The circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) switching is of significant interest for applications in security technologies and sensing devices. Small organic molecules (SOMs) show several advantages ...over metal complexes, supramolecular assemblies, and polymers. Therefore, the recent progress on the CPL switching in SOMs is here reviewed. The results are summarized based on the strategies used to tune factors that influence the emission properties, and thus, to realize CPL switching. The strategies that have been adopted include promoting the excimer formation of fluorescent units, changing the conformation of fluorophores, tuning the electronic structure of the π‐skeleton/substituent, and modulating the intramolecular charge‐transfer dynamics.
Switching! The circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) switching in small organic molecules (SOMs) is of great interest. However, the achievement of such a property is very challenging. In this minireview, the strategies that have been recently adopted are summarized.
Breast cancer has grown to be the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in women. Only a few treatment options are available for breast cancer due to the widespread occurrence of ...chemoresistance, which emphasizes the need to discover and develop new methods to treat this disease. Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) is an early tumor diagnostic marker and is known to promote breast cancer malignancy. Recent clinical and preclinical data indicate the involvement of overexpressed and constitutively activated STAT3 in the progression, proliferation, metastasis and chemoresistance of breast cancer. Moreover, new pathways comprised of upstream regulators and downstream targets of STAT3 have been discovered. In addition, small molecule inhibitors targeting STAT3 activation have been found to be efficient for therapeutic treatment of breast cancer. This systematic review discusses the advances in the discovery of the STAT3 pathways and drugs targeting STAT3 in breast cancer. Video abstract.
Solid composite electrolytes (SCEs) that combine the advantages of solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) and inorganic ceramic electrolytes (ICEs) present acceptable ionic conductivity, high mechanical ...strength, and favorable interfacial contact with electrodes, which greatly improve the electrochemical performance of all‐solid‐state batteries compared to single SPEs and ICEs. However, there are many challenges to overcome before the practical application of SCEs, including the low ionic conductivity less than 10−3 S cm−1 at ambient temperature, poor interfacial stability, and high interfacial resistance, which greatly restrict the room temperature performance. Herein, the advances of SCEs applied in all‐solid‐state lithium batteries are presented, including the Li ion migration mechanism of SCEs, the strategies to enhance the ionic conductivity of SCEs by various morphologies of ICEs, and construction methods of the low resistance and stable interfaces of SCEs with both cathode and anode. Finally, some typical applications of SCEs in lithium batteries are summarized and future development directions are prospected. This work presents how it is quite significant to further enhance the ionic conductivity of SCEs by developing the novel SPEs with the special morphology of ICEs for advanced all‐solid‐state lithium batteries.
Herein, the advantages and ionic transport mechanisms of solid composite electrolyte (SCE) as well as the relationship between morphology of ceramic fillers and ionic conductivity of SCE are reviewed. Recent progress and strategies to settle interfacial issues for high‐performance all‐solid‐state lithium metal batteries with SCE are also concluded and future research directions of SCEs are proposed.
► This paper reviews structure and properties of chitosan and its derivatives. ► This paper reviews application of chitosan in various fuel cells. ► Chitosan has important application in membrane ...electrolyte and electrode.
Fuel cell is an electrochemical device which converts chemical energy stored in a fuel into electrical energy. Fuel cells have been receiving attention due to its potential applicability as a good alternative power source. Recently, cost-effective and eco-friendly biopolymer chitosan has been extensively studied as a material for membrane electrolytes and electrodes in low to intermediate temperature hydrogen polymer electrolyte fuel cell, direct methanol fuel cell, alkaline fuel cell, and biofuel cell. This paper reviews structure and property of chitosan with respect to its applications in fuel cells. Recent achievements and prospect of its applications have also been included.
Recent years have seen a considerable growth of research interests in developing novel technologies that permit designable manufacture and controllable manipulation of actuators. Among various ...fabrication and driving strategies, light has emerged as an enabler to reach this end, contributing to the development of actuators. Several accessible light‐mediated manufacturing technologies, such as ultraviolet (UV) lithography and direct laser writing (DLW), are summarized. A series of light‐driven strategies including optical trapping, photochemical actuation, and photothermal actuation for controllable manipulation of actuators is introduced. Current challenges and future perspectives of this field are discussed. To generalize, light holds great promise for the development of actuators.
Recent advances in light‐mediated manufacture and manipulation of actuators are highlighted. Several optical fabrication technologies, including UV lithography and direct laser writing, and various photo‐driven strategies, such as optical trapping, and photochemical and photothermal actuation are reviewed. Emerging trends and future perspectives of light‐enabled actuators are discussed.
With the rapid development of interregional power transmission, the redistribution of fossil and renewable energy resources has changed sharply, and its complexity poses a challenge to the evaluation ...of power carbon emission responsibility. This study constructs an interprovincial power transmission framework to measure the seasonal carbon emissions embodied in regional electricity consumption over the period of 2008–2015 based on quarterly data. Then, a structural decomposition approach was developed to identify the influential factors of carbon emissions embodied in provincial electricity consumption from a seasonal perspective. The results show that the assessment for embodied emissions of power consumption based on different levels of data may vary by as much as 20%, and the carbon emissions and carbon intensity of power consumption exhibit significant seasonal characteristics. Furthermore, it is revealed that the economic scale in the fourth quarter makes the most significant contribution to the emissions increment, especially in underdeveloped provinces, while the change in energy efficiency of power generation reduces more carbon emissions in the first and second quarters. In addition, the impact of the power transmission scale is more significant in the third and fourth quarters, and it has been close to or even more than the impact of traditional factors in some quarters. Finally, the impact of economic scale, power generation energy intensity, power generation mix and electricity utilization efficiency on the emissions of regional power grids shows a relatively stable increasing trend, but this trend of directional stability is not reflected in the effect of the power transmission structure and transmission scale. This study contributes to the identification of the impact of the power transmission structure and transmission scale. Moreover, this study highlights the importance of considering seasonal characteristics when estimating the carbon emissions of power consumption and formulating specific emission reduction policies. Additionally, it provides a more accurate evaluation of carbon emissions and proposes several prominent recommendations for policy makers.
•The level of data is very important to the assessment of embodied emissions.•Emissions and intensity of power consumption exhibit seasonal characteristics.•The economic scale in the fourth quarter makes contribution to emissions.•The interprovincial power transmission has not promoted emission reduction.
As a major branch of hybrid perovskites, two-dimensional (2D) hybrid double perovskites are expected to be ideal systems for exploring novel ferroelectric properties, because they can accommodate a ...variety of organic cations and allow diverse combinations of different metal elements. However, no 2D hybrid double perovskite ferroelectric has been reported since the discovery of halide double perovskites in the 1930s. Based on trivalent rare-earth ions and chiral organic cations, we have designed a new family of 2D rare-earth double perovskite ferroelectrics, A4MIMIII(NO3)8, where A is the organic cation, MI is the alkaline metal or ammonium ion, and MIII is the rare-earth ion. This is the first time that ferroelectricity is realized in 2D hybrid double perovskite systems. These ferroelectrics have achieved high-temperature ferroelectricity and photoluminescent properties. By varying the rare-earth ion, variable photoluminescent properties can be achieved. The results reveal that the 2D rare-earth double perovskite systems provide a promising platform for achieving multifunctional ferroelectricity.
Nonenzymatic nucleic acid amplification techniques (
e.g.
the hybridization chain reaction, HCR) have shown promising potential for amplified detection of biomarkers. However, the traditional HCR ...occurs through random diffusion of DNA hairpins, making the kinetics and efficiency quite low. By assembling DNA hairpins at the vertexes of tetrahedral DNA nanostructures (TDNs), the reaction kinetics of the HCR is greatly accelerated due to the synergetic contributions of multiple reaction orientations, increased collision probability and enhanced local concentrations. The proposed quadrivalent TDN (qTDN)-mediated hyperbranched HCR has a ∼70-fold faster reaction rate than the traditional HCR. The approximately 76% fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) efficiency obtained is the highest in the reported DNA-based FRET sensing systems as far as we know. Moreover, qTDNs modified by hairpins can easily load drugs, freely traverse plasma membranes and be rapidly cross-linked
via
the target-triggered HCR in live cells. The reduced freedom of movement as a result of the large crosslinked structure might constrain the hyperbranched HCR in a confined environment, thus making it a promising candidate for
in situ
imaging and photodynamic therapy. Hence, we present a paradigm of perfect integration of DNA nanotechnology with nucleic acid amplification, thus paving a promising way to the improved performance of nucleic acid amplification techniques and their wider application.
Nonenzymatic nucleic acid amplification techniques (
e.g.
the hybridization chain reaction, HCR) have shown promising potential for amplified detection of biomarkers.
Accumulating evidence suggests long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play an important role in cancer progression. However, the function of lncRNA SNHG7 in colorectal cancer (CRC) remains unclear. In this ...study, SNHG7 expression was significantly upregulated in CRC tissues, especially in aggressive cases. In accordance, high level of SNHG7 was observed in CRC cell lines compared to normal colon cells. Furthermore, SNHG7 overexpression promoted the proliferation, migration, and invasion of CRC cell lines, while SNHG7 depletion inhibited invasion and cell viability in vitro. Mechanistically, knockdown of SNHG7 inhibited GALNT1 and EMT markers (E-cadherin and Vimentin). Importantly, SNHG7 directly interacted with miR-216b and downregulation of miR-216b reversed efficiently the suppression of GALNT1 induced by SNHG7 siRNA. Moreover, overexpression of SNHG7 significantly enhanced the tumorigenesis and liver metastasis of SW480 cells in vivo. SNHG7 positively regulated GALNT1 level through sponging miR-216b, and played an oncogenic role in CRC progression. Together, our study elucidated the role of SNHG7 as an miRNA sponge in CRC, and shed new light on lncRNA-directed diagnostics and therapeutics in CRC.
AbstractThe slew of high profile engineering calamities in the past decade has demonstrated the disastrous consequence of progressive collapse. However, the low probability of such events actually ...occurring means it is uneconomical to spend extreme resources to design every building against progressive collapse. A more feasible proposition would be to consider alternative fall-back parameters such as secondary load carrying mechanisms that can help to reduce the severity of the collapse, should it actually occur. However, to date, very limited studies have been carried out to quantify the effectiveness of such secondary load carrying mechanisms in resisting progressive collapse, especially membrane actions developed in RC slabs. Therefore, a series of 6 one-quarter scaled specimens were tested and the failure modes, load-displacement relationships, load redistribution responses, and strain gauge results are presented herein. The contribution of each mechanism on the load-carrying capacity is discussed. A series of analyses are also carried out to better quantify the findings made in the study.
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