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Summary: Aerosols could significantly influence ecosystem carbon and water fluxes, potentially altering their interconnected dynamics, typically characterized by water‐use efficiency (WUE). However, our understanding of the underlying ecophysiological mechanisms remains limited due to insufficient field observations.We conducted 4‐yr measurements of leaf photosynthesis and transpiration, as well as 3‐yr measurements of stem growth (SG) and sap flow of poplar trees exposed to natural aerosol fluctuation, to elucidate aerosol's impact on plant WUE.We found that aerosol improved sun leaf WUE mainly because a sharp decline in photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) inhibited its transpiration, while photosynthesis was less affected, as the negative effect induced by declined PAR was offset by the positive effect induced by low leaf vapor pressure deficit (VPDleaf). Conversely, diffuse radiation fertilization (DRF) effect stimulated shade leaf photosynthesis with minimal impact on transpiration, leading to an improved WUE. The responses were further verified by a strong DRF on SG and a decrease in sap flow due to the suppresses in total radiation and VPD.Our field observations indicate that, contrary to the commonly assumed coupling response, carbon uptake and water use exhibited dissimilar reactions to aerosol pollution, ultimately enhancing WUE at the leaf and canopy level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, the omnipresence of the Internet has fostered a subculture that congregates around the contemporary milieu. The subculture artfully articulates the intricacies of human feelings by ardently pursuing the allure of novelty, a fact that cannot be disregarded in the sentiment analysis. This paper aims to enrich data through the lens of subculture, to address the insufficient training data faced by sentiment analysis. To this end, a new approach of subculture‐based data augmentation (SCDA) is proposed, which engenders enhanced texts for each training text by leveraging the creation of specific subcultural expression generators. The extensive experiments attest to the effectiveness and potential of SCDA. The results also shed light on the phenomenon that disparate subcultural expressions elicit varying degrees of sentiment stimulation. Moreover, an intriguing conjecture arises, suggesting the linear reversibility of certain subcultural expressions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article proposes a two‐step interval estimation method for continuous‐time linear time‐invariant systems with unknown but bounded disturbances and measurement noise. In the first step, H∞$$ {H}_{\infty } $$ method is used to design a robust reduced‐order observer that attenuates the impact of the system uncertainties on the estimation error. In the second step, a non‐conservative interval prediction of the estimation error is achieved by applying a symmetric set‐integration approach. The resulting tight set‐valued state estimation is obtained by combining the point estimation from the reduced‐order observer with the predicted estimation error set provided by the set‐integration method. Compared to the conventional methods, the proposed method is built on less‐restrictive design conditions, that allow one to deal with a large range of applications. On the other hand, numerical simulations show that the proposed method offers more precise interval estimation compared to an optimal reduced‐order interval observer selected from recent literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ultrafine tungsten carbide (WC)–cobalt (Co) and WC–(Ti,W)C–Co end mills were produced via spark plasma sintering. The wear mechanism of these end mills during machining of AISI H13 steel was investigated. WC–Co exhibits good mechanical properties (HV30: 2110 kg/mm2, KIC: 10.4 MPa/m1/2, TRS: 1990 MPa). Although the high hardness of WC–Co makes it show excellent resistance to abrasive wear, it suffers from a significant adhesion problem. As the cutting temperature increases, the oxidation of the WC–Co causes damage to the microstructure of tool materials, which deteriorates the grain boundary strength and promotes adhesive wear. This phenomenon causes large areas of tool materials to chip off and eventually results in cutting‐edge breakage. The high brittleness of (Ti,W)C causes cracks to propagate at low‐stress levels, reducing the mechanical properties of WC–(Ti,W)C–Co (KIC: 8.8 MPa/m1/2, TRS: 1090 MPa). However, (Ti,W)C addition enhances the resistance to oxidation and workpiece adhesion, which reduces the tool material loss caused by adhesive wear. The tool life of WC–(Ti,W)C–Co is three times longer than that of WC–Co in milling of AISI H13 at the same cutting speed. The key to maximizing the mechanical properties of ultrafine cemented carbide tools when machining AISI H13 is the modification of anti‐adhesive wear of surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) are highly associated with inflammatory response and vascular injury after ischemic stroke. As the primary degrader of NETs, DNase 1 is limited by easy deactivation and low efficiency of crossing the blood‐brain barrier (BBB). Here, CD206+ M2‐like macrophages‐derived exosomal (M2exo) system is developed for DNase 1 delivery to achieve enhanced ischemic stroke therapy. The nanoplatform can cross the BBB through transcytosis of exosomes, subsequently clearing NETs by DNase 1 to inhibit inflammatory factors release and prevent vascular injury. Moreover, M2exo induces the polarization of M1 microglia to M2 phenotype, alleviating neuroinflammation via producing anti‐inflammatory cytokines. This nanoplatform exhibits significant efficiency in reducing brain infarct area, improving long‐term neurologic outcomes, and promoting BBB remodeling. The mechanism for the synergistic effect from M2exo and DNase 1 is unveiled at the genetic level through transcriptome analysis. This work provides a paradigm for improving the effectiveness of ischemic stroke therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For photocatalytic CO2 reduction, traditional amorphous polymeric carbon nitride (PCN) has suffered from fast photoexcited electron‐hole recombination and low specific surface area, resulting in low photocatalytic activity. Herein, starting from thermally polymerized PCN, cayanamide groups (─CN) functionalized crystalline carbon nitride (CCN) self‐supporting aerogels are obtained through a molten‐salt and self‐assembly two‐step strategy, which realized efficient photocatalytic CO2 reduction into CO as the main reduction products and O2 as the oxidation product, with CO evolution rate and selectivity reaching 25.7 µmol g−1 h−1 and 93.8%, respectively. It is revealed that the self‐supporting porous aerogel structure can enhance the mass transport of reactants and products, and increase the light absorption ability via multiple photon reflection. With charge carrier separation greatly enhanced in CCN aerogels with high crystallinity as revealed by charge carrier dynamics investigations, theoretical calculations and in situ spectral characterizations evidence that the introduced ─CN groups would act as the active sites for photoreduction of CO2 into CO, with energy barrier greatly reduced for the formation of COOH* intermediates, the rate‐determining step for CO2─to─CO reduction. This work demonstrates a novel and controllable strategy to develop semiconducting polymers with crystal, molecular and morphological structures synergistically modulated for highly efficient and selective photocatalytic CO2 reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cotton holds a significant position among cash crops in China, with Xinjiang serving as the primary cotton‐growing region within the country. Agricultural practices involving plastic mulching have gained importance. However, the presence of residual plastic film affects the growth of cotton seedlings as well as the soil environment. Our study aimed to explore the impact of residual plastic film accumulation on the growth of cotton seedlings and the associated soil water‐salt environment. This was done through a barrel planting experiment, utilizing soil from cotton fields with varying durations of mulching. The study showed that when the mulching period exceeded 12 years (residual plastic film content of 260.77 kg hm−2), residual plastic film had a significant impact on cotton seedling growth and the soil environment. Residual plastic film reduces the seedling germination rate of cotton by up to 11.11% (7 days after irrigation, 15 years of film mulching, residual plastic film content of 309.88 kg hm−2). It also impedes the growth of cotton seedlings; plant height, stem thickness, and leaf area were reduced by 34.52%, 10.73%, and 37.18%, respectively (19 days after irrigation, 15 years of film mulching, residual plastic film content of 309.88 kg·hm−2). Compared with the treatment without residual plastic film, the shallow soil water content in the T5 treatment decreased by 1.19% (10 days after irrigation, 15 years of film mulching, residual plastic film content of 309.88 kg·hm−2). Residual plastic film in cotton fields subjected to long‐term mulching obstructs the normal growth and development of cotton seedlings while also impacting the transport of soil water and salt. Therefore, we recommend adopting biodegradable mulch or regularly recycling residual plastic film within mulched areas to prevent its accumulation and subsequent negative impacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and oxidative stress are the major pathologies encountered after intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). Inositol‐requiring enzyme‐1 alpha (IRE1α) is the most evolutionarily conserved ER stress sensor, which plays a role in monitoring and responding to the accumulation of unfolded/misfolded proteins in the ER lumen. Recent studies have shown that ER stress is profoundly related to oxidative stress in physiological or pathological conditions. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of IRE1α in oxidative stress and the potential mechanism. Methods: A mouse model of ICH was established by autologous blood injection. The IRE1α phosphokinase inhibitor KIRA6 was administrated intranasally at 1 h after ICH, antagomiR‐25 and agomiR‐25 were injected intraventricularly at 24 h before ICH. Western blot analysis, RT‐qPCR, immunofluorescence staining, hematoma volume, neurobehavioral tests, dihydroethidium (DHE) staining, H2O2 content, brain water content, body weight, Hematoxylin and Eosin (HE) staining, Nissl staining, Morris Water Maze (MWM) and Elevated Plus Maze (EPM) were performed. Results: Endogenous phosphorylated IRE1α (p‐IRE1α), miR‐25‐3p, and Nox4 were increased in the ICH model. Administration of KIRA6 downregulated miR‐25‐3p expression, upregulated Nox4 expression, promoted the level of oxidative stress, increased hematoma volume, exacerbated brain edema and neurological deficits, reduced body weight, aggravated spatial learning and memory deficits, and increased anxiety levels. Then antagomiR‐25 further upregulated the expression of Nox4, promoted the level of oxidative stress, increased hematoma volume, exacerbated brain edema and neurological deficits, whereas agomiR‐25 reversed the effects promoted by KIRA6. Conclusion: The IRE1α phosphokinase activity is involved in the oxidative stress response through miR‐25/Nox4 pathway in the mouse ICH brain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Irrigation & Drainage is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The limitation to enhancing photocatalytic performance in photocatalysts lies in the rapid recombination of photo‐induced electrons and holes. Herein, AgNbO3 photocatalysts were synthesized by the hydrothermal method. The effects of hydrothermal temperature on the microstructure and photocatalytic/piezo‐photocatalytic performances of AgNbO3 have been systematically investigated. The AgNbO3 cubes synthesized at 180 °C for 24 h exhibited the best photocatalytic/piezo‐photocatalytic performances among all samples. The corona poling as an important method of polarization engineering is applied to promote further the separation and migration of charge carriers in AgNbO3. The polarized AgNbO3 synthesized at 170 °C exhibited outstanding piezo‐photocatalytic performance, and a degradation rate of 95 % for RhB within 90 min and a high apparent rate constant of 0.02978 min−1 were achieved. On the one hand, the alternating piezoelectric field caused by ultrasonic‐assisted illumination destroyed the shielding effect and enhanced the separation of electron‐hole pairs. On the other hand, polarization engineering induced by corona poling promoted the separation and migration of photo‐induced carriers, thereby realizing more efficient utilization of these charges during the photocatalytic decomposition process. This work presents a facile way to achieve superior piezo‐photocatalytic performances of AgNbO3‐based photocatalyst via polarization engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the process of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) cluster coordination, communication obstruction may cause situational misjudgement and increase the risk of decision‐making errors. Therefore, based on evolutionary game theory, this research aimed to study the behaviour decision‐making selection problem in the process of UAV swarm missions in limited communication networks. First, the evolution process of the UAV swarm confrontation game is analyzed and the decision‐making risks associated with the communication network of the UAV swarm during coordination, which are caused by the complex confrontation environment are identified. Second, the decision‐making risks and mechanisms of UAV swarm communication is discussed and an evolutionary game mathematical model for the cooperative strategy of a UAV swarm under communication constraints is established. Finally, the influence of various key parameters is simulated and analyzed, such as the initial strategy probability of both parties, amount of platform information data, information analysis and utilization ability, and information interaction coefficient, on the evolution of the UAV swarm strategy. This research provides a theoretical basis and feasible reference for the improvement of UAV mission decision response mechanisms and system model construction, which have important theoretical value and practical significance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The high hardness, brittleness, and thermal resistance impose significant challenges in the scalable manufacturing of fused silica lenses, which are widely used in numerous applications. Taking advantage of the nanocomposites by stirring silica nanopowders with photocurable resins, the newly emerged low‐temperature pre‐shaping technique provides a paradigm shift in fabricating transparent fused silica components. However, preparing the silica slurry and carefully evaporating the organics may significantly increase the process complexity and decrease the manufacturing efficiency for the nanocomposite‐based technique. By directly pressing pure silica nanopowders against the complex‐shaped metal molds in minutes, this work reports an entirely different room‐temperature molding method capable of mass replication of complex‐shaped silica lenses without organic additives. After sintering the replicated lenses, fully transparent fused silica lenses with spherical, arrayed, and freeform patterns are generated with nanometric surface roughness and well‐reserved mold shapes, demonstrating a scalable and cost‐effective route surpassing the current techniques for the manufacturing of high‐quality fused silica lenses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strainburst often occurs in the loading process of tangential stress concentration from surrounding rocks after excavation and unloading of deep rock mass. The concentrated tangential stress is relatively larger on the tunnel walls, which decreases towards the interior of surrounding rocks with a certain gradient. To explore the fracture evolution characteristics of surrounding rocks under different tangential gradient stresses and understand various phenomena in the strainburst process, a large‐scale true‐triaxial gradient and hydraulic‐pneumatic composite loading rockburst test device was adopted to carry out the strainburst tests under four different gradient stresses. Based on the macroscopic failure phenomena, distribution of rockburst debris, macro‐micro morphology of failure cross section, and monitored data of acoustic emission (AE), the fracture evolution of rockburst specimens was analyzed under different stress gradient loadings. The results indicate that the stress gradient has an obvious influence on the fracture characteristics, resulting in different rockburst phenomena. With the increase of stress gradient, the failure stress of rockburst decreases, while the dynamic failure characteristics of rockburst trends to be significant. The increase of stress gradient contributes to higher fragmentation degree of debris, more uniform distribution and better continuity. The total number of cracks in the model decreases with the rise of the stress gradient, and the proportion of shear failure increases, which is the main reason for the enhancement of the rockburst intensity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

LiCoO2 (LCO) has been widely adopted as the electrode for lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs) which provide a solution for settling problems referring to energy and environment. The demand for rapid and controllable synthesis of LCO increases dramatically. In this work, reactive flash sintering (RFS), for the first time, was introduced to synthesize LCO rapidly and controllably based on simple oxide precursors. The as‐prepared LCO, investigated by physicochemical property characterization, showed well‐constructed and high crystallinity and controllable morphologies, in which the grain size varied with the magnitude of the applied limited current value, allowing for grain size modulation. Furthermore, the as‐prepared LCO exhibited excellent performance in cyclic stability and rate capacity by contrast with that synthesized by the conventional solid‐phase sintering method. This is admittedly attributed to better crystallinity and less lithium loss. Therefore, RFS provides a new approach for the manufacture of LCO electrode and has the potential to be applied to other electrode materials for LIBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional mechanochemically controlled reversible‐deactivation radical polymerization (RDRP) utilizes ultrasound or ball milling to regenerate activators, which induce side reactions because of the high‐energy and high‐frequency stimuli. Here, we propose a facile approach for tribochemically controlled atom transfer radical polymerization (tribo‐ATRP) that relies on contact‐electro‐catalysis (CEC) between titanium oxide (TiO2) particles and CuBr2/tris(2‐pyridylmethylamine (TPMA), without any high‐energy input. Under the friction induced by stirring, the TiO2 particles are electrified, continuously reducing CuBr2/TPMA into CuBr/TPMA, thereby conversing alkyl halides into active radicals to start ATRP. In addition, the effect of friction on the reaction was elucidated by theoretical simulation. The results indicated that increasing the frequency could reduce the energy barrier for the electron transfer from TiO2 particles to CuBr2/TPMA. In this study, the design of tribo‐ATRP was successfully achieved, enabling CEC (ca. 10 Hz) access to a variety of polymers with predetermined molecular weights, low dispersity, and high chain‐end fidelity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) is the fiber crop most widely cultivated globally and one of the most important commercial crops in China, irrigation is closely related to the growth of cotton. A water temperature for irrigation that is too low or too high inhibits cotton growth. Poor irrigation timing results in water and nutrient deficiencies that reduce cotton yield. Therefore, it is necessary to determine the appropriate irrigation timing and water temperature. METHOD: We conducted an experiment in an arid region of north‐western China to assess the effects of irrigation timing and water temperature on soil temperature and the photosynthetic characteristics, biomass, total nitrogen (N), and seed cotton yield. Two irrigation times (daytime and nighttime) and four water temperatures (15, 20, 25, and 30 °C) were combined into eight treatments. RESULTS: Our results showed that water warming and nighttime irrigation improved the photosynthesis, biomass, N concentration (the proportion of total N weight in the plant biomass, in g kg−1), N content (the mass of total N, in g plant−1), and cotton yield. The optimal water temperature range for photosynthesis was 25.7–28.7 °C. Water warming also boosted the biomass allocation to the stem and increased the N allocation to the stem and leaf. Nighttime irrigation enhanced these phenomena. Water warming also increased the number of bolls per plant but reduced the single boll weight, increasing the seed cotton yield by 5.88–11.46%. At the same water temperature, irrigation during the night increased the number of bolls per plant and the single boll weight, improving the seed cotton yield by 2.95–4.31%. Among them, NI25 (nighttime irrigation with 25 °C water temperature) increased the yield by 14.13–14.90% compared with CK (daytime irrigation with 15 °C water temperature), which offers the best combination for increasing the yield. CONCLUSION: Our study clarifies the optimal irrigation timing and water temperature for cotton production under drip irrigation with film mulching, providing valuable information for improving the cotton yield in arid areas with temperate continental climate. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a novel ellipsoid‐based framework for fault estimation and remaining useful life prognosis is presented. The fault is considered to be a slow‐changing fault caused by actuator performance degradation. The proposed framework is divided into three steps: First, the actuator fault interval estimation is determined by combining observer design with ellipsoidal analysis. The fault estimation results allow to evaluate the system's current health condition and predict the remaining useful life based on the performance degeneration model. Since the model parameters are constantly changing, an ellipsoid‐based extended Kalman filter is presented to estimate the parameters via the fault estimation results. Specially, a trace optimization method is proposed to design the filter gain matrix, which offers high computational efficiency. Finally, the future degradation states are predicted via the latest parameters until the failure thresholds are reached, which determines the remaining useful life interval prediction results. Numerical simulations are conducted to verify the viability and validity of the presented approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As an environmentally friendly technology, photocatalysis technology has great application prospects in the fields of photoelectric energy and environmental pollutants treatment, and its core is photocatalyst. In recent years, perovskite materials with a narrow band gap, high quantum efficiency, and high carrier mobility have been widely concerned to use as photocatalysts. However, as to a single perovskite, the electron–hole separation rate is still low. In this paper, CsPbBr3/UiO‐66 composite photocatalyst was prepared based on a heterojunction strategy. CsPbBr3/UiO‐66 photocatalyst has excellent photocatalytic performance: The degradation rate of methyl orange (MO) in aqueous solution is more than 90% in 90 min, which is much higher than that of original CsPbBr3 (57.7% in 90 min). Based on various characterization techniques, our study verified the formation of a Z‐scheme heterojunction between CsPbBr3 and UiO‐66. At the same time, the improved photocatalytic performance of CsPbBr3/UiO‐66 is due to the efficient Z‐scheme charge migration mechanism in CsPbBr3/UiO‐66. This work is expected to provide a new opportunity to regulate the photocatalytic performance of perovskite by heterojunction strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We consider three equilibrium concepts proposed in the literature for time‐inconsistent stopping problems, including mild equilibria (introduced in Huang and Nguyen‐Huu (2018)), weak equilibria (introduced in Christensen and Lindensjö (2018)), and strong equilibria (introduced in Bayraktar et al. (2021)). The discount function is assumed to be log subadditive and the underlying process is one‐dimensional diffusion. We first provide necessary and sufficient conditions for the characterization of weak equilibria. The smooth‐fit condition is obtained as a by‐product. Next, based on the characterization of weak equilibria, we show that an optimal mild equilibrium is also weak. Then we provide conditions under which a weak equilibrium is strong. We further show that an optimal mild equilibrium is also strong under a certain condition. Finally, we provide several examples including one showing a weak equilibrium may not be strong, and another one showing a strong equilibrium may not be optimal mild. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neutrophils are associated with pro‐inflammation and contribute to pathophysiology of ischemic stroke. Prevention of neutrophils from infiltrating into ischemic area can be a potential approach for stroke therapy. In this study, a rod‐shaped polylactic acid polyglycolic acid (PLGA) nanoparticles encapsulated with piceatannol is developed to target and intervene the interaction of neutrophils with inflamed endothelial cells. In contrast to macrophages, neutrophils exhibit enhanced endocytosis of elongated particles. The nanoparticles with aspect ratio (AR) of 5 display higher internalization by neutrophils compared to other nanoparticles. Thus, AR5 nanoparticles are screened out to load with piceatannol (Pic@AR5) for investigating the therapeutic effect against middle cerebral artery occlusion model. It is demonstrated that Pic@AR5 can block the adherence of neutrophils to endothelial cells, inhibiting the infiltration of neutrophils into blood‐brain barrier (BBB). Besides, the inflammatory cytokine of ischemic brain can also be reduced even if a small part of Pic@AR5‐carried neutrophils enter BBB. The nanoparticles release piceatannol within the ischemic region, which inhibit microglial Syk signal and result in alleviation of neuroinflammation. This strategy provides new insights into ischemic stroke therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low‐dimensional material field‐effect transistor (FET)‐based biosensors have the advantages of high sensitivity, high detection speed, small size, low cost, and excellent compatibility with integrated circuits. The sensing mechanism is extremely important in the design and fabrication of high‐performance FET biosensors in practical applications. Herein, an InSe‐FET biosensor is designed and its dominant sensing mechanism during detection and (mi)RNA detection performance are investigated. Finite element analysis reveals the electrostatic potential distribution in the InSe channel with DNA probe assembly showing that Coulomb scattering is the dominant sensing mechanism for carrier scattering‐sensitive InSe. The simulation and experimental results indicate that carriers in InSe are extremely sensitive to the scattering of surface impurities because of their small electron mass. The firstly reported back‐gate bias working mode of an InSe‐FET biosensor has a linear relationship with an extra‐large detectable range of 1 fM–10 nM, high specificity for identifying 1‐nucleotide polymorphisms, and excellent repeatability and reusability. The detection of biomarker miRNAs in clinical serum samples and specific RNA in SARS‐CoV‐2 pseudovirus samples indicate promising applications of InSe‐FET biosensors in critical disease screening and the fast diagnoses of infectious diseases. This study can be useful for the design and fabrication of high‐performance FET biosensors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Calcium is an essential dietary mineral nutrient for humans. Digestive instability limits the bioavailability of calcium ions. Peptide–calcium chelate has been proven to excite higher calcium absorption than amino acid–calcium chelate, organic and inorganic calcium. Soy yogurt, which is produced via liquid‐state fermentation using lactic acid bacteria, has a high amount of bioavailable calcium. In this study, a novel peptide with high calcium binding affinity was purified and identified from soy yogurt. The binding mechanism of peptide and calcium was then analyzed by bioinformatics and spectral analysis. Furthermore, the effect of the novel peptide on gastrointestinal stability by the Caco‐2 cell model and calcium bioavailability in vivo were investigated by the zebrafish model. RESULTS: The results showed that a novel peptide was purified and identified as DEDEQIPSHPPR (CBP). Calcium ions probably coordinate with Glu‐2 and Glu‐4 carboxyl groups via salt bridges and interact with Asp‐1, Asp‐3, and Arg‐12 in CBP via charge pairing. The calcium binding activity of the CBP was 36.64 ± 0.04 mg g−1. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra showed that calcium spontaneously bound to the amino group nitrogen and oxygen atoms of the carboxyl group. The binding mode is either bidentate or unidentate, depending on the circumstances. More importantly, the CBP peptide substantially increased the bone mass in a zebrafish osteoporosis model. CONCLUSION: The more glutamic acid and aspartic acid, the high was the calcium affinity with peptide. Soy yogurt‐derived peptides can be used as carriers of calcium ions throughout the gastrointestinal tract, which may be clinically useful for osteoporosis therapy. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a novel fault detection method for Takagi–Sugeno fuzzy systems via multiple observer design and ellipsoidal analysis. By considering only one fault distribution matrix at a time, the original system is divided into a limited number of fault modes. For each fault mode, an observer with finite‐frequency fault sensitivity performance and full‐frequency unknown inputs robustness performance is designed to generate the residual signal. Based on the designed observer, the ellipsoidal analysis is used to evaluate a residual and to give a fault detection index for each mode. In addition, the fault detection result is provided by combining "or" logical operation of the multiple indices. Numerical simulations and an AC servo motor experimental platform are used to verify the viability and validity of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The objective of this study was to explore the role and mechanism of an abnormally expressed circRNA (hsa_circ_0009128) in the progression of oral squamous cell carcinoma. Materials and Methods: We conducted quantitative real‐time PCR (qRT‐PCR) to assess the expression of hsa_circ_0009128 in 51 paired OSCC tissues and analyzed the correlation between clinical features and aberrant expression of hsa_circ_0009128 in OSCC. CCK‐8 assays, colony formation assays, transwell assays, and wound healing assays were used to analyze the effect of hsa_circ_0009128 on cell proliferation and migration. Furthermore, epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT)‐related proteins were evaluated by Western blotting. Results: Hsa_circ_0009128 was upregulated in both OSCC tissues and cell lines, and high hsa_circ_0009128 correlated with advanced TNM stage (p = 0.046) and lymph node metastasis (p = 0.018) in OSCC patients. Knockdown of hsa_circ_0009128 inhibited cell proliferation and migration. Mechanistically, hsa_circ_0009128 downregulation decreased EMT in OSCC cells as shown by elevated levels of E‐cadherin and decreased N‐cadherin, vimentin, and MMP9. Conclusions: The circRNA hsa_circ_0009128 correlates with malignant progression of OSCC. Hsa_circ_0009128 stimulates proliferation and migration in OSCC cells by targeting MMP9 to activate EMT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: This article investigates actuator fault diagnosis for continuous‐time systems with unknown but bounded uncertainties. A novel interval‐based adaptive threshold computation approach is proposed for residual evaluation. Meanwhile, peak‐to‐peak performance is applied to generate robust residuals against system uncertainties. By integrating the designed peak‐to‐peak residual generator with adaptive thresholds, we can achieve promising fault detection results. Furthermore, based on the general observer scheme, the proposed residual generator and adaptive thresholds can be equally used for fault isolation. Simulation results are given to illustrate the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed fault detection and isolation method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel intumescent flame retardant (IFR) composed of ammonium polyphosphate (APP), benzoxazine containing trialkoxysilane (BA‐a‐Si) and melamine (ME), is compounded with different specifications of MoS2 as synergist to flame retard polyformaldehyde (POM). The flame retardancy and mechanism of the composites are analyzed by limiting oxygen index (LOI), vertical combustion (UL‐94) and cone calorimeter. At the same time, the mechanical properties and lubricating properties are tested by electromechanical testing machine and wear testing machine. The experimental results show that MoS2 has a good synergistic effect with IFR, and the smaller the average particle size of MoS2 is, it seems to be more beneficial to improve the flame retardancy of POM composites. Only a small amount of MoS2 (0.8 wt%) is needed to synergize with IFR, the flame retardant POM composite (FR‐POM) can achieve UL‐94 (3.2 mm) V‐0 rating, LOI of 62.5%, and heat release rate reduction of 25.3%, total smoke release decreased by 29.5%. In addition, from the mechanical properties analysis, it is found that the microscale MoS2(M2) can better improve the bending and tensile properties of the FR‐POM composites, while the nanoscale MoS2(N80) is more helpful to improve the lubricating properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A distributed offline DISOPE algorithm for optimal state synchronization of leader‐follower systems with nonlinear discrete‐time dynamics is considered, which integrates the model optimization idea and parameter estimation technique together. It can be seen that the convergent solutions of modified linear optimal control problems satisfy the optimality conditions of the original nonlinear optimization problem with non‐LQ performance indices. The heterogeneous agents can cooperate and exchange information via network communication. Based on DISOPE algorithm, a distributed optimal control policy is obtained to assure state synchronization and minimize performance indices in finite time horizon. Finally, a simulation example is provided to illustrate the effectiveness of the distributed DISOPE algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anthropogenic aerosols have been shown to perturb CO2 exchange between the vegetation and the atmosphere. However, the climate effects of aerosols through carbon cycle feedback still have significant uncertainties. Taking advantage of the periodic fluctuations of aerosol loading in Beijing, we intensively measured the diurnal course of leaf microclimates and photosynthesis under different aerosol conditions during the growing season in 2014 and 2015. We found that increasing aerosol loadings altered the diurnal course of microclimates and thus sun and shade leaf photosynthesis. Our mechanistic photosynthesis model experiments further showed that aerosol‐induced increase in sun leaf photosynthesis occurred around noon and afternoon, mainly by alleviating the depression of photosynthesis caused by high leaf temperature and leaf‐air vapour pressure deficit. Meanwhile, aerosols enhanced shade leaf photosynthesis throughout the day by mitigating the light limitation within the canopy, with the highest increase occurring around noon. Overall, our study suggested that aerosol's diffuse fertilization effect, cooling effect and the accompanying low leaf‐air vapour pressure deficit collectively drove the changes in the diurnal courses of sun and shade leaf photosynthesis. Our results provided an important benchmark for assessing how anthropogenic aerosols regulate ecosystem C balance under different meteorological conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seasonal differences in plant and microbial nitrogen (N) acquisition are believed to be a major mechanism that maximizes ecosystem N retention. There is also a concern that climate change may interrupt the delicate balance in N allocation between plants and microbes. Yet, convincing experimental evidence is still lacking. Using a 15N tracer, we assessed how deepened snow affects the temporal coupling between plant and microbial N utilization in a temperate Mongolian grassland. We found that microbial 15N recovery peaked in winter, accounting for 22% of the total ecosystem 15N recovery, and then rapidly declined during the spring thaw. By stimulating N loss via N2O emission and leaching, deepened snow reduced the total ecosystem 15N recovery by 42% during the spring thaw. As the growing season progresses, the 15N released from microbial biomass was taken up by plants, and the competitive advantage for N shifted from microbes to plants. Plant 15N recovery reached its peak in August, accounting for 17% of the total ecosystem 15N recovery. The Granger causality test showed that the temporal dynamics of plant 15N recovery can be predicted by microbial 15N recovery under ambient snow but not under deepened snow. In addition, plant 15N recovery in August was positively correlated with and best explained by microbial 15N recovery in March. The lower microbial 15N recovery under deepened snow in March reduced plant 15N recovery by 73% in August. Together, our results provide direct evidence of seasonal differences in plant and microbial N utilization that are conducive to ecosystem N retention; however, deepened snow disrupted the temporal coupling between plant–microbial N use and turnover. These findings suggest that changes in snowfall patterns may significantly alter ecosystem N cycling and N‐based greenhouse gas emissions under future climate change. We highlight the importance of better representing winter processes and their response to winter climate change in biogeochemical models when assessing N cycling under global change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although tungsten trioxide (WO3) films are considered as the most popular inorganic electrochromic cathode, the irreversible accumulation of lithium ion in it leads to the degradation of cycling stability. In situ monitoring of mass change is critical to intrinsically probe the dynamical degradation evolution of the WO3 films. Based on electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance analysis, a transfer model based on the migration of three mass carriers (lithium ion, perchlorate ion and propylene carbonate) is proposed. Higher potential can boost the migration of mass carriers, benefiting from the intensive driving force. Due to moderate intercalation of mass carriers and smallest difference in molar mass, the excellent electrochemical reversibility at 40 mV s−1 is observed. As the migration of mass carriers progresses, continuous corrosion of the WO3 films results in electrochemical degradation. It is demonstrated that electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance‐based analyses provide a valuable insight for the intercalation and extraction of mass carriers, in favor of further revealing degradation evolution induced by the irreversible intercalation of conductive ions in electrochemical devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is concerned with the security of a cyber‐physical system (CPS) against stealthy attacks. Stealthy attacks are malicious injections into sensor measurements without triggering detectors. We quantify the potential impact of stealthy attacks on system states using zonotopic reachable set. Then, a zonotopic framework is established to characterize the CPS vulnerabilities. Conditions for the existence of vulnerabilities are provided. Moreover, the level of such vulnerabilities is measured via one‐sided Hausdorff distance. Finally, numerical simulations are conducted to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lithium‐sulfur batteries (LSBs) are among the most encouraging competitors for the next‐generation energy storage system, nevertheless, the shuttle effect resulted from the soluble lithium polysulfides (LiPSs) and slow chemical kinetics hinder the pragmatic application of LSBs. To address those issues, herein, a uniform three‐dimensional (3D) structure constructing carbon nanofibers (CNF) with polar Mo2C nanoparticles (Mo2C@CNF) was designed and coated onto one side of pristine conventional polypropylene separator (Mo2C@CNF/PP). The Mo2C@CNF with high electrical conductivity not only chemically constrained the LiPSs by chemical trapping, but also catalyzed the conversion of LiPSs to Li2S2/Li2S. Cells with Mo2C@CNF/PP separator presented a high specific capacity of 732.9 mAh g−1; 500 mAh g−1 was kept, due to sluggish capacity decay (0.063 % per cycle), after 500 cycles. Judging from the outstanding electrochemical performance of batteries with the Mo2C@CNF/PP separator, the proposal is an enlightening strategy for the advancement high‐performance LSBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and objectives: Eating quality is an important quality index of rice, which also determines production and sales. However, previous rice breeding mainly took yield as the gold index, and almost no comprehensive consideration of its eating quality. In this study, to further select new high‐quality japonica rice variety, the eating quality differences in the physicochemical, texture, pasting properties, and volatile compounds between five newly bred varieties (JR5, JR6, JR8, JR9, and JR10) and one commercial variety (Kenyu38) were analyzed. Findings: Correlation analysis results indicated that the taste value was negatively correlated with protein (r = −.953, p <.01), amylose content (r = −.915, p <.05), and setback value (r = −.902, p <.05). JR5 had a better appearance and taste quality with significantly lower protein content, amylose content, pasting temperature, and setback value. Moreover, the electronic nose could clearly distinguish JR5 from other rice samples. Aroma analysis showed that JR5 had the significantly higher content of 1‐octene‐3‐ol and hexanal, which were important odor‐active volatile compound in cooked rice. Conclusions: JR5 had better eating quality than Kenyu38 and could be used as an excellent variety for further popularization. Significance and novelty: This study provides a new perspective for the selection of high‐quality rice varieties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pneumatically actuated soft robots have attracted significant attention in recent years due to their non‐linear structures for performing biomimetic motions to enhance human‐machine interactions. However, manufacturing soft robots, especially those featuring complex 3D structures, still faces significant challenges as traditional lithography‐based micro/nanofabrication technologies have some limitations, such as limited material choices and layer‐by‐layer architectures. In this work, a facile multi‐material jointed direct ink writing (MJDIW) printing method is introduced. In comparing with the traditional micro/nanofabrication and other additive manufacturing methods, the method enables truly freeform 3D printing to fabricate entirely soft actuators and robots with complex 3D structures, while integrating materials with different mechanical characteristics to expand the manufacturing capabilities of additive manufacturing methods. The material properties and printing parameters, and conducted finite element analysis (FEA) is systematically investigated to provide the general design guidelines through simulating actuator motions. Several actuators such as linear elongation and bending actuators are manufactured either by employing a single material or multiple materials with different mechanical properties. Finally, a multi‐directional soft manipulator with complex internal channels is printed using different materials to illustrate the versatility of the printing methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lithium–sulfur batteries have aroused great interest in the context of rechargeable batteries, while the shuttle effect and sluggish conversion kinetics severely handicap their development. Defect engineering, which can adjust the electronic structures of electrocatalyst, and thus affect the surface adsorption and catalytic process, has been recognized as a good strategy to solve the above problems. However, research on phosphorus vacancies has been rarely reported, and how phosphorus vacancies affect battery performance remains unclear. Herein, CoP with phosphorus vacancies (CoP‐Vp) is fabricated to study the enhancement mechanism of phosphorus vacancies in Li–S chemistry. The derived CoP‐Vp features a low Co‐P coordination number and the introduced phosphorus vacancies mainly exist in the form of clusters. The obtained CoP‐Vp can reinforce the affinity to lithium polysulfides (LiPSs) and thus the shuttle effect can be restrained. In addition, the reduced reaction energy barriers and the promoted diffusion of Li+ can accelerate redox kinetics. Electrochemical tests and in situ Raman results confirm the advantages of phosphorus vacancies. The S/CNT‐CoP‐Vp electrode presents outstanding cycling performance and achieves a high capacity of 8.03 mAh cm−2 under lean electrolyte condition (E/S = 5 μLE mg−1S). This work provides a new insight into improving the performance of Li–S batteries through defect engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By the in vitro simulation of mastication, we studied the variation of cooked rice in terms of mastication parameters. However, because there is no in vitro model for cooked rice, it was impossible to specifically study the effect of mastication parameters on the properties of the rice bolus. Therefore, first we established an in vitro model, and then, we explored the effects of saliva addition, α‐amylase, and blending time on the physical properties of cooked Japonica rice in an in vitro simulation of mastication. The results showed that with the increasing saliva addition, the degree of lubrication, transverse relaxation time of free water (T23), and proportion of free water (A23) significantly increased, and the degree of structure, the elastic modulus (G′), and the viscous modulus (G″) of the bolus significantly decreased. With the increase of α‐amylase, the A23 significantly increased, and the degree of structure, G′, and G″ of the bolus significantly decreased. Increased blending times decreased the particle size of rice, resulting in the decrease of G′ and G″, while, A23 significantly increased, and the microstructure of the bolus became looser. Overall, the trends observed with different blending and different saliva addition models for simulated saliva fluid with 75 U/mL of α‐amylase were similar to those of an in vivo mastication model. Practical Applications: In vitro simulation of oral processing depends on saliva composition, saliva addition, and the effect of salivary enzymes on food and food type. Therefore, through the in vitro simulating oral processing, we have been better studied the changes of sensory characteristics of rice with oral processing parameters. Thus, this study provides a simple, fast, and reproducible method for studying mastication's dynamic changes in rice's flavor, taste, and texture. Furthermore, this study provides a method for the in vitro mastication of rice and other foods. In addition, it offers scientific basis and theoretical reference for the variety improvement of Japonica rice and the quality improvement of instant rice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cardiomyopathy comprises a heterogeneous group of myocardial abnormalities, structural or functional in nature, in the absence of coronary artery disease and other abnormal loading conditions. These myocardial pathologies can result in premature death or disability from progressive heart failure, arrhythmia, stroke, or other embolic events. The European Cardiomyopathy Registry reports a high stroke risk in cardiomyopathy patients ranging from 2.1% to 4.5%, as well as high prevalence of atrial fibrillation ranging from 14.0% to 48.5%. There is a growing interest in evaluating the risk of thromboembolism depending on the type of cardiomyopathy, as well as if anticoagulation is indicated in patients with cardiomyopathy without atrial fibrillation. Data available do not unequivocally support anticoagulation therapy in all of these patients; the management of these patients remains challenging. Many published reports pertaining to the risk of thromboembolism and consecutive treatment strategies mainly focus on single cardiomyopathy subtype. We summarize essential pathophysiological knowledge and review current literature associated with thromboembolism in various cardiomyopathy subtypes, providing recommendations for the diagnostic evaluation as well as clinical management strategies in this field. Certain cardiomyopathy subtypes require anticoagulation independent of atrial fibrillation or CHA2DS2‐VASc score. Despite the scarcity of evidence regarding the choice of anticoagulation regimen (vitamin K antagonist vs. non‐vitamin K oral anticoagulants) in cardiomyopathy, it is discussed and reviewed in this article. Each patient should receive a tailored strategy based on thorough clinical evaluation, published evidence, and clinical experience, due to the current recommendations mostly developed on small‐sample studies or empirical evidence. The future research priorities in this area are also addressed in this article. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, WC‐8Co cemented carbides were prepared by spark plasma sintering. When the samples sintered at 1300℃ were cooled to room temperature, the samples were sintered multiple times at 1250℃. The changes in microstructure and mechanical properties of WC‐8Co cemented carbides prepared by multiple spark plasma sintering were studied. The hardness of cemented carbides increased in the first two sintering, reaching 16.5 GPa. However, the hardness decreased seriously in the last two sintering. The attenuation rates of hardness were 6.2% and 2.5% due to the abnormal coarse grains. Furthermore, the crack path along the grain boundary was almost straight, causing a decrease in the indentation fracture toughness of cemented carbides. Additionally, the grains of cemented carbides were abnormally coarsened, and the morphologies of grains became unstable due to multiple sintering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Staphylococcus aureus is a well‐known clinical pathogenic bacterium. In recent years, due to the emergence of multiple drug‐resistant strains of S. aureus in clinical practice, S. aureus infections have become an increasingly severe clinical problem. Ntdp (nucleoside tri‐ and diphosphatase, also known as Sa1684) is a nucleotide phosphatase that has a significant effect on the proliferation of S. aureus colonies and the killing ability of the host. Here, we identified the nucleoside tri‐ and diphosphate hydrolysis activity of Ntdp and obtained the three‐dimensional structures of apo‐Ntdp and three substrate analog (ATPγS, GDPβS, and GTPγS) complexes of Ntdp. Through structural analysis and biochemical verification, we illustrated the structural basis for the divalent cation selectivity, substrate recognition model, and catalytic mechanism of Ntdp. We also revealed a possible basal functional pattern of the DUF402 domain and hypothesized the potential pathways by which the protein regulates the expression of the two‐component regulatory factor agr and the downstream virulence factors. Overall, the above findings provide crucial insights into our understanding of the Ntdp functional mechanism in the infection process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has been increasingly recognized that plant traits and their intraspecific variation play pivotal roles in determining how ecosystem structure and function respond to a changing environment. Yet, it remains unclear how and which plant traits regulate the assembly process and thus affect ecosystem structure and function under climate changes. Here, we selected six steppe sites with snow fences along a precipitation gradient in inner Mongolia. We measured traits including plant height and leaf carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus concentrations. We incorporated intraspecific trait variation to quantify the strength of external filters (assembly processes outside the community at a larger spatial scale), the strength of internal filters (assembly processes within the local community), and functional redundancy (the number of species having a similar function to an ecosystem). We applied these assembly rules to explain the changes in biodiversity and productivity in response to changing precipitation. We found that increased rainfall reduced plant carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorous (P) concentrations, but did not affect plant height. High snowfall increased phosphorous concentration, but did not affect other traits. Latent variable models identified climate (rainfall) and soil nutrient conditions (soil total N and P content) were more important than external filtering processes in predicting species richness. However, external filtering processes were the most important predictor of productivity. More specifically, we found with the increase in steppe productivity, the strength of the external filtering on leaf N increased and on plant height decreased, leading to leaf N converging into a small range but broadening the range of plant height. The internal filters had no significant effects on species richness or productivity. Additionally, we found that low precipitation reduced functional redundancy. We emphasize that intraspecific trait‐variation drives plant productivity and richness responses to precipitation changes by regulating community assemblage. Our finding also underlines the importance to separate the contributions of different functional traits in regulating the responses of ecosystem structure and function to climate changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anthropogenic aerosols could alter multiple meteorological processes such as radiation regime and air temperature, thereby modifying plant transpiration. However, the lack of field observations at leaf and plant level hinders our ability to understand how aerosols could affect plant water use.Aerosol concentrations in northern China fluctuate periodically over a wide range. Taking advantage of this unique natural experiment opportunity, we conducted a series of physiological and environmental measurements at different times of the day to explore diurnal aerosols' effect on leaf transpiration and sap flow of planted poplar saplings (Populus × canadensis Moench).We found that high aerosol concentrations suppressed sun leaf transpiration by reducing leaf‐to‐air vapour pressure deficit (VPDleaf), while had no effect on shade leaf transpiration mainly because the negative effect of reduced VPDleaf on transpiration offset the positive effects of the increased stomatal conductance (gs). As aerosol concentration increased, the gs of both sun and shade leaves decreased more rapidly with an increase in VPDleaf, which caused their transpiration rates to become less sensitive to VPDleaf. Similarly, aerosols reduced sap flow density and its sensitivity to VPD.Synthesis. Our study provided observational evidence on aerosols' effects on plant transpiration at the leaf and canopy scales. The reduced transpiration and stronger stomatal control indicated that plant water use becomes more conservative under elevated aerosol concentrations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and objectives: Barley is rich in bioactive compounds and can prevent some chronic diseases. With the increasing health awareness of the consumers, Qingke barley has been widely consumed in China in the Qingke barley fresh noodles (QBFN), Qingke barley dried noodles (QBDN), Qingke barley bread (QBB), and Qingke barley Chinese steamed bread (QBSB) forms. Preparation methods affect the phenolic profiles, content, and antioxidant capacity of these products. In this work, phenolic profiles and antioxidant activities of the above products were evaluated, and the effects of different preparation methods on the release of phenolic compounds were explained from the perspective of the destruction of the protein–phenol interaction by molecular docking method. Findings: The main free phenols in these products were gallic acid, ferulic acid, and phloroglucinol, while the main bound phenols were syringic acid, epicatechin, and quercetin. The different preparation methods altered the free and bound phenolic compounds' contents in different degrees. Compared with the mixed flour, the finished products showed fairly higher DPPH. Scavenging and reduction capacity, and QBB, QBSB showed a higher antioxidant capacity than the QBFN and QBDN. Molecular docking results predicted that phenols and proteins in these products form phenol–protein complexes bounded by hydrogen and hydrophobic bonds. Different preparation methods would breakdown these bonds, resulting in the release of phenolic compounds. Conclusion: Different preparation methods changed the phenolic compounds content and antioxidant capacity in different degrees, QBB and QBSB have higher level of phenolic content and better antioxidant capacity than QBFN and QBDN. Different preparation methods may breakdown hydrogen and hydrophobic bonds between protein and phenolic compounds by different degrees, resulting in the release of phenolic compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aerosols can affect crop photosynthesis by altering radiation and meteorological conditions. By combining field observations, mechanistic modeling, and satellite‐retrieved solar‐induced chlorophyll fluorescence (SIF), we assessed aerosols' impacts on crop photosynthesis from leaf to regional scale. We found that the initial increase in aerosol optical depth (AOD) enhanced photosynthesis of sun leaves, shade leaves, and canopy, which reached their maximum at AOD = 0.76, 1.13, and 0.93, respectively, and then decreased. Aerosol‐induced changes in radiation regime and the concurrent high relative humidity led to such nonlinear responses. Similarly, the SIF of croplands in the North China Plain (NCP) also showed a bell‐shaped response to aerosols. The optimal AOD level at which SIF reached the maximum value varied from 0.56 to 1.04, depending on the background meteorological conditions. Approximately 76%–90% of the NCP exceeded the optimal AOD level, suggesting that stringent aerosol pollution control could promote cropland productivity in this region. Plain Language Summary: High aerosol loading could produce either a positive or negative impact on crop photosynthesis. However, experimental tools for manipulating aerosol loading in the field are lacking, creating significant uncertainty in assessing the impact of aerosols on crop yields. The cyclical fluctuations in aerosol loading in the North China Plain (NCP) provide a unique opportunity to study aerosols' effect on crop productivity. We found that the photosynthesis of sun and shade leaves and canopy reached their maximum at a moderate level of aerosol loading. Similarly, satellite‐observed solar‐induced chlorophyll fluorescence across the NCP also demonstrated that intermediate aerosols enhance crop photosynthesis at regional scales. The further analysis indicated that the changes in direct and diffuse radiation and the concurrent high air humidity together led to the nonlinear response of soybean photosynthesis to aerosol loading. Our findings suggested that stringent aerosol pollution control will increase crop productivity in the NCP. Key Points: Soybean sun and shade leaf photosynthesis show a quadratic response to aerosols, peaking at aerosol optical depth of 0.76 and 1.13, respectivelyThe changes in radiation regimes and concurrent high relative humidity lead to such nonlinear responses of leaf photosynthesisSolar‐induced chlorophyll fluorescence in the North China Plain also demonstrate that intermediate aerosols enhance crop photosynthesis [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article concentrates upon an adaptive practical preassigned finite‐time fault‐tolerant control problem for a class of time‐delay nonlinear systems in nonstrict‐feedback form with full state constraints (FSCs) and actuator fault. The completely unknown nonlinear functions exist in the system are identified by the neural networks (NNs). It is challenged to investigate finite‐time fault‐tolerant control problem for nonlinear systems while encountering the time‐delays, actuator faults and FSCs simultaneously, which increases the difficulty of design. The Lyapunov–Krasovskii functionals and the hyperbolic tangent functions are utilized to eliminate the effect of time‐varying delays. The actuator fault considered in this article contains the loss of effectiveness and the bias fault, simultaneously. By combining a modified barrier Lyapunov function with finite‐time performance function, the finite‐time fault‐tolerant controller is designed. It is demonstrated that the proposed adaptive controller guarantees that the system states converge to a preassigned zone at a finite‐time and all the signals of the closed‐loop system remain semiglobally practical finite‐time stable. Numerical examples are offered to illustrate the feasibility of the theoretical result. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]