In situ synergistic halogen passivation of semiconducting PbS quantum dot inks for efficient photovoltaics.

Lead sulfide colloidal quantum dots (PbS CQDs) show great potential in next-generation photovoltaics. However, their high specific surface area and complex surface crystallography lead to a high surface trap density, which normally requires more than one type of capping ion or ligand to achieve effective surface passivation. In this study, we performed in situ mixed halogen passivation (MHP) during the direct synthesis of semiconducting PbS CQD inks by using different lead halogens. The different halogens can bind with the surface of the CQD throughout the nucleation/growth process, resulting in optimal surface configuration. As a result, the MHP CQD exhibited superior surface passivation compared to the conventionally iodine-capped CQDs. Finally, we achieved a substantial improvement in efficiency from 10.64% to 12.58% after the MHP treatment. Our work demonstrates the advantages of exploring efficient passivation in the directly synthesized CQD inks.

Fast-charging anodes for lithium ion batteries: progress and challenges.

Slow charging speed has been a serious constraint to the promotion of electric vehicles (EVs), and therefore the development of advanced lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) with fast-charging capability has become an urgent task. Thanks to its low price and excellent overall electrochemical performance, graphite has dominated the anode market for the past 30 years. However, it is difficult to meet the development needs of fast-charging batteries using graphite anodes due to their fast capacity degradation and safety hazards under high-current charging processes. This feature article describes the failure mechanism of graphite anodes under fast charging, and then summarizes the basic principles, current research progress, advanced strategies and challenges of fast-charging anodes represented by graphite, lithium titanate (Li4Ti5O12) and niobium-based oxides. Moreover, we look forward to the development prospects of fast-charging anodes and provide some guidance for future research in the field of fast-charging batteries.

Mesoscale size-promoted targeted therapy for acute kidney injury through combined RONS scavenging and inflammation alleviation strategy.

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a heterogeneous, high-mortality clinical syndrome with diverse pathogenesis and prognosis, but it lacks the effective therapy clinically. Its pathogenesis is associated with production of reactive oxygen/nitrogen species and infiltration of inflammatory cells. To overcome these pathogenic factors and improve the therapeutic efficiency, we synthesized triptolide-loaded mesoscale polydopamine melanin-mimetic nanoparticles (MeNP4TP) as the antioxidant plus anti-inflammatory therapeutic platform to synergistically scavenge reactive oxygen/nitrogen species (RONS), inhibit the activity of macrophages and dendritic cells, and generate Treg cells for AKI therapy. It was demonstrated that mesoscale size was beneficial for MeNP4TP to specifically accumulate at renal tubule cells, and MeNP4TP could significantly attenuate oxidative stress, reduce proinflammatory immune cells in renal, and repair renal function in cisplatin-induced AKI mouse model. MeNP4TP might be a potential candidate to inhibit oxidative damages and inflammatory events in AKI.

The role of the SIRT1-BMAL1 pathway in regulating oxidative stress in the early development of ischaemic stroke.

Oxidative stress is the primary cause of ischaemic stroke and is closely related to circadian rhythm. However, the mechanism by which circadian rhythm regulates oxidative stress in ischaemic stroke remains elusive. The Silent Information Regulator 1 (SIRT1) controls circadian rhythm by activating the transcription of the circadian clock core protein Basic Helix-Loop-Helix ARNT Like 1 (BMAL1) through deacetylation. Studies have shown that the SIRT1-BMAL1 pathway can regulate oxidative stress. To investigate its correlation with oxidative stress, we examined the expression levels and influencing factors of SIRT1-BMAL1 at different times in ischaemic stroke patients and analyzed their clinical indexes, oxidative stress, and inflammatory factor indicators. The expression levels of oxidative stress and inflammatory factor indicators, including malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-a (TNF-α), SIRT1, and BMAL1, were detected in ischaemic stroke patients within 4.5 h of onset and in non-stroke patients. Patients were divided into four subgroups based on onset time: subgroup 1 (0:00-05:59); subgroup 2 (06:00-11:59); subgroup 3 (12:00-17: 59); and subgroup 4 (18:00-23:59). Our results showed higher MDA, IL-6, and TNF-α levels, and lower SOD, SIRT1, and BMAL1 levels in ischaemic stroke patients compared to control patients (P < 0.05). Among the four subgroups, the content of MDA, IL-6, and TNF-α was highest in patients with ischaemic stroke onset from subgroup 2 (06:00-11:59), while the expression levels of SOD, BMAL1, and SIRT1 were lowest in patients with ischaemic stroke in subgroup 2. Additionally, myeloperoxidase (MPO) reached the highest value showing the same trends consistent with MDA, IL-6, and TNF-ɑ and opposite trends consistent with SOD, BMAL1, and SIRT1. However, triglycerides (TGs), total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), immediate blood glucose, immediate diastolic blood pressure, immediate systolic blood pressure, and homocysteine (HCY) did not show any statistically significant circadian rhythm changes (P > 0.05). Our findings suggest that the SIRT1-BMAL1 pathway may be involved in early oxidative stress in ischaemic stroke, which may be related to MPO.

Continuation of immunotherapy beyond progression is beneficial to the survival of advanced non-small-cell lung cancer.

PURPOSE: To investigate the potential clinical importance of continuing immunotherapy beyond progression in patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (aNSCLC). METHODS: The data of patients with aNSCLC who experienced progressive disease after receiving first-line immunotherapy plus chemotherapy were collected from multiple centers for the period from January 1, 2018 to May 31, 2022. According to the second-line treatment, the patients were classified into two groups: the continuation of immunotherapy beyond progression (CIBP) group and the discontinuation of immunotherapy beyond progression (DIBP) group. The efficacy and safety of the treatment were compared between the groups. RESULTS: Overall, data from 169 patients were analyzed; 93 patients were enrolled in the CIBP group and 76 patients were in the DIBP group. The median second-line progression-free survival was 5.5 months in the CIBP group, which for the DIBP group was 3.4 (p = 0.011). The median overall survival of the CIBP group was 13.3 months, whereas that of the DIBP group was 8.8 months (p = 0.031). The disease control rate of the CIBP group (79.57%) was observably higher than that of the DIBP group (64.47%; p = 0.028). Among patients who responded better (complete or partial response) to prior therapy, the median progression-free survival was 5.5 months and 3.3 months in the CIBP and DIBP groups respectively (p = 0.022), and the median overall survival was 14.8 months and 8.8 months in the CIBP and DIBP groups respectively (p = 0.046). CONCLUSIONS: Continuing immunotherapy as a second-line treatment could be beneficial to the survival of patients with aNSCLC with disease progression beyond initial chemotherapy combined with immunotherapy.

Super-stiff guidewire or loach guidewire during percutaneous nephrolithotomy?

Objectives: The objectives of this work are to compare the outcomes between loach guidewire and super-stiff guidewire during percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) and find potential indications of different guidewires. Patients and methods: We retrospectively reviewed our institutional PCNL database from 2017 to 2021. Patients who underwent PCNL guided by loach guidewire were assigned to group A (489 patients); patients who received super-stiff guidewire were assigned to group B (269 patients). Preoperative demographic data, intraoperative parameters, and postoperative complications were compared. The conditions and reasons of failed placement of guidewire needed readjustment were evaluated as well. Results: Preoperative demographic data and most intraoperative parameters were not statistically different between the groups. Postoperative Clavien-Dindo complications were also comparable, with low rate of complications. However, failed placement of guidewire more occurred in group A (8.2% vs. 4.0%, respectively, p = 0.03). Compared with the super-stiff guidewire, the loach guidewire was easier pass/slip into any place either it be perinephric or blood vessels. In most failed group A cases and all failed group B cases, the guidewire was placed in the perirenal fat. Six patients (15%) in group A, the guidewires entered into vessels. Conclusions: Our results support that the faulty placement of loach guidewire is significantly more common compared with super-stiff guidewire. Double confirmation is needed to prevent a major complication out of wrong dilatation whenever there is doubt about the wrong location of the guidewire.

SOD mineralized zeolitic imidazole framework-8 for the treatment of chemotherapy-related acute kidney injury.

Acute kidney injury (AKI), a prevalent and fatal adverse event, seriously affects cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. The most important pathological mechanism of AKI is oxidative stress from reactive oxygen species (ROS). Currently, ROS scavenging is a promising strategy to manage the risk of chemotherapy-induced AKI. Herein, we successfully synthesized SOD@ZIF-8 nanoparticles by biomimetic mineralization, which were taken up by cells and could improve cell viability by limiting oxidative stress damage, as found in in vitro studies. Moreover, SOD@ZIF-8 nanoparticles exhibit broad-spectrum antioxidant properties in addition to significant renal accumulation in AKI mice, preventing clinically related cisplatin-induced AKI in murine models. AKI alleviation in the model was validated by measuring blood serum, staining kidney tissue, and related biomarkers. SOD@ZIF-8 nanoparticle therapeutic efficiency exceeds NAC, a small molecular antioxidant functioning through free radical scavenging. The results suggest SOD@ZIF-8 nanoparticles as a potential therapeutic option for AKI and other ROS-related disorders.

Competitive Redox Chemistries in Vanadium Niobium Oxide for Ultrafast and Durable Lithium Storage.

Niobium pentoxide (Nb2O5) anodes have gained increasing attentions for high-power lithium-ion batteries owing to the outstanding rate capability and high safety. However, Nb2O5 anode suffers poor cycle stability even after modified and the unrevealed mechanisms have restricted the practical applications. Herein, the over-reduction of Nb5+ has been demonstrated to be the critical reason for the capacity loss for the first time. Besides, an effective competitive redox strategy has been developed to solve the rapid capacity decay of Nb2O5, which can be achieved by the incorporation of vanadium to form a new rutile VNbO4 anode. The highly reversible V3+/V2+ redox couple in VNbO4 can effectively inhibit the over-reduction of Nb5+. Besides, the electron migration from V3+ to Nb5+ can greatly increase the intrinsic electronic conductivity for VNbO4. As a result, VNbO4 anode delivers a high capacity of 206.1 mAh g-1 at 0.1 A g-1, as well as remarkable cycle performance with a retention of 93.4% after 2000 cycles at 1.0 A g-1. In addition, the assembled lithium-ion capacitor demonstrates a high energy density of 44 Wh kg-1 at 5.8 kW kg-1. In summary, our work provides a new insight into the design of ultra-fast and durable anodes.

Synthesis of the spiroimine fragment of portimines A and B.

Portimines A and B are spirocyclic imine natural products, which display remarkable anticancer, anti-HIV, and antifouling activities. Herein, we report a facile synthesis of the spirocyclic core of portimines A and B. Our strategy utilized a scalable Diels-Alder addition of a 2-bromo-1,3-butadiene to a symmetrical malonate dienophile, coupled with a diastereoselective lactonization of the resulting malonate that enabled differentiation of the two carbonyl groups. This approach overcame issues encountered in previous studies focused on the use of exo selective Diels-Alder reactions, by programming formation of the key stereodiad of the spiroimine fragment into the diastereoselective lactonization event, rather than the cycloaddition step. Elaboration of the key lactone intermediate afforded a functionalized spirolactam fragment as a useful intermediate en route to the portimines. Importantly, a key alcohol intermediate could be resolved by enzymatic resolution, thereby providing an asymmetric route to the spiroimine fragment of portimines A and B.

Difunctionalization of 1,3-Butadiene via Sequential Radical Thiol-ene Reaction and Allylation by Dual Photoredox and Titanium Catalysis.

Recently, radical difunctionalization of the feedstock 1,3-butadiene has become an attractive strategy for increasing molecular complexity. Herein, we present a novel approach that effectively combines radical thiol-ene chemistry with TiIII catalysis to enable a three-component aldehyde allylation using 1,3-butadiene as an allyl group source under visible light conditions. This sustainable and straightforward method has facilitated the rapid production of diverse allylic 1,3-thioalcohols with exceptional regio- and diastereoselectivity.

Open-Shell Diradical-Sensitized Electron Transport Layer for High-Performance Colloidal Quantum Dot Solar Cells.

The zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles (NPs) are well-documented as an excellent electron transport layer (ETL) in optoelectronic devices. However, the intrinsic surface flaw of the ZnO NPs can easily result in serious surface recombination of carriers. Exploring effective passivation methods of ZnO NPs is essential to maximize the device's performance. Herein, a hybrid strategy is explored for the first time to improve the quality of ZnO ETL by incorporating stable organic open-shell donor-acceptor type diradicaloids. The high electron-donating feature of the diradical molecules can efficiently passivate the deep-level trap states and improve the conductivity of ZnO NP film. The unique advantage of the radical strategy is that its passivation effectiveness is highly correlated with the electron-donating ability of radical molecules, which can be precisely controlled by the rational design of molecular chemical structures. The well-passivated ZnO ETL is applied in lead sulfide (PbS) colloidal quantum dot solar cells, delivering a power conversion efficiency of 13.54%. More importantly, as a proof-of-concept study, this work will inspire the exploration of general strategies using radical molecules to construct high-efficiency solution-processed optoelectronic devices.

Study on naked eye tracing of inguinal sentinel lymph nodes in penile cancer patients with carbon nanoparticle suspension injection.

Objective: Exploratory study of the effect and clinical value of carbon nanoparticle suspension injection (CNSI) as a tracer for inguinal sentinel lymph nodes in penile cancer. Method: We selected 29 patients with penile cancer in our department from January 2019 to October 2022. According to whether the CNSI tracer was injected during the pathological biopsy of the inguinal lymph nodes, the enrolled patients were assigned to the control group, the group in which CNSI was injected 12 h before the surgery (12HBS group) and the group in which CNSI was injected 0.5 h before the surgery (0.5HBS group). Evaluating the effectiveness of CNSI as a lymphatic tracer involves analyzing the following: its safety, the statistical analysis of the detection rate (DR) of different groups, the number of lymph nodes sent for each case (NOLNSFEC), the difference of positive rate of lymphatic metastasis (PROLM), and operation time (OT). Results: The lymph nodes in the 12HBS group and 0.5HBS group had an obvious black staining appearance, and no adverse reactions or surgical complications were found. Most of the black-stained areas caused by CNSI injection were removed with penile excision, which did not affect the postoperative appearance. This did not affect the pathological analysis. The DR of lymph nodes in the 12HBS group was higher (p < 0.05) than that in the control group. More lymph nodes were removed for examination (p < 0.05), which improved the efficiency of surgery. Compared with the 12HBS group, the number of lymph nodes removed in the 0.5HBS group decreased (p < 0.05). The OT was shortened (p < 0.05), but there was no significant difference in the DR and PROLM. Conclusion: CNSI was applied to the naked-eye tracing of inguinal sentinel lymph nodes in penile cancer, which is safe and efficient. Injection of CNSI 0.5 h before surgery can help identify the "foremost position" of sentinel lymph nodes and reduce surgical trauma.

Polyphenol Profile, Antioxidant Activity, and Hypolipidemic Effect of Longan Byproducts.

Longan, a popular fruit in Asia, has been used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat several diseases for centuries. Recent studies have indicated that longan byproducts are rich in polyphenols. The aim of this study was to analyze the phenolic composition of longan byproduct polyphenol extracts (LPPE), evaluate their antioxidant activity in vitro, and investigate their regulating effect on lipid metabolism in vivo. The results indicated that the antioxidant activity of LPPE was 231.350 ± 21.640, 252.380 ± 31.150, and 558.220 ± 59.810 (mg Vc/g) as determined by DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP, respectively. UPLC-QqQ-MS/MS analysis indicated that the main compounds in LPPE were gallic acid, proanthocyanidin, epicatechin, and phlorizin. LPPE supplementation prevented the body weight gain and decreased serum and liver lipids in high-fat diet-induced-obese mice. Furthermore, RT-PCR and Western blot analysis indicated that LPPE upregulated the expression of PPARα and LXRα and then regulated their target genes, including FAS, CYP7A1, and CYP27A1, which are involved in lipid homeostasis. Taken together, this study supports the concept that LPPE can be used as a dietary supplement in regulating lipid metabolism.

Effect of Nano-TiO2 Composite on the Fertilization and Fruit-Setting of Litchi.

Titanium dioxide nanoparticles (nTiO2) are widely used as fertilizers in agricultural production because they promote photosynthesis and strong adhesion. Low pollination and fertilization due to rainy weather during the litchi plant's flowering phase result in poor fruit quality and output. nTiO2 would affect litchi during the flowering and fruiting stages. This study considers how nTiO2 affects litchi's fruit quality and pollen viability during the flowering stage. The effects of nTiO2 treatment on pollen vigor, yield, and fruit quality were investigated. nTiO2 effectively improved the pollen germination rate and pollen tube length of litchi male flowers. The germination rate reached 22.31 ± 1.70%, and the pollen tube reached 237.66 µm in the 450 mg/L reagent-treated group. Spraying with 150 mg/L of nTiO2 increased the germination rate of pollen by 2.67% and 3.67% for two types of male flowers (M1 and M2) of anthesis, respectively. After nTiO2 spraying, the fruit set rates of 'Guiwei' and 'Nomici' were 46.68% and 30.33%, respectively, higher than those of the boric acid treatment group and the control group. The edibility rate, titration calculation, and vitamin C of nTiO2 treatment were significantly higher than those of the control. The nTiO2-treated litchi fruit was more vividly colored. Meanwhile, the adhesion of nTiO2 to leaves was effectively optimized by using ATP and BCS to form nTiO2 carriers and configuring nTiO2 complex reagents. These results set the foundation for future applications of titanium dioxide nanoparticles as fertilizers for agriculture and guide their application to flowers and fruits.

Optimization of whole-cell vaccines with CpG/αOX40/cGAMP to strengthen the anti-tumor response of CD4+ T cells in melanomas.

METHODS: In this study, we developed a strategy for the prevention and therapy of melanoma using a whole-cell vaccine combined with a CpG/αOX40/cGAMP triple adjuvant. The CpG/αOX40/cGAMP triple adjuvant was used to co-culture melanoma cells in vitro to induce immunogenic death of tumor cells. The mixture of inactivated tumor cells and the triple drug was an optimized tumor whole-cell vaccine, which was injected subcutaneously into mice for tumor prevention and therapy. Furthermore, we analyzed the changes of immune cells in spleen and tumor by flow cytometry and immunohistochemistry, and detected the changes of cytokines after vaccine application by cytometric bead array to explore the specific mechanism of vaccine. RESULTS: In vaccine prevention and therapy experiments, it was observed that the tumor growth was significantly inhibited in the whole-cell vaccine group, and the survival time of mice was significantly prolonged. Flow cytometry results showed that the proportion of CD4+ T cells and CD8+ T cells in tumor of mice in vaccine group was higher than that in control group, especially the CD4+ T cells. CONCLUSION: The optimized vaccine has the unique ability to amplify tumor-specific CD4+ T cells, which improves antitumor sensitivity, and has a significant effect on the prevention and therapy of melanoma mice.

1.9 µm all-optical wavelength converter based on a graphene oxide coated microfiber.

An all-optical wavelength converter based on graphene oxide (GO) is proposed at the 1.9 µm band. The homemade GO-coated microfiber is acquired through the optical deposition method, which shows a remarkable nonlinear optical response. Stable conversion efficiency up to -45.52 dB is obtained with 1 nm wavelength interval, and the wavelength tuning range can reach 6 nm (1969-1975 nm). With fixed wavelength interval, the conversion efficiency can increase with the increase of pump power. Simultaneously, the fluctuation of conversion efficiency is ±0.41 dB within 2 hours. The demonstrated all-optical wavelength converter based on GO can play an outstanding role in the future of all-optical communications and networks.

Synthesis of the C4-C16 Polyketide Fragment of Portimines A and B.

Stereoselective synthesis of the C4-C16 polyketide fragment of portimines A and B is reported, enabled by our previously established method for the stereoselective synthesis of syn-α,α'-dihydroxyketones. The preparation of this advanced fragment provides insights useful for the total synthesis of portimines A and B. An asymmetric Evans aldol reaction was used to install the C10-C11 adjacent stereogenic centers before incorporation of indantrione, followed by epoxidation and epoxide opening to forge the challenging syn-α,α'-dihydroxyketone functionality.

Effect of spectral CT on tumor microvascular angiogenesis in renal cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: To examine the value of energetic-spectrum computed tomography (spectral CT) quantitative parameters in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) microvascular angiogenesis. METHODS: The authors evaluated 32 patients with pathologically confirmed RCC who underwent triple-phase contrast-enhanced CT with spectral CT imaging mode from January 2017 to December 2019. Quantitative parameters include parameters derived from iodine concentration (IC) and water concentration (WC) of 120 keV monochromatic images. All specimens were evaluated including the microvascular density (MVD), microvascular area (MVA) and so on. The correlation between IC and WC (including average values and random values) with microvascular parameters were analyzed with Pearson or Spearman rank correlation coefficients. RESULTS: The MVD of all tumors was 26.00 (15.00-43.75) vessels per field at × 400 magnification. The MVD of RCC correlated positively with the mean IC, mean WC, mean NWC, mean NIC, random IC, random NIC in renal cortical phase, WCD1, WCD2, NWCD2 and ICD1 (Spearman rank correlation coefficients, r range, 0.362-0.533; all p < 0.05). The MVA of all tumors was (16.16 ± 8.98) % per field at × 400 magnification. The MVA of RCC correlated positively with the mean IC, mean WC, mean NWC, mean NIC, random IC, random NIC in renal cortical, mean WC and mean NWC in renal parenchymal phase, WCD1, WCD2, WCD3, NWCD2, and NWCD3 (Pearson or Spearman rank correlation coefficients, r range, 0.357-0.576; all p < 0.05). Microvascular grading correlated positively with the mean NWC, mean NIC and random NIC in renal cortical phase, mean NWC in renal parenchymal phase, NWCD2, WCD3, NWCD3, NICD2 and NICD3 (Spearman rank correlation coefficients, r range, 0.367-0.520; all p < 0.05). As for tumor diameter (55.19 ± 19.15), µm, only NWCD3 was associated with it (Spearman rank correlation coefficients, r = 0.388; p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: ICD and WCD of spectral CT have a potential for evaluating RCC microvascular angiogenesis. MVD, MVA and microvascular grade showed moderate positive correlation with ICD and WCD. ICD displayed more relevant than that of WCD. The parameters of renal cortical phase were the best in three phases. NICD and NWCD manifested stronger correlation with microvascular parameters than that of ICD and WCD.

Highly porous Fe/N/C catalyst for oxygen reduction: the importance of pores.

Fe/N/C full of ultrafine Fe-based species and pores is synthesized by pyrolyzing a g-C3N4-coordinated Fe matrix embedded in carbon for oxygen reduction. Enhanced oxygen reduction activity is observed on Fe/N/C with higher pore volume and the Fe/N/C catalyst with the largest pore volume shows the highest half-wave potential of 0.890 V.

Clinical characteristics of intrahepatic biliary papilloma: A case report.

BACKGROUND: Intrahepatic bile duct papilloma (IPNB) is a rare benign tumour from the bile duct epithelium and has a high malignant transformation rate. Early radical resection can obviously improve the prognosis of patients, but it is difficult to be sure of the diagnosis of IPNB before operating. CASE SUMMARY: This study included 28 patients with intraductal papilloma admitted to the First Hospital of Jilin University from January 2010 to November 2020 and recorded their clinical manifestations, imaging features, complications and prognosis. There were 12 males and 16 females with an average age of 61.36 ± 8.03 years. Most patients had symptoms of biliary obstruction. Biliary dilatation and cystic mass could be seen on imaging. After surgery, IPNB was diagnosed by pathology. CONCLUSION: IPNB is a rare benign tumour in the bile duct. Early diagnosis and timely R0 resection can improve the prognosis of IPNB.