A 3,3'-Difluoro-2,2'-Bithiophene Based Donor Polymer Realizing High Efficiency (>17%) Single Junction Binary Organic Solar Cells

In this study, two novel donor-acceptor (D-A) copolymers are designed and synthesized, DTBT-2T and DTBT-2T2F with 2,2'-bithiophene or 3,3'-difluoro-2,2'-bithiophene as the donor unit and dithienobenzothiadiazole as the acceptor unit, and used them as donor materials in non-fullerene organic solar cells (OSCs). Due to enhanced planarity of polymer chains resulted by the intramolecular F···S noncovalent interactions, the incorporation of 3,3'-difluoro-2,2'-bithiophene unit instead of 2,2'-bithiophene into the polymers can enhance their molecular packing, crystallinity and hole mobility. The DTBT-2T:L8-BO based binary OSCs deliver a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of only 9.71% with a Voc of 0.78 V, a Jsc of 20.69 mA cm-2 , and an FF of 59.67%. Moreover, the introduction of fluoro atoms can lower the highest occupied molecular orbital levels. As a result, DTBT-2T2F:L8-BO based single-junction binary OSCs exhibited less recombination loss, more balanced charge mobility, and more favorable morphology, resulting in an impressive PCE of 17.03% with a higher Voc of 0.89 V, a Jsc of 25.40 mA cm-2, and an FF of 75.74%. These results indicate that 3,3'-difluoro-2,2'-bithiophene unit can be used as an effective building block to synthesize high performance polymer donor materials. This work greatly expands the selection range of donor units for constructing high-performance polymers.

On the role of asymmetric molecular geometry in high-performance organic solar cells

Although asymmetric molecular design has been widely demonstrated effective for organic photovoltaics (OPVs), the correlation between asymmetric molecular geometry and their optoelectronic properties is still unclear. To access this issue, we have designed and synthesized several symmetric-asymmetric non-fullerene acceptors (NFAs) pairs with identical physical and optoelectronic properties. Interestingly, we found that the asymmetric NFAs universally exhibited increased open-circuit voltage compared to their symmetric counterparts, due to the reduced non-radiative charge recombination. From our molecular-dynamic simulations, the asymmetric NFA naturally exhibits more diverse molecular interaction patterns at the donor (D):acceptor (A) interface as compared to the symmetric ones, as well as higher D:A interfacial charge-transfer state energy. Moreover, it is observed that the asymmetric structure can effectively suppress triplet state formation. These advantages enable a best efficiency of 18.80%, which is one of the champion results among binary OPVs. Therefore, this work unambiguously demonstrates the unique advantage of asymmetric molecular geometry, unveils the underlying mechanism, and highlights the manipulation of D:A interface as an important consideration for future molecular design.

MicroRNA-150-5P regulates Th1/Th2 cytokines expression levels by targeting EGR2 in allergic rhinitis

BACKGROUND

MiR-150-5p is one of the miRNAs in the expression profile of miRNAs, and in many previous studies, it has been shown that miR-150-5p may play an important role in peripheral blood dendritic cells (DCs) of allergic rhinitis (AR) patients. We sought to investigate the role and mechanism of miR-150-5p in regulating DC function by modulating EGR2 and influencing T cell derivation to promote AR development.

METHODS

The expression of miR-150-5p and EGR2 in AR patients was examined by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), the expression of IL-4 cytokines in the supernatant of AR patients was tested by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and the expression of eosinophils in the supernatant of AR patients was measured by HE staining. The expression of EGR2 was detected by immunohistochemistry and fluorescent m-immunohistochemistry.

RESULTS

MiR-150-5p expression was up-regulated and EGR2 expression was down-regulated in peripheral blood DCs from AR patients. miR-150-5p upregulated DCs, which promoted T-cell differentiation. miR-150-5p further regulated EGR2, which suppressed DCs and caused alteration of T-cell differentiation, in turn triggering the occurrence of AR.

CONCLUSION

MiR-150-5p and its target gene EGR2 are involved in the development of AR, and DCs foster T-cell differentiation in peripheral blood of AR patients.

Quality control of postoperative radiotherapy for non-small cell lung cancer: A study of mediastinal shift

PURPOSE

This study aimed to assess the shifting patterns of the mediastinum, including the target volume and the isocenter point during the postoperative radiotherapy (PORT) process of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and to observe the occurrence of radiation injury. Additionally, we investigated the significance of mid-term assessment during the implementation of the PORT process.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

We established coordinate axes based on bone anatomy and measured the mediastinum's three-dimensional direction and the shift of the isocenter point's shift in the PORT process. Statistical analysis was performed using Wilcoxon, Kruskal-Wallis, and the Chi-square test. P<0.05 was considered statistically significant.

RESULTS

In this study, the analysis of patients revealed that the shift of anterior and posterior mediastinum (X), left and right mediastinum (Y), upper and lower mediastinum (Z), anterior and posterior isocenter point (Xi), and the left and right isocenter points (Yi) in the PORT process were 0.04-0.53, 0.00-0.84, 0.00-1.27, 0.01-0.86, and 0.00-0.66cm, respectively. The shift distance of the mediastinum was Z>Y>X, and the shift distance of the isocenter point was Xi>Yi. According to the ROC curve, the cut-off values were 0.263, 0.352, 0.405, 0.238, and 0.258, respectively, which were more significant than the cut-off values in 25 cases (25%), 30 cases (30%), 30 cases (30%), 17 cases (17%), and 15 cases (15%). In addition, there was a significant difference in the shift of the mediastinum and the isocenter point (all P=0.00). Kruskal-Wallis test showed no statistically significant difference between mediastinal shift and resection site in X, Y, and Z directions (P=0.355, P=0.239, P=0.256), surgical method (P=0.241, P=0.110, P=0.064). There was no significant difference in the incidence of RE and RP in PORT patients (P>0.05). No III-IV RP occurred. However, the incidence of ≥ grade III RE in the modified plan cases after M-S was significantly lower than in the original PORT patients, 0% and 7%, respectively (P=0.000).

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, this study provides evidence that mediastinal shift is a potential complication during the PORT process for patients with N2 stage or R1-2 resection following radical resection of NSCLC. This shift affects about 20-30% of patients, manifesting as actual radiation damage to normal tissue and reducing the local control rate. Therefore, mid-term repositioning of the PORT and revision of the target volume and radiation therapy plan can aid in maintaining QA and QC during the treatment of NSCLC patients and may result in improved patient outcomes.

Delayed Crystallization Kinetics Allowing High-Efficiency All-Polymer Photovoltaics with Superior Upscaled Manufacturing

Though encouraging performance is achieved in small-area organic photovoltaics (OPVs), reducing efficiency loss when evoluted to large-area modules is an important but unsolved issue. Considering that polymer materials show benefits in film-forming processability and mechanical robustness, a high-efficiency all-polymer OPV module is demonstrated in this work. First, a ternary blend consisting of two polymer donors, PM6 and PBQx-TCl, and one polymer acceptor, PY-IT, is developed, with which triplet state recombination is suppressed for a reduced energy loss, thus allowing a higher voltage; and donor-acceptor miscibility is compromised for enhanced charge transport, thus resulting in improved photocurrent and fill factor; all these contribute to a champion efficiency of 19% for all-polymer OPVs. Second, the delayed crystallization kinetics from solution to film solidification is achieved that gives a longer operation time window for optimized blend morphology in large-area module, thus relieving the loss of fill factor and allowing a record efficiency of 16.26% on an upscaled module with an area of 19.3 cm2 . Besides, this all-polymer system also shows excellent mechanical stability. This work demonstrates that all-polymer ternary systems are capable of solving the upscaled manufacturing issue, thereby enabling high-efficiency OPV modules.

ASH2L, Core Subunit of H3K4 Methylation Complex, Regulates Amelogenesis

Histone methylation assumes a crucial role in the intricate process of enamel development. Our study has illuminated the substantial prevalence of H3K4me3 distribution, spanning from the cap stage to the late bell stage of dental germs. In order to delve into the role of H3K4me3 modification in amelogenesis and unravel the underlying mechanisms, we performed a conditional knockout of Ash2l, a core subunit essential for the establishment of H3K4me3 within the dental epithelium of mice. The absence of Ash2l resulted in reduced H3K4me3 modification, subsequently leading to abnormal morphology of dental germ at the late bell stage. Notably, knockout of Ash2l resulted in a loss of polarity in ameloblasts and odontoblasts. The proliferation and apoptosis of the inner enamel epithelium cells underwent dysregulation. Moreover, there was a notable reduction in the expression of matrix-related genes, Amelx and Dspp, accompanied with impaired enamel and dentin formation. Cut&Tag-seq (cleavage under targets and tagmentation sequencing) analysis substantiated a reduction of H3K4me3 modification on Shh, Trp63, Sp6, and others in the dental epithelium of Ash2l knockout mice. Validation through real-time polymerase chain reaction, immunohistochemistry, and immunofluorescence consistently affirmed the observed downregulation of Shh and Sp6 in the dental epithelium following Ash2l knockout. Intriguingly, the expression of Trp63 isomers, DNp63 and TAp63, was perturbed in Ash2l defect dental epithelium. Furthermore, the downstream target of TAp63, P21, exhibited aberrant expression within the cervical loop of mandibular first molars and incisors. Collectively, our findings suggest that ASH2L orchestrates the regulation of crucial amelogenesis-associated genes, such as Shh, Trp63, and others, by modulating H3K4me3 modification. Loss of ASH2L and H3K4me3 can lead to aberrant differentiation, proliferation, and apoptosis of the dental epithelium by affecting the expression of Shh, Trp63, and others genes, thereby contributing to the defects of amelogenesis.

Passivating Dipole Layer Bridged 3D/2D Perovskite Heterojunction for Highly Efficient and Stable p-i-n Solar Cells

Constructing 3D/2D perovskite heterojunction is a promising approach to integrate the benefits of high efficiency and superior stability in perovskite solar cells (PSCs). However, in contrast to n-i-p architectural PSCs, the p-i-n PSCs with 3D/2D heterojunction have serious limitations in achieving high-performance as they suffer from a large energetic mismatch and electron extraction energy barrier from a 3D perovskite layer to a 2D perovskite layer, and serious nonradiative recombination at the heterojunction. Here a strategy of incorporating a thin passivating dipole layer (PDL) onto 3D perovskite and then depositing 2D perovskite without dissolving the underlying layer to form an efficient 3D/PDL/2D heterojunction is developed. It is revealed that PDL regulates the energy level alignment with the appearance of interfacial dipole and strongly interacts with 3D perovskite through covalent bonds, which eliminate the energetic mismatch, reduce the surface defects, suppress the nonradiative recombination, and thus accelerate the charge extraction at such electron-selective contact. As a result, it is reported that the 3D/PDL/2D junction p-i-n PSCs present a power conversion efficiency of 24.85% with robust stability, which is comparable to the state-of-the-art efficiency of the 3D/2D junction n-i-p devices.

Macrocyclic Encapsulation in a Non-fused Tetrathiophene Acceptor for Efficient Organic Solar Cells with High Short-Circuit Current Density

Non-fullerene acceptors have shown great promise for organic solar cells (OSCs). However, challenges in achieving high efficiency molecular system with conformational unicity and effective molecular stacking remain. In this study, we present a new design of non-fused tetrathiophene acceptor R4T-1 via employing the encapsulation of tetrathiophene with macrocyclic ring. The single crystal structure analysis reveals that cyclic alkyl side chains can perfectly encapsulate the central part of molecule and generate a conformational stable and planar molecular backbone. Whereas, the control 4T-5 without the encapsulation restriction displays cis- and twisted conformation. As a result, R4T-1 based OSCs achieved an outstanding power conversion efficiency (PCE) exceeding 15.10 % with a high short-circuit current density (Jsc ) of 25.48 mA/cm2 , which is significantly improved by ≈30 % in relative to that of the control. Our findings demonstrate that the macrocyclic encapsulation strategy could assist fully non-fused electron acceptors (FNEAs) to achieve a high photovoltaic performance and pave a new way for FNEAs design.

High-Pressure Fabrication of Binary Organic Solar Cells with High Molecular Weight D18 Yields Record 19.65 % Efficiency

In this work, inspired by the principles of a pressure cooker, we utilized a high-pressure method to address the processing challenges associated with high molecular weight polymers. Through this approach, we successfully dissolved high molecular weight D18 in chloroform at 100 °C within a pressure-tight vial. The increased steam pressure raised the boiling point and dissolving capacity of chloroform, enabling the creation of a hybrid film with superior properties, including more ordered molecular arrangement, increased crystallinity, extended exciton diffusion length, and improved phase morphology. Organic solar cells (OSCs) based on D18 : L8-BO prepared using this high-pressure method achieved an outstanding power conversion efficiency of 19.65 %, setting a new record for binary devices to date. Furthermore, this high-pressure method was successfully applied to fabricate OSCs based on other common systems, leading to significant enhancements in device performance. In summary, this research introduces a universal method for processing high molecular weight D18 materials, ultimately resulting in the highest performance reported for binary organic solar cells.

Multitrait meta-analyses identify potential candidate genes for growth-related traits in Holstein heifers

Understanding the underlying pleiotropic relationships among growth and body size traits is important for refining breeding strategies in dairy cattle for optimal body size and growth rate. Therefore, we performed single-trait GWAS for monthly-recorded body weight (BW), hip height, body length, and chest girth from birth to 12 mo of age in Holstein animals, followed by stepwise multiple regression of independent or lowly-linked markers from GWAS loci using conditional and joint association analyses (COJO). Subsequently, we conducted a multitrait meta-analysis to detect pleiotropic markers. Based on the single-trait GWAS, we identified 170 significant SNPs, in which 59 of them remained significant after the COJO analyses. The most significant SNP, located at BTA7:3,676,741, explained 2.93% of the total phenotypic variance for BW6 (BW at 6 mo of age). We identified 17 SNPs with potential pleiotropic effects based on the multitrait meta-analyses, which resulted in 3 additional SNPs in comparison to those detected based on the single-trait GWAS. The identified quantitative trait loci regions overlap with genes known to influence human growth-related traits. According to positional and functional analyses, we proposed HMGA2, HNF4G, MED13L, BHLHE40, FRZB, DMP1, TRIB3, and GATAD2A as important candidate genes influencing the studied traits. The combination of single-trait GWAS and meta-analyses of GWAS results improved the efficiency of detecting associated SNPs, and provided new insights into the genetic mechanisms of growth and development in Holstein cattle.

[Plurihormonal PIT1-lineage pituitary neuroendocrine tumors: a clinicopathological study]

Objective: To investigate the clinicopathological characteristics of plurihormonal PIT1-lineage pituitary neuroendocrine tumors. Methods: Forty-eight plurihormonal PIT1-lineage tumors were collected between January 2018 and April 2022 from the pathological database of Sanbo Brain Hospital, Capital Medical University. The related clinical and imaging data were retrieved. H&E, immunohistochemical and special stains were performed. Results: Out of the 48 plurihormonal PIT1-lineage tumors included, 13 cases were mature PIT1-lineage tumors and 35 cases were immature PIT1-lineage tumors. There were some obvious clinicopathological differences between the two groups. Clinically, the mature plurihormonal PIT1-lineage tumor mostly had endocrine symptoms due to increased hormone production, while a small number of immature PIT1-lineage tumors had endocrine symptoms accompanied by low-level increased serum pituitary hormone; patients with the immature PIT1-lineage tumors were younger than the mature PIT1-lineage tumors; the immature PIT1-lineage tumors were larger in size and more likely invasive in imaging. Histopathologically, the mature PIT1-lineage tumors were composed of large eosinophilic cells with high proportion of growth hormone expression, while the immature PIT1-lineage tumors consisted of chromophobe cells with a relatively higher expression of prolactin; the mature PIT1-lineage tumors had consistently diffuse cytoplasmic positive staining for keratin, while the immature PIT1-lineage tumors had various expression for keratin; the immature PIT1-lineage tumors showed more mitotic figures and higher Ki-67 proliferation index; in addition, 25.0% (12/48) of PIT1-positive plurihormonal tumors showed abnormal positive staining for gonadotropin hormones. There was no significant difference in the progression-free survival between the two groups (P=0.648) by Kaplan-Meier analysis. Conclusions: Plurihormonal PIT1-lineage tumor belongs to a rare type of PIT1-lineage pituitary neuroendocrine tumors, most of which are of immature lineage. Clinically increased symptoms owing to pituitary hormone secretion, histopathologically increased number of eosinophilic tumor cells with high proportion of growth hormone expression, diffusely cytoplasmic keratin staining and low proliferative activity can help differentiate the mature plurihormonal PIT1-lineage tumors from the immature PIT1-lineage tumors. The immature PIT1-lineage tumors have more complicated clinicopathological characteristics.

Efficacy of Postoperative Radiotherapy for Patients with New N2 Descriptors of Subclassification in Completely Resected Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Real-World Study

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

Patients with N2 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) were heterogeneous groups and required further stratification. The International Society for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) added new descriptors of three sub-stages for stage N2 NSCLC: N2 at a single station without N1 involvement (N2a1), N2 at a single station with N1 involvement (N2a2), and N2 at multiple stations (N2b). This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of postoperative radiotherapy (PORT) for patients with these N2 descriptors.

MATERIALS/METHODS

Patients with histologically confirmed NSCLC after complete resection and divided into PORT group and non-PORT group. The primary endpoint was DFS. The second endpoints were overall survival (OS) and locoregional recurrence-free survival (LRFS). Propensity-score matching (PSM) of baseline characteristics between the PORT and non-PORT groups was used for validation.

RESULTS

Totally 1832 patients were enrolled, including 308 N2a1 patients, 682 N2a2 patients, and 842 N2b patients. The median follow-up time was 50.1 months. The survival outcomes of the PORT and non-PORT groups before PSM were shown in Table 1. For patients with N2a1, PORT could not improve the DFS (median DFS of the PORT group and the non-PORT group: not reached vs. 46.8 months, P = 0.41), OS (P = 0.85), or LRFS (P = 0.32), which were consistent with the multivariate analysis and data after the PSM. For patients with N2a2, PORT significantly improved the DFS (median DFS 29.7 vs. 22.2 months, P = 0.02), OS (P = 0.03), and LRFS (P = 0.01). The multivariate analysis and data after the PSM confirmed the benefits in DFS and LRFS, but no benefit was observed in OS (multivariate analysis: HR 0.79, P = 0.18; median OS after PSM: 103.7 vs. 63.1 months, P = 0.34). For patients with N2b, PORT could not improve the DFS (median DFS 20.6 vs. 21.2 months, P = 0.39) but significantly improved the OS (P<0.001) and LRFS (P<0.001). However, the multivariate analysis showed that PORT significantly improved DFS (HR 0.81, P = 0.03), consistent with the data after the PSM (median DFS 20.6 and 17.6 months, P = 0.04).

CONCLUSION

PORT significantly improved the DFS and LRFS in patients with N2a2 and significantly improved the DFS, LRFS, and OS in patients with N2b. Patients with N2a1 could not benefit from PORT.

High Dose Hyperfractionated Thoracic Radiotherapy vs. Standard Dose for Limited Stage Small-Cell Lung Cancer: A Multicenter, Open-Label Randomized, Phase 3 Trial

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

Limited stage small-cell lung cancer (LS-SCLC) is associated with poor prognosis. We aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of high-dose, hyperfractionated thoracic radiotherapy of 54 Gy in 30 fractions compared with standard dose (45 Gy in 30 fractions) as a first-line treatment for LS-SCLC.

MATERIALS/METHODS

The study was an open-label, randomized, phase 3 trial, done at 16 public hospitals in China. Key inclusion criteria were patients aged 18-70 years, with previously histologically or cytologically confirmed LS-SCLC, previously untreated or received 1-2 courses of intravenous cisplatin (75 mg/m²of body-surface area, on day 1 or divided into two days of each cycle) or carboplatin (area under the curve of 5 mg/mL per min, day 1 of each cycle)and intravenous etoposide (100 mg/m²of body-surface area, on days 1-3 of each cycle), and an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status of 0-1.Eligible patients were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive volumetric-modulated arc radiotherapy (VMAT) of 45 Gy in 30 fractions or the simultaneous integrated boost VMAT (SIB-VMAT) of 54 Gy in 30 fractions to the primary lung tumor and lymph node metastases starting 0-42 days after the first chemotherapy course. Both groups of patients received thoracic radiotherapy twice per day and 10 fractions per week. Prophylactic cranial radiation (PCI, 25 Gy in 10 fractions) was implemented to patients with responsive disease. The primary endpoint was overall survival. Safety was analyzed in the as-treated population.

RESULTS

Between June 30, 2017, and April 6, 2021, 224 eligible patients were enrolled and randomly assigned to 54 Gy (n = 108) or 45 Gy (n = 116). Median follow-up for the primary analysis was 45 months (IQR 41-48). Median overall survival was significantly improved in the 54 Gy group (62.4 months) compared with the 45 Gy group (43.1 months; p = 0.001). Median progression-free survival was significantly improved in the 54 Gy group (30.5 months) compared with the 45 Gy group (16.7 months; p = 0.044). The most common grade 3-4 adverse events were neutropenia (30 [28%] of 108 patients in the 54 Gy group vs 27 [23%] of 116 patients in the 45 Gy group), neutropenic infections (6 [6%] vs 2 [2%]), thrombocytopenia (13 [12%] vs 12 [10%]), anemia (6 [6%] vs 4 [3%]), and esophagitis (1 [1%] vs 3 [3%]). Treatment-related serious adverse events occurred in 9 [8%] patients in the 54 Gy group and 16 [14%] patients in the 45 Gy group. There were one treatment-related deaths in 54 Gy group (myocardial infarction).

CONCLUSION

Compared with standard thoracic radiotherapy dose of 45 Gy, the high dose of 54 Gy improved overall survival and progression-free survival without increasing toxicities in patients with LS-SCLC, supporting twice-daily hyperfractionated thoracic radiotherapy of 54 Gy with concurrent chemotherapy is an alternative treatment option for LS-SCLC. This study is complete and registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03214003.

The Impact of a High Radiation Dose to the Immune Cells on Tumor Control and Survival in Patients with Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Undergoing Postoperative Radiotherapy

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

Previous studies showed that the estimated dose of radiation to immune cells (EDRIC) was correlated with the overall survival (OS) of patients who received definitive thoracic radiotherapy. However, planning target volume (PTV) may be a confounding factor. The PTV is relatively uniform for patients undergoing postoperative radiotherapy (PORT). We further assessed the prognostic value of EDRIC on survival in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) undergoing PORT.

MATERIALS/METHODS

Patients with NSCLC who received PORT between 2004 and 2019 were analyzed. EDRIC was calculated as a function of the number of radiation fractions and mean doses to the lung, heart, and remaining body based on a model developed by Jin et al. The correlation between EDRIC and OS, PFS, local progression-free survival (LPFS), and distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) were analyzed using univariable and multivariable Cox models. Kaplan-Meier method was used to show the survival difference between patients with high and low EDRIC.

RESULTS

A total of 345 patients were eligible. The mean EDRIC was 7.6 Gy. Multivariate analysis showed that EDRIC was associated with OS (HR 1.14, P = 0.002), PFS (HR 1.08, P = 0.016), LRFS (HR 1.111, P = 0.008), and DMFS (HR 1.10, P = 0.018). Patients were divided into low and high EDRIC groups according to median EDRIC. The 3-year OS was 82.7% and 72.2% (p = 0.03). The 3-year PFS was 40.3% and 17.8% (p < 0.01). The 3-year LRFS was 71.39% and 59.18% (p = 0.05). The 3-year DMFS was 74.4% and 63.4% (p = 0.06).

CONCLUSION

EDRIC was an independent prognostic factor for survival. Higher doses of radiation to the immune system were associated with tumor progression and death after the PORT of NSCLC. The organ at risk for the immune system should be considered during radiotherapy planning.

A Machine Learning Method to Predict Pathological Complete Response of Esophageal Cancer after Neoadjuvant Chemoradiotherapy with Clinicohematological Markers and MR Radiomics: A Multi-Center Study

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

Nearly 30% of patients with local advanced esophageal cancer achieved pathological complete response (pCR) after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT), who may benefit from organ-preservation strategy under accurate prediction of pCR. We aimed to develop and validate machine learning models based on clinicohematological markers and MR radiomics to accurately predict pCR of esophageal cancer after nCRT.

MATERIALS/METHODS

In this multi-center study, eligible patients with esophageal cancer who received baseline MR scan (T2-weighted image) and nCRT plus surgery were enrolled between September 2014 and September 2022 at institution 1 (training set) and between December 2017 and August 2021 at institution 2 (testing set). Pre-nCRT and post-nCRT blood test results were collected to calculate hematological markers. Models were constructed by machine learning based on clinicohematological markers and MR radiomics to predict pCR. Area under the curve (AUC) and cut-off analysis were used to evaluate model performances.

RESULTS

Totally 154 patients (81 in the training set and 73 in the testing set) were enrolled. The combined model integrating pre-nCRT monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio and 6 radiomics features achieved AUC of 0.800 (95% CI 0.671-0.918) in the testing set, with sensitivity of 79.2% (95% CI 62.5%-95.8%), specificity of 83.7% (95% CI 73.5%-93.9%), positive predictive value of 76.0% (95% CI 62.5%-90.0%), and negative predictive value of 89.6% (95% CI 82.0%-95.8%).

CONCLUSION

A machine learning model based on clinicohematological markers and MR radiomics to predict pCR after nCRT for patients with esophageal cancer was developed and validated, providing a novel tool for personalized treatment. It is necessary to further validate in more large datasets.

Clinical Verification of a Nomogram Model for Prediction of Brain Metastases in Patients with pⅢA-N2 Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

Brain metastasis is one of the most common failure patterns of pⅢA-N2 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) after complete resection. Prophylactic Cranial Irradiation (PCI) can improve intracranial control but not overall survival. Thus, it is particularly important to identify risk factors that are associated with brain metastasis and subsequently provide instructions for selecting patients who will optimally benefit from PCI. We have reported a nomogram model which was established based on the condition of histology, bronchial invasion, perineural invasion, and adjuvant chemotherapy, through which we can predict high risk brain metastases in patients with pⅢA-N2 NSCLC. The purpose of this study is to verify the accuracy of the nomogram model by using new cases information.

MATERIALS/METHODS

Between January 1, 2015 and December 31, 2019, patients of pⅢA-N2 NSCLC were retrospectively analyzed, to verify the consistency between actual and predictive brain metastases. The verification group was divided into two groups according to the years when genetic testing has been widely used in clinic (group1:2015-2016, group2:2017-2019). ROC curves and calibration curves were chosen for validation.

RESULTS

A total of 770 patients were enrolled in our retrospective study (group1:294 patients, group2: 476patients). The 1-, 3- and 5-year survival rates were 97.2%, 76.5%, 63.2% in group1, and 95.8%, 84.5%, 76.9% in group2, respectively. The 1-, 3- and 5-year brain metastasis rates were 7.9%, 19.7%, 25.8%, and 5.4%, 14.5%, 26.3% in group2, respectively. The AUC were 0.74 (95% CI:0.72 - 0.76) in group1, and 0.71(95% CI:0.70 - 0.73) in group 2.The 1.3.5-year calibration curves of the two groups show that the prediction is in good agreement with the actual observation.

CONCLUSION

The nomogram model can predict brain metastases high risk patients with pⅢA-N2 NSCLC. Whether gene test or not, it can be used as a basis to screening out patients of high-risk brain metastases in future clinical trials for PCI.

Overall Survival Following Salvage Thoracic Radiotherapy for Locoregional Recurrence in Patients with Completely Resected PIIIA-N2 NSCLC

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

Locoregional recurrence is a common failure pattern for patients with completely resected pIIIA-N2 NSCLC. The salvage thoracic radiotherapy is administered in some pIIIA-N2 NSCLC patients despite postoperative radiotherapy (PORT). Salvage thoracic radiotherapy could be well tolerated and might improve survival from several small sample retrospective studies, while the high-level clinical evidence is presently lacking. We conducted this retrospective case control study to demonstrate the efficacy of salvage thoracic radiotherapy for completely resected pIIIA-N2 NSCLC patients with locoregional recurrence.

MATERIALS/METHODS

Between January 2003 and June 2019, patients who had undergone lobectomy or pneumonectomy plus mediastinal lymph node dissection or systematic sampling in our single institution were retrospectively reviewed. Those with pⅢA-N2 NSCLC that did not receive PORT and suffered locoregional recurrence being the first treatment failure were enrolled. The log-rank test was used to analyze differences between the groups, and the Kaplan-Meier method was used for survival analysis. Univariate and multivariate analyses using Cox proportional hazards regression models were performed to evaluate potential prognostic factors for survival. Statistically significant difference was set as p<0.05.

RESULTS

Of all the patients with pⅢA-N2 NSCLC reviewed, 105 suffered locoregional recurrence as the first treatment failure and didn't receive PORT. Among these patients, 51 (48.6%) received salvage thoracic radiotherapy and 54 (51.4%) did not. The median OS was 47.7 months of all patients. Survival analysis showed that the median OS in salvage thoracic radiotherapy group (69.0 months) was significantly longer than that in non-salvage thoracic radiotherapy group (37.7 months) (p = 0.029). For patients of EGFR wild type, salvage thoracic radiotherapy group had significantly longer median OS of 69.0 months compared with non-salvage thoracic radiotherapy group of 31.3 months (p = 0.004). When assessed by histological types, salvage thoracic radiotherapy significantly improved the survival of patients with lung squamous cell carcinoma with median OS not reached compared with non-salvage thoracic radiotherapy group of 31.3 months (p<0.001), while in patients with non-squamous cell carcinoma, this survival benefit was not observed (p = 0.829).

CONCLUSION

Salvage thoracic radiotherapy is an effective treatment for completely resected pIIIA-N2 NSCLC patients that have not received PORT and suffered post-operative locoregional recurrence.

Modelling enzyme inhibition toxicity of ionic liquid from molecular structure via convolutional neural network model

Deep learning (DL) methods further promote the development of quantitative structure-activity/property relationship (QSAR/QSPR) models by dealing with complex relationships between data. An acetylcholinesterase inhibitory toxicity model of ionic liquids (ILs) was established using a convolution neural network (CNN) combined with support vector machine (SVM), random forest (RF) and multilayer perceptron (MLP). A CNN model was proposed for feature self-learning and extraction of ILs. By comparing with the model results through feature engineering (FE), the model regression results based on the CNN model for feature extraction have been substantially improved. The results showed that all six models (FE-SVM, FE-RF, FE-MLP, CNN-SVM, CNN-RF, and CNN-MLP) had good prediction accuracy, but the results based on the CNN model were better. The hyperparameters of six models were optimized by grid search and the 10-fold cross validation. Compared with the existing models in the literature, the model performance has been further improved. The model could be used as an intelligent tool to guide the design or screening of low-toxicity ILs.

Solution-Processed ZnO with Conductivity over 1000 S cm-1 for ITO-Free Organic Photovoltaics

Developing transparent conductors to replace indium tin oxide (ITO) is a critical objective in the field of organic optoelectronics. Non-atomically doped (NAD) ZnO thin films, while currently exhibiting limited conductivity, are highly promising candidates due to their unique advantages, such as having complete transparency in both the visible and near-infrared spectral regions, solution processability, and the desired surface electronic properties. In this work, the impact of surface modification by insulating polymers on the ultraviolet-enhanced conductivity of NAD-ZnO films is investigated. It was found that polymer modifiers that are rich in amino and hydroxyl groups are effective at increasing the concentration of oxygen vacancies and the conductivity of NAD-ZnO films. The highest conductivity of over 1000 S cm-1, which is more than twice as high as the previous record for NAD-ZnO films, is achieved using polyethylenimine ethoxylated (PEIE) to modify NAD-ZnO films. Subsequently, the replacement of ITO in organic photovoltaic devices by a ZnO/PEIE electrode is realized. The ZnO/PEIE-based OPV devices that were created exhibit performances comparable to those of ITO-based devices under simulated solar illumination and performances better than those achieved with ITO-based devices under simulated indoor illumination. These results make NAD-ZnO a promising candidate for the widespread replacement of ITO in optoelectronic devices.

A rare case of brominated small molecule acceptors for high-efficiency organic solar cells

Given that bromine possesses similar properties but extra merits of easily synthesizing and polarizing comparing to homomorphic fluorine and chlorine, it is quite surprising very rare high-performance brominated small molecule acceptors have been reported. This may be caused by undesirable film morphologies stemming from relatively larger steric hindrance and excessive crystallinity of bromides. To maximize the advantages of bromides while circumventing weaknesses, three acceptors (CH20, CH21 and CH22) are constructed with stepwise brominating on central units rather than conventional end groups, thus enhancing intermolecular packing, crystallinity and dielectric constant of them without damaging the favorable intermolecular packing through end groups. Consequently, PM6:CH22-based binary organic solar cells render the highest efficiency of 19.06% for brominated acceptors, more excitingly, a record-breaking efficiency of 15.70% when further thickening active layers to ~500 nm. By exhibiting such a rare high-performance brominated acceptor, our work highlights the great potential for achieving record-breaking organic solar cells through delicately brominating.

An Isomeric Solid Additive Enables High-Efficiency Polymer Solar Cells Developed Using a Benzo-Difuran-Based Donor Polymer

Currently, nearly all high-efficiency organic photovoltaic devices use donor polymers based on the benzo-dithiophene (BDT) unit. To diversify the choices of building blocks for high-performance donor polymers, the use of benzo-difuran (BDF) units is explored, which can achieve reduced steric hindrance, stronger molecular packing, and tunable energy levels. In previous research, the performance of BDF-based devices lagged behind those of BDT-based devices. In this study, a high efficiency (18.4%) is achieved using a BDF-based polymer donor, which is the highest efficiency reported for BDF donor materials to date. The high efficiency is enabled by a donor polymer (D18-Fu) and the aid of a solid additive (2-chloronaphthalene), which is the isomer of the commonly used additive 1-chloronaphthalene. These results revealed the significant effect of 2-chloronaphthalene in optimizing the morphology and enhancing the device parameters. This work not only provides a new building block that can achieve an efficiency comparable to dominant BDT units but also proposes a new solid additive that can replace the widely used 1-chloronaphthalene additive.

Expert consensus of management of adverse drug reactions with anaplastic lymphoma kinase tyrosine kinase inhibitors

Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) rearrangements occur in ∼3%-6% of patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Small molecular drugs that effectively inhibit ALK gene have revolutionized the therapeutic paradigm for patients with ALK rearrangements, resulting in significant improvements in objective response rate, progression-free survival, and overall survival compared with classical platinum-based chemotherapy. Several ALK tyrosine kinase inhibitors (ALK-TKIs), including crizotinib, alectinib, ceritinib, brigatinib, ensartinib, and lorlatinib, have been recommended as standard first-line treatment for advanced NSCLC patients with ALK rearrangements. Patients with ALK rearrangements typically exhibit long-term durable responses to ALK-TKIs; therefore, the management of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) with ALK-TKIs is crucial in clinical practice to maximize clinical benefits, prevent an adverse impact on quality of life, and improve patient compliance. In general, ALK-TKIs are well tolerated. There are, however, a number of serious toxicities that may necessitate dose modification or even discontinuation of treatment and the management of ADRs with ALK-TKIs has grown in importance. The therapeutic use of this class of medications still carries some risk because there are currently no pertinent guidelines or consensus recommendations for managing ADRs caused by ALK-TKIs in China. In order to improve the clinical management of ADRs with ALK-TKIs, the Chinese Society of Clinical Oncology (CSCO) Non-small Cell Lung Cancer Professional Committee led the discussion and summary of the incidence, diagnosis and grading standards, and prevention and treatment of ADRs caused by ALK-TKIs.

Compromising Charge Generation and Recombination of Organic Photovoltaics with Mixed Diluent Strategy for Certified 19.4% Efficiency

The ternary blend is demonstrated as an effective strategy to promote the device performance of organic photovoltaics (OPVs) due to the dilution effect. While the compromise between the charge generation and recombination remains a challenge. Here, a mixed diluent strategy for further improving the device efficiency of OPV is proposed. Specifically, the high-performance OPV system with a polymer donor, i.e., PM6, and a nonfullerene acceptor (NFA), i.e., BTP-eC9, is diluted by the mixed diluents, which involve a high bandgap NFA of BTP-S17 and a low bandgap NFA of BTP-S16 (similar with that of the BTP-eC9). The BTP-S17 of better miscibility with BTP-eC9 can dramatically enhance the open-circuit voltage (V_OC ), while the BTP-S16 maximizes the charge generation or the short-circuit current density (J_SC ). The interplay of BTP-17 and BTP-S16 enables better compromise between charge generation and recombination, thus leading to a high device performance of 19.76% (certified 19.41%), which is the best among single-junction OPVs. Further analysis on carrier dynamics validates the efficacy of mixed diluents for balancing charge generation and recombination, which can be further attributed to the more diverse energetic landscapes and improved morphology. Therefore, this work provides an effective strategy for high-performance OPV for further commercialization.

[High-fat intake alleviates lung injury induced by Paragonimus proliferus infection in rats through up-regulating CYP 4A1 expression in lung tissues]

OBJECTIVE

To explore the improvements of high-fat intake on lung injury induced by Paragonimus proliferus infection in rats, and to preliminarily explore the mechanisms underlying the role of cytochrome P450 4A1 (CYP 4A1) in the improve ments.

METHODS

SD rats were randomly assigned into three groups, including the normal control group (n = 10), the infection and normal diet group (n = 12) and the infection and high-fat diet group (n = 12). Rats in the normal control group were fed with normal diet and without any other treatments, and animals in the infection and normal diet group were subcutaneously injected with 8 excysted metacercariae of P. proliferus via the abdominal wall, followed by feeding with normal diet, while rats in the infection and high-fat diet group were subcutaneously injected with 8 excysted metacercariae of P. proliferus via the abdominal wall, followed by feeding with high-fat diet. All rats were sacrificed 28 weeks post-infection, and serum samples and lung specimens were collected. Following hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining of rat lung specimens, the rat lung injury was observed under an optical microscope, and alveolitis was evaluated using semi-quantitative scoring. Serum interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) levels were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and the cytochrome P450 4A1 (CYP 4A1) expression was quantified in rat lung specimens at transcriptional and translational levels using quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) and Western blotting assays.

RESULTS

Alveolar wall thickening, edema and inflammatory cell infiltration were alleviated 28 weeks post-infection with P. proliferus in rats in the infection and high-fat diet group relative to the infection and normal diet group, and no alveolar consolidation was seen in the infection and high-fat diet group. The semi-quantitative score of alveolitis was significantly higher in the infection and normal diet group [(2.200 ± 0.289) points] than in the normal control group [(0.300 ± 0.083) points] and the infection and high-fat diet group [(1.300 ± 0.475) points] (both P values < 0.05), and higher serum IL-1β [(151.586 ± 20.492)] pg/mL and TNF-α levels [(180.207 ± 23.379) pg/mL] were detected in the infection and normal diet group than in the normal control group [IL-1β: (103.226 ± 3.366) pg/mL; TNF-α: (144.807 ± 1.348) pg/mL] and the infection and high-fat diet group [IL-1β: (110.131 ± 12.946) pg/mL; TNF-α: (131.764 ± 27.831) pg/mL] (all P values < 0.05). In addition, lower CYP 4A1 mRNA (3.00 ± 0.81) and protein expression (0.40 ± 0.02) was quantified in lung specimens in the infection and normal diet group than in the normal control group [(5.03 ± 2.05) and (0.84 ± 0.14)] and the infection and high-fat diet group [(11.19 ± 3.51) and (0.68 ± 0.18)] (all P values < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

High-fat intake may alleviate lung injuries caused by P. proliferus infection in rats through up-regulating CYP 4A1 expression in lung tissues at both translational and transcriptional levels.

[DTX2 overexpression promotes migration and invasion of colorectal cancer cells through the Notch2/Akt axis]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the effect of changes in DTX2 expression level on migration and invasion of colorectal cancer (CRC) cells and explore the mechanism.

METHODS

Two CRC cell lines SW620 and LoVo were transfected with a specific shRNA targeting DTX2 (DTX2-shRNA) or a DTX2-overexpressing plasmid (pcDNA-DTX2), and the transfection efficiency was evaluated with RT-qPCR and Western blotting. Scratch and Transwell assays were used to assess the changes in migration and invasion ability of the transfected cells, and the cellular expression levels of Notch2, NICD, AKT, p-Akt and MMP-2/9 proteins were detected with Western blotting. The CRC cells were co-transfected with pcDNA-DTX2 and Notch2 siRNA to assess the effect of Notch2 knockdown on DTX2 overexpression-induced enhancement of cell migration and invasion.

RESULTS

The expression levels of DTX2 at both the mRNA and protein levels were significantly decreased in CRC cells transfected with DTX2- shRNA (P < 0.01) and increased in cells transfected with pcDNA-DTX2 (P < 0.01). Scratch and Transwell assays showed that the migration and invasion abilities of CRC cells were significantly lowered following DTX2 knockdown (P < 0.01) and were enhanced in cells with DTX2 overexpression (P < 0.01). The expression levels of Notch2, NICD, p-Akt and MMP-2 proteins decreased significantly in CRC cells with DTX2 knockdown (P < 0.05) and increased obviously in DTX2-overexpressing cells (P < 0.05). In both of the two CRC cell lines, transfection with Notch2 siRNA obviously reversed the effect of DTX2 overexpression in promoting cell migration and invasion (P < 0.01) and expressions of the related proteins.

CONCLUSION

DTX2 overexpression promotes migration and invasion of CRC cells through the Notch2/Akt axis, suggesting the potential of DTX2 as a new biological indicator of CRC.

Over 31% efficient indoor organic photovoltaics enabled by simultaneously reduced trap-assisted recombination and non-radiative recombination voltage loss

Indoor organic photovoltaics (OPVs) have shown great potential application in driving low-energy-consumption electronics for the Internet of Things. There is still great room for further improving the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of indoor OPVs, considering that the desired morphology of the active layer to reduce trap-assisted recombination and voltage losses and thus simultaneously enhance the fill factor (FF) and open-circuit voltage for efficient indoor OPVs remains obscure. Herein, by optimizing the bulk and interface morphology via a layer-by-layer (LBL) processing strategy, low leakage current and low non-radiative recombination loss can be synergistically achieved in PM6:Y6-O based devices. Detailed characterizations reveal the stronger crystallinity, purer domains and ideal interfacial contacts in the LBL devices compared to their bulk-heterojunction (BHJ) counterparts. The optimized morphology yields a reduced voltage loss and an impressive FF of 81.5%, and thus contributes to a high PCE of 31.2% under a 1000 lux light-emitting diode (LED) illumination in the LBL devices, which is the best reported efficiency for indoor OPVs. Additionally, this LBL strategy exhibits great universality in promoting the performance of indoor OPVs, as exemplified by three other non-fullerene acceptor systems. This work provides guidelines for morphology optimization and synergistically promotes the fast development of efficient indoor OPVs.

Association of body mass index and intestinal (faecal) Streptococcus in adults in Xining city, China P.R

Body mass index (BMI) and gut microbiota show significant interaction, but most studies on the relationship between BMI and gut microbiota have been done in Western countries. Relationships that are also identified in other cultural backgrounds are likely to have functional importance. Hence here we explore gut microbiota in adults living in Xining city (China P.R.) and relate results to subject BMI. Analysis of bacterial 16s rRNA gene was performed on faecal samples from participants with normal-weight (n=24), overweight (n=24), obesity (n=11) and type 2 diabetes (T2D) (n=8). The results show that unweighted but not weighted Unifrac distance was significantly different when gut microbiota composition was compared between the groups. Importantly, the genus Streptococcus was remarkably decreased in both obese subjects and subjects suffering from T2D, as compared to normal-weight subjects. Accordingly, strong association was identified between the genus Streptococcus and BMI and especially Streptococcus salivarius subsp. thermophiles was a major contributor in this respect. As previous studies have shown that Streptococcus salivarius subsp. thermophiles is also negatively associated with obesity in Western cohorts, our results suggest that this species is a potential probiotic for the prevention of obesity and related disorders.

[Clinicopathological characteristics of H3K27-altered diffuse midline glioma and evaluation of NTRK as its therapeutic target]

Objective: To investigate the clinicopathological characteristics of H3K27-altered diffuse midline glioma (DMG), and to analyze DMG's prognostic factors, and subsequently, to study the possibility of using NTRK as a therapeutic target for DMG. Methods: A total of 232 DMG diagnosed at the Sanbo Brain Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China from July 2016 to March 2021 were collected. Their clinical, radiological and pathological features, the ratio of MGMT promoter methylation, expression of NTRK, and characteristics of NTRK gene fusion were analyzed. The prognostic values of different factors were also studied, including age, tumor location, histological grade, gene and protein expression of NTRK, and postoperative adjuvant therapy. Results: Among the 232 DMG cases, there were 8 patients with both primary and relapse tumors on the record. Thus, a total of 224 patients were analyzed, including 118 males and 106 females. There were 126 adults (>18 years of age) and 98 children (≤18 years of age). Notably, the most frequent location was thalamus (41/126, 32.5%) in adults, but brainstem (59/96, 60.2%) in children. The lesions showed T1 hypointensity or isointensity, and T2 hyperintensity. However, contrast enhancement patterns of the tumors varied, with many tumors lacking contrast-enhancing. The histological grades included grade 2 (9/224, 4.0%), grade 3 (41/224, 18.3%) and grade 4 (174/224, 77.7%). Two hundred and twenty-four DMGs were diffusely positive for H3K27M and negative for H3K27me3. The ratio of MGMT promoter methylation was low (1/45, 2.2%). One hundred and seventy-seven of the 224 cases (177/224, 79.0%) were positive for NTRK. Fifty cases were analyzed using fluorescence in situ hybridization. Among them, five DMGs (positive rate, 10.0%) were NTRK fusion positive. This study showed that there were no differences between adult and pediatric DMGs in histological grading, expression of NTRK, and NTRK gene fusion. One hundred and fifty-nine patients were included in the follow-up analysis (P>0.05). During the follow-up period, 109/159 patients (69.6%) died of the disease, with a median survival time of 12 months (range 1 to 55 months). Univariate log-rank analysis showed that age, location, surgical procedure and postoperative adjuvant therapy were associated with overall survivals of the DMG patients (P<0.05). Conclusions: The prognosis of DMG is poor overall. There are differences between adult and pediatric DMGs in anatomic location and prognosis, but not in other features. NTRK1 gene fusion is detected in 10.0% of the tumors. It suggests that TRK inhibitor might be a choice for treating DMG.

Comparative analysis of R2R3-MYB transcription factors in the flower of Iris laevigata identifies a novel gene regulating tobacco cold tolerance

Breeding for flower cold resistance is a priority for flower breeding research in northern China. The identification of cold resistance genes will not only provide genetic resources for cold resistance breeding, but also form a basis for the study of plant cold resistance mechanisms. Based on the flower transcriptome of Iris laevigata, 20 R2R3-MYBs were identified and comprehensive analysis, including conservative domain, phylogenetic analyses and functional distribution, were performed for R2R3-MYBs. Expression patterns of the abiotic stress genes under cold stress were detected, the upregulated gene was genetically transformed into tobacco, and the related physiological indicators of the transgenic tobacco were measured. A novel cold resistance gene, IlMYB306, was obtained. qRT-PCR indicated that IlMYB306 was dramatically induced by cold stress and was significantly upregulated in roots. The free proline content, MDA, SOD and POD activity of the transgenic tobacco improved after cold stress, and the chlorophyll content decreased slowly. In addition, overexpression of IlMYB306 improved cold resistance of the seeds. SEM results showed leaves of transgenic tobacco had obvious folds, more grooves and bulges on the lower leaf surface. Overall, we report a novel cold resistance R2R3-MYB gene, IlMYB306, in the flower of I. laevigata, which could improve tobacco cold stress tolerance by thickening the waxy layer, increasing antioxidant activity and the content of proline.

A Transparent Electrode Based on Solution-Processed ZnO for Organic Optoelectronic Devices

Achieving high-efficiency indium tin oxide (ITO)-free organic optoelectronic devices requires the development of high-conductivity and high-transparency materials for being used as the front electrode. Herein, sol-gel-grown zinc oxide (ZnO) films with high conductivity (460 S cm⁻¹) and low optical absorption losses in both visible and near-infrared (NIR) spectral regions are realized utilizing the persistent photoinduced doping effect. The origin of the increased conductivity after photo-doping is ascribed to selective trapping of photogenerated holes by oxygen vacancies at the surface of the ZnO film. Then, the conductivity of the sol-gel-grown ZnO is further increased by stacking the ZnO using a newly developed sequential deposition strategy. Finally, the stacked ZnO is used as the cathode to construct ITO-free organic solar cells, photodetectors, and light emitting diodes: The devices based on ZnO outperform those based on ITO, owing to the reduced surface recombination losses at the cathode/active layer interface, and the reduced parasitic absorption losses in the electrodes of the ZnO based devices.

A highly conductive and transparent electrode is essential to achieving a high efficiency in indium tin oxide-free optoelectronic devices. Here, the authors strategically prepare sol-gel-grown zinc oxide films based on photoinduced doping effect and demonstrate enhanced performance of devices.

Design Rules of the Mixing Phase and Impacts on Device Performance in High-Efficiency Organic Photovoltaics

In nonfullerene acceptor- (NFA-) based solar cells, the exciton splitting takes place at both domain interface and donor/acceptor mixture, which brings in the state of mixing phase into focus. The energetics and morphology are key parameters dictating the charge generation, diffusion, and recombination. It is revealed that tailoringthe electronic properties of the mixing region by doping with larger-bandgap components could reduce the density of state but elevate the filling state level, leading to improved open-circuit voltage (V_OC) and reduced recombination. The monomolecular and bimolecular recombinations are shown to be intercorrelated, which show a Gaussian-like relationship with V_OC and linear relationship with short-circuit current density (J_SC) and fill factor (FF). The kinetics of hole transfer and exciton diffusion scale with J_SC similarly, indicating the carrier generation in mixing region and crystalline domain are equally important. From the morphology perspective, the crystalline order could contribute to V_OC improvement, and the fibrillar structure strongly affects the FF. These observations highlight the importance of the mixing region and its connection with crystalline domains and point out the design rules to optimize the mixing phase structure, which is an effective approach to further improve device performance.

[A case report of acute methyl acetate poisoning in cloth processing workshop]

This article analyzed the clinical data of a patient with occupational chemical poisoning in a fabric processing workshop in August 2020, and carried out occupational hygiene investigation and testing. The patient went to the doctor because of painless progressive vision loss in both eyes, and was clinically diagnosed with methanol poisoning optic neuropathy in both eyes. The glue, solvent, washing machine water, and curing agent used in the workshop were used for qualitative analysis of volatile organic components, and methyl acetate was all detected. Esters, the relative percentages were 42.56%, 66.67%, 46.43%, and 41.63%, respectively. Therefore, it was judged that the patient was occupational acute methyl acetate poisoning, the enterprise should strengthen the awareness of safe production and enhance the occupational hygiene knowledge and self-protection awareness of workers.

A Longitudinal Study on the Addictive Behaviors of General Population before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic in China

By using nationally representative longitudinal data, this study investigates the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the addictive behaviors (smoking and drinking) of the general population in China. From the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) 2018 and 2020, we extract a sample of individuals over 16 years of age in China, consisting of 14,468 individuals and 28,936 observations. We decompose the sample into three age groups, that is, ages between 16 and 39, ages between 40 and 59 and ages above 60. The bootstrap method is used to estimate the confidence interval of the difference in the mean of addictive behaviors, and logit models are used in the regression analysis. Our results show that the COVID-19 pandemic reduces the smoking behavior of individuals above 40 years of age, and that it reduces the drinking behavior of individuals above 16 years of age. However, the pandemic increases the smoking behavior of individuals between 16 and 39 years of age. These results may be closely related to the characteristics of COVID-19 (that is, a respiratory system disease), the working and economic pressures of young Chinese and the role of drinking alcohol in building and maintaining social networks in China.

Novel Third Components with (Thio)barbituric Acid as the End Groups Improving the Efficiency of Ternary Solar Cells

Developing novel third component is critical for the ternary organic solar cells (TOSCs). Herein, we design and synthesize two novel third components, MAZ-1 and MAZ-2, with 1,3-diethyl-2-thiobarbituric acid and 1,3-dimethylbarbituric acid as the weak electron withdrawing end groups, respectively. Both MAZ-1 and MAZ-2 could improve the photovoltaic performance of the binary OSCs based on D18:Y6 which exhibit the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 17%, because the third components can optimize the phase separation, suppress the bimolecular recombination, and decrease the nonradiative energy loss in ternary blends. The PCE of the optimized TOSCs approaches 18% along with the simultaneous increase in open circuit voltage, short circuit current density, and fill factor by incorporating 10 wt % MAZ-1 and MAZ-2 in acceptors. This work enriches the building blocks for novel third components for achieving highly efficient TOSCs.

[Clinical value of routine contrast esophagram in the diagnosis of anastomotic leakage for three-incision esophagectomy with cervical anastomosis]

Objective: To examine the clinical value of routine contrast esophagram (RCE) for the diagnosis of anastomotic leakage (AL) after three-incision esophagectomy with cervical anastomosis. Methods: Clinical data of 1 022 patients with esophageal cancer who underwent McKeown three-incision esophagectomy with cervical anastomosis from January 2015 to December 2019 at Department of Minimally Invasive Esophageal Surgery, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Hospital and Institute were analyzed retrospectively. There were 876 males and 146 females, aging(M(IQR)) 48(16) years (range: 36 to 84 years). There were 253 patients (24.8%) with neoadjuvant therapy, and 817 patients (79.9%) with minimally invasive esophagectomy. According to the diagnosis and treatment habits of the attending surgeons, 333 patients were included in the RCE group, and RCE was performed on the 7^th day postoperative, while 689 patients were included in the non-RCE group, and RCE was performed when the patients had suspicious symptoms. Taking clinical symptoms, RCE, CT, endoscopy and other methods as reference to the diagnosis of AL, the sensitivity and specificity were used to analyze and evaluate the efficacy of RCE for the diagnosis of AL. The data were compared by U test or χ² test between groups. Results: The incidence rate of AL after three-incision esophagectomy was 7.34% (75/1 022), including 30 cases in the RCE group and 45 cases in the non-RCE group (9.0%(30/333) vs. 6.5%(45/689), χ²=2.027, P=0.155). The diagnostic time of AL was 9(5) days postoperative (range: 4 to 30 days). Among them, 23 cases showed cervical leakages, 50 cases showed intro-thoracic leakages, and 2 cases both cervical and intro-thoracic leakages. The diagnostic time of patients with intro-thoracic leakages was longer than that of cervical leakages (10(4) days vs. 6(3) days, Z=-2.517, P=0.012). Among the 333 patients in the RCE group, 16 cases of RCE indicated leakages including 11 cases of true positive and 5 cases determined to be false positive, while 317 cases indicated no abnormalities including 19 cases developed leakages. The sensitivity and specificity of RCE to detect AL were 36.7%(11/30) and 98.3%(298/333), respectively. The Youden-index was 0.35, and the diagnostic accuracy was 92.8%(309/333). The positive and negative predictive value were 11/16 and 94.0%(298/317), respectively. Conclusions: Routine contrast esophagram after three-incision esophagectomy with cervical anastomosis has low sensitivity and high specificity in the diagnosis of AL. The diagnostic time of AL is the 9^th day after surgery. It is necessary to prolong the observation time clinically, and combine RCE with CT, endoscopy and other inspection methods for diagnosis.