Different microbial ecological agents change the composition of intestinal microbiota and the levels of SCFAs in mice to alleviate loperamide-induced constipation

Probiotics exert beneficial effects by regulating the intestinal microbiota, metabolism, immune function and other ways of their host. Patients with constipation, a common gastrointestinal disorder, experience disturbances in their intestinal microbiota. In the present study, we investigated the effectiveness of two microbial ecological agents (postbiotic extract PE0401 and a combination of postbiotic extract PE0401 and Lacticaseibacillus paracasei CCFM 2711) in regulating the makeup of the intestinal microbiota and alleviating loperamide hydrochloride-induced constipation in mice. We also preliminarily explored the mechanism underlying their effects. Both microbial ecological agents increased the abundance of the beneficial bacteria Lactobacilli and Bifidobacterium after administration and were able to relieve constipation. However, the degree of improvement in constipation symptoms varied depending on the makeup of the supplement. The postbiotic extract PE0401 increased peristalsis time and improved faecal properties throughout the intestinal tract of the host. PE0401 relieved constipation, possibly by modulating the levels of the constipation-related gastrointestinal regulatory transmitters mouse motilin, mouse vasoactive intestinal peptide, and 5-hydoxytryptamine in the intestinal tract of the host and by increasing the levels of the short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) acetic acid, propionic acid, and isovaleric acid. It also increased the relative abundance of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium and reduced that of Faecalibaculum, Mucispirillum, Staphylococcus, and Lachnoclostridium, which are among the beneficial microbiota in the host intestine. Furthermore, PE0401 decreased the levels of constipation-induced host inflammatory factors. Therefore, the two microbial ecological agents can regulate the intestinal microbiota of constipation mice, and PE0401 has a stronger ability to relieve constipation.

Functionalized Phenanthrene Imide-Based Polymers for n-Type Organic Thin-Film Transistors

High-performing n-type polymers are crucial for the advance of organic electronics field, however strong electron-deficient building blocks with optimized physicochemical properties for constructing them are still limited. The imide-functionalized polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) with extended π-conjugated framework, high electron deficiency and good solubility serve as promising candidates for developing high-performance n-type polymers. Among the PAHs, phenanthrene (PhA) features a well-delocalized aromatic π-system with multiple modifiable active sites . However, the PhA-based imides are seldom studied, mainly attributed to the synthetic challenge. Herein, we report two functionalized PhAs, CPOI and CPCNI, by simultaneously incorporating imide with carbonyl or dicyanomethylene onto PhA. Notably, the dicyanomethylene-modified CPCNI exhibits a well stabilized LUMO energy level (-3.84 eV), attributed to the synergetic inductive effect from imide and cyano groups. Subsequently, based on CPOI and CPCNI, two polymers PCPOI-Tz and PCPCNI-Tz were developed. Applied to organic thin-film transistors, owing to the strong electron-deficiency of CPCNI, polymer PCPCNI-Tz shows an improved electron mobility and largely decreased threshold voltage compared with PCPOI-Tz. This work affords two structurally novel electron-deficient building blocks and highlights the effectiveness of dual functionalization of PhAs with strong electron-withdrawing groups for devising n-type polymers.

Facilely Modified Nickel-Based Hole Transporting Layers for Organic Solar Cells with 19.12% Efficiency and Enhanced Stability

Hole transporting layers (HTLs), strategically positioned between electrode and light absorber, play a pivotal role in shaping charge extraction and transport in organic solar cells (OSCs). However, the commonly used poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) HTL, with its hygroscopic and acidic nature, undermines the operational durability of OSC devices. Herein, an environmentally friendly approach is developed utilizing nickel acetate tetrahydrate (NiAc·4H2O) and [2-(9H-carbazol-9-yl)ethyl] phosphonic acid (2PACz) as the NiAc·4H2O/2PACz HTL, aiming at overcoming the limitations posed by the conventional PEDOT:PSS one. Encouragingly, a remarkable power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 19.12% is obtained for the OSCs employing NiAc·4H2O/2PACz as the HTL, surpassing that of devices with the PEDOT:PSS HTL (17.59%), which is ranked among the highest ones of OSCs. This improvement is attributed to the appropriate work function, enhanced hole mobility, facilitated exciton dissociation efficiency, and lower recombination loss of NiAc·4H2O/2PACz-based devices. Furthermore, the NiAc·4H2O/2PACz-based OSCs exhibit superior operational stability compared to their PEDOT:PSS-based counterparts. Of significant note, the NiAc·4H2O/2PACz HTL demonstrates a broad generality, boosting the PCE of the PM6:PY-IT and PM6:Y6-based OSCs from 16.47% and 16.79% (with PEDOT:PSS-based analogs as HTLs) to 17.36% and 17.57%, respectively. These findings underscore the substantial potential of the NiAc·4H2O/2PACz HTL in advancing OSCs, offering improved performance and stability, thereby opening avenue for highly efficient and reliable solar energy harvesting technologies.

[Comparison of the microbiota diversity between autogenous and anautogenous Culex pipiens pallens]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the microbiota composition and diversity between autogenous and anautogenous Culex pipiens pallens, so as to provide insights into unraveling the pathogenesis of autogeny in Cx. pipiens pallens.

METHODS

Autogenous and anautogenous adult Cx. pipiens pallens samples were collected at 25 ℃, and the hypervariable regions of the microbial 16S ribosomal RNA (16S rRNA) gene was sequenced on the Illumina NovaSeq 6000 sequencing platform. The microbiota abundance and diversity were evaluated using the alpha diversity index, and the difference in the microbiota structure was examined using the beta diversity index. The microbiota with significant differences in the abundance between autogenous and anautogenous adult Cx. pipiens pallens samples was identified using the linear discriminant analysis effect size (LEfSe).

RESULTS

The microbiota in autogenous and anautogenous Cx. pipiens pallens samples belonged to 18 phyla, 28 classes, 70 orders, 113 families, and 170 genera, and the dominant phyla included Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and so on. At the genus level, Wolbachia was a common dominant genus, and the relative abundance was (77.6 ± 11.3)% in autogenous Cx. pipiens pallens samples and (47.5 ± 8.5)% in anautogenous mosquito samples, while Faecalibaculum (0.4% ± 0.1%), Dubosiella (0.5% ± 0.0%) and Massilia (0.5% ± 0.1%) were specific species in autogenous Cx. pipiens pallens samples. Alpha diversity analysis showed that higher Chao1 index and ACE index in autogenous Cx. pipiens pallens samples than in anautogenous samples (both P values > 0.05), and lower Shannon index (P > 0.05) and Simpson index (P < 0.05) in autogenous Cx. pipiens pallens samples than in anautogenous samples. LEfSe analysis showed a total of 48 significantly different taxa between autogenous and anautogenous Cx. pipiens pallens samples (all P values < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

There is a significant difference in the microbiota diversity between autogenous and anautogenous Cx. pipiens pallens.

Dexamethasone relieves the inflammatory response caused by inguinal hernia meshes through miR-155

BACKGROUND

Inguinal hernia is a relatively common condition. Most patients with inguinal hernia require surgery. At present, mesh repair is one of the most effective methods to treat inguinal hernia, but insertion of the mesh can cause inflammation. Dexamethasone (DEX) can treat inflammation, but the mechanism by which DEX alleviates inflammation caused by inguinal hernia mesh placement remains unclear.

METHOD

We randomly divided rats into groups: negative control (NC), inguinal hernia (IH), polypropylene mesh (PM), DEX treatment, and miR-155 treatment groups. RT-qPCR was performed to determine the expression of miR-155. ELISA was implemented to determine the secretion of IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-18. Western blotting was used to detect caspase-1, JAK1, p-JAK1, STAT3, and p-STAT3 expression. A dual-luciferase reporter gene array identified a connection between miR-155 and JAK1.

RESULTS

The results revealed that the expression of miR-155, IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-18 was upregulated in the PM group. After DEX treatment, the secretion of miR-155, caspase-1, IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-18 decreased. Dual luciferase results confirmed that miR-155 induced the targeted downregulation of JAK1, while a miR-155 mimic reversed the therapeutic effect of DEX, and the expression levels of p-JAK1 and p-STAT3 increased.

CONCLUSION

DEX regulates the JAK1/STAT3 signaling pathway through miR-155 to relieve inflammation caused by inguinal hernia meshes.

High-performance n-type organic thermoelectrics enabled by modulating cyano-functionalized polythiophene backbones

The scarcity of n-type polymers with high electrical conductivity (σ) and power factor (PF) is the major challenge for organic thermoelectrics (OTEs). By integrating cyano functionalities and an intramolecular conformation lock, we herein synthesize a new electron-deficient building block, CNg4T2, bearing long 1,4,7,10-tetraoxahendecyl side chains, and then further develop two n-type polythiophene derivatives, CNg4T2-2FT and CNg4T2-CNT2, with 3,4-difluorothiophene and 3,3'-dicyano-2,2'-bithiophene as co-units, respectively. Compared with CNg4T2-2FT, CNg4T2-CNT2 features a deeper-positioned lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) while maintaining a high degree of backbone coplanarity. As a consequence, the CNg4T2-CNT2 film with molecular dopant N-DMBI delivered an impressive σ of 13.2 S cm-1 and a high PF of up to 10.84 μW m-1 K-2, significantly outperforming CNg4T2-2FT and benchmark n-type polymer N2200 films. To the best of our knowledge, this PF of CNg4T2-CNT2 devices is the highest value for n-type polythiophenes in OTEs. Further characterizations indicate that the high performance of CNg4T2-CNT2-based devices is attributed to the high doping efficiency and ordered packing of polymer chains. Our study demonstrates that CNg4T2 is a highly appealing electron-deficient building block for n-type OTE polymers and also suggests that fine-tuning of the polymer backbone is a powerful approach to accessing high-performance n-type polymers for OTE devices.

Mixing Insulating Commodity Polymers with Semiconducting n-type Polymers Enables High-Performance Electrochemical Transistors

Diluting organic semiconductors with a host insulating polymer is used to increase the electronic mobility in organic electronic devices, such as thin film transistors, while considerably reducing material costs. In contrast to organic electronics, bioelectronic devices such as the organic electrochemical transistor (OECT) rely on both electronic and ionic mobility for efficient operation, making it challenging to integrate hydrophobic polymers as the predominant blend component. This work shows that diluting the n-type conjugated polymer p(N-T) with high molecular weight polystyrene (10 KDa) leads to OECTs with over three times better mobility-volumetric capacitance product (µC*) with respect to the pristine p(N-T) (from 4.3 to 13.4 F V-1 cm-1 s-1 ) while drastically decreasing the amount of conjugated polymer (six times less). This improvement in µC* is due to a dramatic increase in electronic mobility by two orders of magnitude, from 0.059 to 1.3 cm2 V-1 s-1 for p(N-T):Polystyrene 10 KDa 1:6. Moreover, devices made with this polymer blend show better stability, retaining 77% of the initial drain current after 60 minutes operation in contrast to 12% for pristine p(N-T). These results open a new generation of low-cost organic mixed ionic-electronic conductors where the bulk of the film is made by a commodity polymer.

[Comparison of short-term safety of two anastomotic techniques when resecting Siewert type II adenocarcinoma of the esophagogastric junction: a multicenter retrospective cohort study]

Objective: In this study, we aimed to compare the short-term safety of two digestive tract reconstruction techniques, laparoscopic total abdominal overlap anastomosis and laparoscopic-assisted end-to-side anastomosis, following radical resection of Siewert Type II adenocarcinoma of the esophagogastric junction. Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, we analyzed relevant clinical data of 139 patients who had undergone radical surgery for Siewert Type II esophagogastric junction adenocarcinoma. These included 89 patients treated at the First Affiliated Hospital of Air Force Medical University from November 2021 to July 2023, 36 patients treated at the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University from December 2020 to June 2021, and 14 patients treated at the Yuncheng Central Hospital in Shanxi Province from September 2021 to November 2022. The group consisted of 107 men (77.0%) and 32 women (23.0%) of mean age 62.5±9.3 years. Forty-eight patients underwent laparoscopic total abdominal overlap anastomosis (overlap group), and 91 laparoscopic-assisted end-to-side anastomosis (end-to-side group). Clinical data, surgical information, pathological findings, postoperative recovery, and related complications were compared between the two groups. Results: There were no significant differences in general clinical data between the overlap and end-to-side anastomosis groups (all P>0.05), indicating comparability. There was no significant difference in operation time (267.2±60.1 minutes vs. 262.8±70.6 minutes, t=0.370, P=0.712). However, the intraoperative blood loss in the overlap group (100 [50, 100] mL) was significantly lower compared to the end-to-side group (100[50, 175] mL, Z=2.776, P=0.005). Compared to the end-to-side group, longer distances between the tumor and distal resection margin proximal(1.7±1.0 cm vs. 1.3±0.9 cm, t=2.487, P=0.014) and the tumor and distal resection margin (9.5±2.9 cm vs. 7.9±3.5 cm, t=2.667, P=0.009) were achieved in the overlap group. Compared with the end-to-side group, the overlap group achieved significantly earlier postoperative ambulation (1.0 [1.0, 2.0] days vs. 2.0 [1.0, 3.0] days, Z=3.117, P=0.002), earlier time to first drink (4.7±2.6 days vs. 6.2±3.0 days, t=2.851, P=0.005), and earlier time to first meal (6.0±2.7 days vs. 7.1±3.0 days, t=2.170, P=0.032). However, the hospitalization costs were higher in the overlap group (113, 105.5±37, 766.3) yuan vs. (97, 250.2±27, 746.9) yuan; this difference is significant (t=2.818, P=0.006). There were no significant differences between the two groups in postoperative hospital stay, total number of lymph nodes cleared, or time to first postoperative flatus (all P>0.05). The incidence of surgery-related complications was 22.9%(11/48) in the overlap group and 19.8% (18/91) in the end-to-side group; this difference is not significant (χ²=0.187, P=0.831). Further comparison of complications using the Clavien-Dindo classification also showed no significant differences (Z=0.406, P=0.685). Conclusions: Both laparoscopic total abdominal overlap anastomosis and laparoscopic-assisted end-to-side anastomosis are feasible for radical surgery for Siewert Type II esophagogastric junction adenocarcinoma. Laparoscopic total abdominal overlap anastomosis achieves longer proximal and distal resection margins and better postoperative recovery; however, end-to-side anastomosis is more cost-effective.

Multi-Selenophene Incorporated Thiazole Imide-Based n-Type Polymers for High-Performance Organic Thermoelectrics

Developing polymers with high electrical conductivity (σ) after n-doping is a great challenge for the advance of the field of organic thermoelectrics (OTEs). Herein, we report a series of thiazole imide-based n-type polymers by gradually increasing selenophene content in polymeric backbone. Thanks to the strong intramolecular noncovalent N⋅⋅⋅S interaction and enhanced intermolecular Se⋅⋅⋅Se interaction, with the increase of selenophene content, the polymers show gradually lowered LUMOs, more planar backbone, and improved film crystallinity versus the selenophene-free analogue. Consequently, polymer PDTzSI-Se with the highest selenophene content achieves a champion σ of 164.0 S cm-1 and a power factor of 49.0 μW m-1  K-2 in the series when applied in OTEs after n-doping. The σ value is the highest one for n-type donor-acceptor OTE materials reported to date. Our work indicates that selenophene substitution is a powerful strategy for developing high-performance n-type OTE materials and selenophene incorporated thiazole imides offer an excellent platform in enabling n-type polymers with high backbone coplanarity, deep-lying LUMO and enhanced mobility/conductivity.

Buried-Metal-Grid Electrodes for Efficient Parallel-Connected Perovskite Solar Cells

The limited conductivity of existing transparent conducting oxide (TCO) greatly restricts the further performance improvement of perovskite solar cells (PSCs), especially for large-area devices. Herein, buried-metal-grid tin-doped indium oxide (BMG ITO) electrodes are developed to minimize the power loss caused by the undesirable high sheet resistance of TCOs. By burying 140-nm-thick metal grids into ITO using a photolithography technique, the sheet resistance of ITO is reduced from 15.0 to 2.7 Ω sq-1 . The metal step of BMG over ITO has a huge impact on the charge carrier transport in PSCs. The PSCs using BMG ITO with a low metal step deliver power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) significantly better than that of their counterparts with higher metal steps. Moreover, compared with the pristine ITO-based PSCs, the BMG ITO-based PSCs show a smaller PCE decrease when scaling up the active area of devices. The parallel-connected large-area PSCs with an active area of 102.8 mm2 reach a PCE of 22.5%. The BMG ITO electrodes are also compatible with the fabrication of inverted-structure PSCs and organic solar cells. The work demonstrates the great efficacy of improving the conductivity of TCO by BMG and opens up a promising avenue for constructing highly efficient large-area PSCs.

High-Performance n-Type Polymeric Mixed Ionic-Electronic Conductors: The Impacts of Halogen Functionalization

Developing high-performance n-type polymer mixed ionic-electronic conductors (PMIECs) is a grand challenge, which largely determines their applications in vaious organic electronic devices, such as organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs) and organic thermoelectrics (OTEs). Herein, two halogen-functionalized PMIECs f-BTI2g-TVTF and f-BTI2g-TVTCl built from fused bithiophene imide dimer (f-BTI2) as the acceptor unit and halogenated thienylene-vinylene-thienylene (TVT) as the donor co-unit are reported. Compared to the control polymer f-BTI2g-TVT, the fluorinated f-BTI2g-TVTF shows lower-positioned lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO), improved charge transport property, and greater ion uptake capacity. Consequently, f-BTI2g-TVTF delivers a state-of-the-art µC* of 90.2 F cm-1 V-1 s-1 with a remarkable electron mobility of 0.41 cm2 V-1 s-1 in OECTs and an excellent power factor of 64.2 µW m-1 K-2 in OTEs. An OECT-based inverter amplifier is further demonstrated with voltage gain up to 148 V V-1 , which is among the highest values for OECT inverters. Such results shed light on the impacts of halogen atoms on developing high-performing n-type PMIECs.

Selenophene Substitution Enabled High-Performance n-Type Polymeric Mixed Ionic-Electronic Conductors for Organic Electrochemical Transistors and Glucose Sensors

High-performance n-type polymeric mixed ionic-electronic conductors (PMIECs) are essential for realizing organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs)-based low-power complementary circuits and biosensors, but their development still remains a great challenge. Herein, by devising two novel n-type polymers (f-BTI2g-SVSCN and f-BSeI2g-SVSCN) containing varying selenophene contents together with their thiophene-based counterpart as the control, it is demonstrated that gradually increasing selenophene loading in polymer backbones can simultaneously yield lowered lowest unoccupied molecular orbital levels, boosted charge-transport properties, and improved ion-uptake capabilities. Therefore, a remarkable volumetric capacitance (C*) of 387.2 F cm-3 and a state-of-the-art OECT electron mobility (µe,OECT ) of 0.48 cm2 V-1 s-1 are synchronously achieved for f-BSeI2g-SVSCN having the highest selenophene content, yielding an unprecedented geometry-normalized transconductance (gm,norm ) of 71.4 S cm-1 and record figure of merit (µC*) value of 191.2 F cm-1 V-1 s-1 for n-type OECTs. Thanks to such excellent performance of f-BSeI2g-SVSCN-based OECTs, a glucose sensor with a remarkably low detection limit of 10 nMm and decent selectivity is further implemented, demonstrating the power of selenophene substitution strategy in enabling high-performance n-type PMIECs for biosensing applications.

[Analysis of the current status and related factors of human papillomavirus infection among community-dwelling women aged 18-24 years without a history of vaccination in Shanghai City]

Objective: To understand the status of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection among young women without a history of vaccination in Shanghai, and analyze the related factors of HPV infection in this population. Methods: A total of 2 660 women aged 18-24 years old who had made an appointment for HPV vaccine at 36 community health service centers in Shanghai from July 2022 to February 2023 were selected as the study subjects. Basic information (including demographic characteristics, previous disease history, female menstrual and reproductive history, sexual life history, etc.) was collected by a self-filling electronic questionnaire. Cervical secretions were detected by HPV nucleic acid typing. The multivariate logistic regression model was used to analyze the factors related to high-risk HPV (HR-HPV) infection in the target population. Results: The age of the subjects was (23±1) years old, and the infection rate of HPV was 14.51% (386 cases), among which the infection rates of HR-HPV and low-risk HPV were 13.53% (360 cases) and 1.84% (49 cases), respectively. The main subtypes of HR-HPV infection were HPV52, 16, 58, 39 and 66. The multivariate logistic regression model analysis showed that compared with the control group, the OR (95%CI) values for HR-HPV infection in the group of married, earned less than 2 000 yuan/month, drank alcohol occasionally, gynecological disease history, had two or more sexual partners in the past year, and did not know whether the partners had other sexual partners were 0.41 (0.25-0.66), 0.39 (0.21-0.70), 1.45 (1.13-1.86), 1.29 (1.00-1.66), 2.18-5.18 (1.02-16.05), and 1.82 (1.31-2.54), respectively. Conclusion: The infection rate of HPV among women aged 18-24 years old in Shanghai remains at a high level. The main subtypes of HR-HPV infection are HPV52, 16, 58, 39 and 66. The marital status, economic income level, drinking status, gynecological disease history and sexual life history are related to HR-HPV infection.

[Perivascular epithelioid cell tumor of the lung: a clinicopathological analysis of eight cases]

Objective: To investigate the clinicopathological features of perivascular epithelioid cell tumor (PEComa) of the lung. Methods: Eight PEComa cases of the lung diagnosed at the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China from July 2008 to December 2021 were collected and subject to immunohistochemical staining, fluorescence in situ hybridization and next generation sequencing. The relevant literature was reviewed and the clinicopathological features were analyzed. Results: There were 5 males and 3 females, aged from 18 to 70 years (mean 39 years). There were 3 cases of the right upper lung, 3 cases of the left lower lung, 1 case of the left upper lung and 1 case of the right middle lung. Seven cases were solitary and 1 case was multifocal (4 lesions). Seven cases were benign while one was malignant. The tumors were all located in the peripheral part of the lung, with a maximum diameter of 0.2-4.0 cm. Grossly, they were oval and well circumscribed. Microscopically, the tumor cells were oval, short spindle-shaped, arranged in solid nests, acinar or hemangiopericytoma-like patterns, with clear or eosinophilic cytoplasm. The stroma was rich in blood vessels with hyalinization. Coagulated necrosis and high-grade nuclei were seen in the malignant case, and calcification was seen in 2 cases. Immunohistochemically, the tumor cells were positive for Melan A (8/8), HMB45 (7/8), CD34 (6/8), TFE3 (4/7), and SMA (3/8). All cases were negative for CKpan and S-100. TFE3 (Xp11.2) gene fusion was examined using the TFE3 break-apart fluorescence in situ hybridization in 5 cases, in which only the malignant case was positive. The next generation sequencing revealed the SFPQ-TFE3 [t(X;1)(p11.2;p34)] fusion. Follow-up of the patients ranged from 12 to 173 months while one patient was lost to the follow-up. The malignant case had tumor metastasis to the brain 4 years after the operation and then received radiotherapy. Other 6 cases had no recurrence and metastasis, and all the 7 patients survived. Conclusions: Most of the PEComas of the lung are benign. When there are malignant morphological features such as necrosis, high-grade nuclei or SFPQ-TFE3 gene fusion, close follow-up seems necessary.

Comparison of the Time and Accuracy of Intraoral Scans Performed by Dentists, Nurses, Postgraduates, and Undergraduates

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to assess the scanning time (ST) and accuracy of 10 repeated upper and lower dentition scans by four groups of operators with different professional backgrounds.

METHODS

There were a total of 32 participants, including dentists, nurses, postgraduates, and undergraduates (n=8). They received the same training about intraoral scanning and then performed 10 repeat scans on the plaster maxillary and mandibular dentition models in a manikin head, with the first five scans being the T1 phase and the last five scans being the T2 phase. Each ST was recorded. Trueness and precision were evaluated by root mean square (RMS) value gained from alignments of corresponding virtual models. For statistical analysis, the paired-sample t-tests, one-way ANOVA, and Pearson correlation tests were employed (α=0.05).

RESULTS

Limiting the comparison in scan phase and scan target the sequence of STs for the four groups was the same (p<0.05), by which undergraduates, postgraduates, nurses, and dentists were in descending order. Undergraduates gained the best precision, followed by postgraduates, dentists, and nurses, in both maxillary and mandibular scanning (p<0.05). Compared with corresponding items of the T1 phase, the trueness of the T2 phase was much higher (p<0.05), while the ST of the T2 phase was much shorter (p<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The operator's professional background affects the precision and scanning time but not the trueness. Most dental personnel have good access to the intraoral scanner. As the number of scans increased, the accuracy and scanning efficiency also improved.

Synthesis, Properties, and Semiconducting Characteristics of Bisbenzothieno[b]-Fused BODIPYs

A novel family of bisbenzothieno[b]-fused BODIPYs containing seven fused aromatic rings has been developed from readily available benzothieo[3,2-b]pyrroles through an efficient two-step synthetic route, exhibiting planar skeletons with excellent photostabilities, deep-red absorptions, and near-infrared emissions (up to 753 nm). Importantly, the thin-film transistors based on BTB with a meso-dimethylamino-phenyl group exhibit unipolar n-type charge transporting characteristics with a high electron mobility of 0.013 cm2 V-1 s-1.

Isomerized Green Solid Additive Engineering for Thermally Stable and Eco-Friendly All-Polymer Solar Cells with Approaching 19% Efficiency

Laboratory-scale all-polymer solar cells (all-PSCs) have exhibited remarkable power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) exceeding 19%. However, the utilization of hazardous solvents and nonvolatile liquid additives poses challenges for eco-friendly commercialization, resulting in the trade-off between device efficiency and operation stability. Herein, an innovative approach based on isomerized solid additive engineering is proposed, employing volatile dithienothiophene (DTT) isomers to modulate intermolecular interactions and facilitate molecular stacking within the photoactive layers. Through elucidating the underlying principles of the DTT-induced polymer assembly on molecular level, a PCE of 18.72% is achieved for devices processed with environmentally benign solvents, ranking it among the highest record values for eco-friendly all-PSCs. Significantly, such superiorities of the DTT-isomerized strategy afford excellent compatibility with large-area blade-coating techniques, offering a promising pathway for industrial-scale manufacturing of all-PSCs. Moreover, these devices demonstrate enhanced thermal stability with a promising extrapolated T80 lifetime of 14 000 h, further bolstering their potential for sustainable technological advancement.

High-Performance n-Type Organic Thermoelectrics Enabled by Synergistically Achieving High Electron Mobility and Doping Efficiency

n-Doped polymers with high electrical conductivity (σ) are still very scarce in organic thermoelectrics (OTEs), which limits the development of efficient organic thermoelectric generators. A series of fused bithiophene imide dimer-based polymers, PO8, PO12, and PO16, incorporating distinct oligo(ethylene glycol) side-chain to optimize σ is reported here. Three polymers show a monotonic electron mobility decrease as side-chain size increasing due to the gradually lowered film crystallinity and change of backbone orientation. Interestingly, polymer PO12 with a moderate side-chain size delivers a champion σ up to 92.0 S cm-1 and a power factor (PF) as high as 94.3 µW m-1 K-2 in the series when applied in OTE devices. The PF value is among the highest ones for the solution-processing n-doped polymers. In-depth morphology studies unravel that the moderate crystallinity and the formation of 3D conduction channel derived from bimodal orientation synergistically contribute to high doping efficiency and large charge carrier mobility, thus resulting in high performance for the PO12-based OTEs. The results demonstrate the great power of simple tuning of side chain in developing n-type polymers with substantial σ for improving organic thermoelectric performance.

Stereotactic Radiotherapy or Whole Brain Radiotherapy Combined with Pyrotinib and Capecitabine in HER2-Positive Advanced Breast Cancer Patients with Brain Metastases (BROPTIMA): A Prospective, Phase Ib/II Single-Arm Clinical Study

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

Approximately half of patients with advanced HER2-positive breast cancer (BC) will develop brain metastases (BM) over time. Local therapy including stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT) and whole brain radiotherapy (WBRT) is the main initial treatment in malignant tumor patients with BM. However, more than 50% patients after radiotherapy in one year suffered intracranial recurrence. Pyrotinib, a small molecule, irreversible, pan-ErbB receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI), has a high potency for controlling BM and reducing the occurrence of brain metastases in advanced HER2-positive BC patients. We hypothesized that SRT or WBRT combined with pyrotinib and capecitabine could decrease intracranial progression in HER2 positive BC with newly diagnosed BM.

MATERIALS/METHODS

In this prospective single-arm phase Ib/II trial (NCT04582968), eligible patients were assigned to either fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy (FSRT) or whole-brain radiation therapy (WBRT), combined with pyrotinib and capecitabine. The primary endpoint was one-year CNS progression-free survival (PFS) rate. Secondary endpoints included intracranial objective response rate (IC-ORR) according to RANO-BM criteria, progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS) and evaluation of safety and neurocognitive function.

RESULTS

From January 2020 to August 2022, 40 patients were enrolled. Twenty-nine patients were treated with FSRT in 8 Gy per fraction with 3 to 5 fractions and 11 were treated with WBRT in 3 Gy per fraction with 10 fractions, and then received chemotherapy in a time frame starting from 0 to 7 days after radiotherapy. At a median follow-up of 17.3 months, 1-year CNS-PFS rate was 74.9% (95% CI 61.9-90.7%) and median CNS-PFS was 18 months (95% CI, 15.5 to NA months). One-year PFS rate was 66.9% (53.1-84.2%) and median PFS time was 17.6 months (95% CI 12.8-34.1 months). The best intracranial response rate (IC-ORR: complete response and partial response) was 92.5% (37/40). The most common grade 3 or worse toxicity was diarrhea (7.5%) and asymptomatic radiation necrosis was detected in 4 of 67(6.0%) lesions treated with FSRT. No differences of neurocognitive function evaluated by MMSE (Mini-Mental State Exam) were observed between different groups at any time point.

CONCLUSION

Radiotherapy combined with pyrotinib and capecitabine resulted in a promising efficacy that crossed the pre-specified boundary in patients with HER2-positive advanced breast cancer with brain metastases. This is the first prospective study showing the efficacy and safety of CNS radiotherapy concurrent with pyrotinib and capecitabine in patients with BM from HER2-positive breast cancer. Further investigation in a randomized controlled study is warranted.

Genetically elevated bioavailable testosterone level was associated with the occurrence of benign prostatic hyperplasia

BACKGROUND

Recent studies identified several risk factors of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), including dyslipidemia, type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and obesity. But they were not so reliable and some studies contradicted with one another. Hence, a reliable method is urgently needed to explore exact factors that facilitated BPH development.

METHODS

The study was based on Mendelian randomization (MR) design. All participants were from the most recent genome-wide association studies (GWAS) with large sample size. The causal associations between nine phenotypes (total testosterone level, bioavailable testosterone level, sex hormone-binding globulin, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, type 2 diabetes mellitus, hyper-tension, and body mass index) and BPH outcome were estimated. Two sample MR, bidirectional MR, and multivariate MR (MVMR) were performed.

RESULTS

Increase in bioavailable testosterone level was able to induce BPH based on nearly all combination methods [beta (95% confidence interval (CI)): 0.20 (0.06-0.34) for inverse variance weighted (IVW)]. The other traits seemed to interact with testosterone level and did not cause BPH generally. Higher triglycerides level was likely to raise bioavailable testosterone level [beta (95% CI): 0.04 (0.01-0.06) for IVW]. In MVMR model, bioavailable testosterone level was still associated with BPH occurrence [beta (95% CI) 0.27 (0.03-0.50) for IVW].

CONCLUSIONS

We for the first time validated the central role of bioavailable testosterone level in the pathogenesis of BPH. The complex associations between other traits and BPH should be further investigated.

Biselenophene Imide: Enabling Polymer Acceptor with High Electron Mobility for High-Performance All-Polymer Solar Cells

The shortage of narrow band gap polymer acceptors with high electron mobility is the major bottleneck for developing efficient all-polymer solar cells (all-PSCs). Herein, we synthesize a distannylated electron-deficient biselenophene imide monomer (BSeI-Tin) with high purity/reactivity, affording an excellent chance to access acceptor-acceptor (A-A) type polymer acceptors. Copolymerizing BSeI-Tin with dibrominated monomer Y5-Br, the resulting A-A polymer PY5-BSeI shows a higher molecular weight, narrower band gap, deeper-lying frontier molecular orbital levels and larger electron mobility than the donor-acceptor type counterpart PY5-BSe. Consequently, the PY5-BSeI-based all-PSCs deliver a remarkable efficiency of 17.77 % with a high short-circuit current of 24.93 mA cm-2 and fill factor of 75.83 %. This efficiency is much higher than that (10.70 %) of the PY5-BSe-based devices. Our study demonstrates that BSeI is a promising building block for constructing high-performance polymer acceptors and stannylation of electron-deficient building blocks offers an excellent approach to developing A-A type polymers for all-PSCs and even beyond.

Semiconducting Polymers Based on Simple Electron-Deficient Cyanated trans-1,3-Butadienes for Organic Field-Effect Transistors

Developing high-performance but low-cost n-type polymers remains a significant challenge in the commercialization of organic field-effect transistors (OFETs). To achieve this objective, it is essential to design the key electron-deficient units with simple structures and facile preparation processes, which can facilitate the production of low-cost n-type polymers. Herein, by sequentially introducing fluorine and cyano functionalities onto trans-1,3-butadiene, we developed a series of structurally simple but highly electron-deficient building blocks, namely 1,4-dicyano-butadiene (CNDE), 3-fluoro-1,4-dicyano-butadiene (CNFDE), and 2,3-difluoro-1,4-dicyano-butadiene (CNDFDE), featuring a highly coplanar backbone and deep-positioned lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) energy levels (-3.03-4.33 eV), which render them highly attractive for developing n-type semiconducting polymers. Notably, all these electron-deficient units can be easily accessed by a two-step high-yield synthetic procedure from low-cost raw materials, thus rendering them highly promising candidates for commercial applications. Upon polymerization with diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP), three copolymers were developed that demonstrated unipolar n-type transport characteristics in OFETs with the highest electron mobility of >1 cm2  V-1  s-1 . Hence, CNDE, CNFDE, and CNDFDE represent a class of novel, simple, and efficient electron-deficient units for constructing low-cost n-type polymers, thereby providing valuable insight for OFET applications.

Target Therapy for Buried Interface Enables Stable Perovskite Solar Cells with 25.05% Efficiency

The buried interface in perovskite solar cells (PSCs) is pivotal for achieving high efficiency and stability. However, it is challenging to study and optimize the buried interface due to its non-exposed feature. Here, a facile and effective strategy is developed to modify the SnO2 /perovskite buried interface by passivating the buried defects in perovskite and modulating carrier dynamics via incorporating formamidine oxalate (FOA) in SnO2 nanoparticles. Both formamidinium and oxalate ions show a longitudinal gradient distribution in the SnO2 layer, mainly accumulating at the SnO2 /perovskite buried interface, which enables high-quality upper perovskite films, minimized defects, superior interface contacts, and matched energy levels between perovskite and SnO2 . Significantly, FOA can simultaneously reduce the oxygen vacancies and tin interstitial defects on the SnO2 surface and the FA+ /Pb2+ associated defects at the perovskite buried interface. Consequently, the FOA treatment significantly improves the efficiency of the PSCs from 22.40% to 25.05% and their storage- and photo-stability. This method provides an effective target therapy of buried interface in PSCs to achieve very high efficiency and stability.

[Clinicopathological features of esophageal carcinoma with ductal differentiation of esophageal gland]

Objective: To investigate the clinicopathological characteristics of esophageal carcinoma with gland duct differentiation. Methods: The clinical, morphologic and immunohistochemical (IHC) features of eight cases of esophageal carcinoma with gland duct differentiation diagnosed from 2012 to 2022 at the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University were summarized. Results: There were four males and four females, with a mean age of 68.5 (range 59-82) years. Two tumors were located in middle esophagus, five in the lower esophagus, and one in the cardia. The mean diameter was 2.4 cm (range 0.6-4.5 cm). The tumor had a bilayer epithelial structure, including the inner luminal epithelium and the outer basal epithelium. Immunohistochemistry showed that CK7 (8/8) and CK18 (8/8) were positive in the inner epithelium. p40 (8/8), p63 (8/8) and CK5/6 (8/8) were positive in the outer epithelium. SMA, calponin and CD117 were all negative. p53 mutants were found in all eight cases (strong and diffuse positivity in 6/8; complete loss of expression in 2/8). No columnar metaplasia, intestinal metaplasia and ectopic gastric mucosa were observed in the surface squamous epithelium in the cases. The mean follow-up time was 21.5 months (range 5-51 months). Seven patients survived and one patient died 31 months after surgery due to recurrence and liver metastasis. Conclusion: Esophageal carcinoma with esophageal gland duct differentiation is a rare tumor with unique histologic and IHC characteristics.

[Safety of delayed vaccination with the national immunization program vaccines in children aged 0-6 years from 2019 to 2021 in Xuhui District, Shanghai City in China]

Objective: To understand the incidence of delayed vaccination with the national immunization program vaccines among children aged 0-6 years in Xuhui District, Shanghai, and to evaluate the safety of delayed vaccination. Methods: A stratified random sampling was used to obtain six vaccination clinics in Xuhui District, Shanghai. The vaccination records of children 0-6 years from these six vaccination clinics were collected from the Shanghai Immunization Program Information Management System. Adverse events following immunization (AEFI) data were collected from the China Information System for Disease Control and Prevention. Descriptive epidemiology was used to analyze the data. Children were divided into the timely vaccination group and delayed vaccination group according whether they were delayed in vaccination (received one month or more after the recommended age among children aged ≤1 year; received three months or more after the recommended age among children aged >1 year). The safety of four vaccination methods-individual vaccination, simultaneous vaccination, routine vaccination and combined vaccination-were further compared. Differences between groups were compared using chi-square test. Results: From 2019 to 2021, six vaccination clinics in Xuhui District administered 124 031 doses of the national immunization program vaccines among children aged 0-6 years, and delayed vaccinations accounted for 25.99% (32 234/124 031) of these doses. In 2020, the delayed vaccination rate during the first-level COVID-19 public health emergency response period in Shanghai was significantly higher than that in the same period in 2019 (34.70% vs. 24.19%, χ2=136.23, P<0.05). The delayed vaccination rate during the COVID-19 vaccination campaign in 2021 was significantly higher than that in the same period in 2019 (25.27% vs. 22.55%, χ2=82.80, P<0.05). From 2019 to 2021, a total of 475 cases of AEFI were reported in six vaccination clinics, with a reported incidence of 382.97 per 100 000 doses, including 421 cases of common adverse reaction (88.63%, 339.43 per 100 000 doses), 51 cases of rare adverse reaction (10.74%, 41.12 per 100 000 doses) and 3 cases of coincidences (0.63%, 2.42 per 100 000 doses). The reported incidence of AEFI among delayed vaccinations was significantly lower than that among timely vaccinations (291.62 per 100 000 doses vs. 415.05 per 100 000 doses). The incidence of AEFI for the four delayed vaccination methods (individual vaccination, simultaneous vaccination, routine vaccination and combined vaccination) was lower than that for timely vaccination. There were significant differences between the groups except for the routine vaccination group (χ2=9.82, P<0.05; χ2=5.46, P<0.05; χ2=2.97, P>0.05; χ2=11.89, P<0.05). Conclusions: In Xuhui District of Shanghai, 25.99% of doses of the national immunization program vaccines administered to children 0-6 years were delayed. Delayed vaccination does not increase the risk of AEFI compared with timely vaccination.

Synthesis and Optoelectronic Applications of dπ-pπ Conjugated Polymers with a Di-metallaaromatic Acceptor

The development of conjugated polymers especially n-type polymer semiconductors is powered by the design and synthesis of electron-deficient building blocks. Herein, a strong acceptor building block with di-metallaaromatic structure was designed and synthesized by connecting two electron-deficient metallaaromatic units through a π-conjugated bridge. Then, a double-monomer polymerization methodology was developed for inserting it into conjugated polymer scaffolds to yield metallopolymers. The isolated well-defined model oligomers indicated polymer structures. Kinetic studies based on NMR and UV/Vis spectroscopies shed light on the polymerization process. Interestingly, the resulted metallopolymers with dπ-pπ conjugations are very promising electron transport layer materials which can boost photovoltaic performance of an organic solar cell, with power conversion efficiency up to 18.28% based on the PM6:EH-HD-4F non-fullerene system. This work not only provides a facile route to construct metallaaromatic conjugated polymers with various functional groups, but also discovers their potential applications for the first time.

[Analysis of the direct economic burden of measles cases and its influencing factors in Shanghai from 2017 to 2019]

Objective: To analyze the direct economic burden caused by measles cases in Shanghai from 2017 to 2019 and its influencing factors. Methods: A total of 161 laboratory-confirmed measles cases reported from January 1, 2017, to December 31, 2019, in Shanghai were included in the study through the "Measles Surveillance Information Reporting and Management System" of the "China Disease Surveillance Information Reporting and Management System". Through telephone follow-up and consulting hospital data, the basic information of population, medical treatment situation, medical treatment costs and other information were collected, and the direct economic burden of cases was calculated, including registration fees, examination fees, hospitalization fees, medical fees and other disease treatment expenses, as well as transportation and other expenses of cases. The multiple linear regression model was used to analyze the main influencing factors of the direct economic burden. Results: The age of 161 measles cases M (Q₁, Q₃) was 28.21 (13.33, 37.00) years. Male cases (56.52%) were more than female cases (43.48%). The largest number of cases was≥18 years old (70.81%). The total direct economic burden of 161 measles cases was 540 851.14 yuan, and the per capita direct economic burden was 3 359.32 yuan. The direct economic burden M (Q₁, Q₃) was 873.00 (245.01, 4 014.79) yuan per person. The results of multiple linear regression model analysis showed that compared with other and unknown occupations, central areas and non-hospitalized cases, the direct economic burden of measles cases was higher in scattered children, childcare children, students, and cadre staff in the occupational distribution, suburban areas and hospitalized, with the coefficient of β (95%CI) values of 0.388 (0.150-0.627), 0.297 (0.025-0.569), 0.327 (0.148-0.506) and 1.031 (0.853-1.209), respectively (all P values<0.05). Conclusion: The direct economic burden of some measles cases in Shanghai is relatively high. Occupation, area of residence and hospitalization are the main factors influencing the direct economic burden of measles cases.

Efficacy of immunotherapy-based immediate cytoreductive nephrectomy vs. deferred cytoreductive nephrectomy in metastatic renal cell carcinoma

OBJECTIVE

This study was performed to evaluate the efficacy of immediate cytoreductive nephrectomy (CRN) followed by programmed cell death factor-1 (PD-1) inhibitors vs. deferred CRN after the administration of 4 cycles of neoadjuvant therapy using nivolumab preceding the debulking and postoperative chemotherapy in metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We recruited 84 patients with primary mRCC admitted to our Oncology Department from 2018 to 2020 and randomized them 1:1 to receive either CRN followed by nivolumab (control group) or 4 cycles of neoadjuvant therapy using nivolumab before CRN and postoperative chemotherapy (study group), with 42 patients in each group. The primary clinical endpoints were the clinical efficacy and safety of the PD-1 antibody. Clinical outcomes were assessed 3 months after treatment.

RESULTS

Patients were followed-up for 10-52 months, with a median follow-up period of 40.50 months. The control group reported 2 cases of complete remission and 10 cases of partial remission, with an objective response rate (ORR) of 28.57% (12/42). The study group reported 4 cases of complete remission and 14 cases of partial remission with an ORR of 42.86% (18/42). No significant differences in the ORR were identified between the two groups (p > 0.05). Progression-free survival of the patients was significantly extended from 30 months (19-51) to 43 months (38-76) after administrating the PD-1 inhibitors before the debulking (HR = 0.501, 95% CI: 0.266 to 0.942). There were no significant differences in the median survival of patients between the two groups [44 months (38-79) vs. 44 months (32-81)] (HR = 0.814, 95% CI: 0.412 to 1.612). The two protocols had a similar safety profile.

CONCLUSIONS

Nivolumab administration preceding delayed CRN provides significant progression-free survival benefits for patients with mRCC, but its impact on overall survival requires further investigations.

Cyano-Functionalized Fused Bithiophene Imide Dimer-Based n-Type polymers for High-Performance Organic Thermoelectrics

Doped n-type polymers usually exhibit low electrical conductivities and thermoelectric power factors (PFs), restricting the development of high-performance p-n junction-based organic thermoelectrics (OTEs). Herein we report the design and synthesis of a new cyano-functionalized fused bithiophene imide dimer (f-BTI2), CNI2, which synergistically combines the advantages of both cyano and imide functionalities, thus leading to substantially higher electron deficiency than the parent f-BTI2. On the basis of this novel building block, a series of n-type donor-acceptor and acceptor-acceptor polymers were successfully synthesized, all of which show good solubility, deep-lying frontier molecular orbital levels, and favorable polymer chain orientation. Among them, the acceptor-acceptor polymer PCNI2-BTI delivers an excellent electrcial conductivity up to 150.2 S cm^-1 and a highest PF of 110.3 μW m^-1 K^-2 in n-type OTEs, attributed to the optimized polymer electronic properties and film morphology with improved molecular packing and higher crystallinity assisted by solution-shearing technology. The PF value is the record of n-type polymers for OTEs to date. This work demonstrates a facile approach to designing high-performance n-type polymers and fabricating high-quality films for OTE applications. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

In multi electron beam systems, "Neighbours Matter"

In the Multi beam source (MBS) of our Multi Beam Scanning Electron Microscope (MBSEM), an aperture lens array (ALA) splits the emission cone of the Schottky field emitter into multiple beamlets. When the apertures in the ALA are close to each other, the ALA can introduce aberrations to these beamlets through the electrostatic interaction of neighbouring apertures with each aperture's lens field. When the apertures are arranged in a square grid pattern, the aberration causes fourfold astigmatism. The effect on the beam spot is analyzed through a combination of 3D simulations and experimental validation. To counterbalance the fourfold astigmatism, a correction scheme is proposed in which a slightly non-round profile is applied to the aperture lenses.

EVALUATION OF PRE-ABLATION NLR AND LMR AS PREDICTORS OF DISTANT METASTASES IN PATIENTS WITH DIFFERENTIATED THYROID CANCER

Objective

This research aim was to evaluates the role of the pre-ablation neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR) as predictors of distant metastases in patients with differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC).

Methods

A retrospective analysis was given to 140 patients with DTC who received 131I remnant ablation after surgery. The patients were divided into two groups based on the existence of distant metastasis.

Results

The two groups showed no significant difference in age, gender, WBCs, neutrophils, monocytes, eosinophils, basophils and whether the tumor was multifocal. In the univariate analysis, significant differences were found in tumor size (p=0.021), lymphocyte (p=0.012), NLR (p=0.027), and LMR (p=0.007). According to the ROC curves, NLR had an AUC of 0.612 ± 0.097 with a cut-off value of 1.845, sensitivity of 60.0%, and specificity of 66.2% (p=0.027). LMR had an AUC of 0.638 ± 0.095 with a cut-off value of 4.630, sensitivity of 84.6%, and specificity of 35.4% (p=0.007). In the multivariate analysis, larger tumor size (OR=5.246, 95% CI 1.269-10.907, p=0.009) and higher NLR (OR=2.087, 95% CI 0.977-4.459, p=0.034) were statistically significant for distant metastases.

Conclusion

This research reveals that pre-ablation NLR and tumor size are significantly statistically correlated with distant metastases in patients with DTC.

[Effection of tear film stability on orthokeratology]

Orthokeratology (Ortho-K) is one of the effective methods to control the development of myopia in children and adolescents. The mechanical pressure of eyelids on the Ortho-K lens and the hydraulic effect of tears under the Ortho-K lens can alter the curvature or shape of the cornea, which can correct refractive error and control myopia development progress. The tear film is a thin layer of liquids evenly distributing in the conjunctival sac. Wearing an Ortho-K lens can decrease the tear film stability, which will influence the Ortho-K. In this article, the relevant domestic and overseas research results are summarized and analyzed, aiming to sort out and discuss the effection of tear film stability on the fitting, shaping, safety, and visual quality of the Ortho-K, as well as to provide suggestions for clinicians and researchers.

Thermally Crosslinked Hole Conductor Enables Stable Inverted Perovskite Solar Cells with 23.9% Efficiency

Poly[bis(4-phenyl)(2,4,6-trimethylphenyl)amine] (PTAA) represents the state-of-the-art hole transport material (HTM) in inverted perovskite solar cells (PSCs). However, unsatisfied surface properties of PTAA and high energy disorder in the bulk film hinder the further enhancement of device performance. Herein, a simple small molecule 10-(4-(3,6-dimethoxy-9H-carbazol-9-yl)phenyl)-3,7-bis(4-vinylphenyl)-10H-phenoxazine (MCz-VPOZ) is strategically developed for in situ fabrication of polymer hole conductor (CL-MCz) via a facile and low-temperature cross-linking technology. The resulting polymer CL-MCz offers high energy ordering and improved electrical conductivity, as well as appropriate energy-level alignment, enabling efficient charge carrier collection in the devices. Meanwhile, CL-MCz synchronously provides satisfied surface wettability and interfacial functionalization, facilitating the formation of high-quality perovskite films with fewer bulk iodine vacancies and suppressed carrier recombination. Significantly, the device with CL-MCz yields a champion efficiency of 23.9% along with an extremely low energy loss down to 0.41 eV, which represents the highest reported efficiency for non-PTAA-based polymer HTMs in inverted PSCs. Furthermore, the corresponding unencapsulated devices exhibit competitive shelf-life stability under various operational stressors up to 2500 h, reflecting high promises of CL-MCz in the scalable PSC application. This work underscores the promising potential of the cross-linking approach in preparing low-cost, stable, and efficient polymer HTMs toward reliable PSCs.

Synchronous Fabrication of Custom One-piece Glass Fiber Post-and-core and Zirconia Crown by a Fully Digital Workflow

Combined crown and post-and-core treatment often requires multiple intermittent appointments and takes a long time. This article describes a novel method for simultaneously fabricating a custom glass fiber post-and-core and the corresponding crown. The critical step, defined as a post-and-core virtual try-in, is to construct a virtual crown abutment that mimics the profile of a real one gained after post-cementation and tooth preparation. The fully digital workflow optimizes the treatment and saves time by accomplishing restorations on the first visit.

Efficient and stable organic solar cells enabled by multicomponent photoactive layer based on one-pot polymerization

Degradation of the kinetically trapped bulk heterojunction film morphology in organic solar cells (OSCs) remains a grand challenge for their practical application. Herein, we demonstrate highly thermally stable OSCs using multicomponent photoactive layer synthesized via a facile one-pot polymerization, which show the advantages of low synthetic cost and simplified device fabrication. The OSCs based on multicomponent photoactive layer deliver a high power conversion efficiency of 11.8% and exhibit excellent device stability for over 1000 h (>80% of their initial efficiency retention), realizing a balance between device efficiency and operational lifetime for OSCs. In-depth opto-electrical and morphological properties characterizations revealed that the dominant PM6-b-L15 block polymers with backbone entanglement and the small fraction of PM6 and L15 polymers synergistically contribute to the frozen fine-tuned film morphology and maintain well-balanced charge transport under long-time operation. These findings pave the way towards the development of low-cost and long-term stable OSCs.

Terminal Cyano-Functionalized Fused Bithiophene Imide Dimer-Based n-Type Small Molecular Semiconductors: Synthesis, Structure-Property Correlations, and Thermoelectric Performances

n-Doped small molecular organic thermoelectric materials (OTMs) hold advantages of high Seebeck coefficient and better performance reproducibility over their polymeric analogues; however, high-performance n-type small molecular OTMs are severely lacking. We report here a class of small molecular OTMs based on terminal cyanation of a bithiophene imide-based ladder-type heteroarene BTI2. It was found that the cyanation could effectively lower the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) level from -2.90 eV (BTI2) to -4.14 eV (BTI2-4CN) and thus lead to significantly improved n-doping efficiency. Additionally, terminal cyano-functionalization can maintain the close packing and efficient intermolecular charge transfer between these cyanated molecules, thus yielding high electron mobilities of up to 0.40 cm2 V-1 s-1. Benefiting from its low LUMO-enabled efficient n-doping and high electron mobility, an encouraging n-type electrical conductivity of 0.43 S cm-1 and power factor (PF) of 6.34 μW m-1 K-2 were achieved for tetracyanated BTI2-4CN, significantly outperforming those of its noncynated BTI2 (<10-7 S cm-1, PF undetectable) and dicyanated BTI2-2CN (0.24 S cm-1, 1.78 μW m-1 K-2). These results suggest the great potential of the terminal cyanation strategy of ladder-type heteroarenes for developing high-performance small molecular OTMs.

Efficient Inverted Perovskite Solar Cells via Improved Sequential Deposition

Inverted-structure metal halide perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have attractive advantages like low-temperature processability and outstanding device stability. The two-step sequential deposition method shows the benefits of easy fabrication and decent performance repeatability. Nevertheless, it is still challenging to achieve high-performance inverted PSCs with similar or equal power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) compared to the regular-structure counterparts via this deposition method. Here, an improved two-step sequential deposition technique is demonstrated via treating the bottom organic hole-selective layer with the binary modulation system composed of a polyelectrolyte and an ammonium salt. Such improved sequential deposition method leads to the spontaneous refinement of up and buried interfaces for the perovskite films, contributing to high film quality with significantly reduced defect density and better charge transportation. As a result, the optimized PSCs show a large enhancement in the open-circuit voltage by 100 mV and a dramatic lift in the PCE from 18.1% to 23.4%, delivering the current state-of-the-art performances for inverted PSCs. Moreover, good operational and thermal stability is achieved upon the improved inverted PSCs. This innovative strategy helps gain a deeper insight into the perovskite crystal growth and defect modulation in the inverted PSCs based on the two-step sequential deposition method.

n-Type Polymer Semiconductors Based on Dithienylpyrazinediimide

The development of n-type organic semiconductors critically relies on the design and synthesis of highly electron-deficient building blocks with good solubility and small steric hindrance. We report here a strongly electron-deficient dithienylpyrazinediimide (TPDI) and its n-type semiconducting polymers. The pyrazine substitution leads to the resulting polymers with much lower-lying lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) levels and improved backbone planarity compared to the reported dithienylbenzodiimide (TBDI)- and fluorinated dithienylbenzodiimide (TFBDI)-based polymer analogues, thus yielding n-type transport character with an electron mobility up to 0.44 cm² V^-1 s^-1 in organic thin-film transistors. These results demonstrate that dithienylpyrazinediimide is a highly promising electron-deficient building block for constructing high-performance n-type polymers and the incorporation of pyrazine into imide-functionalized (hetero)arenes is an effective strategy to develop n-type polymers with deep-lying frontier molecular orbital (FMO) levels for organic optoelectronic devices.

Thiazole Imide-Based All-Acceptor Homopolymer with Branched Ethylene Glycol Side Chains for Organic Thermoelectrics

n-Type semiconducting polymers with high thermoelectric performance remain challenging due to the scarcity of molecular design strategy, limiting their applications in organic thermoelectric (OTE) devices. Herein, we provide a new approach to enhance the OTE performance of n-doped polymers by introducing acceptor-acceptor (A-A) type backbone bearing branched ethylene glycol (EG) side chains. When doped with 4-(2,3-dihydro-1,3-dimethyl-1H-benzimidazol-2-yl)-N,N-dimethylbenzenamine (N-DMBI), the A-A homopolymer PDTzTI-TEG exhibits n-type electrical conductivity (σ) up to 34 S cm^-1 and power factor value of 15.7 μW m^-1  K^-2 . The OTE performance of PDTzTI-TEG is far greater than that of homopolymer PBTI-TEG (σ=0.27 S cm^-1 ), indicating that introducing electron-deficient thiazole units in the backbone further improves the n-doping efficiency. These results demonstrate that developing A-A type polymers with EG side chains is an effective strategy to enhance n-type OTE performance.