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Purpose: Gastric cancer (GC), one of the most prevalent and deadliest tumors worldwide, is often diagnosed at an advanced stage with limited treatment options and poor prognosis. The development of a CLDN18.2-targeted radioimmunotherapy probe is a potential treatment option for GC. Methods: The CLDN18.2 antibody TST001 (provided by Transcenta) was conjugated with DOTA and radiolabeled with the radioactive nuclide 177Lu. The specificity and targeting ability were evaluated by cell uptake, imaging and biodistribution experiments. In BGC823CLDN18.2/AGSCLDN18.2 mouse models, the efficacy of [177Lu]Lu-TST001 against CLDN18.2-expressing tumors was demonstrated, and toxicity was evaluated by H&E staining and blood sample testing. Results: [177Lu]Lu-TST001 was labeled with an 99.17%±0.32 radiochemical purity, an 18.50 ± 1.27 MBq/nmol specific activity and a stability of ≥ 94% after 7 days. It exhibited specific and high tumor uptake in CLDN18.2-positive xenografts of GC mouse models. Survival studies in BGC823CLDN18.2 and AGSCLDN18.2 tumor-bearing mouse models indicated that a low dose of 5.55 MBq and a high dose of 11.10 MBq [177Lu]Lu-TST001 significantly inhibited tumor growth compared to the saline control group, with the 11.1 MBq group showing better therapeutic efficacy. Histological staining with hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and Ki67 immunohistochemistry of residual tissues confirmed tumor tissue destruction and reduced tumor cell proliferation following treatment. H&E showed that there was no significant short-term toxicity observed in the heart, spleen, stomach or other important organs when treated with a high dose of [177Lu]Lu-TST001, and no apparent hematotoxicity or liver toxicity was observed. Conclusion: In preclinical studies, [177Lu]Lu-TST001 demonstrated significant antitumor efficacy with acceptable toxicity. It exhibits strong potential for clinical translation, providing a new promising treatment option for CLDN18.2-overexpressing tumors, including GC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dynamic covalent bonds (DCBs) have attracted huge interest in the past two decades, particularly in polymer materials, due to their reversibility. The introduction of DCBs into polymers often endows the polymers with unprecedented properties such as self‐healing, shape memory, enhanced mechanical strength, and stimuli responsiveness. Specifically, DCBs offer unique opportunities for self‐healing materials by enabling the spontaneous reformation of covalent linkages and restoring structural integrity upon damaged or mechanical stress. Additionally, shape memory behavior allows polymers to retain programmed shapes and undergo reversible transformations triggered by external stimuli. This property finds applications in various fields such as biomedical devices and smart textiles. Furthermore, DCBs enhance mechanical strength, making polymers resilient and durable, thus expanding their applications in structural materials. Their stimuli responsiveness allows for dynamic modulation of properties based on environmental triggers, enabling the development of intelligent materials for sensors, drug delivery systems, and responsive coatings. This review provides an overview of commonly employed DCBs in polymer materials, explaining their dynamic behaviors, reversibility, and stabilities. It also explores the diverse applications of DCB‐based polymers, from self‐healing coatings to shape memory polymers. Through these advancements, the potential for future breakthroughs in materials science becomes evident. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: An accurate diagnosis of colorectal carcinoma (CRC) can assist physicians in developing reasonable therapeutic regimens, thereby significantly improving the patient's prognosis. Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA)-targeted PET imaging shows great potential for this purpose. Despite showing remarkable abilities to detect primary and metastatic CRC, previously reported CEA-specific antibody radiotracers or pretargeted imaging are not suitable for clinical use due to poor pharmacokinetics and complicated imaging procedures. In contrast, radiolabeled nanobodies exhibit ideal characteristics for PET imaging, for instance, rapid clearance rates and excellent distribution profiles, allowing same-day imaging with sufficient contrast. In this study, we developed a novel CEA-targeted nanobody radiotracer, [68 Ga]Ga-HNI01, and assessed its tumor imaging ability and biodistribution profile in preclinical xenografts and patients with primary and metastatic CRC. Methods: The novel nanobody HNI01 was acquired by immunizing the llama with CEA proteins. [68 Ga]Ga-HNI01 was synthesized by site-specifically conjugating [68 Ga]Ga with tris(hydroxypyridinone) (THP). Small-animal PET imaging and biodistribution studies were performed in CEA-overexpressed LS174T and CEA-low-expressed HT-29 tumor models. Following successful preclinical assessment, a phase I study was conducted on 9 patients with primary and metastatic CRC. Study participants received 151.21 ± 25.25 MBq of intravenous [68 Ga]Ga-HNI01 and underwent PET/CT scans at 1 h and 2 h post injection. Patients 01–03 also underwent whole-body dynamic PET imaging within 0–40 min p.i. All patients underwent [18F]F-FDG PET/CT imaging within 1 week after [68 Ga]Ga-HNI01 imaging. Tracer distribution, pharmacokinetics, and radiation dosimetry were calculated. Results: [68 Ga]Ga-HNI01 was successfully synthesized within 10 min under mild conditions, and the radiochemical purity was more than 98% without purification. Micro-PET imaging with [68 Ga]Ga-HNI01 revealed clear visualization of LS174T tumors, while signals from HT-29 tumors were significantly lower. Biodistribution studies indicated that uptake of [68 Ga]Ga-HNI01 in LS174T and HT-29 was 8.83 ± 3.02%ID/g and 1.81 ± 0.87%ID/g, respectively, at 2 h p.i. No adverse events occurred in all clinical participants after the injection of [68 Ga]Ga-HNI01. A fast blood clearance and low background uptake were observed, and CRC lesions could be visualized with high contrast as early as 30 min after injection. [68 Ga]Ga-HNI01 PET could clearly detect metastatic lesions in the liver, lung, and pancreas and showed superior ability in detecting small metastases. A significant accumulation of radioactivity was observed in the kidney, and normal tissues physiologically expressing CEA receptors showed slight uptakes of [68 Ga]Ga-HNI01. An interesting finding was that strong uptake of [68 Ga]Ga-HNI01 was found in non-malignant colorectal tissues adjacent to the primary tumor in some patients, suggesting abnormal CEA expression in these healthy tissues. Conclusion: [68 Ga]Ga-HNI01 is a novel CEA-targeted PET imaging radiotracer with excellent pharmacokinetics and favorable dosimetry profiles. [68 Ga]Ga-HNI01 PET is an effective and convenient imaging tool for detecting CRC lesions, particularly for identifying small metastases. Furthermore, its high specificity for CEA in vivo makes it an ideal tool for selecting patients for anti-CEA therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photopolymerization has attracted great interest because of its mild reaction conditions, spatiotemporal controllability, cost efficiency, and fast speed. However, with the raising environmental awareness and the increasing attention to life and health, the leachability of photoinitiators has become a growing concern. In this research, a methacrylate functionalized triazine-based polymerizable visible light photoinitiator, 2-(((4-(2-(4,6-bis(trichloromethyl)-1,3,5-triazin-2-yl)vinyl)phenoxy)carbonyl)amino)ethyl methacrylate (CT) and its reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerized CT (pCT) were designed as the polymerizable and polymeric photoinitiators, respectively. The photoinitiation abilities of the investigated triazine derivatives were evaluated under violet LEDs. Due to the steric effect, pCT showed slightly reduced photoinitiation ability under both LED at 400 nm and 410 nm irradiation. Nevertheless, photopolymers initiated using CT and pCT showed excellent migration stability compared to those prepared by 2-(4-methoxystyryl)-4,6-bis(trichloromethyl)-1,3,5-triazine (MT) and 4-(2-(4,6-bis(trichloromethyl)-1,3,5-triazin-2-yl)vinyl)phenol (PT). Specifically, CT and pCT-based polymers prepared under the irradiation of LED at 400 nm exhibited only 1/3-fold and 1/14-fold of photoinitiators leachability, while 1/2-fold and 1/6-fold of photoinitiator leachability were obtained compared to the MT-based photocured polymers when using LED at 410 nm. The excellent migration stability of pCT reveals potential applications in the biomedical and food packaging fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Dengue is the fastest spreading arboviral disease, posing great challenges on global public health. A reproduceable and comparable global genotyping framework for contextualizing spatiotemporal epidemiological data of dengue virus (DENV) is essential for research studies and collaborative surveillance. Methods: Targeting DENV-1 spreading prominently in recent decades, by reconciling all qualified complete E gene sequences of 5003 DENV-1 strains with epidemiological information from 78 epidemic countries/areas ranging from 1944 to 2018, we established and characterized a unified global high-resolution genotyping framework using phylogenetics, population genetics, phylogeography, and phylodynamics. Results: The defined framework was discriminated with three hierarchical layers of genotype, subgenotype and clade with respective mean pairwise distances 2–6%, 0.8–2%, and ≤ 0.8%. The global epidemic patterns of DENV-1 showed strong geographic constraints representing stratified spatial-genetic epidemic pairs of Continent-Genotype, Region-Subgenotype and Nation-Clade, thereby identifying 12 epidemic regions which prospectively facilitates the region-based coordination. The increasing cross-transmission trends were also demonstrated. The traditional endemic countries such as Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia displayed as persisting dominant source centers, while the emerging epidemic countries such as China, Australia, and the USA, where dengue outbreaks were frequently triggered by importation, showed a growing trend of DENV-1 diffusion. The probably hidden epidemics were found especially in Africa and India. Then, our framework can be utilized in an accurate stratified coordinated surveillance based on the defined viral population compositions. Thereby it is prospectively valuable for further hampering the ongoing transition process of epidemic to endemic, addressing the issue of inadequate monitoring, and warning us to be concerned about the cross-national, cross-regional, and cross-continental diffusions of dengue, which can potentially trigger large epidemics. Conclusions: The framework and its utilization in quantitatively assessing DENV-1 epidemics has laid a foundation and re-unveiled the urgency for establishing a stratified coordinated surveillance platform for blocking global spreading of dengue. This framework is also expected to bridge classical DENV-1 genotyping with genomic epidemiology and risk modeling. We will promote it to the public and update it periodically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims. To explore the effects of Biejiaxiaozheng pills on carbon tetrachloride-induced hepatic fibrosis in rats through the NF-κB/Nrf2 pathway and to explore the possible antifibrotic mechanisms of the drug. Material and Method. A rat model of hepatic fibrosis was established via CCl4 induction. Liver function and antioxidant indices were detected using commercial kits. Hematoxylin-eosin and Masson staining were used to detect pathological changes in hepatic tissues. ELISA was used to measure plasma TNF-α, IL-β, and IL-6 levels. RT-PCR was used to measure changes in TNF-α, IL-β, and IL-6 levels in hepatic tissues. Changes in p65, P-p65, Nrf2, and HO-1 protein expression were detected using western blotting. Results. In rats with hepatic fibrosis, Biejiaxiaozheng pills effectively improved liver function, alleviated fibrosis in hepatic tissues, and significantly reduced collagen accumulation. The pills significantly downregulated inflammatory cytokine expression in hepatic tissues by suppressing p65 phosphorylation and reduced plasma inflammatory cytokine levels to some extent. The pills upregulated Nrf2 and HO-1 expression in hepatic tissues, enhanced antioxidant potential, and upregulated plasma antioxidant levels. Conclusion. Biejiaxiaozheng pills improved hepatic fibrosis symptoms and lesions in rats, likely by inhibiting the NF-κB pathway and promoting the Nrf2 pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heating a droplet without contamination is desired for the emerging applications of microfluidic devices in life science and materials science, especially in the form of controllable temperature distribution. Microfluidic heaters using surface acoustic waves have been recently demonstrated, which highlights an urgent need for an insight into the detailed heating mechanism to guide the development of temperature regulation methodologies. Here, we show that the temperature field of a droplet on the path of a travelling wave can be regulated by modulating the heat source distribution and thermal conduction inside the target. We model the acoustothermal process of the droplet including the effects of electric dissipation, acoustic dissipation, and acoustic-induced steady flow. The electric–mechanical–acoustic coupling contributes to the dominant heat source, and we call it acoustic heat source. The nonlinear effects of incident waves generate acoustic vortexes with a velocity of up to 20 mm s−1, inducing forced convection inside the droplet to enhance heat transfer. The equilibrium temperature field of a droplet is determined by a synergy of dissipative acoustic attenuation and acoustic streaming. We demonstrate that the distribution of the acoustic heat source and the patterns of acoustic streaming can be modulated by fluid viscosity and droplet size. Various spatial combinations of the acoustic heat source and steady streaming make different temperature fields in the droplet. We also propose a phase diagram of the temperature distribution in the droplet. This methodology enables opportunities for temperature-related processing inside a droplet bioparticle carrier or microreactor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The strong invasiveness and rapid expansion of dengue virus (DENV) pose a great challenge to global public health. However, dengue epidemic patterns and mechanisms at a genetic scale, particularly in term of cross-border transmissions, remain poorly understood. Importation is considered as the primary driver of dengue outbreaks in China, and since 1990 a frequent occurrence of large outbreaks has been triggered by the imported cases and subsequently spread to the western and northern parts of China. Therefore, this study aims to systematically reveal the invasion and diffusion patterns of DENV-1 in Guangdong, China from 1990 to 2019. Methods: These analyses were performed on 179 newly assembled genomes from indigenous dengue cases in Guangdong, China and 5152 E gene complete sequences recorded in Chinese mainland. The genetic population structure and epidemic patterns of DENV-1 circulating in Chinese mainland were characterized by phylogenetics, phylogeography, phylodynamics based on DENV-1 E-gene-based globally unified genotyping framework. Results: Multiple serotypes of DENV were co-circulating in Chinese mainland, particularly in Guangdong and Yunnan provinces. A total of 189 transmission clusters in 38 clades belonging to 22 subgenotypes of genotype I, IV and V of DENV-1 were identified, with 7 Clades of Concern (COCs) responsible for the large outbreaks since 1990. The epidemic periodicity was inferred from the data to be approximately 3 years. Dengue transmission events mainly occurred from Great Mekong Subregion-China (GMS-China), Southeast Asia (SEA), South Asia Subcontinent (SASC), and Oceania (OCE) to coastal and land border cities respectively in southeastern and southwestern China. Specially, Guangzhou was found to be the most dominant receipting hub, where DENV-1 diffused to other cities within the province and even other parts of the country. Genome phylogeny combined with epidemiological investigation demonstrated a clear local consecutive transmission process of a 5C1 transmission cluster (5C1-CN4) of DENV-1 in Guangzhou from 2013 to 2015, while the two provinces of Guangdong and Yunnan played key roles in ongoing transition of dengue epidemic patterns. In contextualizing within Invasion Biology theories, we have proposed a derived three-stage model encompassing the stages of invasion, colonization, and dissemination, which is supposed to enhance our understanding of dengue spreading patterns. Conclusions: This study demonstrates the invasion and diffusion process of DENV-1 in Chinese mainland within a global genotyping framework, characterizing the genetic diversities of viral populations, multiple sources of importation, and periodic dynamics of the epidemic. These findings highlight the potential ongoing transition trends from epidemic to endemic status offering a valuable insight into early warning, prevention and control of rapid spreading of dengue both in China and worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CuO/Cu2O‐coated Cu2S nanowire arrays with an average diameter of 180 and 280 nm are prepared by the solid–gas reaction. The crystallinity of the oxide improves with increasing annealing temperature from 100 to 500 °C, whereas the melting point of the Cu2S nanowire arrays decreases with decreasing nanowire diameter (always less than that of bulk Cu2S, 1100 °C). The annealing temperature should be less than 500 °C for oxide‐coated Cu2S nanowire arrays that have an average diameter less than 180 nm, but can reach 500 °C for nanowire arrays that have an average diameter greater than 280 nm. Thermal annealing can improve the crystallinity of the oxide and optimize the optical properties of oxide‐coated Cu2S nanowire arrays. This research lays a foundation for direct application of CuO/Cu2O‐coated Cu2S nanowire arrays in photovoltaic and lithium‐ion batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The novel molecular imaging probe 99mTc-HYNIC-H10F was developed for patient screening and efficacy monitoring of trastuzumab therapy by SPECT imaging of HER2 expression in breast cancer. Methods: 99mTc-HYNIC-H10F was developed by labeling H10F peptide with 99mTc following an optimized protocol. Biodistribution and SPECT/CT were performed in mouse models bearing HER2-positive SK-BR3 and HER2-negative MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer xenografts, respectively. The treatment response to trastuzumab was monitored and quantified by SPECT/CT in two HER2-positive breast cancer models (SK-BR3 and MDA-MB-361). The preliminary clinical study was performed in two patients with breast cancer. Results: SPECT/CT with 99mTc-HYNIC-H10F showed that the SK-BR3 tumors were clearly visualized, while the signals from MDA-MB-231 tumors were much lower. The tumor uptake of 99mTc-HYNIC-H10F could be blocked by excess unlabeled H10F peptide but not by excess trastuzumab. The growth of two HER2-positive tumors was prominently suppressed at day 11 post-treatment. However, SPECT/CT reflected much earlier therapy response at day 4 post-treatment. The HER2 expression in tumors of breast cancer patients could be detected by 99mTc-HYNIC-H10F SPECT/CT imaging. Conclusions: 99mTc-HYNIC-H10F specifically accumulates in HER2-positive tumors. Compared with trastuzumab, 99mTc-HYNIC-H10F binds to a different domain of HER2 antigen, providing new opportunities to monitor HER2 expression levels before/during/after trastuzumab treatment for more effective personalized treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We here report a case of a 52-year-old man who underwent simultaneous bypass grafting surgery on his carotid–axillary arteries bilaterally (axillary–carotid and carotid–axillary bypasses) after a failed endovascular treatment. This has rarely been reported. Imaging follow-up at 5 days showed bypass graft patency, and he developed no complications. At 1-month follow-up, the patient had no discomfort or recurrence of vertigo and ataxia and his blood pressure was steady and normal bilaterally. The results in this patient indicate that axillary–carotid and carotid–axillary bypasses using expanded polytetrafluoroethylene grafts are a safe and valuable techniques for revascularizing common carotid artery and subclavian artery occlusive diseases, achieving patency and freedom from stroke in the short term. Long-term outcomes are yet to be determined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose a chaos-based through-wall life-detection radar utilizing a wideband Boolean-chaos signal as the radar probe signal. The range between the radar and the human target can be obtained by correlating the chaotic signal reflected from the human target with its delayed duplicate. Actually, this range is modulated periodically by human chest wall displacements along the time axis of recording signal and the modulation frequency is equal to the respiratory frequency. Therefore, we design a life-detection algorithm based on correlation method to extract the human's respiratory frequency and range information from echo signals. Experimental results demonstrate that our radar can simultaneously detect the respiratory frequency and range of the human target behind a 20-cm-thick wall within the range of at least 5 m. The dynamic range and range resolution can reach 35 dB and 15 cm, respectively. Furthermore, the excellent anti-interference performance of the proposed radar has also been demonstrated, which makes it especially suitable for search and rescue missions in complex electromagnetic environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose a chaos-based through-wall life-detection radar utilizing a wideband Boolean-chaos signal as the radar probe signal. The range between the radar and the human target can be obtained by correlating the chaotic signal reflected from the human target with its delayed duplicate. Actually, this range is modulated periodically by human chest wall displacements along the time axis of recording signal and the modulation frequency is equal to the respiratory frequency. Therefore, we design a life-detection algorithm based on correlation method to extract the human's respiratory frequency and range information from echo signals. Experimental results demonstrate that our radar can simultaneously detect the respiratory frequency and range of the human target behind a 20-cm-thick wall within the range of at least 5 m. The dynamic range and range resolution can reach 35 dB and 15 cm, respectively. Furthermore, the excellent anti-interference performance of the proposed radar has also been demonstrated, which makes it especially suitable for search and rescue missions in complex electromagnetic environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract A series of copper sulfide (Cu 7 S 4) nanowire arrays were prepared via a solid–gas reaction on Si and indium tin oxide (ITO)-coated glass substrates. The characterization of the Cu 7 S 4 nanowire arrays was performed using scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. The nanowires on the Si wafer were orthorhombic and monoclinic Cu 7 S 4, which were thin and straight, whereas the nanowires on ITO-coated glass were monoclinic Cu 7 S 4 , had a bigger diameter, and were bent. Although the average light absorption of Cu 7 S 4 nanowire arrays on Si and ITO-coated glass substrates is lower than that of the Cu 2 S nanowire arrays grown directly on Cu foil, the light absorption of the nanowire arrays on the Si and ITO-coated glass substrates remains high (59% and 84%, respectively) across a wide range of wavelengths. The light absorption and composition of the nanowire arrays can be adjusted by changing the thickness of the precursor Cu film. Our results demonstrate that copper sulfide nanowire arrays could potentially be applied in photovoltaics. Highlights • The morphology of Cu 7 S 4 nanowire is different on the different substrates. • The limited transportation ability of the Cu atoms makes the phase of the nanowire become Cu 7 S 4 , not Cu 2 S. • Light absorption abilities of Cu 7 S 4 nanowire arrays can be adjusted by changing the thickness of Cu film. • The investigation about Cu 7 S 4 nanowire on different substrates lays a foundation for their use in solar cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract In this study, polycrystalline diamond (PCD) with high thermal stability had been successfully synthesized at high pressure and high temperature. Studied PCD was found to be thermally stable in air up to ~968 °C. Meanwhile, maximum flexural strength of PCD was obtained to be 645 MPa. In order to improve fracture toughness of the thermally stable PCD, mass fraction of 1–20 wt% of SiC whiskers was introduced as reinforcements. Fracture toughness of PCD reinforced with 10 wt% SiC whiskers reached up to 7.3 MPa·m1/2, which was higher than that of PCD without SiC whiskers (4.5 MPa·m1/2). Multi-scale toughening mechanisms including crack deflection, whiskers bridging and pull-out were associated with such improvement. Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image Highlights • Thermally stable PCD was synthesized by high pressure and high temperature. • SiC whiskers as reinforcements were introduced into the PCD. • Fracture toughness of PCD reinforced with SiC whiskers was enhanced. • Toughening mechanism of SiC whiskers was investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cubic boron nitride (cBN)-based composites were fabricated using AlN-Al-Ni binders at high pressure and high temperature (HPHT). Effects of binder content and temperature on phase composition, microstructure and mechanical properties of cBN-based composites were investigated. Abrasive ratio was measured using a new method. Almost all Al reacted with cBN during sintering, resulting in AlN as well as AlB 2 phases, while remaining Al and Ni formed intermetallic compounds. At 1500 °C, the reaction reached its maximum. Excellent relative density, flexural strength and fracture toughness of composites, sintered with 17 wt% binder, were 99.6%, 661 MPa and 7.19 MPa m 1/2 , respectively. However, the optimum value of hardness and abrasive ratio of composites at binder content of 13 wt% were 47.92 GPa and 2.99, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aimed to investigate the role of microRNA (miR)‑219‑5p in spinal cord injury (SCI) and to examine the underlying molecular mechanism. SCI rat and cell models were conducted in the current study, while reverse transcription‑quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT‑qPCR) was used to detect the level of miR‑219‑5p in the SCI mice and neurons. Bioinformatics analysis was applied to predict the target genes of miR‑219‑5p, and dual‑luciferase reporter assay was performed to verify the prediction. In addition, MTT assay and flow cytometry were conducted to determine the cell viability and cell apoptosis of the neurons, respectively. Western blot analysis was also performed to detect the expression of associated proteins. The study results demonstrated that miR‑219‑5p was highly expressed in SCI mice and neurons, and directly targets liver receptor homolog‑1 (LRH‑1). The neuron viability was significantly reduced by SCI, however, it was recovered upon transfection with an miR‑219‑5p inhibitor. Neuron apoptosis was notably induced by SCI and inhibited by miR‑219‑5p inhibition. The LRH‑1/Wnt/β‑catenin signaling pathway was also inhibited by SCI, while it was significantly enhanced by the miR‑219‑5p inhibitor. Furthermore, LRH‑1 overexpression eliminated the effects of the miR‑219‑5p inhibitor on SCI. In conclusion, these data indicated that the miR‑219‑5p inhibitor served a protective role in SCI via regulating the LRH‑1/Wnt/β‑catenin signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A comprehensive demonstration of Zika virus (ZIKV) molecular evolution is essential for understanding its adaptation and expansion in its recent pandemics. Despite several studies on mutations and codon usage in ZIKVs, the variations in codon usage patterns across individual genes and their biological implication remains unclear. Here, we performed a gene-by-gene comparison of the codon usage variation in ZIKVs of the African and Asian lineages. We found that besides the evidence of positive selection (Ka/Ks >1) in the Asian lineage of the ZIKV genome, codon usage patterns were gene-specific and codon usage variation of ZIKV genes, was possibly constrained by their individual functional features, such as transmembrane domains, or antigenicity. In particular, the NS2B and NS4A genes showed distinct codon usage patterns, clearly separating them from the clusters of other genes in the correspondence analysis (CA). In the Asian lineage, the NS2B and NS4A genes showed the highest codon usage bias (ENC values: 51.01 ± 0.72 and 48.89 ± 0.99 respectively), and were subjected to the highest translation selection (ENC obs /ENC exp ratio: 0.847 ± 0.0297 and 0.828 ± 0.0233 respectively) in comparison to the African lineages of ZIKV. The CpG frequency of the NS2B showed a gradual ascending trend in the Asian ZIKV lineages, while in NS4A it was constrained along with the expansion of the Asian lineage. Furthermore, between the African and Asian lineages, differentiated and specific over-represented codons were more prominent in the NS2B and NS4A. Together, our study implies that ZIKVs are in the process of evolutionary fine tuning their codon as seen in the recent pandemics, and NS2B and NS4A could have played a potential role in the molecular evolution of the Asian lineage and their establishment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the 1970s, several dsRNA viruses, including Radish yellow edge virus, Raphanus sativus virus 1, Raphanus sativus virus 2, and Raphanus sativus virus 3, have been identified and reported as infecting radish. In the present study, in conjunction with a survey of seed-borne viruses in cultivated Brassica and Raphanus using the dsRNA diagnostic method, we discovered 3 novel cryptoviruses that infect Brassica and Raphanus: Raphanus sativus partitivirus 1, which infects radish ( Raphanus sativus); Sinapis alba cryptic virus 1, which infects Sinapis alba; and Brassica rapa cryptic virus 1 (BrCV1), which infects Brassica rapa. The genomic organization of these cryptoviruses was analyzed and characterized. BrCV1 might represent the first plant partitivirus found in Gammapartitivirus. Additionally, the evolutionary relationships among all of the partitiviruses reported in Raphanus and Brassica were analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Arrays of copper(I) sulfide (Cu 2 S) nanowires, with different morphologies, are prepared by the solid–gas reaction between Cu foil and a mixture of H 2 S and O 2 . Characterization of the Cu 2 S nanowires is performed by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. Results show that Cu 2 S nanowires exhibit a Cu 2 S/Cu x O (x = 1, 2) core/shell structure. The morphology and light absorption properties of the nanowires are shown to be dependent on the composition of the reagent gases, H 2 S and O 2 . When the H 2 S:O 2 ratio is decreased from 1:0.5 to 1:0.8, the average diameter and length of the nanowires change from 270 nm to 3.1 μm to 114 nm and 8 um, respectively. A morphological change from columnar-like to wire-like structures is observed. When the H 2 S:O 2 ratio is further decreased from 1:0.8 to 1:1, nanowires exhibit an average diameter and length of 670 nm and 3.7 um, respectively. A morphological change from wire-like to nail-like structures is also observed. Cu 2 S nanowire arrays presented strong enhanced light absorption properties, with a lowest recorded average light absorption value of 79%. Light absorption properties of Cu 2 S nanowire arrays are also determined by controlling the H 2 S:O 2 reagent gas composition ratio. Results demonstrate good potential for the use of Cu 2 S nanowire arrays in solar energy applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We developed a sensitive lateral flow immunoassay (LFI) for the detection of total malachite green (MG) residues in fish tissues. LFI was based on a colloidal gold nanoparticle-labeled monoclonal antibody against MG , which was generated by fast immunization of carboxymalachite green-bovine serum albumin. The half-maximum inhibition concentration (IC50) of MG monoclonal antibody (MG mAb) was 0.057 ng/ml with a linear range of 0.020–0.162 ng/ml. Following the optimization of LFI, a qualitatively visual limit of detection of 1 ng/ml and a semi-quantitatively limit of detection of 0.418 ng/ml (IC50of the calibration curve) were obtained for total MG residues in 8 min. Cross-reactivity with most MG analogs was negligible, expect with crystal violet (CV; 78.6% cross-reactivity). LFI is a novel and sensitive assay based on MG mAb that has applications for the rapid detection of total MG and CV in fish products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a series of Cu 2 S nano-hollow cactus arrays (CNHC) with varying morphologies is prepared by a two-step process including electrodeposition and the solid–gas reaction method. The structure of the arrays is characterized by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and Raman spectroscopy; while, their light absorption performance is investigated by diffuse reflectance and photoluminescence spectroscopy. The “thorns” of the CNHC are single-crystal Cu 2 S semiconductors, and the band gap of the CNHC can be adjusted by changing their morphology, where the light absorption ability of the array is enhanced from 82% to 93% as the thorn diameter decreases from 1500 to 163 nm. All of the different CNHC morphologies exhibit little sensitivity to the incident angle of the light. For example, the light absorption of the CNHC with a thorn diameter of 430 nm only decreases by 5% as the incident angle increases from 0° to 45°. This shows the potential of the CNHC for use in solar energy applications, where its insensitivity to the angle of the incident light will reduce the necessity of adjusting the angle of solar cell panels using CNHC in the photovoltaics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of annealing on the physical and optical properties of CuS/CuInGaSe (CuS/CIGS) core/shell nanowire arrays were studied. CuS nanowire arrays and CIGS shell layers were prepared by a solid-gas reaction and electrodeposition, respectively. The structure and light absorption properties of CuS/CIGS core/shell nanowire arrays were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. The melting point of CuS nanowire arrays increased after the electrodeposition of CIGS. The crystallinity of the CIGS shell layer increased with increasing annealing temperature from 350 to 650 °C, and most of the amorphous area of the CIGS shell layer becomes twin crystals after thermal annealing. The CuS/CIGS core/shell structure collapsed when the annealing temperature increased to 800 °C. The light absorption properties of the CuS/CIGS core/shell structure were enhanced after thermal annealing, and the band gap corresponding to CIGS was also obtained. This study indicates that the annealing temperature should be controlled between 350 and 800 °C to convert this CuS/CIGS core/shell structure to a CuInGa(Se, S) (CIGSS) one-dimensional nanostructure. This research demonstrates the potential for preparing CIGSS one-dimensional nanostructures by thermal annealing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epoxy samples were surface fluorinated in a laboratory vessel using a F/N gas mixture to suppress surface charge accumulation. Attenuated total reflection infrared analyses indicate that the fluorination led to substantial variations in chemical composition and structure of the sample surface layer. Measurement results of surface properties indicate that surface conductivity and wettability or polarity were dramatically increased by the fluorination. A very likely decrease in charge trap depth and the adsorbed water on the surface in air are responsible for the high surface conductivity. As a result, charge cannot accumulate on the fluorinated surface even at room temperature, rapidly transporting along the surface. Surface charging current measurements further show a much larger steady state current flowing along the fluorinated surface, suggesting much lower dynamic surface potential or charge density during charging, compared with those for the original surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Well-dispersed ZnAl 2 O 4 spinel nanoparticles with an average crystalline size of 25.7 nm were synthesized successfully and easily by polymer-network and matrix-isolation-assisted calcination. The product microstructure and features were investigated by X-ray diffractometry, thermogravimetric and differential thermal analysis, Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy, N 2 adsorption–desorption isotherms, and energy dispersive X-ray spectra. The morphology and optical performance of the as-prepared ZnAl 2 O 4 nanoparticles were characterized by scanning electron microscope, transmission electron microscopy, and photoluminescence spectrometer. Experimental results indicate that excess ZnO acted as the isolation medium is effective in preventing the sintering and agglomeration of ZnAl 2 O 4 nanoparticles, and it also prevents their contamination. Then, high purity and well-dispersed ZnAl 2 O 4 nanoparticles with single-crystal structure were obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epoxy resin samples were surface fluorinated using a 2/2 mixture at different temperatures of 25°C, 55°C, 75°C, and 95°C for the same time. Attenuated total reflection infrared (ATR-IR) analyses indicate substantial changes in surface chemical composition and structure by the fluorinations. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) observations show an increase in thickness of the fluorinated layer and a change in its surface morphology with fluorination temperature. Conductivity measurements reveal a large increase in surface conductivity and surface potential measurements consistently show a low initial surface potential and rapid potential decay after corona charging, strongly depending on fluorination temperature and environmental humidity. The initial surface potential was found to decrease dramatically above a critical surface conductivity and almost to zero when surface conductivity increased to 10-12 S. Surface polarity of the epoxy sample was found to dramatically increase with fluorination temperature. An increase in the degree of chain scission with fluorination temperature is considered to be the main cause for the increases of surface conductivity and surface polarity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cu 2 S/CuIn 0.7 Ga 0.3 Se 2 (Cu 2 S/CIGS) core/shell nanowire arrays with epitaxial CIGS growth are synthesized by electrodepositing CIGS on Cu 2 S nanowire arrays. The electrodeposited CIGS is tetragonal CuIn 0.7 Ga 0.3 Se 2 with a band gap of 1.310 eV. The crystal structure of Cu 2 S is similar to that of CIGS. The interplanar distance of Cu 2 S ( 2 ¯ 04 ) is also similar to that of CIGS (112), so the CIGS shell grows epitaxially. Absorption measurements show that Cu 2 S/CIGS core/shell nanowire arrays exhibit higher light absorption than Cu 2 S nanowire arrays. Fabricating Cu 2 S/CIGS core/shell nanowire arrays with epitaxial CIGS growth shows promise for the preparation of single crystal CIGS one-dimensional nanostructures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CaCu 3 Ti 4 O 12 (CCTO) crystal powder and CCTO ceramic were successfully synthesized with acetylacetonate precursor method. The TG-DTA-T (temperature) curves of the mixture of Ca(acac) 2 , Cu(acac) 2 , TiO(acac) 2 precursors were analyzed. The phases, microstructures, and optical property of sample were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and Raman spectrum. The results show that high purity CCTO crystal phase can be prepared at the temperature of 500 °C for 2 h. The CCTO ceramic can be obtained after sintered process. The present work offers us a new route to synthesize CCTO crystal powder with a lower temperature and CCTO ceramic with a shorter reaction time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organic semiconductors: Growth of ultrathin (<15 nm), continuous, and microstructured organic semiconductor (OSC) films at monolayer precision is important for organic electronics and a challenging task. Uniform monolayer to hexalayer (ca. 1.6–12 nm; see picture) dendritic OSC microstripes at monolayer precision are grown by a dip‐coating process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organische Halbleiter: Das Wachstum ultradünner (<15 nm), kontinuierlicher und mikrostrukturierter organischer Hableiter(OSC) ‐ Filme mit definierten Monoschichten ist wichtig für die organische Elektronik. Dendritische OSC ‐ Mikrostreifen aus einheitlichen und definierten Mono ‐ bis Hexaschichten (ca. 1.6 bis 12 nm; siehe Bild) wurden über einen Tauchbeschichtungsprozess hergestellt. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Large area Cu2S nano hollow-cactus arrays (CNHC) are self grown out over the electrodeposited Cu semi-sphere arrays film during a simple solid–gas reaction at room temperature. The CNHC is composed of micrometer-sized hollow-cactuses with nano-sized Cu2S “thorn” arrays over each cactus. The experiment results show that the light absorption ability of CNHC is enhanced, reaching 93%. Moreover, the CNHC presents two other features over the conventional regular-aligned nanowire arrays: first, the CNHC shows a more robust light absorption performance, the light absorption is almost not sensitive to the divergence of light incident, when the light incident angle is increased from 0° to 45°, the light absorption value of CNHC is decreased only 6.8% and second, the CNHC possesses a larger specific surface area over the same projected area. These two features and the simple, low temperature synthesis method make the CNHC potential application in photovoltaic chemical area. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Highlights: [•] A virus named Raphanus sativus chrysovirus 1 (RasCV1) which contain three dsRNA genome segments was first reported. [•] Phylogenetic analysis revealed that RasCV1 is a new species of the Chrysoviridae family and forms a plant taxon with another putative plant chrysovirus, Anthurium mosaic-associated virus (AmaCV). [•] No fungal mycelia were observed in radish leaf tissues stained with trypan blue. [•] An exhaustive BLAST analysis of RasCV1 and AmaCV revealed that chrysovirus-like viruses might widely exist in eudicot and monocot plants and that endogenization of chrysovirus segments into plant genome might have ever happened. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considering environmental changes and the demand for more sustainable energy sources, stricter requirements have been placed on electrode materials for sodium and potassium‐ion batteries, which are expected to provide higher energy and power density while being affordable and sustainable. Vanadium sulfide‐based materials have emerged as intriguing contenders for the next generation of anode materials due to their high theoretical capacity, abundant reserves, and cost‐effectiveness. Despite these advantages, challenges such as limited cycle life and restricted ion diffusion coefficients continue to impede their effective application in sodium and potassium‐ion batteries. To overcome the limitations associated with electrochemical performance and circumvent bottlenecks imposed by the inherent properties of materials at the bulk scale, this review comprehensively summarizes and analyzes the crystal structures, modification strategies, and energy storage processes of vanadium sulfide‐based electrode materials for sodium and potassium‐ion batteries. The objective is to guide the development of high‐performance vanadium‐based sulfide electrode materials with refined morphologies and/or structures, employing environmentally friendly and cost‐efficient methods. Finally, future perspectives and research suggestions for vanadium sulfide‐based materials are presented to propel practical applications forward. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polycrystalline Cu(In , Ga)S 2 (CIGS) nanowire arrays (NWAs) are synthesized for the first time via a solvothermal method using Cu 2 S NWAs as self-sacrificial templates. The average diameter and length of the as-synthesized CIGS nanowires are 350 nm and 5 μm, respectively. Based on the experimental results, a novel cation-exchange growth mechanism is proposed. The In3+ and Ga3+ ions diffuse inward while the Cu+ ions outward during the solvothermal reaction, resulting in the formation of CIGS with keeping the original nanowire morphology. We have also investigated the photoelectrochemical performance of CIGS NWAs compared with the pristine Cu 2 S templates. The photocurrent density and optimal incident photon to current efficiency of CIGS NWAs are 0.39 mA cm−2 and 6% at 450 nm, respectively, which are much higher than those of the Cu 2 S templates. The reported method will lay a foundation for the synthesis of other multi-compound (ternary and above) metal chalcogenides for PEC applications. • CIGS NWAs was synthesized for the first time via a solvothermal method using Cu 2 S templates. • A novel cation-exchange growth mechanism was proposed. • The enhanced PEC performance and light absorption property of CIGS NWAs were investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many complex systems can be represented as networks composed of different types of interactions, which are categorized as links belonging to different layers, forming multiplex networks (MNs). In order to simplify the study of MNs, many methods for aggregating MNs have been proposed, but the aggregation of MNs still faces two challenges. The first one is how to measure the destruction of original MN's structure after they are aggregated and the other is how to meet different requirements for the integrity of network structures for different studies. For the first one, we design an efficient and novelty index named as similarity of MNs (SMNs) for measuring the MN's structural similarity between original and simplified MNs. For the second one, a method for aggregating MNs, named as AMNs, is proposed to compromise the simplification and maintain the core structure of MNs. Several representative synthetic networks are used to evaluate the reliability of AMNs. Moreover, AMNs is applied to some real-life MNs, including biology, human society, and transportation MNs. Experimental results demonstrate positively that the proposed approach AMNs can simplify the MNs effectively under different requirements. • Design a measure SMNs for calculating similarity between original and reduced MNs. • A method AMNs is proposed to aggregate similar layers in multiplex networks. • AMNs can provide solutions for different requirements on MN's structure integrity. • Experiments on synthetic and real-life networks show the effectiveness of AMNs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we report the CaCu3Ti4O12 ceramics synthesized through a sintering process using organo-metallic compound method. The acetate reagents of Ca(CH3COO)2·H2O and Cu(CH3COO)2·H2O were used as the precursor, and TiO(acac)2 as source of titanium. The TG-DTA curves show that the reaction process of the mixture is simple and quick caused by synergistic effect of precursors. The XRD results indicate that the pure CaCu3Ti4O12 phase appear at 800 °C and the high temperature and longer holding time are apt to form the uniform CaCu3Ti4O12 crystal and well crystallinity. The SEM images show that the grain sizes and the grain uniformity of the CaCu3Ti4O12 ceramics can be influenced significantly by temperature and holding time. The dielectric constant and the dielectric loss show good frequency stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Programmed cell death protein-1/ligand-1 (PD-1/L1) blockade has been a breakthrough in the treatment of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), but there is still a lack of effective methods to screen patients. Here we report a novel 68 Ga-labeled nanobody [68 Ga]Ga-THP-APN09 for PET imaging of PD-L1 status in mouse models and a first-in-human study in NSCLC patients. Methods: [68 Ga]Ga-THP-APN09 was prepared by site-specific radiolabeling, with no further purification. Cell uptake assays were completed in the human lung adenocarcinoma cell line A549, NSCLC cell line H1975 and human PD-L1 gene-transfected A549 cells (A549PD−L1). The imaging to image PD-L1 status and biodistribution were investigated in tumor-bearing mice of these three tumor cell types. The first-in-human clinical translational trial was registered as NCT05156515. The safety, radiation dosimetry, biodistribution, and correlations of tracer uptake with immunohistochemical staining and major pathologic response (MPR) were evaluated in NSCLC patients who underwent adjuvant immunotherapy combined with chemotherapy. Results: Radiosynthesis of [68 Ga]Ga-THP-APN09 was achieved at room temperature and a pH of 6.0–6.5 in 10 min with a high radiochemical yield (> 99%) and 13.9–27.8 GBq/μmol molar activity. The results of the cell uptake study reflected variable levels of surface PD-L1 expression observed by flow cytometry in the order A549PD−L1 > H1975 > A549. In small-animal PET/CT imaging, H1975 and A549PD−L1 tumors were clearly visualized in an 8.3:1 and 2.2:1 ratios over PD-L1-negative A549 tumors. Ex vivo biodistribution studies showed that tumor uptake was consistent with the PET results, with the highest A549PD−L1 being taken up the most (8.20 ± 0.87%ID/g), followed by H1975 (3.69 ± 0.50%ID/g) and A549 (0.90 ± 0.16%ID/g). Nine resectable NSCLC patients were enrolled in the clinical study. Uptake of [68 Ga]Ga-THP-APN09 was mainly observed in the kidneys and spleen, followed by low uptake in bone marrow. The radiation dose is within a reliable range. Tumor uptake was positively correlated with PD-L1 expression TPS (rs = 0.8763, P = 0.019). Tumor uptake of [68 Ga]Ga-THP-APN09 (SUVmax) in MPR patients was higher than that in non-MPR patients (median SUVmax 2.73 vs. 2.10, P = 0.036, determined with Mann–Whitney U-test). Conclusion: [68 Ga]Ga-THP-APN09 has the potential to be transformed into a kit-based radiotracer for rapid, simple, one-step, room temperature radiolabeling. The tracer can detect PD-L1 expression levels in tumors, and it may make it possibility to predict the response of PD-1 immunotherapy combined with chemotherapy. Confirmation in a large number of cases is needed. Trial registration: Clinical Trial (NCT05156515). Registered 12 December 2021. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, 124Te(p,n)124I nuclear reaction was used for 124I production. The 124TeO2/Al2O3 target was irradiated by 12.5 MeV proton at 20 μA for 3-8 h in a medical cyclotron. After irradiation, 124I was purified by dry distillation and dissolved in 0.02 M NaOH, with radioactivity 370-1480 MBq. Micro-PET/CT imaging of 124I in healthy mice showed the thyroid and stomach accumulations and kidney metabolism, which may be useful for thyroid disease diagnosis. In summary, we have produced next-generation PET radioisotope 124I routinely in sufficient and high quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comprehensive Summary: Deep ultraviolet (UV) photodetectors have important applications in the industrial and military fields. However, little research has been reported on organic phototransistors (OPTs) in the deep ultraviolet range. Here, a novel organic semiconductor containing a small torsion angle and low π‐conjugation 2,2':5',2"‐terthiophene groups, oF‐PTTTP, is designed and synthesized, which exhibits high carrier mobility and unique deep ultraviolet response. Accordingly, an OPT based on oF‐PTTTP single crystal shows high responsivity to deep‐UV light. The photodetectors achieve high photoresponsivity (R) of 857 A/W and detectivity (D*) of 3.2×1015 Jones under 280 nm light illumination (only 95 nW·cm–2). To the best of our knowledge, 280 nm is the deepest detection wavelength reported for organic phototransistors and this work presents a new molecule design concept for organic phototransistors with deep‐UV detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The disordered chain arrangement of polymer dielectrics has complex both internal and external effects on system performance, which generally stimulates the weak acquisition and grain boundaries of vapor‐deposited organic small molecule films (VDOSMFs) with thermally activated charge transport. As a result, achieving "band‐like" transmission of VDOSMs on polymer dielectrics is attempting to prove to be a major challenge. Three types of bi‐polymer dielectrics are developed to modulate charge transport from thermally activated mode to "band‐like" transport at the interfacial level. The bottom consisting of a polyimide layer is critical to interfacial modulation, which shows the selectively binding capability with up‐dielectric layers to realize the modulation of charge transport, as corroborated by interface characterization and density functional‐based tight‐binding calculation. The findings provide an effective strategy for modulating the charge transport through polymer dielectric engineering and also recommend a podium to further comprehend the electrical characteristics of small molecules in organic thin‐film transistors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phase‐change semiconductor is one of the best candidates for designing nonvolatile memory, but it has never been realized in organic semiconductors until now. Here, a phase‐changeable and high‐mobility organic semiconductor (3,6‐DATT) is first synthesized. Benefiting from the introduction of electrostatic hydrogen bond (S···H), the molecular conformation of 3,6‐DATT crystals can be reversibly modulated by the electric field and ultraviolet irradiation. Through experimental and theoretical verification, the tiny difference in molecular conformation leads to crystalline polymorphisms and dramatically distinct charge transport properties, based on which a high‐performance organic phase‐change memory transistor (OPCMT) is constructed. The OPCMT exhibits a quick programming/erasing rate (about 3 s), long retention time (more than 2 h), and large memory window (i.e., large threshold voltage shift over 30 V). This work presents a new molecule design concept for organic semiconductors with reversible molecular conformation transition and opens a novel avenue for memory devices and other functional applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surface-grafting conducting polymer has advantage to circumvent the difficulty in patterning as well as the weak interface adhesion on substrate of the conventional conducting polymer, which would be desirable for its application as electrodes in electronic devices. In this work, the patterned surface-grafting polypyrrole (PPY) is used as electrode, which shows merits such as strong interface adhesion, robustness against solvent treatment, easy scaling-up, and good conductivity. Remarkably, the surface-grafting PPY electrodes can efficiently drive both p-type and n-type organic field-effect transistors. By combining p-/n-type transistors, organic complementary inverters are constructed with PPY electrodes, which exhibit low operational voltage (<8 V), high gain (6–17), and low power dissipation (several tens of nW). The switching voltage is approximately 0.5 V dd with a high noise margin (>70% of 0.5 V dd ). Dynamic switching measurements indicate that the inverter has an operational frequency of about 3.3 kHz. This is the first report on kilohertz organic complementary inverter driven with surface-grafting conducting polymer electrodes. High device performance, together with the facile patternability and other merits, may promote the application of surface-grafting conducting polymer electrode in the field of organic electronics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: [18F]AlF-RESCA was introduced as a core particularly useful for 18F-labeling of heat-sensitive biomolecules. However, no translational studies have been reported up to now. Herein, we reported the first-in-human evaluation of an 18F-labeled anti-HER2 nanobody MIRC213 as a PET radiotracer for imaging HER2-positive cancers. Methods: MIRC213 was produced by E. coli and conjugated with (±)-H3RESCA-Mal. [18F]AlF-RESCA-MIRC213 was prepared at room temperature. Its radiochemical purity and stability of were determined by radio-HPLC with the size-exclusion chromatographic column. Cell uptake was performed in NCI-N87 (HER2 +) and MCF-7 (HER2-) cells and the cell-binding affinity was verified in SK-OV-3 (HER2 +) cells. Small-animal PET/CT was performed using SK-OV-3, NCI-N87, and MCF-7 tumor-bearing mice at 30 min, 1 h, and 2 h post-injection. For blocking experiment, excess MIRC213 was co-injected with radiotracer. Biodistribution were performed on SKOV-3 and MCF-7 tumor-bearing mice at 2 h post-injection. For clinical study, PET/CT images were acquired at 2 h and 4 h after injection of [18F]AlF-RESCA-MIRC213 (1.85–3.7 MBq/kg) in six breast cancer patients (3 HER2-positive and 3 HER2-negative). All patients underwent [18F]-FDG PET/CT within a week for tissue selection purpose. Distribution and dosimetry were calculated. Standardized uptake values (SUV) were measured in tumors and normal organs. Results: MIRC213 was produced with > 95% purity and modified with RESCA to obtain RESCA-MIRC213. [18F]AlF-RESCA-MIRC213 was prepared within 20 min at room temperature with the radiochemical yield of 50.48 ± 7.6% and radiochemical purity of > 98% (n > 10), and remained stable in both PBS (88%) and 5% HSA (92%) after 6 h. The 2 h cellular uptake of [18F]AlF-RESCA-MIRC213 in NCI-N87 cells was 11.22 ± 0.60 AD%/105 cells. Its binding affinity Kd value was determined to be 1.23 ± 0.58 nM. Small-animal PET/CT with [18F]AlF-RESCA-MIRC213 can clearly differentiate SK-OV-3 and NCI-N87 tumors from MCF-7 tumors and background with a high uptake of 4.73 ± 1.18 ID%/g and substantially reduced to 1.70 ± 0.13 ID%/g for the blocking group (p < 0.05) in SK-OV-3 tumors at 2 h post-injection. No significant bone radioactivity was seen in the tumor-bearing animals. In all six breast cancer patients, there was no adverse reaction during study. The uptake of [18F]AlF-RESCA-MIRC213 was mainly in lacrimal gland, parotid gland, submandibular gland, thyroid gland, gallbladder, kidneys, liver, and intestines. There was no significant bone radioactivity accumulation in cancer patients. [18F]AlF-RESCA-MIRC213 had significantly higher tumor uptake in lesions from HER2-positive patients than that lesions from HER2-negative patients (SUVmax of 3.62 ± 1.56 vs. 1.41 ± 0.41, p = 0.0012) at 2 h post-injection. The kidneys received the highest radiation dose of 2.42 × 10−1 mGy/MBq, and the effective dose was 1.56 × 10−2 mSv/MBq. Conclusions: [18F]AlF-RESCA-MIRC213 could be prepared with high radiolabeling yield under mild conditions. [18F]AlF-RESCA-MIRC213 has relatively high stability both in vitro and in vivo. The results from clinical transformation suggest that [18F]AlF-RESCA-MIRC213 PET/CT is a safe procedure with favorable pharmacokinetics and dosimetry profile, and it is a promising new PET radiotracer for noninvasive diagnosis of HER2-positive cancers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organic semiconductors with combinative high carrier mobility and efficient solid‐state emission are full of challenges but urgently pursued for developing new emerging optoelectronics. Herein, by delicately regulating the crystal packing of an anthracene‐based molecular crystal via terminal tert‐butylation, we developed a superior high mobility emissive molecule, 2,6‐di(6‐tert‐butylnaphthyl)anthracene (TBU‐DNA). The unique "slipped herringbone" packing motif of TBU‐DNA enables its appropriate exciton‐exciton coupling and electron‐phonon coupling, thus resulting in remarkably high solid‐state emission (photoluminescence quantum yield, ΦF≈74.9 %) and efficacious charge transport (carrier mobility, μ=5.0 cm2 V−1 s−1). Furthermore, OLETs based on TBU‐DNA show an external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 1.8 %, which is among the highest EQE values for single component OLETs reported till now. This work presents a crystal engineering strategy via exquisite molecular design to realize high mobility emissive organic semiconductors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organic semiconductors with combinative high carrier mobility and efficient solid‐state emission are full of challenges but urgently pursued for developing new emerging optoelectronics. Herein, by delicately regulating the crystal packing of an anthracene‐based molecular crystal via terminal tert‐butylation, we developed a superior high mobility emissive molecule, 2,6‐di(6‐tert‐butylnaphthyl)anthracene (TBU‐DNA). The unique "slipped herringbone" packing motif of TBU‐DNA enables its appropriate exciton‐exciton coupling and electron‐phonon coupling, thus resulting in remarkably high solid‐state emission (photoluminescence quantum yield, ΦF≈74.9 %) and efficacious charge transport (carrier mobility, μ=5.0 cm2 V−1 s−1). Furthermore, OLETs based on TBU‐DNA show an external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 1.8 %, which is among the highest EQE values for single component OLETs reported till now. This work presents a crystal engineering strategy via exquisite molecular design to realize high mobility emissive organic semiconductors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is generally believed that the incorporation of fluorine functional groups into dielectrics can effectively impede the charge‐trapping process and improve carrier mobility. However, the relationship between the device performance and fluorinated groups is still not clear and also the modulation effect of fluorine functional groups on photogenerated charge carrier in phototransistors has not yet been investigated. Herein, phototransistors are constructed by using three kinds of gate dielectric layers with different fluorinated groups to exploit the effect of fluorine functional groups. It is concluded that the presence of fluorinated groups indeed increases the transistor mobility and optical figures of merit in phototransistors compared to the device with a fluorine‐free dielectric layer. Concurrently, the exciton binding energy is increased with the addition of fluorinated groups, resulting in the decrease of phototransistor performance compared with less content of fluorinated groups due to the synergistic balance effect of fluorine functional groups. The results further clarify how the fluorine functional groups optimize the interface of organic phototransistors and modulate the photoelectric performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cell‐free messenger RNA (cf‐mRNA) and long non‐coding RNA (cf‐lncRNA) are becoming increasingly important in liquid biopsy by providing biomarkers for disease prediction, diagnosis and prognosis, but the simultaneous characterization of coding and non‐coding RNAs in human biofluids remains challenging. Methods: Here, we developed polyadenylation ligation‐mediated sequencing (PALM‐Seq), an RNA sequencing strategy employing treatment of RNA with T4 polynucleotide kinase to generate cell‐free RNA (cfRNA) fragments with 5′ phosphate and 3′ hydroxyl and RNase H to deplete abundant RNAs, achieving simultaneous quantification and characterization of cfRNAs. Results: Using PALM‐Seq, we successfully identified well‐known differentially abundant mRNA, lncRNA and microRNA in the blood plasma of pregnant women. We further characterized cfRNAs in blood plasma, saliva, urine, seminal plasma and amniotic fluid and found that the detected numbers of different RNA biotypes varied with body fluids. The profiles of cf‐mRNA reflected the function of originated tissues, and immune cells significantly contributed RNA to blood plasma and saliva. Short fragments (<50 nt) of mRNA and lncRNA were major in biofluids, whereas seminal plasma and amniotic fluid tended to retain long RNA. Body fluids showed distinct preferences of pyrimidine at the 3′ end and adenine at the 5′ end of cf‐mRNA and cf‐lncRNA, which were correlated with the proportions of short fragments. Conclusion: Together, PALM‐Seq enables a simultaneous characterization of cf‐mRNA and cf‐lncRNA, contributing to elucidating the biology and promoting the application of cfRNAs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Integrating high charge‐carrier mobility and low‐threshold lasing action in an organic semiconductor is crucial for the realization of an electrically pumped laser, but remains a great challenge. Herein, we present an organic semiconductor, named as 2,7‐di(2‐naphthyl)‐9H‐fluorene (LD‐2), which shows an unexpected high charge‐carrier mobility of 2.7 cm2 V−1 s−1 and low‐threshold lasing characteristic of 9.43 μJ cm−2 and 9.93 μJ cm−2 and high‐quality factor (Q) of 2131 and 1684 at emission peaks of 420 and 443 nm, respectively. Detailed theoretical calculations and photophysical data analysis demonstrate that a large intermolecular transfer integral of 10.36–45.16 meV together with a fast radiative transition rate of 8.0×108 s−1 are responsible for the achievement of the superior integrated optoelectronic properties in the LD‐2 crystal. These optoelectronic performances of LD‐2 are among the highest reported low‐threshold lasing organic semiconductors with efficient charge transport, suggesting its promise for research of electrically pumped organic lasers (EPOLs). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]