Effects of nonaromatic through-bond conjugation and through-space conjugation on the photoluminescence of nontraditional luminogens

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 differentfluorescence emissions as well as dif-ferent 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 aggre-gate state.The compounds in the ketone-enol form are also prone to occur excited state intra/intermolecular proton transfer(ESIPT).The cooperative effect of nonaro-matic 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 Stable Open-Shell Conjugated Diradical Polymer with Ultra-High Photothermal Conversion Efficiency for NIR-Ⅱ Photo-Immunotherapy of Metastatic Tumor

Massive efforts have been concentrated on the advance of eminent near-infrared(NIR) photothermal materials(PTMs) in the NIR-Ⅱ window(1000–1700 nm), especially organic PTMs because of their intrinsic biological safety compared with inorganic PTMs. However, so far, only a few NIR-Ⅱresponsive organic PTMs was explored, and their photothermal conversion efficiencies(PCEs) still remain relatively low. Herein, donor–acceptor conjugated diradical polymers with open-shell characteristics are explored for synergistically photothermal immunotherapy of metastatic tumors in the NIR-Ⅱ window. By employing side-chain regulation, the conjugated diradical polymer TTB-2 with obvious NIR-Ⅱ absorption was developed, and its nanoparticles realize a record-breaking PCE of 87.7% upon NIR-Ⅱ light illustration. In vitro and in vivo experiments demonstrate that TTB-2 nanoparticles show good tumor photoablation with navigation of photoacoustic imaging in the NIR-Ⅱ window, without any side-effect. Moreover, by combining with PD-1 antibody,the pulmonary metastasis of breast cancer is high-effectively prevented by the efficient photo-immunity effect. Thus, this study explores superior PTMs for cancer metastasis theranostics in the NIR-Ⅱ window, offering a new horizon in developing radical-characteristic NIR-Ⅱ photothermal materials.

Recent advances and innovations in the design and fabrication of wearable flexible biosensors and human health monitoring systems based on conjugated polymers

Wearable biosensors have received great interest as patient-friendly diagnostic technologies because of their high flexibility and conformability.The growing research and utilization of novel materials in designing wearable biosensors have accelerated the development of point-of-care sensing platforms and implantable biomedical devices in human health care.Among numerous potential materials,conjugated polymers(CPs)are emerging as ideal choices for constructing high-performance wearable biosensors because of their outstanding conductive and mechanical properties.Recently,CPs have been extensively incorporated into various wearable biosensors to monitor a range of target biomolecules.However,fabricating highly reliable CP-based wearable biosensors for practical applications remains a significant challenge,necessitating novel developmental strategies for enhancing the viability of such biosensors.Accordingly,this review aims to provide consolidated scientific evidence by summarizing and evaluating recent studies focused on designing and fabricating CP-based wearable biosensors,thereby facilitating future research.Emphasizing the superior properties and benefits of CPs,this review aims to clarify their potential applicability within this field.Furthermore,the fundamentals and main components of CP-based wearable biosensors and their sensing mechanisms are discussed in detail.The recent advancements in CP nanostructures and hybridizations for improved sensing performance,along with recent innovations in next-generation wearable biosensors are highlighted.CPbased wearable biosensors have been—and will continue to be—an ideal platform for developing effective and user-friendly diagnostic technologies for human health monitoring.

Hydroxychloroquine and a low antiresorptive activity bisphosphonate conjugate prevent and reverse ovariectomy-induced bone loss in mice through dual antiresorptive and anabolic effects

Osteoporosis remains incurable.The most widely used antiresorptive agents,bisphosphonates(BPs),also inhibit bone formation,while the anabolic agent,teriparatide,does not inhibit bone resorption,and thus they have limited efficacy in preventing osteoporotic fractures and cause some side effects.

Effect of electron-electron interaction on polarization process of exciton and biexciton in conjugated polymer

By using one-dimensional tight-binding model modified to include electron-electric field interaction and electron-electron interaction,we theoretically explore the polarization process of exciton and biexciton in cis-polyacetylene.The dynamical simulation is performed by adopting the non-adiabatic evolution approach.The results show that under the effect of moderate electric field,when the strength of electron-electron interaction is weak,the singlet exciton is stable but its polarization presents obvious oscillation.With the enhancement of interaction,it is dissociated into polaron pairs,the spin-flip of which can be observed through modulating the interaction strength.For the triplet exciton,the strong electron-electron interaction restrains its normal polarization,but it is still stable.In the case of biexciton,the strong electron-electron interaction not only dissociate it,but also flip its charge distribution.The yield of the possible states formed after the dissociation of exciton and biexciton is also calculated.

Conjugated microporous polymers-scaffolded enzyme cascade systems with enhanced catalytic activity

Enhancing catalytic activity of multi-enzyme in vitro through substrate channeling effect is promis-ing yet challenging.Herein,conjugated microporous polymers(CMPs)-scaffolded integrated en-zyme cascade systems(I-ECSs)are constructed through co-entrapping glucose oxidase(GOx)and horseradish peroxidase(HRP),in which hydrogen peroxide(H_(2)O_(2)) is the intermediate product.The interplay of low-resistance mass transfer pathway and appropriate pore wall-H_(2)O_(2) interactions facilitates the directed transfer of H_(2)O_(2),resulting in 2.4-fold and 5.0-fold elevation in catalytic activ-ity compared to free ECSs and separated ECSs,respectively.The substrate channeling effect could be regulated by altering the mass ratio of GOx to HRP.Besides,I-ECSs demonstrate excellent stabili-ties in harsh environments and multiple recycling.

Design of pH-responsive antimicrobial peptide melittin analog-camptothecin conjugates for tumor therapy

Melittin,a classical antimicrobial peptide,is a highly potent antitumor agent.However,its significant toxicity seriously hampers its application in tumor therapy.In this study,we developed novel melittin analogs with pH-responsive,cell-penetrating and membranelytic activities by replacing arginine and lysine with histidine.After conjugation with camptothecin(CPT),CPT-AAM-1 and CPT-AAM-2 were capable of killing tumor cells by releasing CPT at low concentrations and disrupting cell membranes at high concentrations under acidic conditions.Notably,we found that the C-terminus of the melittin analogs was more suitable for drug conjugation than the N-terminus.CPT-AAM-1 significantly suppressed melanoma growth in vivo with relatively low toxicity.Collectively,the present study demonstrates that the development of antitumor drugs based on pH-responsive antimicrobial peptide-drug conjugates is a promising strategy.

Antibody-platinum(IV)prodrugs conjugates for targeted treatment of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma

Antibody-drug conjugates(ADCs)are a new type of targeting antibodies that conjugate with highly toxic anticancer drugs via chemical linkers to exert high specificity and efficient killing of tumor cells,thereby attracting considerable attention in precise oncology therapy.Cetuximab(Cet)is a typical antibody that offers the benefits of good targeting and safety for individuals with advanced and inoperable cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma(cSCC);however,its anti-tumor activity is limited to a single use.Cisplatin(CisPt)shows good curative effects;however,its adverse effects and non-tumor-targeting ability are major drawbacks.In this study,we designed and developed a new ADC based on a new cytotoxic platinum(IV)prodrug(C8Pt(IV))and Cet.The so-called antibody-platinum(IV)prodrugs conjugates,named Cet-C8Pt(IV),showed excellent tumor targeting in cSCC.Specifically,it accurately delivered C8Pt(IV)into tumor cells to exert the combined anti-tumor effect of Cet and CisPt.Herein,metabolomic analysis showed that Cet-C8Pt(IV)promoted cellular apoptosis and increased DNA damage in cSCC cells by affecting the vitamin B6 metabolic pathway in tumor cells,thereby further enhancing the tumor-killing ability and providing a new strategy for clinical cancer treatment using antibody-platinum(IV)prodrugs conjugates.

A New Two-Parameter Family of Nonlinear Conjugate Gradient Method Without Line Search for Unconstrained Optimization Problem

This paper puts forward a two-parameter family of nonlinear conjugate gradient(CG)method without line search for solving unconstrained optimization problem.The main feature of this method is that it does not rely on any line search and only requires a simple step size formula to always generate a sufficient descent direction.Under certain assumptions,the proposed method is proved to possess global convergence.Finally,our method is compared with other potential methods.A large number of numerical experiments show that our method is more competitive and effective.

Co and postseismic fault slip models of the 2022 M_(W)6.7 Menyuan earthquake reveal conjugated faulting tectonics at the central section of the Lenglongling fault

The 2022 M_(W)6.7 Menyuan earthquake ruptured the western end of the Tianzhu seismic gap,providing an opportunity to study the regional seismogenic characteristics and seismic hazards.Here we use interferometric synthetic aperture radar(InSAR)and seismic data to study the mainshock rupture,early afterslip and the second largest aftershock of the 2022 Menyuan earthquake sequences.Our modeling results show that the mainshock ruptured the Lenglongling fault and the Tuolaishan fault with a maximum slip of~3 m.Rapid postseismic transient deformation occurred at the center of the Lenglongling fault.Our afterslip modeling reveals that the majority of afterslip occurred in the deeper part of the Lenglongling fault.A high-angle conjugated faulting event is found at the middle section of the Lenglongling fault.We use the stress inversion to investigate the possible triggering mechanism of the conjugated rupture event.The results indicate the maximum principal stress direction is in~222°,forming a~22°angle between the conjugated fault of second largest aftershock and the mainshock.The calculated normal stress changes indicate the region is within a pull-apart stress field,which favors such a conjugated rupturing event.Our study will help understand the rupture behavior of such kind of conjugated fault in other regions.

Magnetohydrodynamic Conjugate Free Convective Heat Transfer Analysis of an Isothermal Horizontal Circular Cylinder with Temperature Dependent Viscosity

Heat transfers due to MHD-conjugate free convection from the isothermal horizontal circular cylinder while viscosity is a function of temperature is investigated. The governing equations of the flow and connected boundary conditions are made dimensionless using a set of non-dimensional parameters. The governing equations are solved numerically using the finite difference method. Numerical results are obtained for various values of viscosity variation parameter, Prandtl number, magnetic parameter, and conjugate conduction parameter for the velocity and the temperature within the boundary layer as well as the skin friction coefficients and heat transfer rate along the surface.

An Adaptive Spectral Conjugate Gradient Method with Restart Strategy

As a generalization of the two-term conjugate gradient method(CGM),the spectral CGM is one of the effective methods for solving unconstrained optimization.In this paper,we enhance the JJSL conjugate parameter,initially proposed by Jiang et al.(Computational and Applied Mathematics,2021,40:174),through the utilization of a convex combination technique.And this improvement allows for an adaptive search direction by integrating a newly constructed spectral gradient-type restart strategy.Then,we develop a new spectral CGM by employing an inexact line search to determine the step size.With the application of the weak Wolfe line search,we establish the sufficient descent property of the proposed search direction.Moreover,under general assumptions,including the employment of the strong Wolfe line search for step size calculation,we demonstrate the global convergence of our new algorithm.Finally,the given unconstrained optimization test results show that the new algorithm is effective.

5-year vaccine protection following a single dose of Vi-tetanus toxoid conjugate vaccine in Bangladeshi children(TyVOID):a cluster randomised trial

Background:WHO currently recommends a single dose of typhoid conjugate vaccine(TCV)in high-burden countries based on 2-year vaccine efficacy data from large randomised controlled trials.Given the decay of immunogenicity,the protection beyond 2 years is unknown.We therefore extended the follow-up of the TyVAC trial in Bangladesh to assess waning of vaccine protection to 5 years after vaccination.

Localization of stationary pronuclei during conjugation of Paramecium as indicated by immunofluorescence staining

After the third prezygotic division during conjugation of Paramecium caudatum,migratory and stationary pronuclei are produced.The migratory pronuclei remain in the paroral region tightly against the conjugating boundaries;while the stationary pronuclei are located beside the migratory pronuclei.To date,however,it is not clear what causes this close side-by-side localization between migratory and stationary pronuclei.In the current study,immunofluorescence staining with monoclonal antibody of anti-α tubulin indicated that ＂U＂ or ＂V＂ shaped spindles connected the migratory and stationary pronuclei during the third prezygotic division.This observation accounts for the close localization between these two types of pronuclei.

New details indicated by different stainings during conjugation of ciliated protozoa Paramecium

During conjugation of Paramecium caudatum, nuclear events occur in a scheduled program. Morphological studies on nuclear behavior during conjugation of P. caudatum have been performed since the end of the 19th century. Here we report on new details concerning the conjugation of P. caudatum through the staining of conjugating ceils with protargol, carbol fuchsin solution, Hoechst 33342 and immunofluorescence labeling with monoclonal antibody of anti-a tubulin. 1） The crescent nucleus is a characteristic of the meiotic prophase of P. caudatum, has an unstained area. We stained this area with protargol, which was separated from the chromatin area and was not detected by the other stainings. 2） In regards to the four meiotic products, it has long been considered that only one product enters the paroral cone region （PC） and survives after meiosis. However, our protargol and immunofluorescence labeling results indicated that PC entrance of the meiotic product happened before the completion of meiosis instead of after. 3） In our previous study, protargol staining indicated the presence of a swollen structure around the central part of the ＂U＂ and ＂V＂ shaped spindles connecting the two types of prospective pronuclei. However, immunofluorescence labeling with anti-a tubulin antibodies gave a different image from protargol. All these observations form the basis for further studies of their molecular mechanisms.

Characterization and Comparison of Ochratoxin A-Ovalbumin(OTA-OVA) Conjugation by Three Methods

In order to generate an antibody against a small hapten molecule, the hapten is cross-linked with carrier protein to make it immunogenic. In this study, the hapten （ochratoxin A, OTA） was coupled to ovalbumin （OVA） by an active ester reaction. To develop a technique for detecting the conjugation, the hapten-protein conjugate （OTA-OVA） was characterized thoroughly by immunoarray technology, ultraviolet （UV） spectroscopy and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry （MALDI-TOF-MS）, respectively. The molecular weight of OTA-OVA was 50 350.141 Da, and the molecular weight of OVA was 44 887.506 Da, which were determined by MALDI-TOF-MS, respectively. In OTA-OVA, the molecular coupling ratio was 13：1 by MALDI-TOF-MS while the molecular coupling ratio was 10：1 by UV. In this experiment, UV and MALDI-TOF-MS were selected as the efficient methods to evaluate the cross-linking effect and calculate the molecular coupling ratio.

Wavefront correction of Ti:sapphire terawatt laser with varying precision of phase conjugation between deformable mirror and wavefront sensor

The phase conjugation between the deformable mirror and the wavefront sensor in the aberration correction of a terawatt Ti：sapphire laser is studied experimentally and theoretically in this paper. At varying values of phase- conjugation precision, we focus the corresponding beams into spots of the same size of 5.1 μm × 5.3 μm with a f/4 parabola in the 32 TW/36 fs Ti：sapphire laser system. The results show that the precision of conjugation can induce an intensity modulation but does not significantly affect the wavefront correction.

OPTICAL PHASE CONJUGATION RESPONSE OF PHOTOINDUCED POLYMER FILMS CONTAINING AZOBENZENE MOIETIES WITH CHIRAL GROUP

An optically active monomer containing azobenzene moieties with chiral group (s-2-methyl-butyl), 4-[2-(methacryloyloxy)ethyloxy] -4'-(s-2-methyl-1-butyloxycarbonyl) azobenzene (M1) was synthesized. Polymer (PM1) possessing optical phase conjugated response was obtained by homopolymerization of the optically active monomer (M1) using free radical polymerization. The polymer was very soluble in common solvents and good optical quality films could be easily fabricated by spin coating. The optical phase conjugated responses of the polymer PM1 were measured by degenerate four-wave mixing (DFWM). In comparison with polymer containing no chiral group, it was found from the preliminary measurement of photoisomeric change that optical phase conjugated response of the PM1 in the long-range order hexagonal symmetry microstructure could be easily controlled by choosing the appropriate polarization direction of the irradiating beams (514.5 nm) and the irradiating number, presumably due to the chiral group in the PM1 molecular structure. For the case of the polymer investigated here, a chiral group side chain was introduced to increase optical phase conjugated response intensity with different polarization directions of the irradiating beams, which aims originally at searching for a new photoactive material.

Transposon mutagenesis of Psychrobacter cryohalolentis PAMC 21807 by tri-parental conjugation

Random mutagenesis is commonly used to study gene function. The screening of mutants exhibiting specific pheno- types assists in the identification of phenotype-related genes. In the current study, we isolated Antarctic bacteria, and developed a transposon Tn5 mutagenesis system. A total of 26 strains were isolated from seawater and freshwater near Antarctic King Sejong Research Station, King George Island. Six Psychrobacter strains were identified as psychrophilic, with optimal growth tempera- tures of 10~C or 15~C Psychrobacter cryohalolentis PAMC 21807 with a high growth rate at 4~C was selected for transposon mutagenesis. Tri-parental conjugation with a plasmid containing Tn5 produced 13 putative recombinants containing the selectable marker. Genomic Southern hybridization confirmed Tn5 existed as episomes for seven recombinants, and for a single recombinant, Tn5 was integrated into the genome of Psychrobacter cryohalolentis PAMC 21807. The result indicates that the mutagenesis method, although successful, has a relatively low rate. The psychrophilic bacteria isolated in this study may be a useful resource for studying cold adaptation mechanisms, and the mutagenesis method can be applied to genetic analysis.

Strategies for Precise Engineering and Conjugation of Antibody Targeted-nanoparticles for Cancer Therapy

Improvements in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer are urgently needed for use in nanotechnology.Nanoparticles(NPs)can reduce the side effects of traditional chemotherapy by sustained release of loaded drugs and increase therapeutic efficiency.NPs can also enhance endothelial permeation retention by size effect and its accumulation in tumor cells through passive targeting.Furthermore,it is critical to treat cancer with a controlled targeted drug which can be specifically delivered into tumor cells and released there,resulting in a targeted therapy to eradicate tumor cells while sparing normal cells.To this end,antibody-mediated targeting therapy has been developed,but imperfections in antibodies(Abs)limit this therapy.Therefore,the combination of NPs and Abs has been highly valued in recent years,because conjugating special Abs on the surface of NPs can increase targeting efficiency,enabling selective delivery of anti-cancer drugs to tumor cells.In this mini-review,we would like to enumerate the strategies for the conjugation of Abs to the surface of the NPs as well as the precise engineering of targeted NPs.The application of targeting antibody fragments in this drug delivery system will also be discussed.