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Carbon cloth (CC) possesses great potential as a sulfur host because of its excellent conductivity, flexibility, and easily modified free‐standing structure. However, the previous works do not take full advantage of CC except for the role of support and current collector. The smooth surface, small specific surface area, and poor binding force between coating materials and CC matrix are unfavorable for loading coating materials. The slow redox kinetics and low sulfur loading of sulfur cathodes still seriously restrict the development of Lithium–Sulfur (Li–S) batteries. Herein, the porous carbon cloth loading cobalt selenide (PCC@CoSe2) is constructed as an integrated sulfur host through a pore‐creating and selenylation strategy. The pore‐creating engineering greatly optimizes the 3D pore structure of CC to raise the sulfur and catalyst loading and provides enough space to accommodate the volume change of sulfur species. In addition, CoSe2 particles as nano‐catalyst units embedded in PCC can effectively adsorb‐catalyze polysulfides and improve the reaction kinetics. The resulting integrated sulfur cathode has realized the high‐efficiency polysulfide catalytic conversion and fast lithium ion migration, significantly enhancing redox kinetics and sulfur loading. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regulating bulk charge carrier transfer and surface catalytic reaction kinetics is thought a big challenge to photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting. Herein, the dual sites of CoNiP are delicately introduced into ZnIn2S4 (RZIS‐CoNiP) nanosheet arrays via a defect anchoring method. The paving [S─Ni─P] interfacial bond like a "bridge" can greatly reduce the phase resistance, improve the charge separation and migration, and promote the surface oxygen evolution reaction (OER) reaction. As expected, the optimized RZIS‐CoNiP photoanode achieved a maximum photocurrent density of 4.77 mA cm−2 at 1.23 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE) in neutral electrolyte solution without the presence of any sacrificial agents, which is ≈12 times higher than that of the pristine ZnIn2S4 under AM 1.5G illumination. And the amount of oxygen evolution for the RZIS‐CoNiP photoanode is as high as 21.9 µmol in 3 h. Transient spectroscopy measurements and density functional theory (DFT) calculations in situ discovered the mechanism of defect anchoring [S─Ni─P] bond on regulating charge transfer and surface reaction processes. This work provides a feasible anchoring interface route through defect engineering to regulate charge carrier transfer for PEC water splitting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Differential network analysis plays a crucial role in capturing nuanced changes in conditional correlations between two samples. Under the high‐dimensional setting, the differential network, that is, the difference between the two precision matrices are usually stylized with sparse signals and some low‐rank latent factors. Recognizing the distinctions inherent in the precision matrices of such networks, we introduce a novel approach, termed 'SR‐Network' for the estimation of sparse and reduced‐rank differential networks. This method directly assesses the differential network by formulating a convex empirical loss function with ℓ1$$ {\ell}_1 $$‐norm and nuclear norm penalties. The study establishes finite‐sample error bounds for parameter estimation and highlights the superior performance of the proposed method through extensive simulations and real data studies. This research significantly contributes to the advancement of methodologies for accurate analysis of differential networks, particularly in the context of structures characterized by sparsity and low‐rank features. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is well established that Cretaceous magmatism in the South China Block (SCB) is related to the Paleo‐Pacific subduction. However, the starting time and the associated deep crust‐mantle processes are still debatable. Mafic dike swarms carry important information on the deep earth (including mantle) geodynamics and geochemical evolution. In the Jiangnan Orogen (South China), there is no information on whether the Mesozoic magmatic activities in this region are also directly related to the Pacific subduction or not. In this study, we present detailed zircon U‐Pb geochronological, whole‐rock element and Sr‐Nd isotope data for Early Cretaceous Tuanshanbei dolerite dikes, and provide new constraints on the condition of the lithospheric mantle and mantle dynamics of the SCB during that time. LA‐ICP‐MS zircon U‐Pb dating suggests that this dolerite erupted in the Early Cretaceous (∼145 Ma). All samples have alkaline geochemical affinities with K2O + Na2O = 3.11–4.04 wt%, K2O/Na2O = 0.50–0.72, and Mg# = 62.24–65.13. They are enriched in LILE but depleted in HFSE with higher initial 87Sr/86Sr ratio (0.706896–0.714743) and lower εNd(t) (–2.61 to –1.67). They have high Nb/U, Nb/La, La/Sm and Rb/Sr, and low La/Nb, La/Ta, Ce/Pb, Ba/Rb, Tb/Yb and Gd/Yb ratios. Such geochemical signatures suggest that the fractional crystallization is obvious but crustal contamination play a negligible role during magmatic evolution. Tuanshanbei dolerite were most likely derived from low‐degree (2%–5%) partial melting of a phlogopite‐bearing mantle material consisted of ∼85% spinel peridotite and ∼15% garnet peridotite previously metasomatized by asthenosphere‐derived fluids/melts with minor subduction‐derived fluids/melts. Slab‐rollback generally lead to the upwelling of the hot asthenosphere. The upwelling of asthenosphere consuming the lithospheric mantle by thermo‐mechanical‐chemical erosion. The lithospheric mantle may have partially melted due to the heating by the upwelling asthenosphere and lithospheric extension. It is inferred that the Tuanshanbei dolerite might be associated with the initial slab rollback and corresponding lithospheric extension occurred potentially at ca. 145 Ma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vitellogenin receptor (VgR) plays a crucial role in oogenesis by mediating endocytosis of vitellogenin and a portion of the yolk proteins in many insect species. However, the function of VgR in minute parasitoid wasps is largely unknown. Here, we applied Trichogramma dendrolimi, a minute egg parasitoid, as a study model to investigate the function of VgR in parasitoids. We developed RNA interference (RNAi) methods based on microinjection of prepupae in T. dendrolimi. RNAi employs nanomaterial branched amphipathic peptide capsules (BAPC) as a carrier for double‐stranded RNA (dsRNA), significantly enhancing delivery efficiency. Also, artificial hosts without medium were used to culture the injected prepupae in vitro. Utilizing these methods, we found that ovarian growth was disrupted after knockdown of TdVgR, as manifested by the suppressed development of the ovariole and the inhibition of nurse cell internalization by oocytes. Also, the initial mature egg load in the ovary was significantly reduced. Notably, the parasitic capacity of the female adult with ovarian dysplasia was significantly decreased, possibly resulting from the low availability of mature eggs. Moreover, ovarian dysplasia in T. dendrolimi caused by VgR deficiency are conserved despite feeding on different hosts. The results confirmed a critical role of TdVgR in the reproductive ability of T. dendrolimi and provided a reference for gene functional studies in minute insects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Generating circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) with simultaneous high photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) and dissymmetry factor (glum) is difficult due to usually unmatched electric transition dipole moment (μ) and magnetic transition dipole moment (m) of materials. Herein we tackle this issue by playing a "cascade cationic insertion" trick to achieve strong CPL (with PLQY of ~100 %) in lead‐free metal halides with high glum values reaching −2.3×10−2 without using any chiral inducers. Achiral solvents of hydrochloric acid (HCl) and N, N‐dimethylformamide (DMF) infiltrate the crystal lattice via asymmetric hydrogen bonding, distorting the perovskite structure to induce the "intrinsic" chirality. Surprisingly, additional insertion of Cs+ cation to substitute partial (CH3)2NH2+ transforms the chiral space group to achiral but the crystal maintains chiroptical activity. Further doping of Sb3+ stimulates strong photoluminescence as a result of self‐trapped excitons (STEs) formation without disturbing the crystal framework. The chiral perovskites of indium‐antimony chlorides embedded on LEDs chips demonstrate promising potential as CPL emitters. Our work presents rare cases of chiroptical activity of highly luminescent perovskites from only achiral building blocks via spontaneous resolution as a result of symmetry breaking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Generating circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) with simultaneous high photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) and dissymmetry factor (glum) is difficult due to usually unmatched electric transition dipole moment (μ) and magnetic transition dipole moment (m) of materials. Herein we tackle this issue by playing a "cascade cationic insertion" trick to achieve strong CPL (with PLQY of ~100 %) in lead‐free metal halides with high glum values reaching −2.3×10−2 without using any chiral inducers. Achiral solvents of hydrochloric acid (HCl) and N, N‐dimethylformamide (DMF) infiltrate the crystal lattice via asymmetric hydrogen bonding, distorting the perovskite structure to induce the "intrinsic" chirality. Surprisingly, additional insertion of Cs+ cation to substitute partial (CH3)2NH2+ transforms the chiral space group to achiral but the crystal maintains chiroptical activity. Further doping of Sb3+ stimulates strong photoluminescence as a result of self‐trapped excitons (STEs) formation without disturbing the crystal framework. The chiral perovskites of indium‐antimony chlorides embedded on LEDs chips demonstrate promising potential as CPL emitters. Our work presents rare cases of chiroptical activity of highly luminescent perovskites from only achiral building blocks via spontaneous resolution as a result of symmetry breaking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comprehensive Summary: The investigation of n‐type doping holds a significant interest for the application of thermoelectrics. Herein, the doping of an indandione‐terminated compound Q‐4F with a singlet open‐shell ground state was studied using two n‐dopants N‐DMBI and LCV. Both of these two dopants can effectively dope Q‐4F due to the large offset between the singly occupied molecular orbital (SOMO) of dopants and the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) of Q‐4F. N‐DMBI has a higher doping ability than LCV as demonstrated by the UV‐vis‐NIR and EPR measurements. However, in comparison to N‐DMBI doped Q‐4F, LCV doped system exhibits much higher electrical conductivity and power factor due to its unperturbed molecular packing and favorable morphology after doping. The optimal conductivity of LCV doped Q‐4F is 7.16 × 10–2 ± 0.16 S·cm–1 and the highest power factor reaches 12.3 ± 0.85 μW·m–1·K–2. These results demonstrate that the modulation of n‐dopants is a powerful strategy to balance the doping efficiency and microstructure toward a maximum thermoelectric performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Synthetic biology is propelling medicine into a new era through its capacity to genetically program living cells. One of the particular interests is engineering bacteria as a live and targeted therapeutic delivery system. Herein, the bacterial biohybrid (E. coli‐pE@PCN) is developed by genetically engineering Escherichia coli BL21 to overexpress catalase (E. coli‐pE) and electrostatically adsorbing nano‐sonosensitizers (PCN NPs) for enhanced and targeted sonodynamic therapy (SDT). Leveraging the ability to colonize and penetrate deep in tumors, engineered bacteria can not only sustainably express catalase to relieve tumor hypoxia, but also facilitate the enriched and expanded distribution of the carried sonosensitizer at the tumor site, so as to trigger effective SDT. More interestingly, it is found that E. coli‐pE@PCN‐based SDT can successfully inhibit the growth of subcutaneous and orthotopic colorectal tumors by inducing potent antitumor immune responses due to the released tumor‐associated antigens and native immunogenicity of bacterial pathogen‐associated molecular patterns. Furthermore, E. coli‐pE@PCN‐based SDT can not only prime a strong immune memory response to prevent tumor recurrence but also elicit a potent abscopal effect to inhibit tumor metastasis. Therefore, the programmable bacteria‐based biohybrids developed here pave an avenue to prepare next‐generation sonodynamic‐immunotherapeutics to eliminate cancer and prevent its relapse and metastasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The chiral sillenite Bi25FeO40 exhibits versatile properties including electro‐optics, magneto‐optics, optical rotation, and photorefraction, showing great potential in multi‐functional magneto‐optical devices. However, the weak magnetism of this crystal leads to a poor magneto‐optical property, which is extremely hindering its practical applications. Combining with the sillenite structure, the formation energy and the magnetic‐optical effect are calculated based on density functional theory. The codoping of strongly magnetic Co and Fe ions is predicted to enable high doping concentrations. The hybridization between Bi 6p orbitals and Fe/Co 3d orbitals significantly enhances the optical transition and thus greatly improves the magneto‐optical properties. The millimeter‐sized Bi26‐x‐yCoxFeyO40 crystals are successfully prepared by hydrothermal methods. The characterizations on structure, TG‐DSC, magnetism, and magneto‐optical effect confirm the theoretical predictions that the Co‐Fe codoped crystals maintain the chiral bismuth ferrite structure with multifunctional properties and high thermal stability. The Co‐Fe codoping significantly enhances the magnetism and magneto‐optical properties of Bi25FeO40 crystal. The magnetization of Bi19.0Co3.5Fe3.5O40 increases by 27 times and the magneto‐optical effect of Bi19.8Co3.0Fe3.2O40 at 720, 777, 1288, 1388, and 1790 nm are greater than Bi:YIG and undoped Bi25FeO40. Bi26‐x‐yCoxFeyO40 crystals with enhanced magneto‐optical properties by Co‐Fe codoping are promising for novel multifunctional magneto‐optical devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SRY‐box transcription factor 30 (SOX30) participates in tumor cell apoptosis in lung cancer. The occurrence of somatic SOX30 mutations, the expression signature of SOX30 in normal and cancer tissues, the correlation of SOX30 with immune cells and immune‐related genes, and the clinical significance of SOX30 in various cancers have stimulated interest in SOX30 as a potential cancer biomarker. SOX30 influences drug sensitivity and tumor immunity in specific cancer types. In this review, we have comprehensively summarized the latest research on the role of SOX30 in cancer by combining bioinformatics evidence and a literature review. We summarize recent research on SOX30 in cancer regarding somatic mutations, trials, transcriptome analysis, clinical information, and SOX30‐mediated regulation of malignant phenotypes. Additionally, we report on the diagnostic value of SOX30 mRNA expression levels across different cancer types. This review on the role of SOX30 in cancer progression may provide insights into possible research directions for SOX30 in cancer and a theoretical basis for guiding future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

2D transition metal carbide/nitride heterostructures are emerging pseudocapacitive materials for supercapacitors (SCs); however, the lack of efficient synthesis methods and an in‐depth understanding of the pseudocapacitive storage mechanism of these potentially important materials impede their applications in SCs. Herein, 2D MoN/MoC nanosheets with a precisely regulated interface are prepared controllably by a scalable salt‐assisted method with bulk MoS2 as the precursor. In operando infrared spectroscopy and electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance results reveal that the pseudocapacitance of the MoN/MoC nanosheets originates from the reversible reaction between Mo–N sites and H+ in the acidic electrolyte. Density‐functional theory calculations and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy disclose that the MoC/MoN heterointerface induces the internal electric field from the accumulated negative charges at the Mo–N sites by electron donation from MoC, leading to enhanced H+ adsorption at the Mo–N sites and superior pseudocapacitive storage. The heterostructured MoN/MoC nanosheets show a large volumetric capacity of 1045.3 F cm−3 at 1 A cm−3, high‐rate capability of 702.8 F cm−3 at 10 A cm−3, and superior cyclability with capacity retention of 98% after 10,000 cycles, which outperform reported Mo‐based carbides and nitrides. The results provide new insights into the development of high‐performance 2D heterostructured materials for superior pseudocapacitive storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents a protocol for the direct site‐selective difunctionalization of pyrazoles under mild reaction conditions. This protocol showcase a notable site‐selectivity and encompasses a wide substrate scope. Detailed mechanistic investigations elucidate the dual role of the sulfonium salt acting both as the reaction substrate and acid donor, thereby effectively catalyzing the reaction. The demonstrated one‐pot synthesis, scale‐up reaction and subsequent product modifications can assist in advancing the potential application of this protocol in organic synthesis and its associated domains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Endothelial dysfunction is common in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and cardiovascular events, but the mechanism is unclear. In our study, we found elevated levels of RIPK1 in patients with CKD and cardiovascular events through bioinformation analysis. Elevated RIPK1 levels were found in serum samples of CKD patients and were associated with vascular endothelial dysfunction and renal function. We constructed the five of six nephrectomy of CKD mice model, finding that RIPK1 expressions were elevated in abdominal aorta endothelial cells. After RIPK1 inhibition and overexpression, it was found that RIPK1 could regulate the expression of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) and cell adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM‐1), and activation of inflammatory responses and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. In addition, uremic toxin induced abnormal expression of RIPK1 in vitro. We observed RIPK1‐mediating endothelial dysfunction and inflammation responses by ER stress pathways through gain and loss of function. In order to explore the specific mechanism, we conducted co‐immunoprecipitation and expression regulation of RIPK1 and IKK, finding that RIPK1 formed complex with IKK and regulated IKK expression. In conclusion, we demonstrated that RIPK1 levels were closely associated with vascular endothelial dysfunction in patients with CKD. With uremic toxins, RIPK1 expression was elevated, which led to the activation of inflammation through the ER stress pathway, resulting in vascular endothelial injury. Besides, activation of RIPK1‐IKK‐NF‐κB axis was a key driver of endothelial dysfunction in CKD. Our study provides a new perspective for the study of cardiovascular events in CKD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermal stability and phase transition rate are two important issues that restrict the engineering applications of phase change memories. In this paper, GeSb/Sb multilayer films were prepared by multilayer stacking, and their phase transition properties were investigated. GeSb/Sb multilayer films had higher crystallization temperature, better data retention, and lower resistance drift than pure Sb films, which indicated that they had excellent thermal stability and accuracy of resistance identification. The test results of X‐ray diffraction and atomic force microscopy showed that GeSb spacer layers could inhibit grain growth of Sb film layers, thus reducing the roughness and potential fluctuation of the film surface. X‐ray reflectivity experiments showed that the GeSb/Sb multilayer films before and after crystallization had small volume changes. The devices based on [GeSb(7 nm)/Sb(3 nm)]8 multilayer films could achieve reversible resistive transition operation between SET and RESET at a pulse width of 10 ns, showing satisfactory transition rate and operational power consumption. The low resistance drift and ultra‐fast phase transition speed make GeSb/Sb multilayer films one of the promising choices for phase change memories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Leveraging the precision of its radiation dose distribution and the minimization of postoperative complications, low‐dose‐rate (LDR) permanent seed brachytherapy is progressively adopted in addressing hepatic malignancies. Purpose: The present study endeavors to devise a sophisticated treatment planning system (TPS) to optimize LDR brachytherapy for hepatic lesions. Methods: Our TPS encompasses four integral modules: multi‐organ segmentation, seed distribution initialization, puncture pathway selection, and inverse dose planning. By amalgamating an array of deep learning models, the segmentation module proficiently labels 17 discrete abdominal targets within the images. We introduce a knowledge‐based seed distribution initialization methodology that discerns the most analogous tumor shape in the reference treatment plan from the knowledge base. Subsequently, the seed distribution from the reference plan is transmuted to the current case, thus establishing seed distribution initialization. Furthermore, we parameterize the puncture needles and seeds, while concurrently constraining the puncture needle angle through the employment of a virtual puncture panel to augment planning algorithm efficiency. We also presented a user interface that includes a range of interactive features, seamlessly integrated with the treatment planning generation function. Results: The multi‐organ segmentation module, which is trained by 50 cases of in‐house CT scans and 694 cases of publicly available CT scans, achieved average Dice of 0.80 and Hausdorff distance of 5.2 mm in testing datasets. The results demonstrate that knowledge‐based initialization exhibits a marked enhancement in expediting the convergence rate. Our TPS also demonstrates a dominant advantage in dose‐volume‐histogram criteria and execution time in comparison to commercial TPS. Conclusion: The study proposes an innovative treatment planning system for low‐dose‐rate permanent seed brachytherapy for hepatic malignancies. We show that the generated treatment plans meet clinical requirement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The arc plasma is widely used in various fields due to its excellent advantages, such as elevated temperature, high enthalpy, and increased energy density. Under this direction, a four‐electrode V‐shaped arc plasma torch was developed to increase both the arc power and plasma volume. The arc dynamic characteristics, the volt‐ampere characteristics, and the thermal efficiency of the arc plasma torch were systematically studied. From the acquired results, a large‐scale, and low‐frequency re‐strike process between the arc channels was demonstrated. Compared with the common twin‐electrode structure, the stability of the four‐electrode structure during the discharging process was improved, exhibiting a wider frequency distribution of the re‐strike events. The electrode layout may also affect the dynamic evolution process of the arc. However, from a statistical point of view, no significant differences in electrical characteristics were recorded. The four‐electrode V‐shaped arc plasma torch presented a typical descending volt‐ampere characteristic, and the re‐strike frequency increased with an increase in the current. A high thermal efficiency (above 83%) was obtained in the range of arc current of 80–200 A. At a current value of 200 A, the jet enthalpy and the average gas temperature can reach 17.41 MJ/kg and 6590 K, and the corresponding jet length was close to 80 cm because of both the high thermal efficiency and enthalpy. The stable discharge process, high thermal efficiency, high jet enthalpy value, and large volume rendered the proposed four‐electrode V‐shaped arc plasma torch to be suitable for various applications including nanomaterial preparation, metal powder spheroidization, etc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anthracnose of oak (Quercus) caused by Colletotrichum spp. is one of the most common diseases in oak forests. To investigate the species diversity of Colletotrichum associated with oak anthracnose, symptomatic leaf samples of three oak species (Q. acutissima, Q. mongolica and Q. variabilis) were collected from Anhui, Hainan, Henan, Shaanxi and Shandong Provinces, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, and Beijing City in China from 2019 to 2022. A total of 219 Colletotrichum isolates were obtained and identified by morphological and phylogenetic analyses of the rDNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS), glyceraldehyde‐3‐phosphate dehydrogenase (gapdh), chitin synthase 1 (chs‐1), actin (act) and β‐tubulin (tub2) sequences. Nine species were identified: C. fioriniae (two isolates, 0.9%), C. camellia‐japonicae (two isolates, 0.9%), C. karstii (three isolates, 1.4%), C. quercicola (two isolates, 0.9%), C. aenigma (three isolates, 1.4%), C. endophyticum (two isolates, 0.9%), C. fructicola (68 isolates, 31.1%), C. gloeosporioides sensu stricto (74 isolates, 33.8%) and C. siamense (63 isolates, 28.8%). Pathogenicity was confirmed using Koch's postulates, which showed that five species (C. camellia‐japonicae, C. endophyticum, C. fructicola, C. gloeosporioides s. s. and C. siamense) caused Q. acutissima anthracnose, four species (C. karstii, C. fructicola, C. gloeosporioides s. s. and C. siamense) caused Q. mongolica anthracnose and six species (C. fioriniae, C. quercicola, C. aenigma, C. fructicola, C. gloeosporioides s. s. and C. siamense) caused Q. variabilis anthracnose. This study demonstrates the pathogenic species diversity of Colletotrichum on Q. acutissima, Q. mongolica and Q. variabilis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

FKBP5 is a 115‐kb‐long glucocorticoid‐inducible gene implicated in psychiatric disorders. To investigate the complexities of chromatin interaction frequencies at the FKBP5 topologically associated domain (TAD), we deployed 15 one‐to‐all chromatin capture viewpoints near gene promoters, enhancers, introns, and CTCF‐loop anchors. This revealed a "one‐TAD‐one‐gene" structure encompassing the FKBP5 promoter and its enhancers. The FKBP5 promoter and its two glucocorticoid‐stimulated enhancers roam the entire TAD while displaying subtle cell type–specific interactomes. The FKBP5 TAD consists of two nested CTCF loops that are coordinated by one CTCF site in the eighth intron of FKBP5 and another beyond its polyadenylation site, 61 kb further. Loop extension correlates with transcription increases through the intronic CTCF site. This is efficiently compensated for, since the short loop is restored even under high transcription regimes. The boundaries of the FKBP5 TAD consist of divergent CTCF site patterns, harbor multiple smaller genes, and are resilient to glucocorticoid stimulation. Interestingly, both FKBP5 TAD boundaries harbor H3K27me3‐marked heterochromatin blocks that may reinforce them. We propose that cis‐acting genetic and epigenetic polymorphisms underlying FKBP5 expression variation are likely to reside within a 240‐kb region that consists of the FKBP5 TAD, its left sub‐TAD, and both its boundaries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The thermal stability of α‐diimine nickel catalysts has always been the focus of research. The introduction of large groups in the backbone or N‐aryl ortho‐position is a relatively mature solution. However, the question of whether the N‐aryl bond rotation is a factor affecting the thermal stability of nickel catalysts is still open. In this work, the effects of N‐aryl para‐benzhydryl substitutes on catalyst thermal stability are investigated, and the results of ethylene polymerization and the factors affecting thermal stability (steric effect, electronic effect, five‐membered coordination ring stability, N‐aryl bond rotation, etc.) are systematically analyzed. It is believed that the introduction of large steric hindrance groups at the N‐aryl para‐position hinders the rotation of the N‐aryl bond. This obstacle effect is beneficial to improving catalyst thermal stability, and the obstacle capacity is weakened with the increase of ortho‐substituent size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose and analyze a second order accurate in time, energy stable numerical scheme for the strongly anisotropic Cahn–Hilliard system, in which a biharmonic regularization has to be introduced to make the equation well‐posed. A convexity analysis on the anisotropic interfacial energy is necessary to overcome an essential difficulty associated with its highly nonlinear and singular nature. The second order backward differentiation formula temporal approximation is applied, combined with Fourier pseudo‐spectral spatial discretization. The nonlinear surface energy part is updated by an explicit extrapolation formula. Meanwhile, the energy stability analysis is enforced by the fact that all the second order functional derivatives of the energy stay uniformly bounded by a global constant. A Douglas‐Dupont type regularization is added to stabilize the numerical scheme, and a careful estimate ensures a modified energy stability with a uniform constraint for the regularization parameter A$$ A $$. In turn, the combination with an appropriate treatment for the nonlinear double well potential terms leads to a weakly nonlinear scheme. More importantly, such an energy stability is in terms of the interfacial energy with respect to the original phase variable, which enables us to derive an optimal rate convergence analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Air stable n‐type conductive molecules with high electrical conductivities and excellent device performance have important applications in organic electronics, but their synthesis remains challenging. Herein, we report three self‐doped n‐type conductive molecules, designated QnNs, with a closed‐shell quinoidal backbone and alkyl amino chains of different lengths. The QnNs are self‐doped by intermolecular electron transfer from the amino groups to the quinoidal backbone. This process is ascertained unambiguously by experiments and theoretical calculations. The use of a quinoidal structure effectively improves the self‐doping level, and thus increases the electrical conductivity of self‐doped n‐type conductive molecules achieved by a closed‐shell structure from<10−4 S cm−1 to>0.03 S cm−1. Furthermore, the closed‐shell quinoidal structure results in good air stability of the QnNs, with half‐lives>73 days; and Q4N shows an electrical conductivity of 0.019 S cm−1 even after exposure to air for 120 days. When applying Q6N as the cathode interlayer in organic solar cells (OSCs), an outstanding power conversion efficiency of up to 18.2 % was obtained, which represents one the best results in binary OSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Air stable n‐type conductive molecules with high electrical conductivities and excellent device performance have important applications in organic electronics, but their synthesis remains challenging. Herein, we report three self‐doped n‐type conductive molecules, designated QnNs, with a closed‐shell quinoidal backbone and alkyl amino chains of different lengths. The QnNs are self‐doped by intermolecular electron transfer from the amino groups to the quinoidal backbone. This process is ascertained unambiguously by experiments and theoretical calculations. The use of a quinoidal structure effectively improves the self‐doping level, and thus increases the electrical conductivity of self‐doped n‐type conductive molecules achieved by a closed‐shell structure from<10−4 S cm−1 to>0.03 S cm−1. Furthermore, the closed‐shell quinoidal structure results in good air stability of the QnNs, with half‐lives>73 days; and Q4N shows an electrical conductivity of 0.019 S cm−1 even after exposure to air for 120 days. When applying Q6N as the cathode interlayer in organic solar cells (OSCs), an outstanding power conversion efficiency of up to 18.2 % was obtained, which represents one the best results in binary OSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The utilization of nickel hydroxide and manganese dioxide solely as high‐performance supercapacitive materials is hindered by their low capacitance retention and electrical conductivity. As Ni(OH)2 and MnO2 give a synergistic effect, porous Ni(OH)2‐MnO2 nanosheets with a thickness of 9 nm are successfully grown on carbon fiber (CF) via a single‐step hydrothermal co‐deposition method. Multi‐walled carbon nanotubes (CNT) are grafted with maleic anhydride (MA) through plasma‐grafted process, followed by thiol‐ene reaction to synthesize CNT‐MA−S (CMS) to increase their aqueous dispersion behavior. The electrochemical properties of Ni(OH)2‐MnO2 are further enhanced by dip‐coating CMS on nanosheets. The composition and morphology of CMS and Ni(OH)2‐MnO2 nanosheets are characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis (ESCA), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), thermogravimetric analyses (TGA), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and Raman spectroscopy. The electrochemical characteristics of fabricated electrodes are analyzed using cyclic voltammetry and chronopotentiometry methods. CF−Ni(OH)2‐MnO2/CMS electrode is successfully synthesized without using any binder, exhibited ultrahigh specific capacitance (2049 F g−1 at a current density of 1 A g−1), and excellent capacitance retention (>80 %) at 2 A g−1 charge/discharge rate after 5000 cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regulating the charge migration and separation in photoactive materials is a great challenge for developing photoelectrochemical (PEC) applications. Herein, inspired by capacitors, well‐defined CuInSe2/N‐doped carbon (CISe/N‐C) nanorod arrays are synthesized by Cu/In‐metal organic frame‐derived method. Like the charge process of capacitor, the N‐doped carbon can capture the photogenerated electron of CISe, and the strong interfacial coupling between CISe and N‐doped carbon can modulate the charge migration and separation. The optimized the CISe/N‐C photoanode achieves a maximum photocurrent of 4.28 mA cm−2 at 1.23 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE) in neutral electrolyte solution under AM 1.5 G simulated sunlight (100 mW cm‐2), which is 8.4 times higher than that of the CuInSe2 photoanode (0.51 mA cm‐2). And a benefit of the strong electronic coupling between CISe and N‐doped carbon, the charge transfer rate is increased to 1.3–13 times higher than that of CISe in the range of 0.6–1.1 V versus RHE. The interfacial coupling effects on modulating the carrier transfer dynamics are investigated by Kelvin probe force microscopy analysis and density functional theory calculation. This work provides new insights into bulk phase carrier modulation to improve the performance of photoanode for PEC water splitting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nickel (Ni) is used primarily in the production of alloys like stainless steel and is increasingly being used in the production of batteries for the electric vehicle market. Exposure of Ni to ecosystems is of concern because Ni can be toxic to aquatic organisms. The influence of water chemistry constituents (e.g., hardness, pH, dissolved organic carbon) on the toxicity of Ni has prompted the development and use of bioavailability models, such as biotic ligand models (BLMs), which have been demonstrated to accurately predict Ni toxicity in broadly different ecosystems, including Europe, North America, and Australia. China, a leading producer of Ni, is considering bioavailability‐based approaches for regulating Ni emissions. Adoption of bioavailability‐based approaches in China requires information to demonstrate the validity of bioavailability models for the local water chemistry conditions. The present study investigates the toxicity of Ni to three standard test species (Daphnia magna, Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata, and Danio rerio) in field‐collected natural waters that are broadly representative of the range of water chemistries and bioavailabilities encountered in Chinese lakes and rivers. All experimental data are within a factor of 3 of the BLM predicted values for all tests with all species. For D. magna, six of seven waters were predicted within a factor of 2 of the experimental result. Comparison of experimental data against BLM predictions shows that the existing Ni bioavailability models are able to explain the differences in toxicity that result from water chemistry conditions in China. Validation of bioavailability models to water chemistries and bioavailability ranges within China provides technical support for the derivation of site‐specific Ni water quality criteria in China. Environ Toxicol Chem 2023;42:1257–1265. © 2023 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anode‐free batteriesgreatly promote overall energy density, but they require an extremely high Coulombic efficiency (CE, >99.7%) to function normally. It becomes very challenging in aqueous batteries, because of water‐related parasitic reactions and dendrite growth on Zn anodes. Herein, aluminum hydroxide fluoride coated on Cu foils (Cu@AOF) is used to realize the anode‐free aqueous batteries. AOF exhibits a high adsorption affinity to H2O and a low diffusion energy barrier for Zn adatoms, promoting the desolvation process and surface migration. Meanwhile, the strong interaction between AOF and Zn2+ enables it to regulate the Zn2+ flux and benefit lateral growth. Then, the anode‐free full cells of Cu@AOF||Zn0.5VO2 exhibit a record‐high cycle life of 2000 cycles at 1 A g−1 with an ultra‐high average CE of 99.95%. More impressively, the full cell shows a long cycle life of 400 cycles with a high CE of 99.94% at −20 °C. This work provides sheds light on the rational engineering of the electrode interfaces to obtain excellent performance at low temperatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Entorhinal cortex is the major gateway between the neocortex and the hippocampus and thus plays an essential role in subserving episodic memory and spatial navigation. It can be divided into the medial entorhinal cortex (MEC) and the lateral entorhinal cortex (LEC), which are commonly theorized to be critical for spatial (context) and non‐spatial (content) inputs, respectively. Consistent with this theory, LEC neurons are found to carry little information about allocentric self‐location, even in cue‐rich environments, but they exhibit egocentric spatial information about external items in the environment. The superficial and deep layers of LEC are believed to mediate the input to and output from the hippocampus, respectively. As earlier studies mainly examined the spatial firing properties of superficial‐layer LEC neurons, here we characterized the deep‐layer LEC neurons and made direct comparisons with their superficial counterparts in single unit recordings from behaving rats. Because deep‐layer LEC cells received inputs from hippocampal regions, which have strong selectivity for self‐location, we hypothesized that deep‐layer LEC neurons would be more informative about allocentric position than superficial‐layer LEC neurons. We found that deep‐layer LEC cells showed only slightly more allocentric spatial information and higher spatial consistency than superficial‐layer LEC cells. Egocentric coding properties were comparable between these two subregions. In addition, LEC neurons demonstrated preferential firing at lower speeds, as well as at the boundary or corners of the environment. These results suggest that allocentric spatial outputs from the hippocampus are transformed in deep‐layer LEC into the egocentric coding dimensions of LEC, rather than maintaining the allocentric spatial tuning of the CA1 place fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common sleep disorder and is diagnosed by polysomnography (PSG) as the gold standard. However, PSG is a time‐consuming and costly test, and patients have to endure long waits before receiving a PSG test in a hospital. In view of this, portable and wearable screening tools for OSA prediction have been developed recently as a low‐cost and easy‐to‐use method. In this paper, an OSA detection model, based on regression approach, using unsegmented electrocardiography (ECG) signals is developed to directly estimate the apnea‐hypopnea index (AHI) value, which is the first report in the literature. In this manner, this work can provide more details of OSA assessment to users and doctors. © 2023 Institute of Electrical Engineer of Japan and Wiley Periodicals LLC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid and straightforward detection of formaldehyde (FA) in the environment is crucial for preventing the accidental inhalation of FA and limiting skin exposure to FA. In this study, we developed a simple nickel‐based electrocatalytic electrode on carbon nanofibers (CNFs−Ni), which is suitable for rapidly detecting FA at room temperature. Centrifugal electrospinning was used to obtain polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofibers, which was subsequently stabilized and carbonized to fabricate the CNFs. Carbonization of the CNFs occurred at various temperatures (Tc=1200, 1300, 1400, and 1500 °C). PAN CNFs served as a highly conductive template for electroless plating under a magnetic field of 500 G to grow acicular nickel. The amperometric responses of the CNFs−Ni to aqueous FA were then measured. A lab‐built amperometric gas sensor (CNFs−Ni 1–8), which comprised CNFs with a reduced Ni loading, was used as the electrode for detecting gaseous FA. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), linear sweep voltammetry (LSV), cyclic voltammetry (CV), and chronoamperometry were used to evaluate the sensitivities of the electrodes. Within the linear range of 0.05–91.5 mM, the CNFs1400‐Ni electrode was highly sensitive for detecting aqueous FA (2592 μA mM−1 cm−2), as evidenced by the fast response time (6 s). At a low concentration of gaseous FA (0.5 ppm), the laboratory‐built FA gas sensor was stable (98.3 %) and had a fast response time (5 s) after 9 h of continuous operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to evaluate the performance of a deep‐learning model to evaluate knee osteoarthritis using Kellgren–Lawrence grading in real‐life knee radiographs. A deep convolutional neural network model was trained using 8964 knee radiographs from the osteoarthritis initiative (OAI), including 962 testing set images. Another 246 knee radiographs from the Far Eastern Memorial Hospital were used for external validation. The OAI testing set and external validation images were evaluated by experienced specialists, two orthopedic surgeons, and a musculoskeletal radiologist. The accuracy, interobserver agreement, F1 score, precision, recall, specificity, and ability to identify surgical candidates were used to compare the performances of the model and specialists. Attention maps illustrated the interpretability of the model classification. The model had a 78% accuracy and consistent interobserver agreement for the OAI (model‐surgeon 1 К = 0.80, model‐surgeon 2 К = 0.84, model‐radiologist К = 0.86) and external validation (model‐surgeon 1 К = 0.81, model‐surgeon 2 К = 0.82, model‐radiologist К = 0.83) images. A lower interobserver agreement was found in the images misclassified by the model (model‐surgeon 1 К = 0.57, model‐surgeon 2 К = 0.47, model‐radiologist К = 0.65). The model performed better than specialists in identifying surgical candidates (Kellgren–Lawrence Stages 3 and 4) with an F1 score of 0.923. Our model not only had comparable results with specialists with respect to the ability to identify surgical candidates but also performed consistently with open database and real‐life radiographs. We believe the controversy of the misclassified knee osteoarthritis images was based on a significantly lower interobserver agreement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quinoidal compounds have great potential utility as high‐performance organic semiconducting materials because of their rigid planar structures and extended π‐conjugation. However, the existence of E and Z isomers adversely affects the charge‐transport properties of quinoidal compounds. In this study, three isomerically pure oxindole‐terminated quinoids were developed by introducing chlorine atoms in the quinoidal core. The synthesized quinoids were confirmed to have a Z,Z configuration by means of 1H NMR spectroscopy, density functional theory calculations, and single‐crystal X‐ray analysis. Importantly, the strategy of chlorination allowed to maintain low‐lying frontier molecular orbital energy levels and ensure favorable intermolecular packing. Consequently, all three quinoidal compounds showed n‐type transport characteristics in organic thin‐film transistors, with electron mobilities up to 0.35 cm2 V−1 s−1, which is the highest value reported to date for oxindole‐terminated quinoids. Our study can provide new guidelines for the design of isomerically pure quinoids with high electron mobilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The three‐dimensional (3D) vortex gliding arc plasmatron (GAP) is a promising gliding arc source due to its high reactant conversion rate and high energy efficiency, but there are few studies of its discharge characteristics. In this work, a 3D GAP device with a quartz window on the inner electrode is designed and studied. By means of high‐speed photography, high‐resolution current/voltage signal acquisition, and emission spectra, the effects of arc current, gas flow rate, electrode diameter, and electrode polarity on the discharge characteristics of this GAP are investigated. Results show that the volt‐ampere characteristic of GAP can be accurately predicted by similarity theory, and that the voltage for reverse‐polarity is significantly greater than that for normal‐polarity. Arc dynamics show that the arc at the inner electrode has the feature of high‐speed rotation, while the arc at the outer electrode has an extended current channel along with a large‐scale re‐strike process. The rotation speed and current channel length are closely related to electrode polarity, which can be ascribed to the movability of the cathode arc root. Emission spectra confirm that the plasma produced by GAP has typical non‐equilibrium properties, in which the rotational temperature ranges from 2,400 to 3,000 K and the vibrational temperature from 4,700 to 6,000 K. Moreover, abundant active free radicals, including NO, N2+$$ {\mathrm{N}}_2^{+} $$, O, and N, are detected in the plasma region. This investigation provides a better understanding of the discharge characteristics of 3D GAP, and will help to guide its further design and application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Blaps rhynchopetera (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) is a beetle that is widely used in folk medicine in Southwest China. The defensive glands of B. rhynchopetera secrete a complex mixture of defensive fluids, which are invaluable sources of bioactive substances for potential biotechnological applications. To provide broader insight into the genetic and biochemical basis of these defensive secretions, we performed RNA sequencing and transcriptome analysis on the defensive glands of B. rhynchopetera. We also identified differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the defensive gland tissue using selected muscle tissue as a control. We then performed GO and KEGG enrichment analysis on the DEGs to analyze expression patterns characteristic of the defensive glands. In total, we obtained 283,921,912 high‐quality clean reads, which we assembled into 39,735 transcripts with a mean length of 1,300.94 bp. These transcripts were then assembled into 27,104 unigenes with an average length of 1,143.05 bp. DEG analysis showed that 1,666 genes were significantly up‐regulated and 2,565 genes were significantly down‐regulated in defense gland tissues. GO enrichment analysis of these DEGs revealed that most genes were enriched in GO terms related to substance metabolism and transport. KEGG pathway enrichment results showed that lysosome‐related pathways were the most highly enriched in DEGs, while many pathways related to specific metabolic pathways—such as N‐glycan biosynthesis and insect hormone biosynthesis—were significantly up‐regulated. Finally, it is also important to note that most GO terms related to pathogen defense as well as genes enriched in associated KEGG pathways were also significantly down‐regulated in defensive gland tissue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tetragonula pagdeni (Hymenoptera: Meliponini) is a widely distributed and economically important stingless bee. The taxonomic status and evolution of this species have not been fully understood. We sequenced the mitogenome of T. pagdeni and analyzed its characteristics including gene rearrangements in present work, which will provide help for better protection and utilization of this germplasm resource. The mitochondrial genome sequence was obtained by establishing library and high‐throughput sequencing. Using all protein coding sequences joined, the phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that T. pagdeni has the closest kinship with Lepidotrigona species, and then has a second closest kinship with the Melipona stingless bees. All the stingless bee species (Meliponini) analyzed formed a single clade, and among them the T. pagdeni mitogenome exhibited the highest gene rearrangement score, suggesting this species has an overactive evolutionary history. Especially, an unusual tRNA‐Gly translocation was observed in T. pagdeni mitogenome, which broke the super‐conserved atp8‐atp6‐cox3‐G block in Hymenoptera mitogenomes. The translocated tRNA‐Gly moved to a position next to the D‐loop control region, and whether this translocation has a functional effect to the widely distributed T. pagdeni need further exploration. The variations of gene positions in mitogenome could also provide useful information to clarify the phylogenetic relations in Meliponini. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The supramolecular assembly between twisted cucurbit[14]uril (tQ[14]) and p‐diaminoazobenzene (DAAB) has been successfully developed based on host‐guest interactions. Interestingly, as the temperature increases, the assembly dissociates and recovers when the temperature decreases. This shows that the association and dissociation of the supramolecular assembly can be reversibly controlled by the temperature. In addition, the tQ[14]‐DAAB complex also exhibits selective ultraviolet and colorimetric responses for AcO− and F−, the detection limits of the sensor for AcO− and F− are 5.17×10−6 M and 2.31×10−5 M, respectively. The tQ[14]‐DAAB exhibits potential analysis applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nobiletin (Nob) is reported to exhibit neuroprotective properties, which is limited by its low oral bioavailability. Antarctic krill oil (AKO) is abundant in n‐3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in the form of phospholipids, which exhibit an amphiphilic property. It is unclear whether AKO can enhance the bioavailability of nobiletin to facilitate the combined effect on neuroprotection. In the present study, the absorption of Nob carried by AKO is significantly enhanced in contrast to that suspended in corn oil. Moreover, Aβ1–42 injected rats are utilized to clarify the effect of the combination of Nob and AKO on improving the memory and learning ability. Results present that the combination of AKO and Nob significantly reverses the cognitive and learning defects induced by Aβ1–42 injection, but does not have ideal synergistic effect compared to AKO or Nob alone treated groups. Further molecular experiments imply that the neuroprotective effect may be attributed to the reduction of oxidative stress, the inhibition of apoptosis and tau phosphorylation, as well as the improvement of the neurotrophic activity. This study provides scientific insights and theoretical guidance for the nutritional interventions of the combined development of nobiletin and AKO to prevent neuropsychiatric disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although α‐synuclein (SNCA) is a well‐known pathological molecule involved in synucleinopathy in neurons, its physiological roles remain largely unknown. We reported that serum SNCA levels have a close inverse correlation with blood pressure and age, which indicates the involvement of SNCA in age‐related endothelial dysfunction. Therefore, this study aimed to elucidate the molecular functions of SNCA in the endothelium. We confirmed that SNCA was expressed in and secreted from endothelial cells (ECs). Exogenous treatment with recombinant SNCA (rSNCA) activated the Akt–eNOS axis and increased nitric oxide production in ECs. Treatment with rSNCA also suppressed TNF‐α‐ and palmitic acid‐induced NF‐κB activation, leading to the suppression of VCAM‐1 upregulation and restoration of eNOS downregulation in ECs. As for endogenous SNCA expression, replicative senescence resulted in the attenuation of SNCA expression in cultured ECs, similar to the effects of physiological aging on mice aortas. The siRNA‐mediated silencing of SNCA consistently resulted in senescent phenotypes, such as eNOS downregulation, increased β‐gal activity, decreased Sirt1 expression, and increased p53 expression, in ECs. Ex vivo assessment of endothelial functions using aortic rings revealed impaired endothelium‐dependent acetylcholine‐induced relaxation in SNCA knockout (KO) mice. Furthermore, SNCA KO mice, especially those on a high‐fat diet, displayed elevated blood pressure compared with wild‐type mice; this could be eNOS dysfunction‐dependent because of the lower difference caused by L‐NAME administration. These results indicate that exogenous and endogenous SNCA in ECs might physiologically maintain vascular integrity, and age‐related endothelial dysfunction might be partially ascribed to loss‐of‐function of SNCA in ECs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polymer composites are considered to be the most effective materials in mitigating shock waves. Efforts are made in this work to improve shock wave mitigation performance of polymer composites. Epoxy resin (EP) with nano‐carbon fillers, including fullerene (FL), graphene (GP), and multi‐walled carbon nanotubes (CNT) were prepared through solution casting method. A variety of testing methods, including transmission electron microscope (TEM), X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), shock tube test, have been introduced to investigate the reaction process, dynamic mechanical properties and shock wave mitigation performance of epoxy composites. The results shown that different nano‐carbon fillers lead to differences of spatial and reactivity in EP matrix. The addition of nano‐carbon materials is conducive to improve the shock wave mitigation ability of EP. EP with GP fillers show the best enhancement for the shock wave mitigation in shock tube test. With same addition amount of nano‐carbon fillers, shock wave peak pressure of EP with FL fillers (EP‐FL), EP with CNT fillers (EP‐CNT), and EP with GP fillers (EP‐GP) decreased by 16.5%, 29.6%, and 31.7% in comparison with EP, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH) is a progressive disease that often necessitates hip replacement if hip preservation therapy fails. ONFH places a heavy economic burden and severe psychological pressure on patients. At present, ONFH is treated by either surgical or non‐surgical methods. In clinical practice, stem cells combined with surgery has achieved some positive results, but many problems remain to be resolved. Exosomes are small vesicles of 30–150 nm, which are rich in various nucleic acids, proteins, and small molecules depending on the cells from which they are derived. A growing number of studies have found that exosomes play an important role in tissue damage repair. In comparison with stem cells, exosomes have lower immunogenicity. Also, exosomes can promote cell proliferation and inhibit tumor growth. In addition, exosomes can also be used as natural carriers of drugs. Many studies have shown that exosomes have therapeutic effects in hormone‐induced ONFH. Exosomes have the effect of promoting vascular regeneration and show good application prospects in ONFH. Here, we present a review of studies on the application of exosomes in ONFH to provide a reference for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The practical application of lithium–sulfur (Li–S) batteries is gravely hampered by the dissolution and shuttle of lithium polysulfides. Herein, a zwitterionic polymer binder with both lithiophilicity and sulfophilicity is skillfully designed to realize a synergistic regulation of cations and anions through the strong interactions with lithium polysulfides. The cationic quaternary ammonium group within the polymeric zwitterion can immobilize polysulfide anions and block polysulfide migration, while the sulfonate anions preferably couple with lithium ion, thus facilitating ion transfer and promoting the polysulfides redox kinetics. The dynamic networks crosslinked by both hydrogen bonding and electrostatic interaction enable mechanically robust cathodes to withstand the volume variation and spontaneously repair cracks upon repeated lithiation/delithiation. Benefiting from these attributes, the Li–S coin cell using the zwitterionic polymer binder delivers a high initial discharge capacity of 1230.6 mAh g−1 at 0.2 C as well as an ultralow capacity decay rate of 0.03% per cycle over 600 cycles at 2 C. In Li–S pouch cell level, a high areal capacity of 6.6 mAh cm−2 after 50 cycles can be obtained under a sulfur loading of up to 8.5 mg cm−2, demonstrating the potential of zwitterionic polymer binder for the further development of high‐performance Li–S batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interaction between acridine orange (AO) and cucurbit[10]uril, Q[10] affords the ternary complex 2AO@Q[10]. Subsequent addition of dodine (DD) displaces AO from the Q[10] cavity, and results in a fluorescent output. The effect of 20 different pesticides, as well as a number of common interferents, on the fluorescent output is presented. Results revealed that the system is capable of the selective recognition of DD, with a limit of detection (LOD) for DD of 1.12×10−7 M. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Iris lactea is a wide ground cover plant of importance throughout courtyards, trees and roads. From May to September in 2020 and 2021, I. lactea planted in Beijing showed white to yellow spots with black conidiomata and could lead blight expanded down from the tip of leaves. In this study, ninety‐six diseased leaves were collected from nineteen regions in Beijing, and a total of fifty‐nine Colletotrichum isolates were obtained from the leaf spots. All isolates were identified as Colletotrichum truncatum by polyphasic analyses, combing morphology and phylogeny of combined the internal transcribed spacer of rDNA region (ITS), actin (act), chalcone synthetase (chs), the genes of glyceraldehyde‐3‐phosphate dehydrogenase (gapdh) and β‐tubulin (tub2). Koch's postulates were confirmed by a pathogenicity test using conidial suspensions (1 × 106 conidia/ml) on fresh leaves of the host, re‐isolation and identification. Until now, this is the first confirmed report of a new anthracnose disease of I. lactea caused by C. truncatum in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Iron is essential for all mammalian life, and either a deficiency or excess of iron can cause diseases. AMP‐activated protein kinase (AMPK) is a critical regulator of metabolic homeostasis; however, it has not been established whether AMPK regulates iron metabolism. Methods: Iron, hepcidin and ferroportin levels were examined in mice with global and hepatocyte‐specific knockout of AMPKα1 and AMPKα2. Primary AMPKα1 or AMPKα2 deleted hepatocytes were isolated and cultured in hypoxia condition to explore PHD2, HIF and hydroxylated HIF1α levels. We performed immunoprecipitation, in vitro AMPK kinase assay and site‐direct mutant assay to detect phosphorylation sites of PHD2. We also obtained liver tissues from patients with anaemia of chronic disease undergoing surgery, AMPKα1 and hydroxylated HIF1α levels were measured by immunohistochemical analysis. Results: We found that mice with global deficiency of AMPKα1, but not AMPKα2, exhibited hypoferraemia as well as iron sequestration in the spleen and liver. Hepatocyte‐specific, but not myeloid‐specific, ablation of AMPKα1 also reduced serum iron levels in association with increased hepcidin and decreased ferroportin protein levels. Mechanistically, AMPKα1 directly phosphorylated prolyl hydroxylase domain‐containing (PHD)2 at serines 61 and 136, which suppressed PHD2‐dependent hydroxylation of hypoxia‐inducible factor (HIF)1α and subsequent regulation of hepatic hepcidin‐related iron signalling. Inhibition of PHD2 hydroxylation ameliorated abnormal iron metabolism in hepatic AMPKα1‐deficient mice. Furthermore, we found hepatic AMPKα/PHD2/HIFα/ hepcidin axes were highly clinically relevant to anaemia of chronic disease. Conclusion: In conclusion, these observations suggest that hepatic AMPKα1 has an essential role in maintaining iron homeostasis by PHD2‐dependent regulation of hepcidin, thus providing a potentially promising approach for the treatment of iron disturbances in chronic diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH) is a crippling disease which is due to a lack of effective therapeutic measures. Its natural progression is rapid, the internal bone structure of the femoral head changes dramatically, and the subsequent fractures and collapse cause severe hip pain and loss of hip function. Femoral head collapse is a critical turning point in the development of ONFH and is related to the prognosis of patients. Early prevention and intervention help to preserve the hip joint and delay femoral head collapse. However, the mechanism of collapse still needs to be further studied because it is affected by different complex factors. This review discusses the underlying causes of femoral head collapse from two aspects: structural degradation and regional changes of biomechanical properties in the necrotic femoral head. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To explore the feasibility and clinical efficacy of a modified medial collateral ligament indentation technique in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) with severe type II valgus deformity. Methods: Consecutive patients with Krackow type II valgus deformity >20° who underwent a primary unilateral TKA between May 2008 and June 2017 were studied retrospectively. A medial collateral ligament indentation technique was performed in 20 patients (MCLI group), and 23 patients received the routine lateral structures release technique (LSR group). Radiological parameters, such as the valgus angle (VA), and functional outcomes including the use of constraint implants, Knee Society Score (KSS), Knee Society Function score (KSF), and thickness of the polyethylene insert were compared between the two groups. Results: A total of 43 consecutive patients had a minimum 2‐year follow‐up. The preoperative VA was comparable between the MCLI (23.5° ± 5.8°) and LSR groups (21.3° ± 3.2°, P = 0.134), as was the postoperative VA (1.1° ± 2.1° and 2.5° ± 3.0°, respectively, P = 0.084). The mean KSS and KSF scores in the MCLI group were 30.2 ± 4.8 and 38.8 ± 4.8, respectively, before surgery, and they increased to 91.3 ± 2.6 and 86.5 ± 2.4 at the last follow‐up. The scores in the LSR group were 31.5 ± 7.5 and 36.5 ± 7.8 before surgery and 92.4 ± 3.5 and 88.5 ± 3.6 at the last follow‐up. While no statistically significant differences in pre‐ or postoperative functional scores were found between the two groups, the MCLI group had thinner polyethylene inserts (9.5 ± 1.1 mm vs 12.9 ± 1.5 mm) and less use of constrained condylar inserts (15% vs 69.6%). During follow‐up, the MCLI group had fewer complications. Conclusion: A modified MCLI technique can achieve good outcomes in TKA with type II valgus deformity of >20°. It can maintain a normal joint line level, reduce the use of constrained condylar knee prostheses, and is a reliable choice for severe genu valgum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gut microbiota plays important roles in host nutrition, metabolism and immunity, and is affected by multiple factors. However, the understandings of the gut microbiota in pigs within different breeds, growth periods and genders from a large cohort remain largely undefined. In the present study, the characteristics of the gut microbiota in 120 pigs of different breeds, growth periods and genders were investigated using the Illumina MiSeq PE300 combined with QIIME2 platform. A total of 7 388 636 raw reads and 16 411 features were obtained. Additionally, the microbial diversity, compositions and phenotypes were described. 66.53% microbiota belonged to the top 10 most abundant genera (pan gut bacteria), and 28 species were commonly identified (core gut bacteria, commonality ≥ 75%) among the pigs. Besides, the correlations within pan and core gut microbiota were firstly investigated. The metagenomic function was predicted by using PICRUSt2. Furthermore, the explanatory effects of the influencing factors suggested that growth period was the greatest contributor to the gut microbiota in pigs. These results expanded our knowledge of mammalian gut microbiota within different influencing factors and microbial‐related biological features in swine, which contributes to improving animal production and assisting animal model research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here, we report a 41‐year‐old female with type II VUF after hysteromyomectomy.We report the diagnosis of VUF by imaging method, and provide a feasible treatment for this complication after pelvic surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microenvironment regulation of M‐N4 single‐atom catalysts (SACs) is a promising way to tune their catalytic properties toward the electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction. However, strategies that can effectively introduce functional groups around the M‐N4 sites through strong covalent bonding and under mild reaction conditions are highly desired. Taking the hydrophilic Ni‐N4 SAC as a representative, we report herein a [2+1] cycloaddition reaction between Ni‐N4 and in situ generated difluorocarbene (F2C:), and enable the surface fluorocarbonation of Ni‐N4, resulting in the formation of a super‐hydrophobic Ni‐N4‐CF2 catalyst. Meanwhile, the mild reaction conditions allow Ni‐N4‐CF2 to inherit both the electronic and structural configuration of the Ni‐N4 sites from Ni‐N4. Enhanced electrochemical CO2‐to‐CO Faradaic efficiency above 98 % is achieved in a wide operating potential window from −0.7 V to −1.3 V over Ni‐N4‐CF2. In situ spectroelectrochemical studies reveal that a highly hydrophobic microenvironment formed by the −CF2− group repels asymmetric H‐bonded water at the electrified interface, inhibiting the hydrogen evolution reaction and promoting CO production. This work highlights the advantages of [2+1] cycloaddition reactions on the covalent modification of N‐doped carbon‐supported catalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]