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Polymers may suffer from sudden mechanical damages during long‐term use under various harsh operating environments. Rapid and real‐time self‐healing will extend their service life, which is particularly attractive in the context of circular economy. In this work, a lignin cluster polymerization strategy (LCPS) was designed to prepare a series of lignin functionalized polyolefin composites with excellent mechanical properties through nickel catalyzed copolymerization of ethylene and lignin cluster monomers. These composites can achieve rapid self‐healing within 30 seconds under a variety of extreme usage environments (underwater, seawater, extremely low temperatures as low as −60 °C, organic solvents, acid/alkali solvents, etc.), which is of great significance for real‐time self‐healing of sudden mechanical damage. More importantly, the dynamic cross‐linking network within these composites enable great re‐processability and amazing sealing performances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bioinspired micropillar adhesives have shown broad application prospects in space capture and docking, due to their strong adhesion, good environmental adaptability, and reusability. However, when performing space missions, unavoidable contact collision with target objects may cause large deformation of the micropillars, resulting in the loss of adhesion ability. This study reports a novel micropillar adhesive through the in‐plane combination of micropillars (IPCM) with different aspect ratios, consisting of small pillars for retaining strong adhesion and large ones for resisting overload‐induced adhesion failure. It is demonstrated that the IPCM array can still maintain 85% of the adhesion peak after static large deformation compared to a general micropillar array composed of the same pillars. The impact of element size and layout of the IPCM, as well as detachment velocity on adhesion performance under high preload is discussed. Furthermore, finite element contact analysis qualitatively reproduces the experimentally observed micropillar deformations and attributes the overload‐induced adhesion failure to the redistribution of surface normal stress. Finally, the potential application of the IPCM in dynamic capture is demonstrated on different objects. The proposed IPCM opens up new design concepts for practical applications of bioinspired adhesives in space capture and docking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The practical use of Zn metal anodes in aqueous zinc batteries is impeded by the growth of dendrites, anode corrosion, and hydrogen evolution reaction in aqueous electrolytes. In this study, a simple, energy‐efficient, and scalable approach is reported to mitigate these detrimental issues effectively. Using 1‐hexanethiol (HT), a hydrophobic self‐assembled mercaptan layer (SAML) with a highly ordered structure is in situ created on the surface of the Zn anode. This ultrathin interfacial structure guides uniform Zn deposition and shields the Zn anode from water and oxygen‐induced corrosion, thus effectively inhibiting dendrite formation and side reactions. Consequently, the HT‐Zn electrode showcases impressive electrochemical stability and reversibility, and the as‐assembled HT‐Zn||I2 full cell delivers increased specific capacity (from 112 to 155 mAh g−1 at 1 A g−1) and ultra‐stable cyclability (zero capacity decay during the extended 1500 cycles at 4 A g−1). To validate the effectiveness of this simple and scalable method, a large‐sized pouch cell is prepared, which can be stably operated for 1000 cycles with a capacity decay of merely 0.0098% per cycle and Coulombic efficiency exceeding 99.1%. The presented SAML strategy highlights the potential of molecular engineering in improving the performance of aqueous zinc batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Atypical speech prosody has been commonly found among autistic children. Yet it remains unknown whether prosody impairment originates from poor pitch ability in general or whether it is the result of the difficulty in understanding and using prosody for communicative purposes. Aims: To investigate whether native Mandarin Chinese‐speaking autistic children with intellectual impairment were able to accurately produce native lexical tones, which are pitch patterns that distinguish word meaning lexically and serve little social purpose. Methods & Procedures: Using a picture‐naming task, thirteen 8–13‐year‐old Mandarin Chinese‐speaking autistic children with intellectual impairment were tested on their production of Chinese lexical tones. Chronical age‐matched typically developing (TD) children were included as the control group. Perceptual assessment and phonetic analyses were conducted with the produced lexical tones. Outcomes & Results: The majority of the lexical tones produced by the autistic children were perceived as accurate by adult judges. Phonetic analysis of the pitch contours found no significant difference between the two groups, and the autistic children and TD children used the phonetic features in comparable ways when differentiating the lexical tones. However, the lexical tone accuracy rate was lower among the autistic children than among the TDs, and the larger individual difference was observed among the autistic children than the TD children. Conclusions & Implications: These results indicate that autistic children are able to produce the global contours of the lexical tones, and pitch deficits do not seem to qualify as a core feature of autism. What this paper adds: What is already known on the subject: Atypical prosody has been considered a maker of the speech of autistic children, and meta‐analysis found a significant difference in mean pitch and pitch range between TD children and autistic children. Yet it remains unknown whether the pitch deficits are the result of impaired perceptual–motoric ability or if they reflect failure in learning sentential prosody, which requires an understanding of the interlocutors' mind. In addition, research on pitch ability of autistic children with intellectual disabilities has been scarce, and whether these children are able to produce pitch variation is largely unknown. What this paper adds to existing knowledge: We tested native Mandarin Chinese autistic children with intellectual impairment on their production of native lexical tones. The lexical tones in Chinese are pitch variations realized on individual syllables that distinguish lexical meaning, but they do not serve social pragmatic purposes. We found that although these autistic children had only developed limited spoken language, the majority of their lexical tones were perceived as accurate. They were able to use the phonetic features in comparable ways with the TD children when distinguishing the lexical tones. What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work?: It seems unlikely that pitch processing at the lexical level is fundamentally impaired in autistic children, and pitch deficits do not seem to qualify for a core feature of their speech. Practitioners should be cautious when using pitch production as a clinical marker for autistic children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the miniaturization and integration of wearable electronics, there are some serious problems such as signal crosstalk and high power consumption that restrict its development. Active‐matrix thin‐film transistors (TFTs) with high permittivity (high‐k) insulator layer provide a promising opportunity for reducing signal crosstalk and power consumption of wearable electronics. Here, we propose a simple and cost‐effective gradient heating‐up strategy to prepare high‐k zirconium dioxide (ZrO 2)‐based dielectric films. Amorphous ZrO 2 films annealed at 400°C exhibits a high transmittance and a high dielectric properties of a relative low leakage current (10‐8 A/cm2) and large capacitance density of 215 nF/cm2. To meet requirements of flexible wearable electronics, ZrO 2‐organic polymer hybrid dielectric film was further developed. A smooth surface morphology (Sa=0.478 nm) and good dielectric performance (~10‐8 A/cm2) of ZrO 2‐based hybrid film was obtained at 250°C, which can promote the development of flexible TFT and extend the application scenarios of wearable electronics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To explore the beneficial effects of L‐carnitine on cardiac microvascular dysfunction in diabetic cardiomyopathy from the perspectives of mitophagy and mitochondrial integrity. Methods: Male db/db and db/m mice were randomly assigned to groups and were treated with L‐carnitine or a solvent for 24 weeks. Endothelium‐specific PARL overexpression was attained via adeno‐associated virus serotype 9 (AAV9) transfection. Adenovirus (ADV) vectors overexpressing wild‐type CPT1a, mutant CPT1a, or PARL were transfected into endothelial cells exposed to high glucose and free fatty acid (HG/FFA) injury. Cardiac microvascular function, mitophagy, and mitochondrial function were analyzed by immunofluorescence and transmission electron microscopy. Protein expression and interactions were assessed by western blotting and immunoprecipitation. Results: L‐carnitine treatment enhanced microvascular perfusion, reinforced endothelial barrier function, repressed the endothelial inflammatory response, and maintained the microvascular structure in db/db mice. Further results demonstrated that PINK1‐Parkin‐dependent mitophagy was suppressed in endothelial cells suffering from diabetic injury, and these effects were largely alleviated by L‐carnitine through the inhibition of PARL detachment from PHB2. Moreover, CPT1a modulated the PHB2‐PARL interaction by directly binding to PHB2. The increase in CPT1a activity induced by L‐carnitine or amino acid mutation (M593S) enhanced the PHB2‐PARL interaction, thereby improving mitophagy and mitochondrial function. In contrast, PARL overexpression inhibited mitophagy and abolished all the beneficial effects of L‐carnitine on mitochondrial integrity and cardiac microvascular function. Conclusion: L‐carnitine treatment enhanced PINK1‐Parkin‐dependent mitophagy by maintaining the PHB2‐PARL interaction via CPT1a, thereby reversing mitochondrial dysfunction and cardiac microvascular injury in diabetic cardiomyopathy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wearable electronics represented by flexible displays and flexible sensors have been attracting enormous attention due to portability, miniaturization and low power consumption. Due to the dramatic increase in the number of display and sensing units, the power consumption and accuracy of the devices are facing great challenges. Active‐matrix thin‐film transistor (TFT) backplanes can effectively reduce signal crosstalk and power consumption of wearable electronics. For TFT devices, the gate insulation layer is one of key factors affecting the device performance such as device mobility, operating voltage, and bias stability, etc. High quality of solution‐processed oxide dielectric films usually are obtained at a high temperature (>400 °C), being a challenge for compatibility with flexible plastic substrates. In this work, low‐temperature annealing processes (the electric oven (EO) and deep ultraviolet (DUV) processing) of high‐k zirconia dielectric films was investigated. Compared to the thermal annealing process, the EO or DUV processing‐annealing process could obtain an approximate dielectric properties with that of thermal annealing process. The EO and DUV processing could effectively promoted the MO framework and the elimination of oxygen defects in the spin‐coating films. DUV processing ZrO2 film annealed at 150 °C exhibited an excellent properties including a large capacitance of 220 nF/cm2 and low leakage current of ~10‐7 A/cm2. These data suggest that combining low‐temperature annealing with EO and DUV irradiation holds great promise for the rapid, low‐temperature production of high‐quality and flexible oxide electronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polyolefin elastomers (POEs) and cyclic olefin copolymers (COCs) are high‐performance polyolefin materials of wide interest. It is crucial to develop low‐cost and high‐performance transition metal catalysts to prepare these polyolefin materials. In this contribution, we designed and synthesized a series of bidentate pyridyl‐amido hafnium catalysts and used them in ethylene polymerization and copolymerization with comonomers including 1‐octene and norbornene. These catalysts exhibited high activities of up to 16.3×106 g mol−1 h−1 and produced polyethylene with a high molecular weight of up to 24.5×104 g mol−1 in ethylene polymerization at 150 °C. More importantly, these catalysts produced ethylene/1‐octene copolymers with incorporation of up to 13.7 mol % and molecular weight of up to 72.7×104 g mol−1, and prepared ethylene/norbornene copolymers with incorporation of up to 50.3 mol %, along with glass transition temperature of up to 184.3 °C and molecular weight of up to 187.6×104 g mol−1. The ease of synthesis, high versatility and great copolymerization properties of these hafnium catalysts make them highly attractive for future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metal‐free photocontrolled atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) has recently received increasing attention due to its ability to avoid heavy metal contamination. However, the polymerization of 1,2‐disubstituted olefin monomers by photocontrolled ATRP has rarely been reported. In this contribution, visible light‐induced metal free atom transfer radical (co)polymerization of maleimides (MI) by using several commercial organocatalysts was investigated in both batch and continuous flow processes. It was shown that the combination of the commercial dye eosin Y (EY) and cocatalyst N,N′,N′,N″,N″‐pentamethyldiethylenetriamine (PMDETA) can mediate controlled and selective ATRP of various N‐alkyl substituted MI monomers. The effect of polymerization time, initiators and catalysts are discussed. The results revealed that molecular weight (Mn) of the obtained polymers was increased by increase in monomers conversion with their narrow polydispersities (PDI ≤1.2). MIs alternating copolymerization with styrenes (St) under irradiation of visible light was also done which generated the polymaleimide resins with ultrahigh glass transition temperatures (Tg up to 259°C). Moreover, continuous flow process was also used for the co‐polymerization of MI and St by using a tubular reactor to get polymaleimide resins. Thus, this work provides an effective strategy to obtain copolymers of MI monomers and styrenes via both batch and continuous flow processes, enabling technical advantages for potential large‐scale applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Predictors of prognosis in patients with coronary chronic total occlusion (CTO) undergoing elective percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) have remained lacking. Lipidomic profiling enables researchers to associate lipid species with disease progression and may improve the prediction of cardiovascular events. Methods: In the present study, 781 lipids were measured by targeted lipidomic profiling in 350 individuals (50 healthy controls, 50 patients with coronary artery disease and 250 patients with CTO). L1‐regularized logistic regression was used to identify lipid species associated with adverse cardiovascular events and create predicting models, which were verified by 10‐fold cross‐validation (200 repeats). Comparisons were made between a traditional model constructed with clinical characteristics alone and a combined model built with both lipidomic data and traditional factors. Results: Twenty‐four lipid species were dysregulated exclusively in patients with CTO, most of which belonged to sphingomyelin (SM) and triacylglycerol (TAG). Compared with traditional risk factors, new model combining lipids and traditional factors had significantly improved performance in predicting adverse cardiovascular events in CTO patients after PCI (area under the curve, 0.870 vs. 0.726, p <.05; Akaike information criterion, 129 versus 156; net reclassification improvement, 0.312, p <.001; integrated discrimination improvement, 0.244, p <.001). Nomogram was built based on the incorporated model and proved efficient by Kaplan–Meier method. Conclusions: Lipidomic profiling revealed lipid species which may participate in the formation of CTO and could contribute to the risk stratification in CTO patients undergoing PCI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effective treatment of advanced cervical cancer remains challenging. Herein, single‐nucleus RNA sequencing (snRNA‐seq) and SpaTial enhanced resolution omics‐sequencing (Stereo‐seq) are used to investigate the immunological microenvironment of cervical squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC). The expression levels of most immune suppressive genes in the tumor and inflammation areas of CSCC are not significantly higher than those in the non‐cancer samples, except for LGALS9 and IDO1. Stronger signals of CD56+ NK cells and immature dendritic cells are found in the hypermetabolic tumor areas, whereas more eosinophils, immature B cells, and Treg cells are found in the hypometabolic tumor areas. Moreover, a cluster of pro‐tumorigenic cancer‐associated myofibroblasts (myCAFs) are identified. The myCAFs may support the growth and metastasis of tumors by inhibiting lymphocyte infiltration and remodeling of the tumor extracellular matrix. Furthermore, these myCAFs are associated with poorer survival probability in patients with CSCC, predict resistance to immunotherapy, and might be present in a small fraction (< 30%) of patients with advanced cancer. Immunohistochemistry and multiplex immunofluorescence staining are conducted to validate the spatial distribution and potential function of myCAFs. Collectively, these findings enhance the understanding of the immunological microenvironment of CSCC and shed light on the treatment of advanced CSCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transition‐metal‐based olefin polymerization catalysts usually require activation with a cocatalyst to initiate polymerization reactions. Borane type cocatalyst is one of the most important classes of cocatalysts that can significantly influence the catalytic performances. In this contribution, we designed and prepared a series of borane cocatalysts, and subsequently investigated their properties in a titanium‐based Constrained Geometry Catalyst (CGC‐Ti) catalyzed ethylene polymerization and ethylene/1‐octene copolymerization. Among these borane cocatalysts, B(C6F5)2OtBu exhibited outstanding cocatalyst performances, achieving activity of up to 1.06×107 g mol−1 h−1 and polymer molecular weight of up to 88.2×104 g mol−1 in ethylene polymerization. In ethylene/1‐octene copolymerization, this borane enabled activity of up to 2.46×106 g mol−1 h−1, affording copolymers with comonomer incorporation of up to 12.8 % and copolymer molecular weight up to 18.3×104 g mol−1. The superior properties of B(C6F5)2OtBu originated from its unique activation mode with the oxygen atom being coordinated to the active metal center. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Ultra‐high dose rate FLASH irradiation (FLASH‐IR) has been shown to cause less normal tissue damage compared with conventional irradiation (CONV‐IR), this is known as the "FLASH effect." It has attracted immense research interest because its underlying mechanism is scarcely known. The purpose of this study was to determine whether FLASH‐IR and CONV‐IR induce differential inflammatory cytokine expression using a modified clinical linac. Materials and methods: An Elekta Synergy linac was used to deliver 6 MeV CONV‐IR and modified to deliver FLASH‐IR. Female FvB mice were randomly assigned to three different groups: a non‐irradiated control, CONV‐IR, or FLASH‐IR. The FLASH‐IR beam was produced by single pulses repeated manually with a 20‐s interval (Strategy 1), or single‐trigger multiple pulses with a 10 ms interval (Strategy 2). Mice were immobilized in the prone position in a custom‐designed applicator with Gafchromic films positioned under the body. The prescribed doses for the mice were 6 to 18 Gy and verified using Gafchromic films. Cytokine expression of three pro‐inflammatory cytokines (tumor necrosis factor‐α [TNF‐α], interferon‐γ [IFN‐γ], interleukin‐6 [IL‐6]) and one anti‐inflammatory cytokine (IL‐10) in serum samples and skin tissue were examined within 1 month post‐IR. Results: The modified linac delivered radiation at an intra‐pulse dose rate of around 1 × 106 Gy/s and a dose per pulse over 2 Gy at a source‐to‐surface distance (SSD) of 13 to 15 cm. The achieved dose coverage was 90%–105% of the maximum dose within −20 to 20 mm in the X direction and 95% within −30 to 30 mm in the Y direction. The absolute deviations between the prescribed dose and the actual dose were 2.21%, 6.04%, 2.09%, and 2.73% for 6, 9, 12, and 15 Gy as measured by EBT3 films, respectively; and 4.00%, 4.49%, and 2.30% for 10, 14, and 18 Gy as measured by the EBT XD films, respectively. The reductions in the CONV‐IR versus the FLASH‐IR group were 4.89%, 10.28%, −7.8%, and −22.17% for TNF‐α, IFN‐γ, IL‐6, and IL‐10 in the serum on D6, respectively; 37.26%, 67.16%, 56.68%, and −18.95% in the serum on D31, respectively; and 62.67%, 35.65%, 37.75%, and −12.20% for TNF‐α, IFN‐γ, IL‐6, and IL‐10 in the skin tissue, respectively. Conclusions: Ultra‐high dose rate electron FLASH caused lower pro‐inflammatory cytokine levels in serum and skin tissue which might mediate differential tissue damage between FLASH‐IR and CONV‐IR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aqueous batteries that use metal anodes exhibit maximum anodic capacity, whereas the energy density is still unsatisfactory partially due to the high redox potential of the metal anode. Current metal anodes are plagued by the dilemma that the redox potential of Zn is not low enough, whereas Al, Mg, and others with excessively low redox potential cannot work properly in aqueous electrolytes. Mn metal with a suitably low redox potential is a promising candidate, which was rarely explored before. Here, we report a rechargeable aqueous Mn‐metal battery enabled by a well‐designed electrolyte and robust inorganic–organic interfaces. The inorganic Sn‐based interface with a bottom‐up microstructure was constructed to preliminarily suppress water decomposition. With this bubble‐free interface, the organic interface can be formed via an esterification reaction of sucrose triggered by acyl chloride in the electrolyte, generating a dense physical shield that isolates water while permitting Mn2+ diffusion. Hence, a Mn symmetric cell achieves a superior plating/stripping stability for 200 hours, and a Mn||V2O5 battery maintains approximately 100 % capacity after 200 cycles. Moreover, the Mn||V2O5 battery realizes a much higher output voltage than that of the Zn||V2O5 battery, evidencing the possibility of increasing the energy density through using a Mn anode. This work develops a systematic strategy to stabilize a Mn‐metal anode for Mn‐metal batteries, opening a new door towards enhanced voltage of aqueous batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Determining the mechanism of senescence‐associated pulmonary fibrosis is crucial for designing more effective treatments for chronic lung diseases. This study aimed to determine the following: whether Sirt1 and serum vitamin D decreased with physiological aging, promoting senescence‐associated pulmonary fibrosis by activating TGF‐β1/IL‐11/MEK/ERK signaling, whether Sirt1 overexpression prevented TGF‐β1/IL‐11/MEK/ERK signaling‐mediated senescence‐associated pulmonary fibrosis in vitamin D‐deficient (Cyp27b1−/−) mice, and whether Sirt1 downregulated IL‐11 expression transcribed by TGF‐β1/Smad2 signaling through deacetylating histone at the IL‐11 promoter in pulmonary fibroblasts. Bioinformatics analysis with RNA sequencing data from pulmonary fibroblasts of physiologically aged mice was conducted for correlation analysis. Lungs from young and physiologically aged wild‐type (WT) mice were examined for cell senescence, fibrosis markers, and TGF‐β1/IL‐11/MEK/ERK signaling proteins, and 1,25(OH)2D3 and IL‐11 levels were detected in serum. Nine‐week‐old WT, Sirt1 mesenchymal transgene (Sirt1Tg), Cyp27b1−/−, and Sirt1TgCyp27b1−/− mice were observed the pulmonary function, aging, and senescence‐associated secretory phenotype and TGF‐β1/IL‐11/MEK/ERK signaling. We found that pulmonary Sirt1 and serum vitamin D decreased with physiological aging, activating TGF‐β1/IL‐11/MEK/ERK signaling, and promoting senescence‐associated pulmonary fibrosis. Sirt1 overexpression improved pulmonary dysfunction, aging, DNA damage, senescence‐associated secretory phenotype, and fibrosis through downregulating TGF‐β1/IL‐11/MEK/ERK signaling in Cyp27b1−/− mice. Sirt1 negatively regulated IL‐11 expression through deacetylating H3K9/14ac mainly at the region from −871 to −724 of IL‐11 promoter, also the major binding region of Smad2 which regulated IL‐11 expression at the transcriptional level, and subsequently inhibiting TGF‐β1/IL‐11/MEK/ERK signaling in pulmonary fibroblasts. This signaling in aging fibroblasts could be a therapeutic target for preventing senescence‐associated pulmonary fibrosis induced by vitamin D deficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Redox‐active organic materials, as a new generation of sustainable resources, are receiving increasing attention in zinc‐ion batteries (ZIBs) due to their resource abundance and tunable structure. However, organic molecules with high potential are rare, and the voltage of most reported organic cathode‐based ZIBs is less than 1.2 V. Herein, we explored the redox process of p‐type organics and figured out the relationship between energy change and voltage output during the process. Then, we proposed a dual‐step strategy to effectively tune the energy change and eventually improve the output voltage of the organic electrode. Combining the regulation of the electron cloud of organic molecules and the manipulation of the solvation structure, the output voltage of an organosulfur compound based ZIB was greatly increased from 0.8 V to 1.7 V. Our results put forward a specific pathway to improve the working voltage and lay the foundation for the practical application of organic electrodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A single‐electron transfer mode coupled with the shuttle behavior of organic iodine batteries results in insufficient capacity, a low redox potential, and poor cycle durability. Sluggish kinetics are well known in conventional lithium–iodine (Li−I) batteries, inferior to other conversion congeners. Herein, we demonstrate new two‐electron redox chemistry of I−/I+ with inter‐halogen cooperation based on a developed haloid cathode. The new iodide‐ion conversion battery exhibits a state‐of‐art capacity of 408 mAh gI−1 with fast redox kinetics and superior cycle stability. Equipped with a newly emerged 3.42 V discharge voltage plateau, a recorded high energy density of 1324 Wh kgI−1 is achieved. Such robust redox chemistry is temperature‐insensitive and operates efficiently at −30 °C. With systematic theoretical calculations and experimental characterizations, the formation of Cl−I+ species and their functions are clarified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comprehensive Summary: In the past few decades, the development of high‐performance catalysts has been a key driving force and a center of research efforts in the field of olefin polymerization. However, a major discrepancy exists between industrial researches which utilize aliphatic hydrocarbon solvents, and academic researches which predominantly focus the catalytic properties in aromatic solvents. In this contribution, a novel diaryl‐methyl aniline bearing eight tert‐butyl groups was prepared and subsequently transformed to four different kinds of imine‐type ligands. The corresponding nickel complexes as well as their counterparts derived from diphenyl‐methyl aniline without the tert‐butyl groups were prepared and investigated in ethylene polymerization. The multiple tert‐butyl groups enable great solubility of the metal complexes in aliphatic hydrocarbon solvents, leading to similar polymerization properties comparing with aromatic solvents. In contrast, their counterparts without tert‐butyl groups demonstrate significant solvent effect. Moreover, the ligand electronic and steric effects induced by the tert‐butyl groups lead to nickel catalysts with great thermal stability (up to 140 oC) and capabilities of generating high molecular weight polymer and copolymer products. This tert‐butyl strategy can be potentially applied to many different polymerization catalyst systems and help to bridge academic studies with practical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spatial transcriptomics is considered as an important part of spatiotemporal molecular images to bridge molecular information with clinical images. Of those potentials and opportunities, the excellent quality of human sample preparation and handling will ensure the precise and reliable information generated from clinical spatial transcriptome. The present study aims at defining potential factors that might influence the quality of spatial transcriptomics in lung cancer, para‐cancer, or normal tissues, pathological images of sections and the RNA integrity before spatial transcriptome sequencing. We categorised potential influencing factors from clinical aspects, including patient selection, pathological definition, surgical types, sample harvest, temporary preservation conditions and solutions, frozen approaches, transport and storage conditions and duration. We emphasis on the relationship between the combination of histological scores with RNA integrity number (RIN) and the unique molecular identifier (UMI), which is determines the quality of of spatial transcriptomics; however, we did not find significantly relevance between them. Our results showed that isolated times and dry conditions of sample are critical for the UMI and the quality of spatial transcriptomic samples. Thus, clinical procedures of sample preparation should be furthermore optimised and standardised as new standards of operation performance for clinical spatial transcriptome. Our data suggested that the temporary preservation time and condition of samples at operation room should be within 30 min and in 'dry' status. The direct cryo‐preservation within OCT media for human lung sample is recommended. Thus, we believe that clinical spatial transcriptome will be a decisive approach and bridge in the development of spatiotemporal molecular images and provide new insights for understanding molecular mechanisms of diseases at multi‐orientations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The role of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in the pathogenesis of allergic rhinitis (AR) remains elusive. Methods: Real‐time polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR), immunohistochemistry, and western blotting analyses were performed to detect the expression of ER stress and unfolded protein response markers: 78‐kDa glucose‐regulated protein (GRP78), C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP), activating transcription factor 6 (ATF6α), spliced X‐box binding protein 1 (sXBP‐1), and phosphorylated eukaryotic initiation factor 2α (p‐eIF2α), in inferior turbinate tissue samples from patients with AR and non‐AR controls. Nasal tissues from patients with AR were cultured ex vivo and treated with 4‐phenylbutyric acid (4‐PBA), an ER stress inhibitor. Results: Compared to those in non‐AR controls, the mRNA and protein levels of GRP78, CHOP, ATF6α, sXBP‐1, and p‐eIF2α were significantly increased in nasal tissues from patients with AR. GRP78 and CHOP were mainly expressed in CD138+ plasma cells in nasal tissues from patients with AR. The frequency of IgE+CD138+ plasma cells was significantly higher in nasal tissues from patients with AR than that in non‐AR controls. IgE levels in nasal secretions and tissues were positively correlated with GRP78 and CHOP mRNA levels in the nasal tissues. After 4‐PBA treatment, the protein expression of GRP78, CHOP, ATF6α, sXBP‐1, and p‐eIF2α was significantly reduced in cultured AR‐derived nasal tissues, and IgE levels were simultaneously decreased in cultured supernatants. Conclusions: ER stress may be involved in the regulation of local IgE production in patients with AR. Inhibition of ER stress potentially provides a therapeutic avenue in AR by reducing local IgE production. Level of Evidence: NA [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Main observation and conclusion: A series of dibenzhydryl‐based iminopyridine‐N‐oxide ligands bearing a range of electron‐donating or ‐withdrawing substituents (OMe, H, and NO2) and corresponding nickel pre‐catalysts are prepared and characterized. The substituents are installed at different positions on the ligand structure, including 4‐position of the pyridine‐N‐oxide moiety (position X) and 4‐position of the aniline moiety (position Y). These nickel pre‐catalysts are highly active in ethylene polymerization with the addition of very little amount of aluminum cocatalysts, leading to the formation of polyethylenes with molecular weights of well above one million. Electron‐donating substituents make the catalysts sensitive to polymerization temperature. In contrast, the catalysts bearing electron‐withdrawing NO2 substituents show relatively steady performances at different temperatures. Most importantly, we demonstrate that different substituents and different positions both play important roles in determining the properties of nickel catalysts. This provides an alternative strategy for the future design of high‐performance polymerization catalyst. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Main observation and conclusion: A series of dibenzhydryl‐based iminopyridine‐N‐oxide ligands bearing a range of electron‐donating or ‐withdrawing substituents (OMe, H, and NO2) and corresponding nickel pre‐catalysts are prepared and characterized. The substituents are installed at different positions on the ligand structure, including 4‐position of the pyridine‐N‐oxide moiety (position X) and 4‐position of the aniline moiety (position Y). These nickel pre‐catalysts are highly active in ethylene polymerization with the addition of very little amount of aluminum cocatalysts, leading to the formation of polyethylenes with molecular weights of well above one million. Electron‐donating substituents make the catalysts sensitive to polymerization temperature. In contrast, the catalysts bearing electron‐withdrawing NO2 substituents show relatively steady performances at different temperatures. Most importantly, we demonstrate that different substituents and different positions both play important roles in determining the properties of nickel catalysts. This provides an alternative strategy for the future design of high‐performance polymerization catalyst. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zn batteries are usually considered as safe aqueous systems that are promising for flexible batteries. On the other hand, any liquids, including water, being encapsulated in a deformable battery may result in problems. Developing completely liquid‐free all‐solid‐state Zn batteries needs high‐quality solid‐state electrolytes (SSEs). Herein, we demonstrate in situ polymerized amorphous solid poly(1,3‐dioxolane) electrolytes, which show high Zn ion conductivity of 19.6 mS cm−1 at room temperature, low interfacial impedance, highly reversible Zn plating/stripping over 1800 h cycles, uniform and dendrite‐free Zn deposition, and non‐dry properties. The in‐plane interdigital‐structure device with the electrolyte completely exposed to the open atmosphere can be operated stably for over 30 days almost without weight loss or electrochemical performance decay. Furthermore, the sandwich‐structure device can normally operate over 40 min under exposure to fire. Meanwhile, the interfacial impedance and the capacity using in situ‐formed solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) remain almost unchanged after various bending tests, a key criterion for flexible/wearable devices. Our study demonstrates an approach for SSEs that fulfill the requirement of no liquid and mechanical robustness for practical solid‐state Zn batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Output voltage and self‐discharge rate are two important performance indices for supercapacitors, which have long been overlooked, though these play a very significant role in their practical application. Here, a zinc anode is used to construct a zinc ion hybrid capacitor. Expanded operating voltage of the hybrid capacitor is obtained with novel electrolytes. In addition, significantly improved anti‐self‐discharge ability is achieved. The phosphorene‐based zinc ion capacitor exploiting a "water in salt" electrolyte with a working potential can reach 2.2 V, delivering 214.3 F g−1 after 5000 cycles. The operating voltage is further extended to 2.5 V through the use of an organic solvent as the electrolyte; the solvent is prepared by adding 0.2 m ZnCl2 into the tetraethylammonium tetrafluoroborate in propylene carbonate (Et4NBF4/PC) solvent, and it exhibits 105.9 F g−1 even after 9500 cycles. More importantly, the phosphorene‐based capacitors possess excellent anti‐self‐discharge performance. The capacitors retain 76.16% of capacitance after resting for 300 h. The practical application of the zinc ion capacitor is demonstrated through a flexible paper‐based printed microcapacitor. It is believed that the developed zinc ion capacitor can effectively resolve the severe self‐discharge problem of supercapacitors. Moreover, high‐voltage zinc ion capacitors provide more opportunities for the application of supercapacitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To explore the role of the histidine triad nucleotide‐binding 2 (HINT2) protein in heart failure. Methods: Neonatal mouse ventricle myocytes (NMVMs) and myocardial infarction‐induced heart failure mice were used for in vitro or in vivo experiments. Adenovirus (ADV) and adeno‐associated virus serum type 9 (AAV9) vectors were used to regulate HINT2 expression. The expression of HINT2 was determined by quantifying the mRNA and protein levels. Cell survival was analysed using the CCK‐8 kit and TUNEL staining. Mitochondrial function was determined by the mitochondrial membrane potential and oxygen consumption rates. AAV9‐HINT2 was injected 24 h post‐myocardial infarction following which transthoracic echocardiography and histological analyses were performed after 4 weeks. Positron emission tomography tomography‐computed tomography (PET/CT) and targeted metabolomics analyses were used to explore the metabolic status in vivo. NAD levels were measured using a colorimetric kit. Computer‐simulated rigid body molecular docking was performed using AUTODOCK4. Molecule binding kinetics assays were performed using biolayer interferometry. Results: HINT2 was down‐regulated in NMVMs in hypoxia. ADV‐HINT2‐induced HINT2 overexpression improved NMVM survival after exposure to hypoxia. Mitochondrial function was preserved in the ADV‐HINT2 group under hypoxic conditions. In vivo experiments showed that cardiac function and metabolic status was preserved by HINT2 overexpression. HINT2 overexpression restored mitochondrial NAD levels; this was dependent on nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN). Using computer‐simulated molecular docking analysis and biolayer interferometry, we observed that HINT2 potentially binds and associates with NMN. Conclusion: HINT2 overexpression protects cardiac function in adult mice after myocardial infarction by maintaining mitochondrial NAD homeostasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electrocatalytic urea oxidation reaction (UOR) provides more economic electrons than water oxidation for various renewable energy‐related systems owing to its lower thermodynamic barriers. However, it is limited by sluggish reaction kinetics, especially by CO2 desorption steps, masking its energetic advantage compared with water oxidation. Now, a lattice‐oxygen‐involved UOR mechanism on Ni4+ active sites is reported that has significantly faster reaction kinetics than the conventional UOR mechanisms. Combined DFT, 18O isotope‐labeling mass spectrometry, and in situ IR spectroscopy show that lattice oxygen is directly involved in transforming *CO to CO2 and accelerating the UOR rate. The resultant Ni4+ catalyst on a glassy carbon electrode exhibits a high current density (264 mA cm−2 at 1.6 V versus RHE), outperforming the state‐of‐the‐art catalysts, and the turnover frequency of Ni4+ active sites towards UOR is 5 times higher than that of Ni3+ active sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rapid development of the Internet of Things, sensors as an important foundation in the era of smart interconnection, have a significant potential in the emerging fields of smart home, wearable devices, and smart mobile terminals. Flexible sensor has been attracting a great attention due to its portability, miniaturization and long endurance. The high consumption and signal crosstalk are urgent issues for the high‐integration sensing array. These issues could be effectively addressed by active‐matrix thin film transistors (TFT) backplane. In this work, the feasibility of oxide TFT for flexible sensor was discussed, in which high‐quality oxi de semiconductor films, oxide dielectric films, and printing Ag electrodes and wires were investigated, respectively. The device performance of flexible Si‐doped SnO2 TFT was optimized by modulating oxygen partial pressure, which could achieve a relative good electrical properties at room temperature. To implement low‐consumption application, high quality of high‐k ZrO2 dielectric film was investigated by solution‐processed method. The dielectric properties of ZrO2 film with the mircowave‐as sisted or deep ultraviolet irradiation‐assisted annealing process was similar to that of the thermal ann ealing process. The morphology and conductivity of Ag electrodes and wires printed by electrohydrodynamic (EHD) inkjet printing technology were studied. High conductivity of Ag electrodes and wires was achieved at a low curing temperature. These results imply that oxide TFT has a significant potential in the application of flexible sensor array. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antimicrobial polymers have been widely reported to exert strong biocidal effects against bacteria. In contrast with antimicrobial polymers with aliphatic ammonium groups, polymers with anilinium groups have been rarely studied and applied as biocidal materials. In this study, a representative polymer with aniline side functional groups, poly(N,N‐dimethylaminophenylene methacrylamide) (PDMAPMA), was explored as a novel antimicrobial polymer. PDMAPMA was synthesized and its physicochemical properties evaluated. The methyl iodide‐quaternized polymer was tested against the Gram‐positive Staphylococcus aureus, with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of 16–32 and 64–128 μg mL−1, respectively. Against the Gram‐negative Escherichia coli, the MIC and MBC were both 64–128 μg mL−1. To broaden the range of applications, PDMAPMA was coated on substrates via crosslinking to endow the surface with contact‐kill functionality. The effect of charge density of the coatings on the antimicrobial behavior was then investigated, and stronger biocidal performance was observed for films with higher charge density. This study of the biocidal behavior of PDMAPMA both in solution and as coatings is expected to broaden the application of polymers containing aniline side groups and provide more information on the antimicrobial behavior of such materials. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2019, 57, 1908–1921 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eight perennial ryegrass cultivars (representing the variations in ploidy, heading date and water‐soluble carbohydrates concentration) were investigated for morphology and nutritive value at three phenological stages: pre‐heading vegetative, reproductive and post‐flowering vegetative stages. Chemical compositions and digestibility of morphological components (lamina, pseudostem and reproductive stem) from each perennial ryegrass cultivar were analysed in a split‐plot design. At the vegetative stages, perennial ryegrass cultivars differed significantly in the proportions of lamina and pseudostem. Tetraploid cultivars, Base and Bealey, always had the greatest lamina proportion (51.8% and 53.2% at the pre‐heading and post‐flowering vegetative stages respectively). At the reproductive stage, the emergence of seed heads diminished the differences in morphology among cultivars. Perennial ryegrass cultivars also had distinct nutritive value throughout three phenological stages. The high‐sugar cultivar, AberMagic, had high WSC concentrations (276, 227 and 90 g/kg DM at the pre‐heading vegetative, reproductive and post‐flowering vegetative stages respectively); the intermediate‐heading cultivars, Kamo and Commando, generally had a lower organic matter digestibility in dry matter than the late‐heading cultivars at the pre‐heading vegetative (70.7% vs. 74.4%) and reproductive stage (63.9% vs. 68.2%). However, although the morphological components were different in nutritive value consistently, the differences in morphology did not account for the variation in nutritive value among perennial ryegrass cultivars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The vascular endothelial ( VE)-cadherin functions as an endothelial barrier protein controlling endothelial permeability and leukocyte transmigration. Developmental studies indicate that VE-cadherin also plays a vital role in angiogenesis. Micro RNA-22 plays important roles in cardiovascular diseases including cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure. We identified that miR-22 interacts with VE-cadherin mRNA. Overexpression of miR-22 in endothelial cells increases the synthesis of proinflammatory cytokines. Injection of miR-22 results in increased myeloperoxidase activity in the mouse lungs. Moreover, miR-22 injection into the fluorescent-labeled transgenic zebrafish Tg(fli1: EGFP) embryos caused defective vascular development in the dorsal and intersegmental vessels, and vascular markers were significantly suppressed in these embryos. Our studies demonstrate that the conserved targeting of VE-cadherin by miR-22 regulates endothelial inflammation, tissue injury, and angiogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT The 'breath figures' method provides an efficient and cost-effective method to produce highly ordered honeycomb patterns in polymeric films at micrometer and sub-micrometer dimensions. The size and regularity of the pores can be adjusted through a series of physical and chemical parameters. In this study, amphiphilic diblock copolymers, polystyrene- block-poly(4-vinyl pyridine) (PS- b-P4VP) with different lengths of P4VP, were synthesized through Reversible Addition-Fragmentation Chain Transfer polymerization. The honeycomb-patterned films were prepared from these well-defined polymers through the dynamic breath figures method. A series of physical parameters including solution concentration, flow rate, humidity of the flow, and the humidity of the casting environment, were delicately adjusted to systematically investigate their effects on the morphology of the films. These studies identified four key factors which were found to influence the formation of the pattern. No obvious effect was found on the pore size by changing the length of P4VP block. The result provides clear direction on the fabrication of PS- b-P4VP honeycomb-patterned films and more broadly contributes a deeper understanding of the processes involved in the formation of honeycomb patterns. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2016, 54, 3721-3732 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the current study, we examined the developmental course of the perception of non-native tonal contrast. We tested 4, 6 and 12-month-old Dutch infants on their discrimination of Chinese low-rising tone and low-dipping tone using the visual fixation paradigm. The infants were tested in two conditions that differed in terms of degree of variability. The 4-month-olds did not show discrimination effect in either condition. The 6- and 12-month-old infants, however, discriminated the tones in both conditions. The improvement of perception might be the result of cognitive development carried over from learning the native phonology. Infants can become better listeners in general in the first year of life, as well as get cognitively better equipped in dealing with the variable input in speech in general. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT The arrangement of monomers and morphology of fluorinated copolymers of methyl methacrylate (MMA) were found to be important for controlling the surface energy of the materials when formed into thin films. Novel copolymers of MMA and 2,2,3,3,4,4,4-heptafluorobutyl methacrylate (F3MA) were prepared with different monomer placement, namely statistical and block arrangements of the monomer units. The surface energies decreased with increasing incorporation of F3MA, in a manner consistent with previous reports for similar copolymers; however, the surface energies of the block copolymers were consistently lower than the statistical copolymers. This was interpreted as arising from conformational restriction of presentation of the fluoromonomers to the surface in the statistical copolymers, and formation of phase-separated domains at the surface of the block copolymers. The morphology of the block copolymers was confirmed by small angle X-ray scattering measurements, which allowed calculation of a solubility parameter for the fluorinated segments. The results have implications for the design of more environmentally acceptable materials with ultra-low surface energies. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2015, 53, 2633-2641 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The CIDEC protein is located in lipid droplets ( LDs) and the endoplasmic reticulum ( ER) and is induced in fat deposition. However, the binding domain, the functional domain and the underlying mechanism of CIDEC in stimulating lipid accumulation remain unclear. Here, we investigated the subcellular localization and function of pig CIDEC and confirmed CIDEC promotes unilocular development of LDs, reduces the specific surface area ( SSA) of LDs and stimulates lipid accumulation in HepG2 cells. By analyzing a series of CIDEC mutants, we showed the N-domain (1-173 amino acid) is involved in LD localization and the C-domain (174-238 amino acid) is necessary for LD fusion. Further analysis indicated that the 106-173 amino acid region includes an ER-binding domain. Moreover, CIDEC stayed in the ER under lipid-deficient conditions and translocated to LDs under fatty acid stimulation suggesting that localization of CIDEC in the ER is before the LD. Our data indicated additional fatty acids stimulated hepatic CIDEC expression and an increasing level of CIDEC induced hepatic LD fusion and lipid accumulation. Our work suggests that CIDEC protects LDs by decreasing the SSA of LDs and is involved in the regulation of hepatic lipid deposition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grazing has an important effect on population dynamics in grassland vegetation. This paper aims at providing information on the impact of livestock ingestion on seed germination in a Tibetan meadow. We conducted a laboratory germination experiment in which Stipa aliena seeds were treated by yak and Tibetan sheep rumen fluids and yak dung extract with undiluted, 1-fold and 10-fold diluted solutions. The results showed that seed germinability was restrained in all these treatments. In the control treatment, 66.2% of the seeds germinated, while there was almost no S. aliena germination in the undiluted and 1-fold diluted solutions of both yak and Tibetan sheep rumen fluids. Yak dung extract had relatively less effect on seed germination. Additionally, the primary effect of rumen fluid seems to be that it kills part of the seeds rather than delaying germination. Seed death may be due to the acidity of the fluid or/and due to the effect of microorganisms in the fluid. The negative effects of livestock digestive juices on S. aliena germination may constitute a mechanism explaining the population dynamics in alpine meadows of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One-Selector One-Resistor Devices: Multi-Functional Controllable Memory Devices Applied for 3D Integration Based on a Single Niobium Oxide Layer (Adv. Multi-functional controllable devices exhibit excellent one-selector one-resistor (1S1R) and threshold switching properties, which are valuable for the development of integration. In article number 1900756, Guokun Ma, Li Tao, Hao Wang, and co-workers discuss this multi-function and use finite element analysis to solidly understand the mechanism behind it. [Extracted from the article]

To achieve the highest integration density, a one‐selector one‐resistor (1S1R) structure is essential because of its smallest feature size in crossbar arrays. However, the complexity of structure and poor stability of the 1S1R property has seriously hampered its development. A multi‐functional controllable device with simple Pt/NbOx/TiN structure is fabricated and exhibits excellent 1S1R characteristics and threshold switching properties, which is suitable for integration due to the reduced leakage current. Meanwhile, two modes of 1S1R characteristics are found and discussed in detail, which is beneficial to understand the degeneration of 1S1R property. Furthermore, finite element analysis is utilized to analyze and provide further support for the multi‐behaviors. A multi‐functional device is demonstrated and the multi‐behavior mechanisms are explained, which is helpful to promote the application of 3D storage technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphitic carbon nitride (g‐C3N4) assisted photocatalytic production of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2 has already attracted the interest of many researchers due to its environmental sustainability. Nevertheless, the inherent drawbacks of g‐C3N4 limit its progress. Metal‐free modification strategies, including nanostructure design, defect introduction, doping, and heterojunction construction, have been developed to improve the efficiency of g‐C3N4 photocatalytic H2O2 production. Compared to metal modification, metal‐free strategies avoid the use of precious metals and the leaching of heavy metal ions, which have the advantages of good stability and environmental friendliness. However, a comprehensive review of H2O2 production from g‐C3N4 modified by metal‐free strategies is still lacking. This review first recaps the mechanism of photocatalytic H2O2 production by g‐C3N4, including photoexcitation, carrier separation and redox reactions. Then, the perspective advances in metal‐free modified g‐C3N4 photocatalysts are presented, with the special focus on the kernel connection between different strategies and mechanism based on the pivotal stages of H2O2 production. Subsequently, recent applications of g‐C3N4‐based photocatalysts for in situ generated H2O2, mainly including water purification and organic synthesis, are briefly discussed. Finally, the prospects of g‐C3N4‐based photocatalysts are envisioned with the hope that it will have “something to do” in the field of H2O2 production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Precast segmental ultra‐high‐performance concrete bridge presents broad application prospects. UHPC keyed joints play significant roles in the structural performance of such bridges, which require systematic investigation to comprehend their shear behavior and mechanism thoroughly. This study aimed to explore the shear mechanism of UHPC epoxied‐keyed joints. Experimental and numerical investigations were conducted to investigate the influence of key size, key number, key angle, and reinforcement form on the shear performance. The test results showed that the failure mode was primarily affected by the key number and reinforcement form, which can be divided into three categories: direct shear, segmental shear, and stepwise shear failure. The large‐keyed joints exhibited superior shear performance compared to the three‐keyed joints. The initial shear stiffness, ultimate bearing capacity, and normalized shear stress were 15%, 5.3%, and 5.6% higher, respectively. Furthermore, the mechanism of the two reinforcement forms was clarified. The key rebars mainly improve the ductility of the specimens, while the dowel action of the embedded rebars can enhance the shear efficiency and synergistic force ability of the joints. The numerical simulation results indicated that 2.7% was the best ratio of key rebar, and embedded rebars with larger diameters can strengthen the shear capacity and post‐peak performance of the joints. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, the important role of sterically bulky aromatic substituents at the axial position of the metal center for synthesizing high‐performance catalysts were recognized. In this study, a series of α‐diimine nickel complexes with bulky N‐ortho‐aryl substituents were designed and synthesized. The as‐synthesized nickel complexes showed high activities (up to 2.3×107 g ⋅ mol−1 ⋅ h−1) and superior thermostability, giving access to moderately branched polyethylenes (35–86/1000 C) with high molecular weights (up to 197.5×104 g ⋅ mol−1). The polyethylene materials generated by these nickel complexes at 80 °C exhibited outstanding tensile mechanical. In addition, these nickel complexes could also catalyze the copolymerization of ethylene and polar monomer with modest activity (such as undecenoic acid, 10‐undecen‐1‐ol and 6‐chlorohex‐1‐ene), yielding functionalized polyolefin with adjustable molecular weights (6.8–222.9×104 g ⋅ mol−1) and incorporation ratios (0.2–4.3 mol %). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]