Search

The impact of cervical sagittal alignment on cervical facet joint degeneration (CFD) and the risk factors for CFD in patients with degenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM) were investigated in the current study. A total of 250 surgical patients with DCM were recruited. The clinical data and radiographical characteristics, including CFD, cervical sagittal balance parameters, Hounsfield unit (HU) values, disc degeneration (DD), and modic change, were collected. The detailed correlation between these characteristics and CFD was analyzed. Characteristics, including CFD, were compared among the various cervical alignment types and different CFD groups. Finally, the risk factors for CFD were revealed via logistic regression. CFD was prevalent in DCM patients. Age, cervical sagittal vertical axis (cSVA), range of motion, T1 slope, thoracic inlet angle, DD, HU value, and modic change correlated with CFD segmentally and globally (P < 0.05). The lordosis and sigmoid types had a significantly higher CFD prevalence (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the average CFD threshold for the severe CFD group was 1.625 (area under the curve, 0.958). Additionally, 167 patients with average CFD <1.625 and 83 patients with CFD of ≥1.625 were classified into the mild CFD group and severe CFD group, respectively. Finally, multivariate analysis was performed, and age, cSVA, HU value, modic change, and DD were determined to be independent risk factors for CFD. The load distribution tends to shift to a more shear-like pattern in the sigmoid and kyphosis types and in those with a higher cSVA, thereby promoting CFD. Aging, cervical malalignment, low bone mineral density, DD, and modic change were revealed to result in high risks of CFD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Ovarian cancer (OC) is one of the most common gynecologic malignant cancers with the current survival rate remaining low. TRPM2 has been reported as a survival predictor in various cancers but not in OC. The aim of this study is to explore the role and its underlying mechanism of TRPM2 in OC. Methods: The transcriptome data and clinical data were obtained from TCGA, GTEx, and GEO (GSE17260). DriverDBv3 and PrognoScan were used to analyze survival correlations. GSEA analysis was performed to uncover the underlying mechanism. The correlations between TRPM2 and immune score, immune cell infiltration were analyzed by TIMER2.0. Results: TRPM2 was highly expressed in OC and high TRPM2 expression was related to the poor prognosis based on the Kaplan-Meier curves, univariate and multivariate analysis. The enrichment analysis suggested that TRPM2 was involved in immune-related pathways. Positive correlations were also observed between TRPM2 expression and immune score and immune cells covering B cells, T cells, macrophage, neutrophil, and myeloid dendritic cells. We also found that TRPM2 was positively related to immune checkpoints including ICOSLG, CD40, CD86, etc. TRPM2 expression had a positive correlation with M2 macrophage, but not with M1 macrophage. Besides, TRPM2 showed a strong positive correlation with pyroptosis-related genes including NLRP3, NLRC4, NOD2, NOD1, IL1B, GSDMD. Conclusion: Our study demonstrated that TRPM2 is a poor prognostic prediction factor in ovarian cancer and is correlated to the immune microenvironment and pyroptosis. TRPM2 may act as a new immunotherapy target, which promoted the survival rate of OC patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: MUC16 (CA125) is a commonly used tumor marker for ovarian cancer screening and reported to be an immunosuppressive factor by acting on the sialic acid-binding immunoglobulin-like lectin-9 (Siglec-9) on the surface of natural killer cells (NK cells), B cells, and monocytes. However, the role of MUC16 on neutrophils in the tumor microenvironment remains to be further explored. Methods: The correlation between the proportion and count of peripheral blood cells, serum inflammatory-related factors and serum MUC16 (CA125) level in patients was constructed based on clinical samples. RNAseq data was obtained from TCGA and sequencing of ovarian cancer tissues, followed by TIMER immune cell infiltration and correlation analysis. Ovarian cancer organoid was constructed to stimulate neutrophils with immunophenotype identification by qPCR and flow cytometry. MUC16 protein stimulation to neutrophils validated the role of MUC16 under the analysis of RNA sequencing and inhibition of NK cytotoxicity in vitro. Results: The serum MUC16 level was positively correlated with the proportion and count of peripheral blood neutrophils, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and inflammatory factors IL-6, IL-8, IL-10 and IL-2R. Siglec-9, the receptor of MUC16, was expressed on neutrophils and was positively correlated to neutrophil infiltration in ovarian cancer. After the stimulation of ovarian cancer organoids and MUC16 respectively, the proportions of CD11b+, CD66b+, and ICAM-1+ neutrophils were significantly increased, while the proportion of CXCR4+ neutrophils was slightly decreased, with increasing of of inflammatory factors MMP9, IL-8, OSM, IL-1β, TNF-α, CXCL3, and ROS. RNA-sequencing analysis revealed that inflammatory response, TNFA signaling pathway, and IL6-related pathway were upregulated in MUC16-stimulated neutrophils, accompanied by high expression of immunosuppression-related factors HHLA2, IL-6, TNFRSF9, ADORA2A, CD274 (PD-L1), and IDO1. NK cytotoxicity was decreased when treated by supernanant of MUC16-stimulated neutrophils in vitro. Conclusion: MUC16 acted on neutrophils by Siglec-9 leading to an inflammatory and immunosuppressive phenotype in ovarian cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Ovarian cancer (OC) is one of the most common gynecologic malignant cancers with the current survival rate remaining low. TRPM2 has been reported as a survival predictor in various cancers but not in OC. The aim of this study is to explore the role and its underlying mechanism of TRPM2 in OC. Methods: The transcriptome data and clinical data were obtained from TCGA, GTEx, and GEO (GSE17260). DriverDBv3 and PrognoScan were used to analyze survival correlations. GSEA analysis was performed to uncover the underlying mechanism. The correlations between TRPM2 and immune score, immune cell infiltration were analyzed by TIMER2.0. Results: TRPM2 was highly expressed in OC and high TRPM2 expression was related to the poor prognosis based on the Kaplan-Meier curves, univariate and multivariate analysis. The enrichment analysis suggested that TRPM2 was involved in immune-related pathways. Positive correlations were also observed between TRPM2 expression and immune score and immune cells covering B cells, T cells, macrophage, neutrophil, and myeloid dendritic cells. We also found that TRPM2 was positively related to immune checkpoints including ICOSLG, CD40, CD86, etc. TRPM2 expression had a positive correlation with M2 macrophage, but not with M1 macrophage. Besides, TRPM2 showed a strong positive correlation with pyroptosis-related genes including NLRP3, NLRC4, NOD2, NOD1, IL1B, GSDMD. Conclusion: Our study demonstrated that TRPM2 is a poor prognostic prediction factor in ovarian cancer and is correlated to the immune microenvironment and pyroptosis. TRPM2 may act as a new immunotherapy target, which promoted the survival rate of OC patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrolyte plasma polishing (EPP) is an innovative and efficient technology mainly used to polish complex metal products and obtain surfaces with low roughness and high gloss. However, limited by the electrolyte bath size, EPP method is not suitable for polishing workpieces with large size. This paper introduces a spray electrolyte plasma polishing (SEPP) method that can process large-scale and complex surface. The theoretical mechanism of SEPP is presented. GH3536 superalloy plates manufactured by SLM were used as the experimental specimens. The influence of cathode feed velocity on surface roughness is studied. Key parameters, like distance between anode and cathode, voltage, temperature, and flow rate of the electrolyte were investigated experimentally. Properties such as surface roughness, micro morphology, chemical composition, and surface hardness of the GH3536 specimens were detected and analyzed. The results show that SEPP technology can decrease the specimen surface roughness from Ra = 13.93 μm to 0.107 μm and obtain a smooth and glossy surface without obvious machining traces. The oxides and other impurities on the specimen surface were removed, and the contents of Ni, Cr, and Fe elements were increased. Additionally, the surface hardness values of the polished specimen were increased and showed good consistency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two electron-transport host materials are synthesized by linking anthracene with benzimidazole derivatives through a unit of methyl substituted phenyl. The methyl substitution generates a large dihedral angle between the benzimidazole plane and bridging phenyl, keeping the excited state distribution and energy levels of T 1 and S 1 unchanged. The electron-only devices reveal that the two hosts have obviously enhanced electron transport ability than that of Ph-AN-MBP without benzimidazole. As a result, the devices with Ph-AN-BIZ and N1-AN-BIZ as hosts and a blue multiple resonance material of t BuCz-DABNA as emitter exhibit high external quantum efficiency of 10.1 % and 9.1 %, respectively, and low turn-on voltage of 2.7 V, which is better than those of Ph-AN-MBP based device (7.9 %, 3.4 V). And their electroluminescence spectra have a very small full-width at half-maximum of 16.2 nm and pure blue color with CIE coordinates of (0.12, 0.11). [Display omitted] • Benzimidazole derivative enhances electron-transport ability of the TTA hosts. • Twisted molecular structure makes characteristics of excited states unchanged. • Energy level degeneracy between [TT]3 and T 4 facilitates exciton upconversion. • Ph-AN-BIZ based device achieves high EQE of 10.1 % and low turn-on voltage of 2.7 V. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two boron‐, sulfur‐ and nitrogen‐doped polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon multiple resonance thermally activated delayed fluorescence emitters with high photoluminescent quantum efficiency (88 %) and rapid reverse intersystem crossing (kRISC= 1.0×105 s−1) are designed and synthesized, enabling efficient narrow‐band blue electroluminescence at 473 nm with full width at half maximum of 29 nm and maximum external quantum efficiency of 22.0 %, which provides an avenue to expand the structure library for multiple resonance emitters and an approach to regulate their emission properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Numerous studies suggest that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) participate in the biological process of diverse malignancies, including glioma. Although many differentially expressed lncRNAs have been identified in glioma, to our best knowledge, the role of LINC00662 and its potential underlying mechanism in glioma progression remains unclear. This study aimed to explore the function and regulatory network of LINC00662 in glioma. Methods: Expressions of LINC00662, miR-34a-5p and lectin mannose-binding 2-like (LMAN2L) in glioma tissues were analyzed using The Cancer Genome Atlas Program (TCGA) and the Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas (CGGA) databases. Colony formation, Celltiter-Glo and BrdU (5-bromo-2ʹ-deoxyuridine) incorporation assays were used to detect cell proliferation in vitro. Xenograft mouse models were established to determine cell proliferation in vivo. Transwell and wound healing assay was used to detect cell migration. In addition, epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers were detected by Western blot. Annexin V and 7-AAD were used to stain apoptotic cells. Interactions between miR-34a-5p and LINC00662 or the 3′-UTR of LMAN2L were predicted and determined by bioinformatics analysis, luciferase reporter assay and RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assays. Results: High LINC00662 level predicted poor overall survival of glioma patients. Functional studies revealed that suppression of LINC00662 remarkably inhibited cell proliferation, clonogenicity and EMT pathway. Mechanistically, LINC00662 sponged miR-34a-5p to regulate LMAN2L expression. Furthermore, miR-34a-5p inhibitor reversed the anti-proliferation and anti-migration effect of LINC00662 knockdown, which could be rescued by downregulation of LMAN2L in glioma cells. Conclusion: Our study was the first to report that LINC00662 acted as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) to regulate glioma progression by targeting miR-34a-5p/LMAN2L axis, providing a new therapeutic target for glioma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Mn dopant-reinforced NaTi 2 (PO 4) 3 possesses superior structural stability and conductivity. • The optimal NT 1.5 M 0.5 P exhibits ultrahigh salt removal capacity of 128.5 mg/g and cycle stability. • The ultrahigh durability is rooted from the solid-solution reaction induced by Mn-ions pillar. • NT 1.5 M 0.5 P||NaFeHCF rocking-chair desalination battery owns stable, rapid and low energy consumption desalination. Battery deionization (BDI) technique has attracted great attention as a potential candidate to tackle the freshwater crisis, but its application is plagued by the lack of electrode materials with large desalination capacity and excellent durability. Herein, Mn dopant-reinforced NaTi 2 (PO 4) 3 (NT 2–x M x P) composites with significantly enhanced structural stability and electronic/ionic conductivity were fabricated toward seawater desalination. Especially, the NT 1.5 M 0.5 P exhibits excellent desalination performance, affording a salt removal capacity (SRC) of 128.5 mg/g with a salt removal rate (SRR) of 18.4 mg g−1 min−1 and almost no capacity attenuation after 500 cycles. Furthermore, the NT 1.5 M 0.5 P further possesses favorable technical feasibility in different aqueous media, including desalination at various NaCl concentrations, temperature, solution pH, and natural seawater. Mechanism studies reveal that the NT 1.5 M 0.5 P undergoes a solid-solution reaction based on the reversible electrochemical reaction of the Ti4+/Ti3+ redox pair during the desalination/salination process. A rocking-chair desalination battery consisting of NT 1.5 M 0.5 P and NaFeHCF demonstrates a favorable desalination ability (average SRC of 49.4 mg/g and SRR of 1.73 mg g−1 min−1), outstanding cycling stability (92 % of capacity retention in 100 cycles), low energy consumption (0.288 kWh/kg-NaCl) and high average charging efficiency (86.9 %). This work sheds light on the rational design of advanced NASICON-type electrodes for seawater desalination with remarkable desalination capacity and long serving life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multi-resonance emitters are attractive for organic light-emitting diode (OLED) applications because of their narrowband emissions and high photoluminescent efficiencies. Nevertheless, their tendency to aggregation by intermolecular interactions could cause doping sensitivity and reduce color purity at high concentrations. Here, we report a novel boron, sulfur (B, S)-containing multi-resonance emitter (BSS-Ph-TBCz) consisting of 1,8-diphenyl-carbazole substituent at para- position of boron atom of B, S-doped polycyclic aromatic skeleton. Different from control compound (BSS-TBCz) containing conventional carbazole substituents showing aggregation-caused spectral broadening, BSS-Ph-TBCz with 1,8-diphenyl-carbazole group exhibits weak intermolecular aggregation behavior owing to the large twist angle between polycyclic skeleton and carbazole plane caused by two steric phenyl groups on carbazole group, leading to nearly unchanged emissions with small full width at half-maximum of 30–31 nm at doping concentration ranging from 1 to 100 wt%. OLEDs employing BSS-Ph-TBCz as emitter reveal blue electroluminescence at 468 nm and maximum external quantum efficiency of 21.4% at 5 wt% doping concentration, which remains at 20.1% at high doping concentration of 25 wt%. [Display omitted] • Novel multi-resonance emitter with 1,8-diphenyl-carbazole substituent is developed. • Aggregation emission is suppressed by steric hindrance of 1,8-diphenyl-carbazole. • Rapid reverse intersystem crossing is realized by heavy-atom effect of sulfur. • EQE of >20% and FWHM of 31 nm are achieved for OLEDs at high doping concentration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Highlights • NCDs/TNS-001 composite was synthesized by a simple low temperature process. • NCD S /TNS-001 exhibited enhanced photocatalytic activity. • Photocatalytic pathways of the DCF were proposed. • A Z-scheme heterojunction mechanism for NCDs/TNS-001 was deduced. Abstract The development of broad spectrum UV–visible-near-infrared (NIR) photocatalysts is a primary strategy in the area of photocatalytically mediated pollutant elimination. Herein, we report on a novel broad-spectrum N-doped carbon quantum dot/TiO 2 nanosheet with higher surface energy {0 0 1} faceted (NCD S /TNS-001) composites with significantly improved broad-spectrum utilization. Under UV, visible, and near infrared light irradiation, NCD S /TNS-001 exhibited higher photocatalytic activity than those of TNS-001, NCDs/P25, and NCDs/TiO 2 with {1 0 1} facets (NCDs/T-101) toward the degradation of diclofenac (DCF). This excellent photocatalytic performance might be attributed to the synergistic effects of the highly active {0 0 1} facets, up-converted fluorescent properties of NCDs, and efficient charge separation induced by fabricated heterostructures. The determination of reactive species revealed that O 2 − was the dominant species during the photocatalytic degradation of DCF. Together with the analysis of the band structure, a potential Z-scheme heterojunction mechanism for NCDs/TNS-001 was deduced. Photocatalytic pathways of the DCF were further proposed based on intermediate identification and TOC detection, which involved decarboxylation, hydroxylation, and ring opening reactions. The sufficient degradation of DCF in natural water matrices indicated that using NCD S /TNS-001 photocatalytic process for the treatment of ambient DCF wastewater is technical possible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atherosclerosis (AS) is a chronic progressive disease related to inflammatory reaction. Baicalin is a flavonoid isolated from Scutellaria baicalensis georgi (Huang-qin) and exerts anti-inflammation effects in various diseases. Here, we investigated the protective effects of baicalin treatment and the potential mechanism in AS progression on AS mouse model. After ApoE-/- mice with high-lipid diets had received 12 weeks’ of baicalin treatment at different concentrations, plasma lipids levels and atherosclerotic plaque areas in aorta were measured and there exhibited a prominent improvement in the baicalin treated mice compared with mice in AS model group. The expression of lipolysis related proteins (PPARα, CPT-1) was increased while the expression of adipogenesis related proteins (SREBP-1c, ACS) was decreased by baicalin treatment, indicating the anti-adipogenic effect of baicalin. Moreover, baicalin up-regulated the activities of antioxidant enzymes (SOD, CAT and GSH-Px) and down-regulated the activity of oxidative parameter MDA compared with AS model group, indicating the anti-oxidant effect of baicalin. The increased levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, TNF-α, sVE-cadherin) induced by AS were also decreased by baicalin treatment, indicating that baicalin acted as an anti-inflammation regulator in AS. In addition, we further explored the potential mechanism of baicalin treatment on AS, and found that baicalin treatment attenuated the high phosphorylation levels of JNK, p65, p-38 and ERK1/2 induced by AS, indicating that baicalin treatment inhibited the NF-κB and p38 MAPK signaling pathways in AS. In conclusion, baicalin treatment inhibited the NF-κB and p38 MAPK signaling pathways, thereby achieved its anti-adipogenic effect, anti-oxidant effect and anti-inflammation effect in a dose-dependent manner in AS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Two benzimidazole-triazine based n-type hosts with twisted structure were developed. • The twisted structure endows the hosts with high triplet energy level above 3.0 eV. • The BIZ-6Me-TRZ exhibits higher electron mobility due to its moderate dihedral angle. • Efficient blue narrowband emitting OLEDs were fabricated by using the n-type hosts. Two benzimidazole-triazine based n-type hosts with twisted structure namely BIZ-2Me-TRZ and BIZ-6Me-TRZ were designed by combining two electron-transporting fragments of 1-phenyl-1 H -benzo[ d ]imidazole and diphenyltriazine with a unit of 2′ or 6′ - position methyl substituted phenyl to achieve high triplet energy level over 3.0 eV. The BIZ-6Me-TRZ exhibits high electron mobility up to 1.27 × 10−4 cm2 V−1 s−1, which is two orders of magnitude higher than that of BIZ-2Me-TRZ (8.11 × 10−6 cm2 V−1 s−1), due to its moderate dihedral angle between the phenyl linker and triazine. The blue narrowband emitting device using BIZ-6Me-TRZ as the host shows low turn-on voltage of 2.8 V and high external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 29.2%. The device EQE could be further enhanced to 32.7% by using the n-type BIZ-6Me-TRZ as the acceptor to form exciplex host with a p-type material for improving the exciton utilization efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Black phosphorus (BP), widely studied in nanophotonics, has shown great potential applications in the field of thin film solar cells due to the wide absorption wavelength range and the tunable band-gap. Here, a tandem solar cell with BP and crystalline silicon (c-Si) as top and bottom active layer are proposed. Two types of optical design strategies such as one dimensional photonic crystal interlayers and top nanopyramid antireflective layer are employed to optimize the BP/c-Si tandem cell device structure to enhance the light absorption. Simulation results show that the one dimensional photonic crystal interlayers significantly enhance the light absorption in the tandem solar cell while nanopyramid antireflective layer hardly works. With optimized structure parameters, a maximum short-circuit current of 18.50 mA/cm 2 for BP/c-Si tandem solar cell with one dimensional photonic crystal interlayers has been achieved which is enhanced by 19.4% compare to that of the counterpart without interlayers. • Demonstrate a tandem solar cell with BP and crystalline silicon as top and bottom active layer. • With inserted one dimensional photonic crystal interlayers, the short-circuit current of the tandem cell reaches 18.50 mA/cm2. • The J sc is 19.4% higher than that of the referenced tandem cell without interlayer. • Demonstrate the nanopyramid top surface is not suitable to be adopted as antireflective coating for the proposed BP/c-Si tandem solar cell. • For tandem solar cells where the refractive indices of each layer are mismatched, ILs are preferred to be employed as an effective light management strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Z-scheme heterojunction-based photocatalysts typically have robust removal efficiencies for water contaminants. Herein, we employed p-type PhC 2 Cu and n-type UiO-66-NH 2 to develop a direct Z-scheme UiO-66-NH 2 /PhC 2 Cu photocatalyst with an ultrahigh redox potential for Cr(VI) photoreduction and norfloxacin (NOR) photodegradation. Moreover, UV–vis diffuse reflectance, photoelectrochemical measurements, photoluminescence (PL) spectra and electron spin resonance (ESR) technique revealed that the UiO-66-NH 2 /PhC 2 Cu composite boosted light capturing capacities to promote photocatalytic efficiencies. Strikingly, the optimized UiO-66-NH 2 /PhC 2 Cu50 wt% rapidly reduced Cr(VI) (96.2%, 15 min) and degraded NOR (97.9%, 60 min) under low-power blue LED light. In addition, the UiO-66-NH 2 /PhC 2 Cu photocatalyst also exhibited favorable mineralization capacity (78.4%, 120 min). Benefitting from the enhanced interfacial electron transfer and ultrahigh redox potential of the Z-scheme heterojunction, the UiO-66-NH 2 /PhC 2 Cu photocatalyst greatly enhanced the separation efficacies of photogenerated carriers. This resulting abundance of active species (e.g., e-, h+, O 2 •-, and •OH) were generated to photo-reduce Cr(VI) and photo-oxidize NOR. Base on the identified intermediates, four degradation pathways of NOR were proposed. Finally, the Z-scheme mechanism were systematically confirmed through X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), ESR, cyclic voltammetry (CV) tests, and photodeposition techniques. [Display omitted] • UiO-66-NH 2 /PhC 2 Cu photocatalyst was synthesized by a facile method. • UiO-66-NH 2 /PhC 2 Cu exhibited ultrahigh redox potential and optimized PhC 2 Cu and UiO-66-NH 2 properties. • UiO-66-NH 2 /PhC 2 Cu demonstrated excellent photocatalytic activities under low power blue LED light. • The Z-scheme mechanism was confirmed via XPS, ESR, CV tests, and photodeposition techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of host materials (1FTAT-2Ph, 2FTAT-1Ph, 3FTAT) containing a hole-transport triphenyl-substituted triazatruxene conjugated skeleton and different numbers of diphenyl methylene-bridging groups were developed for solution-processed yellow thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs). These host materials possessed relatively high triplet energy (≈2.8 eV), which ensured effective energy transfer from host to TADF emitter. Meanwhile, the peripheral diphenyl methylene bridging groups effectively separated the TADF emitters to suppress intermolecular aggregation and exciton quenching. They also showed high thermal stability and good solubility in organic solvents. Benefited from the elevated highest occupied molecular orbital level matched well with the Fermi level of ITO/PEDOT:PSS anode and significantly suppressed excited state non-radiative transition of TADF emitter, solution-processed OLED using 2FTAT-1Ph as host exhibited a low turn on voltage of 2.8 V and high external quantum efficiency of 20.9% with a remarkable high power efficiency of 72.7 lm W−1, which was far superior to those of the control device with 4,4′-N,N′-Dicarbazole-biphenyl (CBP) as host. This work demonstrated the great potential of diphenyl methylene bridged triazatruxene derivatives as host materials to achieve high-performance solution-processed TADF OLED. [Display omitted] • A series of bridged triazatruxene-based host materials (1FTAT-2Ph, 2FTAT-1Ph, 3FTAT) were developed for the solution-processed TADF OLEDs. • These bridged triazatruxene hosts possess high T 1 energy (2.8 eV), proper HOMO levels (−5.2∼−5.3 eV) and good thermal stability and solubility. • Solution-processed 2FTAT-1Ph-based TADF-OLED exhibited a turn on voltage of 2.8 V, an EQE of 20.9% and a PE of 72.7 lm W−1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Boron, sulfur-doped polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon emitters with multiple-resonance-dominated lowest excited states are developed by tuning energy level alignment between 5,9-dithia-13b-boranaphtho[3,2,1- de ]anthracene skeleton and peripheral arylamine moieties, which reveal narrowband deep-blue electroluminescence with full-width at half maximum of 29 nm, Commission Internationale de l'Éclairage color coordinates of (0.13, 0.09) and maximum external quantum efficiency of 21.8%. [Display omitted] • Novel B,S-doped polycyclic aromatic multiple resonance emitters are developed. • Sulfur atoms enhance spin-orbital coupling and reverse intersystem crossing. • The lowest excited state characteristics are regulated by arylamine substituents. • The emitters exhibit narrowband deep-blue electroluminecence with EQE of 21.8%. Different from boron, nitrogen-based multiple resonance thermally activated delayed fluorescence (MR-TADF) emitters, boron (B), sulfur (S)-doped polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) containing 5,9-dithia-13b-boranaphtho[3,2,1- de ]anthracene (BSS) skeleton and arylamine moieties in para -positions of boron atoms are developed as a novel kind of MR-TADF emitters for narrowband deep-blue electroluminescence. The molecular design not only utilizes heavy-atom effect of sulfur atoms in BSS skeleton to enhance spin-orbital coupling and promote reverse intersystem crossing, but also uses arylamines as peripheral substituents to modify excited state characteristics. By decreasing electron-donating ability and downshifting HOMO level of arylamines, the lowest excited state for resultant emitter is converted from intersegmental charge transfer state to multiple resonance state localized on BSS skeleton, leading to blue-shifted and narrowed emissions. The B,S-doped PAH emitter bearing carbazole moiety exhibits deep-blue electroluminecence with full-width at half maximum of 29 nm, Commission Internationale de l'Éclairage color coordinates of (0.13, 0.09), and the maximum external quantum efficiency of 21.8 %, representing a new approach toward efficient narrowband deep-blue emission beyond boron, nitrogen-based MR-TADF emitters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A novel BNRU photocatalyst was synthesized via a facile method. • Band structure optimization and dual-channel carrier transfers could be achieved in the BNRU. • BNRU possessed enhanced oxidation capacities and photocarriers production-separation efficiencies. • BNRU exhibited outstanding photocatalytic activities under visible and natural solar light. The synergistic enhancement of photocarriers production-separation and oxidation capacities of g-C 3 N 4 to improve its catalytic performance for environmental remediation remains a challenge. Herein, we prepared a novel boron nitride quantum dots (BNQDs)-decorated reduced ultrathin g-C 3 N 4 (BNRU) composite, toward achieving the above objective through the synergistic effects of defect engineering and BNQDs loading. By introducing the defects (nitrogen vacancies (NVs) and cyano group), the optimized band structure absorbed more photons and provided a stronger oxidation driving force (+2.15 V). Meanwhile, NVs and BNQDs formed distinct electron-hole transfer channels to facilitate photocarriers separation. Compared with ultrathin g-C 3 N 4 , the optimal 2BNRU showed a 1.7-folds higher carrier density, and the photocurrent density increased from 1.33 to 9.31 μA/cm2 under visible light exposure. Electron spin resonance and molecular probe spectroscopy results revealed that these enhanced properties endowed 2BNRU with the superior capacity to generate free radicals. The 2BNRU completely removed 10 mg/L of norfloxacin molecules at a kinetic rate of 0.3744 min−1, and the mineralization rate attained 46.9 % under 30 min of visible light irradiation. Meanwhile, the 2BNRU system exhibited promising feasibility for a simulated water treatment process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mutations in polycystin-1, polycystin-2, or fibrocystin account for autosomal dominant or recessive polycystic kidney disease. Renal cystogenesis is linked to abnormal localization and function of these cystoproteins in renal primary cilia. They are also expressed in extrarenal tissues in which their functions are unclear. Here we found that human type-II alveolar epithelial A549, airway submucosal Calu-3 cells, and rat bronchioles contain primary or multiple cilia in which we detected these cystoproteins. At sub-confluency, polycystin-1 was expressed on plasma membrane, while polycystin-2 was localized to the ER of resting cells. Both polycystins were detected on the spindle and mid-body of mitotic cells, while fibrocystin was on centrosome throughout cell cycle. Polycystins and fibrocystin may participate in regulating mucociliary sensing and transport within pulmonary airways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of efficacious photocatalysts for the elimination of contaminants in water remains a challenge. Herein, a promising Ag nanoparticles-decorated copper-phenylacetylide (Ag/PhC 2 Cu) plasmonic photocatalyst was fabricated for the reduction of hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) and degradation of pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs). Typically, the optimized 5Ag/PhC 2 Cu could rapidly reduce Cr(VI) (98.1% within 12 min), and degrade norfloxacin (NOR) (100% within 40 min) with a 56.2% mineralization rate under visible light. The superior photocatalytic activity of Ag/PhC 2 Cu was attributed to the synergistic effects of the highly reducing photoinduced electrons conferred by the PhC 2 Cu (−1.98 eV), and Ag nanoparticles in promoting photocarrier separation and enhancing solar-energy-conversion efficiencies. Subsequently, the photocatalytic reaction mechanism of Ag/PhC 2 Cu was investigated. It was found that e- and O 2 •- were the main reactive species for Cr(VI) reduction, while O 2 •- and h+ were primarily responsible for the degradation of NOR. Of note, the Ag/PhC 2 Cu system could effectively generate H 2 O 2 and partially decomposed it to •OH, which might be involved in NOR mineralization. This study not only demonstrates a highly active photocatalytic system for the remediation of environmental pollution and sustainable solar-to-chemical energy conversion, but contributes to the future exploration of multifunctional plasmonic photocatalysts. [Display omitted] • A plasmonic Ag/PhC 2 Cu photocatalyst was synthesized via a facile method. • Ag/PhC 2 Cu possessed efficient photocarrier separation and solar-energy-conversion. • Ag/PhC 2 Cu exhibited outstanding photocatalytic redox activity under visible light. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discovered six decades ago, transposons are known to selfishly multiply within and between chromosomes. Although they may play a creative role in building new functional parts of the genome, transposons usually cause insertional mutagenesis and/or turn nearby genes on or off. To maintain genome integrity, cells use a variety of strategies to defend against the proliferation of transposons. A class of small noncoding RNA, discovered seven years ago and called piRNA, is a new player in the war to silence transposons. piRNA is made via two biogenesis pathways: the primary processing pathway and the ping-pong amplification loop. These pathways are critically involved in transposon RNA degradation, DNA methylation, and histone modification machinery that represses transposons. In this review, we briefly introduce transposon-caused genomic instability and summarize our current understanding of the piRNA pathway, focusing on its key function in transposon silencing. © 2013 IUBMB Life, 65(9):739-747, 2013 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Cyclins are a family of diverse proteins that play fundamental roles in regulating cell cycle progression in Eukaryotes. Cyclins have been identified from protists to higher Eukaryotes, while its evolution remains vague and the findings turn out controversial. Current classification of cyclins is mainly based on their functions, which may not be appropriate for the systematic evolutionary analysis. In this work, we performed comparative and phylogenetic analysis of cyclins to investigate their classification, origin and evolution. Cyclins originated in early Eukaryotes and evolved from protists to plants, fungi and animals. Based on the phylogenetic tree, cyclins can be divided into three major groups designated as the group I, II and III with different functions and features. Group I plays key roles in cell cycle, group II varied in actions are kingdom (plant, fungi and animal) specific, and group III functions in transcription regulation. Our results showed that the dominating cyclins (group I) diverged from protists to plants, fungi and animals, while divergence of the other cyclins (groups II and III) has occurred in protists. We also discussed the evolutionary relationships between cyclins and cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) and found that the cyclins have undergone divergence in protists before the divergence of animal CDKs. This reclassification and evolutionary analysis of cyclins might facilitate understanding eukaryotic cell cycle control. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Alternate DNA structures that deviate from B-form double-stranded DNA such as G-quadruplex (G4) DNA can be formed by sequences that are widely distributed throughout the human genome. G-quadruplex secondary structures, formed by the stacking of planar quartets composed of four guanines that interact by Hoogsteen hydrogen bonding, can affect cellular DNA replication and transcription, and influence genomic stability. The unique metabolism of G-rich chromosomal regions that potentially form quadruplexes may influence a number of biological processes including immunoglobulin gene rearrangements, promoter activation and telomere maintenance. A number of human diseases are characterized by telomere defects, and it is proposed that G-quadruplex structures which form at telomere ends play an important role in telomere stability. Evidence from cellular studies and model organisms suggests that diseases with known defects in G4 DNA helicases are likely to be perturbed in telomere maintenance and cellular DNA replication. In this minireview, we discuss the connections of G-quadruplex nucleic acids to human genetic diseases and cancer based on the recent literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The importance of helicases in nucleic acid metabolism and human disease has raised the bar for understanding how these unique enzymes function to perform their biological roles at the molecular level. Here we will describe experimental procedures and strategies to investigate the functions of helicases. These functional assays have been used to study DNA helicases important for the maintenance of genomic stability and genetically linked to age-related diseases and cancer. We will focus on the description of fluorometric helicase assays, protein displacement assays, and methods to characterize helicase activity on alternate DNA structures (triplex and quadruplex) used by our laboratory. The procedures to study these helicase functions are described in step-by-step detail to enable researchers interested in nucleic acid metabolism and related fields to apply these techniques to their own research questions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Five human RecQ helicases (WRN, BLM, RECQ4, RECQ5, RECQ1) exist in humans. Of these, three are genetically linked to diseases of premature aging and/or cancer. Neither RECQ1 nor RECQ5 has yet been implicated in a human disease. However, cellular studies and genetic analyses of model organisms indicate that RECQ1 (and RECQ5) play an important role in the maintenance of genomic stability. Biochemical studies of purified RECQ1 protein demonstrate that the enzyme catalyzes DNA unwinding and strand annealing, and these activities are likely to be important for its role in DNA repair. RECQ1 also physically and functionally interacts with proteins involved in genetic recombination. In this review, we will summarize our current knowledge of RECQ1 roles in cellular nucleic acid metabolism and propose avenues of investigation for future studies. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

[Display omitted] • Carbon quantum dots-modified reduced ultrathin g-C 3 N 4 (RUCN/CQD) was prepared with facile method. • The RUCN/CQD possessed enhanced photoresponse and photoredox activities. • The RUCN/CQD exhibited superior photocatalytic activities in simulated natural conditions. Graphitic carbon nitride (g-C 3 N 4) has been extensively applied for the photocatalytic degradation of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs); however, its catalytic performance remains restricted by a poor photoresponse and modest photoredox capacity toward the generation of free radicals. Herein, a novel carbon quantum dots-modified reduced ultrathin g-C 3 N 4 (RUCN/CQD) photocatalyst was successfully synthesized, with the capacity for direct •OH and O 2 •− yields and a broad-spectrum response. Upon broad-spectrum light irradiation, the RUCN/CQD demonstrated a 100% removal rate for diclofenac (DCF) within six min. This remarkable performance was attributed to a customized band structure with a thermodynamic driving potential for the generation of •OH, CQD with an effective electron transfer capacity for promotional formation of O 2 •−, and ultrathin porous structure with abundant reaction sites. Simultaneously, the up-converted fluorescent properties of the CQD endowed the photocatalyst with a broad-spectrum response. The RUCN/CQD system also exhibited superior photocatalytic activities under simulated natural conditions, which implied an immense potential for the remediation of PPCPs in ambient waterways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examines the influence of polymer surface-protein binding affinity on protein ion signals in matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometry. Chemicals and materials used in an experiment conducted; Information on MALDI analysis; Comparison of the experimental results.

• A novel Z-scheme heterojunction Ag 2 CO 3 /TNS-001 was successfully fabricated. • The Ag 2 CO 3 /TNS-001 demonstrated excellent sunlight-driven activity for the degradation of naproxen. • DFT calculations facilitated an elucidation of the reactive sites and degradation pathways involved. • The charge shift and degradation reaction mechanisms were investigated. The development of efficient solar light-driven catalyst materials is considered a promising strategy for the photocatalytic eradication of contaminants. Herein, a novel Z-scheme Ag 2 CO 3 /TNS-001 nanocomposite photocatalyst with excellent solar-light response was synthesized using a simple hydrothermal and deposition reaction. The morphology, chemical structure, and optical property of Z-scheme composites were systematically investigated by TEM, XRD, FI-IR, XPS, and UV–vis, etc. techniques. The Ag 2 CO 3 /TNS-001 exhibited superior photocatalytic activity for removal of naproxen (NAP) under solar light irradiation, demonstrating kinetics of 40.7, 23.9, and 6.9 times higher than that of Ag 2 CO 3 , P25, and TNS-001, respectively. This remarkably improved photocatalytic efficiency was attributed to the synergistic effects of highly active (0 0 1) facets, efficient solar light response, and enhanced separation of photogenerated carriers. The scavenging experiments indicated that h+ was the dominant species during the photocatalytic degradation of NAP. Together with the analyses of EPR and band structure, a potential Z-scheme mechanism was confirmed. Moreover, the degradation pathway of NAP was revealed via intermediate detection and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The chlorella acute toxicity test further indicated that mineralization translated to a reduction in the toxicity of the NAP solution. This work offers a promising strategy for the design of efficient Z-scheme photocatalysts, while exploring new insights into the elimination of emerging organic pollutants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydroxyl radicals (OH) have robust non-selective oxidizing properties to effectively degrade organic pollutants. However, graphitic carbon nitride (g-C 3 N 4) is restricted to directly generate OH due to its intrinsic valence band. In this study, we report a facile environmental-friendly self-modification strategy to synthesize reduced graphitic carbon nitride (RCN), with nitrogen vacancies and C N functional groups. The incorporation of C N enabled to downshift the valence band level, which endowed RCN with the capacity to directly generate OH via h+. Experimental and instrumental analyses revealed the critical roles of nitrogen vacancies and C N groups in the modification of the RCN band structure to improve its visible light absorption and oxidizing capacity. With these superior properties, the RCN was significantly enhanced for the photocatalytic degradation of DCF under visible light irradiation. The self-modification strategy articulated in this study has strong potential for the creation of customized g-C 3 N 4 band structures with enhanced oxidation performance. Image 1 • Reduced graphitic carbon nitride (RCN) was synthesized through a facile self-modification strategy. • The downshifted valence band endowed RCN with the capacity to directly generate OH via h+. • RCN exhibited increased photocatalytic activity in the degradation of DCF. • A new insight for creation of a customized g-C 3 N 4 band structure with enhanced oxidation performance has been provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) are increasingly being scrutinized by the scientific community due to their environmental persistence. Therefore, the development of novel environmentally compatible and energy-efficient technologies for their removal is highly anticipated. In this work, a novel metal-free photocatalytic nanoreactor was successfully synthesized by anchoring carbon dots to hollow carbon nitride nanospheres (HCNS/CDs). The unique structure of these hollow nanospherical HCNS/CDs hybrids endowed them with a high population of reactive sites, while enhancing optical absorption due to internal light reflection. Simultaneously, the CDs served as "artificial antennas" to absorb and convert photons with low energy, due to their superior up-converting properties. Consequently, the HCNS/CDs demonstrated excellent photodegradation activities for the degradation of PPCPs under broad-spectrum irradiation. Remarkedly, 10 mg/L of naproxen (NPX) was completely degraded following 5 min of natural solar irradiation. It was further revealed that the O 2 •- played a significant role during the photocatalytic process, which could lead to the decomposition of NPX. The effects of natural water matrices and the degradation of trace PPCPs further supported that this photocatalytic system may be efficaciously applied for the remediation of PPCPs contamination in ambient waterways. Image 1 • Carbon dots decorated hollow porous carbon nitride nanosphere was synthesized. • The hollow porous structures provided a high population of active sites. • The photocatalyst demonstrated remarkable degradation activity. • Effects of natural water constituents and water matrices were further investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) is closely related to low back pain, which is a prevalent age-related problem worldwide; however, the mechanism underlying IDD is unknown. Glutamine, a free amino acid prevalent in plasma, is recognized for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties in various diseases, and the current study aims to clarify the effect and mechanism of glutamine in IDD. Results: A synergistic interplay was observed between pyroptosis and ferroptosis within degenerated human disc specimens. Glutamine significantly mitigated IDD in both ex vivo and in vivo experimental models. Moreover, glutamine protected nucleus pulposus (NP) cells after tert-butyl hydroperoxide (TBHP)-induced pyroptosis, ferroptosis, and extracellular matrix (ECM) degradation in vitro. Glutamine protected NP cells from TBHP-induced ferroptosis by promoting the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) accumulation by inhibiting its ubiquitin–proteasome degradation and inhibiting lipid oxidation. Innovation and Conclusions: A direct correlation is evident in the progression of IDD between the processes of pyroptosis and ferroptosis. Glutamine suppressed oxidative stress-induced cellular processes, including pyroptosis, ferroptosis, and ECM degradation through deubiquitinating Nrf2 and inhibiting lipid oxidation in NP cells. Glutamine is a promising novel therapeutic target for the management of IDD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The advancement of intelligent technology has propelled the development of smart unmanned vessels into a new phase. To address the urgent demands of current smart ship development, this paper develops a comprehensive ship digital twin system based on a virtual-real mapping algorithm, focusing on the fundamental elements of digital twin model construction. Using the smart unmanned experimental ship Dolphin 1 as a prototype, a digital twin virtual model is proposed. This system leverages real-time internal and external data from the entire vessel to track its navigational status, performance indicators, sailing trends, and surrounding flow field information, offering coordinated "human-machine" navigation assistance. Based on historical data collected from the vessel's long-term navigation, a real-time precise prediction of the vessel's navigational state and hydrodynamic performance is conducted using physics-informed neural network algorithm. This establishes a self-learning iterative virtual-physical mapping model that enables autonomous updates and evolution. As the real navigation data of the vessel continuously update, the virtual model can more accurately simulate the vessel's state in real time. The proposed digital twin model has been tested through sea trials under real sea conditions, demonstrating its high accuracy, robustness, and potential for enhancing navigational safety and efficiency. This system marks a significant step forward in the integration of digital twin technology with maritime navigation, providing a valuable tool for the future development of smart shipping. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Automated observation methods for monitoring river ice in high-latitude urban areas are crucial for resource utilization, risk assessment, and navigation. However, current research lacks actual-scale river ice classification, such as low-altitude surveys. This study established a dataset of river ice in the Songhua River near Harbin, Northeast China, using UAV aerial photography and applied the RININet semantic segmentation algorithm for precise classification of different ice types in low-altitude aerial remote sensing images. To address environmental challenges, a feature extraction method integrating channel and spatial attention mechanisms was adopted, along with an improved pyramid pool structure to enhance feature recognition. Additionally, a two-stage transfer learning method established an ice recognition database, overcoming issues like small data volume and high annotation costs. Comparative evaluation metrics demonstrated the high accuracy of the semantic segmentation framework. Furthermore, a method for estimating ice blockage risk was proposed, applicable to various urban river ice management tasks, with practical significance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this review is to systematically understand the development of enterprise social media (ESM) research, quantitatively analyze the landscape and track the development of ESM literature and reveal new trends and challenges in ESM research. Design/methodology/approach: Based on 321 relevant literature studies (2005–2020) collected from the Web of Science core collection, the visualization tool CiteSpace is used to conduct bibliometric cocitation and cooccurrence analyses to quantify and visualize the landscape and evolution of ESM research. Findings: Through analyzing the author cocitation network, document cocitation network, journal cocitation network and keywords cooccurrence network, this review proposes an integrated research framework, which highlights major purposes, antecedents and consequences of ESM use in organizations and presents future research trends of ESM research. Originality/value: Different from the existing qualitative review of ESM, this review adopts bibliometric review to quantify and visualize the landscape of ESM research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) therapy has been restricted by intensive lymphodepletion and high-dose intravenous interleukin-2 (IL-2) administration. To address these limitations, we conducted preclinical and clinical studies to evaluate the safety, antitumor activity, and pharmacokinetics of an innovative modified regimen in patients with advanced gynecologic cancer. Methods: Patient-derived xenografts (PDX) were established from a local recurrent cervical cancer patient. TILs were expanded ex vivo from minced tumors without feeder cells in the modified TIL therapy regimen. Patients underwent low-dose cyclophosphamide lymphodepletion followed by TIL infusion without intravenous IL-2. The primary endpoint was safety; the secondary endpoints included objective response rate, duration of response, and T cell persistence. Results: In matched patient-derived xenografts (PDX) models, homologous TILs efficiently reduced tumor size (p < 0.0001) and underwent IL-2 absence in vivo. In the clinical section, all enrolled patients received TIL infusion using a modified TIL therapy regimen successfully with a manageable safety profile. Five (36%, 95% CI 16.3–61.2) out of 14 evaluable patients experienced objective responses, and three complete responses were ongoing at 19.5, 15.4, and 5.2 months, respectively. Responders had longer overall survival (OS) than non-responders (p = 0.036). Infused TILs showed continuous proliferation and long-term persistence in all patients and showed greater proliferation in responders which was indicated by the Morisita overlap index (MOI) of TCR clonotypes between infused TILs and peripheral T cells on day 14 (p = 0.004) and day 30 (p = 0.004). Higher alteration of the CD8+/CD4+ ratio on day 14 indicated a longer OS (p = 0.010). Conclusions: Our modified TIL therapy regimen demonstrated manageable safety, and TILs could survive and proliferate without IL-2 intravenous administration, showing potent efficacy in patients with advanced gynecologic cancer. Trial registration: NCT04766320, Jan 04, 2021. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although sensitizing traditional fluorescent dyes with thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) exciplexes has been extensively studied, the device performance of solution‐processed organic light‐emitting diodes (OLEDs) still lags far behind in this regard. Herein, the novel exciplex with high up‐conversion efficiency composed of a triazatruxene‐based donor and a triazine‐based acceptor is employed as a TADF sensitizer to fluorescent dye in solution‐processed hyperfluorescent OLEDs. Benefiting from the small activation energy for triplet up‐conversion and less non‐radiative recombination of triplet excitons, the new TADF exciplex can up‐convert efficiently non‐radiative triplet excitons through reverse intersystem crossing. Besides, expeditious up‐conversion processes also shorten the residence time of triplet excitons, giving rise to significant suppression of detrimental Dexter energy transfer from the exciplex sensitizer to the dopant. By maximizing the triplet up‐conversion efficiency of exciplex sensitizers, the optimized OLEDs achieve a maximum external quantum efficiency (EQEmax) of 16.0%, which is the first report for the solution‐processed exciplex‐sensitized hyperfluorescent OLEDs with EQEmax exceeding 15%. These results validate that the up‐conversion efficiency of triplet excitons in the exciplexes strongly affects the performance of exciplex‐sensitized fluorescent devices, and the triazatruxene‐based molecules are promising donor candidates for constructing the exciplexes with high up‐conversion efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to investigate the effect of stevia residue (STER) on the production performance, egg quality and nutrition, antioxidant ability, immune responses, gut morphology and microbiota of laying hens during the peak laying period. A total of 270 Yikoujingfen NO. 8 laying hens (35 wk of age) were randomly divided into 5 treatments. The control group fed a basal diet and groups supplemented with 2, 4, 6, and 8% STER. The results showed that STER significantly increased egg production, the content of amino acids (alanine, proline, valine, ornithine, asparagine, aspartic acid, and cysteine) in egg whites, and decreased the yolk color (P < 0.05). Additionally, STER significantly increased acetate, HOMOγ linolenic acid and cis-13, 16-docosadienoic acid levels in egg yolk (P < 0.05). IL-2, IL-4, and IL-10 levels in serum significantly increased by STER (P < 0.05), while IL-1β significantly decreased (P < 0.05). STER also increased total antioxidant activity (T-AOC) in the liver and estradiol level in the oviduct (P < 0.05), but decreased the cortisol level in the oviduct (P < 0.05). For the intestinal morphology, the jejunal villus height and crypt-to-villus (V:C) significantly increased by STER (P < 0.05). STER increased the relative abundance of Actinobacteriota (P < 0.05), while deceased Proteobacteria, Desulfobacterota , and Synergistota (P < 0.05). In conclusion, STER improved egg production, quality and nutrition, improved the immune responses, antioxidant capabilities, estrogen level, gut morphology, and increased the relative abundance of beneficial bacteria while decreased the harmful bacteria. Among all treatments, 4 and 6% STER supplementation yielded the most favorable results in terms of enhancing production performance, egg nutrition, gut health, and immune capabilities in laying hens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Object: Pediatric diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) is a radiologically heterogeneous disease entity, here we aim to establish a multimodal imaging-based radiological classification and evaluate the outcome of different treatment strategies under this classification frame. Methods: This retrospective study included 103 children diagnosed with DIPGs between January 2015 and August 2018 in Beijing Tiantan Hospital (Beijing, China). Multimodal radiological characteristics, including conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), diffuse tensor imaging/diffuse tensor tractography (DTI/DTT), and positron emission tomography (PET) were reviewed to construct the classification. The outcome of different treatment strategies was compared in each DIPG subgroup using Kaplan–Meier method (log-rank test) to determine the optimal treatment for specific DIPGs. Results: Four radiological DIPG types were identified: Type A (“homocentric”, n=13), Type B (“ventral”, n=41), Type C (“eccentric”, n=37), and Type D (“dorsal”, n=12). Their treatment modalities were grouped as observation (43.7%), cytoreductive surgery (CRS) plus radiotherapy (RT) (24.3%), RT alone (11.7%), and CRS alone (20.4%). CRS+RT mainly fell into type C (29.7%), followed by type B1 (21.9%) and type D (50%). Overall, CRS+RT exhibited a potential survival advantage compared to RT alone, which was more pronounced in specific type, but this did not reach statistical significance, due to limited sample size and unbalanced distribution. Conclusion: We proposed a multimodality imaging-based radiological classification for pediatric DIPG, which was useful for selecting optimal treatment strategies, especially for identifying candidates who may benefit from CRS plus RT. This classification opened a window into image-guided integrated treatment for pediatric DIPG. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hyperfluorescence has drawn great attention in achieving efficient narrowband emitting devices based on multiple resonance thermally activated delayed fluorescence (MR‐TADF) emitters. However, achieving efficient solution‐processed pure blue hyperfluorescence devices is still a challenge, due to the unbalanced charge transport and serious exciton quenching caused by that the holes are easily trapped on the high‐lying HOMO (the highest occupied molecular orbital) level of traditional diphenylamine‐decorated emitters. Here, we developed two narrowband blue organoboron emitters with low‐lying HOMO levels by decorating the MR‐TADF core with weakly electron‐donating carbazoles, which could suppress the hole trapping effect by reducing the hole traps between host and MR‐TADF emitter from deep (0.40 eV) to shallow (0.14/0.20 eV) ones for facilitating hole transport and exciton formation, as well as avoiding exciton quenching. And the large dihedral angle between the carbazole and MR‐TADF core makes the carbazole act as a steric hindrance to inhibit molecular aggregation. Accordingly, the optimized solution‐processed pure blue hyperfluorescence devices simultaneously realize record external quantum efficiency of 29.2 %, narrowband emission with a full‐width at half‐maximum of 16.6 nm, and pure blue color with CIE coordinates of (0.139, 0.189), which is the best result for the solution‐processed organic light‐emitting diodes based on MR‐TADF emitters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hyperfluorescence has drawn great attention in achieving efficient narrowband emitting devices based on multiple resonance thermally activated delayed fluorescence (MR‐TADF) emitters. However, achieving efficient solution‐processed pure blue hyperfluorescence devices is still a challenge, due to the unbalanced charge transport and serious exciton quenching caused by that the holes are easily trapped on the high‐lying HOMO (the highest occupied molecular orbital) level of traditional diphenylamine‐decorated emitters. Here, we developed two narrowband blue organoboron emitters with low‐lying HOMO levels by decorating the MR‐TADF core with weakly electron‐donating carbazoles, which could suppress the hole trapping effect by reducing the hole traps between host and MR‐TADF emitter from deep (0.40 eV) to shallow (0.14/0.20 eV) ones for facilitating hole transport and exciton formation, as well as avoiding exciton quenching. And the large dihedral angle between the carbazole and MR‐TADF core makes the carbazole act as a steric hindrance to inhibit molecular aggregation. Accordingly, the optimized solution‐processed pure blue hyperfluorescence devices simultaneously realize record external quantum efficiency of 29.2 %, narrowband emission with a full‐width at half‐maximum of 16.6 nm, and pure blue color with CIE coordinates of (0.139, 0.189), which is the best result for the solution‐processed organic light‐emitting diodes based on MR‐TADF emitters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An effective multi-classifier fusion (MCF) system is demanding in the clinical context in terms of integrating various diagnosis/prognosis predictive models to arrive at a stable and consentaneous medical decision. In this study, we introduced a novel MCF framework for a classifier ensemble with the evolutionary optimisation of random-projections (termed CLEER). The proposed CLEER generated a number of diverse base classifiers via training on the mapped data from the Bernoulli random projection. It innovatively framed the classifier fusion into an evolutionary computation architecture wherein the required diversity and accuracy were enforced by optimising the random projection components using a genetic algorithm. The efficacy of CLEER has been demonstrated via extensive evaluations using twenty public datasets from various research fields, as well as four clinical datasets. A comparative analysis showed that the ensemble diversity was effectively enhanced on using CLEER, and more accurate classifications were achieved as compared to the state-of-the-art benchmark ensemble methods. The proposed CLEER could serve as a potential tool for the fusion of diagnostic or prognostic models for assisting in medical decision making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aimed to describe 11C-methionine (11C-MET) PET imaging characteristics in patients with paediatric diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) and correlate them with survival and H3 K27M mutation status. Methods: We retrospectively analysed 98 children newly diagnosed with DIPG who underwent 11C-MET PET. PET imaging characteristics evaluated included uptake intensity, uniformity, metabolic tumour volume (MTV), and total lesion methionine uptake (TLMU). The maximum, mean, and peak of the tumour-to-background ratio (TBR), calculated as the corresponding standardised uptake values (SUV) divided by the mean reference value, were also recorded. The associations between the PET imaging characteristics and clinical outcomes in terms of progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) and H3 K27M mutation status were assessed, respectively. Results: In univariate analysis, imaging characteristics significantly associated with shorter PFS and OS included a higher uniformity grade, higher TBRs, larger MTV, and higher TLMU. In multivariate analysis, larger MTV at diagnosis, shorter symptom duration, and no treatment were significantly correlated with shorter PFS and OS. The PET imaging features were not correlated with H3 K27M mutation status. Conclusion: Although several imaging features were significantly associated with PFS and OS, only MTV, indicating the size of the active tumour, was identified as a strong independent prognostic factor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simple N,S-chelated four-coordinated difluoroboron-based emitter is reported with three polymorphs, which emit high contrast green (G), yellow (Y) and red (R) light. Interestingly, the G and R-Crystals show different thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) at 530 nm and 630 nm with a remarkable emission spectral shift of up to 100 nm, while the Y-Crystal exhibits room temperature phosphorescence (RTP) at around 570 nm with a high solid-state quantum yield of 77%. Single crystal analysis and theoretical calculations reveal that different molecular conformations and packing modes lead to distinct triplet exciton conversion channels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: To investigate the genetic reprogramming that drives intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) maturation along the crypt-villus axis, entCerocytes were sequentially isolated from the villus tip to the crypts of porcine small intestine. The present study obtained the intestinal upper villus epithelial cells (F1) and crypt epithelial cells (F3) of 21-day suckling piglets using the divalent chelation and precipitation technique. By mRNA high-throughput sequencing analysis of F1 and F3, it was shown that a total of 672 unigenes were differentially expressed between F1 and F3, including 224 highly expressed and 448 minimally expressed unigenes. The greatest number of differentially expressed genes enriched in signal transduction, e.g., Wnt, Hippo, TGF-beta, mTOR, PI3K-Akt, and MAPK signaling pathways, were closely related to the differentiation, proliferation, maturation and apoptosis of IECs. Our results provide important information for identifying new regulators of IECs differentiation and maturation. Moreover, they can also provide insights into the regulatory mechanisms underlying intestinal epithelial cell renewal and the rapid repair of intestinal mucosal oxidative damage. It is well known that the small intestinal epithelial cells of mammals rapidly undergo differentiation, maturation, and apoptosis. However, few studies have defined the physiological state and gene expression changes of enterocytes along the crypt-villus axis in suckling piglets. In the present study, we obtained the intestinal upper villus epithelial cells (F1) and crypt epithelial cells (F3) of 21-day suckling piglets using the divalent chelation and precipitation technique. The activities of alkaline phosphatase, sucrase, and lactase of F1 were significantly higher (p < 0.05) than those of F3. To explore the differences at the gene transcription level, we compared the global transcriptional profiles of F1 and F3 using RNA-seq analysis technology. A total of 672 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified between F1 and F3, including 224 highly expressed and 448 minimally expressed unigenes. Functional analyses indicated that some DEGs were involved in the transcriptional regulation of nutrient transportation (SLC15A1, SLC5A1, and SLC3A1), cell differentiation (LGR5, HOXA5 and KLF4), cell proliferation (PLK2 and TGFB3), transcriptional regulation (JUN, FOS and ATF3), and signaling transduction (WNT10B and BMP1), suggesting that these genes were related to intestinal epithelial cell maturation and cell renewal. Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis showed that the DEGs were mainly associated with binding, catalytic activity, enzyme regulator activity, and molecular transducer activity. Furthermore, KEGG pathway analysis revealed that the DGEs were categorized into 284 significantly enriched pathways. The greatest number of DEGs enriched in signal transduction, some of which (Wnt, Hippo, TGF-beta, mTOR, PI3K-Akt, and MAPK signaling pathways) were closely related to the differentiation, proliferation, maturation and apoptosis of intestinal epithelial cells. We validated the expression levels of eight DEGs in F1 and F3 using qRT-PCR. The present study revealed temporal and regional changes in mRNA expression between F1 and F3 of suckling piglets, which provides insights into the regulatory mechanisms underlying intestinal epithelial cell renewal and the rapid repair of intestinal mucosal damage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To investigate the efficacy of dapagliflozin for diabetes mellitus complicated by coronary artery diseases and its impact on vascular endothelial function. Methods. Between August 2020 and August 2021, 80 patients with coronary heart disease complicated by type 2 diabetes mellitus were recruited and randomly assigned to receive either dapagliflozin (5 mg daily) plus original oral hypoglycemic agents (dapagliflozin group) or original oral hypoglycemic agents alone (control group). Outcome measures included blood pressure, blood glucose, cholesterol levels, vascular endothelial function, cardiovascular events, and drug-related adverse events. Results. The two groups had similar outcome indices upon admission (P > 0.05). After 20 weeks of medication, the two groups of patients showed similar blood pressure, hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), and low-density lipoprotein (LDL-C) levels versus those before treatment (P > 0.05), and no significant differences were found in intergroup comparison neither (P > 0.05). Dapagliflozin plus conventional hypoglycemic agents resulted in a significantly higher reactive hyperemia index (RHI) value, fewer cases with abnormal vascular endothelial function, and fewer major cardiovascular events during treatment versus the sole use of conventional hypoglycemic agents (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in drug-related adverse events between the two groups (P > 0.05). Conclusion. Dapagliflozin improves the vascular endothelial functions of patients with diabetes mellitus complicated by coronary artery disease with a high safety profile and favorable efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The disadvantages of the common current thermal error modeling methods for CNC machine tool feed drive systems were analyzed, such as the requirement of many temperature sensors to reach high accuracy and poor applicability of different moving states. A new robust modeling method based on the heat transfer theory is proposed, and the procedure of the thermal tests for a feed drive system is presented. Multiple regression method and robust modeling method based on the heat transfer theory were, respectively, used to establish a thermal error model, and a pointer automatic optimizer was used to optimize the parameters in the robust model. A compensation simulation was conducted under five different moving states using these two modeling methods, and the advantages of the robust modeling method were proved. Finally, the compensation effect of the robust modeling method was verified under a random moving state on a vertical machining center. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Due to its cancer-specific expression, DDX43 (DEAD-box helicase 43) is considered a potential target molecule for cancer therapy. • Biochemical assays to determine the enzymatic activities and properties of DDX43 protein, including its KH domain, link domain, and ATPase/helicase core domain. • Identify the specific nucleic acids sequence bound by its KH domain using SELEX, ChIP-seq, CLIP-seq, and NMR. • Structural characterization of the KH domain and full-length DDX43 protein aided by Phyre 2, NMR, and AphaFold. • Emerging roles of DDX43 in piRNA amplification, tumorigenesis, RAS signaling, and innate immunity. • Structural and functional studies of DDX43 will facilitate anti-cancer drug development by targeting DDX43. DDX43 (DEAD-box helicase 43), also known as HAGE (helicase antigen gene), is a member of the DEAD-box protein family. It contains a K homology (KH) domain in its N terminus, a helicase core domain in its C terminus, and a flexible linker domain in between. DDX43 expression is low or undetectable in normal tissue, but is overexpressed in many tumors; therefore, it is considered a potential target molecule for cancer therapy. We, along with other groups, have shown that DDX43 is an ATP-dependent RNA and DNA helicase, and the KH domain is required for its ATPase and unwinding activity. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA), SELEX (systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment), chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP)-seq, crosslinking immunoprecipitation (CLIP)-seq, and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) showed that the KH domain prefers to bind pyrimidine-rich ssDNA and ssRNA, such as TTGT in the promoter regions of genes. Moreover, the KH domain facilitates the substrate specificity and processivity of the DDX43 helicase. No animal model has been generated for DDX43; cellular studies have revealed that DDX43 has roles in piRNA amplification, tumorigenesis, RAS signaling, and innate immunity. Structural and functional studies of DDX43 will not only advance our understanding of DEAD-box helicases and KH domains, but also shed light on the application of DDX43 as therapeutics, where its key binding sites can be targeted by small molecules and natural products as an alternative approach in treating DDX43 overexpressed cancers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bloom's syndrome (BS) and Fanconi anemia (FA) are autosomal recessive disorders characterized by cancer and chromosomal instability. BS and FA group J arise from mutations in the BLM and FANCJ genes, respectively, which encode DNA helicases. In this work, FANCJ and BLM were found to interact physically and functionally in human cells and co-localize to nuclear foci in response to replication stress. The cellular level of BLM is strongly dependent upon FANCJ, and BLM is degraded by a proteasome-mediated pathway when FANCJ is depleted. FANCJ-deficient cells display increased sister chromatid exchange and sensitivity to replication stress. Expression of a FANCJ C-terminal fragment that interacts with BLM exerted a dominant negative effect on hydroxyurea resistance by interfering with the FANCJ-BLM interaction. FANCJ and BLM synergistically unwound a DNA duplex substrate with sugar phosphate backbone discontinuity, but not an 'undamaged' duplex. Collectively, the results suggest that FANCJ catalytic activity and its effect on BLM protein stability contribute to preservation of genomic stability and a normal response to replication stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

TRPP2, also called polycystin-2, the gene product of PKD2, is a membrane protein defective in 10–15% of cases of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease. Mutations in PKD2 are also associated with extrarenal disorders, such as hepatic cystogenesis and cardiovascular abnormalities. TRPP2 is a Ca-permeable nonselective cation channel present in the endoplasmic reticulum and plasma membrane, as well as in cilia of renal epithelial and embryonic nodal cells, in which it likely forms part of a flow sensor. Recent studies have identified a number of TRPP2-interacting proteins, of which many are cytoskeletal components. Work from our and other laboratories indicates that cytoskeletal partner proteins seem to play important, albeit highly complex, roles in the regulation of TRPP2 expression, localization and channel function. This minireview covers current knowledge about cytoskeletal interactions with TRPP2, and suggests that mutations in proteins of the TRPP2-cytoskeleton complex may be implicated in the pathogenesis of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]