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In the recent advances of organic solar cells (OSCs), quinoxaline (Qx)-based nonfullerene acceptors (QxNFAs) have attracted lots of attention and enabled the recorded power conversion efficiency approaching 20%. As an excellent electron-withdrawing unit, Qx possesses advantages of many modifiable sites, wide absorption range, low reorganization energy, and so on. To develop promising QxNFAs to further enhance the photovoltaic performance of OSCs, it is necessary to systematically summarize the QxNFAs reported so far. In this review, all the focused QxNFAs are classified into five categories as following: SM-Qx, YQx, fused-YQx, giant-YQx, and polymer-Qx according to the molecular skeletons. The molecular design concepts, relationships between the molecular structure and optoelectronic properties, intrinsic mechanisms of device performance are discussed in detail. At the end, the advantages of this kind of materials are summed up, the molecular develop direction is prospected, the challenges faced by QxNFAs are given, and constructive solutions to the existing problems are advised. Overall, this review presents unique viewpoints to conquer the challenge of QxNFAs and thus boost OSCs development further toward commercial applications.

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Tethered nonplanar aromatics (TNAs) make up an important class of nonplanar aromatic compounds showing unique features. However, the knowledge on the synthesis, structures, and properties of TNAs remains insufficient. In this work, a new type of TNAs, the tethered aromatic lactams, is synthesized via Pd-catalyzed consecutive intramolecular direct arylations. These molecules possess a helical ladder-type conjugated system of up to 13 fused rings. The overall yields ranged from 3.4 to 4.3%. The largest of the tethered aromatic lactams, 6L-Bu-C14, demonstrates a guest-adaptive hosting capability of TNAs for the first time. When binding fullerene guests, the cavity of 6L-Bu-C14 became more circular to better accommodate spherical fullerene molecules. The host-guest interaction is thoroughly studied by X-ray crystallography, theoretical calculations, fluorescence titration, and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) titration experiments. 6L-Bu-C14 shows stronger binding with C70 than with C60 due to the better convex-concave π-π interaction. P and M enantiomers of all tethered aromatic lactams show distinct and persistent chiroptical properties and demonstrate the potential of chiral TNAs as circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) emitters.

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Organic solar cells (OSCs) exhibit complex charge dynamics, which are closely correlated with the dielectric constant (ɛr ) of photovoltaic materials. In this work, a series of novel conjugated copolymers based on benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b']difuran (BDF) and benzotriazole (BTz) is designed and synthesized, which differ by the nature of π-bridge from one another. The PBDF-TF-BTz with asymmetric furan and thiophene π-bridge demonstrates a larger ɛr of 4.22 than PBDF-dT-BTz with symmetric thiophene π-bridge (3.15) and PBDF-dF-BTz with symmetric furan π-bridge (3.90). The PBDF-TF-BTz also offers more favorable molecular packing and appropriate miscibility with non-fullerene acceptor Y6 than its counterparts. The corresponding PBDF-TF-BTz:Y6 OSCs display efficient exciton dissociation, fast charge transport and collection, and reduced charge recombination, eventually leading to a power conversion efficiency of 17.01%. When introducing a fullerene derivative (PCBO-12) as a third component, the PBDF-TF-BTz:Y6:PCBO-12 OSCs yield a remarkable FF of 80.11% with a high efficiency of 18.10%, the highest value among all reported BDF-polymer-based OSCs. This work provides an effective approach to developing high-permittivity photovoltaic materials, showcasing PBDF-TF-BTz as a promising polymer donor for constructing high-performance OSCs.

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ObjectiveTo explore the possible mechanism of Chuanxiong （Rhizoma Chuanxiong） & Tianma （Rhizoma Gastrodiae） herbal pair in treating migraines based on AMP-activated protein kinase （AMPK）/transient receptor potential A1 channel （TRPA1） pathway. MethodsForty-eight healthy male SD rats were randomly divided into control group， model group， and Chuanxiong Tianma medication group， with 16 rats in each group. The control group and model group were given 10 ml/kg of normal saline by gavage， while the Chuanxiong Tianma medication group was given 0.675 g/kg of Chuanxiong Tianma herbal pair by gavage， once daily for 8 consecutive days in both groups. Migraime model was performed before the last administration， with subcutaneous injection of 10 ml/kg of normal saline in the control group， and subcutaneous injection of 10 ml/kg of nitroglycerin in the model group and Chuanxiong Tianma medication group. The Von Frey filament was used to measure the periorbital mechanical pain threshold of rats. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was used to determine the levels of calcitonin gene-related peptide （CGRP） in rat serum and cerebrospinal fluid. The nitric oxide （NO） assay kit was used to determine the NO level in serum and cerebrospinal fluid. RT-PCR was usedto detect the mRNA expression levels of immediate-early genes in the trigeminal ganglion of rats （c-Fos）， CGRP， transient receptor potential V1 channel （TRPV1）， AMPK alpha subunit （PRKAA）， and TRPA1. Immunofluorescence was used to detect the number of c-Fos-positive cells in the trigeminal cervical complex （TCC） and the protein expression levels of phosphorylated AMPK （pAMPK） and TRPA1 in the trigeminal ganglion. ResultsCompared to those in the control group， the mechanical stimulation threshold and pAMPK protein expression in the model group decreased， while the levels of CGRP and NO in serum， c-Fos， CGRP， TRPV1 and TRPA1 mRNA levels in the trigeminal ganglion， TRPA1 protein expression， and the number of c-Fos-positive cells in the TCC significantly increased （P＜0.05）. Compared to those in the model group， the mechanical stimulation threshold and pAMPK protein expression in the Chuanxiong Tianma medication group significantly increased， while the levels of CGRP and NO in serum， c-Fos， CGRP， TRPV1 and TRPA1 mRNA levels in the trigeminal ganglion， TRPA1 protein expression， and the number of c-Fos-positive cells in the TCC significantly decreased （P＜0.05）. ConclusionChuanxiong Tianma herbal pair may improve migraine symptoms by regulating the AMPK/TRPA1 pathway in the trigeminal ganglion and increasing the mechanical pain threshold.

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BACKGROUND@#Current replacement procedures for stenosis or occluded arteries using prosthetic grafts have serious limitations in clinical applications, particularly, endothelialization of the luminal surface is a long-standing unresolved problem.METHOD: We produced a cell-based hybrid vascular graft using a bioink engulfing adipose-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (ADSCs) and a 3D bioprinting process lining the ADSCs on the luminal surface of GORE-Tex grafts. The hybrid graft was implanted as an interposition conduit to replace a 3-cm-long segment of the infrarenal abdominal aorta in Rhesus monkeys. @*RESULTS@#Complete endothelium layer and smooth muscle layer were fully developed within 21 days post-implantation, along with normalized collagen deposition and crosslinking in the regenerated vasculature in all monkeys. The regenerated blood vessels showed normal functionality for the longest observation of more than 1650 days. The same procedure was also conducted in miniature pigs for the interposition replacement of a 10-cm-long right iliac artery and showed the same long-term effective and safe outcome. @*CONCLUSION@#This cell-based vascular graft is ready to undergo clinical trials for human patients.

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Recyclable, non-toxic, and degradable biological substrates contribute significantly to super-wetting surfaces. In this work, we prepared magnetic micro-nano super-hydrophobic surfaces through a robust solution with magnetic modified lignin particles as the supporting structure. A novel PDMS (polydimethylsiloxane)/magnetic lignin particle (lignin@Fe3O4)/PDA sponge composite was fabricated. Through dopamine (DA) self-polymerization, covalent deposition of magnetic lignin (ML), and PDMS silane modification, the magnetic super-hydrophobic polyurethane sponge composite (Sponge-P) was synthesized so that the Fe3O4 nanoscale microspheres wrapped with microscale lignin magnetic particles adhered to the sponge surface tighter and were barely dislodged. The as-prepared Sponge-P displayed excellent flexibility and a water contact angle of up to 152.2°. The super-hydrophobic sponge prepared with the proposed method was acid-base stable (pH = 2-12), self-cleaning, and suitable for high-salinity seawater. The magnetic super-hydrophobic sponge has good oil-water separation ability and can absorb 43 times its own weight of oil. In the meantime, due to the introduction of magnetic materials into lignin, we not only constructed micro-nanostructures to improve the surface super-hydrophobicity, but also made Sponge-P have the function of magnetic recovery, which has a unique advantage in treating oily wastewater.

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Recently, carbon nanomaterial-supported plasmonic nanocrystals used as high-performance surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrates have attracted increasing attention due to their ultra-high sensitivity of detection. However, most of the work focuses on the design of 2-D planar substrates with traditional plasmonic structures, such as nanoparticles, nanorods, nanowires, and so forth. Here, we report a novel strategy for the preparation of high-yield Au nanohydrangeas on three-dimensional porous polydopamine (PDA)/polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/carbon nanotube (CNT) foams. The structures and growth mechanisms of these specific Au nanocrystals are systematically investigated. PDA plays the role of both a reducing agent as well as an anchoring site for Au nanohydrangeas' growth. We also show that the ratio of surfactant KBr to the gold precursor (HAuCl4) is key to obtain these structures in a manner of high production. Moreover, the substrate of the CNT foam-Au nanohydrangea hybrid can be employed as SERS sensors and can detect the analytes down to 10-9 M.

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Embedding submicrocavities is an effective approach to improve the light out-coupling efficiency (LOCE) for planar perovskite light-emitting diodes (PeLEDs). In this work, we employ phenethylammonium iodide (PEAI) to trigger the Ostwald ripening for the downward recrystallization of perovskite, resulting in spontaneous formation of buried submicrocavities as light output coupler. The simulation suggests the buried submicrocavities can improve the LOCE from 26.8 to 36.2% for near-infrared light. Therefore, PeLED yields peak external quantum efficiency (EQE) increasing from 17.3% at current density of 114 mA cm-2 to 25.5% at current density of 109 mA cm-2 and a radiance increasing from 109 to 487 W sr-1 m-2 with low rolling-off. The turn-on voltage decreased from 1.25 to 1.15 V at 0.1 W sr-1 m-2. Besides, downward recrystallization process slightly reduces the trap density from 8.90 × 1015 to 7.27 × 1015 cm-3. This work provides a self-assembly method to integrate buried output coupler for boosting the performance of PeLEDs.

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ABSTRACT: Metastases of prostate carcinoma in the skeleton are usually multiple. Solitary metastasis in appendicular skeleton is extremely rare. We present bone scan findings of solitary scapular metastasis from prostate adenocarcinoma as the initial presentation of his malignancy in a 62-year-old man. The 99mTc-MDP SPECT/CT demonstrated intense activity in the coracoid process of left scapula, whereas the tracer uptakes in other bones were not typical of metastases. The subsequent pathological results of the punctured left scapula confirmed as metastasis from prostate adenocarcinoma.

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After fast developing of single-junction perovskite solar cells and organic solar cells in the past 10 years, it is becoming harder and harder to improve their power conversion efficiencies. Tandem solar cells are receiving more and more attention because they have much higher theoretical efficiency than single-junction solar cells. Good device performance has been achieved for perovskite/silicon and perovskite/perovskite tandem solar cells, including 2-terminal and 4-terminal structures. However, very few studies have been done about 4-terminal inorganic perovskite/organic tandem solar cells. In this work, semi-transparent inorganic perovskite solar cells and organic solar cells are used to fabricate 4-terminal inorganic perovskite/organic tandem solar cells, achieving a power conversion efficiency of 21.25% for the tandem cells with spin-coated perovskite layer. By using drop-coating instead of spin-coating to make the inorganic perovskite films, 4-terminal tandem cells with an efficiency of 22.34% are made. The efficiency is higher than the reported 2-terminal and 4-terminal inorganic perovskite/organic tandem solar cells. In addition, equivalent 2-terminal tandem solar cells were fabricated by connecting the sub-cells in series. The stability of organic solar cells under continuous illumination is improved by using semi-transparent perovskite solar cells as filter.

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Designing interfacial coating with tailored characteristics is a crucial step in regulating the wetting properties of oil/water separation materials; however, the controllable fabrication of multifunctional layer with long-term durability in harsh environments remains challenging. Fabrication of raised dots based on magnetic Fe3O4 particles on micro-nanometer units, inspired by mussel chemistry, under the adhesion behavior of dopamine (DA) self-polymerization covalent deposition of Fe3O4 particles and hydrophobic polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) modification to synthesize magnetic superhydrophobic cotton composites (Cotton-P). Due to the unique magnetic and superhydrophobic surface composition, the synthetic Cotton-P possesses superhydrophobic (155.4°) and magnetic properties and still exhibits these excellent properties after 10 cycles. In addition, the hydrophobicity of magnetic monolithic cotton is virtually unaffected in harsh environments. The chemical/thermal stability of the Cotton-P composite is improved due to the rigid silane coating on the skeleton. Moreover, the Cotton-P revealed excellent oil/water separation efficiency of over 98 % after 10 cycles. Based on these outstanding properties, Cotton-P has the potential to develop in the treatment of oil-water mixtures.

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Manipulating the backbone of small molecule acceptors (SMAs) is of particular importance in developing efficient organic solar cells (OSCs). The common design is constructing 2-arm SMAs with linear or curved backbones. Herein, we report an acceptor 4A-DFIC with a 4-arm backbone unexpectedly generated in the reaction of an electron-rich aromatic diamine and hexaketocyclohexane. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis indicates the rigid and twisted molecular plane and the effective molecular stacking of 4A-DFIC in solid state. 4A-DFIC shows a low band gap of 1.40 eV and excellent light-harvesting capability from visible to near-infrared region. Binary and ternary OSCs based on 4A-DFIC gave power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of 15.76 % and 18.60 % (certified 18.1 %), respectively, which are the highest PCEs for multi-arm SMA-based OSCs to date.

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The ability of human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) to specialize in neuroepithelial tissue makes them ideal candidates for use in the disease models of neural tube defects. In this study, we cultured hPSCs in suspension with modified neural induction method, and immunostaining was applied to detect important markers associated with cell fate and morphogenesis to verify the establishment of the neural tube model in vitro. We carried out the drug experiments to further investigate the toxicity of valproic acid (VPA) exposure and the potential protective effect of folic acid (FA). The results demonstrated that neural rosette undergoes cell fate speciation and lumen formation accompanied by a spatiotemporal shift in the expression patterns of cadherin, indicating the model was successfully established. The results showed that VPA caused morphogenesis inhibition of lumen formation by altering cytoskeletal function and cell polarization, which could be rescued by FA supplement.

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A separable spherical bio-adsorbent (CMC-Cr) was prepared for capturing heavy metal ions by simple coordination and cross-linking between targeted ions of Cr3+ and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC). A simple alternation of the CMC incorporation allowed the interconnected networks within the microspheres of preformed solid CMC to be adjusted. The excellent network structure could achieve the maximum collision between the adsorbent and the heavy metal cations in the wastewater. Through investigations, CMC-Cr-2 beads were determined as the optimal adsorbent. The adsorption performance of novel materials was evaluated by examining their adsorption behavior on Pb(II) and Co(II) under both static and dynamic conditions. The results showed that the adsorption behavior of CMC-Cr-2 beads on both two heavy metal cations could be fully reflected by the Freundlich model. Under the theoretical conditions, the maximum adsorption capacities were 97.26 and 144.74 mg/g. The kinetic results for the adsorption of two heavy metal cations on CMC-Cr-2 beads were consistent with the Pseudo-second-order kinetic model. Moreover, the correlation coefficient of the Thomas model was significant in the dynamic adsorption performance tests. Five regeneration cycle studies were successfully carried out on CMC-Cr-2 beads to evaluate reusability and stability. The applicability of CMC-Cr-2 beads in authentic aqueous solutions (both the single and binary pollutant systems) was also studied, and the results indicated that CMC-Cr-2 beads had a high potential for practical implementation. Furthermore, by analyzing the surface interactions of two heavy metal cations with the CMC-Cr-2 beads based on FTIR and XPS characterization, a basic understanding of the interaction between bio-sorbents and pollutants in wastewater can be obtained.

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Here, we have developed a novel bilayer hollow amphiphilic biosorbent (BHAB-3) with large adsorption capacity, rapid adsorption kinetics, and cost-effective for the removal of Cr(VI) and Cu(II) from aqueous solutions. The synthesis was based on the clever use of freeze-drying to fix the structure, secondary modification of the carboxymethyl cellulose microspheres with polyethyleneimine and cross-linking by glutaraldehyde. The consequences of pH, initial concentration, contact time and temperature on adsorption were investigated. The Langmuir model fits showed that the maximum adsorption capacities of the two target heavy metal ions reached 835.91 and 294.79 mg/g, respectively. Moreover, BHAB-3 was characterized by SEM, FT-IR, TGA, and XPS synergistically, showing that it exhibits a strong complexation ability for Cu(II) and a strong electrostatic effect for Cr(VI). Adsorption and desorption experiments showed only a slight decrease in the adsorption capacity of the BHAB-3 for Cr(VI) and Cu(II) ions after 5 and 26 cycles, respectively. Given the excellent properties of this adsorbent, it is a promising candidate for heavy metal ion removal.

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OBJECTIVE: To confirm whether a novel sagittal patellar angle linear equation used for evaluating patellar height by calculating expected sagittal patellar angle (SPA) at any degree of knee flexion angle is suitable for patients older than 17 years and its reliability compared with other commonly used methods. METHODS: From September 2016 to September 2019, a total number of 202 consecutive outpatients' knee lateral X-ray radiographs were retrospectively measured and evaluated using a recently proposed linear equation Y = 1.94 + 0.74 × knee flexion(KF) angle. Patients were divided by ages into ayounger group, whose ages were between 17-49 years, and an older group, whose ages were older than 49 years, which has not been validated in the original study. Parameters such as KF, SPA, patella and patella tendon length and so on were measured on computer with picture archiving and communication system by two independent observers at an interval of 1 month. Insall-Salvati (IS) index, Caton-Deschamps (CD) index and Y value, correlation coefficients were calculated and compared using SPSS 22.0 software. RESULTS: In the younger group, 143 patients (165 knees) were included, ages were 17-49 (31.62 ± 11.38) years, males/females were 70 (48.95%)/73 (51.05%), left knees/right knees were 83 (50.30%)/82 (49.70%), mean value of Y was 31.50° ± 10.07°, and SPA was 34.38° ± 12.38°, mean value of IS was 1.06 ± 0.17, mean value of CD was 1.04 ± 0.18. While in older group, 59 patients (78 knees) were included, ages were 50-60 (mean 54.61 ± 2.99) years, there were 32 males (54.24%) and 27 females (45.76%), 42 knees were left (53.85%) and 36 knees were right (46.15%), mean values of Y and SPA were 25.90° ± 11.55° and 29.36° ± 14.22°, mean IS index in older group was 1.06 ± 0.18, mean CD index was 1.00 ± 0.16. Intra- and inter-observer reliabilities of Y in younger and older groups were 0.999, 0.999, 1.000 and 0.999, meaning high reliability and reproducibility, but low Pearson's correlation coefficients with IS and CD index were showed as -0.213 and - 0.216 in younger group and - 0.113 and - 0.316 in older group. CONCLUSIONS: In patients older than 17 years, the linear equation Y = 1.94 + 0.74 × KF is a reliable and practical method to evaluate SPA regardless of age and knee flexion angle, but has weak correlation coefficients with the IS and CD index.

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Persistent high-risk HPV infection drives tumorigenesis in various human malignancies, including cervical, oropharyngeal, anal, and vulvar carcinomas. Although HPV-related tumors arise in several different sites, they share many common genetic and epigenetic events. Complex and heterogeneous genomic aberrations and mutations induced by high-risk HPV contribute to the initiation and progression of cervical cancer (CC). However, the associations between high-risk HPV infection and DNA methylation have not been clearly investigated. In the present study, HPV-related gene promoter methylation signature was comprehensively analyzed using multiple interactive platforms. CC patients were successfully classified into high-risk and low-risk groups with significant differences in clinical outcomes based on the HPV-related gene promoter methylation signature. Moreover, the protein levels of ALDH1A2 and clinical prognostic value were confirmed in the CC patients cohort. In summary, our study provides compelling evidence that HPV-related gene promoter methylation signature serves as a strong prognostic signature for CC patients. Clinical investigations in large CC patient cohorts are greatly needed to pave the way to implement epigenetic biomarkers into better clinical management.

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Novel millimeter hollow microspheres were fabricated from carboxymethyl cellulose microspheres and polyethyleneimine using glutaraldehyde as a crosslinking agent. The hollow microspheres prepared with different polyethyleneimine usages and different polyethyleneimine treatment time were investigated deeply and characterized via SEM-EDX, FT-IR, and BET surface area analysis. It was shown that polyethyleneimine could break the coordination bonds between the carboxyl and Al (III) in carboxymethyl cellulose microspheres, leading to the formation of hollow structures. Most importantly, the usage and treatment time of polyethyleneimine can distinctly tailor the structure of the carboxymethyl cellulose microspheres, resulting in the formation of different hollow microspheres with varied shell thickness and size. Most importantly, we found that the prepared hollow microspheres have excellent adsorption performance toward targeted methyl blue under testing conditions. By virtue of the large accessible amount of -NH2 groups and its unique hollow structure, this type of millimeter hollow microspheres have broad application prospects in the treatment of emerging contaminants in wastewater.

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Depression is a mental disorder characterized by low mood as the main pathological feature. Current medications for depression have long treatment cycles and serious side effects. Aromatherapy can alleviate depression in a "moistening things silently" way, but the fast evaporation rate of aromatic drugs weakens the effect of aromatherapy. In this study, we designed and prepared nano-aromatic drugs with slow release for anti-depressant application. We first synthesized rod-shaped mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) and encapsulated bergamot essential oil. These nanoaromatic drugs were named BEO@MSNs. Subsequently, we analyzed the pore properties of MSNs and BEO@MSNs. Further, we explored the thermal stability, encapsulation efficiency, and slow-release properties of bergamot essential oil in BEO@MSNs. Finally, we used BEO@MSNs to alleviate depression in mice while constructing depression model mice via corticosterone. The results showed that BEO@MSNs had excellent anti-depressant effects and biosafety.

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Superior mechanical properties, high adsorption capacity, and excellent regeneration property are crucial design criterions to develop a new-type aerogel for adsorptive applications towards heavy metal removal from water. Herein, chitosan and melamine not only introduced abundant functional groups to increase adsorbing sites for lead ions, but also reinforced the three-dimensional network skeleton structure of absorbents to improve the service life in adsorption applications. As-fabricated alginate/melamine/chitosan aerogel can extract Pb (II) from aqueous solution efficiently, i.e., the optimum adsorption quantity of 1331.6 mg/g at pH 5.5, which exhibited excellent and selective adsorption capacity for Pb (II) against the competition of coexisting divalent metal ions. More importantly, alginate/melamine/chitosan aerogel could be regenerated using dilute acidic solution and recovered well after eight adsorption-desorption cycles. This work might offer a new idea for design and preparation of biomass-based aerogel sorbents with promising prospect in the remediation of Pb (II)-contaminated wastewater.

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