Near-Full-Spectrum Emission Realized in a Single Lead Halide Perovskite across the Visible-Light Region.

The engineering of tunable photoluminescence (PL) in single materials with a full-spectrum emission represents a highly coveted objective but poses a formidable challenge. In this context, the realization of near-full-spectrum PL emission, spanning the visible light range from 424 to 620 nm, in a single-component two-dimensional (2D) hybrid lead halide perovskite, (ETA)2PbBr4 (ETA+ = (HO)(CH2)2NH3+), is reported, achieved through high-pressure treatment. A pressure-induced phase transition occurs upon compression, transforming the crystal structure from an orthorhombic phase under ambient conditions to a monoclinic structure at high pressure. This phase transition driven by the adaptive and dynamic configuration changes of organic amine cations enables an effective and continuous narrowing of the bandgap in this halide crystal. The hydrogen bonding interactions between inorganic layers and organic amine cations (N-H…Br and O-H…Br hydrogen bonds) efficiently modulate the organic amine cations penetration and the octahedral distortion. Consequently, this phenomenon induces a phase transition and results in red-shifted PL emissions, leading to the near-full-spectrum emission. This work opens a possibility for achieving wide PL emissions with coverage across the visible light spectrum by employing high pressure in single halide perovskites.

Determination of 16 ultraviolet-absorbing compounds in marine invertebrates by using LC-USI-MS/MS coupled with QuEChERS.

In this study, we examined multiple endocrine-disrupting ultraviolet-absorbing compounds (UVACs) in marine invertebrates used in personal care products and packaging. Modified QuEChERS and liquid chromatography UniSpray ionization tandem mass spectrometry were used to identify 16 UVACs in marine invertebrates. Matrix-matched calibration curves revealed high linearity (r ≥ 0.9929), with limits of detection and quantification of 0.006-1.000 and 0.020-3.000 ng/g w.w., respectively. In oysters, intraday and interday analyses revealed acceptable accuracy (93%-120%) and precision (≤18%), except for benzophenone (BP) and ethylhexyl 4-(dimethylamino) benzoate. Analysis of 100 marine invertebrate samples revealed detection frequencies of 100%, 98%, 89%, 64%, and 100% for BP, 4-hydroxybenzophenone, 4-methylbenzophenone, 4-methylbenzylidene camphor, and benzophenone-3 (BP-3), respectively. BP and BP-3 were detected at concentrations of 4.40-27.39 and < 0.020-0.560 ng/g w.w., respectively, indicating their widespread presence. Overall, our proposed method successfully detected UVACs in marine invertebrates, raising concerns regarding their potential environmental and health effects.

Drug release and solubility properties of two zeolitic metal-organic frameworks influenced by their hydrophobicity/hydrophilicity.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have shown significant potential for drug delivery applications. However, there remains a scarcity of comprehensive research addressing the influence of surface properties of MOFs on drug release kinetics and drug solubility. This study focuses on examining the influence of MOFs hydrophilicity and hydrophobicity on the controlled release and solubility of drugs. To achieve this, we prepared drug-loaded nanoparticles through in situ synthesis and created a drug-MOF co-amorphous system using the ball milling technique. Under neutral conditions, the hydrophilic MOF-based drug delivery system demonstrated a comparatively slower drug release profile than its hydrophobic counterpart. This observation suggests that the hydrophilic system holds promise in mitigating drug side effects by enabling improved control over drug release. The implementation of hydrophobic MOFs in co-amorphous systems yields a more pronounced effect on enhancing solubility compared to hydrophilic MOFs. This study offers valuable insights for achieving optimal drug release kinetics and solubility by delicately manipulating surface properties of MOFs.

Plastic bending in a semiconducting coordination polymer crystal enabled by delamination.

Coordination polymers (CPs) are a class of crystalline solids that are considered brittle, due to the dominance of directional coordination bonding, which limits their utility in flexible electronics and wearable devices. Hence, engineering plasticity into functional CPs is of great importance. Here, we report plastic bending of a semiconducting CP crystal, Cu-Trz (Trz = 1,2,3-triazolate), that originates from delamination facilitated by the discrete bonding interactions along different crystallographic directions in the lattice. The coexistence of strong coordination bonds and weak supramolecular interactions, together with the unique molecular packing, are the structural features that enable the mechanical flexibility and anisotropic response. The spatially resolved analysis of short-range molecular forces reveals that the strong coordination bonds, and the adaptive C-H···π and Cu···Cu interactions, synergistically lead to the delamination of the local structures and consequently the associated mechanical bending. The proposed delamination mechanism offers a versatile tool for designing the plasticity of CPs and other molecular crystals.

An electrochemical aptasensor based on intelligent walking DNA nanomachine with cascade signal amplification powered by nuclease for Mucin 1 assay.

Intelligently walking DNA nanomachines have sprung up an upsurge in various nucleic acid testing, but the rapid and sensitive test methods toward disease biomarker proteins based on the signal amplification strategy of DNA nanomachines were still ongoing development. In this work, an electrochemical aptasensor coupling the magnetic separation technique with the nuclease-powered walking DNA nanomachine was established for Mucin 1 (MUC1) detection. The magnetic beads (MBs) were modified by MUC1 aptamer hybridized with blocker DNA probe (BDP). After reacting with MUC1 proteins, the BDP was released from MBs to trigger the opening of capture hairpin DNA on Au nanoparticle (Au NPs)/MXene-modified electrode surface. In the presence of exonuclease III (Exo III), the BDP as a DNA walker is activated to autonomously move on the electrode. Then, lots of residual DNA fragments can still stay on electrode, further hybridizing with hairpin DNA, which can capture more UiO-66-NH2 metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). The amounts of ligands in MOFs can generate enhanced differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) signal probes. Furthermore, the concentrations of MUC1 can convert into the amplified DPV signals by introducing the signal amplification between the BDP as DNA walkers and Exo III as driven forces. This proposed electrochemical aptasensor achieved MUC1 detection ranging from 5 pg/mL to 50 ng/mL with detection limit of 0.72 pg/mL. Consequently, the designed and nuclease-powered walking DNA nanomachine provided an efficient strategy for the quantitative analysis of proteins by the interconversion between protein and BDP as a walker, which exhibited practical applicability of MUC1 detection in human serum.

Student-Teacher Relationship: Its Measurement and Effect on Students' Trait, Performance, and Wellbeing in Private College.

Student-teacher relationships (STRs) have been examined by many studies. However, an omission still exists, the existing scales are not appropriate for studying STRs in private colleges because of the special character of these schools. This paper presents the development and validation of Private-College Student-Teacher Relationship Scale (PCSTRS), the first instrument to evaluate student-teacher relationships (STRs) in private colleges. The PCSTRS has six dimensions: trust, interaction, intimacy, care, approval, and comfort. In our main study, the validity and reliability of the six-factor PCSTRS model were demonstrated. The result of internal consistency coefficient indicated the high reliability of the scale, and the result of concurrent validity indicated the significant correlational relationships between the PCSTRS with other STR measures. In supplementary study, the PCSTRS was administered to 360 participants to confirm the applicability of PCSTRS and investigate the relation of STRs and students' traits, performance, and wellbeing, as well as the differences between the private school and the public school in this relation; the analyses revealed that there were significant differences in trust, intimacy, and care between private and public colleges; positive correlations were found between STRs and self-esteem, self-efficacy, academic performance, extracurricular activity involvement, and subjective wellbeing. Present research firstly develops the PCSTRS, examined the reliability and validity, and provides the proposed nomological network among related constructs.

A visual peroxidase mimicking aptasensor based on Pt nanoparticles-loaded on iron metal organic gel for fumonisin B1 analysis in corn meal.

A visual colorimetric aptasensor combining platinum nanoparticles (Pt NPs) loaded on Fe-based metal organic gel (Fe-MOG) as peroxidase mimics with magnetic separation technique was designed for the detection of fumonisin B1 (FB1). Interestingly, based on the inherent properties of Fe-MOG such as porous nanostructures, abundant Fe2+/Fe3+ active metal centers and synergetic effect between Pt NPs and Fe-MOG, Pt NPs/Fe-MOG composites can be employed as excellent peroxidase mimetic enzyme to oxidize 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) in the presence of H2O2. This process was accompanied by a color variation of the solution from colorless to blue. Kinetic analysis showed that the Pt NPs/Fe-MOG composites make an effective peroxidase mimic with low Michaelis constant (Km), high substrate binding affinity and rapid catalytic velocity (Vm). Furthermore, the Pt NPs/Fe-MOG based colorimetric aptasensor was used to detect FB1. The prepared Pt NPs/Fe-MOG achieved lower detection limit (2.7 pg/mL, 3σ/k) with a wide linear range of 0.01-2000.0 ng/mL. Finally, as a proof of concept of the rapidity and the simplicity of this colorimetric aptasensor, Pt NPs/Fe-MOG was used for the detection of FB1 in real corn samples.

Temperature-Responsive Photoluminescence and Elastic Properties of 1D Lead Halide Perovskites R- and S-(Methylbenzylamine)PbBr3.

Low-dimensional metal halide perovskites (MHPs) have received much attention due to their striking semiconducting properties tunable at a molecular level, which hold great potential in the development of next-generation optoelectronic devices. However, the insufficient understanding of their stimulus-responsiveness and elastic properties hinders future practical applications. Here, the thermally responsive emissions and elastic properties of one-dimensional lead halide perovskites R- and S-MBAPbBr3 (MBA+ = methylbenzylamine) were systematically investigated via temperature-dependent photoluminescence (PL) experiments and first-principles calculations. The PL peak positions of both perovskites were redshifted by about 20 nm, and the corresponding full width at half maximum was reduced by about 40 nm, from ambient temperature to about 150 K. This kind of temperature-responsive self-trapped exciton emission could be attributed to the synergistic effect of electron-phonon coupling and thermal expansion due to the alteration of hydrogen bonding. Moreover, the elastic properties of S-MBAPbBr3 were calculated using density functional theory, revealing that its Young's and shear moduli are in the range of 6.5-33.2 and 2.8-19.5 GPa, respectively, even smaller than those of two-dimensional MHPs. Our work demonstrates that the temperature-responsive emissions and low elastic moduli of these 1D MHPs could find use in flexible devices.

Effects of microplastics pollution on plankton: A review.

Microplastics, a new class of environmental pollutants, accumulates in the environment at an uncontrollable rate, which threatens aquatic organisms. Plankton are the basis of food webs and play a significant role in the material circulation and energy flow of aquatic ecosystems. Plankton are sensitive to various environmental pollutants. It is necessary to investigate the impacts of microplastics on plankton. Here, we analzyed the sources and characteristics of microplastics, and the current state of microplastic pollution in aquatic ecosystem. The direct and indirect harmful effects of microplastics on aquatic organisms were elaborated. Then, we focused on the potential consequences of microplastics on phytoplankton and zooplankton species from different scales, ranging from individual, population, to community level. With respect to plankton organisms, few studies were carried out on genomics and proteomics from the microcosmic perspective, and on popu-lation and community responses from the macroscopic aspect. This review would provide references for further studies.

Association of pet-keeping in home with self-reported asthma and asthma-related symptoms in 11611 school children from China.

OBJECTIVE: We conducted a cross-sectional study to investigate the associations between domestic pets and respiratory health in children. METHODS: We randomly recruited 11,611 school children from Zhongshan, a southern city in China. Information about the respiratory symptoms and disease history of the recruited children, the status of domestic pets, and other related risk factors were collected from March to July 2016. RESULTS: We identified cat-keeping at home increases the risk of persistent cough (OR, 1.77; 95%CI, 1.03-3.05); poultry-keeping at home increases the risk of current asthma (OR, 3.87; 95%CI, 1.08-13.92) and allergic rhinitis (OR, 1.84; 95%CI, 1.01-3.37); sleeping with pets increases the risk of persistent phlegm (OR, 5.04; 95%CI, 1.05-24.28), doctor-diagnosed asthma (OR, 3.35; 95%CI, 1.31-8.57) and current asthma (OR, 4.94; 95%CI, 1.05-23.31) in children. CONCLUSIONS: Cat-keeping and molds on the wall of the house had the multiplicative and additive interaction in doctor-diagnosed asthma. In conclusion, pet-keeping increased the risk of respiratory symptoms in children.

Miliary pattern pulmonary infiltrates in a diabetic patient: Coccidioidomycosis.

This is a case of miliary coccidioidomycosis. This case illustrates the importance of early suspicion for coccidioidomycosis in patients from an endemic area. Early identification and recognition of the disease are important to attain early therapy and disease control.

Double anti-PL-7 and anti-MDA-5 positive Amyopathic Dermatomyositis with rapidly progressive interstitial lung disease in a Hispanic patient.

BACKGROUND: Each myositis-specific autoantibody (MSA) tends to have a distinct clinical presentation. Coexistence of MSAs do not commonly occur. If they do, it is unknown if there is an overlap of clinical features or prognostic implications. There are a few reported cases of overlap between these antibodies, mostly reported in patients with Japanese descent. Our aim for this case report is to turn more attention and interest for future MSA profile studies in the Hispanic population, which may hopefully spur better therapies if we realize the prognostic implications of certain myositis subsets including double-positive autoantibody syndromes. CASE PRESENTATION: A 27-year-old Hispanic female was admitted to the medical intensive care unit due to acute hypoxemic respiratory failure secondary to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). She had failed conventional mechanical ventilation and was cannulated for venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VV-ECMO) to manage her respiratory failure. She had erythematous scaly plaques on bilateral 3rd metacarpophalangeal joints on examination. Her autoimmune workup revealed positivity for both anti-PL-7(threonyl) and anti-melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 (MDA5) autoantibodies. After extensive evaluation, it was concluded that she had rapidly progressive interstitial lung disease (RPILD) due to amyopathic dermatomyositis. Despite maximal medical management, she was ultimately transitioned to comfort care measures and expired. CONCLUSION: We would like to highlight the rarity of double antibody positive amyopathic dermatomyositis. This unique clinical presentation has only been reported in persons of Japanese descent. Our case is likely to be the first reported to occur in a person of Hispanic descent in the United States. The rarity of our case could stimulate further study of overlapping MSA to understand its varied presentations and prognoses including possible tendency toward a rapidly progressive ILD phenotype. Earlier detection of these clinical syndromes can lead to better outcomes for patients with RPILD. This case report could also herald an increased recognition and understanding of MSA profile in the Hispanic population in the USA.

Amphiphilic Organic Cages: Self-Assembly into Nanotubes and Enhanced Anion-π Interactions.

An amphiphilic organic cage was synthesized and used as self-assembly synthon for the fabrication of novel functional supramolecular structures in solution. The transmission electron microscopy (TEM) results showed that this amphiphilic cage self-assembled in aqueous solution into unilamellar nanotubes with a diameter of 29±4 nm at a concentration of 0.05 mg mL-1 . Interestingly, the self-assembly of this cage significantly enhanced the anion-π interactions as indicated by a remarkable increasement of association constant (Ka ) between Cl- and this amphiphilic cage after self-assembly. In specific, Ka was increased from 223 M-1 for discrete cages in methanol to 6800 M-1 for aggregated cages after self-assembly in water at the same concentration of 2.26×10-5  M. A mechanism based on a synergistic effect was proposed in order to explain this self-assembly process through enhanced anion-π interactions.

Controlled Hierarchical Self-Assembly of Catenated Cages.

Constructing hierarchical superstructures to achieve comparable complexity and functions to proteins with four-level hierarchy is challenging, which relies on the elaboration of novel building blocks with complex structures. We present a series of catenated cages with unique structural complexity and tailorability. The rational design was realized as such: A catenane of two symmetric cages (CSC), CSC-1, with all rigid imine panels was converted to a catenane of two dissymmetric cages (CDC), CDC-1, with two exterior flexible amine panels, and CDC-5 was tailored from CDC-1 by introducing an additional methyl group on each blade to increase lateral hindrance. CDC-1s with the most irregular and flexible configuration formed supramolecular dimers, which self-organized into 3D continuous wavelike plank with a three-level hierarchy, previously undiscovered by conventional building blocks. A drastically different 3D triclinic crystalline phase with a four-level hierarchy and trigonal phase with a three-level hierarchy were constructed of distorted CSC-1s and the most symmetric CDC-5s, respectively. The wavelike plank exhibited the lowest order, and the triclinic phase had a lower order than the trigonal phase which had the highest order. It correlates with the configuration of the primary structures, namely, the most disordered shape of CDC-1, the low-order configuration of CSC-1, and the most ordered geometry of CDC-5. The catenated cages with subtle structural differences therefore provide a promising platform for the search of emerging hierarchical superstructures that might be applied to proton conductivity, ferroelectricity, and catalysis.

De Novo Construction of Catenanes with Dissymmetric Cages by Space-Discriminative Post-Assembly Modification.

Considerable efforts have been made to increase the topological complexity of mechanically interlocked molecules over the years. Three-dimensional catenated structures composed of two or several (usually symmetrical) cages are one representative example. However, owing to the lack of an efficient universal synthetic strategy, interlocked structures made up of dissymmetric cages are relatively rare. Since the space volume of the inner cavity of an interlocked structure is smaller than that outside it, we developed a novel synthetic approach with the voluminous reductant NaBH(OAc)3 that discriminates this space difference, and therefore selectively reduces the outer surface of a catenated dimer composed of two symmetric cages, thus yielding the corresponding catenane with dissymmetric cages. Insight into the template effect that facilitates the catenation of cages was provided by computational and experimental techniques.

Heavy Cannabis Use Associated with Wernicke's Encephalopathy.

Cannabis use accounts for more than 149,000 hospital visits annually. As more states legalize recreational Cannabis, side effects that are currently rare or unknown will become increasingly more common. Here, we present one such rare case of Cannabis-induced hyperemesis causing Wernicke's encephalopathy. This is an investigational case report utilizing retrospective data from electronic medical records. A 41-year-old patient presented to the hospital in status epilepticus secondary to severe vomiting and hyponatremia. He was given one dose of thiamine, glucose and folate and admitted to the medical ICU. His history was significant for remote alcohol use (1-2 beers/week about 20 years ago) and heavy marijuana use from strains grown in the patient's own backyard. A diagnosis of Cannabis Hyperemesis Syndrome was made. Seizures resolved after correction of electrolytes, and he became awake and alert with no focal deficits. His neurological exam after he was clinically stable showed memory deficits including confabulations (e.g., incorrectly listing occupation) and delusions (e.g., praying to a queen bee). An extensive workup including routine laboratory testing, infectious panels, and autoimmune studies was entirely negative. On the day of admission, brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed showing bilateral thalamic hyperintensities on T2 FLAIR MRI. Wernicke's encephalopathy (WE) remained most likely and intravenous thiamine led to a gradual improvement in the patient's symptoms. He is now two months into rehabilitation and continues to make progress in recalling life events. Alcohol abuse is empirically treated with thiamine whereas Cannabis, unlike alcohol, is presumed to induce hyperphagia and nutritional supplements are often not initiated. However, foods ingested by Cannabis users are nutritionally deficient due to underline malabsorption. In addition, Cannabis-induced vomiting can further cause malnutrition. Complications, like Wernicke's encephalopathy, can be prevented by supplementing thiamine early in Cannabis intoxication.

Multicentric Castleman disease with TAFRO syndrome and Sjögren's.

We describe a patient with Castleman's disease with TAFRO syndrome and concurrent Sjögren's syndrome and investigate whether the autoimmune process may have accelerated the onset of her Castleman's disease. Patient was treated with R-CVP therapy with remission of symptoms although there is no current standard treatment.