Experimental Observation of the Fully Ferroelectric-Fully Ferroelastic Effect in Multiferroic Hybrid Perovskites.

Since the concept of "multiferroic" was first proposed in 1968, the coupling effect between different ferroic orders has attracted great interest in energy, information, and biomedical fields. However, the fully ferroelectric-fully ferroelastic effect has never been experimentally observed in hybrid perovskites, even though this effect was predicted to exist half a century ago. Realizing such cross-linking effects of polarization vectors and strain tensors has always been a huge challenge because of the complex difference in these two ferroic origins. Here, we report a multiferroic with full ferroelectricity and full ferroelasticity in two-dimensional (2D) hybrid perovskites based on ferroelectrochemistry. The dynamic molecular reorientations endow (cyclohexanemethylaminium)2PbCl4 with a desired symmetry change of 4̅2mFmm2 at a Curie temperature of 411.8 K. More strikingly, the switchable evolution of ferroelastic domains was directly observed under the control of either electric or mechanical fields, which is the first experimental observation of a fully ferroelectric-fully ferroelastic effect in hybrid perovskites. This work would provide new insights into understanding the intrinsic cross-linking mechanism between ferroelectricity and ferroelasticity toward the development of multichannel interactive microelectronic devices.

Metal-Free Perovskite Ferroelectrics with the Most Equivalent Polarization Axes.

Ferroelectricity in metal-free perovskites (MFPs) has emerged as an academic hotspot for their lightweight, eco-friendly processability, flexibility, and degradability, with considerable progress including large spontaneous polarization, high Curie temperature, large piezoelectric response, and tailoring coercive field. However, their equivalent polarization axes as a key indicator are far from enough, although multiaxial ferroelectrics are highly preferred for performance output and application flexibility that profit from as many equivalent polarization directions as possible with easier reorientation. Here, by implementing the synergistic overlap of regulating anionic geometries (from spherical I- to octahedral [PF6]- and to tetrahedral [ClO4]- or [BF4]-) and cationic asymmetric modification, we successfully designed multiaxial MFP ferroelectrics CMDABCO-NH4-X3 (CMDABCO = N-chloromethyl-N'-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octonium; X = [ClO4]- or [BF4]-) with the lowest P1 symmetry. More impressively, systemic characterizations indicate that they possess 24 equivalent polarization axes (Aizu notations of 432F1 and m3̅mF1, respectively)─the maximum number achievable for ferroelectrics. Benefiting from the multiaxial feature, CMDABCO-NH4-[ClO4]3 has been demonstrated to have excellent piezoelectric sensing performance in its polycrystalline sample and prepared composite device. Our study provides a feasible strategy for designing multiaxial MFP ferroelectrics and highlights their great promise for use in microelectromechanical, sensing, and body-compatible devices.

Research on the tool influence function characteristics of magnetorheological precession finishing (MRPF).

Magnetorheological finishing (MRF) technology is characterized by its high convergence rate and minimal subsurface damage as advantages. However, the non-Gaussian type tool influence function (TIF) it generates may cause mid-frequency errors and oriented surface texture issues. Magnetorheological precession finishing (MRPF) technology capable of generating Gaussian-like removal functions, lacks a clearly defined removal function model. This study acquired polishing spots in tilted polishing, discrete precession, and continuous precession modes via fixed-point polishing experiments. Using Multiphysics simulation software, stress and velocity distribution in the contact area were simulated. A TIF model, incorporating the synergistic effects of pressure and shear force and multiple influence coefficients, was proposed based on velocity characteristics across the three modes. To accurately predict the TIF, surface topographies with varying coefficients were constructed using this model, analyzing the coefficients' impact on the TIF profile. Optimal coefficients were identified using a least fit error algorithm. Further analysis of the TIF's internal textures revealed that the precession mode of MRPF yields superior surface quality, thereby elucidating the material removal mechanism of MRPF and laying a theoretical groundwork for advancing processing technologies.

Comprehensive Analysis of the Associations of LOXL1-4 with Prognosis and Immune Infiltration in Breast Cancer.

Objective: Invasive breast cancer (BRCA) poses a major challenge to women's health due to its high incidence and poor prognosis. Dysregulated Lysine oxidase-like (LOXL) family genes are implicated in tumor progression across malignancies. Understanding the role of Lysine oxidase-like (LOXL) family genes in BRCA is crucial for advancing treatment strategies. Methods: TIMER, Oncomine, TNMplot, TCGA, GTEx and GEPIA datasets were used to investigate LOXL1-4 expression in breast cancer. The UALCAN and HPA datasets were utilized to detect the protein levels of LOXL1-4 in BRCA. Kaplan-Meier Plotter was used to analyze the prognostic values of LOXL1-4 in BRCA patients. Gene ontology (GO) and KEGG pathway enrichment analyses, conducted through DAVID 6.8 and R, revealed potential biological functions. TIMER was used to explore the link between LOXL1-4 expression and tumor immune infiltration. The cBioPortal dataset was used to analyze LOXL1-4 alterations and CNV-survival links in breast cancer. GSCA was used to assess LOXL1-4's correlations with immune infiltration. LOXL1-4's links to the eight immune checkpoint genes were analyzed using R's pheatmap. Results: Our study revealed that aberrant expression of LOXL1/2/4 in BRCA significantly affects relapse-free survival (RFS), overall survival (OS), and distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS), particularly highlighting the prognostic importance of LOXL4. LOXL1-4 displayed substantial relationships with the tumor immune microenvironment and immune cell infiltration. Furthermore, copy number variations (CNVs) of LOXL1-4 are significantly associated with immune infiltration in BRCA, particularly LOXL2 CNV, which significantly impacts OS and progression-free survival (PFS). Conclusion: The correlation between LOXL1-4 expression, prognosis, and immune infiltration in BRCA underscores their potential as biomarkers for prognosis and targets for immunotherapy.

Organic-Inorganic Hybrid Ferroelectric and Antiferroelectric with Afterglow Emission.

Luminescent ferroelectrics are holding exciting prospect for integrated photoelectronic devices due to potential light-polarization interactions at electron scale. Integrating ferroelectricity and long-lived afterglow emission in a single material would offer new possibilities for fundamental research and applications, however, related reports have been a blank to date. For the first time, we here achieved the combination of notable ferroelectricity and afterglow emission in an organic-inorganic hybrid material. Remarkably, the presented (4-methylpiperidium)CdCl3 also shows noticeable antiferroelectric behavior. The implementation of cationic customization and halogen engineering not only enables a dramatic enhancement of Curie temperature of 114.4 K but also brings a record longest emission lifetime up to 117.11 ms under ambient conditions, realizing a leapfrog improvement of at least two orders of magnitude compared to reported hybrid ferroelectrics so far. This finding would herald the emergence of novel application potential, such as multi-level density data storage or multifunctional sensors, towards the future integrated optoelectronic devices with multitasking capabilities.

Euphohelides A-C, ent-Abietane-Type Norditerpene Lactones from Euphorbia helioscopia and Their Anti-Inflammatory Activities.

Three unreported ent-abietane-type norditerpene lactones, euphohelides A-C (1-3), and 11 known analogs (4-14) were isolated from the whole plants of Euphorbia helioscopia L. Euphohelide A (1) is an unprecedented 2-nor-ent-abietane lactone bearing a unique 5/6/6/5 tetracyclic system. Euphohelides B (2) and C (3) possess 2-nor-6/6/6/5 and 2,3-dinor-5/6/6/5 dilactone tetracyclic moieties, respectively. Their structures were established by spectroscopic methods, computational ECD, and X-ray crystallographic analyses. A biomimetic synthesis of 1 was achieved from precursor 4 based on the speculative biogenetic pathway. Compounds 1 and 5 significantly alleviated the release of LPS-induced NO with IC50 values of 32.98 ± 1.13 and 33.82 ± 3.25 µM, which might be related to the regulation of the NF-κB signaling pathway.

Diterpenoids with an unusual tricyclo[10.3.0.02,9]pentadecane skeleton from Pedilanthus tithymaloides as multidrug resistance modulators.

Three new diterpenoids with an unusual carbon skeleton, pedilanins A-C (1-3), and nine new jatrophane diterpenoids, pedilanins D-L (4-12), along with five known ones (13-17), were isolated from Pedilanthus tithymaloides. Compounds 1-3 characterize an unprecedented tricyclo[10.3.0.02,9]pentadecane skeleton. Compounds 4-8 are rare examples of the jatrophanes bearing a cyclic hemiketal substructure. Their structures were determined by an extensive analysis of HRESIMS, NMR, quantum-chemical calculation, DP4+ probability, and X-ray crystallographic data. In the bioassay, compounds 1-12 dramatically reversed multidrug resistance in cancer cells with the fold-reversals ranging from 17.9 to 396.8 at the noncytotoxic concentration of 10 µM. The mechanism results indicated that compounds 2 and 3 inhibited the P-glycoprotein (Pgp) transporter function, thus reversing the drug resistance.

Ferroelasticity in Organic-Inorganic Hybrid Perovskites.

Molecular ferroelastics have received particular attention for potential applications in mechanical switches, shape memory, energy conversion, information processing, and solar cells, by taking advantages of their low-cost, light-weight, easy preparation, and mechanical flexibility. The unique structures of organic-inorganic hybrid perovskites have been considered to be a design platform for symmetry-breaking-associated order-disorder in lattice, thereby possessing great potential for ferroelastic phase transition. Herein, we review the research progress of organic-inorganic hybrid perovskite ferroelastics in recent years, focusing on the crystal structures, dimensions, phase transitions and ferroelastic properties. In view of the few reports on molecular-based hybrid ferroelastics, we look forward to the structural design strategies of molecular ferroelastic materials, as well as the opportunities and challenges faced by molecular-based hybrid ferroelastic materials in the future. This review will have positive guiding significance for the synthesis and future exploration of organic-inorganic hybrid molecular ferroelastics.

Jatrolignans C and D: New Neolignan Epimers from Jatropha curcas.

Two new neolignans jatrolignans, C (1) and D (2), a pair of epimers, were isolated from the whole plants of Jatropha curcas L. (Euphorbiaceae). Their structures were determined with HRESIMS, IR, and NMR data analysis, and electronic circular dichroism (ECD) experiments via a comparison of the experimental and the calculated ECD spectra. Their antichlamydial activity was evaluated in Chlamydia abortus. They both showed dose-dependent antichlamydial effects. Significant growth inhibitory effects were observed at a minimum concentration of 40 µM.

Observation of Transition from Ferroelasticity to Ferroelectricity by Solvent Selective Effect in Anilinium Bromide.

Organic ferroelectrics are highly desirable for their light weight, mechanical flexibility and biocompatibility. However, the rational design of organic ferroelectrics has always faced great challenges. Anilinium bromide (AB) has two structures reported in the Cambridge Crystallographic Data Centre, which might be an mmmF2/m type ferroelastic (AB-1). When we studied its ferroelasticity, we were surprised to discover that there was another crystal (AB-2) in H2 O besides this one, and they were very difficult to separate. By changing the solvent, we found that AB-1 crystals could be formed in ethanol, where ferroelastic domains were visualized by polarized light microscopy, and AB-2 crystals could be obtained from various crystallization solvents of methanol, isopropanol, N-butanol, acetonitrile, dimethyl sulfoxide, and N,N-dimethylformamide, which undergo a ferroelectric phase transition with mm2Fm, showing clear ferroelectricity in two phases. To our knowledge, the regulation of ferroelasticity to ferroelectricity by solvent selective effect is unprecedented in the field of ferroelectrics. This work reveals the important role of solvent effect in organic ferroelectrics.

Glioma malignancy is linked to interdependent and inverse AMOG and L1 adhesion molecule expression.

BACKGROUND: Gliomas account for the majority of primary human brain tumors and remain a challenging neoplasm for cure due to limited therapeutic options. Cell adhesion molecules play pivotal roles in the growth and progression of glial tumors. Roles of the adhesion molecules on glia (AMOG) and L1CAM (L1) in glioma cells have been shown to correlate with tumorigenesis: Increased expression of L1 and decreased expression of AMOG correlate with degree of malignancy. METHODS: We evaluated the interdependence in expression of these molecules by investigating the role of AMOG in vitro via modulation of L1 expression and analyzing apoptosis and cell senescence of glioma cells. RESULTS: Immunohistochemical staining of normal human cortical and glioma tissue microarrays demonstrated that AMOG expression was lower in human gliomas compared to normal tissue and is inversely correlated with the degree of malignancy. Moreover, reduction of AMOG expression in human glioblastoma cells elevated L1 expression, which is accompanied by decreased cell apoptosis as well as senescence. CONCLUSION: AMOG and L1 interdependently regulate their expression levels not only in U-87 MG cells but also in U251 and SHG44 human glioma cell lines. The capacity of AMOG to reduce L1 expression suggests that methods for increasing AMOG expression may provide a therapeutic choice for the management of glial tumors with high expression of L1.

Intrauterine phenotypic features associated with 16p11.2 recurrent microdeletions.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the detection rate of 16p11.2 recurrent microdeletions in fetuses with abnormal ultrasound findings and determine the common abnormal ultrasound findings in fetuses carrying the deletion. METHODS: This study reviewed 2262 consecutive fetuses with abnormal ultrasound findings who underwent prenatal chromosomal microarray analysis between October 2014 and December 2016. Cases carrying the 16p11.2 recurrent microdeletion were further genetically analyzed, and their clinical features were reviewed. RESULTS: The 16p11.2 recurrent microdeletion was identified in 12 fetuses, who had skeletal malformations (5/12), cardiovascular malformations (4/12), or isolated ultrasound markers (3/12). Approximately 0.5% (12/2262) of the fetuses with abnormal ultrasound findings harbored the deletion. The 5 fetuses with skeletal malformations displayed vertebral defects, particularly in the hemivertebra and butterfly vertebra. The detection rate of the 16p11.2 recurrent microdeletion was statistically significant (P < .05) among fetuses with skeletal malformations (3.6%, 5/140), fetuses with cardiovascular malformations (1.1%, 4/367), and fetuses with isolated ultrasound markers (0.4%, 3/702). CONCLUSION: The most frequent ultrasound findings in fetuses with 16p11.2 recurrent microdeletions are skeletal malformations (particularly vertebral malformations), followed by cardiovascular malformations, and isolated ultrasound markers.

Identification of complex and cryptic chromosomal rearrangements by optical genome mapping.

BACKGROUND: Optical genome mapping (OGM) has developed into a highly promising method for detecting structural variants (SVs) in human genomes. Complex chromosomal rearrangements (CCRs) and cryptic translocations are rare events that are considered difficult to detect by routine cytogenetic methods. In this study, OGM was applied to delineate the precise chromosomal rearrangements in three cases with uncertain or unconfirmed CCRs detected by conventional karyotyping and one case with a cryptic translocation suggested by fetal chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA). RESULTS: In the three cases with CCRs, OGM not only confirmed or revised the original karyotyping results but also refined the precise chromosomal structures. In the case with a suspected translocation not detected by karyotyping, OGM efficiently identified the cryptic translocation and defined the genomic breakpoints with relatively high accuracy. CONCLUSIONS: Our study confirmed OGM as a robust alternative approach to karyotyping for the detection of chromosomal structural rearrangements, including CCRs and cryptic translocations.

Anti-inflammatory ent-cleistanthane-type diterpenoids from Phyllanthus rheophyticus.

A bioactivity-guided isolation from the aerial parts of Phyllanthus rheophyticus obtained 17 undescribed ent-cleistanthane-type diterpenoids, namely phyllarheophols A-Q, as well as 12 known analogs. Their structures were characterized by a combination of spectroscopic data interpretation, single-crystal X-ray diffraction and ECD analysis. The anti-inflammatory activities of these compounds were evaluated by measuring their inhibitory effects on NO production in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages, and their preliminary structure-activity relationships were also discussed. Further study showed that promising compounds phyllarheophol D and phyacioid B significantly suppressed the expressions of cytokines and nitric oxide synthase through the NF-κB signaling pathway.

Abietane diterpenoids with anti-inflammatory activities from Callicarpa bodinieri.

Nine undescribed abietane diterpenoids (1-9) and eleven known abietane analogs (10-20) were isolated from Callicarpa bodinieri. Their structures were characterized by interpreting spectroscopic data, X-ray crystallography, and ECD analysis. The anti-inflammatory activities of these compounds were tested by evaluation of their inhibitory effect on NO production by lipopolysaccharide in RAW 264.7 macrophages, and compounds 3 and 8 exhibited potent anti-inflammatory activities with IC50 values of 36.35 ± 1.12 and 37.21 ± 0.92 µM. The western blotting studies demonstrated that compound 3 inhibited the expression of nitric oxide synthase and p65 that involved in the NF-κB pathway.

Complete Genome Sequence of "Candidatus Phytoplasma asteris" QS2022, a Plant Pathogen Associated with Lettuce Chlorotic Leaf Rot Disease in China.

The complete genome sequence of "Candidatus Phytoplasma asteris" QS2022, which consists of one 834,303-bp circular chromosome, is presented in this work. This bacterium is associated with lettuce chlorotic leaf rot disease in Fujian Province, China.

Nicotinic acid bromide: a simple organic salt optical-electrical ferroelastic with high Tc.

A new ferroelastic organic salt nicotinic acid bromide (N-Br) was connected by hydrogen bonding with nicotinic acid cations via a halogen substitution strategy. It exhibits a ferroelastic phase transition from P21/m to P1̄ with 2/mF1̄ Aizu notation with a high Curie temperature (Tc) of 402 K. Moreover, optical regulation from blue light to white light was achieved by halogen substitution.

Thermally stimuli-responsive materials with transformable double channels of nonlinear optical and dielectric properties.

Organic-inorganic hybrid materials have received extensive attention and in-depth research in the past few decades due to their superior properties and potential applications in storage, sensing, dielectric switches, actuators and other information fields. Based on this scientific background, we developed two organic-inorganic hybrids [TMFEA]2CdI4 (compound 1) and [TMFEA]2ZnI4 (compound 2) (TMFEA = trimethylfluoroethylammonium). Both compounds show transformable double channels of nonlinear optical and dielectric properties induced by structural phase transitions, which was proved by the thermal, nonlinear optical, and dielectric phase changes. In addition, the channels can be switched ON and OFF by temperature regulation. This work will provide inspiration and options for the exploration of opto-electrical dual channel components.

Dehydration-activated structural phase transition in a two-dimensional hybrid double perovskite.

As a feasible lead-free scheme, organic-inorganic hybrid double perovskites show many excellent properties, including ferroelectricity, ferroelasticity, self-powered circularly polarized light detection and so on. In this work, the solid-to-solid structural phase transition of a two-dimensional hybrid double perovskite (CHA)4CuBiI8 was successfully activated via the dehydration of (CHA)4CuBiI8·H2O, which was proven by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and temperature-dependent dielectric measurements. Using variable-temperature single-crystal X-ray diffractometry, the cause behind the phase transition of (CHA)4CuBiI8 was determined to be the overall coordination of distortion and movement of the inorganic skeleton and thermal deformation of the cationic structure. In addition, the substance after dehydration shows good stability in multiple reversible switching during dielectric tests. The interesting dehydration-activated results of the material contribute towards a further expansion of the properties and potential application of hybrid double perovskites.

Metal ion modulation triggers dielectric double switching and green fluorescence in A2MX4-type compounds.

Multifunctional switching materials show great potential for applications in sensors, smart switches, and other fields due to their ability to integrate different physical channels in one single device. However, multifunctional responsive materials with multiple switching and luminescence properties have rarely been reported. Here, we report three organic-inorganic hybrids: [TMAA]2[CoCl4] (compound 1), [TMAA]2[CdBr4] (compound 2) and [TMAA]2[MnCl4] (compound 3). Compound 1 and compound 2 undergo two reversible phase transitions at high temperature (328.95/359.25 K and 350.45/393.15 K, respectively). Since the inorganic skeleton has a strong influence on the luminescence properties of such structured substances, Cd and Co were replaced with Mn, after which compound 3 was obtained as expected. The above strategy triggered bright green luminescence with a quantum yield of 35.19%, and significantly increased the phase transition temperature of compound 3 to above 400 K. The above results show that the regulation of the inorganic skeleton provides a new strategy for researchers to develop dual phase change/luminous materials.