Coupling of the Structure and Magnetism to Spin Splitting in Hybrid Organic-Inorganic Perovskites.

Hybrid organic-inorganic perovskites are famous for the diversity of their chemical compositions, phases, phase transitions, and associated physical properties. We use a combination of experimental and computational techniques to reveal a strong coupling between structure, magnetism, and spin splitting in a representative of the largest family of hybrid organic-inorganic perovskites: the formates. With the help of first-principles simulations, we find spin splitting in both conduction and valence bands of [NH2NH3]Co(HCOO)3 induced by spin-orbit interactions, which can reach up to 14 meV. Our magnetic measurements reveal that this material exhibits canted antiferromagnetism below 15.5 K. The direction of the associated antiferromagnetic order parameter is strongly coupled with spin splitting in the centrosymmetric phase, allowing for the creation and annihilation of spin splitting through the application of a magnetic field. Furthermore, the structural phase transition to the experimentally observed polar Pna21 phase completely changes the aforementioned spin splitting and its coupling to magnetic degrees of freedom. This reveals that in [NH2NH3]Co(HCOO)3, the structure and magnetism are strongly coupled to spin splitting and can be manipulated through electric and magnetic fields. We believe that our findings offer an important step toward a fundamental understanding and practical applications of materials with coupled properties.

Microfluidic dissolution of nanoemulsions in solvents.

We experimentally investigate the behavior of nanoemulsion and microscale emulsion jets flowing in solvents using coaxial microfluidic devices. The stability of colloidal dispersions made of oil droplets dispersed in water is significantly altered by the presence of a miscible solvent, which induces complex solutal and droplet coalescence instabilities over various timescales. We reveal intriguing microflow patterns of oil-in-water micro- and nanoemulsion threads in a continuous phase of isopropanol, including the dissolving, diffusive, gravitational, and stable thread regimes. We discuss the evolution of core-annular flow characteristics and develop scaling relationships to model thread dynamics through measurements of effective diameter as well as persistence and gravitational lengths. A microflow method based on dynamic similitude is developed to estimate the diffusion coefficients of nanoemulsions and microscale emulsions in miscible solvents. This work shows the possibility to process soft colloidal dispersions and control degradation mechanisms using microfluidic techniques.

Oxygen-doped Carbon Nitrides with Visible Room-temperature Phosphorescence and Invisible Thermal-Stimuli-Responsive Ultraviolet Delayed Fluorescence for Security Applications.

Multi-mode emissive materials with stimuli-responsive producing invisible signals are very attractive for advanced security applications, but development of such materials remains highly challenging. In this work, oxygen-doped carbon nitrides (O-CNs) are prepared via microwave-assisted heating of urea, which exhibit ultraviolet (UV) solid-state fluorescence (SSFL), visible room temperature phosphorescence (RTP) and thermal-stimuli production of invisible UV delayed fluorescence (DF) properties. Further studies confirmed that the SSFL and RTP could be attributed to the introduction of oxygen functional group (e. g., C=O) in the skeleton of O-CNs, thus minimizing the aggregation caused quenching effect, facilitating intersystem crossing, and stabilizing the excited triplet states. The specific thermal-stimuli production of UV DF is deemed to be the relatively large energy gap between ground and excited singlet states as well as an effective triplet-triplet annihilation. Notably, the emission maximum of UV DF locates at ~310 nm with an ultra-narrow full width at half maximum (FWHM) down to 19 nm, so it is completely invisible to the naked eyes, but detectable by a UV camera. To employ the unique characteristics of O-CNs, security protection strategies with superior concealment by virtue of the thermal-stimuli quenching visible RTP and meanwhile producing invisible UV DF are demonstrated.

First-principles property assessment of hybrid formate perovskites.

Hybrid organic-inorganic formate perovskites, AB(HCOO)3, are a large family of compounds that exhibit a variety of phase transitions and diverse properties, such as (anti)ferroelectricity, ferroelasticity, (anti)ferromagnetism, and multiferroism. While many properties of these materials have already been characterized, we are not aware of any study that focuses on the comprehensive property assessment of a large number of formate perovskites. A comparison of the properties of materials within the family is challenging due to systematic errors attributed to different techniques or the lack of data. For example, complete piezoelectric, dielectric, and elastic tensors are not available. In this work, we utilize first-principles density functional theory based simulations to overcome these challenges and to report structural, mechanical, dielectric, piezoelectric, and ferroelectric properties of 29 formate perovskites. We find that these materials exhibit elastic stiffness in the range 0.5-127.0 GPa; highly anisotropic linear compressibility, including zero and even negative values; dielectric constants in the range 0.1-102.1; highly anisotropic piezoelectric response with the longitudinal values in the range 1.18-21.12 pC/N; and spontaneous polarizations in the range 0.2-7.8 µC/cm2. Furthermore, we propose and computationally characterize a few formate perovskites that have not been reported yet.

XGBoost-based machine learning test improves the accuracy of hemorrhage prediction among geriatric patients with long-term administration of rivaroxaban.

BACKGROUND: Hemorrhage is a potential and serious adverse drug reaction, especially for geriatric patients with long-term administration of rivaroxaban. It is essential to establish an effective model for predicting bleeding events, which could improve the safety of rivaroxaban use in clinical practice. METHODS: The hemorrhage information of 798 geriatric patients (over the age of 70 years) who needed long-term administration of rivaroxaban for anticoagulation therapy was constantly tracked and recorded through a well-established clinical follow-up system. Relying on the 27 collected clinical indicators of these patients, conventional logistic regression analysis, random forest and XGBoost-based machine learning approaches were applied to analyze the hemorrhagic risk factors and establish the corresponding prediction models. Furthermore, the performance of the models was tested and compared by the area under curve (AUC) of the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. RESULTS: A total of 112 patients (14.0%) had bleeding adverse events after treatment with rivaroxaban for more than 3 months. Among them, 96 patients had gastrointestinal and intracranial hemorrhage during treatment, which accounted for 83.18% of the total hemorrhagic events. The logistic regression, random forest and XGBoost models were established with AUCs of 0.679, 0.672 and 0.776, respectively. The XGBoost model showed the best predictive performance in terms of discrimination, accuracy and calibration among all the models. CONCLUSION: An XGBoost-based model with good discrimination and accuracy was built to predict the hemorrhage risk of rivaroxaban, which will facilitate individualized treatment for geriatric patients.

Enhancement of the NIR Emission of Cr3+-Yb3+ Co-doped La3GaGe5O16 Phosphors by Doping Nd3+ Ions via Efficient Energy Transfer for NIR Spectroscopy Regulation.

The efficient energy transfer in La3GaGe5O16:Cr3+, Yb3+/Nd3+ and La3GaGe5O16:Cr3+, Yb3+, Nd3+ was investigated in detail. In this phosphor, Cr3+ acts as the energy absorber (250-700 nm) to sensitize Yb3+/Nd3+ in La3GaGe5O16. Under excitation at 418 nm, La3GaGe5O16:Cr3+, Yb3+ phosphors exhibited a broad emission band in the near-infrared (NIR) region located at 976 nm (La3GaGe5O16:Cr3+, Nd3+ at 1056 nm), which was attributed to the 2F5/2-2F7/2 transition of the Yb3+ ions (2F3/2 → 4I11/2 transition of Nd3+). Moreover, a Nd3+ ion was introduced into La3GaGe5O16:Cr3+, Yb3+. The analysis of excitation spectra and decay time proves that Nd3+ acts as a bridging ion in the system. This can be used as a new strategy to enhance the energy transfer in Cr3+, Yb3+ co-doped phosphors, and these phosphors have potential applications in NIR spectroscopy regulation.

Pressure-induced phase transitions, amorphization and alloying in Sb2S3.

Despite the extensive and systematic studies of pressure-induced phase transitions in sesqui-chalcogenides, several puzzles still remain to be solved. Here, the complicated phase transitions, amorphization, and alloying behaviors of the binary semiconductor antimony trisulfide (Sb2S3) were observed by performing in situ high-pressure angle-dispersive x-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy and resistance measurements. Upon compression, two phase transitions are observed in Sb2S3 before it transforms into a high-density amorphous state (HDA). Notably, it is found that the pressure transmitting medium has a great effect on these changes. Then, Sb2S3 shows an irreversible process after full decompression and a low-density amorphous state (LDA) can be obtained. Unexpectedly, a site-disordered Sb-S alloy can be formed via recompressing LDA. These results indicate that the Sb3+ lone electron pair activity will be destroyed at high pressures, which may make Sb2S3 a promising thermoelectric material at high pressures.

Differential sensitization toward lanthanide metal-organic framework for detection of an anthrax biomarker.

A novel Tb-doped Eu-based metal-organic framework (Eu-MOF@Tb) has been developed by incorporating hexanuclear europium cluster and 2,2'-bipyridine-5,5'-dicarboxylic acid as well as coordination with Tb(III). Owing to the diverse coordination status of Tb(III) and Eu(III) in MOF, antenna effect emission from Tb(III) can be invoked by dipicolinic acid (DPA), but the luminescence originating from Eu(III) remains unchanged. Taking advantage of this phenomenon, a ratiometric luminescent method for detection of DPA, a biomarker for Bacillus subtilis spores, was developed through differential sensitization toward lanthanide ions. This analysis method allowed for the detection of DPA in the 0.2-10 µM concentration range, with a detection limit of 60 nM. It was further validated by spiked recoveries (89.3-110%) of real-world samples with RSD values in the range 3.9-11%. Alongside this, a paper indicator test was prepared for naked-eye detection of DPA via a dose-sensitive color evolution from red to green under UV light. The effectiveness of the proposed approach was explored in the detection of bacterial spores in real biological and environmental samples and indicated great potential for applications as a real-time monitoring system against the anthrax threat.

Extraction, Characterization, and Platelet Inhibitory Effects of Two Polysaccharides from the Cs-4 Fungus.

Cardiovascular diseases are associated with platelet hyperactivity, and downregulating platelet activation is one of the promising antithrombotic strategies. This study newly extracted two polysaccharides (purified exopolysaccharides, EPSp and purified intercellular exopolysaccharides, IPSp) from Cordyceps sinensis Cs-4 mycelial fermentation powder, and investigated the effects of the two polysaccharides and their gut bacterial metabolites on platelet functions and thrombus formation. EPSp and IPSp are majorly composed of galactose, mannose, glucose, and arabinose. Both EPSp and IPSp mainly contain 4-Galp and 4-Glcp glycosidic linkages. EPSp and IPSp significantly inhibited human platelet activation and aggregation with a dose-dependent manner, and attenuated thrombus formation in mice without increasing bleeding risk. Furthermore, the EPSp and IPSp after fecal fermentation showed enhanced platelet inhibitory effects. The results have demonstrated the potential value of Cs-4 polysaccharides as novel protective ingredients for cardiovascular diseases.

Static full-Stokes Fourier transform imaging spectropolarimeter capturing spectral, polarization, and spatial characteristics.

A static full-Stokes Fourier transform imaging spectropolarimeter incorporating a liquid-crystal polarization modulator (LPM) and birefringent shearing interferometer (BSI) is reported. It can decode the polarization information at each wavelength along the spatial dimension of a two-dimensional data array. The LPM has a high-speed time-division architecture and employs two ferroelectric liquid crystals and two wave plates to produce four polarization states, providing full-Stokes polarimetric information with a high signal-to-noise ratio. The BSI comprises two birefringent crystal plates and generates an optical path difference with good linear distribution for broadband interference, allowing a fast and high-precision spectral recovery. The optimized design of LPM and BSI are introduced in detail. Subsequently, the signal reconstruction is verified through simulations and experiments. The proposed scheme is highly efficient, exhibits a higher spectral resolution, and constitutes a compact technical approach to realize high-dimensional optical measurement.

5D-fusion sensing via interference illumination and polarization imaging.

This study proposes a polychromatic interferometric illumination and polarimetric sensor-based imaging method for spectrum, polarization, and 3D shape, which are significant physical parameters of feature analysis for target detection. 5D-fusion sensing refers to the joint detection and fusion of the above 5D information, which is currently a great challenge. The method generates a polychromatic interference pattern using a Sagnac lateral shearing interferometer and projects it to the target. Then, interferograms modulated by the target are acquired during scanning. Fast Fourier transform (FFT) is performed on the interferograms to obtain their frequency spectra. The spectral and polarization information is extracted from the moduli of the frequency spectra. The 3D shape is recovered from the phase of the frequency spectra using the calibration data. The theory of 5D-fusion sensing is investigated, and verification experiments are then performed. The experiments indicate that the proposed method can fulfill 5D-fusion sensing in one scanning and with FFT using only one device compared with other separate methods. Consequently, the proposed method can improve the sensing and recognition ability of optical imaging technology, which provides great application potential in biomedicine, food safety, material analysis, criminal investigation, archeology, and other fields.

DHCR24 Knockdown Lead to Hyperphosphorylation of Tau at Thr181, Thr231, Ser262, Ser396, and Ser422 Sites by Membrane Lipid-Raft Dependent PP2A Signaling in SH-SY5Y Cells.

Accumulating data suggest that the downregulation of DHCR24 is linked to the pathological risk factors of AD, denoting a potential role of DHCR24 in AD pathogenesis. However, it remains unclear whether the downregulation of DHCR24 affects the abnormal heper-phosphorylation of tau protein, which is involved in tauopathy. In present papers, immunofluorescence and Filipin III fluorescence results showed that DHCR24 knockdown significantly lowered the level of plasma membrane cholesterol and expression level of membrane lipid-raft structural protein caveolin-1; and overexpression of DHCR24 could increase the plasma membrane cholesterol levels and facilitating caveolae structure through increase the expression of caveolin-1. PP2A is the key phosphatase involving in tau phosphorylation, which is localized in cholesterol-dependent caveola/raft lipid domains. Here, the PP2A activity was detected by western blot assay. Interestingly, the level of p-PP2Ac at Y307 (inactive) and p-GSK3ß at Y216 (active) in the downstream of the PP2A signal pathway were both significantly increased in silencing DHCR24 SH-SY5Y cells, which denoted an inhibition of the PP2A and activation of GSK3ß signaling. Conversely, overexpression of DHCR24 blunted the inhibition effect of PP2A and activation of GSK3ß. Besides, in the SH-SY5Y cell lines we demonstrated that DHCR24 knockdown obviously induced hyperphosphorylation of tau at Thr181, Thr231, Ser262, Ser396, and Ser422 Sites. In contrast, DHCR24 overexpression protects neuronal SH-SY5Y cells against the hyperphosphorylation of tau at Thr181, Thr231, Ser262, Ser396, and Ser422 Sites. Furthermore, PP2A activator D-erythro-Sphingosine (DES) also obviously inhibited the hyperphosphorylation of tau induced by DHCR24 knockdown. Collectively, our findings firstly confirmed that DHCR24 knockdown obviously induced abnormal hyperphosphorylation of tau by a novel lipid raft-dependent PP2A signaling. We propose that DHCR24 downregulation led to altered cholesterol synthesis as a potential mechanism in the progression of tau hyperphosphorylation involving in AD and other tauopathies.

A dual-signal fluorescent probe for detection of acid phosphatase.

Acid phosphatase has become a significant indicator of prognostic and medical diagnosis, and its dysfunction may lead to a series of diseases. A novel dual-signal fluorescence method for acid phosphatase detection based on europium polymer (europium-pyridine dicarboxylicacid-adenine) and pyridoxal phosphate (PLP) was proposed. PLP coordinated with europium polymer via Eu3+ and P-O bonds, and the fluorescence of europium polymer was quenched due to the photoinduced electron transfer (PET) effect between aldehyde and europium polymer. Upon addition of acid phosphatase, the PLP was transformed to phosphate (Pi) and pyridoxal (PL). The PL was released from the surface of europium polymer, and the blue emission was enhanced due to the formation of internal hemiacetal, while the fluorescence of europium polymer recovered. The blue (PL) and red emission (Eu3+) were positively correlated with acid phosphatase activity; thus the sensitive assay of acid phosphatase was effectively achieved. The two signals were applied to determine the acid phosphatase with limits of detection (LOD) of 0.04 mU/mL and 0.38 mU/mL, and the linear ranges were 0.13-5.00 mU/mL and 1.25-20.00 mU/mL, respectively. The probe can be used to trace the acid phosphatase in biological systems and holds promise for use in clinical diagnosis and early prevention.

Effect of Notch pathway on lipid accumulation induced by mono-2-ethylhexyl phthalate on 3T3-L1 cells.

BACKGROUND: Mono-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (MEHP) is a major metabolite of di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP). Our previous researches have shown that MEHP can induce lipid accumulation in preadipocytes, while, the underlying mechanism is unclear. The present study was undertaken to clarify the effect of Notch pathway on lipid accumulation induced by MEHP. METHODS: 3T3-L1 preadipocytes were exposed to MEHP (0, 10, 50, 250 µM and 0.1%DMSO) for the whole differentiation phase. Then the level of TG and cell cycle were detected. RT-PCR was used to detect the mRNA expression and Western blot was used to detect the expression of protein by Notch pathway genes and lipid metabolic related genes. RESULTS: In this study, the level of TG in the 250 µM and 250 µM MEHP groups was significantly higher than that in the control, DMSO and 10 µM MEHP groups (P < 0.05). The relative mRNA level of Notch-1, Notch-3, Notch-4, Jagged-2 and Dll-4 in 250 µM group was higher than other groups (P < 0.05). The expression of Notch signal pathway proteins increased in MEHP treated groups, and the expression of Notch-2, Jagged-1, Jagged-2, Dll-1 and Dll-4 in 250 µM group were significantly higher than control group (P < 0.05). The expression of lipid metabolic related gene mRNA and protein increased in MEHP treated groups, and 250 µM MEHP group was higher than other groups (P < 0.05). The intracellular TG content was significantly correlated with the expression levels of Notch-1 and Jagged-2 mRNA (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: In this study, we have found that MEHP exposure could increase the TG content in 3T3-L1 cells. The expression of Notch pathway mRNA and proteins were disturbed by the MEHP. Notch-1 and its ligand Jagged-2 play a critical role in the abnormal lipid metabolism in 3T3-L1 cells caused by MEHP.

A fluorescent and colorimetric dual-channel sensor based on acid phosphatase-triggered blocking of internal filtration effect.

A colorimetric and fluorescent dual-channel detection method for acid phosphatase (ACP) activity has been constructed, based on the internal filtering effect between oxidized 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine (oxTMB) and rhodamine B (RB). Au3+, which in situ form gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), can oxidize colorless 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) to oxTMB (blue color). The fluorescence of RB can be quenched by oxTMB due to the spectral overlap of emission of RB and absorption of oxTMB. By means of the above process, ACP can be determined because ACP promotes the hydrolysis of 2-phospho-L-ascorbic acid trisodium salt (AAP) to generate ascorbic acid (AA), which can inhibit the internal filtering effect between RB and oxTMB. No material preparation was needed for the determination of ACP. The colorimetric and fluorimetric methods can quantify ACP in the range 0.06-5.0 mU/mL and 0.03-5.0 mU/mL, respectively. Furthermore, a smartphone-assisted sensing platform has been constructed for on-site monitoring of ACP in the range 0.75-50 mU/mL, and the detection limit is 0.3 mU/mL. The methods developed can measure ACP in human serum successfully.

Iterative local Fourier transform-based high-accuracy wavelength calibration for Fourier transform imaging spectrometer.

An iterative local Fourier transform (ILFT)-based high-accuracy wavelength calibration for Fourier transform imaging spectrometer (FTIS) is proposed. The wavelength calibration for FTIS is to determine the relation between the wavelength and the wavenumber position. However, the wavenumber position solved by conventional method is only accurate up to integers restricted by the picket-fence effect of discrete Fourier transform. While the proposed ILFT can increase the accuracy of calculating the wavenumber position by combining the local Fourier transform and a few iterations. In this paper, the method is investigated in theory and then by simulations and experiments. The simulations show that the accuracy of the wavenumber position calculated by the ILFT is increased by 100 times than conventional method with noise, phase error, and non-uniform sampling of optical path difference. And the experimental results indicate that the ILFT decreases the absolute error of wavelength calibration from about 2.03 nm to 0.16 nm. Therefore, the method provides theoretical and technical support for FTIS and promotes the development of superior resolutions therein.

Anti-CD45RB Antibody Therapy Attenuates Renal Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury by Inducing Regulatory B Cells.

BACKGROUND: Regulatory B cells are a newly discovered B cell subset that suppresses immune responses. Recent studies found that both anti-CD45RB and anti-Tim-1 treatments regulate immune responses by inducing regulatory B cells; however, the role of these cells in renal ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) is unknown. METHODS: Using mouse models, including T cell-deficient (RAG1 knockout and TCRα knockout) mice and B cell-deficient (µMT) mice, we investigated the effects of regulatory B cells and anti-CD45RB on IRI and the mechanisms underlying these effects. RESULTS: Adoptive transfer of regulatory B cells before or after IRI attenuated renal IRI. Anti-CD45RB treatment with or without anti-Tim-1 before IRI increased renal infiltration of CD19+Tim-1+ regulatory B and regulatory T cells. Anti-CD45RB decreased serum creatinine levels, pathologic injury score, tubular apoptosis, and proinflammatory cytokines levels, whereas IL-10 levels increased. Following IRI, anti-CD45RB with or without anti-Tim-1 also induced regulatory B cells, improving renal function and tubular regeneration. In RAG1 knockout mice with B cell transfer, TCRα knockout mice, and wild-type mice with T cell depletion, anti-CD45RB increased regulatory B cells and attenuated IRI. However, anti-CD45RB did not attenuate IRI in RAG1 knockout mice with T cell transfer or µMT mice and induced only mild improvement in wild-type mice with B cell depletion. Furthermore, B cell-deficient mice receiving B cells from IL-10 knockout mice (but not from wild-type mice) did not show renal protection against IRI when treated with anti-CD45RB. CONCLUSIONS: Anti-CD45RB treatment attenuated acute renal injury and facilitated renal recovery after IRI through induction of IL-10+ regulatory B cells, pointing to anti-CD45RB as a potential therapeutic strategy in renal IRI.

Compact birefringent interferometer for Fourier transform hyperspectral imaging.

A compact birefringent interferometer (CBI) for Fourier transform hyperspectral imaging is presented. The CBI employs only two birefringent crystal plates: a shearing plate (SP) and a compensation plate (CP). The SP generates the optical path difference (OPD) associated with the field of view for broadband interference. The CP compensates the constant term and square term OPDs of the SP to adjust the position of the zero-order fringe pattern and suppress inconsistent total OPDs and other nonlinear OPDs. This paper details the theoretically deduced OPDs and then presents simulation analyses and verification experiments conducted to investigate the OPD distribution characteristics. To verify the CBI performance, experimental spectral measurements and hyperspectral imaging were performed. The experimental results demonstrate that the CBI can suppress inconsistent total OPDs and other nonlinear OPDs with only two birefringent crystal plates, and therefore offers much promise for miniature and high-precision Fourier transform hyperspectral imaging.

Ultra-compact Fourier transform imaging spectrometer using a focal plane birefringent interferometer.

A new Fourier transform imaging spectrometer based on a focal plane birefringent interferometer (FPBI) is presented. The FPBI, located in front of the detector, is capable of performing spectral imaging measurements. It mainly consists of a birefringent plate and a birefringent wedge. The ordinary and extraordinary rays-with an optical path difference-are split by the FPBI and interfere on the focal plane. The spectral image of the target can be acquired via scene scanning and spectral recovery. The principle of interferometric imaging of the FPBI is investigated, and verification experiments are then performed. The experiments indicate that the FPBI not only provides effective spectral imaging measurements, but also presents the advantages of being ultra-compact and lightweight. As a result, it can be effectively applied in situations such as outdoor surveillance and airborne remote sensing.