Search

Electrodeposited Invar alloy film is highly desirable for manufacturing fine metal masks (FMMs) used in Organic Light-Emitting Diodes (OLEDs). However, its development is limited by the high coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE). In this study, we successfully obtained a coarse-grained electrodeposited Invar alloy film with near-zero thermal expansion and inclusions smaller than 300 nm, achieved through abnormal grain growth (AGG) induced by second-phase particles. Our experiments confirmed that these second-phase particles are composed of (Fe, Ni)1-xS. During AGG, the aggregation and coarsening of these second-phase particles lead to changes in local strain energy, and the combined effects of surface and strain energies results in the rapid preferential growth of (110)-oriented grains. The matrix grains are engulfed by large-sized grains and transformed into sub-grains, which merge with the abnormally growing grains through grain rotation. An inverse relationship was found between CTE and grain size. Following vacuum annealing at 800 °C for 2 h and hydrogen annealing for 1 h, the average grain size increased to approximately 400 µm, while the CTE was reduced to 0.3 × 10–6/ °C. This study provides a new method for obtaining electrodeposited Invar alloy films that meet commercial applications criteria for and are suitable for FMM fabrication for high-definition OLEDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Precise force measurement is critical to probe biological events and physics processes, spanning from molecular motor's motion to the Casimir effect, as well as the detection of gravitational waves. Yet, despite extensive technological developments, the three-dimensional nanoscale measurement of weak forces in aqueous solutions still faces major challenges. Techniques that rely on optically trapped nanoprobes are of significant potential but are beset with limitations, including probe heating induced by high trapping power, undetectable scattering signals and localization errors. Here we report the measurement of the long-distance interaction force in aqueous solutions with a minimum detected force value of 108.2 ± 510.0 attonewton. To achieve this, we develop a super-resolved photonic force microscope based on optically trapped lanthanide-doped nanoparticles coupled with nanoscale three-dimensional tracking-based force sensing. The tracking method leverages neural-network-empowered super-resolution localization, where the position of the force probe is extracted from the optical-astigmatism-modified point spread function. We achieve a force sensitivity down to 1.8 fN Hz–1/2, which approaches the nanoscale thermal limit. We experimentally measure electrophoresis forces acting on single nanoparticles as well as the surface-induced interaction force on a single nanoparticle. This work opens the avenue of nanoscale thermally limited force sensing and offers new opportunities for detecting sub-femtonewton forces over long distances and biomechanical forces at the single-molecule level. Super-resolved photonic force microscopy employs the fluorescence of lanthanide-doped nanoparticles as a force probe, enabling the measurement of sub-femtonewton forces with a sensitivity of 1.8 fN Hz–1/2, approaching the thermal limit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organic conjugated polymers have received extensive attention due to their unique electronic properties. However, there have been relatively few reports on the dark photocatalytic reactions utilizing organic conjugated polymers. Herein, we report the successful synthesis of an organic conjugated polymer based on poly (heptazine imide) nanocrystals (CNNCs) for H2O2 evolution and biomedical applications using a simple salt molten method and sonication–centrifugation process. The results show that these colloid CNNCs have the characteristics of photogenerated electrons accumulation and realize dark photocatalysis with high reducibility under visible light irradiation. Notably, these accumulating photogenerated electrons can reduce O2 in darkness to produce H2O2. In addition, cytotoxicity tests were conducted and it was found that H2O2 produced under dark conditions could oxidize L-arginine (L-Arg) to NO, which effectively killed tumors in the dark. This work provides an important strategy to construct organic conjugated semiconductor nanocrystals and applying them to future energy and biomedical fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Radiotherapy (RT) is a widely used treatment with strong therapeutic effects, but overcoming challenges related to hypoxia-induced tumor resistance and ineffective antitumor immune responses is crucial for optimal outcomes. In this study, we developed a versatile nanosystem using mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs), R837, and a small quantity of manganese peroxide (Mn/ZnO2). The synthesized MSN@R837-Mn/ZnO2 nanoparticles exhibited precise tumor targeting and accumulation, controlled drug release under acidic conditions, and increased sensitivity in magnetic resonance imaging. These attributes collectively augmented the therapeutic efficacy of RT by alleviating hypoxia and immunosuppression. Tumor cells treated with RT combined with these nanoparticles displayed reduced oxidative stress, alleviated hypoxia, and normalized blood vessel formation. Notably, all mice in the RT + PD-1 + MSN@R837-Mn/ZnO2 group achieved complete tumor regression with extended survival. Safety assessments confirmed the absence of MSN@R837-Mn/ZnO2 toxicity, highlighting its potential as a promising approach with dual functionality for the diagnostic imaging and treatment of cancer. Radiotherapy (RT) faces challenges like hypoxia-induced tumor resistance and weak antitumor immune responses. This study developed a nanosystem using mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs), R837, and manganese peroxide (Mn/ZnO2). The MSN@R837-Mn/ZnO2 nanoparticles showed precise tumor targeting, controlled drug release in acidic conditions, and enhanced MRI sensitivity, boosting RT efficacy by reducing hypoxia and immunosuppression. Tumor cells treated with RT and these nanoparticles had less oxidative stress, improved hypoxia, and normalized blood vessels. Remarkably, all mice in the RT+PD-1+MSN@R837-Mn/ZnO2 group achieved complete tumor regression and extended survival, with no toxicity observed, indicating its potential for cancer imaging and treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction and hypothesis: Urinary incontinence (UI) is relatively common among middle-aged and elderly women and can have significant impacts on patients' physiological, psychological, and quality-of-life aspects. A higher level of autonomy can encourage better health behaviors in patients, so as to promote rehabilitation of the disease and improve their quality of life. The study is aimed at exploring the level of autonomy and influencing factors among middle-aged and elderly women with UI. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at a tertiary hospital in Shenzhen, China. Middle-aged and elderly women were asked to complete the Index of Autonomous Functioning scale (IAF), the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire—Urinary Incontinence Short Form (ICIQ-UI SF), and the Urinary Incontinence Quality of Life (I-QOL) scale. Data were collected in January 2024 to March 2024. Descriptive statistics, univariate analysis, bivariate correlation and multivariate linear regression were used to analyze data. Results: A total of 646 women completed the questionnaire. The means and standard deviations (SD) of the IAF section were 45.40 ± 8.92, those of the ICIQ-UI SF section were 11.54 ± 3.67, and those of the I-QOL section were 43.95 ± 9.83. Multivariate linear regression models for the IAF revealed that questionnaire scores were independently associated with family's monthly income, education level, regular exercise, UI severity, and I-QOL score (p < 0.05). Conclusions: The factors influencing the level of autonomy among middle-aged and elderly women with UI include family's monthly income, education level, regular exercise, UI severity, and I-QOL score. Higher levels of autonomy were observed among women with high family income, high education level, regular exercise habits, mild to moderate UI, and high quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bacterial spot, induced by various Xanthomonas species, poses a significant threat to tomato production worldwide. Despite extensive efforts in mapping and isolating resistance genes, the distribution of these genes within the global tomato germplasm remains unclear. In this study, we examined 395 tomato accessions from around the world to investigate the presence of the Rx3, Rx4, and SlPub24 genes for resistance to bacterial spot, using gene-based or tightly linked molecular markers. The results showed that approximately 4.8%, 1.8%, and 1.8% of accessions carried only the Rx4, SlPub24, and Rx3, respectively. Additionally, 6.3% carried both Rx4 and SlPub24, 0.3% had both Rx3 and SlPub24, and 0.3% possessed all three genes. Interestingly, no accession carried both Rx3 and Rx4. The Rx4 gene exhibited the highest frequency at 11.1%, followed by SlPub24 at 8.4%, and Rx3 at the lowest frequency of 2.4%. Notably, Solanum pimpinellifolium displayed the highest proportion of accessions with resistance genes (80.0%), followed by S. lycopersicum var. cerasiforme (50.0%), while S. lycopersicum var. lycopersicum showed only 10.8%. Categorically, resistance gene prevalence was 76.9% in Wild accessions, 15.4% in Latin American Landrace, 14.5% in Contemporary accessions, and 2.2% in Vintage accessions. Moreover, processing accessions exhibited a higher frequency of resistance genes (13.7%) compared to fresh market accessions (8.0%). Frequencies of resistance genes in tomato accessions across continents ranged from 0 to 40.7% with similar distribution between China (12.3%) and the USA (11.6%). Remarkably, simultaneous presence of Rx4 and SlPub24 was observed in some accessions of S. pimpinellifolium and S. lycopersicum var. cerasiforme. Disease evaluation confirmed the accuracy of the Pcc12 marker for identifying the Rx4 gene. This comprehensive dataset provides valuable insights for leveraging these resistance genes in tomato breeding programs and optimizing production strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Despite the success of PD-1 blockade in recurrent/metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), its effect for locoregionally advanced NPC (LANPC) remains unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the benefit of adding PD-1 blockade to the current standard treatment (gemcitabine and cisplatin IC plus cisplatin CCRT ) for LANPC patients. Methods: From January 2020 to November 2022, 347 patients with non-metastatic high-risk LANPC (stage III-IVA, excluding T3-4N0) were included. Of the 347 patients, 268 patients were treated with standard treatment (IC-CCRT), and 79 received PD-1 blockade plus IC-CCRT (PD-1 group). For the PD-1 group, PD-1 blockade was given intravenously once every 3 weeks for up to 9 cycles (3 induction and 6 adjuvant). The primary endpoint was disease-free survival (DFS) (i.e. freedom from local/regional/distant failure or death). The propensity score matching (PSM) with the ratio of 1:2 was performed to control confounding factors. Results: After PSM analysis, 150 patients receiving standard treatment and 75 patients receiving additional PD-1 blockade remained in the current analysis. After three cycles of IC, the PD-1 group had significantly higher rates of complete response (defined as disappearance of all target lesions; 24% vs. 9%; P = 0.006) and complete biological response (defined as undetectable cell-free Epstein-Barr virus DNA, cfEBV DNA; 79% vs. 65%; P = 0.046) than that in the standard group. And the incidence of grade 3–4 toxicity during IC was 47% in the PD-1 group and 41% in the standard group, with no significant difference (P = 0.396). During follow-up period, additional PD-1 blockade to standard treatment improved 3-year DFS from 84 to 95%, with marginal statistical significance (HR, 0.28; 95%CI, 0.06-1.19; P = 0.064). Conclusion: Additiaonl PD-1 blockade to gemcitabine and cisplatin IC and adjuvant treatment results in significant improvement in tumor regression, cfEBV DNA clearance, superior DFS, and comparable toxicity profiles in high-risk LANPC patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article meticulously examines the transformation of educator roles in medical education against the backdrop of emerging large language models (LLMs). Traditionally, educators have played a crucial role in transmitting knowledge, training skills, and evaluating educational outcomes. However, the advent of LLMs such as Chat Generative Pre-trained Transformer-4 has expanded and enriched these traditional roles by leveraging opportunities to enhance teaching efficiency, foster personalised learning, and optimise resource allocation. This has imbued traditional medical educator roles with new connotations. Concurrently, LLMs present challenges to medical education, such as ensuring the accuracy of information, reducing bias, minimizing student over-reliance, preventing patient privacy exposure and safeguarding data security, enhancing the cultivation of empathy, and maintaining academic integrity. In response, educators are called to adopt new roles including experts of information management, navigators of learning, guardians of academic integrity, and defenders of clinical practice. The article emphasises the enriched connotations and attributes of the medical teacher's role, underscoring their irreplaceable value in the AI-driven evolution of medical education. Educators are portrayed not just as users of advanced technology, but also as custodians of the essence of medical education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atomic clocks with higher frequency stability and accuracy than traditional space-borne atomic clocks are the cornerstone of long-term autonomous operation of space-time-frequency systems. We proposed a space cold atoms clock based on an intracavity cooling scheme, which captures cold atoms at the center of a microwave cavity and then executes in situ interactions between the cold atoms and microwaves. As a result of the microgravity environment in space, the cold atoms can interact with the microwaves for a longer time, which aids in realizing a high-precision atomic clock in space. This paper presents the overall design, operational characteristics, and reliability test results of the space atomic clock based on the intracavity cooling scheme designed for the operation onboard the China space station. In addition, the engineering prototype performance of the space cold atoms microwave clock is also presented. The ground test results for the clock show a fractional frequency stability of 1.1 × 10−12 τ−1/2 reaching 2.5 × 10−15 at 200,000 s, providing solid technical and data support for its future operation in orbit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a common-node DEM-SPH coupling model based on the shared node method is proposed, and a fluid–structure coupling method using the common-node discrete element method-smoothed particle hydrodynamics (DS-SPH) method is developed using LS-DYNA software. The DEM and SPH are established on the same node to create common-node DEM-SPH particles, allowing for fluid–structure interactions. Numerical simulations of various scenarios, including water entry of a rigid sphere, dam-break propagation over wet beds, impact on an ice plate floating on water and ice accumulation on offshore structures, are conducted. The interaction between DS particles and SPH fluid and the crack generation mechanism and expansion characteristics of the ice plate under the interaction of structure and fluid are also studied. The results are compared with available data to verify the proposed coupling method. Notably, the simulation results demonstrated that controlling the cutoff pressure of internal SPH particles could effectively control particle splashing during ice crushing failure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cervical cancer is a significant global health issue, its prevalence and prognosis highlighting the importance of early screening for effective prevention. This research aimed to create and validate an artificial intelligence cervical cancer screening (AICCS) system for grading cervical cytology. The AICCS system was trained and validated using various datasets, including retrospective, prospective, and randomized observational trial data, involving a total of 16,056 participants. It utilized two artificial intelligence (AI) models: one for detecting cells at the patch-level and another for classifying whole-slide image (WSIs). The AICCS consistently showed high accuracy in predicting cytology grades across different datasets. In the prospective assessment, it achieved an area under curve (AUC) of 0.947, a sensitivity of 0.946, a specificity of 0.890, and an accuracy of 0.892. Remarkably, the randomized observational trial revealed that the AICCS-assisted cytopathologists had a significantly higher AUC, specificity, and accuracy than cytopathologists alone, with a notable 13.3% enhancement in sensitivity. Thus, AICCS holds promise as an additional tool for accurate and efficient cervical cancer screening. Cervical screening is a key method for detecting cervical cancer, but is limited by pathologist detection. Here, the authors use artificial intelligence to predict cytology grades from whole slide images. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gallium (Ga) is an emerging chemical pollutant chiefly associated with high-tech industries. Boron (B) alleviates the negative effects of toxic elements on plant growth. Thereby, the effects of B fertilization on Ga toxicity in rice seedlings was studied to clarify the role of iron plaque in the distribution of Ga, Fe, and B in Ga-treated rice seedlings in the presence or absence of B. Gallium exposure significantly reduced the biomass of rice seedlings. Boron deficiency induced a significant change in the distribution of B in Ga-treated rice seedlings compared with "Ga+B" treatments. Accumulation of Ga in roots, dithionite-citrate-bicarbonate (DCB) extracts, and shoots showed a dose-dependent manner from both +B and –B rice seedlings. Boron nutrition levels affect the distribution of Fe in roots, DCB extracts, and shoots, in which DCB-extractable Fe was significantly decreased from "Ga-B" treatments compared with "Ga+B" treatments. Root activity was significantly decreased in both Ga-exposed rice seedlings; however, B-deficient seedlings showed a severe reduction than +B rice seedlings. These results reveal that Fe plaque might be a temporary sink for B accumulation when plants are grown with proper B, wherein the re-utilization of DCB-extractable B stored in Fe plaque is mandatory for plant growth under B deficiency. Correlation analysis revealed that B deficiency decreased the root activity of Ga-exposed rice seedlings by reducing DCB-extractable Fe and increasing DCB-extractable Ga in Fe plaque. This study enhances our understanding of how B nutritional levels affect Ga toxicity in rice plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The quaternary piezoelectric ceramics (0.63-x)BiFeO3-0.32PbTiO3-0.05BaZrO3-xPb(Ni1/3Nb2/3)O3 (BF-0.32PT-0.05BZ-xPNN, 0 ≤ x ≤ 0.22) were prepared by the traditional solid-state reaction method. X-ray diffraction results show that the perovskite-structured BF-0.32PT-0.05BZ-xPNN ceramics exhibit a tetragonal-to-rhombohedral phase transition with the increase in Pb(Ni1/3Nb2/3)O3 (PNN) content. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images reveal that the ceramics are well densified, with average grain size of 2–8 μm. The introduction of PNN improves the piezoelectric properties of the ceramics, and it can be seen that the 0.51BF-0.32PT-0.05BZ-0.12PNN quaternary ceramics have excellent piezoelectric properties, with piezoelectric coefficient d33, piezoelectric voltage constant g33 and transduction coefficient d33 × g33 of 410 pC/N, 32 × 10−3 Vm/N and 13,120 × 10−15 m2/N, respectively. Our results indicate that BF-0.32PT-0.05BZ-0.12PNN quaternary ceramics have higher transduction coefficients than those of commercial piezoelectric ceramics, such as PZT502, PZT703 and APC850, revealing their great potential in the field of piezoelectric energy harvesting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mn(1.9−x) Zn0.2Ni0.6MgxAl0.3O4 (0 < x < 1) high-entropy oxide films were prepared on silicon substrate. The effects of Mg doping on microstructure, cation distribution, and electrical and aging properties of thin films were investigated. Mg2+ mainly replaces Mn2+ in the tetrahedron and does not affect the distribution of other trivalent cations in the octahedron. The thermal constant of the film varies from 2989.5 to 2176.6 K with the change of Mg/Mn ion content. Aging coefficient varies from 10.47 to 9.07%. The aging improvement of the films is ascribed to the multiple mechanisms of cationic sluggish diffusion as well as the variance in film grain size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The introduction of the anti-PD-1 antibody has greatly improved the clinical outcomes of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). In this study, we retrospectively analyzed the efficacy of PD-1 antibody-based therapy in patients with locally advanced inoperable or metastatic NSCLC and reported an association between peripheral blood biomarkers and clinical response in these patients. Methods: This single-center study included medical record data of patients with NSCLC treated with the PD-1 antibody as a first-line or subsequent line of treatment, either as monotherapy or in combination with chemotherapy. The patients were enrolled from 2020 to 2022. We dynamically evaluated multiple Th1 and Th2 cytokines in the blood serum and analyzed the phenotype of T cells from the peripheral blood to explore the correlation between cytokine levels, T cell phenotypes, and clinical response. Results: A total of 88 patients with stage IIIA-IV NSCLC were enrolled, out of which 60 (68.18%) achieved a partial response (PR), 13 (14.77%) had stable disease (SD), and 15 (17.05%) experienced disease progression (PD). The disease control rate was 82.95%. Our results suggested a significant reduction (P = 0.002, P < 0.005) in lymphocyte absolute counts after treatment in patients with PD. Higher levels of IFN-γ (P = 0.023, P < 0.05), TNF-α (P = 0.00098, P < 0.005), IL-4 (P = 0.0031, P < 0.005), IL-5 (P = 0.0015, P < 0.005), and IL-10 (P = 0.036, P < 0.05) were detected in the peripheral blood before treatment in the PR group compared to the PD group. Moreover, patients with high levels of IL-5, IL-13, IL-4, IL-6, IFN-γ, and TNF-α (> 10 ng/mL) had superior progression-free survival compared to those with low levels (< 10 ng/mL). Furthermore, PD-1 expression on CD8+ T cells was higher in patients who showed a PR than in those who did not show a response (SD + PD; P = 0.042, P < 0.05). Conclusions: The findings of this study imply that the decrease in absolute blood lymphocyte counts after treatment is correlated with disease progression. Serum cytokine levels may predict the effectiveness and survival rates of anti-PD-1 blockade therapy in patients with NSCLC. In addition, PD-1 expression on CD8+ T cells was positively associated with better clinical response. Our findings highlight the potential of peripheral blood biomarkers to predict the effectiveness of PD-1-targeted treatments in patients with NSCLC. Larger prospective studies are warranted to further clarify the value of these biomarkers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The prostate is a vital accessory gonad in the mammalian male reproductive system. With the ever-increasing proportion of the population over 60 years of age worldwide, the incidence of prostate diseases, such as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and prostate cancer (PCa), is on the rise and is gradually becoming a significant medical problem globally. The notch signaling pathway is essential in regulating prostate early development. However, the potential regulatory mechanism of Notch signaling in prostatic enlargement and hyperplasia remains unclear. In this study, we proved that overactivation of Notch1 signaling in mouse prostatic epithelial cells (OEx) led to prostatic enlargement via enhancing proliferation and inhibiting apoptosis of prostatic epithelial cells. Further study showed that N1ICD/RBPJ directly up-regulated the androgen receptor (AR) and enhanced prostatic sensitivity to androgens. Hyper-proliferation was not found in orchidectomized OEx mice without androgen supply but was observed after Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) supplementation. Our data showed that the number of mitochondrion in prostatic epithelial cells of OEx mice was increased, but the mitochondrial function was impaired, and the essential activity of the mitochondrial respiratory electron transport chain was significantly weakened. Disordered mitochondrial number and metabolic function further resulted in excessive accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Importantly, anti-oxidant N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine (NAC) therapy could alleviate prostatic hyperplasia caused by the over-activation of Notch1 signaling. Furthermore, we observed the incremental Notch signaling activity in progenitor-like club cells in the scRNA-seq data set of human BPH patients. Moreover, the increased number of TROP2+ progenitors and Club cells was also confirmed in our OEx mice. In conclusion, our study revealed that over-activated Notch1 signaling induces prostatic enlargement by increasing androgen receptor sensitivity, disrupting cellular mitochondrial metabolism, increasing ROS, and a higher number of progenitor cells, all of which can be effectively rescued by NAC treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report a mid-infrared quartz-enhanced photoacoustic sensor for highly sensitive nitrous oxide (N2O) detection using a 4.56 µm quantum cascade laser (QCL) with a butterfly package type. This new type of QCL features a compact size (30 mm × 12.7 mm × 13 mm), low threshold current (< 120 mA) at room temperature, and relatively high emission power (> 100 mW), which are suitable for portable trace gas sensor development. In this work, the QCL beam is directly coupled to the QEPAS detection module by using only one focusing lens. By measuring N2O mixtures with different concentrations (120 ppb to 3.16 ppm), the developed sensor shows a good linearity (R-square value of 0.999) and a minimum detection limit of below 1 ppb. The sensor has been successfully deployed for ambient air measurement, demonstrating the applicability and promising potential of using this QCL with butterfly package for various gas sensing applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]