Photodynamic therapy (PDT) has been extensively investigated for decades for tumor treatment because of its non-invasiveness, spatiotemporal selectivity, lower side-effects, and immune activation ability.

Monoelemental two-dimensional (2D) materials (Xenes) aroused a tremendous attention in 2D science owing to their unique properties and extensive applications. Borophene, one emerging and typical Xene, has been regarded as a promising agent for energy, sensor, and biomedical applications. However, the production of borophene is still a challenge because bulk boron has rather intricate spatial structures and multiple chemical properties. In this review, we describe its excellent properties including the optical, electronic, metallic, semiconducting, photoacoustic, and photothermal properties. The fabrication methods of borophene are also presented including the bottom-up fabrication and the top-down fabrication. In the end, the challenges of borophene in the latest applications are presented and perspectives are discussed.

Traditional digital holographic imaging algorithms need multiple iterations to obtain focused reconstructed image, which is time-consuming. In terms of phase retrieval, there is also the problem of phase compensation in addition to focusing task. Here, a new method is proposed for fast digital focus, where we use U-type convolutional neural network (U-net) to recover the original phase of microscopic samples. Generated data sets are used to simulate different degrees of defocused image, and verify that the U-net can restore the original phase to a great extent and realize phase compensation at the same time. We apply this method in the construction of real-time off-axis digital holographic microscope and obtain great breakthroughs in imaging speed.

Background: Transfer RNA-derived fragments (tRFs) are a new class of small non-coding RNAs. Recent studies suggest that tRFs participate in some pathological processes. However, the biological functions and mechanisms of tRFs in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) are largely unknown. Methods: Differentially expressed tRFs were identified by tRF and tiRNA sequencing using 9 pairs of pre- and post-operation plasma from patients with NSCLC. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) were used to determine the levels of tRF in tissues, plasma, and cells. Gain- and loss-of-function experiments were implemented to investigate the oncogenic effects of tRF on NSCLC cells in vitro and in vivo. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP), luciferase reporter, RNA pulldown, mass spectrum, RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP), Western blot, co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP) assays, and rescue experiments were performed to explore the regulatory mechanisms of tRF in NSCLC. Results: AS-tDR-007333 was an uncharacterized tRF and significantly up-regulated in NSCLC tissues, plasma, and cells. Clinically, AS-tDR-007333 overexpression could distinguish NSCLC patients from healthy controls and associated with poorer prognosis of NSCLC patients. Functionally, overexpression of AS-tDR-007333 enhanced proliferation and migration of NSCLC cells, whereas knockdown of AS-tDR-007333 resulted in opposite effects. Mechanistically, AS-tDR-007333 promoted the malignancy of NSCLC cells by activating MED29 through two distinct mechanisms. First, AS-tDR-007333 bound to and interacted with HSPB1, which activated MED29 expression by enhancing H3K4me1 and H3K27ac in MED29 promoter. Second, AS-tDR-007333 stimulated the expression of transcription factor ELK4, which bound to MED29 promoter and increased its transcription. Therapeutically, inhibition of AS-tDR-007333 suppressed NSCLC cell growth in vivo. Conclusions: Our study identifies a new oncogenic tRF and uncovers a novel mechanism that AS-tDR-007333 promotes NSCLC malignancy through the HSPB1-MED29 and ELK4-MED29 axes. AS-tDR-007333 is a potential diagnostic or prognostic marker and therapeutic target for NSCLC.

Two-dimensional (2D) materials, such as transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), black phosphorus (BP), MXene and borophene, have aroused extensive attention since the discovery of graphene in 2004. They have wide range of applications in many research fields, such as optoelectronic devices, energy storage, catalysis, owing to their striking physical and chemical properties. Among them, anisotropic 2D material is one kind of 2D materials that possess different properties along different directions caused by the intrinsic anisotropic atoms’ arrangement of the 2D materials, mainly including BP, borophene, low-symmetry TMDs (ReSe₂ and ReS₂) and group IV monochalcogenides (SnS, SnSe, GeS, and GeSe). Recently, a series of new devices has been fabricated based on these anisotropic 2D materials. In this review, we start from a brief introduction of the classifications, crystal structures, preparation techniques, stability, as well as the strategy to discriminate the anisotropic characteristics of 2D materials. Then, the recent advanced applications including electronic devices, optoelectronic devices, thermoelectric devices and nanomechanical devices based on the anisotropic 2D materials both in experiment and theory have been summarized. Finally, the current challenges and prospects in device designs, integration, mechanical analysis, and micro-/nano-fabrication techniques related to anisotropic 2D materials have been discussed. This review is aimed to give a generalized knowledge of anisotropic 2D materials and their current devices applications, and thus inspiring the exploration and development of other kinds of new anisotropic 2D materials and various novel device applications.