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Controlling the structure and chemistry of solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) underpins the stability of electrolyte‐electrode interface, and is crucial for advancing rechargeable lithium metal batteries (LMBs). Here, we utilized photo‐controlled copolymerization to achieve the on‐demand synthesis of fluorosulfonyl fluoropolymers as unprecedented artificial SEI layers on Li metal anodes. This work not only enables instant formation of a hybrid polymer‐inorganic interphase that consists of a polymer‐enriched top layer and a LiF‐fortified bottom layer, originating from a single polymeric component, but also imparts various desirable physical properties (e.g. good mechanical strength and flexibility, high ion conductivity, low overpotential) to SEI via a single‐to‐divergent strategy. Model reactions and structural characterizations supported the formation of a divergent fluorinated interphase, which furnished prolonged stabilization of Li deposition, high coulombic efficiency and improved cycling behavior in electrochemical experiments. This work highlights the great potential of exploring reactive polymers as versatile coatings to stabilize Li metal anodes, providing a promising avenue to solve electrode‐electrolyte interfacial problems for LMBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Disulfide‐contained vitrimers that possess unprecedented functions, such as reprocessing and self‐healing, are considered to be one of the most promising materials since they also exhibit mechanochromic behaviors. A few reports have given the phenomenon of mechanochromism, but the relationship between their structure and mechanochromic behavior needed to further research. Herein, three aromatic disulfide‐contained epoxy vitrimers with different degree of unsaturation are prepared by changing the epoxy monomer. The effect of network structure on the dynamic and mechanochromic properties are investigated. With increasing the degree of unsaturation from the aliphatic to aromatic epoxy vitrimers, the Tg‐value increases and the chain mobility decreases, so the aliphatic epoxy vitrimers shows the lowest activation energy, the lowest temperature of malleability Tv, and the shortest relaxation times. In addition, these epoxy vitrimers all showes reversible mechanochromic behaviors due to the generation and coupling of sulfenyl radicals, which can be accelerated by the high temperature and solvent. Meanwhile, the epoxy structure has a great influence on the mechanochromic behavior, including the absorption wavelength and fading kinetics of grinding powders. These results can be utilized to design desired vitrimer materials for various applications that requires both the intrinsically self‐report damage and the dynamic properties such as recycling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cellulose acetate (CA) has found broad applications for many years. However, the development of mechanically strengthened CA materials without losing the processibility in solution remains quite difficult. In this work, novel CA thermosets are reported that can be readily constructed by employing alkyl diboronic acid as a crosslinking agent, which has allowed convenient reconfiguration of CA networks without demanding catalysts or harsh processing conditions. Various properties including thermal stability, creeping resistance, rheological and mechanical strength have been successfully improved by using small amounts (1–5 wt%) of diboronic acid. The dynamic cross‐linked network based on boron chemistry has facilitated solution processing during three times of recycling. Control experiments have shown that alkyl diboronic acid can deliver superior mechanical strength to CA as compared to aryl diboronic acid or single‐arm alkyl boronic acid. Based on the importance of CA materials, this work should be attractive to the design of reprocessible CA thermosets with high performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ultrahigh‐molecular‐weight (UHMW) polymers with tailored structures are highly desirable for the outstanding properties. In this work, we developed a novel photoorganocatalyzed controlled radical alternating copolymerizations of fluoroalkyl maleimide and diverse vinyl comonomers, enabling efficient preparation of fluorinated copolymers of predetermined UHMWs and well‐defined structures at high conversions. Versatility of this method was demonstrated by expanding to controlled terpolymerization, which allows facial access toward fluorinated terpolymers of UHMWs and functional pendants. The obtained copolymers exhibited attractive physical properties and furnished thermoplastic, anticorrosive and (super)hydrophobic attributes as coatings on different substrates. Molecular simulations provided insights into the coating morphology, which unveiled a fluorous protective layer on the top surface with polar groups attached to the bottom substrate, resulting in good adhesion and hydrophobicity, simultaneously. This synthetic method and customized copolymers shed light on the design of high‐performance coatings by macromolecular engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the past 80 years, fluoropolymers have found broad applications in both industrial and academic settings, owing to their unique physicochemical properties. Copolymerizations of fluoroalkene feedstocks present an important avenue to obtain high‐performance materials by merging intrinsic attributes of fluorocarbons and great versatility of comonomers. Recently, while massive investigations have disclosed the great potentials of precisely synthesized polymers, researchers have made considerable efforts to approach well‐defined fluorinated copolymers. This minireview discusses challenges in controlled radical copolymerizations (CRCPs) of fluoroalkenes and provides a concise perspective on recent progress in CRCPs of fluoroalkenes (e.g. tetrafluoroethylene, chlorotrifluoroethylene, hexafluoropropene, perfluoroalkyl vinyl ethers) with non‐fluorinated vinyl comonomers, which have enabled on‐demand preparations of various main‐chain fluoropolymers with predefined molar masses, low dispersities, as well as regulable chemical compositions and sequences. The synthetic advantages of CRCPs will promote controlled and facile access to customized fluoropolymers for high‐tech applications such as batteries, coatings and so on. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cellulose acetate (CA) is an important group of polymeric materials that have found broad applications. However, the narrow range of processing temperature causes difficulties to improve the mechanical properties of CA. In this work, poly(4‐pinacolatoborylstyrene) (PB) was synthesized and employed as a macromolecular cross‐linker for CA. Due to the dynamic coordination interaction between the boron center and hydroxyl groups on PB and CA, respectively, CA samples could be easily handled via the solution processing method. The addition of macromolecular PB additives (2.5 wt%) have successfully enhanced the mechanical properties, rheological properties of CA without losing the transparent appearance. Furthermore, the obtained CA materials could be recycled via solution reprocessing without apparent decrease of the mechanical properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To determine whether and how rheumatoid arthritis (RA), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and systemic sclerosis (SSc) affect outcomes in patients admitted for hemorrhagic stroke. Methods: This study screened the Nationwide Inpatient Sample database for adults aged ≥20 years admitted to US hospitals with a principal diagnosis of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) between 2005 and 2018. Diagnoses were determined using the International Classification of Diseases, 9th and 10th revisions (ICD‐9 and ICD‐10) diagnostic codes for ICH (ICD‐9: 431, 432; ICD‐10: I61, I62). Study outcomes were: (1) in‐hospital mortality; (2) unfavorable discharge, defined as transfer to nursing homes or long‐term care facilities; and (3) prolonged length of stay (LOS), defined as LOS >75th centile. Results: Associations between comorbid RA, SLE, and SSc and clinical outcomes show a significantly lower risk of in‐hospital mortality and prolonged LOS in RA patients. After admissions for ICH, the risk for in‐hospital mortality and prolonged LOS was decreased in RA patients, and the risk for unfavorable discharge (long‐term care) was reduced in SLE patients. Conclusions: Among patients admitted to US hospitals for hemorrhagic stroke, patients with RA had decreased risk for in‐hospital mortality and prolonged LOS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dendrite growth on electrode‐electrolyte interphase has severely limited applications of lithium metal batteries (LMBs). Here, we developed an ionic alternating polymer with fluorocarbons and phosphonium cations in repeating units to regulate Li deposition for the first time. The combined functionalities in the F/P hybrid polymer exhibit remarkable characteristics as a protective layer on top of Li anode, demonstrating outstanding electrochemical stability, ion flux redistributing capability and adaptive chain mobility. Based on characterizations and simulations, this cationic interlayer could effectively furnish long‐standing electrostatic shielding for anodes, allowing restrained coating decomposition and homogenized electric field distribution to induce dendrite‐free Li deposition, and enabling full cells with enhanced rate and long‐term cycling performance. Given the importance of LMBs, this work will promote polymer design to stabilize anodes with superior electrochemical behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organocatalyzed reversible‐deactivation radical polymerizations (RDRPs) are attractive for many applications. Here, we developed photoredox‐mediated RDRP by activating (hetero)aryl sulfonyl chloride (ArSO2Cl) initiators with pyridines and designing a novel bis(phenothiazine)arene catalyst. The in situ formed sulfonyl pyridinium intermediates effectively promote controlled chain‐growth from ArSO2Cl, enabling access to various well‐defined polymers with high initiation efficiencies and controlled dispersities under mild conditions. This versatile method allows "ON/OFF" temporal control, chain‐extension, facile synthesis of different polymer brushes via organocatalyzed grafting reactions from linear chains. Time‐resolved fluorescence decay studies and calculations support the reaction mechanism. This work provides a transition‐metal‐free RDRP to tailor polymers with readily available aromatic initiators, and will promote the design of polymerization leveraged from photoredox catalysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chrysanthemum morifolium cv. Fubaiju, a traditional tea in southern China with high nutritional and health functions was used in this study. Optimized production conditions of a novel chrysanthemum rice wine (FRW) were obtained by the Box–Behnken design response surface experiment. FRW with best sensory quality was developed with 0.68% chrysanthemum, 0.79% Jiuqu and 0.81:1 liquid‐to‐solid ratio. Compared with rice wine (RW) control, the total phenolic and flavonoid contents, as well as antioxidant activity of the FRW increased significantly. GC–MS analysis showed that more flavor compounds including alcohols, aldehydes, acids, and esters were detected in FRW. During the aging process, it was found that the antioxidant substances, the antioxidant activity and the flavor substances decreased, with the wine body tending to be homogenized. After 6 months of storage, overall sensory quality of FRW was more harmonious, with special nectar taste, which dramatically improved the flavor characteristics and functionality compared with traditional RW. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mechanochromic polymers that exhibit multiple color changes under external mechanical stimulation show great potential for sensor applications. Herein, an epoxy thermoset that can reveal the intensity, type, and duration of mechanical stimulation via a combination of disulfide (DS) and rhodamine (Rh) mechanochromophores is reported. A unique multicolor transition occurs upon ball mill or manual grinding because of the different activation energies of DS and Rh. The epoxy changes color depending on the ball mill grinding duration. Simultaneous activation occurs with a mechanochromic time lag between DS and Rh, and the collision energy strongly affects the relative intensity. A more dramatic multicolor response is observed using a mortar and pestle, as sequential activation occurs upon gentle and strong grinding. Various types of mechanical stimulation can cause different aggregates of the activated Rh moiety and vary the relative mechanosensitivities of Rh and DS, which lead to a different color response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photo‐controlled polymerizations are attractive to tailor macromolecules of complex compositions with spatiotemporal regulation. In this work, with a convenient synthesis for trifluorovinyl boronic ester (TFVB), we report a light‐driven organocatalyzed copolymerization of vinyl monomers and TFVB for the first time, which enabled the controlled synthesis of a variety of hybrid fluorine/boron polymers with low dispersities and good chain‐end fidelity. The good behaviors of "ON/OFF" switch, chain‐extension polymerizations and post‐modifications further highlight the versatility and reliability of this copolymerization. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the combination of fluorine and boron could furnish copolymer electrolytes of high lithium‐ion transference number (up to 0.83), bringing new opportunities of engineering high‐performance materials for energy storage purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aryl‐aryl linked two‐dimensional covalent organic frameworks (2D‐COFs) were synthesized by interfacial trimerization of 4,4′‐diacetylbiphenyl. The 2D‐COFs presented rigid skeleton structure, regular porosity and micron‐scale layered nanosheet structure, which can be easily exfoliated by sonication without destroying the micron size. The integration of 2D‐COFs and cellulose matrix via non‐solvent‐induced phase separation has facilely generated 2D‐COFs/cellulose composite monolith with hierarchical structure bearing nano/micro scale pores and 2D/3D dimensions. The composite monolith material has been successfully applied to dye adsorption using methylene blue (MB) and rhodamine B (RhB) as model adsorbates under aqueous conditions. At an initial dye concentration of 200 mg L−1 and neutral pH conditions, excellent adsorption capacities were presented (91.5 mg g−1 for MB, 67.3 mg g−1 for RhB), with satisfactory recyclability and good compatibility to different dye concentrations and pH environment. We anticipate the techniques will broaden the fabrication of COFs and related composite materials, and enable promising practical applications in porous materials and waste water treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multicolor mechanochromic polymers that can distinguish between different levels of stress indicated by color changes remain difficult to develop. This work reports a versatile strategy to construct mechanochromic epoxy thermosets that exhibit multicolor switching via the incorporation of two distinct mechanochromophores, rhodamine (Rh) and disulfide (DS), at finely tuned ratios. Owing to the different mechanosensitivities of the two components, the relative populations between the activated Rh and DS changed with compressive stress, as demonstrated by solid UV–vis spectroscopy, which revealed a color switch from pale yellow to green at 0.5 GPa, then to red at 2.0 GPa. The samples compressed at low stresses also showed a multicolor switching during the recovery process owing to the activated DS having faster recombination rates than the Rh. The facile preparation and ability to observe the stress intensity and stress history with the naked eye make these thermosets useful in practical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comprehensive Summary: Molecular weight distribution (MWD) is fundamental for polymer analysis, which influences many important properties of polymeric materials. In this work, we demonstrate the development of a computer‐aided droplet‐flow system that combines photo‐mediated reversible‐deactivation radical polymerization (RDRP) and chain transfer agent (CTA) diffusion strategy to enable facile MWD control for the first time. Synthetic advantages of this photo‐flow polymerization allow controlled chain‐growth to yield a variety of polymers of tunable MWDs in a broad range (Ð ≈ 1.1—1.9) with predetermined molecular weights (Mn ≈ 4—30 kDa) and good chain‐end fidelity. Notably, the computer‐aided platform has streamlined an automatic and high‐throughput pathway to prepare polymer libraries of tunable MWDs. For copolymers, chemical compositions could be readily regulated besides MWDs with the droplet‐flow platform. We believe that this work should be attractive for polymer engineering, and informative to create more flow polymerization techniques toward on‐demand control of diverse polymer characters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polymers with regulated alternating structures are attractive in practical applications, particularly for main‐chain fluoropolymers. We for the first time enabled controlled fluoropolymer synthesis with alternating sequence regulation using a novel fluorinated xanthate agent via a light‐driven process, which achieved on‐demand copolymerization of chlorotrifluoroethylene and vinyl esters/amides under both batch and flow conditions at ambient pressure. This method creates a facile access to fluoropolymers with a broad fraction range of alternating units, low dispersities and high chain‐end fidelity. Moreover, a two‐step photo‐flow platform was established to streamline the in‐situ chain‐extension toward unprecedented block copolymers continuously from fluoroethylene. Influences of structural control were illustrated with thermal and surface properties. We anticipate that this work will promote advanced material engineering with customized fluoropolymers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comprehensive Summary: Continuous‐flow techniques have promoted the development of synthetic chemistry due to advantages such as outstanding mass/heat transfer, on‐demand scalability, improved safety, precise regulation on reaction parameters, etc. Recently, the combination of flow polymerization with computer science has gained considerable interests, leading to a variety of cutting‐edge synthetic techniques. This review summarizes emerging achievements realized via the integration of computer science and living flow polymerizations, including 1) high‐throughput living polymerizations in flow, 2) programmable regulations of dispersity profile, sequence and topology for polymers, 3) modular design with online monitoring, as well as 4) self‐optimized living polymerizations in flow. We expect that this summary will furnish informative knowledge to scientists in related directions and inspire new ideas to further empower on‐demand polymer engineering with modern techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lowering cost will prompt the sustainable development of sugarcane‐based ethanol industry. In this work, we developed a low‐cost process for ethanol production from sugarcane by a genetically engineered Zymomonas mobilis. Fermentation media were first optimized, resulting in a 15.54% increase in ethanol fermentation efficiency as compared to control media. To further reduce the byproduct levan formation, a levansucrase‐encoding gene of Z. mobilis, sacB, was deleted through the type I‐F CRISPR‐Cas system, which resulted in a further elevation of both ethanol conversion ratio and productivity comparing with the starting strain ZMS912 (87.50% vs. 76.77%, 1.95 g/L/h vs. 1.71 g/L/h). Moreover, we conducted fed‐batch fermentation for ethanol production using sugarcane juice in 5 L bioreactors and employing the optimized media and engineered strain. The results showed that maximum ethanol titer of 81.59 g/L and productivity of 5.83 g/L/h were achieved. Finally, preliminary techno‐economic assessment demonstrated that our efforts to modify media and strain could reduce the processing cost of ethanol production from sugarcane juice, which provides the feasibility for economic ethanol production in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the effects of pH treatment, heat treatment, pH‐synergistic heat treatment and glycosylation on the functional properties of rice protein (RP). The results showed that all treatment methods could improve the functional properties of RP. Heat treatment improved functional properties by generating aggregates after RP unfolds, and pH treatment improved those by causing RP to hydrolyse and aggregate. Compared to RP, the solubility, emulsification activity (EA), emulsification stability (ES), foaming activity (FA), surface hydrophobicity and in vitro digestibility of pH‐synergistic heat treatment of RP (S‐RP) were increased by 11.47, 3.12, 3.45, 2.27, 3.36 and 2.12 times, respectively. Glycosylation mainly improved the functional properties of RP by introducing hydrophilic groups. Compared to those of S‐RP, solubility, EA, ES, FA, surface hydrophobicity and in vitro digestibility of RP–dextran conjugates (RPDCs) were increased by 2.03, 1.25, 1.97, 1.05, 1.64 and 1.48 times, respectively. Therefore, compared to glycosylated chemical modification, heat treatment and pH treatment had a weak improvement in the functional properties of RP. The comparison of pH‐treated RP (pH‐RP) and RP–dextran mixtures (RPDMs) showed that in the absence of heat treatment, carbonyl ammonia condensation almost did not occur. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chemosensory systems are considered to play an important role in host plant selection in herbivorous insects. However, few studies have focused on chemosensory proteins (CSPs) for aphid host‐location mechanisms. The roles of CSPs in searching for different Poaceae species (wheat, barley, triticale, maize and sorghum) were tested in Rhopalosiphum padi, an important cereal pest. The olfactometer assays showed that R. padi responds to plant odors. Seven R. padi CSP genes were identified. Influence of aphid morph, tissue and starvation state on expression patterns of CSPs was evaluated. Expression levels of CSP1, CSP4, CSP5 and CSP6 in winged aphids were significantly higher than those in wingless ones. Transcription levels of four genes (CSP1, CSP4, CSP5 and CSP6) were relatively higher in the head with antennae, and the four genes tended to be upregulated following starvation. Silencing of three CSPs (CSP4, CSP5 and CSP6) altered aphid host‐location behavior in response to the five different host plants tested. Three volatile compounds of host plants (octanal, [E]‐2‐hexenol and linalool) have significant attraction to winged R. padi according to the four‐arm olfactometer tests. Molecular docking predicted hydrogen bonding sites which played key roles in the binding of CSP4, CSP5 and CSP6 with volatile compounds. Knockdown of CSP4 or CSP5 significantly decreased the staying time of R. padi in the arms with octanal. However, knockdown of CSP6 could not affect the response of R. padi to octanal. These results bring evidence for the involvement of three CSPs in R. padi host‐location behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polymerizations of perfluorinated vinyl ethers (PFVEs) provide an important category of fluoropolymers that have received considerable interests in applications. In this work, we report the development of an organocatalyzed controlled radical alternating terpolymerization of PFVEs and vinyl ethers (VEs) under visible‐light irradiation. This method not only enables the synthesis of a broad scope of fluorinated terpolymers of low dispersities and high chain‐end fidelity, facilitating tuning the chemical compositions by rationally choosing the type and/or ratio of comonomers, but also allows temporal control of chain‐growth, as well as the preparation of a variety of novel fluorinated block copolymers. To showcase the versatility of this method, fluorinated alternating terpolymers have been synthesized and customized to simultaneously display a variety of desirable properties for solid polymer electrolyte design, creating new opportunities in high‐performance energy storage devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

V2O5‐Fe2O3 and V2O5‐TiO2 systems represent two important chemical systems with various applications, including energy, catalysts, and high‐performance materials. In the present study, high‐temperature phase equilibrium experiments were conducted at the temperature range of 670–1000°C in air. Electron probe X‐ray micro‐analyzer (EPMA) was used to analyze the microstructure and composition of the phases presented in quenched samples. Systematic experiments demonstrated that V2O5‐containing systems should not be quenched by water‐based quenching media. Phase diagrams in both systems were constructed, and the eutectic and peritectic points of the systems were confirmed and compared with previous studies. The present study improved the previous results and could be used as the base for thermodynamic modelings and further applications of the two systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Yangtze finless porpoise (Neophocaena asiaeorientalis asiaeorientalis), a critically endangered species, is the only cetacean species in the Yangtze River following the functional extinction of baiji (Lipotes vexillifer). To inform conservation actions, two important questions need to be addressed: what is the threshold value of survival rate, and what is the threshold value of population size? We calculate the instantaneous rate of population increase (r¯) for the Yangtze finless porpoise for various combinations of the calf and the non‐calf survival rates. We also test the probability of extinction for different minimum carrying capacities for 100 and 500 years using a stable population model. The threshold value of the non‐calf survival rate is never lower than 0.869, but current estimates from field data have been far below this threshold. Our model based on extinction probability and carrying capacity suggests that the threshold for the population size to persist 100 years required 113 animals, and 472 animals are required to persist 500 years. Therefore, we recommend establishing an ex situ reserve network to guarantee the minimum 100‐year carrying capacity. To ensure the long‐term population viability, we suggest establishing two in situ reserve zones in two lakes and their surrounding reserves to meet a minimum 500‐year carrying capacity. In addition, measures to avoid further habitat fragmentation should be priority. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While the conventional living cationic polymerization (LCP) provided opportunities to synthesizing well‐defined polymers with predetermined molecular weights, desirable chemical structures and narrow dispersity, it is still important to continuously innovate new synthetic methods to meet the increasing requirements in advanced material engineering. Consequently, a variety of novel initiation/controlling systems have be demonstrated recently, which have enabled LCP with spatiotemporal control, broadened scopes of monomers and terminals, more user‐friendly operations and reaction conditions, as well as improved thermomechanical properties for obtained polymers. In this work, recent advances in LCP is summarized with emerging initiation/controlling systems, including chemical‐initiated/controlled cationic reversible addition‐fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization, photoinitiated/controlled LCP, electrochemical‐controlled LCP, thionyl/selenium halide‐initiated LCP, organic acid‐assisted LCP, and stereoselective LCP. It is hoped that this summary will provide useful knowledge to people in related fields and stimulate new ideas to promote the development and application of LCP in both academia and industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Citizen science is a popular method for the long‐term monitoring of the distribution of wild animals. The application of these methods in different species and environments still poses challenges, especially for aquatic animals. In this study, we investigated the distribution of the Bryde's whale (Balaenoptera edeni) in the Beibu Gulf of China by using scientific boat‐based surveys and citizen science approaches using 2 different methods of data collection. First, we built our mobile app (Whale Guard) and installed it on fishermen's phones. Second, we used a popular instant messaging app (WeChat) to create an online fisherman community. We found that the mobile phone app collected far fewer reports (5 reports) than the online community group (42 reports, P < 0.01). By using a variety of incentives, we maintained the fisherman's community's activity without significant user loss (P < 0.01). We also found that the locations collected by social media applications in this study were consistent with observations from scientific boat‐based transect surveys. The sightings distribution of Bryde's whales differed from those in previous surveys in that they were present across larger areas. Social media apps reported that 69% of reports was confirmed by more than one person, whereas Whale Guard reports were much lower (0, P <0.001). Community‐based citizen science can greatly contribute to the long‐term monitoring of Bryde's whales, and it has successfully overcome the challenges of data accessibility, accuracy, and fragmentation. Our study shows how to appropriately use citizen science in different community groups and community‐based approaches make them useful for large baleen whale surveys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) that can offer flexible processability, highly tunable chemical functionality, and cost effectiveness are regarded as attractive alternatives for liquid electrolytes (LE) to address their safety and energy density limitations. However, it remains a great challenge for SPEs to stabilize Li+ deposition at the electrolyte–electrode interface and impede lithium dendrite proliferation compared with LE‐based systems. Herein, a design of solid‐state fluorinated bifunctional SPE (FB‐SPE) that covalently tethers fluorinated chains with polyether‐based segments is proposed and synthesized via photo‐controlled radical polymerization (photo‐CRP). In contrast to the conventional non‐fluorinated polyether‐derived SPEs, FB‐SPE is able to provide conducting Li+ transport pathways up to ≈5.0 V, while simultaneously forming a LiF interaction that can enhance Li anode compatibility and prevent Li dendrites growth. As a result, the FB‐SPE exhibits outstanding cycling stability in Li||Li symmetrical cells of over 1500 operating hours at as high current density as 0.2 mA cm−2. A thin and uniform Li deposition layer and LiF‐rich SEI at the surface of Li anode are found, and stable cycling with average coulombic efficiencies of 99% is demonstrated in Li||LFP and Li||NCM all‐solid‐state batteries based on such bifunctional fluorinated SPEs. The interesting fluorine effect and effective self‐suppression of lithium dendrites will inform rational molecular design of novel electrolytes and practical development of all‐solid‐state Li metal batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metasurfaces have attracted much attention in recent years due to their powerful abilities in manipulating electromagnetic (EM) waves. However, most of the previously reported metasurfaces are incapable of real‐time control of full‐space EM waves, including transmission, reflection, and absorption at the same time. In this paper, a reconfigurable multifunctional metasurface is proposed that demonstrates real‐time control of transmission, absorption, and reflection of EM waves, which can be continuously controlled from total transmission to total reflection, and to perfect absorption. In the case of total reflection, the reflected waves can be further manipulated in a programmable way by changing the digital coding sequences via bias voltages. Meanwhile, the metasurface can independently control vertical and horizontal polarized waves in broadband. The reconfigurable functionalities of the metasurface are validated by experiments, which agree very well with numerical simulations. In addition, a potential application of the reconfigurable multifunctional metasurface in a stealth radome is proposed and demonstrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MARCH5 is a critical regulator of mitochondrial dynamics, apoptosis and mitophagy. However, its role in cardiovascular system remains poorly understood. This study aimed to investigate the role of MARCH5 in endothelial cell (ECs) injury and the involvement of the Akt/eNOS signalling pathway in this process. Rat models of myocardial infarction (MI) and human cardiac microvascular endothelial cells (HCMECs) exposed to hypoxia (1% O2) were used in this study. MARCH5 expression was significantly reduced in ECs of MI hearts and ECs exposed to hypoxia. Hypoxia inhibited the proliferation, migration and tube formation of ECs, and these effects were aggravated by knockdown of MARCH5 but antagonized by overexpressed MARCH5. Overexpression of MARCH5 increased nitric oxide (NO) content, p‐eNOS and p‐Akt, while MARCH5 knockdown exerted the opposite effects. The protective effects mediated by MARCH5 overexpression on ECs could be inhibited by eNOS inhibitor L‐NAME and Akt inhibitor LY294002. In conclusion, these results indicated that MARCH5 acts as a protective factor in ischaemia/hypoxia‐induced ECs injury partially through Akt/eNOS pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phase equilibria and liquidus temperatures in the CaO–SiO2–Al2O3–MgO system at a CaO/SiO2 weight ratio of 0.9 in the liquid phase have been experimentally determined employing high‐temperature equilibration and quenching technique followed by electron probe X‐ray microanalysis. Isotherms at 1573, 1623, 1673, and 1773 K were determined and the primary phase fields of wollastonite, melilite, olivine, periclase, spinel, and corundum have been located. Compositions of the olivine and melilite solid solutions were analyzed and discussed. Comparisons between the newly constructed diagram, existing data, and FactSage predicted phase diagrams were performed and differences were discussed. The present study will be useful for guidance of industrial practices and further development of thermodynamic modeling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Topology influences the properties and applications of polymers. Consequently, considerable efforts have been made to control topological structures. In this work, we have developed a photoorganocatalyzed divergent synthetic approach based on reversible‐deactivation radical polymerization (RDRP) that enables the preparation of both linear and branched fluoropolymers of low dispersity (Ð), a tunable degree of branching and high chain‐end fidelity by exposure to LED light irradiation under metal‐free conditions. This method promotes the generation of complicated structures (e.g. necklace‐like and mop‐like fluoropolymers) via chain‐extension photo‐RDRP, and provides a novel and versatile platform to access fluoropolymer electrolytes with high Li‐ion transference number and good ionic conductivity, which should create improved opportunities for advanced material engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing nonprecious electrocatalysts via a cost‐effective methods to synergistically achieve high active sites exposure and optimized intrinsic activity remains a grand challenge. Here a low‐cost and scaled‐up chemical etching method is developed for transforming nickel foam (NF) into a highly active electrocatalyst for both the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). The synthetic method involves a Na2S‐induced chemical etching of NF in the presence of Fe, leading to a growth of ultrathin Fe‐doped Ni3S2 arrays on the NF substrate (FexNi3‐xS2 @ NF). The combined experimental and theoretical investigations reveal that the incorporated Fe cations significantly modulate the morphology and the surface electron density of Ni3S2, and thus significantly boost the electrochemically active surface area, electron transfer, and optimize the hydrogen/water absorption free energy. The developed Fe0.9Ni2.1S2 @ NF requires overpotentials of only 72 mV at 10 mA cm−2 for HER and 252 mV at 100 mA cm−2 for OER in 1.0 m KOH, respectively, enabling an alkaline electrolyzer at a low cell voltage of 1.51 V to drive 10 mA cm−2 for overall water splitting. More broadly, this synthetic approach is very versatile and can be used to synthesize other ultrathin metal sulfides (e.g., Fe–Cu–S, Fe–Al–S, and Fe–Ti–S). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Loss of T‐type calcium channel (TCC) function has been reported to result in decreased cell viability and impaired muscle regeneration, but the underlying mechanisms remain largely unknown. We previously found that expression of TCC is reduced in aged pelvic floor muscle of multiple vaginal delivery mice, and this is related to endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) activation and autophagy flux blockade. In the present work, we further investigated the effects of TCC function loss on C2C12 myotubes and skeletal muscle, which is mediated by promotion of ERS and ultimately contributes to mitochondrial‐related apoptotic cell death. We found that application of a TCC inhibitor induced mitochondria‐related apoptosis in a dose‐dependent manner and also reduced mitochondrial transmembrane potential (MMP), induced mito‐ROS generation, and enhanced expression of mitochondrial apoptosis proteins. Functional inhibition of TCC induced ERS, resulting in disorder of Ca2+ homeostasis in endoplasmic reticulum, and ultimately leading to cell apoptosis in C2C12 myotubes. Tibialis anterior muscles of T‐type α1H channel knockout mice displayed a smaller skeletal muscle fiber size and elevated ERS‐mediated apoptosis signaling. Our data point to a novel mechanism whereby TCC blockade leads to ERS activation and terminal mitochondrial‐related apoptotic events in C2C12 myotubes and skeletal muscles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Double antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) has wide inter‐individual variabilities in coronary heart disease (CHD) patients' responses, which undermines the prognosis effect in clinical practice. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been reported to be widely existed in platelets, albeit their potential roles in platelet responses to DAPT largely remains in the realm of the unknown. This study aims to screen differentially expressed lncRNAs responsible for high residual platelet reactivities under DAPT. Methods: We enrolled 144 CHD patients that received DAPT and assigned them to high platelet reactivity (HPR) group and baseline group according to their residual platelet reactivities. Statistical analysis and a series of experiments including microarray analysis, platelet reactivity screening, RNA isolation and lncRNA microarray analysis were explored to the research. Results: We detected a total of 22,424 kinds of co‐expressed lncRNAs in three pairs of patients between the HPR and baseline groups. We identified twenty differentially expressed lncRNAs and successfully validated three of them in the 144 patients. Ultimately, the expression of ensemble transcript ENST00000433442 was demonstrated as significantly correlated with high platelet reactivity (OR = 0.487, P =.035) by logistic regression analysis. Conclusion: There is a considerable amount of lncRNAs in platelets, and the downregulated expression of ENST00000433442 is an independent risk factor for high residual platelet reactivity in CHD patients under DAPT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Space‐time modulated metasurfaces enable efficient manipulations of nonlinear harmonics with more degrees of freedom than conventional materials by simply controlling the element geometries and modulation signals. The theoretical analyses reveal that a group of harmonics in reflected waves could be generated by the metasurface under the incidence of monochromatic wave with the rapid change of surface reflectivity, while the fundamental spectrum is greatly suppressed. However, it remains a great challenge to synthesize a high‐quality single‐tone signal for the reflected waves with excellent rejection ratio for higher‐order harmonics, which is highly desired for applications like wireless communications and radar detection. Here, a new scheme to overcome this limit, which experimentally realizes high‐efficiency frequency conversion from the fundamental harmonic to the +1st/−1storder harmonic of reflected waves, and beam shaping based on the space‐time joint coding strategy are proposed. The measured results show that the maximum conversion efficiency is greater than 88%. This design can also find widespread applications in THz frequencies when the active metasurface for periodical phase modulations is further developed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) linked ortho‐MeO‐phenyldicyclohexylphosphine (MeO‐WePhos) ligand has been synthesized to promote Pd‐catalyzed carbon‐carbon bond formation by cross‐couplings including Sonogashira, Heck, Hiyama and Stille reactions, providing corresponding (hetero)aryl substituted alkynes, alkenes and bi(hetero)aryls in good to excellent isolated yields with low Pd loadings. Facilitated by the lower critical solution temperature behaviour of the polymeric monophosphine ligand, the metal‐complex could rapidly shuttle between organic and water phases as regulated by temperature, enabling highly efficient catalyst recycling via a simple phase separation. The chemical structure of ligand was determined by matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization‐time of flight mass spectrometry, nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometry and size‐exclusion chromatography measurements. Notably, as demonstrated by the inductively coupled plasma‐atomic emission spectrometry measurement, 98% Pd was kept in the water phase after 6 cycles of catalyst recycling experiments. Given the profound impact of transition‐metal‐catalyzed covalent bond formation and the increasing demand of sustainable chemistry, this work provides an alternative method to conduct cross‐couplings with a polymeric shuttling catalyst. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ultra‐high‐molecular‐weight (UHMW) polymers display outstanding properties and hold potential for wide applications. However, their precise synthesis remains challenging. Herein, we developed a novel reversible‐deactivation radical polymerization based on the strong and selective fluorine–fluorine interaction, allowing chain‐transfer agents to spontaneously differentiate into two groups that take charge of the chain growth and reversible deactivation of the growing chains, respectively. This method enables dramatically improved livingness of propagation, providing UHMW polymers with a surprisingly narrow molecular weight distribution (Đ≈1.1) from a variety of fluorinated (meth)acrylates and acrylamide at quantitative conversions under visible‐light irradiation. In situ chain‐end extensions from UHMW polymers facilitated the synthesis of well‐defined block copolymers, revealing the excellent chain‐end fidelity achieved by this method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stromal cell‐derived factor‐1 (SDF‐1) is a well‐characterized cytokine that protects heart from ischaemic injury. However, the beneficial effects of native SDF‐1, in terms of promoting myocardial repair, are limited by its low concentration in the ischaemic myocardium. Annexin V (AnxA5) can precisely detect dead cells in vivo. As massive cardiomyocytes die after MI, we hypothesize that AnxA5 can be used as an anchor to carry SDF‐1 to the ischaemic myocardium. In this study, we constructed a fusion protein consisting of SDF‐1 and AnxA5 domains. The receptor competition assay revealed that SDF‐1‐AnxA5 had high binding affinity to SDF‐1 receptor CXCR4. The treatment of SDF‐1‐AnxA5 could significantly promote phosphorylation of AKT and ERK and induce chemotactic response, angiogenesis and cell survival in vitro. The binding membrane assay and immunofluorescence revealed that AnxA5 domain had the ability to specifically recognize and bind to cells injured by hypoxia. Furthermore, SDF‐1‐AnxA5 administered via peripheral vein could accumulate at the infarcted myocardium in vivo. The treatment with SDF‐1‐AnxA5 attenuated cell apoptosis, enhanced angiogenesis, reduced infarcted size and improved cardiac function after mouse myocardial infarction. Our results suggest that the bifunctional SDF‐1‐AnxA5 can specifically bind to dead cells. The systemic administration of bifunctional SDF‐1‐AnxA5 effectively provides cardioprotection after myocardial infarction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the 14 currently recognized baleen whales (Committee on Taxonomy [8]), the Bryde's whale ( I Balaenoptera edeni i ) is provisionally recognized as one species with two subspecies: the smaller Eden's whale, I B. e. edeni i and the larger Bryde's whale, I B. e. brydei i (Rice 1998, Rosel and Wilcox [30], Committee on Taxonomy [8], Cooke and Brownell [9]). Here, we assumed the baleen whale the fishermen encountered was the Bryde's whale, because the Bryde's whale is thus far the only baleen whale species reported in the Beibu Gulf (Smith I et al i . All fishermen who sighted a whale indicated the whale was as long as the length of their boat, 10-12 m (the size of a mature Bryde's whale). Of the 62 fishermen who sighted whales, 42 (68% of whale sightings, or 59% of interviewees) encountered trap-feeding behavior that is characteristic to the Bryde's whale. [Extracted from the article]

The activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) is an important step in the progress of liver fibrosis. Fibrosis can be impeded by HSC reversion to a quiescent state or HSC clearance through apoptosis. To investigate the apoptotic effects of hsian‐tsao (Mesona procumbens Hemsl) on human HSCs, the expression levels of cleaved caspase‐3, p38, and c‐Jun N‐terminal kinase (JNK) were assessed using Western blotting, and the caspase‐3 activity was measured using caspase‐3/CPP32 colorimetric assay kit. Hsian‐tsao extract (HTE) increased the activity of caspase‐3 and the level of activated caspase‐3, indicating the activation of apoptosis. The intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) level increased in a dose‐dependent manner. This increase was prevented by an antioxidant, suggesting that HTE induces ROS accumulation. In addition, we found that HTE induced the phosphorylation of the mitogen‐activated protein kinases JNK and p38. These collective data indicate that HTE induces apoptosis via ROS production through the p38, JNK, and caspase‐3‐dependent pathways. HTE may decrease HSC activation in liver fibrosis and may have a therapeutic potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]