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MicroRNA-triggered in situ programmed assembly of photosensitizers with controlled dimension and accelerated kinetics for precise cancer therapy
No full textThe selective in situ synthesis and activation of therapeutic agents within tumor cells are critical for enhancing the targetability and preciseness of cancer therapy. Herein, triggered by specific tumor microRNA biomarkers, programmed hybridization-chain reaction (HCR) assemblies of aggregation-induced emission (AIE) photosensitizers were conducted for the in situ, rapid and controllable synthesis of anticancer agents in cancer cells. Robust fluorescence and photodynamic activities were thus provoked from scratch for precise cancer therapy. By precisely tuning the DNA valency conjugated to the photosensitizer, controllable assembly of one-dimensional linear-, two-dimensional dendritic-, and three-dimensional spherical-type structures were achieved, in which the two-dimensional assembly showed the greatest gains in turn-on fluorescence and reactive oxygen species (ROS) signals. Notably, the photosensitizer conjugation significantly accelerated the HCR kinetics of hairpin DNAs, thereby facilitating the rapid response to microRNA biomarkers within tumor cells and tissues. This microRNA-responsive kinetics-accelerated and dimension-controllable assembly strategy, provides a new avenue for in situ precise cancer theranostics.</p
Bubble dynamics in microfluidic electroless copper interconnection for advanced 3D chip integration
No full text3D chip integration is critical for achieving high information density and enhanced device performance in rapidly evolving microelectronics. Traditional thermocompression bonding faces significant reliability challenges, prompting the development of the microfluidic electroless interconnection (MELI) technique for low-temperature bonding. However, defect formation remains a substantial barrier to MELI implementation. This work developed the first quantitative framework in the rational design of the MELI system. We initially investigated bubble behavior in microchannels using an analytical force balance model to accurately predict bubble departure, the predictions match the experimental findings well with a Pearson correlation coefficient r = 0.939. The model reveals that flow velocity-controlled shear lift force dominates bubble departure mechanisms. Subsequently, a coupled phase field model (PFM) was developed to examine bubble dynamics and retention effects. Simulations revealed the dynamic process of bubble retention and subsequent void formation, identifying a critical velocity threshold effect on bubble retention behavior where bubble necking deformation counteracts bubble departure. Based on theoretical insights, design rules were established to achieve defect-free interconnections, and the bubble removal efficiency and retention minimization was balanced by flow velocity selection with 5000 μm/s in the developed system. Experimental validation demonstrated the formation of uniform, solid, mechanically robust bonding bumps with superior mechanical and thermal performance. The proposed design rules successfully eliminate defects while maintaining excellent bonding quality. This research advances theoretical understanding of bubble dynamics in micro-scale reactive systems while providing practical solutions for reliability improvement in 3D chip integration technologies, contributing significantly to both fundamental knowledge and industrial applications.</p
Local dialect proficiency and migrants’ identity integration: A case of Shanghai
No full textBACKGROUND: Language proficiency is a crucial factor in migrant integration; however, few studies have examined the relationship between local dialect acquisition and migrant integration in China, a country with numerous dialects. The significance of dialects in shaping regional identity, nonetheless, may have diminished as Putonghua becomes increasingly popular. METHODS: Based on the Shanghai Urban Neighborhood Survey 2017 data, we employ instrumental variable methods with OLS regressions to investigate the relationship between the Shanghai local dialect acquisition and identity integration, one of the most fundamental parts of integration and ‘citizenization,’ among migrants in Shanghai. RESULTS: Higher Shanghaihua proficiency is positively linked to migrants’ self-identification as Shanghainese. Moreover, the importance of Shanghaihua proficiency in integration into the local identity increases with age, indicating the changing significance of Shanghaihua proficiency concerning identity integration over time. This close relationship between Shanghaihua proficiency and identity recognition also tends to maintain even for those who have already acquired the local hukou status (the household registration system). CONTRIBUTIONS: As migration patterns in China change, integrating migrants into the local population has become a key focus of social welfare and population policy. This paper provides new insights into a society marked by a dual-language system during the transitional period of hukou reform. Considering the growing prevalence of Putonghua and the ongoing inflow of migrants into this megacity, this study also explores the cultural and identity implications of a more diverse urban population.</p
Probabilistic modelling of environmental uncertainty for building infrared thermography inspection
No full textInfrared thermography (IRT) is a widely used non-destructive technique for detecting building delamination and defects by analyzing surface thermal contrast induced by environmental forcing. However, the accurate prediction of thermal contrast remains challenging due to significant variability and uncertainty in key environmental parameters (such as solar radiation, ambient temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, and convective heat transfer coefficients) which are often simplified or treated deterministically. This study develops a probabilistic framework that quantifies these uncertainties and interdependencies using long-term meteorological data from the Hong Kong Observatory. The methodology (i) employs copula theory to model the joint distribution and temporal correlation of global and diffuse solar radiation and to capture their nonlinear dependencies; (ii) introduces a stochastic, radiation-informed dynamic model for ambient temperature; and (iii) proposes a stochastic model capturing the uncertain relation between convective heat-transfer coefficient and wind-speed. As a demonstration, environmental uncertainty is propagated to thermal contrast predictions through Monte Carlo simulation coupled with finite-element transient heat-transfer analysis, explicitly quantifying the uncertainty in IRT inspection under different weather conditions. The findings underscore the importance of accounting for environmental uncertainty and dependence structures in IRT inspection planning; the proposed framework enables more reliable scheduling of detection windows and improved detection accuracy. With appropriate local data, the probabilistic framework is transferable to other regions worldwide.</p
Graph Learning under Data Uncertainty: Applications to Signal Processing and Financial Engineering
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Membrane Vesicles in Cellular Stress Responses: From ATG9A Trafficking During Autophagy to Extracellular Vesicle Mediated Phage Defense in Marine Cyanobacteria Prochlorococcus MED4
No full textFrom Pixels to Perception: Generative and Adaptive Methodologies for Degraded Visual Scenarios
No full textCyclic Root Biomechanics and Soil-root Interactions for Nature-based Solutions to Slope Stabilisation
No full textScalability and grounding in discrete-time consensus networks
No full textWe investigate the disruption due to grounding in discrete-time consensus networks. Loosely speaking, grounding a network occurs if the states of a set of agents no longer respond to inputs from other agents and possibly change their dynamics. Such agents are termed as ‘grounded’ and may be leaders or stubborn agents. Grounding can be caused, for example, by internal faults, safety protocols, external malicious attacks, or design considerations. In this paper, we investigate how grounding affects expander graph families that usually exhibit good scaling properties with increasing network size. It is shown that the algebraic connectivity and eigenratio of the network decrease due to the grounding causing the performance and scalability of the network to deteriorate, even to the point of losing consensusability. Our findings are supported by mathematical proofs as well as numerical simulations.</p