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Due to the superior catalytic activity and efficient utilization of noble metals, nanocatalysts are extensively used in the modern industrial production of chemicals. The surface structures of these materials are significantly influenced by reactive adsorbates, leading to dynamic behavior under experimental conditions. The dynamic nature poses significant challenges in studying the structure–activity relations of catalysts. Herein, we unveil an anomalous entropic effect on catalysis via surface pre‐melting of nanoclusters through machine learning accelerated molecular dynamics and free energy calculation. We find that due to the pre‐melting of shell atoms, there exists a non‐linear variation in the catalytic activity of the nanoclusters with temperature. Consequently, two notable changes in catalyst activity occur at the respective temperatures of melting for the shell and core atoms. We further study the nanoclusters with surface point defects, i.e. vacancy and ad‐atom, and observe significant decrease in the surface melting temperatures of the nanoclusters, enabling the reaction to take place under more favorable and milder conditions. These findings not only provide novel insights into dynamic catalysis of nanoclusters but also offer new understanding of the role of point defects in catalytic processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The objective of the study was to investigate the relationship between types of disc displacement (DD) diagnosed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and the risk (presence or absence) and severity of condylar erosion (CE) graded using cone‐beam computed tomography (CBCT) in adult Temporomandibular disorders (TMD) patients. Methods: A total of 353 TMD patients (283 females, 70 males) underwent MRI scans to categorise DD as normal (NA), anterior displacement with reduction (ADDR), or anterior displacement without reduction (ADDNR). CE severity was graded on a scale of 0–3 (absence, mild, moderate or severe) using CBCT. To establish the plausibility and cut‐off points for CE diagnosis, the severity of CE was then further divided into three classifications: Grade 0 versus 1 + 2 + 3; Grades 0 + 1 versus 2 + 3; Grades 0 + 1 + 2 versus 3. Logistic regression analysis was performed, adjusting for age, gender and joint correlation. Results: ADDNR significantly increased the risk of CE compared with NA (OR = 10.04, 95% CI: [6.41, 15.73]) and showed a significant increase in CE severity across all classifications (ORs = 10.04–18.95). The effects of ADDNR were significant in both genders (p <.001) and had a greater impact in females. ADDR was predominantly associated with mild CE. Conclusions: ADDNR significantly increased the risk and severity of CE independent of gender when compared to NA, whereas ADDR was mainly associated with mild CE. Slight cortical discontinuity may represent a subclinical diagnosis requiring further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore the effects of waste heat (50–170°C) from steel plant flue gas on the column photobioreactor algal liquid temperature for microalgal production, a flue gas‐microalgal liquid heat transfer model was developed that simulated the microalgal growth environment for flue‐gas carbon dioxide (CO2) fixation. The simulation results showed that the influence of high‐temperature flue gas weakened with the increasing microalgal liquid temperature due to enhanced evaporation and heat dissipation. Increasing the flue gas temperature and aeration rate resulted in a higher microalgal liquid temperature up to a maximum increase of 4.16°C at an ambient temperature of 25°C, an aeration rate of 2 L/min, and a flue gas temperature of 170°C. In an experiment on the effect of incubation temperature on the growth rate of microalgae, at an optimal temperature of 35°C, the Chlorella sp. PY‐ZU1 growth rate exhibited a remarkable increase of 104.7% compared to that at 42.5°C. Therefore, modulating the flue gas conditions can significantly increase the microalgal growth rate for CO2 fixation, making it a promising approach to increase biomass production for efficient carbon utilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electroencephalogram (EEG), as a tool capable of objectively recording brain electrical signals during emotional expression, has been extensively utilized. Current technology heavily relies on datasets, with its performance being limited by the size of the dataset and the accuracy of its annotations. At the same time, unsupervised learning and contrastive learning methods largely depend on the feature distribution within datasets, thus requiring training tailored to specific datasets for optimal results. However, the collection of EEG signals is influenced by factors such as equipment, settings, individuals, and experimental procedures, resulting in significant variability. Consequently, the effectiveness of models is heavily dependent on dataset collection efforts conducted under stringent objective conditions. To address these challenges, we introduce a novel approach: employing a self‐supervised pre‐training model, to process data across different datasets. This model is capable of operating effectively across multiple datasets. The model conducts self‐supervised pre‐training without the need for direct access to specific emotion category labels, enabling it to pre‐train and extract universally useful features without predefined downstream tasks. To tackle the issue of semantic expression confusion, we employed a masked prediction model that guides the model to generate richer semantic information through learning bidirectional feature combinations in sequence. Addressing challenges such as significant differences in data distribution, we introduced adaptive clustering techniques that manage by generating pseudo‐labels across multiple categories. The model is capable of enhancing the expression of hidden features in intermediate layers during the self‐supervised training process, enabling it to learn common hidden features across different datasets. This study, by constructing a hybrid dataset and conducting extensive experiments, demonstrated two key findings: (1) our model performs best on multiple evaluation metrics; (2) the model can effectively integrate critical features from different datasets, significantly enhancing the accuracy of emotion recognition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To overcome the problems of low slurry utilization and poor surface uniformity in conventional small tool polishing of curved surfaces, a small tool polishing method based on slurry dielectrophoresis (STP‐DEP) is proposed. The dielectrophoretic effect distributes the slurry evenly and increases its dwell time in the processing area, enabling more abrasives to participate in polishing, thereby improving the material removal efficiency and surface uniformity of the workpiece. The observation experiment indicates that dielectrophoresis can efficiently distribute the slurry evenly. Compared with the traditional small tool polishing, the results show that the polishing efficiency of the STP‐DEP is improved by 34% on the premise of achieving the same surface roughness Ra of the workpiece. The Taguchi experiments are carried out on K9 convex lens. Results show that the optimal surface roughness Ra 3.3 nm (initial Ra 2400 nm, processing time 120 min) is obtained when the tool speed is 400 rpm, the pressing amount is 1 mm, the infeed angle is 15°, and the abrasive size is 3 μm. The research proves that the STP‐DEP successfully solves the problem of slurry uneven distribution, and realizes efficient surface polishing with high surface uniformity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Branch number is one of the most important agronomic traits of fruit trees such as peach. Little is known about how LncRNA and/or miRNA modules regulate branching through transcription factors.Here, we used molecular and genetic tools to clarify the molecular mechanisms underlying brassinosteroid (BR) altering plant branching.We found that the number of sylleptic branch and BR content in pillar peach ('Zhaoshouhong') was lower than those of standard type ('Okubo'), and exogenous BR application could significantly promote branching. PpTCP4 expressed great differentially comparing 'Zhaoshouhong' with 'Okubo'. PpTCP4 could directly bind to DWARF2 (PpD2) and inhibited its expression. PpD2 was the only one differentially expressed key gene in the path of BR biosynthesis. At the same time, PpTCP4 was identified as a target of miR6288b‐3p. LncRNA1 could act as the endogenous target mimic of miR6288b‐3p and repress expression of miR6288b‐3p. Three deletions and five SNP sites of lncRNA1 promoter were found in 'Zhaoshouhong', which was an important cause of different mRNA level of PpTCP4 and BR content. Moreover, overexpressed PpTCP4 significantly inhibited branching.A novel mechanism in which the lncRNA1‐miR6288b‐3p‐PpTCP4‐PpD2 module regulates peach branching number was proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Alopecia areata (AA) is often characterized by sudden onset of patchy hair loss. Topical corticosteroid injection is the most common treatment. This study retrospectively observed the clinical efficacy of microneedle minoxidil combined with triamcinolone acetonide in the treatment of AA. Methods: A total of 230 patients with AA were selected. The experimental group (n = 120) received physician training and home microneedle treatment with minoxidil combined with triamcinolone acetonide once a week. Topical minoxidil and triamcinolone acetonide were used twice daily at other times. The control group (n = 110) was treated with minoxidil combined with triamcinolone acetonide, twice a day. Cure rate, response rate, SALT, dermatological Quality of Life Index (DLQI), visual analogue (VAS), and cost were assessed at weeks 4 and 12. Results: Treated group SALT score(Severity of Alopecia Tool) remarkable lower than control group after treated 4 and 12 weeks. After 12 weeks treatment, DLQI score of the treated group (1.8 ± 1.67) were significantly lower than those of the control group (2.45 ± 1.88) (p < 0.05). VAS score and adverse reaction between two group showed no significant different (p = 0.823, p = 0.484 respectively). The total cost was 53.93 ± 15.85 in the treatment group and 53.26 ± 11.51 in the control group. There was no significant difference between the two groups (p = 0.72). In the treated group, the complete response rate (CR: 78.33%) and total effective rate (CR+PR: 95%) were significantly higher than those in the control group (CR: 40.91% and CR+PR: 51.82%), with statistically significant differences (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Microneedle introduction of minoxidil and triamcinolone acetonide in the treatment of AA is a safe, effective, economical, and convenient method, with few adverse reactions, and has a good application prospect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection poses a significant burden on global public health. Unfortunately, current treatments cannot fully alleviate this burden as they have limited effect on the transcriptional activity of the tenacious covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) responsible for viral persistence. Consequently, the HBV life cycle should be further investigated to develop new anti‐HBV pharmaceutical targets. Our previous study discovered that the host gene TMEM203 hinders HBV replication by participating in calcium ion regulation. The involvement of intracellular calcium in HBV replication has also been confirmed. In this study, we found that transient receptor potential vanilloid 4 (TRPV4) notably enhances HBV reproduction by investigating the effects of several calcium ion‐related molecules on HBV replication. The in‐depth study showed that TRPV4 promotes hepatitis B core/capsid protein (HBc) protein stability through the ubiquitination pathway and then promotes the nucleocapsid assembly. HBc binds to cccDNA and reduces the nucleosome spacing of the cccDNA‐histones complex, which may regulate HBV transcription by altering the nucleosome arrangement of the HBV genome. Moreover, our results showed that TRPV4 promotes cccDNA‐dependent transcription by accelerating the methylation modification of H3K4. In conclusion, TRPV4 could interact with HBV core protein and regulate HBV during transcription and replication. These data suggest that TRPV4 exerts multifaceted HBV‐related synergistic factors and may serve as a therapeutic target for CHB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article aims to address the reliable quantized sampled‐data load frequency control (LFC) synthesis problem for semi‐Markov jump interconnected multi‐area power systems (IMAPSs) suffering from incomplete transition rates (TRs) and actuator failures. Primarily, the semi‐Markov process configurated with incomplete TRs is utilized to model the structural and coefficient switchings of IMAPSs, which enables a more precise representation of reality and a wider range of application. Subsequently, in order to reduce the control cost and facilitate data processing, an aperiodic quantization sampling mechanism is introduced. Furthermore, a mode‐dependent and comprehensive actuator faulty model is scheduled to portray various stochastically occurring actuator failures, which is more in line with practical application. Then, by fully utilizing the state information of sampled intervals, a two‐sided looped functional with some matrices that are not required to be strictly positive is constructed to enhance the flexibility. In what follows, on the basis of stochastic analysis technique and looped functional, sufficient conditions with two scenarios are established in the form of linear matrix inequalities (LMIs) to guarantee the stochastic stability with an H∞$$ {H}_{\infty } $$ performance of the resultant semi‐Markov jump IMAPSs. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed control synthesis methodology is validated through a numerical simulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

N6‐methyladenosine (m6A) is one of the main epitranscriptomic modifications that accelerates the progression of malignant tumors by modifying RNA. Methyltransferase‐like 16 (METTL16) is a newly identified methyltransferase that has been found to play an important oncogenic role in a few malignancies; however, its function in osteosarcoma (OS) remains unclear. In this study, METTL16 was found to be upregulated in OS tissues, and associated with poor prognosis in OS patients. Functionally, METTL16 substantially promoted OS cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in vitro and OS growth in vivo. Mechanistically, vacuolar protein sorting protein 33b (VPS33B) was identified as the downstream target of METTL16, which induced m6A modification of VPS33B and impaired the stability of the VPS33B transcript, thereby degrading VPS33B. In addition, VPS33B was found to be downregulated in OS tissues, VPS33B knockdown markedly attenuated shMETTL16‐mediated inhibition on OS progression. Finally, METTL16/VPS33B might facilitate OS progression through PI3K/AKT pathway. In summary, this study revealed an important role for the METTL16‐mediated m6A modification in OS progression, implying it as a promising target for OS treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on the issue of dynamic event‐triggered (DET) asynchronous security load frequency control (LFC) for uncertain semi‐Markov jump interconnected multi‐area power systems (IMAPSs). Initially, the semi‐Markov process which in the presence of partially unknown transition rates (TRs) is exactly introduced to model the switching behaviors of the IMAPSs. Subsequently, the DET mechanism is scheduled to alleviate the transmission frequency and guarantee the desired control performance. Furthermore, the probabilistic deception attacks are taken into consideration, which is much more apt for the practical engineering background. Additionally, a hidden Markov model (HMM) is borrowed to depict the modes asynchronous phenomenon between the security controller and the semi‐Markov jump IMAPSs. Afterwards, on the basis of Lyapunov‐Krasovskii functional method and stochastic analysis technique, sufficient conditions with two cases are derived in the form of linear matrix inequalities (LMIs) to guarantee the stochastic stability with an H∞$$ {H}_{\infty } $$ performance of the semi‐Markov jump IMAPSs. Ultimately, a numerical example is exhibited to verify the solvability and practicability of the proposed control strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vascular remodeling is the process of structural alteration and cell rearrangement of blood vessels in response to injury and is the cause of many of the world's most afflicted cardiovascular conditions, including pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Many studies have focused on the effects of vascular endothelial cells and smooth muscle cells (SMCs) during vascular remodeling, but pericytes, an indispensable cell population residing largely in capillaries, are ignored in this maladaptive process. Here, we report that hypoxia-inducible factor 2α (HIF2α) expression is increased in the lung tissues of PAH patients, and HIF2α overexpressed pericytes result in greater contractility and an impaired endothelial-pericyte interaction. Using single-cell RNAseq and hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension (PH) models, we show that HIF2α is a major molecular regulator for the transformation of pericytes into SMC-like cells. Pericyte-selective HIF2α overexpression in mice exacerbates PH and right ventricular hypertrophy. Temporal cellular lineage tracing shows that HIF2α overexpressing reporter NG2+ cells (pericyte-selective) relocate from capillaries to arterioles and co-express SMA. This novel insight into the crucial role of NG2+ pericytes in pulmonary vascular remodeling via HIF2α signaling suggests a potential drug target for PH. Synopsis: HIF2α signaling plays an important role in the transition of pericytes into smooth muscle cell-like cells in pulmonary hypertension. Hence, targeting HIF2α in pericytes may be a potential therapeutic approach for pulmonary hypertension. Overexpressing HIF2α selectively in pericytes results in vigorous muscularization of distal microvessels and loss of endothelial integrity. Deletion of HIF2α in pericytes alleviates muscularization and remodeling of precapillary arterioles. Lineage tracing of the reporter color labeled cells show that HIF2α overexpressing NG2 cells gain a SMC-like phenotype during disease progression. Inhibition of HIF2α downstream signaling pathways using AMD3100 protects mice from hypoxia induced pulmonary hypertension. HIF2α signaling plays an important role in the transition of pericytes into smooth muscle cell-like cells in pulmonary hypertension. Hence, targeting HIF2α in pericytes may be a potential therapeutic approach for pulmonary hypertension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solar‐driven photoelectrochemical (PEC) energy conversion holds great potential in converting solar energy into storable and transportable chemicals or fuels, providing a viable route toward a carbon‐neutral society. Conjugated polymers are rapidly emerging as a new class of materials for PEC water splitting. They exhibit many intriguing properties including tunable electronic structures through molecular engineering, excellent light harvesting capability with high absorption coefficients, and facile fabrication of large‐area thin films via solution processing. Recent advances have indicated that integrating rationally designed conjugated polymers with inorganic semiconductors is a promising strategy for fabricating efficient and stable hybrid photoelectrodes for high‐efficiency PEC water splitting. This review introduces the history of developing conjugated polymers for PEC water splitting. Notable examples of utilizing conjugated polymers to broaden the light absorption range, improve stability, and enhance the charge separation efficiency of hybrid photoelectrodes are highlighted. Furthermore, key challenges and future research opportunities for further improvements are also presented. This review provides an up‐to‐date overview of fabricating stable and high‐efficiency PEC devices by integrating conjugated polymers with state‐of‐the‐art semiconductors and would have significant implications for the broad solar‐to‐chemical energy conversion research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aim: The condition of hepatic fibrosis is hazardous. Therefore, it is vital that we investigate the mechanism of hepatic fibrosis to provide new targets for treatment. Methods: Preliminary screening and research was carried out based on our prior results and our speculated role of the particle with quaternary structure arrangement (PAQosome) in hepatic fibrosis. The experiments were conducted using LX‐2 or HepG2 cell lines by western blotting, quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction, luciferase assays, and co‐immunoprecipitation and were further validated in the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Results: We screened and proved that several subunits of the PAQosome regulate the development of liver fibrosis, including the asparagine synthetase domain‐containing 1 upstream open reading frame (ASDURF), prefoldin subunit 4 (PFDN4), prefoldin subunit 5 (PFDN5), unconventional prefoldin RNA polymerase II subunit 5 interactor (URI1), and ubiquitously expressed prefoldin‐like chaperone (UXT). ASDURF promotes hepatic fibrosis through the transforming growth factor‐β1 (TGFβ1)/Sekelsky mothers against decapentaplegic homologue 3 (Smad3) and NF‐κB signaling pathways. ASDURF regulates the expression of asparagine synthetase domain‐containing 1 (ASNSD1). PFDN4, PFDN5, URI1, and UXT regulate cell proliferation through the PI3K/AKT pathway, and thus regulate liver fibrosis. A hepatic fibrosis score ≥ F2 was selected as the diagnostic criteria for hepatic fibrosis in the GSE96971 database. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of PFDN4, PFDN5, UXT, and ASNSD1 were 0.862 (confidence interval [CI]: 0.6588–1.000), 0.538 (CI: 0.224–0.853), 0.708 (CI: 0.449–0.966), and 0.831 (CI: 0.638–1.000), respectively. Conclusions: These findings demonstrate that the PAQosome is a brand new target for hepatic fibrosis therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compensating the irreversible loss of limited active lithium (Li) is essentially important for improving the energy‐density and cycle‐life of practical Li‐ion battery full‐cell, especially after employing high‐capacity but low initial coulombic efficiency anode candidates. Introducing prelithiation agent can provide additional Li source for such compensation. Herein, we precisely implant trace Co (extracted from transition metal oxide) into the Li site of Li2O, obtaining (Li0.66Co0.11□0.23)2O (CLO) cathode prelithiation agent. The synergistic formation of Li vacancies and Co‐derived catalysis efficiently enhance the inherent conductivity and weaken the Li−O interaction of Li2O, which facilitates its anionic oxidation to peroxo/superoxo species and gaseous O2, achieving 1642.7 mAh/g~Li2O prelithiation capacity (≈980 mAh/g for prelithiation agent). Coupled 6.5 wt % CLO‐based prelithiation agent with LiCoO2 cathode, substantial additional Li source stored within CLO is efficiently released to compensate the Li consumption on the SiO/C anode, achieving 270 Wh/kg pouch‐type full‐cell with 92 % capacity retention after 1000 cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rationale: Tetrandrine, the Q‐marker in Stephaniae Tetrandrae Radix, was proven to present an obvious antitumor effect. Until now, the metabolism and antitumor mechanism of tetrandrine have not been fully elucidated. Methods: The metabolites of tetrandrine in rats were profiled using ultra‐high‐performance liquid chromatography coupled with time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry. The potential antitumor mechanism of tetrandrine in vivo was predicted using network pharmacology. Results: A total of 30 metabolites were characterized in rats after ingestion of tetrandrine (10 mg/kg), including 0 in plasma, 7 in urine, 11 in feces, 9 in liver, 8 in spleen, 4 in lung, 5 in kidney, 5 in heart, and 4 in brain. This study was the first to show the metabolic processes demethylation, hydroxylation, and carbonylation in tetrandrine. The pharmacology network results showed that tetrandrine and its metabolites could regulate AKT1, TNF, MMP9, MMP2, PAK1, and so on by involving in proteoglycan tumor pathway, PI3K‐Akt signaling pathway, tumor pathway, MAPK signaling pathway, and Rap1 signaling pathway. Conclusions: The metabolism features of tetrandrine and its potential antitumor mechanism were summarized, providing data for further pharmacological validation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: This article concerns the problem of event‐protocol‐based asynchronous fault detection filtering design for discrete‐time fuzzy singular semi‐Markovian jump systems subjected to system parameters uncertainties, unmatched one‐sided Lipschitz nonlinearities and multi‐cyber‐attacks. First, a well‐designed model structure is proposed to integrate two dynamic quantizers and an improved dynamic event‐triggered protocol into a unified framework to reduce the amount of data in the network transmission and rationalize the use of limited network communication bandwidth resources. Especially, the event‐triggering threshold parameter can be continuously adjusted over the time based on the fluctuation of the network signal. Second, a novel triple‐cyber‐attacks platform is established, of which including random deception attacks, random replay attacks and aperiodic DoS attacks. And with help of the extended decoupling strategy and iterative techniques, the co‐design conditions of the stochastic admissibility with a ℘˘ level of ℋ∞$$ {\mathscr{H}}_{\infty } $$ performance are derived for the fault filtering error systems. Finally, two examples are provided to demonstrate the effectiveness and feasibility of the proposed algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In nature and technologies, many chemical reactions occur at interfaces with dimensions approaching that of a single reacting species in nano‐ and angstrom‐scale. Mechanisms governing reactions at this ultimately small spatial regime remain poorly explored because of challenges to controllably fabricate required devices and assess their performance in experiment. Here we report how efficiency of electrochemical reactions evolves for electrodes that range from just one atom in thickness to sizes comparable with and exceeding hydration diameters of reactant species. The electrodes are made by encapsulating graphene and its multilayers within insulating crystals so that only graphene edges remain exposed and partake in reactions. We find that limiting current densities characterizing electrochemical reactions exhibit a pronounced size effect if reactant's hydration diameter becomes commensurable with electrodes' thickness. An unexpected blockade effect is further revealed from electrodes smaller than reactants, where incoming reactants are blocked by those adsorbed temporarily at the atomically narrow interfaces. The demonstrated angstrom‐scale electrochemistry offers a venue for studies of interfacial behaviors at the true molecular scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indoles are one of the most ubiquitous subclass of N‐heterocycles and are increasingly incorporated to design new axially chiral scaffolds. The rich profile of reactivity and N−H functionality allow chemical derivatization for enhanced medicinal, material and catalytic properties. Although asymmetric C−C coupling of two arenes gives the most direct access of axially chiral biaryl scaffolds, this chemistry has been the remit of metal catalysis and works efficiently on limited substrates. Our group has devoted special interest in devising novel organocatalytic arylation reactions to fabricate biaryl atropisomers. In this realm, indoles and derivatives have been reliably used as the arylation partners in combination with azoarenes, nitrosonapthalenes and quinone derivatives. Their efficient interaction with chiral phosphoric acid catalyst as well as the tunability of electronics and sterics have enabled excellent control of stereo‐, chemo‐ and regioselectivity to furnish diverse scaffolds. In addition, indoles could act as nucleophiles in desymmetrization of 1,2,4‐triazole‐3,5‐diones. This account provides a succinct illustration of these developments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Marine bacteria secrete a variety of proteases, which are a good source to explore proteases with application value. However, only a few marine bacterial proteases with a potential in bioactive peptides preparation have been reported. RESULTS: The metalloprotease A69 from the marine bacterium Anoxybacillus caldiproteolyticus 1A02591 was successfully expressed in the food safe bacterium Bacillus subtilis as a secreted enzyme. A technique to efficiently produce protease A69 in a 15‐L bioreactor was established, with a production of 8988 U mL−1. Based on optimizing the hydrolysis parameters of A69 on soybean protein, a process for soybean protein peptides (SPs) preparation was set up, in which soybean protein was hydrolyzed by A69 at 4000 U g−1 and 60 °C for 3 h. The prepared SPs had a high content (> 90%) of peptides with a molecular mass less than 3000 Da and contained 18 amino acids. The prepared SPs showed high angiotensin‐converting enzyme (ACE)‐inhibitory activity, with an IC50 value of 0.135 mg mL−1. Moreover, three ACE‐inhibitory peptides, RPSYT, VLIVP and LAIPVNKP, were identified from the SPs using liquid chromatography‐mass spectrometry analysis. CONCLUSION: The marine bacterial metalloprotease A69 has a promising potential for preparing SPs with good nutritional and potential antihypertensive effects, laying a good foundation for its industrial production and application. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Suspended sediment fronts (SSFs) significantly affect water quality, ecology, and geomorphological evolution of estuarine and coastal waters. Based on 10‐year suspended sediment concentration data derived from satellite images, the multiscale spatio‐temporal variability of SSFs in the Bohai Sea was studied. Frontal probability (FP) was used to quantify the intensity of frontal activity. The 10‐year averaged FP was higher near the coast and decreased with increasing offshore distance. The arc‐shaped distributions of FP near the Yellow River Estuary revealed two tidal shear frontal zones. In the eastern Bohai Sea, 13 finger‐shaped high‐FP areas reflected the spatial pattern and fine structures of tidal sand ridges. The complex topography and strong tidal dynamics provided the essential conditions for frontogenesis. The seasonality of frontal activity was dominantly regulated by the change in wind waves associated with monsoons and stratification. The direct or indirect effects of sediment discharges from the Yellow River and Liaohe River on seasonal and annual variations of frontal activity only existed within close proximity to the estuaries. Frontal activity generally showed an interannual weakening trend, especially in the Laizhou Bay (−0.27%/yr), while an opposite trend was identified in the Liaodong Bay (0.10%/yr). This phenomenon was related to the interannual variations of wind speeds. Meanwhile, wind speed anomalies caused by El Niño‐Southern Oscillation events could explain the significant interannual fluctuations in frontal activity such that, frontal activity was significantly enhanced (suppressed) when El Niño (La Niña) events occurred, especially during 2015–2016 (2017–2018). Plain Language Summary: Suspended sediment fronts, one of the most common phenomena in estuarine and coastal waters, are defined as narrow zones with large spatial changes in suspended sediment concentration over relatively short distances. The Frontogenesis and frontal variability of the Bohai Sea, east coast of mainland China have unique patterns because of its complex hydro‐sedimentary environment, but no relevant studies have been systematically conducted yet. In this study, the intensity of frontal activity in the Bohai Sea was quantified by using satellite observation data spanning 10 years. Our analyses revealed that strong frontal activity mainly occurred in areas with dramatic changes in topography and shoreline and distinct tidal features. The seasonal and year‐to‐year variations of frontal activity were closely related to wind waves, stratification, riverine sediment input, and El Niño‐Southern Oscillation events. Nevertheless, their influence mechanisms varied in different regions. The new findings are of significance to further investigate the sedimentary patterns and the ecological effects of sub‐mesoscale processes in the Bohai Sea, and can also shed light on frontal variability of semi‐enclosed shallow seas worldwide. Key Points: Geostationary Ocean Color Imager remote sensing data were used to quantify suspended sediment front variations in the Bohai SeaSpatial patterns and seasonal‐to‐interannual variability of frontal activity were revealedEffects of dynamic factors on the spatio‐temporal variations of frontal activity were analyzed [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the process of TFT manufacturing, the display device IGZO‐ TFT is more likely to produce electrostatic discharge due to the complexity of the process, and the performance of the device will be reduced due to the destruction of the device. Based on the process steps and mechanism analysis of ESD occurrence, the method to improve static electricity is applied for the 95‐inch 8K OLED display without ESD mura. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hot carrier (HC) effect of top gate (TG) and dual gate (DG) with high mobility oxide thin film transistors (TFTs) is investigated. It is found that TFTs with TG structure have a severer current degradation behavior than DG structure TFTs after HC stress. Relative small local vertical and lateral electric field near the drain junction induced by the DG TFTs, associated with higher mobility of DG TFTs are both employed to understand the different HC effect behavior. The negative threshold voltage (Vth) shift with decreasing channel length due to the short channel effect is also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ti–6Al–4V is a prevalent material utilized in various industrial applications, and its microstructure modification commences with quenching, followed by diverse heat treatments. Although many works have concentrated on the mechanical properties of Ti–6Al–4V with tailored microstructures resulting from heat treatments, their corresponding corrosion behavior still lacks attention. In this study, the corrosion behavior of water‐quenched Ti–6Al–4V that undergoes heat treatment between 700 and 850 °C in Hank's solution is investigated. Various electrochemical methods, such as open‐circuit potential tests, potentiodynamic/potentiostatic polarization, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and Mott–Schottky tests, are jointly employed. The water‐quenched Ti–6Al–4V displays a quick‐cooling microstructure with a plentiful amount of martensite α/α′ phase. Heat treatment at 700 °C significantly alters the microstructures of the samples. Due to competitive factors, heat treatment at low temperatures results in uneven alloy composition, leading to poor uniformity of the passive film. At this phase, negative effects dominate, and the corrosion resistance of the samples deteriorates. When the heat‐treatment temperature increases to 850 °C, the content of β phase, which possesses better corrosion resistance, increases and becomes dominant. Consequently, the corrosion resistance of the samples improves in Hank's solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The latest evidence suggested that the onset of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is closely associated with immune microenvironment disturbance. Since N6‐methyladenosine (m6A) RNA methylation impacts on immunocyte function and antitumor immunity, it is predictable that m6A RNA methylation may result in immune microenvironment disorder. Here, we attempted to verify this hypothesis. We used single‐sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) to investigate the infiltration abundance of immunocytes, single‐cell RNA‐Seq to identify key m6A regulator, and a doxorubicin (Dox)‐induced DCM mouse model to confirm our findings. ssGSEA revealed a higher infiltration abundance of CD8+ T lymphocytes, NK cells, monocytes, and B+ lymphocytes in DCM myocardium tissue. Single‐cell RNA‐Seq indicated a critical role of IGFBP2 in DCM. Cross‐checking analysis hinted an interaction between IGFBP2 and NSUN5, ALYREF, RRP8, and ALKBH3. Mechanically, IGFBP2‐mediated RNA methylation deteriorated the immune microenvironment and thus increased the risk of DCM by enhancing CD8+ T lymphocyte, NK cell, monocyte, B+ lymphocyte infiltration and activating check‐point, MHC‐I, and T cell co‐stimulation signaling pathways. In the DCM mouse model, echocardiography indicated a significant reduction in ejection fraction (EF) and fractional shortening (FS) and an increase in left ventricular internal dimensions at systole (LVIDs) and diastole (LVIDd). MASSON staining indicated an increased fibrosis in myocardium tissue. qPCR and immunofluorescence staining indicated a significant increase in mRNA and protein levels of IGFBP2. The present study indicated that IGFBP2‐mediated RNA methylation remodeled the immune microenvironment and increased the risk of DCM. IGFBP2 may serve as potential therapeutic target for DCM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The adaptive technique and sliding‐mode algorithm (SMA) for observer‐based fault tolerant control is discussed with dynamic event‐triggered scheme (DETS) in this article. Both the actuator and communication faults are considered, which implies that the inputs of system and controller are unreliable. Moreover, the switched DETS for controller‐actuator channel is proposed to reduce bandwidth usage and actuator action frequency, which is different from the traditional event‐triggered strategies. To deal with communication faults, which can be described as packet losses, the closed‐loop system is modeled as a stochastic system. The SMA‐based observer is designed to estimate system states, which lays the foundation for the design of control algorithm to mitigate the effects of faults and DETS. Then, a novel observer‐based adaptive sliding‐mode control (SMC) law based on hyperbolic tangent function is proposed to guarantee the stochastic globally uniformly ultimately boundedness and reduce chattering. At last, the proposed DETS and observer‐based adaptive SMC law are applied into a robotic arm to illustrate the validity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The processing and analysis of synchrotron data can be a complex task, requiring specialized expertise and knowledge. Our previous work addressed the challenge of X-ray emission spectrum (XES) data processing by developing a standalone application using unsupervised machine learning. However, the task of analyzing the processed spectra remains another challenge. Although the non-resonant Kβ XES of 3d transition metals are known to provide electronic structure information such as oxidation and spin state, finding appropriate parameters to match experimental data is a time-consuming and labor-intensive process. Here, a new XES data analysis method based on the genetic algorithm is demonstrated, applying it to Mn, Co and Ni oxides. This approach is also implemented as a standalone application, Argonne X-ray Emission Analysis 2 (AXEAP2), which finds a set of parameters that result in a high-quality fit of the experimental spectrum with minimal intervention. AXEAP2 is able to find a set of parameters that reproduce the experimental spectrum, and provide insights into the 3d electron spin state, 3d-3p electron exchange force and Kβ emission core-hole lifetime. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Changes in nitrogen (N) deposition and litter mixtures have been shown to influence ecosystem processes such as litter decomposition. However, the interactive effects of litter mixing and N‐deposition on decomposition process in desert regions remain poorly identified. We assessed the simultaneous effects of both N addition and litter mixture on mass loss in a litterbag decomposition experiment using six native plants in single‐species samples with diverse quality and 14‐species combinations in the Gurbantunggut Desert under two N addition treatments (control and N addition). The N addition had no significant effect on decomposition rate of single‐species litter (expect Haloxylon ammodendron), whereas litter mass loss and decomposition rate differed significantly among species, with variations positively correlated with initial phosphorus concentration and negatively correlated with initial lignin concentration. After 18 months, the average mass loss across litter mixtures did not overall differ from those predicted from single species either in control or N addition treatments, that is, mixing of different species had no non‐additive effects on decomposition. The N addition, however, did modify the direction of mixture effects and interacted with incubation time. Added N transformed synergistic effects of litter mixtures to antagonistic effects on mass loss after 1 month of decomposition, while transforming neutral effects of litter mixture to synergistic effects after 6 months of decomposition. Our results demonstrated that initial chemical properties played an important role in litter decomposition, while no effects of litter mixture on decomposition process in this desert region. The N addition altered the litter mixture effects on mass loss with incubation time, implying that increased N deposition in the future may have profound effects on carbon turnover to a greater extent than previously thought in desert ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is an enormous challenge to develop single‐phase ceramics with satisfactory self‐lubricity because of the strong chemical bonding and difficult to shearing. In this study, (Hf0.2X0.2Nb0.2Ta0.2Ti0.2)C (X is Zr, W, and V, respectively) single‐phase high‐entropy ceramics can in situ formed tribo‐film on the contact region during sliding process to achieve an excellent self‐lubricating property. The friction coefficient is as low as 0.34 at 400°C. This originates from the carbon‐rich tribo‐films which are generated under the effect of high‐temperature tribo‐induced. With the test temperature increasing, the wear mechanism changes from abrasive wear to oxidative wear. For the 900°C, the tribo‐oxidative film limits the direct contact between tribo‐couple and enhances the tribological performances. Moreover, the compositions of the tribo‐films also have an important effect on the tribological behaviors. This novel design concept—using own constituent elements to generate a lubricating tribo‐film will provide a new strategy for the study of the single‐phase self‐lubricating ceramics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To meet the demand for high‐energy‐density batteries, alloy‐type and conversion‐type anode materials have attracted growing attention due to their high specific capacity. However, the huge irreversible lithium loss during initial cycling significantly reduces the energy density of the full cell, which limits their practical applications. Fortunately, various anode prelithiation techniques have been developed to compensate for the initial lithium loss. At the same time, the cathode prelithiation has been proposed and demonstrated remarkable enhancement in the electrochemical performance, along with excellent scalability and compatibility with the existing battery production processes. Here, recent advances are reviewed in the prelithiation of both anodes and cathodes, and the key challenges are discussed in front of their practical applications. It is aimed to provide better recommendations and assistance for its large‐scale practical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The seasonal rainfall regime is a key factor control on local ecological and social processes and is commonly thought to be stable under long‐term climate changes. Here we present a unique high‐resolution rainfall record from the Thai‐Malay Peninsula, combined with a state‐of‐the‐art transient climate simulation, demonstrating a fundamental rainfall regime shift from summer to winter during the Holocene. Transient model simulation and new sensitivity experiments further reveal that westward migration of the boundary between summer and winter rainfall regimes results in a summer to winter rainfall regime shift forced by distinct changes in summer and winter monsoons. Our findings suggest that the seasonal rainfall regime could be unstable under climate change around the boundaries of rainfall regimes in the tropics and possibly worldwide, which might be more critical for shaping both past and future ecological environments. Plain Language Summary: The observed seasonal rainfall regime, which varies over time, challenges the assumption of stable seasonal patterns in reconstructions of paleorainfall, suggesting that a reappraisal of the understanding of past ecological‐social changes with respect to rainfall may be needed. In this study, we have used a high‐resolution rainfall record from the Thai–Malay Peninsula and a state‐of‐the‐art transient paleoclimate simulation to describe a novel summer to winter rainfall regime shift during the Holocene era in the tropics, which may apply to regime‐boundary regions worldwide and thus provide a new perspective on dramatic ecological and social changes recorded around regime boundary regions for both past and future studies. Key Points: A unique rainfall record in the Thai‐Malay and a transient simulation suggest a summer to winter rainfall regime shift during the HoloceneTransient paleoclimate simulation simulation reveals that this shift was caused by westward migration of the boundary between summer and winter rainfall regimesThis regime shift could occur in regions around the boundaries of rainfall regimes in the tropics and possibly worldwide [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: This article is concerned with the issue of finite‐time analysis for fuzzy semi‐Markovian jump systems (S‐MJSs) with multiple disturbances. Takagi–Sugeno fuzzy method is applied to address the nonlinear problem of closed‐loop systems. Unlike the existing research, delay, multiple disturbances, generally uncertain transition rate, uncertain parameters are all analyzed in a unify S‐MJSs framework. The aim of this study is to construct a composite control strategy for stable operation of S‐MJSs with multiple disturbances on the basis of the actual system requirements. For S‐MJSs, conservatism of analysis method and uncertainty of actual system are both the significant problems need to be solved urgently. First, the sufficient condition of S‐MJSs is obtained to guarantee the finite‐time stable performance through mathematical analysis and matrix inequality derivation. Second, disturbance observer based control and H∞$$ {H}_{\infty } $$ control are combined to deal with the effects of multiple disturbances which contain incomplete information disturbance and norm bounded disturbance. Third, fuzzy controller is designed to satisfy close‐loop systems finite‐time performance. Finally, the actual nonlinear example is presented to verify the accuracy of the approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To study the safety and electrical characteristics of various implanting sites of the Micra pacemaker. Method: A total of 15 patients from Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University, were included, who were implanted with Micra leadless pacemakers and allocated to either the high ventricular septum group (eight patients) or the low ventricular septum group (seven patients) based on their individual patient factors and clinical conditions. The baseline of the patients, the implanting area, the electrocardiogram change after implantation, the implantation data, the threshold, R wave, impedance, and the date of the 1‐month follow‐up were then analyzed. With all of the data, the characteristics of different implantation sites of the Micra pacemaker were determined. Results: Overall, the thresholds were low at implantation and remained stable over the 1‐, 3‐, 6‐month, 1‐, 2‐, 3‐, and 4‐year follow‐ups. On comparing the two groups, there was no difference in QRS duration at pacing (140.00 [40.00] ms vs. 179.00 [50.00] ms), threshold at implantation (0.38 [0.22] mV vs. 0.63 [1.00] mV), R wave at implantation ([10.85 ± 4.71] V vs. [7.26 ± 2.98] V), or impedance at implantation ([906.25 ± 162.39] Ω vs. [750.00 ± 173.40] Ω). While the difference in QRS duration between the two groups was not significant, the QRS duration of the high ventricular septum group exhibited a reduced tendency compared with that of the low ventricular group. The corrected QT interval during pacing exhibited a significant difference (440.00 [80.00] ms vs. 520.00 [100.00] ms; p <.05). For the 1‐, 3‐, 6‐month, 1‐, 2‐, 3‐, and 4‐year follow‐ups, there was no difference between the threshold of the high ventricular septum group and that of the low ventricular septum group (p >.05). Conclusion: High ventricular septum pacing appears to be a safe site for implantation of the Micra pacemaker. It could entail a shorter QRS duration at pacing and could be more physiological than low ventricular septum pacing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atroposelective cross‐coupling is one of the most appealing routes to construct axially chiral binaphthyl molecules due to the modular and succinct nature. Although transition‐metal‐catalyzed cross‐couplings offer reliable synthetic means, alternative reaction modes that could be applied to broader substrate range without their pre‐functionalization is highly desirable. Herein we show that the application of chiral Brønsted acid catalyst as organocatalyst could accomplish cross‐coupling of 1‐azonaphthalenes and 2‐naphthols with high efficiency, exclusive C4‐selectivity as well as excellent enantioselectivity and functional group compatibility. The identification of acylimidazolinone auxiliary for azo activating group, effective remote catalyst control and arene resonance effect synergistically play key roles in the development of this method. The utility is further demonstrated by transformations of the products into other binaphthyl compounds with perfectly retained axial chirality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lithium‐rich manganese‐based cathode materials (LLMO) are considered as the promising candidates for realizing high energy density lithium‐ion batteries. However, the severe structure deterioration and capacity fading hinder their large‐scale application. Herein, an innovative electrochemical lithium supplement strategy is put forward to inhibit the structure collapse and enhance the cycling stability of Lithium‐rich manganese‐based cathodes. Besides, combining with the superior Li‐ion conductor Li6.25La3Zr2Al0.25O12 (LLZAO), remarkable rate capability is achieved. As a result, a capacity retention of 95.7% after 300 cycles at 1.0 C (1.0 C = 200 mA g−1), as well as a stable cycling at 5.0 C with discharge capacity of 136.9 mAh g−1, are harvested. Moreover, the excess lithium ions in LLZAO mitigate the spinel‐like phase transformation via inserting into the lithium layer and stabilizing the cathode structure. In addition, the lithium ions migration behavior in the elaborated cathode is thoroughly expounded and the correlation between diffusion kinetics and LLZAO is revealed. These findings boost the updating of LLMO and pave a new pathway for stabilizing LLMO structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The conceptually designed imidodiphosphorimidates (IDPis) have emerged as one of the most potent classes of chiral acid catalysts. They are characterized by enzyme‐like, highly confined active site and high acidity, which underlie their wide‐reaching applications as Brønsted acid catalysts and as precatalysts for silylium Lewis acids. Many carbon‐carbon and carbon‐heteroatom bond formation reactions that were deemed intractable could now be attained with spectacular reactivity and selectivity. Substrates that are small, unbiased and/or possess insufficient reactivity such as simple alkenes could now be engaged. The high structural confinement is particularly invaluable to control stereo‐ and chemoselectivity. The well‐defined steric environment offers unique opportunity to control high‐energy but structurally unbiased cation intermediates such as the norbonyl cations. Beyond practical appeals such as good scalability as well as ease and modularity of preparation, the extremely low pre‐catalyst loadings required to achieve high turnover and stereoselectivity have also come to define a new frontier in organocatalysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Owing to the smaller cross‐sectional size of the billet, the effect of the position of the submerged entry nozzle (SEN) on the fluid flow in a curved mold is more prominent. The transient fluid flow, heat transfer, and solidification behavior at different nozzle positions and mold electromagnetic stirring (M‐EMS) are investigated using a 3D transient mathematical model. The symmetry index, S, is introduced to quantitatively evaluate the symmetry of the flow field. When the SEN is offset to the outer curve, S is the highest, the flow field mixing is the best, and the liquid level fluctuation is minimal. When the SEN is offset to the inner curve, S is the lowest, and the washing of the solidified shell on the inner curve side is more significant, causing the solidified shell thickness on the inner curve to be thinner, which can easily cause steel breakout accidents. The M‐EMS can improve the uneven flow field caused by the nozzle position. In actual production, the SEN can be appropriately offset to the outer curve, and the application of M‐EMS can improve the flow field distribution of molten steel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]