BCAR4 facilitates trastuzumab resistance and EMT in breast cancer via sponging miR-665 and interacting with YAP1.

Breast cancer antiestrogen resistance 4 (BCAR4) has been suggested that can modulate cell behavior, resulting in tumorigenesis and chemoresistance. However, the underlying mechanisms of BCAR4 in trastuzumab resistance (TR) is still elusive. Here, we explored the function and the underlying mechanism of BCAR4 involving in TR. We found that BCAR4 is significantly upregulated in trastuzumab-resistant BC cells. Knockdown of BCAR4 could sensitize the BC cells to trastuzumab and suppress epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Mechanically, BCAR4 promotes yes-associated protein 1 (YAP1) expression by competitively sponging miR-665, to activated TGF-ß signaling. Reciprocally, YAP1 could occupy the BCAR4 promoter to enhance its transcription, suggesting that there exists a positive feedback regulation between YAP1 and BCAR4. Targeting the BCAR4/miR-665/YAP1 axis may provide a novel insight of therapeutic approaches for TR in BC.

A cross-sectional study of appropriateness evaluation of anticoagulation therapy for inpatients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation.

Background: Oral anticoagulants (OACs) are essential for stroke prevention in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF). However, the appropriateness of anticoagulation treatment in locally practice remains unclear. This study evaluated compliance with anticoagulation therapy concerning the guidelines and drug labels in patients with NVAF. Methods: Hospitalized patients diagnosed with NVAF between 1 November 2020, and 31 December 2021, were retrospectively enrolled. The appropriateness of anticoagulation regimens at discharge was evaluated based on a flowchart designed according to atrial fibrillation (AF) guidelines and medication labels. Furthermore, we explored factors potentially influencing the "no-use of OACs" using binary logistic regression and verified anticoagulation-related issues through a physician questionnaire. Results: A total of 536 patients were enrolled in this study, including 254 patients (47.4%) with inappropriate anticoagulation regimens. 112 patients (20.9%) were categorized as "underdosing-use of OACs," 134 (25%) who needed anticoagulation therapy were "no-use of OACs" and eight (1.5%) were "over-use of OACs." The results of a binary logistic regression analysis showed that paroxysmal AF (odds ratio [OR], 7.74; 95% confidence interval [CI], 4.57-13.10), increased blood creatinine levels (OR, 1.88; 95% CI, 1.11-3.16), hospitalized pacemaker implantation (OR, 6.76; 95% CI, 2.67-17.11), percutaneous coronary intervention (OR, 3.35; 95% CI, 1.44-7.80), and an increased HAS-BLED score (OR, 1.62; 95% CI, 1.11-2.35) were associated with "no-use of OACs" in patients with NVAF who had indications for anticoagulation therapy. Conclusion: For patients with NVAF with severe renal dysfunction and paroxysmal AF, anticoagulation therapy was inadequate. The underdosing-use of OACs in patients with NVAF was frequently observed. We recommend an anticoagulation management team to tailor anticoagulation regimens to suit each patient's needs.

The Efficacy and Safety of Inetetamab and Pyrotinib in Combination with Vinorelbine for Second-line Therapy and Beyond in HER2-positive Metastatic Breast Cancer: A Single-institution Clinical Experience.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to observe the efficacy and safety of inetetamab and pyrotinib in combination with vinorelbine in second-line therapy and beyond in HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer (MBC). METHODS: Patients with HER2-positive MBC admitted to our hospital from January 2016 to December 2021 were selected. For patients who could not receive antibody‒drug conjugates (ADCs) during second-line (2nd-line) or third-line and beyond (≥3rd-line) anti-HER2 therapy, inetetamab + pyrotinib + vinorelbine was used for treatment until unacceptable adverse events occurred or the disease progressed, as evaluated by the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) 1.1 every 2 cycles. The progression-free survival (PFS), objective response rate (ORR), clinical benefit rate (CBR), and adverse reactions were recorded. Multivariate Cox regression analysis was performed to explore the prognostic factors influencing the curative effect. RESULTS: Overall, 52 patients were included; 13 patients received 2nd-line treatment, and 39 patients received ≥3rd-line treatment. The median PFS (mPFS) for all patients treated with inetetamab + pyrotinib + vinorelbine was 7 months. The mPFS of the 2nd-line subgroup was significantly better than that of the ≥3rd-line subgroup (17 vs. 5 months, P = 0.001). The mPFS of the subgroups that received trastuzumab (H) or trastuzumab and pertuzumab (HP) only was significantly better than that of the H or HP and tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) subgroups (8 vs. 5 months, P = 0.030). The mPFS of the HER2 resistance subgroup was better than that of the HER2 refractoriness subgroup (14 vs. 7 months, P = 0.025). Cox regression analysis showed that the treatment line (2nd-line more so than ≥3rd-line) was an independent prognostic factor for PFS. In addition, the ORR and CBR of 2nd-line patients were significantly higher than those of ≥3rd-line patients (69.2% vs. 30.8% and 92.3% vs. 64.1%, respectively). The most common hematological toxicities were leukopenia and neutropenia, and the most common nonhematological toxicity was diarrhea. CONCLUSION: Inetetamab and pyrotinib in combination with vinorelbine have good efficacy in ≥2ndline treatment of HER2-positive MBC with controllable toxicity, and the combination is a new treatment option, especially for patients who cannot use ADCs in 2nd-line treatment.

Occurrence of microplastic pollution in rivers globally: Driving factors of distribution and ecological risk assessment.

Microplastics, as global emerging pollutants, have received significant attention worldwide due to their ubiquitous presence in the rivers. However, there is still a lack of clarity on the occurrence, driving factors, and ecological risks of microplastics in rivers worldwide. In this study, a global microplastic dataset based on 862 water samples and 445 sediment samples obtained from 63 articles was constructed, which revealed the temporal and spatial distribution of abundance and morphological characteristics of microplastics in rivers across the globe. In global rivers, the abundance of MPs in both water and sediment spans across 10 and 4 orders of magnitude, respectively. The MP comprehensive diversity index based on the physical morphological characteristics of MPs indicated a significant positive correlation between the pollution sources of MPs in different environmental media. Based on the data was aligned to the full-scale MPs, a novel framework was provided to evaluate the ecological risk of MPs and the interaction effects between the influencing factors driving the distribution characteristics of MPs in rivers around the world. The results obtained demonstrated a wide variation in the key driving factors affecting the distribution of microplastics in different environmental media (water and sediment) in rivers globally. The diversity indices of the morphological characteristics of MPs in densely populated areas of lower-middle income countries in Asia were significantly higher, implying that the sources of microplastics in these regions are more complex and extensive. More than half of the rivers are exposed to potential ecological risks of MPs; however, microplastics may pose only immediate risks to aquatic species in Burigang River, Bangladesh. This can provide valuable insights for formulating more effective scientific strategies for the management of MP pollution in rivers.

Cutoff value of IC50 for drug sensitivity in patient-derived tumor organoids in colorectal cancer.

Patient-derived tumor organoids (PDTOs) have the potential to be used to predict the patient response to chemotherapy. However, the cutoff value of the half-maximal inhibition concentration (IC50) for PDTO drug sensitivity has not been validated with clinical cohort data. We established PDTOs and performed a drug test in 277 samples from 242 CRC patients who received FOLFOX or XELOX chemotherapy. After follow-up and comparison of the PDTO drug test and final clinical outcome results, the optimal IC50 cutoff value for PDTO drug sensitivity was 43.26 µmol/L. This PDTO drug test-defined cutoff value could predict patient response with 75.36% sensitivity, 74.68% specificity, and 75% accuracy. Moreover, this value distinguished groups of patients with significant differences in survival benefit. Our study is the first to define the IC50 cutoff value for the PDTO drug test to effectively distinguish CRC patients with chemosensitivity or nonsensitivity and predict survival benefits.

Use of Carbon Nanoparticles to Improve the Efficiency of Harvesting Lymph Nodes in Rectal Cancer.

BACKGROUND: The accurate determination of lymph node status in patients with rectal cancer requires harvesting a certain number of lymph nodes. This study investigated whether using carbon nanoparticles (CNs) could improve the efficiency of harvesting lymph nodes in rectal cancer patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data from patients with rectal cancer treated with radical resection were collected from Nanfang Hospital between January 2014 and June 2021. Patients in the CN group received a CN suspension 1 day before surgery, which was endoscopically injected around the tumor. A 1:1 case-matched study was performed using the propensity score. The efficiency of harvesting lymph nodes was investigated by comparing the number of total nodes, total time, and percentage of nodes <5 mm in size between the CN and non-CN groups. RESULTS: A total of 768 patients were included, with 246 patients who underwent CN injection and 522 patients who did not. After matching, 246 pairs of patients were analyzed. After matching, the number of total nodes of each sample was significantly higher in the CN group than in the non-CN group ( P <0.001). The total time for node detection ( P <0.001) was significantly shorter in the CN group. The percentage of nodes <5 mm in size was increased significantly in the CN group ( P <0.001). Among patients with clinical staging I/II, the difference in positive LNs was significant (21.79% vs. 11.95%, P =0.029). CONCLUSIONS: The application of CNs improved the efficiency of harvesting lymph nodes during rectal cancer surgery.

Compatibility and aerosol characteristics of beclomethasone mixed with N-acetylcysteine.

Mixing different kind inhalation medications for simultaneous inhalation is widely used in the treatment of chronic respiratory diseases, and it can minimize the administration time and improve patient adherence. To our knowledge, it is unclear whether beclomethasone (BDP, Clenil®) can bemixed with acetylcysteine (NAC, Fluimucil®), because the in vitro physico-chemical compatibility and aerosol characteristics of the mixture are unknown. In this study, we investigated physical compatibility, including the appearance, pH, osmotic pressure and chemical stability, as well as aerosol characteristics, including particle size corresponding to 10%/50%/90% of the cumulative percentage of total particle volume (X10/X50/X90), volume median droplet diameter (VMD), mass median aerodynamic diameter (MMAD), fine particle fraction (FPF), fine particle dose (FPD) and geometric standard deviation (GSD), delivery rate, and total delivery of the above solutions. After mixing, there were no significant changes in visual appearance, pH, osmolality and drug content of the mixtures at room temperature for 12 h. The FDP of BDP in the mixture decreased by 16.49%, whereas the NAC increased by 10.85%. The delivery rates of BDP and NAC in the mixture decreased by 66.05% and 45.54%, and total delivery increased by 13.20% and 25.29%, respectively. However, the MMAD, FPF, particle size and GSD of the mixture were almost unchanged. We demonstrated that these admixtures are physico-chemically compatible but that coadministration of beclomethasone with acetylcysteine can markedly affect output and aerosol characteristics.

DDB1 regulates the activation-induced apoptosis of T cells via downregulating the expression of histone methyltransferase SETD7.

The damaged DNA-binding protein 1 (DDB1) enhances the survival and maintenance of multipotent cells through promoting the Cullin 4 E3 ligase complex-dependent ubiquitination and subsequent degradation of downstream substrates. Naive T cells could be activated and differentiated into effector and memory T cells by exogenous stimulatory molecules, which are essential in immune response and inflammation. However, possible regulation and molecular mechanisms of DDB1 in T-cell activation-induced apoptosis were largely unknown. Here, in this study, we uncovered that DDB1 could downregulate the expression of histone methyltransferase SETD7 through decreasing its mRNA level and then regulated activation-induced apoptosis of T-cell line Jurkat cells. Furthermore, RNA-sequencing assay on activated Jurkat cells confirmed that the SETD7 attenuated the activation of Jurkat cells. Our study revealed the non-enzymatic functions of DDB1 on the activation-induced apoptosis of T cells.

Synergistic regulation effect of magnesium and acetate ions on structural rigidity for synthesizing an efficient and robust CsPbI3 perovskite toward red light-emitting devices.

The structure of CsPbI3 nanocrystals (NCs) with excellent photoelectric properties easily collapses, which hinders their application in light-emitting diodes (LEDs). Herein, we accomplished the synthesis of efficient and stable CsPbI3 NCs by regulating structural rigidity under the synergistic effect of Mg2+ and AcO- ions. The introduced AcO- and Mg2+ ions increase surface steric hindrance and defect formation energy, which enhances the structural rigidity of the perovskite. As a result, the CsPbI3 NCs display an outstanding photoluminescence quantum yield of 95.7%, in conjunction with reduced defect state density, balanced carrier injection, and distinguished conductivity. Remarkably, the modified CsPbI3 NCs exhibit excellent stability under ambient conditions for 180 days and can even survive when the temperature reaches 150 °C. Given their enhanced structural rigidity, LEDs made from these modified CsPbI3 NCs exhibit a maximum luminance and an EQE of 3281 cd m-2 and 13.2%, respectively, which are significantly improved compared with those of unmodified CsPbI3 NC LEDs.

Metabolic adaptation to high-starch diet in largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) was associated with the restoration of metabolic functions via inflammation, bile acid synthesis and energy metabolism.

A short-term 2-week (2w) and long-term 8-week (8w) feeding trial was conducted to investigate the effects of low-starch (LS) and high-starch (HS) diets on the growth performance, metabolism and liver health of largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides). Two isonitrogenous and isolipidic diets containing two levels of starch (LS, 9·06 %; HS, 13·56 %) were fed to largemouth bass. The results indicated that HS diet had no significant effects on specific growth rate during 2w, whereas significantly lowered specific growth rate at 8w. HS diet significantly increased hepatic glycolysis and gluconeogenesis at postprandial 24 h in 2w. The hepatosomatic index, plasma alkaline phosphatase, total bile acid (TBA) levels, and hepatic glycogen, TAG, total cholesterol, TBA, and NEFA contents were significantly increased in the HS group at 2w. Moreover, HS diet up-regulated fatty acid and TAG synthesis-related genes and down-regulated TAG hydrolysis and ß-oxidation-related genes. Therefore, the glucolipid metabolism disorders resulted in metabolic liver disease induced by HS diet at 2w. However, the up-regulation of bile acid synthesis, inflammation and energy metabolism-related genes in 2w indicated that largemouth bass was still in a state of 'self-repair' response. Interestingly, all the metabolic parameters were returned to homoeostasis, with up-regulation of intestinal glucose uptake and transport-related genes, even hepatic histopathological analysis showed no obvious abnormality in the HS group in 8w. In conclusion, HS feed induced short-term acute metabolic disorder, but long-term metabolic adaptation to HS diet was related to repairing metabolism disorders via improving inflammatory responses, bile acid synthesis and energy metabolism. These results strongly indicated that the largemouth bass owned certain adaptability to HS diet.

Tumor mutational burden in non-immunotherapy patients with heavily pretreated metastatic breast cancer: long-term outcomes from a single institution.

Patients with heavily pretreated (≥3rd-line treatment) metastatic breast cancer (MBC) had poor outcomes and lack prognostic biomarkers. Tumor mutational burden (TMB) was a prognostic biomarker for immunotherapy, but is not well defined in non-immunotherapy. Forty-nine heavily pretreated MBC not received immunotherapy were enrolled between March 2016 and September 2018. TMB of metastatic tumor tissue was evaluated by targeted next-generation sequencing of a 247-genes panel. CBRs (clinical benefit rates) were 47.7% (9 months), 36.2% (12 months) in high TMB patients, higher than 16.1% (9 months), 8.1% (12 months) in low TMB patients, respectively. After a median follow-up of 38 months, patients with high TMB had a longer mPFS (median progress-free survival) compared to low TMB patients in 3rd-line treatment group (13.5 versus 7 months, HR 0.32, p = 0.019) but not in >3rd-line treatment group. Cox regression showed TMB and line of treatment were the two independent prognostic factors for prolonged mPFS in heavily pretreated MBC, with a HR of 0.34 (p = 0.009) for high TMB and 0.37 (p = 0.013) for 3rd-line treatment. In luminal subtype, mPFS was longer with endocrine therapy (ET) alone than with endocrine therapy + chemotherapy (ET + CT) in high TMB cohort (p = 0.037) but shorter mPFS with ET alone than with ET + CT in low TMB cohort (p = 0.047). High TMB and line of treatment are two independent prognostic factors for prolonged mPFS in heavily pretreated MBC patients. TMB may be a predictive biomarker of efficacy with ET alone or ET + CT in luminal subtype.

Pulses outweigh cumulative effects of water diversion from river to lake on lacustrine phytoplankton communities.

Due to the allochthonous input of nutrients and species, the cumulative effects of water diversion on water-receiving lakes deserve attention. Taking the water diversion project from the Yangtze River to Lake Taihu (WDYT) as an example, we explored the temporal effects of WDYT on the phytoplankton community and physicochemical habitat of Lake Taihu in autumn and winter from 2013 to 2018. Although the short-term diversion significantly increased the risk of importing nutrients, the relatively high quality of the diversion water compared with other inflow rivers had improved the water quality of the water-receiving lake region. The seasonal water diversion significantly increased phytoplankton diversity and community network complexity and reshaped the lacustrine community to be diatom-dominated with their relative proportions of 24.1-64.9% during water diversion periods. The contributions of physicochemical habitat changes induced by water diversion to variations in phytoplankton communities were 24.0-28.0%. The differences in phytoplankton diversity, community composition and physicochemical habitat in the water-receiving lake region between the diversion and non-diversion years were more evident than those between the non-diversion years in the same season, when comparing the multivariate dispersion indices among them. However, the lacustrine phytoplankton community during non-diversion periods still has not been essentially altered after several years of diversion, so the pulse effects of short-term water diversion were more obvious than the long-term cumulative impacts. Better control of allochthonous nutrients, appropriate increase in inflow water, adhering to the long-term operation, should be effective to enhance ecological benefits of such water diversion projects.

Identification of hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae carrying terW gene by MacConkey-potassium tellurite medium in the general population.

Objectives: To establish a MacConkey-potassium tellurium medium-based method for selectively culturing terW gene-positive Klebsiella pneumoniae (KP), to evaluate its performance and apply it to identifying particular clonal hypervirulent KP (hvKP) strains in epidemiological surveillance. Methods: The virulence genes, rmpA, iutA, and terW, were detected by PCR. The minimum inhibitory concentration of potassium tellurite of hvKP (rmpA +/ iutA +) and classical KP (rmpA - and iutA -) was determined using the agar dilution method. The MacConkey medium containing 4 µg/ml potassium tellurite was prepared and the performance in detecting terW + KP was evaluated, including an agreement with PCR and positive/negative predictive value. Fecal samples from healthy volunteers in Fujian were collected and cultured in the medium, then positive strains were identified using MALDI-TOF MS, antimicrobial susceptibility was tested by Kirby-Bauer assays, and virulence genes and capsular serotype genes were tested by PCR. Results: In KP isolated from clinical specimens (N = 198), the positive rate of terW was 37.9%, and the detection rate of terW in hvKP was significantly higher than that in classical KP (70.6% vs 13.3%). The potassium tellurite resistance levels of terW + (N = 75) and terW - (N = 55) KP were 8-128 µg/ml and <1-8 µg/ml, respectively, with significant differences. KP was selectively cultured on a MacConkey medium with 4 µg/ml potassium tellurite, and its agreement with PCR was good (Kappa=0.936), and the positive and negative percent agreement and positive and negative predictive values were 100% (75/75), 92.7% (51/55), 94.9% (75/79), and 100% (51/51), respectively. The prevalence of tellurite-resistant KP was 16.7% (86/516) in fecal samples from healthy volunteers, among which the positive rate of terW was 100% (86/86). The antimicrobial resistance characteristics of terW + KP showed no difference between healthy volunteers and inpatients. The most common capsular serotypes associated with high virulence were K1, K2, and K57. Conclusions: The MacConkey medium containing 4 µg/ml potassium tellurite could easily select and culture terW + KP in fecal samples with high sensitivity and specificity, which is a practical method for the epidemic surveillance of hvKP in the general population.

Anti-Nutritional Factors and Protein Dispersibility Index as Principal Quality Indicators for Soybean Meal in Diet of Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus GIFT), a Meta-Analysis.

Soybean meal (SBM) is the most important plant protein source in animal feed. This study investigated the characteristics of different SBMs, produced by soybeans from America and Brazil (SBM-A and SBM-B) in 2017−2021 under the same controlled conditions. The effects of different SBMs on the growth performance of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus, GIFT) and apparent digestibility coefficients (ADCs) of nutrients and energy were studied. The results showed that protein dispersibility index (PDI), urease activity (UA), glycinin and fiber were the four primary key indicators for distinguishing the characteristics of the tested SBMs. The meta-analysis results suggested that UA, glycinin, and fiber showed a negative effect on the survival rate (SR) and weight gain rate (WGR) of the Nile tilapia, whereas ß-conglycinin, PDI, and nitrogen solubility index (NSI) had a positive effect on the SR and WGR of the fish. The ADCs of dry matter, the gross energy, phosphorus, crude protein, valine (Val), lysine (Lys), histidine (His), serine (Ser), and glutamate (Glu) of the Diet-A group (SBM-A inclusion) were significantly higher than those in the Diet-B group (SBM-B inclusion) (p < 0.05). However, no significant difference was found in ADCs of macro-nutrients between the two SBMs (p > 0.05). Overall, PDI, UA, glycinin, and fiber were the main indicators reflecting the characteristics of the tested SBMs, and UA, glycinin, ß-conglycinin, and PDI had the greatest impact on the growth performance of Nile tilapia in this study. PDI was a more sensitive indicator than NSI for representing the protein quality of SBM.

Highly Stable and Efficient Mn2+ Doping Zero-Dimension Cs2ZnxPb1-xCl4 Alloyed Nanorods toward White Electroluminescent Light-Emitting Diodes.

Zero-dimensional (0D) crystal structure perovskite NCs have reemerged as promising materials owing to their superior long-term stability; however, their poor conductivity leads to the inferior electrical performances and critically restricts the optoelectronic application of 0D perovskite materials. Herien, the alloyed 0D crystal structure Cs2ZnxPb1-xCl4 nanorods (NRs) have been synthesized by the modified hot-injection method, which emits bright blue-violet light at 408 nm, and the optimized photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) reaches 26%. The Cs2Zn0.88Pb0.12Cl4 NRs display more excellent air stability and an order of magnitude higher conductivity than CsPbCl3 nanocube films. In addition, we dope Mn2+ ions into the Cs2Zn0.88Pb0.12Cl4 NRs, which accomplished the optimized PLQY of 40.3% and polarized emission with r = 0.19. The light-emitting diodes (LEDs) based on Mn2+ ion doped Cs2Zn0.88Pb0.12Cl4 NRs exhibit a chromaticity coordinate (CIE) of (0.36, 0.33), an EQE of 0.3%, and a maximum luminance of 98 cd m-2. This work has enriched ideas for the production of white light perovskite LEDs.

Apelin is associated with clinicopathological parameters and prognosis in breast cancer patients.

PURPOSE: Apelin has been shown to be a novel angiogenic factor in various cancers. However, there is limited information regarding the role of apelin in breast cancer. The aim of the present study is to examine associations between apelin, clinicopathological variables, and clinical outcome in breast cancer patients. METHODS: In this study, we began by investigating the apelin expression in breast cancer with long-term follow-up using immunohistochemistry. We then analyzed the relationship between apelin expression and microvessel density (MVD), lymphatic vessel density (LVD), lymph node status as well as other established clinicopathological parameters. The relationship between apelin expression and prognosis was also studied. In addition, we compared the apelin and its ligant APJ expression between 30 breast cancer samples and normal breast tissues adjacent to the breast tumors using western blot (WB) and RT-PCR. RESULTS: Apelin protein expression was detected in the cytoplasm of the breast carcinoma cells at various intensities. Apelin expression was positive in 59.2% (84/142) of the breast cancer patients and apelin expression was significantly correlated with tumor size (p = 0.030), stage (p = 0.000), histological type (p = 0.009), MVD (p = 0.000), LVD (p = 0.000), and lymph node metastasis (p = 0.041). Survival curves determined by the Kaplan-Meier method and univariate analysis demonstrated that high expression of apelin was associated with both worse disease-free survival (p < 0.001) and overall survival (p < 0.001). Interestingly, a significant difference in apelin and APJ expression by WB as well as RT-PCR was observed between normal breast tissues adjacent to the breast tumors and breast cancer tissues. CONCLUSIONS: Our results showed apelin expression was associated with tumor size, stage, histological type, MVD, LVD, lymph node metastasis and poor prognosis. The presence of apelin may be a new prognostic factor and potential therapeutic target for breast cancer.

Efficient Radiative Enhancement in Perovskite Light-Emitting Devices through Involving a Novel Sandwich Localized Surface Plasmon Structure.

In recent years, CsPbX3 (X = Cl, Br, I) perovskite quantum dots (QDs) have been considered as the most promising materials for light-emitting diodes (LEDs). However, the advances of CsPbX3 quantum dot-based light emitting diodes (QLEDs) still lagged behind inorganic III-V LEDs and other organic LEDs. Herein, a strategy to improve the performances of perovskite QLEDs is reported by utilizing the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) effects of Au nanospheres (NSs). It is accomplished by introducing a Au NS layer into the electron transport layer of Ca2+ -CsPbBr3 QLEDs, where the diameter and spacing of Au NSs and the interaction distance between the Ca2+ -CsPbBr3 QD and Au NS layers are modulated, according to the theoretical simulation of Finite-difference time-domain. As a result, the photoluminescence quantum yield of Ca2+ -CsPbBr3 QD layer is improved from 31.5% to 73.3%. Finally, the luminance of Ca2+ -CsPbBr3 QLEDs is improved from 16824 to 63931 cd m-2 and external quantum efficiency (EQE) is improved from 4.2% to 10.5%. The radiative transition rate can be remarkably modulated from 0.7 × 107 to 6.6 × 107 s-1 . The enhancement in luminance and EQE are the best values in the LSPR modified perovskite QLEDs and the strategy offered in this work fits with other LEDs and optoelectrical devices.

Synergistic Regulation Effect of Nitrate and Calcium Ions for Highly Luminescent and Robust α-CsPbI3 Perovskite.

The α-CsPbI3 nanocrystals (NCs) easily transform into yellow non-perovskite, accompanying with declining photoelectric properties that restricting their practical applications in diverse fields. Herein, the highly luminescent and robust α-CsPbI3 NCs is achieved through engineering the lattice symmetry of perovskite, enabled by the synergistic effect of NO3- ion passivation and Ca2+ ion doping. The introduced NO3- ions enhance the phase-change energy barrier and the surface steric hindrance, thus promoting the formation of α-CsPbI3 NCs with hyper-symmetric crystal structure, while the Ca2+ ion doping contributes to improving their lattice symmetry by significant regulation of the tolerance factor. As a result, the obtained α-CsPbI3 NCs display an outstanding photoluminescence quantum yield of 96.6%, together with the reduced defect state density and eminent conductivity. Most importantly, the as-engineered α-CsPbI3 NCs exhibit excellent stability under ambient conditions for 9 months and UV illumination for 32 h. It displays brilliant thermal stability, maintaining luminous intensity for 15 min under 140 °C, and performing desired durability and reversibility, evidenced by 160 °C cyclic test and 120 °C reversibility test. Given enhanced robustness, the as-engineered α-CsPbI3 NCs based light-emitting-diode devices are constructed, exhibiting a power efficiency of 105.3 lm W-1 and the excellent working stability for 18 h.

Optimizing the Performance of Perovskite Nanocrystal LEDs Utilizing Cobalt Doping on a ZnO Electron Transport Layer.

Metal halide perovskite nanocrystal (PNC) light-emitting devices (LEDs) are promising in the future ultra-high-definition display applications due to their tunable bandgap and high color purity. Balanced carrier injection is indispensable for realizing highly efficient LEDs. Herein, cobalt (Co) was doped into ZnO to modulate the electron mobility of a pristine electron transport layer (ETL) and to inhibit exciton quenching at the ZnO/EML interface due to the passivation of oxygen vacancies and the reduction of electron concentration resulting from the trapping of electrons by the Co2+-induced deep impurity level. Also, the bandgap was widened due to the size confinement effect. All of those were beneficial to achieve a balanced charge injection during the operating process. Consequently, the maximum luminance increased from 867 cd m-2 for ZnO LEDs to 1858 cd m-2 for Co-doped ZnO LEDs, and there was a 70% increase of external quantum efficiency (EQE). By further inserting a polyethylenimine (PEI) layer in the Co-doped ZnO LEDs, the EQE reached 13.0%.

Expression and clinical implications of basic leucine zipper ATF-like transcription factor 2 in breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: Basic leucine zipper ATF-like transcription factor 2 (BATF2) has been reported to participate in the occurrence and development of some malignancies. Herein, we aimed to explore the expression pattern and clinical implications of BATF2 in breast cancer (BC). METHODS: We assessed the differences in BATF2 mRNA expression between cancerous and noncancerous tissues in BC using GEPIA and UALCAN data and in BATF2 protein expression pattern using Human Protein Atlas (HPA) data. BATF2 co-expression networks were analyzed in Coexpedia. The association between the differentially expressed BATF2 mRNA and BC prognosis was assessed using UALCAN, OSbrca, and GEPIA databases. In external validations, BATF2 protein expression in BC tissues was quantitated using a tissue microarray and immunohistochemistry (IHC) analysis, and BATF2 mRNA expression in serum and serum-derived exosomes of BC patients using real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). RESULTS: No difference in the BATF2 mRNA expression level was found between cancerous and noncancerous tissues in BC based on databases. There were low-to-moderate levels of increases in BATF2 protein expressions in BC cases from the HPA cohort. BATF2 mRNA expression was negatively correlated with androgen receptor (AR) and positively correlated with BRCA2 DNA repair associated (BRCA2), marker of proliferation Ki-67 (Mki67), and tumor protein p53 (TP53) expressions. Generally, BATF2 mRNA exhibited a non-significant association with BC prognosis; yet the subgroup analyses showed that triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) patients with high BATF2 mRNA expressions had a longer overall survival (OS). Our IHC analysis revealed a positive rate of BATF2 protein expression of 46.90%, mainly located in the nucleus of cancer cells in BC, and the OS of BC patients with high BATF2 protein expressions was prolonged. The positive rates of BATF2 mRNA expressions in the serum and exosomes were 45.00 and 41.67%, respectively. Besides, the AUCs of serum and exosomal BATF2 mRNA for BC diagnosis were 0.8929 and 0.8869, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: BC patients exhibit low-to-moderate expressions in BATF2 mRNA expression levels in cancerous tissues. The high BATF2 protein expression can be a potential indicator of a better BC prognosis. Serum and exosomal BATF2 mRNA levels also serve as promising noninvasive biomarkers for BC diagnosis.