Diversity-Oriented Synthesis of Polymers of Intrinsic Microporosity with Explicit Solid Solvation Cages for Lithium Ions

Here, we describe a diversity-oriented synthetic strategy for microporouspolymer membranes from which we identified those whose FVEs serve as solidsolvation cages for lithium ions. Lead candidate membranes featuring such ionsolvation cages exhibited both higher ionic conductivity and higher cationtransference number than control membranes where FVEs were aspecific, whichindicates conventional bounds for membrane permeability and selectivity for iontransport can be overcome. Such membranes show promise as dendrite-suppressinganode-electrolyte interlayers in high-voltage lithium-metal batteries forelectric mobility.

Effect of Interacting Dark Energy on Expansion of the Universe

In our present work, we study the evolution of the universe by assuming aninteracting dark energy model, where dark energy interacts with matter. Basingon this model, first we calculated the dark energy density parameter and usingthis we have picturised the expansion of the universe. From our analysis, wefound that presently observed accelerated expansion of the universe can beexplained by interacting model, if the dark energy is quintessence type. Thoughequation of sate parameter of dark energy $\gamma_{\phi}$ for quintessencevaries between $0$ and $-1$, our results predict that accelearted expansion isonly possible for $\gamma_{\phi}$ less (more negative) than $-0.166$. It isalso found that in early time the universe was undergoing an decelerated phaseof expansion and transition from deceleration to acceleration would occur inrecent past. Further, our model predicts that in near future again expansion ofthe universe will undergo a second transition from accelerated phase to adecelerated one and finally decelaration parameter will take a constantpositive value $1/2$ as early universe indicating a constant rate ofdeceleration in far future like distant past.

Stochastic Joint Replenishment Planning Optimization with an Iterated Local Search

Evaluation of a Combined Reflectance Confocal Microscopy–Optical Coherence Tomography Device for Detection and Depth Assessment of Basal Cell Carcinoma

The limited tissue sampling of a biopsy can lead to an incomplete assessment of basal cell carcinoma (BCC) subtypes and depth. Reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) combined with optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging may enable real-time, noninvasive, comprehensive three-dimensional sampling in vivo, which may improve the diagnostic accuracy and margin assessment of BCCs.

Recent Progress in the Design of Hypoxia‐Specific Nano Drug Delivery Systems for Cancer Therapy

Hypoxia is a salient feature in many solid tumors and an important player in tumor growth and progression. Increasing evidence suggests hypoxia plays major roles in the angiogenesis, metastasis, and resistance toward conventional cancer therapy treatments such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and photodynamic therapy. However, the exact reason that makes hypoxia a problem is also an opportunity for the development of new therapeutic modalities. The low oxygen level and highly reductive environment provide great options for stimuli‐sensitive drug release in a highly target‐specific manner. The use of nanoparticle‐based systems for hypoxia‐selective drug delivery is a relatively new but rapidly progressing research area. This report summarizes the recent trends and advances in the development of new hypoxia‐specific nanomedicines. The background, the current progress, and what could be done in the future to achieve greater success in cancer therapy are discussed.

Toward Predicting Efficiency of Organic Solar Cells via Machine Learning and Improved Descriptors

To design efficient materials for organic photovoltaics (OPVs), it is essential to identify the largest number of parameters that control their properties and build a model using these parameters (known as descriptors) for the prediction of the power conversion efficiency (PCE). By constructing a dataset for 280 small molecule OPV systems, it is found that for all high‐performing devices, frontier molecular orbitals of donor molecules are nearly degenerated and in such cases, orbitals other than just highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) and lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) are involved in exciton formation, exciton dissociation, and hole transport processes influencing the macroscopic properties of OPVs. Machine learning approaches, including random forest, gradient boosting, deep neural network are used to build models for the prediction of PCE using 13 important microscopic properties of organic materials as descriptors. Quite impressive performance of the gradient boosting model (Pearson's coefficient = 0.79) indicates that it can certainly be applied to high‐throughput virtual screening of promising new donor molecules for high‐efficiency OPVs.

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Oxytocin‐ and arginine vasopressin‐containing fibers in the cortex of humans, chimpanzees, and rhesus macaques

Oxytocin (OT) and arginine‐vasopressin (AVP) are involved in the regulation of complex social behaviors across a wide range of taxa. Despite this, little is known about the neuroanatomy of the OT and AVP systems in most non‐human primates, and less in humans. The effects of OT and AVP on social behavior, including aggression, mating, and parental behavior, may be mediated primarily by the extensive connections of OT‐ and AVP‐producing neurons located in the hypothalamus with the basal forebrain and amygdala, as well as with the hypothalamus itself. However, OT and AVP also influence social cognition, including effects on social recognition, cooperation, communication, and in‐group altruism, which suggests connectivity with cortical structures. While OT and AVP V1a receptors have been demonstrated in the cortex of rodents and primates, and intranasal administration of OT and AVP has been shown to modulate cortical activity, there is to date little evidence that OT‐and AVP‐containing neurons project into the cortex. Here, we demonstrate the existence of OT‐ and AVP‐containing fibers in cortical regions relevant to social cognition using immunohistochemistry in humans, chimpanzees, and rhesus macaques. OT‐immunoreactive fibers were found in the straight gyrus of the orbitofrontal cortex as well as the anterior cingulate gyrus in human and chimpanzee brains, while no OT‐immunoreactive fibers were found in macaque cortex. AVP‐immunoreactive fibers were observed in the anterior cingulate gyrus in all species, as well as in the insular cortex in humans, and in a more restricted distribution in chimpanzees. This is the first report of OT and AVP fibers in the cortex in human and non‐human primates. Our findings provide a potential mechanism by which OT and AVP might exert effects on brain regions far from their production site in the hypothalamus, as well as potential species differences in the behavioral functions of these target regions.

Identification of Tumor Initiating Cells with a Small‐Molecule Fluorescent Probe by Using Vimentin as a Biomarker

Tumor initiating cells (TICs) have been implicated in clinical relapse and metastasis of a variety of epithelial cancers, including lung cancer. While efforts toward the development of specific probes for TIC detection and targeting are ongoing, a universal TIC probe has yet to be developed. We report the first TIC‐specific fluorescent chemical probe, TiY, with identification of the molecular target as vimentin, a marker for epithelial‐to‐mesenchymal transition (EMT). TiY selectively stains TICs over differentiated tumor cells or normal cells, and facilitates the visualization and enrichment of functionally active TICs from patient tumors. At high concentration, TiY also shows anti‐TIC activity with low toxicity to non‐TICs. With the unexplored target vimentin, TiY shows potential as a first universal probe for TIC detection in different cancers.

Identification of Tumor Initiating Cells with a Small‐Molecule Fluorescent Probe by Using Vimentin as a Biomarker

Tumor initiating cells (TICs) have been implicated in clinical relapse and metastasis of a variety of epithelial cancers, including lung cancer. While efforts toward the development of specific probes for TIC detection and targeting are ongoing, a universal TIC probe has yet to be developed. We report the first TIC‐specific fluorescent chemical probe, TiY, with identification of the molecular target as vimentin, a marker for epithelial‐to‐mesenchymal transition (EMT). TiY selectively stains TICs over differentiated tumor cells or normal cells, and facilitates the visualization and enrichment of functionally active TICs from patient tumors. At high concentration, TiY also shows anti‐TIC activity with low toxicity to non‐TICs. With the unexplored target vimentin, TiY shows potential as a first universal probe for TIC detection in different cancers.