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Background: Prophylactic irradiation of supraclavicular lymph node drainage areas can improve the regional control rate of lymph node-positive breast cancer and reduce breast cancer-related mortality. However, many inconsistencies exist in the clinical target volume delineation of supraclavicular lymph node drainage in patients with breast cancer. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 42 breast cancer patients with supraclavicular lymph node metastasis at our hospital between January 2017 and December 2021. Among these cases, 32 were locally advanced and 10 were stage IV at initial treatment. A patient with breast cancer who did not undergo dissection of the upper and lower clavicle lymph nodes at our hospital was selected as a standard patient. A contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) scan for positioning was used as a template image, and blood vessels, muscles, and bony landmarks were used as references for positioning. The metastatic supraclavicular lymph nodes were identified in all enrolled patients and projected into the template CT images. Results: The metastatic pattern of supraclavicular lymph node in breast cancer was proposed: distribution along the posterolateral border of the internal jugular vein (medial supraclavicular group) and the transverse jugular vein (lateral supraclavicular group). We theorized that the lateral and posterior borders of the clinical target volume in the supraclavicular region should include the lymph nodes in the posterior triangle of the neck (level V). If the metastasis axillary lymph node is extensive, then the superior border of the supraclavicular region should be moved upward appropriately. Conclusions: This study analyzed patients with breast cancer and supraclavicular lymph node metastasis at initial treatment, explored the metastatic pattern of supraclavicular lymph node, and applied anatomical knowledge to further optimize the target volume delineation of supraclavicular lymph node drainage area in breast cancer.

The Dalong tin deposit, located in the Luziyuan polymetallic ore field of the southern Baoshan block, Southwest China, is composed of lenticular and bedded orebodies hosted in a Cambrian slate-marble sequence. As the only tin deposit in the orefield, the genesis of the Dalong deposit is of great significance to the understanding of regional metallogenic regularity. Based on a systematic field survey and petrographic observation, EPMA and LA-ICP-MS major/trace element analyses of cassiterite were carried out in this study. The enrichment of Fe, W, and Ti in cassiterite, as well as the depletion of Nb, Ta, and Mn, reveal cassiterite’s features in granitic magmatic-hydrothermal deposits. The Dalong deposit can be categorized as a magmatic-hydrothermal vein-type deposit because of its sulfur isotopic properties, and the main sources of ore-forming fluid and minerals are thought to be buried intermediate-acid intrusions in the mining area’s depths.

A biocompatible Fe3O4 nanoparticle integrating methylglyoxal-activatable NIR-II fluorescent probe and brain-targeting peptide was developed for visualizing Alzheimer's disease (AD)-related methylglyoxal variation in vivo.

2-Acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonic acid (AMPS) is used as an organic additive for poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF)-based polymer electrolytes to assist with the fast Li-ion conduction and formation of a stable interface.

A pyridyl-functionalized mesoporous graphene is developed to accommodate sulfur for Al-S batteries, which can significantly reduce the voltage hysteresis to ∼0.43 V. The reaction kinetics of the Al-S battery are accelerated by the catalyst-free carbon host, ascribed to both the mesoporous graphene structure and the covalently functionalized pyridyl groups.

In recent years, reactive species-based cancer therapies have attracted tremendous attention due to their simplicity, controllability, and effectiveness. Herein, we overviewed the state-of-art advance for photo-controlled generation of highly reactive radical species with nanomaterials for cancer therapy. First, we summarized the most widely explored reactive species, such as singlet oxygen, superoxide radical anion (O2●-), nitric oxide (●NO), carbon monoxide, alkyl radicals, and their corresponding secondary reactive species generated by interaction with other biological molecules. Then, we discussed the generating mechanisms of these highly reactive species stimulated by light irradiation, followed by their anticancer effect, and the synergetic principles with other therapeutic modalities. This review might unveil the advantages of reactive species-based therapeutic methodology and encourage the pre-clinical exploration of reactive species-mediated cancer treatments., Graphical abstract Reactive species-based cancer therapy modalities triggered-by light irradiation have been paid tremendous attention due to their distinct advantages. Here, we overviewed the latest advances involving the material design and biomedical application mechanism of reactive oxygen, reactive nitrogen and reactive carbon species.Image 1, Highlights • The most widely explored reactive species, such as 1O2, O2●-, ●NO, CO, alkyl radicals are specifically summarized. • The generating mechanisms of these reactive species triggered-by light irradiation are overviewed. • This review will unveil the innate advantages of reactive species-based therapeutic methodology.

The polymer electrolyte based solid-state lithium metal batteries are the promising candidate for the high-energy electrochemical energy storage with high safety and stability. Moreover, the intrinsic properties of polymer electrolytes and interface contact between electrolyte and electrodes have played critical roles for determining the comprehensive performances of solid-state lithium metal batteries. In this review, the development of polymer electrolytes with the design strategies by functional units adjustments are firstly discussed. Then the interfaces between polymer electrolyte and cathode/anode, including the interface issues, remedy strategies for stabilizing the interface contact and reducing resistances, and the in-situ polymerization method for enhancing the compatibilities and assembling the batteries with favorable performances, have been introduced. Lastly, the perspectives on developing polymer electrolytes by functional units adjustment, and improving interface contact and stability by effective strategies for solid-state lithium metal batteries have been provided.

Direct hypoxia alleviation and lactate depletion in the tumor microenvironment (TME) are promising for effective cancer therapy but still very challenging. To address this challenge, the current research directly reshapes the TME for inhibiting tumor growth and activating the antitumor immunity using a drug-free nanozyme. Herein, the acid-sensitive nanozymes were constructed based on peroxidized layered double hydroxide nanoparticles for O

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is highly lethal and resistant to conventional therapies, including chemo-, radio-, and immunotherapy. In this study, it is first determined that a combination of dihydroartemisinin (DHA) and RSL-3 (a glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) inhibitor) markedly induced ferroptosis of PDAC tumor cells. A mechanistic study revealed that DHA can react with iron ions to generate carbon radicals and deplete intracellular glutathione, thereby cumulatively triggering the lipid peroxidation of tumor cells with RSL-3-mediated GPX4 inhibition. A DHA-conjugated amphiphilic copolymer is subsequently synthesized, and intracellular acidity and oxidation dual-responsive DHA nanoparticles are further engineered for the tumor-specific co-delivery of DHA and RSL-3. The resultant nanoparticles (PDBA@RSL-3) efficiently induce ferroptosis of tumor cells in the Panc02 tumor-bearing immune-deficient mouse model, and elicit T-cell-based antitumor immunity in the immune-competent mouse model. The combination of PDBA@RSL-3 nanoparticles and programmed death ligand 1 blockade therapy efficiently inhibits PDAC tumor growth in the immune-competent mouse models. This study may provide novel insights for treatment of PDAC with ferroptosis-based immunotherapy.

Photothermal therapy (PTT) in combination with other treatment modalities has shown great potential to activate immunotherapy against tumor metastasis. However, the nanoparticles (NPs) that generate PTT have served as the photothermal agent only. Moreover, researchers have widely utilized highly immunogenic tumor models to evaluate the immune response of these NPs thus giving over-optimistic results. In the present study black porous silicon (BPSi) NPs were developed to serve as both the photothermal agent and the adjuvant for PTT-based antitumor immunotherapy. We found that the poorly immunogenic tumor models such as B16 are more valid to evaluate NP-based immunotherapy than the widely used immunogenic models such as CT26. Based on the B16 cancer model, a cocktail regimen was developed that combined BPSi-based PTT with doxorubicin (DOX) and cytosine-phosphate-guanosine (CpG). BPSi-based PTT was an important trigger to activate the specific immunotherapy to inhibit tumor growth by featuring the selective upregulation of TNF-α. Either by adding a low dose DOX or by prolonging the laser heating time, a similar efficacy of immunotherapy was evoked to inhibit tumor growth. Moreover, BPSi acted as a co-adjuvant for CpG to significantly boost the immunotherapy. The present study demonstrates that the BPSi-based regimen is a potent and safe antitumor immunotherapy modality. Moreover, our study highlighted that tuning the laser heating parameters of PTT is an alternative to the toxic cytostatic to evoke immunotherapy, paving the way to optimize the PTT-based combination therapy for enhanced efficacy and decreased side effects. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Tumor metastasis causes directly or indirectly more than 90% of cancer deaths. Combination of photothermal therapy (PTT), chemotherapy and immunotherapy based on nanoparticles (NPs) has shown great potential to inhibit distant and metastatic tumors. However, these NPs typically act only as photothermal agents and many of them have been evaluated with immunogenic tumor models. The present study developed black porous silicon working as both the photothermal conversion agent and the immunoadjuvant to inhibit distant tumor. It was recognized that the poorly immunogenic tumor model B16 is more appropriate to evaluate immunotherapy than the widely used immunogenic model CT26. The coordination mechanism of the PTT-based combination therapy regimen was discovered in detail, paving the way to optimize cancer immunotherapy for enhanced efficacy and decreased side effects.

Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are considered to be indispensable in modern society. Major advances in LIBs depend on the development of new high-performance electrode materials, which requires a fundamental understanding of their properties. First-principles calculations have become a powerful technique in developing new electrode materials for high-energy–density LIBs in terms of predicting and interpreting the characteristics and behaviors of electrode materials, understanding the charge/discharge mechanisms at the atomic scale, delivering rational design strategies for electrode materials, etc. In this review, we present an overview of first-principles calculation methods and highlight their valuable role in contemporary research on LIB cathode materials. This overview focuses on three LIB cathode scenarios, which are divided by their cationic/anionic redox mechanisms. Then, representative examples of rational cathode design based on theoretical predictions are presented. Finally, we present a personal perspective on the current challenges and future directions of first-principles calculations in LIBs.

Hyperspectral images (HSIs) have become increasingly prominent as they can maintain the subtle spectral differences of the imaged objects. Designing approaches and tools for analyzing HSIs presents a unique set of challenges due to their high-dimensional characteristics. An improved color visualization approach is proposed in this article to achieve communication between users and HSIs in the field of remote sensing. Under the real-time interactive control and color visualization, this approach can help users intuitively obtain the rich information hidden in original HSIs. Using the dimensionality reduction (DR) method based on band selection, high-dimensional HSIs are reduced to low-dimensional images. Through drop-down boxes, users can freely specify images that participate in the combination of RGB channels of the output image. Users can then interactively and independently set the fusion coefficient of each image within an interface based on concentric circles. At the same time, the output image will be calculated and visualized in real time, and the information it reflects will also be different. In this approach, channel combination and fusion coefficient setting are two independent processes, which allows users to interact more flexibly according to their needs. Furthermore, this approach is also applicable for interactive visualization of other types of multi-layer data.

Nanotechnology has been widely applied to the fabrication of drug delivery systems in the past decades. Recently, with the progress made in microfabrication approaches, nanorobots are steadily becoming a promising means for tumor-targeting drug delivery. In general, nanorobots can be divided into two categories: nanomotors and stimuli-responsive nanorobots. Nanomotors are nanoscale systems with the ability to convert surrounding energies into mechanical motion, whereas stimuli-responsive nanorobots are featured with activatable capacity in response to various endogenous and exogenous stimulations. In this minireview, the dynamic control of nanomotors and the rational design of stimuli-responsive nanorobots are overviewed, with particular emphasis on their contribution to tumor-targeting therapy. Moreover, challenges and perspectives associated with the future development of nanorobots are presented.

Adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) of the lacrimal sac is an extremely rare disease with a poor prognosis. There is currently no standard treatment for this malignancy. Radical surgical excision followed by radiotherapy and chemotherapy is the preferred treatment for localized ACC of the lacrimal sac. Apatinib has shown efficacy in recurrent/metastatic ACC. The role of apatinib in combination with concurrent chemoradiotherapy in patients with non-operated localized advanced ACC is not clear. Here, we report a 30-year-old man with a 1-year history of epiphora of the left eye and nasal congestion who was diagnosed as ACC of the lacrimal sac. The computed tomography (CT) scan showed the tumor invading the left orbit and left maxillary sinus. He refused surgical resection and instead received combined apatinib and nedaplatin-based concurrent chemoradiotherapy. He experienced moderate adverse effects such as nausea, hypertension, myelosuppression that were well controlled after symptomatic supportive care. Complete response was observed 3 weeks following the treatment. The patient remained free of disease until the last follow up by December 2020, 22 months after the treatment. This case suggested that combined apatinib and concurrent chemoradiotherapy might be an option for locally advanced ACC patients who are ineligible for or rejective to surgical resection.

Developing controlled drug-release systems is imperative and valuable for increasing the therapeutic index. Herein, we synthesized hypoxia-responsive PEGylated (PEG = poly(ethylene glycol)) paclitaxel prodrugs by utilizing azobenzene (Azo) as a cleavable linker. The as-fabricated prodrugs could self-assemble into stable nanoparticles (PAP NPs) with high drug content ranging from 26 to 44 wt %. The Azo group in PAP NPs could be cleaved at the tumorous hypoxia microenvironment and promoted the release of paclitaxel for exerting cytotoxicity toward cancer cells. In addition, comparative researches revealed that the PAP NPs with the shorter methoxy-PEG chain (molecular weight = 750) possessed enhanced tumor suppression efficacy and alleviated off-target toxicity. Our work demonstrates a promising tactic to develop smart and simple nanomaterials for disease treatment.

Germanium (Ge)-based materials can serve as promising anode candidates for high-energy lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). However, the rapid capacity decay caused by huge volume expansion severely retards their application. Herein, we report a facile and controllable synthesis of Ge nanowire anode materials through molten-salt electrolysis. The optimal Ge nanowires can deliver a capacity of 1058.9 mAh g

Stimuli-activatable nanomaterials hold significant promise for tumor-specific drug delivery by recognizing the internal or external stimulus. Herein, we reported a dual-responsive and biodegradable polypeptide nanoparticle (PPTP@PTX

Cyclin-dependent kinases 4 and 6 inhibitors (CDK4/6i) have been demonstrated to trigger antitumor immunity for tumor regression. However, the therapeutic performance of CDK4/6i-meadiated cancer immunotherapy was impaired by the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (ITM) due to overexpression of programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) on the surface of cancer cell membrane. To improve the immunotherapeutic performance of CDK4/6i, we herein developed endosomal acid-activatable micelleplex for siRNA delivery and PD-L1 knockdown in the tumor cells in vitro and in vivo. We further demonstrated that the combination of PD-L1 knockdown and CDK4/6 inhibition facilitated intratumoral infiltration of cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs), and elicited protective immune response and efficiently suppressed tumor growth in vivo. This study revealed the importance of molecular design of the micelleplex for highly efficient siRNA delivery, which might provide a novel insight for RNAi-based cancer immunotherapy.

Electronic aluminum foil strips have extremely large width-to-thickness ratios and often exhibit tight-edge and rib-wave defect after rolling. To improve this special flatness defect, the defect distribution characteristics, section profile of aluminum foil strip, and defect cause were analyzed; and a new work roll contour was designed based on the idea of partial variable diameter. The new work roll contour is a combination of multiple curves, and the influences of the various curve parameters on the contour were researched. A finite element simulation model based on ABAQUS was established to study the control characteristics of the flatness defect when using the new work roll contour. Simulation results and actual production data of the 1450 aluminum foil rolling mill show that the new work roll can increase the depression of the tight-edge area and improve the flatness defect of tight-edge and rib-wave.

Summary In the past several decades, the research communities have witnessed the explosive development of lithium-ion batteries, largely based on the diverse landmark cathode materials, among which the application of manganese has been intensively considered due to the economic rationale and impressive properties. Lithium-manganese-based layered oxides (LMLOs) are one of the most promising cathode material families based on an overall theoretical evaluation covering the energy density, cost, eco-friendship, etc. Unfortunately, the Mn3+ cation introduces severe Jahn–Teller (J–T) effect, which profoundly distorts the localized lattice structure and reduces the electrochemical stability. This perspective presents the principal comprehensions of the J–T effect in LMLOs and offers an outline picture of material design to suppress it. We outline the history of material design and further assess available approaches to address the J–T effect. Finally, we tentatively propose promising design trends with eliminated J–T effect to revive this important cathode material family toward practical applications.

Front-end bending is one of the most significant defects of slabs in hot rough rolling. To address the lack of effective methods to detect slab front-end bending in hot rolling, a measurement system based on line structured light vision is proposed in this paper. Line structured light lasers and area-scan cameras are arranged on the supports on both the exit and entrance of a roughing mill. First, the calibration of the measurement system is completed by camera calibration and the random sampling consistency algorithm. Second, multiple regions of interest gray thresholds and the Steger algorithm are used to realize laser centerline extraction on the surface of a large-scale and high-temperature slab. Last, the actual value of the slab front-end bending is obtained and calculated through coordinate transformation. The proposed measurement system can detect slab front-end bending in real time and the relative mean deviation is 0.93%.

Interior tomography is a promising technique that can be used to image large objects with high acquisition efficiency. However, it suffers from truncation artifacts and attenuation value bias due to the contribution from the parts of the object outside the ROI, which compromises its ability of quantitative evaluation in material or biological studies. In this paper, we present a hybrid source translation scanning mode for interior tomography, called hySTCT—where the projections inside the ROI and outside the ROI are finely sampled and coarsely sampled respectively to mitigate truncation artifacts and value bias within the ROI. Inspired by our previous work—virtual projection-based filtered backprojection (V-FBP) algorithm, we develop two reconstruction methods—interpolation V-FBP (iV-FBP) and two-step V-FBP (tV-FBP)—based on the linearity property of the inverse Radon transform for hySTCT reconstruction. The experiments demonstrate that the proposed strategy can effectively suppress truncated artifacts and improve the reconstruction accuracy within the ROI.

A appropriate size with three-dimension (3D) channels for lithium diffusion plays an important role in constructing high-performing LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 (LNMO) cathode materials, as it can not only reduce the transport path of lithium ions and electrons, but also reduce the side effects and withstand the structural strain in the process of repetitive Li+ intercalation/deintercalation. In this work, an efficient method for designing the hollow LNMO microsphere with 3D channels structure by using polyethylene oxide (PEO) as soft template agent assisted solvothermal method is proposed. Experimental results indicate that PEO can make the reagents mingle evenly and nucleate slowly in the solvothermal process, thus obtaining a homogeneous distribution of carbonate precursors. In the final LNMO products, the hollow 3D channels structure obtained by the decomposition of PEO and carbonate precursor in the calcination can provide abundant electroactive zones and electron/ion transport paths during the charge/discharge process, which benefits to improve the cycling performance and rate capability. The LNMO prepared by adding 1 g PEO possesses the most outstanding electrochemical performance, which presented an excellent discharge capacity of 143.1 mAh g−1 at 0.1 C and with a capacity retention of 92.2% after 100 cycles at 1 C. The superior performance attributed to the 3D channels structure of hollow microspheres, which provide uninterrupted conductive systems and therefore achieve the stable transfer for electron/ion.

To boost the use of electronic devices and driving mileage of electric vehicles, it is urgent to develop lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) with higher energy density and longer life. High-voltage and hi...