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The effect of crystallization conditions on the morphology, particle size and dispersibility of 2,6-diamino-3,5-dinitropyrazine-1-oxide (LLM-105) was investigated by solvent-nonsolvent method, and nano-LLM-105 was successfully prepared and used as a surfactant after modification with stearic acid. A spherical core-shell composites of CL-20@LLM-105 was prepared by Pickering emulsion method. The morphology, crystal structure, and thermal decomposition properties were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), powder X-ray diffractometry (XRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) tested for impact and friction sensibility. The results showed that the prepared composites had a particle size of 50–100 μm, a spherical core-shell structure, and nano-LLM-105 was encapsulated on its surface. The peak thermal decomposition temperature of the composites was 252.7 ℃, which was 9.4 ℃ higher than that of the raw material CL-20. Compared with the CL-20/LLM-105 mixture with the same ratio, the characteristic drop height (H 50) of the CL-20@LLM-spherical compoe-shell site was increased by 13 cm, and the explosion probability (P) was reduced by 43%. The spherical core-shell composites prepared by this method is characterized by high energy and excellent mechanical sensibility, which is expected to provide new ideas for the design of explosive formulations containing CL-20 and nanoenergy-containing materials in the direction of high safety and high energy. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been reported to be biological regulators in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). DLG1 antisense RNA 1 (DLG1-AS1) has been found to be up-regulated in cervical cancer. However, its function and underlying mechanism in HCC remains unknown. Methods: DLG1-AS1 expression was assessed in HCC cells and normal cell by RT-qPCR. Luciferase reporter assay, RNA pull down assay and RIP assay were used to demonstrate the interaction between DLG1-AS1 and miR-497-5p. Results: DLG1-AS1 was highly expressed in HCC cells. Silencing of DLG1-AS1 led to the inhibition of HCC cell growth and migration. Besides, MYC induced the transcriptional activation of DLG1-AS1. MYC could facilitate HCC cellular processes by up-regulating DLG1-AS1. MiR-497-5p could interact with DLG1-AS1 in HCC cells. Down-regulation of miR-497-5p could reverse the impacts of DLG1-AS1 silencing on HCC cells. SSRP1 expression could be positively regulated by DLG1-AS1 but was negatively regulated by miR-497-5p. Knockdown of DLG1-AS1 suppressed tumor growth in nude mice. Conclusions: DLG1-AS1 is activated by MYC and functions as an oncogene in HCC via miR-497-5p/SSRP1 axis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Upconversion nanocrystals convert infrared radiation to visible luminescence, and are promising for applications in biodetection, bioimaging, solar cells and three-dimensional display technologies. Although the design of suitable nanocrystals has improved the performance of upconversion nanocrystals, their emission brightness is limited by the low doping concentration of activator ions needed to avoid the luminescence quenching that occurs at high concentrations. Here, we demonstrate that high excitation irradiance can alleviate concentration quenching in upconversion luminescence when combined with higher activator concentration, which can be increased from 0.5 mol% to 8 mol% Tm3+ in NaYF4. This leads to significantly enhanced luminescence signals, by up to a factor of 70. By using such bright nanocrystals, we demonstrate remote tracking of a single nanocrystal with a microstructured optical-fibre dip sensor. This represents a sensitivity improvement of three orders of magnitude over benchmark nanocrystals such as quantum dots. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mucosal epithelial surfaces, such as line the oral cavity, are common sites of microbial colonization by bacteria, yeast and fungi. The microbial interactions involve adherence between the glycans on the host cells and the carbohydrate-binding proteins of the pathogen. Saliva constantly bathes the buccal cells of the epithelial surface of the mouth and we postulate that the sugars on the salivary glycoproteins provide an innate host immune mechanism against infection by competitively inhibiting pathogen binding to the cell membranes. The structures of the N- and O-linked oligosaccharides on the glycoproteins of saliva and buccal cell membranes were analyzed using capillary carbon liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization MS/MS. The 190 glycan structures that were characterized were qualitatively similar, but differed quantitatively, between saliva and epithelial buccal cell membrane proteins. The similar relative abundance of the terminal glycan epitope structures (e.g. ABO(H) blood group, sialylation and Lewis-type antigens) on saliva and buccal cell membrane glycoproteins indicated that the terminal N- and O-linked glycan substructures in saliva could be acting as decoy-binding receptors to competitively inhibit the attachment of pathogens to the surface of the oral mucosa. A flow cytometry-based binding assay quantified the interaction between buccal cells and the commensal oral pathogen Candida albicans. Whole saliva and released glycans from salivary proteins inhibited the interaction of C. albicans with buccal epithelial cells, confirming the protective role of the glycans on salivary glycoproteins against pathogen infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cancer phototherapy is a method that uses NIR light to achieve noninvasive tumor treatment and usually includes photothermal therapy (PTT), photodynamic therapy (PDT) and light controlled drug release. Niko Hildebrandt et al. prepared NIR-II-emitting ultrasmall gold nanoclusters encapsulated polymer nanoparticles to accomplish 3.8 × 10 SP 6 sp M SP -1 sp cm SP -1 sp of brightnesses (see article 2201474). In this special issue, 5 research articles about tumor phototherapy are prominently displayed, including bismuth-based nanoparticles (Chuanbin Mao et al., see article 2201482), manganese-silicon nanocomposite (Jun Lin et al., see article 2202022), metal-organic frameworks (Yanli Zhao et al., see article 2201043), upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) (Chunxia Li et al., see article 2202060) and copper peroxide nanomaterials (Ping'an Ma et al., see article 2202040). [Extracted from the article]

Inactivating hyperactivated transcription factors can overcome tumor therapy resistance, but their undruggable features limit the development of conventional inhibitors. Here, we report that carbon‐centered free radicals (R⋅) can inactivate NF‐κB transcription by capping the active sites in both NF‐κB and DNA. We construct a type of thermosensitive R⋅ initiator loaded amphiphilic nano‐micelles to facilitate intracellular delivery of R⋅. At a temperature of 43 °C, the generated R⋅ engage in electrophilic radical addition towards double bonds in nucleotide bases, and simultaneously cap the sulfhydryl residues in NF‐κB through radical chain reaction. As a result, both NF‐κB nuclear translocation and NF‐κB‐DNA binding are suppressed, leading to a remarkable NF‐κB inhibition of up to 94.1 %. We have further applied R⋅ micelles in a clinical radiofrequency ablation tumor therapy model, showing remarkable NF‐κB inactivation and consequently tumor metastasis inhibition. Radical capping strategy not only provides a method to solve the heat‐sink effect in clinic tumor hyperthermia, but also suggests a new perspective for controllable modification of biomacromolecules in cancer therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inactivating hyperactivated transcription factors can overcome tumor therapy resistance, but their undruggable features limit the development of conventional inhibitors. Here, we report that carbon‐centered free radicals (R⋅) can inactivate NF‐κB transcription by capping the active sites in both NF‐κB and DNA. We construct a type of thermosensitive R⋅ initiator loaded amphiphilic nano‐micelles to facilitate intracellular delivery of R⋅. At a temperature of 43 °C, the generated R⋅ engage in electrophilic radical addition towards double bonds in nucleotide bases, and simultaneously cap the sulfhydryl residues in NF‐κB through radical chain reaction. As a result, both NF‐κB nuclear translocation and NF‐κB‐DNA binding are suppressed, leading to a remarkable NF‐κB inhibition of up to 94.1 %. We have further applied R⋅ micelles in a clinical radiofrequency ablation tumor therapy model, showing remarkable NF‐κB inactivation and consequently tumor metastasis inhibition. Radical capping strategy not only provides a method to solve the heat‐sink effect in clinic tumor hyperthermia, but also suggests a new perspective for controllable modification of biomacromolecules in cancer therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Physical approaches based on irradiation provide advances for the prevention and treatment of viral infections, while recognizing that certain chemical inactivation techniques demonstrate significant effectiveness alongside physical methods. By generating resonant vibrations of complete virus particles, which are in the GHz range and quite high compared to that of human cells, viruses can be inactivated. Therefore, exposure to ultrasound waves or non-thermal microwaves with a suitable resonant frequency oscillating electric field holds the potential to neutralize the virus particle with no damage to human. The deactivation mechanism could be a result of the mechanical effect or oxidation stress, and in this article, we discuss the elucidation of these effects on the virus' structure. We also explore the current state and future prospects of the anti-viral methods based on acoustic cavitation via ultrasound and non-thermal microwave, addressing critical needs in virology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The triple‐network model has been widely applied in neuropsychiatric disorders including autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, the mechanism of causal regulations within the triple‐network and their relations with symptoms of ASD remains unclear. 81 male ASD and 80 well matched typically developing control (TDC) were included in this study, recruited from Autism Brain Image Data Exchange‐I datasets. Spatial reference‐based independent component analysis was used to identify the anterior and posterior part of default‐mode network (aDMN and pDMN), salience network (SN), and bilateral executive‐control network (ECN) from resting‐state functional magnetic resonance imaging data. Spectral dynamic causal model and parametric empirical Bayes with Bayesian model reduction/average were adopted to explore the effective connectivity (EC) within triple‐network and the relationship between EC and autism diagnostic observation schedule (ADOS) scores. After adjusting for age and site effect, ASD and TDC groups both showed inhibition patterns. Compared with TDC, ASD group showed weaker self‐inhibition in aDMN and pDMN, stronger inhibition in pDMN→aDMN, weaker inhibition in aDMN→LECN, pDMN→SN, LECN→SN, and LECN→RECN. Furthermore, negative relationships between ADOS scores and pDMN self‐inhibition strength, as well as with the EC of pDMN→aDMN were observed in ASD group. The present study reveals imbalanced effective connections within triple‐networks in ASD children. More attentions should be focused at the pDMN, which modulates the core symptoms of ASD and may serve as an important region for ASD diagnosis and the target region for ASD treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cell cycle synchronisation is the process of isolating cell populations at specific phases of the cell cycle from heterogeneous, asynchronous cell cultures. The process has important implications in targeted gene-editing and drug efficacy of cells and in studying cell cycle events and regulatory mechanisms involved in the cell cycle progression of multiple cell species. Ideally, cell cycle synchrony techniques should be applicable for all cell types, maintain synchrony across multiple cell cycle events, maintain cell viability and be robust against metabolic and physiological perturbations. In this review, we categorize cell cycle synchronisation approaches and discuss their operational principles and performance efficiencies. We highlight the advances and technological development trends from conventional methods to the more recent microfluidics-based systems. Furthermore, we discuss the opportunities and challenges for implementing high throughput cell synchronisation and provide future perspectives on synchronisation platforms, specifically hybrid cell synchrony modalities, to allow the highest level of phase-specific synchrony possible with minimal alterations in diverse types of cell cultures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Magnetic tweezers are crucial for single-molecule and atomic characterization and biomedical isolation of microparticle carriers. The trapping component of magnetic tweezing can be reliant on a magnetic potential well that can confine the relevant species to a localized region. Here, we report that magnetic microparticles with tailored anisotropy can transition from localized off-axis gyration to large-area locomotion in a rotating magnetic trap. The microparticles, consisting of assemblies of magnetic cores, are observed to either rotate about its structural geometric center or gyrate about one of the magnetic cores and the switching of which can be modulated by the external field. Raising the magnetic field strength above a threshold, the particles can go beyond the traditional synchronous-rotation and asynchronous-oscillation modes and into a scenario of large-area circular motion. This results in peculiar retrograde locomotion related to the magnetization maxima of the microparticle. Our finding suggests the important role of the microparticle's magnetic morphology in the controlled transport of microparticles and developing smart micro-actuators and micro-robot devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate measurement of ultraviolet radiation is key to many technologies including wearable devices for skin cancer prevention, optical communication systems, and missile launch detection. Nanostructuring of wide bandgap semiconductors, such as GaN, ZnO, and SiC, promises some benefits over established commercial solutions relying on n–p type Si‐homojunction technology. In the past decade, a variety of carefully nanostructured architectures have been demonstrated as efficient designs for visible‐blind UV photodetectors featuring superior detectivity, thermal stability, robust radiation hardness, and very low operation bias and power consumption. Here, a comprehensive review of the latest achievements on ultraviolet photodetector materials is presented, with focus on the multiscale engineering of composition and nano‐microscale morphology. The review concludes with a critical assessment and comparison of state‐of‐the‐art devices aiming to provide guidelines and research directions for the next generation of UV photodetector materials. The latest achievements on ultraviolet photodetector materials are reviewed with focus on the multiscale engineering of composition and nano‐microscale morphology. Then the rapidly emerging trends and promising strategies are discussed for overcoming remaining issues for the engineering of the next generation of miniaturized wide‐bandgap semiconductor UV photodetectors for wearable and easily deployable devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Upconverting stimulated emission depletion microscopy (U‐STED) is emerging as an effective approach for super‐resolution imaging due to its significantly low depletion power and its ability to surpass the limitations of the square‐root law and achieve higher resolution. Though the compelling performance, a trade‐off between the spatial resolution and imaging quality in U‐STED has been recognized in restricting the usability due to the low excitation power drove high depletion efficiency. Moreover, it is a burden to search for the right power relying on trial and error as the underpinning mechanism is unknown. Here, a method is proposed that can easily predict the ideal excitation power for high depletion efficiency with the assistance of the non‐saturate excitation based on the dynamic cross‐relaxation (CR) energy transfer of upconversion nanoparticles. This allows the authors to employ the rate equation model to simulate the populations of each relevant energy state of lanthanides and predict the ideal excitation power for high depletion efficiency. The authors demonstrate that the resolution of STED with the assistance of nonsaturated confocal super‐resolution results can easily achieve the highest resolution of sub‐40 nm, 1/24th of the excitation wavelengths. The finding on the CR effect provides opportunities for population control in realizing low‐power high‐resolution nanoscopy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Preeclampsia is a heterogeneous and multiorgan cardiovascular disorder of pregnancy. Here, we report the development of a novel strip‐based lateral flow assay (LFA) using lanthanide‐doped upconversion nanoparticles conjugated to antibodies targeting two different biomarkers for detection of preeclampsia. We first measured circulating plasma FKBPL and CD44 protein concentrations from individuals with early‐onset preeclampsia (EOPE), using ELISA. We confirmed that the CD44/FKBPL ratio is reduced in EOPE with a good diagnostic potential. Using our rapid LFA prototypes, we achieved an improved lower limit of detection: 10 pg ml−1 for FKBPL and 15 pg ml−1 for CD44, which is more than one order lower than the standard ELISA method. Using clinical samples, a cut‐off value of 1.24 for CD44/FKBPL ratio provided positive predictive value of 100 % and the negative predictive value of 91 %. Our LFA shows promise as a rapid and highly sensitive point‐of‐care test for preeclampsia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Preeclampsia is a heterogeneous and multiorgan cardiovascular disorder of pregnancy. Here, we report the development of a novel strip‐based lateral flow assay (LFA) using lanthanide‐doped upconversion nanoparticles conjugated to antibodies targeting two different biomarkers for detection of preeclampsia. We first measured circulating plasma FKBPL and CD44 protein concentrations from individuals with early‐onset preeclampsia (EOPE), using ELISA. We confirmed that the CD44/FKBPL ratio is reduced in EOPE with a good diagnostic potential. Using our rapid LFA prototypes, we achieved an improved lower limit of detection: 10 pg ml−1 for FKBPL and 15 pg ml−1 for CD44, which is more than one order lower than the standard ELISA method. Using clinical samples, a cut‐off value of 1.24 for CD44/FKBPL ratio provided positive predictive value of 100 % and the negative predictive value of 91 %. Our LFA shows promise as a rapid and highly sensitive point‐of‐care test for preeclampsia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multicellular spheroids and organoids are promising in vitro 3D models in personalized medicine and drug screening. They replicate the structural and functional characteristics of human organs in vivo. Microfluidic technology and micro‐nano fabrication can fulfill the high requirement of the engineering approach in the growing research interest in spheroids and organoids. In this review, spheroids and organoids are comparatively introduced. Then it is illustrated how spheroids‐ and organoids‐on‐a‐chip technology facilitates their establishment, expansion, and application through spatial‐temporal control, mechanical cues modeling, high‐throughput analysis, co‐culture, multi‐tissue interactions, biosensing, and bioimaging integration. The potential opportunities and challenges in developing spheroids‐ and organoids‐on‐a‐chip technology are finally outlooked. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fluorescence polarization is related to the dipole orientation of chromophores, making fluorescence polarization microscopy possible to reveal structures and functions of tagged cellular organelles and biological macromolecules. Several recent super resolution techniques have been applied to fluorescence polarization microscopy, achieving dipole measurement at nanoscale. In this review, we summarize both diffraction limited and super resolution fluorescence polarization microscopy techniques, as well as their applications in biological imaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a result of errors during figure assembly, incorrect data is displayed in the following panels: Figure 6C PPI (G4) with CHO, both images; Figure 6C GA-PPI-4 with CHO, both images; Figure 6C PPI(G4) with HepG2, both images; Figure 6C GA-PPI-5 with HepG2, upper image; Figure S8A 24 h after gene transfection image; Figure S10 PPI(G4) N/P 10, left image; Figure S10 GA-PPI-4 N/P 10, left image. The corrected Figure 6C, Figure S8A and Figure S10 appear below, as Figure 1, 2, and 3. [Extracted from the article]

Without chewing, the fresh popcorn dissolves immediately upon being put in the mouth. Such good taste decay dramatically with increasing the exposure time in air, especially in humid air. However, the involving mechanism of the saliva wetting the popcorn remains unclear. Here, it is revealed that the ultra‐fast wetting property of the fresh popcorn is the key for its good taste. For the fresh popcorn, the unique 3D throughout micro‐porous structure facilitates capillary flows both in‐plane and off‐plane at micro‐/nano‐ scale, and the water‐soluble crystalized starch further prompts the water spreading, which cooperatively leads to an immediate structural collapse. The unique ultra‐fast wetting of the fresh popcorn is therefore featured as the wetting with dissolving. After cooling down, the crystalized starch changes gradually into an insoluble amorphous state by absorbing water molecule, as is confirmed by the in situ XRD and infrared spectroscopy. As a result, the ultra‐fast wetting decays drastically with prolonging the in‐air exposure time, as well as the taste, which makes immediate cooking vital for the good taste. It is demonstrated that heating can partially restore the ultra‐fast wetting. It is envisioned that the result will inspire the innovative micro‐fabrication of various starch food by engineering the starch crystalline structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustained signal activation by hydroxyl radicals (⋅OH) has great significance, especially for tumor treatment, but remains challenging. Here, a built‐in electric field (BIEF)‐driven strategy was proposed for sustainable generation of ⋅OH, thereby achieving long‐lasting chemodynamic therapy (LCDT). As a proof of concept, a novel Janus‐like Fe@Fe3O4−Cu2O heterogeneous catalyst was designed and synthesized, in which the BIEF induced the transfer of electrons in the Fe core to the surface, reducing ≡Cu2+ to ≡Cu+, thus achieving continuous Fenton‐like reactions and ⋅OH release for over 18 h, which is approximately 12 times longer than that of Fe3O4−Cu2O and 72 times longer than that of Cu2O nanoparticles. In vitro and in vivo antitumor results indicated that sustained ⋅OH levels led to persistent extracellular regulated protein kinases (ERK) signal activation and irreparable oxidative damage to tumor cells, which promoted irreversible tumor apoptosis. Importantly, this strategy provides ideas for developing long‐acting nanoplatforms for various applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustained signal activation by hydroxyl radicals (⋅OH) has great significance, especially for tumor treatment, but remains challenging. Here, a built‐in electric field (BIEF)‐driven strategy was proposed for sustainable generation of ⋅OH, thereby achieving long‐lasting chemodynamic therapy (LCDT). As a proof of concept, a novel Janus‐like Fe@Fe3O4−Cu2O heterogeneous catalyst was designed and synthesized, in which the BIEF induced the transfer of electrons in the Fe core to the surface, reducing ≡Cu2+ to ≡Cu+, thus achieving continuous Fenton‐like reactions and ⋅OH release for over 18 h, which is approximately 12 times longer than that of Fe3O4−Cu2O and 72 times longer than that of Cu2O nanoparticles. In vitro and in vivo antitumor results indicated that sustained ⋅OH levels led to persistent extracellular regulated protein kinases (ERK) signal activation and irreparable oxidative damage to tumor cells, which promoted irreversible tumor apoptosis. Importantly, this strategy provides ideas for developing long‐acting nanoplatforms for various applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Relatively low efficiency is the bottleneck for the application of lanthanide‐doped upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs). The high‐level doping strategy realized in recent years has not improved the efficiency as much as expected. It is argued that cross relaxation (CR) is not detrimental to upconversion. Here we combine theoretical simulation and spectroscopy to elucidate the role of CR in upconversion process of Er3+ highly doped (HD) UCNPs. It is found that if CR is purposively suppressed, upconversion efficiency can be significantly improved. Specifically, we demonstrate experimentally that inhibition of CR by introducing cryogenic environment (40 K) enhances upconversion emission by more than two orders of magnitude. This work not only elucidates the nature of CR and its non‐negligible adverse effects, but also provides a new perspective for improving upconversion efficiency. The result can be directly applied to cryogenic imaging and wide range temperature sensing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Relatively low efficiency is the bottleneck for the application of lanthanide‐doped upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs). The high‐level doping strategy realized in recent years has not improved the efficiency as much as expected. It is argued that cross relaxation (CR) is not detrimental to upconversion. Here we combine theoretical simulation and spectroscopy to elucidate the role of CR in upconversion process of Er3+ highly doped (HD) UCNPs. It is found that if CR is purposively suppressed, upconversion efficiency can be significantly improved. Specifically, we demonstrate experimentally that inhibition of CR by introducing cryogenic environment (40 K) enhances upconversion emission by more than two orders of magnitude. This work not only elucidates the nature of CR and its non‐negligible adverse effects, but also provides a new perspective for improving upconversion efficiency. The result can be directly applied to cryogenic imaging and wide range temperature sensing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Separation and enrichment of target cells prior to downstream analyses is an essential pre-treatment step in many biomedical and clinical assays. Separation techniques utilizing simple, cost-effective, and user-friendly devices are highly desirable, both in the lab and at the point of need. Passive microfluidic approaches, especially inertial microfluidics, fit this brief perfectly and are highly desired. Using an optimized additive manufacturing technique, we developed a zigzag microchannel for rigid inertial separation and enrichment, hereafter referred to as Z-RISE. We empirically showed that the Z-RISE device outperforms equivalent devices based on curvilinear (sinusoidal), asymmetric curvilinear, zigzag with round corners, or square-wave formats and modelled this behavior to gain a better understanding of the physics underpinning the improved focusing and separation performance. The comparison between rigid and soft zigzag microchannels reveals that channel rigidity significantly affects and enhances the focusing performance of the microchannel. Compared to other serpentine microchannels, zigzag microfluidics demonstrates superior separation and purity efficiency due to the sudden channel cross-section expansion at the corners. Within Z-RISE, particles are aligned in either double-side or single-line focusing positions. The transition of particles from a double-focusing line to a single focusing line introduced a new phenomenon referred to as the plus focusing position. We experimentally demonstrated that Z-RISE could enrich leukocytes and their subtypes from diluted and RBC lysed blood while depleting dead cells, debris, and RBCs. Z-RISE was also shown to yield outstanding particle or cell concentration with a concentration efficiency of more than 99.99%. Our data support the great potential of Z-RISE for applications that involve particle and cell manipulations and pave the way for commercialization perspective in the near future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lanthanide-doped upconversion nanocrystals enable anti-Stokes emission with pump intensities several orders of magnitude lower than required by conventional nonlinear optical techniques. Their exceptional properties, namely large anti-Stokes shifts, sharp emission spectra and long excited-state lifetimes, have led to a diversity of applications. Here, we review upconversion nanocrystals from the perspective of fundamental concepts and examine the technical challenges in relation to emission colour tuning and luminescence enhancement. In particular, we highlight the advances in functionalization strategies that enable the broad utility of upconversion nanocrystals for multimodal imaging, cancer therapy, volumetric displays and photonics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patients with advanced pancreatic cancer (PC) need a cost-effective treatment regimen. The present study was designed to compare the efficacy and safety of nab-paclitaxel plus S-1 (AS) and gemcitabine plus S-1 (GS) regimens in patients with chemotherapy-naïve advanced PC. In this open-label, multicenter, randomized study named AvGmPC, eligible patients with chemotherapy-naïve advanced PC were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive AS (125 mg/m2 nab-paclitaxel, days 1 and 8; 80–120 mg S-1, days 1–14) or GS (1,000 mg/m2 gemcitabine, days 1 and 8; 80–120 mg S-1, days 1–14). The treatment was administered every 3 weeks until intolerable toxicity or disease progression occurred. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS). Between December 2018 and March 2022, 101 of 106 randomized patients were treated and evaluated for analysis (AS, n=49; GS, n=52). As of the data cutoff, the median follow-up time was 11.37 months [95% confidence interval (CI), 9.31–13.24]. The median PFS was 7.16 months (95% CI, 5.19–12.32) for patients treated with AS and 6.41 months (95% CI, 3.72–8.84) for patients treated with GS (HR=0.78; 95% CI, 0.51–1.21; P=0.264). The AS regimen showed a slightly improved overall survival (OS; 13.27 vs. 10.64 months) and a significantly improved ORR (44.90 vs. 15.38%; P=0.001) compared with the GS regimen. In the subgroup analyses, PFS and OS benefits were observed in patients treated with the AS regimen who had KRAS gene mutations and high C-reactive protein (CRP) levels (≥5 mg/l). The most common grade ≥3 adverse events were neutropenia, anemia and alopecia in the two groups. Thrombocytopenia occurred more frequently in the GS group than in the AS group. While the study did not meet the primary endpoint, the response benefit observed for AS may be suggestive of meaningful clinical activity in this population. In particular, promising survival benefits were observed in the subsets of patients with KRAS gene mutations and high CRP levels, which is encouraging and warrants further investigation. This trial was retrospectively registered as ChiCTR1900024588 on July 18, 2019. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mammary tumor organoids have become a promising in vitro model for drug screening and personalized medicine. However, the dependency on the basement membrane extract (BME) as the growth matrices limits their comprehensive application. In this work, mouse mammary tumor organoids are established by encapsulating tumor pieces in non‐adhesive alginate. High‐throughput generation of organoids in alginate microbeads is achieved utilizing microfluidic droplet technology. Tumor pieces within the alginate microbeads developed both luminal‐ and solid‐like structures and displayed a high similarity to the original fresh tumor in cellular phenotypes and lineages. The mechanical forces of the luminal organoids in the alginate capsules are analyzed with the theory of the thick‐wall pressure vessel (TWPV) model. The luminal pressure of the organoids increase with the lumen growth and can reach 2 kPa after two weeks' culture. Finally, the mammary tumor organoids are treated with doxorubicin and latrunculin A to evaluate their application as a drug screening platform. It is found that the drug response is related to the luminal size and pressures of organoids. This high‐throughput culture for mammary tumor organoids may present a promising tool for preclinical drug target validation and personalized medicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objectives of this study were to assess the toxicity and immunological response induced by the intra-dermal (i.d.) administration of MUC1-peptide-pulsed dendritic cells (DCs) in advanced pancreatic cancer patients. Patients with recurrent lesions or metastasis after surgery, and immunohistochemistry positive for MUC1 were treated in cohorts that received 3-6 × 10 DCs i.d. for three or four vaccines. Each vaccine was composed of autologus DCs pulsed with MUC1-peptide. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) that harvested 2 weeks after the second immunization were compared with PBMCs obtained before treatment for immunological response. Serial ELISPOT assays of PBMCs for antitumor reactivity were performed. Three patients received all four vaccines, and four patients received three vaccines. These patients were evaluable for toxicity and immunological monitoring. There were no grade 3 or 4 toxicities associated with the vaccines or major evidence of autoimmunity. Interferon-γ and granzyme B ELISPOT assay reactivity increased significantly in 2 of 7 patients ( P < 0.05). The administration of MUC1-peptide-pulsed DCs is non-toxic and capable of inducing immunological response to tumor antigen MUC1 in advanced pancreatic cancer patients. Additional studies are necessary to improve tumor rejection responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the increasing plant area of welsh onion, onion and Chinese onion, the damage of Thrips tabaci in Yanji City is aggravating day by day. Through preliminary investigation and literature reading, we summarized occurrence status, morphological characteristics, damage characteristics, occurrence regularity, living habit, outbreak cause and integrated control technology of T. tabaci in Yanji City, in order to control the hazard of T. tabaci effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), a type of pervasive genes that regulates various biological processes, are differentially expressed in different types of malignant tumors. The role of lncRNAs in the carcinogenesis of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains unclear. Here, we investigated the role of the lncRNA DKFZp434J0226 in PDAC. Methods: Aberrantly expressed mRNAs and lncRNAs among six PDAC and paired non-tumorous tissues were profiled using microarray analysis. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction was used to evaluate DKFZp434J0226 expression in PDAC tissues. CCK-8 assay, wound-healing assay, soft agar colony formation assay, and transwell assay were performed to assess the invasiveness and proliferation of PDAC cells. Furthermore, RNA pull-down, immunofluorescence, RNA immunoprecipitation, and western blotting assays were performed to investigate the association between DKFZp434J0226 and SF3B6. Tumor xenografts in mice were used to test for tumor formation in vivo. Results: In our study, 222 mRNAs and 128 lncRNAs were aberrantly expressed (≥ twofold change). Of these, 66 mRNAs and 53 lncRNAs were upregulated, while 75 lncRNAs and 156 mRNAs were downregulated. KEGG pathway analysis and the Gene ontology category indicated that these genes were associated with the regulation of mRNA alternative splicing and metabolic balance. Clinical analyses revealed that overexpression of DKFZp434J0226 was associated with worse tumor grading, frequent perineural invasion, advanced tumor-node-metastasis stage, and decreased overall survival and time to progression. Functional assays demonstrated that DKFZp434J0226 promoted PDAC cell migration, invasion, and growth in vitro and accelerated tumor proliferation in vivo. Mechanistically, DKFZp434J0226 interacted with the splicing factor SF3B6 and promoted its phosphorylation, which further regulated the alternative splicing of pre-mRNA. Conclusions: This study indicates that DKFZp434J0226 regulates alternative splicing through phosphorylation of SF3B6 in PDAC and leads to an oncogenic phenotype in PDAC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Light sheet fluorescence microscopy provides optical sectioning and is widely used in volumetric imaging of large specimens. However, the axial resolution and the lateral Field of View (FoV) of the system, defined by the light sheet, typically limit each other due to the spatial band product of the excitation objective. Here, we develop a simple multi-focus scheme to extend the FoV, where a Gaussian light sheet can be focused at three or more consecutive positions. Axially overlapped multiple light sheets significantly enlarge the FoV with improved uniformity and negligible loss in axial resolution. By measuring the point spread function of fluorescent beads, we demonstrated that the obtained light sheet has a FoV of 450 μm and a maximum axial FWHM of 7.5 μm. Compared with the conventional single-focus one, the multi-focus Gaussian light sheet displays a significantly improved optical sectioning ability over the full FoV when imaging cells and zebrafish. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At the organic–inorganic interface of nanocrystals, electron‐phonon coupling plays an important but intricate role in determining the diverse properties of nanomaterials. Here, it is reported that highly doping of Yb3+ ions within the nanocrystal host can form an energy‐migration network. The networking state Yb3+ shows both distinct Stark splitting peak ratios and lifetime dynamics, which allows quantitative investigations of quenching and thermal activation of luminescence, as the high‐dimensional spectroscopy signatures can be correlated to the attaching and de‐attaching status of surface molecules. By in‐situ surface characterizations, it is proved that the Yb‐O coordination associated with coordinated water molecules has significantly contributed to this reversible effect. Moreover, using this approach, the prime quencher OH can be switched to CH in the wet‐chemistry annealing process, resulting in the electron‐phonon coupling probability change. This study provides the molecular level insights and dynamics of the surface dark layer of luminescent nanocrystals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At the organic–inorganic interface of nanocrystals, electron‐phonon coupling plays an important but intricate role in determining the diverse properties of nanomaterials. Here, it is reported that highly doping of Yb3+ ions within the nanocrystal host can form an energy‐migration network. The networking state Yb3+ shows both distinct Stark splitting peak ratios and lifetime dynamics, which allows quantitative investigations of quenching and thermal activation of luminescence, as the high‐dimensional spectroscopy signatures can be correlated to the attaching and de‐attaching status of surface molecules. By in‐situ surface characterizations, it is proved that the Yb‐O coordination associated with coordinated water molecules has significantly contributed to this reversible effect. Moreover, using this approach, the prime quencher OH can be switched to CH in the wet‐chemistry annealing process, resulting in the electron‐phonon coupling probability change. This study provides the molecular level insights and dynamics of the surface dark layer of luminescent nanocrystals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article titled "Retraction Note: One-step Conjugation of Glycyrrhetinic Acid to Cationic Polymers for High-performance Gene Delivery to Cultured Liver Cell" has been retracted by the editors of Scientific Reports. The authors of the study were unable to provide the original data for some of the experiments, leading to concerns about the reliability of the data and the conclusions of the study. All authors agree with the retraction. [Extracted from the article]

Background: Inflammatory factors and fasting blood glucose were verified to be associated with the prognosis of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. The goal of this study is to confirm the prognostic role of preoperative blood glucose to lymphocyte ratio for patients with resected pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Methods: A total of 259 pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma patients were enrolled and randomly divided into training cohort and validation cohort. The training cohort was used to generate an optimal cutoff value and the validation cohort was used to further validate the model. Results: A total of 259 patients were incorporated in this study and randomly divided into the training cohort (n = 130, 1/2 of 259) and the validation cohort (129, 1/2 of 259). The optimal cutoff value of glucose to lymphocyte ratio was calculated to be 3.47 for overall survival. Cox regression analysis found that preoperative blood glucose to lymphocyte ratio was independent risk factor (p = 0.040) for overall survival. Prognostic values of glucose to lymphocyte ratio on overall survival were observed in younger male patients with pancreatic body and tail cancer, American Joint Committee on Cancer 8th N1 stage, without microvascular and peripancreatic fat invasion, and Carbohydrate antigen 19–9 higher than 200 U/ml. A prognostic prediction model of overall survival was designed and presented in nomogram. Conclusion: Preoperative blood glucose to lymphocyte ratio is an independent biomarker to predict the overall survival for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma patients who underwent curative resection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polymer microspheres can be fluorescently-coded for multiplexing molecular analysis, but their usage has been limited by fluorescent quenching and bleaching and crowded spectral domain with issues of cross-talks and background interference. Each bioassay step of mixing and separation of analytes and reagents require off-line particle handling procedures. Here, we report that stray magnetic fields can code and decode a collection of hierarchically-assembled beads. By the microfluidic assembling of mesoscopic superparamagnetic cores, diverse and non-volatile stray magnetic field response can be built in the series of microscopic spheres, dumbbells, pears, chains and triangles. Remarkably, the set of stray magnetic field fingerprints are readily discerned by a compact giant magnetoresistance sensor for parallelised screening of multiple distinctive pathogenic DNAs. This opens up the magneto-multiplexing opportunity and could enable streamlined assays to incorporate magneto-mixing, washing, enrichment and separation of analytes. This strategy therefore suggests a potential point-of-care testing solution for efficient kinetic assays. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of fluorescent sensors based on lanthanide-doped luminescent nanoparticles has increased their application in biomarker detection. Lanthanide-doped upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) have been explored as one of the most promising sensors owing to their merits such as excellent photostability, zero background auto-fluorescence, and reduced side effects of near-infrared triggered treatments. However, traditional upconversion luminescence assay based on direct Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) between the target molecules and surface of UCNPs encounters low detection accuracy due to superficial adsorption interactions. In this work, we use a molecularly imprinting technique to achieve the specific interaction between UCNPs and molecules for accurate sensing. We demonstrate this by synthesizing a nanostructure with a molecularly imprinted polymer at the surface of UCNPs, in which the imprinted cavities can specifically capture the target molecule of rhodamine B. The upconversion signal changes in relation to the molecule concentration due to FRET. Quantitative analysis shows that the fluorescence-quenching rate is consistent with the Stern–Volmer equation, resulting in a limit of detection of 6.27 μg mL−1. Our fluorescence sensing approach integrates the advantages of both nonlinear upconversion and molecular imprinting technologies, showing great potential for the detection of specific molecules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are membrane-bound vesicles secreted by most cell types and exist in virtually all bodily fluids. They carry on a wealth of proteomic and genetic information including proteins, lipids, miRNAs, mRNA, non-coding RNA and other molecules from parental cells. Increasing evidence shows that within populations of EVs, their biogenesis, physical characteristics (e.g. size, density, morphology) and cargos (e.g. protein, lipid content, nucleic acids) may vary substantially, which accordingly change their biological properties. To fully exploit the potential of EVs, it requires qualified methods to profile EV heterogeneity. In this review, we survey recent approaches for EV isolation with innovative discoveries in heterogeneity. The main challenges in EV heterogeneity research are identified, and the roles of single cell EV profiling and single EV imaging are highlighted. We further discuss promising opportunities for resolving the underlying complexity of EV heterogeneity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To comparatively evaluate the clinical outcomes of super‐mini percutaneous nephrolithotomy (SMP) and mini‐percutaneous nephrolithotomy (Miniperc) for treating urinary tract calculi of >2 cm. Patients and Methods: An international multicentre, retrospective cohort study was conducted at 20 tertiary care hospitals across five countries (China, the Philippines, Qatar, UK, and Kuwait) between April 2016 and May 2019. SMP and Miniperc were performed in 3525 patients with renal calculi with diameters of >2 cm. The primary endpoint was the stone‐free rate (SFR). The secondary outcomes included: blood loss, operating time, postoperative pain scores, auxiliary procedures, complications, tubeless rate, and hospital stay. Propensity score matching analysis was used to balance the selection bias between the two groups. Results: In all, 2012 and 1513 patients underwent SMP and Miniperc, respectively. After matching, 1380 patients from each group were included for further analysis. Overall, there was no significant difference in the mean operating time or SFR between the two groups. However, the hospital stay and postoperative pain score were significantly in favour of SMP (both P < 0.001). The tubeless rate was significantly higher in the SMP group (72.6% vs 57.8%, P < 0.001). Postoperative fever was much more common in the Miniperc group (12.0% vs 8.4%, P = 0.002). When the patients were further classified into three subgroups based on stones diameters (2–3, 3–4, and >4 cm). The advantages of SMP were most obvious in the 2–3 cm stone group and diminished as the size of the stone increased, with longer operating time in the latter two subgroups. Compared with Miniperc, the SFR of SMP was comparable for 3–4 cm stones, but lower for >4 cm stones. There was no statistical difference in blood transfusions and renal embolisations between the two groups. Conclusions: Our data showed that SMP is an ideal treatment option for stones of <4 cm and is more efficacious for stones of 2–3 cm, with lesser postoperative fever, blood loss, and pain compared to Miniperc. SMP was less effective for stones of >4 cm, with a prolonged operating time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Structured illumination microscopy (SIM) achieves doubled spatial resolution through exciting the specimen with high-contrast, high-frequency sinusoidal patterns. Such an illumination pattern can be generated by laser interference or incoherent structured patterns. Opto-electronic devices, such as a Spatial Light Modulator (SLM) or a Digital Micro-mirror Device (DMD), can provide rapid switch of illumination patterns for SIM. Although the DMD is much more cost-effective than the SLM, it was previously restricted in association with incoherent light sources, as its diffractive orders are related to the incident angle and the wavelength of coherent incidence. To extend its application with coherent illumination, here, we model the DMD as a blazed grating and simulate the effect with DMD pattern changes in the SIM. With careful analysis of the illumination contrast along different angles and phases, we report a fast, high-resolution, and cost-efficient SIM with DMD modulation. Our home-built laser interference-based DMD-SIM (LiDMD-SIM) reveals the nuclear pore complex and microtubule in mammalian cells with doubled spatial resolution. We further proposed the multi-color LiDMD-SIM concept by jointly employing the DMD ON/OFF states with different incident angles for different wavelengths, with high contrast and maximum resolution enhancement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inertial microfluidics has been broadly investigated, resulting in the development of various applications, mainly for particle or cell separation. Lateral migrations of these particles within a microchannel strictly depend on the channel design and its cross-section. Nonetheless, the fabrication of these microchannels is a continuous challenging issue for the microfluidic community, where the most studied channel cross-sections are limited to only rectangular and more recently trapezoidal microchannels. As a result, a huge amount of potential remains intact for other geometries with cross-sections difficult to fabricate with standard microfabrication techniques. In this study, by leveraging on benefits of additive manufacturing, we have proposed a new method for the fabrication of inertial microfluidic devices. In our proposed workflow, parts are first printed via a high-resolution DLP/SLA 3D printer and then bonded to a transparent PMMA sheet using a double-coated pressure-sensitive adhesive tape. Using this method, we have fabricated and tested a plethora of existing inertial microfluidic devices, whether in a single or multiplexed manner, such as straight, spiral, serpentine, curvilinear, and contraction-expansion arrays. Our characterizations using both particles and cells revealed that the produced chips could withstand a pressure up to 150 psi with minimum interference of the tape to the total functionality of the device and viability of cells. As a showcase of the versatility of our method, we have proposed a new spiral microchannel with right-angled triangular cross-section which is technically impossible to fabricate using the standard lithography. We are of the opinion that the method proposed in this study will open the door for more complex geometries with the bespoke passive internal flow. Furthermore, the proposed fabrication workflow can be adopted at the production level, enabling large-scale manufacturing of inertial microfluidic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multicellular tumor spheroids are attracting more attention as a physiologically relevant in vitro tumor model for biomedical research. The size of spheroids is one of the critical parameters related to drug penetration and cellular responses. It remains challenging to generate a large number of gradient-sized spheroids in one culture vessel. Here, a liquid-dome method was used to simultaneously produce more than 200 gradient-sized spheroids on an agarose chip. Surface tension effect was used to modulate the liquid spatial distribution and achieve a range of spheroid sizes. MCF-7 cells formed multiple spheroids on the chips for concept validation. It showed that different configurations of the liquid domes exhibited different levels of size control. Relative to the smallest spheroids in the configuration, hemispheric and square domes produced spheroids up to 3.4 and 12.8-fold larger in area, respectively. In addition, the co-culture of MCF-7 and fibroblasts helped to elucidate the tendency of fibroblasts towards the spheroid center. Other size-dependent behaviors were profiled; larger spheroids behaved differently from smaller spheroids in terms of spheroid growth, drug penetration and cellular responses. This method breaks the boundary between the preparation of gradient-sized spheroids and significant time/labour demand. It can be useful for drug screening and in vitro tumor modelling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains a refractory disease. Programmed cell death protein-1 (PD-1) monotherapy has shown strong performance in targeting several malignancies. However, the effect and mechanism of intrinsic PD-1 in pancreatic cancer cells is still unknown. In this study, associations between clinicopathological characteristics and stained tissue microarrays of PDAC specimens were analyzed along with profiling and functional analyses. The results showed that cell-intrinsic PD-1 was significantly correlated with overall survival (OS). Independently of adaptive immunity, intrinsic PD-1 promoted tumor growth in PDAC. Concomitantly, the overexpression of intrinsic PD-1 enhanced cancer proliferation and inhibited cell apoptosis in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, PD-1 binds to the downstream MOB1, thereby inhibiting its phosphorylation. Moreover, greater synergistic tumor suppression in vitro resulted from combining Hippo inhibitors with anti-PD-1 treatment compared with the suppression achieved by either single agent alone. Additionally, Hippo downstream targets, CYR61 (CCN1) and CTGF (CCN2), were directly affected by PD-1 mediated Hippo signaling activation in concert with survival outcomes. Finally, the formulated nomogram showed superior predictive accuracy for OS in comparison with the TNM stage alone. Therefore, PD-1 immunotherapy in combination with Hippo pathway inhibitors may optimize the anti-tumor efficacy in PDAC patients via targeting cell-intrinsic PD-1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mechanical force generation plays an essential role in many cellular functions, including mitosis. Actomyosin contractile forces mediate changes in cell shape in mitosis and are implicated in mitotic spindle integrity via cortical tension. An unbiased screen of 150 small molecules that impact actin organization and 32 anti-mitotic drugs identified two molecular targets, Rho kinase (ROCK) and tropomyosin 3.1/2 (Tpm3.1/2), whose inhibition has the greatest impact on mitotic cortical tension. The converse was found for compounds that depolymerize microtubules. Tpm3.1/2 forms a co-polymer with mitotic cortical actin filaments, and its inhibition prevents rescue of multipolar spindles induced by anti-microtubule chemotherapeutics. We examined the role of mitotic cortical tension in this rescue mechanism. Inhibition of ROCK and Tpm3.1/2 and knockdown (KD) of cortical nonmuscle myosin 2A (NM2A), all of which reduce cortical tension, inhibited rescue of multipolar mitotic spindles, further implicating cortical tension in the rescue mechanism. GEF-H1 released from microtubules by depolymerization increased cortical tension through the RhoA pathway, and its KD also inhibited rescue of multipolar mitotic spindles. We conclude that microtubule depolymerization by anti-cancer drugs induces cortical-tension-based rescue to ensure integrity of the mitotic bipolar spindle mediated via the RhoA pathway. Central to this mechanism is the dependence of NM2A on Tpm3.1/2 to produce the functional engagement of actin filaments responsible for cortical tension. • Rho kinase and tropomyosin Tpm3.1 are key determinants of mitotic cortical tension • Cortical tension mediates rescue of the bipolar spindle from microtubule asters • Agents that compromise mitotic cortical tension inhibit bipolar spindle rescue • Microtubule depolymerization releases active GEF-H1 to promote cortical tension Mitotic cortical tension is mediated by Rho kinase, Tpm3.1/actin filaments, nonmuscle myosin 2A, and GEF-H1. Wang et al. demonstrate that agents that compromise any one of these mediators collaborate with microtubule depolymerizers to promote microtubule aster formation and inhibit generation of a bipolar mitotic spindle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract In the present review, the near-infrared (700–1700 nm) emission mechanism, material design and the application of lanthanide-doped nanoconstructs for biomedical imaging are summarized. Highlights • The development history and the advantages of optical imaging are introduced. • The basic concepts, principles and the existing issues of the optical imaging are summarized. • An summary of breakthroughs in NIR lanthanide-doped nanoconstructs (LDNCs) imaging are given. • Emphasis is put on realizing NIR-based multimode imaging guided therapy. • The future directions, challenges and potential solutions of LDNCs NIR imaging are discussed. Abstract Lanthanide-doped nanoconstructs (LDNCs) have been widely studied in the biomedical field. Especially, LDNCs with near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence show great promise in biological imaging. The fluorescence in the NIR window (700–1700 nm) affords increased tissue penetration due to the reduced light absorption, photon scattering and autofluorescence. Actually, LDNCs with various lanthanide-dopings can emit ultraviolet (UV), visible (VIS) and NIR photons through upconversion (UC) and downconversion (DC) processes. Moreover, there are review papers introducing different aspects of bioimaging based on LDNCs. Nevertheless, there has not been a review that systematically summarizes NIR fluorescent LDNCs. Herein, we summarize the recent progress made on NIR fluorescence imaging by highlighting the increasingly developing trend of NIR emitting LDNCs. The NIR emission mechanism of LDNCs activated by different lanthanide ions was discussed in detail, and their advantages as NIR fluorescent probes will be systematically introduced. From the aspect of realizing multimodal imaging, the advances made by combining magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT) and so on with NIR optical imaging were summarized. Finally, we discuss the superiority of NIR-II (1000–1700 nm) emitting LDNCs when applied in biomedical imaging, with an emphasis on how to use them to realize imaging guided cancer therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The expression and function of the Receptor for Activated C Kinase 1 (RACK1) in cancer growth and metastasis are confused in different cancers, especially in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Methods: One-hundred and eighty-two PDAC tissue specimens (95 males and 87 females) including pancreatic cancer tissue and para-carcinoma tissue were collected for analysis between 2005 to 2012. Blood phenotypic parameters using cell count and capillary electrophoresis were investigated. HE staining, real time PCR, Western blot analysis, and soft agar assays were performed to determine the role of RACK1. Purpose: In this study, we aim to determine the specific role of RACK1 in the untility of PDAC. Results: We found that RACK1 expression was significantly lower in pancreatic cancer tissue than in para-carcinoma normal pancreatic tissue both in clinic and mice with pancreatic cancer at the early stage. Our results suggested that RACK1 silence could significantly promote cell growth and metastasis of pancreatic cancer cells. But we found that the overexpression of RACK1 has the opposite effect in vitro. In vivo MIAPaca-2 cells overexpressing RACK1, the results demonstrated lower metastatic ability than MIAPaca-2 cells. RACK1 overexpression could decrease the NF-κB transactivation activity of MIAPaca-2 cells, which was consistent with the inhibitory effect of RACK1 overexpression on the pro-migration and pro-invasive target gene of NF-κB, while which could be increased by RACK1 silence. RACK1 silence also enhanced protein expression of pro-migration and pro-invasive NF-κB target genes, which on the contrary, could be reversed by IκBα. Besides, RACK1 expression was significantly associated with lymph node metastasis, vessels metastasis, invasion of nerves as well as TNM staging. The 3-year survival rate of patients with high RACK1 expression was significantly higher than those patients with low RACK1 expression. However, RACK1 expression was not an independent risk factor for of the long-term postoperative survival of patients with pancreatic cancer. Conclusion: The obtained results in our study suggested that the low expression of RACK1 was associated with cancer cell growth and metastasis in pancreatic cancer through the activation of the NF-κB pathway. RACK1 could be a potential therapeutic drug target to pancreatic cancer and metastasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We develop a facile and rapid cation exchange method for upconversion nanocrystals (UCNCs) without removing surface ligands. It avoids the tedious pretreatment of as-synthesized UCNCs, and the luminescent intensities of nanocrystals after Tb3+ exchange using the new method are much stronger than those of the nanocrystals obtained using conventional cation exchange in water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A MEMS liquid crystal polymer (LCP), used in the membrane-based pressure sensor, has been found highly useful as a flow sensor. Here we conducted a set of elaborate experiments using an air flow generator to investigate the potential of our LCP flow sensor for sleep apnea therapy. Critical properties of the LCP flow sensor, including flow range, resolution (sensitivity), accuracy, and response time, have been systematically characterized. As a result, LCP flow sensor achieves a limit of detection of 8 LPM to measure flow rate, better than the commercial flow sensor (>10 LPM). Our LCP flow sensor shows a favourable response in a large flow range (8–160 LPM) with a sensitivity of detecting a linear voltage response of 0.004 V per 1 LPM flow rate. With minimum detectable flow, high sensitivity and resolution, we further demonstrated our LCP flow sensor for detecting human respiration. Moreover, using a two- dimensional simulation in COMSOL Multiphysics, we demonstrated the deformation of LCP membrane in response to different flow velocities which leads to resistance change in sensor’s strain gauge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Utilizing dynamic cross-relaxation energy transfer in upconversion nanoparticles, they successfully predict the ideal excitation power to optimize depletion efficiency, overcoming the limitations of low-power imaging. B Super-Resolution Imaging b In article number 2205990, Yongtao Liu, Jiajia Zhou, Dayong Jin, and co-workers propose a method for improving imaging quality of upconverting stimulated emission depletion microscopy. [Extracted from the article]