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Antimony selenosulfide Sb2(SxSe1−x)3 is featured as a stable, environment‐friendly, and low‐cost light‐harvesting material with a tunable bandgap in the range of 1.1–1.8 eV, satisfying the requirement of indoor photovoltaics (IPVs). Up to now, the certified efficiency of Sb2(SxSe1−x)3 solar cell with 1.45 eV bandgap has broken 10% under standard illumination (AM1.5G). However, this bandgap is not suitable for IPVs in terms of spectral matching. Herein, for the first time, the effect of optical bandgap of Sb2(SxSe1−x)3 on photovoltaic performance of the devices under AM1.5G and indoor light conditions is studied systematically. It is discovered that although an appropriate Se/S atomic ratio is beneficial for improving the crystallinity of Sb2(SxSe1−x)3 film and passivating the trap states, the band gap remains a key factor in determining the suitability of this material for IPVs. As a result, solar cells based on Sb2S3 with a large bandgap of 1.74 eV achieve an optimal efficiency of 20.34% under 1000 lux indoor illumination. Moreover, a high IPV efficiency of over 16% can still be maintained within a wide bandgap range from 1.5 to 1.7 eV, demonstrating the great potential of Sb‐based chalcogenide as a light‐harvesting material for IPVs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transmembrane protein 52B (TMEM52B), a newly identified tumor‐related gene, has been reported to regulate various tumors, yet its role in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) remains unclear. Transcriptomic analysis of NPC cell lines reveals frequent overexpression of TMEM52B, and immunohistochemical results show that TMEM52B is associated with advanced tumor stage, recurrence, and decreased survival time. Depleting TMEM52B inhibits the proliferation, migration, invasion, and oncogenesis of NPC cells in vivo. TMEM52B encodes two isoforms, TMEM52B‐P18 and TMEM52B‐P20, differing in their N‐terminals. While both isoforms exhibit similar pro‐oncogenic roles and contribute to drug resistance in NPC, TMEM52B‐P20 differentially promotes metastasis. This functional discrepancy may be attributed to their distinct subcellular localization; TMEM52B‐P18 is confined to the cytoplasm, while TMEM52B‐P20 is found both at the cell membrane and in the cytoplasm. Mechanistically, cytoplasmic TMEM52B enhances AKT phosphorylation by interacting with phosphoglycerate kinase 1 (PGK1), fostering NPC growth and metastasis. Meanwhile, membrane‐localized TMEM52B‐P20 promotes E‐cadherin ubiquitination and degradation by facilitating its interaction with the E3 ubiquitin ligase NEDD4, further driving NPC metastasis. In conclusion, the TMEM52B‐P18 and TMEM52B‐P20 isoforms promote the metastasis of NPC cells through different mechanisms. Drugs targeting these TMEM52B isoforms may offer therapeutic benefits to cancer patients with varying degrees of metastasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anthropogenic climate change is thought to present a significant threat to biodiversity, in particular to tropical ectotherms, and the effects of long‐term developmental heat stress on this group have received relatively little research attention. Here, we studied the effects of experimentally raising developmental temperatures on a tropical butterfly. We measured survival, development time, adult body mass and wing size of Heliconius erato demophoon (Linnaeus) (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) across three temperature treatments. Egg survival was lower in the hotter treatments, with 84%, 73% and 49% of eggs hatching in the 20–30°C (fluctuating temperature with 12 h at 20°C followed by 12 h at 30°C), 23–33°C and 26–36°C treatments, respectively. Larval survival was three times lower in the 26–36°C treatment (8%) compared with the 20–30°C treatment (26%), and we did not detect differences in pupal survival across treatments due to high mortality in earlier stages. Under a moderately increased temperature at 23–33°C, larvae developed faster and adults had a higher body mass and wing loading, but this was not seen in the hottest treatment (26–36°C). Females were also heavier than males in the 23–33°C treatment, but there was no associated increase in wing size. This may suggest a different developmental response to moderately elevated temperatures between the sexes. In summary, high developmental temperatures are particularly lethal for eggs and less so for larvae and also affect adult morphology. This highlights the importance of understanding the effects of temperature variation across ontogeny in tropical ectotherms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: The discovery of lead compounds is fundamental to herbicide innovation, yet the limited availability of valuable lead compounds has impeded their progress in recent years. The study presents a novel molecular scaffold that exhibits remarkably potent herbicidal activity. RESULTS: Through a scaffold‐hopping strategy, a highly potent lead compound for herbicides, namely 3‐(2‐pyridinyl)‐benzothiazol‐2‐one, was unexpectedly discovered during attempts to structurally modify haloxyfop, a commercial aryl‐oxy‐phenoxy‐propionate herbicide. To investigate the structure–activity relationship (SAR) of the newly discovered herbicidal chemicals, a series of 2‐(2‐oxo‐3‐(pyridin‐2‐yl)‐2,3‐dihydrobenzo[d]thiazol‐6‐yloxy)propanoic acid derivatives, I‐01 ~ I‐27, were designed and synthesized. SAR analysis revealed that trifluoromethyl at the 5‐position of pyridine is crucial for herbicidal activity, whereas additional fluorine or Cl atom at the 3‐position of pyridine significantly enhances activity. Carboxylic ester derivatives exhibit superior herbicidal activity compared with amide derivatives. Moreover, the activity of carboxylic ester derivatives decreases with C chain extension, but the introduction of O atoms in the side chain benefits activity enhancement. Pot experiments conducted in a glasshouse demonstrated that I‐01 and I‐09 exhibited potent postemergence herbicidal activity against broadleaf weeds, and completely inhibited growth of Amaranthus retroflex, Abutilon theophrasti and Portulaca oleracea at a dosage of 75 g ha−1. CONCLUSION: Despite the initial goal of scaffold‐hopping not being achieved, we have successfully identified a novel molecular scaffold exhibiting exceptional herbicidal activity, thereby presenting innovative prospects for herbicide development. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective.To investigate the influence of pristimerin (Pris) on rat hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) induced by diethylnitrosamine (DEN) by regulating ROS/ASK1/JNK signal pathway. Methods.Six SD rats were randomly selected as the control group, and the remaining rats were injected with DEN to construct the rat model of HCC. The rats successfully modeled were randomly grouped into HCC group, Pris group (0.8 mg/kg Pris), Vaccarin group (100 mg/kg ROS/ASK1/JNK signal pathway inhibitor Vaccarin), and Pris+Vaccarin group (0.8 mg/kg Pris+100 mg/kg Vaccarin), with 6 rats in each group, and were injected continuously for one week. HCC group and control group were injected with the same amount of normal saline. Body weight, liver weight and liver weight ratio were measured, liver function, inflammatory factors, antioxidant index and ROS level were detected by ELISA, HE staining was applied to detect the pathological changes of liver, western blot was applied to detect the expression of apoptotic markers (Bax, Bcl-2 and cleaved-Caspase-3) and ROS/ASK1/JNK signal path- way protein. Results.The rats in the control group showed normal liver tissue structure. In HCC group, necrosis of some hepatocytes and focal nodular hyperplasia were observed, body weight, Bax, cleaved-Caspase-3, ROS, p- ASK1/ASK1, and p-JNK/JNK level in HCC group were obviously lower than those in the control group (P < 0.05), but liver weight, liver weight ratio, ALT, AST, ALP, LDH contents, IL-6, TNF-, CCL-2 contents, SOD, GR, GPx, CAT contents, and Bcl-2 protein level were obviously higher (P < 0.05). Hepatocyte necrosis and focal nodular hyperplasia in Pris group were improved, and body weight, Bax, cleaved-Caspase-3, ROS, p-ASK1/ ASK1, and p-JNK/JNK level in Pris group were obviously higher than those in HCC group (P<0.05), liver weight, liver weight ratio, ALT, AST, ALP, LDH contents, IL-6, TNF-, CCL-2 contents, SOD, GR, GPx, CAT con- tents, and Bcl-2 protein level were obviously lower (P<0.05). The opposite trend was observed in Vaccarin group, Vaccarin reversed the anticancer effect of Pris on HCC rats. Conclusion.Pris may play a certain role in inhibiting HCC rats by activating ROS/ASK1/JNK signal pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antimony sulfide (Sb2S3) has excellent stability and a suitable bandgap for top cell materials in tandem solar cells, attracting intense attention for application in solar cells. However, the complex and unconventional deep-level defects in the quasi-one-dimensional crystal structure of Sb2S3 cause non-radiative recombination, leading to a large open-circuit voltage deficit (VOCD) and posing a significant challenge to improving power conversion efficiency (PCE). This study developed a sulfurization approach at a negative-pressure atmosphere of sulfur (S) for Sb2S3 films. The method could compensate for the S loss in the annealing of Sb2S3 films, transferring them into S-rich states and reducing recombination losses associated with a sulfur vacancy (VS). Simultaneously, the annealing process induced Sb2S3 crystallization with preferential [hk1] orientation, benefiting carrier transport. The reduced deep-level defect and optimized microcrystal orientation enabled a record open-circuit voltage (VOC) of 805 mV in Sb2S3 solar cells. Therefore, this study provided a convenient approach for passivating point defects in metal chalcogenide films and improving VOC in solar cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]