Wide band gap selenide infrared nonlinear optical materials AIIMg6Ga6Se16 with strong SHG responses and high laser-induced damage thresholds.

Infrared (IR) nonlinear optical (NLO) materials with strong NLO response, wide band gap and high laser-induced damage threshold (LIDT) are highly expected in current laser technologies. Herein, by introducing double alkaline-earth metal (AEM) atoms, three wide band gap selenide IR NLO materials AIIMg6Ga6Se16 (AII = Ca, Sr, Ba) with excellent linear and NLO optical properties have been rationally designed and fabricated. AIIMg6Ga6Se16 (AII = Ca, Sr, Ba) are composed of unique [AIISe6] triangular prisms, [MgSe6] octahedra and [GaSe4] tetrahedra. The introduction of double AEMs effectively broadens the band gaps of selenide-based IR NLO materials. Among them, CaMg6Ga6Se16, achieving the best balance between the second-harmonic generation response (∼1.5 × AgGaS2), wide band gap (2.71 eV), high LIDT (∼9 × AgGaS2), and moderate birefringence of 0.052 @ 1064 nm, is a promising NLO candidate for high power IR laser. Theoretical calculations indicate that the NLO responses and band gaps among the three compounds are mainly determined by the NLO-active [GaSe4] units. The results enrich the chemical diversity of chalcogenides, and give some insight into the design of new functional materials based on the rare [AIISe6] prismatic units.

Preparation of hyperbranched hydrophobic nano-silica and its superior needling-effect in PDMS defoam agent.

Hydrophobic nano silica powder is a kind of important synergist to silicone defoaming agents. The large pore volume and branched chain conformation of silica nanoparticles present superior effects on defoaming properties. However, silica nanoparticles synthesized by liquid phase easily aggregate and pore collapse because of their high surface activity and polarity, leading to poorer dispersity and limited practicability. In this paper, a novel hydrophobic silica with a hyperbranched structure was designed through in-situ modifying method with hexamethyldisilazane (HMDS) and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) in the liquid phase. The trimethylsilanol generated by HMDS hydrolysis reacts quickly with the highly active hydroxyl groups on the silica, causing the surface properties of the nanoparticles to transform from polar to non-polar properties. The steric hindrance of the trimethyl silicon and the reduction of the surface polarity effectively prevent silica pores from collapsing and maintain the macropore structures to realize the hyperbranched silica. At the same time, the -Si (CH3)2- from PDMS endowed the hyperbranched silica with excellent hydrophobicity. When applied in the defoaming agent, the hydrophobicity of silica contributes to dewetting the foams, and the hyperbranched spatial structures play an enhanced needling effect. Therefore, this hydrophobic hyperbranched silica exhibited a surprising defoaming effect, which significantly reduced the defoaming time from 464.4 s to less than 2 s, superior to commercial defoaming silica (155.3 s). The defoaming efficiency reached 100 % within 2 s of the end of the shaking, and the defoamer antifoaming ability was improved to reach 27.5 min, which was 77 % higher than that of commercial defoamer.

Confined Unimolecular Micelles for Directed Self-Assembly of Ultrastable Multiple-Responsive Ratiometric Fluorescent Ultrasmall Nanoparticle Assemblies.

Ultrasmall fluorescent nanomaterials have been widely studied as novel fluorescent probes; however, these nanomaterials are prone to structural damage or aggregation, and the sensitivity and accuracy of most single emission fluorescence probes were very low. Therefore, the controlled synthesis of stable dual-emission ratiometric fluorescence ultrasmall assembly probes still remains a challenge. Herein, star-like polymer unimolecular micelles were utilized as a scaffold template to encapsulate fluorescent ultrasmall carbon quantum dots (CQDs) and gold nanoclusters (AuNCs) via the polymer template directed self-assembly strategy to obtain multiple-responsive ratiometric fluorescent assemblies. The assemblies were ultrastable, well-defined, and nearly monodispersed with controlled size, regular morphology, and pH- and thermal-responsiveness. The assemblies can be applied to realize rapid, sensitive, quantitative, and specific detection of Cu2+ and GSH. Moreover, the convenient rapid real-time detection was realized via the combination of the visualized paper-based sensor, and the multilevel information encryption was also achieved.

Associations of fasting plasma glucose with all-cause mortality and cardiovascular events in older Chinese diabetes patients: A population-based cohort study.

AIMS/INTRODUCTION: Our aim was to investigate the optimal fasting glucose (FPG) range in Chinese older adults with type 2 diabetes, and to clarify whether the optimal range varies according to the control of risk factors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The baseline survey for the cohort study began in 2018, with follow up ending in 2022. Our study enrolled 59,030 older diabetes patients with no history of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Participants were divided into nine groups based on their baseline glycemic status. The association between FPG and the risk of adverse outcomes was mainly estimated by multivariate Cox proportional risk models and restricted spline analysis. RESULTS: During the 4-year follow-up period, a total of 5,637 deaths and 4,904 CVD events occurred. The associations of FPG with mortality and CVD events showed J-shaped curves. Among all-cause deaths, the hazard ratios for FPG ≤4.50 and >11.50 mmol/L were 1.50 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.31-1.71) and 1.84 (95% CI 1.67-2.02). Among CVD, the hazard ratios for FPG ≤4.50 and >11.50 mmol/L were 1.31 (95% CI 1.13-1.53) and 1.71 (95% CI 1.54-1.89), respectively. The optimal FPG ranges of all-cause mortality and CVD were 5.50-7.50 and 4.50-7.50 mmol/L, respectively. For participants with at least two risk factors, the optimal FPG levels were higher than those with fewer risk factors. CONCLUSIONS: In older Chinese diabetes patients, the FPG ranges related to the minimum death and CVD event rates were 5.50-7.50 and 4.50-7.50 mmol/L, respectively. Patients with more cardiovascular risk factors had higher optimal blood glucose ranges than those with fewer risk factors.

Research on the zero-calibration gauge device.

To meet the demand for the track's geometric parameter detection equipment for train speed and high-speed aerodynamics tests, a zero-calibration gauge device is designed with the centering limit, height adjustment and horizontal display function in this paper. The bending situation of the zero-calibration gauge is analyzed and the processing technology is studied, which ensures the rationality and realizability of the design of zero-calibration gauge. Then the gauge zero value and the parallelism of the working surface of zero-calibration gauge have been experimentally tested. The experimental results show that the parameter of gauge zero value is 1434.829 mm with a standard deviation of 1.4 µm. The parallelism of the two upper working surfaces is 1.1 µm, and the parallelism of the two inner working surfaces is 4 µm. Finally, the uncertainty evaluation of zero-calibration gauge is completed. The measurement uncertainty of gauge zero value is 12 µm and the measurement uncertainty of height difference is 6 µm.

Preclinical evaluation of a novel CAR-T therapy utilizing a scFv antibody highly specific to MAGE-A4p230-239/HLA-A∗02:01 complex.

Despite the revolutionary success of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T therapy for hematological malignancies, successful CAR-T therapies for solid tumors remain limited. One major obstacle is the scarcity of tumor-specific cell-surface molecules. One potential solution to overcome this barrier is to utilize antibodies that recognize peptide/major histocompatibility complex (MHCs) in a T cell receptor (TCR)-like fashion, allowing CAR-T cells to recognize intracellular tumor antigens. This study reports a highly specific single-chain variable fragment (scFv) antibody against the MAGE-A4p230-239/human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-A∗02:01 complex (MAGE-A4 pMHC), screened from a human scFv phage display library. Indeed, retroviral vectors encoding CAR, utilizing this scFv antibody as a recognition component, efficiently recognized and lysed MAGA-A4+ tumor cells in an HLA-A∗02:01-restricted manner. Additionally, the adoptive transfer of T cells modified by the CAR-containing glucocorticoid-induced tumor necrosis factor receptor (TNFR)-related receptor (GITR) intracellular domain (ICD), but not CD28 or 4-1BB ICD, significantly suppressed the growth of MAGE-A4+ HLA-A∗02:01+ tumors in an immunocompromised mouse model. Of note, a comprehensive analysis revealed that a broad range of amino acid sequences of the MAGE-A4p230-239 peptide were critical for the recognition of MAGE-A4 pMHC by these CAR-T cells, and no cross-reactivity to analogous peptides was observed. Thus, MAGE-A4-targeted CAR-T therapy using this scFv antibody may be a promising and safe treatment for solid tumors.

Simple preparation of lignosulfonate stabilized eutectic gallium/indium liquid metal nanodroplets through ball milling process.

The combination of biomass and liquid metal (LM) makes the preparation process "greener" and application of LM composite materials more sustainable. Here we reported the solvent free preparation of lignosulfonate (LS) stabilized eutectic gallium/indium (EGaIn) LM nanodroplets through ball milling (BM), which was recognized to be efficient and environmentally-friendly alternatives to solution-based methods. By regulating the BM frequency and milling time, uniform LM nanodroplets with a size <200 nm can be achieved. Moreover, the surface of the EGaIn nanodroplets was covered by LS molecules, owing to the hydrogen bond formed between Ga2O3 and LS. Hydrophilic LS shell endowed the LS@EGaIn nanodroplets excellent colloidal stability in the aqueous media. The elongation at break and fracture strength of hydrogel with the addition of LS@EGaIn significantly improved with the addition of LS@EGaIn. Besides, the conductivity and excellent stress responsibility of the LS@EGaIn composite hydrogel illustrated its potential application as s a stress sensor, flexible wearable devices and other related applications. Moreover, it was predicted that LS can be replaced by other synthesized or biological macromolecules, and induced the formation of types of LM based composite materials through such a simple method.

Exhaustion, rather than lack of infiltration and persistence, of CAR-T cells hampers the efficacy of CAR-T therapy in an orthotopic PDAC xenograft model.

Chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy has demonstrated impressive success in the treatment of patients with hematologic tumors yet achieved very limited efficacy for solid tumors due to hurdles unique to solid tumors. It is also noted that the tumor microenvironment composition varies between tumor type, which again imposes unique set of hurdles in each solid tumor. Therefore, elucidation of individual hurdles is key to achieving successful CAR-T therapy for solid tumors. In the present study, we employed an orthotopic human PDAC xenograft model, in which quantitative, spatial and functional dynamics of CAR-T cells in tumor tissues were analyzed to obtain insights into ways of overcoming PDAC related hurdles. Contrary to previous studies that demonstrated a limited persistency and infiltration of CAR-T cells in many solid tumors, they persist and accumulated in PDAC tumor tissues. Ex vivo analysis revealed that CAR-T cells that had been recovered at different time points from mice bearing an orthotopic PDAC tumor exhibited a gradual loss of tumor reactivity. This loss of tumor reactivity of CAR-T cells was associated with the increased expression of AMP-activated protein kinase and Mitofusin 1/ Dynamin-related protein 1 ratio.

Research Misconduct Investigations in China's Science Funding System.

As stewards of public money, government funding agencies have the obligation and responsibility to uphold the integrity of funded research. Despite an increasing amount of empirical studies examining research-related misconduct, a majority of these studies focus on retracted publications. How agencies spot funding-relevant wrongdoing and what sanctions the offenders face remain largely unexplored. This is particularly true for public funding agencies in emerging science powers. To amend this oversight, we retrieved and analyzed all publicized investigation results from China's largest basic research funding agency over the period from 2005 to 2021. Our findings reveal that both the "police patrol" and "fire alarm" approaches are used to identify misconduct and deter funding-related fraud in China. The principal triggers for investigations are journal article retractions, whistleblowing, and plagiarism detection software. Among the six funding-related misconduct types publicized and punished, the top three are: (1) fraudulent papers, (2) information fabrication and/or falsification in the research proposal, and (3) proposal plagiarism. The most common administrative sanctions are debarment and reclamation of grants. This article argues that more systematic research and cooperation among stakeholders is needed to cultivate research integrity in emerging science powers like China. Specific training and education should be provided for young scientists to help them avoid the pitfall of academic misconduct.

Ba3(BS3)(PS4): the first alkaline-earth metal thioborate-thiophosphate with strong optical anisotropy originating from planar [BS3] units.

The first alkaline-earth metal thioborate-thiophosphate Ba3(BS3)(PS4) was designed from Ba3(BO3)(PO4) by S-O substitution and fabricated experimentally. The [BS3] pseudo-layers formed in the structure contribute to the strong optical anisotropy and a large birefringence of ∼0.11 at 1064 nm. The results enrich the structural and chemical diversity of chalcogenides.

Synthesis, structure and characterization of Cd2TeO3Cl2 with unprecedented [Cd2O6Cl4] octahedral dimers.

A new mixed anionic compound Cd2TeO3Cl2 with unprecedented [Cd2O6Cl4] octahedral dimers has been synthesized, and millimeter-scale single crystals of Cd2TeO3Cl2 have been grown by the vertical Bridgman method with CdCl2 as the flux. Cd2TeO3Cl2 crystallizes in the centrosymmetric P1̄ (no. 2) space group, and shows a mixed cationic layer structure constituted by distorted [TeO3] motifs, mixed anionic [Cd2O6Cl4] chains, and [Cd2O6Cl4] octahedral dimers. Experimental and theoretical results show that Cd2TeO3Cl2 is a direct band gap compound with an experimental band gap of ∼4.25 eV. Meanwhile, the compound has good optical transmittance in the 3-5 µm atmospheric window. The results indicate that Cd2TeO3Cl2 could be used as a promising mid-IR window material, and could enrich the chemical and structural diversity of oxides.

CAR-Modified Vγ9Vδ2 T Cells Propagated Using a Novel Bisphosphonate Prodrug for Allogeneic Adoptive Immunotherapy.

The benefits of CAR-T therapy could be expanded to the treatment of solid tumors through the use of derived autologous αß T cell, but clinical trials of CAR-T therapy for patients with solid tumors have so far been disappointing. CAR-T therapy also faces hurdles due to the time and cost intensive preparation of CAR-T cell products derived from patients as such CAR-T cells are often poor in quality and low in quantity. These inadequacies may be mitigated through the use of third-party donor derived CAR-T cell products which have a potent anti-tumor function but a constrained GVHD property. Vγ9Vδ2 TCR have been shown to exhibit potent antitumor activity but not alloreactivity. Therefore, in this study, CAR-T cells were prepared from Vγ9Vδ2 T (CAR-γδ T) cells which were expanded by using a novel prodrug PTA. CAR-γδ T cells suppressed tumor growth in an antigen specific manner but only during a limited time window. Provision of GITR co-stimulation enhanced anti-tumor function of CAR-γδ T cells. Our present results indicate that, while further optimization of CAR-γδ T cells is necessary, the present results demonstrate that Vγ9Vδ2 T cells are potential source of 'off-the-shelf' CAR-T cell products for successful allogeneic adoptive immunotherapy.

Involvement of iNOS-induced reactive enteric glia cells in gastrointestinal motility disorders of postoperative Ileus mice.

Postoperative ileus (POI) is the cessation or reduction of gastrointestinal (GI) motility after surgery. Reactive enteric glial cells (EGCs) are critical for maintaining bowel function. However, the triggering mechanisms and downstream effects of reactive EGCs in POI were poorly understood. The goal of this current study was to investigate whether the inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS)-driven reactive EGCs participated in GI motility disorders and mechanisms underlying altered GI motility in POI. Intestinal manipulation (IM)-induced POI mice and iNOS-/- mice were used in the study. Longitudinal muscle and myenteric plexuses (LMMPs) from the distal small intestine were stained by immunofluorescence. Our results found that the GI motility disorders occurred in the IM-induced POI mice, and reactive EGCs were observed in LMMPs. Glial metabolic inhibitor gliotoxin fluorocitrate (FC) treatment or iNOS gene knockout attenuated GI motility dysfunction. In addition, we also found that FC treatment or iNOS gene knockout significantly inhibited the fluorescence intensity macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF), which reduced M2 phenotype macrophages activation in LMMPs of IM-induced POI mice. Our findings demonstrated that iNOS-driven reactive EGCs played a key role and were tightly linked to the MMs homeostasis in the POI mice. EGCs are emerging as a new frontier in neurogastroenterology and a potential therapeutic target.

Knockdown of ERO1L attenuates tumor growth, migration and invasion in lung adenocarcinoma through Wnt/ß­catenin pathway.

Recent studies confirm the critical roles of endoplasmic reticulum oxidoreductase 1 alpha (ERO1L) in malignant behavior of various cancers. Nevertheless, what function ERO1L plays in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) remains uncovered. The expressions and clinical significance of ERO1L in LUAD were investigated using the TCGA dataset. The ERO1L levels were examined by RT-qPCR. The LUAD cell proliferation was valued using colony formation as well as CCK-8 assays. The invasion and migration abilities of LUAD cells were detected through Transwell in addition to wound healing assays. The effects of ERO1L on LUAD cell apoptosis were determined by flow cytometric analysis. Moreover, we also established mouse xenograft models of LUAD cells to confirm the functions of ERO1L in vivo. The ERO1L levels in tumors were identified by immunohistochemistry. Western blot was used for the detection of the levels of Wnt/ßcatenin signaling-related proteins. The TCGA database revealed that ERO1L expressions were higher in LUAD tissues than those in non-cancerous tissues. ERO1L overexpression was related to poorer overall survival of LUAD patients. In addition, ERO1L silence suppresses LUAD cell clone formation, proliferation, migration as well as invasion but induces apoptosis. Moreover, we also verified that ERO1L silence could promote LUAD growth in vivo. Based on the mechanism analysis, ERO1L was confirmed to regulate LUAD development via Wnt/ßcatenin cascade signal. ERO1L, the expression of which was increased in LUAD tissues, functioned as an oncogene. ERO1L silence significantly attenuated LUAD tumorigenesis, likely via inhibition of Wnt/ßcatenin signaling, indicating that ERO1L could be exploited as a promising biomarker in LUAD treatment.

In Situ Observations Reveal the Five-fold Twin-Involved Growth of Gold Nanorods by Particle Attachment.

Crystallization plays a critical role in determining crystal size, purity and morphology. Therefore, uncovering the growth dynamics of nanoparticles (NPs) atomically is important for the controllable fabrication of nanocrystals with desired geometry and properties. Herein, we conducted in situ atomic-scale observations on the growth of Au nanorods (NRs) by particle attachment within an aberration-corrected transmission electron microscope (AC-TEM). The results show that the attachment of spherical colloidal Au NPs with a size of about 10 nm involves the formation and growth of neck-like (NL) structures, followed by five-fold twin intermediate states and total atomic rearrangement. The statistical analyses show that the length and diameter of Au NRs can be well regulated by the number of tip-to-tip Au NPs and the size of colloidal Au NPs, respectively. The results highlight five-fold twin-involved particle attachment in spherical Au NPs with a size of 3-14 nm, and provide insights into the fabrication of Au NRs using irradiation chemistry.

Tumor Growth Suppression of Pancreatic Cancer Orthotopic Xenograft Model by CEA-Targeting CAR-T Cells.

Chimeric antigen receptor engineered T cell (CAR-T) therapy has high therapeutic efficacy against blood cancers, but it has not shown satisfactory results in solid tumors. Therefore, we examined the therapeutic effect of CAR-T therapy targeting carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) in pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC). CEA expression levels on the cell membranes of various PDAC cell lines were evaluated using flow cytometry and the cells were divided into high, medium, and low expression groups. The relationship between CEA expression level and the antitumor effect of anti-CEA-CAR-T was evaluated using a functional assay for various PDAC cell lines; a significant correlation was observed between CEA expression level and the antitumor effect. We created orthotopic PDAC xenograft mouse models and injected with anti-CEA-CAR-T; only the cell line with high CEA expression exhibited a significant therapeutic effect. Thus, the therapeutic effect of CAR-T therapy was related to the target antigen expression level, and the further retrospective analysis of pathological findings from PDAC patients showed a correlation between the intensity of CEA immunostaining and tumor heterogeneity. Therefore, CEA expression levels in biopsies or surgical specimens can be clinically used as biomarkers to select PDAC patients for anti-CAR-T therapy.

Coupling and environmental implications of in situ formed biogenic Fe-Mn minerals induced by indigenous bacteria and oxygen perturbations for As(III) immobilization in groundwater.

Iron (Fe)-manganese (Mn) minerals formed in situ can be used for the natural remediation of the primary poor-quality groundwater with coexistence of arsenite [As(III)], Mn(II), and Fe(II) (PGAMF). However, the underlying mechanisms of immobilization and coupling of As, Mn, and Fe during in-situ formation of Fe-Mn minerals in PGAMF remains unclear. The simultaneous immobilization and coupling of arsenic (As), Mn, and Fe in PGAMF during in-situ formation of biogenic Fe-Mn minerals induced by O2 perturbations and indigenous bacteria (Comamonas sp. RM6) were investigated at the different molar ratios of Fe(II):Mn(II) (1:1, 2:1, and 3:1). Compared with systems without Fe(II) in the presence of Mn(II), the coexisted Fe(II) significantly enhanced Mn(II) bio-oxidation and mineral precipitation, resulting in As immobilization increased by 5, 7, and 7 times at initial Fe(II) concentration of 0.3, 0.6, and 0.9 mM, respectively. Moreover, the As(III) immobilization efficiencies in Mn(II) and Fe(II) mixed system at initial Fe(II) concentration of 0.3, 0.6, and 0.9 mM were 73%, 91%, and 92%, respectively, that were significantly higher than those of single Fe(II) system (30%, 59%, and 74%) and those of single Mn(II) system (12%), indicating that Fe(II) and Mn(II) oxidation synergically enhanced As(III) immobilization. This was mainly attributed to the formation and As adsorption capacity of biogenic Fe-Mn minerals (BFMM). The formed BFMM significantly facilitated simultaneous immobilization of Fe, Mn, and As in PGAMF by oxidation, adsorption, and precipitation/coprecipitation, a coupling of biological, physical, and chemical processes. Fe component was mainly responsible for As fixation, and Mn component dominated As(III) oxidation. Based on the results from this work, biostimulation and bioaugmentation techniques can be developed for in-situ purification and remediation of PGAMF. This work provides insights into the simultaneous immobilization of pollutants in PGAMF, as well as promising strategies for in-situ purification and remediation of PGAMF.

Effects of Dexmedetomidine on Systemic Inflammation and Postoperative Complications in Laparoscopic Pancreaticoduodenectomy: A Double-blind Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy (LPD) may induce intense inflammatory response which might be related to the patient's outcomes. Clinical dexmedetomidine (DEX) has been widely used for opioid-sparing anesthesia and satisfactory sedation. The objective of this study was to investigate the influence of DEX on inflammatory response and postoperative complications in LPD. METHODS: Ninety-nine patients undergoing LPD were randomly assigned to two groups: normal saline (NS) and DEX. The primary outcome was the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) differences postoperatively within 48 h. Secondary outcomes were postoperative complications, the length of postoperative hospital stay and the incidence of ICU admission. Other outcomes included anesthetics consumption and intraoperative vital signs. RESULTS: NLR at postoperative day 2 to baseline ratio decreased significantly in the DEX group (P = 0.032). Less major complications were observed in the DEX group such as pancreatic fistula, delayed gastric emptying and intra-abdominal infection (NS vs. DEX, 21.7% vs. 13.6%, P = 0.315; 10.9% vs. 2.3%, P = 0.226; 17.4% vs. 11.4%, P = 0.416, respectively) though there were no statistical differences. Three patients were transferred to the ICU after surgery in the NS group, while there was none in the DEX group (P = 0.242). The median postoperative hospital stay between groups were similar (P = 0.313). Both intraoperative propofol and opioids were less in the DEX group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Intraoperative DEX reduced the early postoperative inflammatory response in LPD. It also reduced the use of narcotics that may related to reduced major complications, which need additional research further.

Association of Abnormal Renal Profiles with Subretinal Fluid in Diabetic Macular Edema.

Purpose: To investigate the risk factors for subretinal fluid (SRF) in diabetic macular edema (DME). Methods: We reviewed the records of 66 patients with DME. Systemic parameters, including hypertension, glycosylated hemoglobin, serum fasting glucose, total cholesterol, triglycerides, and diabetic kidney disease, were evaluated. Renal parameters for diabetic kidney disease included serum albumin, serum creatinine, albuminuria, and estimated glomerular filtration rate. Ocular factors included visual acuity and diabetic retinopathy, and the following parameters are evaluated through optical coherence tomography examination: disorganization of the retinal inner layers, loss of ellipsoid zone, central subretinal fluid thickness, central macular thickness, and presence of SRF. Results: Higher albuminuria (odds ratio, 3.431; 95% confidence interval, 1.039-11.334; P=0.043) was associated with the presence of SRF in patients with DME. Lower serum albumin levels (beta = -14.028, se = 6.646, P=0.044) were associated with increased SRF thickness. Conclusions: Poor kidney function was associated with the presence of SRF in DME. Screening for SRF in DME in patients with higher albuminuria and lower serum albumin levels should be routinely performed.

AIB3IIC3IIIQ8VI: A New Family for the Design of Infrared Nonlinear Optical Materials by Coupling Octahedra and Tetrahedra Units.

Large second-harmonic generation (SHG) response and broad band gap are two important and competitive parameters. It is difficult to balance them out in one material. In this work, by coupling alkali earth metal (AEM) octahedra with large highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO)-lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) gap and nonlinear optical (NLO)-active tetrahedra units, nine noncentrosymmetric (NCS) compounds, belonging to a new quaternary chalcogenide family AIB3IIC3IIIQ8VI with unique windmill-like [Mg3M3IIIQ24] (MIII = Al, Ga; Q = S, Se) units constructed by alternated [MgQ6] octahedra and [MIIIQ4] tetrahedra, are rationally designed and fabricated. The compounds show a stable structural framework but adjustable optical properties. Among them, NaMg3Ga3Se8 shows a large SHG response (∼1 × AgGaS2 (AGS)), wide band gap (in selenide) (2.77 eV), high laser-induced damage threshold (LIDT) (∼2.3 × AGS), and suitable birefringence (0.079@546 nm). It should be a potential candidate for infrared (IR) nonlinear optical (NLO) materials. The results enrich the chemical diversity of chalcogenides and open an avenue for the development of new IR NLO materials through the octahedra and tetrahedra coupled strategy.