Phytochemistry of genus Buxus and pharmacology of Cyclovirobuxine D.

BACKGROUND: Genus Buxus plants, commonly known as "boxwood", are widely distributed in China. The stems, branches, and leaves of the plant are traditionally used for rheumatism, toothache, chest pain, abdominal gas, and other diseases. However, an overview of the genus Buxus remains to be provided. PURPOSE: To provide a scientific basis for the appropriate use and further research the recent advancements in the traditional usage, phytochemistry, and, pharmacology of Buxus. STUDY DESIGN: Chemical composition and pharmacological correlation studies through a literature review. METHODS: Between 1970 and 2023, the available data concerning Buxus was compiled from online scientific sources, such as Sci-Finder, PubMed, CNKI, Google Scholar, and the Chinese Pharmacopoeia. Plant names were verified from "The Plant List'. Results: To date, 266 structurally diverse chemicals have been extracted and identified from the genus Buxus. Alkaloids constitute one of its primary bioactive phytochemicals. A summary of the channels of action of Cyclovirobuxine D on the cytotoxicity of a variety of cancers has been provided. CONCLUSION: Numerous findings from contemporary phytochemical and pharmacological studies support the traditional use, facilitating its application. Further research is necessary to address various shortcomings, including the identification of the active ingredients and quality control of the genus Buxus.

Obeticholic acid attenuates the intestinal barrier disruption in a rat model of short bowel syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Short bowel syndrome (SBS) features nutrients malabsorption and impaired intestinal barrier. Patients with SBS are prone to sepsis, intestinal flora dysbiosis and intestinal failure associated liver disease. Protecting intestinal barrier and preventing complications are potential strategies for SBS treatment. This study aims to investigate the effects of farnesoid X receptor (FXR) agonist, obeticholic acid (OCA), have on intestinal barrier and ecological environment in SBS. METHODS AND RESULTS: Through testing the small intestine and serum samples of patients with SBS, impaired intestinal barrier was verified, as evidenced by reduced expressions of intestinal tight junction proteins (TJPs), increased levels of apoptosis and epithelial cell damage. The intestinal expressions of FXR and related downstream molecules were decreased in SBS patients. Then, global FXR activator OCA was used to further dissect the potential role of the FXR in a rat model of SBS. Low expressions of FXR-related molecules were observed on the small intestine of SBS rats, along with increased proinflammatory factors and damaged barrier function. Furthermore, SBS rats possessed significantly decreased body weight and elevated death rate. Supplementation with OCA mitigated the damaged intestinal barrier and increased proinflammatory factors in SBS rats, accompanied by activated FXR-related molecules. Using 16S rDNA sequencing, the regulatory role of OCA on gut microbiota in SBS rats was witnessed. LPS stimulation to Caco-2 cells induced apoptosis and overexpression of proinflammatory factors in vitro. OCA incubation of LPS-pretreated Caco-2 cells activated FXR-related molecules, increased the expressions of TJPs, ameliorated apoptosis and inhibited overexpression of proinflammatory factors. CONCLUSIONS: OCA supplementation could effectively ameliorate the intestinal barrier disruption and inhibit overexpression of proinflammatory factors in a rat model of SBS and LPS-pretreated Caco-2 cells. As a selective activator of FXR, OCA might realize its protective function through FXR activation.

[Critical Review on Heavy Metal Contamination in Urban Soil and Surface Dust].

With the rapid urbanization and industrialization, heavy metal contamination in urban soil and surface dust has received particular attention due to its negative effects on the eco-environment and human health. Contamination and spatio-temporal characteristics, contamination sources, and source apportionment methods, as well as the ecological and health risks of heavy metals in urban soil and surface dust were reviewed. The knowledge gaps in current research and prospects of future works were proposed. Four key points were presented, including improving the research on the interaction mechanism of heavy metals in urban soil and surface dust under complex conditions, enriching verification methods to improve the source apportionment reliability of anthropogenic metals by receptor models, strengthening the research on chemical forms of heavy metals from different sources and their short-term accumulation processes in surface dust, and raising the credibility of ecological and health risk forecast of heavy metals by integrating the improved exposure parameters and chemical forms.

10-Secocycloartane (=9,19-cyclo-9,10-secolanostane) triterpenoid saponins: Huangqiyenins M-X from Astragalus membranaceus (Fisch.) Bge.

Phytochemical investigations of the leaves of Astragalus membranaceus (Fisch.) Bge. have led to the isolation of 12 undescribed triterpenoid saponins named huangqiyenins M-X. The structures of the undescribed compounds were determined using NMR and HRESIMS data. The cytotoxicity of these compounds against the RKO and HT-29 colon cancer cell lines was evaluated. Among these compounds, huangqiyenin W exhibited the highest cytotoxic activity against RKO colon cancer cells, whereas huangqiyenin Q and W showed moderate cytotoxic activity against HT-29 colon cancer cells. The network pharmacology results indicated that STAT3, IL-2 and CXCR1 are the correlated targets of huangqiyenin W against colon cancer, with AGE-RAGE and Th17 cell differentiation as the key signaling pathways.

A Macrophage Membrane-Functionalized, Reactive Oxygen Species-Activatable Nanoprodrug to Alleviate Inflammation and Improve the Lipid Metabolism for Atherosclerosis Management.

Atherosclerosis (AS) management typically relies on therapeutic drug interventions, but these strategies typically have drawbacks, including poor site specificity, high systemic intake, and undesired side effects. The field of cell membrane camouflaged biomimetic nanomedicine offers the potential to address these challenges thanks to its ability to mimic the natural properties of cell membranes that enable enhanced biocompatibility, prolonged blood circulation, targeted drug delivery, and evasion of immune recognition, ultimately leading to improved therapeutic outcomes and reduced side effects. In this study, a novel biomimetic approach is developed to construct the M1 macrophage membrane-coated nanoprodrug (MM@CD-PBA-RVT) for AS management. The advanced MM@CD-PBA-RVT nanotherapeutics are proved to be effective in inhibiting macrophage phagocytosis and facilitating the cargo delivery to the activated endothelial cells of AS lesion both in vitro and in vivo. Over the 30-day period of nanotherapy, MM@CD-PBA-RVT is capable of significantly inhibiting the progression of AS, while also maintaining a favorable safety profile. In conclusion, the biomimetic MM@CD-PBA-RVT shows promise as feasible drug delivery systems for safe and effective anti-AS applications.

Molecular imprinting-based Ru@SiO2-embedded covalent organic frameworks composite for electrochemiluminescence detection of cyanidin-3-O-glucoside.

Cyanidin-3-O-glucoside (C3G), a natural antioxidant, plays multiple physiological or pathological roles in maintaining human health; thereby, designing advanced sensors to achieve specific recognition and high-sensitivity detection of C3G is significant. Herein, an imprinted-type electrochemiluminescence (ECL) sensing platform was developed using core-shell Ru@SiO2-CMIPs, which were prepared by covalent organic framework (COF)-based molecularly imprinted polymers (CMIPs) embedded in luminescent Ru@SiO2 cores. The C3G-imprinted COF shell not only helps generate a steady-enhanced ECL signal, but also enables specific recognition of C3G. When C3G is bound to Ru@SiO2-CMIPs with abundant imprinted cavities, resonance energy transfer (RET) behavior is triggered, resulting in a quenched ECL response. The constructed Ru@SiO2-CMIPs nanoprobes exhibit ultra-high sensitivity, absolute specificity, and an ultra-low detection limit (0.15 pg mL-1) for analyzing C3G in food matrices. This study provides a means to construct an efficient and reliable molecular imprinting-based ECL sensor for food analysis.

Effects of light qualities on growth and physiological-biochemical traits of Scutellaria baicalensis.

Canopy spectral composition significantly affects growth and functional traits of understory plants. In this study, we explored the optimal light condition suitable for enhancing Scutellaria baicalensis's yield and quality, aiming to provide scientific reference for the exploitation and utilization of medicinal plant resources in the understory of forests. We measured the responses of growth, morphology, biomass allocation, physiological traits, and secon-dary metabolites of S. baicalensis to different light qualities. S. baicalensis was cultured under five LED-light treatments including full spectrum light (control), ultraviolet-A (UV-A) radiation, blue, green, and red light. Results showed that UV-A significantly reduced plant height, base diameter, leaf thickness, leaf area ratio, and biomass of each organ. Red light significantly reduced base diameter, biomass, effective quantum yield of photosystem Ⅱ (ФPSⅡ), and total flavonoid concentration. Under blue light, root length and total biomass of S. baicalensis significantly increased by 48.0% and 10.8%, respectively, while leaf number and chlorophyll content significantly decreased by 20.0% and 31.6%, respectively. The other physiological and biochemical traits were consistent with their responses in control. Our results suggested that blue light promoted photosynthesis, biomass accumulation, and secondary metabolite synthesis of S. baicalensis, while red light and UV-A radiation negatively affected physiological and biochemical metabolic processes. Therefore, the ratio of blue light could be appropriately increased to improve the yield and quality of S. baicalensis.

Reversal of complete atrioventricular block in dialysis patients following parathyroidectomy: A case report.

BACKGROUND: Refractory secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT) is a common complication observed in patients with end-stage renal disease and can result in ectopic calcification. Metastatic calcification involving the heart valves and the conduction system can easily lead to arrhythmias, including atrioventricular block. This case report describes a maintenance hemodialysis patient with refractory SHPT resulting in a complete atrioventricular block (CAVB), which was eventually reversed to a first-degree atrioventricular block. CASE SUMMARY: We present the case of a 31-year-old Asian female who was receiving maintenance hemodialysis because of lupus nephropathy. She developed SHPT, and an electrocardiogram revealed a first-degree atrioventricular block. Then, she underwent parathyroidectomy (PTX) with autotransplantation. Unfortunately, a few years later, she developed SHPT again, and an electrocardiogram revealed a CAVB. A few years after the second PTX surgery, the calcification of the left atrium and left ventricle improved, and her CAVB was reversed. CONCLUSION: This case revealed that metastatic cardiac calcification can result in complete atrioventricular blockage. Following parathyroid surgery, calcification of the cardiac conduction system improved, leading to reversal of the atrioventricular block. It is important for dialysis patients to optimize intact parathyroid hormone therapy and pay attention to calcification metastasis.

Morphological Innovation Drives Sperm Release in Bryophytes.

Plant movements for survival are nontrivial. Antheridia in the moss Physcomitrium patens (P. patens) use motion to eject sperm in the presence of water. However, the biological and mechanical mechanisms that actuate the process are unknown. Here, the burst of the antheridium of P. patens, triggered by water, results from elastic instability and is determined by an asymmetric change in cell geometry. The tension generated in jacket cell walls of antheridium arises from turgor pressure, and is further promoted when the inner walls of apex burst in hydration, causing water and cellular contents of apex quickly influx into sperm chamber. The outer walls of the jacket cells are strengthened by NAC transcription factor VNS4 and serve as key morphomechanical innovations to store hydrostatic energy in a confined space in P. patens. However, the antheridium in liverwort Marchantia polymorpha (M. polymorpha) adopts a different strategy for sperm release; like jacket cell outer walls of P. patens, the cells surrounding the antheridium of M. polymorpha appear to play a similar role in the storage of energy. Collectively, the work shows that plants have evolved different ingenious devices for sperm discharge and that morphological innovations can differ.

Tissue damage, antioxidant capacity, transcriptional and metabolic regulation of red drum Sciaenops ocellatus in response to nanoplastics exposure and subsequent recovery.

Nanoplastics are recognized as emerging contaminants that can cause severe toxicity to marine fishes. However, limited researches were focusing on the toxic effects of nanoplastics on marine fish, especially the post-exposure resilience. In this study, red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus) were exposed to 5 mg/L polystyrene nanoplastics (100 nm, PS-NPs) for a 7-day exposure experiment, and a 14-day recovery experiment that followed. The aim was to evaluate the dynamic alterations in hepatic and branchial tissue damage, hepatic antioxidant capacity, as well as hepatic transcriptional and metabolic regulation in the red drum during exposure and post-exposure to PS-NPs. Histopathological observation found that PS-NPs primarily triggered hepatic lipid droplets and branchial epithelial liftings, a phenomenon persistently discernible up to the 14 days of recovery. Although antioxidant capacity partially recovered during recovery periods, PS-NPs resulted in a sustained reduction in hepatic antioxidant activity, causing oxidative damage throughout the entire exposure and recovery phases, as evidenced by decreased total superoxide dismutase activities and increased malondialdehyde content. At the transcriptional and metabolic level, PS-NPs primarily induced lipid metabolism disorders, DNA damage, biofilm disruption, and mitochondrial dysfunction. In the gene-metabolite correlation interaction network, numerous CcO (cytochrome c oxidase) family genes and lipid metabolites were identified as key regulatory genes and metabolites in detoxification processes. Among them, the red drum possesses one additional CcO6B in comparison to human and zebrafish, which potentially contributes to its enhanced capacity for maintaining a stable and positive regulatory function in detoxification. This study revealed that nanoplastics cause severe biotoxicity to red drum, which may be detrimental to the survival of wild populations and affect the economics of farmed populations.

Chronic pain exacerbates memory impairment and pathology of Aß and tau by upregulating IL-1ß and p-65 signaling in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease.

BACKGROUND: Chronic pain is linked to cognitive impairment; however, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. In the present study, we examined these mechanisms in a well-established mouse model of Alzheimer's disease (AD). METHODS: Neuropathic pain was modeled in 5-month-old transgenic APPswe/PS1dE9 (APP/PS1) mice by partial ligation of the sciatic nerve on the left side, and chronic inflammatory pain was modeled in another group of APP/PS1 mice by injecting them with complete Freund's adjuvant on the plantar surface of the left hind paw. Six weeks after molding, the animals were tested to assess pain threshold (von Frey filament), learning, memory (novel object recognition, Morris water maze, Y-maze, and passive avoidance), and depression-like symptoms (sucrose preference, tail suspension, and forced swimming). After behavioral testing, mice were sacrificed and the levels of p65, amyloid-ß (residues 1-42) and phospho-tau in the hippocampus and cerebral cortex were assayed using western blotting, while interleukin (IL)-1ß levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: Animals subjected to either type of chronic pain showed lower pain thresholds, more severe deficits in learning and memory, and stronger depression-like symptoms than the corresponding control animals. Either type of chronic pain was associated with upregulation of p65, amyloid-ß (1-42), and IL-1ß in the hippocampus and cerebral cortex, as well as higher levels of phosphorylated tau. CONCLUSIONS: Chronic pain may exacerbate cognitive deficits and depression-like symptoms in APP/PS1 mice by worsening pathology related to amyloid-ß and tau and by upregulating signaling involving IL-1ß and p65.

[Research Status and Trend of Screening for Women's Common Diseases in China].

Objective To visualize the research status and hotspots of women's common disease screening based on CiteSpace 6.1.R6,and to provide a reference for the in-depth research in this field thereafter. Methods The relevant articles were retrieved from the China National Knowledge Infrastructure with the time interval from January 1,1992 to December 13,2022.The analysis was conducted on the number of annual publications,countries(regions),institutions,author collaboration networks,keyword co-occurrence,clustering,and bursts. Results A total of 900 papers that met the criteria were included,and the number of annual publications showed a trend of first increasing and then decreasing.The cross-institutional collaboration network was mature.The research hotspots mainly covered women's health,the prevalence of women's diseases,reproductive health,and breast diseases.The hotspots have evolved from an initial focus on reproductive health care to gynecological disease management,and eventually to reproductive health and holistic health care in women. Conclusions The attention should be kept on the screening of women's common diseases.It is advisable to synchronize the screening of women's common diseases with the screening of cervical and breast cancers to expand the screening coverage,promote early disease detection and treatment,and comprehensively safeguard women's health.

Mass spectrometry-based proteomic analysis of biological stains identifies body fluids specific markers.

The identification of biological stains and their tissue resource is an important part of forensic research. Current methods suffer from several limitations including poor sensitivity and specificity, trace samples, and sample destruction. In this study, we profiled the proteomes of menstrual blood, peripheral blood, saliva, semen, and vaginal fluid with mass spectrometry technology. Tissue-enhanced and tissue-specific proteins of each group have been proposed as potential biomarkers. These candidate proteins were further annotated and screened through the combination with the Human Protein Atlas database. Our data not only validates the protein biomarkers reported in previous studies but also identifies novel candidate biomarkers for human body fluids. These candidates lay the foundation for the development of rapid and specific forensic examination methods.

The clinical characteristics, gene mutations and outcomes of myelodysplastic syndromes with diabetes mellitus.

PURPOSE: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is the second most common comorbidity in myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). The purpose of the study was to investigate the clinical characteristics of MDS patients with DM. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed on the clinical data of 890 MDS patients with or without DM. Clinical data, including genetic changes, overall survival (OS), leukemia-free survival (LFS) and infection, were analyzed. RESULTS: Among 890 patients, 184 (20.7%) had DM. TET2 and SF3B1 mutations occurred more frequently in the DM group than those in the non-DM group (p = 0.0092 and p = 0.0004, respectively). Besides, DM was an independent risk factor for infection (HR 2.135 CI 1.451-3.110, p = 0.000) in MDS. Compared to non-DM patients, MDS patients with DM had poor OS and LFS (p = 0.0002 and p = 0.0017, respectively), especially in the lower-risk group. While in multivariate analysis, DM did not retain its prognostic significance and the prognostic significance of infection was maintained (HR 2.488 CI 1.749-3.538, p = 0.000). CONCLUSIONS: MDS patients with DM have an inferior prognosis which may due to higher infection incidence, with TET2 and SF3B1 mutations being more frequent in those cases.

Tumor Homing Chimeric Peptide Rhomboids to Improve Photodynamic Performance by Inhibiting Therapy-Upregulated Cyclooxygenase-2.

Negative therapeutic feedback of inflammation would extensively attenuate the antitumor effect of photodynamic therapy (PDT). In this work, tumor homing chimeric peptide rhomboids (designated as NP-Mel) are fabricated to improve photodynamic performance by inhibiting PDT-upregulated cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2). The hydrophobic photosensitizer of protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) and palmitic acid are conjugated onto the neuropilin receptors (NRPs) targeting peptide motif (CGNKRTR) to obtain tumor homing chimeric peptide (Palmitic-K(PpIX)CGNKRTR), which can encapsulate the COX-2 inhibitor of meloxicam. The well dispersed NP-Mel not only improves the drug stability and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production ability, but also increase the breast cancer targeted drug delivery to intensify the PDT effect. In vitro and in vivo studies verify that NP-Mel will decrease the secretion of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) after PDT treatment, inducing the downregulation of IL-6 and TNF-α expressions to suppress PDT induced inflammation. Ultimately, an improved PDT performance of NP-Mel is achieved without inducing obvious systemic toxicity, which might inspire the development of sophisticated nanomedicine in consideration of the feedback induced therapeutic resistance.

Success of susceptibility-guided eradication of Helicobacter pylori in a region with high secondary clarithromycin and levofloxacin resistance rates.

BACKGROUND: Resistance to clarithromycin (CLA) and levofloxacin (LFX) of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is increasing in severity, and successful eradication is essential. Presently, the eradication success rate has greatly declined, leaving a large number of patients with previous treatment histories. AIM: To investigate secondary resistance rates, explore risk factors for antibiotic resistance, and assess the efficacy of susceptibility-guided therapy. METHODS: We recruited 154 subjects positive for Urea Breath Test who attended The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University between July 2022 and April 2023. Participants underwent a string test after an overnight fast. The gastric juice was obtained and transferred to vials containing storage solution. Subsequently, DNA extraction and the specific DNA amplification were performed using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Demographic information was also analyzed as part of the study. Based on these results, the participants were administered susceptibility-guided treatment. Efficacy was compared with that of the empiric treatment group. RESULTS: A total of 132 individuals tested positive for the H. pylori ureA gene by qPCR technique. CLA resistance rate reached a high level of 82.6% (n = 109), LFX resistance rate was 69.7% (n = 92) and dual resistance was 62.1% (n = 82). Gastric symptoms [odds ratio (OR) = 2.782; 95% confidence interval (95%CI): 1.076-7.194; P = 0.035] and rural residence (OR = 5.152; 95%CI: 1.407-18.861; P = 0.013) were independent risk factors for secondary resistance to CLA and LFX, respectively. A total of 102 and 100 individuals received susceptibility-guided therapies and empiric treatment, respectively. The antibiotic susceptibility-guided treatment and empiric treatment groups achieved successful eradication rates of 75.5% (77/102) and 59.0% (59/411) by the intention-to-treat (ITT) analysis and 90.6% (77/85) and 70.2% (59/84) by the per-protocol (PP) analysis, respectively. The eradication rates of these two treatment strategies were significantly different in both ITT (P = 0.001) and PP (P = 0.012) analyses. CONCLUSION: H. pylori presented high secondary resistance rates to CLA and LFX. For patients with previous treatment failures, treatments should be guided by antibiotic susceptibility tests or regional antibiotic resistance profile.

Interlayer bond polarizability model for interlayer phonons in van der Waals heterostructures.

Raman scattering provides essential insights into phonons, electronic structures and electron-phonon coupling within solids through the intensity of Raman peaks, which cannot be easily quantified using the classical bond polarizability model. The interlayer bond polarizability model (IBPM) had been developed to understand the Raman intensity of layer-breathing modes (LBMs) in two-dimensional materials. However, the quantitative understanding of the LBM intensity of a van der Waals heterostructure (vdWH) remains challenging. Here, in polynary vdWHs comprising twisted multilayer graphene (tMLG), MoS2 and hBN, we observed a series of LBMs, whose intensity is markedly dependent on the excitation energy and twist angle of the tMLG constituent. An improved IBPM is proposed to quantitatively understand the Raman intensity of LBMs in the tMLG-based vdWHs, including the emergence or absence of a specific LBM when the excitation energy is resonant with the electronic states of tMLG or MoS2 constituents. This work underscores the significant potential of the improved IBPM in accurately understanding and predicting the intensity profile of LBM in polynary vdWHs, even for the case of Raman scattering with excitation energies selectively resonant with the electronic states of the corresponding specific constituents.

Transcriptome analysis with different leaf blades identifies the phloem-specific phosphate transporter OsPHO1;3 required for phosphate homeostasis in rice.

Phosphate (Pi) is essential for plant growth and development. One strategy to improve Pi use efficiency is to enhance Pi remobilization among leaves. Using transcriptome analysis with first (top) and fourth (down) leaf blades from rice (Oryza sativa) in Pi-sufficient and deficient conditions, we identified 1384 genes differentially expressed among these leaf blades. These genes were involved in physiological processes, metabolism, transport, and photosynthesis. Moreover, we identified the Pi efflux transporter gene, OsPHO1;3, responding to Pi-supplied conditions among these leaf blades. OsPHO1;3 is highly expressed in companion cells of phloem, but not xylem, in leaf blades and induced by Pi starvation. Mutation of OsPHO1;3 led to Pi accumulation in second to fourth leaves under Pi-sufficient conditions, but enhanced Pi levels in first leaves under Pi-deficient conditions. These Pi accumulations in leaves of Ospho1;3 mutants resulted from induction of OsPHT1;2 and OsPHT1;8 in root and reduction of Pi remobilization in leaf blades, revealed by the decreased Pi in phloem of leaves. Importantly, lack of OsPHO1;3 caused growth defects under a range of Pi-supplied conditions. These results demonstrate that Pi remobilization is essential for Pi homeostasis and plant growth irrespective of Pi-supplied conditions, and OsPHO1;3 plays an essential role in Pi remobilization for normal plant growth.

Efficient and Stable Tin-Lead Mixed Perovskite Solar Cells Using Post-Treatment Additive with Synergistic Effects.

Inhibiting the oxidation of Sn2+ during the crystallization process of Sn-Pb mixed perovskite film is found to be as important as the oxidation resistance of precursor solution to achieve high efficiency, but less investigated. Considering the excellent reduction feature of hydroquinone and the hydrophobicity of tert-butyl group, an antioxidant 2,5-di-tert-butylhydroquinone (DBHQ) was introduced into Sn-Pb mixed perovskite films using an anti-solvent approach to solve this problem. Interestingly, we find that DBHQ can act as function alterable additive during its utilization. On the one hand, DBHQ can restrict the oxidation of Sn2+ during the crystallization process, facilitating the fabrication of high-quality perovskite film; on the other hand, the generated oxidation product 2,5-di-tert-butyl-1,4-benzoquinone (DBBQ) can functionalize as defect passivator to inhibit the charge recombination. As a result, this synergetic effect renders the Sn-Pb mixed PSC a power conversion efficiency (PCE) up to 23.0 %, which is significantly higher than the reference device (19.6 %). Furthermore, the unencapsulated DBQH-modified PSCs exhibited excellent long-term stability and thermal stability, with the devices maintaining 84.2 % and 78.9 % of the initial PCEs after aging at 25 °C and 60 °C for 800 h and 120 h under N2 atmosphere, respectively. Therefore, the functional alterable strategy provides a novel cornerstone for high-performance Sn-Pb mixed PSCs.

Early Diagnosis and Prognosis Prediction of Pancreatic Cancer Using Engineered Hybrid Core-Shells in Laser Desorption/Ionization Mass Spectrometry.

Effective detection of bio-molecules relies on the precise design and preparation of materials, particularly in laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (LDI-MS). Despite significant advancements in substrate materials, the performance of single-structured substrates remains suboptimal for LDI-MS analysis of complex systems. Herein, designer Au@SiO2@ZrO2 core-shell substrates are developed for LDI-MS-based early diagnosis and prognosis of pancreatic cancer (PC). Through controlling Au core size and ZrO2 shell crystallization, signal amplification of metabolites up to 3 orders is not only achieved, but also the synergistic mechanism of the LDI process is revealed. The optimized Au@SiO2@ZrO2 enables a direct record of serum metabolic fingerprints (SMFs) by LDI-MS. Subsequently, SMFs are employed to distinguish early PC (stage I/II) from controls, with an accuracy of 92%. Moreover, a prognostic prediction scoring system is established with enhanced efficacy in predicting PC survival compared to CA19-9 (p < 0.05). This work contributes to material-based cancer diagnosis and prognosis.