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Comprehensive Summary: Owing to their distinctive optical and physical properties, organic‐inorganic hybrid perovskite materials have gained significant attention in the field of electronic devices, especially solar cells. The achievement of high‐performance solar cells hinges upon the utilization of top‐notch perovskite thin films. Nevertheless, the fabrication process involving solutions and the polycrystalline nature of perovskite result in the emergence of numerous defects within the perovskite films, consequently exerting a deleterious influence on the overall performance and stability of the devices. Improving the performance and stability of perovskite solar cells by additive engineering to suppress/passivate defects is a viable approach, which involves hydrogen bond interactions in these device engineering processes. This review explores the intrinsic hydrogen bonds in methylammonium and formamidium lead triiodide, while also considering cation rotations, phase transitions, and stability. Moreover, the review classifies additives into distinct categories, including organic small molecules, polymers, nanodots, classical salts, ionic liquids, and molten salts. The various forms and characterization techniques of hydrogen bonds are discussed, as well as their potential synergistic effects in conjunction with other chemical interactions. Furthermore, this review offers insights into the potential utilization of hydrogen bonds to further enhance the performance and stability of devices. Key Scientists: In 2009, Tsutomu Miyasaka et al. prepared the first perovskite solar cell, which kicked off the research on perovskite light‐absorbing materials. However, the use of liquid electrolytes led to device instability. The transition to all‐solid‐state perovskite solar cells was realized by Nam‐Gyu Park's team in 2012, which was the beginning of high‐efficiency perovskite solar cells. Subsequently, a number of scientists have innovated the preparation ground process. Methods such as two‐step deposition by Michael Grätzel in 2013 and anti‐solvent extraction by Sang II Seok's team in 2014 were instrumental in advancing the development of perovskite. Liyuan Han's team then increased the cell's working area to 1 cm2 without compromising performance, making it possible to compare the performance metrics of perovskite solar cells with those of other types of solar cells on the same scale. Recently, You's team and Pan's team kept updating the world record by obtaining certified efficiencies of 25.6% and 25.8% in 2022 and 2023, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Preclinical and epidemiological studies suggest that proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) had a potential effect on the development of SLE, but it was unclear whether a causal relationship exists. We aimed to investigate the association between genetically proxied inhibition of PCSK9 and the risk of SLE using a two‐sample Mendelian randomization (MR) approach. Methods: Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with PCSK9 were extracted from pooled data obtained from the Global Lipid Genetics Consortium (GLGC) Genome‐wide Association Study (GWAS) related to LDL‐c levels, which was used as a proxy for PCSK9 inhibition. Pooled statistics for SLE were obtained from an independent GWAS dataset including 5201 SLE patients and 9066 controls. Inverse variance‐weighted random‐effects models were used to examine the association between genetically proxied inhibition of PCSK9 and the risk of SLE. MR‐Egger, weighted median, weighted mode, Simple mode, and co‐location analyses were used as sensitivity analyses to test the robustness of the analyses. Results: Genetically proxied inhibition of PCSK9 was associated with a reduced risk of SLE (OR = 0.51, 95% CI = 0.34 to 0.77, p =.001). This finding was replicated in an earlier GLGC GWAS analysis (OR = 0.59, 95% CI = 0.40 to 0.87, p =.007). Sensitivity analysis ensured that the results were robust. Co‐localization analysis did not find evidence of shared causal variation between PCSK9 and SLE. Conclusions: This Mendelian randomization study showed that PCSK9 was associated with SLE pathogenesis, and its inhibition was associated with a reduced risk of SLE. This study has offered a prospective therapeutic avenue for intervening in the progression of SLE by inhibiting PCSK9 levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this letter, a single‐layer differential‐fed dual‐band filtering antenna for wireless local area network application is proposed. The proposed antenna consists of a square patch, and two pairs of stepped impedance resonators (SIRs). The lower operating passband is realized by exciting the square patch with a pair of differential ports. Then, a pair of SIRs is connected with the radiating edge of the square patch to introduce another resonance, thus forming the upper passband. And a radiation null is simultaneously produced to enhance the frequency selectivity between the two passbands. Moreover, another pair of SIRs is utilized to connect with the nonradiating edge of the square patch, which generates an additional high‐frequency in‐band resonance and a radiation null to further improve the bandwidth and frequency selectivity of upper passband. The developed prototype was fabricated and measured to verify the design concept. The measured results are in good agreement with the simulated ones, demonstrating that it exhibits −10 dB fractional impedance bandwidths of 3.68% and 7.35%, maximum realized gains at boresight direction of 5.5 and 8.7 dBi, and cross‐polarization levels smaller than −30 dB, in lower and upper passbands, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate the influence of maternal pre‐eclampsia on neurodevelopmental outcome in very‐low‐birth‐weight (VLBW) infants at 6, 12, and 24 months of corrected age. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of singleton VLBW infants between 2011 and 2018. The participants were divided into three groups: (1) mothers without pre‐eclampsia, (2) pre‐eclampsia without severe features, and (3) pre‐eclampsia with severe features. The Bayley Scales of Infant Development third edition (BSID‐III) was used to assess the neurodevelopment of participants. A BSID‐III score < 85 was defined as neurodevelopmental impairment (NDI). Results: Overall, 482 VLBW infants born to 482 mothers were enrolled, of whom 327 mothers did not have pre‐eclampsia and 155 mothers had pre‐eclampsia (58 without and 97 with severe features). The infants born to mothers with pre‐eclampsia with severe features had the lowest BSID‐III scores at 6, 12, and 24 months. After adjustments, maternal pre‐eclampsia with severe features was significantly associated with cognitive NDI in their infants (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 4.14) and language NDI (aOR 3.37) at 2 years of corrected age. Conclusions: VLBW fetuses born to mothers with pre‐eclampsia with severe features have poorer 2‐year neurodevelopmental outcome, which mainly manifests in the cognitive and language domains. Synopsis: Very‐low‐birth‐weight infants born to mothers with pre‐eclampsia with severe features have poorer 2‐year neurodevelopmental outcomes, mainly in the cognitive and language domains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Lipopolysaccharides (LPS) are the main pathogenic substances in Gram-negative bacteria. The aim of this study was to investigate the preventive effects of dietary curcumin (CUR) on LPS toxicity in the duck ileum. The duck diet was supplemented with CUR (0.5 g kg-1) for 28 days, while the birds were injected with LPS (0.5 mg kg-1 body weight per injection, administered as seven injections in the last week of the experimental period). RESULTS: LPS significantly decreased the ileal villus-to-crypt ratio in the non-supplemented CUR group. Dietary CUR alleviated LPS-induced morphological damage to the ileum. Moreover, dietary CUR alleviated oxidative stress by increasing the levels of total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD) (P < 0.05) and glutathione S-transferase (GST) (P < 0.05) and decreasing the production of malonic dialdehyde (MDA) (P < 0.05) in control ducks and LPS-challenged ducks. Dietary CUR significantly inhibited the LPS-induced massive production of inflammatory factors (IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α) (P < 0.05). CUR induced the inhibition of TLR4 and activation of Nrf2 to reduce the expression of inflammation-related genes (TLR4, NF-ΰB, IKK, TXNIP, NLRP3, caspase-1, IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α). Moreover, dietary CUR ameliorated the decrease in claudin-1 and occludin expression (P < 0.05) and improved ZO-1 expression in the duck ileum (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: In conclusion, dietary CUR has beneficial effects on LPS-induced ileal damage, oxidative damage, and inflammatory response by inhibiting the TLR/NF-ΰB and activating the Nrf2 signaling pathways in ducks. This study provides valuable information regarding the therapeutic uses of CUR in duck ileitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and objective: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the most prevalent chronic respiratory disease. This study investigated the global, regional and country burden of COPD based on gender, age and socio‐demographic indices (SDIs) in the last 30‐year period from 1990 to 2019. Methods: The COPD data, including incidence, mortality and disability‐adjusted life years (DALYs), were obtained from the 2019 Global Burden of Disease Study. If age‐standardized incidence rate (ASIR) or death rate (ASDR) remains almost constant or decreases, the number of cases will still increase as the global population increases substantially. Estimated annual percentage change (EAPC) was calculated to assess incidence, mortality and DALY trends. Results: The incidence of COPD increased by 85.89% from 8,722,966 cases in 1990 to 16,214,828 cases in 2019, and the ASIR decreased from 216.48/100,000 persons in 1990 (95%UI, 204.56–227.33) to 200.49 per 100,000 persons (95%UI, 188.63–212.57) in 2019. The ASIR increased (EAPC = 0.05, 95%CI, 0.01–0.10) in the low SDI region, was stable in the high SDI region, and fell in the other three SDI regions. Men had a higher ASIR than women over the past 30 years, and there were differences in the incidence rates for different age groups. Male mortality and DALYs were higher than female mortality. ASDR decreased by 2.13% (95%CI, −2.23% to −2.02%) per year and the annual age‐standardized DALY rate decreased by 1.97% (95%CI, −2.05% to −1.89%). Conclusions: The ASIR, ASDR and age‐standardized DALY rate of COPD declined overall in the last 30 years, and were highest in the low‐middle SDI region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogen generated by proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyzer holds a promising potential to complement the traditional energy structure and achieve the global target of carbon neutrality for its efficient, clean, and sustainable nature. The acidic oxygen evolution reaction (OER), owing to its sluggish kinetic process, remains a bottleneck that dominates the efficiency of overall water splitting. Over the past few decades, tremendous efforts have been devoted to exploring OER activity, whereas most show unsatisfying stability to meet the demand for industrial application of PEM electrolyzer. In this review, systematic considerations of the origin and strategies based on OER stability challenges are focused on. Intrinsic deactivation of the material and the extrinsic balance of plant‐induced destabilization are summarized. Accordingly, rational strategies for catalyst design including doping and leaching, support effect, coordination effect, strain engineering, phase and facet engineering are discussed for their contribution to the promoted OER stability. Moreover, advanced in situ/operando characterization techniques are put forward to shed light on the OER pathways as well as the structural evolution of the OER catalyst, giving insight into the deactivation mechanisms. Finally, outlooks toward future efforts on the development of long‐term and practical electrocatalysts for the PEM electrolyzer are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Diosgenin is a natural steroidal compound with reported antidiabetic and many other protective properties. This study aimed to explore the protective effect of diosgenin on high‐glucose (HG)‐induced retinal pigment epithelial cells. Methods: HG‐induced ARPE‐19 cells were considered as a cell model of diabetic retinopathy (DR). The viability and apoptosis of ARPE‐19 cells induced by HG treated with either diosgenin or Compound C (CC; dorsomorphin) were detected by Cell Counting Kit‐8 assay and flow cytometric analysis. The expression of apoptosis‐related proteins, inflammation‐related proteins, and AMPK/Nrf2/HO‐1 pathway‐related proteins was detected by western blotting. The levels of inflammatory cytokines and detection of oxidative stress indexes were performed using the appropriate assay kits. The messenger RNA expression of inflammatory cytokines was detected by real‐time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Results: There was no obvious effect of diosgenin on the viability of ARPE‐19 cells and the viability of ARPE‐19 cells was significantly reduced after HG induction. However, diosgenin increased the viability, inhibited the apoptosis, and reduced the inflammatory response and oxidative stress of ARPE‐19 cells induced by HG. In addition, diosgenin could activate the AMPK/Nrf2/HO‐1 pathway. CC, an AMPK inhibitor, could reverse the above changes caused by diosgenin treatment in ARPE‐19 cells induced by HG. Conclusions: Diosgenin could protect ARPE‐19 cells from inflammatory damage and oxidative stress induced by HG, by activating the AMPK/Nrf2/HO‐1 pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study aimed to observe the analgesic effect of the cocktail formulation with diprospan during total hip arthroplasty (THA). Methods: From September 2018 to April 2019, 120 patients undergoing primary unilateral THA were included in this prospective, randomized, observer‐blinded study. Patients were randomized into three groups, according to the different local infiltration analgesia (LIA) strategies: LIA with ropivacaine (the ropivacaine group, n = 40), LIA with a new cocktail containing ropivacaine, diprospan, and morphine (the cocktail group, n = 40), and the control group (n = 40). The primary outcomes included postoperative pain scores. The resting visual analogue scale (VAS) scores were measured at 2, 6, and 12 h after the surgery (a.m. and p.m.) on postoperative day (POD) 1, POD2, and the day of discharge. Movement VAS scores were assessed at 6 h, 12 h after the operation (a.m. and p.m.) on POD1, POD2, and the day of discharge. The secondary outcomes included opioid consumption, postoperative hospital stay, range of motion of the hip at discharge, patient satisfaction, and the results of the follow‐up. Results: After the screening, 120 patients were randomized into three groups (40 patients in each group). All of the patients completed the trial. The resting VAS scores in the ropivacaine group and cocktail group at 2 h were lower than those in the control group (P < 0.001 and P < 0.001, respectively, F = 17.054), and the same trend was also postoperatively found at 6 h (p = 0.005 and P = 0.002, F = 6.212). Twelve hours after the operation, the pain score in the cocktail group was lower than that in the other two groups, but only the difference between the cocktail group and the control group was statistically significant (P = 0.018, F = 3.144). From the morning of the first postoperative day to the a.m. on POD 2, the VAS scores in the cocktail group were significantly lower than those in the ropivacaine group and the control group. Furthermore, the movement VAS scores in the ropivacaine group and the cocktail group were better than those in the control group at 6 and 12 h post‐operation (P < 0.05). The per capita opioid consumption in the cocktail group was less than that in the ropivacaine group and the control group within 24 h post‐operation. There were no significant differences in the comparison of additional indicators among the three groups. Conclusion: The new cocktail with diprospan had a better result and longer duration time for early postoperative pain control in primary THA via the posterolateral approach under general anesthesia, especially for treating resting pain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The success of machine learning (ML) in materials property prediction depends heavily on how the materials are represented for learning. Two dominant families of material descriptors exist, one that encodes crystal structure in the representation and the other that only uses stoichiometric information with the hope of discovering new materials. Graph neural networks (GNNs) in particular have excelled in predicting material properties within chemical accuracy. However, current GNNs are limited to only one of the above two avenues owing to the little overlap between respective material representations. Here, a new concept of formula graph which unifies stoichiometry‐only and structure‐based material descriptors is introduced. A self‐attention integrated GNN that assimilates a formula graph is further developed and it is found that the proposed architecture produces material embeddings transferable between the two domains. The proposed model can outperform some previously reported structure‐agnostic models and their structure‐based counterparts while exhibiting better sample efficiency and faster convergence. Finally, the model is applied in a challenging exemplar to predict the complex dielectric function of materials and nominate new substances that potentially exhibit epsilon‐near‐zero phenomena. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metamaterials research has been ongoing for more than 20 years and it has gained much public and scientific interest. There have been many experts forecasting on the road ahead for metamaterials, notably, in lieu of "knowledge tree" in 2010. Ten years on, it is proposed to re‐examine these claims by using automated computer tools, such as natural language processing (NLP), to extract research information for processing and analyzing from unstructured texts in publications. In this study, a fully auto‐generated database of 43 678 abstracts related to metamaterials published between 2000 and 2021 using Scopus Search API (Application Programming Interface) is built. Applying word embedding, each keyword is studied in a hyperdimensional vector space and clusters so that their relationships can be visualized for assessing the popularity and trends of research themes. A neural network model developed based on the encoder–decoder long short‐term memory (LSTM) architecture is finally trained to predict future directions and theme evolutions in the next four years for selected topics. This study not only provides vital information in terms of impact of metamaterials research but also lays down a solid foundation for the development of future metamaterial research roadmap in the form of Gartner hype cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To assess if the educational level of patients in Southwestern China will affect the functional recovery after total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Methods: This retrospective study included a total of 334 patients (48 males, 286 females, with an average age of 68 years, range from 51 to 84 years) who had undergone primary unilateral TKA from March 2017 to April 2018. Patients were screened for enrollment and classified into four groups (illiterate group, the primary school group, high school group, and university group) according to their educational attainment. All patients were monitored for at least 2 years after TKA. The primary outcome was determined using the Hospital for Special Surgery knee (HSS) score at the time of follow‐up. The secondary outcomes were determined using the 12‐Item Short Form Health Survey (SF‐12) and Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) scores, the satisfaction level, and complications of the surgery. Results: Three hundred and thirty‐four patients were divided into four groups based on their highest educational level: 83 patients in the illiteracy group, 84 in the primary school group, 91 in the high school group, and 76 in the university group. They were followed up for at least 2 years. For the primary outcome, patients with high school and university education had noteworthy better HSS scores on the surgical‐side knee than those in the primary school and illiterate groups (illiteracy group 86.71 ± 5.94 vs primary school group 85.36 ± 5.88 vs high school group 89.48 ± 3.66 vs university group 88.95 ± 3.55; P < 0.05). For secondary outcomes, the mental component summary (MCS) in the university group was significantly lower than the other three groups (P < 0.05). The results of WOMAC scores were consistent with the results of the HSS score: patients in the university group and the high school group had better results when compared with the other two groups (P < 0.05). There were no statistical differences in the comparison of additional indicators and complications among the four groups, but more patients (12 peoples, 15.8%) in the university group were dissatisfied with knee function after TKA. Conclusion: In Southwest China, patients with high school education or above can achieve better joint function after TKA but do not get better postoperative satisfaction, which may be related to the patients' higher surgical expectations for social and mental needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Children care about how others evaluate them. In East Asia, children aged 8 and up tend to downplay their own merit by actively concealing their good deeds. This has been regarded as modest behavior. As a way of self‐presentation, modest behavior may be triggeredby the presence of other people in young children. A child may show modesty through a display of self‐deprecating behavior at various levels, rather than in an all‐or‐nothing style. In this study, a new paradigm aimed at self‐deprecating behavior was designed with the purpose of measuring the development of modest behavior between the ages of 5 and 8 years in a sample of 40 children. Children's ratings of their own merit, i.e., the quality in which they completed the task of cleaning the floor, were compared between a public and a private scenario. Results revealed a significant transition from self‐promoting to self‐deprecating behavior between the 5–6‐year‐olds and the 7–8‐year‐olds. Our findings indicate that children in this age period gradually exhibit reputation‐managing behaviors in social situations, which is corroborated by the measurement of self‐presentation in the self‐introduction paradigm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Even though immunotherapy has been an effective treatment for solid tumors, its efficacy in osteosarcoma remains sub-optimal. It is therefore imperative to understand the complex tumor microenvironment (TME) of osteosarcoma to facilitate the development of immunotherapies against this cancer. Methods: The mRNA expression profiles of osteosarcoma tissues were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. Next, the ssGSEA, MCP-counter, CIBERSORT, and Xcell algorithm analyses were performed to characterize the tumor microenvironment of osteosarcoma tissues. The tumor tissues were divided into inflammatory and non-inflammatory. A comprehensive assessment of immune cell infiltration in osteosarcoma tissues was then performed. Sub-group analysis of immune cell infiltration between men and women patients with osteosarcoma was also carried out. Results: The results revealed that the infiltration of immune cells including activated B cell, activated CD8 T cell, CD56dim natural killer cell, and cytotoxic lymphocytes cells, in osteosarcoma tissues was higher in male than in female patients. Based on the infiltration profile of different immune cells, the osteosarcoma tissues were grouped into four clusters. The four clusters were further divided into hot and cold tumors. The differently expressed genes (DEGs) between cold and hot tumors were mainly associated with the activation and regulation of immune response. Additionally, a neuronal pentraxin (NPTX2) expression which was upregulated in cold tumors was found to be negatively correlated with the expression of CD8a Molecule (CD8A), Granzyme B (GZMB), and Interferon Gamma (IFNG). NPTX2 decreased CCL4 secretion. Knockdown of NPTX2 in osteosarcoma cells inhibited tumor growth and increased tumor cell apoptosis. Moreover, a prognosis prediction model of osteosarcoma was constructed and validated in patients receiving immunotherapy using external data. Conclusions: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to characterize the infiltration of immune cells in osteosarcoma tissues from patients receiving immune infiltration therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simple and efficient visible‐light‐promoted selenylation/cyclization of enaminones have been realized for the practical synthesis of 3‐selanyl‐4H‐chromen‐4‐ones. This reaction is performed in the mild conditions, no transition metal catalyst or photocatalysts and no additional oxidants are required. In addition, the 3‐selanyl‐4H‐chromen‐4‐ones could be easily converted to selanyl‐functionalized pyrimidines by reacting with benzamidine substrates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A practical method for the synthesis of selenylsubstituted indolo[2,1‐a]isoquinolin‐6(5H)‐ones through Fe(OTf)3‐promoted tandem selenylation/cyclization of 2‐arylindoles was developed. In this transformation, new C−Se bond and C−C bond were constructed simultaneously under mild conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A metal‐free and efficient visible‐light‐induced spirocyclization of indolyl‐ynones with diselenides at room temperature under air atmosphere to prepare 3‐selenospiroindolenines in moderate to good yields has been developed. The resulting products were tested for in vitro anticancer activity by MTT assay, and compounds 3 c and 3 e showed potent cancer cell‐growth inhibition activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To assess the safety and effectiveness of one‐stage total joint arthroplasty (TJA) or revision for seronegative infections after total hip arthroplasty (THA) and total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Methods: This retrospective study included a total of 495 patients who had undergone one‐stage total joint (hip or knee) arthroplasty or revision with a diagnosis of osteoarthritis secondary to sepsis, osteoarthritis or osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH) secondary to internal fixation surgery of the hip joint, and one‐stage revision for prosthesis loosening after THA or TKA from January 2012 to December 2016. Bacterial cultures were taken from all patients (from joint fluid or articular cavity fluid and four to six different parts of soft tissues) during the operation. If the cultures were positive, patients received antibiotic treatment. Microbiology results from surgical samples, clinical evaluations, SF‐12 score (physical component summary [PCS] and mental component summary [MCS]), Harris hip score (HHS) or Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) score, and patients' satisfaction was recorded at every follow‐up session. Results: A total of 24 patients had a positive result for bacterial culture (4.85%). The bacterial culture results showed that there were 19 cases (79.16%) of gram‐positive cocci (Staphylococcus aureus), 4 cases (16.67%) of gram‐negative bacilli, and 1 case (4.17%) of fungi. For at least 24 months (mean 35 months) follow‐up, no reinfection was discovered. The mean HHS or HSS score improved significantly from 36.29 points preoperatively to 84.21 points postoperatively (P < 0.001). The mean PCS score improved from 10.15 preoperatively to 20.34 postoperatively, and the mean MCS from 13.22 preoperatively to 21.76 postoperatively, with significant differences. Most of the patients were satisfied. Conclusion: One‐stage arthroplasty or revision with exhaustive debridement, adequate dosage, and duration of sensitive antibiotics is safe and effective for patients who have seronegative infection of hip or knee joints. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The phylogeny of true bugs (Hemiptera: Heteroptera), one of the most diverse insect groups in terms of morphology and ecology, has been the focus of attention for decades with respect to several deep nodes between the suborders of Hemiptera and the infraorders of Heteroptera. Here, we assembled a phylogenomic data set of 53 taxa and 3102 orthologous genes to investigate the phylogeny of Hemiptera–Heteroptera, and both concatenation and coalescent methods were used. A binode‐control approach for data filtering was introduced to reduce the incongruence between different genes, which can improve the performance of phylogenetic reconstruction. Both hypotheses (Coleorrhyncha + Heteroptera) and (Coleorrhyncha + Auchenorrhyncha) received support from various analyses, in which the former is more consistent with the morphological evidence. Based on a divergence time estimation performed on genes with a strong phylogenetic signal, the origin of true bugs was dated to 290–268 Ma in the Permian, the time in Earth's history with the highest concentration of atmospheric oxygen. During this time interval, at least 1007 apomorphic amino acids were retained in the common ancestor of the extant true bugs. These molecular apomorphies are located in 553 orthologous genes, which suggests the common ancestor of the extant true bugs may have experienced large‐scale evolution at the genome level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A wideband antenna is designed by manipulating characteristic modes (CMs) of a metallic loop structure. It is shown that the resonant behavior of the CMs can be modified by inductive loading on the specific positions of the loop antenna. Therefore, it is possible to manipulate certain modes to ensure their resonant frequencies are close to each other. Then, a proper feeding scheme can be designed such that these modes are excited simultaneously and a multi‐mode wideband antenna can be obtained. It is found that by using the theory of characteristic modes (TCMs), the antenna design procedure becomes more intuitive. To validate the proposed approach, the wideband antenna was fabricated and tested. Simulation and measurement results indicate that it can achieve a wide impedance bandwidth of 51.6% with |S11| < −10 dB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a novel control strategy of a three-inline array tethered spacecraft formation is proposed, based on a simplified non-linear model around the equilibrium point. The formation stability is analysed by using an interconnected system approach which deeply reveals the coupling characteristic among three spacecraft. It is shown that both individual control laws of spacecraft and the coupling effects can achieve the stability. The problems of fault-tolerant control and fault propagation are further discussed. Simulation results validate the effectiveness of the proposed methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new concept of accepting performance degradation, which evaluated by converging rate and stability, is proposed for switched systems. The relation between the converging rate of the whole switched system and the eigenvalues of each subsystem is established, based on which the accepting performance degradation is evaluated quantitatively in the presence of process and actuator faults. The derived results are further verified by the simulation of an application to the highly manoeuvrable technology vehicle model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For terahertz systems, rectangular waveguide is an ideal low loss medium for interconnectivity and the construction of passive circuits. A drawback when manufacturing waveguides at submillimeter wavelengths is the demanding tolerances due to small dimensions. For example, a WR-3 waveguide (operating between 220 and 325 GHz) has a cross-sectional dimension of just 864 by 432 µm, and higher frequency waveguides get proportionally smaller. An additional challenge is that whether using waveguide for passive circuits such as filters, there are additional structures inside the waveguide which are significantly smaller than the waveguide itself. Traditionally, computer numerical control (CNC) milling has been used for waveguides, however at terahertz frequencies this is difficult to utilise. Emerging technologies for terahertz waveguides are compared with conventional CNC solutions. The technologies include the photolithography-based polymer etching of waveguides using SU-8 photoresist, and the laser machining of metal. Both have shown promise, and good quality terahertz passive components have been fabricated and measured. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We determined the effects of dietary bioactive components and biopolymer encapsulation on lipids' metabolism in obese mice. Six random groups of 60 obese mice were fed the following diets for 95 days: Basal diet; cellulose encapsulated lipids; pectin and chitosan encapsulated lipids (EPC); Camellia sinensis and Coix lacryma enhanced diet; C. sinensis and C. lacryma diet plus pectin and chitosan encapsulated lipids; hydroxycitric acid, caffeine, and vitamin C enhanced diet plus pectin and chitosan encapsulated lipids (HCVEPC). The HCVEPC group usually presented lower body and total adipose tissue weight compared to other diet groups. Intestine length was not significantly different among all dietary groups. Serum leptin, triglycerides, and cholesterol were significantly lower in EPC and HCVEPC compared to other groups. However, serum glucose was not significantly different among groups. Our results indicate that bioactive compounds and biopolymers' encapsulation act synergistically in the reduction of body and adipose tissue weight. Practical applications: Based on the results described above, it is suggested that bioactive components and biopolymer encapsulation with some natural products has synergistically in the reduction of body and adipose tissue weight on in vivo models. In addition, through this results suggest that can be used information and utilization of lipids metabolism, this research is to highlight the potential of selected natural products as a source of functional Substances. Therefore, lipids encapsulated with dietary biopolymers and bioactive compounds should be considered as a prospective functional food and pharmaceuticals application. We investigated effects of dietary bioactive components and biopolymer encapsulation on lipids' metabolism in obese mice. Bio-active components could enhance the effect of body and adipose tissue weight reduction in obese mice models. Dietary bio-active compounds together with biopolymer encapsulated lipids showed a great reduction in serum triglycerides and cholesterol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study addresses the stability issue of a class of fractional-order switched non-linear systems. A general stability condition is established based on which two new concepts named Mittag-Leffler increment and average Mittag-Leffler increment are proposed and two alternative stability conditions are obtained. These conditions fully reveal the trade-off between each subsystem's dynamics, and the value of the fractional order. The new results are further applied to a class of fractional-order multi-agent systems with switching cooperative control laws. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study considers incremental stability problem of switched non-linear systems with each mode being local incrementally asymptotically stable. A new concept named 'steady-state inclusion' is proposed to describe the relations among incremental stability regions of modes. Based on such a concept, sufficient incremental stability conditions of the switched systems are established, which cover the global incremental stability as a special case. The new result is applied to synchronisation problem of coupled identical systems with switching coupling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT A novel structure for dual-band substrate integrated waveguide filters is presented in this article. To obtain advantages of compact structure and good performance, complementary split-ring resonators (CSRRs) are simplified, and loaded into the waveguide surface with complementary spiral resonators (CSRs) together. As a result, two passbands below the cutoff frequency of the waveguide are obtained. Every passband has two transmission zeros and two transmission poles. This article points out that the combination of CSRRs and CSRs cannot only make the structure more compact, but also produce a positive interaction between the resonators, providing a new direction for the application of those two right/left-hand structures. To verify the presented concept, the filter is fabricated. The measured results are in good agreement with the simulation. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 58:1-4, 2016 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A letter to the editor is presented on the analysis of organometallic compounds by desorption electrospray ionization mass spectrometry in a study of a processed eggshell.

Amino groups are common in both natural and synthetic compounds and offer a very attractive class of endogenous handles for bioconjugation. However, the ability to differentiate two types of amino groups and join them with high hetero‐selectivity and efficiency in a complex setting remains elusive. Herein, we report a new method for bioconjugation via one‐pot chemoselective clamping of two different amine nucleophiles using a simple ortho‐phthalaldehyde (OPA) reagent. Various α‐amino acids, aryl amines, and secondary amines can be crosslinked to the ϵ‐amino side chain of lysine on peptides or proteins with high efficiency and hetero‐selectivity. This method offers a simple and powerful means to crosslink small molecule drugs, imaging probes, peptides, proteins, carbohydrates, and even virus particles without any pre‐functionalization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amino groups are common in both natural and synthetic compounds and offer a very attractive class of endogenous handles for bioconjugation. However, the ability to differentiate two types of amino groups and join them with high hetero‐selectivity and efficiency in a complex setting remains elusive. Herein, we report a new method for bioconjugation via one‐pot chemoselective clamping of two different amine nucleophiles using a simple ortho‐phthalaldehyde (OPA) reagent. Various α‐amino acids, aryl amines, and secondary amines can be crosslinked to the ϵ‐amino side chain of lysine on peptides or proteins with high efficiency and hetero‐selectivity. This method offers a simple and powerful means to crosslink small molecule drugs, imaging probes, peptides, proteins, carbohydrates, and even virus particles without any pre‐functionalization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, biomedical thermoplastic polyurethane/graphene oxide (TPU/GO) composite scaffolds were successfully prepared using the thermally induced phase separation (TIPS) technique. The microstructure, morphology, and thermal and mechanical properties of the scaffolds were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), and compression tests. Furthermore, NIH 3T3 fibroblast cell viability on the porous scaffolds was investigated via live/dead fluorescent staining and SEM observation. FTIR and Raman results verified the presence of GO in the composites. SEM images showed that the average pore diameter of the composite scaffolds decreased as the amount of GO increased. Additionally, the surface of the specimens became rougher due to the embedded GO. The compressive modulus of composite specimens was increased by nearly 200% and 300% with the addition of 5% and 10% GO, respectively, as compared with pristine TPU. 3T3 fibroblast culture results showed that GO had no apparent cytotoxicity. However, high loading levels of GO may delay cell proliferation on the specimens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The gas-phase reactions of Aryl-SF5·+ and Aryl-SO2F·+ have been studied with the electron ionization tandem mass spectrometry. Such reactions involve F-atom migration from the S-atom to the aryl group affording the product ion Aryl-F·+ by subsequent expulsion of SF4 or SO2, respectively. Especially, the 4-pentafluorosulfanylphenyl cation 4-SF5C6H4+ ( m/ z 203) from 4-NO2C6H4SF5·+ by loss of ·NO2 could occur multiple F-atom migration reactions to the product ion C6H4F3+ ( m/ z 133) by loss of SF2 in the MS/MS process. The gas-phase reactions of 2,5-xylylfluoroiodonium ( pXyl-I+F, m/ z 251) have also been studied using the electrospray tandem mass spectrometry, which involve a similar F-atom migration process from the I-atom to the aryl group giving the radical cation of 2-fluoro- p-xylene (or its isomer 4-fluoro- m-xylene, m/ z 124) by reductive elimination of an iodine atom. All these gas-phase F-atom migration reactions from the heteroatom to the aryl group led to the aryl-F coupling product ions with a new formed CAryl-F bond. Density functional theory calculations were performed to shed light on the mechanisms of these reactions. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Existing research indicates that patients with heart failure (HF) may have restricted access to guideline‐directed medical therapy (GDMT) when their blood pressure (BP) is comparatively low. However, recent clinical trials suggest that HF patients with low BP could still benefit from certain HF medications, which have a minimal impact on BP. This systematic review and meta‐analysis was conducted to determine whether this applies to all GDMT. Methods and results: A systematic search of MEDLINE and EMBASE was conducted for studies published from inception to 10 January 2024. Randomized controlled trials were selected if they reported on the longitudinal change of systolic BP (SBP) due to GDMT, or the risks of cardiovascular events in HF patients based on SBP categories. Weighted mean difference (WMD), hazard ratio or relative risk, and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI) were pooled for meta‐analysis where possible. Data from 20 studies, encompassing information on 84 782 individuals, were analysed. Overall, GDMT is associated with lower SBP (WMD, −2.16; 95% CI −2.86 to −1.46), with no significant difference between baseline low and non‐low BP subgroups (interaction p = 0.810). However, SBP of the treatment group increased by 5.8 mmHg from baseline in the low SBP subgroup during follow‐up, while it decreased by 4.0 mmHg in the baseline non‐low SBP subgroup. GDMT demonstrated similar cardiovascular benefits and risk of hypotension between low and non‐low SBP subgroups (interaction p = 0.318 and 0.903, respectively). Conclusions: Guideline‐directed medical therapy is associated with a negligible decrease in SBP, but can provide similar cardiovascular benefits in both low and non‐low SBP HF patients, with no significant interaction with SBP as to hypotension. Therefore, GDMT should be initiated and maintained in HF patients with low BP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the stability of non-linear parabolic systems. Several stability conditions based on separable Lyapunov functions are provided. The new results are applied to switched non-linear parabolic systems with all stable modes or with unstable modes. An example of heat propagation control of semiconductor power chips is taken to illustrate the proposed methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on improved optical carrier suppressed double sideband modulation with 60 GHz repetitive frequency, a full-duplex radio-over-fiber transport system using a single source at central office was proposed and demonstrated. Carrier suppressed double sideband optical signal was generated by using an optical phase modulator and dense-wavelength-division-multiplexing technique, as well as an additional external amplitude modulator for loading baseband downlink data to one first-order sideband. A dense-wavelength-division-multiplexer was used to separate the two first-order sidebands; the lower sideband was used to carry 5 Gbit/s downstream data, whereas the upper sideband was sent to base station for reuse of modulating upstream data. The limitation of chromatic dispersion is greatly reduced due to that only one sideband is modulated. Therefore, the system of bidirectional transmission shows cost-efficient configuration and good performance over 80 km delivery with less than 1.5 dB power penalty. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 51: 1473–1476, 2009; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.24361 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rationale: Recently N-Fluoroarenesulfonamides (ArSO2NHF) were found to be promising precursors for the preparation of N-fluorobenzenesulfonimide derivatives without applying F2. However, very few studies have discussed the mass spectrometric behaviors of ArSO2NHF with N-F structure. Methods: In this article, we applied high-resolution electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (HR-ESI-MS/MS) to study the effect on the mass spectrometric behaviors of ArSO2NHF after the introduction of the F-atom to the N-atom of ArSO2NH2. Results: High-resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (HR-ESI-MS) experiments showed that ArSO2NHF produced only good signals in negative ion mode, and the dominating product ion SO2F- at m/z 83 was observed in all HR-ESIMS/MS of ArSO2NF- with different substituents in the Ar group. The formation of the product ion SO2F- was proof of the gas-phase F-atom migration rearrangement from the N-atom to the S-atom in ESI-MS/MS of ArSO2NF-. Conclusion: To fully explain the gas-phase reaction mechanism from ArSO2NF- to SO2F-, we studied the HR-ESI-MS/MS of deprotonated ArSO2NHF and also performed theoretical calculations. Both results confirmed that ArSO2NF- first underwent Smiles rearrangement to yield intermediate I (INT1) ArNFSO2-, and then the F-atom of ArNFSO2- migrated from the N-atom to the S-atom to form intermediate II (INT2) ArN-SO2F, which finally dissociated to SO2F- at m/z 83 with loss of a neutral nitrene (ArN). All these results showed that the formation of the product ion SO2F- from ArSO2NF- was a common and intrinsic gas-phase reactivity of ArSO2NF-. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rationale: Diaryliodonium salts are useful electrophilic reagents in organic chemistry, finding extensive applications in arylations and photo-induced polymerizations. However, comprehensive mechanistic investigations, particularly concerning the mass spectrometric behaviors of diaryliodonium salts, are relatively scarce in the literature. Methods: Diaryliodonium salts could be readily ionized using electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) to give [Ar¹ -I+-Ar² ], and high-resolution ESI-tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) experiments were conducted to investigate their gasphase chemical reactions. Results: Investigations on ESI-MS/MS of [Ar¹-I+-Ar² ] revealed two major fragmentation patterns: (1) reductive elimination resulting in the diaryl coupling product ion [Ar¹ -Ar² ] +• by the loss of I; (2) generation of aryl cations [Ar¹ ] + or [Ar² ] + through cleavage of the C–I bonds. We revealed that the introduction of NO2 into Ar² of [Ar¹ -I+-Ar² ] could lead to an unexpected fragmentation ion [Ar¹ O]+ in MS/MS, arising from an O-atom transfer process from NO² to Ar¹ . Particularly, when NO2 was ortho-positioned to the iodine in Ar², the [Ar¹ O]+ sometimes exhibited dominant behavior. Conclusions: Comprehensive ESI-MS/MS studies and theoretical calculations provided strong support for the O-atom transfer mechanistic pathway: [Ar¹ -I+- (o-NO2-Ar² )] initially underwent a Smiles rearrangement to the intermediate [Ar¹ -O- (o-NO-Ar² I)]+, which subsequently dissociated to [Ar¹ O]+ or [o-NO-Ar² I]+• . Herein, we proposed an unexpected “ortho effect” in the gas-phase fragmentation reaction of [Ar¹ -I+-(o-NO2-Ar² )], in which the crucial determinant factor for the aryl migration was identified as the Smiles rearrangement reaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: The dysregulation of TGF‐β signaling is a crucial pathophysiological process in tumorigenesis and progression. LncRNAs have diverse biological functions and are significant participants in the regulation of tumor signaling pathways. However, the clinical value of lncRNAs related to TGF‐β signaling in glioma is currently unclear. Methods: Data on glioma's RNA‐seq transcriptome, somatic mutation, DNA methylation data, and clinicopathological information were derived from the CGGA and TCGA databases. A prognostic lncRNA signature was constructed by Cox and LASSO regression analyses. TIMER2.0 database was utilized to deduce immune infiltration characteristics. "ELMER v.2" was used to reconstruct TF‐methylation‐gene regulatory network. Immunotherapy and chemotherapy response predictions were implemented by the TIDE algorithm and GDSC database, respectively. In vitro and in vivo experiments were conducted to verify the results and clarify the regulatory mechanism of lncRNA. Results: In glioma, a TGF‐β signaling‐related 15‐lncRNA signature was constructed, including AC010173.1, HOXA‐AS2, AC074286.1, AL592424.1, DRAIC, HOXC13‐AS, AC007938.1, AC010729.1, AC013472.3, AC093895.1, AC131097.4, AL606970.4, HOXC‐AS1, AGAP2‐AS1, and AC002456.1. This signature proved to be a reliable prognostic tool, with high risk indicating an unfavorable prognosis and being linked to malignant clinicopathological and genomic mutation traits. Risk levels were associated with different immune infiltration landscapes, where high risk was indicative of high levels of macrophage infiltration. In addition, high risk also suggested better immunotherapy and chemotherapy response. cg05987823 was an important methylation site in glioma progression, and AP‐1 transcription factor family participated in the regulation of signature lncRNA expression. AGAP2‐AS1 knockdown in in vitro and in vivo experiments inhibited the proliferation, migration, and invasion of glioma cells, as well as the growth of glioma, by downregulating the expression levels of NF‐κB and ERK 1/2 in the TGF‐β signaling pathway. Conclusions: A prognostic lncRNA signature of TGF‐β signaling was established in glioma, which can be used for prognostic judgment, immune infiltration status inference, and immunotherapy response prediction. AGAP2‐AS1 plays an important role in glioma progression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polypeptides, as natural polyelectrolytes, are assembled into tailored proteins to integrate chromophores and catalytic sites for photosynthesis. Mimicking nature to create the water‐soluble nanoassemblies from synthetic polyelectrolytes and photocatalytic molecular species for artificial photosynthesis is still rare. Here, we report the enhancement of the full‐spectrum solar‐light‐driven H2 production within a supramolecular system built by the co‐assembly of anionic metalloporphyrins with cationic polyelectrolytes in water. This supramolecular photocatalytic system achieves a H2 production rate of 793 and 685 μmol h−1 g−1 over 24 h with a combination of Mg or Zn porphyrin as photosensitizers and Cu porphyrin as a catalyst, which is more than 23 times higher than that of free molecular controls. With a photosensitizer to catalyst ratio of 10000 : 1, the highest H2 production rate of >51,700 μmol h−1 g−1 with a turnover number (TON) of >1,290 per molecular catalyst was achieved over 24 h irradiation. The hierarchical self‐assembly not only enhances photostability through forming ordered stackings of the metalloporphyrins but also facilitates both energy and electron transfer from antenna molecules to catalysts, and therefore promotes the photocatalysis. This study provides structural and mechanistic insights into the self‐assembly enhanced photostability and catalytic performance of supramolecular photocatalytic systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polypeptides, as natural polyelectrolytes, are assembled into tailored proteins to integrate chromophores and catalytic sites for photosynthesis. Mimicking nature to create the water‐soluble nanoassemblies from synthetic polyelectrolytes and photocatalytic molecular species for artificial photosynthesis is still rare. Here, we report the enhancement of the full‐spectrum solar‐light‐driven H2 production within a supramolecular system built by the co‐assembly of anionic metalloporphyrins with cationic polyelectrolytes in water. This supramolecular photocatalytic system achieves a H2 production rate of 793 and 685 μmol h−1 g−1 over 24 h with a combination of Mg or Zn porphyrin as photosensitizers and Cu porphyrin as a catalyst, which is more than 23 times higher than that of free molecular controls. With a photosensitizer to catalyst ratio of 10000 : 1, the highest H2 production rate of >51,700 μmol h−1 g−1 with a turnover number (TON) of >1,290 per molecular catalyst was achieved over 24 h irradiation. The hierarchical self‐assembly not only enhances photostability through forming ordered stackings of the metalloporphyrins but also facilitates both energy and electron transfer from antenna molecules to catalysts, and therefore promotes the photocatalysis. This study provides structural and mechanistic insights into the self‐assembly enhanced photostability and catalytic performance of supramolecular photocatalytic systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Precise control and delicate manipulation of pore morphology are challenges for supercritical CO2 (scCO2) foaming of polymer foams to boost their performances and extend their applications. Herein, a simple two‐step scCO2 foaming and fast chilling method is proposed to fabricate thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) foams with unique wrinkly structures inside the pores by introducing a fast cooling procedure in an ice water bath right after the foaming process. The combined effects of the increase of TPU surface tension and the decrease of CO2 pressure inside the pores induce intense intermolecular stress on the pore walls, which trigger the formation of micro‐sized wrinkles on the pore walls. The wavelength of the wrinkly structure can be reduced from 2.8 to 1.1 µm by raising the foaming temperature, which is associated with the wrinkled structure changing from hexagon to labyrinth. Compared with conventional foams, wrinkled foams possess superior compressive modulus, strength, and energy absorption performance, and wrinkled foams with wrinkles display better energy absorption. This study provides a facile approach to produce wrinkled foams with controllable morphology and gives insights into the remarkable compressive performance of the wrinkled foams, which make them promising materials for energy absorption applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The edge sites of MoS2 are catalytically active for hydrogen evolution reactions (HER). However, pristine edge sites usually contain only intrinsic atoms or defects, limiting the tuning of on-site hydrogen species adsorption and desorption, the critical steps for HER. In addition, the number of atoms on pristine edges is small compared to that of electrochemically inert atoms in bulk. Thus, it is desirable to develop a scalable technique of creating a large number of highly HER-active edge sites. Here, a plasma etching strategy is developed for creating MoS2 edge electrodes with a controllable number of active sites that enable the quantitative characterization of their HER activity using a local probe method. Fluorine atoms with large electronegativity are doped on the MoS2 edge sites that lead to a fivefold activity enhancement compared to that from pristine edges and is attributed to the more moderate binding energy for hydrogen species. The scalability of such a method is further demonstrated by activating MoS2 catalyst in macroscopic quantities with enhanced HER performance and stability. The work provides two-dimensional materials as a platform for understanding the doping effect on the edge sites at atomic-level, and offers a novel route for the design of efficient catalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The thermally induced phase-retardation changes between two orthogonal polarizations of a propagating light while passing through some optical components have been investigated in an optical polarization-sensitive instrument. The measurements were performed in a dual-channel common-path polarization interferometer based on optical homodyne method. We study temperature dependent phase-retardation variations when the lights pass through a heated quarter-wave plate at different azimuth angles. By the way, we also successfully measure the path dependent phase-retardation changes when the lights pass through the different kinds of beam splitters under the same thermal impacts. These results show that the variations of ambient temperature will easily cause the systematical measurement errors in the optical polarization-sensitive instrument. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 53:771-773, 2011; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.25838 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metallic zinc electrode with a high theoretical capacity of 820 mAh g-1 is highly considered as a promising candidate for next-generation rechargeable batteries. However, the unavoidable hydrogen evolution, uncontrolled dendrite growth, and severe passivation reaction badly hinder its practical implementations. Herein, a robust polymer-alloy artificial protective layer is designed to realize dendrite-free Zn metal anode by the integration of zincophilic SnSb nanoparticles with Nafion. In comparison to the bare Zn electrode, the Nafion-SnSb coated Zn (NFSS@Zn) electrode exhibits lower nucleation energy barrier, more uniform electric field distribution and stronger anti-corrosion capability, thus availably suppressing the Zn dendrite growth and interfacial side reactions. As a consequence, the NFSS@Zn electrode exhibits a long cycle life over 1500 h at 1 mA cm-2 with an ultra-low voltage hysteresis (25 mV). Meanwhile, when paired with a MnO2 cathode, the as-prepared full cell also demonstrates stable performance for 1000 cycles at 3 A g-1. This work provides an inspired approach to boost the performance of Zn anodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rationale: Deuterium‐labeled organic compounds, reagents, and drugs are widely used in many scientific research fields. Isotopic purity as the feature parameter of deuterated compounds is of great importance. In this article, we used electrospray ionization with high‐resolution mass spectrometry (ESI‐HRMS) to study isotopic purity of deuterium‐labeled organic compounds based on assigning and distinguishing the corresponding H/D (hydrogen–deuterium) isotopolog ions of deuterated compounds. Methods: We systematically considered the specific requirements of accuracy and resolution of ESI‐HRMS when measuring isotopic purity and demonstrated some actual cases using ESI‐HRMS and ultraperformance liquid chromatography (UPLC)‐HRMS. Meanwhile, ESI‐HRMS/MS of deuterated compounds was performed to obtain more information on deuterium‐labeled position characterization. Results: Two isotopic purity calculation methods based on the relative abundance in ESI‐HRMS and UPLC‐HRMS of H/D isotopolog ions (D0–Dn) were compared, which gave consistent isotopic purity values and were in good agreement with the certified isotopic purity values. We further studied and monitored the H/D exchange reaction of ethyl 3‐(4‐bromophenyl)‐3‐oxopropanoate (EBPO) by evaluating the dynamic isotopic purity changes in EBPO‐D2 in the H/D exchange reaction in situ. Conclusion: The isotopic purity characterization methods using ESI‐HRMS discussed in this article have some outstanding advantages: rapid, highly sensitive, very low sample consumption (even below nanogram level), and deuterated solvent‐free. Thus, this low‐impact analytical method requires less time and is cost effective and might have good application potential for in‐situ isotopic purity analysis and for monitoring the H/D exchange reactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extracellular vesicles and particles (EVPs) are secreted by organs across the body into different circulatory systems, including the bloodstream, and reflect pathophysiologic conditions of the organ. However, the heterogeneity of EVPs in the blood makes it challenging to determine their organ of origin. We hypothesized that small (s)EVPs (<100 nmin diameter) in the bloodstreamcarry distinctive protein signatures associated with each originating organ, and we investigated this possibility by studying the proteomes of sEVPs produced by six major organs (brain, liver, lung, heart, kidney, and fat). We found that each organ contained distinctive sEVP proteins: 68 proteins were preferentially found in brain sEVPs, 194 in liver, 39 in lung, 15 in heart, 29 in kidney, and 33 in fat. Furthermore, we isolated sEVPs from blood and validated the presence of sEVP proteins associated with the brain (DPP6, SYT1,DNM1L), liver (FABPL, ARG1, ASGR1/2), lung (SFPTA), heart (CPT1B), kidney (SLC31), and fat (GDN). We further discovered altered levels of these proteins in serum sEVPs obtained from old mice compared to young mice. In sum, we have cataloged sEVP proteins that can serve as potential biomarkers for organ identification in serum and show differential expression with age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new design of a fibre-optic probe system is presented which can be used to simultaneously detect scattering signals from multiple channels for spatially offset Raman spectroscopy and Raman tomography in reflection mode. The fibre setup contained 32 source fibres with an auto-controlled optical switch and 40 detector fibres, which were deployed in a large-area planar interface. Phantom experiments were conducted using a prototype of the Raman instrument, and have demonstrated the practical applicability of the system design. The presented area-detection instrument provides an efficient platform for various reflectance applications of Raman modalities over a large area. It could also be potentially adopted for other diffuse optical-based spectroscopic and tomographic applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose This study aimed to investigate the influence of diagnosis, body weight, sex, age, smoking, formulations, and concomitant drugs on steady‐state dose‐corrected serum concentrations (C/D) of venlafaxine (VEN) and O‐desmethylvenlafaxine (ODV). Methods: A retrospective analysis of therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) was carried out. Patients' demographic data, therapeutic regimens, and concentrations were collected. Results: We included 91 verified samples from 80 patients. Females had by average 13% smaller body weight, 50% higher C/D of VEN, and VEN + ODV and 25% smaller ODV/VEN than males. Patients >60 years had by average 33–59% higher C/D levels of ODV and VEN + ODV than younger patients. The concomitant use of valproic acid caused an average 51% higher C/D of ODV and a 2.2‐fold larger ODV/VEN, while clozapine was related with 40% smaller ratio of ODV/VEN and 38% lower C/D levels of ODV. Positive correlations were detected between valproic acid concentrations and the C/D of VEN and VEN + ODV. In a multiple linear regression analysis, variance in the C/D of VEN + ODV was partly attributed to the daily dose of VEN, sex, age and valproic acid concentration. Conclusion: Our results suggested daily dose of VEN, sex, age, and valproic acid as indicators for the C/D of VEN + ODV in Chinese patients. TDM as a valuable tool was suggested in elderly female patients and patients receiving polypharmacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the incidence, consequences, and predictors of serious chemotherapy‐induced thrombocytopenia (CIT) in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the clinical records of patients with NPC between 2013 and 2015. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression model and propensity score matching were used to estimate the effect of serious CIT on overall survival. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were applied to identify the predictors of serious CIT. Results and Conclusion: The incidence of serious CIT was 5.21% in patients with NPC. Patients who experienced serious thrombocytopenia had a worse long‐term prognosis, while the difference in short‐term survival rate was slight. Chemotherapy regimens of gemcitabine and platinum, 5‐fluorouracil and platinum, taxane and platinum, serum potassium ion concentration, serum lactate dehydrogenase levels, platelet count, red blood cell count, and estimated glomerular filtration rate were predictors of serious CIT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]