Transdermal microarrayed electroporation for enhanced cancer immunotherapy based on DNA vaccination.

Despite the tremendous clinical potential of nucleic acid-based vaccines, their efficacy to induce therapeutic immune response has been limited by the lack of efficient local gene delivery techniques in the human body. In this study, we develop a hydrogel-based organic electronic device (µEPO) for both transdermal delivery of nucleic acids and in vivo microarrayed cell electroporation, which is specifically oriented toward one-step transfection of DNAs in subcutaneous antigen-presenting cells (APCs) for cancer immunotherapy. The µEPO device contains an array of microneedle-shaped electrodes with pre-encapsulated dry DNAs. Upon a pressurized contact with skin tissue, the electrodes are rehydrated, electrically triggered to release DNAs, and then electroporate nearby cells, which can achieve in vivo transfection of more than 50% of the cells in the epidermal and upper dermal layer. As a proof-of-concept, the µEPO technique is employed to facilitate transdermal delivery of neoantigen genes to activate antigen-specific immune response for enhanced cancer immunotherapy based on a DNA vaccination strategy. In an ovalbumin (OVA) cancer vaccine model, we show that high-efficiency transdermal transfection of APCs with OVA-DNAs induces robust cellular and humoral immune responses, including antigen presentation and generation of IFN-γ+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes with a more than 10-fold dose sparing over existing intramuscular injection (IM) approach, and effectively inhibits tumor growth in rodent animals.

The use of longitudinal CT-based radiomics and clinicopathological features predicts the pathological complete response of metastasized axillary lymph nodes in breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: Accurate assessment of axillary status after neoadjuvant therapy for breast cancer patients with axillary lymph node metastasis is important for the selection of appropriate subsequent axillary treatment decisions. Our objectives were to accurately predict whether the breast cancer patients with axillary lymph node metastases could achieve axillary pathological complete response (pCR). METHODS: We collected imaging data to extract longitudinal CT image features before and after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC), analyzed the correlation between radiomics and clinicopathological features, and developed models to predict whether patients with axillary lymph node metastasis can achieve axillary pCR after NAC. The clinical utility of the models was determined via decision curve analysis (DCA). Subgroup analyses were also performed. Then, a nomogram was developed based on the model with the best predictive efficiency and clinical utility and was validated using the calibration plots. RESULTS: A total of 549 breast cancer patients with metastasized axillary lymph nodes were enrolled in this study. 42 independent radiomics features were selected from LASSO regression to construct a logistic regression model with clinicopathological features (LR radiomics-clinical combined model). The AUC of the LR radiomics-clinical combined model prediction performance was 0.861 in the training set and 0.891 in the testing set. For the HR + /HER2 - , HER2 + , and Triple negative subtype, the LR radiomics-clinical combined model yields the best prediction AUCs of 0.756, 0.812, and 0.928 in training sets, and AUCs of 0.757, 0.777 and 0.838 in testing sets, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The combination of radiomics features and clinicopathological characteristics can effectively predict axillary pCR status in NAC breast cancer patients.

Signal enhancement ratio of multi-phase contrast-enhanced MRI: an imaging biomarker for survival in pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate signal enhancement ratio (SER) for tissue characterization and prognosis stratification in pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC), with quantitative histopathological analysis (QHA) as the reference standard. METHODS: This retrospective study included 277 PDAC patients who underwent multi-phase contrast-enhanced (CE) MRI and whole-slide imaging (WSI) from three centers (2015-2021). SER is defined as (SIlt - SIpre)/(SIea - SIpre), where SIpre, SIea, and SIlt represent the signal intensity of the tumor in pre-contrast, early-, and late post-contrast images, respectively. Deep-learning algorithms were implemented to quantify the stroma, epithelium, and lumen of PDAC on WSIs. Correlation, regression, and Bland-Altman analyses were utilized to investigate the associations between SER and QHA. The prognostic significance of SER on overall survival (OS) was evaluated using Cox regression analysis and Kaplan-Meier curves. RESULTS: The internal dataset comprised 159 patients, which was further divided into training, validation, and internal test datasets (n = 60, 41, and 58, respectively). Sixty-five and 53 patients were included in two external test datasets. Excluding lumen, SER demonstrated significant correlations with stroma (r = 0.29-0.74, all p < 0.001) and epithelium (r = -0.23 to -0.71, all p < 0.001) across a wide post-injection time window (range, 25-300 s). Bland-Altman analysis revealed a small bias between SER and QHA for quantifying stroma/epithelium in individual training, validation (all within ± 2%), and three test datasets (all within ± 4%). Moreover, SER-predicted low stromal proportion was independently associated with worse OS (HR = 1.84 (1.17-2.91), p = 0.009) in training and validation datasets, which remained significant across three combined test datasets (HR = 1.73 (1.25-2.41), p = 0.001). CONCLUSION: SER of multi-phase CE-MRI allows for tissue characterization and prognosis stratification in PDAC. CLINICAL RELEVANCE STATEMENT: The signal enhancement ratio of multi-phase CE-MRI can serve as a novel imaging biomarker for characterizing tissue composition and holds the potential for improving patient stratification and therapy in PDAC. KEY POINTS: Imaging biomarkers are needed to better characterize tumor tissue in pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Signal enhancement ratio (SER)-predicted stromal/epithelial proportion showed good agreement with histopathology measurements across three distinct centers. Signal enhancement ratio (SER)-predicted stromal proportion was demonstrated to be an independent prognostic factor for OS in PDAC.

A systematic review of qualitative research on the self-management experience of breast cancer patients.

OBJECTIVE: To integrate the qualitative research on the self-management experience of breast cancer patients and conduct a systematic review of their self-management experience. METHODS: Using a computer to search a series of databases such as CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, and China Biomedical Database, systematically collect and integrate qualitative research on the self-management experience of breast cancer patients, and the search time is limited to January 2010 to December 2022. The qualitative research quality evaluation standard of the Joanna Briggs Institute Centre for Evidence-Based Health Care in Australia was used as the evaluation standard of this project to complete the accurate evaluation of the literature; Meta-analysis was used to complete the effective integration of the results. RESULTS: 17 pieces of literature were included in this project, and 37 research results with strong integrity were extracted accordingly. On this basis, 7 different categories were summarised, and three integrated results were obtained: the experience of maintaining self-management, symptom recognition, and self-management. CONCLUSION: In the different stages of self-management of breast cancer patients, medical staff should give targeted guidance to help patients obtain a good prognosis.

Effect of Dexmedetomidine on Intraoperative Hemodynamics and Blood Loss in Patients Undergoing Spine Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Objective Dexmedetomidine (Dex) is a highly selective α2 adrenoceptor agonist that reduces blood pressure and heart rate. However, its ability to provide stable hemodynamics and a clinically significant reduction in blood loss in spine surgery is still a matter of debate. This study aimed to investigate the effects of Dex on intraoperative hemodynamics and blood loss in patients undergoing spine surgery.Methods The Web of Science, MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library were searched up to February 2023 for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) including patients undergoing spine surgeries under general anaesthesia and comparing Dex and saline. A fixed- or random-effect model was used depending on heterogeneity.Results Twenty-one RCTs, including 1388 patients, were identified. Dex added the overall risk of intraoperative hypotension (odds ratio [OR]: 2.11; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.24 - 3.58; P=0.006) and bradycardia (OR: 2.48; 95%CI: 1.57 - 3.93; P=0.0001). The use of a loading dose of Dex led to significantly increased risks of intraoperative hypotension (OR: 2.00; 95%CI: 1.06 - 3.79; P=0.03) and bradycardia (OR: 2.28; 95%CI: 1.42 - 3.66; P=0.0007). For patients receiving total intravenous anesthesia, there was an increased risk of hypotension (OR: 2.90; 95%CI: 1.24 - 6.82; P=0.01) and bradycardia (OR: 2.66; 95%CI: 1.53 - 4.61; P=0. 0005). For patients in the inhalation anesthesia group, only an increased risk of bradycardia (OR: 4.95; 95%CI: 1.41 - 17.37; P=0.01) was observed. No significant increase in the risk of hypotension and bradycardia was found in the combined intravenous-inhalation anesthesia group. The incidence of severe hypotension (OR: 2.57; 95%CI: 1.05 - 6.32; P=0.04), but not mild hypotension, was increased. Both mild (OR: 2.55; 95%CI: 1.06 - 6.15; P=0.04) and severe (OR: 2.45; 95%CI: 1.43 - 4.20; P=0.001) bradycardia were associated with a higher risk. The overall analyses did not reveal significant reduction in intraoperative blood loss. However, a significant decrease in blood loss was observed in total inhalation anesthesia subgroup (mean difference [MD]: -82.97; 95%CI: -109.04 - -56.90; P<0.001).Conclusions Dex increases the risks of intraoperative hypotension and bradycardia in major spine surgery. The administration of a loading dose of Dex and the utilization of various anesthesia maintenance methods may potentially impact hemodynamic stability and intraoperative blood loss.

Studies on the Biomimetic Synthesis of Marine Ladder Polyethers via Endo-Selective Epoxide-to-Epoxonium Ring-Opening Cascades.

Marine ladder polyethers have attracted the attention of chemists and biologists because of their potent biological activities. Synthetic chemists have attempted to construct their polyether frameworks by epoxide ring-opening cascades, as Nakanishi hypothesis describes. However, Baldwin's rules of ring closure state that exo-selective intramolecular cyclization of epoxy alcohols is preferred over endo-selective cyclization. Herein, we investigated epoxide ring-opening cascades of polyepoxy alcohols in [EMIM]BF4/PFTB (1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate /perfluoro-tert-butyl alcohol) and found that all-endo products were formed via epoxide-to-epoxonium ring-opening cyclizations (not restricted by Baldwin's rules, which only apply to intramolecular hydroxyl-to-epoxide cyclizations). We determined that the key factor enabling polyepoxy alcohols to undergo a high proportion of all-endo-selective cyclizations was inhibition of exo-selective hydroxyl-to-epoxide cyclization starting from the terminal hydroxyl group of a polyepoxy alcohol. By introducing a slow-release protecting group to the terminal hydroxyl group, we could markedly increase the cyclization yields of polyether fragments with hydrogen atoms at the ring junctions. For the first time, we constructed consecutively fused six-membered-ring and fused seven-, eight-, and nine-membered-ring polyether fragments by epoxide-to-epoxonium ring-opening cyclizations through the addition of a suitable Lewis acid. We also suggest that the biosynthesis of marine ladder polyethers may proceed via epoxide-to-epoxonium ring-opening cyclization of polyepoxide.

Constructing Dynamic Anode/Electrolyte Interfaces Coupled with Regulated Solvation Structures for Long-Term and Highly Reversible Zinc Metal Anodes.

Aqueous zinc ion batteries (AZIBs) show a great potential for next-generation energy storage due to their high safety and high energy density. However, the severe side reactions of zinc negative electrode largely hinder the further application of AZIBs. Herein, trace tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane (Tris) additive with rich lone-pair-electrons and zincophilic sites is firstly introduced to achieve long-term and highly reversible Zn plating/stripping. Specifically, Tris not only regulates the solvation structure of Zn2+, but is also adsorbed vertically on the Zn anode surface with a changed coordination intensity during the plating/stripping process of Zn to generate an in situ dynamic adsorption layer for the first time. The dynamic adsorption layer could successively attract the solvated Zn2+ and then promote the de-solvation of the solvated Zn2+ owing to the orientation polarization with regularly-changed applied electric field, the volume rejection effect, and strong intermolecular force towards H2O of the vertically-adsorbed Tris. Therefore, an improved Zn2+-transport kinetics as well as the inhibition of side reactions of Zn anode are successfully realized. Accordingly, the Zn||Zn symmetric cell provides an ultra-long cycle life of 2600 h. Furthermore, the Zn||MnO2 full cell with Tris could demonstrate a high capacity and structural stability for practical applications.

Biopsy-free AI-aided precision MRI assessment in prediction of prostate cancer biochemical recurrence.

BACKGROUND: To investigate the predictive ability of high-throughput MRI with deep survival networks for biochemical recurrence (BCR) of prostate cancer (PCa) after prostatectomy. METHODS: Clinical-MRI and histopathologic data of 579 (train/test, 463/116) PCa patients were retrospectively collected. The deep survival network (iBCR-Net) is based on stepwise processing operations, which first built an MRI radiomics signature (RadS) for BCR, and predicted the T3 stage and lymph node metastasis (LN+) of tumour using two predefined AI models. Subsequently, clinical, imaging and histopathological variables were integrated into iBCR-Net for BCR prediction. RESULTS: RadS, derived from 2554 MRI features, was identified as an independent predictor of BCR. Two predefined AI models achieved an accuracy of 82.6% and 78.4% in staging T3 and LN+. The iBCR-Net, when expressed as a presurgical model by integrating RadS, AI-diagnosed T3 stage and PSA, can match a state-of-the-art histopathological model (C-index, 0.81 to 0.83 vs 0.79 to 0.81, p > 0.05); and has maximally 5.16-fold, 12.8-fold, and 2.09-fold (p < 0.05) benefit to conventional D'Amico score, the Cancer of the Prostate Risk Assessment (CAPRA) score and the CAPRA Postsurgical score. CONCLUSIONS: AI-aided iBCR-Net using high-throughput MRI can predict PCa BCR accurately and thus may provide an alternative to the conventional method for PCa risk stratification.

Comparison of MRI and CT-Based Radiomics and Their Combination for Early Identification of Pathological Response to Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy in Locally Advanced Gastric Cancer.

BACKGROUND: Current radiomics for treatment response assessment in gastric cancer (GC) have focused solely on Computed tomography (CT). The importance of multi-parametric magnetic resonance imaging (mp-MRI) radiomics in GC is less clear. PURPOSE: To compare and combine CT and mp-MRI radiomics for pretreatment identification of pathological response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in GC. STUDY TYPE: Retrospective. POPULATION: Two hundred twenty-five GC patients were recruited and split into training (157) and validation dataset (68) in the ratio of 7:3 randomly. FIELD/SEQUENCE: T2-weighted fast spin echo (fat suppressed T2-weighted imaging [fs-T2WI]), diffusion weighted echo planar imaging (DWI), and fast gradient echo (dynamic contrast enhanced [DCE]) sequences at 3.0T. ASSESSMENT: Apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) maps were generated from DWI. CT, fs-T2WI, ADC, DCE, and mp-MRI Radiomics score (Radscores) were compared between responders and non-responders. A multimodal nomogram combining CT and mp-MRI Radscores was developed. Patients were followed up for 3-65 months (median 19) after surgery, the overall survival (OS) and progression free survival (PFS) were calculated. STATISTICAL TESTS: A logistic regression classifier was applied to construct the five models. Each model's performance was evaluated using a receiver operating characteristic curve. The association of the nomogram with OS/PFS was evaluated by Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and C-index. A P value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: CT Radscore, mp-MRI Radscore and nomogram were significantly associated with tumor regression grading. The nomogram achieved the highest area under the curves (AUCs) of 0.893 (0.834-0.937) and 0.871 (0.767-0.940) in training and validation datasets, respectively. The C-index was 0.589 for OS and 0.601 for PFS. The AUCs of the mp-MRI model were not significantly different to that of the CT model in training (0.831 vs. 0.770, P = 0.267) and validation dataset (0.797 vs. 0.746, P = 0.137). DATA CONCLUSIONS: mp-MRI radiomics provides similar results to CT radiomics for early identification of pathologic response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy. The multimodal radiomics nomogram further improved the capability. EVIDENCE LEVEL: 3 TECHNICAL EFFICACY: 2.

The value of different involvement patterns of the knee "synovio-entheseal complex" in the differential diagnosis of spondyloarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and osteoarthritis: an MRI-based study.

OBJECTIVES: To explore the different involvement patterns of the knee "synovio-entheseal complex (SEC)" on MRI in patients with spondyloarthritis (SPA), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and osteoarthritis (OA). METHODS: This study retrospectively included 120 patients (male:female, 55:65) with a mean age of 39.20 years diagnosed with SPA (n = 40), RA (n = 40), and OA (n = 40) at the First Central Hospital of Tianjin between January 2020 and May 2022. Six knee entheses were assessed by two musculoskeletal radiologists according to the SEC definition. Bone marrow lesions associated with entheses include bone marrow edema (BME) and bone erosion (BE), which were classified as entheseal or peri-entheseal based on their relationship to the entheses. Three groups (OA, RA, and SPA) were established to characterize the location of enthesitis and the different SEC involvement patterns. Inter-group and intra-group differences were analyzed using the ANOVA or chi-square tests, and the inter-class correlation coefficient (ICC) test was used to determine inter-reader agreement. RESULTS: The study contained a total of 720 entheses. The SEC-based analysis revealed different involvement patterns in three groups. The OA group had the most abnormal signals in tendons/ligaments (p = 0.002). The RA group had considerably greater synovitis (p = 0.002). The majority of peri-entheseal BE was identified in the OA and RA groups (p = 0.003). Furthermore, entheseal BME in the SPA group was significantly different from those in the other two groups (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: SEC involvement patterns differed in SPA, RA, and OA, which is important for differential diagnosis. SEC should be used as a whole evaluation method in clinical practice. KEY POINTS: • The "synovio-entheseal complex (SEC)" explained differences and characteristic alterations in the knee joint in patients with spondyloarthritis (SPA), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and osteoarthritis (OA). • The various SEC involvement patterns are crucial for differentiating SPA, RA, and OA. • When "knee pain" is the only symptom, a detailed identification of characteristic alterations in the knee joint of SPA patients may help timely treatment and delay the structural damage.

Fabrication of a novel polyurethane foam-alginate-zeolite hydrogel and subsequent KSND bacteria encapsulation: evidence of accelerated biofilm colonization and enhanced nitrogen removal efficiency.

Biofilms are used widely to remove nitrogen from wastewater; however, most biofilm carriers (i.e. polyurethane foam, PUF) are hydrophobic organic materials with millimetre-scale apertures, ineffective attachment, and unstable colonization of microorganisms. To address these limitations, hydrophilic sodium alginate (SA) mixed with zeolite powder (Zeo) was cross-linked in PUF to form a micro-scale hydrogel (PAS) with a well-organized and reticular cellular structure. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that immobilized cells were entrapped in the interior of hydrogel filaments and rapidly formed a stable biofilm on the surface. The biofilm generated was 10.3-fold greater than the film developed on PUF. Kinetics and isotherm studies revealed that the as-developed carrier, because of the presence of Zeo, effectively improved the adsorption of NH4+-N by 53%. The PAS carrier achieved total nitrogen removal in excess of 86% for low carbon-to-nitrogen ratio wastewater treated for 30 d, indicating that this novel modification-encapsulation technology has potential for wastewater treatment.

Electroacupuncture Zusanli (ST36) Relieves Somatic Pain in Colitis Rats by Inhibiting Dorsal Root Ganglion Sympathetic-Sensory Coupling and Neurogenic Inflammation.

Referred somatic pain triggered by hyperalgesia is common in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). It was reported that sprouting of sympathetic nerve fibers into the dorsal root ganglion (DGR) and neurogenic inflammation were related to neuropathic pain, the excitability of neurons, and afferents. The purpose of the study was to explore the potential and mechanism of electroacupuncture (EA) at Zusanli (ST36) for the intervention of colon inflammation and hyperalgesia. Sprague-Dawley (SD) was randomly divided into four groups, including control, model, EA, and sham-EA. Our results showed EA treatment significantly attenuated dextran sulfate sodium- (DSS-) induced colorectal lesions and inflammatory cytokine secretion, such as TNF-α, IL-1ß, PGE2, and IL-6. EA also inhibited mechanical and thermal pain hypersensitivities of colitis rats. Importantly, EA effectively abrogated the promotion effect of DSS on ipsilateral lumbar 6 (L6) DRG sympathetic-sensory coupling, manifested as the sprouting of tyrosine hydroxylase- (TH-) positive sympathetic fibers into sensory neurons and colocalization of and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP). Furthermore, EA at Zusanli (ST36) activated neurogenic inflammation, characterized by decreased expression of substance P (SP), hyaluronic acid (HA), bradykinin (BK), and prostacyclin (PGI2) in colitis rat skin tissues corresponding to the L6 DRG. Mechanically, EA treatment reduced the activation of the TRPV1/CGRP, ERK, and TLR4 signaling pathways in L6 DRG of colitis rats. Taken together, we presumed that EA treatment improved colon inflammation and hyperalgesia, potentially by suppressing the sprouting of sympathetic nerve fibers into the L6 DGR and neurogenic inflammation via deactivating the TRPV1/CGRP, ERK, and TLR4 signaling pathways.

In-Situ Constructing A Heterogeneous Layer on Lithium Metal Anodes for Dendrite-Free Lithium Deposition and High Li-ion Flux.

Constructing efficient artificial solid electrolyte interface (SEI) film is extremely vital for the practical application of lithium metal batteries. Herein, a dense artificial SEI film, in which lithiophilic Zn/Lix Zny are uniformly but nonconsecutively dispersed in the consecutive Li+ -conductors of Lix SiOy , Li2 O and LiOH, is constructed via the in situ reaction of layered zinc silicate nanosheets and Li. The consecutive Li+ -conductors can promote the desolvation process of solvated-Li+ and regulate the transfer of lithium ions. The nonconsecutive lithiophilic metals are polarized by the internal electric field to boost the transfer of lithium ions, and lower the nucleation barrier. Therefore, a low polarization of ≈50 mV for 750 h at 2.0 mA cm-2 in symmetric cells, and a high capacity retention of 99.2 % in full cells with a high lithium iron phosphate areal loading of ≈13 mg cm-2 are achieved. This work offers new sights to develop advanced alkali metal anodes for efficient energy storage.

Sequencing-free Analysis of Multiple Methylations on Gene-Specific mRNAs.

RNA epigenetics is a new layer of mechanism to regulate gene expression, but limited techniques are available to profile the status of mRNA modifications. Here, we describe a molecule proximity-based technique for simultaneous analysis of multiple types of mRNA methylation with specific gene information in living cells. N6-methyladenosine (m6A) or N1-methyladenosine (m1A) modifications on multiple mRNAs can be individually or simultaneously analyzed. A chip fabricated with vertically aligned, high-aspect-ratio diamond nanoneedles was used to access the intracellular domain in a minimum-invasive format and to isolate the mRNAs out of the cell cytoplasm while keeping cells alive. In the subsequent on-chip analytical procedures, the isolated RNAs were encoded, amplified, and visualized to derive a quantitative measurement of the associated gene-specific m6A or m1A modifications. Notably, a proximity ligation approach was developed to resolve dual methylation on an individual mRNA segment. Using this method, we investigated the dynamics of mRNA methylation in mammalian cells under physical or chemical stimuli and showed that m6A and m1A in mRNAs are heavily involved in the cellular stress response. Our results also suggested the common existence of single m6A modification in the basigin (BSG) mRNA but a rare occurrence of m6A and m1A dual methylation in the same BSG transcript.

Cost-Effective Fabrication of Micro-Nanostructured Superhydrophobic Polyethylene/Graphene Foam with Self-Floating, Optical Trapping, Acid-/Alkali Resistance for Efficient Photothermal Deicing and Interfacial Evaporation.

Solar evaporation is one of the most attractive and sustainable approaches to address worldwide freshwater scarcity. Unfortunately, it is still a crucial challenge that needs to be confronted when the solar evaporator faces harsh application environments. Herein, a promising polymer molding method that combines melt blending and compression molding, namely micro extrusion compression molding, is proposed for the cost-effective fabrication of lightweight polyethylene/graphene nanosheets (PE/GNs) foam with interconnected vapor escape channels and surface micro-nanostructures. A contact angle of 155 ± 2°, a rolling angle of 5 ± 1° and reflectance of ≈1.6% in the wavelength range of 300-2500 nm appears on the micro-nanostructured PE/GNs foam surface. More interestingly, the micro-nanostructured PE/GNs foam surface can maintain a robust superhydrophobic state under dynamic impacting, high temperature and acid-/alkali solutions. These results mean that the micro-nanostructured PE/GNs foam surface possesses self-cleaning, anti-icing and photothermal deicing properties at the same time. Importantly, the foam exhibits an evaporation rate of 1.83 kg m-2 h-1 under 1 Sun illumination and excellent salt rejecting performance when it is used as a self-floating solar evaporator. The proposed method provides an ideal and industrialized approach for the mass production of solar evaporators suitable for practical application environments.

Constructing Atomic Fe and N Co-doped Hollow Carbon Nanospheres with a Polymer Encapsulation Strategy for High-Performance Lithium-Sulfur Batteries with Accelerated Polysulfide Conversion.

As competitive next-generation rechargeable batteries, lithium-sulfur batteries (LSBs) suffer from the shuttle effect and the sluggish kinetics of intermediate polysulfides during charge and discharge processes, adversely affecting their electrochemical performances and actual applications. Herein, we demonstrate a polymer encapsulation strategy to synthesize atomic Fe and N co-doped hollow carbon nanospheres (Fe-NHC) with Fe-Nx sites for modifying commercial PP separator of LSBs to suppress the shuttle effect and promote the kinetics of intermediate polysulfides. Benefiting from the excellent structural design, the doped-N with positive charges could effectively adsorb negatively charged soluble polysulfides, help attract the soluble polysulfides to the Fe atoms and boost the catalytic transformation of the soluble polysulfides. Additionally, such a thin carbon shell could provide a short mass diffusion pathway and hence promote the adsorption and the catalytic conversion. Therefore, the battery with the Fe-NHC/PP separator delivers outstanding cycling and rate performances. At the large current density of 1 C, the specific capacity is 1079 mA h g-1 and maintains a low loss of 0.076 % per cycle within 500 cycles. Even at a harsh current density of 4 C, a high capacity of 824 mA h g-1 is still achieved, indicating the advantage of the Fe-NHC/PP separator in LSBs.

Development and validation of a computed tomography-based immune ecosystem diversity index as an imaging biomarker in non-small cell lung cancer.

OBJECTIVES: To date, there are no data on the noninvasive surrogate of intratumoural immune status that could be prognostic of survival outcomes in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We aimed to develop and validate the immune ecosystem diversity index (iEDI), an imaging biomarker, to indicate the intratumoural immune status in NSCLC. We further investigated the clinical relevance of the biomarker for survival prediction. METHODS: In this retrospective study, two independent NSCLC cohorts (Resec1, n = 149; Resec2, n = 97) were included to develop and validate the iEDI to classify the intratumoural immune status. Paraffin-embedded resected specimens in Resec1 and Resec2 were stained by immunohistochemistry, and the density percentiles of CD3+, CD4+, and CD8+ T cells to all cells were quantified to estimate intratumoural immune status. Then, EDI features were extracted using preoperative computed tomography to develop an imaging biomarker, called iEDI, to determine the immune status. The prognostic value of iEDI was investigated on NSCLC patients receiving surgical resection (Resec1; Resec2; internal cohort Resec3, n = 419; external cohort Resec4, n = 96; and TCIA cohort Resec5, n = 55). RESULTS: iEDI successfully classified immune status in Resec1 (AUC 0.771, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.759-0.783; and 0.770 through internal validation) and Resec2 (0.669, 0.647-0.691). Patients with higher iEDI-score had longer overall survival (OS) in Resec3 (unadjusted hazard ratio 0.335, 95%CI 0.206-0.546, p < 0.001), Resec4 (0.199, 0.040-1.000, p < 0.001), and TCIA (0.303, 0.098-0.944, p = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: iEDI is a non-invasive surrogate of intratumoural immune status and prognostic of OS for NSCLC patients receiving surgical resection. KEY POINTS: • Decoding tumour immune microenvironment enables advanced biomarkers identification. • Immune ecosystem diversity index characterises intratumoural immune status noninvasively. • Immune ecosystem diversity index is prognostic for NSCLC patients.

One-step laser etching of a bionic hierarchical structure on a silicone rubber surface with thermal and acid/alkali resistance and tunable wettability.

Superhydrophobic silicone rubbers with robust physical and chemical stability have promising application potential in the field of flexible electronics. A one-step laser etching strategy is proposed for successfully fabricating superhydrophobic silicone rubbers with bioinspired hierarchical micro/nanostructures. Regular and dense micro/nano spheres gradually accumulate on the modified silicone rubber surface with the increase of laser etching cycles. Owing to the bioinspired hierarchical micro/nano spheres, a 5 µL water droplet on the modified silicone rubber surface exhibits a contact angle of 158 ± 3° and a sliding angle of 5 ± 1°. Moreover, the modified silicone rubber can maintain a stable superhydrophobic state in acid/alkali (pH = 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10) and thermal environments (50-90 °C). Importantly, the contact angle and sliding angle are adjustable depending on the number of laser etching cycles, which is beneficial for the different application requirements. The proposed method for the fast fabrication of superhydrophobic silicone rubbers with tunable wettability can provide an excellent candidate for the protection of flexible electronics in rainy and acid/alkali environments.

Studies on the Origin of the Stabilizing Effects of Fluorinated Alcohols and Weakly Coordinated Fluorine-Containing Anions on Cationic Reaction Intermediates.

Many synthetic methods that use fluorinated alcohols as solvents have been reported, and the fluorinated alcohols have been found to be crucial to the success of these methods. In addition, there have been reports indicating that adding a weakly coordinated fluorine-containing anion, such as BF4-, PF6-, or SbF6-, to fluorinated alcohols can improve yields. The boosting effect of fluorinated alcohols is attributed mainly to hydrogen bond activation. A few studies have suggested that the very polar fluorinated alcohols can stabilize cationic reaction intermediates. However, how they do so and why weakly coordinated fluorine-containing anions improve yields have not been studied in depth. Here, we used quaternary ammonium cations, a quaternary phosphonium cation, and a triaryl-substituted carbocation as models for short-lived cationic intermediates and studied the possible interactions of these cations with fluorinated alcohols and BF4-, PF6-, or SbF6-. On the basis of the results, we propose that the C-F dipoles of fluorinated alcohols and the E-F dipoles (where E is B, P, or Sb) of weakly coordinated fluorine-containing anions stabilized these cations by intermolecular charge-dipole interactions. We deduced that in the same fashion the C-F and E-F dipoles can thermodynamically stabilize cationic reaction intermediates.

Layer-by-Layer Assembly of Multifunctional NR/MXene/CNTs Composite Films with Exceptional Electromagnetic Interference Shielding Performances and Excellent Mechanical Properties.

With the rapid advance of electronics, the light, flexible, and multifunctional composite films with high electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding effectiveness and excellent thermal management are highly desirable for next-generation portable and wearable electronic devices. Herein, a series of flexible and ultrathin natural rubber/MXene/carbon nanotubes (NR/MXene/CNTs) composite films with sandwich structure are constructed layer by layer through a facile vacuum-assisted filtration method for EMI shielding and Joule heating application. The fabricated NR/MXene/CNTs-50 composite film, with NR/MXene as inner layer and NR/CNTs as out layers, not only has high EMI shielding efficiency, but also has excellent comprehensive mechanical properties at the thickness of only 200 µm. In addition, the superior environmental durability, high electrothermal conversion efficiency, hydrophobicity, and fine performance stability after periodic cyclic bending make the film possess more value in practical application.