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The integration of temperature sensors directly onto photonic platforms facilitates the thermal management of advanced photonic integrated circuits. This paper presents monolithic temperature sensors on the indium-phosphide-based photonic integration technology. Two distinct sensors were developed using p-i-n diode junctions with different waveguide core layers, one composed of multiple quantum wells and the other of bulk indium gallium arsenide phosphide. Introducing these sensors to an indium-phosphide-based generic foundry platform required zero process modifications. Theoretical, simulation, and measurement results consistently reveal a linear relationship between the forward voltage of the sensors and temperature under constant current biasing. The measurement results highlight that the compact sensors with dimensions of 30 × 10 $\mu$m achieve the highest sensitivity of $-$2.1 mV/K. These sensors boast a simple structure, easy operation, straightforward temperature interpretation, and high compatibility with the foundry process. They present immunity to on-chip (stray) light, a critical feature when operating alongside integrated lasers. The results demonstrate the feasibility of local temperature measurement and monitoring of photonic integrated circuits.

Abstract Aggregation‐induced emission (AIE) is an intriguing photophysical phenomenon, where specific materials exhibit a remarkable surge in luminescence when brought together in non‐ideal solvents or within a solid matrix. Since the concept of AIE was first introduced in 2001, numerous advanced applications have been gradually explored across various domains, including optics, electronics, energy, and the life sciences. Of particular note is the growing interest in the application of AIE systems with near‐infrared (NIR) emissive feature in the field of biomedicine, encompassing detection, imaging, and therapeutic interventions. Notably, bibliometric analysis serves as a valuable tool to provide researchers with a comprehensive understanding of research achievements and developmental trends in specific fields, which is crucial for academic research. Herein, we present a general bibliometric overview spanning two decades of NIR‐AIE development. With the assistance of core scientific databases and various bibliometric software tools, we conducted a systematic analysis of annual publications and citations, the most influential countries/regions, leading authors, journals, and institutions, as well as the hot topics related to NIR applications and forward‐looking predictions. Furthermore, the application of AIE with NIR properties in the biomedical field is also systematically reviewed.

Background As a component of chromatin remodeling complex, chromatin accessibility complex subunit 1 (CHRAC1) is critical in transcription and DNA replication. However, the significance of CHRAC1 in cancer progression has not been investigated extensively. This research aimed to determine the function of CHRAC1 in breast and cervical cancer and elucidate the molecular mechanism. Methods The Bio-ID method was used to identify the interactome of transcriptional activator Yes-associated protein (YAP) and the binding between YAP and CHRAC1 was verified by immunofluorescence. CCK8, colony formation and subcutaneous xenograft assays were conducted to explore the function of CHRAC1 in cancer cell proliferation. RNA-seq analysis and RT-PCR were used to analyze the transcription program change after CHRAC1 ablation. The diagnostic value of CHRAC1 was analyzed by TCGA database and further validated by immunohistochemistry staining. Results In the current study, we found that the chromatin remodeler CHRAC1 was a potential YAP interactor. CHRAC1 depletion suppressed breast and cervical cancer cell proliferation and tumor growth. The potential mechanism may be that CHRAC1 interacts with YAP to facilitate oncogenic transcription of YAP target genes in Hippo pathway, thereby promoting tumorigenesis. CHRAC1 was elevated in cervical and breast cancer biopsies and the upregulation correlated with shorter survival, poor pathological stages and metastasis of cancer patients. Moreover, CHRAC1 expression was statistically associated with YAP in breast and cervical cancer biopsies. Conclusions These findings highlight that CHRAC1 contributes to cancer progression through regulating the oncogenic transcription of YAP, which makes it a potential therapeutic target for cancer treatment.

Abstract Background Brain metastasis (BM) in triple‐negative breast cancer (TNBC) patients is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. In this research we aimed to develop a nomogram to predict the prognosis of TNBC patients with BMs (TNBC‐BM) and explore the potential risk factors. Methods We used data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. A prognostic nomogram was built and validated based on patients with BM at newly diagnosed TNBC (nTNBC‐BM). Its effect on TNBC patients with BM was also validated in an extended group. The prognostic effect of treatment and risk factors for nTNBC‐BM were further tested. Results A nomogram was constructed and validated to predict overall survival (OS) in TNBC‐BM patients. For patients with BM diagnosed at the initial treatment or later course, the C‐index (0.707, 0.801, and 0.685 in the training, validation, and extended groups, respectively) and calibration plots showed the acceptable prognostic accuracy and clinical applicability of the model. Surgery on the primary tumor and chemotherapy were found to confer significantly better OS (11 months vs. 4 months; 5 months vs. 3 months, respectively). In addition, advanced tumor/nodal stage and bilateral cancer were associated with a higher risk of nTNBC‐BM. Conclusion We developed a sensitive and discriminative nomogram to predict OS in TNBC‐BM patients, both at initial diagnosis and the latter course. nTNBC‐BM patients may benefit more from surgery and chemotherapy than from radiotherapy. In addition, in the predictive model, TNBC patients harboring advanced tumor/nodal stages and bilateral tumors were more likely to have BM at initial diagnosis.

We report on comprehensive experimental studies of turbulence spreading in edge plasmas. These studies demonstrate the relation of turbulence spreading and entrainment to intermittent convective density fluctuation events or bursts (i.e. blobs and holes). The non-diffusive character of turbulence spreading is thus elucidated. The turbulence spreading velocity (or mean jet velocity) manifests a linear correlation with the skewness of density fluctuations, and increases with the auto-correlation time of density fluctuations. Turbulence spreading by positive density fluctuations is outward, while spreading by negative density fluctuations is inward. The degree of symmetry breaking between outward propagating blobs and inward propagating holes increases with the amplitude of density fluctuations. Thus, blob-hole asymmetry emerges as crucial to turbulence spreading. These results highlight the important role of intermittent convective events in conveying the spreading of turbulence, and constitute a fundamental challenge to existing diffusive models of spreading.

Experimental studies of the dynamics of shear flow and turbulence spreading at the edge of tokamak plasmas are reported. Scans of line-averaged density and plasma current are carried out while approaching the Greenwald density limit on the J-TEXT tokamak. In all scans, when the Greenwald fraction ${f_{\text{G}}} = {{\bar n} \mathord{\left/ \right. } {{n_{\text{G}}}}} = {{\bar n} \mathord{\left/ \right. } {\left( {{{{I_{\text{p}}}} \mathord{\left/ \right. } {\pi {a^2}}}} \right)}}$ increases, a common feature of enhanced turbulence spreading and edge cooling is found. The result suggests that turbulence spreading is a good indicator of edge cooling, indeed better than turbulent particle transport is. The normalized turbulence spreading power increases significantly when the normalized ${\boldsymbol{E}} \times {\boldsymbol{B}}$ shearing rate decreases. This indicates that turbulence spreading becomes prominent when the shearing rate is weaker than the turbulence scattering rate. The asymmetry between positive/negative (blobs/holes) spreading events, turbulence spreading power and shear flow are discussed. These results elucidate the important effects of interaction between shear flow and turbulence spreading on plasma edge cooling.

Abstract Organic single crystals (OSCs) offer a unique combination of both individual and collective properties of the employed molecules, but it remains highly challenging to achieve OSCs with both high mobilities and strong fluorescence emissions for their potential applications in multifunctional optoelectronics. Herein, we demonstrate the design and synthesis of two novel triphenylamine‐functionalized thienoacenes‐based organic semiconductors, 4,8‐distriphenylamineethynylbenzo[1,2‐b:4,5‐b′]dithiophene (4,8‐DTEBDT) and 2,6‐distriphenylamineethynylbenzo[1,2‐b:4,5‐b′]dithiophene (2,6‐DTEBDT), with high‐mobility and strong fluorescence emission. The two compounds show the maximum mobilities up to 0.25 and 0.06 cm2 V−1 s−1, the photoluminescence quantum yields (PLQYs) of 51% and 45%, and the small binding energies down to 55.13 and 58.79 meV. The excellent electrical and optical properties ensured the application of 4,8‐DTEBDT and 2,6‐DTEBDT single crystals in ultrasensitive UV phototransistors, achieving high photoresponsivity of 9.60 × 105 and 6.43 × 104 A W−1, and detectivity exceeding 5.68 × 1017 and 2.99 × 1016 Jones.

Abstract Photochromic spiropyran molecule shows a brand new function for serving as an efficient photoinitiator to activate two-photon photopolymerization, thus paving the way for developing a fast 3D printing technology.

The storage process of Baijiu is an integral part of its production (the quality undergoes substantial changes during the aging process of Baijiu). As the storage time extends, the flavor compounds in Baijiu tend to undergo coordinated transformation, thereby enhancing the quality of Baijiu. Among them, long-chain fatty acid ethyl esters (LCFAEEs) were widely distributed in Baijiu and have been shown to have potential contributions to the quality of Baijiu. However, the current research on LCFAEEs in Baijiu predominantly focuses on the olfactory sensation aspect, while there is a lack of systematic investigation into their influence on taste and evaluation after drinking Baijiu during the aging process. In light of this, the present study investigates the distribution of LCFAEEs in Baijiu over different years. We have combined modern flavor sensory analysis with multivariate chemometrics to comprehensively and objectively explore the influence of LCFAEEs on Baijiu quality. The results demonstrate a significant positive correlation between the concentration of LCFAEEs and the fruity aroma (p < 0.05, r = 0.755) as well as the aged aroma (p < 0.05, r = 0.833) of Baijiu within a specific range; they can effectively reduce the off-flavors and spicy sensation of Baijiu. Furthermore, additional experiments utilizing a single variable suggest that LCFAEEs were crucial factors influencing the flavor of Baijiu, with Ethyl Palmitate (EP) being the most notable LCFAEE that merits further systematic investigation.

BackgroundIn breast cancer patients with HER2-negative tumors (tHER2-), HER2-positive CTCs (cHER2+) were associated with promising efficacy of HER2-targeted therapy, but controversy has persisted over its prognostic effect. We developed a model including clinicopathologic parameters/blood test variables to predict cHER2 status and evaluated the prognostic value of cHER2+ in tHER2- patients.MethodscHER2+ was detected, blood test results and clinicopathological characteristics were combined, and a nomogram was constructed to predict cHER2 status in tHER2- patients according to logistic regression analysis. The nomogram was evaluated by C-index values and calibration curve. Kaplan–Meier curves, log-rank tests, and Cox regression analyses were performed to evaluate the prognostic value of cHER2 status.ResultsTNM stage, white blood cells (WBCs), neutrophils (NEUs), uric acid (UA), De Ritis ratio [aspartate transaminase (AST)/alanine transaminase (ALT)], and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) were found to be associated with cHER2 status in tHER2- patients in univariate logistic regression analysis, in which UA and De Ritis ratio remained significant in multivariate logistic regression analysis. A model combining these six variables was constructed, the C-index was 0.745 (95% CI: 0.630–0.860), and the calibration curve presented a perfect predictive consistency. In survival analysis, patients of the subgroups “with cHER2+/UA-low” (p = 0.015) and “with cHER2+/De Ritis ratio – high” (p = 0.006) had a significantly decreased disease-free survival (DFS).ConclusionsOur nomogram, based on TNM stage, WBC, NEU, UA, De Ritis ratio, and HDL, may excellently predict the cHER2 status of tHER2- patients. Incorporation with UA and De Ritis ratio may enhance the prognostic value of cHER2 status.

Purpose Altered DNA methylation, genetic alterations, and environmental factors are involved in tumorigenesis. As a tumor suppressor gene, abnormal EPHA5 methylation was found in gastric cancer (GC) tissues and was linked to the initiation, progression and prognosis of GC. In this study, the EPHA5 methylation level in peripheral blood leukocytes (PBLs) was detected to explore its relationship with GC risk and prognosis. Methods A total of 366 GC cases and 374 controls were selected as the subjects of this study to collect their environmental factors, and the EPHA5 methylation status was detected through the methylation-sensitive high-resolution melting method. Logistic regression analysis was utilized to evaluate the associations among EPHA5 methylation, environmental factors and GC risk. Meanwhile, the propensity score (PS) was used to adjust the imbalance of some independent variables. Results After PS adjustment, EPHA5 Pm (positive methylation) was more likely to increase the GC risk than EPHA5 Nm (negative methylation) (ORb = 1.827, 95% CI [1.202–2.777], P = 0.005). EPHA5 Pm had a more significant association with GC risk in the elderly (ORa = 2.785, 95% CI [1.563–4.961], P = 0.001) and H. pylori-negative groups (ORa = 2.758, 95% CI [1.369–5.555], P = 0.005). Moreover, the combined effects of EPHA5 Pm and H. pylori infection (ORca = 3.543, 95% CI [2.233–5.621], P < 0.001), consumption of alcohol (ORca = 2.893, 95% CI [1.844–4.539], P < 0.001), and salty food intake (ORca = 4.018, 95% CI [2.538–6.362], P < 0.001) on increasing the GC risk were observed. In addition, no convincing association was found between EPHA5 Pm and the GC prognosis. Conclusions EPHA5 methylation in PBLs and its combined effects with environmental risk factors are related to the GC risk.

Abstract Background Peripheral blood leukocyte (PBL) DNA methylation may serve as a surrogate marker to evaluate the susceptibility to and prognosis of gastric cancer (GC). In this study, blood-derived DNA methylation levels of two tumour-related genes, namely, ZNF331 and WIF1, and their impacts on the risk and prognosis of GC were evaluated. Methods In total, 398 GC cases and 397 controls were recruited for the study. Then, all cases were followed up for 5 years. ZNF331 and WIF1 promoter methylation status in PBLs was measured using a methylation-sensitive high-resolution melting method. Logistic and Cox regression models were used to analyse the correlation between gene methylation and the risk and prognosis of GC. Confounders were balanced through propensity score (PS) matching. Results High ZNF331 methylation significantly decreased GC risk after PS adjustment (OR = 0.580, 95% CI: 0.375–0.898, P = 0.015), which also presented in males (OR = 0.577, 95% CI: 0.343–0.970, P = 0.038). However, WIF1 methylation was not associated with GC risk. Additionally, significant combined effects between ZNF331 methylation and the intake of green vegetables and garlic were observed (OR = 0.073, 95% CI: 0.027–0.196, P

Background: Tumor microenvironment (TME) has been reported to have a strong association with tumor progression and therapeutic outcome, and epigenetic modifications such as DNA methylation can affect TMB and play an indispensable role in tumorigenesis. However, the potential mechanisms of TME and DNA methylation remain unclear in cervical cancer (CC).Methods: The immune and stromal scores of TME were generated by the ESTIMATE algorithm for CC patients in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. The TME and DNA methylation-related genes were identified by the integrative analysis of DNA promoter methylation and gene expression. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) Cox regression was performed 1,000 times to further identify a nine-gene TME and DNA methylation-related prognostic signature. The signature was further validated in Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) dataset. Then, the identified signature was integrated with the Federation International of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage to establish a composite prognostic nomogram.Results: CC patients with high immunity levels have better survival than those with low immunity levels. Both in the training and validation datasets, the risk score of the signature was an independent prognosis factor. The composite nomogram showed higher accuracy of prognosis and greater net benefits than the FIGO stage and the signature. The high-risk group had a significantly higher fraction of genome altered than the low-risk group. Eleven genes were significantly different in mutation frequencies between the high- and low-risk groups. Interestingly, patients with mutant TTN had better overall survival (OS) than those with wild type. Patients in the low-risk group had significantly higher tumor mutational burden (TMB) than those in the high-risk group. Taken together, the results of TMB, immunophenoscore (IPS), and tumor immune dysfunction and exclusion (TIDE) score suggested that patients in the low-risk group may have greater immunotherapy benefits. Finally, four drugs (panobinostat, lenvatinib, everolimus, and temsirolimus) were found to have potential therapeutic implications for patients with a high-risk score.Conclusions: Our findings highlight that the TME and DNA methylation-related prognostic signature can accurately predict the prognosis of CC and may be important for stratified management of patients and precision targeted therapy.

The detection of acid in different solution environments plays a significant role in chemical, environmental and biological fields. However, reducing the constraints of detecting environment, such as aqueous, organic solvents and mixed phases of aqueous and organic phases, remains a challenge. Herein, by combining N, N, N′, N′-tetrakis(4-aminophenyl)-1,4-phenylenediamine (TPBD) and terephthalaldehyde (TA) via Shiff-base condensation, we constructed a covalent organic framework (COF) TPBD-TA COF. The COF exhibits color change from red to dark red as well as fluorescence quenching with the increase of acid contents in either aqueous or organic solvents, or a mixture of aqueous and organic solvents, due to the weak donor-acceptor interactions within the COF as well as the weak proton ionization ability of the solutions. Therefore, regardless of the detection environment, TPBD-TA COF can realize color and fluorescence dual-response to acid with the detection limit as low as 0.4 μmol/L and 58 nmol/L, respectively, due to the protonation of the nitrogen atoms on imine bonds of the COF.

Unsaturated soil shear strength is a significant topic in geotechnical engineering. The measurement of unsaturated soil properties such as shear strength and matric suction could be costly, hard, time-consuming, and often impractical to obtain. The purpose of this research is to propose a new shear strength model for unsaturated soil and to predict the shear strength by using the degree of saturation directly because the water saturation is easy to obtain. More specifically, this study focused on Bishop’s shear strength theory and van Genuchten’s soil–water characteristic curve to describe the effect of saturation on shear strength. The new shear strength model was expressed as a function of saturation degree, residual degree of saturation, effective shear strength indices, net normal stress, and five parameters. The performance of the presented model in this paper was verified by fitting it to data obtained by laboratory tests on silty sand including the triaxial shear test and soil–water characteristic curve test. From these two laboratory tests, we obtained the variation in the matric suction and shear strength with the degree of saturation under various dry densities. This proposed model was also validated against the shear strength results of the clayed-silty sand and Ankara clay recorded in the literature. Comparing the result of the shear strength under the variation of one parameter, this model was much more sensitive regarding parameter m, which was related to the material characteristic. The comparison between the predicted values and experimental points was particularly fine and showed the ability of this model to be applied to a wide range of soils.

The connected and autonomous vehicle (CAV) is promised to ease congestion in the future with the rapid development of related technologies in recent years. To explore the characteristics of mixed-traffic flow and the dynamic transmission mechanism, this paper firstly detailed the car-following model of different vehicle types, establishing the fundamental diagram of the mixed-traffic flow through considering the different penetration rates and fleet size of CAV. Secondly, this paper constructed the lane-changing judgment mechanism based on the random utility theory. Finally, the paper proposed a lane-level dynamic cell transmission process, combined with a lane-changing strategy and cell transmission model. The effectiveness and feasibility of the model are verified using simulation analysis. This model makes a systematic, theoretical analysis from the perspective of the internal operation mechanism of traffic flow, and the lane-level traffic strategy provides a theoretical basis for balancing urban lane distribution and intelligent traffic management and control.

Radioactive iodine-capturing materials are urgently needed for the emerging challenges in nuclear waste disposal. The various pore structures of covalent organic frameworks (COFs) render them promising candidates for efficient iodine adsorption. However, the detailed structure–property relationship of COFs in iodine adsorption remains elusive. Herein, two polymorphic COFs with significantly different crystalline structures are obtained based on the same building blocks with varied molecular ratios. The two COFs both have high crystallinity, high specific surface area, and excellent chemical and thermal stability. Compared with the [C4+C4] topology (PyT-2) with an AA stacking form, the [C4+C2] topology (PyT-1) with an AB stacking form has more twisted pore channels and complex ink-bottle pores. At ambient conditions, PyT-1 and PyT-2 both exhibit good adsorption properties for iodine capture either in a gaseous or liquid medium. Remarkably, PyT-1 presents an excellent maximum adsorption capacity (0.635 g g−1), and the adsorption limit of PyT-2 is 0.445 g g−1 in an n-hexane solution with an iodine concentration of 400 mg L−1, which is highly comparable to the state-of-the-art iodine absorption performance. This study provides a guide for the future molecular design strategy toward novel iodine adsorbents.

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have diverse functions, including immune regulation. Increasing studies have reported immune-related lncRNAs in the prognosis of multiple cancers. In this study, we developed an individualized signature containing 13 immune-related lncRNA pairs (IRLPs) which could predict the overall survival, disease-free survival, progression-free survival, and disease-specific survival of gastric cancer (GC) patients in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) cohort, and internal and external validations, signature comparisons, and subgroup analyses further confirmed its superiority, stability, and generalizability. Notably, this signature also showed good applicability in discriminating the prognosis of pan-cancer patients. Then, we constructed and validated a nomogram for overall survival based on the signature and clinical factors, which allowed more accurate predictions of GC prognosis. In addition, we revealed that the low survival rate of patients with high-risk scores may be due to their aggressive clinical features, enriched cancer-related signaling pathways, the infiltration of specific immunosuppressive cells, and low tumor mutation burden. We further predicted obviously worse immunotherapeutic responses in the high-risk groups and identified some candidate compounds targeting GC risk group differentiation. This signature based on the IRLPs may be promising for predicting the survival outcomes and immunotherapeutic responses of GC patients in clinical practice.

Summary: The BET-bromodomain protein BRD4 uses two bromodomains to target acetyl-histones and other domains to recruit P-TEFb and other transcription factors to stimulate transcription of proto-oncogenes and key cell identity genes. Recent studies show that its ability to form phase-separated condensates that cluster preferentially at the super-enhancer regions of target genes is key for BRD4 to exert its functions. Here, we describe the identification of a natural product called PCG from polygonum cuspidatum Sieb.et Zucc., a traditional Chinese medicinal herb, that directly binds to BRD4. This binding inhibits BRD4 phase separation, turns dynamic BRD4 nuclear condensates into static aggregates, and effectively shuts down transcription of BRD4-dependent genes. Thus, through PCG we have discovered a BET inhibitor that not only selectively targets BRD4 but also works by suppressing phase separation, a mechanism of action that is different from those of the other known BET inhibitors.

BackgroundTumor-infiltrating immune cells (TIICs) play a key role in immunoregulatory networks and are related to tumor development. Emerging evidence shows that these cells are associated with sensitivity to chemotherapy and radiotherapy. However, the predictive role of TIICs in the outcomes of neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) for locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) is unclear.MethodsImaging mass cytometry (IMC) was performed to comprehensively assess the immune status before nCRT in 6 patients with LARC (3 achieved pathological complete response (pCR), 3 did not) with matched clinicopathological parameters. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) for CD8, CD163 and Foxp3 on biopsy samples from 70 patients prior to nCRT and logistic regression analysis were combined to further evaluate its predictive value for treatment responses in an independent validation group.ResultsA trend of increased CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) and decreased CD163+ tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) and Foxp3+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) in the pCR group was revealed by IMC. In the validation group, CTLs and TAMs were strong predictors of the clinical response to nCRT. High levels of CTLs were positively associated with the pCR ratio (OR=1.042; 95% CI: 1.015~1.070, p=0.002), whereas TAMs were correlated with a poor response (OR=0.969; 95% CI: 0.941~0.998, p=0.036). A high density of TAMs was also associated with an advanced cN stage.ConclusionCTLs in the tumor microenvironment (TME) may improve the response to nCRT, whereas TAMs have the opposite effect. These results suggest that these cells might be potential markers for the clinical outcomes of nCRT and aid in the clinical decision-making of LARC for improved clinical outcomes.

The variation of pore gas pressure caused by rainfall infiltration is an important factor that leads to slope failures. The purpose of this study is to propose a new slope stability analysis method that considers pore gas pressure and examines the effect of airflow on slope stability by using a numerical method. A water-air two-phase flow analysis was conducted to investigate the distribution of pore air pressure, pore water pressure, and water saturation triggered by rainfall infiltration. Then the variation of the load resulting from pore gas pressure was incorporated into the slope stability analysis method based on the unsaturated soil shear strength theory and the residual thrust method to simulate the influence of airflow on the Tanjiahe landslide in China. In order to study the infiltration behavior with respect to initial saturation, water and gas flow analyses were performed considering various initial states of saturation under similar settings. Results showed that the pore gas pressure between the slope surface and the slip band clearly varied and that it decreased during the process from the slide bed to the deep direction. Then, the pore water pressure formed in the saturated zone was transferred by the airflow to the slope toe. As a result, because the pore gas pressure gradient increased the thrust of the slide mass, the safety factor decreased over time. Moreover, in the first step, the magnitude of infiltration decreased with an increase in initial saturation, while when the magnitude dropped to the minimum value, it then went up with an increase in initial saturation. The maximum value was usually reached at a saturation degree of 0% or 100%. When evaluating slope stability, the safety factor obtained by the slope stability analysis method that considered the water-gas coupling effect was much lower than when it was not considered during the process of a similar seepage. The impact on the slope failure was significant and may provide a practical reference for hazard assessments to control rainfall-induced landslides.

Abstract Organic molecular aggregates have attracted widespread attention over the past decade owing to their unique optoelectronic properties in the aggregate state, which mainly involves the effects of aggregation structure as well as molecular packing mode. Although many examples of H‐ and J‐aggregates defined by molecular exciton model have been found, there are also other types of unconventional aggregates, especially for aggregation‐induced emission (AIE) system. In this review, the recent progress of some examples of basic and novel aggregate forms, as well as coassembled forms, presenting distinctive optical features, such as optical waveguide and polarization emission, polymorph‐dependent emission and stimuli‐responsive luminescence are presented. The systematic insight into the relationship between the aggregation structure and emission property is discussed. Guidelines are therefore anticipated and will direct the future preprogramming molecular design so as to fine‐tune the emission feature through a specific aggregation model for developing organic molecular aggregates with desirable optoelectronic properties.

Vernonia amygdalina Del. is a traditional medicinal plant and vegetable originating from tropical Africa. The phytochemical investigation of V. amygdalina led to eight undescribed polyhydric stigmastane-type steroids, vernonin M–T (1–8). Their gross structures and stereochemistry were elucidated by HR-ESI-MS, 1D and 2D NMR spectra, X-ray diffraction, quantum chemical computation of the ECD spectrum, and the in situ dimolybdenum CD method. The anti-neuroinflammatory activity of the isolated compounds was performed in BV-2 microglia cells. As a result, compound 1 displayed a notable anti-neuroinflammatory effect via suppressing the LPS-induced IκB degradation and restricting the activation of the PI3K/AKT and p38 MAPK pathways.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a malignant tumor with high morbidity and mortality on a global scale, and the development of accurate detection and imaging methods for HCC cells is urgently needed. Herein, by connecting peptide L5, which can specifically bind to the overexpressed Glypican-3 (GPC-3) protein of HCC cells with aggregation-induced emission (AIE) moiety ammonium cation-functionalized 9,10-distyrylanthracene (NDSA) via the “click” reaction, we synthesized a fluorescent probe NDSA-L5. In an aqueous solution, the probe shows weak emission, whereas, in the presence of the GPC-3 protein, bright fluorescence can be obtained since NDSA-L5 binds to the GPC-3 protein, leading to the restricted intramolecular movement of AIE-active NDSA-L5. The imaging and flow cytometry experiments demonstrate that the NDSA-L5 probe can rapidly accumulate in the subcutaneous HCC cells and liver tumor tissue and shows a potential application in early detection and surgical navigation for HCC cancer.

Baijiu occupies an important position in the food industry of China and is deeply recognized as the national liquor of China. According to the flavor characteristics, Baijiu is artificially divided into 12 categories. The sesame flavor of Baijiu was accidentally discovered after the founding of the People’s Republic of China. Sesame flavor Baijiu is known for its special aroma of roasted sesame, which attracts people’s attention. Modern flavor extraction, separation technology, and flavor analysis technology, greatly promote the identification and evaluation of trace components and aroma compounds in Baijiu. Of note, it has successfully identified which aroma compounds are responsible for the special roasted sesame aroma in sesame flavor Baijiu. On this basis, this paper summarizes the extraction methods, detection techniques, analysis methods, aroma expression, and sensory evaluation methods that have been applied for the verification and evaluation of trace components and aroma compounds in Baijiu. More specifically, the research progress on the revelation of aroma compounds in sesame flavor Baijiu is systematically summarized. Next, people will focus on the changing mechanisms of aroma compounds and the metabolic regulation in Baijiu during brewing, which will be helpful for industrialization and the modern production of Baijiu.

Six novel Ir(C^N)2(L^X)-type heteroleptic iridium complexes with deep-red and near-infrared region (NIR)-emitting coverage were constructed through the cross matching of various cyclometalating (C^N) and ancillary (LX) ligands. Here, three novel C^N ligands were designed by introducing the electron-withdrawing group CF3 on the ortho (o-), meta (m-), and para (p-) positions of the phenyl ring in the 1-phenylisoquinoline (piq) group, which were combined with two electron-rich LX ligands (dipba and dipg), respectively, leading to subsequent iridium complexes with gradually changing emission colors from deep red (≈660 nm) to NIR (≈700 nm). Moreover, a series of phosphorescent organic light-emitting diodes (PhOLEDs) were fabricated by employing these phosphors as dopant emitters with two doping concentrations, 5% and 10%, respectively. They exhibited efficient electroluminescence (EL) with significantly high EQE values: >15.0% for deep red light0 (λmax = 664 nm) and >4.0% for NIR cases (λmax = 704 nm) at a high luminance level of 100 cd m−2. This work not only provides a promising approach for finely tuning the emission color of red phosphors via the easily accessible molecular design strategy, but also enables the establishment of an effective method for enriching phosphorescent-emitting molecules for practical applications, especially in the deep-red and near-infrared region (NIR).

Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) is a first-line clinical drug for the treatment of liver diseases. U12, a derivative of UDCA, showed effective anti-hepatoma activities in previous works. However, the low polarity and large doses limited the druglikeness of U12. In this study, the structural modification and optimization of U12 were further investigated and twelve U12 derivatives were synthesized by substitution, esterification and amidation reactions. The evaluation of the cytotoxicity of synthetic derivatives against hepatoma cell lines (HepG2) indicated that U12-I, U12a-d and U12h showed more effective cytotoxic effects on the growth of HepG2 cells than U12, and the preliminary structure–activity relationship was discussed. Among them, U12a exhibited the most potent anti-hepatocellular carcinoma activity. Mechanism studies indicated that U12a inhibited HepG2 cell proliferation by arresting the G0/G1 phase, and suppressed the activation of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway. Further studies showed that U12a induced HepG2 cells apoptosis through activating the caspase signaling pathway. Furthermore, U12a evidently inhibits the growth of HepG2-derived tumor xenografts in vivo without observable adverse effects. Thus, U12a might be considered as a promising candidate for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma.

12-Deacetyl-12-epi-scalaradial, a scalarane sesterterpenoid from a marine sponge Hippospongia sp, has been reported to possess cytotoxic activity on HepG2, MCF-7, and HCT-116 cells. However, there is no research to indicate that 12-deacetyl-12-epi-scalaradial exhibited anticancer effect on cervical cancer HeLa cells. The aim of this study was to investigate the anticancer activity of 12-deacetyl-12-epi-scalaradial against HeLa cells and to explore the mechanism. The results from a methylthiazolyldiphenyl-tetrazolium (MTT) assay suggested that 12-deacetyl-12-epi-scalaradial suppressed the proliferation of HeLa cells and flow cytometry analysis showed 12-deacetyl-12-epi-scalaradial could induce the apoptosis of HeLa cells in dose- and time-dependent manner. Western blotting analysis demonstrated that 12-deacetyl-12-epi-scalaradial triggered apoptosis via mediating the extrinsic pathway and was found to suppress MAPK/ERK pathway which was associate with cancer cell death. Nur77, a critical number of orphan nuclear receptors, plays diverse roles in tumor development as a transcription factor and has been considered as a promising anticancer drug target. The dual-luciferase reporter assays suggested that 12-deacetyl-12-epi-scalaradial could selectively enhance the trans-activation activity of Nur77. Furthermore, Western blotting analysis and fluorescence quenching showed that 12-deacetyl-12-epi-scalaradial could induce the phosphorylation of Nur77 and interact with the ligand-binding domain (LBD) of Nur77. Our research confirmed 12-deacetyl-12-epi-scalaradial as a potential agent for cervical cancer therapy and provided a view that 12-deacetyl-12-epi-scalaradial may be a modulator of Nur77.

In this study, the Wikipedia page views for four selected topics, namely, education, the economy/finance, medicine, and nature/environment from 2016⁻2018 are collected and the sample entropies of the three years’ page views are estimated and investigated using a short-time series multiscale entropy (sMSE) algorithm for a comprehensible understanding of the complexity of human website searching activities. The sample entropies of the selected topics are found to exhibit different temporal variations. In the past three years, the temporal characteristics of the sample entropies are vividly revealed, and the sample entropies of the selected topics follow the same tendencies and can be quantitatively ranked. By taking the 95% confidence interval into account, the temporal variations of sample entropies are further validated by statistical analysis (non-parametric), including the Wilcoxon signed-rank test and the Mann-Whitney U-test. The results suggest that the sample entropies estimated by the sMSE algorithm are feasible for analyzing the temporal variations of complexity for certain topics, whereas the regular variations of estimated sample entropies of different selected topics can’t simply be accepted as is. Potential explanations and paths in forthcoming studies are also described and discussed.

A donor-acceptor (D-A) type indoline dye, D149, was used as an electron donor in solution-processed organic solar cells (OSCs). For bulk-heterojunction (BHJ) type OSCs with PC70BM as electron acceptor, the power conversion efficiency (PCE) is sensitive to the amount of D149 in the D149/PC70BM blend film. When the concentration of D149 in the blend film was as low as 5%, the highest PCE of up to 1.29%, together with a short-circuit current density (Jsc) of 4.58 mA·cm−2, an open-circuit voltage (Voc) of 0.90 V and a fill factor (FF) of 0.31, was achieved. In order to improve the PCE of D149-based OSCs, a bilayer-heterojunction configuration with C70 as electron acceptor has been employed. By optimizing the thickness of the D149 layer and varying the electron- and hole-transport layers, a highest PCE of up to 2.28% with a Jsc of 4.38 mA·cm−2, a Voc of 0.77 V, and an FF of 0.62 was achieved under AM 1.5G solar illumination (100 mW·cm−2).

With the development of biotechnology, approaches based on antibodies, such as enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), active aryl hydrocarbon immunoassay (Ah-I) and other multi-analyte immunoassays, have been utilized as alternatives to the conventional techniques based on gas chromatography and mass spectroscopy for the analysis of dioxin and dioxin-like compounds in environmental and biological samples. These screening methods have been verified as rapid, simple and cost-effective. This paper provides an overview on the development and application of antibody-based approaches, such as ELISA, Ah-I, and multi-analyte immunoassays, covering the sample extraction and cleanup, antigen design, antibody preparation and immunoanalysis. However, in order to meet the requirements for on-site fast detection and relative quantification of dioxins in the environment, further optimization is needed to make these immuno-analytical methods more sensitive and easy to use.