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Due to the inherent high dark current of photoelectrochemical (PEC)‐type photodetectors (PDs), there is a tricky challenge to detect weak light. In this work, high‐quality Cd0.9Pb0.1Se quantum dots (CPS QDs) are prepared by thermal injection method, with horizontal size of 6.3 nm and thickness of 3.5 nm. The CPS QDs are directly utilized to construct the working electrode of PEC‐type PDs. The effects of experimental parameters on the photo‐response behavior are systematically studied, and optimized photocurrent density of 7.1 µA cm−2 and photo‐responsivity (Rph) of 2.75 mA·W−1 are achieved. Most importantly, the obvious photocurrent signals are observed under a light power density as low as 5.6 µW cm−2. For this interesting weak light detection, apparent Rph of 6.96 mA·W−1, detectivity of 1.2 × 109 Jones, and external quantum efficiency of 2.37% are achieved. Therefore, this work not only develops CPS QDs‐based PDs but also provides an example for PEC‐type PDs in weak light detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sparse arrays are of deep concern due to their ability to identify more sources than the number of sensors, among which the hole-free difference co-array (DCA) with large degrees of freedom (DOFs) is a topic worth discussing. In this paper, we propose a novel hole-free nested array with three sub-uniform line arrays (NA-TS). The one-dimensional (1D) and two-dimensional (2D) representations demonstrate the detailed configuration of NA-TS, which indicates that both nested array (NA) and improved nested array (INA) are special cases of NA-TS. We subsequently derive the closed-form expressions for the optimal configuration and the available number of DOFs, concluding that the DOFs of NA-TS is a function of the number of sensors and the number of the third sub-ULA. The NA-TS possesses more DOFs than several previously proposed hole-free nested arrays. Finally, the superior direction of arrival (DOA) estimation performance based on the NA-TS is supported by numerical examples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cadmium (Cd) is a toxic metal that threatens human health when enriched in crops. NRAMPs are a family of natural macrophage proteins reported to play a key role in Cd transport in plants. In order to explore the gene regulation mechanism of potato under Cd stress and the role of NRAMPs family in it, this study analyzed the gene expression differences of two different Cd accumulation levels in potato after 7 days of 50 mg/kg Cd stress and screened out the key genes that may play a major role in the differential accumulation of Cd in different varieties. Additionally, StNRAMP2 was selected for verification. Further verification showed that the StNRAMP2 gene plays an important role in the accumulation of Cd in potato. Interestingly, silencing StNRAMP2 increased Cd accumulation in tubers but significantly decreased Cd accumulation in other sites, suggesting a critical role of StNRAMP2 in Cd uptake and transport in potatoes. To further confirm this conclusion, we performed heterologous expression experiments in which overexpression of StNRAMP2 gene in tomato resulted in a threefold increase in Cd content, which further confirmed the important role of StNRAMP2 in the process of Cd accumulation compared with wild-type plants. In addition, we found that the addition of Cd to the soil increased the activity of the plant antioxidant enzyme system, and silencing StNRAMP2 partially reversed this effect. This suggests that the StNRAMP2 gene plays an important role in plant stress tolerance, and future studies could further explore the role of this gene in other environmental stresses. In conclusion, the results of this study improve the understanding of the mechanism of Cd accumulation in potato and provide experimental basis for remediation of Cd pollution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To address the weakness that the difference co-array (DCA) only enhances the degrees of freedom (DOFs) to a limited extent, a new configuration called the generalized nested array via difference–sum co-array (GNA-DSCA) is proposed for direction of arrival (DOA) estimation. We consider both the temporal and spatial information of the array output to construct the DSCA model, based on which the DCA and sum co-array (SCA) of the GNA are systematically analyzed. The closed-form expression of the DOFs for the GNA-DSCA is derived under the determined dilation factors. The optimal results show that the GNA-DSCA has a more flexible configuration and more DOFs than the GNA-DCA. Moreover, the larger dilation factors yield significantly wider virtual aperture, which indicates that it is more attractive than the reported DSCA-based sparse arrays. Finally, a hole-filling strategy based on atomic norm minimization (ANM) is utilized to overcome the degradation of the estimation performance due to the non-uniform virtual array, thus achieving accurate DOA estimation. The simulation results verify the superiority of the proposed configuration in terms of virtual array properties and estimation performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper considers the problem of minimizing a convex expectation function with a set of inequality convex expectation constraints. We propose a stochastic augmented Lagrangian-type algorithm—namely, the stochastic linearized proximal method of multipliers—to solve this convex stochastic optimization problem. This algorithm can be roughly viewed as a hybrid of stochastic approximation and the traditional proximal method of multipliers. Under mild conditions, we show that this algorithm exhibits O (K − 1 / 2) expected convergence rates for both objective reduction and constraint violation if parameters in the algorithm are properly chosen, where K denotes the number of iterations. Moreover, we show that, with high probability, the algorithm has a O (log (K) K − 1 / 2) constraint violation bound and O (log 3 / 2 (K) K − 1 / 2) objective bound. Numerical results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm is efficient. History: Accepted byAntonio Frangioni, Area Editor for Design & Analysis ofAlgorithms—Continuous. Funding: This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China [Grants 11971089, 11731013, 12071055, and 11871135]. Supplemental Material: The software that supports the findings of this study is available within the paper and its Supplementary Information [https://pubsonline.informs.org/doi/suppl/10.1287/ijoc.2022.1228] or is available from the IJOC GitHub software repository (https://github.com/INFORMSJoC) at http://dx.doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6818229. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this letter, an enhanced coprime array with compressed inter‐element spacing is designed for direction of arrival estimation. First, we analyse and conclude that the 0th sensor of coprime array with compressed inter‐element spacing is redundant for the consecutive lags, thus it is rearranged to the negative part to obtain enhanced coprime array with compressed inter‐element spacing. Then, on the basis of discussing the effect of the shift sensor on the difference co‐array, the number of unique lags and the range of consecutive lags are derived. Theoretical properties show that the closed‐form expressions of coprime array with compressed inter‐element spacing and enhanced coprime array with compressed inter‐element spacing are similar, while more difference lags can be generated from the latter. Moreover, larger inter‐element spacing can slightly alleviate the mutual coupling. Numerical examples verify the advantages of enhanced coprime array with compressed inter‐element spacing in direction of arrival estimation over coprime array with compressed inter‐element spacing configuration and other coprime arrays. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pathogenic microorganisms play a crucial role in the global disease burden due to their ability to cause various diseases and spread through multiple transmission routes. Immunity tests identify antigens related to these pathogens, thereby confirming past infections and monitoring the host's immune response. Traditional pathogen detection methods, including enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) and chemiluminescent immunoassays (CLIAs), are often labor-intensive, slow, and reliant on sophisticated equipment and skilled personnel, which can be limiting in resource-poor settings. In contrast, the development of microfluidic technologies presents a promising alternative, offering automation, miniaturization, and cost efficiency. These advanced methods are poised to replace traditional assays by streamlining processes and enabling rapid, high-throughput immunity testing for pathogens. This review highlights the latest advancements in microfluidic systems designed for rapid and high-throughput immunity testing, incorporating immunosensors, single molecule arrays (Simoas), a lateral flow assay (LFA), and smartphone integration. It focuses on key pathogenic microorganisms such as SARS-CoV-2, influenza, and the ZIKA virus (ZIKV). Additionally, the review discusses the challenges, commercialization prospects, and future directions to advance microfluidic systems for infectious disease detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel generalized nested multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) radar for direction of arrival (DOA) estimation is proposed in this paper. The proposed structure utilizes the extended two-level nested array (ENA) as transmitter and receiver and adjusts the interelement spacing of the receiver with an expanding factor. By optimizing the array element configuration, we can obtain the best number of elements of the transmitter and receiver and the attainable degrees of freedom (DOF). Compared with the existing nested MIMO radar, the proposed MIMO array configuration not only has closed-form expressions for sensors' positions and the number of maximum DOF, but also significantly improves the array aperture. It is verified that the sum-difference coarray (SDCA) of the proposed nested MIMO radar can get higher DOF without holes. MUSIC algorithm based on Toeplitz matrix reconstruction is employed to prove the rationality and superiority of the proposed MIMO structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We analyze the rate of convergence of the proximal method of multipliers for non-convex nonlinear programming problems. First, we prove, under the strict complementarity condition, that the rate of convergence of the proximal method of multipliers is linear and the ratio constant is proportional to 1/c when the ratio ‖ (μ 0 , λ 0) − (μ ¯ , λ ¯) ‖ / c is small enough, which implies that the rate of convergence of the proximal method of multipliers is superlinear when the parameter c increases to + ∞. Second, we prove that, without strict complementarity condition, the rate of convergence of the proximal method of multipliers is proportional to 1/c when c exceeds a threshold. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The proximal method of multipliers was proposed by Rockafellar [Augmented Lagrangians and applications of the proximal point algorithm in convex programming. Math Oper Res. 1976;1:97–116] for solving convex programming and it is a kind of proximal point method applied to convex programming. In this paper, we apply this method for solving nonlinear semidefinite programming problems, in which subproblems have better properties than those from the augmented Lagrange method. We prove that, under the linear independence constraint qualification and the strong second-order sufficiency optimality condition, the rate of convergence of the proximal method of multipliers, for a nonlinear semidefinite programming problem, is linear and the ratio constant is proportional to 1/c, where c is the penalty parameter that exceeds a threshold c ∗ > 0. Moreover, the rate of convergence of the proximal method of multipliers is superlinear when the parameter c increases to + ∞. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • LTA zeolites loaded C 3 N 4 system could enhance ROS production efficiency via photocatalytic. • C 3 N 4 contributes to high surface conductivity and high drug loading. • UCNPs-C 3 N 4 -Ce6 system could relief the tumour hypoxia. • UCNPs-C 3 N 4 -Ce6 system could induce autophagic cell death with minimal negative side effects. • PDT and SDT was proved capable of maximizing the ROS yield. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) production efficiency, tumor microenvironment hypoxia relief, and autophagy-induced cell death with minimal negative effects are considered the main objectives to achieve more efficient tumor treatment. However, realizing highly effective cancer treatment under hypoxia relief with a cell autophagy model based on suitable biomaterials is still a challenge. Herein, a biosafe upconversion nanomaterial based on Linde Type A (LTA) zeolites loaded with carbon nitride (C 3 N 4) photocatalyst and chlorin e6 (Ce6) was developed as a rationally regulated photocatalytic system and multimodal tumor therapeutic platform. C 3 N 4 contributes to stability, tumor hypoxia relief, high surface conductivity and high drug-loading. Remarkably, photodynamic therapy (PDT) and sonodynamic therapy (SDT) were proven capable of maximizing the ROS yield to obtain highly tumor therapeutic outcomes. Photothermal conversion efficiency was 46.72%. Furthermore, internalized nanomaterials can result in tumor inhibition through cell autophagy. The as-developed system shows a promising potential in the multimodal cancer therapeutics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent decades, quantum dots (QDs) with tunable bandgap, large absorption coefficient, high quantum yield, multiexciton effect, and easy solution processing have unparalleled advantages in photoelectric conversion. Optoelectronic devices based on QDs of different composition have made great progress. However, there is still a lack of reviews on comparing the optoelectronic application level of semiconductor quantum dots (SQDs), perovskite quantum dots (PQDs), and carbon quantum dots (CDs), and also rarely providing a comprehensive summary of photocatalysis. First, this review almost completely summarizes advantages and disadvantages of common synthesis methods for QDs, especially pointing out the importance of optimization strategies for preparing high‐quality QDs such as ligand engineering, ion exchange, and purification separation. Then, compositions of SQD, PQD, CD, and corresponding optoelectronic properties are introduced, respectively. Next, the strengths and weaknesses of the four QDs structures are compared in detail. Finally, the flourishing development in various optoelectronic applications is separately demonstrated, and development degree of SQDs, PQDs, and CDs is compared to discover the most suitable application scenarios for each. On these bases, bottlenecks and opportunities are also put forwarded, hoping to stimulate more breakthroughs in this field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Smart g-C3N4/Ce6 nanohybrids was developed as a rational multifunctional nanoplatform for tumor therapy. • The metal-free g-C3N4/Ce6 photocatalyst boosted photo/sonodynamic ROS generation and acute tumor inactivation. • Enhanced maturation of DC cells and long-term cancer immunotherapy over g-C3N4/Ce6 was also verified. • The 2D g-C3N4/Ce6 platform with good biocompatibility and expansibility has good potential in biomedicine. Multifunctional nanoplatforms for the early diagnosis and precise treatment of cancers have been widely explored in nanomedicine but still suffer from complex material design and intrinsic incompatibility among various biomaterial components. Moreover, a rational mode of tumor therapy that considers the effect of immune adjuvants while promoting long-term cancer immunotherapy is highly needed. Herein, we developed smart metal-free two-dimensional (2D) graphitic carbon nitride/chlorin e6 (g-C 3 N 4 /Ce6) nanohybrids for use as a rational multifunctional nanoplatform in which the unstable sono-photosensitizer Ce6 was immobilized by unique protonated g-C 3 N 4 nanosheets. The 2D nanomedicine system shows excellent stability, biocompatibility, ideal near-infrared absorption, an optimized band structure and charge separation ability. As a result, the g-C 3 N 4 /Ce6 nanoplatform remarkably combines photodynamic, photothermal and sonodynamic therapies. Additionally, importantly, dead tumor cells can serve as tumor-associated antigens to support in vivo immune stimulation, and the mild photothermal effect greatly promoted the immune adjuvant effect of the g-C 3 N 4 /Ce6 nanohybrids, resulting in the greatly enhanced maturation of DC cells and long-term cancer immunotherapy. No obvious long-term toxicity of the nanocomposites was found at the injected dose. Given the great general drug loading potential and adaptability of the g-C 3 N 4 /Ce6 system, this work highlights the promise of 2D g-C 3 N 4 -based multifunctional nanostructures designed as smart metal-free nanoplatforms for cancer theranostics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Providing higher precision Direction of Arrival (DOA) estimation has become a hot topic in the field of array signal processing for parameter estimation in recent years. However, when the physical aperture of the actual array is small, its aperture limitation means that even with super-resolution estimation algorithms, the achievable estimation precision is limited. This paper takes a novel approach by constructing an optimization algorithm using the covariance fitting criterion based on the array output's covariance matrix to fit and obtain the covariance matrix of a large aperture virtual array, thereby providing high-precision angular resolution through virtual aperture expansion. The covariance fitting expansion analysis and discussion are unfolded for both uniform linear arrays (ULAs) and sparse linear arrays (SLAs) under four different scenarios. Theoretical analysis and simulation experiments demonstrate that these methods can enhance the effective performance of angle estimation, especially in low signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) and at small angular intervals by fitting virtual extended aperture data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genetic engineering faces persistent challenges in achieving precise Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) cleavage, especially with the limitations associated with current enzyme‐based methods, exemplified by issues in CRISPR technologies. This study introduces a groundbreaking approach: utilizing reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated by Multiphoton Absorption (MPA)‐excited Black Phosphorus Quantum Dots (BPQDs) under femto‐second laser irradiation. This innovative method not only allows excitation with lower energy but also enhances overall efficiency. The integration of complementary RNA sequences facilitates high‐efficiency, site‐selective DNA cleavage in the system, named “TADPOLE” (Targeted DNA Precision Oriented Laser Excision). Beyond its precision in targeting arbitrary DNA sequences using quantum dots, TADPOLE harnesses the unique multiphoton absorption property of BPQDs, enabling excitation with lower‐energy light sources suitable for in vivo applications in the future. Moreover, the approach integrates guiding RNA and ultrafast laser technology to provide precise control over local ROS generation and minimal heat production. This guarantees site‐specific DNA cleavage while mitigating the risk of damage to non‐targeted sequences. In summary, this study catalyzes advancements in enzyme‐free DNA cleavage technologies, with transformative implications for genetic engineering, biotechnology, and medicine. The holistic precision, versatility, and endurance presented by TADPOLE open new avenues for targeted gene therapies and transformative applications in related fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

2D atomically thin graphdiyne oxide (GDYO) nanosheets (NSs) are synthesized, and their nonlinear modulation is investigated. Generally, improving the modulation depth (MD) of all‐optical modulation (AOM) requires a pump light with strong power, which limits the development of AOM technology in the design of low‐power loss devices. In this study, an AOM system based on spatial self‐phase modulation and spatial cross‐phase modulation methods is proposed using 2D GDYO NSs. The results reveal that 2D GDYO exhibits tunable nonlinearity and high stability, which is desirable for designing the AOM system. Because of the excellent optical properties of 2D GDYO, a large MD of >98% is achieved for the proposed AOM with a low power of pump light, which is higher than most AOMs currently reported. Thus, GDYO is an excellent modulation material in AOM, which improves the application prospects of carbon nanomaterials in all‐optical devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Home testing technology strategy is critical for early screening of disease. However, current home testing technologies often require complex processes, which limits their application. In this study, a time-resolved cascade logic gate microfluidic chip (TCLMC) was revealed to enable capillary force-based one-step operation without manual intervention or professional equipment. By analogy with logic gates in the circuit, TCLMC could automatically control the fluid flow and regulate the incubation time to optimize the immunoassay. The limit of detection of TCLMC for SARS-CoV-2 and influenza B virus (Flu B) was 134.94 and 79.17 pg mL−1 within 10 min. Additionally, this study tested saliva samples from 12 Flu B patients and 24 healthy controls to verify its clinical application. The results showed that TCLMC had high sensitivity (100%), specificity (100%), and accuracy (100%). This study provides a new one-step strategy for home testing and demonstrates its great potential in the diagnosis field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within the fields of infectious disease diagnostics, microfluidic-based integrated technology systems have become a vital technology in enhancing the rapidity, accuracy, and portability of pathogen detection. These systems synergize microfluidic techniques with advanced molecular biology methods, including reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP), and clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR), have been successfully used to identify a diverse array of pathogens, including COVID-19, Ebola, Zika, and dengue fever. This review outlines the advances in pathogen detection, attributing them to the integration of microfluidic technology with traditional molecular biology methods and smartphone- and paper-based diagnostic assays. The cutting-edge diagnostic technologies are of critical importance for disease prevention and epidemic surveillance. Looking ahead, research is expected to focus on increasing detection sensitivity, streamlining testing processes, reducing costs, and enhancing the capability for remote data sharing. These improvements aim to achieve broader coverage and quicker response mechanisms, thereby constructing a more robust defense for global public health security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High‐entropy (HE) MXenes represent a novel class of 2D materials within the MXene family, which are drawing widespread attention because of their diverse compositions and robust physicochemical properties. However, the exploration of HE‐MXenes in optoelectronic domains is relatively limited. This study unveils the rapid photoresponse and superior nonlinear optical (NLO) characteristics of HE‐MXene TiVCrMoC3Tx nanosheets (NSs) through comparison with ordinary MXene Ti3C2Tx NSs. Transient absorption spectroscopy reveals that the few‐layer TiVCrMoC3Tx NSs excel in photoelectrochemical‐type photodetectors with swift response properties. Additionally, the advantage of HE structures is further validated by NLO measurement system, which show that few‐layer TiVCrMoC3Tx NSs exhibit stronger saturable absorption than Ti3C2Tx NSs. First‐principles calculations based on the special quasi‐random structure method reveal that the transition behavior of HE‐MXene is similar to that of a semiconductor with direct bandgap, and this is ascribed to the main reason of strong photoelectric response. Taking advantage of the NLO properties of the TiVCrMoC3Tx NSs, all‐optical devices based on these NSs are applied to mode‐locked fiber lasers at 1, 1.5, and 2 µm wavebands, respectively. This investigation provides meaningful guidance for the future design and application of HE‐MXenes in high‐performance optoelectronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multimode fibers (MMFs) have attracted interest because of their larger mode area and additional spatial degrees of freedom compared with single-mode fibers. Recently, MMFs have been introduced into mode-locked lasers for new cavity structures with better laser performance. Among these lasers, there are two remarkable cases in which MMFs are the key components for mode-locking: One is using a short segment of the MMF as a saturable absorber (SA), which has the advantages of high damage threshold, wide operating bandwidth, and low cost. The other is the construction of multimode cavities with MMFs. Spatiotemporal mode-locking (STML), a general form of mode-locking, can be achieved in such cavities. Herein, we review these two types of mode-locked lasers with MMFs. The principles of MMF-based SA and STML are described based on the common theory of multimode nonlinear fiber optics. Subsequently, we present a detailed overview of the recent progress regarding these lasers, including lasers mode-locked by MMF-based SAs at the 1-, 1.5-, and 2-μm bands, as well as spatiotemporal mode-locked MMF lasers. A perspective for the development of mode-locked lasers with MMFs is also provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To address the problems of traditional two‐level nested arrays (TTNA) with low degrees of freedom and high mutual coupling, a generalised two‐level nested MIMO radar array with high degrees of freedom and low mutual coupling for the direction of arrival (DOA) estimation is proposed. First, two coprime expansion factors are introduced in the TTNA to mitigate mutual coupling among array elements and enhance its degrees of freedom. Secondly, the range of consecutive lags and the total number of virtual array elements are derived in closed form under the structures of 'sum–difference co‐array'. Finally, utilising the atomic norm minimisation theory, the authors address the issue of discrete holes caused by different coprime expansion factors through filling in virtual arrays at discontinuities. Furthermore, a convex optimisation model to recover equivalent received signals from these filled virtual arrays is established, which is combined with a multiple signal classification algorithm for DOA estimation. Simulation results validate the rationality of the array structure and demonstrate the effectiveness of the algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regulating redox homeostasis in tumor cells and exploiting oxidative stress to damage tumors is an efficacious strategy for cancer therapy. However, the strengths of organic nanomaterials within this strategy are often ignored. In this work, a light-triggered reactive oxygen species (ROS) damaging nanoamplifier (IrP-T) was developed for enhanced photodynamic therapy (PDT). The IrP-T was fabricated with an amphiphilic iridium complex and a MTH1 inhibitor (TH287). Under green light stimulation, IrP-T catalyzed the oxygen in cells to generate ROS for realizing oxidative damage; meanwhile, TH287 increased the accumulation of 8-oxo-dGTP, further strengthening oxidative stress and inducing cell death. IrP-T could maximize the use of a small amount of oxygen, thus further boosting the efficacy of PDT in hypoxic tumors. The construction of nanocapsules provided a valuable therapeutic strategy for oxidative damage and synergizing PDT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Undoubtedly, SARS-CoV-2 has caused an outbreak of pneumonia that evolved into a worldwide pandemic. The confusion of early symptoms of the SARS-CoV-2 infection with other respiratory virus infections made it very difficult to block its spread, leading to the expansion of the outbreak and an unreasonable demand for medical resource allocation. The traditional immunochromatographic test strip (ICTS) can detect one analyte with one sample. Herein, this study presents a novel strategy for the simultaneous rapid detection of FluB/SARS-CoV-2, including quantum dot fluorescent microspheres (QDFM) ICTS and a supporting device. The ICTS could be applied to realize simultaneous detection of FluB and SARS-CoV-2 with one test in a short time. A device supporting FluB/SARS-CoV-2 QDFM ICTS was designed and had the characteristics of being safe, portable, low-cost, relatively stable, and easy to use, ensuring the device could replace the immunofluorescence analyzer in cases where there is no need for quantification. This device does not need to be operated by professional and technical personnel and has commercial application potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Immunotherapy, especially immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) antibody immunotherapy, has revolutionized the treatment ways of cancers and provided remarkable clinical benefits for multiple cancers. However, the efficacy of immunotherapy in tumors with an immune‐excluded or immune‐suppressed phenotype is dismal due to the lack or paucity of immune infiltration in the tumor microenvironment. Herein, an emerging photoimmunotherapy based on remodeling the inflammatory microenvironment is reported, ascribed to nanoagonist‐mediated gasdermin E (GSDME)‐dependent pyroptosis and providing positive feedback to activate anti‐PD‐1 immunotherapy. An iridium‐based photosensitizer (IrP) carrying methyltransferase inhibitor RG108 (R@IrP) lead to rapid cell pyroptosis via the caspase‐3/GSDME pathway under the light activation. Furthermore, light‐elicited pyroptosis synergized with anti‐PD‐1 to induce anti‐tumor photoimmunotherapy. The pro‐inflammatory factors released by pyroptotic cells remodel the inflammatory microenvironment and recruit immune cells to kill tumor cells, resulting in CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes activation, PD‐1 expression enhancement, and dendritic cell slightly maturation. Collectively, these findings present a synergistic strategy of photoimmunotherapy, that is, turning immunological cold tumors into hot tumors that can respond to anti‐PD‐1‐based immunotherapy via precise pathway regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SIMILAR TO RCD-ONE (SRO) family members and transcription factors (TFs) often improve plant antioxidant capacity through interaction and co-regulation and participate in plant resistance to drought and high-salt stress. However, whether SROs are involved in the response to heavy metal stress, especially SRO genes with a specific response and tolerance characteristics to cadmium (Cd) stress, remains unclear. We first identified six SRO genes in the potato genome by PARP and RST domains. Special and conserved StSROs were found, and the spatio temporal tissue-specific expression patterns and co-expression network diagrams of StSROs under the stress of 5 heavy metals were constructed. Second, we identified StSRO6 as a major effector gene (StSRO6-MEG) and StSRO5 as a secondary effector gene (StSRO5-SEG) through a comprehensive analysis. Interestingly, they may hold true for various physiological or stress responses in plants. In addition, using systematic genomics and comparative omics techniques, the key gene StSRO6 that affects the difference in Cd accumulation was discovered, cloned in the low-Cd accumulation "Yunshu 505", and transformed into the yeast mutant ycf1 for overexpression. The results proved that StSRO6 could confer Cd tolerance. Finally, through transient expression and in vitro culture tests, we hypothesized that StSROs 5/6 are regulated by the transcription factor StWRKY6 and mediates the reactive oxygen species (ROS) system to confer Cd tolerance. These findings offer a new perspective for understanding the mechanisms underlying Cd tolerance in plants, and simultaneously provide clues for the development of biological agents for preventing and controlling Cd migration and transformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Near-infrared phosphor-converted light-emitting diodes (NIR pc-LED) prepared with near-infrared (NIR) phosphors have potential applications in various aspects. In this paper, Cr3+-activated Mg 2 LaTaO 6 (MLTO: Cr3+) phosphors were prepared by the conventional high-temperature solid-phase method. The structure, morphology, and photoluminescence (PL) spectra of MLTO: Cr3+ phosphor were investigated. There is broadband NIR emission and the emission peak is red-shifted with the increase of doping concentration. The crystal field strengths of the samples were calculated and the relationship between the emission peak positions of the samples and the crystal field strengths was investigated. In addition, the concentration quenching mechanism of the samples was discussed, which is mainly attributed to dipole-dipole interactions. The internal quantum efficiency (IQE) of the MLTO: 0.4 mol% Cr3+ sample was measured with an IQE value of 76.48 %. NIR pc-LED devices were fabricated by combining the prepared MLTO: Cr3+ phosphor and blue-emitting LED chips, which are capable of emitting NIR light. • Mg 2 LaTaO 6 :Cr3+ phosphors with pyrochlore structure were synthesized. • Tunable emission spectra were achieved by adjusting the doping concentration of Cr3+ ions. • Near-infrared LED devices were prepared with Mg 2 LaTaO 6 :Cr3+ phosphors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Air pollution has side effects on human health. Epidemiology studies indicate a positive association between ambient fine particle (PM 2.5 , or particles less than 2.5 μm in diameter) concentration and lung cancer. However, how fine particles affect lung cancer at the molecular level and related therapeutic methods to address these diseases are unclear. Here, the multi-omics analysis (DNA methylation and transcriptomic) was used to detect human bronchial epithelial cells (HBE), that were exposed to PM 2.5 using a quantified, small, portable, and organ-level air-liquid interface microfluidic system that mimics lung functions. The results indicate that 36,838 differentially methylated genes were detected. Of these 33,796 genes were hypomethylated (beta < 0), and 2862 genes were hypermethylated (beta > 0). RNA-Seq analysis demonstrated that 19,489 genes were upregulated (log 2 FC > 0), and 16,659 were downregulated. Furthermore, the calcium and apoptosis pathways were activated according to multi-omics analysis. The change in EGFR gene expression after PM 2.5 exposure was the result of alterations of the cellular DNA methylome in the promoter. Inhibition or down-regulation of EGFR could result in the regulation of the downstream intracellular Ca2+ concentration and apoptosis via the EGFR/PLCγ and EGFR/STAT/Bcl-XL pathways after PM 2.5 exposure. EGFR inhibitors decrease the Ca2+ concentration of cells, thereby strengthening the effects of fine particles on apoptosis. In short, the Ca2+ concentration and the apoptosis of cells can be regulated via EGFR related pathway after PM 2.5 exposure. The EGFR may be a potentially promising therapeutic target for the treatment of air pollution-induced lung cancer through regulation of the intracellular Ca2+ concentration and apoptosis. Unlabelled Image • A small air–liquid interface microfluidic system that mimics lung functions for cells exposure • EGFR gene expression change after PM 2.5 exposure was the result of the alteration of DNA methylome. • EGFR gene regulates calcium flux via the EGFR/PLCγ pathways after PM 2.5 exposure. • EGFR gene regulates apoptosis via the EGFR/STAT/Bcl-XL pathways after PM 2.5 exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• An automated microfluidic system for rapid quantitative detection of chloramphenicol in milk was presented. • Ten samples could be assayed simultaneously in a single microfluidic chip less than 20 min. • The limit of detection was 0.05 μg L−1 with the recovery rate in milk of 91.3%–105.5%. Chloramphenicol (CAP) is a toxic substance for human health, and detection of CAP residues in milk is necessary. However, most of the traditional CAP detection methods including high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) are time-consuming and complicated. Herein, an automated microfluidics system for CAP detection in milk was developed. The residual CAP of multiple milk samples was quantitatively detected via competitive immunoassay in a single microfluidic chip simultaneously and automatically, and the reliability of the method was confirmed by flow cytometry. Completion of the detection by the system required less than 20 min and the cost for the detection of ten samples was about US$2.5. The limit of detection was 0.05 µg L−1, and the recovery rate of CAP in milk ranged from 91.3% to 105.5%. The microfluidic system developed in this study exhibited considerable potential in the point-of-care testing (POCT) of CAP in milk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Both the fundamental frequency operation, 3rd harmonic, and 81st harmonic are observed. • The self-mode-locking operation has excellent stability, since the SNR of the 81st harmonic is as high as 80 dB. • The 81st harmonic has a narrow 3-dB optical spectrum bandwidth of 0.29 nm. • The maximum output power in our work is 27.63 mW. • The self-focusing caused by the Kerr-lens effect of SMF is the major mechanism of self-mode-locking. Passive ultrafast photoelectric devices based on the self-focusing effect have been deeply studied in ultrashort pulse formation, and great progress has been made in solid-state oscillators known as Kerr-lens mode-locking (KLM). The intensity-dependent change of refractive index and the 1–2 fs electronic response time of materials are the basics of KLM. Recently, the advantages of fiber lasers such as compact structure, outstanding environmental stability, excellent heat dissipation potential, and low cost have stimulated great interest among researchers to explore stable and reliable fiber lasers. Based on the feasibility of KML in fiber lasers that have been reported, we demonstrate a high-stable self-mode-locking Er-doped fiber laser in this work. Diverse stable self-mode-locking pulses phenomena can be obtained through adjusting the polarization state of the cavity, including the output pulses with a fundamental frequency of 3.93 MHz, dark-bright soliton pulses, the 3rd harmonic operation, the 81st harmonic operation with the repetition rate of 318.4 MHz and the signal-to-noise ratio of 80 dB, and dual-wavelength output. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For the multi-target DOA estimation problem of uniform linear arrays, this paper proposes a DOA estimation method based on the deep convolution neural network. The algorithm adopts the deep convolutional neural network, and the DOA estimation problem of the array signal is transformed into the inverse mapping problem of the array output covariance matrix to a binary sequence in which "1" indicates that there is a target incident in the corresponding angular direction at that position. The upper triangular array of the discrete covariance matrix is used as the data input to realize the DOA estimation of multiple sources. The simulation results show that the DOA estimation accuracy of the proposed algorithm is significantly better than that of the typical super-resolution estimation algorithm under the conditions of low SNR and small snapshot. Under the conditions of high SNR and large snapshot, the estimation accuracy of the proposed algorithm is basically the same as those of the MUSIC algorithm, ESPRIT algorithm, and ML algorithm, which are better than that of the deep fully connected neural network. The analysis of the simulation results shows that the algorithm is effective, and the time and space complexity can be further reduced by replacing the square array with the upper triangular array as the input. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, discriminative correlation filter (DCF)-based trackers have made considerable progress and drawn widespread attention in the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) tracking community. Most existing trackers collect historical information, e.g., training samples, previous filters, and response maps, to promote their discrimination and robustness. Under UAV-specific tracking challenges, e.g., fast motion and view change, variations of both the target and its environment in the new frame are unpredictable. Interfered by future unknown environments, trackers that trained with historical information may be confused by the new context, resulting in tracking failure. In this paper, we propose a novel future-aware correlation filter tracker, i.e., FACF. The proposed method aims at effectively utilizing context information in the new frame for better discriminative and robust abilities, which consists of two stages: future state awareness and future context awareness. In the former stage, an effective time series forecast method is employed to reason a coarse position of the target, which is the reference for obtaining a context patch in the new frame. In the latter stage, we firstly obtain the single context patch with an efficient target-aware method. Then, we train a filter with the future context information in order to perform robust tracking. Extensive experimental results obtained from three UAV benchmarks, i.e., UAV123_10fps, DTB70, and UAVTrack112, demonstrate the effectiveness and robustness of the proposed tracker. Our tracker has comparable performance with other state-of-the-art trackers while running at ∼49 FPS on a single CPU. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the high efficiency of discriminative correlation filter (DCF), it has attracted widespread attention in the field of UAV object tracking. To handle the problem of filter degradation, many trackers usually introduce temporal regularization to enhance the discriminative power of the filter. However, these temporal regularization methods only utilize the limited information between two consecutive frames, which are susceptible interference by previous corrupted information. Besides, regularization terms with predefined hyperparameters can not well adapt to the variations of the target across sequent frames, which may cause the model degradation or drift. We propose a tracker based on DCF framework to fully exploit the information hidden in the historical response map, namely adaptive weighted response consistency-based DCF tracking. Specifically, carefully selected historical response maps with fixed weight distribution are introduced in training phase to increase the robustness of the filter. Further, we present a unified loss for jointly learning the filter and the weight distribution, which can be solved by the alternate convex search method. The joint loss guarantees that reliable response maps contribute more to filter learning, leading to a more discriminative and adaptive filter for tracking the target. Extensive experiments show that the proposed method achieves state-of-the-art results on two datasets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A laser-induced cavitation-based sterilization technique was demonstrated to efficiently inactivate foodborne pathogenic bacteria with a low loss of nutrients. A sterilization efficiency of more than 90% (less than 5 × 105 colony-forming unit / mL) was achieved when the flow rate was no more than 40 μL / s on a chip that could mimic an industrial sterilization system. In addition, the sterilization efficiency could be enhanced if the channels of the chip were coated with Ta2O5 / SiO2 film. Moreover, the nutrient composition of the milk was well preserved. The laser-induced cavitation-based sterilization technique provides an alternative method for the inactivation of foodborne pathogenic bacteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]