Cs2MnCl4:Eu2+: A Near-Violet Light-Triggered Single-Component White Light Emitter.

Single-component white-light luminescent materials are considered an economical and facile choice for phosphor-converted white light-emitting diodes (pc-WLEDs). Here, a new single-component white-light-emitting material Cs2MnCl4:Eu2+ based on the combination of a lead-free halide structure and a rare-earth ion is first reported. Benefiting from the smart dilution-sensitization design strategy, white light composed of dual broad emission originating from Eu2+ (blue light, 444 nm, 4f65d1 → 4f7) and Mn2+ (yellow light, 566 nm, 4T1g → 6A1g) was successfully realized under near-ultraviolet light (404 nm) radiation with a high photoluminescence quantum yield of 66%. Based on the single-source Cs2MnCl4:Eu2+ phosphor, a pc-WLEDs device with "eye-friendly" white light production was successfully fabricated. The pc-WLEDs exhibit suitable color coordinates of (0.3294, 0.2746) and a high color rendering index of 82.3, demonstrating the potential in the future health-conscious illumination application by reducing the risk of eye strain and high-energy blue-light damage. This work achieves a new single-component white-light-emitting Mn-based halide phosphor and provides a new path for the design of single-component white light sources in Mn-based halides.

Nickel Oxide Hole Injection Layers for Balanced Charge Injection in Quantum Dot Light-Emitting Diodes.

Quantum dot (QD) light-emitting diodes (QLEDs) are promising for next-generation displays, but suffer from carrier imbalance arising from lower hole injection compared to electron injection. A defect engineering strategy is reported to tackle transport limitations in nickel oxide-based inorganic hole-injection layers (HILs) and find that hole injection is able to enhance in high-performance InP QLEDs using the newly designed material. Through optoelectronic simulations, how the electronic properties of NiOx affect hole injection efficiency into an InP QD layer, finding that efficient hole injection depends on lowering the hole injection barrier and enhancing the acceptor density of NiOx is explored. Li doping and oxygen enriching are identified as effective strategies to control intrinsic and extrinsic defects in NiOx, thereby increasing acceptor density, as evidenced by density functional theory calculations and experimental validation. With fine-tuned inorganic HIL, InP QLEDs exhibit a luminance of 45 200 cd m-2 and an external quantum efficiency of 19.9%, surpassing previous inorganic HIL-based QLEDs. This study provides a path to designing inorganic materials for more efficient and sustainable lighting and display technologies.

Acoustic Levitation Synthesis of Ultrahigh-Density Spherical Nucleic Acid Architectures for Specific SERS Analysis.

Controllably regulating the electrostatic bilayer of nanogold colloids is a significant premise for synthesizing spherical nucleic acid (SNA) and building ordered plasmonic architectures. We develop a facile acoustic levitation reactor to universally synthesize SNAs with an ultra-high density of DNA strands, which is even higher than those of various state-of-the-art methods. Results reveal a new mechanism of DNA grafting via acoustic wave that can reconfigure the ligands on colloidal surfaces. The acoustic levitation reactor enables substrate-free three-dimentional (3D) spatial assembly of SNAs with controllable interparticle nanogaps through regulating DNA lengths. This kind of architecture may overcome the plasmonic enhancement limits by blocking electron tunneling and breaking electrostatic shielding in dried aggregations. Finite element simulations support the architecture with 3D spatial plasmonic hotspot matrix, and its ultrahigh surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) capability is evidenced by in situ untargeted tracking of biomolecular events during photothermal stimulation (PTS)-induced cell death process. For biomarker diagnosis, the conjugation of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) aptamer onto SNAs enables in situ targeted tracking of ATP during PTS-induced cell death process. Particularly, the CD71 receptor and integrin α3ß1 protein on PL45 cell membrance could be well distinguished by label-free SERS fingerprints when using specific XQ-2d and DML-7 aptamers, respectively, to synthesize SNA architectures. Our current acoustic levitation reactor offers a new method for synthesizing SNAs and enables both targeted and untargeted SERS analysis for tracking molecular events in living systems. It promises great potentials in biochemical synthesis and sensing in future.

A study for quality evaluation of Lysimachiae herba from different origins based on fingerprint-activity relationship modeling and multi-component content determination.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Lysimachiae Herba (LH), called Jinqiancao in Chinese, is a commonly used traditional Chinese medicine in clinical practice. Doctors in the Qing Dynasty recorded that it tastes bitter, sour, and slightly cold, and it belongs to the liver, gallbladder, kidney, and bladder meridians. It has the effects of removing dampness and jaundice, eliminating gallstones, and reducing blood stasis. Because of its potent pharmacological effects, it is extensively utilized in the treatment of hepatobiliary and urinary system stones, jaundice, hepatitis, and cholecystitis. Although LH is included in "Sichuan authentic Chinese herbal medicine records", the quality of it from different origins still lacks reliable evaluation methods, which is difficult to reflect the high quality of LH from Sichuan. AIMS OF THE STUDY: This study aimed to establish a fingerprint-activity relationship model between the fingerprint of LH and its protective effect on cholestatic liver injury, and to evaluate the quality of LH from Sichuan and Guizhou by multivariate statistical analysis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 20 batches of LH samples were collected from Sichuan and Guizhou. Characteristic fingerprints of samples were established by UHPLC-Triple TOF-MS/MS and the chemical pattern recognition analysis was carried out by HCA. Then, a rat model of cholestatic liver injury was established by intragastric administration of ANIT. Combined with the common peak information of fingerprint and pharmacodynamic index results, GCA and BCA were used to screen the efficacy markers. Finally, based on UHPLC-QTRAP-MS/MS, the content of efficacy markers was simultaneously determined, and the overall quality of LH from two origins was evaluated by PCA and TOPSIS. RESULTS: In the fingerprint of 20 batches of LH, 15 common peaks were identified in the negative ion mode, and the similarity was between 0.887 and 0.981. Pharmacological results showed that, compared with the control group, the content of AST, ALT, ALP, TBA, TBIL, and MDA in serum increased, and the content of GSH and SOD activity decreased after 48 h of ANIT administration. In addition, compared to the model group, different doses of LH from the two origins could decrease the serum levels of AST, ALT, ALP, TBA, TBIL, and MDA, raise the levels of GSH and SOD activity, reduce the infiltration range of inflammatory cells, and improve the cholestatic liver injury in rats. Among them, the pharmacodynamic indices of the SCHD group were significantly better. GCA and BCA showed that a total of 7 constituents related to the efficacy were screened, which were proanthocyanidin B1, ferulic acid, hyperoside, astragalin, nicotiflorin, afzelin, and kaempferol. Besides, the content of 7 active constituents in samples from Sichuan was higher than that from Guizhou, indicating that the quality of samples from Sichuan may be better, consistent with the result of the pharmacological experiment. CONCLUSION: The quality and efficacy of LH from different origins were stable, and all of them had protective effects on cholestatic liver injury in rats. The method established in this study is accurate and reliable, and it can be used to comprehensively evaluate the internal quality of LH.

Rapid Analysis of Compounds from Piperis Herba and Piperis Kadsurae Caulis and Their Differences Using High-Resolution Liquid-Mass Spectrometry and Molecular Network Binding Antioxidant Activity.

There is a serious mixing of Piperis Herba and Piperis Kadsurae Caulis in various parts of China due to the similar traits of lianas, and there is a lack of systematic research on the compound and activity evaluation of the two. Likewise, the differences in compounds brought about by the distribution of origin also need to be investigated. In this study, high-resolution liquid-mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-Zeno-TOF-MS/MS) was used to analyze samples of Piperis Herba from five origins and Piperis Kadsurae Caulis from five origins, with three batches collected from each origin. The compounds were identified based on precise molecular weights, secondary fragments, and an online database combined with node-to-node associations of the molecular network. The t-test was used to screen and analyze the differential compounds between the two. Finally, the preliminary evaluation of antioxidant activity of the two herbs was carried out using DPPH and ABTS free radical scavenging assays. The results showed that a total of 72 compounds were identified and deduced in the two Chinese medicines. These compounds included 54 amide alkaloids and 18 other compounds, such as flavonoid glycosides. The amide alkaloids among them were then classified, and the cleavage pathways in positive ion mode were summarized. Based on the p-value of the t-test, 32 differential compounds were screened out, and it was found that the compounds of Piperis Herba were richer and possessed a broader spectrum of antioxidant activity, thus realizing a multilevel distinction between Piperis Herba and Piperis Kadsurae Caulis. This study provides a preliminary reference for promoting standardization and comprehensive quality research of the resources of Piperis Herba using Piperis Kadsurae Caulis as a reference.

Comparison of different prediction tools for the risk of intravesical recurrence after radical nephroureterectomy for upper tract urothelial carcinoma: a propensity-matched analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the predictive performance of the current clinical prediction models for predicting intravesical recurrence (IVR) after radical nephroureterectomy (RNU) in patients with upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC). METHODS: We retrospectively analysed upper tract urothelial carcinoma patients who underwent radical nephroureterectomy in our centre from January 2009 to December 2019. We used the propensity score matching (PSM) method to adjust the confounders between the IVR and non-IVR groups. Additionally, Xylinas' reduce model and full model, Zhang's model, and Ishioka's risk stratification model were used to retrospectively calculate predictions for each patient. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were generated, and the areas under the curves (AUCs) were compared to identify the method with the highest predictive value. RESULTS: We included 217 patients with a median follow-up of 41 months, of which 57 had IVR. After PSM analysis, 52 pairs of well-matched patients were included in the comparative study. No significant difference was found in clinical indicators besides hydronephrosis. The model comparison showed that the AUCs of the reduced Xylinas' model for 12 months, 24 months, and 36 months were 0.69, 0.73, and 0.74, respectively, and those of the full Xylinas' model were 0.72, 0.75, and 0.74, respectively. The AUC of Zhang's model for 12 months, 24 months, and 36 months was 0.63, 0.71, and 0.71, respectively, the performance of Ishioka's model is that the AUC of 12 months, 24 months and 36 months was 0.66, 0.71, and 0.74, respectively. CONCLUSION: The external verification results of the four models show that more comprehensive data and a larger sample size of patients are needed to strengthen the models' derivation and updating procedure, to better apply them to different populations.

Gasotransmitter Research Advances in Respiratory Diseases.

Significance: Gasotransmitters are small gas molecules that are endogenously generated and have well-defined physiological functions. The most well-defined gasotransmitters currently are nitric oxide (NO), carbon monoxide (CO), and hydrogen sulfide (H2S), while other potent gasotransmitters include ammonia, methane, cyanide, hydrogen gas, and sulfur dioxide. Gasotransmitters play a role in various respiratory diseases such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, obstructive sleep apnea, lung infection, bronchiectasis, cystic fibrosis, primary ciliary dyskinesia, and COVID-19. Recent Advances: Gasotransmitters can act as biomarkers that facilitate disease diagnosis, indicate disease severity, predict disease exacerbation, and evaluate disease outcomes. They also have cell-protective properties, and many studies have been conducted to explore their pharmacological applications. Innovative drug donors and drug delivery methods have been invented to amplify their therapeutic effects. Critical Issues: In this article, we briefly reviewed the physiological and pathophysiological functions of some gasotransmitters in the respiratory system, the progress in detecting exhaled gasotransmitters, as well as innovative drugs derived from these molecules. Future Directions: The current challenge for gasotransmitter research includes further exploring their physiological and pathological functions, clarifying their complicated interactions, exploring suitable drug donors and delivery devices, and characterizing new members of gasotransmitters. Antioxid. Redox Signal. 40, 168-185.

Prognostic value of the systemic immune-inflammation index in patients with upper tract urothelial carcinoma after radical nephroureterectomy.

BACKGROUND: To investigate the prognostic significance of the systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) for patients with upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) after radical nephroureterectomy (RNU) and develop nomogram models for predicting overall survival (OS), intravesical recurrence (IVR), and extra-urothelial recurrence (EUR). METHODS: We retrospectively studied the clinical and pathological features of 195 patients who underwent RNU for UTUC. All patients were randomly divided into a training cohort (99 cases) and a validation cohort (96 cases). The training cohort was used to develop nomogram models, and the models were validated by the validation cohort. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression and Cox regression were performed to identify independent predictors. The concordance index (C-index), receiver operator characteristics (ROC) analysis, and calibration plot were used to evaluate the reliability of the models. The clinical utility compared with the pathological T stage was assessed using the net reclassification index (NRI), integrated discrimination improvement (IDI), and decision curve analysis (DCA). RESULTS: SII was an independent risk factor in predicting OS and EUR. The C-index values of the nomogram predicting OS, IVR, and EUR were 0.675, 0.702, and 0.756 in the training cohort and 0.715, 0.756, and 0.713 in the validation cohort. A high level of SII was correlated with the invasion of the mucosa, muscle layer of the ureter, nerves, vessels, and fat tissues. CONCLUSION: We developed nomogram models to predict the OS, IVR, and EUR of UTUC patients. The efficacy of these models was substantiated through internal validation, demonstrating favorable discrimination, calibration, and clinical utility. A high level of SII was associated with both worse OS and shorter EUR-free survival.

[Quality evaluation of Lysimachiae Herba from different habitats based on simultaneous determination of multiple bioactive constituents combined with multivariate statistical analysis].

A method based on ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole linear ion trap-tandem mass spectrometry(UHPLC-QTRAP-MS/MS) was developed for the simultaneous determination of 41 bioactive constituents of flavonoids, organic acids, nucleosides, and amino acids in Lysimachiae Herba. The content of multiple bioactive constituents was compared among the samples from different habitats. The chromatographic separation was performed in a Waters XBridge®C_(18) column(4.6 mm×100 mm, 3.5 µm) at 30 ℃. The gradient elution was performed with 0.4% methanol(A)-formic acid water(B) as the mobile phase at a flow rate of 0.8 mL·min~(-1), and the multiple-reaction monitoring(MRM) mode was adopted. According to the content of 41 constituents, hierarchical cluster analysis(HCA), orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis(OPLS-DA), and gray relational analysis(GRA) were perfomed to comprehensively evaluate the samples from different habitats. The results showed that the 41 constituents exhibited good linear relationship within the tested concentration ranges, with the correlation coefficients(r) greater than 0.999 4. The method featured good precision, repeatability, and stability with the relative standard deviations(RSDs) less than 5.0%. The average recoveries of the 41 constituents ranged from 98.06% to 101.9%, with the RSDs of 0.62%-4.6%. HCA and OPLS-DA separated 48 batches of Lysimachiae Herba samples from different habitats into three categories: the producing areas in Sichuan and Chongqing, the producing areas in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Jiangxi, and the producing areas in Guizhou. The content of 41 constituents varied among the Lysimachiae Herba samples from different habitats. The GRA results revealed that the Lysimachiae Herba sample from Nanchong City, Sichuan Province had the best comprehensive quality. The method developed in this study was accurate and reliable and thus can be used for comprehensive evaluation of Lysimachiae Herba quality and provide basic information for the selection of habitats.

A novel nomogram for predicting extraurothelial recurrence in patients with upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma after radical nephroureterectomy.

PURPOSE: We aimed to establish and validate a nomogram for extraurothelial recurrence (EUR) after radical nephroureterectomy (RNU) for upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC). METHODS: The data of 521 patients with UTUC after RNU from 2 medical centers were retrospectively studied and were used as training cohort (n = 301) and external validation cohort (n = 220). We used the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) to select variables for multivariable Cox regression, and included independent risk factors into nomogram models predicting EUR-free survival (EURFS). Multiple parameters were used to validate the nomogram, including the concordance index (C-index), the calibration plots, the time-dependent receiver-operator characteristics curve (ROC), and the decision curve analysis (DCA). Patients were stratified into three risk groups according to total points calculated by nomograms. The differences of EURFS in each group were analyzed by the Kaplan-Meier analysis. RESULTS: Four variables were screened through LASSO regression. Bladder cancer history, Ki-67, lymphovascular invasion (LVI), and pathological T stage were shown to be independent predictive factors for EUR. The C-indexes of the model were 0.793 and 0.793 in training and validation cohorts, respectively. In comparison with prediction based on categorized pathological T stage, the DCA curves for 5-year EUR exhibited better performance. The 5-year EURFS rates were 92.2%, 63.8%, and 36.2% in patients stratified to the low-, medium-, and high-risk group. CONCLUSION: Our study provided a new nomogram to predict the probability of EUR in UTUC patients underwent RNU, with perfect performance in discrimination ability and clinical net benefit. The application of the model may help urologists to choose proper treatment and monitoring.

[Analysis and evaluation of bioactive constituents from different parts of Epimedium brevicornum].

A comprehensive analytical method based on ultra-fast liquid chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole/linear ion trap tandem mass spectrometry(UFLC-QTRAP-MS/MS) was established for simultaneous determination of the content of 45 bioactive constituents including flavonoids, alkaloids, amino acids, phenolic acids, and nucleosides in Epimedium brevicornum. The multiple bioactive constituents in leaves, petioles, stems and rhizomes of E. brevicornum were analyzed. The gradient elution was performed at 30 ℃ in an XBridge~® C_(18) column(4.6 mm×100 mm, 3.5 µm) with 0.4% formic acid aqueous solution-acetonitrile as the mobile phase at a flow rate of 0.8 mL·min~(-1). Single factor experiment and response surface methodology were employed to optimize the extraction conditions. Multivariate statistical analyses including systematic cluster analysis(SCA), principal component analysis(PCA), partial least squares discriminant analysis(PLS-DA), and one-way analysis of variance(One-way ANOVA) were carried out to classify the samples from different parts and identify different constituents. Grey relation analysis(GRA) and entropy weight-TOPSIS analysis were performed to build a multi-index comprehensive evaluation model for different parts of E. brevicornum. The results showed that there was a good relationship between the mass concentrations of 45 constituents and the corresponding peak areas, with the correlation coefficients(r) not less than 0.999 0. The precision, repeatability, and stability of the established method were good for all the target constituents in this study, with the relative standard deviations(RSDs) less than 5.0%(0.62%-4.9%) and the average recovery of 94.51%-105.7%. The above results indicated that the bioactive constituents varied in different parts of E. brevicornum, and the overall quality followed the trend of leaves > petioles > rhizomes > stems. This study verified the rationality of the Chinese Pharmacopoeia(2020 edition) stipulating that the medicinal part of E. brevicornum is the leaf. Moreover, our study indicated that the rhizome had the potential for medicinal development. The established method was accurate and reliable, which can be used to comprehensive evaluate and control the quality of E. brevicornum. This study provides data reference for clarifying the medicinal parts and rationally utilizing the resources of E. brevicornum.

Syntheses, Structures, and Photoluminescence of Copper-Based Halides.

Copper-based halides have been found to be a new family of lead-free materials with high stability and superior optoelectrical properties. In this work, we report the photoluminescence of the known (C8H14N2)CuBr3 and the discovery of three new compounds, (C8H14N2)CuCl3, (C8H14N2)CuCl3·H2O, and (C8H14N2)CuI3, which all exhibit efficient light emissions. All these compounds have monoclinic structures with the same space group (P21/c) and zero-dimensional (0D) structures, which can be viewed as the assembly of promising aromatic molecules and different copper halide tetrahedrons. Upon the irradiation of deep ultraviolet light, (C8H14N2)CuCl3, (C8H14N2)CuBr3,, and (C8H14N2)CuI3 show green emission peaking at ∼520 nm with a photoluminescent quantum yield (PLQY) of 3.38, 35.19, and 17.81%, while (C8H14N2)CuCl3·H2O displays yellow emission centered at ∼532 nm with a PLQY of 2.88%. A white light-emitting diode (WLED) was successfully fabricated by employing (C8H14N2)CuBr3 as a green emitter, demonstrating the potential of copper halides for applications in the green lighting field.

Metabolite Profiling and Transcriptome Analysis Explain the Difference in Accumulation of Bioactive Constituents in Taxilli Herba from Two Hosts.

Taxilli Herba (TH) is a semi-parasitic herb and the host is a key factor affecting its quality. Flavonoids are the main bioactive constituents in TH. However, studies on the difference in accumulation of flavonoids in TH from different hosts are vacant. In this study, integrated transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses were performed on TH from Morus alba L. (SS) and Liquidambar formosana Hance (FXS) to investigate the relationship between the regulation of gene expression and the accumulation of bioactive constituents. The results showed that a total of 3319 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were screened in transcriptomic analysis, including 1726 up-regulated genes and 1547 down-regulated genes. In addition, 81 compounds were identified using ultra-fast performance liquid chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole-time of flight ion trap tandem mass spectrometry (UFLC-Triple TOF-MS/MS) analysis, and the relative contents of flavonol aglycones and glycosides were higher in TH from SS group than those from the FXS group. A putative biosynthesis network of flavonoids was created, combined with structural genes, and the expression patterns of genes were mostly consistent with the variation of bioactive constituents. It was noteworthy that the UDP-glycosyltransferase genes might participate in downstream flavonoid glycosides synthesis. The findings of this work will provide a new way to understand the quality formation of TH from the aspects of metabolite changes and molecular mechanism.

Do patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma obtain survival benefits from cytoreductive nephrectomy? A population-based study.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to explore the value of cytoreductive nephrectomy (CN) and develop nomograms to predict the prognosis of metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) patients with receiving radiology therapy or/and chemotherapy (RT/&CT). METHODS: Clinical data of patients with mRCC between 2010 and 2015 were collected from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. Prognostic nomograms were constructed to predict the overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) probability for 1-, 3-, and 5- years in patients with mRCC. A series of validation methods were used to validate the accuracy and reliability of the model, including area under the receiver operating curve (AUC), consistency index (C-index), calibration curve, and decision curve analysis (DCA). RESULTS: 1394 patients were enrolled in this study. All patients were randomly divided into the training cohort (n = 976) and the validation cohort (n = 418). In the training cohort, multivariate Cox regression analysis suggested that pathology grade, histology type, T stage, N stage, surgery, and distant metastasis were independent risk factors for OS and CSS. The AUC and C-index were both over 0.65 in both cohorts, indicating that the nomograms for OS and CSS had satisfactory discriminative power. The calibration curves revealed that the predictive nomograms had a good consistency between the observed and the predicted survival. CONCLUSION: This study provided evidence that mRCC patients underwent RT/&CT could gain survival benefits from CN. The prognostic nomogram constructed in our study is reliable and practical, may help guide clinical strategies in the treatment of mRCC.

Effects of Yellow Mealworm (Tenebrio molitor) on Growth Performance, Hepatic Health and Digestibility in Juvenile Largemouth Bass (Micropterus salmoides).

This study investigated the effects of yellow mealworm meal (TM) on growth performance, hepatic health and digestibility in juvenile largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides). The fish were fed with the basic feed and the test feed (70% basic feed and 30% raw materials) containing Cr2O3, and feces were collected for digestibility determination. The fish were fed with five isonitrogenous (47% crude protein) and isolipidic (13% crude lipid) diets, in which fishmeal (FM) was replaced with 0% (TM0), 12% (TM12), 24% (TM24), 36% (TM36) and 48% (TM48) TM. The fish were reared in cylindrical plastic tanks in a recirculating aquaculture system for 11 weeks. The apparent digestibility coefficients (ADC), of dry matter, crude protein and crude lipid, in largemouth bass of TM were 74.66%, 91.03% and 90.91%, respectively. The ADC of total amino acid (TAA) of TM in largemouth bass was 92.89%, and the ADC of essential amino acid (EAA) in TM in largemouth bass was 93.86%. The final body weight (FBW), weight gain rate (WGR) and specific growth rate (SGR) in the TM24 group were significantly higher than those in other groups. Similarly, the highest mRNA expression levels of hepatic protein metabolism genes (pi3k, mtor, 4ebp2 and got) and antioxidant enzyme (glutathione peroxidase, Gpx; catalase, Cat) activities were observed in the TM24 group. Moreover, the expression levels of anti-inflammatory factors (il-10 and tgf) in liver were up-regulated and the expression levels of pro-inflammatory factors (il-8 and il-1ß) in liver were down-regulated. Quadratic regression model analysis, based on weight gain rate (WGR) against dietary TM level, indicated that the optimum level of dietary TM replacing FM in largemouth bass diet was 19.52%. Appropriate replacement levels (less than 36%) of FM by TM in the diets can enhance the antioxidant capacity and immunity of largemouth bass. However, high levels of FM substitution with TM (more than 48%) in the feeds can damage the liver health and inhibit the growth of largemouth bass. Notably, largemouth bass has high ADC and high utilization of TM, which indicates that it is feasible to use TM as feed protein source for largemouth bass.

Coordination Polymer Electrocatalysts Enable Efficient CO-to-Acetate Conversion.

Upgrading carbon dioxide/monoxide to multi-carbon C2+ products using renewable electricity offers one route to more sustainable fuel and chemical production. One of the most appealing products is acetate, the profitable electrosynthesis of which demands a catalyst with higher efficiency. Here, a coordination polymer (CP) catalyst is reported that consists of Cu(I) and benzimidazole units linked via Cu(I)-imidazole coordination bonds, which enables selective reduction of CO to acetate with a 61% Faradaic efficiency at -0.59 volts versus the reversible hydrogen electrode at a current density of 400 mA cm-2 in flow cells. The catalyst is integrated in a cation exchange membrane-based membrane electrode assembly that enables stable acetate electrosynthesis for 190 h, while achieving direct collection of concentrated acetate (3.3 molar) from the cathodic liquid stream, an average single-pass utilization of 50% toward CO-to-acetate conversion, and an average acetate full-cell energy efficiency of 15% at a current density of 250 mA cm-2 .

In situ passivation of Pb0 traps by fluoride acid-based ionic liquids enables enhanced emission and stability of CsPbBr3 nanocrystals for efficient white light-emitting diodes.

A great hurdle restricting the optoelectronic applications of cesium lead halide perovskite (CsPbX3) nanocrystals (NCs) is due to the uncoordinated lead atoms (Pb0) on the surface, where most attempts to address the challenges in the literature depend on complicated post-treatment processes. Here we report a simple in situ surface engineering strategy to obtain highly fluorescent and stable perovskite NCs, wherein the introduction of the multifunctional additive 1-butyl-3-methyl-imidazolium tetrafluoroborate ([Bmim]BF4) can significantly eliminate the Pb0 traps. The photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) of the as-synthesized NCs was improved from 63.82% to 94.63% due to the good passivation of the surface defects. We also confirm the universality of this in situ passivation pathway to remove Pb0 deep traps by using fluoride acid-based ionic liquids (ILs). Due to the high hydrophobicity of the cations of ILs, the as-prepared CsPbBr3 NCs exhibit robust water resistance stability, maintaining 67.5% of the initial photoluminescence (PL) intensity after immersion in water for 21 days. A white light emitting diode (LED), assembled by mixing the as-synthesized CsPbBr3 NCs and red K2SiF6:Mn4+ phosphors onto a blue chip, exhibits high luminous efficiency (100.07 lm W-1) and wide color gamut (140.64% of the National Television System Committee (NTSC) standard). This work provides a promising and facile technique to eliminate the Pb0 traps and improve the optical performance and stability of halide perovskite NCs, facilitating their applications in optoelectronic fields.

Quality Evaluation of Tetrastigmae Radix from Two Different Habitats Based on Simultaneous Determination of Multiple Bioactive Constituents Combined with Multivariate Statistical Analysis.

Tetrastigmae Radix, also known as Sanyeqing (SYQ) in Chinese, is an important traditional Chinese medicine with a long history. Tetrastigma hemsleyanum Diels et Gilg mainly grows in the south of the Yangtze River and is widely distributed. The content of bioactive constituents in SYQ varies greatly in different habitats, and there are obvious differences in the content of bioactive constituents between southwestern SYQ (WS) and southeastern SYQ (ES). To distinguish and evaluate the quality of ES and WS, an analytical method based on ultrafast performance liquid chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole-linear ion trap mass spectrometry (UFLC-QTRAP-MS/MS) was established for the simultaneous determination of 60 constituents including 25 flavonoids, 9 phenolic acids, 15 amino acids, and 11 nucleosides in 47 samples from ES and WS. In addition, orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA), t-test, and gray correlation analysis (GRA) were used to discriminate and evaluate the ES and WS samples based on the contents of 60 constituents. The results showed that there were significant differences in the bioactive constituents between ES and WS, and ES was superior to WS in terms of quality evaluation. This study not only provides basic information for differentiating ES and WS but also provides a new perspective for the comprehensive evaluation and quality control of SYQ from two different habitats.

Qualitative Analysis and Componential Differences of Chemical Constituents in Lysimachiae Herba from Different Habitats (Sichuan Basin) by UFLC-Triple TOF-MS/MS.

Lysimachiae Herba (LH), called Jinqiancao in Chinese, is an authentic medical herb in Sichuan Province often used in the prescription of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). However, in recent years, there has been a lack of comprehensive research on its chemical components. In addition, the landform of Sichuan Province varies greatly from east to west and the terrain is complex and diverse, which has an important influence on the chemical constituents in LH. In this study, ultrafast liquid chromatography coupled with triple-quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (UFLC-triple TOF-MS/MS) was used to analyze the samples of LH from eight different habitats in Sichuan Basin. The constituents were identified according to the precise molecular weight, the fragment ions of each chromatographic peak and the retention time of the compound obtained by high-resolution mass spectrometry, combined with software database searches, standard comparisons and the related literature. Differential chemical constituents were screened using partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) and t-tests. The results showed that a total of 46 constituents were identified and inferred, including flavonoids, phenolic acids, amino acids, tannins, fatty acids and coumarins; the fragmentation pathways of the main constituents were preliminarily deduced. According to the variable importance in projection (VIP) and p-values, four common differential constituents were screened out, 2-O-galloylgalactaric acid, quercetin 3-O-xylosyl-rutinoside, nicotiflorin and kaempferol 3-rutinosyl 7-O-alpha-l-rhamnoside. This study provides basic information for the establishment of a comprehensive quality evaluation system for LH.

High-Performance Thermoelectric α-Ag9 Ga1-x Te6 Compounds with Ultralow Lattice Thermal Conductivity Originating from Ag9 Te2 Motifs.

We have determined the complex atomic structure of high-temperature α-Ag9 GaTe6 phase with a hexagonal lattice (P63 mc space group, a=b=8.2766 Å, c=13.4349 Å). The structure has outer [GaTe4 ]5- tetrahedrons and inner [Ag9 Te2 ]5+ clusters. All of the Ag ions are disorderly distributed in the lattice. Seven types of the Ag atoms constitute the cage-like [Ag9 Te2 ]5+ clusters. The highly disordered Ag ions vibrate in-harmonically, producing strong coupling between low frequency optical phonons and acoustic phonons. This in conjunction with a low sound velocity of 1354 m s-1 leads to an ultralow thermal conductivity of 0.20 W m-1 K-1 at 673 K. Meanwhile, the deficiency of Ga in Ag9 Ga1-x Te6 compounds effectively optimizes the electronic transport properties. Ag9 Ga0.91 Te6 attains a highest power factor of 0.40 mW m-1 K-2 at 673 K. All these contribute to a much-improved ZT value of 1.13 at 623 K for Ag9 Ga0.95 Te6 , which is 41 % higher than that of the pristine Ag9 GaTe6 sample.