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Qiaoxiang Yin,1 Zhiyong Pei,2 Heng Wang,3 Yusheng Zhao4 1Department of Geriatric Cardiology, Chinese General Hospital of the Air Force, 2Department of Geriatric Cardiology, Beijing Military General Hospital, 3Department of Neurology, Chinese General Hospital of the Air Force, 4Institute of Geriatric Cardiology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, People’s Republic of China Abstract: Treatment of myocardial infarction (MI) with adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) has produced promising results. Cyclosporine A (CsA) inhibits apoptosis by preventing the opening of mitochondrial permeability transition pores. A CsA nanoparticle emulsion (CsA-NP) has lower toxicity and higher efficiency as compared to CsA. In this study, we hypothesized that a combination of ASCs and CsA-NP would enhance the therapeutic efficiency in a swine MI model. MI was induced in pig hearts by occlusion of the left anterior descending artery. The animals that survived MI were divided into four groups and 1 week later received intracoronary ASCs (ASCs, n=6), intracoronary culture media in combination with CsA-NP (CsA-NP, n=6), intracoronary ASCs in combination with CsA-NP (ASCs + CsA-NP, n=6), or remained untreated (control, n=4). Animals were sacrificed 8 weeks later and were evaluated for cardiac function by delayed-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging and immunohistopathology. We observed that the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was significantly increased in the ASCs + CsA-NP group, compared to the CsA-NP group (53.6%±2.4% versus 48.6%±1.5%, P

BackgroundThe Global Anticoagulant Registry in the FIELD-Atrial Fibrillation (GARFIELD-AF) is an ongoing prospective noninterventional registry, which is providing important information on the baseline characteristics, treatment patterns, and 1-year outcomes in patients with newly diagnosed non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF). This report describes data from Indian patients recruited in this registry.Methods and resultsA total of 52,014 patients with newly diagnosed AF were enrolled globally; of these, 1388 patients were recruited from 26 sites within India (2012-2016). In India, the mean age was 65.8 years at diagnosis of NVAF. Hypertension was the most prevalent risk factor for AF, present in 68.5% of patients from India and in 76.3% of patients globally (P

Chiral organic molecules offer a promising platform for exploring circularly polarized lasing, which, however, faces a great challenge that the spatial separation of molecular chiral and luminescent centers limits chiroptical activity. Here we develop a helically chiral supramolecular system with completely overlapped chiral and luminescent units for realizing high-performance circularly polarized lasing. Adaptive helical chirality is obtained by incorporating chiral agents into organic microcrystals. Benefiting from the efficient coupling of stimulated emission with the adaptive helical chirality, the supramolecular microcrystals enable high-performance circularly polarized lasing emission with dissymmetry factors up to ~0.7. This work opens up the way to rational design of chiral organic materials for circularly polarized lasing., (© 2024 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

The traditional preparation method of ratiometric probes faces challenges such as cumbersome preparation and low sensitivity. Thus, there is an urgent need to provide a simple method of preparing a highly sensitive ratiometric probe. Here, Eu 3+ -doped zinc-based organic framework (Eu/Zn-MOF) was prepared through hydrothermal method for the detection of tetracycline analogs (TCs). Under the same excitation conditions, the probe can simultaneously display valuable fluorescence and second-order scattering signals. The developed probe enabled specific identification and fast detection (1 min) of TCs, including tetracycline, oxytetracycline, doxycycline, and chlortetracycline. The linear detection ranges of tetracycline, oxytetracycline, doxycycline and chlortetracycline were respectively 100 nM - 200 μM, 100 nM - 200 μM, 98 nM - 195 μM, and 97 nM - 291 μM, and the corresponding detection limits were respectively 15.79 nM, 20.83 nM, 15.31 nM, and 28.30 nM. The developed sensor was successfully applied to detect TCs in real samples, and the recovery rate was from 92.54 % to 109.69 % and the relative standard deviation was from 0.04 % to 2.97 %. Moreover, the heterometallic Eu/Zn-MOF was designed as a ratiometric neuron for Boolean logic computing and information encryption based on the specific identification of TCs. As a proof of concept, molecular steganography was successfully employed to encode, store, and conceal information by transforming the specific identification patterns of Eu/Zn-MOF into binary strings. This study is anticipated to advance the application of metal-organic frameworks in logic detection and information security, and bridging the gap between molecular sensors and the realm of information., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Aggregation-induced emission (AIE) molecules have great potential to enhance the performance of micronano lasers due to their excellent aggregated luminescence properties, so it is valuable to expand their applications in micronano lasers. In this work, a typical AIE active fluorescent dye motif 9,10-bis(2,2-diphenylvinyl) anthracene (BDPVA) was selected as the gain medium. First, drop-casting was used to fabricate BDPVA single-crystal nanowires, which can be used as Fabry-Perot (FP)-type resonators with a lasing threshold of 49.4 μJ/cm 2 . Furthermore, we innovatively doped BDPVA molecules as gain mediums into external polymer Whispering-Gallery-Mode (WGM)-type resonators via the emulsion self-assembly method. Fabricated BDPVA-doped polystyrene (PS) microspheres exhibit a much lower lasing threshold of 9.04 μJ/cm 2 . These results prove that the BDPVA molecules, in addition to realizing the reported AIE single-crystal lasers, can also be used as a guest-doped gain medium in the resonant cavity for obtaining better fluorescence gain. In addition, multimode tunability of two types of lasers has been successfully achieved by tuning the structure of the resonant cavity. This work further expands the application potential of AIE materials and will provide a useful reference for the rational design and fabrication of photonic micronano laser components using AIE materials.

Circularly polarized (CP) lasers hold tremendous potential for advancing spin information communication and display technologies. Organic materials are emerging candidates for high-performance CP lasers because of their abundant chiral structures and excellent gain characteristics. However, their dissymmetry factor ( g lum ) in CP emission is typically low due to the weak chiral light matter interactions. Here, we presented an effective approach to significantly amplifying g lum by leveraging the intrinsic 2D-chiroptical response of an anisotropic organic supramolecular crystal. The organic complex microcrystal was designed to exhibit large 2D-chiroptical activities through strong coupling interactions between their remarkable linear birefringence (LB) and high degree of fluorescence linear polarization. Such 2D-chiroptical response can be further enhanced by the stimulated emission resulted from an increased degree of linear polarization, yielding a nearly pure CP laser with an exceptionally high g lum of up to 1.78. Moreover, exploiting the extreme susceptibility of LB to temperature, we demonstrate a prototype of temperature-controlled chiroptical switches. These findings offer valuable insights for harnessing organic crystals to facilitate the development of high-performance CP lasers and other chiroptical devices.

Bacterial testicular inflammation is one of the important causes of male infertility. Using plant-derived compounds to overcome the side effects of antibiotics is an alternative treatment strategy for many diseases. Schizandrin B (SchB) is a bioactive compound of herbal medicine Schisandra chinensis which has multiple pharmacological effects. However its effect and the mechanism against testicular inflammation are unknown. Here we tackled these questions using models of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced mice and -Sertoli cells (SCs). Histologically, SchB ameliorated the LPS-induced damages of the seminiferous epithelium and blood-testicular barrier, and reduced the production of pro-inflammatory mediators in mouse testes. Furthermore, SchB decreased the levels of pro-inflammatory mediators and inhibited the nuclear factor kB (NF-κB) and MAPK (especially JNK) signaling pathway phosphorylation in LPS-induced mSCs. The bioinformatics analysis based on receptor prediction and the molecular docking was further conducted. We targeted androgen receptor (AR) and illustrated that AR might bind with SchB in its function. Further experiments indicate that the AR expression was upregulated by LPS stimulation, while SchB treatment reversed this phenomenon; similarly, the expression of the JNK-related proteins and apoptotic-related protein were also reversed after AR activator treatment. Together, SchB mitigates LPS-induced inflammation and apoptosis by inhibiting the AR-JNK pathway., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Multidimensional integrated micro/nanostructures are vitally important for the implementation of versatile photonic functionalities, whereas current material structures still suffer undesired surface defects and contaminations in either multistep micro/nanofabrications or extreme synthetic conditions. Herein, the dimension evolution of organic self-assembled structures 2D microrings and 3D microhelixes for multidimensional photonic devices is realized via a protic/aprotic solvent-directed molecular assembly method based on a multiaxial confined-assisted growth mechanism. The 2D microrings with consummate circle boundaries and molecular-smooth surfaces function as high-quality whispering-gallery-mode microcavities for dual-wavelength energy-influence-dependent switchable lasing. Moreover, the 3D microhelixes with smooth surfaces and natural twistable characteristics act as active photon-transport materials and polarization rotators. These results will broaden the horizon of constructing multidimensional microstructures for integrated photonic circuits., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Understanding charge transport in metal ion-mediated glutathione-stabilized gold nanoclusters (GSH-Au NCs) has proved difficult due to the presence of various competitive mechanisms, such as electron transfer (ET) and aggregation induction effect (AIE). In this paper, we present a dual-channel fluorescence (FL) and second-order Rayleigh scattering (SRS) sensing method for high-throughput classification of metal ions, relying on the competition between ET and AIE using GSH-Au NCs. The SRS signals show significant enhancement when Pb 2+ , Ag + , Al 3+ , Cu 2+ , Fe 3+ , and Hg 2+ are present, as a result of the aggregation of GSH-Au NCs. Notably, the fluorescence signal exhibits the opposite trend. The FL intensities of GSH-Au NCs are enhanced by Pb 2+ , Ag + , and Al 3+ through the AIE mechanism, while they are quenched by Cu 2+ , Fe 3+ , and Hg 2+ , which is dominated by the ET mechanism. By employing principal component analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis, these signals are transformed into unique fingerprints and Euclidean distances, respectively, enabling successful distinction of six metal ions and their mixtures with a low detection limit of 30 nM. This new strategy has successfully addressed interference from impurities in the testing of real water samples, demonstrating its strong ability to detect multiple metal ions. Impressively, we have achieved molecular cryptosteganography, which involves encoding, storing, and concealing information by transforming the selective response of GSH-Au NCs to binary strings. This research is anticipated to advance utilization of nanomaterials in logic sensing and information safety, bridging the gap between molecular sensors and information systems., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

In China, both vanadium(V) and chromium(VI) are present in wastewater resulting from vanadate precipitation (AVP wastewater) and from leaching vanadium-chromium reduction slag. Addressing environmental preservation and the comprehensive utilization of metal resources necessitates the extraction and separation of V(V) and Cr(VI) from these mixed solutions. However, their separation is complicated by very similar physicochemical properties. This study establishes a method for the dynamic selective adsorption of V(V) from such mixtures. It evaluates the impact of various operating conditions in columns on dynamic adsorption behavior. This study examines the migration patterns of the mass transfer zone (MTZ) and forecasts its effective adsorption capacity through multivariate polynomial regression and a neural network (NN) model. The NN model's outcomes are notably more precise. Its analysis reveals that C 0 is the most critical factor, with Q and H following in importance. Furthermore, the dynamic properties were analyzed using two established models, Thomas and Klinkenberg, revealing that both intraparticle and liquid film diffusion influence the rates of exchange adsorption, with intraparticle diffusion being the more significant factor. Using 3 wt % sodium hydroxide as the eluent to elute V(V)-loaded resin at a flow rate of 4 mL/min resulted in a chromium concentration of less than 3 mg/L in the V(V) eluate, indicating high vanadium-chromium separation efficiency in this method. These findings offer theoretical insights and economic analysis data that are crucial for optimizing column operation processes., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interest., (© 2024 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society.)

Background: Fungal infections are associated with high morbidity and mortality in the intensive care unit (ICU), but their diagnosis is difficult. In this study, machine learning was applied to design and define the predictive model of ICU-acquired fungi (ICU-AF) in the early stage of fungal infections using Random Forest., Objectives: This study aimed to provide evidence for the early warning and management of fungal infections., Methods: We analyzed the data of patients with culture-positive fungi during their admission to seven ICUs of the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University from January 1, 2015, to December 31, 2019. Patients whose first culture was positive for fungi longer than 48 h after ICU admission were included in the ICU-AF cohort. A predictive model of ICU-AF was obtained using the Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator and machine learning, and the relationship between the features within the model and the disease severity and mortality of patients was analyzed. Finally, the relationships between the ICU-AF model, antifungal therapy and empirical antifungal therapy were analyzed., Results: A total of 1,434 cases were included finally. We used lasso dimensionality reduction for all features and selected six features with importance ≥0.05 in the optimal model, namely, times of arterial catheter, enteral nutrition, corticosteroids, broadspectrum antibiotics, urinary catheter, and invasive mechanical ventilation. The area under the curve of the model for predicting ICU-AF was 0.981 in the test set, with a sensitivity of 0.960 and specificity of 0.990. The times of arterial catheter ( p  = 0.011, OR = 1.057, 95% CI = 1.053-1.104) and invasive mechanical ventilation ( p  = 0.007, OR = 1.056, 95%CI = 1.015-1.098) were independent risk factors for antifungal therapy in ICU-AF. The times of arterial catheter ( p  = 0.004, OR = 1.098, 95%CI = 0.855-0.970) were an independent risk factor for empirical antifungal therapy., Conclusion: The most important risk factors for ICU-AF are the six time-related features of clinical parameters (arterial catheter, enteral nutrition, corticosteroids, broadspectrum antibiotics, urinary catheter, and invasive mechanical ventilation), which provide early warning for the occurrence of fungal infection. Furthermore, this model can help ICU physicians to assess whether empiric antifungal therapy should be administered to ICU patients who are susceptible to fungal infections., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Zhao, Lai, Tang, Luo, He, Huang, Wang, Zhang, Lin, Qin and Xu.)

Stimuli-responsive micro/nanoscale photonic barcodes show great capacity for encryption and anticounterfeiting technologies due to multiple authentications, yet their application is commonly restricted by invasive stimuli. Herein, we report noninvasive light-stimulated high-security photonic barcodes based on spatially assembled photoresponsive two-dimensional (2D) 1,3,5-benzenetribenzoate (BTB)@Ln-MOF host-guest heterostructures. The photoluminescence (PL) spectra information on BTB@Ln-MOF heterostructures could be precisely controlled by the different wavelengths of ultraviolet (UV) light trigger. By using the PL properties and 2D heterostructures as cryptographic primitives, spatially resolved smart photonic barcodes based on both spectral and graphical coding are realized in BTB@Ln-MOF host-guest materials. These results will pave an avenue for the development of smart stimuli-responsive photonic barcodes for anticounterfeiting applications.

Objective: To explore the effects and mechanisms of chidamide on the osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) from myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS)., Methods: MSC were isolated and cultured from bone marrow of MDS patients and healthy donors. CCK-8 assay was used to detect the effects of chidamide on the proliferation of MSC. The effects of chidamide on the activity of histone deacetylase (HDAC) in MSC was measured by a fluorescence assay kit and Western blot. Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity was detected on day 3 and calcium nodule formation was observed by Alizarin Red staining on day 21 after osteogenic differentiation. The expression of early and late osteogenic genes was detected on day 7 and day 21, respectively. RT-PCR and Western blot were used to detect the effects of chidamide on mRNA and protein expression of RUNX2 which is the key transcription factor during osteogenesis., Results: As the concentration of chidamide increased, the proliferation of MSC was inhibited. However, at a low concentration (1 μmol/L), chidamide had no significant inhibitory effect on MSC proliferation but significantly inhibited HDAC activity. In MSC from both MDS patients and healthy donors, chidamide (1 μmol/L) significantly increased ALP activity, calcium nodule formation, thereby mRNA expression of osteogenic genes, and restored the reduced osteogenic differentiation ability of MDS-MSC compared to normal MSC. Mechanistic studies showed that the osteogenic-promoting effect of chidamide may be related to the upregulation of RUNX2 ., Conclusion: Chidamide can inhibit HDAC activity in MSC, upregulate the expression of the osteogenic transcription factor RUNX2 , and promote the osteogenic differentiation of MDS-MSC.

Yutu-2 rover conducted an exciting expedition on the 41st lunar day to investigate a fin-shaped rock at Longji site (45.44°S, 177.56°E) by extending its locomotion margin on perilous peaks. The varied locomotion encountered, especially multi-form wheel slippage, during the journey to the target rock, established unique conditions for a fin-grained lunar regolith analysis regarding bearing, shear and lateral properties based on terramechanics. Here, we show a tri-aspect characterization of lunar regolith and infer the rock's origin using a digital twin. We estimate internal friction angle within 21.5°-42.0° and associated cohesion of 520-3154 Pa in the Chang'E-4 operational site. These findings suggest shear characteristics similar to Apollo 12 mission samples but notably higher cohesion compared to regolith investigated on most nearside lunar missions. We estimate external friction angle in lateral properties to be within 8.3°-16.5°, which fills the gaps of the lateral property estimation of the lunar farside regolith and serves as a foundational parameter for subsequent engineering verifications. Our in-situ spectral investigations of the target rock unveil its composition of iron/magnesium-rich low-calcium pyroxene, linking it to the Zhinyu crater (45.34°S, 176.15°E) ejecta. Our results indicate that the combination of in-situ measurements with robotics technology in planetary exploration reveal the possibility of additional source regions contributing to the local materials at the Chang'E-4 site, implying a more complicated geological history in the vicinity., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

E. sinensis is an animal model for studying the reproduction and development of crustaceans. In this study, we knocked down the Es-Kif2a gene by injecting dsRNA into E. sinensis and inhibited Es-Plk1 gene expression by injecting PLK1 inhibitor BI6727 into E. sinensis . Then, the cell proliferation level, apoptosis level, and PI3K/AKT signaling expression level were detected. Our results showed that the proliferation level of spermatogenic cells decreased, while the apoptosis level increased after Es-Kif2a knockdown or Es-Plk1 inhibition. In order to verify whether these changes are caused by regulating the PI3K/AKT pathway, we detected the expression of PI3K and AKT proteins after Es-Kif2a knockdown or Es-Plk1 inhibition. Western Blot showed that in both the Es-Kif2a knockdown group and the Es-Plk1 inhibition group, the expression of PI3K and AKT proteins decreased. In addition, immunofluorescence showed that Es-KIF2A and Es-PLK1 proteins were co-localized during E. sinensis spermatogenesis. To further explore the upstream and downstream relationship between Es-KIF2A and Es-PLK1, we detected the expression level of Es-PLK1 after Es-Kif2a knockdown as well as the expression level of Es-KIF2A after Es-Plk1 inhibition. Western Blot showed that the expression of Es-PLK1 decreased after Es-Kif2a knockdown, while there was no significant change of Es-KIF2A after Es-Plk1 inhibition, indicating that Es-PLK1 may be a downstream factor of Es-KIF2A. Taken together, these results suggest that Es-KIF2A upregulates the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway through Es-PLK1 during the spermatogenesis of E. sinensis , thereby affecting the proliferation and apoptosis levels of spermatogenic cells.

Aim: To observe the effects of N-acetylserotonin (NAS) administration on retinal ischemia-reperfusion (RIR) injury in rats and explore the underlying mechanisms involving the high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1)/receptor for advanced glycation end-products (RAGE)/nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) signaling pathway., Methods: A rat model of RIR was developed by increasing the pressure of the anterior chamber of the eye. Eighty male Sprague Dawley were randomly divided into five groups: sham group ( n =8), RIR group ( n =28), RIR+NAS group ( n =28), RIR+FPS-ZM1 group ( n =8) and RIR+NAS+ FPS-ZM1 group ( n =8). The therapeutic effects of NAS were examined by hematoxylin-eosin (H&E) staining, and retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) counting. The expression of interleukin 1 beta (IL-1β), HMGB1, RAGE, and nod-like receptor 3 (NLRP3) proteins and the phosphorylation of nuclear factor-kappa B (p-NF-κB) were analyzed by immunohistochemistry staining and Western blot analysis. The expression of HMGB1 protein was also detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)., Results: H&E staining results showed that NAS significantly reduced retinal edema and increased the number of RGCs in RIR rats. With NAS therapy, the HMGB1 and RAGE expression decreased significantly, and the activation of the NF-κB/NLRP3 pathway was antagonized along with the inhibition of p-NF-κB and NLRP3 protein expression. Additionally, NAS exhibited an anti-inflammatory effect by reducing IL-1β expression. The inhibitory of RAGE binding to HMGB1 by RAGE inhibitor FPS-ZM1 led to a significant decrease of p-NF-κB and NLRP3 expression, so as to the IL-1β expression and retinal edema, accompanied by an increase of RGCs in RIR rats., Conclusion: NAS may exhibit a neuroprotective effect against RIR via the HMGB1/RAGE/NF-κB signaling pathway, which may be a useful therapeutic target for retinal disease., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: Zhao YZ, None; Zhang XN, None; Yin Y, None; Xiao PL, None; Gao M, None; Zhang LM, None; Zhou SH, None; Yu SN, None; Wang XL, None; Zhao YS, None., (International Journal of Ophthalmology Press.)

Two-dimensional organic semiconductor-incorporated perovskites are a promising family of hybrid materials for optoelectronic applications, owing in part to their inherent quantum well architecture. Tuning their structures and properties for specific properties, however, has remained challenging. Here we report a general method to tune the dimensionality of phase-pure organic semiconductor-incorporated perovskite single crystals during their synthesis, by judicious choice of solvent. The length of the conjugated semiconducting organic cations and the dimensionality (n value) of the inorganic layers can be manipulated at the same time. The energy band offsets and exciton dynamics at the organic-inorganic interfaces can therefore be precisely controlled. Furthermore, we show that longer and more planar π-conjugated organic cations induce a more rigid inorganic crystal lattice, which leads to suppressed exciton-phonon interactions and better optoelectronic properties as compared to conventional two-dimensional perovskites. As a demonstration, optically driven lasing behaviour with substantially lower lasing thresholds was realized., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited.)

Spin-polarized lasers, arising from stimulated emission of imbalanced spin populations, play a vital role in spin-optoelectronics. It is usually tackled by external spin injection, inevitably suffering from additional losses across the barriers from injection sources to gain materials. Herein, spin-polarized coherent light emission is self-triggered from the 1D-anchoring-3D perovskites, where the imbalanced populations in achiral 3D perovskites are endowed with the spin selectivity of exciton chirality (EC) underpinned by chiral 1D perovskites. Efficient transfer of EC is enabled by rapid energy transfer, thereby creating an imbalance of the spin population of excited states. Stimulated emission of such populations brings self-triggered spin-polarized amplified spontaneous emission in the composite perovskites, yielding a higher degree of polarization (DOP) than that based on optical spin injection into bare achiral 3D perovskites. Chemical diversity of composite perovskites not only enables to adjust band gap for broadband output of spin-polarized light signals but also promises to manipulate radiative decay and spin relaxation toward remarkably increased DOP. These results highlight the importance of EC transfer mechanism for spin-polarized lasing and represent a crucial step toward the development of chiral-spintronics., (© 2023 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Whispering-gallery-mode (WGM) microcavities featuring distinguishable sharp peaks in a broadband exhibit enormous advantages in the field of miniaturized photonic barcodes. However, such kind of barcodes developed hitherto are primarily based on microcavities wherein multiple gain medias were blended into a single matrix, thus resulting in the limited and indistinguishable coding elements. Here, a surface tension assisted heterogeneous assembly strategy is proposed to construct the spatially resolved WGM hetero-microrings with multiple spatial colors along its circular direction. Through precisely regulating the charge-transfer (CT) strength, full-color microrings covering the entire visible range were effectively acquired, which exhibit a series of sharp and recognizable peaks and allow for the effective construction of high-quality photonic barcodes. Notably, the spatially resolved WGM hetero-microrings with multiple coding elements were finally acquired through heterogeneous nucleation and growth controlled by the directional diffusion between the hetero-emulsion droplets, thus remarkably promoting the security strength and coding capacity of the barcodes. The results would be useful to fabricate new types of organic hierarchical hybrid WGM heterostructures for optical information recording and security labels., (© 2023 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Clinical application of PD-1 and PD-L1 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) is hindered by their relatively low response rates and the occurrence of drug resistance. Co-expression of B7-H3 with PD-L1 has been found in various solid tumors, and combination therapies that target both PD-1/PD-L1 and B7-H3 pathways may provide  additional therapeutic benefits. Up to today, however, no bispecific antibodies targeting both PD-1 and B7-H3 have reached the clinical development stage. In this study, we generated a stable B7-H3×PD-L1 bispecific antibody (BsAb) in IgG1-VHH format by coupling a humanized IgG1 mAb against PD-L1 with a humanized camelus variable domain of the heavy-chain of heavy-chain antibody (VHH) against human B7-H3. The BsAb exhibited favorable thermostability, efficient T cell activation, IFN-γ production, and antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC). In a PBMC humanized A375 xenogeneic tumor model, treatment with BsAb (10 mg/kg, i.p., twice a week for 6 weeks) showed enhanced antitumor activities compared to monotherapies and, to some degree, combination therapies. Our results suggest that targeting both PD-1 and B7-H3 with BsAbs increases their specificities to B7-H3 and PD-L1 double-positive tumors and induces a synergetic effect. We conclude that B7-H3×PD-L1 BsAb is favored over mAbs and possibly combination therapies in treating B7-H3 and PD-L1 double-positive tumors., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Chinese Pharmacological Society.)

Stimulated Raman scattering offers an alternative strategy to explore continuous-wave (c.w.) organic lasers, which, however, still suffers from the limitation of inadequate Raman gain in organic material systems. Here we propose a metal-linking approach to enhance the Raman gain of organic molecules. Self-assembled microcrystals of the metal linked organic dimers exhibit large Raman gain, therefore allowing for c.w. Raman lasing. Furthermore, broadband tunable Raman lasing is achieved in the organic dimer microcrystals by adjusting excitation wavelengths. This work advances the understanding of Raman gain in organic molecules, paving a way for the design of c.w. organic lasers., (© 2023 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

A mild and elegant multicomponent protocol for construction of CF 2 H-containing carbazoles was accomplished by visible-light photoredox catalysis with formation of two new C-C bonds in a single step to deliver a wide variety of structurally diverse difluoroalkylated carbazoles in moderate to good yields, featuring mild reaction conditions, synthetic simplicity, broad substrates, and good functional group tolerance.

β-CATENIN is an evolutionarily conserved multifunctional molecule that maintains cell adhesion as a cell junction protein to safeguard the integrity of the mammalian blood-testes barrier, and also regulates cell proliferation and apoptosis as a key signaling molecule in the WNT/β-CATENIN signaling pathway. In the crustacean Eriocheir sinensis, Es-β-CATENIN has been shown to be involved in spermatogenesis, but the testes of E. sinensis have large and well-defined structural differences from those of mammals, and the impact of Es-β-CATENIN in them is still unknown. In the present study, we found that Es-β-CATENIN, Es-α-CATENIN and Es-ZO-1 interact differently in the testes of the crab compared to mammals. In addition, defective Es-β-CATENIN resulted in increased Es-α-CATENIN protein expression levels, distorted and deformed F-ACTIN, and disturbed localization of Es-α-CATENIN and Es-ZO-1, leading to loss of hemolymph-testes barrier integrity and impaired sperm release. In addition to this, we also performed the first molecular cloning and bioinformatics analysis of Es-AXIN in the WNT/β-CATENIN pathway to exclude the effect of the WNT/β-CATENIN pathway on the cytoskeleton. In conclusion, Es-β-CATENIN participates in maintaining the hemolymph-testes barrier in the spermatogenesis of E. sinensis., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest that could be perceived as prejudicing the impartiality of the research reported., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: To study the protective effect of melatonin (Mel) against oxygen-induced retinopathy (OIR) in neonatal mice and the role of the HMGB1/NF-κB/NLRP3 axis., Methods: Neonatal C57BL/6J mice, aged 7 days, were randomly divided into a control group, a model group (OIR group), and a Mel treatment group (OIR+Mel group), with 9 mice in each group. The hyperoxia induction method was used to establish a model of OIR. Hematoxylin and eosin staining and retinal flat-mount preparation were used to observe retinal structure and neovascularization. Immunofluorescent staining was used to measure the expression of proteins and inflammatory factors associated with the HMGB1/NF-κB/NLRP3 axis and lymphocyte antigen 6G. Colorimetry was used to measure the activity of myeloperoxidase., Results: The OIR group had destruction of retinal structure with a large perfusion-free area and neovascularization, while the OIR+Mel group had improvement in destruction of retinal structure with reductions in neovascularization and perfusion-free area. Compared with the control group, the OIR group had significant increases in the expression of proteins and inflammatory factors associated with the HMGB1/NF-κB/NLRP3 axis, the expression of lymphocyte antigen 6G, and the activity of myeloperoxidase ( P <0.05). Compared with the OIR group, the OIR+Mel group had significant reductions in the above indices ( P <0.05). Compared with the control group, the OIR group had significant reductions in the expression of melatonin receptors in the retina ( P <0.05). Compared with the OIR group, the OIR+Mel group had significant increases in the expression of melatonin receptors ( P <0.05)., Conclusions: Mel can alleviate OIR-induced retinal damage in neonatal mice by inhibiting the HMGB1/NF-κB/NLRP3 axis and may exert an effect through the melatonin receptor pathway.

We demonstrate photoisomerization-controlled wavelength-tunable plasmonic lasers by integrating spiropyran derivative-doped PMMA films with two-dimensional Ag nanoparticle arrays. The controllable transformation between spiropyran derivatives and its isomers with different refractive indices by photoexcitation allows for a dynamical and continuous change of the refractive index in the host PMMA film, which is able to tune the lattice plasmon resonance, and hence the lasing wavelength. This result opens up a new avenue for engineering wavelength tunable plasmonic lasers toward practical photonic integration.

A facile and highly efficient visible-light photoredox-catalyzed protocol for aryldifluoromethylation of acrylamides was developed using S -(difluoromethyl)sulfonium salt as the difluoromethyl source. With this method, pharmaceutically interesting CF 2 H-containing oxindoles were readily accessed from N -arylacrylamides, and this method featured mild reaction conditions, a broad scope of substrates, good tolerance of functional groups, and good to excellent yields. Control experiments revealed that this protocol proceeded through a difluoromethylation/cyclization cascade process.

Understanding the diffusion of small molecules in polymer microsystems is of great interest in diverse fundamental and industrial research. Despite the rapidly advancing optical imaging and spectroscopic techniques, entities under investigation are usually limited to flat films or bulky samples. We demonstrate a route to in situ detection of diffusion dynamics in polymer micro-objects by means of optical whispering-gallery mode resonances. Through mode tracking, interactions between solvent molecules and polymer microspheres, including sorption, diffusion, and swelling can be quantitatively analyzed. A turning point of mode response is observed, while the diffusion exceeds the sub-wavelength-thick outermost layer as the radial extent of resonances and starts penetrating the inner core. The estimated solubility in the glassy polymer is consistent with the predicted value using Flory-Huggins theory. Besides, the non-Fickian contribution is analyzed in such a glassy polymer-penetrant system. Our work represents a high-precision and label-free approach to describing characteristics in diffusion dynamics.

Synthetic photonic materials exploiting the quantum concept of parity-time (PT) symmetry lead to an emerging photonic paradigm-non-Hermitian photonics, which is revolutionizing the photonic sciences. The non-Hermitian photonics dealing with the interplay between gain and loss in PT synthetic photonic material systems offers a versatile platform for advancing microlaser technology. However, current PT-symmetric microcavity laser systems only manipulate imaginary parts of the refractive indices, suffering from limited laser spectral bandwidth. Here, an organic composite material system is proposed to synthesize reconfigurable PT-symmetric microcavities with controllable complex refractive indices for realizing tunable single-mode laser outputs. A grayscale electron-beam direct-writing technique is elaborately designed to process laser dye-doped polymer films in one single step into microdisk cavities with periodic gain and loss distribution, which enables thresholdless PT-symmetry breaking and single-mode laser operation. Furthermore, organic photoisomerizable compounds are introduced to reconfigure the PT-symmetric systems in real-time by tailoring the real refractive index of the polymer microresonators, allowing for a dynamically and continuously tunable single-mode laser output. This work fundamentally enhances the PT-symmetric photonic systems for innovative design of synthetic photonic materials and architectures., (© 2023 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Objective: This study explored the relationship between college students' physical activity motivation and exercise behavior and constructed a chain mediation model through the mediating roles of exercise climate and exercise self-efficacy., Methods: By random sampling, 1,032 college students were investigated using the Exercise Motivation Scale, Physical Exercise Rating Scale, Exercise Climate Scale, and Exercise Self-Efficacy Scale., Results: (1) There was a huge positive correlation between exercise motivation and exercise behavior ( r  = 0.240, p  < 0.01), and the immediate ways of linking exercise motivation to exercise behavior were critical ( β  = 0.068, t  = 0.040, p  < 0.01). (2) Exercise motivation could positively predict exercise climate ( β  = 0.373, t  = 0.061, p  < 0.01) and exercise self-efficacy ( β  = 0.174, t  = 0.039, p  < 0.01), and exercise climate could emphatically foresee exercise behavior ( β  = 0.302, t  = 0.051, p  < 0.01). Exercise self-efficacy could foresee exercise behavior decidedly ( β  = 0.190, t  = 0.048, p  < 0.01). (3) Exercise climate and exercise self-efficacy play a critical intervening role between exercise motivation and exercise behavior. The intercession impact is explicitly made out of aberrant impacts created in three ways: exercise motivation → exercise climate → exercise behavior (mediating effect value: 0.113); exercise motivation → exercise self-efficacy → exercise behavior (mediating effect value: 0.033); exercise motivation → exercise climate → exercise self-efficacy → exercise behavior (mediating effect value: 0.027)., Conclusion: (1) Exercise climate, exercise self-efficacy, and exercise behavior can all be significantly predicted by exercise motivation, suggesting that exercise motivation may help to enhance these variables. (2) In addition to having a direct impact on exercise behavior, exercise motivation can also have an indirect impact through the separate mediating effects of exercise climate and exercise self-efficacy as well as the chain mediating effect of exercise climate and exercise self-efficacy, which is crucial for encouraging college students to engage in physical activity., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Zhao, Ma, Li, Guo and Chao.)

Patterning is attractive for nanofabrication, electron devices, and bioengineering. However, achieving the molecular-scale patterns to meet the demands of these fields is challenging. Here, we propose a bubble-template molecular printing concept by introducing the ultrathin liquid film of bubble walls to confine the self-assembly of molecules and achieve ultrahigh-precision assembly up to 12 nanometers corresponding to the critical point toward the Newton black film limit. The disjoining pressure describing the intermolecular interaction could predict the highest precision effectively. The symmetric molecules exhibit better reconfiguration capacity and smaller preaggregates than the asymmetric ones, which are helpful in stabilizing the drainage of foam films and construct high-precision patterns. Our results confirm the robustness of the bubble template to prepare molecular-scale patterns, verify the criticality of molecular symmetry to obtain the ultimate precision, and predict the application potential of high-precision organic patterns in hierarchical self-assembly and high-sensitivity sensors.

The Zhurong rover of the Tianwen-1 mission landed in southern Utopia Planitia, providing a unique window into the evolutionary history of the Martian lowlands. During its first 110 sols, Zhurong investigated and categorized surface targets into igneous rocks, lithified duricrusts, cemented duricrusts, soils and sands. The lithified duricrusts, analysed by using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy onboard Zhurong, show elevated water contents and distinct compositions from those of igneous rocks. The cemented duricrusts are likely formed via water vapor-frost cycling at the atmosphere-soil interface, as supported by the local meteorological conditions. Soils and sands contain elevated magnesium and water, attributed to both hydrated magnesium salts and adsorbed water. The compositional and meteorological evidence indicates potential Amazonian brine activities and present-day water vapor cycling at the soil-atmosphere interface. Searching for further clues to water-related activities and determining the water source by Zhurong are critical to constrain the volatile evolution history at the landing site., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of China Science Publishing & Media Ltd.)

Lead (Pb) is a developmental neurotoxin that can disrupt brain development and damage the brain regions responsible for executive function, behavioral regulation and fine motor control. Sodium para-aminosalicylic acid (PAS-Na) is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug that can cross the blood-brain barrier. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of juvenile rat Pb exposure on behavioral changes and brain inflammation, and the efficacy of PAS-Na in ameliorating these effects. The results showed that Pb exposure during the juvenile period (from weaning to adult period) delayed rats' growth development and impaired their motor learning. Pb exposure not only increased Pb concentrations in several brain regions (including hippocampus, striatum and substantia nigra), but also disrupted metal-homeostasis in the brain, as higher levels of iron (Fe) and calcium (Ca) were observed in the substantia nigra. Moreover, Pb activated the MAPK pathway and increased levels of inflammatory factors such as IL-1β, TNF-α and IL-6 in the hippocampus, striatum and substantia nigra. Furthermore, Pb increased the levels of alpha-synuclein (α-syn) in these brain sites. PAS-Na improved the motor deficits and brain inflammation in the Pb-exposed rats. Moreover, the elevated Pb, Fe and Ca concentrations in the brain were significantly reduced by PAS-Na, which contains amino, carboxyl and hydroxyl functional groups, suggesting that it may act as a chelator of brain metals. In addition, PAS-Na inhibited the Pb-induced MAPK pathway activation and α-syn accumulation in the same brain regions. Taken together, our novel study suggest that PAS-Na shows efficacy in improving the Pb-induced behavioral changes in rats by inhibiting MAPK-dependent inflammatory pathways and reducing α-syn accumulation., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The effect of fermentation by Saccharomyces cerevisiae on biological properties of cinnamon (Cinnamomum cassia) was investigated. The study demonstrated that the extract of S. cerevisiae-fermented cinnamon (S.C.FC) has antioxidants higher than non-fermented one. The optimum results for antioxidant yield were noted with 10 7  CFU S. cerevisiae/10 g cinnamon and 70 mL of dH 2 O at pH 6 and incubated for 3 d at 35 °C. Under optimum conditions, ABTS, DPPH, and H 2 O 2 radical-scavenging activity increased by 43.8, 61.5, and 71.9%, respectively. Additionally, the total phenols and flavonoids in S.C.FC were increased by 81.3 and 415% compared by non-fermented one. The fermented cinnamon had antimicrobial activity against L. monocytogenes, S. aureus, E. coli, S. typhi, and C. albicans. Also, the anti-inflammatory properties were increased from 89 to 92% after fermentation. The lyophilized extract of S.C.FC showed positive effect against Huh7 cancer cells which decreased by 31% at the concentration of 700 µg/mL. According to HPLC analysis, p-hydroxybenzoic acid, gentisic acid, catechin, chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, and syringic acid were increased by 116, 33.2, 59.6, 50.6, 1.6, and 16.9%, respectively. Our findings suggest the applicability of cinnamon fermentation using S. cerevisiae as a useful tool for processing functional foods to increase their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory content., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Barley bran has potential bioactivities due to its high content of polyphenols and dietary fiber, etc. Fermentation has been considered as an effective way to promote the functional activity of food raw materials. In this study, polysaccharides from barley bran extract fermented by Lactiplantibacillus plantarum dy-1 (FBBE-PS) were analyzed, and its effects on lipid accumulation and oxidative stress in high-fat HepG2 cells induced by sodium oleate were evaluated. The results showed that the molecular weight decreased and monosaccharide composition of polysaccharides changed significantly after fermentation. In addition, 50 μg/mL FBBE-PS could reduce the triglyceride (TG) content and reaction oxygen species (ROS) level in high-fat HepG2 cells by 21.62% and 30.01%, respectively, while increasing the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) represented by 64.87% and 22.93%, respectively. RT-qPCR analysis revealed that FBBE-PS could up-regulate the lipid metabolism-related genes such as ppar-α , acox-1 and cpt-1α , and oxidation-related genes such as nrf2 , ho-1 , nqo-1 , sod1 , cat , etc. The metabolomics analysis indicated that FBBE-PS could alleviate lipid deposition by inhibiting the biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acids, which is consistent with the downregulation of scd-1 expression. It is demonstrated that fermentation can alter the properties and physiological activities of polysaccharides in barley bran, and FBBE-PS exhibited an alleviating effect on lipid deposition and oxidative stress in high-fat cells.

Lead (Pb) is a common heavy metal contaminant in the environment, and it may perturb autophagy and cause neurodegeneration. Although sodium para-aminosalicylic (PAS-Na) has been shown to protect the brain from lead-induced toxicity, the mechanisms associated with its efficacy have yet to be fully understood. In this study, we evaluated the efficacy of PAS-Na in attenuating the neurotoxic effects of lead, as well as the specific mechanisms that mediate such protection. Lead exposure resulted in weight loss and injury to the liver and kidney, and PAS-Na had a protective effect against this damage. Both short-term and subchronic lead exposure impaired learning ability, and this effect was reversed by PAS-Na intervention. Lead exposure also perturbed autophagic processes through the modulation of autophagy-related factors. Short-term lead exposure downregulated LC3 and beclin1 and upregulated the expression of p62; subchronic lead exposure upregulated the expression of LC3, beclin1, and P62. It follows that PAS-Na had an antagonistic effect on the activation of the above autophagy-related factors. Overall, our novel findings suggest that PAS-Na can protect the rat cortex from lead-induced toxicity by regulating autophagic processes. (1) Short-term lead exposure inhibits autophagy, whereas subchronic lead exposure promotes autophagy. (2) PAS-NA ameliorated the abnormal process of lead-induced autophagy, which had a protective effect on the cerebral cortex., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Electrostatic discharge experiments under simulated martian atmospheric conditions indicate that atmospheric CO 2 has been sequestered into carbonate by the Mars dust activities during the Amazonia era., Competing Interests: None declared., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of China Science Publishing & Media Ltd.)

Lead (Pb) is considered to be a major environmental pollutant and occupational health hazard worldwide which may lead to neuroinflammation. However, an effective treatment for Pb-induced neuroinflammation remains elusive. The aim of this study was to investigate the mechanisms of Pb-induced neuroinflammation, and the therapeutic effect of sodium para-aminosalicylic acid (PAS-Na, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug) in rat cerebral cortex. The results indicated that Pb exposure induced pathological damage in cerebral cortex, accompanied by increased levels of inflammatory factors tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β). Moreover, Pb decreased the expression of silencing information regulator 2 related enzyme 1 (SIRT1) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and increased the levels of high mobile group box 1 (HMGB1) expression and p65 nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) phosphorylation. PAS-Na treatment ameliorated Pb-induced histopathological changes in rat cerebral cortex. Moreover, PAS-Na reduced the Pb-induced increase of TNF-α and IL-1β levels concomitant with a significant increase in SIRT1 and BDNF levels, and a decrease in HMGB1 and the phosphorylation of p65 NF-κB expression. Thus, PAS-Na may exert anti-inflammatory effects by mediating the SIRT1/HMGB1/NF-κB pathway and BDNF expression. In conclusion, in this novel study PAS-Na was shown to possess an anti-inflammatory effect on cortical neuroinflammation, establishing its efficacy as a potential treatment for Pb exposures., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

CF 2 H moiety has a significant potential utility in drug design and discovery, and the incorporation of CF 2 H into biologically active molecules represents an important and efficient strategy for seeking lead compounds and drug candidates. On the other hand, quinoxalin-2-one is of great interest to pharmaceutical chemists as a common skeleton frequently occurring in plenty of natural products and bioactive compounds. Herein, we reported a practical and efficient protocol for the synthesis of 3-CF 2 H-quinoxalin-2-ones. Thus, in the presence of 3 mol% of photocatalyst and S -(difluoromethyl)sulfonium salt as difluoromethyl radical sources, a wide range of quinoxalin-2-ones readily underwent a visible-light redox-catalyzed difluoromethylation reaction, to deliver structurally diverse 3-difluoromethyl-quinoxalin-2-ones. We believe that this would facilitate increasing chances and possibilities for seeking potential lead compounds and drug candidates and further boost the development of fluorine-containing pharmaceuticals.

Context: Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) causes chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH), which results in mitochondrial dysfunction and generates reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the heart. Excessive free iron could accelerate oxidative damage, which may be involved in this process. Banxia-Houpu decoction (BHD) was reported to improve the apnoea hypopnoea index in OSA patients, but the specific mechanism was still unclear., Objective: To investigate whether BHD could reduce CIH-induced heart damage by regulating iron metabolism and mitochondrial function., Materials and Methods: C57BL/6N mice were randomly divided into control, CIH and BHD groups. Mice were exposed to CIH (21 - 5% O 2 , 20 times/h, 8 h/d) and administered BHD (3.51, 7.01 and 14.02 g/kg, intragastrically) for 21 d. Cardiac and mitochondrial function, iron levels, apoptosis and mitophagy were determined., Results: BHD (7.01 g/kg) significantly improved cardiac dysfunction, pathological change and mitochondrial structure induced by CIH. BHD increased the Bcl-2/Bax ratio (1.4-fold) and inhibited caspase 3 cleavage in CIH mice (0.45-fold). BHD activated mitophagy by upregulating Parkin (1.94-fold) and PINK1 (1.26-fold), inhibiting the PI3K-AKT-mTOR pathway. BHD suppressed ROS generation by decreasing NOX2 (0.59-fold) and 4-HNE (0.83-fold). BHD reduced the total iron in myocardial cells (0.72-fold) and mitochondrial iron by downregulating Mfrn2 (0.81-fold) and MtFt (0.78-fold) proteins, and upregulating ABCB8 protein (1.33-fold). Rosmarinic acid, the main component of Perilla Leaf in BHD, was able to react with Fe 2+ and Fe 3+ in vitro ., Discussion and Conclusions: These findings encourage the use of BHD to resist cardiovascular injury and provide the theoretical basis for clinical treatment in OSA patients.

Reconfigurable microlaser arrays are essential to the construction of display panels where the individual pixel should be highly tunable in resonance mode, optical polarization, and lasing wavelength upon external control signals. Here we demonstrate a facile yet reliable approach to fabrication of organic microlaser pixels, in which the assembly of microsphere arrays on each pixel is controlled according to the near-field magnetostatic confinement. The geometrical configuration of diamagnetic microspheres could be readily modulated with the near-field potential traps by using the external field to alternate the saturation magnetization of the underneath micromagnet. The motion of microspheres can be modulated among several states upon applied field, and the reconfigurable microsphere array is thus achieved with high spatial precision and rapid temporal response. Moreover, both isolated and coupled spheres serve as low-threshold microlasers with tunable optical resonance modes, whereas the switching between the vertical and horizontal alignments of coupled spheres manipulates the polarization of lasing outputs. By repeating the magnetostatic confinement on the same substrate, the full-color laser display pixels with magnetically tunable color expression capability are successfully achieved.

Synthesis of single-crystalline micro/nanostructures with curved shapes is essential for developing extraordinary types of optoelectronic devices. Here, we use the strategy of liquid-phase nonconfinement growth to controllably synthesize edge-curved molecular microcrystals on a large scale. By varying the molecular substituents on linear organic conjugated molecules, it is found that the steric hindrance effect could minimize the intrinsic anisotropy of molecular stacking, allowing for the exposure of high-index crystal planes. The growth rate of high-index crystal planes can be further regulated by increasing the molecular supersaturation, which is conducive to the cogrowth of these crystal planes to form continuously curved-shape microcrystals. Assisted by nonrotationally symmetric geometry and optically smooth curvature, edge-curved microcrystals can support low-threshold lasing, and self-focusing directional emission. These results contribute to gaining an insightful understanding of the design and growth of functional molecular crystals and promoting the applications of organic active materials in integrated photonic devices and circuits.

This study designed to investigate effect of fermentation by Lactobacillus plantarum on antioxidant and anticancer properties of Cinnamomum cassia aqueous solution. The optimum condition to produce high antioxidant activity was 10 7 CFU L. plantarum /10 g cinnamon at pH6 after 3 days of incubation at 35 °C. Fermented cinnamon showed an increase in ABTS, DPPH and H 2 O 2 by 24.63, 58.31 and 60.27%, respectively over the control. Also, the total phenolic and flavonoid contents were increased, 8.15 to 11.40 mg GAE/g and 0.43 to 2.61 mg QE/g, respectively. The gallic acid, p-hydroxybenzoic acid, catechin and chlorogenic acid were increased by 37, 404, 11 and 98%, respectively. Also, anticancer activity was developed after fermentation. The increased antioxidant activity of fermented cinnamon could be attributed to the increase of some phenolics and flavonoids. Hence, cinnamon fermentation using L. plantarum is able to enhance its antioxidant and anticancer activities without producing toxic substances., Competing Interests: Authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest., (© 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.)