Highly efficient thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) molecules are in urgent demand for solid‐state lighting and full‐color displays. Here, the design and synthesis of three ...triarylamine‐pyridine‐carbonitrile‐based TADF compounds, TPAPPC, TPAmPPC, and tTPAmPPC, are shown. They exhibit excellent photoluminescence quantum yields of 79−100% with small ΔEST values, fast reverse intersystem crossing (RISC), and high horizontal dipole ratios (Θ// = 86−88%) in the thin films leading to the enhancement of device light outcoupling. Consequently, a green organic light‐emitting diode (OLED) based on TPAmPPC shows a high average external quantum efficiency of 38.8 ± 0.6%, a current efficiency of 130.1 ± 2.1 cd A–1, and a power efficiency of 136.3 ± 2.2 lm W–1. The highest device efficiency of 39.8% appears to be record‐breaking among TADF‐based OLEDs to date. In addition, the TPAmPPC‐based device shows superior operation lifetime and high‐temperature resistance. It is worth noting that the TPA‐PPC‐based materials have excellent optical properties and the potential for making them strong candidates for TADF practical application.
Three 2,6‐diphenylpyridine‐3,5‐dicarbonitrile‐based compounds with excellent photoluminescent quantum yields (79–100%) and high horizontal dipole ratios (86−88%) in the thin films are demonstrated. With two methyl groups on the triarylamines, the spin−orbit coupling is enhanced due to the elevated locally excited triplet states (3LE), leading to a fast reverse intersystem crossing. Green thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) organic light‐emitting diodes based on them exhibit a record‐high external quantum efficiency of 39.8% without any optical extraction technique.
This is a retrospective cohort study by analyzing a multi‐institutional electronic medical records database in Taiwan to compare long‐term effectiveness and risk of major adverse cardiac events ...(MACE) in chemotherapy‐naïve metastatic castration‐resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) patients treated with enzalutamide (ENZ) or abiraterone (AA). Patients aged 20 years and older and newly receiving androgen receptor targeted therapies ENZ or AA from September 2016 to December 2019 were included. We followed patients from initiation of therapies to the occurrence of outcomes (prostate‐specific antigen (PSA) response rate, PSA progression free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and MACE), death, the last clinical visit, or December 31, 2020. We performed multivariable Cox proportional hazard models to compare ENZ and AA groups for the measured outcomes. A total of 363 patients treated with either ENZ (n = 157) or AA (n = 206) were identified. The analysis found a significantly higher proportion of patients with a PSA response rate higher than 50% among those receiving ENZ than among those receiving AA (ENZ vs AA: 75.80% vs 63.59%, P = .01). However, there was no significant difference in PSA PFS (adjusted hazard ratio: 0.86; 95% CI 0.63‐1.17) and OS (0.68: 0.41‐1.14) between the use of ENZ and AA in chemotherapy‐naïve mCRPC patients. Regarding the cardiovascular (CV) safety outcome, there was a significantly lower risk of MACE in patients receiving ENZ, compared to patients receiving AA (0.20: 0.07‐0.55). The findings suggest that enzalutamide may be more efficacious for PSA response and suitable for chemotherapy‐naïve mCRPC patients with high CV risk profile.
What's new?
While second generation androgen receptor (AR)‐targeted therapies are promising for the treatment of chemotherapy‐naïve metastatic castration‐resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC), data on survival benefit and cardiovascular safety are lacking. Here, using a multi‐institutional electronic health records database, the authors investigated the effectiveness, long‐term outcome, and cardiovascular safety of the AR‐targeted mCRPC therapies enzalutamide and abiraterone. Compared to abiraterone, enzalutamide is more efficacious in terms of prostate‐specific antigen response and carries a lower risk of major adverse cardiac events. The findings are relevant for treatment decisions regarding AR‐targeted therapies for chemotherapy‐naïve mCRPC patients with high risk of adverse cardiovascular events.
Probiotics have been reported to ameliorate symptoms of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in animal models and human studies. We previously demonstrated that oral administration of Lactobacillus ...reuteri ADR-3 reduced insulin resistance in high-fructose-fed (HFD) rats. In the present study, we first identified another L. reuteri strain, ADR-1, which displayed anti-diabetes activity that reduced the levels of serum HbA1c and cholesterol and that increased antioxidant proteins in HFD rats. We further performed a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial with a total of 68 T2DM patients to examine the beneficial effects of oral consumption of L. reuteri strains ADR-1 and ADR-3 and to investigate the associated changes in intestinal flora using a quantitative PCR method to analyze 16 S rRNA in fecal specimens. Significant reductions in HbA1c and serum cholesterol were observed in participants in the live ADR-1 consumption group (n = 22) after 3 months of intake when compared with those in the placebo group (n = 22). Although there was no significant difference in the HbA1c serum level among participants who consumed heat-killed ADR-3 (n = 24), the systolic blood pressure and mean blood pressure were significantly decreased after 6 months of intake. There was no obvious change in serum inflammatory cytokines or antioxidant proteins in participants after intaking ADR-1 or ADR-3, except for a reduction in IL-1β in the ADR-3 consumption group after 6 months of intake. With the analysis of fecal microflora, we found that L. reuteri or Bifidobacterium spp. were significantly increased in the ADR-1 and ADR-3 consumption groups, respectively, after 6 months of intake. Interestingly, a significant reduction in HbA1c was observed in the ADR-1 and ADR-3 consumption participants who displayed at least an 8-fold increase in fecal L. reuteri. We also observed that there was a significantly positive correlation between Bifidobacterium spp. and Lactobacillus spp. in participants with increased levels of fecal L. reuteri. In the ADR-1 intake group, the fecal Lactobacillus spp. level displayed a positive correlation with Bifidobacterium spp. but was negatively correlated with Bacteroidetes. The total level of fecal L. reuteri in participants in the ADR-3 consumption group was positively correlated with Firmicutes. In conclusion, L. reuteri strains ADR-1 and ADR-3 have beneficial effects on T2DM patients, and the consumption of different strains of L. reuteri may influence changes in intestinal flora, which may lead to different outcomes after probiotic intake.
Background
Biomarkers in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) emerge rapidly in recent years, especially for new targeted therapies and immunotherapies.
Methods
Recent, relevant ...peer‐reviewed evidence were critically reviewed and summarized.
Results
This review article briefly introduces essential biomarker concepts, including purposes and classifications (predictive, prognostic, and diagnostic markers), and the phases of biomarker development. We summarize current biomarkers in order of clinical utility; p16 and human papillomavirus status remain the most important and validated biomarkers in HNSCC. The rationale for biomarker study design continues to evolve with technological advances, especially whole‐exome or whole‐genomic sequencing. Noninvasive body fluid and liquid biopsy biomarkers appear to hold strong potential for development as tools for early cancer detection, cancer diagnosis, monitoring of disease recurrence, and outcome prediction. In light of discrepancies among different technologies, standardized approaches are needed.
Conclusion
Biomarkers from cancer tissue or blood in HNSCC could direct new anticancer therapies.
Typhoon is a major cause of multiple disasters in coastal regions of East Asia. To advance our understanding of typhoon-ocean interactions and thus to improve the typhoon forecast for the disaster ...mitigation, two data buoys were deployed in the western North Pacific, which captured Super Typhoon Nepartak (equivalent to Category 5) in July 2016 at distances <20 km from the typhoon's eye center. Here we demonstrate that the unprecedented dataset combined with the modeling results provide new insights into the rapid temperature drop (~1.5 °C in 4 h) and the dramatic strengthening of velocity shear in the mixed layer and below as the driving mechanism for this rapid cooling during the direct influence period of extremely strong winds. The shear instability and associated strong turbulence mixing further deepened the mixed layer to ~120 m. Our buoys also observed that inertial oscillations appeared before the direct wind influence period.
Objective
Unprecedently investigate associations of prognostic‐awareness‐transition patterns with (changes in) depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and quality of life (QOL) during cancer patients' ...last 6 months.
Methods
In this secondary analysis study, 334 cancer patients in their last 6 months transitioned between four prognostic‐awareness states (unknown and not wanting to know, unknown but wanting to know, inaccurate awareness, and accurate awareness), thus constituting three transition patterns: maintaining‐accurate‐, gaining‐accurate‐, and maintaining‐inaccurate/unknown prognostic awareness. A multivariate hierarchical linear model evaluated associations of the transition patterns with depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and QOL determined at final assessment and by mean difference between the first and last assessment.
Results
At the last assessment before death, the gaining‐accurate‐prognostic‐awareness group reported higher levels of depressive symptoms (estimate 95% confidence interval = 1.59 0.35–2.84) and the maintaining‐ and gaining‐accurate‐prognostic‐awareness groups suffered more anxiety symptoms (1.50 0.44–2.56; 1.42 0.13–2.71, respectively) and poorer QOL (−7.07 −12.61 to 1.54; −11.06 −17.76 to −4.35, respectively) than the maintaining‐inaccurate/unknown‐prognostic‐awareness group. Between the first and last assessment, the maintaining‐ and gaining‐accurate‐prognostic‐awareness groups' depressive symptoms (1.59 0.33–2.85; 3.30 1.78–4.82, respectively) and QOL (−5.04 −9.89 to –0.19; −8.86 −14.74 to −2.98, respectively) worsened more than the maintaining‐inaccurate/unknown‐prognostic‐awareness group, and the gaining‐accurate‐prognostic‐awareness group's depressive symptoms increased more than the maintaining‐accurate‐prognostic‐awareness group (1.71 0.42–3.00).
Conclusions
Unexpectedly, patients who maintained/gained accurate prognostic awareness suffered more depression, anxiety, and poorer QOL at end of life. Promoting accurate prognostic awareness earlier in the terminal‐cancer trajectory should be supplemented with adequate psychological care to alleviate patients' emotional distress and enhance QOL.
Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov:NCT01912846.
Objectives
Work is often a barrier for women to continue breastfeeding after they have given birth. Breastfeeding support is an important part of workplace health promotion. We investigated the ...implementation of breastfeeding promotion and gender equality polices in workplaces with the Taiwan Badge of Accredited Healthy Workplace.
Methods
Our samples consisted of 1648 corporations with the badge of Accredited Healthy Workplace issued by the Bureau of Health Promotion from 2007 to 2008. Concomitantly, 2000 corporations without accreditation were randomly selected from the National Business Directory as the control group. Data were collected from self‐administered questionnaires. Logistic regression was used to examine the association with breast‐feeding promotion and other variables in Taiwanese workplaces.
Results
Members of accredited group of 1089/1648 (66.1%) and the control group of 526/2000 (26.3%) responded to the questionnaire. The accredited companies had more mother‐friendly settings, including breastfeeding policies and documents, appropriate breastmilk preserving equipment and settings in the workplace. In the accredited group, breastfeeding rate of mothers returning to work after giving birth was 64.3% in 2008 (1 year after giving birth) and 60.4% in 2009 (1 year after giving birth), while the rate of the control group was 59.1% in 2008 and 51% in 2009.
Conclusion
Accredited corporations are better at breastfeeding support than those of the control group. This might be related to the company size, location, and the implementation of tobacco control and/or occupational health promotion policies, which may increase awareness of healthy workplaces and influence maternal protection positively.
Breast cancer is one of the most prevalent cancers in women. Its pathology comprises tumor cells and nearby stromal cells, accompanied by cytokines and stimulated molecules, resulting in a favorable ...microenvironment for tumor progression. Lunasin is a seed peptide with multiple bioactivities derived from seeds. However, the chemopreventive effect of lunasin on different characteristics of breast cancer has not been fully explored.
This study aims to explore the chemopreventive mechanisms of lunasin through inflammatory mediators and estrogen-related molecules in breast cancer cells.
Estrogen-dependent MCF-7 and independent MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells were used. The β-estradiol was used to mimic physiological estrogen. The gene expression, mediator secretion, cell vitality, and apoptosis impacting breast malignancy were explored.
Lunasin did not affect normal MCF-10A cell growth but inhibited breast cancer cell growth, increased interleukin (IL)-6 gene expression and protein production at 24 h, and decreased its secretion at 48 h. In both breast cancer cells, aromatase gene and activity and estrogen receptor (ER)α gene expression were decreased by lunasin treatment, while ERβ gene levels were significantly increased in MDA-MB-231 cells. Moreover, lunasin decreased vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) secretion and cell vitality and induced cell apoptosis in both breast cancer cell lines. However, lunasin only decreased leptin receptor (Ob-R) mRNA expression in MCF-7 cells. Additionally, β-estradiol increased MCF-7-cell proliferation but not the proliferation of other cells; in particular, lunasin still inhibited MCF-7-cell growth and cell vitality in the presence of β-estradiol.
Seed peptide lunasin inhibited breast cancer cell growth by regulating inflammatory, angiogenic, and estrogen-related molecules, suggesting that lunasin is a promising chemopreventive agent.
Established associated factors for DDH include female sex, breech presentation, family history, congenital malformations, oligohydramnios, and maternal hyperthyroidism. However, evidence for ...environmental factors that may contribute to DDH is limited and inconsistent.
A systematic review of medical literature was conducted to collect data on environmental factors, including latitude, longitude, average yearly precipitation, average yearly temperature, minimum monthly temperature, and maximum monthly temperature, from all institutions that published articles on DDH. Univariate linear regression analysis was used to examine the correlation between environmental factors and DDH incidence, while multiple regression analysis was conducted to identify significant associated factors for DDH incidence.
Data from a total of 93 unique manuscripts were analyzed, revealing a significant negative correlation between DDH incidence and temperature, including average yearly temperature (r = -0.27, p = 0.008), minimum monthly temperature (r = -0.28, p = 0.006), and maximum monthly temperature (r = -0.23, p = 0.029). Additionally, there was a significant positive correlation between DDH incidence and latitude (r = 0.27, p = 0.009), and a significant negative correlation between DDH incidence and average yearly precipitation (r = -0.29, p = 0.004). In the final multiple regression analysis, temperature, including average yearly temperature, minimum monthly temperature, and maximum monthly temperature, were identified as significant associated factors for DDH incidence.
The findings of this study suggest an association between cold weather and DDH incidence. Further research should explore the link between cold weather and DDH incidence, offering insights into potential interventions for cold climates.
Promotion of hematoma resolution in a timely manner reduces intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) brain injury induced by toxic blood components and subsequent neuroinflammation. The meningeal lymphatic ...system is responsible for clearance of macromolecules and pathogenic substances from the central nervous system; however, its role in intraparenchymal hematoma clearance and ICH outcomes is unknown. In the present study, we aimed to understand the contribution of the meningeal lymphatic system to ICH pathologies and to test whether pharmacological enhancement of meningeal lymphatic function promotes hematoma resolution and brain recovery after ICH.
Immunofluorescence of whole-mount meninges was used to measure complexity and coverage level of meningeal lymphatic vasculature following ICH induction. Fluorescent microbeads and PKH-26-labeled erythrocytes were used to evaluate drainage function of the meningeal lymphatic system. Visudyne treatment, deep cervical lymph node ligation, and VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor)-C injection were performed to manipulate meningeal lymphatic function. Neurobehavioral performance and hematoma volume were assayed by the cylinder test and histological measurements. Iron deposition, residual erythrocytes, neuronal loss, and astrogliosis were assessed by immunohistochemistry and antibody-based fluorescence staining.
Meningeal lymphangiogenesis and enhanced lymphatic drainage occurred during the late phase of ICH. Ablation and blockage of meningeal lymphatic vessels impeded hematoma clearance, whereas pharmacological enhancement of their function reduced hematoma volume, improved behavioral performance, and reduced brain residual erythrocytes, iron deposition, neuronal loss, and astroglial activation.
Early enhancement of meningeal lymphatic function is beneficial for ICH recovery. Targeting the meningeal lymphatic system is therefore a potential therapeutic approach for treating ICH.
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