Native Defect-Dependent Ultrafast Carrier Dynamics in p-Type Dopable Wide-Bandgap NiO.

NiO is a wide-bandgap p-type metal oxide that has extensive applications in optoelectronics and photocatalysts. Understanding the carrier dynamics in p-type NiO is pivotal for optimizing device performance, yet they remain largely unexplored. In this study, we employed femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy to delve into the dynamics of photogenerated carriers in NiO films containing distinct prominent native defects: undoped NiO with oxygen vacancies () and O-rich NiO (denoted as NiO) with nickel vacancies ().

Sub-picosecond biphasic ultrafast all-optical switching in ultraviolet band.

Ultrafast all-optical control has been a subject of wide-spread attention as a method of manipulating optical fields using light excitation on extremely short time scales. As a fundamental form of ultrafast all-optical control, all-optical switching has achieved sub-picosecond switch speeds in the visible, infrared, and terahertz spectral regions. However, due to the lack of suitable materials, ultrafast all-optical control in the ultraviolet range remains in its early stages.

Comparison of different exercise modalities on fatigue and muscular fitness in patients with multiple sclerosis: a systematic review with network, and dose-response meta-analyses.

Background: Fatigue and muscular fitness are closely related to the quality of life in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). However, the optimal exercise dosage to improve these outcomes remains unclear.

Objective: We evaluated the effects of different exercise modalities and dosages on fatigue levels and muscular fitness in patients with MS.

Photogeneration and Direct Observation of a 2H-phosphirene and a Closed-shell Singlet Arylphosphenium Ion.

Phosphenium ions are highly reactive species with the formula of RR'P. Although phosphenium ions were proposed as the invaluable intermediates of various important chemical processes, the methods to generate and characterize them were very limited. In this study, a novel photoprecursor to give rise to the arylphosphenium ions, 1-(naphthalen-2-yl)phosphirane, was synthesized and investigated by femtosecond to nanosecond transient absorption spectroscopies, photoproduct analysis, and density functional theory calculations.

An historical overview of artificial intelligence for diagnosis of major depressive disorder.

The Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology holds immense potential in the realm of automated diagnosis for Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), yet it is not without potential shortcomings. This paper systematically reviews the research progresses of integrating AI technology with depression diagnosis and provides a comprehensive analysis of existing research findings. In this context, we observe that the knowledge-driven first-generation of depression diagnosis methods could only address deterministic issues in structured information, with the selection of depression-related features directly influencing identification outcomes.

Intersystem Crossing, Photo-Induced Charge Separation and Regioisomer-Specific Excited State Dynamics in Fully Rigid Spiro Rhodammine-Naphthalene/Anthraquinone Electron Donor-Acceptor Dyads.

We prepared a series fully rigid spiro electron donor-acceptor orthogonal dyads, with closed form of rhodamine (Rho) as electron donor and naphthalene (Np)/anthraquinone (AQ) as electron acceptor, to access the long-lived triplet charge separation (CS) state, via the electron spin control method. We found strong dependency of the photophysical property of the dyads on the amino substitution positions of the Np chromophores in the dyads 1,8-DaNp-Rho and 2,3-DaNp-Rho. Nanosecond transient absorption (ns-TA) spectra show the population of the LE state (lifetime: 47 μs) for 2,3-DaNp-Rho, however, long-lived CS state was observed (τ=0.

Identification and validation of a novel gene associated with alcohol dependence among Chinese population.

Alcohol dependence is a heritable disorder, yet its genetic basis and underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood, especially in Chinese population. In this study, we conducted gene-based and transcript-based association tests and found a significant association between expression in the cortex and hippocampus of the brain and alcohol use in a cohort of 1,329 individuals with Chinese ancestry. Further analysis using the effective-median-based Mendelian randomization framework for inferring the causal genes (EMIC) revealed a causal relationship between expression in the frontal cortex and alcohol use.

Specifying the choice of EGFR-TKI based on brain metastatic status for advanced NSCLC with EGFR p.L861Q mutation.

Background: In-depth insight into the genomic features of the uncommon EGFR p.L861Q mutant NSCLC is scarcely performed, and no consensus on the preferred treatment strategy has been established. Moreover, the therapeutic implications of EGFR-TKI stratified by clinical and molecular features remained largely unknown.

C/EBPδ deficiency delays infection-induced preterm birth.

Background: Parturition is an inflammation process. Exaggerated inflammatory reactions in infection lead to preterm birth. Although nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) has been recognized as a classical transcription factor mediating inflammatory reactions, those mediated by NF-κB per se are relatively short-lived.

The dual role of glucocorticoid regeneration in inflammation at parturition.

Introduction: Fetal membrane inflammation is an integral event of parturition. However, excessive pro-inflammatory cytokines can impose threats to the fetus. Coincidentally, the fetal membranes express abundant 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 1 (11β-HSD1), which generates biologically active cortisol to promote labor through induction of prostaglandin synthesis.

Ultrasomics differentiation of malignant and benign focal liver lesions based on contrast-enhanced ultrasound.

Objectives: To establish a nomogram for differentiating malignant and benign focal liver lesions (FLLs) using ultrasomics features derived from contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS).

Methods: 527 patients were retrospectively enrolled. On the training cohort, ultrasomics features were extracted from CEUS and b-mode ultrasound (BUS).

Copper-Catalyzed Dual Remote Asymmetric Vinylogous Alkynylallylic Substitution of Yne-Allylic Esters with Coumarins.

Chiral coumarins and their derivatives are ubiquitous structural motifs found in an array of biologically and therapeutically active natural products and drugs. Herein, a highly enantioselective dual remote copper-catalyzed vinylogous alkynylallylic substitution of yne-allylic esters with coumarins has been developed. The practicality of this method is exemplified by the use of readily available starting materials; mild reaction conditions; excellent regio-, enantio-, and stereoselectivities; and the very broad substrate scope (67 examples), while the scalability and further applications of this method are illustrated by the gram-scale reaction and the series of derivations of the products.

Copper-Catalyzed Remote Asymmetric Yne-Allylic Substitution of Yne-Allylic Esters with Anthrones.

Anthrones are key structural motifs in many natural products and pharmaceutical chemicals. However, due to its unique tricyclic aromatic structure, the synthetic space for the development of chiral anthrone derivatives is largely limited. By utilizing the potential of the copper-catalyzed remote asymmetric yne-allylic substitution reaction, we describe the first example of copper-catalyzed highly regio- and enantioselective remote yne-allylic substitution on various yne-allylic esters with anthrones under a mild reaction condition, which afforded a range of enantioenriched 1,3-enynes with exhibiting broad functional group tolerance across 51 examples.

High-level reverse intersystem crossing of charge transfer compounds: to fluoresce or not to fluoresce?

Thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) has been widely applied to electroluminescent materials to take the best advantage of triplet excitons. For some materials, the TADF originates from high-level reverse intersystem crossing (hRISC), and has attracted much attention due to its high efficiency for utilizing the triplet excitons. However, reports concerning the mechanistic studies on the hRISC-TADF process and structure-property correlation are sparse.

Disturbance of Fetal Growth by Azithromycin Through Induction of ER Stress in the Placenta.

Azithromycin (AZM) is widely used to treat mycoplasma infection in pregnancy. However, there is no adequate evaluation of its side effect on the placenta. In this study, using human placental syncytiotrophoblasts and a mouse model, we investigated whether AZM use in pregnancy might adversely affect placental function and pregnancy outcome.

Photosensitizing metal covalent organic framework with fast charge transfer dynamics for efficient CO photoreduction.

Designing artificial photocatalysts for CO reduction is challenging, mainly due to the intrinsic difficulty of making multiple functional units cooperate efficiently. Herein, three-dimensional metal covalent organic frameworks (3D MCOFs) were employed as an innovative platform to integrate a strong Ru(ii) light-harvesting unit, an active Re(i) catalytic center, and an efficient charge separation configuration for photocatalysis. The photosensitive moiety was precisely stabilized into the covalent skeleton by using a rational-designed Ru(ii) complex as one of the building units, while the Re(i) center was linked a shared bridging ligand with an Ru(ii) center, opening an effective pathway for their electronic interaction.

Efficient intersystem crossing and tunable ultralong organic room-temperature phosphorescence via doping polyvinylpyrrolidone with polyaromatic hydrocarbons.

Polymer-based pure organic room-temperature phosphorescent materials have tremendous advantages in applications owing to their low cost, vast resources, and easy processability. However, designing polymer-based room-temperature phosphorescent materials with large Stokes shifts as key requirements in biocompatibility and environmental-friendly performance is still challenging. By generating charge transfer states as the gangplank from singlet excited states to triplet states in doped organic molecules, we find a host molecule (pyrrolidone) that affords charge transfer with doped guest molecules, and excellent polymer-based organic room-temperature phosphorescent materials can be easily fabricated when polymerizing the host molecule.

Integrative analysis of genetics, epigenetics and RNA expression data reveal three susceptibility loci for smoking behavior in Chinese Han population.

Despite numerous studies demonstrate that genetics and epigenetics factors play important roles on smoking behavior, our understanding of their functional relevance and coordinated regulation remains largely unknown. Here we present a multiomics study on smoking behavior for Chinese smoker population with the goal of not only identifying smoking-associated functional variants but also deciphering the pathogenesis and mechanism underlying smoking behavior in this under-studied ethnic population. After whole-genome sequencing analysis of 1329 Chinese Han male samples in discovery phase and OpenArray analysis of 3744 samples in replication phase, we discovered that three novel variants located near FOXP1 (rs7635815), and between DGCR6 and PRODH (rs796774020), and in ARVCF (rs148582811) were significantly associated with smoking behavior.

Benzo[a]pyrene evokes epithelial-mesenchymal transition and pulmonary fibrosis through AhR-mediated Nrf2-p62 signaling.

Benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) and its metabolic end product benzo(a)pyren-7,8-dihydrodiol-9,10-epoxide (BPDE), are known toxic environmental pollutants. This study aimed to analyze whether sub-chronic BPDE exposure initiated pulmonary fibrosis and the potential mechanisms. In this work, male C57BL6/J mice were exposed to BPDE by dynamic inhalation exposure for 8 weeks.

US-based Sequential Algorithm Integrating an AI Model for Advanced Liver Fibrosis Screening.

Background Noninvasive tests can be used to screen patients with chronic liver disease for advanced liver fibrosis; however, the use of single tests may not be adequate. Purpose To construct sequential clinical algorithms that include a US deep learning (DL) model and compare their ability to predict advanced liver fibrosis with that of other noninvasive tests. Materials and Methods This retrospective study included adult patients with a history of chronic liver disease or unexplained abnormal liver function test results who underwent B-mode US of the liver between January 2014 and September 2022 at three health care facilities.