Advancing Red-Emitting Fluoride Phosphors for Highly Stable White Light-Emitting Diodes: Crystal Reconstruction and Covalence Enhancement Strategy

Mn4+-activated fluoride red phosphors exhibit excellent luminescence properties. However, a persistent technical challenge lies in their poor moisture resistance. Current strategies primarily focus on surface modifications to effectively shield the [MnF6]2– species from water molecules while neglecting the underlying structure of the fluoride matrix. In this study, we introduce Si4+ and Ge4+ ions into the K2TiF6:Mn4+ crystal to create covalent fluoride solid solutions, namely, K2Ti1–xSixF6:Mn4+ and K2Ti1–yGeyF6:Mn4+, through crystal reconstruction. The findings reveal that the incorporation of Si4+ leads to increased particle size, enhanced luminescence intensity (by 40%), and improved moisture resistance. Furthermore, after undergoing 1000 h of aging at high temperature and high humidity conditions, the white LED featuring the K2Ti0.97Si0.03F6:Mn4+ phosphor demonstrates remarkable durability by retaining 90% of its initial luminous efficacy. This performance surpasses that of the device utilizing the K2TiF6:Mn4+ phosphor, which only retains 74% of its original efficacy. The crystal reconstruction method and covalent enhancement strategy proposed in this work contribute to enhancing the luminescence efficiency and moisture resistance of fluoride phosphors, thereby offering new insights for advancing the development of high-efficiency and highly stable white light LED devices

Table_1_Meta-Analysis of Maternal and Fetal Transcriptomic Data Elucidates the Role of Adaptive and Innate Immunity in Preterm Birth.docx

<p>Preterm birth (PTB) is the leading cause of newborn deaths around the world. Spontaneous preterm birth (sPTB) accounts for two-thirds of all PTBs; however, there remains an unmet need of detecting and preventing sPTB. Although the dysregulation of the immune system has been implicated in various studies, small sizes and irreproducibility of results have limited identification of its role. Here, we present a cross-study meta-analysis to evaluate genome-wide differential gene expression signals in sPTB. A comprehensive search of the NIH genomic database for studies related to sPTB with maternal whole blood samples resulted in data from three separate studies consisting of 339 samples. After aggregating and normalizing these transcriptomic datasets and performing a meta-analysis, we identified 210 genes that were differentially expressed in sPTB relative to term birth. These genes were enriched in immune-related pathways, showing upregulation of innate immunity and downregulation of adaptive immunity in women who delivered preterm. An additional analysis found several of these differentially expressed at mid-gestation, suggesting their potential to be clinically relevant biomarkers. Furthermore, a complementary analysis identified 473 genes differentially expressed in preterm cord blood samples. However, these genes demonstrated downregulation of the innate immune system, a stark contrast to findings using maternal blood samples. These immune-related findings were further confirmed by cell deconvolution as well as upstream transcription and cytokine regulation analyses. Overall, this study identified a strong immune signature related to sPTB as well as several potential biomarkers that could be translated to clinical use.</p

Table_5_Meta-Analysis of Maternal and Fetal Transcriptomic Data Elucidates the Role of Adaptive and Innate Immunity in Preterm Birth.docx

<p>Preterm birth (PTB) is the leading cause of newborn deaths around the world. Spontaneous preterm birth (sPTB) accounts for two-thirds of all PTBs; however, there remains an unmet need of detecting and preventing sPTB. Although the dysregulation of the immune system has been implicated in various studies, small sizes and irreproducibility of results have limited identification of its role. Here, we present a cross-study meta-analysis to evaluate genome-wide differential gene expression signals in sPTB. A comprehensive search of the NIH genomic database for studies related to sPTB with maternal whole blood samples resulted in data from three separate studies consisting of 339 samples. After aggregating and normalizing these transcriptomic datasets and performing a meta-analysis, we identified 210 genes that were differentially expressed in sPTB relative to term birth. These genes were enriched in immune-related pathways, showing upregulation of innate immunity and downregulation of adaptive immunity in women who delivered preterm. An additional analysis found several of these differentially expressed at mid-gestation, suggesting their potential to be clinically relevant biomarkers. Furthermore, a complementary analysis identified 473 genes differentially expressed in preterm cord blood samples. However, these genes demonstrated downregulation of the innate immune system, a stark contrast to findings using maternal blood samples. These immune-related findings were further confirmed by cell deconvolution as well as upstream transcription and cytokine regulation analyses. Overall, this study identified a strong immune signature related to sPTB as well as several potential biomarkers that could be translated to clinical use.</p

Table_4_Meta-Analysis of Maternal and Fetal Transcriptomic Data Elucidates the Role of Adaptive and Innate Immunity in Preterm Birth.docx

<p>Preterm birth (PTB) is the leading cause of newborn deaths around the world. Spontaneous preterm birth (sPTB) accounts for two-thirds of all PTBs; however, there remains an unmet need of detecting and preventing sPTB. Although the dysregulation of the immune system has been implicated in various studies, small sizes and irreproducibility of results have limited identification of its role. Here, we present a cross-study meta-analysis to evaluate genome-wide differential gene expression signals in sPTB. A comprehensive search of the NIH genomic database for studies related to sPTB with maternal whole blood samples resulted in data from three separate studies consisting of 339 samples. After aggregating and normalizing these transcriptomic datasets and performing a meta-analysis, we identified 210 genes that were differentially expressed in sPTB relative to term birth. These genes were enriched in immune-related pathways, showing upregulation of innate immunity and downregulation of adaptive immunity in women who delivered preterm. An additional analysis found several of these differentially expressed at mid-gestation, suggesting their potential to be clinically relevant biomarkers. Furthermore, a complementary analysis identified 473 genes differentially expressed in preterm cord blood samples. However, these genes demonstrated downregulation of the innate immune system, a stark contrast to findings using maternal blood samples. These immune-related findings were further confirmed by cell deconvolution as well as upstream transcription and cytokine regulation analyses. Overall, this study identified a strong immune signature related to sPTB as well as several potential biomarkers that could be translated to clinical use.</p

Table_2_Meta-Analysis of Maternal and Fetal Transcriptomic Data Elucidates the Role of Adaptive and Innate Immunity in Preterm Birth.docx

<p>Preterm birth (PTB) is the leading cause of newborn deaths around the world. Spontaneous preterm birth (sPTB) accounts for two-thirds of all PTBs; however, there remains an unmet need of detecting and preventing sPTB. Although the dysregulation of the immune system has been implicated in various studies, small sizes and irreproducibility of results have limited identification of its role. Here, we present a cross-study meta-analysis to evaluate genome-wide differential gene expression signals in sPTB. A comprehensive search of the NIH genomic database for studies related to sPTB with maternal whole blood samples resulted in data from three separate studies consisting of 339 samples. After aggregating and normalizing these transcriptomic datasets and performing a meta-analysis, we identified 210 genes that were differentially expressed in sPTB relative to term birth. These genes were enriched in immune-related pathways, showing upregulation of innate immunity and downregulation of adaptive immunity in women who delivered preterm. An additional analysis found several of these differentially expressed at mid-gestation, suggesting their potential to be clinically relevant biomarkers. Furthermore, a complementary analysis identified 473 genes differentially expressed in preterm cord blood samples. However, these genes demonstrated downregulation of the innate immune system, a stark contrast to findings using maternal blood samples. These immune-related findings were further confirmed by cell deconvolution as well as upstream transcription and cytokine regulation analyses. Overall, this study identified a strong immune signature related to sPTB as well as several potential biomarkers that could be translated to clinical use.</p

Directed acyclic graph (DAG) guiding the analysis and showing hypothesized relationships between predictors, outcome, and covariates in this study.

<p>Directed acyclic graph (DAG) used to guide the analysis and showing hypothesized relationships between predictors, outcome, and covariates in this study. Unidirectional arrows show an effect and bidirectional dashed arrows show a correlation. Black unidirectional arrows show the relationships tested and quantified in this article, whereas the gray arrows show relationships between other variables that guided the choice of confounding variables to control for in the analyses.</p

Clustered forest plot showing associations (OR and 95% CI) between department quality and clinical practice indicators, with level of evidence shown in brackets.

<p>Clustered forest plot showing associations (OR and 95% CI) between department quality and clinical practice indicators, with level of evidence shown in brackets. <i>(1) SER = Specialized expertise and responsibility; (2) EBOP = Evidence-based organization of pathways (EBOP); (3) = Patient Safety Strategies (PSS); (4) = Clinical Review</i>.</p

Descriptive Statistics for Clinical practice Indicators (^*).

<p>¹Range of country-specific values for % Yes</p><p>(*) In bold the aggregate measures for each condition</p><p>Descriptive Statistics for Clinical practice Indicators (<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0141157#t004fn002" target="_blank">^*</a>).</p

Characteristics of Patients in the Chart Review.

<p>Characteristics of Patients in the Chart Review.</p