Efficient synthesis of L-malic acid by malic enzyme biocatalysis with CO2 fixation.

The malic enzyme (ME) catalyzes the synthesis of L-malic acid (L-MA) from pyruvic acid and CO2 with NADH as the reverse reaction of L-MA decarboxylation. Carboxylation requires excess pyruvic acid, limiting its application. In this study, it was determined that CO2 was the carboxyl donor by parsing the effects of HCO3- and CO2, which provided a basis for improving the L-MA yield. Moreover, the concentration ratio of pyruvic acid to NADH was reduced from 70:1 to 5:1 using CO2 to inhibit decarboxylation and to introduce the ME mutant A464S with a 2-fold lower Km than that of the wild type. Finally, carboxylation was coupled with NADH regeneration, resulting in a maximum L-MA yield of 77 % based on the initial concentration of pyruvic acid. Strategic modifications, including optimal reactant ratios and efficient mutant ME, significantly enhanced L-MA synthesis from CO2, providing a promising approach to the biotransformation process.

Coexistence of Ferroelectricity and Ferromagnetism in Atomically Thin Two-Dimensional Cr2S3/WS2 Vertical Heterostructures.

Two-dimensional (2D) heterostructures with ferromagnetism and ferroelectricity provide a promising avenue to miniaturize the device size, increase computational power, and reduce energy consumption. However, the direct synthesis of such eye-catching heterostructures has yet to be realized up to now. Here, we design a two-step chemical vapor deposition strategy to growth of Cr2S3/WS2 vertical heterostructures with atomically sharp and clean interfaces on sapphire. The interlayer charge transfer and periodic moiré superlattice result in the emergence of room-temperature ferroelectricity in atomically thin Cr2S3/WS2 vertical heterostructures. In parallel, long-range ferromagnetic order is discovered in 2D Cr2S3 via the magneto-optical Kerr effect technique with the Curie temperature approaching 170 K. The charge distribution variation induced by the moiré superlattice changes the ferromagnetic coupling strength and enhances the Curie temperature. The coexistence of ferroelectricity and ferromagnetism in 2D Cr2S3/WS2 vertical heterostructures provides a cornerstone for the further design of logic-in-memory devices to build new computing architectures.

Anti-hepatocellular carcinoma activity of Sorbaria sorbifolia by regulating VEGFR and c-Met/apoptotic pathway.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Sorbaria sorbifolia (SS) is a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) that has been employed anti-hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) for over 2000 years; yet, its underlying mechanism is still not fully understood. AIM OF THE STUDY: In this study, we evaluated the anti-HCC effect on the freeze-dried powder of the water extract of SS (FDSS) by inhibiting tumor-induced neovascularization, and promoting apoptosis, and elucidated the underlying mechanisms. MATERIALS AND METHODS: HCC cell lines (HepG2 and Huh7 cells) and HepG2 xenograft tumors in zebrafish were employed as in vivo and in vitro models, respectively, to evaluate the anti- HCC-indued neovascularization and apoptosis. In HCC cell lines, CCK-8 assay, wound-healing assay, transwell assay, cell circle assay, apoptosis assay, transmission electron microscopy, and co-culture assay were performed in vitro; in HepG2 xenograft tumor-zebrafish, tumor growth inhibition assay, hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining, xenograft tumor-zebrafish apoptosis assay, and HCC-indued neovascularization assay were performed to evaluate the effect of FDSS on biological behavior of tumor, HCC-indued neovascularization, and apoptosis. The expression of VEGFR and c-Met/apoptotic pathway-related proteins was detected by western blotting analysis. Assays for c-Met and VEGFR activation were conducted to assess the impact of FDSS in either agonistic or inhibitory roles on these receptor proteins. RESULTS: The findings from our study revealed that FDSS effectively suppresses the proliferation, migration, and invasion of HepG2 and Huh7 cells, as well as inhibiting tumor growth in the HepG2 xenograft zebrafish model by downregulating the expression of p-Met and p-AKT proteins. FDSS decreased the tumor growth associated with promoting apoptosis, including arresting HepG2 and Huh7 cells cycle at G0/G1phase, increasing apoptotic cell numbers and apoptotic bodies in cancer cells, and increasing the apoptotic fluorescence of xenograft tumor zebrafish by downregulating Bcl-2 proteins and upregulating Bax, caspase-9, and caspase-3 levels. We also found that FDSS can inhibit HCC-induced neovascularization and regulate VEGFR. Using an agonist or inhibitor of c-Met and VEGFR in HepG2 cells, we discovered that FDSS can downregulate c-Met and VEGFR protein expression. CONCLUSION: FDSS exerts an anti-HCC effect by inhibiting HCC-indued neovascularization and pro-apoptosis through the inhibition of the action of VEGFR and c-Met/apoptotic pathway.

Robust multiferroic in interfacial modulation synthesized wafer-scale one-unit-cell of chromium sulfide.

Multiferroic materials offer a promising avenue for manipulating digital information by leveraging the cross-coupling between ferroelectric and ferromagnetic orders. Despite the ferroelectricity has been uncovered by ion displacement or interlayer-sliding, one-unit-cell of multiferroic materials design and wafer-scale synthesis have yet to be realized. Here we develope an interface modulated strategy to grow 1-inch one-unit-cell of non-layered chromium sulfide with unidirectional orientation on industry-compatible c-plane sapphire. The interfacial interaction between chromium sulfide and substrate induces the intralayer-sliding of self-intercalated chromium atoms and breaks the space reversal symmetry. As a result, robust room-temperature ferroelectricity (retaining more than one month) emerges in one-unit-cell of chromium sulfide with ultrahigh remanent polarization. Besides, long-range ferromagnetic order is discovered with the Curie temperature approaching 200 K, almost two times higher than that of bulk counterpart. In parallel, the magnetoelectric coupling is certified and which makes 1-inch one-unit-cell of chromium sulfide the largest and thinnest multiferroics.

Pressure-Modulated Structural and Magnetic Phase Transitions in Two-Dimensional FeTe: Tetragonal and Hexagonal Polymorphs.

Two-dimensional (2D) Fe chalcogenides with their rich structures and properties are highly desirable for revealing the torturous transition mechanism of Fe chalcogenides and exploring their potential applications in spintronics and nanoelectronics. Hydrostatic pressure can effectively stimulate phase transitions between various ordered states, allowing one to successfully plot a phase diagram for a given material. Herein, the structural evolution and transport characteristics of 2D FeTe were systematically investigated under extreme conditions by comparing two distinct symmetries, i.e., tetragonal (t) and hexagonal (h) FeTe. We found that t-FeTe presented a pressure-induced transition from an antiferromagnetic state to a ferromagnetic state at ∼3 GPa, corresponding to the tetragonal collapse of the layered structure. Contrarily, the ferromagnetic order of h-FeTe was retained up to 15 GPa, which was evidently confirmed by electrical transport and Raman measurements. Furthermore, T-P phase diagrams for t-FeTe and h-FeTe were mapped under delicate critical conditions. Our results can provide a unique platform to elaborate the extraordinary properties of Fe chalcogenides and further develop their applications.

Molecular self-assembled cellulose enabling durable, scalable, high-power osmotic energy harvesting.

In recent years, renewable cellulose-based ion exchange membranes have emerged as promising candidates for capturing green, abundant osmotic energy. However, the low power density and structural/performance instability are challenging for such cellulose membranes. Herein, cellulose-molecule self-assembly engineering (CMA) is developed to construct environmentally friendly, durable, scalable cellulose membranes (CMA membranes). Such a strategy enables CMA membranes with ideal nanochannels (∼7 nm) and tailored channel lengths, which support excellent ion selectivity and ion fluxes toward high-performance osmotic energy harvesting. Finite element simulations also verified the function of tailored nanochannel length on osmotic energy conversion. Correspondingly, our CMA membrane shows a high-power density of 2.27 W/m2 at a 50-fold KCl gradient and super high voltage of 1.32 V with 30-pair CMA membranes (testing area of 22.2 cm2). In addition, the CMA membrane demonstrates long-term structural and dimensional integrity in saline solution, due to their high wet strength (4.2 MPa for N-CMA membrane and 0.5 MPa for P-CMA membrane), and correspondingly generates ultrastable yet high power density more than 100 days. The self-assembly engineering of cellulose molecules constructs high-performance ion-selective membranes with environmentally friendly, scalable, high wet strength and stability advantages, which guide sustainable nanofluidic applications beyond the blue energy.

Delving Into the Devils of Bird's-Eye-View Perception: A Review, Evaluation and Recipe.

Learning powerful representations in bird's-eye-view (BEV) for perception tasks is trending and drawing extensive attention both from industry and academia. Conventional approaches for most autonomous driving algorithms perform detection, segmentation, tracking, etc., in a front or perspective view. As sensor configurations get more complex, integrating multi-source information from different sensors and representing features in a unified view come of vital importance. BEV perception inherits several advantages, as representing surrounding scenes in BEV is intuitive and fusion-friendly; and representing objects in BEV is most desirable for subsequent modules as in planning and/or control. The core problems for BEV perception lie in (a) how to reconstruct the lost 3D information via view transformation from perspective view to BEV; (b) how to acquire ground truth annotations in BEV grid; (c) how to formulate the pipeline to incorporate features from different sources and views; and (d) how to adapt and generalize algorithms as sensor configurations vary across different scenarios. In this survey, we review the most recent works on BEV perception and provide an in-depth analysis of different solutions. Moreover, several systematic designs of BEV approach from the industry are depicted as well. Furthermore, we introduce a full suite of practical guidebook to improve the performance of BEV perception tasks, including camera, LiDAR and fusion inputs. At last, we point out the future research directions in this area. We hope this report will shed some light on the community and encourage more research effort on BEV perception.

Phase-Modulated Elastic Properties of 2D Magnetic FeTe: Hexagonal and Tetragonal Polymorphs.

2D layered magnets, such as iron chalcogenides, have emerged these years as a new family of unconventional superconductors and provided the key insights to understand the phonon-electron interaction and pairing mechanism. Their mechanical properties are of strategic importance for the potential applications in spintronics and optoelectronics. However, there is still a lack of efficient approach to tune the elastic modulus despite the extensive studies. Herein, the modulated elastic modulus of 2D magnetic FeTe and its thickness-dependence is reported via phase engineering. The grown 2D FeTe by chemical vapor deposition can present various polymorphs, that is tetragonal FeTe (t-FeTe, antiferromagnetic) and hexagonal FeTe (h-FeTe, ferromagnetic). The measured Young's modulus of t-FeTe by nanoindentation method shows an obvious thickness-dependence, from 290.9 ± 9.2 to 113.0 ± 8.7 GPa when the thicknesses increased from 13.2 to 42.5 nm, respectively. In comparison, the elastic modulus of h-FeTe remains unchanged. These results can shed light on the efficient modulation of mechanical properties of 2D magnetic materials and pave the avenues for their practical applications in nanodevices.

Effect of intermittent pneumatic compression on preventing deep vein thrombosis using microfluidic vein chip.

Background: Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) is a common disease, frequently afflicting the lower limb veins of bedridden patients. Intermittent Pneumatic Compression (IPC) is often employed as an effective solution for this problem. In our study, a random selection of 264 patients underwent IPC treatment for either one or 8 hours daily. The rate of severe venous thrombosis was substantially reduced in the IPC-treated group compared to the control group. However, real-time monitoring of blood flow during IPC operation periods remains a challenge, leading to rare awareness of IPC working mechanism on thrombosis prevention. Methods: Here, microfluidic chip methodology is used to create an in vitro vein-mimicking platform integrating venous valves in a deformable channel. Whole blood of patients after knee surgery was perfused into the venous channel at a controlled flow rate obtained from patients with IPC treatment clinically. Results: According to the numerical simulations results, both of an increase in compressive pressure and a decrease in time interval of IPC device can accelarete blood flow rate and the shear stress within the vein. The vein chip experiments also reveal that the fibrin accumulation can be greatly lowered in IPC treated group, indicating less thrombosis formation in future. A time interval of 24 seconds and a maximum contraction pressure of 40 mmHg were proved to be the most effective parameters for the IPC device adopted in our clinical trail. Conclusion: This vein chip presents a novel method for observing the functional mechanisms of IPC device for DVT prevention. It provides crucial data for further standardization and optimization of IPC devices in clinical usage.

The catalytic mechanism of direction-dependent interactions for 2,3-dihydroxybenzoate decarboxylase.

Benzoic acid decarboxylases offer an elegant alternative to CO2 fixation by reverse reaction-carboxylation, which is named the bio-Kolbe-Schmitt reaction, but they are unfavorable to carboxylation. Enhancing the carboxylation efficiency of reversible benzoic acid decarboxylases is restricted by the unexplained carboxylation mechanisms. The direction of reversible enzyme catalytic reactions depends on whether catalytic residues at the active center of the enzyme are protonated, which is subjected by the pH. Therefore, the forward and reverse reactions could be separated at different pH values. Reversible 2,3-dihydroxybenzoate acid decarboxylase undergoes decarboxylation at pH 5.0 and carboxylation at pH 8.6. However, it is unknown whether the interaction of enzymes with substrates and products in the forward and reverse reactions can be exploited to improve the catalytic activity of reversible enzymes in the unfavorable direction. Here, we identify a V-shaped tunnel of 2,3-dihydroxybenzoic acid decarboxylase from Aspergillus oryzae (2,3-DHBD_Ao) through which the substrate travels in the enzyme, and demonstrate that the side chain conformation of a tyrosine residue controls the entry and exit of substrate/product during reversible reactions. Together with the kinetic studies of the mutants, it is clarified that interactions between substrate/product traveling through the enzyme tunnel in 2,3-DHBD_Ao are direction-dependent. These results enrich the understanding of the interactions of substrates/products with macromolecular reversible enzymes in different reaction directions, thereby demonstrating a possible path for engineering decarboxylases with higher carboxylation efficiency. KEY POINTS: • The residue Trp23 of 2,3-DHBD_Ao served as a switch to control the entry and exit of catechol • A V-shaped tunnel of 2,3-DHBD_Ao for decarboxylation and carboxylation reactions was identified • The results provide a promising strategy for engineering decarboxylases with direction-dependent residues inside the substrate/product traveling tunnel of the enzyme.

Advance in vasculogenic mimicry in ovarian cancer (Review).

Ovarian cancer (OC) is a common and highly prevalent malignant tumor in women, associated with a high mortality rate, easy recurrence and easy metastasis, which is predominantly at an advanced stage when detected in patients. This renders the cancer more difficult to treat, and consequently it is also associated with a low survival rate, being the malignancy with the highest mortality rate among the various gynecological tumors. As an important factor affecting the development and metastasis of OC, understanding the underlying mechanism(s) through which it is formed and developed is crucial in terms of its treatment. At present, the therapeutic methods of angiogenic mimicry for OC remain in the preliminary stages of exploration and have not been applied in actual clinical practice. In the present review, various signaling pathways and factors affecting angiogenic mimicry in OC were described, and the chemical synthetic drugs, natural compound extracts, small-molecule protein antibodies and their associated targets, and so on, that target angiogenic mimicry in the treatment of OC, were discussed. The purpose of this review was to provide new research ideas and potential theoretical support for the discovery of novel therapeutic targets for OC that may be applied in the clinic, with the aim of effectively reducing its metastasis and recurrence rates.

Controlled Synthesis and Accurate Doping of Wafer-Scale 2D Semiconducting Transition Metal Dichalcogenides.

2D semiconducting transition metal dichalcogenide (TMDCs) possess atomically thin thickness, a dangling-bond-free surface, flexible band structure, and silicon-compatible feature, making them one of the most promising channels for constructing state-of-the-art field-effect transistors in the post-Moore's era. However, the existing 2D semiconducting TMDCs fall short of meeting the industry criteria for practical applications in electronics due to their small domain size and the lack of an effective approach to modulate intrinsic physical properties. Therefore, it is crucial to prepare and dope 2D semiconducting TMDCs single crystals with wafer size. In this review, the up-to-date progress regarding the wafer-scale growth of 2D semiconducting TMDC polycrystalline and single-crystal films is systematically summarized. The domain orientation control of 2D TMDCs and the seamless stitching of unidirectionally aligned 2D islands by means of substrate design are proposed. In addition, the accurate and uniform doping of 2D semiconducting TMDCs and the effect on electronic device performances are also discussed. Finally, the dominating challenges pertaining to the enhancement of the electronic device performances of TMDCs are emphasized, and further development directions are put forward. This review provides a systematic and in-depth summary of high-performance device applications of 2D semiconducting TMDCs.

Efficacy and Safety Analysis of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors plus Angiogenesis Inhibitors for the Treatment of Advanced Driver-negative NSCLC in Elderly Patients: A Retrospective Study.

Background and Objective: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) combined with angiogenesis inhibitors may have synergistic effects in elderly patients with advanced driver-negative NSCLC, but its true efficacy remains unclear. In addition, chemotherapy tolerance in elderly NSCLC patients is poor, and the precise identification of the population that may benefit from ICIs combined with angiogenesis inhibitors is also the focus of current research. Methods: We retrospectively compared the efficacy and safety of ICIs combined with or without antiangiogenic agents in elderly patients with advanced driver-gene negative NSCLC ≥65 years of age in the Cancer Center of Suzhou Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University. The primary endpoint was PFS. Secondary endpoints were OS, ORR, and immune-related adverse events (irAEs). Results: A total of 36 patients in the IA group (immune checkpoint inhibitors plus angiogenesis inhibitors group) and 43 patients in the NIA group (immune checkpoint inhibitors without angiogenesis inhibitors group) were enrolled in the study between January 1, 2019 and December 31, 2021. The median follow-up time for patients in the IA group and NIA group was 18.2 months (95%CI: 14 - 22.5 months) and 21.4 months (95%CI: 16.7 -26.1 months), respectively. The median PFS and median OS were longer in the IA group compared to the NIA group (8.1 months vs 5.3 months; HR for PFS: 0.778, 95%CI: 0.474-1.276, P=0.32; NA vs 30.9 months; HR for OS: 0.795, 95%CI: 0.396-1.595, P=0.519). There were no significant differences in median PFS and median OS between the two groups. Subgroup analysis showed that patients in the IA group had significantly longer PFS in the subgroup with PD-L1 expression ≥50% (P=0.017), and the association between different groups and disease progression was still different in the two subgroups (P for interaction = 0.002). There was no significant difference in ORR between the two groups (23.3% vs 30.5%, P=0.465). The incidence of irAEs in the IA group was lower than that in the NIA group (39.5% vs 19.4%, P=0.05), and the cumulative incidence of treatment interruptions due to irAEs was significantly reduced (P=0.045). Conclusion: In elderly patients with advanced driver-negative NSCLC, the addition of antiangiogenic agents to ICIs therapy did not provide significant clinical benefit, but the incidence of irAEs and treatment interruptions due to irAEs was significantly reduced. In the subgroup analysis, we found that the clinical benefit of this combination therapy was observed in patients with PD-L1 expression ≥50%, which warrants further exploration.

Diatomite-Templated Synthesis of Single-Atom Cobalt-Doped MoS2 /Carbon Composites to Boost Sodium Storage.

2D transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) and single-atom catalysts (SACs) are promising electrodes for energy conversion/storage because of the layered structure and maximum atom utilization efficiency. However, the integration of such two type materials and the relevant sodium storage applications remain daunting challenges. Here, an ingenious diatomite-templated synthetic strategy is designed to fabricate single-atom cobalt-doped MoS2 /carbon (SA Co-MoS2 /C) composites toward the high-performance sodium storage. Benefiting from the unique hierarchical structure, high electron/sodium-ion conductivity, and abundant active sites, the obtained SA Co-MoS2 /C reveals remarkable specific capacity (≈604.0 mAh g-1 at 0.1 A g-1 ), high rate performance, and outstanding long cyclic stability. Particularly, the sodium-ion full cell composed of SA Co-MoS2 /C anode and Na3 V2 (PO4 )3 cathode demonstrates unexpected stability with the cycle number exceeded 1200. The internal sodium storage mechanism is clarified with the aid of density functional theory calculations and in situ experimental characterizations. This work not only represents a substantial leap in terms of synthesizing SACs on 2D TMDCs but also provides a crucial step toward the practical sodium-ion battery applications.

FeN Coordination Induced Ultralong Lifetime of Sodium-Ion Battery with the Cycle Number Exceeding 65 000.

Sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) have received increasing attention because of their appealing cell voltages and cost-effective features. However, the atom aggregation and electrode volume variation inevitably deteriorate the sodium storage kinetics. Here a new strategy is proposed to boost the lifetime of SIB by synthesizing sea urchin-like FeSe2 /nitrogen-doped carbon (FeSe2 /NC) composites. The robust FeN coordination hinders the Fe atom aggregation and accommodates the volume expansion, while the unique biomorphic morphology and high conductivity of FeSe2 /NC enhance the intercalation/deintercalation kinetics and shorten the ion/electron diffusion length. As expected, FeSe2 /NC electrodes deliver excellent half (387.6 mAh g-1 at 20.0 A g-1 after 56 000 cycles) and full (203.5 mAh g-1 at 1.0 A g-1 after 1200 cycles) cell performances. Impressively, an ultralong lifetime of SIB composed of FeSe2 /Fe3 Se4 /NC anode is uncovered with the cycle number exceeding 65 000. The sodium storage mechanism is clarified with the aid of density function theory calculations and in situ characterizations. This work hereby provides a new paradigm for enhancing the lifetime of SIB by constructing a unique coordination environment between active material and framework.

Unique recognition of the microalgal plastidial glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase for acyl-ACP.

Plastidial glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferases (GPATs) catalyze acyl-ACP and glycerol-3-phosphate to synthesize lysophosphatidic acid in vivo, which initiates the formation of various glycerolipids. Although the physiological substrates of plastidial GPATs are acyl-ACPs, acyl-CoAs have been commonly studied on the GPATs in vitro. However, little is known whether there are any distinct features of GPATs towards acyl-ACP and acyl-CoA. In this study, the results showed that the microalgal plastidial GPATs preferred acyl-ACP to acyl-CoA, while surprisingly, the plant-derived plastidial GPATs showed no obvious preferences towards these two acyl carriers. The key residues responsible for the distinct feature of microalgal plastidial GPATs were compared with plant-derived plastidial GPATs in their efficiency to catalyze acyl-ACP and acyl-CoA. Microalgal plastidial GPATs uniquely recognized acyl-ACP as compared to with other acyltransferases. The structure of the acyltransferases-ACP complex highlights only the involvement of the large structural domain in ACP in microalgal plastidial GPAT while in the other acyltransferases, both large and small structural domains were involved in the recognition process. The interaction sites on the plastidial GPAT from the green alga Myrmecia incisa (MiGPAT1) with ACP turned out to be K204, R212 and R266. A unique recognition between the microalgal plastidial GPAT and ACP was elucidated.

Anti-mold, self-cleaning superhydrophobic bamboo fiber/polypropylene composites with mechanical durability.

Bamboo fiber/polypropylene composites (BPCs) have been widely used in buildings, interior decoration, and automobile components. However, pollutants and fungi can interact with the hydrophilic bamboo fibers on the surface of Bamboo fiber/polypropylene composites, degrading their appearance and mechanical properties. To improve their anti-fouling and anti-mildew properties, a superhydrophobic modified Bamboo fiber/polypropylene composite (BPC-TiO2-F) was fabricated by introducing titanium dioxide (TiO2) and poly(DOPAm-co-PFOEA) onto the surface of a Bamboo fiber/polypropylene composite. The morphology of BPC-TiO2-F was analyzed by XPS, FTIR, and SEM. The results showed that TiO2 particles covered on Bamboo fiber/polypropylene composite surface via complexation between phenolic hydroxyl groups and Ti atoms. Low-surface-energy fluorine-containing poly(DOPAm-co-PFOEA) was introduced onto the Bamboo fiber/polypropylene composite surface, forming a rough micro/nanostructure that endowed BPC-TiO2-F with superhydrophobicity (water contact angle = 151.0° ± 0.5°). The modified Bamboo fiber/polypropylene composite exhibited excellent self-cleaning properties, and a model contaminant, Fe3O4 powder, was rapidly removed from the surface by water drops. BPC-TiO2-F showed excellent anti-mold performance, and no mold was on its surface after 28 days. The superhydrophobic BPC-TiO2-F had good mechanical durability and could withstand sandpaper abrasion with a weight load of 50 g, finger wiping for 20 cycles, and tape adhesion abrasion for 40 cycles. BPC-TiO2-F showed good self-cleaning properties, mildew resistance, and mechanical resistance, giving it promising applications for automotive upholstery and building decoration.

Bridging Synthesis and Controllable Doping of Monolayer 4 in. Length Transition-Metal Dichalcogenides Single Crystals with High Electron Mobility.

Epitaxial growth and controllable doping of wafer-scale atomically thin semiconductor single crystals are two central tasks to tackle the scaling challenge of transistors. Despite considerable efforts are devoted, addressing such crucial issues simultaneously under 2D confinement is yet to be realized. Here, an ingenious strategy to synthesize record-breaking 4 in. length Fe-doped transition-metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) single crystals on industry-compatible c-plane sapphire without special miscut angle is designed. Atomically thin transistors with high electron mobility (≈146 cm2 V-1 s-1 ) and remarkable on/off current ratio (≈109 ) are fabricated based on 4 in. length Fe-MoS2 single crystals, due to the ultralow contact resistance (≈489 Ω µm). In-depth characterizations and theoretical calculations reveal that the introduction of Fe significantly decreases the formation energy of parallel steps on sapphire surfaces and contributes to the edge-nucleation of unidirectional alignment TMDCs domains (>99%). This work represents a substantial leap in terms of bridging synthesis and doping of wafer-scale 2D semiconductor single crystals, which should promote the further device downscaling and extension of Moore's law.

Sidelobe suppression in structured light sheet fluorescence microscopy by the superposition of two light sheets.

Light sheet microscopy has emerged as a powerful technique for three-dimensional and long-term vivo imaging within neuroscience and developmental biology. A light sheet illumination with structured light fields allows a better tradeoff between the field of view and axial resolution but suffers from strong side lobes. Here, we propose a method of producing structured light sheet illumination with suppressed side lobes by applying the superposition of two light sheets. The side lobe suppression results from the destructive interference between the side lobes and constructive interference between the main lobe of the two light sheets. In the proposed method, the incident light pattern in the rear pupil plane of the illumination objective is a combination of the incident light line beams required for the generation of the two interfering light sheets. We present a fast and simple calculation method to determine the incident light pattern in the rear pupil plane. Simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed sidelobe suppression method for double-line light sheet, four-line light sheet, as well as line Bessel sheet. In particular, an 81% decrease in the relative side lobe energy can be achieved in case of double-line light sheet with an almost nonchanging propagation length. We show a way of using combined incident light patterns to generate structured light sheets with interference-resulted side lobe suppression, which is straightforward in design and with advantages of improved imaging performance.