Accurate Cancer Screening and Prediction of PD-L1-Guided Immunotherapy Efficacy Using Quantum Dot Nanosphere Self-Assembly and Machine Learning.

Accurate quantification of exosomal PD-L1 protein in tumors is closely linked to the response to immunotherapy, but robust methods to achieve high-precision quantitative detection of PD-L1 expression on the surface of circulating exosomes are still lacking. In this work, we developed a signal amplification approach based on aptamer recognition and DNA scaffold hybridization-triggered assembly of quantum dot nanospheres, which enables bicolor phenotyping of exosomes to accurately screen for cancers and predict PD-L1-guided immunotherapeutic effects through machine learning. Through DNA-mediated assembly, we utilized two aptamers for simultaneous ultrasensitive detection of exosomal antigens, which have synergistic roles in tumor diagnosis and treatment prediction, and thus, we achieved better sample classification and prediction through machine-learning algorithms. With a drop of blood, we can distinguish between different cancer patients and healthy individuals and predict the outcome of immunotherapy. This approach provides valuable insights into the development of personalized diagnostics and precision medicine.

Green Method for the Preparation of Durable Superhydrophobic Antimicrobial Polyester Fabrics with Micro-Pleated Structures.

To produce functional protective textiles with minimal environmental footprints, we developed durable superhydrophobic antimicrobial textiles. These textiles are characterized by a micro-pleated structure on polyester fiber surfaces, achieved through a novel plasma impregnation crosslinking process. This process involved the use of water as the dispersion medium, water-soluble nanosilver monomers for antimicrobial efficacy, fluorine-free polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) for hydrophobicity, and polyester (PET) fabric as the base material. The altered surface properties of these fabrics were extensively analyzed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectrometry (XPS), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and water contact angle (WCA) measurements. The antimicrobial performance of the strains was evaluated using Gram-negative Escherichia coli and Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus. After treatment, the fabrics exhibited enhanced hydrophobic and antimicrobial properties, which was attributed to the presence of a micro-pleated structure and nanosilver. The modified textiles demonstrated a static WCA of approximately 154° and an impressive 99.99% inhibition rate against both test microbes. Notably, the WCA remained above 140° even after 500 washing cycles or 3000 friction cycles.

A Methodology of Fabricating Novel Electrodes for Semiconductor Devices: Doping and Van der Waals Integrating Organic Semiconductor Films.

Electrodes are indispensable components in semiconductor devices, and now are mainly made from metals, which are convenient for use but not ideal for emerging technologies such as bioelectronics, flexible electronics, or transparent electronics. Here the methodology of fabricating novel electrodes for semiconductor devices using organic semiconductors (OSCs) is proposed and demonstrated. It is shown that polymer semiconductors can be heavily p- or n-doped to achieve sufficiently high conductivity for electrodes. In contrast with metals, the doped OSC films (DOSCFs) are solution-processable, mechanically flexible, and have interesting optoelectronic properties. By integrating the DOSCFs with semiconductors through van der Waals contacts different kinds of semiconductor devices can be constructed. Importantly, these devices exhibit higher performance than their counterparts with metal electrodes, and/or excellent mechanical or optical properties that are unavailable in metal-electrode devices, suggesting the superiority of DOSCF electrodes. Given the existing large amount of OSCs, the established methodology can provide abundant electrode choices to meet the demand of various emerging devices.

Engineered Lipidic Nanomaterials Inspired by Sphingomyelin Metabolism for Cancer Therapy.

Sphingomyelin (SM) and its metabolites are crucial regulators of tumor cell growth, differentiation, senescence, and programmed cell death. With the rise in lipid-based nanomaterials, engineered lipidic nanomaterials inspired by SM metabolism, corresponding lipid targeting, and signaling activation have made fascinating advances in cancer therapeutic processes. In this review, we first described the specific pathways of SM metabolism and the roles of their associated bioactive molecules in mediating cell survival or death. We next summarized the advantages and specific applications of SM metabolism-based lipidic nanomaterials in specific cancer therapies. Finally, we discussed the challenges and perspectives of this emerging and promising SM metabolism-based nanomaterials research area.

N-Doped Nonalternant Nanoribbons with Excellent Nonlinear Optical Performance.

Two novel N-doped nonalternant nanoribbons (NNNR-1 and NNNR-2) featuring multiple fused N-heterocycles and bulky solubilizing groups were prepared via bottom-up solution synthesis. NNNR-2 achieves a total molecular length of 33.8 Å, which represents the longest soluble N-doped nonalternant nanoribbon reported to date. The pentagon subunits and doping of N atoms in NNNR-1 and NNNR-2 have successfully regulated their electronic properties, achieving high electron affinity and good chemical stability enabled by the nonalternant conjugation and electronic effects. When applied a laser pulse of 532 nm, the 13-rings nanoribbon NNNR-2 shows outstanding nonlinear optical (NLO) responses, with the nonlinear extinction coefficient of 374 cm GW-1 , much higher than those of NNNR-1 (96 cm GW-1 ) and the well-known NLO material C60 (153 cm GW-1 ). Our findings indicate that the N-doping of nonalternant nanoribbons is an effective strategy to access another type of excellent material system for high-performance NLO applications, which can be extended to construct numerous heteroatom-doped nonalternant nanoribbons with fine-tunable electronic properties.

An In-Situ Cyanidation Strategy To Access Tetracyanodiacenaphthoanthracene Diimides with High Electron Mobilities Exceeding 10†cm2 †V-1 s-1.

A family of novel highly π-extended tetracyano-substituted acene diimides, named as tetracyanodiacenaphthoanthracene diimides (TCDADIs), have been synthesized using a facile four-fold Knoevenagel condensation strategy. Unlike conventional cyano substitution reactions, our approach enables access to a large π-conjugated backbone with the in-situ formation of four cyano substitutents at room temperature while avoiding extra cyano-functionalization reactions. TCDADIs decorated with different N-alkyl substituents present good solubility, near-coplanar backbones, good crystallinity, and low-lying lowest unoccupied molecular orbital energies of -4.33 eV, all of which contribute to desirable electron-transport performance when applied in organic field-effect transistors (OFET). The highest electron mobility of an OFET based on a 2-hexyldecyl-substituted TCDADI single crystal reaches 12.6 cm2  V-1 s-1 , which is not only among the highest values for the reported n-type organic semiconductor materials (OSMs) but also exceeds that of most n-type OSMs decorated with imide units.

Real-Time Dissecting the Dynamics of Drug Transportation in the Live Brain.

Brain diseases are becoming a more and more serious threat to human health. Many critical properties of the transport mechanisms of drugs in live brains remain poorly understood. In this work, single-particle tracking was used to dissect the transport dynamics of wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) in live brain and characterize the geometry and rheology of the extracellular space (ECS). The results revealed that the movements of WGA were influenced by the specific-binding molecules and the nature of the ECS. We further analyzed the mobility behaviors of WGA globally and quantitatively and found that movement of WGA in brain cells of acute slices was an active transport process associated with actin filaments and microtubules. This work paves the way for studies aiming at characterizing the biophysics of drug transport in the context of live brains, which may contribute to developing potential new therapeutic applications for brain diseases.

An Activatable and Reversible Virus-Mimicking NIR-II Nanoprobe for Monitoring the Progression of Viral Encephalitis.

Viral encephalitis is an inflammatory disease of the brain parenchyma and caused by various viral infections. In vivo monitoring of the progression of viral infections can aid accurate diagnosis of viral encephalitis and effective intervention. We developed an activatable and reversible virus-mimicking near-infrared II nanoprobe consisting of an Fe2+ -coordinated, viral protein-decorated vesicle encapsulating PbS quantum dots with a 1300 nm fluorescence emission. The probe can cross the blood-brain barrier and monitor real-time changes in reactive oxygen and nitrogen species concentrations during viral infection by tuning the quenching level of quantum dots and regulating the fusion-fission behavior of vesicles via changes in Fe oxidation state. This switching strategy reduces background noise and improves detection sensitivity, making this nanoprobe a promising imaging agent for dynamic visualization of viral encephalitis and future clinical applications.

H2 O2 -Responsive NIR-II AIE Nanobomb for Carbon Monoxide Boosting Low-Temperature Photothermal Therapy.

Low-temperature photothermal therapy (PTT), which circumvents the limitations of conventional PTT (e.g., thermotolerance and adverse effects), is an emerging therapeutic strategy which shows great potential for future clinical applications. The expression of heat shock proteins (HSPs) can dramatically impair the therapeutic efficacy of PTT. Thus, inhibition of HSPs repair and reducing the damage of nearby normal cells is crucial for improving the efficiency of low-temperature PTT. Herein, we developed a nanobomb based on the self-assembly of NIRII AIE polymer PBPTV and carbon monoxide (CO) carrier polymer mPEG(CO). This smart nanobomb can be exploded in a tumor microenvironment in which hydrogen peroxide is overexpressed and release CO into cancer cells to significantly inhibit the expression of HSPs and hence improve the antitumor efficiency of the low-temperature PTT.

Accurate and Efficient Lipoprotein Detection Based on the HCR-DNAzyme Platform.

Cardiovascular disease is one of the main causes of death in the world, which is closely associated with dyslipidemia. Dyslipidaemia is usually manifested as a relatively higher level of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and lower level of high-density lipoprotein (HDL). Thus, the quantitative detection of the LDL and HDL particles is of great importance to predict the risk of cardiovascular diseases. However, the traditional methods can only indirectly reflect the HDL/LDL particle concentrations by detecting the cholesterol or proteins in HDL/LDL particles and are always laborious and time-consuming. Thus, the accurate and efficient approach for the detection of intact HDL and LDL particles is still lacking so far. We developed an enzyme- and isolation-free method to measure the concentration of HDL and LDL based on DNAzyme and hybridization chain reaction (HCR)-based signal amplification. This method can be used to directly and accurately detect the concentration of "actual" HDL and LDL particles instead of the cholesterol in HDL and LDL, with limits of detection of 10 and 30 mg/dL, respectively, which also satisfied the lipoprotein analysis in clinical samples. Therefore, this HCR-DNAzyme platform has great potential in clinical applications and health management.

Doped Vertical Organic Field-Effect Transistors Demonstrating Superior Bias-Stress Stability.

Bias-stress stability is essential to the practical applications of organic field-effect transistors (OFETs), yet it remains a challenge issue in conventional planar OFETs. Here, the feasibility of achieving high bias-stress stability in vertical structured OFETs (VOFETs) in combination with doping techniques is demonstrated. VOFETs with silver nanowires as source electrodes are fabricated and the device performance is optimized by understanding the influence of device parameters on performance. Then, the bias-stress stability of the optimized PDVT-10 VOFETs is investigated and found to be superior to the corresponding planar OFETs, which is attributed to reduced trapping effects of gate dielectrics in the VOFETs. Moreover, the bias-stress stability can be further improved by doping PDVT-10 to passivate bulk traps. Consequently, the characteristic time of doped PDVT-10 VOFETs extracted from stretched exponential equation is found to be over four times larger than that of the planar PDVT-10 OFETs under the same bias-stress conditions. These results present the promising applications of VOFETs as well as an effective strategy to achieve highly bias-stress stable OFETs.

One Spatio-Temporal Sharpening Attention Mechanism for Light-Weight YOLO Models Based on Sharpening Spatial Attention.

Attention mechanisms have demonstrated great potential in improving the performance of deep convolutional neural networks (CNNs). However, many existing methods dedicate to developing channel or spatial attention modules for CNNs with lots of parameters, and complex attention modules inevitably affect the performance of CNNs. During our experiments of embedding Convolutional Block Attention Module (CBAM) in light-weight model YOLOv5s, CBAM does influence the speed and increase model complexity while reduce the average precision, but Squeeze-and-Excitation (SE) has a positive impact in the model as part of CBAM. To replace the spatial attention module in CBAM and offer a suitable scheme of channel and spatial attention modules, this paper proposes one Spatio-temporal Sharpening Attention Mechanism (SSAM), which sequentially infers intermediate maps along channel attention module and Sharpening Spatial Attention (SSA) module. By introducing sharpening filter in spatial attention module, we propose SSA module with low complexity. We try to find a scheme to combine our SSA module with SE module or Efficient Channel Attention (ECA) module and show best improvement in models such as YOLOv5s and YOLOv3-tiny. Therefore, we perform various replacement experiments and offer one best scheme that is to embed channel attention modules in backbone and neck of the model and integrate SSAM into YOLO head. We verify the positive effect of our SSAM on two general object detection datasets VOC2012 and MS COCO2017. One for obtaining a suitable scheme and the other for proving the versatility of our method in complex scenes. Experimental results on the two datasets show obvious promotion in terms of average precision and detection performance, which demonstrates the usefulness of our SSAM in light-weight YOLO models. Furthermore, visualization results also show the advantage of enhancing positioning ability with our SSAM.

Regioregular Bis-Pyridal[2,1,3]thiadiazole-Based Semiconducting Polymer for High-Performance Ambipolar Transistors.

We report a regioregular bis-pyridal[2,1,3]-thiadiazole (BPT) acceptor strategy to construct the first ambipolar pyridal[2,1,3]thiadiazole-based semiconducting polymer (PBPTV). The use of BPT unit enables PBPTV to achieve high electron affinity, low LUMO level, and extended π-conjugation. All these factors provide PBPTV with encouraging hole and electron mobilities up to 6.87 and 8.49 cm2 V-1 s-1, respectively. Our work demonstrates that the BPT unit is a promising building block for designing high-performance electron-transporting semiconductors in organic electronics.

Tracking the Evolution of Polymer Interface Films during the Process of Thermal Annealing at the Domain and Single Molecular Levels using Scanning Tunneling Microscopy.

Structural evolution of polymer (NTZ12) interface films during the process of annealing is revealed at the domain and single molecular levels using the statistical data measured from scanning tunneling microscopy images and through theoretical calculations. First, common features of the interface films are examined. Then, mean values of surface-occupied ratio, size and density of the domain are used to reveal the intrinsic derivation of the respective stages. Formation of new domains is triggered at 70 °C, but domain ripening is not activated. At 110 °C, the speed of formation of new domains is almost balanced by the consumption due to the ripening process. However, formation of new domains is reduced heavily at 150 °C but restarted at 190 °C. At the single molecular level, the ratio of the average length of linear to curved backbones is increased during annealing, whereas the ratios of the total length and the total number of linear to curved skeletons reaches a peak value at 150 °C. The two major conformations of curved backbones for all samples are 120° and 180° bending, but the ripening at 150 °C reduces 180° folding dramatically. Molecular dynamic simulations disclose the fast relaxing process of curved skeletons at high temperature.

Associations between atmospheric PM2.5 exposure and carcinogenic health risks: Surveillance data from the year of lowest recorded levels in Beijing, China.

Scant research has pinpointed the year of minimum PM2.5 concentration through extensive, uninterrupted monitoring, nor has it thoroughly assessed carcinogenic risks associated with analyzing numerous components during this nadir in Beijing. This study endeavored to delineate the atmospheric PM2.5 pollution in Beijing from 2015 to 2022 and to undertake comprehensive evaluation of carcinogenic risks associated with the composition of atmospheric PM2.5 during the year exhibiting the lowest concentration. PM2.5 concentrations were monitored gradually in 9 districts of Beijing for 7 consecutive days per month from 2015 to 2022, and 32 kinds of PM2.5 components collected in the lowest PM2.5 concentration year were analyzed. This comprehensive dataset served as the basis for carcinogenic risk assessment using Monte Carlo simulation. And we applied the Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) method to identity the sources of atmospheric PM2.5. Furthermore, we integrated this source appointment model with risk assessment model to discern the origins of these risks. The findings revealed that the annual average PM2.5 concentration in 2022 stood at 43.1 µg/m3, marking the lowest level recorded. The mean carcinogenic risks of atmospheric PM2.5 exposure calculated at 6.30E-6 (empirical 95% CI 1.09E-6 to 2.25E-5) in 2022. The PMF model suggested that secondary sources (35.4%), coal combustion (25.6%), resuspended dust (15.1%), biomass combustion (14.1%), vehicle emissions (7.1%), industrial emissions (2.0%) and others (0.7%) were the main sources of atmospheric PM2.5 in Beijing. The mixed model revealed that coal combustion (2.41E-6), vehicle emissions (1.90E-6) and industrial emissions (1.32E-6) were the main sources of carcinogenic risks with caution. Despite a continual decrease in atmospheric PM2.5 concentration in recent years, the lowest concentration levels still pose non-negligible carcinogenic risks. Notably, the carcinogenic risks associated with metals and metalloids exceeded that of PAHs. And the distribution of risk sources did not align proportionally with the distribution of PM2.5 mass concentration.

NIR-II Fluorescence Imaging for In Vivo Quantitative Analysis.

In vivo real-time qualitative and quantitative analysis is essential for the diagnosis and treatment of diseases such as tumors. Near-infrared-II (NIR-II, 1000-1700 nm) bioimaging is an emerging visualization modality based on fluorescent materials. The advantages of NIR-II region fluorescent materials in terms of reduced photon scattering and low tissue autofluorescence enable NIR-II bioimaging with high resolution and increasing depth of tissue penetration, and thus have great potential for in vivo qualitative and quantitative analysis. In this review, we first summarize recent advances in NIR-II imaging, including fluorescent probe selection, quantitative analysis strategies, and imaging. Then, we describe in detail representative applications to illustrate how NIR-II fluorescence imaging has become an important tool for in vivo quantitative analysis. Finally, we describe the future possibilities and challenges of NIR-II fluorescence imaging.

Ambipolar conjugated ladder polymers by room-temperature Knoevenagel polymerization.

Two soluble conjugated ladder polymers (cLPs), decorated with multiple electron-poor species (i.e., cyano groups, fused pentagons, and N-heterocyclic rings), have been synthesized from the newly developed tetraketo-functionalized double aza[5]helicene building blocks using a single-step Knoevenagel polycondensation strategy. This facile approach features mild conditions (e.g., room temperature) and high efficiency, allowing us to quickly access a nonalternant ladder-like conjugated system with the in situ formation of multicyano substituents in the backbone. Analysis by 1H NMR, FT-Raman, and FT-IR spectra confirms the successful synthesis of the resulting cLPs. The combination of theoretical calculations and experimental characterizations reveals that the slightly contorted geometry coupled with a random assignment of trans- and cis-isomeric repeating units in each main chain contributes to improving the solubility of such rigid, multicyano nanoribbon systems. Apart from outstanding thermal stability, the resulting cLPs exhibit attractive red fluorescence, excellent redox properties, and strong π-π interactions coupled with orderly face-on packing in their thin-film states. They are proven to be the first example of ambipolar cLPs that show satisfactory hole and electron mobilities of up to 0.01 and 0.01 cm2 V-1 s-1, respectively. As we demonstrate, the Knoevenagel polycondensation chemistries open a new window to create complex and unique ladder-like nanoribbon systems under mild reaction conditions that are otherwise challenging to achieve.

Dopant-induced Morphology of Organic Semiconductors Resulting in High Doping Performance.

Doping plays a crucial role in modulating and enhancing the performance of organic semiconductor (OSC) devices. In this study, the critical role of dopants is underscored in shaping the morphology and structure of OSC films, which in turn profoundly influences their properties. Two dopants, trityl tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl) (TrTPFB) and N,N-dimethylanilinium tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)borate (DMA-TPFB), are examined for their doping effects on poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and PBBT-2T host OSCs. It is found that although TrTPFB exhibits higher doping efficiency, OSCs doped with DMA-TPFB achieve comparable or even enhanced electrical conductivity. Indeed, the electrical conductivity of DMA-TPFB-doped P3HT reaches over 67 S cm-1, which is a record-high value for mixed-solution-doped P3HT. This can be attributed to DMA-TPFB inducing a higher degree of crystallinity and reduced structural disorder. Moreover, the beneficial impact of DMA-TPFB on the OSC films' morphology and structure results in superior thermoelectric performance in the doped OSCs. These findings highlight the significance of dopant-induced morphological and structural considerations in enhancing the film characteristics of OSCs, opening up a new avenue for optimization of dopant performance.

Mapping Extracellular Space Features of Viral Encephalitis to Evaluate the Proficiency of Anti-Viral Drugs.

The extracellular space (ECS) is an important barrier against viral attack on brain cells, and dynamic changes in ECS microstructure characteristics are closely related to the progression of viral encephalitis in the brain and the efficacy of antiviral drugs. However, mapping the precise morphological and rheological features of the ECS in viral encephalitis is still challenging so far. Here, a robust approach is developed using single-particle diffusional fingerprinting of quantum dots combined with machine learning to map ECS features in the brain and predict the efficacy of antiviral encephalitis drugs. These results demonstrated that this approach can characterize the microrheology and geometry of the brain ECS at different stages of viral infection and identify subtle changes induced by different drug treatments. This approach provides a potential platform for drug proficiency assessment and is expected to offer a reliable basis for the clinical translation of drugs.

Construction of optical dual-mode sensing platform based on green emissive carbon quantum dots for effective detection of ClO- and cellular imaging.

Hypochlorite (ClO-) is an important redox regulator in reactive oxygen species, which play a considerable role in oxidative stress and related diseases. Hence, accurate and sensitive monitoring of ClO- concentration was urgently needed in the fields of life sciences, food and environment. Bright green fluorescent carbon quantum dots (G-CQDs) were synthesized utilizing one-step hydrothermal method with citric acid and acriflavine precursors. Through TEM, FTIR, XPS and zeta potential characterization procedures, G-CQDs illustrated uniformly dispersed and significant number of -NH2 and -OH on the surface. Meanwhile, the fluorescence and colorimetric analysis exhibited wide linear range and low detection limit response to ClO-. The fluorescence changes of G-CQDs were identified via smartphone to realize mobile sensing of ClO-. Subsequently, G-CQDs was applied for visualization and quantitative detection of ClO- in drinking water samples with satisfactory recovery rate. More importantly, G-CQDs demonstrated good water solubility, optical stability and excellent biocompatibility, which offered a promising analysis approach in cell imaging and exogenous ClO- detection in living cells. G-CQDs illustrated bright prospect and great potential in practical application of ClO- associated disease prevention and early clinical diagnosis.