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Dental anatomy education for dental technology students should be developed in alignment with digital dental laboratory practices. We hypothesized that a virtually assisted sketching‐based dental anatomy teaching module could improve students' acquisition of skills essential for digital restoration design. The second‐year dental technology curriculum included a novel virtual technology‐assisted sketching‐based module for dental anatomy education. Pre‐ and post‐course assessments evaluated students' skill sets and knowledge bases. Computer‐aided design (CAD) scores were analyzed after one year to assess how the skills students developed through this module impacted their subsequent CAD performance. Participants who undertook the dental sketching‐based teaching module demonstrated significantly improved theoretical knowledge of dental anatomy, dental aesthetic perception, and spatial reasoning skills. A partial least squares structural equation model indicated that the positive effects of this module on subsequent CAD performance were indirectly mediated by dental aesthetic perception, spatial reasoning, and practice time. A virtually assisted sketching‐based dental anatomy teaching module significantly improved students' acquisition of skills and knowledge and positively mediated dental technology students' CAD performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To assess the safety and efficacy of superior laryngeal nerve block (SLNB) for microlaryngoscopic surgery (MLS). Data Sources: PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Ovid Medline, Cochrane Library, CNKI database, VIP database, Wanfang database, and trial registry databases. Methods: PICOS principles were performed: adults undergoing MLS receiving SLNB compared with no‐SLNB in randomized controlled trials were included. Primary outcome included the incidence of severe postoperative sore throat (POST). Secondary outcomes included perioperative mean arterial pressure (MAP) and heart rate (HR), incidence of severe postoperative cough, and anesthesia recovery time. Results: Eleven articles with 728 patients were included. Results indicated that SLNB provides lower incidence of severe POST in post‐extubation 30 min (relative ratio [RR] = 0.13; 95% confidence intervals [CIs]: 0.05 ~ 0.34), 2 h (RR = 0.09; 95% CI: 0.02 ~ 0.36), 4–6 h (RR = 0.11; 95% CI: 0.03 ~ 0.41), and 24 h (RR = 0.15; 95% CI: 0.03 ~ 0.83); lower MAP (tracheal intubation: standardized mean difference [SMD] = −1.59; 95% CI: −1.69 to −0.42); suspension laryngoscope insertion: (SMD = −0.98; 95% CI: −1.49 to −0.46); tracheal extubation: (SMD = −0.78; 95% CI:−1.24 to −0.31); post‐extubation 5 min: (SMD = −0.95; 95% CI: −1.41 to −0.49); lower HR (tracheal intubation: mean difference [MD] = −9.71; 95% CI: −17.16 to −2.27); suspension laryngoscope insertion: (MD = −8.64; 95% CI: −16.79 to −0.49); tracheal extubation: (MD = −10.13; 95% CI: −17.86 to −2.39); post‐extubation 5 min: (MD = −13.44; 95% CI: −22.53 to −4.35); lower incidence of severe postoperative cough in post‐extubation 30 min (RR = 0.18; 95% CI: 0.06 ~ 0.57) and 2 h (RR = 0.13; 95% CI: 0.02 ~ 0.69); and shorter anesthesia recovery time (MD = −5.34; 95% CI: −8.81 to −1.86) compared to controls. Conclusions: SLNB could provide lower incidence of severe POST, more stable perioperative MAP and HR, lower incidence of severe postoperative cough, and shorter anesthesia recovery time for MLS. Level of Evidence: I Laryngoscope, 134:3437–3446, 2024 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The outbreak of COVID‐19 exposed the inadequacy of our technical tools for home health surveillance, and recent studies have shown the potential of smartphones as a universal optical microscopic imaging platform for such applications. However, most of them use laboratory‐grade optomechanical components and transmitted illuminations to ensure focus tuning capability and imaging quality, which keeps the cost of the equipment high. Here, we propose an ultra‐low‐cost solution for smartphone microscopy. To realize focus tunability, we designed a seesaw‐like structure capable of converting large displacements on one side into small displacements on the other (reduced to ∼9.1%), which leverages the intrinsic flexibility of 3D printing materials. We achieved a focus‐tuning accuracy of ∼5 휇m, which is 40 times higher than the machining accuracy of the 3D‐printed lens holder itself. For microscopic imaging, we used an off‐the‐shelf smartphone camera lens as the objective and the built‐in flashlight as the illumination. To compensate for the resulting image quality degradation, we developed a learning‐based image enhancement method. We used the CycleGAN architecture to establish the mapping from smartphone microscope images to benchtop microscope images without pairing. We verified the imaging performance on different biomedical samples. Except for the smartphone, we kept the full costs of the device under 4 USD. We think these efforts to lower the costs of smartphone microscopes will benefit their applications in various scenarios, such as point‐of‐care testing, on‐site diagnosis, and home health surveillance. Research Highlights: We propose a solution for ultra‐low‐cost smartphone microscopy.Utilizing the flexibility of 3D‐printed material, we can achieve focusing accuracy of ∼5 휇m.Such a low‐cost device will benefit point‐of‐care diagnosis and home health surveillance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper introduces a beam‐scanning holographic antenna composed of a substrate‐integrated waveguide (SIW) feeding structure and a rectangular microstrip array. The antenna innovatively combines holographic theory with liquid crystal electrical tunability to realize single‐frequency large‐angle beam scanning function which can effectively solve the problem of beamforming reconfiguration in traditional array antenna systems. In this paper, the variation of dielectric constant of liquid crystal under different bias voltages is quantitatively analyzed. Additionally, the beam forming technology is analyzed under hologram amplitude weighting theory. The relevant theories are verified by manufacturing and testing. The prototype antenna achieves the ultra‐wide beam scanning angle of −63° to 63° at 36 GHz. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Along the development of ionic porous organic polymers, simple and efficient synthetic methods are actively pursued. Herein, the Debus–Radziszewski reaction is applied to synthesize ionic conjugated microporous polymers (iCMPs) in one step. A series of imidazolium‐linked iCMP‐X (X = 1, 2, 3) are developed for CO2 sorption and in situ conversion with epoxide into cyclic carbonates. The as‐synthesized iCMPs are characterized in detail by scanning electron microscope, solid‐state nuclear magnetic resonance, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction analysis, N2/CO2 sorption, and more. Among all synthesized iCMPs, iCMP‐1 possesses the highest specific surface area and in turn the strongest CO2 sorption capacity. Moreover, through a simple anion ion exchange reaction with halide, iCMP‐1 is transformed to iCMP‐1@Cl that embodies significant catalytic capability for converting CO2 into cyclic carbonates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: How parasitoids distinguish hosts from non‐hosts remains an unknown question. Chouioia cunea Yang (Eulophidae) is an important fall webworm parasitoid that attacks many forest and agricultural pests. To study the differences in the chemical clues used by C. cunea to distinguish host and non‐host plants, we used gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) to identify volatile compounds of two C. cunea hosts (Hyphantria cunea and Helicoverpa armigera) and two non‐hosts (Spodoptera exigua and Spodoptera frugiperda). Additionally, we used behavioral assays to compare the attraction of C. cunea to various compounds. RESULTS: The two natural host species were more attractive than the two non‐host species, in the following order: Hyphantria cunea > Helicoverpa armigera > S. exigua = S. frugiperda. The pupae of the natural hosts contained 1‐dodecene, which was not produced by the two natural non‐hosts. When the 'attractants' based on the difference between the species‐specific blend emitted by pupae and the optimal blend were sprayed onto the natural non‐host pupae, they significantly improved the attraction of C. cunea to the non‐host pupae. CONCLUSION: These results revealed that specific host‐produced volatile compounds guide C. cunea to distinguish between natural hosts and non‐hosts. Overall, this study provides a foundation for developing a behavior‐modifying strategy to re‐direct C. cunea attacks to control important non‐host pests. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rapid development of energy storage technology, the operation of portable and wearable devices is inseparable from high energy density power supplies. However, the demand for high performance supercapacitors in movable smart electronics is still restrained by their insufficient areal capacitance and limited power/energy densities. In addition, some electroactive materials, including metal oxides, conductive polymers, graphene, porous carbons, etc., are inevitable to use extra adhesives for the preparation of electrode materials. In this work, integrated hierarchical graphitic porous carbon membranes used as the electrodes without adhesives are successfully synthesized, via pyrolyzing poly(ionic liquid)s (PILs)‐metal organic frameworks (MOFs) composite membranes. The asymmetric supercapacitor is assembled by the carbonized PIL‐MOF composite membrane and PILs‐derived porous carbon membrane, and exhibits significant areal capacitance with remarkable power and energy densities. In the two‐electrode system, the areal capacitance can reach 9.5 F cm−2 with an energy density of 1.91 mWh cm−2. In the fabricated all‐solid‐state supercapacitors, the areal capacitance and energy density achieved 3.2 F cm−2 and 0.65 mWh cm−2, respectively, exceeding most reported ones. Therefore, the integrated carbon membrane electrodes with high areal capacitance reveal great potential in miniaturized devices, and further show a wider application scope through regulating PILs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To determine the safety and efficacy of deep neuromuscular block (NMB) for endolaryngeal surgery. Data Sources: PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Ovid Medline, Embase, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang, VIP databases, and trial registry database. Methods: Inclusion criteria followed the PICOS principles: Participants, adults undergoing endolaryngeal surgery; Intervention, deep NMB performed during the surgery; Control, no‐deep NMB performed; Outcomes, primary outcome: the incidence of clinically acceptable surgical conditions. Secondary outcome: the incidence of intraoperative complications (including vocal fold movement and coughing) and total incidence of postoperative complications [including postoperative residual curarization (PORC), postoperative sore throat (POST), and postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV)]. Study design, randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Duplicate publications, editorials, letters, abstracts, and reviews were excluded. Results: Four articles with 242 patients were identified for analysis. The results indicated that compared with no‐deep NMB, deep NMB provides a higher incidence of clinically acceptable surgical conditions (98.36% vs. 76.67%; relative ratio [RR] = 1.29, 95% CI: 1.07–1.56), a lower incidence of intraoperative complications (10.83% versus 37.16%; RR = 0.32; 95% CI: 0.21–0.49) (lower incidence of vocal fold movement [1.85% vs. 34%; RR = 0.08, 95% CI: 0.02–0.41] and coughing [15.53% vs. 38.78%; RR = 0.42, 95% CI: 0.27–0.66]). There were no differences in the overall incidence of postoperative complications (RR = 2.10, 95% CI: 0.12–36.40). Conclusions: Based on current published evidence, deep NMB provides better surgical conditions with a higher incidence of clinically acceptable surgical conditions and a lower incidence of intraoperative complications (lower incidence of vocal fold movement and coughing) without increasing the overall incidence of postoperative complications. Level of Evidence: 1 Laryngoscope, 133:2055–2065, 2023 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aqueous electrolytes typically suffer from poor electrochemical stability; however, eutectic aqueous solutions—25 wt.% LiCl and 62 wt.% H3PO4—cooled to −78 °C exhibit a significantly widened stability window. Integrated experimental and simulation results reveal that, upon cooling, Li+ ions become less hydrated and pair up with Cl−, ice‐like water clusters form, and H⋅⋅⋅Cl− bonding strengthens. Surprisingly, this low‐temperature solvation structure does not strengthen water molecules' O−H bond, bucking the conventional wisdom that increasing water's stability requires stiffening the O−H covalent bond. We propose a more general mechanism for water's low temperature inertness in the electrolyte: less favorable solvation of OH− and H+, the byproducts of hydrogen and oxygen evolution reactions. To showcase this stability, we demonstrate an aqueous Li‐ion battery using LiMn2O4 cathode and CuSe anode with a high energy density of 109 Wh/kg. These results highlight the potential of aqueous batteries for polar and extraterrestrial missions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel multi‐color emitting Na2YMg2V3O12:Sm3+ phosphor was synthesized using a solid‐state reaction, and its crystal structure, luminescence properties, and thermal stability were studied. Charge transfer within the (VO4)3− groups in the Na2YMg2V3O12 host led to a broad emission band between 400 and 700 nm, with a maximum at 530 nm. The Na2Y1−xMg2V3O12:xSm3+ phosphors exhibited a multi‐color emission band under 365 nm near‐ultraviolet (near‐UV) light, consisting of the green emission of the (VO4)3− groups and sharp emission peaks at 570 nm (yellow), 618 nm (orange), 657 nm (red), and 714 nm (deep red) of Sm3+ ions. The optimal doping concentration of Sm3+ ions was found to be 0.05 mol%, and the dipole–dipole (d–d) interaction was primarily responsible for the concentration quenching phenomenon. Using the acquired Na2YMg2V3O12:Sm3+ phosphors, commercial BaMgAl10O17:Eu2+ blue phosphor, and a near‐UV light‐emitting diode (LED) chip, a white‐LED lamp was designed and packaged. It produced bright neutral white light, manifesting a CIE coordinate of (0.314, 0.373), a color rendering index (CRI) of 84.9, and a correlated color temperature (CCT) of 6377 K. These findings indicate the potential of Na2YMg2V3O12:Sm3+ phosphor to be used as a multi‐color component for solid‐state illumination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Magnetic field is an appropriate physical field, it can be used as a process parameter for the preservation of meat products. In this study, fresh beef was subjected to an alternating magnetic field of 2 mT during cold storage at 4°C, then microbial indicators, physicochemical properties of beef samples and its protein indicators were investigated. The results showed that the alternating magnetic field could inhibit the microbial growth on beef sample, and TVB‐N content, drip loss and characteristic putrefactive amine were lower than the control. The total bacterial count and TVB‐N value of beef samples in the control exceeded the threshold value on the 8th day, respectively, while the samples in the alternating magnetic field exceeded the threshold value on the 13th day. Meanwhile, it demonstrated that the field could delay the transformation of free amino acids to biogenic amines and inhibit the accumulation of bitter amino acids, so maintaining its nutritional characteristics. With the extension of storage period, the sulfhydryl content of beef myofibrillar proteins subjected to alternating magnetic field was lower than that of the control. It demonstrated that the protein oxidation of samples was inhibited, which would also be the reason the Ca2+‐ ATPase activity of myofibrillar proteins was maintained at a low level during the period. Furthermore, the upward trend of carbonyl group content was delayed. It provides a reference for the application of alternating magnetic field on cold storage of meat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Respiratory disease can be early warned by many respiratory parameters such as intensity, rhythm, temperature, and breath molecules like acetone. It requires a complex process to measure these respiratory parameters simultaneously in clinical practice. Therefore, it is a hot topic to design portable devices especially wearable electronics to monitor respiratory conditions continually in daily life. Here, a flexible self‐powered multi‐parameter respiration sensor based on poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) thin film and flexible interdigital electrodes that is bonding with sodium‐doped zinc oxide nanoflowers is demonstrated , which can detect airflow, temperature, and acetone during breathing. The respiration sensor may provide some reference ways for the fabrication of miniaturized respiratory disease monitoring devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Leaves are strikingly diverse in terms of shapes and complexity. The wild and cultivated strawberry plants mostly develop trifoliate compound leaves, yet the underlying genetic basis remains unclear in this important fruit crop in Rosaceae.Here, we identified two EMS mutants designated simple leaf1 (sl1‐1 and sl1‐2) and one natural simple‐leafed mutant monophylla in Fragaria vesca. Their causative mutations all reside in SL1 (FvH4_7g28640) causing premature stop codon at different positions in sl1‐1 and sl1‐2 and an eight‐nucleotide insertion (GTTCATCA) in monophylla.SL1 encodes a transcription regulator with the conserved DNA‐binding domain GT‐1 and the catalytic domain of protein kinases PKc. Expression of SL1pro::SL1 in sl1‐1 completely restored compound leaf formation. The 35S::SL1 lines developed palmate‐like leaves with four or five leaflets at a low penetrance. However, overexpressing the truncated SL1ΔPK caused no phenotypes, probably due to the disruption of homodimerization. SL1 is preferentially expressed at the tips of leaflets and serrations. Moreover, SL1 is closely associated with the auxin pathway and works synergistically with FveLFYa in leaf morphogenesis.Overall, our work uncovered a new type of transcription regulator that promotes compound leaf formation in the woodland strawberry and shed new lights on the diversity of leaf complexity control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Topological geometry of poly(ionic liquid)s (PILs), such as brush‐like, knot‐like, hyperbranched and randomly coiled, often exerts a strong influence on their self‐assembly behaviors. As a primary topological form, the cyclic topology‐derived effects have not been investigated on PILs, which concerns synergy of charges and zero chain end. Herein, linear and cyclic poly(ionic liquid) copolymers (co‐PILs) with randomly distributed counter anions of B(Ph)4− and Br− by a template method in combination with a follow‐up partial anion exchange is prepared. The self‐assembly phenomena of linear and cyclic co‐PILs are studied in selective solvents, where the hydrophobic counter anions B(Ph)4− and hydrophilic counter anions Br− aggregated to form cores and corona in the assembled nanospheres, showing the average size of cyclic co‐PILs nanospheres is 46.2% smaller (≈120 nm) than linear co‐PILs nano‐assemblies (≈176 nm). Based on the CGMD simulations, the authors speculate that the spherical aggregates are formed by transitioning from micelles with gradient block‐like structures, which formed by enriched hydrophobic counter anions in the core and enriched hydrophilic counter anions in the corona. These results indicate a novel synergy of topology effects and dynamic anion movements, as revealed by cyclic co‐PIL self‐assembly in this work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we consider the following fractional parabolic‐elliptic Keller–Segel system with time‐space dependent logistic source on the whole space 0.1ut+(−Δ)su+χ∇·(u∇v)=u(a(t,x)−b(t,x)u),t>0,x∈ℝN,0=Δv−λv+μu,t>0,x∈ℝN,$$ \left\{\begin{array}{cc}{u}_t+{\left(-\Delta \right)}^su+\chi \nabla \cdotp \left(u\nabla v\right)=u\left(a\left(t,x\right)-b\left(t,x\right)u\right),\kern0.30em & t>0,x\in {\mathbb{R}}^N,\\ {}0=\Delta v-\lambda v+\mu u,\kern0.30em & t>0,x\in {\mathbb{R}}^N,\end{array}\right. $$where s∈(0,1),χ,λ$$ s\in \left(0,1\right),\chi, \lambda $$ and μ$$ \mu $$ are positive constants and the functions a(t,x)$$ a\left(t,x\right) $$ and b(t,x)$$ b\left(t,x\right) $$ are positive and bounded. When the order of fractional diffusion s∈1/2,1$$ s\in \left(1/2,1\right) $$ and the functions a(t,x)$$ a\left(t,x\right) $$ and b(t,x)$$ b\left(t,x\right) $$ satisfy some conditions, we first prove the local existence and uniqueness of nonnegative classical solutions (u(t,x;t0,u0),v(t,x;t0,u0))$$ \left(u\left(t,x;{t}_0,{u}_0\right),v\left(t,x;{t}_0,{u}_0\right)\right) $$ with u(t0,x;t0,u0)=u0$$ u\left({t}_0,x;{t}_0,{u}_0\right)={u}_0 $$ for every t0∈ℝ$$ {t}_0\in \mathbb{R} $$ and every nonnegative bounded and uniformly continuous initial function u0$$ {u}_0 $$. Next, under some parameter conditions, we prove the global existence and boundedness of classical solutions (u(t,x;t0,u0),v(t,x;t0,u0))$$ \left(u\left(t,x;{t}_0,{u}_0\right),v\left(t,x;{t}_0,{u}_0\right)\right) $$ for given initial function u0$$ {u}_0 $$. Finally, we obtain the pointwise persistence phenomena of solutions; that is, for any strictly positive initial function u0$$ {u}_0 $$, there are 00$$ T\left({u}_0\right)>0 $$ such that m≤u(t,x;t0,u0)≤M,∀t≥T(u0),x∈ℝN.$$ m\le u\left(t,x;{t}_0,{u}_0\right)\le M,\forall t\ge T\left({u}_0\right),x\in {\mathbb{R}}^N. $$In summary, these results are extension to the case of fractional parabolic‐elliptic Keller–Segel system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Lettuce (Lactuca sativa) is one of the most important vegetables worldwide and an ideal plant for producing protein drugs. Both well‐functioning chloroplasts that perform robust photosynthesis and small leaf angles that enable dense planting are essential for high yields. In this study, we used an F2 population derived from a cross between a lettuce cultivar with pale‐green leaves and large leaf angles to a cultivar with dark‐green leaves and small leaf angles to clone LsNRL4, which encodes an NPH3/RPT2‐Like (NRL) protein. Unlike other NRL proteins in lettuce, the LsNRL4 lacks the BTB domain. Knockout mutants engineered using CRISPR/Cas9 and transgenic lines overexpressing LsNRL4 verified that LsNRL4 contributes to chloroplast development, photosynthesis and leaf angle. The LsNRL4 gene was not present in the parent with pale‐green leaves and enlarged leaf angles. Loss of LsNRL4 results in the enlargement of chloroplasts, decreases in the amount of cellular space allocated to chloroplasts and defects in secondary cell wall biosynthesis in lamina joints. Overexpressing LsNRL4 significantly improved photosynthesis and decreased leaf angles. Indeed, the plant architecture of the overexpressing lines is ideal for dense planting. In summary, we identified a novel NRL gene that enhances photosynthesis and influences plant architecture. Our study provides new approaches for the breeding of lettuce that can be grown in dense planting in the open field or in modern plant factories. LsNRL4 homologues may also be used in other crops to increase photosynthesis and improve plant architecture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new rod‐packing metal–organic frameworks (RPMOF) are constructed by regulating the in situ formation of the capping agent. In CPM‐s7, carboxylate linkers extend 1D manganese‐oxide chains in four additional directions, forming 3D RPMOF. The substitution of Mn2+ with a stronger Lewis acidic Co2+, leads to an acceleration of the hydrolysis‐prone sulfonate linker, resulting in presence of sulfate ions to reduce two out of the four carboxylate‐extending directions, and thus forming a new 2D rod‐packing CPM‐s8. Density functional theory calculations and magnetization measurements reveal ferrimagnetic ordering of CPM‐s8, signifying the potential of exploring 2D RPMOF for effective low‐dimensional magnetic materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Leaf shape represents a vital agronomic trait for leafy vegetables such as lettuce. Some lettuce cultivars produce lobed leaves, varying from pinnately to palmately lobed, but the genetic mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, we cloned one major quantitative trait locus (QTL) controlling palmately lobed leaves. The candidate gene, LsKN1, encodes a homeobox transcription factor, and has been shown previously to be critical for the development of leafy heads in lettuce. The LsKN1 allele that is upregulated by the insertion of a transposon promotes the development of palmately lobed leaves. We demonstrated that LsKN1 upregulated LsCUC2 and LsCUC3 through different mechanisms, and their upregulation was critical for the development of palmately lobed leaves. LsKN1 binds the promoter of LsPID to promote auxin biosynthesis, which positively contributes to the development of palmately lobed leaves. In contrast, LsKN1 suppresses GA biosynthesis to promote palmately lobed leaves. LsKN1 also binds to the promoter of LsAS1, a dorsiventrality gene, to downregulate its expression. Overexpression of the LsAS1 gene compromised the effects of the LsKN1 gene changing palmately to pinnately lobed leaves. Our study illustrated that the upregulated LsKN1 gene led to palmately lobed leaves in lettuce by integrating several downstream pathways, including auxin, gibberellin, and leaf dorsiventrality pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intravesical instillation of chemotherapeutic drugs such as epirubicin (EPI) is routinely used to prevent tumor recurrence and progression after transurethral resection of bladder tumor. However, the lack of tumor selectivity often causes severe damage to normal bladder urothelium leading to intolerable side effects. Here, we analyzed abnormal changes in glycosylation in bladder cancer and identified mannose as the most aberrantly expressed glycan on the surface of bladder cancer cell lines and human bladder tumor tissues. We then constructed a lectin‐drug conjugate by linking concanavalin A (ConA) – a lectin that specifically binds to mannose, with EPI through a pH‐sensitive linker. This ConA−EPI conjugate conferred EPI with mannose‐targeting ability and selectively internalized cancer cells in vitro. This conjugate showed selective cytotoxicity to cancer cells in vitro and better antitumor activity in an orthotopic mouse model of bladder cancer. Our lectin‐drug conjugation strategy makes targeted intravesical chemotherapy of bladder cancer possible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Harvesting biomechanical energy to power wearable electronic devices shows great potential in the field of the Internet of Things. An insole hybrid nanogenerator (IHN) has been designed based on a combination of multilayered triboelectric nanogenerator and arched piezoelectric nanogenerator. The IHN not only can convert the mechanical energy of the footsteps into electricity, but also distinguishes three kinds of motion states: walking, stepping, and jumping. A maximum open‐circuit voltage of 150 V and a short‐circuit current of 4.5 µA are achieved from human body motions. After walking for 8 min, the IHN can charge a 100 μF capacitor to 2.5 V. Then, a self‐powered dorsalis pedis artery monitoring system is designed, which can detect the pulse signals of the dorsalis pedis artery in real‐time. The integrated design of energy collection, storage, and utilization has important application potential in future self‐powered monitoring of patients and intelligent analysis of blood supply to the lower limbs in a professional athlete. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contemporary perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have drawn substantial interest due to their high photovoltaic efficiency. However, the instability of perovskite in a humid environment restricts the service time extension and limits the large‐scale application of PSCs. Herein, a series of passivation molecules (PMs), 2‐MEP, 2‐MDEP, 2‐MTEP, and 2‐MQEP, featuring different lengths of alkyl chains have been designed based on 2‐mercaptopyridine (2‐MP) which greatly improve the stability of PSCs in the humid environment. First‐principles calculations demonstrate that the designed molecules offer stronger adsorption on the perovskite surface compared with 2‐MP. The charge density difference and Bader charge analysis show that the newly designed Lewis bases improve the charge transfer ability, leading to effective separation of carriers at PM@MAPbI3 interfaces. Furthermore, molecular dynamics simulations verify that the steady Pb‐N/S interactions in the MAPbI3/PM/H2O system effectively prevent H2O from approaching the perovskite surface. This work not only provides a set of promising surface passivators (especially 2‐MDEP), but also paves a way for the design of PMs that endow PSCs stability and make PSCs highly competitive in the photovoltaic market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SUMMARY: Horticultural crops mainly include fruits, vegetables, ornamental trees and flowers, and tea trees (Melaleuca alternifolia). They produce a variety of nutrients for the daily human diet in addition to the nutrition provided by staple crops, and some of them additionally possess ornamental and medicinal features. As such, horticultural crops make unique and important contributions to both food security and a colorful lifestyle. Under the current climate change scenario, the growing population and limited arable land means that agriculture, and especially horticulture, has been facing unprecedented challenges to meet the diverse demands of human daily life. Breeding horticultural crops with high quality and adaptability and establishing an effective system that combines cultivation, post‐harvest handling, and sales becomes increasingly imperative for horticultural production. This review discusses characteristic and recent research highlights in horticultural crops, focusing on the breeding of quality traits and the mechanisms that underpin them. It additionally addresses challenges and potential solutions in horticultural production and post‐harvest practices. Finally, we provide a prospective as to how emerging technologies can be implemented alongside interdisciplinary basic research to enhance our understanding and exploitation of horticultural crops. Significance Statement: Horticultural crops are rich in nutrients and of great economic value. Novel technologies such as multi‐omics, CRISPR, high‐precision sensors, and artificial intelligence have been developed to study and breed horticultural crops. In this review, we focus on these novel techniques and provide a perspective to combine interdisciplinary technologies to enhance our understanding and exploitation of horticultural crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author should give careful consideration to the study eligibility criteria of systematic reviews (SRs) and follow it after review protocol development to reduce the possibility of manipulation of inclusion. Our aim was to investigate the prevalence of differences in study eligibility criteria between non‐Cochrane SRs and their pre‐registered protocols on PROSPERO, and determined what changes were involved as well as whether those changes were explained. We searched the protocols registered on PROSPERO platform in the year of 2018 and then selected these protocols which full‐text have been published up to June 9, 2020. A random sample (n = 100) was included. Published full‐texts were identified through the protocol's final publication citation. The following five key components of study eligibility criteria were compared: participants, intervention(s)/exposure(s), comparator(s), types of study design, and outcome(s). A total of 90% of included SRs exhibited differences in study eligibility criteria, and 59/90 altered in no less than two key components. Only one SR reported and explained the rationale for changes to the individual key component (the definition of exposure). The "Outcome(s)" exhibited the greatest variation, with changes in 61% of the SRs. The "Comparator(s)/control" exhibited the smallest variation, with changes in 20% of the SRs. Differences in study eligibility criteria between the non‐Cochrane SRs and their protocols registered on PROSPERO were widespread but were seldom explained. Authors themselves, PROSPERO platform, as well as peer‐review journals and their peer‐reviewers should play a role in further improving transparency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SUMMARY: For diploid organisms that are highly heterozygous, a phased haploid genome can greatly aid in functional genomic, population genetic and breeding studies. Based on the genome sequencing of 135 single sperm cells of the elite tea cultivar 'Fudingdabai', we herein phased the genome of Camellia sinensis, one of the most popular beverage crops worldwide. High‐resolution genetic and recombination maps of Fudingdabai were constructed, which revealed that crossover (CO) positions were frequently located in the 5′ and 3′ ends of annotated genes, while CO distributions across the genome were random. The low CO frequency in tea can be explained by strong CO interference, and CO simulation revealed the proportion of interference insensitive CO ranged from 5.2% to 11.7%. We furthermore developed a method to infer the relatedness between tea accessions and detected complex kinship and genetic signatures of 106 tea accessions. Among them, 59 accessions were closely related with Fudingdabai and 31 of them were first‐degree relatives. We additionally identified genes displaying allele specific expression patterns between the two haplotypes of Fudingdabai and genes displaying significantly differential expression levels between Fudingdabai and other haplotypes. These results lay the foundation for further investigation of genetic and epigenetic factors underpinning the regulation of gene expression and provide insights into the evolution of tea plants as well as a valuable genetic resource for future breeding efforts. Significance Statement: We phased the genome of the elite tea cultivar Fudingdabai based on genome sequencing of 135 single sperm cells, which further reveal the CO distribution patterns and strong CO interference in the tea genome. Taking advantage of the phased genome, a relatedness‐inferring method was developed which uncovers the complex kinship of 106 tea accessions, including 31 first‐degree relatives of Fudingdabai. Furthermore, genes showing allele specific expression patterns among Fudingdabai relatives were also detected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Capturing volatile radioactive nuclides including iodine (I129 or I131) is one of the major problems to be solved for environmental sustainability. Multiple types of functional microporous materials such as metal organic frameworks and covalent organic frameworks have been constructed for iodine emission control. However, most of the microporous materials are limited by their weak binding force with iodine and low stability, leading to low capture efficiencies. Herein, the synthesis of pyridyl conjugated microporous polymer networks with large surface areas (PCMP‐Y) up to 1304 m2 g−1 and high yields up to 95% via a simple Yamamoto cross‐coupling reaction, is reported. The PCMP‐Y carries amine and pyridine N groups which have stronger interactions with iodine molecules. The high specific surface areas and porosities of PCMP‐Y facilitate iodine capture, delivering a maximum adsorption capacity of 4.75 g g−1 in a short time (3 h), which is superior to a majority of porous materials reported. Moreover, the reversible desorption nature of PCMP‐Y capturing iodine imparts a platform for metal‐free heterogeneous catalyst, which can be applied to synthesize aminobenzothiazole medicines via O2‐promoted cascade reactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) is an important vegetable crop species worldwide. The primary metabolism of this species is essential for its growth, development and reproduction as well as providing a considerable direct source of energy and nutrition for humans. Here, through investigating 77 primary metabolites in 189 accessions including all major horticultural types and wild lettuce L. serriola we showed that the metabolites in L. serriola were different from those in cultivated lettuce. The findings were consistent with the demographic model of lettuce and supported a single domestication event for this species. Selection signals among these metabolic traits were detected. Specifically, galactinol, malate, quinate and threonate were significantly affected by the domestication process and cultivar differentiation of lettuce. Galactinol and raffinose might have been selected during stem lettuce cultivation as an adaption to the local environments in China. Furthermore, we identified 154 loci significantly associated with the level of 51 primary metabolites. Three genes (LG8749721, LG8763094 and LG5482522) responsible for the levels of galactinol, raffinose, quinate and chlorogenic acid were further dissected, which may have been the target of domestication and/or affected by local adaptation. Additionally, our findings strongly suggest that human selection resulted in reduced quinate and chlorogenic acid levels in cultivated lettuce. Our study thus provides beneficial genetic resources for lettuce quality improvement and sheds light on the domestication and evolution of this important leafy green. Significance Statement: We investigate natural variation of 77 primary metabolites among 189 diverse lettuce accessions and find large difference between wild lettuce L. serriola and L. sativa at the metabolic level, which is consistent with the demographic model of lettuce. 154 genome‐wide loci significantly associated with the level of 51 primary metabolites are identified and three genes (LsGol2, LsHCT and LsC'3H) which are potential target of domestication and responsible for metabolic variation are further dissected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A shape‐stabilized composite phase change material (SS‐CPCM) with paraffin (PA) and biological porous carbon (BPC) was prepared. Freeze‐dried biological‐cellulose include abandoned pomelo peel (APP) and tangerine peel (ATP) were carbonized in vacuum at 800 °C to obtain BPC to be used as a matrix material to prevent PA leakage and enhance thermal conductivity. A vacuum impregnation process was utilized to obtain the SS‐CPCM. Scanning electron microscopy showed that BPC (carbonized APP is subsequently referred to as BPC1 and carbonized ATP as BPC2) has a porous, honeycomb‐like structure, and that the paraffin encapsulated by the pores is evenly distributed. The SS‐CPCM2 (made from ATP) had the highest thermal conductivity (2.10 W/m K), which is 1.89 and 10 times that of the SS‐CPCM1 (made using APP) and pure PA, respectively. Differential scanning calorimetry and thermo‐gravimetric analysis were applied to determine the thermal performance and thermal reliability of the SS‐CPCM. Therefore, the prepared SS‐CPCM has potential in the field of energy storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Keywords: triforine; lettuce; hypersensitive response; R-gene; ROS burst EN triforine lettuce hypersensitive response R-gene ROS burst 2144 2146 3 10/26/21 20211101 NES 211101 The majority of cloned disease-resistance genes ( I R i -genes) encode proteins with nucleotide-binding leucine-rich repeat domains (NLRs). Hypersensitivity to triforine in lettuce is triggered by a TNL gene through the disease-resistance pathway To obtain the I Tr i gene, we used conserved primers to PCR amplify homologues of the I R i -gene family from the two parental genotypes, PCR products were cloned, and individual colonies were sequenced. [Extracted from the article]

A series of cyclodextrin‐derived room temperature macromolecular ionic liquids carrying rather low glass transition temperatures of −20 to −40 °C are synthesized via sequential esterification, quaternization, and anion metathesis reactions. In addition to being ionic in nature, they are viscous liquids at room temperature with more fluidic behavior at elevated temperatures. They serve as a solvent for organic dyes or iodine separation via a liquid–liquid extraction approach. This strategy is useful for the development of various sugar (macro)molecule‐based functional ionic liquids as well as macromolecular ionic liquids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phase‐change materials (PCMs) have been widely investigated as candidates for thermal energy storage and solar thermal energy conversion. However, low thermal conductivity and poor shape stability during phase transition processes are detrimental to their practical applications. In this study, we designed composite PCMs based on carbon foam (CF) via the vacuum impregnation method to overcome these problems. CF with 3D interconnected microporous structures and good compressive strength was fabricated from phenolic resin (PF) using a combined process of carbonization and sacrificial template techniques. The developer material is considered a promising support material for PCMs. The as‐prepared polyethylene glycol/CF composite (PCC) exhibited a high energy‐storage density with a melting enthalpy of 135.7 J/g, and the thermal conductivity was enhanced by 109.8% compared to that of pure polyethylene glycol. In addition, the PCC showed excellent thermal stability and leakage‐proof performance after 100 heating/cooling cycles and good compressive strength. Because of the simple preparation process and low cost, PCC is a promising material for various thermal energy storage applications, especially in building energy storage systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Anthocyanins protect plants from biotic and abiotic stressors and provide great health benefits to consumers. In this study, we cloned four genes (Red Lettuce Leaves 1 to 4: RLL1 to RLL4) that contribute to colour variations in lettuce. The RLL1 gene encodes a bHLH transcription factor, and a 5‐bp deletion in some cultivars abolishes its function to activate the anthocyanin biosynthesis pathway. The RLL2 gene encodes an R2R3‐MYB transcription factor, which was derived from a duplication followed by mutations in its promoter region. The RLL3 gene encodes an R2‐MYB transcription factor, which down‐regulates anthocyanin biosynthesis through competing with RLL2 for interaction with RLL1; a mis‐sense mutation compromises the capacity of RLL3 to bind RLL1. The RLL4 gene encodes a WD‐40 transcription factor, homologous to the RUP genes suppressing the UV‐B signal transduction pathway in Arabidopsis; a mis‐sense mutation in rll4 attenuates its suppressing function, leading to a high concentration of anthocyanins. Sequence analysis of the RLL1‐RLL4 genes from wild and cultivated lettuce showed that their function‐changing mutations occurred after domestication. The mutations in rll1 disrupt anthocyanin biosynthesis, while the mutations in RLL2, rll3 and rll4 activate anthocyanin biosynthesis, showing disruptive selection for leaf colour during domestication of lettuce. The characterization of multiple polymorphic genes in this study provides the necessary molecular resources for the rational breeding of lettuce cultivars with distinct levels of red pigments and green cultivars with high levels of health‐promoting flavonoids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We assessed the prevalence characteristics of single and multiple high‐risk human papillomavirus (HR‐HPV) infections. A total of 1783 women who underwent colposcopy and cervical biopsy for abnormal ThinPrep Cytology Test and/or HR‐HPV subtype genotyping results were enrolled in the study. Among the participants, 770 were diagnosed with cervicitis, 395 with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 1 (CIN1), 542 with CIN2‐3, and 76 with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), with HR‐HPV infection rates of 75.8%, 85.8%, 95.9%, and 88.4%, respectively. The prevalence of total and multiple HR‐HPV infections exhibited a bimodal age distribution with a peak at ≤25 years, a decline with age and a second peak at ≥55 years, whereas single HR‐HPV infections exhibited one peak from 35 to 44 years. The four most dominant HPV genotypes were HPV 16 (29.5%), 52 (15.0%), 58 (14.2%), and 18 (10.4%). In total, 67.0%, 70.4%, and 82.1% of patients with CIN1, CIN2‐3, and SCC, respectively, had a single HR‐HPV infection, which increased significantly with the aggravation of the cervical lesion grade (P = 0.045). Patients with a single HPV 16 infection had higher incidences of CIN2+ (62.2%) than those with multiple HPV 16 infections (52.4%) (P = 0.021). Patients coinfected with HPV 16 had higher CIN2+ incidence than those with single HPV 52, 31, 33, 35, 39, 45, 51, 56, or 59 infections (P < 0.001). This study provided baseline data on the prevalence characteristics of single and multiple HR‐HPV infections in women attending a gynecological outpatient clinic in Beijing. 1.The four most dominant HPV genotypes were HPV16, 52, 58, 18.2.Patients with a single HPV16 infection had higher incidences of CIN2+.3.Patients coinfected with HPV 16 had higher CIN2+ incidence than single HPV infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Das Gebiet poröser Polyelektrolyte hat im letzten Jahrzehnt eine rasante Entwicklung genommen. Das Interesse richtet sich zurzeit auf die Synthese dieser Materialien und ihre Anwendung in der Umwelt‐, Energie‐, Biomedizin‐ und Katalysetechnik. Für poröse Polyelektrolyte stehen verschiedene funktionelle organische Gruppen und Verarbeitungstechniken zur Auswahl, attraktiv macht diese Materialien jedoch vor allem das Zusammenspiel zwischen Ladung und Porenabmessungen in verschiedenen Längenbereichen, von einzelnen Polyelektrolytgerüsten bis hin zu ihren Nano‐/Mikroüberstrukturen. Dieser Aufsatz beschäftigt sich mit neuen Entwicklungen bei porösen Polyelektrolyten und schließt Membranen, Partikel, Gerüste, Pulver sowie Harze mit großer spezifischer Oberfläche sowie deren Derivate ein. Er konzentriert sich dabei auf das Zusammenspiel zwischen Oberflächenchemie, Coulomb‐Wechselwirkungen und Porenbeschränkung, was für die Chemie und Physik dieser Materialien bei Anwendungen auf den Gebieten der Energieumwandlung, Molekültrennung, Wasseraufbereitung, Sensortechnik/Aktuation, Katalyse, Gewebezüchtung und Nanomedizin relevant ist. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The past decade has witnessed rapid advances in porous polyelectrolytes and there is tremendous interest in their synthesis as well as their applications in environmental, energy, biomedicine, and catalysis technologies. Research on porous polyelectrolytes is motivated by the flexible choice of functional organic groups and processing technologies as well as the synergy of the charge and pores spanning length scales from individual polyelectrolyte backbones to their nano‐/micro‐superstructures. This Review surveys recent progress in porous polyelectrolytes including membranes, particles, scaffolds, and high surface area powders/resins as well as their derivatives. The focus is the interplay between surface chemistry, Columbic interaction, and pore confinement that defines new chemistry and physics in such materials for applications in energy conversion, molecular separation, water purification, sensing/actuation, catalysis, tissue engineering, and nanomedicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Aim: To localize, quantify and compare angiogenic factors, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), placental growth factor (PlGF), as well as their receptors fms‐like tyrosine kinase receptor (Flt‐1) and kinase insert domain receptor (KDR) in the placentas of normal pregnancy and complications of preeclampsia (PE), intrauterine fetal growth restriction (IUGR) and PE + IUGR. Methods: In a prospective cross‐sectional case–control study, 30 pregnant women between 24–40 weeks of gestation, were recruited into four clinical groups. Representative placental samples were stained for VEGF, PlGF, Flt‐1 and KDR. Analysis was performed using semiquantitative methods and digital image analysis. Results: The overall VEGF and Flt‐1 were strongly expressed and did not show any conclusive difference in the expression between study groups. PlGF and KDR were significantly reduced in expression in the placentas from pregnancies complicated by IUGR compared with normal and preeclamptic pregnancies. Conclusion: The lack of PlGF and KDR may be a cause for the development of IUGR and may explain the loss of vasculature and villous architecture in IUGR. Automated digital image analysis software is a viable alternative method to the manual reading of placental immunohistochemical staining. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we study the curve cone of an almost complex 4-manifold which is tamed by a symplectic form. In particular, we prove the cone theorem as in Mori theory for all such manifolds using the Seiberg-Witten theory. For small rational surfaces and minimal ruled surfaces, we study the configuration of negative curves. We define abstract configuration of negative curves, which records the homological and intersection information of curves. Combinatorial blowdown is the main tool to study these configurations. As an application of our investigation of the curve cone, we prove the Nakai-Moishezon type duality for all almost Kähler structures on [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Porous polyelectrolyte membranes stable in a highly ionic environment are obtained by covalent crosslinking of an imidazolium-based poly(ionic liquid). The crosslinking reaction involves the UV light-induced thiol-ene (click) chemistry, and the phase separation, occurring during the crosslinking step, generates a fully interconnected porous structure in the membrane. The porosity is on the order of the micrometer scale and the membrane shows a gradient of pore size across the membrane cross-section. The membrane can separate polystyrene latex particles of different size and undergoes actuation in contact with acetone due to the asymmetric porous structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grid‐interactive converters with primary frequency control and inertia emulation have emerged and are promising for future renewable generation plants because of the contribution in power system stabilisation. This study gives a synchronous active power control solution for grid‐interactive converters, as a way to emulate synchronous generators for inerita characteristics and load sharing. As design considerations, the virtual angle stability and transient response are both analysed, and the detailed implementation structure is also given without entailing any difficulty in practice. The analytical and experimental validation of frequency support characteristics differentiates the work from other publications on generator emulation control. The 10 kW simulation and experimental frequency sweep tests on a regenerative source test bed present good performance of the proposed control in showing inertia and droop characteristics, as well as the controllable transient response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multi‐terminal dc (MTDC) grids are expected to be built and experience rapid expansion in the near future as they have emerged as a competitive solution for transmitting offshore wind generation and overlaying their ac counterpart. The concept of inertia sharing for the control and operation of MTDC grids, which can be achieved by the proposed unified reference controller. The control objectives of the MTDC grids voltage source converter (VSC) stations are no longer limited to the stabilisation of MTDC grid, instead, the requirements of ac side are also met. The interaction dynamics between the ac and dc grid is analysed to illustrate the proposed concept. In addition, the voltage source converter stations can work in different operation modes based on the proposed unified control structure, and can switch among the operation modes smoothly following the secondary control commands. Simulation results exhibit the merits and satisfactory performance of the proposed control strategy for stable MTDC grid operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conventional polymer additives have a substantial impact on synthetic inorganic chemistry, but critical shortcomings remain; for example, low solubility in organic solvents and potential thermodynamic aggregates. Poly(ionic liquid)s have now been used as efficient additives that enable a high level control of bismuth sulfide crystals with significant size and morphological diversities. The bismuth sulfides exhibit tunable band structure as a result of the quantum size effects. Moreover, poly(ionic liquid)s are able to couple with as-synthesized bismuth sulfides chemically and endow a modified surface electronic structure, which allows resultant products to possess outstanding electrocatalytic performance for water oxidation, although its commercial counterpart is catalytically inert. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, the synthesis of a series of poly(4-alkyl-1-vinyl-1,2,4-triazolium) poly(ionic liquid)s is reported either via straightforward free radical polymerization of their corresponding ionic liquid monomers or via anion metathesis of the polymer precursors bearing halide as counter anion. The ionic liquid monomers are first prepared via N-alkylation reaction of commercially available 1-vinyl-1,2,4-triazole with alkyl iodides, followed by anion metathesis with targeted fluorinated anions. The thermal properties and solubilities of these poly(ionic liquid)s have been systematically investigated. Interestingly, it is found that the poly(4-ethyl-1-vinyl-1,2,4-triazolium) poly(ionic liquid) exhibited an improved loading capacity of transition metal ions in comparison with its imidazolium counterpart. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The high‐voltage multi‐terminal dc (MTDC) systems are foreseen to experience an important development in the next years. Currently, they have appeared to be a prevailing technical and economical solution for harvesting offshore wind energy. In this study, inertia mimicry capability is added to a voltage‐source converter‐HVDC grid‐side station in an MTDC grid connected to a weak ac grid, which can have low inertia or even operate as an islanded grid. The presented inertia mimicry control is integrated in the generalised voltage droop strategy implemented at the primary level of a two‐layer hierarchical control structure of the MTDC grid to provide higher flexibility, and thus controllability to the network. Besides, complete control framework from the operational point of view is developed to integrate the low‐level control of the converter stations in the supervisory control centre of the MTDC grid. A scaled laboratory test results considering the international council on large electric systems (CIGRE) B4 MTDC grid demonstrate the good performance of the converter station when it is connected to a weak islanded ac grid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inhibitor of differentiation/DNA-binding (Id) proteins are helix-loop-helix (HLH) transcription factors. The Id protein family (Id1-Id4) mediates tissue homeostasis by regulating cellular processes including differentiation, proliferation, and apoptosis. Ids typically function as dominant negative HLH proteins, which bind other HLH proteins and sequester them away from DNA promoter regions. Previously, we have found that Id3 induced apoptosis in immortalized human keratinocytes upon UVB exposure, consistent with its role as a tumor suppressor. To investigate the role of Id3 in malignant squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) cells (A431), a tetracycline-regulated inducible system was used to induce Id3 in cell culture and mouse xenograft models. We found that upon Id3 induction, there was a decrease in cell number under low serum conditions, as well as in soft agar. Microarray, RT-PCR, immunoblot, siRNA, and inhibitor studies revealed that Id3 induced expression of Elk-1, an E-twenty-six (ETS)- domain transcription factor, inducing procaspase-8 expression and activation. Id3 deletion mutants revealed that 80 C-terminal amino acids, including the HLH, are important for Id3-induced apoptosis. In a mouse xenograft model, Id3 induction decreased tumor size by 30%. Using immunofluorescent analysis, we determined that the tumor size decrease was also mediated through apoptosis. Furthermore, we show that Id3 synergizes with 5-FU and cisplatin therapies for nonmelanoma skin cancer cells. Our studies have shown a molecular mechanism by which Id3 induces apoptosis in SCC, and this information can potentially be used to develop new treatments for SCC patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of novel metal-free organic dyes containing the thiazolo[5,4- d]thiazole moiety were designed and synthesized for quasi-solid-state dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Different alkoxy chains were introduced into the electron donor part of the dye molecules for comparison. The optical, electrochemical, and photovoltaic properties for all sensitizers were systematically investigated. It was found that the sensitizers with the different alkoxy groups have similar photophysical and electrochemical properties, such as absorbance and energy levels, owing to their close chemical structures. However, the quasi-solid-state DSSCs based on the resulting sensitizers exhibit different performance parameters. The quasi-solid-state DSSC based on sensitizer FNE74 with two octyloxy chains possessed the highest solar energy conversion efficiency of 5.10 % under standard AM 1.5G sunlight illumination without the use of coadsorbant agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thieno[3,4- c]pyrrole-4,6-dione-based organic sensitizers with triphenylamine ( FNE38 and FNE40) or julolidine ( FNE39 and FNE41) as electron-donating unit have been designed and synthesized. A linear hexyl group or a branched alkyl chain, the 2-ethylhexyl group, is incorporated into molecular skeleton of the dyes to minimize intermolecular interactions. The absorption, electrochemical, and photovoltaic properties for these sensitizers were then systematically investigated. It is found that the sensitizers have similar photophysical and electrochemical properties, such as absorption spectra and energy levels, owing to their close chemical structures. However, the quasi-solid-state dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) based on the two types of sensitizers exhibit very different performance parameters. Upon the incorporation of the short ethyl group on the hexyl moiety, enhancements in both open-circuit voltage ( Voc) and short-circuit current ( Jsc) are achieved for the quasi-solid-state DSSCs. The Voc gains originating from the suppression of charge recombination were quantitatively investigated and are in good agreement with the experimentally observed Voc enhancements. Therefore, an enhanced solar energy conversion efficiency ( η) of 6.16 %, constituting an increase by 23 %, is achieved under standard AM 1.5 sunlight without the use of coadsorbant agents for the quasi-solid-state DSSC based on sensitizer FNE40, which bears the branched alkyl group, in comparison with that based on FNE38 carrying the linear alkyl group. This work presents a design concept for considering the crucial importance of the branched alkyl substituent in novel metal-free organic sensitizers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 'eye-safe' waveband infrared laser radiation with wavelength of around 1.5 μm has extensive applications in communication, medical care, remote control, etc. An erbium/ytterbium co-doped double clad fiber amplifier operating at 1.5-μm wavelength is studied in this article. Theory models, which include calculation of amplified spontaneous emission powers, is built on rate equations describing the energy level transition and intercross transfer, and power propagation equations. Influence of gain fiber length and input signal power on amplifier's output power is analyzed and the amplifier's optimal parameters are derived via simulations. The laser's power spectrums after amplification are found to be satisfactory. An experiment of erbium/ytterbium doped fiber amplifier is also performed. A set of input-output power curves with varying pump powers are measured, which confirm our theoretical analysis. A highest output power of 1.33 W is achieved in the experiment. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 54:1332-1335, 2012 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]