Search

There is a lack of effective therapeutic drugs for pulmonary arterial hypertension. Previous studies have demonstrated the positive cardiovascular system protective effects of the new peptide ACTY116. However, its stability in ordinary aqueous solution injections is poor and its half‐life in the body is short, which has hindered the development of preparations. This study aimed to prepare in situ forming implants (ISFIs) of the peptide ACTY116 and investigate its impact on pulmonary arterial hypertension. We prepared ISFIs using NMP/TA as a solvent and PLGA as a polymer. These ISFIs exhibited low viscosity, low toxicity and sustained release properties. In a mouse model of pulmonary hypertension induced by SU5416/hypoxia, both ISFIs and ACTY116 peptides effectively reduced pulmonary hypertension, cardiac hypertrophy and pulmonary blood vessel wall thickness. In conclusion, this study highlights the potential of ACTY116 as a treatment for pulmonary arterial hypertension and suggests that incorporating it into an in‐situ gel implant could be a promising option. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ferroptosis is a novel type of cell death that is dependent on lipid peroxidation and iron accumulation, which distinguishes it from other types of programmed cell death. Current research indicates a significant association between ferroptosis and various pathological conditions, including cancer, neurological disorders, and cardiovascular diseases, albeit with a relatively unexplored role in dermatological afflictions. This paper elaborates on the mechanisms and signalling pathways of ferroptosis, summarizing the recent studies on ferroptosis and its related factors in dermatosis. Our objective is to shed light on novel perspectives and therapeutic strategies for dermatosis, enhancing the understanding of this under‐researched area through this comprehensive review. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer‐related death worldwide. This study aimed to establish novel multiclassification prediction models based on machine learning (ML) to predict the probability of malignancy in pulmonary nodules (PNs) and to compare with three published models. Methods: Nine hundred fourteen patients with PNs were collected from four medical institutions (A, B, C and D), which were organized into tables containing clinical features, radiologic features and laboratory test features. Patients were divided into benign lesion (BL), precursor lesion (PL) and malignant lesion (ML) groups according to pathological diagnosis. Approximately 80% of patients in A (total/male: 632/269, age: 57.73 ± 11.06) were randomly selected as a training set; the remaining 20% were used as an internal test set; and the patients in B (total/male: 94/53, age: 60.04 ± 11.22), C (total/male: 94/47, age: 59.30 ± 9.86) and D (total/male: 94/61, age: 62.0 ± 11.09) were used as an external validation set. Logical regression (LR), decision tree (DT), random forest (RF) and support vector machine (SVM) were used to establish prediction models. Finally, the Mayo model, Peking University People's Hospital (PKUPH) model and Brock model were externally validated in our patients. Results: The AUC values of RF model for MLs, PLs and BLs were 0.80 (95% CI: 0.73–0.88), 0.90 (95% CI: 0.82–0.99) and 0.75 (95% CI: 0.67–0.88), respectively. The weighted average AUC value of the RF model for the external validation set was 0.71 (95% CI: 0.67–0.73), and its AUC values for MLs, PLs and BLs were 0.71 (95% CI: 0.68–0.79), 0.98 (95% CI: 0.88–1.07) and 0.68 (95% CI: 0.61–0.74), respectively. The AUC values of the Mayo model, PKUPH model and Brock model were 0.68 (95% CI: 0.62–0.74), 0.64 (95% CI: 0.58–0.70) and 0.57 (95% CI: 0.49–0.65), respectively. Conclusions: The RF model performed best, and its predictive performance was better than that of the three published models, which may provide a new noninvasive method for the risk assessment of PNs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, the major challenge in terms of research on K‐ion batteries is to ensure that they possess satisfactory cycle stability and specific capacity, especially in terms of the intrinsically sluggish kinetics induced by the large radius of K+ ions. Here, we explore high‐performance K‐ion half/full batteries with high rate capability, high specific capacity, and extremely durable cycle stability based on carbon nanosheets with tailored N dopants, which can alleviate the change of volume, increase electronic conductivity, and enhance the K+ ion adsorption. The as‐assembled K‐ion half‐batteries show an excellent rate capability of 468 mA h g−1 at 100 mA g−1, which is superior to those of most carbon materials reported to date. Moreover, the as‐assembled half‐cells have an outstanding life span, running 40,000 cycles over 8 months with a specific capacity retention of 100% at a high current density of 2000 mA g−1, and the target full cells deliver a high reversible specific capacity of 146 mA h g−1 after 2000 cycles over 2 months, with a specific capacity retention of 113% at a high current density of 500 mA g−1, both of which are state of the art in the field of K‐ion batteries. This study might provide some insights into and potential avenues for exploration of advanced K‐ion batteries with durable stability for practical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is well‐recognized that blood flow at branches and bends of arteries generates disturbed shear stress, which plays a crucial in driving atherosclerosis. Flow‐generated fluid shear stress (FSS), as one of the key hemodynamic factors, is appreciated for its critical involvement in regulating angiogenesis to facilitate wound healing and tissue repair. Endothelial cells can directly sense FSS but the mechanobiological mechanism by which they decode different patterns of FSS to trigger angiogenesis remains unclear. In the current study, laminar shear stress (LSS, 15 dyn/cm2) was employed to mimic physiological blood flow, while disturbed shear stress (DSS, ranging from 0.5 ± 4 dyn/cm2) was applied to simulate pathological conditions. The aim was to investigate how these distinct types of blood flow regulated endothelial angiogenesis. Initially, we observed that DSS impaired angiogenesis and downregulated endogenous vascular endothelial growth factor B (VEGFB) expression compared to LSS. We further found that the changes in membrane protein, migration and invasion enhancer 1 (MIEN1) play a role in regulating ERK/MAPK signaling, thereby contributing to endothelial angiogenesis in response to FSS. We also showed the involvement of MIEN1‐directed cytoskeleton organization. These findings suggest the significance of shear stress in endothelial angiogenesis, thereby enhancing our understanding of the alterations in angiogenesis that occur during the transition from physiological to pathological blood flow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aerobic methane oxidation (MOx) mediated by methanotrophs is a crucial mechanism in controlling methane emissions from the surface ocean to the atmosphere. Coastal waters dominate global oceanic methane emissions, but the dynamics, controls and roles of MOx remain largely unconstrained in the marginal seas around China. Here, we conducted a variety of biogeochemical analyses to investigate the controls of methane cycling and the dynamics of methanotrophic activity in the East China Sea and Yellow Sea. Methane was supersaturated in the surface seawater and the concentrations ranged from 2.8 to 19.8 nM. The distribution of methane was regulated by the sources and sinks, which were influenced largely by hydrological and biogeochemical factors. Methane was turned over rapidly with high rates (k: 5 × 10−4–0.04 d−1), indicating the enzymatic capability of methanotrophic biomass to metabolize methane. Rates of MOx varied significantly between sites (1 × 10−3–0.60 nM d−1) and relatively high MOx rates were observed in shallow waters. MOx exhibited the Michaelis‐Menten kinetics with the Vmax of 0.30 nM d−1 and a Km of 78.3 nM. Methanotrophic activity was impacted by environmental factors such as methane availability, nutrient levels, bacterial production and temperature. Nutrient addition experiments demonstrated that phosphate elevated MOx rates, while the activity was largely inhibited by ammonium probably due to competitive inhibition of the methane monooxygenase by ammonia. Comparing the depth‐integrated MOx rates with the air‐sea fluxes at selected sites showed that methane consumed through microbial oxidation accounted for up to 78.1% of the total methane loss (=sum of MOx rates and air‐sea flux), highlighting the role of MOx as a microbial filter for methane emissions. Plain Language Summary: Methane is a potent greenhouse gas and aerobic methane oxidation controls methane emission from the ocean to the atmosphere. However, methane oxidation rates are poorly described in the global ocean, and the magnitude and control of aerobic methane oxidation remains largely unconstrained in marginal seas around China. We investigated methane cycling and methanotrophic activity in the East China Sea and Yellow Sea. Methane oxidation rates showed significant variability between sites, with higher rates observed in shallow coastal waters. A variety of environmental factors such as methane availability, bacterial production, nutrient levels, and temperature affected methane oxidation. Compared to air‐sea exchange, methanotrophy represented an important methane sink and contributed up to 78.1% of the total methane loss at selected sites. These results provide a supplement to the global database of methane oxidation rates and improve our current understanding of methanotrophy in coastal systems. Key Points: Methane oxidation rates varied significantly between sites and higher rates were observed in shallow watersMethanotrophic activity could be influenced by methane availability, nutrient levels and temperatureMOx exhibited the Michaelis‐Menten kinetics with the Vmax of 0.30 nM d−1 and a Km of 78.3 nM [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the correlation between the structural evolution of electrocatalysts and their catalytic activity is both essential and challenging. In this study, we investigate this correlation in the context of the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) by examining the influence of structural disorder during and after dynamic structural evolution on the OER activity of Fe−Ni (oxy)hydroxide catalysts using operando X‐ray absorption spectroscopy, alongside other experiments and theoretical calculations. The Debye–Waller factors obtained from extended X‐ray absorption fine structure analyses reflect the degree of structural disorder and exhibit a robust correlation with the intrinsic OER activities of the electrocatalysts. The enhanced OER activity of in situ‐generated metal (oxy)hydroxides derived from different pre‐catalysts is linked to increased structural disorder, offering a promising approach for designing efficient OER electrocatalysts. This strategy may inspire similar investigations in related electrocatalytic energy‐conversion systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel Zn dipyrazolate metal‐organic framework (MOF), Zn(azbpz) (azbpz2−=4,4′‐azobis(3,5‐dimethylpyrazolate), has been synthesized and structurally characterized using micro‐crystal electron diffraction. The framework contains chain‐type secondary building units comprised of tetrahedral Zn2+ ions bridged by pyrazolate groups, resulting in guest‐accessible channels lined with methyl and azo functional groups. CO2, C2H2, C2H4, C2H6, C3H6, and C3H8 gas adsorption isotherms were measured to investigate the potential of Zn(azbpz) as an adsorbent for selective separation of binary gas mixtures. The data reveal selective adsorption of acetylene over CO2, and column breakthrough experiments demonstrate good performance for C2H2/CO2 separation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gleditsia sinensis is a species endemic to China, an ecologically economic multipurpose tree with great development potential, which could be used as medicine, food, industrial materials and wood. It is well known that the standardized description of plant development stages according to their phenological characteristics not only is crucial for conduct of various agronomic practices, but also facilitates the exchange of new findings based on the same understanding of the plant. However, a uniform phenology scale of G. sinensis has rarely been reported, despite its expanding plant area and rapid development of this industry over the past few years. Thus, phenological events of G. sinensis were monitored based on the BBCH scale during two consecutive years in this study. Eight of the 10 BBCH stages described in detail by combining numbers and letters based on its species characteristic were accurately recorded, including bud development (0), leaf development (1), shoot development (3), inflorescence emergence (5), flowering (6), pod development (7), maturity of pod (8) and senescence (9). As far as we know, it is the first time that a special phenological rhythm for G. sinensis has been developed using an extended BBCH scale, which not only provides the basis for other basic research, but also assists growers in conducting planting management practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Starch accounts for up to 90% of the dry weight of rice endosperm and is a key determinant of grain quality. Although starch biosynthesis enzymes have been comprehensively studied, transcriptional regulation of starch‐synthesis enzyme‐coding genes (SECGs) is largely unknown. In this study, we explored the role of a NAC transcription factor, OsNAC24, in regulating starch biosynthesis in rice. OsNAC24 is highly expressed in developing endosperm. The endosperm of osnac24 mutants is normal in appearance as is starch granule morphology, while total starch content, amylose content, chain length distribution of amylopectin and the physicochemical properties of the starch are changed. In addition, the expression of several SECGs was altered in osnac24 mutant plants. OsNAC24 is a transcriptional activator that targets the promoters of six SECGs; OsGBSSI, OsSBEI, OsAGPS2, OsSSI, OsSSIIIa and OsSSIVb. Since both the mRNA and protein abundances of OsGBSSI and OsSBEI were decreased in the mutants, OsNAC24 functions to regulate starch synthesis mainly through OsGBSSI and OsSBEI. Furthermore, OsNAC24 binds to the newly identified motifs TTGACAA, AGAAGA and ACAAGA as well as the core NAC‐binding motif CACG. Another NAC family member, OsNAP, interacts with OsNAC24 and coactivates target gene expression. Loss‐of‐function of OsNAP led to altered expression in all tested SECGs and reduced the starch content. These results demonstrate that the OsNAC24‐OsNAP complex plays key roles in fine‐tuning starch synthesis in rice endosperm and further suggest that manipulating the OsNAC24‐OsNAP complex regulatory network could be a potential strategy for breeding rice cultivars with improved cooking and eating quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gandouling tablets are used in a clinical agent for the treatment of hepatocellular degeneration; however, their chemical constituents have not been elucidated. Here, we screened and identified the chemical constituents of Gandouling tablets using ultra‐high‐performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC)‐quadrupole time of flight/mass spectrometry. A method for the quality evaluation of Gandouling tablets was developed by combining the UHPLC fingerprints and the simultaneous quantitative analysis of multiple active ingredients. For fingerprint analysis, 20 shared peaks were identified to assess the similarities among the 10 batches of Gandouling tablets and the similarity was >0.9. The levels of nine representative active ingredients were simultaneously determined to ensure consistency in quality. A total of 99 chemical components were identified, including 18 alkaloids, 20 anthraquinones, 13 flavonoids, 11 phenolic acids, 9 polyphenols, 7 phenanthrenes, 5 sesquiterpenes, 3 curcuminoids, 2 lignans, 2 isoflavones, 2 dianthranones, and 7 other components. The retention times, molecular formulae, and secondary fragmentation information of these compounds were analyzed, and the cleavage pathways and characteristic fragments of some of the representative compounds were elucidated. This systematic analysis used to identify the chemical components of Gandouling tablets lays the foundation for its further quality control and research on their pharmacodynamic substances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epigenetic dysregulation is reported in multiple cancers including Ewing sarcoma (EwS). However, the epigenetic networks underlying the maintenance of oncogenic signaling and therapeutic response remain unclear. Using a series of epigenetics‐ and complex‐focused CRISPR screens, RUVBL1, the ATPase component of NuA4 histone acetyltransferase complex, is identified to be essential for EwS tumor progression. Suppression of RUVBL1 leads to attenuated tumor growth, loss of histone H4 acetylation, and ablated MYC signaling. Mechanistically, RUVBL1 controls MYC chromatin binding and modulates the MYC‐driven EEF1A1 expression and thus protein synthesis. High‐density CRISPR gene body scan pinpoints the critical MYC interacting residue in RUVBL1. Finally, this study reveals the synergism between RUVBL1 suppression and pharmacological inhibition of MYC in EwS xenografts and patient‐derived samples. These results indicate that the dynamic interplay between chromatin remodelers, oncogenic transcription factors, and protein translation machinery can provide novel opportunities for combination cancer therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heparanase (HPSE; heparanase‐1) is an endo‐β‐glucuronidase capable of degrading the carbohydrate moiety of heparan sulfate proteoglycans, thus modulating and facilitating the remodeling of the extracellular matrix and basement membrane. HPSE activity is strongly associated with major human pathological complications, including but not limited to tumor progress and angiogenesis. Several lines of literature have shown that overexpression of HPSE leads to enhanced tumor growth and metastatic transmission, as well as poor prognosis. Gene silencing of HPSE or treatment of tumor with compounds that block HPSE activity are shown to remarkably attenuate tumor progression. Therefore, targeting HPSE is considered as a potential therapeutical strategy for the treatment of cancer. Intriguingly, recent findings disclose that heparanase‐2 (HPSE‐2), a close homolog of HPSE but lacking enzymatic activity, can also regulate antitumor mechanisms. Given the pleiotropic roles of HPSE, further investigation is in demand to determine the precise mechanism of regulating action of HPSE in different cancer settings. In this review, we first summarize the current understanding of HPSE, such as its structure, subcellular localization, and tissue distribution. Furthermore, we systematically review the pro‐ and antitumorigenic roles and mechanisms of HPSE in cancer progress. In addition, we delineate HPSE inhibitors that have entered clinical trials and their therapeutic potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Methanol metabolism can play an important role in marine carbon cycling. We made contemporaneous measurements of methanol concentration and consumption rates in the northwest Pacific Ocean to constrain the pathways and dynamics of methanol cycling. Methanol was detected in relatively low concentrations (<12–391 nM), likely due to rapid biological turnover. Rates of methanol oxidation to CO2 (0.9–130.5 nmol L−1 day−1) were much higher than those of assimilation into biomass (0.09–6.8 nmol L−1 day−1), suggesting that >89.7% of methanol was utilized as an energy source. Surface water acted as a net methanol sink at most sites, with an average flux of 9 μmol L−1 day−1. Atmospheric deposition accounted for 22.7% of microbial methanol consumption in the mixed layer, illustrating that the atmosphere is less important than internal processes for driving methanol cycling in these pelagic waters. Plain Language Summary: Methanol is one of the most abundant oxygenated volatile organic compounds in the atmosphere and microbial methanol metabolism is an important part of the marine carbon cycle. However, only a limited number of studies describe methanol cycling in marine waters, and the sources and sinks of methanol remain largely unconstrained in the Pacific Ocean. We investigated the distribution and microbial consumption of methanol in the Kuroshio‐Oyashio extension region of northwest Pacific Ocean. Methanol was used primarily as an energy source and the rapid biological turnover of methanol contributed to relatively low‐standing stocks of methanol. Air‐sea flux estimates suggested that the atmosphere was a net source of methanol to the study area. Compared to in situ production and consumption rates, air‐sea exchange represented a less important process for methanol cycling in the mixed layer. Our results add to the global database of methanol concentrations and help to constrain the biological sources and sinks of methanol in the surface ocean. Key Points: Methanol was detected in relatively low concentrations due to rapid biological consumption in the Kuroshio‐Oyashio extension regionMuch higher oxidation rates than assimilation rates suggested methanol was predominantly used as an energy sourceAtmospheric deposition is a source of methanol in the mixed layer and accounted for 22.7% of microbial methanol consumption [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although many porous materials, including metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), have been reported to selectively adsorb C2H2 in C2H2/CO2 separation processes, CO2‐selective sorbents are much less common. Here, we report the remarkable performance of MFU‐4 (Zn5Cl4(bbta)3, bbta=benzo‐1,2,4,5‐bistriazolate) toward inverse CO2/C2H2 separation. The MOF facilitates kinetic separation of CO2 from C2H2, enabling the generation of high purity C2H2 (>98 %) with good productivity in dynamic breakthrough experiments. Adsorption kinetics measurements and computational studies show C2H2 is excluded from MFU‐4 by narrow pore windows formed by Zn−Cl groups. Postsynthetic F−/Cl− ligand exchange was used to synthesize an analogue (MFU‐4‐F) with expanded pore apertures, resulting in equilibrium C2H2/CO2 separation with reversed selectivity compared to MFU‐4. MFU‐4‐F also exhibits a remarkably high C2H2 adsorption capacity (6.7 mmol g−1), allowing fuel grade C2H2 (98 % purity) to be harvested from C2H2/CO2 mixtures by room temperature desorption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrophilic nanomaterials were always used to improve the pervaporation (PV) performance of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) membrane in the process of ethanol dehydration. In this work, the PVA/MXene composite membrane with high water flux and separation factor was fabricated with spin coating method. Induced by the hypergravity force, the MXene nanosheets were segregated and stacked layer‐by‐layer between the interface of the PVA/MXene layer and the support. The self‐assembly 2D MXene in the PVA not only improved the binding force between the separation layer and the support but also enhanced the PV performance. The water flux and separation factor of the PVA/SSA/MXene composite membrane reached 1.22 kg·m−2·h−1 and 1577, respectively. Both were higher than those of most reported PVA membranes. Nano indentation and scratch tests also revealed that due to the high modulus and hardness of the PVA/SSA/MXene composite membrane, 0.2822 and 0.019 GPa, strong binding force was existed between the separation layer and the support. Partly based on this reason, the structure of the PVA/SSA/MXene composite membrane remained stable during 300 hours of the PV test. It is believed that the prepared PVA/SSA/MXene composite membrane has a broad application prospect in the PV process for ethanol dehydration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent development of imaging flow cytometry (IFC) has enabled the measurements of single cells with high throughput, where fluorescent labels provide specificity for cellular diagnosis. The fluorescent labels may disturb the cell functions, and the requirements for high‐throughput measurements limit the cell image quality. Here, we develop the high‐content video flow cytometry (VFC) that measures unlabeled single cells with a rate of approximately 1000 cells per minute. For the obtained big data, the frame of interest (FOI) is automatically prepared by a digital cell filtering technique with machine learning. Cervical carcinoma cell lines (Caski, HeLa and C33‐A cells) are differentiated with an accuracy of 91.5%, 90.5%, and 90.5% by deep learning in a three‐way classification, respectively. The high‐content VFC not only provides high‐quality images of single cells with high throughput and rewinding, but also performs automatic digital cell filtering and label‐free cell classification that may have clinical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Programmed cell death protein‐1/programmed cell death ligand‐1 (PD‐1/L1) inhibitor is a promising therapeutic option that can be used as either a first‐line or second‐line treatment for driver‐negative advanced or metastatic squamous non‐small cell lung cancers (sqNSCLC). However, reuse of PD‐1/L1 inhibitor in second‐line beyond progression after the first‐line is generally not recommended. Therefore, oncologists face challenges in making a proper decision of using PD‐1/L1 inhibitor. This analysis aimed to determine whether it is more cost‐effective to use sintilimab, a domestic anti‐PD‐1 drug in China, as a first‐line treatment than reserving it until second‐line. Methods: We conducted a cost‐effectiveness analysis to compare the use of sintilimab in the first‐line setting with reserving its use until the second‐line for driver‐negative advanced or metastatic sqNSCLC from the perspective of the Chinese healthcare system. A Markov model composed of five main mutually independent health states and three temporary health states was established to simulate patients' clinical trajectory. Transition probabilities, including disease progression, survival, and adverse events‐related treatment discontinuation, were estimated using data from the ORIENT‐12, ORIENT‐3, and ALTER0303 clinical trials. The robustness of the model was assessed using deterministic sensitivity analysis (DSA) and probabilistic sensitivity analyses. Results: Reserving the use of sintilimab until the second‐line was associated with a greater effectiveness (1.52 vs. 1.37 quality‐adjusted life‐years [QALYs]) and a higher healthcare cost ($12,203 vs. $14,045) compared with the first‐line sintilimab, resulting in an incremental cost‐effectiveness ratio (ICER) of $12,693 per QALY. The results of DSA suggested that variations in all parameters did not result in the ICERs surpassing the willingness‐to‐pay threshold of $35,663/QALY. Conclusions: For Chinese patients with driver‐negative advanced or metastatic sqNSCLC, reserving the use of sintilimab until the second‐line represents a cost‐effective treatment strategy compared with the first‐line treatment. This finding is useful to inform Chinese healthcare policymakers regarding the optimized treatment strategies of use of domestic PD‐1/L1 inhibitors sintilimab. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Permafrost degradation increases the likelihood of glacial lake outburst floods on the Tibetan Plateau. Analyses of the freeze–thaw conditions in moraine dams and associated impacts on dam stability contribute toward reducing natural hazard risks. We used the heat transfer module of COMSOL Multiphysics to simulate the soil temperature field in the Longbasaba moraine dam, which is on the northern slope of central Himalaya. There is close agreement between the simulated and observed soil temperature values. Root mean squared errors (the square root of the mean of the square of all of the error) are below 1.30°C and mean bias errors vary from −0.10 to −0.52°C for the different soil layers. Between 1959 and 2020, active layer thickness increased at a mean annual rate of 0.024 m a−1. Under the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 scenarios, the buried ice inside the moraine dam is clearly melting. The maximum‐buried ice thaw depth is currently 3.4 m and at the end of the 21st century is projected to be 9.53, 16.69, and 21.83 m under SSP1‐2.6, SSP2‐4.5, and SSP5‐8.5, which indicates a continuous decrease in moraine dam stability. Plain Language Summary: Glacial Lake Outburst Floods have frequently occurred on the Tibetan Plateau in recent years and have caused many casualties and substantial property damage. Longbasaba lake is located at the end of Longbasaba glacier and is dammed by a terminal moraine complex. We used the heat transfer module of COMSOL Multiphysics simulation software to simulate the freeze–thaw process and melting of buried ice inside the Longbasaba moraine dam between 1959 and 2100 and examined dam stability. The maximum thawing depth of the dam in summer has increased over the past decades and buried ice has been melting since the mid‐1970s. Under future warming scenarios, the depth of melting inside the dam is projected to exceed the depth of freezing and the melting rate of buried ice will accelerate. This indicates that seepage and piping will increase and dam stability will continue to decrease. We must remain alert about the possibility of future dam failure. Key Points: Soil temperatures at different depths of the Longbasaba moraine dam were well simulated by COMSOL Multiphysics softwareBetween 1959 and 2020, annual active layer depth increased at a mean rate of 0.024 m a−1Under Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 scenarios, melting of buried ice is projected to accelerate and reduce dam stability [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is an aberrant autoimmune condition mediated by T cell abnormality, which may cause fulminant liver failure and persistent liver injury. This study aimed to disclose the histopathological and functional engagement of interleukin (IL)‐26, a potent inflammation mediator, in AIH disease progression. Methods: We conducted immunohistochemical staining on liver biopsy samples to evaluate intrahepatic expression of IL‐26. Cellular sources of hepatic IL‐26 were detected by confocal microscopy. Flow cytometry was employed to determine the immunological alterations of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells following in vitro IL‐26 treatment on primary peripheral blood mononuclear cells from healthy controls. Results: Statistically significant increase in IL‐26 level was observed in AIH (n = 48) liver samples in comparison with patients having chronic hepatitis B (n = 25), nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (n = 18), and healthy donors for living donor liver transplantation (n = 10). The number of intrahepatic IL‐26+ cells was positively correlated with histological and serological severity. An immunofluorescence staining indicated that liver‐infiltrating CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells, and CD68+ macrophages orchestrated IL‐26 secretion in AIH. Both CD4+ and CD8+ T cells demonstrated effective activation, lytic, and proinflammatory functions upon IL‐26 stimulation. Conclusion: We observed elevated IL‐26 in AIH liver which promoted T cell activation and cytotoxic capacity, indicating a therapeutic potential of IL‐26 intervention in AIH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long‐term monitoring of ice‐dammed lakes is important for understanding the process of lake storage, development, and glacial outburst flood (GLOF). Based on remote sensing observations for the period 1972–2020, we obtained what is so far the most detailed reconstruction of the filling and draining of Kyagar Lake, a typical annually ice‐dammed lake in the north Karakoram. We show that annually repeated lake fillings‐drainings were detected by satellite observations during two periods: 1996–2009 and 2015–2020, while between 2009 and 2015 no obvious cycle occurred. These two intermitted periods with regular annual revival of lake outburst were likely related to the long‐term cycle of glacier surge dynamics, namely two remarkable surge‐induced terminus accelerations during 1995–1997 and 2014–2016. Following each surge, the maximum lake areas decreased by about 33% from 1996 to 2009 and by about 88% from 2015 to 2020. Combined with climatic warming and the thinning of the ice‐dam, the storage capacity of Kyagar Lake will likely continue to decrease in the future, and the risk of lake outburst flood thus becomes lower. Repeated drainage following filling exacerbates the depletion of mass at the glacier terminal, leading to the cessation of storage and creating the conditions for the next glacial surge to occur, creating a long‐term iteration of the surge process. Considering the uncertainty and intensified climate changes, it suggests that a close monitoring of the glacial lake development and glacier dynamics would be still important. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dysregulation of G6PD involved in the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) is known to promote tumorigenesis. The PPP plays a pivotal role in meeting the anabolic demands of cancer cells. However, the detailed underlying molecular mechanisms of targeting the G6PD‐regulated PPP in breast cancer remain unclear. In this study, we aimed to elucidate the molecular pathways mediating the effects of G6PD on cancer progression. Clinical sample analysis found that the expression of G6PD in breast cancer patients was higher than that in normal controls, and patients with higher G6PD expression had poor survival. Gene knockdown or inhibition of G6PD by 6‐AN in MCF‐7 and MDA‐MB‐231 cells significantly decreased cell viability, migration, and colony formation ability. G6PD enzyme activity was inhibited by 6‐AN treatment, which caused a transient upregulation of ROS. The elevated ROS was independent of cell apoptosis and thus associated with abnormal activated autophagy. Accumulated ROS levels induced autophagic cell death in breast cancer. Inhibition of G6PD suppresses tumour growth in preclinical models of breast cancer. Our results indicate that targeting the G6PD‐regulated PPP could restrain tumours in vitro and in vivo, inhibiting G6PD caused cell death by over‐activating autophagy, therefore leading to inhibited proliferation and tumour formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The human monkeypox has become a public health problem globally. Google Trends Index (GTI) is an indicator of public attention, being potential for infectious disease outbreak surveillance. In this study, we used lag‐correlation analysis to evaluate the spearman correlation coefficients between public attention and monkeypox epidemic by −36 to +36 days‐lag in top 20 countries with most cumulated cases until September 30, 2022, the meta‐analyses were performed to pool the coefficients of countries among all lags. We also constructed vector autoregression model and Granger‐causality test to probe the significance of GTI in monkeypox forecasting. The strongest spearman correlation was found at lag +13 day (r = 0.53, 95% confidence interval: 0.371–0.703, p < 0.05). Meta‐analysis showed significantly positive correlation when the lag was from −12 to +36 day, which was most notable on the third posterior day (lag +3 day). The pooled spearman correlation coefficients were all above 0.200 when the lag ranged from +1 to +20 day, and the causality of GTI for daily case was significant in worldwide and multiple countries. The findings suggested a robust association between 13‐days‐priority GTI and daily cases worldwide. This work introduced a potential monitor indicator on the early warning and surveillance of monkeypox outbreak. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research assessing the changing epidemiology of infectious diseases in China after the implementation of new healthcare reform in 2009 was scarce. We aimed to get the latest trends and disparities of national notifiable infectious diseases by age, sex, province, and season in China from 2010 to 2019. The number of incident cases and deaths, incidence rate, and mortality of 44 national notifiable infectious diseases by sex, age groups, and provincial regions from 2010 to 2019 were extracted from the China Information System for Disease Control and Prevention and official reports and divided into six kinds of infectious diseases by transmission routes and three classes (A–C) in this descriptive study. Estimated annual percentage changes (EAPCs) were calculated to quantify the temporal trends of incidence and mortality rate. We calculated the concentration index to measure economic‐related inequality. Segmented interrupted time‐series analysis was used to estimate the impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic on the epidemic of notifiable infectious diseases. The trend of incidence rate on six kinds of infectious diseases by transmission routes was stable, while only mortality of sexual, blood‐borne, and mother‐to‐child‐borne infectious diseases increased from 0.6466 per 100 000 population in 2010 to 1.5499 per 100 000 population in 2019 by 8.76% per year (95% confidence interval [CI]: 6.88–10.68). There was a decreasing trend of incidence rate on Class‐A infectious diseases (EAPC = −16.30%; 95% CI: −27.93 to −2.79) and Class‐B infectious diseases (EAPC = −1.05%; 95% CI: −1.56 to −0.54), while an increasing trend on Class‐C infectious diseases (EAPC = 6.22%; 95% CI: 2.13–10.48). For mortality, there was a decreasing trend on Class‐C infectious diseases (EAPC = −14.76%; 95% CI: −23.46 to −5.07), and an increasing trend on Class‐B infectious diseases (EAPC = 4.56%; 95% CI: 2.44–6.72). In 2019, the infectious diseases with the highest incidence rate and mortality were respiratory diseases (340.95 per 100 000 population), and sexual, blood‐borne, and mother‐to‐child‐borne infectious diseases (1.5459 per 100 000 population), respectively. The greatest increasing trend of incidence rate was observed in seasonal influenza, from 4.83 per 100 000 population in 2010 to 253.36 per 100 000 population in 2019 by 45.16% per year (95% CI: 29.81–62.33), especially among females and children aged 0–4 years old. The top disease with the highest mortality was still AIDs, which had the highest average yearly mortality in 24 provinces from 2010 to 2019, and its incidence rate (EAPC = 14.99%; 95% CI: 8.75–21.59) and mortality (EAPC = 9.65; 95%CI: 7.71–11.63) both increased from 2010 to 2019, especially among people aged 44–59 years old and 60 or older. Male incidence rate and mortality were higher than females each year from 2010 to 2018 on 29 and 10 infectious diseases, respectively. Additionally, sex differences in the incidence and mortality of AIDS were becoming larger. The curve lay above the equality line, with the negative value of the concentration index, which indicated that economic‐related health disparities exist in the distribution of incidence rate and mortality of respiratory diseases (incidence rate: the concentration index = −0.063, p < 0.0001; mortality: the concentration index = −0.131, p < 0.001), sexual, blood‐borne, and mother‐to‐child‐borne infectious diseases (incidence rate: the concentration index = −0.039, p = 0.0192; mortality: the concentration index = −0.207, p < 0.0001), and the inequality disadvantageous to the poor (pro‐rich). Respiratory diseases (Dec–Jan), intestinal diseases (May–Jul), zoonotic infectious diseases (Mar–Jul), and vector‐borne infectious diseases (Sep–Oct) had distinct seasonal epidemic patterns. In addition, segmented interrupted time‐series analyses showed that, after adjusting for potential seasonality, autocorrelation, GDP per capita, number of primary medical institutions, and other factors, there was no significant impact of COVID‐19 epidemic on the monthly incidence rate of six kinds of infectious diseases by transmission routes from 2018 to 2020 (all p > 0.05). The incidence rates of six kinds of infectious diseases were stable in the past decade, and incidence rates of Class‐A and Class‐B infectious diseases were decreasing because of comprehensive prevention and control measures and a strengthened health system after the implementation of the new healthcare reform in China since 2009. However, age, gender, regional, and economic disparities were still observed. Concerted efforts are needed to reduce the impact of seasonal influenza (especially among children aged 0–4 years old) and the mortality of AIDs (especially among people aged 44–59 years old and 60 or older). More attention should be paid to the disparities in the burden of infectious diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amendment application is one of the effective measures used to remediate structural problems in coarse‐textured soils. However, the application of water‐based spent drilling mud (WBSM) as a potential amendment and its associated impacts on physical and hydraulic soil properties is not well‐studied. This research aimed to investigate the effect of the application of WBSM on basic hydrophysical properties of coarse‐textured loessial soil sampled from the Loess Plateau, China. Application of WBSM to repacked loessial soil at four application rates (0, 25.0, 50.0, 75.0 g kg−1, dry basis), denoted as control (H0), low (HDL), medium (HDM) and high (HDH), respectively, was used to investigate changes in soil bulk density (ρb), soil total porosity (ƒ), saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ks), relative gas diffusivity (Dp/Do), soil‐water retention and soil evaporation characteristics. The results showed that the soil ρb in HDL and HDM decreased by 4.0% and 5.5%, respectively, as compared to H0 (p < 0.05). Measured Ks changed to 36.7% (HWL), 12.2% (HWM) and 4.4% (HWH) as compared to H0 (5.56 cm d−1). The application of WBSM further decreased the percentage of soil pore sizes >30 μm, but increased the proportion of medium pore sizes (≥30–50 μm), micro pore sizes (≥0.3–5 μm) and extremely micro pore sizes (<0.3 μm), which was attributed to the clogging effect of the fine and clay particles contained in WBSM. Decline in Dp/Do, however, was observed with increasing WBSM, likely due to the increased pore tortuosity in fine‐grained soil. The van Genuchten soil‐water retention model parameters differed largely across the WBSM application rates, with increased soil available water‐holding capacity by 50.9%, 65.9% and 64.1% in HDL, HDM and HWH, respectively, as compared to H0. However, WBSM application also increased soil available water‐holding capacity and reduced evaporative water loss, which has useful implications for the management of coarse‐textured soils with a distinct water deficit in fragile ecosystems. Widespread use of WBSM to amend coarse‐textured soils requires further studies to evaluate the effects of WBSM amendments in field trials and its environmental consequences. Highlights: Water‐based spent drilling mud (WBSM) altered the texture of loessial soil.WBSM increased soil total porosity and changed pore size distribution.WBSM affected the characteristics of soil water and gas transport.The soil water availability was improved by WBSM application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The design of efficient cathode with great cycle performance, high flexibility, and low cost is essential for the commercialization of zinc–air battery (ZAB). Herein, we report the exploration of freestanding bifunctional cathode with rationally designed structures, namely, tiny Co nanoparticles embedded in N‐doped carbon nanofiber aerogels, which have desired features including uniform Co dispersity, balanced distribution of N‐C species, hierarchically porous structure with increased fraction of meso‐ to micropores, and moderate amounts of defects. Accordingly, the as‐fabricated cathodes exhibit positive half‐wave potential of 0.82 V for oxygen reduction and small overpotential of 350 mV at 10 mA cm−2 for oxygen evolution, respectively, which deliver smaller reversible oxygen electrode index (0.76 V) than the commercial Pt/C+RuO2 (0.80 V) and most Co‐based electrocatalysts ever reported. Impressively, the as‐constructed liquid rechargeable ZAB behaves high peak power density (160 mW cm−2), large specific capacity (759.7 mAh g−1 at 10 mA cm−2, tested after 120 h of OCV tests), and robust stability over 277 h. Moreover, the as‐assembled quasi‐solid‐state ZAB using such freestanding cathode represents excellent mechanical flexibility and outstanding cycle performance, regardless of being serviced under extremely bending conditions from 0° to 180°, underscoring their promising applications as durable bifunctional cathode for portable metal–air batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The exploration of cheap, efficient, and durable bifunctional electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is highly desired to push forward the commercialization of rechargeable metal–air batteries. Here, bifunctional ORR/OER electrocatalysts based on CoxP (0 < x < 2, i.e., Co2P, Co2P/CoP mixture, and CoP) nanoparticles (NPs) anchored on N,P‐doped carbon framework (CoxP@NPC) are developed via one‐step carbonization of the mixture of as‐synthesized ZIF‐67 and melamine–phytic acid supermolecular aggregate (MPSA). The stoichiometric ratio of resultant CoxP NPs can be rationally designed by adjusting the introduced ratio of ZIF‐67 to MPSA, enabling their fabrication in a controlled manner. It is found that the as‐synthesized Co2P@NPC exhibits the best bifunctional ORR/OER activity among the CoxP@NPC analogues, with a reversible oxygen electrode index (ΔE = Ej10 − E1/2) down to ~0.75 V. The constructed Zn–air battery based on Co2P@NPC delivers a peak power density of 157 mW cm−2 and an excellent charge‐discharge stability with negligible voltage decay for 140 h at 10 mA cm−2, superior to those based on Pt/C+RuO2 and most CoxP‐based electrodes ever reported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Relative contributions to the zonal mean meridional heat transport by the climatological annual mean, climatological annual variation, synoptic, intra‐seasonal and lower‐frequency motions were examined based on the ERA‐Interim reanalysis data for the period of 1981–2015. The meridional heat transport analysed in this study only includes the component related to meridional wind and temperature. In the tropics, the climatological annual mean circulations dominate the long‐term mean meridional heat transport, while the interaction between the climatological annual mean temperature and the seasonal anomalous flow largely contributes to the seasonal variation of the meridional heat transport. In the middle latitudes, the climatological annual mean circulations and transient eddies (mostly synoptic and intra‐seasonal eddies) are of roughly equal importance in the poleward heat transport, leading to the maximum poleward heat transport around 50°N/S. The upper‐ and lower‐tropospheric heat transports by the climatological annual mean circulations appear opposite, with the magnitude of the lower‐tropospheric transport being greater. The preferred maximum zonal mean heat transport at 50°N by the climatological mean flow is attributed to the maximum zonal mean low‐level southerly in situ. The preferred peak latitude of the mid‐latitude poleward heat transport by synoptic eddies near 50°N arises from the combined effect of the strong synoptic‐scale meridional wind and temperature variabilities in situ and their in‐phase relationship. The heat transport by tropical cyclones (TCs) was estimated by applying a statistical relationship between TC intensity and the vertically integrated temperature averaged over the TC core region derived from high‐resolution Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model simulations. For northern hemisphere summer, TCs contribute about 35% of the total heat transport in the active TC regions, suggesting that TCs play a critical role in the regional meridional heat transport. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The source–sink relationship determines the overall agronomic performance of rice. Cloning and characterizing key genes involved in the regulation of source and sink dynamics is imperative for improving rice yield. However, few source genes with potential application in rice have been identified. Glucan, Water‐Dikinase 1 (GWD1) is an essential enzyme that plays a pivotal role in the first step of transitory starch degradation in source tissues. In the present study, we successfully generated gwd1 weak mutants by promoter editing using CRISPR/Cas9 system, and also leaf‐dominant overexpression lines of GWD1 driven by Osl2 promoter. Analysis of the gwd1 plants indicated that promoter editing mediated down‐regulation of GWD1 caused no observable effects on rice growth and development, but only mildly modified its grain transparency and seed germination. However, the transgenic pOsl2::GWD1 overexpression lines showed improvements in multiple key traits, including rice yield, grain shape, rice quality, seed germination and stress tolerance. Therefore, our study shows that GWD1 is not only involved in transitory starch degradation in source tissues, but also plays key roles in the seeds, which is a sink tissue. In conclusion, we find that GWD1 is an ideal biotechnological target with promising potential for the breeding of elite rice cultivars via genetic engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: To determine the effectiveness of blended learning using the community of inquiry framework on nursing students' learning gains in a sudden patient deterioration module. Design: A quasi‐experimental trial. Methods: 233 Chinese nursing students in their fourth semester of a sudden patient deterioration learning module were assigned to control (N = 113) and experimental group (N = 120). Students in experimental group engaged in community of inquiry‐based blended learning in sudden patient deterioration module, including computer‐aided self‐instruction, team‐based topic discussion and simulation training. Control group learned similar contents through face‐to‐face teaching comprising of a presentation with lecture, tutorial and simulation training. Student assessment of learning gains, knowledge and practical ability was quantified after the interventions. Results: Compared with control group, students in experimental group had improved student assessment of learning gains (p =.001, Cohen d = 0.69) and practical ability (p <.001, Cohen d = 0.48). Although no significant difference in overall knowledge score, experimental group students did better performance in application and analysis (p =.001, Cohen d = 0.45). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gene alterations are recognized as important events in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) progression. Studies on hematopoiesis of altered genes contribute to a better understanding on their roles in AML progression. Our previous work reported a DEAH box helicase 15 (DHX15) R222G mutation in AML patients, and we showed DHX15 overexpression is associated with poor prognosis in AML patients. In this work, we further study the role of dhx15 in zebrafish developmental hematopoiesis by generating dhx15−/− zebrafish using transcription activator‐like effector nuclease technology. Whole‐mount in situ hybridization (WISH) analysis showed hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells were dramatically perturbed when dhx15 was deleted. Immunofluorescence staining indicated inhibited hematopoietic stem/progenitor cell (HSPC) proliferation instead of accelerated apoptosis were detected in dhx15−/− zebrafish. Furthermore, our data showed that HSPC defect is mediated through the unfolded protein response (UPR) pathway. DHX15 R222G mutation, a recurrent mutation identified in AML patients, displayed a compromised function in restoring HSPC failure in dhx15−/−; Tg (hsp: DHX15 R222G) zebrafish. Collectively, this work revealed a vital role of dhx15 in the maintenance of definitive hematopoiesis in zebrafish through the unfolded protein respone pathway. The study of DHX15 and DHX15 R222G mutation could hold clinical significance for evaluating prognosis of AML patients with aberrant DHX15 expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The presentation initially suggested genital warts, so she was treated with anti-human papillomavirus (HPV) drugs for the lesions in the local hospital. Dear Editor, Verruciform xanthoma (VX) is a rare, benign, mucocutaneous, verrucous, papillary lesion characterized by collections of fat-containing macrophages in the papillary dermis, epidermal hyperplasia with hyperkeratosis and parakeratosis. (1) The lesions may be associated with HPV.1 However, common HPV types were not detected in our patient. [Extracted from the article]

Cervical cancer is a major gynecological malignant tumor that threatens women's health. Current cytological methods have certain limitations for cervical cancer early screening. Light scattering patterns can reflect small differences in the internal structure of cells. In this study, we develop a light scattering pattern specific convolutional network (LSPS‐net) based on deep learning algorithm and integrate it into a 2D light scattering static cytometry for automatic, label‐free analysis of single cervical cells. An accuracy rate of 95.46% for the classification of normal cervical cells and cancerous ones (mixed C‐33A and CaSki cells) is obtained. When applied for the subtyping of label‐free cervical cell lines, we obtain an accuracy rate of 93.31% with our LSPS‐net cytometric technique. Furthermore, the three‐way classification of the above different types of cells has an overall accuracy rate of 90.90%, and comparisons with other feature descriptors and classification algorithms show the superiority of deep learning for automatic feature extraction. The LSPS‐net static cytometry may potentially be used for cervical cancer early screening, which is rapid, automatic and label‐free. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Lysine is the main limiting essential amino acid (EAA) in the rice seeds, which is a major energy and nutrition source for humans and livestock. In higher plants, the rate‐limiting steps in lysine biosynthesis pathway are catalysed by two key enzymes, aspartate kinase (AK) and dihydrodipicolinate synthase (DHDPS), and both are extremely sensitive to feedback inhibition by lysine. In this study, two rice AK mutants (AK1 and AK2) and five DHDPS mutants (DHDPS1–DHDPS5), all single amino acid substitution, were constructed. Their protein sequences passed an allergic sequence‐based homology alignment. Mutant proteins were recombinantly expressed in Escherichia coli, and all were insensitive to the lysine analog S‐(2‐aminoethyl)‐l‐cysteine (AEC) at concentrations up to 12 mm. The AK and DHDPS mutants were transformed into rice, and free lysine was elevated in mature seeds of transgenic plants, especially those expressing AK2 or DHDPS1, 6.6‐fold and 21.7‐fold higher than the wild‐type (WT) rice, respectively. We then engineered 35A2D1L plants by simultaneously expressing modified AK2 and DHDPS1, and inhibiting rice LKR/SDH (lysine ketoglutaric acid reductase/saccharopine dehydropine dehydrogenase). Free lysine levels in two 35A2D1L transgenic lines were 58.5‐fold and 39.2‐fold higher than in WT and transgenic rice containing native AK and DHDPS, respectively. Total free amino acid and total protein content were also elevated in 35A2D1L transgenic rice. Additionally, agronomic performance analysis indicated that transgenic lines exhibited normal plant growth, development and seed appearance comparable to WT plants. Thus, AK and DHDPS mutants may be used to improve the nutritional quality of rice and other cereal grains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, the exploration of energy conversion/storage devices for high‐temperature operation with desired stability is still a grand challenge. In the present work, the high‐temperature supercapacitors (SCs) based on SiC nanowires as the electrode materials are reported, which are synthesized via pyrolysis of polymeric precursors followed by etching for creating more active sites with enhanced surface area. In 2.0 m KCl aqueous electrolyte, the as‐fabricated electrode based on etched SiC nanowires delivers a specific capacitance of 23.6 mF cm–2 (29.5 F g–1) at a current density of 0.2 mA cm–2 (0.25 A g–1), which is ≈3.3 times to that of the counterpart without etching (7.19 mF cm–2). The as‐constructed ionic‐liquid‐based SCs can endure the operation temperatures up to 150 °C with a capacitance retention of 80% for 10 000 cycles, which drops only ≈6% in comparison to that at 0 °C. Even under progressive variation in temperatures ranged between 0 and 150 °C, the capacitance retentions keep higher than 76% for 12 000 cycles, representing their promising to be serviced as robust SCs against high‐temperature harsh conditions for energy storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents the design and analysis of a complex cavity that will be used in a 10 kW‐level 94 GHz second harmonic low‐current, low‐voltage gyrotron. The mode pair of TE+7.2/TE+7.3 is selected as the operating modes of the complex cavity. In cold‐cavity design, a throat is introduced in the complex cavity to increase the diffractive quality factor, which can make the gyrotron operate at low‐current and low‐voltage conditions. In hot‐cavity analysis, the beam‐wave interaction efficiency affected by different factors has been studied in detail. At the operating point with beam voltage of 32 kV and beam current of 1.5 A, the mode competition has been studied based on the analysis of starting current and a time‐dependent multifrequency code; the transverse velocity spread influence on the efficiency has also been investigated. The results indicate that the operating mode eventually dominates the mode selection, while the competing modes are all at noise level. Meanwhile, the interaction efficiency can keep more than 30% with maintaining the spread below 8%, and the output power can hold at 10 kW‐level when the spread is below 12%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

NASCION‐type Li conductors have great potential to bring high capacity solid‐state batteries to realization, related to its properties such as high ionic conductivity, stability under ambient conditions, wide electrochemical stability window, and inexpensive production. However, their chemical and thermal instability toward metallic lithium (Li) has severely hindered attempts to utilize Li as anode material in NASCION‐based battery systems. In this work, it is shown how a tailored multifunctional interlayer between the solid electrolyte and Li anode can successfully address the interfacial issues. This interlayer is designed by creating a quasi‐solid‐state paste in which the functionalities of LAGP (Li1.5Al0.5Ge1.5(PO4)3) nanoparticles and an ionic liquid (IL) electrolyte are combined. In a solid‐sate cell, the LAGP‐IL interlayer separates the Li metal from bulk LAGP and creates a chemically stable interface with low resistance (≈5 Ω cm2) and efficiently prevents thermal runaway at elevated temperatures (300 °C). Solid‐state cells designed with the interlayer can be operated at high current densities, 1 mA cm−2, and enable high rate capability with high safety. Here developed strategy provides a generic path to design interlayers for solid‐state Li metal batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Functional traits are the essential phenotypes that underlie an organism's life history and ecology. Although biologists have long recognized that intraspecific variation is consequential to an animals' ecology, studies of functional variation are often restricted to species‐level comparisons, ignoring critical variation within species. In birds, interspecific comparisons have been foundational in connecting flight muscle phenotypes to species‐level ecology, but intraspecific variation has remained largely unexplored.We asked how age‐ and sex‐dependent demands on flight muscle function are reconciled in birds. The flight muscle is an essential multifunctional organ, mediating a large range of functions associated with powered flight and thermoregulation. These functions must be balanced over an individual's lifetime.We leveraged within‐ and between‐species comparisons in a clade of small passerines (Tarsiger bush‐robins) from the eastern edge of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau. We integrated measurements of flight muscle physiology, morphology, behaviour, phenology and environmental data, analysing trait data within a context of three widespread, adaptive life‐history strategies—sexual dichromatism, age and sex‐structured migration, and delayed plumage maturation. This approach provides a framework of the selective forces that shape functional variation within and between species.We found more variation in flight muscle traits within species than has been previously described between species of birds under 20 g. This variation was associated with the discovery of mixed muscle fibre types (i.e. both fast glycolytic and fast oxidative fibres), which differ markedly in their physiological and functional attributes. This result is surprising given that the flight muscles of small birds are generally thought to contain only fast oxidative fibres, suggesting a novel ecological context for glycolytic muscle fibres in small birds. Within each species, flight muscle phenotypes varied by age and sex, reflecting the functional demands at different life‐history stages and the pressures that individuals face as a result of their multi‐class identity (i.e. species, age and sex).Our findings reveal new links between avian physiology, ecology, behaviour and life history, while demonstrating the importance of demographic‐dependent selection in shaping functional phenotypic variation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To determine the postoperative effects of radiotherapy (PORT) on the local recurrence‐free survival (LRFS) and overall survival (OS) of stage III‐N2 non‐small‐cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Materials and Methods: 183 patients with resected stage III‐pN2 NSCLC from Hunan Cancer Hospital between 2013 and 2016 were divided into two groups for postoperative chemotherapy (POCT) (n = 105) or combination chemotherapy and radiotherapy (POCRT) (n = 78). The LRFS and OS were compared and the factors affecting local recurrence were illustrated in these two groups. The sites of failure based on the lobe of the primary tumor in two groups were described. Results: PORT leads to a strikingly lower risk for local recurrence and brought superior OS benefit. For different pN2 Subclassification, Patients with multiple‐station pN2 ± pN1 disease had the worst LRFS (11 months) and single‐station pN2 + multiple station pN1 disease had a relatively short LRFS (24 months) in group POCT. Short LRFS is correlated with multiple‐station pN2, older age (Y > 55), patients with a high positive LN ratio > 1/3 and a poor tumor histological differentiation degree. In group POCT, the most frequent failure site occurs at the ipsilateral hilum (21.0%), the bronchial stump (20.0%), followed by LNs4R (19.0%), LNs4L (18.1%), LNs7 (15.2%), most of left‐sided tumors more frequently involved the contralateral mediastinum, whereas the ipsilateral recurrences dominated for right‐sided tumors, especially for LNs4R. In group POCRT, the highest failure site was the bronchial stump (11.5%), followed by LNs4L (8.97%), LNs1 (7.69%), the ipsilateral hilum (6.41%) and LNs4R (6.41%). Conclusion: PORT remarkably reduced local recurrence and improved OS in stage III‐pN2 NSCLC, especially in the multiple‐station pN2 group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aggregation behavior of polymers can ultimately have a significant impact on the performance of polymer photodetectors depends mainly on the main solvent, solvent additive, thermal annealing treatment, and so on. In this work, a phase control behavior of lateral polymer photodetectors (L‐PPDs) is realized by changing the acceptor concentration or introducing 1,8‐diiodooctane (DIO) in strong aggregation of bulk heterojunction (BHJ) films, which can effectively regulate the minority carriers trapping under high PC61BM ratio. Additionally the responsivity (R), gain (G) and specific detectivity (D*) value of the L‐PPDs can reach 94.4 A W−1, 289.7, and 1.33 × 1014 Jones under 0.0031 mW cm−2 @405 nm, respectively. The structure of the L‐PPDs is optimized as quartz/ PMMA (30 nm)/ PffBT4T‐2OD:PC61BM (D/A ratio = 1:1.2)/ Ag–Ag electrodes. Furthermore, the phase separation of the thin films is promoted by introducing 3% DIO, resulting in a clear increase of response speed (fall time is about tenfold faster than that of the control device), and an improved switching performance about 60‐fold higher under strong light (10.42 mW cm−2). This research represents an important step forward in the fabrication of high‐performance polymer photodetectors, which show promising application potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, it is still a significant challenge to simultaneously boost various reactions by one electrocatalyst with high activity, excellent durability, as well as low cost. Herein, hybrid trifunctional electrocatalysts are explored via a facile one‐pot strategy toward an efficient oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), oxygen evolution reaction (OER), and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). The catalysts are rationally designed to be composed by FeCo nanoparticles encapsuled in graphitic carbon films, Co2P nanoparticles, and N,P‐codoped carbon nanofiber networks. The FeCo nanoparticles and the synergistic effect from Co2P and FeCo nanoparticles make the dominant contributions to the ORR, OER, and HER activities, respectively. Their bifunctional activity parameter (∆E) for ORR and OER is low to 0.77 V, which is much smaller than those of most nonprecious metal catalysts ever reported, and comparable with state‐of‐the‐art Pt/C and RuO2 (0.78 V). Accordingly, the as‐assembled Zn–air battery exhibits a high power density of 154 mW cm−2 with a low charge–discharge voltage gap of 0.83 V (at 10 mA cm−2) and excellent stability. The as‐constructed overall water‐splitting cell achieves a current density of 10 mA cm−2 (at 1.68 V), which is comparable to the best reported trifunctional catalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: China has the largest dual diabetes and tuberculosis epidemic globally. No studies from mainland China have assessed the relationship between tuberculosis infection and diabetes. We conducted a population-based, observational study in eastern China to further explore this relationship.Methods: A blood glucose, Quantiferon, and tuberculin skin test were administered at baseline. We compared tuberculosis infection in nondiabetics and diabetics. The cohort was additionally screened for tuberculosis progression over 5 years.Results: Among 5405 participants, diabetics had elevated levels of Quantiferon and tuberculin positivity, largely driven by undiagnosed diabetics (compared with nondiabetics, adjusted odds ratios of 1.53; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.05-2.23 and 1.58; 95% CI, 1.07-2.35 for tuberculin and Quantiferon positivity). During follow-up, the annual tuberculosis incidence was three times higher for diabetics compared with the entire cohort.Conclusions: These results suggest improving diabetic control through rapidly identifying undiagnosed diabetes may have indirect benefits to tuberculosis control. Targeting of preventive therapy to newly diagnosed diabetics at high-risk for progressive tuberculosis in China should be considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Further improving the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) catalytic activity of carbon catalysts is highly challenging and remains a key issue to push forward their commercial progress as Pt alternatives in fuel cells and metal‐air batteries. Herein, a facile and economic strategy was proposed to maximize the active sites exposed in porous carbon catalysts by growing dense N‐doped carbon nanonodules firmly located within carbon fiber networks (NCN@CF) via the in situ polymerization of dopamine on bacterial cellulose fibers and a subsequent carbonization process. This metal‐free hybrid catalyst exhibits enhanced ORR activity and better stabilities against long duration and the methanol crossover effect than the commercial Pt/C catalyst in 0.1 M KOH. Notably, when the NCN@CF hybrid was used as an air electrode catalyst in a Zn‐air battery, the as‐fabricated battery presented a larger peak power density of 168 mW cm−2, higher specific capacity of 720.5 mA h g−1 and energy density of 900.0 Wh kg−1 compared to those based on commercial Pt/C and most N‐doped carbon catalysts ever reported, evidencing its highly promising use as a Pt‐alternative catalyst for the ORR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) needs to be classified from poorly differentiated lung adenocarcinoma (PDLAC) for appropriate treatment of lung cancer patients. Currently, the classification is achieved by experienced clinicians, radiologists and pathologists based on subjective and qualitative analysis of imaging, cytological and immunohistochemical (IHC) features. Label‐free classification of lung cancer cell lines is developed here by using two‐dimensional (2D) light scattering static cytometric technique. Measurements of scattered light at forward scattering (FSC) and side scattering (SSC) by using conventional cytometry show that SCLC cells are overlapped with PDLAC cells. However, our 2D light scattering static cytometer reveals remarkable differences between the 2D light scattering patterns of SCLC cell lines (H209 and H69) and PDLAC cell line (SK‐LU‐1). By adopting support vector machine (SVM) classifier with leave‐one‐out cross‐validation (LOO‐CV), SCLC and PDLAC cells are automatically classified with an accuracy of 99.87%. Our label‐free 2D light scattering static cytometer may serve as a new, accurate, and easy‐to‐use method for the automatic classification of SCLC and PDLAC cells. © 2018 International Society for Advancement of Cytometry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we investigate large time behavior of global‐in‐time strong solution to the three‐dimensional compressible flow of nematic liquid crystal with low regularity assumptions on initial datum. More precisely, we show that the negative Besov space B˙2,∞−s‐norms (s ≥ 0) of solution are preserved along time evolution; by using this fact together with the conventional energy estimates in Besov space framework and the interpolation inequalities, we establish that, for the initial perturbation ϱ0−1,u0,d0−d‾ just small in homogeneous Besov space B˜12,32×B˙12×B˜12,32, the global‐in‐time strong solution to the Cauchy problem of the compressible flow of nematic liquid crystal has the following optimal temporal decay rate: ‖ϱ(t)−1‖B˙ℓ+‖u(t)‖B˙ℓ+d(t)−d‾B˙ℓ+1≤C(1+t)−ℓ+s2,for−s<ℓ≤12,provided that we further assume that ϱ0−1,u0,d0−d‾ still belongs to B˙2,∞−s×B˙2,∞−s×B˙2,∞−s+1. Here, d‾∈S2 is a constant unite vector. To illustrate our methods clearly, we also revisit the optimal temporal decay of solutions to the heat equation in the framework of Besov space. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Searching for highly efficient and durable electrocatalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) that function effectively at all pHs is of great interest to the scientific community, however it is still a grand challenge, because the HER kinetics of Pt in alkaline solutions are approximately two to three orders of magnitude lower than that in acidic solution. Herein, a new class of wrinkled, ultrathin Rh2P nanosheets for enhancing HER catalysis at all pHs is reported. They exhibit a small overpotential of 18.3 mV at 10 mA cm−2, low Tafel slope of 61.5 mV dec−1, and good durability in alkaline media, much better than the commercial Pt/C catalyst. Density functional theory calculations reveal that the active open‐shell effect from the P‐3p band not only promotes Rh‐4d for increased proton–electron charge exchange but also provides excellent p–p overlapping to locate the O‐related species as distributary center, which can benefit the HER process in alkaline media. It is also demonstrated that the present wrinkled, ultrathin Rh2P nanosheets are highly efficient and durable electrocatalysts toward HER in both acid and neutral electrolytes. The present work opens a new material design for ultrathin 2D metal phosphide nanostructures for the purpose of boosting HER performance at all pHs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: DHX15 plays a role in leukaemogenesis and leukaemia relapse. However, the mechanism underlying the transcriptional regulation of DHX15 in ALL has not been elucidated. Our present study aimed to explore the functional promoter region of DHX15 and to investigate the transcription factors controlling the transcription of this gene. A luciferase assay performed with several truncated constructs identified a 501‐bp region as the core promoter region of DHX15. Site‐directed mutagenesis, electrophoretic mobility shift and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays showed that ETS1 and SP1 occupied the DHX15 promoter. Furthermore, knockdown of ETS1 and SP1 resulted in suppression of DHX15, whereas the overexpression of these genes led to up‐regulation of DHX15. Interestingly, in samples obtained from patients with ALL at diagnosis, both ETS1 and SP1 correlated positively with DHX15 expression. Additionally, differences in methylation of the DHX15 core promoter region were not observed between the patients and controls. In conclusion, we identified the core promoter region of DHX15 and demonstrated that ETS1 and SP1 regulated DHX15 expression in ALL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]