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ABSTRACT The use of millimeter quartz tubes to generate non‐thermal plasma in contact with liquid is widely applied in medicine, such as the effective disinfection of catheter tubes and tooth cavities. Here, the effects of tube diameter and gas flow rate on discharge dynamics and reactive species characteristics of nanosecond pulse needle‐water discharge are studied using an ICCD camera and optical emission spectra. The discharge diffusion is increased significantly by an appropriate combination of tube diameter and gas flow rate. Besides, the discharge intensity, emission spectra intensities of reactive species, gas temperature, and electron density increase with the increase of quartz tube diameter and gas flow rate, which contributes to enhance the production of OH and H2O2 species in aqueous samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, gas–liquid discharge plasma excited by nanosecond pulsed voltage is used to efficiently remove tiamulin (TIA) from water. The discharge produces a large number of reactive species (H2O2, OH radicals, NO3−, etc.) that can attack the TIA molecules. The effects of peak pulse voltage, initial TIA concentration, gas composition, and the addition of ferrous sulfate and persulfate on TIA removal were mainly investigated. The results showed that the oxygen plasma could approach 100% removal within 30 min of treatment time. The addition of the catalyst increased the TIA removal efficiency by approximately 15% during the 10‐min discharge treatment time. The toxicity of 12 intermediates was analyzed and the degradation mechanism of TIA was investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We represent a segmented flow surfactant‐free microfluidic strategy for continuous synthesis of Prussian blue analogues (PBAs) with high dispersity and high crystallization. Representative zinc hexacyanoferrate (ZnHCF) nanocubes were successfully synthesized in a microfluidic reactor within a few minutes via the cooperation method and possessed lower contents of crystal water and Fe(CN)63− vacancies than that of synthesis in bulk solution. The nucleation and particle growth process can be precisely controlled by the exploration of different flow rates and reaction temperatures during the formation of ZnHCF nanocubes in segmented flow microfluidic reactors. High crystallinity, low crystal water and vacancies in the ZnHCF structure were presented at relatively high temperatures for the crystal growth process. High‐quality ZnHCF with a low content of crystal water showed excellent electrochemical activity and stability towards zinc‐ion storage. The continuous and scalable synthesis approach can be extended to the fabrication of other PBAs such as NiHCF, CoHCF, MnHCF, and CuHCF with high dispersity without using any surfactants. The controllable construction of PBAs with tunable properties in microfluidic reactors provides a promising direction to minimize the gap between commercial reality and laboratory research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Post‐acne scars are a common sequela of acne, especially prevalent among young people. Delayed treatment not only affects self‐perception of beauty but also affects the mental health of patients. Objective: This study aims to investigate the clinical efficacy of microneedle fractional radiofrequency (MFR) combined with botulinum toxin A (BoNT/A) in managing post‐acne scars. Methods: This retrospective study involved 63 adult patients with post‐acne scars, divided into two groups: group 1 (n = 30) and group 2 (n = 33). Group 1 received treatment with MFR combined with transcutaneous delivery of BoNT/A, whereas group 2 received treatment with MFR alone. The study observed the clinical outcomes in both groups. Results: Based on experimental analysis, the combination of MFR with transcutaneous delivery of BoNT/A demonstrated superior clinical efficacy compared with group 2. There were no significant differences in baseline data or treatment‐related pain and adverse reactions between the two groups. However, group 1 exhibited a higher effectiveness rate, lower ECCA score after treatment, higher satisfaction levels, and statistically significant differences compared to group 2. Conclusion: MFR combined with transcutaneous delivery of BoNT/A represents an effective and safe alternative for treating acne scars with minimal side effects and complications. Summary Statement: Post‐acne scars are a common sequela of acne and combination therapy proves beneficial. Microneedle fractional radiofrequency (MFR) combined with transcutaneous delivery of BoNT/A can be considered an effective and safe alternative for the treatment of acne scars with minimal side effects and complications. It works together through microneedles, radiofrequency, and botulinum toxin. MFR combined with transcutaneous delivery of BoNT/A is based on the direct action of MFR on acne scars and the use of microneedle to create a transient skin microchannel, facilitating BoNT/A penetration into the skin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The efficient removal of low‐concentration endocrine disruptors is crucial for the protection of the aquatic environment. In this study, porous polymer adsorbent materials were modified by nanosecond pulsed discharge plasma to achieve efficient adsorption of low‐concentration bisphenol A (BPA). The removal efficiency of BPA reached 99% after 10 min of plasma modification at a pulse peak voltage of 28 kV, which increased by 25.8% compared to the raw materials. This enhancement was attributed to the increase of active sites and oxygen‐containing functional groups. The adsorption behaviors of the porous polymer materials were primarily dominated by monolayer chemisorption. Subsequently, comparative experiments further verified the high‐efficiency adsorption performance of porous polymer materials after plasma treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most prevalent disorder of synovial joint affecting multiple joints. In the past decade, we have witnessed conceptual switch of OA pathogenesis from a 'wear and tear' disease to a disease affecting entire joint. Extensive studies have been conducted to understand the underlying mechanisms of OA using genetic mouse models and ex vivo joint tissues derived from individuals with OA. These studies revealed that multiple signalling pathways are involved in OA development, including the canonical Wnt/β‐catenin signalling and its interaction with other signalling pathways, such as transforming growth factor β (TGF‐β), bone morphogenic protein (BMP), Indian Hedgehog (Ihh), nuclear factor κB (NF‐κB), fibroblast growth factor (FGF), and Notch. The identification of signalling interaction and underlying mechanisms are currently underway and the specific molecule(s) and key signalling pathway(s) playing a decisive role in OA development need to be evaluated. This review will focus on recent progresses in understanding of the critical role of Wnt/β‐catenin signalling in OA pathogenesis and interaction of β‐catenin with other pathways, such as TGF‐β, BMP, Notch, Ihh, NF‐κB, and FGF. Understanding of these novel insights into the interaction of β‐catenin with other pathways and its integration into a complex gene regulatory network during OA development will help us identify the key signalling pathway of OA pathogenesis leading to the discovery of novel therapeutic strategies for OA intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The credit risk of small and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) in supply chain finance (SCF) hinders the sustainability of the supply chain and threatens the monetary loss of SCF partners, that is, focal enterprises (FEs) and financial institutions (FIs). Thus, it is crucial to predict SMEs' credit risk accurately. However, redundant features and imbalanced sample data may decrease the accuracy of the prediction model. Therefore, a novel credit risk prediction framework is proposed called FS‐RS‐ML, which is short for Feature Selection–Resample Strategy–Machine Learning. In this approach, Recursive Feature Elimination with Cross‐Validation (RFECV) is applied to select key features influencing SMEs' credit risk prediction, and three resampling techniques are used to balance the sample data. Finally, five machine learning algorithms are adopted to classify high‐risk and low‐risk SMEs. The experiments based on Chinese SCF data demonstrate that the FS‐RS‐ML framework outperforms any single algorithm. Moreover, according to the analysis of empirical results, features derived from SMEs have the most important impact on credit risk prediction. And the effect of key features on predicting SMEs' credit risk is revealed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The high theoretical energy density (1274 Wh kg−1) and high safety enable the all‐solid‐state Na−S batteries with great promise for stationary energy storage system. However, the uncontrollable solid–liquid‐solid multiphase conversion and its associated sluggish polysulfides redox kinetics pose a great challenge in tunning the sulfur speciation pathway for practical Na−S electrochemistry. Herein, we propose a new design methodology for matrix featuring separated bi‐catalytic sites that control the multi‐step polysulfide transformation in tandem and direct quasi‐solid reversible sulfur conversion during battery cycling. It is revealed that the N, P heteroatom hotspots are more favorable for catalyzing the long‐chain polysulfides reduction, while PtNi nanocrystals manipulate the direct and full Na2S4 to Na2S low‐kinetic conversion during discharging. The electrodeposited Na2S on strongly coupled PtNi and N, P‐codoped carbon host is extremely electroreactive and can be readily recovered back to S8 without passivation of active species during battery recharging, which delivers a true tandem electrocatalytic quasi‐solid sulfur conversion mechanism. Accordingly, stable cycling of the all‐solid‐state soft‐package Na−S pouch cells with an attractive specific capacity of 876 mAh gS−1 and a high energy of 608 Wh kgcathode−1 (172 Wh kg−1, based on the total mass of cathode and anode) at 60 °C are demonstrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The broader implementation of current all‐solid‐state Na−S batteries is still plagued by high operation temperature and inefficient sulfur utilization. And the uncontrollable sulfur speciation pathway along with the sluggish polysulfide redox kinetics further compromise the theoretical potentials of Na−S chemistry. Herein, we report a confined bidirectional tandem electrocatalysis effect to tune polysulfide electrochemistry in a novel low‐temperature (80 °C) all‐solid‐state Na−S battery that utilizes Na3Zr2Si2PO12 ceramic membrane as a platform. The bifunctional hollow sulfur matrix consisting binary atomically dispersed MnN4 and CoN4 hotspots was fabricated using a sacrificial template process. Upon discharge, CoN4 sites activate sulfur species and catalyze long‐chain to short‐chain polysulfides reduction, while MnN4 centers substantially accelerate the low‐kinetic Na2S4 to Na2S directly conversion, manipulating the uniform deposition of electroactive Na2S and avoiding the formation of irreversible products (e.g. Na2S2). The intrinsic synergy of two catalytic centers benefits the Na2S decomposition and minimizes its activation barrier during battery recharging and then efficiently mitigate the cathodic passivation. As a result, the stable cycling of all‐solid‐state Na−S cell delivers an attractive reversible capacity of 1060 mAh g−1 with a high CE of 98.5 % and a high energy of 1008 Wh kgcathode−1, comparable to the liquid electrolyte cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Melt electrowriting (MEW) is a young and promising additive manufacturing technology for producing high‐precision scaffolds. In this study, we develop an intuitive visualization system enabling users to measure MEW jet diameters along the spinline without programming knowledge. The digital measurement adopts the same theory as our reported manual measurement. The maximum error between the digitally and manually measured data is smaller than 9%, suggesting that the open‐source system developed here is reliable in measuring jet diameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to determine whether CYP2C19 loss‐of‐function (LoF) variants were associated with long‐term ischemic stroke risk in Chinese primary care patients treated with clopidogrel. Patients treated with clopidogrel were ascertained from Chinese electronic medical records linked with a biobank for a retrospective cohort study. Their medical information was examined for the period from January 2018 to December 2021. Two CYP2C19 major loss of function variants (*2:rs4244285 and *3: rs4986893) were genotyped. The clinical outcome was ischemic stroke event. Cox regression analysis was used to evaluate the association between the occurrence of ischemic stroke events and CYP2C19 LoF variants. Covariates included age, gender, body mass index, prior ischemic stroke, transient ischemic attack, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, hyperlipoidemia, smoke status, aspirin use, proton‐pump inhibitor use, and statin use. Of the 1,141 patients included in the clopidogrel therapy cohort, 61.9% carried at least one CYP2C19 LoF variant. During a median follow‐up period of 12 months, 103 patients (9.0%) had an ischemic stroke. After adjusting for other risk factors, carriers of CYP2C19 LoF variants had significantly higher risk of ischemic stroke compared with non‐carriers (hazard ratio: 1.64, 95% confidence interval: 1.06–2.53, P = 0.025). This pharmacogenetic study of clopidogrel provides novel insights into the association between the CYP2C19 LoF variant and long‐term stroke risk. We established that there is still a need for CYP2C19 genotype‐guided personalized antiplatelet therapy in those who have returned to the primary care setting for clopidogrel prescription. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metal halide hybrid perovskite solar cells have recently emerged as a highly cost‐effective photovoltaic technology. The cathode interlayer plays a critical role in aligning energy levels and promoting charge extraction in inverted perovskite solar cells. Herein, a novel multinitrogen derivative interlayer, Anth‐hpp2, is designed and synthesized consisting of 1,1'‐(4‐(9,10‐di(naphthalen‐2‐yl)anthracen‐2‐yl)pyridine‐2,6‐diyl)bis(1,3,4,6,7,8‐hexahydro‐2H‐pyrimido[1,2‐a] pyrimidine), between the PCBM and top Ag electrode. The superbase group in Anth‐hpp2 effectively contacts the silver electrode, reducing the work function of Ag. Consequently, the power conversion efficiency of the Anth‐hpp2‐based device improved from 16.05% to 20.37%, along with enhancements in short‐circuit current and fill factor. The stabilities of perovskite solar cells are measured with Anth‐hpp2 under N2 storage, and the device efficiency with Anth‐hpp2 decayed by only 5% after fabrication for approximately 2500 h, which is five times that of the control device. This study provides original insights into designing new cathode interlayer materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although batteries fitted with sodium metal anodes and sulfur cathodes are attractive for their higher energy density and lower cost, the threat of polysulfide migration in organic liquid electrolytes, uncontrollable dendrites, and corresponding safety issues has locked the deployment of the battery system. Introduction of solid‐state electrolytes to replace conventional liquid‐based electrolytes has been considered an effective approach to address these issues and further render solid‐state sodium‐sulfur battery (SSSSB) systems with higher safety and improved energy density. Nevertheless, the practical applications of SSSSB are still hampered by grand challenges, such as poor interfacial contact, sluggish redox kinetics of sulfur conversion, and Na dendrites. Currently, various strategies have been proposed and utilized to negate the problems within the solid‐state battery. Herein, a timely and comprehensive review of emerging strategies to promote the development of SSSSB is presented. The critical challenges that prevent the real application of the SSSSB technique are analyzed initially. Subsequently, various strategies for boosting the development of SSSSB are comprehensively summarized, containing the developing of the advanced cathode and cathode/electrolyte interface, tailoring the solid electrolyte, and designing the stable anode and anode/electrolyte interface. Finally, further perspectives on stimulating the practical application of SSSSB technology are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) is an important growth factor that supports the culture and maintenance of spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) by suppressing spontaneous differentiation. Different LIF sequences may lead to differences in function. The protein sequences of buffalo LIF and mouse LIF differed by 65.5% according to MEGA software analysis. The PB‐LIF‐GFP‐Puro vector was constructed, and the CHO‐K1 cell line was established. The final LIF protein concentration in the CHO‐K1 cell culture medium was approximately 4.268 ng/mL. Here, we report that buffalo LIF effectively maintains the self‐renewal of buffalo spermatogonia during culture. Buffalo spermatogonia were cultured in conditioned medium containing no LIF (0 ng/mL), mouse LIF (1 ng/mL), mouse LIF (10 ng/mL), or buffalo LIF (1 ng/mL). Furthermore, the effects of mouse LIF and buffalo LIF culture on the maintenance of buffalo spermatogonia were determined by analyzing cell colony formation, quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction, cell immunofluorescence, and cell counting. The buffalo LIF (1 ng/mL) group showed similar maintenance of the proliferation of buffalo spermatogonia to that in the mouse LIF (10 ng/mL) group. These results demonstrated that the proliferation of buffalo spermatogonia can be maintained in vitro by adding a low dose of buffalo LIF. This study provides a foundation for the further optimization of in vitro buffalo SSC culture systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To achieve the full theoretical potential of high energy ZnS electrochemistry, the incomplete and sluggish conversion during battery discharging and high reactivation energy barrier during battery recharging associated with the sulfur cathodes must be overcome. Herein, the atomically dispersed Fe sites with FeN4 coordination are experimentally and theoretically predicted as bidirectional electrocatalytic hotspots to simultaneously manipulate the complete sulfur conversion and minimize the energy barrier of ZnS decomposition. It is discovered that the Fe sites were favorable for strong sulfur and possible zinc polysulfide intermediate adsorption, and ensure nearly complete sulfur to ZnS conversion during discharge. For the following recharging process, the electrodeposited ZnS can be readily reversible charged back to S without a noticeable activation overpotential around FeN4 moieties comparing to pure carbon matrixes. As expected, the freestanding iron embedded carbon fiber cloth supported sulfur cathode delivers a high specific capacity of 1143 mAh g−1 and a lower voltage hysteresis of 0.61 V. As elaborated by postmortem analysis, the degradation mechanism of ZnS cell is the accumulation of inactive ZnS crystals on the cathode side rather than the Zn metallic depletion. More encouragingly, a flexible solid‐state ZnS battery with a high discharge capacity and stable reversibility is also demonstrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sluggish polysulfide redox kinetics and the uncontrollable sulfur speciation pathway, leading to serious shuttling effect and high activation barrier associated with sulfur cathode. We describe here the use of core–shell structured composite matrixes containing abundant catalytic sites for nearly fully reversible cycling of sulfur cathodes for Na‐S batteries. The bidirectional tandem electrocatalysis provide successive reversible conversion of both long‐ and short‐chain polysulfides, whereas Fe2O3 accelerates Na2S8/Na2S6 to Na2S4 conversion and the redox‐active Fe(CN)64−‐doped polypyrrole shell catalyzes Na2S4 reduction to Na2S. The electrochemically reactive Na2S can be readily charged back to sulfur with minimal overpotential. Simultaneously, stable cycling of Na‐S pouch cell with a high reversible capacity of 696 mAh g−1 is also demonstrated. The bidirectional confined tandem catalysis renders the manipulation of sulfur redox electrochemistry for practical Na‐S cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zinc ion hybrid supercapacitors (ZIHCs) with both high power density and high energy density have tremendous potential for energy storage applications such as hybrid electric vehicles and renewable energy storage. However, the large radius of hydrated Zn2+ ions hampers their efficient storage in micropores with limited pore sizes, resulting in the limited gravimetric specific capacitance and inferior rate capability of ZIHCs. Therefore, it is critically important to understand to what extent pore size influences the storage of hydrated Zn2+ ions in the pores with limited sizes. Herein, porous carbon nanosheets with different pore architectures are prepared using an ammonium chloride molten salt carbonization strategy. The influence of pore size on hydrated Zn2+ ion storage in nanostructured carbon with divergent pore architectures is analyzed by electrochemical methods and molecular dynamic simulation. Micropores smaller than 6.0 Å obstruct the diffusion of hydrated Zn2+ ions, while micropores larger than 7.5 Å exhibit a low diffusion energy barrier for the hydrated Zn2+ ions. Mesopores improve capacitance and rate capability by exposing the electrochemically active sites and enhancing the diffusion of the hydrated Zn2+ ions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a common rheumatic immune disease, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disease that usually affects women in their reproductive years. B-cell depletion therapy has shown good results in SLE treatment, whereas anti-B-cell-activating factor belonging to the tumor necrosis factor family (anti-BAFF) treatment attenuates atherosclerotic lesions in mouse models.[8] However, the inhibitory effect of anti-BAFF treatment in SLE-associated CVD is dependent on lipid content. [Extracted from the article]

Objective: Multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) renders rich and complementary anatomical and functional information, which is often utilized separately. This study aimed to propose an adaptive multiparametric MRI (mpMRI) fusion method, and examine its capability in improving tumor contrast and synthesizing novel tissue contrasts among liver cancer patients. Methods: An adaptive mpMRI fusion method was developed with five components: image pre‐processing, fusion algorithm, database, adaptation rules, and fused MRI. The linear‐weighted summation algorithm was used for fusion. Weight‐driven and feature‐driven adaptations were designed for different applications. A clinical‐friendly graphic user interface (G was developed in Matlab and used for mpMRI fusion. Twelve liver cancer patients and a digital human phantom were included in the study. Synthesis of novel image contrast, and enhancement of image signal and contrast were examined in patient cases. Tumor contrast‐to‐noise ratio (CNR) and liver signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNR) were evaluated and compared before and after mpMRI fusion. Results: The fusion platform was applicable in both XCAT phantom and patient cases. Novel image contrasts, including enhancement of soft‐tissue boundary, vertebral body, tumor, and composition of multiple image features in one image, were achieved. Tumor CNR improved from –1.70 ± 2.57 to 4.88 ± 2.28 (p < 0.0001) for T1‐weighted (T1‐w), from 3.39 ± 1.89 to 7.87 ± 3.47 (p < 0.01) for T2‐w, and from 1.42 ± 1.66 to 7.69 ± 3.54 (p < 0.001) for T2/T1‐w MRI. Liver SNR improved from 2.92 ± 2.39 to 9.96 ± 8.60 (p < 0.05) for diffusion‐weighted MRI. The coefficient of variation of tumor CNR lowered from 1.57, 0.56, and 1.17 to 0.47, 0.44, and 0.46 for T1‐w, T2‐w, and T2/T1‐w MRI, respectively. Conclusion: A multiparametric MRI fusion method was proposed and a prototype was developed. The method showed potential in improving clinically relevant features, such as tumor contrast and liver signal. Synthesis of novel image contrasts, including the composition of multiple image features into a single image set, was achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Benefiting from the merits of natural abundance, low cost, and ultrahigh theoretical energy density, the room temperature sodium‐sulfur (RT NaS) batteries are regarded as one of the promising candidates for the next‐generation scalable energy storage devices. However, the uncontrollable sulfur speciation pathways severely hinder its practical applications. Recently, various strategies have been employed to tune the conversion pathways of sulfur, such as physical confinement, chemical inhibition, and electrocatalysis. Herein, the recent advances in electrocatalytic effects manipulate sulfur speciation pathways in advanced RT NaS electrochemistry are reviewed, including the promotion of the nearly full conversion of long‐chain polysulfides, short‐chain polysulfides, and small sulfur molecules. The underlying catalytic modulation mechanism that fundamentally tunes the electrochemical pathway of sulfur species is comprehensively summarized along with the design strategies for catalytic active centers. Furthermore, the challenge and potential solutions to realize the quasi‐solid conversion of sulfur are proposed to accelerate the real application of RT NaS batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Despite its prevalence, cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) has poor soft‐tissue contrast, making it challenging to localize liver tumors. We propose a patient‐specific deep learning model to generate synthetic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) from CBCT to improve tumor localization. Methods: A key innovation is using patient‐specific CBCT‐MRI image pairs to train a deep learning model to generate synthetic MRI from CBCT. Specifically, patient planning CT was deformably registered to prior MRI, and then used to simulate CBCT with simulated projections and Feldkamp, Davis, and Kress reconstruction. These CBCT‐MRI images were augmented using translations and rotations to generate enough patient‐specific training data. A U‐Net‐based deep learning model was developed and trained to generate synthetic MRI from CBCT in the liver, and then tested on a different CBCT dataset. Synthetic MRIs were quantitatively evaluated against ground‐truth MRI. Results: The synthetic MRI demonstrated superb soft‐tissue contrast with clear tumor visualization. On average, the synthetic MRI achieved 28.01, 0.025, and 0.929 for peak signal‐to‐noise ratio, mean square error, and structural similarity index, respectively, outperforming CBCT images. The model performance was consistent across all three patients tested. Conclusion: Our study demonstrated the feasibility of a patient‐specific model to generate synthetic MRI from CBCT for liver tumor localization, opening up a potential to democratize MRI guidance in clinics with conventional LINACs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrocatalytic two‐electron reduction of oxygen is a promising method for producing sustainable H2O2 but lacks low‐cost and selective electrocatalysts. Here, the Chevrel phase chalcogenide Ni2Mo6S8 is presented as a novel active motif for reducing oxygen to H2O2 in an aqueous electrolyte. Although it has a low surface area, the Ni2Mo6S8 catalyst exhibits exceptional activity for H2O2 synthesis with >90% H2O2 molar selectivity across a wide potential range. Chemical titration verified successful generation of H2O2 and confirmed rates as high as 90 mmol H2O2 gcat−1 h−1. The outstanding activities are attributed to the ligand and ensemble effects of Ni that promote H2O dissociation and proton‐coupled reduction of O2 to HOO*, and the spatial effect of the Chevrel phase structure that isolates Ni active sites to inhibit OO cleavage. The synergy of these effects delivers fast and selective production of H2O2 with high turn‐over frequencies of ≈30 s−1. In addition, the Ni2Mo6S8 catalyst has a stable crystal structure that is resistive for oxidation and delivers good catalyst stability for continuous H2O2 production. The described Ni‐Mo6S8 active motif can unlock new opportunities for designing Earth‐abundant electrocatalysts to tune oxygen reduction for practical H2O2 production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Potassium ion battery (PIB) is a potential candidate for future large‐scale energy storage. A key challenge is that the (de)potassiation stability of graphitic carbon anodes is hampered by the limited (002) interlayer spacing. Amorphous carbon with a hierarchical structure can buffer the volume change during repeated (de)potassiation and enable stable cycling. Herein, a direct pyrolysis approach is demonstrated to synthesize a highly nitrogen‐doped (26.7 at.%) accordion‐like carbon anode composed of thin carbon nanosheets and a turbostratic crystalline structure. The hierarchical structure of accordion‐like carbon is endowed by a self‐assembly process during pyrolysis carbonization. The hierarchical nitrogen‐doped accordion structure enables a high reversible capacity of 346 mAh g−1 and superior cycling stability. This work constitutes a general synthesis methodology that can be used to prepare hierarchical carbon anodes for advanced PIBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Speckle reduction is still an intractable task in ultrasound imaging field. Ultrasound speckle is usually described as multiplicative noise with its statistics following a Rayleigh or Gaussian distribution. To employ these two distributions effectively, the authors attempt to describe ultrasound speckle using a Weibull distribution, because it can include the Rayleigh distribution as a special case and also approximate a Gaussian distribution by varying its shape and scale parameters. The authors' contribution in this paper is to propose a Weibull‐distribution‐based hybrid total variation (WHTV) method to reduce ultrasound speckle. The WHTV energy functional is convex and consists of a new data fidelity term and a new regularization term. The former is derived from the multiplicative Weibull model of ultrasound speckle based on the maximum likelihood criterion. The latter is a new edge‐weighted combination of the first‐ and second‐order total variation, with the advantage of preserving edges while alleviating the staircase effects. The minimization of the WHTV energy functional is implemented by the split Bregman algorithm. Experimental results on synthetic and real ultrasound images have demonstrated not only that the Weibull distribution is a better fitting model for the statistics of ultrasound speckle than other distributions such as Rayleigh, Gaussian, Gamma, and Nakagami, but also that the proposed WHTV method can achieve better despeckling performance than several state‐of‐the‐art variational methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lignin, one of the renewable constituents in natural plant biomasses, holds great potential as a sustainable source of functional carbon materials. Tremendous research efforts have been made on lignin‐derived carbon electrodes for rechargeable batteries. However, lignin is considered as one of the most promising carbon precursors for the development of high‐performance, low‐cost porous carbon electrode materials for supercapacitor applications. Yet, these efforts have not been reviewed in detail in the current literature. This review, therefore, offers a basis for the utilization of lignin as a pivotal precursor for the synthesis of porous carbons for use in supercapacitor electrode applications. Lignin chemistry, the synthesis process of lignin‐derived porous carbons, and future directions for developing better porous carbon electrode materials from lignin are systematically reviewed. Technological hurdles and approaches that should be prioritized in future research are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study used litchi (Heiye) wine and distilled spirit as raw experimental materials to analyze the volatile aroma compounds. Qualitative and quantitative determination of aromatic components was studied using stir bar sportive extraction (SBSE) and gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Results indicated that a total of 128 different types of aroma compounds were observed, which belonged to six chemical groups, including 39 esters, 16 alcohols, 16 acids, 22 terpenes, 17 aldehydes and ketones, and 18 other compounds. In particular, esters were the highest among all six categories and represented approximately 52% of the total flavor component content in litchi distilled spirit. The odor activity values (OAVs) revealed 22 types of aroma compounds with OAVs >1 in this test. It is possible that the produced litchi distilled spirit had a stronger varietal character due to the increased concentrations and OAVs of β‐damascenone, linalool, ethyl butyrate, ethyl isovalerate, ethyl caproate, trans‐rose oxide, and cis‐rose oxide. Taking the OAVs into account, we evaluated the characteristic aromas for litchi wine and litchi distilled spirit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The efficient polysulfide capture and reversible sulfur recovery during reverse charging process are critical to exploiting the full potential of room temperature NaS batteries. Here, based on a core‐shell design strategy, the structural and chemical synergistic manipulation of sodium polysulfides quasi‐solid‐state reversible conversion is proposed. The sulfur is encapsulated in the multi‐pores of 3D interconnected carbon fiber as the core structure. The Fe(CN)64−‐doped polypyrrole film serves as a redox‐active polar shell to lock up polysulfides and promote complete polysulfide conversion. Importantly, the short‐chain Na2S4 polysulfides are reduced to Na2S directly leaving with a small fraction of soluble intermediates as the cation‐transfer medium at the core/shell interface, and freeing up formation of solid Na2S2 incomplete product. Further, the redox mediator with open Fe species electrocatalytically lowers the Na2S oxidation energy barrier and renders the high reversibility of electrodeposited Na2S. The tunable quasi‐solid‐state reversible sulfur conversion under versatile polymer sheath greatly enhances sulfur utilization, affording a remarkable capacity of 1071 mAh g−1 and a stable high capacity of 700 mAh g−1 at 200 mA g−1 after 200 cycles. The confined electrocatalytic effect provides a strategy for tuning electrochemical pathway of sulfur species and guarantees high‐efficiency sulfur electrochemistry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The microenvironment in the seminiferous tubules of buffalo changes with age, which affects the self‐renewal and growth of spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) and the process of spermatogenesis, but the mechanism remains to be elucidated. RNA‐seq was performed to compare the transcript profiles of pre‐pubertal buffalo (PUB) and adult buffalo (ADU) seminiferous tubules. In total, 17,299 genes from PUB and ADU seminiferous tubules identified through RNA‐seq, among which 12,271 were expressed in PUB and ADU seminiferous tubules, 4,027 were expressed in only ADU seminiferous tubules, and 956 were expressed in only PUB seminiferous tubules. Of the 17,299 genes, we identified 13,714 genes that had significant differences in expression levels between PUB and ADU through GO enrichment analysis. Among these genes, 5,342 were significantly upregulated and possibly related to the formation or identity of the surface antigen on SSCs during self‐renewal; 7,832 genes were significantly downregulated, indicating that genes in PUB seminiferous tubules do not participate in the biological processes of sperm differentiation or formation in this phase compared with those in ADU seminiferous tubules. Subsequently, through the combination with KEGG analysis, we detected enrichment in a number of genes related to the development of spermatogonial stem cells, providing a reference for study of the development mechanism of buffalo spermatogonial stem cells in the future. In conclusion, our data provide detailed information on the mRNA transcriptomes in PUB and ADU seminiferous tubules, revealing the crucial factors involved in maintaining the microenvironment and providing a reference for further in vitro cultivation of SSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Purpose: The current standard care for acute pancreatitis with acute necrotic collections (ANC) is to postpone invasive intervention for 4 weeks when indicated. However, in patients with persistent organ failure (POF), this delayed approach may prolong organ failure. In this study, we aimed to assess the feasibility and safety of earlier drainage for acute pancreatitis patients with ANC and POF. Methods: A single-center, randomized controlled trial was conducted. Eligible patients were randomly assigned to either the early on-demand (EOD) group or the standard management (SM) group. Within 21 days of randomization, early drainage was triggered by unremitted or worsening organ failure in the EOD group. The primary endpoint was a composite of major complications/death during 90-days follow-up. Results: Thirty patients were randomized. Within 21 days of randomization, eight of the 15 patients (53%) in the EOD group underwent percutaneous drainage compared to four of the 15 patients (27%) in the SM group (P = 0.26). The primary outcome occurred in three of the 15 (20%) patients in the EOD group and seven of the 15(46.7%) in the controls (P = 0.25, relative risk 0.43, 95%CI 0.14 to 1.35). Conclusions: Although the EOD approach did not result in significant differences between groups, the primary outcome assessed in this trial demonstrated the potential for clinical benefits favoring early drainage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antidiabetic properties of red yeast rice, bitter gourd, and chromium have gained scientific support. This study aimed to test whether a nutraceutical combination of these 3 materials prevented dedifferentiation of pancreatic β cells. Male db/db mice (8 weeks of age) were allocated into four groups (DB, DB/L, DB/M, and DB/H; n = 8–10) and fed a high‐fat diet containing 0%, 0.2%, 0.4%, or 1% nutraceutical, respectively, whereas wild‐type mice receiving a standard diet served as a healthy control (C; n = 10). The nutraceutical contained 10 mg/g monacolin K, 165 µg/g chromium, and 300 mg/g bitter gourd. After 8‐weeks dietary treatment, diabetic syndromes (including hyperglycemia, hyperphagia, excessive drinking, polyuria, glucosuria, albuminuria, and glucose intolerance), were improved by the nutraceutical in a dose‐dependent fashion. Decreased insulin and increased glucagon in serum and pancreatic islets in db/db mice were abolished in the DB/H group. Furthermore, supplementation curtailed dedifferentiation of β cells, as evidenced by decreasing the dedifferentiation marker (Aldh1a3) and increasing β‐cell‐enriched genes and transcription factors (Ins1, Ins2, FOXO1, and NKX6.1), as well as nuclear localization of NKX6.1 in pancreatic islets when compared to the DB group. We concluded that this nutraceutical, a combination of Monascus purpureus, Momordica charantia, and chromium, could be used as an adjunct for type 2 diabetes treatment and delay disease progression by sustaining β‐cell function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research in the last few years has revealed that leukaemic cells can remodel the bone marrow niche into a permissive environment favouring leukaemic stem cell expansion. Tumour‐associated macrophages (TAMs) are prominent components of the tumour microenvironment and play an important role in the onset and progression of solid tumours. However, little is known about their role in the development of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL). Using a unique mouse model of T‐ALL induced by injection of EL4 T‐cell lymphoma cells to syngeneic C57BL/6 mice, we report herein that ALL leads to the invasion of leukaemia‐associated monocyte‐derived cells (LAMs) into the bone marrow and spleen of T‐ALL mice. Furthermore, we found that leukaemia cells could polarize bone marrow–derived macrophages (BMDMs) into LAMs. In turn, LAMs were able to protect leukaemia cells from drug‐induced apoptosis in vitro. Therapies targeted against the TAMs by inhibiting colony stimulating factor‐1 receptor (CSF‐1R) have emerged as a promising approach for cancer treatment. In this study, we demonstrate that CSF‐1R inhibition inhibits the viability of BMDMs, blocks LAMs polarization and reduces the abundance of LAMs in T‐ALL mice. In vivo, combination treatment of CSF‐1R inhibitor and vincristine (VCR) dramatically increased the survival of T‐ALL mice and delayed leukaemia progression compared with VCR monotherapy. Finally, these data reinforce the role of microenvironments in leukaemia and suggest that macrophages are a potential target for the development of novel therapeutic strategies in T‐ALL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Four‐dimension current control for asymmetric dual three‐phase permanent magnet synchronous motor based on vector space decomposition approach can eliminate the harmonic currents induced by the nonlinear characteristics of inverter. This study proposes a control strategy which uses a combination of the dead‐time compensation scheme and current harmonic elimination algorithm together to eliminate the harmonic currents. The dead‐time compensation is calculated based on the analysis of the non‐linear characteristics of the inverter. Besides, a resonant controller which takes into account the pole correction caused by the discretisation process is employed in harmonic subspace as the feedback current control loop to generate the compensation voltage. In addition the phase lag caused by the pulse width modulation update and inductive load is also considered to ensure the stability of resonant controller. The experimental results demonstrate the superior performance of the proposed scheme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Geometric primitives contained in three‐dimensional (3D) point clouds can provide the meaningful and concise abstraction of 3D data, which plays a vital role in improving 3D vision‐based intelligent applications. However, how to efficiently and robustly extract multiple geometric primitives from point clouds is still a challenge, especially when multiple instances of multiple classes of geometric primitives are present. In this study, a novel energy minimisation‐based algorithm for multi‐class multi‐instance geometric primitives extraction from the 3D point cloud is proposed. First, an improved sampling strategy is proposed to generate model hypotheses. Then, an improved strategy to establish the neighbourhood is proposed to help construct and optimise an energy function for points labelling. After that, hypotheses and parameters of models are refined. Iterate this process until the energy does not decrease. Finally, models of multi‐class multi‐instance geometric primitives are simultaneously and robustly extracted from the 3D point cloud. In comparison with the state‐of‐the‐art methods, it can automatically determine the classes and numbers of geometric primitives in the 3D point cloud. Experimental results with synthetic and real data validate the proposed algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Titanium (Ti) and Ti‐based alloys are widely used in the manufacture of dental and orthopedic implants. However, how to improve their osteogenic differentiation ability is still a key issue to be resolved. In this study, gradient nanostructured surface (GNS) samples were prepared by surface mechanical grinding treatment, and coarse‐grained (CG) samples were obtained by recrystallization annealing, making sure that the two kinds of specimens had similar roughness. Then, human amniotic mesenchymal stem cells (hAMSCs) were cocultured with the two kinds of Ti to investigate the material effects on the cellular functions. The results demonstrated that the grains with size ~56 nm were formed on the surface of the GNS Ti, and the grain size gradually increases from the sample surface to interior. Compared to the CG samples, the GNS ones could make the adhesion effect of the hAMSCs better, and promote the cell proliferation and osteogenic differentiation more significantly, the preliminary mechanism of which might be due to their specific nanostructure, the thicker oxide layer formed on their surface and the enhanced hardness. Our results indicated that the gradient nanostructured Ti materials could enhance both osteogenic differentiation and mechanical properties, which may possess broader applications in bone tissue engineering and clinical implanting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contents: Huanjiang Xiang pig is a unique native minipig breed originating in Guangxi, China, and has great utility value in agriculture and biomedicine. Reproductive biotechnologies such as somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) and SCNT‐mediated genetic modification show great potential value in genetic preservation and utilization of Huanjiang Xiang pigs. Our previous work has successfully produced cloned and transgenic‐cloned embryos using somatic cells from a Huanjiang Xiang pig. In this study, we firstly report the generation of transgenic‐cloned Huanjiang Xiang pigs carrying an enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP) gene. A total of 504 SCNT‐derived embryos were transferred to two surrogate recipients, one of which became pregnant and gave birth to three live piglets. Exogenous eGFP transgene had integrated in all of the three Huanjiang Xiang piglets identified by genotyping. Furthermore, expression of eGFP was also detected from in vitro cultured skin fibroblast cells and various organs or tissues from positive transgenic‐cloned Huanjiang Xiang pigs. The present work provides a practical method to preserve this unique genetic resource and also lays a foundation for genetic modification of Huanjiang Xiang pigs with improved values in agriculture and biomedicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Fetal heart rate short term variation (STV) decreases with severe chronic hypoxia in the antenatal period. However, only limited research has been done on STV during labor. We have tested a novel algorithm for a valid baseline estimation and calculated STV. To explore the value of STV during labor, we compared STV with fetal scalp blood (FBS) lactate concentration, an early marker in the hypoxic process.Material and Methods: Software was developed which estimates baseline frequency using a novel algorithm and thereby calculates STV according to Dawes and Redman in up to four 30-minute blocks prior to each FBS. Cardiotocography traces from 1070 women in labor who had had FBS performed on 2134 occasions were analyzed.Results: In acidemic cases (lactate >4.8 mmol/L; Lactate Pro™), median STV 30 minutes prior to FBS was 7.10 milliseconds compared with 6.09 milliseconds in the preacidemic (4.2-4.8 mmol/L) and 5.23 milliseconds in the normal (<4.2 mmol/L) groups (P < .05). There was a positive correlation between lactate and STV (rho = 0.16-0.24; P < .05). Median lactate concentration in cases with STV <3.0 milliseconds (n = 160) was 2.3 mmol/L. When 2 FBS were performed within 60 minutes the change rate of lactate correlated to STV (rho = 0.33; P < .001). Cases with increasing lactate concentration had a median STV of 5.29 milliseconds vs 4.41 milliseconds in those with decreasing lactate (P < .001).Conclusions: In the early stages of intrapartum hypoxia, STV increases, contrary to findings regarding chronic hypoxia in the antenatal period. The increase in the adrenergic surge is a likely explanation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Reliability in visual cardiotocography interpretation is unsatisfying, which has led to the development of computerized cardiotocography. Computerized analysis is well established for antenatal fetal surveillance but has yet not performed sufficiently during labor. We aimed to investigate the capacity of a new computerized algorithm compared with visual assessment in identifying intrapartum fetal heart rate baseline and decelerations.Material and Methods: In all, 312 intrapartum cardiotocography tracings with variable decelerations were analyzed by the computerized algorithm and visually examined by two observers, blinded to each other and the computer analysis. The width, depth and area of each deceleration was measured. Four cases (>100 variable decelerations) were subjected to in-depth detailed analysis. The outcome measures were bias in seconds (width), beats per minute (depth), and beats (area) between computer and observers using Bland-Altman analysis. Interobserver reliability was determined by calculating intraclass correlation and Spearman rank analysis.Results: The analysis (312 cases) showed excellent intraclass correlation (0.89-0.95) and very strong Spearman correlation (0.82-0.91). The detailed analysis of >100 decelerations in four cases revealed low bias between the computer and the two observers; width 1.4 and 1.4 seconds, depth 5.1 and 0.7 beats per minute, and area 0.1 and -1.7 beats. This was comparable to the bias between the two observers: 0.3 seconds (width), 4.4 beats per minute (depth) and 1.7 beats (area). The intraclass correlation was excellent (0.90-.98).Conclusion: A novel computerized algorithm for intrapartum cardiotocography analysis is as accurate as gold standard visual assessment, with high correlation and low bias. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Memristive devices acting as high‐performance in‐memory computing fabrics have attracted much attention for nonvolatile parallel architectures to break the von Neumann bottleneck. Here, for the first time, a nonvolatile digital logic system with three‐terminal Pt/SiO2/Pt/Ag/GeTe/Ta one‐memristor‐one‐resistor (1M1R) structure is presented. Programmable nonvolatile Boolean logic gates and clocked sequential logic blocks including D latch and D flip‐flop are experimentally implemented, based on which a 4‐bit linear‐feedback shift register with timing design is functionally verified in simulation. With information generation, processing, transmission, and storage performing within the same 1M1R‐based logic blocks, these results consolidate the feasibility of building memristive digital computing system for future non‐von Neumann computing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND Red pepper seeds account for 450-500 g kg−1 of the total pepper weight and are often discarded as waste. In this study, process optimization and characterization of fragrant oil from roasted red pepper seed extracted by subcritical butane extraction were carried out. RESULTS The optimal conditions of extraction were a temperature of 74.61 °C, a time of 68.65 min and a liquid/solid ratio of 30.24:1. The oil had a refractive index (25 °C) of 1.471, a relative density of 0.900, an acid value of 1.421 mg g−1 oil, an iodine value of 127.035 g per 100 g, a saponification value of 184.060 mg KOH g−1, an unsaponifiable matter content of 12.400 g kg−1, a peroxide value of 2.465 meq. O2 kg−1 and a viscosity of 52.094 cP. The main fatty acids in the oil were linoleic acid (72.95%) followed by palmitic acid (11.43%) and oleic acid (10.00%). The oil showed desirable thermal and oxidative stability. A total of 19 volatile compounds, mostly aldehydes and alkenes, were identified from the oil. CONCLUSION The results indicated that the method is appropriate for the preparation of fragrant red pepper seed oil, and the oil is suitable for used as edible oil. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mechanical properties of hydrogels are critical for their applications as articular cartilage regeneration scaffolds, because they provide not only the mechanical support, but also the mechanical cues essential to maintain the phenotype of cartilage-forming cells. Inspired by the microscopic architecture of natural cartilage, here the engineering of a novel double-network hydrogel with interconnected polymer-supramolecular polymer double-network (PS-DN gel) for cartilage regeneration is reported. The polymer network is made of polyacrylamide and the supramolecular polymer network comprises of a kind of self-assembled peptide fibers. Upon mechanical loading, the peptide fibers serve as sacrificial bonds to efficiently dissipate energy. They can quickly reform when mechanical load is released thanks to the fast and accurate peptide self-assembly. These entail the PS-DN gel of high mechanical strength of ≈0.32-0.57 MPa, fracture energy of ≈300-2670 J m−2, compressibility of ≈66%-90%, and fast recovery in seconds. The gel also shows significant energy dissipation, strain stiffening, and stress relaxation behaviors similar to articular cartilage. Moreover, the mechanical properties of the PS-DN gel can be tailored by adjusting the chemical components of the gel. Therefore, this novel biomaterial represents a promising candidate for the regeneration of cartilage and other load bearing tissues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid development of advanced energy-storage devices requires significant improvements of the electrode performance and a detailed understanding of the fundamental energy-storage processes. In this work, the self-assembly of two-dimensional manganese oxide nanosheets with various metal cations is introduced as a general and effective method for the incorporation of different guest cations and the formation of sandwich structures with tunable interlayer distances, leading to the formation of 3D M xMnO2 (M=Li, Na, K, Co, and Mg) cathodes. For sodium and lithium storage, these electrode materials exhibited different capacities and cycling stabilities. The efficiency of the storage process is influenced not only by the interlayer spacing but also by the interaction between the host cations and shutter ions, confirming the crucial role of the cations. These results provide promising ideas for the rational design of advanced electrodes for Li and Na storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simple and efficient method for the synthesis of pyrazole[3,4- b]thieno[2,3- e]pyridine derivatives via the sequence of three-component, catalyst-free, and solvent-free condensation and oxidation was described. The products feature a donor-π-conjugated acceptor fluorescent activity system, and the fluorescence emission wavelength was measured in methanol. Some products were fluorescent in solution emitting at blue light (λem = 430-505 nm). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]