI treatment ≥2 (p = 0.005) and derived neutrophil‐to‐lymphocyte ratio (dNLR) ≥3 (p = 0.010) were independently negative factors for OS. Conclusion In NSCLC‐BMs patients lacking driver genes, ICIs exhibited an effective drug regime. A combination of ICIs with concurrent radiotherapy showed a better intracranial response, whereas ICIs plus chemotherapy were associated with superior OS., Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) exhibited favorable efficacy on brain metastases in less‐selected non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients without driver‐gene mutation. ICIs combined with concurrent radiotherapy resulted in better intracranial response, but not overall survival (OS), whereas combination of ICIs and chemotherapy was associated with superior OS.

The development pattern of career adaptability has an important influence on individual mental health and career outcomes. Based on career construction theory, our study explored the development characteristics of the career adaptability of college students during the school-to-work transition and discussed how the notions of future work selves and core self-evaluation affect the development trajectories and development patterns of career adaptability. Our study investigated 429 college graduates at an interval of 6 months over the course of 1 year. The results indicated that the graduates had a positive career adaptability trajectory during the school-to-work transition. There were three different development patterns: rapid growth group, growth group, and stationary group. Future work selves predicted career adaptability positively and dynamically. A higher core self-evaluation predicted a higher initial level of career adaptability and a slower development speed. Our study has important implications for enriching career construction theory and career counseling practice.

Brain metastases (BMs) cause morbidity and mortality in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The optimal management of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-mutated NSCLC with BM is debatable. We aimed to investigate the impact of different treatments among patients with EGFR-mutated NSCLC. A cohort of 2058 lung cancer patients with BM between 2013 and 2018 was retrospectively studied. A total of 571 patients with EGFR-mutated NSCLC and BM were enrolled. All patients had received EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). Overall survival (OS) was measured from the diagnosis of BM to death or last follow-up. With a median follow-up of 35.2 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 31.8-38.6), the median survival after BM was 21.3 months (95% CI, 19.0-23.6). Osimertinib resulted in significantly superior survival after resistance to front-line TKIs (P < 0.0035); the median OS reached 28.0 months (95% CI, 23.0-32.9), and the T790M status showed no difference in clinical effectiveness (P = 0.386). The combination of TKIs and chemotherapy/vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) inhibitors (anti-VEGF) tended to have longer OS (P = 0.271). Intracranial local radiotherapy significantly improved survival (P = 0.0008). In multivariable analysis, we noted that age, Karnofsky performance score, EGFR mutation type, number of BMs and the presence of extracranial metastasis were independent pretreatment prognostic factors. In conclusion, EGFR TKIs have a significant effect on patients with EGFR-mutant BM, and the application of osimertinib further improves survival outcomes regardless of T790M status. Patients who undergo intracranial local therapy can achieve a survival benefit.

Liver cancer is a disease with high mortality; it is often diagnosed at intermediate and advanced stages and has a high recurrence rate. ROS restriction and adequate energy supply play significant roles in liver cancer. SLC25A11, a member of the malate-aspartate shuttle (MAS), regulates electroneutral exchange between 2-oxoglutarate and other dicarboxylates. It transports glutathione (GSH) from the cytoplasm into mitochondria to maintain GSH levels to limit ROS production. Moreover, SLC25A11 is essential for ATP generation in cancers as it regulates NADH transportation from the cytoplasm to mitochondria. The purpose of this research was to investigate the prognostic value of SLC25A11 in liver cancer. The Cancer Genome Atlas database was used to analyze the levels of SLC25A11 in liver cancer. Fisher’s exact and chi-square tests were used to evaluate the relationship between SLC25A11 expression and clinical characteristics. Finally, we explored the value of SLC25A11 in prognosis by Cox analysis and Kaplan-Meier curves. Our results revealed that SLC25A11 was downregulated in liver cancer compared to normal controls. Low expression of SLC25A11 was associated with clinical stage, vital status, histologic grade, overall survival (OS) and relapse-free survival (RFS). Liver cancer patients with low SLC25A11 expression had shorter OS and RFS than patients with high SLC25A11 expression. Multivariate analysis showed that the expression of SLC25A11 was an independent predictor of RFS and OS. In conclusion, this study identified that SLC25A11 serves as a new prognostic marker for liver cancer.

Liver cancer is a devastating disease for humans with poor prognosis. Although the survival rate of patients with liver cancer has improved in the past decades, the recurrence and metastasis of liver cancer are still obstacles for us. Inositol polyphosphate-5-phosphatase K (INPP5K) belongs to the family of phosphoinositide 5-phosphatases (PI 5-phosphatases), which have been reported to be associated with cell migration, polarity, adhesion, and cell invasion, especially in cancers. However, there have been few studies on the correlation of INPP5K and liver cancer. In this study, we explored the prognostic significance of INPP5K in liver cancer through bioinformatics analysis of data collected from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. Chi-square and Fisher exact tests were used to evaluate the relationship between INPP5K expression and clinical characteristics. Our results showed that low INPP5K expression was correlated with poor outcomes in liver cancer patients. Univariate and multivariate Cox analyses demonstrated that low INPP5K mRNA expression played a significant role in shortening overall survival (OS) and relapse-free survival (RFS), which might serve as the useful biomarker and prognostic factor for liver cancer. In conclusion, low INPP5K mRNA expression is an independent risk factor for poor prognosis in liver cancer.

Controllable syntheses of different-sized gold nanoclusters are of great significance for their fundamental science and practical applications.In this work, we achieve the controllable and selective syntheses of Au7 and Au13 clusters through adding HCl to the traditional Au11 synthetic route at different reaction time.Time-dependent mass spectra and UVVis spectra were employed to monitor these two HCl-directed processes, and revealed the distinct roles of HCl as an etchant or a growth promotor, respectively.Furthermore, parallel experiments on independent synthetic routes involving only non-chlorine H+(acetic acid) or Cl-(tetraethy lammonium chloride) instead of HCl were performed, which illustrated the main role of H+-etching and Cl--assisted growth in HCl-directed cluster synthetic routes.We propose the HCl-etching is mainly achieved via the H+ action to break the Au (Ⅰ)-PPh3 part of clusters, while the HCl-promoted growth is realized via the attachment of Au-Cl species to the pre-formed clusters.

Hierarchical microstructures assembled with nanostructures can effectively enhance the electrochemical performances of electrode materials for rechargeable Li/Na-ion batteries. Due to the large ionic radius of sodium, this kind of design and synthesis is more important for Na-battery cathodes, which represent a cost-effective alternative for energy storage applications. Here ball-in-ball hierarchical microspheres assembled with micron shaped flakes of the P2-type Na0.7Ni0.18Mn0.64Co0.18O2 have been designed and synthesized via hydrothermal reaction followed by stepwise calcination process. As a cathode material of the Na-ion battery, this novel and uniform hierarchical structure exhibits very high specific capacity and superior rate performance with discharge capacities of 208 mAh g−1 at 0.05 C and 46 mAh g−1 at 10 C, and an excellent cycling stability with about 78% capacity retention at 1 C after 50 cycles. These performances are better than any layered oxide cathode material for reversible Na-ion batteries reported in the literature, prepared via the conventional solid-state method. Combining ex-situ x-ray absorption spectroscopy characterization, x-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy, scanning transmission electron microscopy and electrochemical characterization, we demonstrate that the superior performances can be attributed to the unique ball-in-ball hierarchical structure assembled with micron shaped flakes. This configuration could effectively reduce the path of Na ion diffusion, increases the contact area between electrodes and electrolyte and buffers the volume changes during the Na ion insertion/extraction processes.

Developing effective synthetic protocols for atomically monodisperse Au nanoclusters is pivotal to their fundamental science and applications. Here, we present a novel synthetic protocol toward atomically monodisperse [Au6(PPh3)6]2+ nanoclusters (abbreviated as Au6) via ammonia-induced size convergence from polydisperse Aux (x = 6–11) nanocluster mixture. The analogous ammonia-induced size conversion reactions starting from individually prepared Au7 and Au9 nanoclusters to Au6 were traced by time-dependent ultraviolet–visible absorption and electrospray ionization mass spectra. It is observed that in both cases the size conversion is achieved through gradual release of the ion–molecule complex [NH4AuPPh3Cl]+ from the larger Au nanoclusters until the formation of thermodynamically stable Au6 nanoclusters with the stability against the etching reaction. The role of ammonia ions in this size convergence synthesis is to accelerate the depletion of [Au(PPh3)]+ fragments from the PPh3-protected Au nanoclusters,...

Ultrasmall gold nanoclusters consisting of 2–4 Au atoms were synthesized and their performance in electrocatalytic oxygen reduction reactions (ORR) was examined. These clusters were synthesized by exposing AuPPh3Cl to the aqueous ammonia medium for one week. Electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS), X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analyses indicate that the assynthesized gold clusters (abbreviated as Aux) consist of 2–4 Au atoms coordinated by the triphenylphosphine, hydroxyl, and adsorbed oxygen ligands. A glassy carbon disk electrode loaded with the Aux clusters (Aux/GC) was characterized by the cyclic and linear-sweep voltammetry for ORR. The cyclic voltammogram vs. RHE shows the onset potential of 0.87 V, and the kinetic parameters of JK at 0.47 V and the electron-transfer number per oxygen molecule were calculated to be 14.28 mA/cm2 and 3.96 via the Koutecky-Levich equations, respectively.

Background and object: Emerging evidence shows that non-coding RNA functions as new gene regulators and prognostic markers in several cancers, including liver cancer. Here, we focused on the small nucleolar RNA host gene 4 (SNHG4) in liver cancer prognosis based on The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) data. Methods: The expression data and clinical information were downloaded from TCGA. Chi-square tests evaluated the correlation between SNHG4 expression and clinical parameters. Differences in survival between high and low expression groups (optic cutoff value determined by ROC) from Cox regression analysis were compared, and P-value was calculated by a log-rank test. Kaplan–Meier curves were compared with the log-rank test. GSEA and ceRNA network were conducted to explore the potential mechanism. Results: Data mining of lncRNA expression data for 371 patients with primary tumor revealed overexpression of SNHG4 in liver cancer. High SNHG4 expression was correlated with histological type (P = 0.01), histologic grade (P = 0.001), stage (P = 0.01), T classification (P = 0.004) and survival status (P = 0.013). Patients with high SNHG4 expression had poor overall survival and relapse-free survival compared with those with low SNHG4 expression. Multivariate analysis identified SNHG4 as an independent prognostic factor of poor survival in liver cancer. GSEA revealed related signaling pathway and ceRNA network explored the further mechanism. Conclusion: High SNHG4 expression is an independent predictor of poor prognosis in liver cancer.

Direct and scalable synthesis of monodisperse gold nanoclusters is highly desired but remains a great challenge due to the complexity of chemical reactions. In this regard, a suitable precursor is important as it can simplify the synthesis processes and offer controllability in tuning the product. In this study, we found that Au(PPh3)2Cl could be used as an effective precursor for the direct synthesis of atomically monodisperse [Au8(PPh3)7]2+ nanoclusters without the need of tedious post-synthetic purification steps. The Au(PPh3)2Cl precursor could be directly reduced by NaBH4 (0.25 molar equivalent) in a dichloromethane solution; this produced Au8 clusters with a 35% reaction yield. Time-dependent mass spectrometry and in situ UV-vis absorption spectroscopy reveal that the synthesis process is initiated by the rapid formation of the Au6–Au8 mixture, followed by a slow spontaneous self-focusing process that converges the mixture into atomically monodisperse Au8. The success of this direct synthesis has been hypothesized to arise from the relatively stronger Au(I)⋯Au(I) aurophilic attraction between Au(I)-PPh3 complexes that facilitates the aggregation of Au(I)-PPh3 on Au(0) cores.

Combined planting of submerged macrophytes could be an effective way of controlling algal blooms in landscape waters. In this study, the algal inhibition of single and combined planting of Hydrilla verticillata (A) and Myriophyllum spicatum (B) were explored. The optimized combined planting conditions were investigated using the central composite design. The results showed that the combined planting had a synergistic algal-inhibiting effect. Its inhibition (I (K)) is about 10.8% higher than that of single planting with the same density. The synergism of the combined planting may be due to the different ways in which the two plants inhibit the algal growth. H. verticillata inhibited the algal biomass and M. spicatum inhibited the algal specific growth rate. When the density of H. verticillata and M. spicatum were 7.2 g/L and 6.7 g/L, the value of I (K) reached a maximum 92.2%. Although increasing planting density would improve the algal inhibition, high planting density was not beneficial for the growth of plants. Moreover, no further significant improvement was shown with the increasing planting density when the value of I(K) was higher than 90%. Therefore, the cost-effective combined macrophyte density was 11.6 g/L and the value of A/B ranged from 1.05 to 1.07, where the value of I (K) could achieve 90%. This study can provide a practical basis for using macrophytes to control algal blooms.

e21540 Background: This study aimed to investigate the immune microenvironment features and efficacy of PD-1/PD-L1 blockade of NSCLC with insertions in exon 20 (Ex20ins) of EGFR or HER2. Methods: Molecular spectrum, tumor mutational burden (TMB), PD-L1 protein expression, and the abundance of CD4+ and CD8+ tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) were reviewed for NSCLC patients with Ex20ins of EGFR or HER2. Results: Thirty-five patients carrying EGFR Ex20ins and 21 patients harboring HER2 Ex20ins were retrospectively enrolled between April 2016 and September 2018. The average TMB was 3.3 mutations/megabase. PD-L1 expression in patients with EGFR Ex20ins was significantly higher than those with HER2 mutations (48.6% vs. 19.0%, P=0.027). High TMB and PD-L1 expression was independently associated with considerably poor prognosis (P=0.025, P=0.045; respectively). Finally, patients harboring EGFR Ex20ins seemed to be sensitive to PD-1/PD-L1 blockage whereas it showed limited efficacy in patients with HER2 Ex20ins. Conclusions: NSCLC patients with EGFR/ HER2 Ex20ins had distinct immune features. Patients with EGFR Ex20ins had significantly higher PD-L1 expression than those with HER2 mutations, which may be the underlying reason for the different responses to PD-1/PD-L1 blockage.

Multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) supported CuO–CeO2 catalysts were prepared using an impregnation method aided by an ultrasonication treatment. The structural features of the catalysts were extensively characterized by XRD, TGA, H2-TPR, XPS, TEM and Raman spectroscopy. The catalytic performance in the preferential oxidation of CO in a H2-rich stream was extensively investigated with respect to the influences of Cu/Ce ratios, the different support materials and the presence of CO2 and H2O in the feed stream. In contrast to those supported on other materials, the catalytic performance was greatly enhanced for the MWCNT-supported CuO–CeO2 catalysts, which was discussed in terms of the synergistic interactions between Cu–Ce mixed oxides and MWCNT. The optimized catalyst with a Cu/Ce ratio of 5/5 can achieve complete CO conversion and high selectivity toward CO2 in a wider temperature range as well as favorable performance under the simulated reformatted gas mixture. The deactivation of CuO–CeO2 catalysts supported on MWCNT at elevated temperatures was also discussed in relation to the temperature-dependent in situ XAFS spectra during CO-PROX reaction.

Deformation mechanisms of as-deposited and post-annealed Ti50.2Ni49.6, Ti50.3Ni46.2Cu3.5and Ti48.5Ni40.8Cu7.5thin films were investigated using thein situsynchrotron X-ray diffraction technique. Results showed that initial crystalline phases determined the deformation mechanisms of all the films during tensile loading. For the films dominated by monoclinic martensites (B19′), tensile stress induced the detwinning of 〈011〉 type-II twins and resulted in the preferred orientations of (002)B19′parallel to the loading direction (∥ LD) and (020)B19′perpendicular to the LD (⊥ LD). For the films dominated by austenite (B2), the austenite directly transformed into martensitic variants (B19′) with preferred orientations of (002)B19′ ∥ LD and (020)B19′ ⊥ LD. For the Ti50.3Ni46.2Cu3.5and Ti48.1Ni40.8Cu7.5films, martensitic transformation temperatures decreased apparently after post-annealing because of the large thermal stress generated in the films due to the large differences in thermal expansion coefficients between the film and substrate.

Direct and scalable synthesis of monodisperse gold nanoclusters is highly desired but remains a great challenge due to the complexity of chemical reactions. In this regard, a suitable precursor is important as it can simplify the synthesis processes and offer controllability in tuning the product. In this study, we found that Au(PPh

Ovarian cancer has the highest mortality among gynecological cancers. Although ovarian cancer usually responds well to chemotherapy, most patients still have a poor prognosis. EIF2B5 is a crucial molecule in posttranscriptional modifications involved in tumor progression, and here we investigated the prognostic role of EIF2B5 in ovarian cancer. We examined the differential expression of EIF2B5 mRNA in ovarian cancer by exploring The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. The chi square test was used to identify a clinical correlation. Survival analysis and Cox regression model were performed to determine the association between EIF2B5 expression and overall survival (OS) in ovarian cancer patients. As a result, Low EIF2B5 expression was found in ovarian cancer tissues and correlated with survival status. Survival analysis showed that ovarian cancer patients with low EIF2B5 expression had a short OS. Moreover, Cox regression analysis indicated that low EIF2B5 expression was an independent risk factor for a poor prognosis in ovarian cancer. Additionally, according to gene set enrichment analysis, mesenchymal transition, angiogenesis, coagulation, and bile acid metabolism were differentially enriched in ovarian cancer with high EIF2B5 expression. In conclusion, Low EIF2B5 expression is an independent risk factor for a poor prognosis in ovarian cancer patients.

The infrared phonon modes and local structure of amorphous and crystalline LaLuO 3 thin films were studied by infrared spectroscopy and X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS). The infrared spectroscopy shows that the crystalline thin film keeps the main infrared phonon modes and preserves the static dielectric constant as crystal bulk sample. But the infrared phonon modes of amorphous thin film reduce and cause the static dielectric constant to decrease. The result is closely related to the local structure as revealed by XAFS. The crystalline thin film has the similar local structure as crystal bulk sample, while the amorphous thin film presents obvious change. The different local structure of the amorphous thin film results in the change of phonon modes and static dielectric constant.

A novel fully rigid, rod-shaped oligo(p-benzamide) (OPBA-6) molecule was designed and synthesized, which can be recrystallized into a three-dimensional (3D) multilayer material via an antiparallel molecular packing model. Intermolecular hydrogen bonding and π-π interaction are brought to ensure a strong intralayer interaction, while decoration of layer surface with sulfonic groups promotes water to enter interlayer space and facilitates the swelling and exfoliation of sample. With a simple dispersion in water, the obtained multilayer material can be easily swollen by water without destruction of in-plane morphology and subsequently delaminated into 2D nanosheets with thickness of about 5.38 nm. This achievement may be the first attempt to exfoliate layered organic materials and thus provide a new strategy to prepare 2D organic nanosheets without using any substrates or templates as required by conventional and widely used self-assembly routes. Based on exfoliated nanosheets, poly(vinyl alcohol) nanocomposites were prepared using a simple water solution processing method. A 64% increase in tensile stress and a 63% improvement in Young's modulus were achieved by addition of 7 wt % OPBA-6 loading.

The interfacial atomic and electronic structures of ligand-protected nanomaterials are vital factors but are inadequately known. Here, we demonstrate that the adsorption geometry, as well as the electronic structures of Au–S interface, can be tailored via varying the hydrocarbon “tail” lengths of n-alkanethiol ligands. Fully n-alkanethiols (n = 3, 8, and 12) capped Au nanocrystals of 3.0 nm were characterized in solution by X-ray absorption fine structure at the Au L3-edge. With increasing alkyl length, it is found that the headgroup S atom occupies the nanocrystals surface sites with gradually higher coordinations, along with the progressively shortened Au–S bond length. As a result, the strongest Au–S interactions coming from the longest n-alkanethiols capping lead to the most significant d charge transfer from the surface Au layer to the S atoms.

Stress-induced martensitic transformation of as-sputtered and post-annealed Ti50.1Ni40.8Cu9.1 thin films was investigated using in-situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction (S-XRD) technique. For the as-deposited film, in-situ S-XRD analysis showed a martensitic transformation from parent phase to martensite during initial loading, followed by reorientation of martensite variants via detwinning. This detwinning process induced a strong 〈0 2 0〉 fiber texture along the loading direction and a strong 〈0 0 2〉 fiber texture perpendicular to the loading direction. For the 650 °C annealed film, there is only elastic deformation, followed by a martensitic transformation during deformation.

Amorphous La2Hf2O7 thin films were deposited on Si(100) substrate by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) method under different conditions. The interfacial states of the La2Hf2O7/Si films were studied by synchrotron X-ray reflectivity (XRR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). When grown under vacuum condition, silicate, silicide and few SiOx were formed in the interface layer. However, the Hf-silicide formation could be effectively eliminated by the ambient oxygen pressure during film growth. The result revealed that the La2Hf2O7/Si interlayer was intimately related with growth condition. Insufficient supply of oxygen would cause Hf-silicide formation at the interface and it could be most effectively controlled by the ambient oxygen pressure during film growth.