Search

Organic chromophores emerged as diverse functional materials in the areas of organic catalysis, toxic materials sensing, bio-imaging, and organic electronic devices. With rich chemical and electronic structures, main-group elements have been extensively implanted in organic chromophores to fine-tune the chemical/electronic structures and optoelectronic properties. In this Synpact article, we present a concise overview of the development of phosphorus (P)-containing organic chromophores, further highlighting our recent contributions in the field. A new aspect of combining the P element with the indole moiety was pursued to construct a new series of seven-membered P-organic chromophores; namely, indole-functionalized phosphepines. The new combination endowed the system with rich chemical and electronic structures, for which intriguing photophysical properties were consequently revealed. The combination provided an efficient synthetic protocol to access new P-heterocycles and also offered a new strategy to design functional organic chromophores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of neuromorphic optoelectronic systems opens up the possibility of the next generation of artificial vision. In this work, the novel broadband (from 365 to 940 nm) and multilevel storage optoelectronic synaptic thin‐film transistor (TFT) arrays are reported using the photosensitive conjugated polymer (poly[(9,9‐dioctylfluorenyl‐2,7‐diyl)‐co‐(bithiophene)], F8T2) sorted semiconducting single‐walled carbon nanotubes (sc‐SWCNTs) as channel materials. The broadband synaptic responses are inherited to absorption from both photosensitive F8T2 and sorted sc‐SWCNTs, and the excellent optoelectronic synaptic behaviors with 200 linearly increasing conductance states and long retention time > 103 s are attributed to the superior charge trapping at the AlOx dielectric layer grown by atomic layer deposition. Furthermore, the synaptic TFTs can achieve IOn/IOff ratios up to 106 and optoelectronic synaptic plasticity with the low power consumption (59 aJ per single pulse), which can simulate not only basic biological synaptic functions but also optical write and electrical erase, multilevel storage, and image recognition. Further, a novel Spiking Neural Network algorithm based on hardware characteristics is designed for the recognition task of Caltech 101 dataset and multiple features of the images are successfully extracted with higher accuracy (97.92%) of the recognition task from the multi‐frequency curves of the optoelectronic synaptic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Travel patterns reflect the regularity of residents' mobility, and it is a crucial factor to evaluate the reasonability of urban spatial structure and connectivity of road networks. Therefore, exploring travel patterns is of practical significance for urban planning, traffic management, and improvement of the operational efficiency of the transportation system. In this study, we apply the tensor model to explore travel patterns under temporal and spatial dimensions based on the license plate recognition (LPR) data collected from the Changsha city, China. As travel patterns are influenced by many variables, a method framework based on the tensor model is proposed to explore the influence of variables on travel characteristics. Firstly, we apply clustering algorithms and the principal component analysis method to extract main feature variables, which can achieve the purpose of dimensionality reduction and eliminate the complex collinearity among variables. Then, the tensor decomposition and reconstruction algorithms are performed based on extracted feature variables to analyze their influence on travel patterns. The experiments demonstrate the advantages of the proposed method framework., Author(s): Zhaoxin Liu [1]; Xiaolu Wang [2]; Yufeng Bi [3]; Jun Kong [1,4]; Run Xu [3]; Yuanpei Chen [1,4]; Jinjun Tang (corresponding author) [2] 1. Introduction The transportation system is [...]

Simulating three-dimensional acoustic problems with traditional finite element models (FEMs) may result in a large dispersion error that is difficult to manage. To control dispersion error caused by "overly stiff" features of FEM, a face-based smoothed FEM (FS-FEM) model was used to analyze the sound field of a high-speed train. Based on the acoustic Galerkin method's weak form, smooth regions were reconstructed within the original finite element area, and numerical simulations were performed in MATLAB. Modal analysis of a test example revealed that results obtained using FS-FEM are more accurate than those obtained using the traditional FEM. Finally, it was used to calculate the sound field of China Railway High-speed 380B (CRH380B) high-speed trains in time and frequency domains, achieving higher accuracy than the traditional approach. Results were more akin to the realistic solution, which demonstrated the performance of the FS-FEM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peanut is a primary oil crop that is cultivated on a large scale in Shandong province, China. This study evaluated the oil, protein, and fatty acid compositions of different types of peanut cultivars growing in different ecological regions (Yantai and Heze) in Shandong province from 2019 to 2020. The results showed that the oil content ranged from 38.83% to 56.48%, and the protein content ranged from 21.80% to 31.65% among the studied sites. The oleic acid content and ratio of oleic acid to linoleic acid (O/L) ranged from 39.19% to 52.58% and from 0.92 to 1.77, respectively. Accessions TY107, TY109, and HS‐D‐1 were identified as the most promising oil varieties; HY20 and HY6314 were identified as optimal protein varieties; and HY9311, HY9310, and LH09‐2 were identified as promising varieties for oleic acid production. A significant and positive relationship between seed oil content and accumulated growing degree days (GDD) and insolation duration demonstrated that environments with high temperatures and a long insolation duration promoted oil synthesis. However, a positive relationship was observed only between GDD and protein content. Based on the meteorological conditions of Shandong province, the southwest (such as Heze) is an optimal region for cultivating peanuts with high oil content; the east (Yantai) is most suitable for high‐protein peanut production. The results indicate that the growing conditions should carefully be considered for sustainable and healthy development of the peanut industry as climate variables will likely influence seed composition, thus affecting the suitability for various end uses. Core Ideas: Peanut seed quality varied greatly depending on the variety and growing conditions.Both oil and protein content were significant positively correlated with GDD.Growing conditions of peanut should carefully be considered for specific end uses.C18:1 and C18:2 were positively and negatively related with insolation duration, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

2D organic semiconductor crystals (2D OSCs) are vital for high‐performance electronic and optoelectronic devices owing to their unique material merits. However, it is still challenging to fabricate high‐quality and large‐scale ultrathin 2D OSCs with controllable molecular layers due to the disordered molecular deposition and uncontrollable mass transport in solution‐processing fabrication. Here, a vapor‐induced meniscus modulating strategy for preparing unidirectional and stable Marangoni flow to guide contactless meniscus evolution is reported, which ensures uniform mass transport and ordered molecular deposition to achieve high‐quality ultrathin 2D OSCs. Both the surface tension difference and the substrate wettability are critical to meniscus formation, which results in various meniscus deformation states and film morphologies. Based on the optimized vapor‐solvent system, ultrathin 2D OSCs of C8‐BTBT with precise layer definition are prepared controllably. The discrepancies in liquid film height and solute concentration are decisive in controlling the molecular scale thickness ranging from mono to a few layers. Moreover, the layer‐dependent electronic and optoelectronic properties of the ultrathin films are systematically investigated. Notably, high‐performance polarization‐sensitive solar‐blind photodetectors are achieved with a dichroic ratio of photocurrent up to 2.26, and the corresponding polarimetric image sensor exhibits superior solar‐blind polarization imaging capability thanks to the high crystalline quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fabricating high integration density, high resolution, and intrinsically stretchable patterns by patterned technologies remain challenging. Template printing enabled high‐precision patterned fabrication at a facile operation. However, the pattern spacing constraint is the major limitation to high integration density. In this study, we develop an elastomer‐assisted strategy to improve the template printing process, which involves patterning on the prestrain elastic substrate. This strategy overcomes the spacing limitation and enables the realization of a centimeter‐scale pattern with submicron precision. Particularly, the integration density of fabricated intrinsically stretchable patterns can reach 1932 lines on a substrate of 0.5 cm2; the assembly lines with a feature size of 880 nm and an interval of 955 nm. Furthermore, we demonstrate a facile approach for constructing silver nanoparticle/liquid metal alloy composite conductive patterns. The as‐prepared flexible electrodes can withstand up to 150% strain and a 2‐mm bend radius. This method provides new insights into template printing technology. Additionally, it opens a route for the simultaneous construction of functional patterned arrays with large scale, high integration density, and intrinsic stretchability, which will be useful for the integrated fabrication of various flexible electronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After years of development, the ski industry has formed a prototype of a ski tourism industry cluster integrating skiing, skiing entertainment, skiing technology, and skiing culture. With the rapid development of global information, data mining and data fusion have attracted extensive attention as high-tech technologies for extensive data processing and useful information retrieval. The principles of these two data processing technologies are different, but they are functionally compatible with each other. This paper will use the methods of data mining and data fusion to research and analyze the upgrading and optimization of ski tourism destinations; eliminate unnecessary information; reduce rules; establish a fusion system according to the basic rules of rough sets; use industrial cluster theory, industrial structure and optimization theory, industrial economy, and sports tourism management theory to study the current situation and existing problems of ski tourism; and analyze the mechanism and theory of upgrading and optimization of ski tourism industry structure based on industrial clusters. The results show that the per capita ecological footprint of the ski resort has decreased by 0.06178 hm2 in the past five years, and the total ecological footprint of the whole region in 2020 is 535089.3 hm2. Compared with 2016, it increased by 0.97%, exceeding the ecological deficit carrying supply by 5 times. Compared with traditional algorithms, the performance of data mining and data fusion algorithms is improved by 48%. It is concluded that the development strategies of the ski tourism industry include the innovation of ice and snow sports products, the innovation of technology development paths, the optimization of the management mode and marketing mode of the ski tourism industry, and the innovation of industrial systems and systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Icy bridge deck in winter has tremendous consequences for expressway traffic safety, which is closely related to the bridge pavement temperature. In this paper, the critical meteorological conditions of icy bridge deck were predicted by multiple linear regression and BP neural network respectively. Firstly, the main parameters affecting the bridge pavement temperature were determined by Pearson partial correlation analysis based on the three-year winter meteorological data of the traffic meteorological monitoring station on the bridge in Shandong province. Secondly, the bridge pavement temperature is selected as the dependent variable, while air temperature, wind speed, relative humidity, dew point temperature, wet bulb temperature and wind cold temperature were selected as independent variables, and the bridge pavement temperature prediction models of linear regression and 5-layer hidden layer classical BP neural network regression were established respectively based on whether the variables are linear or not. Finally, the prediction accuracy of the above models was compared by using the measured data. The results show that the linear regression model could be established only with air temperature, relative humidity and wind speed, owing to collinearity problem. Compared with multiple linear regression model, the predicted value of the BP neural network has a higher degree of fitting with the measured data, and the coefficient of determination reaches 0.7929. Using multiple linear regression and BP neural network, the critical meteorological conditions of bridge deck icing in winter can be effectively predicted even when the sample size is insufficient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under adverse weather conditions, visibility and the available pavement friction are reduced. The improper selection of speed on curved road sections leads to an unreasonable distribution of longitudinal and lateral friction, which is likely to cause rear-end collisions and lateral instability accidents. This study considers the combined braking and turning maneuvers to obtain the permitted vehicle speed under rainy conditions. First, a braking distance computation model was established by simplifying the relationship curve between brake pedal force, vehicle braking deceleration, and braking time. Different from the visibility commonly used in the meteorological field, this paper defines "driver's sight distance based on real road scenarios" as a threshold to measure the longitudinal safety of the vehicle. Furthermore, the lateral friction and rollover margin is defined to characterize the vehicle's lateral stability. The corresponding relationship between rainfall intensity-water film thickness-road friction is established to better predict the safe speed based on the information issued by the weather station. It should be noted that since the road friction factor of the wet pavement not only determined the safe vehicle speed but also be determined by the vehicle speed, so we adopt Ferrari's method to solve the quartic equation about permitted vehicle speed. Finally, the braking and turning maneuvers are considered comprehensively based on the principle of friction ellipse. The results of the TruckSim simulation show that for a single-unit truck, running at the computed permitted speed, both lateral and longitudinal stability meet the requirements. The proposed permitted vehicle speed model on horizontal curves can provide driving guidance for drivers on curves under rainy weather or as a decision-making basis for road managers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anisotropic dewetting is an important physical phenomenon, which manipulates the process of liquid transport and material deposition. However, the anisotropic dewetting process is usually dependent on artificial templates and designed substrates. Herein, a unique anisotropic dewetting system of the self‐driven droplet vehicle is revealed, driven by the Marangoni effect among inter‐droplets, to fabricate patterned materials. The droplet vehicle is made up of two miscible droplets but with different surface tension through the spontaneous assembly process induced by vapors. The motion of the droplet vehicle is controlled by the surface tension coefficient, and it can fabricate parallel lines of materials at the same time. Combining the droplet vehicle with superhydrophilic‐hydrophobic patterned substrates, the millimeter‐scale droplet can produce various micrometer‐scale lines of materials in tens of seconds. The understanding and founding of the self‐driven droplet vehicle may develop a new strategy for liquid transport and functional materials patterning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By accelerating the aforementioned industrialisation and urbanisation, people's way of life has undergone enormous changes. The incidence of overweight and obesity increases rapidly. This research first broke through the impact of basketball on improving physical health and then designed experiments separately. The experiment is divided into two experimental groups and a replacement group, with 150 people in total, 50 people per group, excluding the interference of gender, age, and other factors. The influencing factors are studied under the monitoring of the Internet of Things technology. One group had 8 weeks of basketball training, and the other group had 8 weeks of plant diet. The results showed that the average weight of the nutrition intervention group was reduced by 9.85 kg, and the average weight of the exercise intervention group was reduced by 7.64 kg. The percentage of body fat and blood lipid composition of the obese people have decreased, which indicates that the combination of basketball intervention under the monitoring of the Internet of Things technology can improve the physique of obese people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Locally resonant phononic crystals (LRPCs) beam is characterized by the band gaps; some frequency ranges within which flexural waves cannot propagate freely. So, the LRPCs beam can be used for noise or vibration isolation. In this paper, a LRPCs beam with distributed oscillators is proposed, and the general formula of band gaps and transmission spectrum are derived by the transfer matrix method (TMM) and spectrum element method (SEM). Subsequently, the parameter effects on band gaps are investigated in detail. Finally, a rubber concrete beam is designed to demonstrate the application of distributed LRPCs beam in civil engineering. Results reveal that the distributed LRPCs beam has multifrequency band gaps and the number of the band gaps is equal to that of the oscillators. Compared with others, the distributed LRPCs beam can reduce the stress concentration when subjected to vibration. The oscillator interval has no effect on the band gaps, which makes it more convenient to design structures. Individual changes of oscillator mass or stiffness affect the band gap location and width. When the resonance frequency of oscillator is fixed, the starting frequency of the band gap remains constant, and increasing oscillator mass of high-frequency band gap widens the high-frequency band gap, while increasing oscillator mass of low-frequency gap widens both high-frequency and low-frequency band gaps. External loads, such as the common uniform spring force provided by foundation in civil engineering, are conducive to the band gap, and when the spring force increases, all the band gaps are widened. Taken together, a configuration of LRPCs rubber concrete beam is designed, and it shows good isolation on the vibration induced by the railway. By the presented design flow chart, the research can serve as a reference for vibration isolation of LRPCs beams in civil engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The water film depth is a key variable that affects traffic safety under rainfall conditions. According to the Federal Highway Administration, approximately 5700 people are killed and more than 544 700 people are injured in crashes on wet pavements annually. While several studies have attempted to address water film depth issues by establishing prediction models, a few focused on the relationship among road geometric features, capacity of drainage facilities and water film depth. To ascertain the influence of the geometric features of road and facility drainage capacities on the water film depth, the road geometry features were first classified into four types, and the facility drainage capacities were considered from three aspects in this study. Furthermore, the concept of short-time rainfall grade was proposed according to the results of the field test. Finally, the theoretical prediction model for the water film depth was conceived, based on the geometric features of road and facility drainage capacities with different rainfall intensities. Compared with the traditional regression prediction models, the theoretical prediction model clearly shows the effects of the geometric features of road and facility drainage capacities. When the road drainage facilities have no drainage capacity, the water film depth increases rapidly with the rainfall intensity. This model can be used to predict the water film depth of road surfaces on rainy days, evaluate the effect of rainfall on the driving environment, and provide guidance for determining safety control measures on rainy days. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Optimal sowing depth plays an important role in peanut's stand establishment and yield. A field experiment was conducted to investigate sowing depths effects (3 cm, SD3; 5 cm, SD5; 7 cm, SD7; 9 cm, SD9; 11 cm, SD11; 13 cm, SD13; 15 cm, SD15) on soil environments, hypocotyl growth, endogenous hormones content, and pod yield. Both shallow- (3 cm) and deep-sowing (15 cm) treatments decreased the pod yield due to plant and pod number lowering that resulted from decreased seedling emergence rate (SER). SD3 treatment possessed less soil water content (SWC) that led to lowered SER. Soil penetration resistance (SPR) was significantly increased with sowing depths that resulted in SER decrease and delayed emergence time. Compared with the SD5 treatment, the SER was 15.7% and 16.6% lower in SD15 treatment in the 2017 and 2018 season, respectively. SD5 and SD15 took 111.1 and 161.5 day-degrees (°Cd), respectively; to attain maximum length. Further, sowing depth increase resulted in elevated cotyledon's lipase activities, endogenous auxin (IAA) and gibberellin (GA3) contents, and hypocotyl dry weight. However, decreased cotyledon weight implied that hypocotyl growth of deep-sowing exhausted the stored nutrition by increasing endogenous GA3 and IAA, to sustain its emergence above the soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Better N fertilizer management is essential for improving crop productivity and reducing N losses to the environment. However, few studies have reported N absorption, use, and balance in a wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)–peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) relay intercropping system. This study aimed to determine the effects of different N application rates and ratios at different maturation stages on the yield and N use of peanut in this system. Nitrogen (300 kg ha−1) was applied the day before sowing and at jointing, booting, and anthesis in peanut at the following ratios: 50–50–0–0 (N1), 35–35–0–30% (N2), and 35–0–35–30 (N3) (control: 0 kg ha−1). Nitrogen isotope‐labeled urea was used under the same conditions in microplot. Peanut pod yield increased by 19.0 and 24.8% under the N2 and N3 treatments, respectively, compared with the N1 treatment. Applying N at three stages and withholding N until booting improved the N derived from fertilizer in peanut, promoted the distribution of 15N to pods, and increased pod yield. The 15N experiment revealed that N uptake at different growth stages of peanut was 20.7 to 30.4% higher under N3 than under N2, increasing N harvest index and apparent N recovery efficiency compared with N2. The N3 treatment also significantly increased the N recovery efficiency and the agronomic N use efficiency and reduced the apparent N loss. Therefore, applying N fertilizer as in the N3 treatment could be appropriate for wheat–peanut relay intercropping systems in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes dynamic power tariff (DPT), a new concept for congestion management in distribution networks with high penetration of electric vehicles, and heat pumps. The DPT concept is proposed to overcome a drawback of the dynamic tariff (DT) method, i.e., DPT can replace the price sensitivity parameter in the DT method, which is relatively unrealistic in practice. Based on the control theory, a control model with two control loops, i.e., the power flow control and voltage control, is established to analyze the congestion management process by the DPT method. Furthermore, an iterative method based on distributed optimization is proposed to determine the DPT rates, which enables active participation of aggregators in the congestion management. The case studies demonstrate the efficacy of the DPT method for congestion management in distribution networks, and show its ability to save congestion management cost compared to the DT methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Better management of N fertilizer is essential for improving crop productivity. Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)–peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) relay intercropping rotation systems are a mainstay of the measures to improve the economic and food security situation in China. Therefore, a 2-year field study (2015–2017) was conducted to evaluate the effect of different N fertilizer management regimes on the photosynthetic characteristics and uptake and translocation of N in peanut in the wheat–peanut rotation system. We used common compound fertilizer (CCF) and controlled-release compound fertilizer (CRF) at the same N–P2O5–K2O proportion (The contents of N, P2O5, and K2O in the two kinds of fertilizer were 20, 15, and 10%, respectively.). The fertilizer was applied on the day before sowing, at the jointing stage or the flag leaf stage of winter wheat, and at the initial flowering stage of peanut in various proportions, with 0 kg N ha-1 as the control. Results showed that split applications of N significantly increased leaf area index (LAI) and chlorophyll content and improved photosynthetic rate, thus increasing the pod yield of peanut. Topdressing N at the jointing stage (S1) or at the flag leaf stage of wheat (S2) and supplying part of the N at the initial flowering stage of peanut increased pod yield. Withholding N until the flag leaf stage (S2) did not negatively affect wheat grain yield; however, it increased N accumulation in each organ and N allocation proportions in the peanut pod, ultimately improving pod yield. With the same N–P2O5–K2O proportion and equivalent amounts of nutrient, CRF can decreased malondialdehyde (MDA) and maintain a relatively high LAI and chlorophyll content at the late growth stage of peanut, prolong the functional period of peanut leaves and delay leaf senescence, resulting in an increase of pod yield over that with CCF. At S1, CRF resulted in a better pod yield than CCF by 9.4%, and at S2 it was 12.6% higher. In summary, applying N fertilizer in three splits and delaying the topdressing fertilization until the flag leaf stage of winter wheat increases total grain yields of wheat and peanut. This method could therefore be an appropriate N management strategy for wheat–peanut relay intercropping rotation systems in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BiVO4/TiO2 nanocomposites were fabricated by a facile wet-chemical process, followed by the synthesis of TiO2 hierarchical spheres via hydrothermal method. The BiVO4/TiO2 nanocomposites were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The results showed that prepared TiO2 presented hierarchical spherical morphology self-assembled by nanoparticles and an anatase-brookite mixed crystal phase. The introduction of monoclinic BiVO4 components retained the hierarchical structures and expanded the light response to around 510 nm. Type II BiVO4/TiO2 heterostructured nanocomposites exhibited improved photocatalytic degradation towards methylene blue under visible-light irradiation, especially for the composite photocatalysts with atomic Ti/Bi = 10, which showed double degradation rate than that of pure BiVO4. The enhanced photocatalytic mechanism of the heterostructured BiVO4/TiO2 nanocomposites was discussed as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Staphylococcus aureus strains produce a unique family of immunostimulatory exotoxins termed as bacterial superantigens (SAgs), which cross-link major histocompatibility complex class II (MHC II) molecule and T-cell receptor (TCR) to stimulate large numbers of T cells at extremely low concentrations. SAgs are associated with food poisoning and toxic shock syndrome. To date, 26 genetically distinct staphylococcal SAgs have been reported. This study reports the first X-ray structure of newly characterized staphylococcal enterotoxin N (SEN). SEN possesses the classical two domain architecture that includes an N-terminal oligonucleotide-binding fold and a C-terminal β-grasp domain. Amino acid and structure alignments revealed that several critical amino acids that are proposed to be responsible for MHC II and TCR molecule engagements are variable in SEN, suggesting that SEN may adopt a different binding mode to its cellular receptors. This work helps better understand the mechanisms of action of SAgs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is essential to optimize a carrier of dry powder inhalation (DPI) for the aerodynamic deposition in vitro to achieve pulmonary delivery of drug molecules in vivo. In this study, neutralized nanoporous γ-cyclodextrin metal-organic framework (CD-MOF) crystals with cubic morphology and uniform inhalation size were developed and modified as a DPI carrier for budesonide (BUD). Cholesterol (CHO) and leucine (LEU)-poloxamer were used to modify the CD-MOF powder for the improvement of flowability and particle aerodynamic behaviour, for which the particle size distribution, Carr's index and in vitro pulmonary deposition were assessed. Compared to CD-MOF or LEU-CD-MOF-BUD, CHO-CD-MOF had a superior mass median aerodynamic diameter (4.35 ± 0.04 μm) and inhalable performance (fine particle fraction of 30.60 ± 0.76%), which were maintained after budesonide loading (4.47 ± 0.30 μm, 24.95 ± 4.33%). The crystallinity, cytotoxicity and in vivo deposition of drug loaded samples (CHO-CD-MOF-BUD) were then investigated by powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), cell viability study, in vivo fluorescence imaging and pharmacokinetic studies in rats. The characteristic PXRD crystallinity peaks of budesonide disappeared after being loaded into CHO-CD-MOF, potentially indicating the molecular incorporation of budesonide into the pores of CD-MOF. The cell viability of A549 cell was more than 90% for CHO-CD-MOF-BUD as a result of the good biocompatibility of CD-MOF. When Rhodamine B was carried by the DPI particles, the fluorescence signal at the lung tissue was markedly improved after cholesterol modification compared with CD-MOF, whilst the bioavailability of CHO-CD-MOF-BUD in rat was equivalent with that of the commercial product of Pulmicort Turbuhaler. Therefore, the CD-MOF powders modified by cholesterol can be used as a promising inhalable carrier for pulmonary delivery of drugs with small dose. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, the quality and yield of CdZnTe material has steadily increased and now one of the limiting factors in performance of device is due to the quality of the metal contacts. A better understanding of the interface in metal-semiconductor contact can improve the performance of the detector. In this paper, Zn has been introduced as the intermediate layer between Au and CdZnTe (111) B surface. The structure and the chemical properties of Au/Zn-CdZnTe contact interface have been investigated by focused ion beam (FIB) cross section imaging, high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) imaging and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) depth profiling. The results indicated that the Zn transition layer would be prone to combine with the dangling bonds of Te atoms on CdZnTe (111) B surface and help to avoid the emergence of the heterogeneous Te oxide (TeO 2 /CdTeO 3 ) interface layer between the Au film and CdZnTe, contributing to form the impedanceless contact. Moreover, the electronic response of the Au/Zn-CdZnTe interface by using the circular transmission line model (CTLM) demonstrated that the introduction of Zn layer substantially decreased the specific contact resistivity ( ρ c ), presenting a better ohmic performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we review theoretical and experimental studies on the infrared attenuation spectrum between 400 and 4000 cm −1 , which is principally due to the free carrier absorption (FCA). The free carrier absorption is possible by means of inter-conduction band transitions which occur in n-CdZnTe, or by means of inter-valence band transitions which occur in p-CdZnTe. Based on the power law fit results of absorption spectra determined by FCA characteristics, we present an optical measurement technique, which can help us to determine the conduction type of CdZnTe in another way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Single nucleotide variants (SNVs), as important components of genetic variation, affect gene expression, function and phenotype. Mining and summarizing the spatial distribution of SNVs in diseased and normal tissues for a better understanding of their characteristics and potential roles in cell-lineage determination, aging, or disease occurrence is significant. Herein, we have developed a comprehensive spatial mutation resource stSNV (http://bio-bigdata.hrbmu.edu.cn/stSNV/index.jsp), which provides an atlas of spatial SNVs in major diseased and normal tissues of human and mouse. stSNV documents 42 202 spatial mutated genes involving 898 908 SNVs called from 730 067 spots within 450 slices from 19 diseased and 28 normal tissues. Importantly, potential characteristics of SNVs are explored and provided by analyzing the perturbation of the SNVs to gene expression, spatial communication, biological function, region-specific mutated genes, spatial mutant signatures, SNV-cell co-localization and mutation core region. All these spatial mutation data and in-depth analyses have been integrated into a user-friendly interface, visualized through intuitive tables and various image formats. Flexible tools are developed to explore co-localization among clusters, genes, cell types and SNVs in the same slice. In summary, stSNV as a valuable resource helps to dissect intra-tissue genetic heterogeneity and lays the groundwork for understanding the SNVs' biological regulatory mechanisms., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.)

Implanting heteroatoms into polycyclic aromatic molecules (PAMs) offers a great opportunity to fine-tune their optoelectronic properties. Herein, we report a new type of nonbenzenoid PAM in which the sp 2 C atoms are replaced by S and P in the azulene moiety. The synthesis harnessed modular P-chemistry and cyclization chemistry, which afforded the first example of P-azulene-based PAMs with isomeric PN- and PC-type structures. Photophysical and theoretical studies revealed that the P-environments have strong impacts on the structures and properties of the P-PAMs. Different from the electronic structure of azulene with strong π conjugation, the PC derivatives maintained effective σ*-π* hyperconjugation in the frontier molecular orbitals via the P-centers. In particular, the PC derivative with a P(iii)-center showed unexpected room-temperature phosphorescence in solution, which was attributed to the excited-state aromaticity induced structure change at the P-center. Decoration with various aryl groups further modified the photophysical and redox properties in another dimension. Furthermore, bis(triarylamine)-functionalized P-PAMs formed stable radical cations in which the P-environments strongly influenced the mixed-valence state and open-shell characters. As a proof of concept, bis(triarylamine)-functionalized P-PAMs were explored as the hole-transporting layers in perovskite solar cells, and a power conversion efficiency of 14% was achieved. As a new example of nonbenzenoid PAMs with intriguing optoelectronic properties, our P-PAMs are promising building blocks for diverse optoelectronic applications in the future., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

BACKGROUND Computed tomography perfusion imaging (CTPI) and perfusion-weighted imaging (PWI) are non-invasive technologies that can quantify tumor vascularity and blood flow. This study explored the blood flow information, tumor cell viability, and hydrothoraces in a rabbit pleural VX2-implanted model through use of CTPI, PWI, and DWI. MATERIAL AND METHODS A pleural VX2-implanted model was established in 58 New Zealand white rabbits. CTPI, PWI, and DWI were applied with a 16-slice spiral CT and an Archival 1.5 T dual-gradient MRI. RESULTS Compared with muscle tissue, PV, PEI, and BV of parietal and visceral pleural tumor implantation rabbits showed significant differences. The t values of PV, PEI, and BV between parietal and visceral pleura were 2.08, 2.29, and 2.88, respectively. Compared with muscle tissue, WIR, WOR, and MAXR of parietal and visceral pleural tumor implantation rabbits showed significant differences. In parietal pleural tumor implantation rabbits, the section surface of lesion tissues was 5.2±2.7 cm². Hydrothorax appeared 6.0±2.0 days after tumor implantation. The mean value of ADC was 1.5±0.6. In visceral pleural tumor implantation rabbits, the section surface of lesion tissues was 1.6±0.8 cm². Hydrothorax appeared 7.0±3.0 days after tumor implantation. The mean value of ADC was 1.4±0.5. The t values of the above 3 indices for the parietal and visceral pleura were 1.85, 1.83, and 1.76, respectively (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS The combined application of CTPI, PWI, and DWI accurately and visually reflects the blood perfusion of tumor tissues and quantitatively analyzes blood flow information and the mechanism underlying hydrothorax generation in tumor tissues.

Objective: To detect the activity of tumor cells and tumor blood flow before and after the radiotherapy of implanted pulmonary VX-2 carcinoma in rabbit models by using magnetic resonance diffusion-weighted imaging (MR-DWI) and magnetic resonance perfusion weighted imaging (MR-PWI), and to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of the radiotherapy based on the changes in the MR-DWI and MR-PWI parameters at different treatment stages., Methods: A total of 56 rabbit models with implanted pulmonary VX-2 carcinoma were established, and then equally divided into treatment group and control group. MR-DWI and MR-PWI were separately performed using a Philips Acheiva 1.5T MRI machine (Philips, Netherland). MRI image processing was performed using special perfusion software and the WORKSPACE advanced workstation for MRI. MR-DWI was applied for the observation of tumor signals and the measurement of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values; whereas MR-PWI was used for the measurement of wash in rate (WIR), wash out rate (WOR), and maximum enhancement rate (MER). The radiation treatment was performed using Siemens PRIMUS linear accelerator. In the treatment group, the radiotherapy was performed 21 days later on a once weekly dosage of 1,000 cGy to yield a total dosage of 5,000 cGy., Results: THE ADC PARAMETERS IN THE REGION OF INTEREST ON DWI WERE AS FOLLOWS: on the treatment day for the implanted pulmonary VX-2 carcinoma, the t values at the center and the edge of the lesions were 1.352 and 1.461 in the treatment group and control group (P>0.05). During weeks 0-1 after treatment, the t values at the center and the edge of the lesions were 1.336 and 1.137 (P>0.05). During weeks 1-2, the t values were 1.731 and 1.736 (P<0.05). During weeks 2-3, the t values were 1.742 and 1.749 (P<0.05). During weeks 3-4, the t values were 2.050 and 2.127 (P<0.05). During weeks 4-5, the t values were 2.764 and 2.985 (P<0.05). The ADC values in the treatment group were significantly higher than in the control group. After the radiotherapy (5,000 cGy), the tumors remarkably shrank, along with low signal on DWI, decreased signal on ADC map, and remarkably increased ADC values. As shown on PWI, on the treatment day for the implanted pulmonary VX-2 carcinoma, the t values of the WIR, WOR, and MER at the center of the lesions were 1.05, 1.31, and 1.33 in the treatment group and control group (P>0.05); in addition, the t values of the WIR, WOR, and MER at the edge of the lesions were 1.35, 1.07, and 1.51 (P>0.05). During weeks 0-1 after treatment, the t values of the WIR, WOR, and MER at the center of the lesions were 1.821, 1.856, and 1.931 (P<0.05); in addition, the t values of the WIR, WOR, and MER at the edge of the lesions were 1.799, 2.016, and 2.137 (P<0.05). During weeks 1-1 after treatment, the t values of the WIR, WOR, and MER at the center of the lesions were 2.574, 2.156, and 2.059 (P<0.05) and the t values of the WIR, WOR, and MER at the edge of the lesions were 1.869, 2.058, and 2.057 (P<0.05). During weeks 2-3 after treatment, the t values of the WIR, WOR, and MER at the center of the lesions were 2.461, 2.098, and 2.739 (P<0.05) and the t values of the WIR, WOR, and MER at the edge of the lesions were 2.951, 2.625, and 2.154 (P<0.05). During weeks 3-4 after treatment, the t values of the WIR, WOR, and MER at the center of the lesions were 2.584, 2.107, and 2.869 (P<0.05) and the t values of the WIR, WOR, and MER at the edge of the lesions were 2.057, 2.637, and 2.951 (P<0.05). During weeks 4-5 after treatment, the t values of the WIR, WOR, and MER at the center of the lesions were 2.894, 2.827, and 3.285 (P<0.05) and the t values of the WIR, WOR, and MER at the edge of the lesions were 3.45, 3.246, and 3.614 (P<0.05). After the radiotherapy (500 cGy), the tumors shrank on the T1WI, WIR, WOR, and MER; meanwhile, the PWI parameter gradually decreased and reached its minimum value., Conclusions: MR-DWI and MR-PWI can accurately and directly reflect the inactivation of tumor cells and the tumor hemodynamics in rabbit models with implanted pulmonary VX-2 carcinoma, and thus provide theoretical evidences for judging the clinical effectiveness of radiotherapy for the squamous cell carcinoma of the lung.

Background: This study used CT (computed tomography) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to identify correlations between perfusion parameters for squamous cell lung carcinoma and tumor angiogenesis in a rabbit model of VX2 lung cancer., Methods: VX2 tumors were implanted in the lungs of 35 New Zealand White rabbits. CT and MRI perfusion scanning were performed on days 14, 17, 21, 25, and 28 after tumor implantation. CT perfusion parameters were perfusion, peak enhanced increment, transit time peak, and blood volume, and MRI perfusion parameters were wash in rate, wash out rate, maximum enhancement rate, and transit time peak. CT and MRI perfusion parameters were obtained at the tumor rim, in the tumor tissue, and in the muscle tissue surrounding the tumor., Results: On CT perfusion imaging, t values for perfusion, peak enhanced increment, and blood volume (tumor rim versus muscle) were 16.31, 11.79, and 5.21, respectively (P < 0.01); t values for perfusion, peak enhanced increment, and blood volume (tumor versus muscle) were 9.87, 4.09, and 5.35, respectively (P < 0.01); and t values for transit time peak were 1.52 (tumor rim versus muscle) and 1.29 (tumor versus muscle), respectively (P > 0.05). On MRI perfusion imaging, t values for wash in rate, wash out rate, and maximum enhancement rate (tumor rim versus muscle) were 18.14, 8.79, and 6.02, respectively (P < 0.01); t values for muscle wash in rate, wash out rate, and maximum enhancement rate (tumor versus muscle) were 9.45, 8.23, and 4.21, respectively (P < 0.01); and t values for transit time peak were 1.21 (tumor rim versus muscle) and 1.05 (tumor versus muscle), respectively (P > 0.05)., Conclusion: A combination of CT and MRI perfusion imaging demonstrated hemodynamic changes in a rabbit model of VX2 lung cancer, and provides a theoretical foundation for treatment of human squamous cell lung carcinoma.