The preparation of high-performance electro-optical materials is one of the key factors determining the application of optoelectronic communication technology such as 5G communication, radar detection, terahertz, and electro-optic modulators. Organic electro-optic materials have the advantage of a high electro-optic coefficient (~1000 pm/V) and could allow the utilization of photonic devices for the chip-scale integration of electronics and photonics, as compared to inorganic electro-optic materials. However, the application of organic nonlinear optical materials to commercial electro-optic modulators and other fields is also facing technical bottlenecks. Obtaining an organic electro-optic chromophore with a large electro-optic coefficient (r33 value), thermal stability, and long-term stability is still a difficulty in the industry. This brief review summarizes recent great progress and the strategies to obtain high-performance OEO materials with a high electro-optic coefficient and/or strong long-term stability. The configuration of D-π-A structure, the types of materials, and the effects of molecular engineering on the electro-optical coefficient and glass transition temperature of chromophores were summarized in detail. The difficulties and future development trends in the practical application of organic electro-optic materials was also discussed.

Aqueous-phase reactions of α-dicarbonyls with ammonium or amines have been identified as important sources of secondary brown carbon (BrC). However, the identities of most chromophores in these reactions and the effects of pH remain largely unknown. In this study, the chemical structures, formation pathways, and optical properties of individual BrC chromophores formed through aqueous reactions of α-dicarbonyls (glyoxal and methylglyoxal) with ammonium, amino acids, or methylamine at different pH\'s were characterized in detail by liquid chromatography-photodiode array-high resolution tandem mass spectrometry. In total, 180 chromophores are identified, accounting for 29-79% of the light absorption of bulk BrC for different reactions. Thereinto, 155 newly identified chromophores, including 76 imidazoles, 57 pyrroles, 10 pyrazines, 9 pyridines, and 3 imidazole-pyrroles, explain additionally 9-69% of the light absorption, and these chromophores mainly involve four formation pathways, including previously unrecognized reactions of ammonia or methylamine with the methylglyoxal dimer for the formation of pyrroles. The pH in these reactions also shows remarkable effects on the formation and transformation of BrC chromophores; e.g., with the increase of pH from 5.0 to 7.0, the light absorption contributions of imidazoles in identified chromophores decrease from 72% to 65%, while the light absorption contributions of pyrazines increase from 5% to 13% for the methylglyoxal + ammonium reaction; meanwhile, more small nitrogen heterocycles transformed into oligomers (e.g., C9 and C12 pyrroles) via reaction with methylglyoxal. These newly identified chromophores and proposed formation pathways are instructive for future field studies of the formation and transformation of aqueous-phase BrC.

Neurobiologists widely use green genetically encoded calcium indicators (GECIs) for visualization of neuronal activity. Among them, ratiometric GECIs allow imaging of both active and non-active neuronal populations. However, they are not popular, since their properties are inferior to intensiometric GCaMP series of GECIs. The most characterized and developed ratiometric green GECI is FGCaMP7. However, the dynamic range and sensitivity of its large Stock\'s shift green (LSS-Green) form is significantly lower than its Green form and its molecular design is not optimal. To address these drawbacks, we engineered a ratiometric green calcium indicator, called FNCaMP, which is based on bright mNeonGreen protein and calmodulin from A. niger and has optimal NTnC-like design. We compared the properties of the FNCaMP and FGCaMP7 indicators in vitro, in mammalian cells, and in neuronal cultures. Finally, we obtained and analyzed X-ray structure of the FNCaMP indicator.

OBJECTIVE: Organic electro-optic (EO) materials have recently gained considerable attention owing to their advantages compared to inorganic EO materials. Among different kinds of organic EO materials, organic EO molecular glass exhibits desired prospect because of its high chromophore loading density and large macroscopic EO activity.
BACKGROUND: The objective of this study is to design and synthesize a novel organic EO molecular glass JMG utilizing julolidine moiety as the electron donor, thiophene moiety as the conjugated bridge, trifluoromethyl substituted tricyanofuran derivate (Ph-CF3-TCF) as the electron acceptor.
METHODS: The JMG\'s structure was characterized through NMR and HRMS. The photophysical property, glass transition temperature, first hyperpolarizability (β) and dipole moment (μ) of JMG were determined through UV-vis spectra, DSC test and DFT calculation.
RESULTS: JMG\'s Tg reached to 79 °C and it can form high-quality optical film. The theoretical calculation shows that the first hyperpolarizability (β) and dipole moment (μ) of JMG were calculated to 730×10-30 esu and 21.898 D. After connecting poling with the poling voltage of 49 V/μm at 90 ℃for 10 min, the highest EO coefficient (r33) of the poled JMG films reached to 147 pm/V.
CONCLUSIONS: A novel julolidine-based NLO chromophore with two tert-butyldiphenylsilyl (TBDPS) groups was successfully prepared and characterized. TBDPS group is introduced as the film-forming group, and it also plays the role of isolation group, which can suppress the electrostatic interaction between chromophores, improve the poling efficiency and further enhance the EO activity. The excellent performances endow JMG with potential applications in device fabrication.

A series of novel chromophores A, B, C, and D, based on the julolidinyl donor and the tricyanofuran (TCF) and CF3-tricyanofuran (CF3-Ph-TCF) acceptors, have been synthesized and systematically investigated. The 3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)benzene derivative isolation group was introduced into the bridge in the chromophores C and D. These nonlinear optical chromophores showed good thermal stability, and their decomposition temperatures were all above 220 °C. Density functional theory (DFT) was used to calculate the energy gaps and first-order hyperpolarizability (β). The macroscopic electro-optic (EO) activity was measured using a simple reflection method. The highest EO coefficient of poled films containing 35 wt% of chromophore D doped in amorphous polycarbonate afforded values of 54 pm/V at 1310 nm. The results indicate that the 3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)benzene isolation group can suppress the dipole-dipole interaction of chromophores. The moderate r33 value, good thermal stability, and good yield of chromophores suggest their potential use in the nonlinear optical area.

Brown carbon (BrC) has been attracting more and more attention owing to its significant effects on climate. However, the limited knowledge on its chemical composition and sources limits the precision of aerosol radiative forcing estimated by climate models. In this study, the chemical components of PM2.5 and optical properties of water-soluble BrC (WS-BrC) were investigated from atmospheric particles collected in summer and winter in Qingdao, China. On the whole, though there were slight diurnal variations, seasonal differences were more obvious. Due to the influence of emission sources and meteorological conditions, the heavier pollution of carbonaceous aerosols occurred in winter. By comparison, the absorption Ångström exponent (AAE) and mass absorption efficiency of WS-BrC at 365 nm (MAE365) showed that WS-BrC in winter had stronger wavelength dependence and light absorption capacity, which might be associated with biomass burning source contributions. This was further confirmed by a strong correlation between the light absorption coefficient at 365 nm (Abs365) and non-sea salt K+, an indicator for biomass burning emissions. Four fluorescent components (C1∼C4) with high unsaturation in water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC) were identified by excitation-emission matrix fluorescence spectroscopy combined with parallel factor analysis method, which showed that WSOC in Qingdao was mainly related to humic-like chromophores. It is worth noting that C1 was similar to the water-soluble chromophore of simulated marine aerosols, which proved that marine emissions do have a certain impact on atmospheric particulate matter in coastal areas. In addition, the results of source analysis showed that WS-BrC originated from different terrestrial sources in different seasons. The current results may help to improve the knowledge of optical properties of WS-BrC in coastal cities, optimize the global climate model and formulate air management policies.

In nature, many mysterious creatures capable of deformation camouflage, color camouflage, and self-healing have inspired scientists to develop various biomimetic soft robots. However, the systematic integration of all the above functionalities into a single soft actuator system still remains a challenge. Here we chemically introduce a multi-stimuli-responsive tetraarylsuccinonitrile (TASN) chromophore into a liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) network through a facile thiol-ene photoaddition method. The obtained TASN-LCE soft actuators not only exhibit reversible shape-morphing and reversible color-changing behavior in response to heat and mechanical compression, but also show excellent self-healing, reprogramming and recycling characteristics. We hope that such a TASN-LCE actuator system endowed with dynamic distortion, thermo- and mechano-chromic camouflage, and self-healing functionalities would pave the way for further development of multifunctional biomimetic soft robotic devices.

UNASSIGNED: Rosacea is a difficult-to-manage chronic inflammatory skin condition reported to have a negative psychosocial impact on patients. Novel approaches are sought to target the many signs and symptoms of the condition while also improving the quality of life of patients.
UNASSIGNED: We assessed the efficacy of the Kleresca® biophotonic platform (KLOX Technologies Inc., Laval, Canada), which creates fluorescent light energy (FLE), to induce a novel form of photobiomodulation for treating rosacea. We also assessed patient satisfaction with their facial appearance and concerns about perceptions of others before and after treatment.
UNASSIGNED: Nine patients were treated once a week for four weeks with FLE. Patients and the treating clinician completed questionnaires throughout and after the treatment to grade the rosacea signs and symptoms and capture patients\' perceptions of the treatment and their condition.
UNASSIGNED: FLE significantly reduced the inflammatory erythematous reaction of the face, improved flushing and erythema associated with rosacea, and had a positive impact on patients\' self-perception and emotional wellbeing.
UNASSIGNED: Our results support FLE as an effective, noninvasive treatment modality for rosacea.

Highly expressed in the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), the RPE-specific 65-kDa (RPE65) enzyme is indispensable to generate 11-cis-retinal (11cRAL), a chromophore for rhodopsin and cone photopigments. RPE65 deficiency can lead to Leber congenital amaurosis type 2 (LCA2), in which the isomerization of photobleached all-trans-retinal into photosensitive 11cRAL is blocked, ultimately causing severe retinal dysfunction and degeneration. The related mouse models, which are constructed through gene knockout or caused by spontaneous mutations, morphologically present with early-onset and rapid retinal cone cells degeneration, including loss of short-wavelength-sensitive cone opsins (S-opsins) and mislocalization of medium-wavelength-sensitive cone opsins (M-opsins). Studies have shown that routine Rpe65 gene replacement therapy, mediated by an adeno-associated virus (AAV) vector, can restore RPE65 protein. However, AAV transfection and Rpe65 transgene expression require at least one to two weeks, and the treatment cannot fully block the early-onset cone degeneration. To determine the feasibility of delaying cone degeneration before gene therapy, we investigated the impact of 11cRAL treatment in an early-age LCA2 retinal degeneration 12 (rd12) mouse model. Similar to human patients, the mouse model carries a spontaneous mutation in the Rpe65 gene, which results in disrupted endogenous 11cRAL regeneration. We found that RPE65 deficiency did not notably affect rodent retinal vessels. Under red light illumination, the rd12 mice were intraperitoneally injected with exogenous 11cRAL from postnatal day (P) 14 to P21. Three days after the last injection, a notable recovery of retinal function was observed using scotopic and photopic electroretinograms. Using optical coherence tomography and histological analyses of the deficient retinas, we found changes in the thickness of the photoreceptor outer segment (OS); this change could be rescued by early 11cRAL treatment. In addition, the treatment notably preserved M- and S-opsins, both of which maintained appropriate localization inside cone cells, as shown by the wild-type mice. In contrast, the age-matched untreated rd12 mice were characterized by retinal S-opsin loss and M-opsin mislocalization from the photoreceptor OS to the inner segment, outer nuclear layer, or outer plexiform layer. Notably, 11cRAL treatment could not maintain retinal function for a long time. Ten days after the last injection, the rod and M-cone electroretinograms significantly decreased, and S-cone responses almost extinguished. Our findings suggest that early 11cRAL treatment is useful for restoring retinal function and rescuing morphology in the rd12 mouse model, and the early-onset and rapid cone degeneration can be delayed before gene therapy.

Mitochondria are essential organelles because of their function in energy conservation. Here, we show an involvement of mitochondria in phytochrome-dependent light sensing in fungi. Phytochrome photoreceptors are found in plants, bacteria, and fungi and contain a linear, heme-derived tetrapyrrole as chromophore. Linearization of heme requires heme oxygenases (HOs) which reside inside chloroplasts in planta. Despite the poor degree of conservation of HOs, we identified two candidates in the fungus Alternaria alternata. Deletion of either one phenocopied phytochrome deletion. The two enzymes had a cooperative effect and physically interacted with phytochrome, suggesting metabolon formation. The metabolon was attached to the surface of mitochondria with a C-terminal anchor (CTA) sequence in HoxA. The CTA was necessary and sufficient for mitochondrial targeting. The affinity of phytochrome apoprotein to HoxA was 57,000-fold higher than the affinity of the holoprotein, suggesting a \"kiss-and-go\" mechanism for chromophore loading and a function of mitochondria as assembly platforms for functional phytochrome. Hence, two alternative approaches for chromophore biosynthesis and insertion into phytochrome evolved in plants and fungi.