Conjugated polymers are an important class of chromophores for optoelectronic devices. Understanding and controlling their excited state properties, in particular, radiative and non‐radiative ...recombination processes are among the greatest challenges that must be overcome. We report the synthesis and characterization of a molecularly encapsulated naphthalene diimide‐based polymer, one of the most successfully used motifs, and explore its structural and optical properties. The molecular encapsulation enables a detailed understanding of the effect of interpolymer interactions. We reveal that the non‐encapsulated analogue P(NDI‐2OD‐T) undergoes aggregation enhanced emission; an effect that is suppressed upon encapsulation due to an increasing π‐interchain stacking distance. This suggests that decreasing π‐stacking distances may be an attractive method to enhance the radiative properties of conjugated polymers in contrast to the current paradigm where it is viewed as a source of optical quenching.
This article demonstrates a novel synthetic strategy that can be used to tune the interstrand distance between conjugated polymers with unprecedented precision. This control provides an ideal platform for fundamental insight into the solid‐state optical properties of NDI polymers.
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
A beam-normal single-spin asymmetry generated in the scattering of transversely polarized electrons from unpolarized nucleons is an observable related to the imaginary part of the two-photon exchange ...process. We report a 2% precision measurement of the beam-normal single-spin asymmetry in elastic electron-proton scattering with a mean scattering angle of θlab=7.9° and a mean energy of 1.149 GeV. The asymmetry result is Bn=−5.194±0.067(stat)±0.082 (syst) ppm. This is the most precise measurement of this quantity available to date and therefore provides a stringent test of two-photon exchange models at far-forward scattering angles (θlab→0) where they should be most reliable.
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CMK, CTK, FMFMET, IJS, NUK, PNG, UM
Summary
Background
T lymphocytes have been shown to cause the destruction of melanocytes in vitiligo pathogenesis. Narrowband ultraviolet B (NB‐UVB), as an effective therapeutic strategy in vitiligo, ...can lead to the formation of DNA photoproducts such as cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers (CPDs) in perilesional lymphocytes and thus induce skin immunosuppression. The repair of DNA photoproducts is performed mainly through the nucleotide excision repair (NER) pathway. We hypothesized that single‐nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in NER genes might influence the repair capacity of CPDs and thus contribute to variations in phototherapy efficiency.
Objectives
To detect genetic polymorphisms in NER genes and their relationship with the efficacy of NB‐UVB therapy in patients with active vitiligo.
Methods
We investigated the association of NER SNPs (XPA A23G, XPC Ci11A, XPC C2919A and ERCC1 C118T) with phototherapy efficacy in 86 patients with vitiligo who received NB‐UVB treatment. Furthermore, we examined the impact of ERCC1 C118T on the apoptosis of T lymphocytes and CPD accumulation after NB‐UVB irradiation.
Results
We found that patients with vitiligo with the ERCC1 codon 118 CC genotype showed better efficacy after NB‐UVB irradiation than those with the ERCC1 118 TT and CT genotypes, whereas no such association was documented among the genotypes of XPA A23G, XPC Ci11A or XPC C2919A. Additionally, the apoptosis rates and CPD levels of lymphocytes after NB‐UVB irradiation in patients with the ERCC1 118 CC genotype were significantly higher than those in patients with the ERCC1 118 TT and CT genotypes.
Conclusions
The ERCC1 118 CC genotype confers better efficacy of NB‐UVB therapy in patients with active vitiligo.
What's already known about this topic?
One of the therapeutic mechanisms of narrowband ultraviolet B (NB‐UVB) in vitiligo is through the induction of skin immunosuppression during irradiation, especially by the apoptosis of lymphocytes.
The repair of DNA damage after NB‐UVB radiation is performed mainly through the nucleotide excision repair (NER) pathway.
The ERCC1 gene encodes one of the core proteins in the NER pathway.
What does this study add?
The ERCC1 codon 118 CC genotype can lead to an increase of DNA photoproducts and induce the apoptosis of T lymphocytes under NB‐UVB irradiation.
Individuals carrying the ERCC1 118 CC genotype can experience better efficacy of NB‐UVB therapy.
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
The Q(weak) experiment has measured the parity-violating asymmetry in ep elastic scattering at Q(2)=0.025(GeV/c)(2), employing 145 μA of 89% longitudinally polarized electrons on a 34.4 cm long ...liquid hydrogen target at Jefferson Lab. The results of the experiment's commissioning run, constituting approximately 4% of the data collected in the experiment, are reported here. From these initial results, the measured asymmetry is A(ep)=-279±35 (stat) ± 31 (syst) ppb, which is the smallest and most precise asymmetry ever measured in ep scattering. The small Q(2) of this experiment has made possible the first determination of the weak charge of the proton Q(W)(p) by incorporating earlier parity-violating electron scattering (PVES) data at higher Q(2) to constrain hadronic corrections. The value of Q(W)(p) obtained in this way is Q(W)(p)(PVES)=0.064±0.012, which is in good agreement with the standard model prediction of Q(W)(p)(SM)=0.0710±0.0007. When this result is further combined with the Cs atomic parity violation (APV) measurement, significant constraints on the weak charges of the up and down quarks can also be extracted. That PVES+APV analysis reveals the neutron's weak charge to be Q(W)(n)(PVES+APV)=-0.975±0.010.
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IMP (Institute of Modern Physics, Chinese Academy of Science) developed the FECR (Fourth Generation ECR Ion-Source) superconducting magnet, which is made up of a sextupole magnet and four solenoid ...magnets. These component magnets are required to be installed and aligned on the same mechanical axis. After loading the ion-source magnet into the cryostat, we set up an adjustment device to rectify the location. For the alignment of two types of coils, two separate measurement methods are used. The rotating coil is used to measure sextupole offset, while the rotating Hall sensor is used to measure solenoid offset. Both measurement probes are mechanically connected to the cryostat's warm bore. The position of the magnet constitution will be adjusted several times until the magnetic axis of the FECR magnet and the mechanical axis of the cryostat warm bore coincides to a satisfactory degree.
Previous data suggest that the immune microenvironment plays a critical role in human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) -positive breast cancer; however, there is little known about the ...immune profiles of small HER2-positive tumors. In this study, we aimed to characterize the immune microenvironment of small HER2-positive breast cancers included in the Adjuvant paclitaxel and trastuzumab for node-negative, HER2-positive breast cancer (APT) trial and to correlate the immune markers with pathological and molecular tumor characteristics.
The APT trial was a multicenter, single-arm, phase II study of paclitaxel and trastuzumab in patients with node-negative HER2-positive breast cancer. The study included 406 patients with HER2-positive, node-negative breast cancer, measuring up to 3cm. Exploratory analysis of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL), programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression (by immunohistochemistry), and immune gene signatures using data generated by nCounter PanCancer Pathways Panel (NanoString Technologies, Seattle, WA), and their association with pathological and molecular characteristics was carried out.
Of the 406 patients, 328 (81%) had at least one immune assay carried out: 284 cases were evaluated for TIL, 266 for PD-L1, and 213 for immune gene signatures. High TIL (≥60%) were seen with greater frequency in hormone-receptor (HR) negative, histological grades 2 and 3, as well in HER2-enriched and basal-like tumors. Lower stromal PD-L1 (≤1%) expression was seen with greater frequency in HR-positive, histological grade 1, and in luminal tumors. Both TIL and stromal PD-L1 were positively correlated with 10 immune cell signatures, including Th1 and B cell signatures. Luminal B tumors were negatively correlated with those signatures. Significant correlation was seen among these immune markers; however, the magnitude of correlation did not indicate a monotonic relationship between them.
Immune profiles of small HER2-positive breast cancers differ according to HR status, histological grade, and molecular subtype. Further work is needed to explore the implication of these findings on disease outcome.
clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT00542451.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Titanium alloys are favorable implant materials for orthopedic applications, due to their desirable mechanical properties and biochemical compatibility (or bio-inertness). However, current ...bio-titanium alloys still possess too high an elastic modulus compared with that of the bone, which can lead to premature failure of the implant. Here, a theoretical methodology for the design and development of low modulus Ti alloys and/or structures is provided by means of electronic structural calculations using the discrete variational cluster method (DVM). The preliminary study concentrated on two
β-Ti atomic clusters consisting of 15, and 27 atoms, respectively. The binding energies between titanium and various alloying atoms within the clusters were first calculated, from which strength and modulus were then estimated. The results of the calculation suggested that Nb, Mo, Zr and Ta were suitable alloying elements for
β-type titanium alloys, capable of enhancing the strength and reducing the modulus of the materials.
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IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK
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