Electrical Double-Layer Transistors Comprising Block Copolymer Electrolytes for Low-Power-Consumption Photodetectors

Electrical double-layer transistors (EDLTs) have received extensive research attention owing to their exciting advantages of low working voltage, high biocompatibility, and sensitive interfacial properties in ultrasensitive portable sensing applications. Therefore, it is of great interest to reduce photodetectors' operating voltage and power consumption by utilizing photo-EDLT. In this study, a series of block copolymers (BCPs) of poly(4-vinylpyridine)-block-poly(ethylene oxide) (P4VP-b-PEO) with different compositions were applied to formulate polyelectrolyte with indigo carmine salt in EDLT. Accordingly, PEO conduces ion conduction in the BCP electrolyte and enhances the carrier transport capability in the semiconducting channel; P4VP boosts the photocurrent by providing charge-trapping sites during light illumination. In addition, the severe aggregation of PEO is mitigated by forming a BCP structure with P4VP, enhancing the stability and photoresponse of the photo-EDLT. By optimizing the BCP composition, EDLT comprising P4VP16k-b-PEO5k and indigo carmine provides the highest specific detectivity of 2.1 × 107 Jones, along with ultralow power consumptions of 0.59 nW under 450 nm light illumination and 0.32 pW under dark state. The results indicate that photo-EDLT comprising the BCP electrolyte is a practical approach to reducing phototransistors' operating voltage and power consumption.

Genomic prediction within and across maize landrace derived populations using haplotypes

Genomic prediction (GP) using haplotypes is considered advantageous compared to GP solely reliant on single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), owing to haplotypes' enhanced ability to capture ancestral information and their higher linkage disequilibrium with quantitative trait loci (QTL). Many empirical studies supported the advantages of haplotype-based GP over SNP-based approaches. Nevertheless, the performance of haplotype-based GP can vary significantly depending on multiple factors, including the traits being studied, the genetic structure of the population under investigation, and the particular method employed for haplotype construction. In this study, we compared haplotype and SNP based prediction accuracies in four populations derived from European maize landraces. Populations comprised either doubled haploid lines (DH) derived directly from landraces, or gamete capture lines (GC) derived from crosses of the landraces with an inbred line. For two different landraces, both types of populations were generated, genotyped with 600k SNPs and phenotyped as lines per se for five traits. Our study explores three prediction scenarios: (i) within each of the four populations, (ii) across DH and GC populations from the same landrace, and (iii) across landraces using either DH or GC populations. Three haplotype construction methods were evaluated: 1. fixed-window blocks (FixedHB), 2. LD-based blocks (HaploView), and 3. IBD-based blocks (HaploBlocker). In within population predictions, FixedHB and HaploView methods performed as well as or slightly better than SNPs for all traits. HaploBlocker improved accuracy for certain traits but exhibited inferior performance for others. In prediction across populations, the parameter setting from HaploBlocker which controls the construction of shared haplotypes between populations played a crucial role for obtaining optimal results. When predicting across landraces, accuracies were low for both, SNP and haplotype approaches, but for specific traits substantial improvement was observed with HaploBlocker. This study provides recommendations for optimal haplotype construction and identifies relevant parameters for constructing haplotypes in the context of genomic prediction.

Reversible Molecular Conformation Transitions of Smectic Liquid Crystals for Light/Bias-Gated Transistor Memory

In recent years, organic photonic field-effect transistors have made remarkable progress with the rapid development of conjugated polycrystalline materials. Liquid crystals, with their smooth surface, defined layer thickness, and crystalline structures, are commonly used for these advantages. In this work, a series of smectic liquid crystalline molecules, 2,9-didecyl-dinaphtho-thienothiophene (C10-DNTT), 2,7-didecyl-benzothieno-benzothiopene (C10-BTBT), 3,9-didecyl-dinaphtho-thiophene (C10-DNT), and didecyl-sexithiophene (C10-6T), have been used in photonic transistor memory, functioning as both hole-transport channels and electron traps to investigate systematically the reasons and mechanisms behind the memory behavior of smectic liquid crystals. After thermal annealing, C10-BTBT and C10-6T/C10-DNTT are homeotropically aligned from the smectic A and smectic X phases, respectively. The 3D-ordered structure of these smectic-aligned crystals contributed to efficient photowriting and electrical erasing processes. Among them, the device performance of C10-BTBT was particularly significant, with a memory window of 21 V. The memory ratio could reach 1.5 × 106 and maintain a memory ratio of over 3 orders after 10,000 s, contributing to its smectic A structure. Through the research, we confirmed the memory and light/bias-gated behaviors of these smectic liquid crystalline molecules, attributing them to reversible molecular conformation transitions and the inherent structural inhomogeneity inside the polycrystalline channel layer.

Comparison of contrast-enhanced ultrasonography and MRI results obtained by expert and novice radiologists indicating short-term response after transarterial chemoembolisation for hepatocellular carcinoma

AIM

To evaluate inter-reader agreement between novice and expert radiologists in assessing contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) images for detecting viable tumours with different sizes after conventional transarterial chemoembolisation (cTACE).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This prospective study included patients who had less than five hepatomas and who underwent cTACE. Hepatomas with one or two feeding arteries were selected as target lesions. CEUS and MRI were performed within 1 week after cTACE to evaluate viable tumours.

RESULTS

The expert group had higher kappa values in evaluating all tumour sizes via CEUS compared with MRI. The novice group had similar kappa values. In patients with tumours measuring ≤3 cm, the expert group had higher kappa values in reading CEUS compared with MRI images; however, in the novice group, the kappa value was lower in evaluating CEUS compared with MRI images. In patients with tumours measuring >3 cm, the expert and novice groups had good to excellent kappa values. The confidence level of the two groups in reading MRI images was high; however, the novice group had a lower confidence level.

CONCLUSION

CEUS is a convenient, cost-effective, and easy to apply imaging tool that can help interventionists perform early detection of viable hepatocellular carcinoma post-TACE. It has a higher inter-rater agreement in interpreting CEUS images compared with MRI images among expert radiologists even when they are extremely familiar with post-cTACE MRI images. In novice radiologists, there may be a learning curve to achieve good consistency in CEUS interpretation.

Investigating the Mobility-Compressibility Properties of Conjugated Polymers by the Contact Film Transfer Method with Prestrain

Up to now, researches on the mobility-stretchability of semiconducting polymers are extensively investigated, but little attention was  paid to their morphology and field-effect transistor characteristics under compressive strains, which is equally crucial in wearable electronic applications. In this work, a contact film transfer method is applied to evaluate the mobility-compressibility properties of conjugated polymers. A series of isoindigo-bithiophene conjugated polymers with symmetric carbosilane side chains (P(SiSi)), siloxane-terminated alkyl side chains (P(SiOSiO)), and combined asymmetric side chains (P(SiOSi)) are investigated. Accordingly, a compressed elastomer slab is used to transfer and compress the polymer films by releasing prestrain, and the morphology and mobility evolutions of these polymers are tracked. It is found that P(SiOSi) outperforms the other symmetric polymers including P(Si─Si) and P(SiO─SiO), having the ability to dissipate strain with its shortened lamellar spacing and orthogonal chain alignment. Notably, the mechanical durability of P(SiOSi) is also enhanced after consecutive compress-release cycles. In addition, the contact film transfer technique is demonstrated to be applicable to investigate the compressibility of different semiconducting polymers. These results demonstrate a comprehensive approach to understand the mobility-compressibility properties of semiconducting polymers under tensile and compressive strains.

Tunable Thermoelectric Performance of the Nanocomposites Formed by Diketopyrrolopyrrole/Isoindigo-Based Donor-Acceptor Random Conjugated Copolymers and Carbon Nanotubes

This paper presents the development of thermoelectric properties in nanocomposites comprising donor-acceptor random conjugated copolymers and single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs). The composition of the conjugated polymers, specifically the ratio of diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP) to isoindigo (IID), is manipulated to design a series of random conjugated copolymers (DPP0, DPP5, DPP10, DPP30, DPP50, DPP90, DPP95, and DPP100). The objective is to improve the dispersion of SWCNTs into smaller bundles, leading to enhanced thermoelectric properties of the polymer/SWCNT nanocomposite. This dispersion strategy promotes an interconnected conducting network, which plays a critical role in optimizing the thermoelectric performance. Accordingly, the effects of morphologies on the thermoelectric properties of the nanocomposites are systematically investigated. The DPP95/SWCNT nanocomposite exhibits the strongest interaction, resulting in the highest power factor (PF) of 711.1 μW m-1 K-2, derived from the high electrical conductivity of 1690 S cm-1 and Seebeck coefficient of 64.8 μV K-1. The prototype flexible thermoelectric generators assembled with a DPP95/SWCNT film achieve a maximum power output of 20.4 μW m-2 at a temperature difference of 29.3 K. These findings highlight the potential of manipulating the composition of random conjugated copolymers and incorporating SWCNTs to efficiently harvest low-grade waste heat in wearable thermoelectric devices.

Unraveling the Effect of Stereoisomerism on Mobility-Stretchability Properties of n-Type Semiconducting Polymers with Biobased Epimers as Conjugation Break Spacers

The development of intrinsically stretchable n-type semiconducting polymers has garnered much interest in recent years. In this study, three biobased dianhydrohexitol epimers of isosorbide (ISB), isomannide (IMN), and isoidide (IID), derived from cellulose, were incorporated into the backbone of a naphthalenediimide (NDI)-based n-type semiconducting polymer as conjugation break spacers (CBSs). Accordingly, three polymers were synthesized through the Migita-Kosugi-Stille coupling polymerization with NDI, bithiophene, and CBSs, and the mobility-stretchability properties of these polymers were investigated and compared with those of their analogues with conventional alkyl-based CBSs. Experimental results showed that the different configurations of these epimers in CBSs sufficiently modulate the melt entropies, surface aggregation, crystallographic parameters, chain entanglements, and mobility-stretchability properties. Comparable ductility and edge-on preferred stacking were observed in polymers with endo- or exo-configurations in IMN- and IID-based polymers. By contrast, ISB with endo-/exo-configurations exhibits an excellent chain-realigning capability, a reduced crack density, and a proceeding bimodal orientation under tensile strain. Therefore, the ISB-based polymer exhibits high orthogonal electron mobility retention of (53 and 56)% at 100% strain. This study is one of the few examples where biobased moieties are incorporated into semiconducting polymers as stress-relaxation units. Additionally, this is the first study to report on the effect of stereoisomerism of epimers on the morphology and mobility-stretchability properties of semiconducting polymers.

Tailoring Wavelength-Adaptive Visual Neuroplasticity Transitions of Synaptic Transistors Comprising Rod-Coil Block Copolymers for Dual-Mode Photoswitchable Learning/Forgetting Neural Functions

The vision-inspired artificial neural network based on optical synapses has drawn a tremendous amount of attention for emulating biological senses. Although photoexcitation-induced synaptic functionalities have been widely studied, optical habituation via the photoinhibitory pathway is yet to be demonstrated for sophisticated biomimetic visual adaptive systems. Here, the first optical neuromorphic block copolymer (BCP) phototransistor is demonstrated as an all-optical operation responding to various wavelengths, fulfilling photoassisted dynamic learning/forgetting cycles via optical potentiation without gate bias. The polyfluorene BCPs were precisely designed to enable wavelength-adaptive responses, benefiting from interfacial semiconductor/electret morphology and the crystallinity/electron affinity of the BCPs. Notably, this is the first work to simultaneously exhibit fully light-controlled short- and long-term memory based on organic material systems. The device presents a high current contrast above 100-fold and long-term retention over 104 s. As a proof-of-concept for neural networks, a 6 × 6 array of photosynapses performed outstanding visual pattern learning/forgetting with high accuracy. This study exploits the design strategy of a conjugated BCP electret to unleash the full potential of wavelength-adaptive visual neuroplasticity transitions. It provides an effective architecture for designing high-performance and high-storage capacity required applications in next-generation neuromorphic systems.

Molecular template growth of organic heterojunctions to tailor visual neuroplasticity for high performance phototransistors with ultralow energy consumption

The optical and charge transport properties of organic semiconductors are strongly influenced by their morphology and molecular structures. Here we report the influence of a molecular template strategy on anisotropic control via weak epitaxial growth of a semiconducting channel for a dinaphtho[2,3-b:2',3'-f]thieno[3,2-b]thiophene (DNTT)/para-sexiphenyl (p-6P) heterojunction. The aim is to improve charge transport and trapping, to enable tailoring of visual neuroplasticity. The proposed phototransistor devices, comprising a molecular heterojunction with optimized molecular template thickness, exhibited an excellent memory ratio (I_ON/I_OFF) and retention characteristics in response to light stimulation, owing to the enhanced orientation/packing of DNTT molecules and a favorable match between the LUMO/HOMO levels of p-6P and DNTT. The best performing heterojunction exhibits visual synaptic functionalities, including an extremely high pair-pulse facilitation index of ∼206%, ultralow energy consumption of 0.54 fJ, and zero-gate operation, under ultrashort pulse light stimulation to mimic human-like sensing, computing, and memory functions. An array of heterojunction photosynapses possess a high degree of visual pattern recognition and learning, to mimic the neuroplasticity of human brain activities through a rehearsal learning process. This study provides a guide to the design of molecular heterojunctions for tailoring high-performance photonic memory and synapses for neuromorphic computing and artificial intelligence systems.

High-Performance Phototransistor Memory with an Ultrahigh Memory Ratio Conferred Using Hydrogen-Bonded Supramolecular Electrets

As the research of photonic electronics thrives, the enhanced efficacy from an optic unit cell can considerably improve the performance of an optoelectronic device. In this regard, organic phototransistor memory with a fast programming/readout and a distinguished memory ratio produces an advantageous outlook to fulfill the demand for advanced applications. In this study, a hydrogen-bonded supramolecular electret is introduced into the phototransistor memory, which comprises porphyrin dyes, meso-tetra(4-aminophenyl)porphine, meso-tetra(p-hydroxyphenyl)porphine, and meso-tetra(4-carboxyphenyl)porphine (TCPP), and insulated polymers, poly(4-vinylpyridine) and poly(4-vinylphenol) (PVPh). To combine the optical absorption of porphyrin dyes, dinaphtho[2,3-b:2',3'-f]thieno[3,2-b]thiophene (DNTT) is selected as a semiconducting channel. The porphyrin dyes serve as the ambipolar trapping moiety, while the insulated polymers form a barrier to stabilize the trapped charges by forming hydrogen-bonded supramolecules. We find that the hole-trapping capability of the device is determined by the electrostatic potential distribution in the supramolecules, whereas the electron-trapping capability and the surface proton doping originated from hydrogen bonding and interfacial interactions. Among them, PVPh:TCPP with an optimal hydrogen bonding pattern in the supramolecular electret produces the highest memory ratio of 1.12 × 10⁸ over 10⁴ s, which is the highest performance among the reported achievements. Our results suggest that the hydrogen-bonded supramolecular electret can enhance the memory performance by fine-tuning their bond strength and cast light on a potential pathway to future photonic electronics.

Enhancing the Performance of Electret-Free Phototransistor Memory by Using All-Conjugated Block Copolymer

Conjugated polymers are of great interest owing to their potential in stretchable electronics to function under complex deformation conditions. To improve the performance of conjugated polymers, various structural designs have been proposed and these conjugated polymers are specially applied in exotic optoelectronics. In this work, a series of all-conjugated block copolymers (PII2T-b-PNDI2T) comprising poly(isoindigo-bithiophene) (PII2T) and poly(naphthalenediimide-bithiophene) (PNDI2T) are developed with varied compositions and applied to electret-free phototransistor memory. Accordingly, these memory devices present p-type transport capability and electrical-ON/photo-OFF memory behavior. The efficacy of the all-conjugated block copolymer design in improving the memory-photoresponse properties in phototransistor memory is revealed. By optimizing the composition of the block copolymer, the corresponding device achieves a wide memory window of 36 V and a high memory ratio of 7 × 10⁴ . Collectively, the results of this study indicate a new concept for designing electret-free phototransistor memory by using all-conjugated block copolymer heterojunctions to mitigate the phase separation of conjugated polymer blends. Meanwhile, the intrinsic optoelectronic properties of the constituent conjugated polymers can be well-maintained by using an all-conjugated block copolymer design.

Fully Photoswitchable Phototransistor Memory Comprising Perovskite Quantum Dot-Based Hybrid Nanocomposites as a Photoresponsive Floating Gate

Tremendous research efforts have been dedicated into the field of photoresponsive nonvolatile memory devices owing to their advantages of fast transmitting speed, low latency, and power-saving property that are suitable for replacing current electrical-driven electronics. However, the reported memory devices still rely on the assistance of gate bias to program them, and a real fully photoswitchable transistor memory is still rare. Herein, we report a phototransistor memory device comprising polymer/perovskite quantum dot (QD) hybrid nanocomposites as a photoresponsive floating gate. The perovskite QDs offer an effective discreteness with an excellent photoresponse that are suitable for photogate application. In addition, a series of ultraviolet (UV)-sensitive insulating polymer hosts were designed to investigate the effect of UV light on the memory behavior. We found that a fully photoswitchable memory device was fulfilled by using the independent and sequential photoexcitation between a UV-sensitive polymer host and a visible light-sensitive QD photogates, which produced decent photoresponse, memory switchability, and highly stable memory retention with a memory ratio of 10⁴ over 10⁴ s. This study not only unraveled the mystery in the fully photoswitchable functionality of nonvolatile memory but also enlightened their potential in the next-generation electronics for light-fidelity application.

Harnessing of Spatially Confined Perovskite Nanocrystals Using Polysaccharide-based Block Copolymer Systems

Metal halide perovskite nanocrystals (PVSK NCs) are generally unstable upon their transfer from colloidal dispersions to thin film devices. This has been a major obstacle limiting their widespread application. In this study, we proposed a new approach to maintain their exceptional optoelectronic properties during this transfer by dispersing brightly emitting cesium lead halide PVSK NCs in polysaccharide-based maltoheptaose-block-polyisoprene-block-maltoheptaose (MH-b-PI-b-MH) triblock copolymer (BCP) matrices. Instantaneous crystallization of ion precursors with favorable coordination to the sugar (maltoheptaose) domains produced ordered NCs with varied nanostructures of controlled domain size (≈10-20 nm). Confining highly ordered and low dimension PVSK NCs in polysaccharide-based BCPs constituted a powerful tool to control the self-assembly of BCPs and PVSK NCs into predictable structures. Consequently, the hybrid thin films exhibited excellent durability to humidity and stretchability with a relatively high PL intensity and photoluminescence quantum yield (>70%). Furthermore, stretchable phototransistor memory devices were produced and maintained with a good memory ratio of 10⁵ and exhibited a long-term memory retention over 10⁴ s at a high strain of 100%.

Fast Photoresponsive Phototransistor Memory Using Star-Shaped Conjugated Rod-Coil Molecules as a Floating Gate

With the explosive growth in data generation, photomemory capable of multibit data storage is highly desired to enhance the capacity of storage media. To improve the performance of phototransistor memory, an organic-molecule-based electret with an elaborate nanostructure is of great importance because it can enable multibit data storage in a memory device with high stability. In this study, a series of star-shaped rod-coil molecules consisting of perylenediimide (PDI) and biobased solanesol were synthesized in two-armed (PDI-Sol2), four-armed (PDI-Sol4), and six-armed (PDI-Sol6) architectures. Their molecular architecture-morphology relationships were investigated, and phototransistor memory was fabricated and characterized to evaluate the structure-performance relationship of these rod-coil molecules. Accordingly, the memory devices were enabled by photowriting with panchromatic light (405-650 nm) and electrical erasing using a gate bias. The PDI-Sol4-based memory device showed high memory ratios of 10 000 over 10 000 s and a rapid multilevel photoresponse of 50 ms. This achievement is related to the favorable energy-level alignment, isolated nanostructure, and face-on orientation of PDI-Sol4, which eliminated the charge tunneling barrier. The results of this study provide a new strategy for tailoring nanostructures in organic-molecule-based electrets by using a star-shaped rod-coil architecture for high-performance phototransistor memory.

Comprehensive Non-volatile Photo-programming Transistor Memory via a Dual-Functional Perovskite-Based Floating Gate

Photonic transistor memory has received increasing attention as next-generation optoelectronic devices for light fidelity (Li-Fi) application due to the attractive advantages of ultra-speed, high security, and low power consumption. However, most transistor-type photonic memories developed to date still rely on electrical bias for operation, imposing certain limits on data transmission efficiency and energy consumption. In this study, the dual manipulation of "photo-writing" and "photo-erasing" of a novel photonic transistor memory is successfully realized by cleverly utilizing the complementary light absorption between the photoactive material, n-type BPE-PTCDI, in the active channel and the hybrid floating gate, CH₃NH₃PbBr₃/poly(2-vinylpyridine). The fabricated device not only can be operated under the full spectrum but also shows stable switching cycles of photo-writing (PW)-reading (R)-photo-erasing (PE)-reading (R) (PW-R-PE-R) with a high memory ratio of ∼10⁴, and the memory characteristics possess a stable long-term retention of >10⁴ s. Notably, photo-erasing only requires 1 s light illumination. Due to the fully optical functionality, the rigid gate electrode is removed and a novel two-terminal flexible photonic memory is fabricated. The device not only exhibits stable electrical performance after 1000 bending cycles but also manifests a multilevel functional behavior, demonstrating a promising potential for the future development of photoactive electronic devices.

Stretchable OFET Memories: Tuning the Morphology and the Charge-Trapping Ability of Conjugated Block Copolymers through Soft Segment Branching

The mechanical properties and structural design flexibility of charge-trapping polymer electrets have led to their widespread use in organic field-effect transistor (OFET) memories. For example, in the electrets of polyfluorene-based conjugated/insulating block copolymers (BCPs), the confined fiberlike polyfluorene nanostructures in the insulating polymer matrix act as effective hole-trapping sites, leading to controllable memory performance through the design of BCPs. However, few studies have reported intrinsically stretchable charge-trapping materials and their memory device applications, and a practical method to correlate the thin-film morphology of BCP electrets with their charge-trapping ability has not yet been developed. In this study, a series of new conjugated/insulating BCPs, poly(9,9-di-n-hexyl-2,7-fluorene)-block-poly(δ-decanolactone)s (PF-b-PDL_x, x = 1-3), as stretchable hole-trapping materials are reported. The linear and branched PDL blocks with comparable molecular weights were used to investigate the effect of polymer architecture on morphology and device performance. Moreover, the coverage area of the polyfluorene nanofibers on the BCP films was extracted from atomic force microscopy images, which can be correlated with the trapping density of the polymer electrets. The branched PDL segments not only improve stretchability but also tailor crystallinity and phase separation of the BCPs, thus increasing their charge-trapping ability. The OFET memory device with PF-b-PDL₃ as the electret layer exhibited the largest memory window (102 V) and could retain its performance at up to 100% strain. This research highlights the importance of the BCP design for developing stretchable charge-trapping materials.

Intrinsically stretchable naphthalenediimide–bithiophene conjugated statistical terpolymers using branched conjugation break spacers for field–effect transistors

A series of naphthalene−diimide based conjugated polymers was synthesized through statistical terpolymerization with branched conjugation break spacers to enhance their mobility−stretchability properties in field-effect transistors.

Backbone Engineering of Diketopyrrolopyrrole-Based Conjugated Polymers through Random Terpolymerization for Improved Mobility-Stretchability Property

Conjugated polymers synthesized through random terpolymerization have recently attracted great research interest due to the synergetic effect on the polymer's crystallinity and semiconducting properties. Several studies have demonstrated the efficacy of random terpolymerization in fine-tuning the aggregation behavior and optoelectronic property of conjugated polymers to yield enhanced device performance. However, as an influential approach of backbone engineering, its efficacy in modulating the mobility-stretchability property of high-performance conjugated polymers has not been fuller explored to date. Herein, a series of random terpolymers based on the diketopyrrolopyrrole-bithiophene (DPP-2T) backbone incorporating different amounts of isoindigo (IID) unit are synthesized, and their structure-mobility-stretchability correlation is thoroughly investigated. Our results reveal that random terpolymers containing a low IID content (DPP95 and DPP90) show enhanced interchain packing and solid-state aggregation to result in improved charge-transporting performance (can reach 4 order higher) compared to the parent polymer DPP100. In addition, owing to the enriched amorphous feature, DPP95 and DPP90 deliver an improved orthogonal mobility (μ_h) of >0.01 cm² V^-1 s^-1 under a 100% strain, higher than the value (∼0.002 cm² V^-1 s^-1) of DPP100. Moreover, DPP95 even yields 20% enhanced orthogonal μ_h retention after 800 stretching-releasing cycles with 60% strain. As concluded from a series of analyses, the improved mobility-stretchability property exerted by random terpolymerization arises from the enriched amorphous feature and enhanced aggregation behavior imposed by the geometry mismatch between different acceptors (DPP and IID). This study demonstrates that backbone engineering through rational random terpolymerization not only enhances the mobility-stretchability of a conjugated polymer but also realizes a better mechanical endurance, providing a new perspective for the design of high-performance stretchable conjugated polymers.

High-Performance Nonvolatile Organic Photonic Transistor Memory Devices using Conjugated Rod-Coil Materials as a Floating Gate

A novel approach for using conjugated rod-coil materials as a floating gate in the fabrication of nonvolatile photonic transistor memory devices, consisting of n-type Sol-PDI and p-type C10-DNTT, is presented. Sol-PDI and C10-DNTT are used as dual functions of charge-trapping (conjugated rod) and tunneling (insulating coil), while n-type BPE-PDI and p-type DNTT are employed as the corresponding transporting layers. By using the same conjugated rod in the memory layer and transporting channel with a self-assembled structure, both n-type and p-type memory devices exhibit a fast response, a high current contrast between "Photo-On" and "Electrical-Off" bistable states over 10⁵ , and an extremely low programing driving force of 0.1 V. The fabricated photon-driven memory devices exhibit a quick response to different wavelengths of light and a broadband light response that highlight their promising potential for light-recorder and synaptic device applications.

Tunable light absorption of graphene using topological interface states

A tunable light absorption of graphene using topological interface states (TISs) is presented. The monolayer graphene is embedded in the interface of asymmetric topological photonic crystals (ATPCs). A strong absorption phenomenon occurs by the excitation of TISs. It is found that the absorption spectra are intensively dependent on the chemical potential of graphene and the periodic number of the ATPCs. Furthermore, the absorption can be rapidly switched in a slight variation of chemical potential, which is modulated by the applied gate voltage on graphene. This study not only opens up a new approach for enhancing light-monolayer graphene interactions, but also provides for practical applications in high absorption optoelectronic devices. This strong absorption phenomenon is different from those in Fabry-Perot resonators, nano-cavities photonic crystal, and traditional topological photonic crystals (TPCs).

Study on Intrinsic Stretchability of Diketopyrrolopyrrole-Based π-Conjugated Copolymers with Poly(acryl amide) Side Chains for Organic Field-Effect Transistors

The development of a π-conjugated polymer with hydrogen-bonding moieties has aroused great attention because of the improved molecular stacking and the hydrogen-bonding network. In this study, PDPPTVT (diketopyrrolopyrrole-thiophenevinylenethiophene) and PDPPSe (diketopyrrolopyrrole-selenophene) alkylated with a carbosilane (SiC8) side chain and poly(acryl amide) (PAM)-incorporated alkyl side chain were prepared, and their structure-performance and structure-stretchability correlation were evaluated. By incorporating the DPPTVT backbone and 0, 5, 10, or 20% PAM-incorporated alkyl side chain, the μ_h value could reach 2.0, 0.97, 0.74, and 0.42 cm² V^-1 s^-1, respectively (P1 to P4). The polymer with the PDPPSe backbone and 5% PAM-incorporated alkyl side-chain (P5) exhibited the maximum μ_h value of 0.96 cm² V^-1 s^-1. By extending the PAM moiety from the backbone with alkyl spacers, the solid-state packing and edge-on orientation can be properly maintained. Surprisingly, the PAM-incorporated alkyl side-chain can provide a hydrogen-bonding network serving as sacrificial bonding to mechanical deformation. Therefore, the relevant changes in the crystallographic parameters including the crystalline size and the in-plane π-π stacking distance with a 100% external strain were less than 4 and 0.8%, respectively, from P1 to P3. Therefore, P3 achieved an excellent stretchability while maintaining its molecular orientation and charge-transporting performance. Even with 100% external strain, P3 still provided an orthogonal μ_h over 0.1 cm² V^-1 s^-1. Moreover, by substituting the TVT moiety with the Se moiety, the ductility of the backbone can be further increased when the elastic modulus decreases from 0.80 to 0.36 GPa for P2 to P5. The achieved high μ_h retention is over 20% after 500 stretching-releasing cycles with a 60% external strain perpendicular to the channel direction for the polymer composed of PDPPSe and 5% PAM content. The results manifest that our newly designed DPP with the PAM-incorporated alkyl side chain provides a promising approach to promote the intrinsic stretchability of the π-conjugated polymers.

Green Treatment of Phosphate from Wastewater Using a Porous Bio-Templated Graphene Oxide/MgMn-Layered Double Hydroxide Composite

Excessive phosphorus in water is the primary culprit for eutrophication, which causes approximately $2.2 billion annual economic loss in the United States. This study demonstrates a phosphate-selective sustainable method by adopting Garcinia subelliptica leaves as a natural bio-template, where MgMn-layered double hydroxide (MgMn-LDH) and graphene oxide (GO) can be grown in situ to obtain L-GO/MgMn-LDH. After calcination, the composite shows a hierarchical porous structure and selective recognition of phosphate, which achieves significantly high and recyclable selective phosphate adsorption capacity and desorption rate of 244.08 mg-P g-1 and 85.8%, respectively. The detail variation of LDHs during calcination has been observed via in situ transmission electron microscope (TEM). Moreover, the roles in facilitating phosphate adsorption and antimicrobial ability of chemical constituents in Garcinia subelliptica leaves, biflavonoids, and triterpenoids have been investigated. These results indicate the proposed bio-templated adsorbent is practical and eco-friendly for phosphorus sustainability in commercial wastewater treatment.

Development of Block Copolymers with Poly(3-hexylthiophene) Segments as Compatibilizers in Non-Fullerene Organic Solar Cells

Poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT)-segment-based block copolymers have been reported to deliver an effective compatibilizer function in the P3HT:PC₆₁BM bulk-heterojunction (BHJ) system to simultaneously improve performance and stability. However, as limited by the deficient optophysic properties of the P3HT:PC₆₁BM system, the resultant power conversion efficiency (PCE) of compatibilizer-mediated devices is low despite the optimized chemical structures of the P3HT-segment-based block copolymers. To better shed light on such a compatibilizer effect, the compatibilizer function of the P3HT-segment-based block copolymers is herein investigated in the emerging non-fullerene acceptor (NFA)-based BHJ systems. A P3HT analogue, poly[(4,4'-bis(2-butyloctoxycarbonyl-[2,2'-bithiophene]-5,5-diyl)-alt-(2,2'-bithiophene-5,5'-diyl))] (PDCBT), is used as the polymer donor since it shares the same backbone as P3HT to afford good compatibility with the P3HT-segment-based block copolymers and it has been proven to deliver a higher PCE than P3HT in the NFA BHJ systems. The P3HT-segment-based block copolymers (P1-P4) are manifested to offer similar compatibilizer functions for the PDCBT-based NFA BHJ systems, and the importance of their structural design is also revealed. As a result, addition of P4 delivers the largest enhancement in PCE: from 5.30 to 7.11% for the PDCBT:ITIC blend and from 6.21 to 8.04% for the PDCBT:IT-M blend. Moreover, it can also enhance the device's thermal stability, which can maintain 77% of the initial PCE after annealing at 85 °C for 120 h (for the PDCBT:ITIC blend), outperforming the pristine binary device (66% preservation). More importantly, the entire compatibilizer-mediated device exhibits an improved V_oc. Such reduced potential loss can be attributed to the improved interfacial compatibility between the photoactive components, the most important function of a compatibilizer.

Multilevel Photonic Transistor Memory Devices Using Conjugated/Insulated Polymer Blend Electrets

Photonic data storage has diverse optoelectronic applications such as optical sensing and recording, integrated image circuits, and multibit-storage flash memory. In this study, we employ conjugated/insulated polymer blends as the charge storage electret for photonic field-effect transistor memory devices by exploring the blend composition, energy level alignment, and morphology on the memory characteristics. The studied conjugated polymers included poly(9,9-di-n-octylfluorenyl-2,7-diyl) (PF), poly[2-methoxy-5-(2-ethylhexyloxy)-1,4-phenylenevinylene] (MEH-PPV), poly[{2,5-di(3',7'-dimethyloctyloxy)-1,4-phenylene-vinylene}-co-{3-(4'-(3″,7″-dimethyloctyloxy)phenyl)-1,4-phenylenevinylene}-co-{3-(3'-(3',7'-dimethyloctyloxy)phenyl)-1,4-phenylenevinylene}] (SY-PPV), and poly[(9,9-di-n-octylfluorenyl-2,7-diyl)-alt-(benzo[2,1,3]thiadiazol-4,8-diyl)] (F8BT), and the insulated polymers were polystyrene (PS) and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA). The photonic memory device using the PF/PS blend electret exhibited a dynamic switching behavior with light-writing and voltage-erasing processes both within only 1 s, along with a high contrast on the current on/off ratio between "Photo-On" and "Electrical-OFF" over 10⁶ and the decent retention time for more than 3 months. In addition, the multilevel memory behavior could be observed using different light sources of 405, 450, and 520 nm or energy intensity, which was supported by surface potential analysis. The characteristics were superior to those of the devices using PF/PMMA blend due to the higher charge storage behavior of PS supported by fluorescence analysis. The PF/PS blend film prepared from the chlorobenzene solvent exhibited mesh-like and aggregated PF domains in the PS matrix and enhanced the contact surface area between the semiconductor and blend electret, leading to a higher memory window. The photonic memory behavior was also observed in the blend electrets of PS with the low band gap polymer, MEH-PPV, SY-PPV, or F8BT, by changing the photoresponsive light sources. Our study demonstrated a new electret system to apply on the multilevel photonic memory devices.

Media Freedom is the Primary Culprit for Depressive Disorders: A Cross-National Analysis

Background

There has been much speculation about social environments causing an epidemic of depression. The objectives of this study are to examine how media freedom influences prevalence of depressive disorders. A direct effect of free media is great levels of information complexity causing poor mental health. Two indirect effects are that media freedom facilitates modernization, which is associated with competition-related stress, and government investment in social protection, which impedes the person’s ability to manage stress.

Methods

The study used a cross-sectional analysis on determinants of prevalence of depressive disorders in 2015 covering 98 democratic countries. Media freedom was measured as the degree to which a country allows the freedom of news and information of print media, television, and radio broadcasting (0-100: least to most free). Control variables were then added, including GDP per capita growth, population density, country latitude, and religious affiliations. Further, a mediation analysis was applied to test if there is a causal pathway that links the degrees of media freedom and the levels of economic development or/and social protection to prevalence of depression.

Results

We found that an increase in the score of media freedom by 10 resulted in a 0.20 percentage point increase in prevalence of depressive disorders (%) (0.20, CI = 0.10-0.30). Our theoretical expectations were still confirmed when this study examined the relationship for each year between 2011 and 2014 (e.g. in 2014, 0.19, CI = 0.09-0.29), used an alternative index of media freedom from a practitioners’ view (0.17, CI = 0.02-0.32), or measured each country’s level of internet and digital media freedom (0.30, CI = 0.10-0.49). Further, a mediation test showed that 39.88% and 21.38% of the total effect was mediated through the economic and social pathway respectively.

Conclusions

The findings suggest that great levels of media freedom matter in increasing prevalence of depression.

Key messages

Great levels of media freedom matter in increasing prevalence of depression. There are direct and two indirect effects of media freedom on prevalence of depression.

P1880Entropy-based algorithm for atrial fibrillation detection using photoplethysomgraphic signal recorded by a smart watch

Background

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia, and its paroxysmal and short duration nature makes its detection challenging. The most important limitation of current smartwatches is that patients need to touch to the sensor of the watch to record signals when patients feel discomfort. We developed a wearable smart watch and evaluated its accuracy to differentiate AF from sinus rhythm, which can continuously detecting heart rhythm without hand touching the device.

Methods and results

A wearable smart watch with PPG sensor and electrocardiogram (ECG) recording function was used for signal acquisition. A total 399 patients with a mean age of 67 years old were enrolled in the study, of whom 237 (81.5%) were male, and 101 have been diagnosed with AF. Pulse wave extracted from the green light spectrum of the signal and ECG were recorded for about 10 minutes for each patient. Pulse-to-pulse intervals (PPI) were automatically identified. All ECG signals were verified by two cardiologists. The correlation between R-to-R interval on ECG and PPI were excellent, with a correlation coefficient R >0.99 (p<0.05). An entropy-based algorithm which combined Shannon entropy of successive difference of PPI and sample entropy of PPI was used to discriminate between AF and sinus rhythm. This method had high sensitivity and specificity (96% and 98%, respectively), the area under receiver operating characteristic curve reached 0.98.

Conclusions

We developed an entropy-based algorithm for AF detection with PPG signal recorded by a wearable smart watch. This algorithm discriminates AF from sinus rhythm accurately. This advance in technology overcomes an important clinical obstacle and can increase the AF detection rate tremendously.

[Clinical analysis of five cases of autism spectrum disorder complicated with epilepsy with chromosome copy number variation]

Objective: To explore the clinical features and genetic causes of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) patients with epilepsy. Methods: The clinical data of five patients with ASD and epilepsy admitted to Xuanwu Hospital between September 2017 and September 2018 were collected, including medical history, intelligence level, developmental level, physical examination, neuroimaging and electroencephalogram. High-throughput whole-genome sequencing was applied to five patients and their parents. Results: Of five patients, four were male and one was female. All five patients had mild mental retardation, and one patient had significant growth retardation and craniofacial deformity. The average epilepsy onset age was 6.3 years old (7 months to 16 years). The main epileptic type was tonic-clonic seizure with abnormal EEG results. All patients have a favorable response to anti-epileptic drugs. Whole-exome sequencing (WES) revealed copy number variation in all 5 patients. Among them, 3 cases were reported to be pathogenic, and 2 cases were not reported (chromosome 16p13.3 duplication and chromosome 21q22.3 deletion). Conclusions: The results of current study support that autism spectrum disorders with seizures is often associated with copy number variations, such as Williams-Beuren region duplication syndrome, chromosome 15q11.2 duplication syndrome and chromosome 15q11.2 deletion syndrome. We reported two novel copy number variations (chromosome 16p13.3 duplication and chromosome 21q22.3 deletion) in two autism spectrum disorder patients with epileptic seizures.

Asymmetric Side-Chain Engineering of Isoindigo-Based Polymers for Improved Stretchability and Applications in Field-Effect Transistors

Thus far, there is still no study systematically investigating the influence of asymmetric side-chain design on a polymer's stretchability and its associated stretchable device applications. Herein, three kinds of asymmetric side chains consisting of carbosilane side chain (Si-C8), siloxane-terminated side chain (SiO-C8), and decyltetradecane side chain (DT) are engineered in isoindigo-bithiophene (PII2T, P1-P3) and isoindigo-difluorobithiophene (PII2TF, P4-P6) conjugated polymers, and their structure-stretchability correlation is explored in field-effect transistor characterization. It is revealed that owing to the geometric difference between the side chains, different asymmetric side-chain combinations impose distinct influences on the molecular stacking and orientation of the derived polymers. Surprisingly, the combination of asymmetric side chains and backbone fluorination is shown to deliver the best stretchability and mechanical durability of the derived polymer. Consequently, P6 consisting of asymmetric Si-C8/DT side chains and fluorinated backbone possesses the best mobility preservation of 81% at 100% strain with the stretching force perpendicular to the charge-transporting direction. Moreover, it presents 90% mobility retention after 400 stretching-releasing cycles with 60% strain, greatly exceeding the value (36%) of the non-fluorinated counterpart (P3). Our results suggest that the rational design of asymmetric side chains and backbone fluorination provides an efficient way to enhance the intrinsic stretchability of conjugated polymers.

Studies of a rice sterile mutant sstl from the TRIM collection

BACKGROUND

Rice (Oryza sativa) is one of the main crops in the world, and more than 3.9 billion people will consume rice by 2025. Sterility significantly affects rice production and leads to yield defects. The undeveloped anthers or abnormal pollen represent serious defects in rice male sterility. Therefore, understanding the mechanism of male sterility is an important task. Here, we investigated a rice sterile mutant according to its developmental morphology and transcriptional profiles.

RESULTS

An untagged T-DNA insertional mutant showed defective pollen and abnormal anthers as compared with its semi-sterile mutant (sstl) progeny segregates. Transcriptomic analysis of sterile sstl-s revealed several biosynthesis pathways, such as downregulated cell wall, lipids, secondary metabolism, and starch synthesis. This downregulation is consistent with the morphological characterization of sstl-s anthers with irregular exine, absence of intine, no starch accumulation in pollen grains and no accumulated flavonoids in anthers. Moreover, defective microsporangia development led to abnormal anther locule and aborted microspores. The downregulated lipids, starch, and cell wall synthesis-related genes resulted in loss of fertility.

CONCLUSIONS

We illustrate the importance of microsporangia in the development of anthers and functional microspores. Abnormal development of pollen grains, pollen wall, anther locule, etc. result in severe yield reduction.

Synchronous renal cell carcinoma and pheochromocytoma presenting as acute decompensated heart failure

We report a 49-year-old woman who presented with a hypertensive crisis and acute heart failure and reduced left ventricular systolic function. An abdominal ultrasonography revealed a huge lobulated heterogeneous mass at the lower pole of the right kidney and a mass over the left suprarenal area, which were further delineated by magnetic resonance imaging. The patient underwent laparoscopic right radical nephrectomy and left adrenalectomy. Histopathological analysis confirmed the diagnoses of clear cell renal cell carcinoma of the right kidney with metastasis to the lung; and atypical pheochromocytoma of the left adrenal gland. Target therapy was initiated, which resulted in stabilization of the patient's tumors and the recovery of her heart function. To avoid a delayed diagnosis and catastrophic outcome, clinicians should consider such rare causes of acute decompensated heart failure.

Intrinsically stretchable isoindigo–bithiophene conjugated copolymers using poly(acrylate amide) side chains for organic field-effect transistors

Intrinsically stretchable isoindigo–bithiophene conjugated copolymers for organic field-effect transistors with high carrier mobility were achieved using hydrogen-bonded poly(acrylate amide) side chains.

[Clinical features and gene analysis of TBC1D24 gene mutation related early-onset focal myoclonic epilepsy]

Objective: To investigate the clinical features and genetic characteristics of patients with TBC1D24 gene mutation related early-onset focal myoclonic epilepsy. Methods: Clinical data of 3 patients with TBC1D24 gene mutation related early-onset focal myoclonic epilepsy of Xuanwu Hospital from November 2016 to June 2017 was collected and analyzed.Candidate gene mutations were screened by second generation sequencing. Results: Among the 3 patients, 1 was male and 2 were females.Seizure onset age was 4 months, 3 years and 5 years after birth respectively. Two patients had family history of epilepsy.They all had prolonged episodes of focal myoclonus. Two patients had mental retardation.Scalp electroencephalograms (EEG) was recorded in all 3 cases and myoclonic seizures were captured.The ictal EEGs were normal in all cases. In one patient, the ictal EEG of generalized seizure showed alpha rhythm originating from left fronto-central region. Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was normal in 2 patients. Abnormal signal was found bilaterally in cerebellum in 1 patient. The gene screening showed that two patients carried compound heterozygous mutation of TBC1D24 gene and one carried homozygous mutation, all of which were de novo mutations.All the patients were treated with multiple antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) and seizures were uncontrolled in 2 patients. One patient was followed up for 10 months without recurrence. Conclusions: TBC1D24 gene related early-onset focal myoclonic epilepsy is clinically characterized by early onset, prolonged focal myoclonus which relieved with sleep, mental retardation and poor response to AEDs.The interictal and ictal EEG usually show normal. Genetic analysis can assist in diagnosis and genetic counseling.

Ultra-slow light in one-dimensional Cantor photonic crystals

Ultra-slow light and complete transmission properties in one-dimensional Cantor photonic crystals are presented. In contrast to traditional dielectric photonic crystals, the proposed structure has large group delay, slower group velocity, and a high quality factor within the same layers and materials. This study shows that larger than 1 μs group delay and slower than 1 m/s group velocity are achieved in the fifth-order Cantor photonic crystal with 52.75 μm length. This ultra-slow-light structure is very promising for application in advanced slow-light devices. A high quality factor of 10⁹ and multiband filters with complete transmission can also be obtained by using this approach.

Time-resolved inline digital holography for the study of noncollinear degenerate phase modulation

Recent works demonstrated that digital time-resolved holography is the prospective approach to study nonlinear light-matter interaction processes. In this Letter, we present a straightforward inline holographic approach for studying degenerate phase modulation induced by an inclined collimated pump beam in the isotropic sample. The method is based on a minimization of the difference between experimentally acquired data and simulated inline holograms obtained from a numerical model of pump-probe interaction in optical nonlinear media. A sophisticated experimental data processing algorithm is implemented to provide high sensitivity and a signal-to-noise ratio eligible for soft interaction with a collimated pump beam. The integral phase shift determined by our method can be used to estimate the nonlinear refractive index and the relaxation time for material with a low damage threshold. We validated our approach for the case of soda-lime and BK7 glasses.

Optimization of dietary zinc for egg production and antioxidant capacity in Chinese egg-laying ducks fed a diet based on corn-wheat bran and soybean meal

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of zinc supplementation on productive performance and antioxidant status in laying ducks. Five-hundred-four laying ducks were divided into 7 treatments, each containing 6 replicates of 12 ducks. The ducks were caged individually and fed a corn-soybean meal and wheat bran basal diet (37 mg Zn/kg) or the basal diet supplemented with 15, 30, 45, 60, 75, or 90 mg Zn/kg (as zinc sulfate). During the early laying period of 10 d (daily egg production <80%), egg production, daily egg mass, and FCR increased quadratically with increasing dietary Zn levels (P < 0.05). The highest egg production and daily egg weight were obtained when 30 or 45 mg Zn/kg diet was supplemented, with lowest FCR. Similarly, the highest egg production and daily egg mass were observed in the group supplemented with 30 or 45 mg Zn/kg during the peak laying period of the subsequent 120 d (daily egg production >80%). Average egg weight and feed intake did not differ among the groups of graded Zn supplementation.The egg quality was not affected by dietary Zn, including the egg shape index, Haugh unit, yolk color score, egg composition, and shell thickness. The activities of plasma activities of total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX) increased in a quadratic manner (P < 0.001) with increasing supplemental Zn. Plasma concentration of Zn increased quadratically (P < 0.05) as dietary Zn increased. The hepatic activity of Cu/Zn-SOD and GSH-PX increased quadratically (P < 0.05) with increasing dietary Zn. Plasma Zn concentrations were positively correlated with activities of T-SOD (P < 0.05), and positively with plasma Cu. Plasma concentration of reduced glutathione was correlated with plasma Cu. In conclusion, supplementation of Zn at 30 or 45 mg/kg to a corn-wheat bran and soybean basal diet may improve the productive performance and enhance the antioxidant capacity.

First-line icotinib versus cisplatin/pemetrexed plus pemetrexed maintenance therapy for patients with advanced EGFR mutation-positive lung adenocarcinoma (CONVINCE): a phase 3, open-label, randomized study

BACKGROUND

Icotinib has been previously shown to be non-inferior to gefitinib in non-selected advanced non-small-cell lung cancer patients when given as second- or further-line treatment. In this open-label, randomized, phase 3 CONVINCE trial, we assessed the efficacy and safety of first-line icotinib versus cisplatin/pemetrexed plus pemetrexed maintenance in lung adenocarcinoma patients with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Eligible participants were adults with stage IIIB/IV lung adenocarcinoma and exon 19/21 EGFR mutations. Participants were randomly allocated (1 : 1) to receive oral icotinib or 3-week cycle of cisplatin plus pemetrexed for up to four cycles; non-progressive patients after four cycles were maintained with pemetrexed until disease progression or intolerable toxicity. The primary end point was progression-free survival (PFS) assessed by independent response evaluation committee. Other end points included overall survival (OS) and safety.

RESULTS

Between January 2013 and August 2014, 296 patients were randomized, and 285 patients were treated (148 to icotinib, 137 to chemotherapy). Independent response evaluation committee-assessed PFS was significantly longer in the icotinib group (11.2 versus 7.9 months; hazard ratio, 0.61, 95% confidence interval 0.43-0.87; P = 0.006). No significant difference for OS was observed between treatments in the overall population or in EGFR-mutated subgroups (exon 19 Del/21 L858R). The most common grade 3 or 4 adverse events (AEs) in the icotinib group were rash (14.8%) and diarrhea (7.4%), compared with nausea (45.9%), vomiting (29.2%), and neutropenia (10.9%) in the chemotherapy group. AEs (79.1% versus 94.2%; P < 0.001) and treatment-related AEs (54.1% versus 90.5%; P < 0.001) were significantly fewer in the icotinib group than in the chemotherapy group.

CONCLUSIONS

First-line icotinib significantly improves PFS of advanced lung adenocarcinoma patients with EGFR mutation with a tolerable and manageable safety profile. Icotinib should be considered as a first-line treatment for this patient population.

Acidification and sulfide formation control during reductive dechlorination of 1,2-dichloroethane in groundwater: Effectiveness and mechanistic study

To enhance the reductive dechlorination of 1,2-dichloroethane (DCA) in groundwater, substrate injection may be required. However, substrate biodegradation causes groundwater acidification and sulfide production, which inhibits the bacteria responsible for DCA dechlorination and results in an odor problem. In the microcosm study, the effectiveness of the addition of ferrous sulfate (FS), desulfurization slag (DS), and nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI) on acidification and sulfide control was studied during reductive dechlorination of DCA, and the emulsified substrate (ES) was used as the substrate. Up to 94% of the sulfide was removed with FS and DS addition (0.25 wt%) (initial DCA concentration = 13.5 mg/L). FS and DS amendments resulted in the formation of a metal sulfide, which reduced the hydrogen sulfide concentration as well as the subsequent odor problem. Approximately 96% of the DCA was degraded under reductive dechlorination with nZVI or DS addition using ES as the substrate. In microcosms with nZVI or DS addition, the sulfide concentration was reduced to less than 15 μg/L. Acidification can be controlled via hydroxide ions production after nZVI oxidation and reaction of free CaO (released from DS) with water, which enhanced DCA dechlorination. The quantitative polymerase chain reaction results confirmed that the microcosms with nZVI added had the highest Dehalococcoides population (up to 2.5 × 10(8) gene copies/g soil) due to effective acidification control. The α-elimination mechanism was the main abiotic process, and reductive dechlorination dominated by Dehalococcides was the biotic mechanism that resulted in DCA removal. More than 22 bacterial species were detected, and dechlorinating bacteria existed in soils under alkaline and acidic conditions.

Single-agent capecitabine as maintenance therapy after induction of XELOX (or FOLFOX) in first-line treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer: randomized clinical trial of efficacy and safety

BACKGROUND

The optimal strategy of maintenance therapy for patients with mCRC is controversial. This study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of maintenance therapy with capecitabine versus observation following inductive chemotherapy in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

In this randomized, open-label, multicenter, phase III trial, patients who received 18-24 weeks of induction chemotherapy with XELOX or FOLFOX and achieved disease control were randomly assigned centrally (1:1) to receive maintenance therapy of capecitabine or only observation until disease progression. The primary end point was progression-free survival (PFS) from randomization; the secondary end points included overall survival (OS), PFS from induction treatment (PFS2) and safety. Analyses were done by intention to treat. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT02027363.

RESULTS

Between 30 July 2010 and 15 September 2013, 274 patients were enrolled in the study from 11 sites in China and randomly assigned to maintenance group (n = 136) or observation group (n = 138). Clinicopathological characteristics were balanced in two groups. The median follow-up time from randomization was 29.0 months [interquartile range (IQR) 21-36 months]. The primary end point of PFS was statistically significantly longer in capecitabine maintenance group than in observation group {6.43 [95% confidence interval (CI) 5.26-7.71] versus 3.43 (2.83-4.16) months, HR 0.54 (0.42-0.70), P < 0.001}. The median OS of capecitabine maintenance group was longer than that of observation group, but not statistically significant [25.63 (22.46-27.80) versus 23.30 (19.68-26.92) months; HR 0.85 (0.64-1.11), P = 0.2247]. Similar safety profiles were observed in both arms. The most common grade 3 or 4 toxicities in capecitabine maintenance group versus observation group were neutropenia, hand-foot syndrome, and mucositis.

CONCLUSIONS

Maintenance therapy with a single agent of capecitabine can be considered an appropriate option following the induction of XELOX or FOLFOX in mCRC patients with acceptable toxicities.

CLINICAL TRIALS NUMBER

NCT02027363.

Upregulation of Haploinsufficient Gene Expression in the Brain by Targeting a Long Non-coding RNA Improves Seizure Phenotype in a Model of Dravet Syndrome

Dravet syndrome is a devastating genetic brain disorder caused by heterozygous loss-of-function mutation in the voltage-gated sodium channel gene SCN1A. There are currently no treatments, but the upregulation of SCN1A healthy allele represents an appealing therapeutic strategy. In this study we identified a novel, evolutionary conserved mechanism controlling the expression of SCN1A that is mediated by an antisense non-coding RNA (SCN1ANAT). Using oligonucleotide-based compounds (AntagoNATs) targeting SCN1ANAT we were able to induce specific upregulation of SCN1A both in vitro and in vivo, in the brain of Dravet knock-in mouse model and a non-human primate. AntagoNAT-mediated upregulation of Scn1a in postnatal Dravet mice led to significant improvements in seizure phenotype and excitability of hippocampal interneurons. These results further elucidate the pathophysiology of Dravet syndrome and outline a possible new approach for the treatment of this and other genetic disorders with similar etiology.