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This study evaluates the impact of an expanded HIV testing initiative, launched in June 2018 in Luzhou, Sichuan, China, on antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation rates among people living with HIV (PLWH). Using an uncontrolled interrupted time-series design, we analyzed data from 11,040 PLWH between June 2016 and December 2022, extracted from 108 health facilities via the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's ART database. The primary outcome measures were ART initiation rates within 7 and 30 days of HIV diagnosis. Results showed a significant improvement in the 30-day ART initiation rate following expanded testing, increasing from 46.1% to 90.9% by the study's end. The 7-day initiation rate also improved but remained below 30%. The study found that expanded testing enhanced the role of primary health care institutions in ART initiation. However, the COVID-19 pandemic, beginning January 2020, negatively impacted ART initiation rates, with a slight effect on 30-day rates but a persistent negative impact on 7-day rates. Despite these challenges and an increased HIV burden, Luzhou's ART initiation rates surpassed the national average. This study emphasizes the effectiveness of expanded HIV testing in ensuring timely ART access, crucial for HIV epidemic control, and improved patient outcomes. It also reveals challenges in maintaining HIV services during public health crises, offering insights into health care system resilience. Future research should focus on evaluating long-term treatment outcomes and strategies to support ending the AIDS epidemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chemical N-glycoconjugation can provide a unique way to tailor the properties of the ubiquitous amines for further expending their diverse functions and applications. Nevertheless, effective methodology for glycoconjugation of amines remains largely underdeveloped. Inspired by a biotransformation pathway of amine-containing drugs in vivo, we have developed an effective protocol that enables one-step chemical N-glycoconjugation of amines in high stereoselectivity under mild conditions. This protocol involves conversion of the amine moiety into the corresponding carbamate anion under CO2 atmosphere and a subsequent SN2 type reaction with glycosyl halides. This work provides an example of using CO2 as the coupling unit in chemical glycoconjugation reactions. A case study on the resulting N-glycoconjugates of Crizotinib, an anticancer drug, demonstrates a quick cleavage of the glucosyl carbamate linkage, testifying that this N-glyconjugation method could serve as a general approach to procure novel prodrugs. Effective methodology for glycoconjugation of amines remains underdeveloped. Here the authors report an effective protocol that enables one-step chemical N-glycoconjugation of amines in high stereoselectivity under mild conditions, inspired by a biotransformation pathway of amine-containing drugs in vivo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Despite some existing studies on the safety of high static magnetic fields (SMFs), the effects of ultra-high SMFs above 20.0 T for embryonic development in early pregnancy are absent. The objective of this study is to evaluate the influence of 16.8–22.0 T SMF on the development of zebrafish embryos, which will provide important information for the future application of ultra-high field magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Methods: Two-hour exposure to homogenous (0 T/m) 22.0 T SMF, or 16.8 T SMFs with 123.25 T/m spatial gradient of opposite magnetic force directions was examined in the embryonic development of 200 zebrafish. Their body length, heart rate, spontaneous tail-wagging movement, hatching and survival rate, photomotor response, and visual motor response (VMR) were analyzed. Results: Our results show that these ultra-high SMFs did not significantly affect the general development of zebrafish embryos, such as the body length or spontaneous tail-wagging movement. However, the hatching rate was reduced by the gradient SMFs (p < 0.05), but not the homogenous 22.0 T SMF. Moreover, although the zebrafish larva activities were differentially affected by these ultra-high SMFs (p < 0.05), the expression of several visual and neurodevelopmental genes (p < 0.05) was generally downregulated in the eyeball. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that exposure to ultra-high SMFs, especially the gradient SMFs, may have adverse effects on embryonic development, which should cause some attention to the future application of ultra-high field MRIs. Clinical relevance statement: As technology advances, it is conceivable that very strong magnetic fields may be adapted for use in medical imaging. Possible dangers associated with these higher Tesla fields need to be considered and evaluated prior to human use. Key Points: Ultra-High static magnetic field may affect early embryonic development. High strength gradient static magnetic field exposure impacted zebrafish embryonic development. The application of very strong magnetic fields for MR technologies needs to be carefully evaluated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-based hydrogels have attracted significant attention due to their excellent biocompatibility, tunable mechanical properties, and ability to form stable three-dimensional networks. This comprehensive review explores the recent advancements in PVA-based hydrogels, focusing on their unique properties, fabrication strategies, and multifunctional applications. Firstly, it discusses various facile synthesis techniques, including freeze/thaw cycles, chemical cross-linking, and enhancement strategies, which have led to enhanced mechanical strength, elasticity, and responsiveness to external stimuli. These improvements have expanded the applicability of PVA-based hydrogels in critical areas such as biomedical, environmental treatment, flexible electronics, civil engineering, as well as other emerging applications. Additionally, the integration of smart functionalities, such as self-healing capabilities and multi-responsiveness, is also examined. Despite progress, challenges remain, including optimizing mechanical stability under varying conditions and addressing potential toxicity of chemical cross-linkers. The review concludes by outlining future perspectives, emphasizing the potential of PVA-based hydrogels in emerging fields like regenerative medicine, environmental sustainability, and advanced manufacturing. It underscores the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration in realizing the full potential of these versatile materials to address pressing societal challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: The impact of comprehensive risk factor control on heart failure (HF) risk and HF-free survival time in individuals with type 2 diabetes (T2D) was evaluated in this study. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: This prospective study included 11,949 individuals diagnosed with T2D, matched with 47,796 non-T2D control study participants from the UK Biobank cohort. The degree of comprehensive risk factor control was assessed on the basis of the major cardiovascular risk factors, including blood pressure, BMI, LDL cholesterol, hemoglobin A1c, renal function, smoking, diet, and physical activity. Cox proportional hazards models were used to measure the associations between the degree of risk factor control and HF risk. Irwin's restricted mean was used to evaluate HF-free survival time. RESULTS: During a median follow-up of 12.3 years, 702 individuals (5.87%) with T2D and 1,402 matched control participants (2.93%) developed HF. Each additional risk factor controlled was associated with an average 19% lower risk of HF. Optimal control of at least six risk factors was associated with a 67% lower HF risk (hazard ratio [HR] 0.33; 95% CI 0.20, 0.54). BMI was the primary attributable risk factor for HF. Notably, the excess risk of HF associated with T2D could be attenuated to levels comparable to those of non-T2D control participants when individuals had a high degree of risk factor control (HR 0.66; 95% CI 0.40, 1.07), and they exhibited a longer HF-free survival time. CONCLUSIONS: Comprehensive management of risk factors is inversely associated with HF risk, and optimal risk factor control may prolong HF-free survival time among individuals with T2D. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cold-adapted species are able to generate cryoprotective proteins and glycoproteins to prevent freezing damage. The [→4)- β -D-Man p -(1→4)- β -D-Xyl p -(1→] n xylomannan from the Alaska beetle Upis ceramboides was disclosed by Walters and co-workers in 2009 as the first glycan-based antifreeze agent, which was later reported to be found in diverse taxa. Here, we report the rapid synthesis of four types of xylomannans, including the proposed antifreeze xylomannan up to a 64-mer (Type I), the regioisomeric [→3)- β -D-Man p -(1→4)- β -D-Xyl p -(1→] n 16-mer (Type II), the diastereomeric [→4)- β -L-Man p -(1→4)- β -D-Xyl p -(1→] n 16-mer (Type III) and the block-wise [→4)- β -D-Man p -(1→] m [→4)- β -D-Xyl p -(1→] n 32-mer (Type IV), by employing a strategic iterative exponential glycan growth (IEGG) process. The nuclear magnetic resonance spectral data of the alleged natural xylomannan are in accordance only to those of the block-wise Type IV glycan and none of these synthetic xylomannans has been found to be capable of inducing thermal hysteresis. These results disprove the previous reports about the natural occurrence of antifreeze xylomannans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rational construction of efficient hypoxia‐tolerant nanocatalysts capable of generating singlet oxygen (1O2) without external stimuli is of great importance for tumor therapy. Herein, uniformly dispersed and favorable biosafety profile graphitic carbon nitride quantum dots immobilized with Fe‐N4 moieties modulated by axial O atom (denoted as O‐Fe‐N4) are developed for converting H2O2 into 1O2 via Russell reaction, without introducing external energy. Notably, O‐Fe‐N4 performs two interconnected catalytic properties: glutathione oxidase‐mimic activity to provide substrate for subsequent 1O2 generation, avoiding the blunting anticancer efficacy by glutathione. The O‐Fe‐N4 catalyst demonstrates a specific activity of 79.58 U mg−1 at pH 6.2, outperforming the most reported Fe‐N4 catalysts. Density functional theory calculations demonstrate that the axial O atom can effectively modulate the relative position and electron affinity between Fe and N, lowering the activation energy, strengthening the selectivity, and thus facilitating the Russell‐type reaction. The gratifying enzymatic activity stemming from the well‐defined Fe‐N/O structure can inhibit tumor proliferation by efficiently downregulating glutathione peroxidase 4 activity and inducing lipid peroxidation. Altogether, the O‐Fe‐N4 catalyst not only represents an efficient platform for self‐cascaded catalysis to address the limitations of 1O2‐involved cancer treatment but also provides a paradigm to enhance the performance of the Fe‐N4 catalyst. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Psoriasis is not yet completely curable, and its etiology and pathogenesis are unclear. Necroptosis, also known as programmed necrosis, is a regulated mode of necrotic cell death. The interaction between inflammatory diseases and necrotic apoptosis has recently attracted significant attention. We explored the molecular mechanisms of necrotic apoptosis-related genes in psoriasis using bioinformatics methods to identify potential biomarkers for psoriasis. Patients and Methods: In this study, we screened psoriasis differentially expressed genes from the datasets GSE13355 and GSE14905 and took intersections with necrotic apoptosis-related genes for the next analysis. We used multiple machine learning algorithms to screen key genes and perform enrichment analysis. In addition, we performed an immune infiltration analysis. Transcription factors were predicted by the R package "RcisTarget". We also observed the cellular clustering of key genes in different cell types at the single-cell sequencing level. We used real-time fluorescence-based quantitative-polymerase chain reaction, Western blot, and immunohistochemistry to analyze gene expression in clinical samples. We constructed an imiquimod-induced psoriasis-like dermatitis model in mice for further validation. Results: Seven key genes were screened as follows: AIM2, CARD6, HPSE, MYD88, PYCARD, RAI14, and TNFSF10. Enrichment analysis showed that the key genes were mainly involved in inflammatory pathways. Immune infiltration analysis showed significantly higher levels of CD8 T cells, CD4 initial T cells, and CD4 memory-activated T cells in the disease group's samples than in the normal patients' samples. The key gene expression in single cells analyzed showed that PYCARD was significantly expressed in keratinocytes. PYCARD was selected for gene expression analysis; the results showed that its expression was significantly elevated in the skin lesion tissues of patients with psoriasis. We also verified that PYCARD might play a vital role in the development of psoriasis skin lesions using animal experiments. Conclusion: PYCARD plays a vital role in psoriasis development and is a potential biomarker for psoriasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Papulopustular rosacea (PPR) is a chronic inflammatory disease with a significant impact on facial aesthetics. An impaired skin barrier is an important factor in the development and exacerbation of PPR. Tranexamic acid (TXA) has immune regulatory and anti‐inflammatory effects, inhibits angiogenesis and endothelial hyperplasia, and promotes skin barrier repair. Aims: We investigated the efficacy and safety of oral TXA for PPR treatment. Patients/Methods: In total, 70 patients were randomly assigned to receive traditional therapy plus oral TXA or traditional therapy alone for 8 weeks, with a 4‐week follow‐up period. The subjective improvement in rosacea was assessed using the clinical erythema assessment (CEA), investigator's global assessment (IGA), patient self‐assessment (PSA) score, rosacea‐specific quality of life (RQoL) score, and global aesthetic improvement score (GAIS). An objective improvement in rosacea was assessed using skin hydration, trans‐epidermal water loss (TEWL), clinical photography, and an eight spectrum facial imager. Results: CEA/IGA/PSA, dryness, and RQoL scores were significantly lower and GAIS was higher in the TXA group than in the traditional therapy group. Furthermore, oral TXA significantly improved skin barrier function, increased skin hydration, and decreased TEWL, with no significant side effects. Notably, we observed better outcomes and a greater improvement in skin barrier function with TXA treatment in patients with dry‐type rosacea than in patients with oily skin. Conclusions: The addition of oral TXA to traditional therapy can lead to rapid and effective improvements in PPR, which may be attributed to improvements in skin barrier function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research on dietary fatty acids (FAs) and lung health has reported skeptical findings. This study aims to examine the causal relationship between circulating FAs and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) onset and exacerbation, using a two-sample Mendelian Randomization (MR) analysis. Strong and independent genetic variants of FAs were obtained from the UK Biobank of European ancestry. The exposure traits included saturated FA (SFA), poly- and mono-unsaturated FA (PUFA and MUFA), omega-3 and omega-6 PUFA, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and linoleic acid (LA), all expressed as total FA (TFA) percentages. Summary statistics for COPD outcomes were obtained from the FinnGen consortium including COPD, COPD hospitalization, COPD/asthma-related infections, COPD-related respiratory insufficiency, and COPD/asthma/interstitial lung disease (ILD)-related pneumonia. The inverse-variance weighted (IVW) was the primary MR approach. MR-Egger regression and MR-PRESSO were utilized to evaluate heterogeneity and pleiotropy. MR-PRESSO tests suggested no obvious horizontal pleiotropy. MR results by the IVW approach indicated that the genetically high SFA/TFA levels were associated with an increased risk of COPD/asthma/ILD-related pneumonia (OR: 1.275, 95%CI: 1.103–1.474, p for FDR = 0.002). No significant relationship was observed between other types of FAs and COPD outcomes. Our MR analysis suggests that there is weak evidence that the genetically predicted high SFA/TFA was associated with an increased risk of pneumonia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To investigate the association between cardiovascular health metrics defined by Life's Essential 8 (LE8) scores and vascular complications among individuals with type 2 diabetes (T2D). Materials and Methods: This prospective study included 11 033 participants with T2D, all devoid of macrovascular diseases (including cardiovascular and peripheral artery disease) and microvascular complications (e.g. diabetic retinopathy, neuropathy and nephropathy) at baseline from the UK Biobank. The LE8 score comprised eight metrics: smoking, body mass index, physical activity, non‐high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol, blood pressure, glycated haemoglobin, diet and sleep duration. Cox proportional hazards models were established to assess the associations of LE8 scores with incident macrovascular and microvascular complications. Results: During a median follow‐up of 12.1 years, we identified 1975 cases of incident macrovascular diseases and 1797 cases of incident microvascular complications. After adjusting for potential confounders, each 10‐point increase in the LE8 score was associated with an 18% lower risk of macrovascular diseases and a 15% lower risk of microvascular complications. Comparing individuals in the highest and lowest quartiles of LE8 scores revealed hazard ratios of 0.55 (95% confidence interval 0.47‐0.62) for incident macrovascular diseases, and 0.61 (95% confidence interval 0.53‐0.70) for incident microvascular complications. This association remained robust across a series of sensitivity analyses and nearly all subgroups. Conclusion: Higher LE8 scores were associated with a lower risk of incident macrovascular and microvascular complications among individuals with T2D. These findings underscore the significance of adopting fundamental strategies to maintain optimal cardiovascular health and curtail the risk of developing diabetic vascular complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Community-dwelling elderly live with various levels of frailty in China. Frailty is closely related to health-related quality of life, and evidence of the association between death anxiety, death obsession and quality of life in Chinese older adults is limited. Furthermore, there is insufficient evidence on the difference in factors affecting the quality of life of elderly individuals with different degrees of frailty. To test the relationship between death anxiety, death obsession, and quality of life varies across frailty levels among community-dwelling elderly. This is a cross-sectional, descriptive-correlational study that was conducted on nine hundred and sixty eligible community-dwelling elderly in Southern of Fujian province, China, selected using convenience sampling. Participants provided data on sociodemographic and clinical characteristics by completing A Simple Frailty Questionnaire (FRAIL), Templer's Death Anxiety Scale, Death Obsession Scale and The 12-item Short Form health survey questionnaire(SF-12). The total prevalence of frailty was 48.8%, lower death anxiety, death obsession scores and higher physical health (PCS) and mental health (MCS) were found in robust community-dwelling elderly. Many factors are in play, including death anxiety, death obsession, self-reported health, and chronic conditions have statistical significance(p < 0.05) with PCS and MCS of elderly individuals. Elderly individuals exhibited considerable variance in quality of life according to degrees of frailty in Southern of Fujian province, particularly death anxiety and death obsession. Further larger prospective studies are needed to explore the mechanisms by which southern Fujian culture influences the association between death distress and quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Achieving uniform grain size in ingots is challenging in traditional direct chill (DC) casting. The thermal conditions during solidification often result in smaller grain size at the edge of the ingot compared to the center, leading to grain size inhomogeneity even in centimeter-scale samples. In this study, a low-flow pouring technique with the addition of grain refiner is employed to create similar thermal conditions from the edge to the center of the ingot during solidification, resulting in a homogeneous ingot. The grain size at the center of the prepared ingot consistently matches it at the edge. Finite element analysis confirms that low-flow pouring provides suitable thermal conditions for ensuring homogenous grains. Additionally, based on experimental results, a novel analytical model is proposed to precisely identify all active nucleation substrates. The grain size predicted by the proposed model aligns well with the experimental results, outperforming previous models. Our experimental and analytical results provide valuable guidance for the production of homogeneous ingots on an industrial scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pathogenesis and diagnostic biomarkers of aortic dissection (AD) can be categorized through the analysis of differential metabolites in serum. Analysis of differential metabolites in serum provides new methods for exploring the early diagnosis and treatment of aortic dissection. Objectives: This study examined affected metabolic pathways to assess the diagnostic value of metabolomics biomarkers in clients with AD. Method: The serum from 30 patients with AD and 30 healthy people was collected. The most diagnostic metabolite markers were determined using metabolomic analysis and related metabolic pathways were explored. Results: In total, 71 differential metabolites were identified. The altered metabolic pathways included reduced phospholipid catabolism and four different metabolites considered of most diagnostic value including N2-gamma-glutamylglutamine, PC(phocholines) (20:4(5Z,8Z,11Z,14Z)/15:0), propionyl carnitine, and taurine. These four predictive metabolic biomarkers accurately classified AD patient and healthy control (HC) samples with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.9875. Based on the value of the four different metabolites, a formula was created to calculate the risk of aortic dissection. Risk score = (N2-gamma-glutamylglutamine × -0.684) + (PC (20:4(5Z,8Z,11Z,14Z)/15:0) × 0.427) + (propionyl carnitine × 0.523) + (taurine × -1.242). An additional metabolic pathways model related to aortic dissection was explored. Conclusion: Metabolomics can assist in investigating the metabolic disorders associated with AD and facilitate a more in-depth search for potential metabolic biomarkers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Osteoporosis is characterized by an imbalance in bone homeostasis, resulting in the excessive dissolution of bone minerals due to the acidified microenvironment mediated by overactive osteoclasts. Oroxylin A (ORO), a natural flavonoid, has shown potential in reversing osteoporosis by inhibiting osteoclast-mediated bone resorption. The limited water solubility and lack of targeting specificity hinder the effective accumulation of Oroxylin A within the pathological environment of osteoporosis. Results: Osteoclasts' microenvironment-responsive nanoparticles are prepared by incorporating Oroxylin A with amorphous calcium carbonate (ACC) and coated with glutamic acid hexapeptide-modified phospholipids, aiming at reinforcing the drug delivery efficiency as well as therapeutic effect. The obtained smart nanoparticles, coined as OAPLG, could instantly neutralize acid and release Oroxylin A in the extracellular microenvironment of osteoclasts. The combination of Oroxylin A and ACC synergistically inhibits osteoclast formation and activity, leading to a significant reversal of systemic bone loss in the ovariectomized mice model. Conclusion: The work highlights an intelligent nanoplatform based on ACC for spatiotemporally controlled release of lipophilic drugs, and illustrates prominent therapeutic promise against osteoporosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A convergent synthesis of the dodecasaccharide scaffold of axinelloside A was achieved through Au(I)‐catalyzed [6+6] glycosylation. The initially devised [3+1+2] assembly of the nonreducing hexasaccharide fragment was low‐yielding, whereas a convergent [3+3] glycosylation under Au(I) catalysis was proven feasible, allowing for a semi‐gram scale preparation of the wanted hexasaccharide. The requisite 1,2‐cis glycosidic bonds were forged in a highly stereoselective fashion by virtue of remote acetyl group participation, and judicious manipulation of protecting groups. The synthetic dodecasaccharide has been properly protected for the downstream elaboration toward its natural form. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chemical synthesis of an orthogonally protected hexasaccharide relevant to the reducing‐end half of axinelloside A, a highly sulfated marine lipopolysaccharide, is disclosed. The synthesis features preparation of the scyllo‐inositol unit via a Ferrier‐type‐II rearrangement, construction of the 1,2‐cis‐glycosidic bonds via remote participation, and concise [2+2+2] assembly via Au(I)‐catalyzed glycosylation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study introduces a strategy inspired by cooperative behavior in nature to enhance information sharing among autonomous vehicles (AVs), advancing intelligent transportation systems. However, in the context of multiple light detection and ranging (LiDAR)-equipped vehicles cooperating, the generated point cloud data can obstruct real-time environment perception. This research assumes real-time, lossless data transmission, and accurate and reliable pose information sharing between cooperative vehicles. Based on human-inspired principles and computer imaging techniques, a method was proposed to encode dynamic grids for fusion LiDAR point cloud data, contingent upon inter-vehicle distances. Each grid cell corresponds to an image pixel, creating smaller cells for dense point clouds and larger cells for sparse point clouds. This maintains an approximately equal number of point clouds per cell. Additionally, a ground segmentation approach is developed, based on density and elevation differences of adjacent grids to retain significant obstacle points. A grid density-based adjacent clustering approach was proposed, which effectively classified the connected grid cells containing the obstacle points. Experiments using the robot operating system on a standard computer with public data show that the perception processing period for six cooperative vehicles is merely 43.217 ms. This demonstrates the efficacy of our method in handling large volumes of LiDAR point cloud data. Comparative analysis with three alternative methods confirmed the superior accuracy and recall of our clustering approach. This underscores the robustness of our biologically inspired methodology for the design of cooperative perception, thereby promoting efficient and safe vehicle navigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: China, as the world's largest emitter of carbon dioxide, faces significant challenges in agricultural greenhouse gas emissions. The Chinese government has been actively promoting household photovoltaic (PV) power generation, which has great potential for application in rural areas. This study aims to explore whether the promotion of household PV systems in rural areas has a positive impact on farmers' low-carbon production behavior and to analyze the influencing factors and mechanisms. This research fills the research gap in the analysis of the promotion of household PV systems and farmers' low-carbon production behavior, providing scientific evidence to support policymakers in promoting widespread use of household PV systems and facilitating the transition of farmers to low-carbon production methods. Methods: This study adopts a qualitative research method and analyzes interview data and semi-structured questionnaire survey data from 48 farmers. By collecting, organizing, comparing, and extracting information and employing the research process of grounded theory, the researchers summarize the model of household PV-driven low-carbon production behavior. Results: The study finds that the installation of household PV systems indeed promotes farmers to adopt more low-carbon production behaviors. Farmers who install household PV systems show a greater willingness to reduce the use of fertilizers and pesticides, conserve water resources, and improve land utilization, among others. They perceive the positive effects of household PV systems and their own capacity for environmental protection, enhancing confidence and motivation to engage in low-carbon production behaviors. Discussion: Existing research methods have mainly relied on theoretical deduction combined with quantitative empirical approaches when exploring farmers' pro-environmental spillover behaviors. However, these methods often start from the perspectives of either egoism or altruism, resulting in biased tendencies toward negative spillover or positive spillover. Nevertheless, neither egoism nor altruism fully captures the decision-making process when deeply understanding farmers' production, life, and decision-making processes. The installation of household PV systems can change factors such as farmers' knowledge, skills, cognition, and resources, enhancing their green self-efficacy and helping them acquire more knowledge and skills in renewable energy. Therefore, this research adopts a qualitative research method to more accurately reflect farmers' decision-making process and provides practical recommendations to promote farmers' active transition to pro-environmental spillover behaviors. Conclusion: This study fills the research gap in the analysis of the promotion of household PV systems and farmers' low-carbon production behavior, providing practical recommendations for policymakers to facilitate farmers' positive behavioral changes. Qualitative research methods enable a more realistic understanding and promotion of farmers' pro-environmental spillover behaviors by deeply understanding their contexts. The study offers targeted suggestions to policymakers to drive farmers' transition to low-carbon production methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alveolar epithelial cell (AEC) necroptosis is critical to disrupt the alveolar barrier and provoke acute lung injury (ALI). Here, we define calcitonin gene‐related peptide (CGRP), the most abundant endogenous neuropeptide in the lung, as a novel modulator of AEC necroptosis in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)‐induced ALI. Upon LPS‐induced ALI, overexpression of Cgrp significantly mitigates the inflammatory response, alleviates lung tissue damage, and decreases AEC necroptosis. Similarly, CGRP alleviated AEC necroptosis under the LPS challenge in vitro. Previously, we identified that long optic atrophy 1 (L‐OPA1) deficiency mediates mitochondrial fragmentation, leading to AEC necroptosis. In this study, we discovered that CGRP positively regulated mitochondrial fusion through stabilizing L‐OPA1. Mechanistically, we elucidate that CGRP activates AMP‐activated protein kinase (AMPK). Furthermore, the blockade of AMPK compromised the protective effect of CGRP against AEC necroptosis following the LPS challenge. Our study suggests that CRGP‐mediated activation of the AMPK/L‐OPA1 axis may have potent therapeutic benefits for patients with ALI or other diseases with necroptosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vaccines have been the primary remedy in the global fight against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the spike protein, a critical viral immunogen, is affected by the heterogeneity of its glycan structures and relatively low immunogenicity. Here, we describe a scalable synthetic platform that enables the precise synthesis of homogeneously glycosylated RBD, facilitating the elucidation of carbohydrate structure–function relationships. Five homogeneously glycosylated RBDs bearing biantennary glycans were prepared, three of which were conjugated to T-helper epitope (Tpep) from tetanus toxoid to improve their weak immune response. Relative to natural HEK293-derived RBD, synthetic RBDs with biantennary N -glycan elicited a higher level of neutralising antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 in mice. Furthermore, RBDs containing Tpep elicited significant immune responses in transgenic mice expressing human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2. Our collective data suggest that trimming the N -glycans and Tpep conjugation of RBD could potentially serve as an effective strategy for developing subunit vaccines providing efficient protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resin-based dental materials have been one of the ideal choices among various materials in the treatment of dental caries. However, resin-based dental materials still have some drawbacks, such as the lack of inherent antibacterial activity. Extensive research has been conducted on the use of novel quaternary ammonium monomers (QAMs) to impart antibacterial activity to dental materials. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the recent advances in quaternary ammonium monomers (QAMs) for dental applications. The current progress and limitations of QAMs are discussed based on the evolution of their structures. The functional diversification and enhancement of QAMs are presented. QAMs have the potential to provide long-term antibacterial activity in dental resin composites, thereby prolonging their service life. However, there is a need to balance antibacterial performance with other material properties and the potential impact on the oral microbiome and general health. Finally, the necessity for further scientific progress in the development of novel quaternary ammonium monomers and the optimization of dental resin formulations is emphasized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we analysed the impacts of errors in background force models and observed non-gravitational forces on the pseudo-observations (pre-fits) during gravity field recovery based on the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellite gravity mission. To reduce these effects, we introduced the stochastic parameters into the functional model of the variational equation integration approach to absorb this type of noise contribution. Simultaneously, the prior variances of observed orbits and K -band range rates used in traditional method are re-estimated with least-squares variance component estimation (LS-VCE) after considering these stochastic parameters. To improve the computing efficiency, a modified method of the calculation of sensitivity matrices related to the introduced stochastic parameters is proposed. Compared to the method of variation of constants widely used in the precise orbit determination and gravity field recovery, the modified method decreases the computational time of these matrices by about four times. Furthermore, an efficient LS-VCE algorithm is derived in a more generalized case. The efficient algorithm only costs 1 per cent of the time of the unoptimized method. With the GRACE data, we analysed the benefits of these refinements in gravity field recovery, and the results show that these improvements can mitigate the impacts of errors in background force models and accelerometer data on recovered gravity field models, especially in the high-degree signals. Furthermore, the quality of results has less dependence on parametrization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the continual rise in mission diversity and environmental complexity, the adept integration of a robot's aerial and terrestrial locomotion modes to address diverse application scenarios has evolved into a formidable challenge. In this paper, we design a reconfigurable airframe robot endowed with the dual functionalities of rolling and flying. This innovative design not only ensures a lightweight structure but also incorporates morphing capabilities facilitated by a slider-crank mechanism. Subsequently, a land-to-air transformation strategy for the robot is introduced, achieved through the coordinated movement of the robotic arm and the servo motor. To ensure stable control of the robot amid external wind disturbances, we leverage the collaboration between a Generative Adversarial Network (GAN)and a Nonlinear Model Predictive Control (NMPC) controller. After the wind force magnitude is predicted through the neural network, the robot's adeptness in flexible trajectory tracking is verified. Under simulated wind conditions of 12.1 m/s, the trajectory error consistently remains within the range of 10–15 cm, affirming the effectiveness of this control method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gold-catalyzed glycosylation using alkyne donors is a versatile approach for the efficient assembly of diverse types of glycosides due to its catalytic and mild glycosylation properties. Minor structural alterations might significantly affect the glycosylation reaction when the alkyne-based leaving groups are simplified. By mapping the glycosylation reactivities of a series of structurally simplified alkyne donors, herein we demonstrate the role of each characteristic functional group of glycosyl ynenoates. Based on the isolation and the X-ray diffraction characterization of the pyran-5-ylgold(I) complex generated from the leaving group, a plausible mechanism of the gold(I)-catalyzed glycosylation with glycosyl ynenoates as donors was proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of high‐performance sodium ion batteries (SIBs) is heavily relied on the exploration of the appropriate electrode material for Na+ storage, which ought to feature merits of high capacity, easy‐to‐handle synthesis, high conductivity, expedite mass transportation, and stable structure upon charging–discharging cycle. Herein, a universal source‐template method is reported to synthesize a variety of transition metal (e.g., V, Sb, W, Zn, Fe, Co, Ni, and Cu) selenides implanting on N doped 3D carbon nanoarchitecture hybrids (MmSen@3D‐CN) with powerful SeC bonding rivet. Benefiting from the superior architecture and potent SeC bonding between Cu2−xSe and N‐doped 3D carbon (3D‐CN), the Cu2−xSe@3D‐CN nanohybrids, as anode of SIBs, show high capacity, high‐rate capability, and long‐cycle durability, which can deliver a reversible capacity of as high as 386 mAh g−1, retain 219 mAh g−1 even at 10 A g−1, and run durably over thousands of charging–discharging cycles. The Cu2−xSe@3D‐CN as anode is also evaluated by developing a full SIB by coupling with the Na3V2(PO4)3 cathode, which can deliver high energy density and show excellent stability, shedding light on its potential in practical application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cyclodextrins are widely used as carriers of small molecules for drug delivery owing to their remarkable host properties and excellent biocompatibility. However, cyclic oligosaccharides with different sizes and shapes are limited. Cycloglycosylation of ultra‐large bifunctional saccharide precursors is challenging due to the constrained conformational spaces. Herein we report a promoter‐controlled cycloglycosylation approach for the synthesis of cyclic α‐(1→6)‐linked mannosides up to a 32‐mer. Cycloglycosylation of the bifunctional thioglycosides and (Z)‐ynenoates was found to be highly dependent on the promoters. In particular, a sufficient amount of a gold(I) complex played a key role in the proper preorganization of the ultra‐large cyclic transition state, providing a cyclic 32‐mer polymannoside, which represents the largest synthetic cyclic polysaccharide to date. NMR experiments and a computational study revealed that the cyclic 2‐mer, 4‐mer, 8‐mer, 16‐mer, and 32‐mer mannosides adopted different conformational states and shapes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cyclodextrins are widely used as carriers of small molecules for drug delivery owing to their remarkable host properties and excellent biocompatibility. However, cyclic oligosaccharides with different sizes and shapes are limited. Cycloglycosylation of ultra‐large bifunctional saccharide precursors is challenging due to the constrained conformational spaces. Herein we report a promoter‐controlled cycloglycosylation approach for the synthesis of cyclic α‐(1→6)‐linked mannosides up to a 32‐mer. Cycloglycosylation of the bifunctional thioglycosides and (Z)‐ynenoates was found to be highly dependent on the promoters. In particular, a sufficient amount of a gold(I) complex played a key role in the proper preorganization of the ultra‐large cyclic transition state, providing a cyclic 32‐mer polymannoside, which represents the largest synthetic cyclic polysaccharide to date. NMR experiments and a computational study revealed that the cyclic 2‐mer, 4‐mer, 8‐mer, 16‐mer, and 32‐mer mannosides adopted different conformational states and shapes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the development of autonomous driving technology, truck platooning control has become a reality. Truck platooning can improve road capacity by maintaining a minor headway. Platooning systems can significantly reduce fuel consumption and emissions, especially for trucks. In this study, we designed a Platoon-MAPPO algorithm to implement truck platooning control based on multi-agent reinforcement learning for a platooning facing an on-ramp scenario on highway. A centralized training, decentralized execution algorithm was used in this paper. Each truck only computes its actions, avoiding the data computation delay problem caused by centralized computation. Each truck considers the truck status in front of and behind itself, maximizing the overall gain of the platooning and improving the global operational efficiency. In terms of performance evaluation, we used the traditional rule-based platooning following model as a benchmark. To ensure fairness, the model used the same network structure and traffic scenario as our proposed model. The simulation results show that the algorithm proposed in this paper has good performance and improves the overall efficiency of the platoon while guaranteeing traffic safety. The average energy consumption decreased by 14.8%, and the road occupancy rate decreased by 43.3%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To increase the imaging resolution and detection capability, the field strength of static magnetic fields (SMFs) in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has significantly increased in the past few decades. However, research on the side effects of high magnetic field is still very inadequate and the effects of SMF above 1 T (Tesla) on B cells have never been reported. Here, we show that 33.0 T ultra‐high SMF exposure causes immunosuppression and disrupts B cell differentiation and signaling. 33.0 T SMF treatment resulted in disturbance of B cell peripheral differentiation and antibody secretion and reduced the expression of IgM on B cell membrane, and these might be intensity dependent. In addition, mice exposed to 33.0 T SMF showed inhibition on early activation of B cells, including B cell spreading, B cell receptor clustering and signalosome recruitment, and depression of both positive and negative molecules in the proximal BCR signaling, as well as impaired actin reorganization. Sequencing and gene enrichment analysis showed that SMF stimulation also affects splenic B cells' transcriptome and metabolic pathways. Therefore, in the clinical application of MRI, we should consider the influence of SMF on the immune system and choose the optimal intensity for treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel peptidomimetic-liganded gold nanocluster (CDp-AuNC) is proposed for the synergistic suppression of tumor growth. Taking advantages of the multi-capabilities offered by the surface ligands, including iron chelation, glutathione peroxidases-1 (GPx-1) binding, and tumor cells recognition, CDp-AuNCs are able to function as the nanocarriers to deliver iron in a controlled manner for the ferroptosis therapy and as the inhibitors for GPx-1 to induce the apoptosis of tumor cells. The Fe2+@CDp-AuNC nanocomplexes are fabricated through a facile self-assembly method. The experimental data verify that the nanocomplexes are internalized specifically by tumor cells with high efficiency. The acidic microenvironment in endosomes triggers the collapse of the nanocomplexes and thereby releases Fe2+ to induce ferroptosis and CDp-AuNCs to inhibit the enzyme activity of GPx-1. Benefiting from the H2O2-depleted pathway inhibition and ferroptosis acceleration, the intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) level could be enhanced significantly. As a consequence, the apoptosis/ferroptosis of 4T1 cells as well as the tumor elimination in vivo are observed after treatment with the Fe2+@CDp-AuNC nanocomplexes at a relatively low dose. The facile iron loading method, simple construction procedure, and outstanding tumor suppression performance, provide CDp-AuNCs great application promise. More importantly, the strategy of peptidomimetic ligands design provides a transferable approach to building multifunctional nanomaterials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the last decade, a great variety of ligand protected gold nanoclusters (AuNCs) have been synthesized, and their broad applications have been intensively reported. Although the spectroscopic properties of AuNCs have been comprehensively explored, the mechanism of the significant Stokes shift (> 200 nm) and the specific role played by surface ligands have not been clearly explained yet. In this study, a series of fluorescent AuNCs with huge Stokes shift (up to 530 nm) were successfully prepared by employing the rationally designed tri-peptides as the protecting ligands, and their spectroscopic properties were systematically investigated. The detailed measurements on the example product, YCY-AuNCs (Tyr-Cys-Tyr liganded AuNCs), showed that the energy absorbed by the tyrosine (~ 250 nm) can be effectively transferred through the ligand-mediated two-step Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) process and released as fluorescence emission in the near-infrared fluorescence (NIR) range (~ 780 nm), which resulted in the significant apparent Stokes shift. The YCY ligands play a critical role by offering the tyrosine groups (donor of the first FRET pair), generating the dityrosine-like structure on the AuNCs surface (acceptor of the first FRET pair and donor of the second FRET pair), and protecting the cores (acceptor of the second acceptor). The additional ligand exchange experiments and the investigation on the other AuNCs further demonstrated that the sufficient high density of the aromatic groups is also essential to mediate the two-step FRET and achieve the remarkable Stokes shift. We believe that the aromatic ligand-mediated FRET mechanism not only offers a new theoretical explanation for the huge Stokes shift exhibited in AuNCs, but also provides a general strategy for the construction of new materials with large Stokes shift. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a crucial payload on dedicated gravity satellites, the accelerometer (ACC) measures the non-gravitational force acting on the satellite. The unknown scale and bias contaminate the raw ACC data, preventing the direct use in precise orbit determination (POD) and gravity recovery, and thus ACC data need to be calibrated. We analyze the performance of GRACE-FO ACC and calibrate the ACC data from 2018 to 2021 based on a step-by-step calibration method. First, we give an overview of temperature records and ACC operational modes, which reflect the operational status of the ACC. The calibration method consists of four steps: pre-calibration, two POD processes with different parameterizations, and bias fitting. Low-degree/order (10 × 10) spherical harmonic coefficients (SHCs) are estimated with scale, bias, and other dynamic parameters in POD. As an assessment, we compare the calibrated ACC data and the modeled non-gravitational force products. The average differences between them are less than 5 nm/s2 in the SRF-X direction and 6 nm/s2 in other directions. The obtained orbits based on ACC data and GPS observations are compared with precise science orbits. Furthermore, six tests show that introducing low-order/degree SHCs could effectively improve the consistency of the calibrated ACC data with non-gravitational force models and enhance orbit determination. Otherwise, empirical accelerations should be estimated with loose constraints to ensure POD results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have disclosed that 3,5-dimethyl-4-(2′-phenylethynylphenyl)phenyl (EPP) glycosides could be employed as glycosylation donors via an unprecedented activation mechanism. Here we report that the EPP glycosides without the 3,5-dimethyl groups, which were previously installed to prevent the plausible Friedel-Crafts-type side reactions, can also undergo glycosylation effectively. Employing such an EPP 2-azidoglucoside as donor, the construction of the challenging α-GlcN-(1→4)-GlcA linkage is realized, leading to a heparin trisaccharides precursor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Porosity, permeability, and wettability are crucial factors that affect the oil–water displacement process in reservoirs. Under subsurface conditions, the integral effects of these factors are extremely difficult to document. In this paper, waterflooding experiments were carried out using a core flooding system monitored with X-ray dual-energy CT. The mesoscale, three-dimensional characteristics of water displacing oil were obtained in real time. The integral effects of porosity, permeability, and wettability on the waterflooding in the low-permeability sandstone reservoirs were investigated. It was found that if the reservoir rock is water-wet, then the residual oil saturation decreases gradually with increasing porosity and permeability, showing an increasing waterflooding efficiency. On the contrary, if the reservoir rock is oil-wet, the residual oil saturation gradually increases with improving porosity and permeability, showing a decreasing waterflooding efficiency. The porosity, permeability, and wettability characteristics of reservoirs should be comprehensively evaluated before adopting technical countermeasures of waterflooding or wettability modification during oilfield development. If the porosity and permeability of the reservoir are high, water-wet reservoirs can be directly developed with waterflooding. However, it is better to make wettability modifications first before the waterflooding for oil-wet reservoirs. If the porosity and permeability of the reservoir are poor, direct waterflooding development has a better effect on oil-wet reservoirs compared with the water-wet reservoirs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three-dimensional object detection plays a vital role in the field of environment perception in autonomous driving, and its results are crucial for the subsequent processes. Pillar-based 3D object detection is a method to detect objects in 3D by dividing point cloud data into pillars and extracting features from each pillar. However, the current pillar-based 3D object-detection methods suffer from problems such as "under-segmentation" and false detections in overlapping and occluded scenes. To address these challenges, we propose an improved pillar-based 3D object-detection network with a two-stage pillar feature-encoding (Ts-PFE) module that considers both inter- and intra-relational features among and in the pillars. This novel approach enhances the model's ability to identify the local structure and global distribution of the data, which improves the distinction between objects in occluded and overlapping scenes and ultimately reduces under-segmentation and false detection problems. Furthermore, we use the attention mechanism to improve the backbone and make it focus on important features. The proposed approach is evaluated on the KITTI dataset. The experimental results show that the detection accuracy of the proposed approach are significantly improved on the benchmarks of BEV and 3D. The improvement of AP for car, pedestrian, and cyclist 3D detection are 1.1%, 3.78%, and 2.23% over PointPillars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comprehensive Summary: Given the extreme complexity and diversity of carbohydrates, efficient approaches to the homogeneous oligosaccharide remain limited. Chemical synthesis represents one of the most reliable methods to access homogeneous samples, which mainly relies on the key glycosylation reaction. Consistent with enormous efforts to develop leaving groups for establishing robust glycosylation protocols, we herein disclose a structurally novel leaving group of 8‐phenylethynyl‐1‐naphthoate that is able to enable efficient glycosylation reactions under the extremely mild condition of gold(I)‐catalysis. Notably, the anomeric naphthoate possesses the unprecedent character of base‐stability in sharp contrast to the conventional ester groups at anomeric position of carbohydrates, which endows high compatibility with a variety of chemical transformations. Furthermore, the present glycosylation protocol with 8‐phenylethynyl‐ 1‐naphthoate as leaving group is able to realize minimally protected glycosylation processes. Mechanistic studies reveal a unique structure of 8‐phenylethynyl‐1‐naphthoate that accounts for the reason for these characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glucans are major biomaterials on the earth, with α‐(1→4)‐glucans (i. e. amylose) and β‐(1→4)‐glucans (i. e. cellulose) being the most abundant ones, which are relevant to energy storage and structural function, respectively. Interestingly, (1→4)‐glucans with alternate α/β‐linkages, namely herewith amycellulose, have never been disclosed in nature. Here we report a robust glycosylation protocol for the stereoselective construction of the 1,2‐cis‐α‐ and 1,2‐trans‐β‐glucosidic linkages, which employs an optimal combination of glycosyl N‐phenyltrifluoroacetimidates as donors, TMSNTf2 as promoter, CH2Cl2/nitrile or CH2Cl2/THF as solvents. A broad substrate scope has been demonstrated by coupling five imidate donors with eight glycosyl acceptors, in which most of the glycosylations lead to high yield and exclusively 1,2‐cis‐α‐ or 1,2‐trans‐β‐selectivity. Applying this glycosylation protocol and with an iterative manner, the unprecedented α/β‐alternate (1→4)‐glucans up to a 16‐mer have been synthesized. Differently from amylose, that adopts a compact helicoidal arrangement, the synthetic amycellulose features an extended ribbon‐like conformation, comparable to the extended shape of cellulose. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comprehensive Summary: Luzonicosides A (1) and D (2) are the major saponins isolated from pacific starfish Echinaster Luzonicus, featuring a sterically congested 16‐membered ring which is formed by bridging the C3 and C6 of a 3β,6β‐dihydroxy‐Δ7‐ene steroid with a 1,2‐trans‐linked linear trisaccharide via glycosidic and ether bonds, respectively. Here, we describe a formal total synthesis of starfish cyclic steroid glycosides 1 and 2. The synthetic route is highly modular and versatile, involving construction of the 16‐membered macrocycles via Au(I)‐catalyzed intramolecular glycosylation, highly efficient installation of unsaturated sugar moieties with ortho‐hexynylbenzoates, elaboration of glucuronic acid unit via post‐oxidation, and a de novo synthesis of the ether‐linked pyranose unit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comprehensive Summary: Sepositoside A (1) is a prototypical cyclic steroid glycoside bearing a hybrid 16‐membered ring composed of the steroid skeleton and a 1,2‐trans‐linked trisaccharide. Herein, we report an expedient access toward two simplified analogues, in which the strained 16‐membered ring is constructed via Au(I)‐catalyzed intramolecular addition of alcohol to epoxide. A similar macroetherification in relevant steroid trisaccharides has been intensively examined, however, failed to furnish the macrocyclic skeleton of Sepositoside A. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comprehensive Summary: Sepositoside A (1) is the major and first cyclic steroid glycoside isolated from starfishes, which features a strained 16‐membered ring formed by tethering C3 and C6 of the steroid aglycone with a linear trisaccharide. We conceived a convergent synthetic plan in which sepositoside A was disconnected into a disaccharide and a steroid‐glucose hybrid ether. The desired 3β,6β‐dihydroxy‐Δ7,8‐23‐ one aglcyone was readily prepared from dehydroepiandrosterone in 12 steps. The etherification of the 6β‐hydroxy‐Δ7,8‐steroid with a variety of hexopyranoside‐C6‐electrophiles and CO2‐extrusion of a steroid‐pyranose hybrid carbonate were extensively studied; however, formation of the desired steroid‐pyranose etherate linkage has not been successful. Model studies on the β‐selective installation of the (1→2)‐linked disaccharide onto the steroidal C3β‐OH with the corresponding disaccharide α‐imidates were also examined, however, formation of the α‐glycosides prevailed. The present results force us to explore alternative approaches to construct the steroid‐pyranose etherate linkage and stepwise assembly of the glycans en route to the starfish cyclic steroid glycosides, which will be presented in two articles that follow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Covalent bond cross‐link networks endow rubber with unique resiliency enabling it to be widely used as a series of irreplaceable materials in modern life. However, the balance between rigidity and toughness, which is highly desired with the growing demand for high‐performance rubber, remains a significant challenge for covalent bond networks. In this study, magnesium oxide (MgO) was filled in an ethylene acrylic elastomer (AEM) to construct both ionic cluster and coordinate bonds within the framework of a covalent cross‐link network, which significantly improved the properties of AEM. The MgO‐filled AEM was measured through Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis, using a universal testing machine, dynamic mechanical thermal analyzer, and rubber process analyzer. As the multi‐bond network was successfully constructed, the tensile strength was enhanced by almost 10 times, and unexpected dynamic properties were exhibited with a higher elastic modulus (rigidity) attributed to ionic clusters and a higher loss factor (toughness) attributed to the coordinate bonds. With the efficient enhancement of the mechanical properties, the improved toughness can dissipate energy to preserve the integrity of rubber under the application of an external mechanical force. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: 9.4 T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been initially tested on healthy human volunteers, but its future application will benefit more from experiments with animal disease models. In the meantime, high static magnetic fields (SMFs) have been shown to improve mice mental health and have anti-tumor potentials. Methods: We compared the anti-tumor effects of 9.4 T SMF with or without a commonly used chemotherapy drug imatinib mesylate on BALB/c (Nu/Nu) mice bearing gastrointestinal stromal tumor GIST-T1 cells. The body weight, food/water consumption, complete blood count, blood biochemistry, tumor weight, HE and Ki67 stains were examined. Locomotor activity and cognitive functions were also measured by four behavior tests, including open field, elevated plus maze, three-chamber and tail suspension tests. Results: We found that the tumor growth was inhibited up to 62.88% when treated with 9.4 T SMF alone for 200 h. More importantly, 9.4 T SMF combined with 20 mg/kg imatinib mesylate can result in 92.75% tumor suppression, which is close to the anti-tumor effect of high dose (80 mg/kg) imatinib. However, 80 mg/kg imatinib caused severe side effects, including significantly reduced gain of body weight, abnormal liver function and depressive behaviors in mice. In contrast, 9.4 T SMF treatment significantly reduced these side effects, especially for the depressive behaviors. Conclusion: Our results demonstrate that 9.4 T SMF not only has anti-tumor effects on its own, but also could improve the anti-tumor effect of imatinib mesylate, reduce its toxicity and improve the mice mental health, which unraveled the great clinical potentials of high SMF in future applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]