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Cesium lead halide perovskite nanocrystals (PNCs) exhibit promising prospects for application in optoelectronic devices. However, electroactivated near-infrared (NIR) PNC light-emitting diodes (LEDs) with emission peaks over 800 nm have not been achieved. Herein, we demonstrate the electroactivated NIR PNC LEDs based on Yb

Broadband photomultiplication-type organic photodetectors (PM-OPDs) were prepared with PMBBDT:PY3Se-2V (1:1, wt/wt) as the absorbing layer (AL) and PC

Objectives To determine if dynamic CT can differentiate local progression from radioactive seed-induced peritumoral reaction (RSIPR) after brachytherapy with iodine-125 radioactive seeds (BIRS) for advanced hepatic malignancies. Methods Enhanced CT images of seed-implanted lesions between 2006 and 2018 were retrospectively evaluated. Hounsfield units of peritumoral parenchyma were measured and assessed quantitatively. The classification, conversion, consequences, and serological indicators during follow-up were recorded and quantified. Statistical differences were analyzed using a Pearson χ2 test. Results RSIPR was observed in 201 of 290 (69.3%) lesions (161 patients; median age, 55 years; range, 26–79 years), while local progression occurred in 53 lesions. The low density of local progression was much lower than that of RSIPR (p < 0.001), and the former did not exhibit iso-/high density in the portal or equilibrium phase. Ring-like enhancement in progressive lesions was also quite different from RSIPR. Local progression rate was lower for lesions with RSIPR than for those without RSIPR (14.9% vs 25.8%; p = 0.03), and their doses were different (397.2 Gy vs 120.3 Gy, p < 0.001). Conclusions Radioactive seed-induced peritumoral reaction has characteristic manifestations on CT images, which is associated with a higher dose of lesions and lower local progression rate. Notably, the enhancement pattern of local progression was distinct from RSIPR and was clearly distinguishable on dynamic-enhanced CT. Key Points • Radioactive seed-induced peritumoral reaction after brachytherapy with125I seeds for liver malignancies has characteristic manifestations on CT images, which is associated with a higher dose of lesions (397.2 Gy vs 120.3 Gy, p < 0.001), as a focal radiation injury. • Lesions with RSIPR were less likely to develop local progression, while those without RSIPR had a higher rate of local progression (14.9% vs 25.8%; p = 0.03). • The enhancement pattern of local progression after brachytherapy was distinct from radioactive seed-induced peritumoral reaction and was clearly distinguishable on dynamic-enhanced CT.

The emerging polymerized small-molecule acceptors (PSMAs) with near-infrared (NIR) absorption have not only significantly boosted the power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of all-polymer solar cells (all-PSCs) but have also exhibited great potential for sensitive NIR polymeric photodetectors (PPDs). However, there is no report regarding PSMAs with photo-response that can approach 1000 nm, which is an important criterion for applications in NIR-responsive all-PSCs and PPDs. Herein, by unidirectionally inserting vinylene segments into a selenophene-rich polymer backbone to improve the electron-donating strength and quinoidal character, an asymmetric PSMA, namely, PY3Se-1V, was developed, which showed an extensively red-shifted absorption approaching 1000 nm. The PBDB-T:PY3Se-1V-based binary all-PSCs achieve a decent PCE of 13.2% and a record-high photocurrent density of 25.9 mA cm

The effect of nozzle number on the combustion and emission characteristics of diesel engines operating at high altitudes was investigated in this study. A three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics model was developed to simulate the spray spatial distribution, which is closely related to the nozzle number. The intake pressure was identified as the dominant factor under varying altitudes, while the fuel mass, injection timing and temperature were maintained constant. Altitudes of 3000 m were chosen to represent typical high-altitude conditions, and sea level cases were simulated for comparison. The results demonstrated that high-altitude operation reduced the air utility in the combustion chamber, leading to suppressed soot oxidization and worse soot emissions. Moreover, more injection nozzles will decrease the fuel injection pressure, resulting in inadequate fuel diffusion and detrimental effects on the combustion efficiency and soot control. However, too few nozzles may cause wall collisions and worsen the combustion conditions. The number of nozzles also influences the combustion, with a higher number of nozzles exacerbating poor combustion conditions. The optimal number of nozzles for the engine studied is determined to be six. Hence, determining the optimal nozzle number plays a vital role in achieving the optimal performance of highland diesel engines. This study provides valuable guidance for the development of diesel engines in high-altitude environments, where controlling the fuel consumption and soot emissions is challenging.

Shcbp1 is known to participate in important signaling pathways related to growth and differentiation, but its role in cartilage has not been well understood. Our previous study found that the expression of Shcbp1 in cartilage is lower in patients with osteoarthritis. Herein, we aim to explore the roles of Shcbp1 and the underlying mechanisms in cartilage development and osteoarthritis pathogenesis. To investigate the role of Shcbp1, we deleted Shcbp1 at different stages in Col2a1-CreERT2;Shcbp1f/f mice through tamoxifen injection and analyzed the resulting phenotypes. We performed destabilization of the medial meniscus (DMM) after the deletion and then rescued Shcbp1 by knee cavity injection with adenovirus. We evaluated the osteoarthritis, extracellular matrix (ECM) homeostasis, and apoptosis using histology, immunohistochemistry, and TUNEL assay. We also detected Shcbp1 expression in knee joints from osteoarthritis patients and mice using immunohistochemistry. Additionally, we used molecular biology approaches to identify the downstream mechanism of Shcbp1. We found that Shcbp1 expression decreased during cartilage development. Embryonic Shcbp1 deletion caused postnatal lethality, shorter limbs, and chondrocyte malformation. Postnatal Shcbp1 deletion resulted in growth retardation, proliferation inhibition, and increased apoptosis. Mature deletion of Shcbp1 spontaneously led to osteoarthritis, and deletion of Shcbp1 in mice exacerbated osteoarthritis following DMM treatment. Importantly, local rescue of Shcbp1 ameliorated DMM-induced osteoarthritis. Shcbp1 expression was dramatically reduced in all the osteoarthritis-affected cartilage. The mechanism study showed that deletion of Shcbp1 decreased the ratio of Erk/Akt; conversely, rescue of Shcbp1 increased the ratio of Erk/Akt, similar to wild-type mice. Deletion of Shcbp1 played a detrimental role in ECM homeostasis and osteoarthritis pathogenesis by influencing the Erk and Akt signal pathways.

Objectives Portal vein tumour thrombus (PVTT)–related symptomatic portal hypertension (SPH) leads to a poor prognosis in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. A transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) can effectively relieve SPH but its effect remains unclear in PVTT-related SPH. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical value of the TIPS procedure combined with sequential systemic therapy in advanced HCC patients with PVTT-related SPH. Methods After 1:1 propensity score matching (PSM), this retrospective study analysed 42 patients who underwent TIPS placement plus sequential systemic therapy (group A) and 42 patients who received only symptomatic and supportive treatment (group B). The evaluated outcomes were overall survival (OS) and SPH control rate. Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was used to compare OS in the two groups. Results In group A, the technical success rate of the TIPS procedure was 95.2%, and no severe complications occurred. The rebleeding rates in group A and group B were 5.0% and 73.7%, respectively (p < 0.001), and the ascites control rates were 92.0% and 28.0%, respectively (p < 0.001). The median OS of group A was significantly better than that of group B (9.6 [95% CI: 7.1, 12.0] vs. 4.9 [95% CI: 3.9, 5.8], months, p < 0.001). Multivariable analysis showed that TIPS plus sequential systemic therapy (hazard ratio [HR] = 5.799; 95% CI: 3.177, 10.585; p < 0.001) was an independent prognostic factor related to OS. Additionally, PVTT degree (I+II) (p = 0.008), AFP ≤ 400 ng/ml (p = 0.003), and Child–Pugh class A (p = 0.046) were significant predictors of OS. Conclusion TIPS plus sequential systemic therapy is safe and feasible for treating advanced HCC with tumour thrombus-related SPH. Key Points • Portal vein tumour thrombus (PVTT) is common in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and transforms compensated portal hypertension into symptomatic portal hypertension (SPH). • HCC patients with PVTT-related SPH have a very poor prognosis, and there are no effective treatments recommended by the guidelines. • Therefore, a treatment strategy that utilises a transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) to manage SPH combined with sequential systemic therapy in advanced HCC patients is explored in this study for its feasibility and clinical value. This research can fill the gap in current research data to provide clinically meaningful treatment options.

PCEs of 14.81% and 17.53% are achieved in BHJ and LbL-PSCs with PNTB6-Cl and Y6 as active layers, and DPE and DFB as solvent additives, respectively. The PCE improvement can be confirmed from the optimized crystallinity and morphology of films.

PCEs of 15.81% and 15.29% are achieved in LbL and BHJ all-PSCs with polymer donor PM6, polymer acceptor PY-IT and CN as an additive. Over 15% PCE improvement can be obtained in LbL and BHJ all-PSCs with CN in LbL and BHJ active layers.

Purpose To compare the safety and efficacy of left versus right internal jugular vein access for portal vein puncture during transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) creation in patients with a small liver and short vertical puncture distance. Materials and Methods The vertical distance from the hepatic vein orifice to the puncture point of the portal vein was measured by CT and DSA. A distance ≤ 30 mm is defined as a short vertical puncture distance. After 1:1 propensity score matching (PSM), 29 patients of left internal jugular vein-TIPS (LIJ-TIPS) and 29 patients of right internal jugular vein-TIPS (RIJ-TIPS) were included. The number of needle punctures, fluoroscopy time, and radiation dose during the puncture process were statistically analyzed. Results There was no significant difference in the average vertical puncture distances on CT or DSA between LIJ-TIPS and RIJ-TIPS (19.10 ± 0.60 mm vs. 19.30 ± 0.60 mm, P = 0.840; 22.02 ± 0.69 mm vs. 22.23 ± 0.64 mm, P = 0.822, respectively). The average number of needle punctures, fluoroscopy time, and radiation dose in LIJ-TIPS were significantly lower than those in RIJ-TIPS (2.07 ± 0.20 vs. 4.10 ± 0.24, P vs. 201.16 ± 23.71 s, P vs. 136.69 ± 16.38 mGy, P vs. 27.6%, P vs. 13.8%, P = 0.038). Conclusion The left internal jugular vein could be used as primary access for TIPS creation in patients with a small liver and short vertical puncture distance.

H2O/CO2 co-electrolysis through solid oxide electrolysis cell (SOEC) combined with renewable energy system and Fischer-Tropsch system to produce fuels is a promising way to convert electrical energy into chemical energy. In this work, fuel composition, conversions of H2O and CO2, selectivity to H2, CO and CH4, and yields of H2, CO and CH4 for H2O/CO2 co-electrolysis are investigated based on the thermodynamic equilibrium under the boundary condition without carbon deposition. High selectivity to CH4 can be reached at suitable MH2O/MCO2 ratio and low temperature, while high selectivity to CO and H2 can be reached at high temperature according to the thermodynamic equilibrium results. When the operating temperature of SOEC is low, the conversions of H2O and CO2 cannot reach high due to carbon deposition, which can be improved by increasing MH2O/MCO2 ratio. When the operating temperature of SOEC is high, the conversions of H2O and CO2 can reach high without carbon deposition, which can be higher than 90% at 1073 K according to the thermodynamic equilibrium results. The syngas with different H2/CO ratios for Fischer-Tropsch synthesis of different fuels can be produced by selecting appropriate co-electrolysis condition.

Broadband photomultiplication type all-polymer photodetectors with the structure of ITO/PFN-Br/PBDB-T : PYF-T-o (3 : 100)/LiF/Au achieve EQEs of 18 000% at 360 nm and 9000% at 850 nm under 4 V, which are applied in an optical pulse counting circuit.

This review systematically summarizes the development of all-small-molecule organic photovoltaics (SMPVs) from molecule engineering and device engineering aspects, and highlights the challenges and perspectives of further developing SMPVs.

Three polymers, DCP1-3, with PC61BM pendants as intramolecular traps were carefully synthesized, and they were successfully applied in photomultiplication-type organic photodetectors (PM-OPDs) showing excellent intrinsic stability.

Yinqiang Liu,&ast; Jin Duan,&ast; Fujun Zhang,&ast; Fanghao Liu, Xiaoyu Luo, Yunfei Shi, Youming Lei Department of Thoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, People’s Republic of China&ast;These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Youming Lei; Yunfei Shi, Department of Thoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, No. 295, Xichang Road, Kunming, 650031, People’s Republic of China, Email 2399041054@qq.com; Km-syf@163.comBackground: The prognosis of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients has been comprehensively studied. However, the prognosis of resectable (stage I–IIIA) lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC) has not been thoroughly investigated at genomic and transcriptional levels.Methods: Data of genomic alterations and transcriptional-level changes of 355 stage I–IIIA LUSC patients were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database, together with the clinicopathological information (training cohort). A validation cohort of 91 patients was retrospectively recruited. Data were analyzed and figures were plotted using the R software.Results: Training cohort was established with 355 patients. TP53 (78%), TTN (68%), CSMD3 (39%), MUT16 (36%) and RYR2 (36%) were genes with the highest mutational frequency. BRINP3, COL11A1, GRIN2B, MUC5B, NLRP3 and TENM3 exhibited significant higher mutational frequency in stage III (P < 0.05). Patients with stage III also exhibited significantly higher tumor mutational burden (TMB) than those with stage I (P < 0.01). The mutational status of 10 genes were found to have significant stratification on patient prognosis. TMB at threshold of 25 percentile (TMB = 2.39 muts/Mb) also significantly stratified the patient prognosis (P = 0.0003). Univariate and multivariate analyses revealed TTN, ADGRB3, MYH7 and MYH15 mutational status and TMB as independent risk factors. Further analysis of transcriptional profile revealed many significantly up- and down-regulated genes, and multivariate analysis found the transcriptional levels of seven genes as independent risk factors. Significant factors from the multivariate analyses were used to establish a Nomogram model to quantify the risk in prognosis of individual LUSC patients. The model was validated with a cohort containing 91 patients, which showed good predicting efficacy and consistency.Conclusion: The influencing factors of prognosis of stage I–III LUSC patients have been revealed. Risk factors including gender, T stage, cancer location, and the mutational and transcriptional status of several genes were used to establish a Nomogram model to assess the patient prognosis. Subsequent validation proved its effectiveness.Keywords: lung cancer, squamous cell carcinoma, prognosis, mutation, transcription, resectable

The application of additive manufacturing in the field of aviation hydraulics greatly improves the design freedom of hydraulic valve internal flow channels. Pressure loss in hydraulic valve internal flow channels is a primary factor that designers need to consider, and the rapid prediction of pressure loss is very helpful for flow channel design. At present, most studies only focus on how much the pressure loss in an additive manufacturing (AM) hydraulic channel is reduced compared with an original hydraulic channel, and a mathematical model of pressure loss in an AM curved channel is still lacking. In this paper, the pressure loss in a curved flow channel was firstly studied, and the main parameters affecting the pressure loss were determined using the dimensionless analysis method. Using computational fluid dynamics simulation, the relationships between the flow channel diameter, the flow channel length, the flow channel curvature radius, the fluid velocity and pressure loss were studied. According to the multiple regression analysis method, the mathematical model of pressure loss in aviation hydraulic channels was developed, and the model was solved based on the orthogonal experimental results. The pressure loss in the flow channel samples fabricated using selective laser melting was tested, and the results showed that the average error between the test results and the mathematical model calculation results was 7.72%. This model can be used to quickly predict the pressure loss in curved flow channels in the aviation hydraulic field.

Background and objectivesAn unmet need exists for validated quantitative tools to measure multiple sclerosis (MS) disease activity and progression. We developed a custom immunoassay-based MS disease activity (MSDA) Test incorporating 18 protein concentrations into an algorithm to calculate four Disease Pathway scores (Immunomodulation, Neuroinflammation, Myelin Biology, and Neuroaxonal Integrity) and an overall Disease Activity score. The objective was to clinically validate the MSDA Test based on associations between scores and clinical/radiographic assessments.MethodsSerum samples (N=614) from patients with MS at multiple sites were split into Train (n=426; algorithm development) and Test (n=188; evaluation) subsets. Subsets were stratified by demographics, sample counts per site, and gadolinium-positive (Gd+) lesion counts; age and sex were used to demographically adjust protein concentrations. MSDA Test results were evaluated for potential association with Gd+ lesion presence/absence, new and enlarging (N/E) T2 lesion presence, and active versus stable disease status (composite endpoint combining radiographic and clinical evidence of disease activity).ResultsA multi-protein model was developed (trained and cross-validated) using the Train subset. When applied to the Test subset, the model classified the Gd+ lesion presence/absence, N/E T2 lesion presence, and active versus stable disease status assessments with an area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) of 0.781, 0.750, and 0.768, respectively. In each case, the multi-protein model had significantly (bootstrapped, one-sidedpDiscussionThe MSDA Test was clinically validated; the multi-protein model had greater performance compared with the top-performing single-protein model. The MSDA Test may serve as a quantitative and objective tool to enhance care for MS.

Purpose As the infrastructure of the railway, the rail could sink or deform to different degrees due to the impact of train operation or the geological changing force for years, which will lead to the possibility that the facilities on both sides of the rail invade the rail clearance and bring hidden dangers to the safe operation of the train. The purpose of this paper is to design the gauge to measure the clearance parameters of rail. Design/methodology/approach Aiming at the problem, the gauge for clearance measurement was designed based on a combination measurement method in this paper. It consists of the measurement box and the rail measurement vehicle, which integrates a laser displacement sensor, inclination sensor, gauge sensor and mileage sensor. The measurement box was placed outside the rail vehicle. Through the design of a hardware circuit and software system, the movement measurement of the clearance parameters was realized. Findings In this paper, the measurement equations of horizontal distance and vertical height were established, the optimal solutions of the structural parameters in the equations were obtained by Levenberg–Marquardt method, then the parameter calibration problem was also solved. Originality/value The gauge has high precision; its measurement uncertainty reaches 1.27 mm. The gauge has manual and automatic working modes, which are convenient to operate and have practical popularization value.

PURPOSE This study explored the clinical efficacy of transcatheter retrograde shunt occlusion with coils to prevent pulmonary oil or particle embolization prior to transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) in patients with artero-hepatic venous shunts (AHVS) secondary to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). METHODS From July 2017 to January 2021, 6 patients with advanced, unresectable HCC were found to have an AHVS by hepatic arteriography at the time of attempted TACE. The AHVS was embolized ret rogradely with metal coils through a transfemoral or transjugular venous approach. After venous embolization and confirmation of the absence of the AHVS, TACE was performed using an emul sion of iodized oil and doxorubicin or drug-eluting beads. Follow-up computed tomography (CT) was performed within 1 month after the first TACE to evaluate the results and complications. RESULTS Hepatic angiography after venous embolization showed that AHVS had utterly disappeared in all patients during the operation. The immediate technical success of the retrograde venous embo lization was 100%. The AHVS had disappeared entirely during the follow-up period through triple-phase enhancement CT scanning. According to the modified response evaluation criteria in solid tumors, TACE in all 6 patients had a disease control response rate of 100% (6/6) with complete response in 2 patients and partial response in 4 patients. One patient died during the 6-month follow-up, and the other 5 were still alive. No complications related to pulmonary embolism occurred. CONCLUSION Retrograde venous coil embolization of AHVS via the draining hepatic vein appears to be a safe, feasible, and effective treatment to allow TACE treatment without pulmonary embolic events. This approach appears to provide better tumor control and effectively decreases the occurrence of pulmonary embolism.

The nitrogen content of electric arc furnace (EAF) steel is much higher than that of basic oxygen furnace (BOF) steel, which cannot meet the requirements of high-grade steel. Most denitrification processes only considered a single smelting condition, which leads to poor denitrification effect. In this study, a hot state experiment was conducted to simulate the melting process of EAF steelmaking and to explore the thermodynamic and kinetic constraints of the molten steel nitrogen reaction in the scrap melting, oxygen blowing decarburization, and rapid temperature rise stages. The experimental results showed that the nitrogen reaction in the molten pool during the scrap melting stage was a first-order nitrogen absorption reaction, and the reaction-limiting link was the diffusion of nitrogen atoms in the molten steel. When the carbon content increases to 4.5%, the bath temperature decreases to 1550 °C, and the nitrogen partial pressure decreases to 0.2 PΘ, the nitrogen saturation solubility decreased to 0.0198%, 0.0318%, and 0.0178%, respectively. At the same time, the rate constants decreased to 0.132 m/min, 0.127 m/min, and 0.141 m/min, respectively. The nitrogen reaction in the oxygen blowing decarburization stage was a secondary denitrification reaction, and the reaction-limiting link was the gas–liquid interface chemical reaction. Argon had better degassing effect. When the argon flow rate increased from 100 mL/min to 300 mL/min, the reaction constant increased by about four times. When the oxygen content of molten steel was 0.0260%, the denitrification rate constant decreased by about 2.5 times. The nitrogen content of liquid steel was higher than 0.045%, and the reaction was a secondary reaction. As the nitrogen content decreased, the reaction rate decreased, and the reaction-limiting link changed from the gas–liquid interface chemical reaction to the joint control of mass transfer and chemical reaction. The oxygen content in the molten steel can not only hinder the chemical reaction of nitrogen at the gas–liquid interface, but also reduce the mass transfer rate of nitrogen atoms in the molten steel. The results provided a theoretical basis for the optimization of nitrogen removal process and further reduction of nitrogen content in liquid steel.

The method of computational intelligence to monitor and evaluate the concentration of students in the teaching process can promptly and effectively adjust the learning plan and improve the learning effect. In this article, clustering algorithm and fuzzy control methods are used to construct a research model of students’ attention in class. In addition, this article uses the existing MATLAB-based image feature recognition algorithm to detect and obtain facial features and analyze the main features of facial expressions through computational techniques to realize the judgment of attention. In addition, this article optimizes the traditional AdaBoost algorithm to save computing time and improve operating efficiency and system performance stability. Finally, this article constructs the functional modules of the research model according to actual needs and designs experiments to verify the performance of the model. Experimental research results show that the model constructed in this article has a certain effect.

Recently, multiscale three-dimensional (3D) structures consisting of micrometer-scale structure and nanometer-scale structure have received some attention from scientists in the field of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). In this work, micrometer-scale grating structure and nanometer-scale zinc oxide nano spikes (ZnO NSs) structure are successfully introduced into the SERS substrate with silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) as the surface plasmon. The optimized particle-in-multiscale 3D substrate (PDMS/grating/ZnO NSs/Ag NPs) presents high sensitivity with an ultralow limit of detection of 1 × 10−11 M and a high enhancement factor of 7.0 × 108 for Rhodamine 6G (R6G) as the probe molecule. It benefits from the electromagnetic field enhancement from the excellent optical capture capability of grating/ZnO NSs structure and abundant electromagnetic hot spots. The quantitative analysis ability of the SERS substrate can be indicated from the good linear correlation between the logarithmic Raman intensity and the molecular concentration. At the same time, this SERS substrate exhibits excellent homogeneity and reproducibility, which have low relative standard deviations (4.43%) of the Raman intensities at 613 cm−1 peaks for R6G as the probe molecule. In addition, this SERS substrate can realize in-situ detection of Raman signal due to its excellent light transmission and flexibility. The particle-in-multiscale 3D structure as SERS substrate exhibits the vast potential in practical applicability for qualitatively and quantitatively chemical and biomedical analysis.

Charge injection is a basic transport process that strongly affects performance of optoelectronic devices such as light-emitting diodes and photodetectors. In these devices, the charge injection barrier is related to the band bending at the active layer/electrode interface and exhibits sophisticated dependence on interface structure and device operating conditions, making it difficult to determine via either theoretical prediction or experimental measurements. Here, in operando cross-sectional scanning Kelvin probe microscopy (SKPM) has been applied in organic photodetectors to visualize the interfacial band bending. The photoinduced interfacial band bending becomes more significant with increasing reverse bias voltage, resulting in reduced charge injection barrier and facilitated charge injection. The photoinduced injection current is orders of magnitude higher than the photocurrent directly generated from light absorption and thus leads to significant photomultiplication. Furthermore, the interfacial structure is tuned to further enhance photoinduced interfacial band bending and the photomultiplication factor.

Low-cost, solution-processed photomultiplication organic photodetectors (PM-OPDs) with external quantum efficiency (EQE) above unity have attracted enormous attention. However, their weak-light detection is unpleasant because the anode Ohmic contact causes exacerbation in dark current. Here, we introduce atomic-level chemical reaction in PM-OPDs which can simultaneously suppress dark current and increase EQE via depositing a 0.8 nm thick Al2O3 by atomic layer deposition. Suppression in dark current mainly originates from the built-in anode Schottky junction as a result of work function decrease of hole-transporting layer of which the chemical groups can react chemically with the bottom surface of Al2O3 layer at the atomic-level. Such strategy of suppressing dark current is not adverse to charge injection under illumination; instead, responsivity enhancement is realized because charge injection can shift from cathode to anode, of which the neighborhood possesses increased photogenerated carriers. Consequently, weak-light detection limit of the Al2O3 treated PM-OPD reaches a remarkable level of 2.5 nW/cm2, while that of the control is 25 times inferior. Meanwhile, the PM-OPD yields a record high EQE and responsivity of 4.31×108% and 1.85×106 A/W, respectively, outperforming all other polymer-based PM-OPDs.

ObjectiveBiomarkers could inform disease worsening and severity in people with MS (pwMS). Few studies have examined blood biomarkers informative of patient-reported outcome (PRO) of disability in pwMS. In this study we examine the associations between serum protein biomarker profiles and patient-reported disability in pwMS.MethodsThis cross-sectional study included adults with a neurologist-confirmed diagnosis of MS from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (Pittsburgh, PA) and the Rocky Mountain MS Clinic (Salt Lake City, Utah) between 2017 and 2020. For exposure, we included 19 serum protein biomarkers potentially associated with MS inflammatory disease activity and 7 key clinical factors (age at sample collection, sex, race/ethnicity, disease subtype, disease duration, disease-modifying treatment, and time interval between sample collection and closest PRO assessment). Using 6 machine learning approaches (Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator [LASSO] regression, Random Forest [RF], XGBoost, Support-Vector Machines [SVM], stacking ensemble learning, and stacking classification algorithm), we examined model performance in predicting Patient Determined Disease Steps (PDDS) as the primary outcome. We assessed model prediction of Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) physical function in a subgroup. We reported model performance using the held-out testing set.ResultsWe included 431 unique participants (mean age 49 years, 81% women, 94% non-Hispanic White). Using binary outcomes, models comprising both routine clinical factors and the 19 proteins as features consistently outperformed base models (containing clinical features alone or clinical features plus single protein) in predicting severe (PDDS≥4, PROMISPDDS=0.91, AUCPROMIS=0.90). Using ordinal/continuous outcomes, LASSO models with combined clinical factors and 19 proteins as features (R2PDDS=0.31, R2PROMIS=0.35) again outperformed base models. The four LASSO models (PDDS, PROMIS; both binary and ordinal/continuous) with combined clinical and protein features shared 2 clinical features (disease subtype, disease duration) and 4 protein biomarkers (CDCP1, IL-12B, NEFL, PRTG).ConclusionsSerum protein biomarker profiles improve the prediction of real-world MS disability status beyond clinical profile alone or clinical profile plus individual protein biomarker, reaching clinically actionable performance.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness and outcomes of percutaneous ablation guided by ultrasonography (US) and computed tomography (CT) in colorectal liver oligometastases (CLOM).Methods: This study included patients with CLOM treated with percutaneous ablation from January 2008 to January 2021 in this observational study. Only lesions visualized on both CT and US images were further analyzed according to whether patients’ initial ablation treatments utilized US guidance or CT guidance. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate local tumor progression (LTP)–free survival after propensity score matching (PSM). The LTP-free survival and treatment-related outcomes were compared between these two groups.Results: PSM identified 116 patients from each group, with 269 and 238 lesions in the USguided and CT-guided groups, respectively. US-guided ablation had a shorter average procedure time and lower cost than CT-guided ablation (27.54±12.06 minutes vs. 32.70±13.88 minutes, P=0.003; $2,175.13±618.17 vs. $2,455.49±710.25, P=0.002). For patients >60 years of age, the cumulative LTP rate at 1 year was lower in the US-guided group than in the CT-guided group (17.8% vs. 25.1%, P=0.038). For patients with perivascular liver lesions, the cumulative LTP rate at 1 year was lower in the US-guided group (14.4% vs. 28.2%, P=0.040).Conclusion: For patients whose age is >60 years or who have perivascular liver lesions, USguided ablation is better than CT-guided ablation, with a shorter treatment time and lower costs when both ablation methods are feasible for patients.

The property of the underlying hole transport layer (HTL) plays a crucial role in determining the optoelectronic performance of perovskite light-emitting devices (PeLEDs), as their governing abilities in carrier injection and charge transport. However, endowing the current HTL system with a deep highest occupied molecular (HOMO) level concurrent with high hole mobility is still a big challenge, in particular being an open constraint toward high-efficiency blue (range of 460–495 nm) PeLEDs. In this regard, employing the traditional HTL material of poly(9-vinylcarbazole) (PVK) as a model, we perform efficient incorporation of the atomic-precision metal nanoclusters (NCs), [Ag6PL6, PL = (S)-4-Phenylthiazolidine-2-thione], to achieve significant tailoring in both of HOMO energy level (from − 5.8 eV to -5.94 eV) and hole mobility from (2.5×10− 5 to 2.34×10− 4 cm2 V− 1 s− 1), thus realizing the flat-band injection of holes between HTL and emitting layer and a strengthened ability in hole transport. As a result, the as-modified PeLEDs exhibit an external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 12.02% at 488 nm, which is around 1.3 times higher than that of the control device, i.e., 9.48%. The presented study exemplifies the success of metal NCs involved in HTL engineering by deepening the concept of the metallic molecule, and offers a simple while an effective additive strategy to settle the blue PeLEDs HTL dilemma, which paves the way for the fabrication of highly efficient blue PeLEDs.

In this paper, fuel composition and efficiency of solid oxide fuel cell with different methanol pretreating technologies are investigated. High concentrations of H2 and CO can be produced by methan...

Bottom surface of active layers and interface of indium tin oxide (ITO) electrodes and active layers play a crucial role in determining the performance of polymer photodetectors with photomultiplication (PM-PPDs). The interfacial trapped electron distribution closing to ITO electrodes will determine spectral response range and external quantum efficiency (EQE) of PMPPDs. The bottom interface is more sensitive than top interface when light is coming from the ITO side, and the larger density of generated charge on the bottom interfaces will induce interfacial band more bending for efficient charge tunneling injection. Highly sensitive and sub-microsecond PM-PPDs are achieved with PMBBDT:Y6 (100:7, w/w) as active layers under forward bias, yielding EQE of 18,700% at 320 nm, 21,700% at 600 nm and 16,400% at 810 nm under a bias of 7 V, respectively, as well as fast response time of 79 μs. The high EQE of the PM-PPDs is attributed to efficient hole tunneling injection from ITO electrode under forward bias. The electron traps closing to ITO electrode will be quickly filled up when light is coming from ITO side, leading to interfacial band more bending for hole tunneling injection. Importantly, the PM-PPDs is performed to measure heart rate (HR) and blood oxygen saturation (SpO2), and the measured data by the PM-PPDs are very similar with those obtained by commercial photodetectors.

Natural gas is a cheap and abundant fuel for solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC), generally integrating the SOFC system with methane pre-treating system for improving the stability of SOFC. In this paper, the accurate effects of methane processing strategy on fuel composition, electrical efficiency and thermal efficiency of SOFC are investigated based on the thermodynamic equilibrium. Steam reforming of methane is an endothermic process and can produce 3 mol of H2 and 1 mol of CO from 1 mol of methane, and thus the electrical efficiency of SOFC is high at the same O/C ratio and equivalent fuel utilization, whereas the thermal efficiency is low. On the contrary, partial oxidation of methane is an exothermal process and only produces 2 mol of H2 and 1 mol of CO from 1 mol of methane, and thus the electrical efficiency of SOFC is low at the same O/C ratio and equivalent fuel utilization, whereas the thermal efficiency is high. When the O/C ratio is 1.5, the electrical efficiency of SOFC is 55.3% for steam reforming of methane, while 32.7% for partial oxidation of methane. High electrical efficiency of SOFC can be achieved and carbon deposition can be depressed by selecting suitable O/C ratio from methane pretreatment according to the accurate calculation and analysis of effects of different methane processing strategies on the electrical efficiency and thermal efficiency of SOFC.

Small molecule organic photovoltaics (SMPVs) were prepared by utilizing liquid crystalline donor material BTR-Cl and two similar optical bandgap non-fullerene acceptor materials BTP-BO-4F and Y6. The BTP-BO-4F and Y6 have the similar optical bandgap and different absorption coefficients. The corresponding binary SMPVs exhibit different short circuit current density (JSC) (20.38 vs. 23.24 mA cm−2), and fill factor (FF) (70.77% vs. 67.21%). A 14.46% power conversion efficiency (PCE) is acquired in ternary SMPVs with 30 wt% Y6, companied with a JSC of 24.17 mA cm−2, a FF of 68.78% and an open circuit voltage (VOC) of 0.87 V. The improvement on PCE of ternary SMPVs should originate from the well trade-off between phase separation and photon harvesting of ternary active layers by incorporating 30 wt% Y6 in acceptors. This work may deliver insight onto the improved performance of SMPVs by superposing the superiorities of binary SMPVs with similar optical bandgap acceptors into one ternary cell.