Mn4+/Eu3+ co-doped fluoride toward a blue light-excited optical fiber thermometer.

The ongoing development of ratiometric optical thermometry is mainly trapped in thermally coupled levels of rare-earth ions and inefficient ultraviolet excitation. Herein, a new-type multiple sharp line emitting, blue light-excited K2NaInF6:Mn4+, Eu3+ fluoride phosphor has been reported as a ratiometric thermometer. The f-f transition of Eu3+ paves a steady reference to a highly temperature sensitive Mn4+d-d transition and enables high relative sensitivity of 1.65% K-1 at 573 K. An optical fiber thermometry on a household oven with a relative standard deviation of 0.11% surpasses the standard of precision measurement, showing great potential in practical application. This discovery offers a highly sensitive neotype blue light-excitable ratiometric temperature sensor, that is Mn4+-doped fluoride, promoting practical applications of optical thermometry.

Millimeter-Sized K2MnF6:Si4+, NH4+ Red-Luminescent Crystals with High Absorption Efficiency (AEmax of 93.5%) and External Quantum Efficiency (EQEmax of 68.9%) Grown by Cooling-Induced Crystallization.

Luminescent bulk crystals exhibit fewer grain boundaries and defects compared with conventional microsized powdery ones. Herein, targeting Mn4+-activated fluoride crystals with a sharp line-type red luminescence spectrum, we propose a new cooling-induced crystallization method to grow the fluoride crystals. By this new method, we successfully grew millimeter-sized K2MnF6:Si4+, NH4+ crystals, featuring an AEmax (absorption efficiency) of 93.5% and an EQEmax (external quantum efficiency) of 68.9%, which are among the best values for Mn4+-activated fluoride red phosphors. The influence of doping Si4+ and/or NH4+ in K2MnF6 on the local coordination structure and luminescence properties was studied. The anomalous thermal quenching behaviors were discussed, the luminescence decay from the excited state was compared, and the origin for the high quantum efficiencies was analyzed.

Stable Polyhedron-Cluster-Based Rigid Fluoride Framework toward Zero-Thermal-Quenching Near-Infrared Emission for Prolonged LED Applications.

Development of highly thermally stable broadband near-infrared (NIR) luminescence materials is crucial for advancing the prolonged stable application of smart NIR light sources. In this study, a zero-thermal-quenching and reversible temperature-dependent broadband NIR-emitting Cs2NaAl3F12:Cr3+ phosphor is demonstrated, benefiting from its stable polyhedron-cluster-building rigid structure. The excellent thermal stability of Cs2NaAl3F12:Cr3+ is rooted in its stable [Al6Na4F45] cluster building unit, which provides a rigid structure with a weak electron-phonon coupling effect and a wide band gap with a huge thermal activated barrier. Such characteristics are well revealed by multiple studies on crystal structure, electronic structure, Huang-Rhys factor S, configuration coordinate model, and Debye temperature. The incorporation of Li or K instead of Na weakens the luminescence thermal stability, directly proving the importance of the stable [Al6Na4F45] cluster for stable Cr3+ substitution and rigid structure construction. Furthermore, Cs2NaAl3F12:Cr3+ presents much superior thermal stability compared to traditional rigid garnet-type fluorides Na3X2Li3F12:Cr3+ (X = Al, Ga, In). A high-power NIR LED is presented, utilizing the high quantum efficiency (∼71%) and extremely thermally stable broadband NIR emission around 750 nm of Cs2NaAl3F12:Cr3+. It realizes clear vein and cartilage imaging in the human hand, demonstrating its potential in medical diagnosis applications. This result provides important insights for designing new-type rigid crystal structures using stable polyhedron clusters as basic units, advancing the development of highly thermally stable NIR-emitting phosphors.

Development and validation of a novel defined mutation classifier based on Lasso logistic regression for predicting the overall survival of immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy in renal cell carcinoma.

Background: Currently, immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI)-based therapy has become the first-line treatment for advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC). However, few biomarkers have been identified to predict the response to ICI therapy in RCC patients. Herein, our research aimed to build a gene mutation prognostic indicator for ICI therapy. Methods: This multi-cohort study explored the mutation patterns in 2 publicly available advanced RCC ICI therapy cohorts, the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) advanced RCC ICI therapy cohort and the CheckMate ICI therapy cohort. A total of 261 patients in the CheckMate ICI therapy cohort were randomly assigned to either the training or validation set. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (Lasso) logistic regression analysis was subsequently used to develop a mutation classifier utilizing the training set. The classifier was then validated internally in the validation set and externally in 2 ICI therapy cohorts and 2 non-ICI therapy cohorts. Survival analysis, receiver operator characteristic curves and Harrell's concordance index were performed to assess the prognostic value of the classifier. Function and immune microenvironment analysis in each subgroup defined by the classifier were performed. Results: A 10-gene mutation classifier was constructed based on the CheckMate ICI therapy cohort to separate patients into 2 risk groups, with patients in the high-risk group showing significantly lower overall survival probability than those in the low-risk group [the training set (HR: 1.791; 95% CI: 1.207-2.657; P=0.003), the validation set (HR: 1.842; 95% CI: 1.133-2.996; P=0.012) and combination set (HR: 1.819; 95% CI: 1.339-2.470; P<0.001)]. Further validation confirmed that the mutation classifier only showed predictive value for patients receiving ICI therapy instead of non-ICI therapy. Combined with the clinical characteristics, the risk score was proven to be an independent prognostic factor for overall survival in ICI therapy by multivariate Cox regression analysis. Functional and immune infiltration analysis demonstrated that lower risk scores tended to associate with immunologically "hot" status in RCC. Conclusions: Our 10-gene mutation classifier was found to be a biomarker for predicting the overall survival of patients with advanced RCC to ICI therapy.

Ion Substitution Strategy toward High-Efficiency Near-Infrared Photoluminescence of Cs2KIn1-yAlyF6:Cr3+ Solid Solutions.

The rising demand for portable near-infrared (NIR) light sources has accelerated the exploration of NIR luminescent materials with high efficiency and excellent thermal stability. Inspired by the structural-modulated ion substitution strategy, herein, a high-performance Cs2KIn0.8Al0.1F6:0.1Cr3+ phosphor with a peak at 794 nm and full width at half-maximum (fwhm) of 117 nm was successfully synthesized by introducing Al3+ ions. The high performance is reflected in its high internal quantum efficiency (IQE) of 88.06% and good thermal quenching resistance (I423K = 71.64%). Compared with the initial Cs2KInF6:0.1Cr3+, the IQE and thermal stability are improved by 16.67% and 72.54%, which stem from the enhanced crystallinity and the strengthened structural rigidity. Finally, a phosphor-converted light-emitting diode (pc-LED) with a superior NIR photoelectric efficiency (21.04%@320 mA) was fabricated. Meanwhile, the pupil tracking, anticounterfeiting, intelligent identification, and bioimaging were successfully demonstrated. This work provides new perspectives for synthesizing efficient NIR fluoride phosphors and designing diverse applications.

Crosstalk of necroptosis and pyroptosis defines tumor microenvironment characterization and predicts prognosis in clear cell renal carcinoma.

Pyroptosis and necroptosis are two recently identified forms of immunogenic cell death in the tumor microenvironment (TME), indicating a crucial involvement in tumor metastasis. However, the characteristics of necroptosis and pyroptosis that define tumor microenvironment and prognosis in ccRCC patients remain unknown. We systematically investigated the transcriptional variation and expression patterns of Necroptosis and Pyroptosis related genes (NPRGs). After screening the necroptosis-pyroptosis clusters, the potential functional annotation for clusters was explored by GSVA enrichment analysis. The Necroptosis-Pyroptosis Genes (NPG) scores were used for the prognosis model construction and validation. Then, the correlations of NPG score with clinical features, cancer stem cell (CSC) index, tumor mutation burden (TMB), TME, and Immune Checkpoint Genes (ICGs) were also individually explored to evaluate the prognosis predictive values in ccRCC. Microarray screenings identified 27 upregulated and 1 downregulated NPRGs. Ten overall survival associated NPRGs were filtered to construct the NPG prognostic model indicating a better prognostic signature for ccRCC patients with lower NPG scores (P< 0.001), which was verified using the external cohort. Univariate and multivariate analyses along with Kaplan-Meier survival analysis demonstrated that NPG score prognostic model could be applied as an independent prognostic factor, and AUC values of nomogram from 1- to 5- year overall survival with good agreement in calibration plots suggested that the proposed prognostic signature possessed good predictive capabilities in ccRCC. A high-/sNPG score is proven to be connected with tumor growth and immune-related biological processes, according to enriched GO, KEGG, and GSEA analyses. Comparing patients with a high-NPG score to those with a low-NPG score revealed significant differences in clinical characteristics, growth and recurrence of malignancies (CSC index), TME cell infiltration, and immunotherapeutic response (P< 0.005), potentially making the NPG score multifunctional in the clinical therapeutic setting. Furthermore, AIM2, CASP4, GSDMB, NOD2, and RBCK1 were also found to be highly expressed in ccRCC cell lines and tumor tissues, and GASP4 and GSDMB promote ccRCC cells' proliferation, migration, and invasion. This study firstly suggests that targeting the NPG score feature for TME characterization may lend novel insights into its clinical applications in the prognostic prediction of ccRCC.

Luminescence properties of Cr3+-doped near-infrared emissive fluoroyttrates for light-emitting diodes.

In this work, a series of Cr3+-doped A2NaYF6 (denoted as ANYF:Cr; A = K, Rb, and Cs) fluoroyttrate double-perovskites with broad blue excitation and near-infrared (NIR) emission bands were prepared using a high-temperature solid-state reaction method. The physicochemical and spectroscopic properties of the as-prepared products, including crystal structure, bandgap, morphology, luminescence behaviour and optical performance, were studied in detail. The results show that the Cr3+ activators undergo a decreasing crystal field in ANYF in the direction from K to Cs, yielding a red shift of the emission peak position from 758 to 786 nm, whilst the full-width-at-half-maximum (FWHM) expands from 98 to 104 nm. By virtue of the broadband NIR emission, clear structural images of the tangerine section, mini LED flashlight and circuit board were obtained by merging the optimal RNYF:Cr phosphor on a blue InGaN chip, implying its potential use in light-emitting diodes for non-destructive testing.

IL-25 ameliorates acute cholestatic liver injury via promoting hepatic bile acid secretion.

Cholestasis caused by bile secretion and excretion disorders is a serious manifestation of hepatopathy. Interleukin (IL)-25 is a member of the IL-17 cytokine family, which involves in mucosal immunity and type 2 immunity via its receptor-IL-17RB. Our previous studies have shown that IL-25 improves non-alcoholic fatty liver via stimulating M2 macrophage polarization and promotes development of hepatocellular carcinoma via alternative activation of macrophages. These hepatopathy are closely associated with cholestasis. However, whether IL-25 play an important role in cholestasis remains unclear. IL-25 treatment and IL-25 knockout (Il25-/-) mice were injected intragastrically with α-naphthyl isothiocyanate (ANIT) to determine the biological association between IL-25 and cholestasis. Here, we found that IL-25 and IL-17RB decreased in ANIT-induced cholestatic mice. Il25-/- mice showed exacerbated ANIT-induced parenchymal injury and IL-25 treatment significantly alleviated cholestatic liver injury induced by ANIT. We found that IL-25 reduced the level of hepatic total bile acids and increased the expression of multidrug resistance-associated protein 2 (MRP2) and multidrug resistance-associated protein 3 (MRP3) in liver. In conclusion, IL-25 exhibited a protective effect against ANIT-induced cholestatic liver injury in mice, which may be related to the regulation on bile acids secretion. These results provide a theoretical basis for the use of IL-25 in the treatment of cholestatic hepatopathy.

Interstitial Li+ Occupancy Enabling Radiative/Nonradiative Transition Control toward Highly Efficient Cr3+-Based Near-Infrared Luminescence.

Highly efficient and stable broadband near-infrared (NIR) emission phosphors are crucial for the construction of next-generation smart lighting sources; however, the discovery of target phosphors remains a great challenge. Benefiting from the interstitial Li+ occupancy-induced relatively large distorted octahedral environment for Cr3+ and suppressed nonradiative relaxation of the emission centers, an NIR emission fluoride phosphor Na3GaF6:Cr3+,Li+ peaking at 758 nm with a high internal quantum efficiency of 95.8% and an external quantum efficiency of 38.3% is demonstrated. Moreover, it exhibits a good thermal stability (84.9%@150 °C of the integrated emission intensity at 25 °C) and excellent moisture resistance as well. A high-power light-emitting diode (LED) with a record watt-level NIR output (974.12 mW) and a photoelectric conversion efficiency of 20.9% is demonstrated by combining Na3GaF6:Cr3+,Li+ and a blue InGaN chip, and a special information encryption/decryption technology suitable for rapid and long-distance identification of machines is further presented based on this device. This study not only advances the development of efficient NIR emission phosphors for broadband NIR LEDs but also for NIR-related emerging applications and devices.

Mn2+-activated dual-wavelength emitting materials toward wearable optical fibre temperature sensor.

Photothermal sensing is crucial for the creation of smart wearable devices. However, the discovery of luminescent materials with suitable dual-wavelength emissions is a great challenge for the construction of stable wearable optical fibre temperature sensors. Benefiting from the Mn2+-Mn2+ superexchange interactions, a dual-wavelength (530/650 nm)-emitting material Li2ZnSiO4:Mn2+ is presented via simple increasing the Mn2+ concentration, wherein the two emission bands have different temperature-dependent emission behaviours, but exhibit quite similar excitation spectra. Density functional theory calculations, coupled with extended X-ray absorption fine structure and electron-diffraction analyses reveal the origins of the two emission bands in this material. A wearable optical temperature sensor is fabricated by incorporating Li2ZnSiO4:Mn2+ in stretchable elastomer-based optical fibres, which can provide thermal-sensitive emissions at dual- wavelengths for stable ratiometric temperature sensing with good precision and repeatability. More importantly, a wearable mask integrated with this stretchable fibre sensor is demonstrated for the detection of physiological thermal changes, showing great potential for use as a wearable health monitor. This study also provides a framework for creating transition-metal-activated luminescence materials.

Mn4+ non-equivalent doped fluoride phosphors with a short fluorescence decay time for backlighting.

The non-equivalent doping of Mn4+ in red-emitting fluoride phosphors effectively shortens the fluorescence lifetime. Herein, we successfully synthesized Rb2NaInF6:Mn4+ phosphors by an ion-exchange method. The compensation mechanism of Mn4+ local symmetry and charge balance in the phosphor were studied in detail by theoretical calculations based on density functional theory. The phosphor Rb2NaInF6:Mn4+ (5.59 mol%) exhibits intense red emission with a short fluorescence lifetime (1.45 ms). Meanwhile, it has excellent colour stability and thermal quenching stability at elevated temperatures. Using Rb2NaInF6:Mn4+, ß-SiAlON:Eu2+ and a blue-emitting GaN chip as red, green, and blue components, the white light-emitting diode (w-LED) exhibits a wide colour gamut of 94.1% of the National Television System Committee (NTSC) standard value. So, this work provides valuable information to investigate novel red-emitting fluoride phosphors for LED backlighting.

Defect-related luminescence behavior of a Mn4+ non-equivalently doped fluoroantimonate red phosphor.

Non-equivalent or non-octahedral substitution is a crucial strategy to gain Mn4+-doped fluoride red phosphors with a short fluorescence lifetime, whereas the impact of their structural defects on the photoluminescence (PL) properties remains unrevealed. Here, a non-equivalently doped RbSbF6:Mn4+ (RSFM) with a high quantum efficiency of 88% and a thermal stability of 121% at 425 K is newly reported to probe the defect-related PL behavior. Formation energy calculations imply that an interstitial defect was formed to balance the charge and stabilize the crystal structure. Concentration-dependent decay studies reveal that Mn4+ emission is quenched mainly by energy transfer to a neighboring defect . The large ionic radius of Sb5+ and defect leading to a premature optimal doping (0.11 mol%) is demonstrated by the refined contrast of the crystal structure and substitution mode among various Mn4+-doped prototypes. A couple of medium 4T2 state energies and the energy difference between the Mn4+ level with the valence band maximum enable its superior thermal stability. A higher defect concentration slightly aggravates this thermal quenching. Using the RSFM red phosphor in a white light-emitting diode offers a wide-color-gamut of 121% NTSC for backlight displays. This work would provide a new perspective to understand the defect effect on the PL behavior of special Mn4+ asymmetrically doped fluorides.

Ultraintense Zero-Phonon Line from a Mn4+ Red-Emitting Phosphor for High-Quality Backlight Display Applications.

The zero-phonon line (ZPL) of Mn4+, which highly depends on its local environment, is usually much weaker than the vibrational phonon sidebands. In this work, an ultraintense ZPL emission, coming from a brand new red-emitting Rb2LiGaF6:Mn4+ (RLGFM) phosphor upon blue light excitation, is presented. The interesting spectral characteristic originates from the nonequivalent substitution of Mn4+ for Ga3+ in a rigid octahedral structure with a low symmetry, which induces neighboring cation vacancies that distort the local symmetry of the [MnF6] octahedra. Benefiting from the ultraintense ZPL emission, a wide color gamut is achieved using RLGFM and ß-SiAlON:Eu2+ as color converters. Moreover, a comprehensive investigation on the thermal quenching behavior is also conducted to provide detailed insights to explore novel Mn4+ red phosphors for high-quality backlight display applications.

Luminescence Enhancement of Mn4+-Activated Fluorides via a Heterovalent Co-Doping Strategy for Monochromatic Multiplexing.

Mn4+ non-equivalent doped fluorides with high color purity red emission and relatively short decay time are crucial for wide color gamut displays and emerging applications, whereas the low quantum efficiency (QE) restrains their further applications. Herein, the luminescence of Mn4+ non-equivalent doped fluoride K2NaAlF6:Mn4+ (KNAF:Mn4+) is significantly enhanced via a heterovalent co-doping strategy, where the luminescence intensity is obviously increased by ∼85%, but the decay time is almost unchanged. The experimental characterization and density functional theory (DFT) calculations provide an understanding of the luminescence enhancement mechanism of heterovalent co-doping, which is enabled by simultaneously improving the stability of Mn4+ and reducing the number of quenching centers (defects and impurities). Combining the short-decay-time (τ = 4.03 ms) emission KNAF:Mn4+, Mg2+ and long-decay-time (τ = 9.23 ms) emission K2SiF6:Mn4+, a novel monochromatic multiplexing mode in the millisecond order is presented, which can be decoded not only in high-efficiency by a digital camera but also with a high security. This work provides a new optical multiplexing for the information security applications and also inspires the design of high-efficiency Mn4+-activated luminescent materials.

Dipole-Orientation-Dependent Förster Resonance Energy Transfer from Aromatic Head Groups to MnBr42- Blocks in Organic-Inorganic Hybrids.

The understanding and visualization of dipole-dipole interaction on molecular scale are scientifically fundamental and extremely of interest. Herein, two new zero-dimensional (0D) Mn hybrids with aromatic head groups and alkyl tails as organic spacers are selected as models. It was found that the dipole interaction between head groups and Mn blocks could have a huge impact on their crystalline structures as well as the luminescent properties. The parallel-oriented dipoles of the head groups and MnBr42- blocks contribute to an efficient Förster Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) in cetylpyridinium manganese bromide ([C16Py]2MnBr4), while the process is absent in 1-methyl-3-hexadecylimidazolium manganese bromide ([C16mim]2MnBr4) with perpendicular-oriented dipoles. This work gives insight into the influence of organic spacers on the geometry and the dipole interaction of Mn polyhedron in the hybrids, which could be of great interest in the future optical regulations and structural design.

Structure and luminescence behaviour of a novel red-emitting fluoroperovskite for display backlight application.

In this work, we present a brand-new narrowband red-emitting fluoroperovskite via the introduction of Mn4+ into NaZnF3 through a facile co-precipitation method at room temperature. The physicochemical properties of the fluoroperovskite such as crystal and electronic structures, morphology, and elemental composition, as well as its spectroscopic properties such as luminescence behaviours and optical performance were characterized and investigated in detail. Evidence shows that NaZnF3:Mn4+ exhibits a uniform particulate shape with single-phase crystallinity. By virtue of the non-equivalent substitution and the [MnF6] octahedral distortion in the fluoride host, sharp red emissions of phonon sidebands and the zero-phonon line upon blue light excitation are identified. Benefiting from the unique spectral feature, a wide colour gamut of 104.1% NTSC is achieved by coating ß-SiAlON:Eu2+ and NaZnF3:Mn4+ on an InGaN chip, indicating the potential use of the Mn4+ fluoroperovskite as a colour converter for display backlight application.

Glass crystallization making red phosphor for high-power warm white lighting.

Rapid development of solid-state lighting technology requires new materials with highly efficient and stable luminescence, and especially relies on blue light pumped red phosphors for improved light quality. Herein, we discovered an unprecedented red-emitting Mg2Al4Si5O18:Eu2+ composite phosphor (λex = 450 nm, λem = 620 nm) via the crystallization of MgO-Al2O3-SiO2 aluminosilicate glass. Combined experimental measurement and first-principles calculations verify that Eu2+ dopants insert at the vacant channel of Mg2Al4Si5O18 crystal with six-fold coordination responsible for the peculiar red emission. Importantly, the resulting phosphor exhibits high internal/external quantum efficiency of 94.5/70.6%, and stable emission against thermal quenching, which reaches industry production. The maximum luminous flux and luminous efficiency of the constructed laser driven red emitting device reaches as high as 274 lm and 54 lm W-1, respectively. The combinations of extraordinary optical properties coupled with economically favorable and innovative preparation method indicate, that the Mg2Al4Si5O18:Eu2+ composite phosphor will provide a significant step towards the development of high-power solid-state lighting.

Single-Crystal Red Phosphors and Their Core-Shell Structure for Improved Water-Resistance for Laser Diodes Applications.

A solvent-vapor transport route produces centimeter-sized single-crystal red phosphors. The epitaxial growth route to yield its core-shell structure at ambient temperature was adopted. These red phosphors could be applied in all-inorganic WLED devices. Cs2 TiF6 :Mn4+ (CTFM) single crystal provides enhancement of quantum efficiency, moisture resistance, and thermal stability compared to polycrystalline powders. The internal quantum efficiency can reach as high as 98.7 %. To further improve waterproof stability, the Cs2 TiF6 (CTF) shell with tunable thickness has been epitaxially grown on the CTFM single crystal surface and a unique three-step photoluminescence intensity evolution mechanism has been proposed. By combining as-prepared CTFM@CTF core-shell structured single crystal, YAG:Ce single crystal and blue-chip, warm WLEDs with excellent color rendition (Ra =90, R9 =94), low correlated color temperature (CCT=3155 K), and high luminous efficacy were fabricated without any organic resins.

Silencing c-Myc Enhances the Antitumor Activity of Bufalin by Suppressing the HIF-1α/SDF-1/CXCR4 Pathway in Pancreatic Cancer Cells.

BACKGROUND: Pancreatic cancer is one of the most aggressive malignancies. Bufalin, a traditional Chinese medicine, has been used to treat pancreatic cancer as an antitumor agent although the mechanism by which it exerts its effects is still unclear. c-Myc has been found to be overexpressed in more than half of human cancers including pancreatic cancer. However, the role of c-Myc in pancreatic cancer cells and its influence in bufalin-treated pancreatic cancer are yet to be clarified. The present study aimed to investigate the role of c-Myc in the antitumor activity of bufalin in pancreatic cancer. METHODS: c-Myc siRNA and overexpression plasmid were transfected into pancreatic cancer cells to construct the cell models. c-Myc expression was detected via quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and western blot. The effect of c-Myc on bufalin-induced inhibition of cell proliferation was detected via CCK-8 assay. Cell apoptosis and the cell cycle were analyzed via flow cytometry. Cell invasion and migration was detected via Transwell and wound healing assays, respectively. In addition, the effect of bufalin on the suppression of tumor growth in vivo was studied in nude mice model subcutaneously injected with PANC-1 and SW1990 cells. Hematoxylin-eosin and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick-end labeling assay were used to evaluate pathological changes in vivo. The expression of HIF-1α/SDF-1/CXCR4 were detected via western blot. RESULTS: CCK-8 assay showed that bufalin could inhibit the proliferation of pancreatic cancer cell, and c-Myc downregulation enhanced this effect. Similarly, c-Myc downregulation enhanced the effect of bufalin on cell cycle arrest, apoptosis, and the invasion and migration of pancreatic cancer cell in vitro. Further mechanism assay showed that c-Myc enhances the effect by regulating the HIF-1α/SDF-1/CXCR4 signaling pathway. The in vivo studies verified the results that c-Myc enhances the effect of bufalin through regulation of the HIF-1α/SDF-1/CXCR4 pathway. CONCLUSIONS: Downregulation of c-Myc enhanced the antitumor activity of bufalin in pancreatic cancer cells by suppressing the HIF-1α/SDF-1/CXCR4 pathway. These findings indicate that c-Myc inhibitors could enhance the clinical therapeutic effect of bufalin and may expand the clinical application of bufalin accordingly.

Divalent europium-doped near-infrared-emitting phosphor for light-emitting diodes.

Near-infrared luminescent materials exhibit unique photophysical properties that make them crucial components in photonic, optoelectronic and biological applications. As broadband near infrared phosphors activated by transition metal elements are already widely reported, there is a challenge for next-generation materials discovery by introducing rare earth activators with 4f-5d transition. Here, we report an unprecedented phosphor K3LuSi2O7:Eu2+ that gives an emission band centered at 740 nm with a full-width at half maximum of 160 nm upon 460 nm blue light excitation. Combined structural and spectral characterizations reveal a selective site occupation of divalent europium in LuO6 and K2O6 polyhedrons with small coordination numbers, leading to the unexpected near infrared emission. The fabricated phosphor-converted light-emitting diodes have great potential as a non-visible light source. Our work provides the design principle of near infrared emission in divalent europium-doped inorganic solid-state materials and could inspire future studies to further explore near-infrared light-emitting diodes.