Curative effect of motherwort combined with ethinylestradiol-cyproterone acetate on dysfunctional uterine bleeding.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the curative effect of motherwort combined with ethinylestradiol-cyproterone acetate (EE/CPA) on dysfunctional uterine bleeding (DUB). METHODS: Atotal of 68 patients with DUB were divided into a single medication group (treated with EE/CPA) and a combination medication group(treated with motherwort and EE/CPA). The clinical efficacy, uterine hemodynamic parameters, sex hormone levels, coagulation index levels, blood routine test levels, and adverse reactions of patients were evaluated. RESULTS: After three months of treatment, total treatment response rate of the combination medication group was significantly higher than that of the single medication group. Decreased uterine volume, endometrial thickness and resistance index (RI), increased pulsatility index(PI), average flow rate, and uterine artery blood flow, as well asreduced follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH),estradiol (E2), progesterone (P), activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT), prothrombin time (PT), fibrinogen (FIB), thrombin time(TT), platelet count (PLT), red blood cell (RBC), and hemoglobin (Hb)levels were witnessed in patients of the two groups. In thecombination medication group, there exhibited reduced uterine volume, endometrial thickness and RI, elevated PI, average flow rate, and uterine artery blood flow, reduced P, E2, FSH, LH, aPTT, PT, FIB, TT,PLT, RBC, and Hb levels in comparison to the single medication group. CONCLUSION: The combination of motherwort and EE/CPA is clinically effective in the treatment of DUB.

Customized Lanthanide Nanobiohybrids for Noninvasive Precise Phototheranostics of Pulmonary Biofilm Infection.

A noninvasive strategy for in situ diagnosis and precise treatment of bacterial biofilm infections is highly anticipated but still a great challenge. Currently, no in vivo biofilm-targeted theranostic agent is available. Herein, we fabricated intelligent theranostic alginate lyase (Aly)-NaNdF4 nanohybrids with a 220 nm sunflower-like structure (NaNdF4@DMS-Aly) through an enrichment-encapsulating strategy, which exhibited excellent photothermal conversion efficiency and the second near-infrared (NIR-II) luminescence. Benefiting from the site-specific targeting and biofilm-responsive Aly release from NaNdF4@DMS-Aly, we not only enabled noninvasive diagnosis but also realized Aly-photothermal synergistic therapy and real-time evaluation of therapeutic effect in mice models with Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm-induced pulmonary infection. Furthermore, such nanobiohybrids with a sheddable siliceous shell are capable of delaying the NaNdF4 dissolution and biodegradation upon accomplishing the therapy, which is highly beneficial for the biosafety of theranostic agents.

A Good View for Graph Contrastive Learning.

Due to the success observed in deep neural networks with contrastive learning, there has been a notable surge in research interest in graph contrastive learning, primarily attributed to its superior performance in graphs with limited labeled data. Within contrastive learning, the selection of a "view" dictates the information captured by the representation, thereby influencing the model's performance. However, assessing the quality of information in these views poses challenges, and determining what constitutes a good view remains unclear. This paper addresses this issue by establishing the definition of a good view through the application of graph information bottleneck and structural entropy theories. Based on theoretical insights, we introduce CtrlGCL, a novel method for achieving a beneficial view in graph contrastive learning through coding tree representation learning. Extensive experiments were conducted to ascertain the effectiveness of the proposed view in unsupervised and semi-supervised learning. In particular, our approach, via CtrlGCL-H, yields an average accuracy enhancement of 1.06% under unsupervised learning when compared to GCL. This improvement underscores the efficacy of our proposed method.

A Non-π-Conjugated Molecular Crystal with Balanced Second-Harmonic Generation, Bandgap, and Birefringence.

Traditional nonlinear optical (NLO) crystals are exclusively limited to ionic crystals with π-conjugated groups and it is a great challenge to achieve a subtle balance between second-harmonic generation, bandgap, and birefringence for them, especially in the deep-UV spectrum region (Eg  > 6.20 eV). Herein, a non-π-conjugated molecular crystal, NH3 BH3 , which realizes such balance with a large second-harmonic generation response (2.0 × KH2 PO4 at 1064 nm, and 0.45 × ß-BaB2 O4 at 532 nm), deep-UV transparency (Eg > 6.53 eV), and moderate birefringence (Δn = 0.056@550 nm) is reported. As a result, NH3 BH3 exhibits a large quality factor of 0.32, which is evidently larger than those of non-π-conjugated sulfate and phosphate ionic crystals. Using an unpolished NH3 BH3 crystal, effective second-harmonic generation outputs are observed at different wavelengths. These attributes indicate that NH3 BH3 is a promising candidate for deep-UV NLO applications. This work opens up a new door for developing high-performance deep-UV NLO crystals.

Near-Infrared Nanophosphors Based on CuInSe2 Quantum Dots with Near-Unity Photoluminescence Quantum Yield for Micro-LEDs Applications.

Highly efficient near-infrared (NIR) luminescent nanomaterials are urgently required for portable mini or micro phosphors-converted light-emitting diodes (pc-LEDs). However, most existing NIR-emitting phosphors are generally restricted by their low photoluminescence (PL) quantum yield (QY) or large particle size. Herein, a kind of highly efficient NIR nanophosphors is developed based on copper indium selenide quantum dots (CISe QDs). The PL peak of these QDs can be exquisitely manipulated from 750 to 1150 nm by altering the stoichiometry of Cu/In and doping with Zn2+ . Their absolute PLQY can be significantly improved from 28.6% to 92.8% via coating a ZnSe shell. By combining the phosphors with a commercial blue chip, an NIR pc-LED is fabricated with remarkable photostability and a record-high radiant flux of 88.7 mW@350 mA among the Pb/Cd-free QDs-based NIR pc-LEDs. Particularly, such QDs-based nanophosphors acted as excellent luminescence converter for NIR micro-LEDs with microarray diameters below 5 µm, which significantly exceeds the resolutions of current commercial inkjet display pixels. The findings may open new avenues for the exploration of highly efficient NIR micro-LEDs in a variety of applications.

Case report: Leptomeningeal metastasis of advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma treated with chemoimmunotherapy.

Leptomeningeal metastasis (LM) of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is rare and associated with a poor prognosis. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have been the standard first-line treatment for metastatic NPC, but their effect on meningeal metastasis of NPC needs further investigation. A 38-year-old man complained of bilateral neck masses and sought medical care. He was diagnosed with nasopharyngeal undifferentiated non-keratinizing carcinoma with bilateral cervical lymph node metastasis and multiple bone metastasis, stage cT4N2M1 IVb. Then, the patient received first-line anti-PD-1 antibody tislelizumab combined with gemcitabine and cisplatin and achieved partial response. After seven cycles of first-line chemoimmunotherapy, the patient subsequently developed neurological symptoms, including unsteady walking, slurred speech, coughing on drinking, and unconsciousness. MRI showed leptomeningeal linear enhancement, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis indicated Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection and squamous cell carcinoma cytology, suggesting the diagnosis of leptomeningeal metastasis. After the definite diagnosis of LM, the patient's condition deteriorated rapidly, leading to his death from brain herniation. We reported the first case of advanced NPC with pathologically confirmed leptomeningeal metastasis after receiving first-line chemoimmunotherapy. Considering the poor prognosis of LM, it is suggested to perform MRI and CSF examination when patients have neurological symptoms. Although immunotherapy significantly improved survival outcomes of advanced NPC patients, it seemed not effective in the setting of LM. The effect of other treatment options, such as radiation therapy and intrathecal therapy, requires further verification.

Excited-Multimer Mediated Supramolecular Upconversion on Multicomponent Lanthanide-Organic Assemblies.

Upconversion (UC) is a fascinating anti-Stokes-like optical process with promising applications in diverse fields. However, known UC mechanisms are mainly based on direct energy transfer between metal ions, which constrains the designability and tunability of the structures and properties. Here, we synthesize two types of Ln8L12-type (Ln for lanthanide ion; L for organic ligand L1 or L2R/S) lanthanide-organic complexes with assembly induced excited-multimer states. The Yb8(L2R/S)12 assembly exhibits upconverted multimer green fluorescence under 980 nm excitation through a cooperative sensitization process. Furthermore, upconverted red emission from Eu3+ on the heterometallic (Yb/Eu)8L12 assemblies is also realized via excited-multimer mediated energy relay. Our findings demonstrate a new strategy for designing UC materials, which is crucial for exploiting photofunctions of multicomponent lanthanide-organic complexes.

Pseudo-2D Layered Organic-Inorganic Manganese Bromide with a Near-Unity Photoluminescence Quantum Yield for White Light-Emitting Diode and X-Ray Scintillator.

Eco-friendly lead-free organic-inorganic manganese halides (OIMHs) have attracted considerable attention in various optoelectronic applications because of their superior optical properties and flexible solution processibility. Herein, we report a novel pseudo-2D layered OIMH (MTP)2 MnBr4 (MTP: methyltriphenylphosphonium), which exhibits intense green emission under UV/blue or X-ray excitation, with a near-unity photoluminescence quantum yield, high resistance to thermal quenching (I150 °C =84.1 %) and good photochemical stability. These features enable (MTP)2 MnBr4 as an efficient green phosphor for blue-converted white light-emitting diodes, demonstrating a commercial-level luminous efficiency of 101 lm W-1 and a wide color gamut of 116 % NTSC. Moreover, these (MTP)2 MnBr4 crystals showcase outstanding X-ray scintillation properties, delivering a light yield of 67000 photon MeV-1 , a detection limit of 82.4 nGy s-1 , and a competitive spatial resolution of 6.2 lp mm-1 for X-ray imaging. This work presents a new avenue for the exploration of eco-friendly luminescent OIMHs towards multifunctional light-emitting applications.

Lanthanide-Doped KMgF3 Upconversion Nanoparticles for Photon Avalanche Luminescence with Giant Nonlinearities.

Lanthanide (Ln3+)-doped photon avalanche (PA) upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) have great prospects in many advanced technologies; however, realizing efficient PA luminescence in Ln3+-doped UCNPs remains challenging due to the deleterious surface and lattice quenching effect. Herein, we report a unique strategy based on the pyrolysis of KHF2 for the controlled synthesis of aliovalent Ln3+-doped KMgF3 UCNPs, which can effectively protect Ln3+ from luminescence quenching by surface and internal OH- defects and thereby boost upconversion luminescence. This enables us to realize efficient PA luminescence from Tm3+ at 802 nm in KMgF3: Tm3+ UCNPs upon 1064 nm excitation, with a giant nonlinearity of ∼27, a PA response time of 281 ms, and an excitation threshold of 16.6 kW cm-2. This work may open up a new avenue for exploring highly nonlinear PA luminescence through aliovalent Ln3+ doping and crystal lattice engineering toward diverse emerging applications.

Unveiling the energy transfer mechanism between aqueous colloidal NIR-II quantum dots and water.

Hydrophilic semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) with emission in the second near-infrared window (NIR-II) have been widely studied in bioimaging applications. In such cases, QDs are usually dispersed in water. As is known, water has strong absorbance in the NIR-II region. However, investigations on the interaction between NIR-II emitters and water molecules are ignored in previous studies. Herein, we synthesized a series of mercaptoundecanoic acid-coated silver sulfide (Ag2S/MUA) QDs with various emissions that partially or completely overlapped with the absorbance of water at 1200 nm. By constructing a hydrophobic interface of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) with MUA on the Ag2S QDs surface via forming an ionic bond, significant enhancement of Ag2S QDs photoluminescence (PL) intensity was observed, as well as a prolonged lifetime. These findings suggest that there is an energy transfer between Ag2S QDs and water in addition to the classical resonance absorption. Transient absorption and fluorescence spectra results revealed that the increased PL intensities and lifetime of Ag2S QDs originated from the suppressed energy transfer from Ag2S QDs to the water due to the CTAB bridged hydrophobic interfaces. This discovery is important for a deeper understanding of the photophysical mechanisms of QDs and their applications.

AIEgen-sensitized lanthanide nanocrystals as luminescent probes for intracellular Fe3+ monitoring.

The abnormal Fe3+ level is known to cause various diseases, such as heart failure, liver damage and neurodegeneration. In situ probing Fe3+ in living cells or organisms is highly desired for both biological research and medical diagnostics. Herein, hybrid nanocomposites NaEuF4@TCPP were constructed by the assembly of an aggregation-induced emission luminogen (AIEgen) TCPP and NaEuF4 nanocrystals (NCs). The anchored TCPP on the surface of NaEuF4 NCs can reduce rotational relaxation of the excited state and efficiently transfer the energy to the Eu3+ ions with minimized nonradiative energy loss. Consequently, the prepared NaEuF4@TCPP nanoparticles (NPs) exhibited an intense red emission with a 103-fold enhancement relative to that in NaEuF4 NCs under 365 nm excitation. A selectively quenching response to Fe3+ ions for the NaEuF4@TCPP NPs makes them luminescent probes for sensitive detection of Fe3+ ions with a low detection limit of 340 nM. Moreover, the luminescence of NaEuF4@TCPP NPs could be recovered by the addition of iron chelators. Benefiting from their good biocompatibility and stability in living cells, together with the characteristic of the reversible luminescence response, the lipo-coated NaEuF4@TCPP probes were successfully applied for real-time monitoring of Fe3+ ions in living HeLa cells. These results are expected to motivate the exploration of AIE-based lanthanide probes for sensing and biomedical applications.

Seven-photon absorption from Na+/Bi3+-alloyed Cs2AgInCl6 perovskites.

Nonlinear multi-phonon (2-7) absorption in the Na+/Bi3+-alloyed Cs2AgInCl6 lead-free double perovskites with ∼100% photoluminescence quantum yield and superior stability is observed for the first time, which can be pumped by a femtosecond laser in a wide spectral range (800-2600 nm). First-principles calculations verify that the parity-forbidden transition from the valence band maximum and conduction band minimum (at the Γ point) is not broken by Na+/Bi3+ doping, and strong optical band-to-band absorption occurs at the L&X points. Time-resolved emission spectra evidence that single-photon and multi-photon pumping leads to the same self-trapped exciton transition and high-order nonlinear absorption will not induce a remarkable thermal effect. Finally, we demonstrate that the Cs2Na0.4Ag0.6In0.99Bi0.01Cl6 DP shows great potential for next-generation wavelength-selective and highly sensitive multiphoton imaging applications.

Multiexciton Generation from a 2D Organic-Inorganic Hybrid Perovskite with Nearly 200% Quantum Yield of Red Phosphorescence.

2D organic-inorganic hybrid perovskites (OIHPs) show obvious advantages in the field of optoelectronics due to their high luminescent stability and good solution processability. However, the thermal quenching and self-absorption of excitons caused by the strong interaction between the inorganic metal ions lead to a low luminescence efficiency of 2D perovskites. Herein, a 2D Cd-based OIHP phenylammonium cadmium chloride (PACC) with a weak red phosphorescence (ΦP  < 6%) at 620 nm and a blue afterglow is reported. Interestingly, the Mn-doped PACC exhibits very strong red emission with nearly 200% quantum yield and 15 ms lifetime, thus resulting in a red afterglow. The experimental data prove that the doping of Mn2+ not only induces the multiexciton generation (MEG) process of the perovskite, avoiding the energy loss of inorganic excitons, but also promotes the Dexter energy transfer from organic triplet excitons to inorganic excitons, thus realizing the superefficient red-light emission of Cd2+ . This work suggests that guest metal ions can induce host metal ions to realize MEG in 2D bulk OIHPs, which provides a new idea for the development of optoelectronic materials and devices with ultrahigh energy utilization.

Ultrasensitive Urinary Diagnosis of Organ Injuries Using Time-Resolved Luminescent Lanthanide Nano-bioprobes.

Urinary sensing of synthetic biomarkers that are released into urine after specific activation in an in vivo disease environment is an emerging diagnosis strategy to overcome the insensitivity of a previous biomarker assay. However, it remains a great challenge to achieve sensitive and a specific urinary photoluminescence (PL) diagnosis. Herein, we report a novel urinary time-resolved PL (TRPL) diagnosis strategy by exploiting europium complexes of diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (Eu-DTPA) as synthetic biomarkers and designing the activatable nanoprobes. Notably, TRPL of Eu-DTPA in the enhancer can eliminate the urinary background PL for ultrasensitive detection. We achieved sensitive urinary TRPL diagnosis of mice kidney and liver injuries by using simple Eu-DTPA and Eu-DTPA-integrated nanoprobes, respectively, which cannot be realized by traditional blood assays. This work demonstrates the exploration of lanthanide nanoprobes for in vivo disease-activated urinary TRPL diagnosis for the first time, which might advance the noninvasive diagnosis of diverse diseases via tailorable nanoprobe designs.

Simplified one-pot 18F-labeling of biomolecules with in situ generated fluorothiophosphate synthons in high molar activity.

Rationale: Conventional 18F-labeling methods that demand substrate pre-modification or lengthy radiosynthesis procedures have impeded the visualization and translation of numerous biomolecules, as biomarkers or ligands, using modern positron emission tomography techniques in vivo. Moreover, 18F-labeled biomolecules in high molar activity (Am) that are indispensable for sensitive imaging could be only achieved under strict labeling conditions. Methods: Herein, 18F-labeled fluorothiophosphate (FTP) synthons in high Am have been generated rapidly in situ in reaction solutions with < 5% water via nucleophilic substitution by wet [18F]F-, which required minimal processing from cyclotron target water. Results: Various 18F-labeled FTP synthons have been prepared in 30 sec at room temperature with high radiochemical yields > 75% (isolated, non-decay-corrected). FTP synthons with unsaturated hydrocarbon or activated ester group can conjugate with typical small molecules, peptides, proteins, and metallic nanoparticles. 337-517 GBq µmol-1 Am has been achieved for 18F-labeled c(RGDyK) peptide using an automatic module with 37-74 GBq initial activity. Conclusion: The combination of high 18F-fluorination efficiency of FTP synthons and following mild conjugation condition provides a universal simplified one-pot 18F-labeling method for broad unmodified biomolecular substrates.

Toward Efficient Two-Photon Circularly Polarized Light Detection through Cooperative Strategies in Chiral Quasi-2D Perovskites.

Organic-inorganic hybrid perovskites carry unique semiconducting properties and advanced flexible crystal structures. These characteristics of organic-inorganic hybrid perovskites create a promising candidacy for circularly polarized light (CPL) detection. However, CPL detections based on chiral perovskites are limited to UV and visible wavelengths. The natural quantum well structures of layered hybrid perovskites generate strong light-matter interactions. This makes it possible to achieve near-infrared (NIR) CPL detection via two-photon absorption in the sub-wavelength region. In this study, cooperative strategies of dimension increase and mixed spacer cations are used to obtain a pair of chiral multilayered perovskites (R-ß-MPA)EA2 Pb2 Br7 and (S-ß-MPA)EA2 Pb2 Br7 (MPA = methylphenethylammonium and EA = ethylammonium). The distinctive bi-cations interlayer and multilayered inorganic skeletons provide enhanced photoconduction. Moreover, superior photoconduction leads to the prominent NIR CPL response with a responsivity up to 8.1 × 10-5 A W-1 . It is anticipated that this work can serve as a benchmark for the fabrication and optimization of efficient NIR CPL detection by simple chemical design.

The maximum tumor growth rate predicts clinical outcomes of patients with small-cell lung cancer undergoing first-line chemotherapy plus immune-checkpoint inhibitor therapy.

BACKGROUND: Currently, no biomarkers can accurately predict survival outcomes in patients with SCLC undergoing treatment. Tumor growth rate (TGR; percent size change per month [%/m]) is suggested as an imaging predictor of response to anti-cancer treatment. We aimed to evaluate the predictive role of the maximum TGR (TGRmax) for outcomes of small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) patients undergoing first-line chemotherapy plus immune-checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) treatment. METHODS: Patients with SCLC receiving first-line chemotherapy plus immunotherapy were analyzed within this retrospective study. The X-tile program was used to identify the cut-off value of TGRmax based on maximum progression-free survival (PFS) stratification. The Kaplan-Meier methods and Cox regression models were used to evaluate the effect of the presence of TGRmax on PFS and overall survival (OS). RESULTS: In total, 104 patients were evaluated. Median (range) TGRmax was -33.9 (-65.2 to 21.6) %/m and the optimal cut-off value of TGRmax was -34.3%/m. Multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that patients with TGRmax > -34.3%/m was associated with shorter PFS (hazard ratio [HR], 2.81; 95% CI, 1.71-4.63; p < 0.001) and OS (HR, 3.17; 95% CI, 1.41-7.08; p = 0.005). In patients who received partial response (PR), Kaplan-Meier survival analyses showed that superior PFS and OS (p = 0.005 and p = 0.009, respectively) benefit was observed when TGRmax ≤-34.3%/m. CONCLUSIONS: SCLC patients with TGRmax > -34.3%/m had worse PFS and OS in first-line ICI plus platin-based chemotherapy. TGRmax could independently serve as an early biomarker to predict the benefit from chemoimmunotherapy.

A neglected cervicovesical fistula diagnosed and repaired by combined hysteroscopy and laparoscopy: A case report and review of literature.

Objective: To analyze a case of neglected cervicovesical fistula with intrauterine adhesions caused by cesarean section. Methods: A 36-year-old female patient with a history of two previous cesarean sections complained of the absence of menstruation for the last 18 months. The diagnosis of the cervicovesical fistula was made through hysteroscopy and cystoscopy. The reconstruction of the uterus and bladder was achieved by a laparoscopic repair technique. Results: The patient resumed normal menstruation postoperatively without complaining of any complications. Uterine continuity and cavity had been restored to normal at the second look of hysteroscopy. Conclusions: Cervicovesical fistula with intrauterine adhesions is very rare in our clinical work. Hysteroscopy might play an essential role in diagnosing cervicovesical fistula and IUA. In our literature review, a surgical approach was the mainstay and definitive management of the cervicovesical fistula following a cesarean section.

Keratin 80 Promotes Migration and Invasion of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Cells by Regulating the TGF-ß/SMAD Pathway.

Upregulation of keratin 80 (KRT80) expression levels and carcinogenic function has been found in several types of tumors. However, its contribution and mechanism in NSCLC remain to be outlined. In this study, bioinformatic investigation from the TCGA dataset revealed that KRT80 was confirmed to be elevated in human NSCLC tissues. The results of qRT-PCR and Western blot assays disclosed that KRT80 was uplifted in NSCLC cells. Data from CCK-8 and colony formation assays exhibited that depletion of KRT80 restrained NSCLC cell proliferation. Findings from Transwell and Western blot assays illustrated that downregulation of KRT80 inhibited NSCLC cell migration, invasion, and EMT. Further mechanism exploration implied that KRT80 may be included within the regulation of EMT of NSCLC cells by affecting the TGF-ß/SMAD pathway. Moreover, depletion of KRT80 attenuated xenograft tumor growth and the expressions of KRT80, Ki-67, and TGFBR1. In conclusion, depletion of KRT80 repressed NSCLC cell proliferation, invasion, and EMT, possibly mediated by the TGF-ß/SMAD signaling pathway, indicating that KRT80 may be a potentially useful target for NSCLC.

Polarity-dependent emission from hydroxyl-free carbon nanodots.

Surface groups of carbon nanodots (CNDs) play a key role in modulating their photoluminescence (PL) properties. However, most of the as-prepared CNDs are complex mixtures of CNDs bearing different surface groups. Thus, the purification of CNDs is essential to reveal the PL mechanism of CNDs. Herein, we present a facile method to synthesize hydroxyl (-OH) free CNDs, followed by intelligently guided column chromatographic separation of CNDs with specific functional groups according to their degree of polarity. After systematic investigation of the separated non-polar CNDs (NP-CNDs) and polar CNDs (P-CNDs), it is revealed that radiative photon emission dominates in the NP-CNDs, which exhibits excitation wavelength-independent emissions. In contrast, an increase in the solvent polarity of P-CNDs improves Frank-Condon excited state stabilization to achieve excitation wavelength-dependent emissions. In particular, white-light emitting P-CNDs with CIE coordinates of (0.332, 0.336) are produced. These findings provide new insights into the nature of the PL mechanism for CNDs, which may pave the way towards the rational design of highly efficient and emission tunable CNDs for various applications.