Herein we present the preparation of novel multifunctional metallic nickel/oxide (Ni/NiO) hybrid nanomembranes with rough and undulating surface morphologies, by a physical deposition method combined ...with chemical etching and thermal oxidation. Benefiting from the advantages of intrinsic architecture and electrochemical catalysis of metallic nickel, the anodes can be discharged and charged at an ultrahigh rate of ~115C (1C=718mAg−1) if only the mass of NiO is taken into calculation or 60C if the total mass of Ni/NiO nanomembranes is considered. To our knowledge, this is the best reported rate performance for NiO-based anodes in Li-ion batteries to date. Furthermore, excellent cycling stability is also demonstrated.
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•Ni/NiO hybrid nanomembranes anodes are designed for Li-ion batteries.•The anodes can be discharged and charged at an ultrahigh rate of ~115C.•The anodes exhibit long-term cycling stability with excellent Coulombic efficiency.
The shiitake mushroom is the second-largest edible mushroom in the world, with a high nutritional and medicinal value. The surface texture of shiitake mushrooms can be quite different due to ...different growing environments, consequently leading to fluctuating market prices. To maximize the economic profit of the mushroom industry, it is necessary to sort the harvested mushrooms according to their qualities. This paper aimed to develop a deep-learning-based wireless visual sensor system for shiitake mushroom sorting, in which the visual detection was realized by the collection of images and cooperative transmission with the help of visual sensors and Wi-Fi modules, respectively. The model training process was achieved using Vision Transformer, then three data-augmentation methods, which were Random Erasing, RandAugment, and Label Smoothing, were applied under the premise of a small sample dataset. The training result of the final model turned out nearly perfect, with an accuracy rate reaching 99.2%. Meanwhile, the actual mushroom-sorting work using the developed system obtained an accuracy of 98.53%, with an 8.7 ms processing time for every single image. The results showed that the system could efficiently complete the sorting of shiitake mushrooms with a stable and high accuracy. In addition, the system could be extended for other sorting tasks based on visual features. It is also possible to combine binocular vision and multisensor technology with the current system to deal with sorting work that requires a higher accuracy and minor feature identification.
Nontraditional luminogens (NTLs) do not contain any conventional chromophores (large π-conjugated structures), but they do show intrinsic photoluminescence. To achieve photoluminescence from NTLs, it ...is necessary to increase the extent of through-space conjugation (TSC) and suppress nonradiative decay. Incorporating strong physical interactions such as hydrogen bonding is an effective strategy to achieve this. In this work, we carried out comparative studies on the photoluminescence behaviors of two β-enamino esters with similar chemical structures, namely methyl 3-aminocrotonate (MAC) and methyl (E)-3-(1-pyrrolidinyl)-2-butenoate (MPB). MAC crystal emits blue fluorescence under UV irradiation. The critical cluster concentration of MAC in ethanol solutions was determined by studying the relationship between the photoluminescence intensity (UV–visible absorbance) and concentration. Furthermore, MAC exhibits solvatochromism, and its emission wavelength redshifts as the solvent polarity increases. On the contrary, MPB is non-emissive in both solid state and solutions. Crystal structures and theoretical calculation prove that strong inter- and intramolecular hydrogen bonds lead to the formation of large amounts of TSC of MAC molecules in aggregated states. No hydrogen bonds and thus no effective TSC can be formed between or within MPB molecules, and this is the reason for its non-emissive nature. This work provides a deeper understanding of how hydrogen bonding contributes to the luminescence of NTLs.
The dents and cracks of cabbage caused by mechanical damage during transportation have a direct impact on both commercial value and storage time. In this study, a method for surface defect detection ...of cabbage is proposed based on the curvature feature of the 3D point cloud. First, the red-green-blue (RGB) images and depth images are collected using a RealSense-D455 depth camera for 3D point cloud reconstruction. Then, the region of interest (ROI) is extracted by statistical filtering and Euclidean clustering segmentation algorithm, and the 3D point cloud of cabbage is segmented from background noise. Then, the curvature features of the 3D point cloud are calculated using the estimated normal vector based on the least square plane fitting method. Finally, the curvature threshold is determined according to the curvature characteristic parameters, and the surface defect type and area can be detected. The flat-headed cabbage and round-headed cabbage are selected to test the surface damage of dents and cracks. The test results show that the average detection accuracy of this proposed method is 96.25%, in which, the average detection accuracy of dents is 93.3% and the average detection accuracy of cracks is 96.67%, suggesting high detection accuracy and good adaptability for various cabbages. This study provides important technical support for automatic and non-destructive detection of cabbage surface defects.
Trophoblast cell surface antigen 2 (Trop2) exhibits limited expression in normal tissues but is over-expressed across various solid tumors. The effectiveness of anti-Trop2 antibody-drug conjugate ...(ADC) in managing breast cancer validates Trop2 as a promising therapeutic target for cancer treatment. However, excessive toxicity and a low response rate of ADCs pose ongoing challenges. Safer and more effective strategies should be developed for Trop2-positive cancers. The dynamic structural attributes and the oligomeric assembly of Trop2 present formidable obstacles to the progression of innovative targeted therapeutics. In this review, we summarize recent advancements in understanding Trop2's structure and provide an overview of the epitope characteristics of Trop2-targeted agents. Furthermore, we discuss the correlation between anti-Trop2 agents' epitopes and their respective functions, particularly emphasizing their efficacy and specificity in targeted therapies.
Chronic pruritus of unknown origin (CPUO) is characterized by chronic itch for 6 weeks or greater without an identifiable primary cause. Studies are needed to investigate circulating blood biomarkers ...to elucidate disease pathogenesis. The objective of this study was to investigate changes in circulating blood metabolites in CPUO patients and to identify potential therapeutic targets. Our cross-sectional study collected plasma from 11 CPUO patients and 11 matched control patients for mass-spectrometry based metabolite data analysis. 15 metabolites differed significantly in the blood of CPUO patients compared to controls, including nine amino acids (isoleucine, L-tyrosine, threonine, DL-tryptophan, L-valine, methionine, glycine, lysine, and L-phenylalanine), four amino acid derivatives (creatinine, DL-carnitine, acetyl-L-carnitine, and indole-3-acrylic acid), and two aromatic and fatty acid derivatives (2-hydroxycinnamic acid and oleamide). These metabolites were also correlated with itch severity. Metabolic set enrichment analysis (MSEA) identified downregulation of several pathways in CPUO: phenylalanine, tyrosine, tryptophan biosynthesis; catecholamine biosynthesis; and glycine, serine, and threonine metabolism. Our study identified decreases in several circulating plasma metabolites in CPUO patients and downregulation of pathways related to catecholamine biosynthesis and tryptophan biosynthesis, providing insight into the pathogenesis of CPUO.
Photoluminescence (PL) mechanisms of nontraditional luminogens (NTLs) have attracted great interest, and they are generally explained with intra/intermolecular through‐space conjugation (TSC) of ...nonconventional chromophores. Here a new concept of nonaromatic through‐bond conjugation (TBC) is proposed and it is proved that it plays an important role in the PL of NTLs. The PL behaviors of the three respective isomers of cyclohexanedione and gemdimethyl‐1,3‐cyclohexanedione were studied and correlated with their chemical and aggregate structures. These compounds show different fluorescence emissions as well as different concentration, excitation and solvent‐dependent emissions. The compounds which undergo keto‐enol tautomerism and hence with a conjugated ketone‐enol structure (i.e., nonaromatic TBC) show more red‐shifted emissions. TBC effect reduces the energy gaps and facilitates the formation of stronger TSC in the aggregate state. The compounds in the ketone‐enol form are also prone to occur excited state intra/intermolecular proton transfer (ESIPT). The cooperative effect of nonaromatic TBC and TSC determines the PL behaviors of NTLs. This work provides a novel understanding of the PL mechanisms of NTLs and is of great importance for directing the design and synthesis of novel NTLs.
A novel concept of nonaromatic through‐bond conjugation (TBC) is proposed and it is proven to play an important role in the photoluminescence of nontraditional luminogens by studying the relationship between the photophysical properties of the isomers of cyclohexanedione and dimethyl‐1,3‐cyclohexanedione and their chemical structures, aggregate structures and interactions.
Despite the emergence of molecular targeted therapy and immune checkpoint inhibitors as standard first-line treatments for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), their efficacy in some patients is ...limited by intrinsic and acquired resistance. Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), a revolutionary class of antitumor drugs, have displayed promising clinical outcomes in cancer treatment. In 2022, trastuzumab deruxtecan (Enhertu) was approved for treating HER2-mutated NSCLC, thereby underscoring the clinical value of ADCs in NSCLC treatment strategies. An increasing number of ADCs, focusing on NSCLC, are undergoing clinical trials, potentially positioning them as future treatment options. In this review, we encapsulate recent advancements in the clinical research of novel ADCs for treating NSCLC. Subsequently, we discuss the mechanisms of action, clinical efficacy, and associated limitations of these ADCs.
Physicians are trending towards practice consolidation nationally; however, changes in dermatology practice size remain to be assessed. The objective of this study was to analyze trends in ...dermatology practice size from 2012 to 2020 using a large-scale Medicare physician database. We performed a retrospective cross-sectional analysis using 2012 and 2020 data obtained from the Physician Compare Database. Responses from dermatologists were analyzed for trends in practice size, with a sub-analysis to examine differences among different regions, gender, and years of experience. The proportion of dermatologists in solo practice decreased from 26.1% in 2012 to 15.6% in 2020 (
p
< 0.001). Dermatologists were 40% less likely to be practicing in solo practice and 36% more likely to be in a practice with 10 or more members in 2020 (
p
< 0.001). These findings were consistent among all regions and genders examined. Additionally, in 2020, dermatologists with 30 or more years in practice were 7.5 times more likely to be in solo practice compared to dermatologists with 0–9 years in practice (
p
< 0.001). There is a trend of dermatologists working for larger practices, which is consistent with a larger nationwide trend of expanding physician practices. This shift in practice settings should be closely monitored to analyze the effect on healthcare efficiency, cost, and delivery.
Human epithelial growth factor receptor-2 (HER2) plays an oncogenic role in numerous tumors, including breast, gastric, and various other solid tumors. While anti-HER2 therapies are approved for the ...treatment of HER2-positive tumors, a necessity persists for creating novel HER2-targeted agents to resolve therapeutic resistance. Utilizing a synthetic nanobody library and affinity maturation, our study identified four anti-HER2 nanobodies that exhibited high affinity and specificity. These nanobodies recognized three distinct epitopes of HER2-ECD. Additionally, we constructed VHH-Fc and discovered that they facilitated superior internalization and showed moderate growth inhibition. Compared to the combination of trastuzumab and pertuzumab, the VHH-Fc combos or their combination with trastuzumab demonstrated greater or comparable antitumor activity in both ligand-independent and ligand-driven tumors. Most remarkably, A9B5-Fc, which targeted domain I of HER2-ECD, displayed significantly enhanced trastuzumab-synergistic antitumor efficacy compared to pertuzumab under trastuzumab-resistant conditions. Our findings offer anti-HER2 nanobodies with high affinity and non-overlapping epitope recognition. The novel nanobody-based HER2-targeted antibody, A9B5-Fc, binding to HER2-ECD I, mediates promising receptor internalization. It possesses the potential to serve as a potent synergistic partner with trastuzumab, contributing to overcoming acquired resistance.
