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Water evaporation–induced electricity generators (WEGs) are regarded as one of the most promising solutions for addressing the increasingly severe environmental pollution and energy crisis. Owing to the potential carbon emission in the preparation process of WEGs, whether WEG represents a clean electricity generation technology is open to question. Here, a brand‐new strategy is proposed for manufacturing negative carbon emission WEG (CWEG). In this strategy, the microalgae film is used as the electricity generation interface of WEG, which achieves a stable open‐circuit voltage (Voc) of 0.25 V and a short‐circuit current (Isc) of 3.3 µA. Since microalgae can capture carbon dioxide during its growing process, CWEG holds great promise to generate electricity without carbon emissions in the full life cycle compared with other WEGs. To the best of the author's knowledge, this is the first work using microalgae films to fabricate WEG. Therefore, it is believed that this work not only provides a new direction for designing high‐efficiency and eco‐friendly WEG but also offers an innovative approach to the resource utilization of microalgae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT The relationship between social participation and quality of life (QoL) remains unclear, and scant investigation has been conducted to explore its underlying mechanisms. This study is aimed at elucidating this connection among Chinese children, emphasizing the mediating roles of social skills and smartphone addiction, alongside the moderating effect of residential status. Data was gathered from Huai'an, Jiangsu Province, comprising 639 children (53.7% girls), aged between 12 and 18 years (mean age = 15 years, SD = 1.65). Results indicated that social participation was positively associated with children's QoL, with both social skills and smartphone addiction mediating the link. Additionally, residential status moderated the relationship between social participation and QoL, exhibiting a stronger effect on children in urban areas than their rural counterparts. These findings highlight the necessity to enhance social participation among children and further promote balanced development between rural and urban areas in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Super‐partnerships exist between scholars connected within densely‐knit collaboration networks. Understanding how such relationships affect scholars' careers is of great importance. In this paper, focusing on the longitudinal aspects of scientific collaboration, we analyze collaboration profiles from the egocentric perspective and use analytic extreme value thresholds to identify super‐partners. A total of 5722 pairs of super‐partners are found in the field of economics. The several interesting findings about super‐partners are summarized as follows. (1) The collaboration pattern of super‐partners can be divided into three types: the dual‐core, bridge, and triangle types. (2) Gender disparities are reflected in the collaboration among super‐partners, and the stability of super‐partnerships involving different combinations of genders displays different characteristics. The random‐effect model is constructed to explore the effect of a super‐partnership on both parties from the aspects of productivity and influence, which also shows gender disparities. (3) A super‐partnership contributes to above‐average productivity and citation impacts of the publication for three collaboration patterns, and the research improvement of the triangle type is the greatest among the three types. Overall, this paper explores the characteristics of super‐partners and the added value of a long‐term commitment, which provides quantitative insights into the effect on scientific collaboration associated with close collaboration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil layers affect the vertical movement of moisture and salt, eventually resulting in land cover and land use pattern changes. This study explored the ability of ground penetrating radar (GPR) to detect soil layers in the modern Yellow River Delta of China and assessed its accuracy. It was found that soil moisture and salt had a strong dampening effect on the electromagnetic wave signal which resulted in blurred GPR images of the soil profile below 1 m. The cultivated soil layers of different crop types, such as rice, wheat, corn and cotton, were accurately identified in GPR images. To estimate an individual soil layer thickness, the propagation velocity of the electromagnetic wave was calculated using soil mass moisture content, and the propagation time was confirmed by comparing the GPR image with the amplitude–time plot of the soil profile. The estimated thickness was 1.02 times the thickness determined in the field and the average estimation error was 0.04 m, which was 24.09% of the soil layer thickness determined in the field. The second derivative value of envelope amplitude energy with time (SDEA) was used to describe the amplitude change in the soil layers. The SDEA has negative logarithmic and power function relationships with soil mass moisture content and electrical conductivity, respectively. The present results provide a reference database for future quantitative soil investigation in the sedimentary plain area using GPR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Malignant insulinoma is an extremely rare type of functioning pancreatic neuroendocrine tumour with a high degree of malignancy and a high incidence of metastasis. However, it is still unclear how malignant insulinomas develop and metastasize. Serum amyloid P component (SAP), a member of the pentraxin protein family, is an acute‐phase protein secreted by liver cells. The role of SAP in insulinoma and the related mechanism are still unknown. To determine the effect of SAP on insulinoma, we crossed Rip1‐Tag2 mice, which spontaneously develop insulinoma, and SAP knockout (KO) mice to generate Rip1‐Tag2;SAP−/− mice. We found that SAP deletion significantly promoted the growth, invasion and metastasis of malignant insulinoma through C‐X‐C motif chemokine ligand 12 (CXCL12) secreted by cancer‐associated fibroblasts (CAFs). Further study showed that SAP deletion promoted CXCL12 secretion by CAFs through the CXCR4/p38/ERK signalling pathway. These findings reveal a novel role and mechanism of SAP in malignant insulinoma and provide direct evidence that SAP may be a therapeutic agent for this disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Dual transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over the bilateral primary somatosensory cortex (PSC) has potential benefits in stroke. In addition, compared with traditional rehabilitation training, sensorimotor training can significantly improve the sensorimotor function of patients. However, the efficacy of dual‐tDCS combined with sensorimotor training in patients with subacute stroke is unknown. Objective: To assess whether dual‐tDCS may enhance the efficacy of sensorimotor training on the upper limb functions in patients with subacute stroke. In addition, this study aims to explore the potential clinical mechanism of this combination therapy. Methods: We randomized 52 individuals with first‐ever, unilateral subcortical stroke into the experimental group (n = 26) and the control group (n = 26). Patients in the experimental group received 20 min of dual‐tDCS over the PSC and 40 min of sensorimotor training each session, while patients in the control group received sham dual‐tDCS. The treatment cycle was a 1‐h session of therapy each day, 5 days per week for 4 weeks. The Fugl–Meyer Assessment of Upper Extremity (FMA–UE) subscale, Action Research Arm Test (ARAT), Box and Block test (BBT), Erasmus MC revised Nottingham sensory assessment scale (Em‐NSA), Neurometer sensory nerve quantitative detector (CPT), the Barthel index (BI), and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) were used to assess upper limb function, activities of daily living (ADL), and mental health before and after the 4‐week treatment period. In addition, functional near‐infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) was used to explore potential clinical brain mechanisms. Results: Both groups showed significant improvement in all clinical scales (All p < 0.05) after treatment. Compared with sham‐tDCS plus sensorimotor training, active dual‐tDCS coupled with sensorimotor training can significantly improve the FMA‐UE, ARAT, Em‐NSA‐Stereognosis, and CPT‐2K Hz. In addition, dual‐tDCS combined with sensorimotor training can significantly activate the left pre‐Motor and supplementary motor cortex (PM–SMC) and enhance the functional connection between the left somatosensory association cortex (SAC) and RPM–SMC. Furthermore, the difference of FMA–UE in the experimental group was positively correlated with the functional connectivity of RPM‐SMC‐LSAC (r = 0.815, p < 0.001). Conclusion: Dual‐tDCS over the PSC combined with sensorimotor training can improve upper limb sensory and motor dysfunction, enhance ADL, and alleviate depression and anxiety for subacute stroke patients. Our results indicated that RPM‐SMC‐LSAC may be potential therapeutic targets for dual‐tDCS in upper limb rehabilitation on stroke. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recovering and recharging autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) on a regular basis allows for long‐term underwater activities. This research provides a vision‐based navigation strategy for AUVs to independently identify and reconstruct the docking station (DS). The proposed framework includes a light beacon detection approach, a filter‐based light beacon matching method, and a fusion pose estimation method for DS positioning. Four green LED light beacons are mounted symmetrically on the docking ring, enabling the stereo camera to observe them from close range. A method for detecting light beacons is proposed that assures detection accuracy by identifying false positives. On a single frame from a stereo camera, filter‐based matching follows the light beacons precisely. In addition, we construct a position estimate method that significantly improves accuracy and efficiency by consisting of analyzation and iteration. A series of virtual and real‐world experiments demonstrate that our methodology can provide AUVs with reliable docking navigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High temperatures negatively impact the yield and quality of fruit crops. Exogenous melatonin (MT) application has been shown to enhance heat tolerance, but the response of endogenous MT to heat stress, particularly in perennial fruit trees, remains unclear. The present study investigated the effects of high temperatures on transgenic apple plants overexpressing the MT biosynthesis gene N‐acetylserotonin methyltransferase 9 (MdASMT9). Endogenous MT protected transgenic plants from heat stress by increasing antioxidant enzyme activity and scavenging reactive oxygen species (ROS), and protecting the chloroplasts from damage. Application of MT and overexpression of MdASMT9 also reduced abscisic acid accumulation through promoting MdWRKY33‐mediated transcriptional inhibition of MdNCED1 and MdNCED3, thus inducing stomatal opening for better heat dissipation. Furthermore, MT‐enhanced autophagic activity through promoting MdWRKY33‐mediated transcriptional enhancement of MdATG18a under heat stress. These findings provide new insights into the regulation of endogenous MT and its role in improving basal thermotolerance in perennial fruit trees. Summary Statement: MdASMT9‐mediated melatonin (MT) biosynthesis in apple plants enhanced autophagic activity and protected plants from heat stress. Furthermore, MT‐promoted MdWRKY33‐mediated transcriptional inhibition of MdNCED1 and MdNCED3, thus promoting stomatal opening for better heat dissipation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SUMMARY: Nitrogen (N) is an essential nutrient for crop growth and development, significantly influencing both yield and quality. Melatonin (MT), a known enhancer of abiotic stress tolerance, has been extensively studied. However, its relationship with nutrient stress, particularly N deficiency, and the underlying regulatory mechanisms of MT on N absorption remain unclear. In this study, exogenous MT treatment was found to improve the tolerance of apple plants to N deficiency. Apple plants overexpressing the MT biosynthetic gene N‐acetylserotonin methyltransferase 9 (MdASMT9) were used to further investigate the effects of endogenous MT on low‐N stress. Overexpression of MdASMT9 improved the light harvesting and heat transfer capability of apple plants, thereby mitigating the detrimental effects of N deficiency on the photosynthetic system. Proteomic and physiological data analyses indicated that MdASMT9 overexpression enhanced the trichloroacetic acid cycle and positively modulated amino acid metabolism to counteract N‐deficiency stress. Additionally, both exogenous and endogenous MT promoted the transcription of MdHY5, which in turn bound to the MdNRT2.1 and MdNRT2.4 promoters and activated their expression. Notably, MT‐mediated promotion of MdNRT2.1 and MdNRT2.4 expression through regulating MdHY5, ultimately enhancing N absorption. Taken together, these findings shed light on the association between MdASMT9‐mediated MT biosynthesis and N absorption in apple plants under N‐deficiency conditions. Significance Statement: In this study, both exogenous and endogenous melatonin improved the tolerance of apple plants to N deficiency. Melatonin promoted the expression of MdNRT2.1 and MdNRT2.4 through regulating MdHY5, thereby improving nitrate absorption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein a class of structurally simple and operationally stable Au(I)‐TADF (TADF = thermally activated delayed fluorescence) materials, based on a carbene–metal–amide (CMA) molecular scaffold comprised of sterically bulky N‐heterocyclic carbene ligands with N‐heterocyclic π‐annulation, are reported. These CMA(Au) emitters are thermally stable, adopt coplanar or orthogonal geometry between the carbene and amide ligands, and show strong blue to deep red TADF emissions (466–666 nm) from thermally equilibrated singlet ligand‐to‐ligand‐charge‐transfer excited states with emission quantum yields of 0.63–0.99 and radiative decay rate constants of 0.68–3.2 × 106 s−1 in thin film samples at room temperature. The effects of increasing π‐extension and orthogonal molecular geometry are similarly manifested in the reduction of both singlet–triplet energy gap and S1 transition dipole moment. The vacuum‐deposited Au(I) organic light‐emitting diodes (OLEDs) display superior electroluminescence characterized by ultrahigh brightness up to 300 000 cd m−2 and external quantum efficiencies (EQEs) up to 26.2% with roll‐offs down to 2.6% at 1000 cd m−2 alongside record‐setting device lifetimes (LT95) up to 2082 h. Ultrapure‐green TADF‐sensitized fluorescent OLEDs employing the CMA(Au) emitter as sensitizer and a multiresonance terminal emitter achieve EQEs of up to 25.3%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cancer patients in China encounter distinctive challenges stemming from cultural disparities and variations in the healthcare systems. This meta‐analysis aimed to provide a synthesis of the expressive writing (EW) interventions delivered to Chinese cancer patients and assess the pooled effect of EW on their well‐being. The review adheres to the latest PRISMA 2020 guidelines to ensure transparency and rigour. Randomized control trials (RCTs) published before 1 April 2023, and meeting the inclusion criteria were included. Keywords searching was performed in both English and Chinese electronic databases. Ten RCTs were identified and included in the analysis. The results showed that EW usually encompassed four to six writing sessions; the most common writing themes were 'emotional expression', 'cognitive appraisal', 'benefit finding', 'coping strategies' and 'looking to the future'. The meta‐analysis suggested that EW had a substantial impact on reducing anxiety levels (Hedges' g = −1.22, 95% CI [−1.54, −0.90], I2 = 0.00%). It is worth noting that although the results of these studies could not be statistically synthesized, their individual findings suggest that EW may be beneficial in reducing anxiety, self‐perceived burden and depressive symptoms, as well as increasing self‐efficacy in Chinese cancer patients. In conclusion, this review highlights the importance and effectiveness of Ewin alleviating anxiety among Chinese cancer patients and underscores the potential benefits of incorporating EW into comprehensive care programmes for cancer patients in China. More RCTs are needed to explore the broader impact of EW in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The pathogenesis of ankylosing spondylitis (AS) seems to be associated with genetics, the environment, heredity, and oxidative stress. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the displacement loop (D‐loop) region of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and mtDNA copy number were investigated for their correlation with AS patients. Methods: This study included 83 AS patients and 100 healthy controls from the Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University. DNAs were extracted from blood samples for polymerase chain reaction analysis and quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction analysis. Plasma reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels were measured by fluorescent probe technology. Results: The distribution frequencies of the minor alleles of nucleotides 16304C (p =.037), 16311C (p =.027), and 152C (p =.034) were remarkably higher in AS patients than in healthy controls, which indicated that the16304C, 16311C, and 152C alleles were correlated with an increased risk of AS. Simultaneously, mtDNA copy number was statistically higher in patients with AS compared with controls (1.450 ± 0.876 versus 0.835 ± 0.626, p <.001). We also observed an increased ROS generation in AS patients compared with controls (27 066.169 ± 18 364.819 versus 14 758.330 ± 5854.946, p <.001) subsequently. In addition, the AS susceptible SNP 16311C is associated with high ROS levels (35 065.177 ± 26 999.934 vs. 25 005.818 ± 14 999.495, p =.043). Conclusion: Our study demonstrated that SNPs in the mtDNA D‐loop could be AS risk biomarkers with the potential to promote oxidative stress levels; mtDNA copy number‐induced mitochondrial dysfunction may also be involved in AS pathogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Starch biosynthesis in gravity‐sensing tissues of rice shoot determines the magnitude of rice shoot gravitropism and thus tiller angle. However, the molecular mechanism underlying starch biosynthesis in rice gravity‐sensing tissues is still unclear. We characterized a novel tiller angle gene LAZY3 (LA3) in rice through map‐based cloning. Biochemical, molecular and genetic studies further demonstrated the essential roles of LA3 in gravity perception of rice shoot and tiller angle control. The shoot gravitropism and lateral auxin transport were defective in la3 mutant upon gravistimulation. We showed that LA3 encodes a chloroplast‐localized tryptophan‐rich protein associated with starch granules via Tryptophan‐rich region (TRR) domain. Moreover, LA3 could interact with the starch biosynthesis regulator LA2, determining starch granule formation in shoot gravity‐sensing tissues. LA3 and LA2 negatively regulate tiller angle in the same pathway acting upstream of LA1 to mediate asymmetric distribution of auxin. Our study defined LA3 as an indispensable factor of starch biosynthesis in rice gravity‐sensing tissues that greatly broadens current understanding in the molecular mechanisms underlying the starch granule formation in gravity‐sensing tissues, and provides new insights into the regulatory mechanism of shoot gravitropism and rice tiller angle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this trial was to evaluate the pharmacokinetics (PK), bioequivalence (BE), and safety of 2 preparations of hydroxychloroquine (200‐mg tablet) under fasting and fed conditions. A total of 180 subjects (fasting condition: n = 80; fed condition: n = 100) were randomly enrolled in this randomized, open, single‐dose, single‐cycle parallel phase Ⅰ clinical study. Under the 2 conditions, the subjects were randomly administered the test (T) or reference (R) tablet, both at a dose of 200 mg (1 tablet). Liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry was used to determine the concentration of hydroxychloroquine in healthy subjects after oral administration of the T or R preparation to evaluate the PK characteristics. In this trial, the T and R preparations of hydroxychloroquine were bioequivalent under both conditions within the range of 80%–125%. No serious adverse events (SAEs) were found in the safety assessments for either condition, and all adverse events (AEs) were mild, except for 2 moderate AEs in the fed condition, indicating good safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, antibiotics have frequently been detected in soil, lakes, and rivers. Antibiotic residues in the environment may alter microbial structure and cause bacterial resistance, but their effect on interactions among host microbiota is still poorly understood. To investigate this issue, here we used silkworm (Bombyx mori) fed on antibiotic‐treated mulberry leaf as a model to explore the effects of antibiotic exposure on gut bacteria and fungi. We observed that elimination of fungi significantly reduced bacterial richness and diversity in silkworm intestine after exposure to the antifungal amphotericin B, while the elimination of bacteria dramatically increased the richness and diversity of fungi after exposure to the antibacterial ampicillin–streptomycin. Thus, antibiotic‐treated mulberry leaf significantly altered the community structure of microbiota in the gut of silkworm. Clearance of gut bacteria enhanced the correlation between gut fungi and leaf‐derived fungi, while clearance of gut fungi promoted abnormal proliferation of gut bacteria. These data provide a simple model to explore the comprehensive effect of diet‐derived bacteria, fungi, and antibiotics on gut microbiota. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Fusarium wilt disease, caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cucumerinum (Foc), leads to widespread yield loss and quality decline in cucumber. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying Foc resistance remain poorly understood.We report the mapping and functional characterisation of CsChi23, encoding a cucumber class I chitinase with antifungal properties. We assessed sequence variations at CsChi23 and the associated defence response against Foc. We functionally characterised CsChi23 using transgenic assay and expression analysis. The mechanism regulating CsChi23 expression was assessed by genetic and molecular approaches.CsChi23 was induced by Foc infection, which led to rapid upregulation in resistant cucumber lines. Overexpressing CsChi23 enhanced fusarium wilt resistance and reduced fungal biomass accumulation, whereas silencing CsChi23 causes loss of resistance. CsHB15, a homeodomain leucine zipper (HD‐Zip) III transcription factor, was found to bind to the CsChi23 promoter region and activate its expression. Furthermore, silencing of CsHB15 reduces CsChi23 expression. A single‐nucleotide polymorphism variation −400 bp upstream of CsChi23 abolished the HD‐Zip III binding site in a susceptible cucumber line.Collectively, our study indicates that CsChi23 is sufficient to enhance fusarium wilt resistance and reveals a novel function of an HD‐Zip III transcription factor in regulating chitinase expression in cucumber defence against fusarium wilt. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogen has important values in industrial manufacture, medical health care, and diverse energy application areas. Among the many possible approaches, convenient and safe hydrogen production from water electrolysis has always been a preferred in situ hydrogen supply technology. So far, many of the electrodes thus involved are based on rigid metals or conductive items which may encounter inconvenience or insufficiency sometimes. To achieve targeted release of hydrogen, appropriate administration of suitable flexible hydrogen evolution electrodes is the key. In recent years, gallium‐based liquid metals have emerged in the field of flexible and biological electrodes. Starting from this point, liquid metal is proposed here as a transformable amorphous electrode for hydrogen evolution in electrolytic water which may help mold new conceptual electrolysis and energy utilization ways. The electrochemical performances and flexible behaviors lying behind are investigated and clarified. According to the experiments, the catalytic activity of the liquid metal itself generally is not remarkable, but it would be significantly improved after being composited with certain active materials such as nickel. Further, the controllability, flexibility, and adaptability of liquid metal‐based amorphous materials which are unmatched by other electrode materials were evaluated. Overall, the motions of such shape transformable liquid metal electrodes could be controlled by electric or magnetic fields, and their deformations are compliantly adaptive to different spaces. This might easily expand the area of hydrogen evolution and lead to multisite in situ hydrogen production. The present study demonstrates the value of liquid metals in flexible energy systems and opens up more application possibilities for electrolytic hydrogen production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The utilization of triplet metal‐metal‐to‐ligand‐charge‐transfer (3MMLCT) emissions of Pt(II) complexes having a large radiative decay rate is a promising strategy to develop efficient red and deep‐red emitters for practical organic light‐emitting diodes (OLEDs). The panel of robust luminescent dinuclear Pt(II) emitters described here features pyridine‐/pyrazine‐fused N‐heterocyclic carbene‐based cyclometalating ligands and ditopic bis‐µ2‐formamidinate bridging ligands. These complexes show intramolecular Pt–Pt distances of 2.85–2.87 Å, are thermally stable up to 446 °C, and display strong red and deep‐red 3MMLCT emission (604–689 nm) with emission quantum yields close to unity. Under laboratory conditions, red and deep‐red OLEDs with these complexes show high external quantum efficiencies (up to 21.3%) and prolonged operational lifetimes (LT97 up to 2446 h) at an initial luminance of 1000 cd m−2, highlighting the practicality of these dinuclear Pt(II) emitters in organic optoelectronics application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) is a classic nuclear receptor and an effective drug target in the cardiovascular system. The function of MR in immune cells such as macrophages and T cells has been increasingly appreciated. The aim of this study was to investigate the function of Treg MR in the process of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). We treated Treg MR‐deficient (MRflox/floxFoxp3YFP‐Cre, KO) mice and control (Foxp3YFP‐Cre, WT) mice with dextran sodium sulphate (DSS) to induce colitis and found that the severity of DSS‐induced colitis was markedly alleviated in Treg MR‐deficient mice, accompanied by reduced production of inflammatory cytokines, and relieved infiltration of monocytes, neutrophils and interferon γ+ T cells in colon lamina propria. Faecal microbiota of mice with colitis was analysed by 16S rRNA gene sequencing and the composition of gut microbiota was vastly changed in Treg MR‐deficient mice. Furthermore, depletion of gut microbiota by antibiotics abolished the protective effects of Treg MR deficiency and resulted in similar severity of DSS‐induced colitis in WT and KO mice. Faecal microbiota transplantation from KO mice attenuated DSS‐induced colitis characterized by alleviated inflammatory infiltration compared to that from WT mice. Hence, our study demonstrates that Treg MR deficiency protects against DSS‐induced colitis by attenuation of colonic inflammatory infiltration. Gut microbiota is both sufficient and necessary for Treg MR deficiency to exert the beneficial effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A critical step in advancing the practical application of copper‐based organic light‐emitting diodes (OLEDs) is to bridge the large gap between device efficiency and operational stability at practical luminance. Described is a panel of air‐ and thermally stable two‐coordinate CuI emitters featuring bulky pyrazine‐ (PzIPr) or pyridine‐fused N‐heterocyclic carbene (PyIPr*) and carbazole (Cz) ligands with enhanced amide‐Cu‐carbene bonding interactions. These CuI emitters display thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) from the 1LL′CT(Cz→PzIPr/PyIPr*) excited states across the blue to red regions with exceptional radiative rate constants of 1.1–2.2×106 s−1. Vapour‐deposited OLEDs based on these CuI emitters showed excellent external quantum efficiencies and luminance up to 23.6 % and 222 200 cd m−2, respectively, alongside record device lifetimes (LT90) up to 1300 h at 1000 cd m−2 under our laboratory conditions, highlighting the practicality of the CuI‐TADF emitters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Defect and doping are effective methods to modulate the physical and chemical properties of materials. In this report, the structural stability, electronic properties, and quantum capacitance (Cdiff) of Zr2CO2 MXene are investigated by the introduction of Si, Ge, Sn, N, B, S, and F atoms. The doping of F, N, and S atoms makes the system undergo the semiconductor‐to‐conductor transition, while the doping of Si, Ge, and Sn atoms maintains the semiconductor characteristics. The B‐doped system can be used as cathode materials, while the systems doped by S, F, N, Sn atoms are promising anode materials of asymmetric supercapacitors, especially for the S‐doped system. The effect of temperature on Cdiff is further explored. The result indicates that the maximum Cdiff of the studied systems gradually decreases with the increasing temperature. Our investigation can provide useful theoretical basis for designing and developing the ideal electrode materials for supercapacitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Understanding the spectrum of ocular pathogens in a given geographic region is important for devising appropriate practical treatment. Therefore, we examined the pathogen spectrum and antibiotic resistance of microbial keratitis in northeast China. Methods: In this retrospective observational study, we reviewed the microbiology laboratory records of patients diagnosed with microbial keratitis in a tertiary eye hospital in Harbin, northeast China, between 2017 and 2019, and analysed the pathogen spectrum and antibiotic susceptibility. Results: We collected 462 specimens, of which 282 exhibited positive cultures. Among these cultures, 257 were bacterial and 25 were fungal. Of the 257 bacterial isolates, 214 (83.27%) were gram positive whereas 43 (16.73%) were gram negative. The most prevalent gram‐positive pathogen was coagulase‐negative staphylococcus (CoNS; 58.37%), followed by Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus; 20.62%) and Streptococcus pneumoniae (2.33%). Of the gram‐negative bacterial isolates, 10 were Pseudomonas aeruginosa (3.89%). The most frequently detected ocular pathogens from fungal isolates were Fusarium species (40%). We also found more culture‐positive cases of bacterial keratitis in summer. Overall, 16.98% S. aureus and 64.00% CoNS isolates were methicillin resistant. These methicillin‐resistant bacteria were also more likely to be resistant to other antibiotics, with multidrug resistance found in 77.78% methicillin‐resistant S. aureus and 90.63% methicillin‐resistant CoNS. However, all gram‐positive isolates were sensitive to vancomycin and linezolid. Conclusion: Coagulase‐negative staphylococcus are the most common ocular pathogens in northeast China. We also show the prevalence of methicillin resistance and concurrent multidrug resistance among staphylococcal isolates. Monitoring the patterns of antimicrobial resistance could help in the management selection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compared with normal stimulus such as light and heat, ultrasonic possesses much deeper penetration into tissues and organs and has lower scattering in heterogeneous systems as a noninvasive stimulus. Reversible addition‐fragmentation chain‐transfer polymerization (RAFT) in aqueous media is performed in a commercial ultrasonic wash bath with 40 kHz frequency ultrasonic, in the presence of piezoelectric tetragonal BaTiO3 (BTO) nanoparticles. Owing to the electron transfer from BTO under the ultrasonic action, the water can be decomposed to produce hydroxyl radical (HO•) and initiate the RAFT polymerization (piezo‐RAFT). The piezo‐RAFT polymerization exhibits features of controllable and livingness, such as linear increase of molar mass and narrow molar mass distributions (Mw/Mn < 1.20). Excellent temporal control of the polymerization and the chain fidelity of polymers are illustrated by “ON and OFF” experiment and chain extension, separately. Moreover, this ultrasonic‐driven piezoelectric‐induced RAFT polymerization in aqueous media can be directly used for the preparation of piezoelectric hydrogel which have potential application for stress sensor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pathogens capable of impacting gastrointestinal tract tumor development are located in the oral cavity, but whether these oral bacteria are able to colonize the gastric mucosa in gastric cancer (GC) patients and whether Helicobacter pylori infection can influence this process remains to be established. Methods: Microbial 16S rDNA deep sequencing was conducted to characterize bacteria present in paired gastric mucosa and tongue coating samples in 27 patients with superficial gastritis (SG) and 11 GC patients. Results: While the overall composition of the gastric mucosa and tongue coating microbiomes differed substantially, certain bacteria were present in both of these communities. The co‐occurrence of bacteria between the tongue coating and gastric mucosa differed significantly between SG and GC patients. Of the 15 most abundant shared oral bacteria genera (the core shared oral bacteria), which were associated with differences in microbiota composition between these tongue coating and gastric mucosa, three were enriched in the gastric mucosa of GC patients relative to SG patients, whereas, 12 were depleted in GC patient samples. Furthermore, the prevalence and relative abundance of these core shared oral bacteria in the gastric mucosa were also linked to H. pylori infection status, and the core shared oral bacteria were also associated with the overall composition of the gastric mucosal microbiome. Conclusions: Helicobacter pylori infections are linked to the co‐occurrence of bacteria in the oral microbiome and the gastric mucosal microbiome. Ectopic colonization of oral microbes may be a primary driver of H. pylori‐induced gastric microbial dysbiosis in patients with GC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Several studies have suggested that chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) could be predictive of the prognosis in patients with heart failure (HF), but yield conflicting findings. Therefore, we conducted a meta‐analysis to examine the impact of COPD on adverse outcomes in patients with HF. Methods: We systematically searched the databases of PubMed, EMBASE, Google Scholar, Cochrane library from inception to August 2020 for the relevant studies. Adjusted risk ratios (RRs) and confidence intervals (CIs) were collected and then pooled by the Review Manager version 5.30 software with a random‐effects model. Results: A total of 18 studies (6 post hoc analyses of trials and 12 observational studies) were included in this meta‐analysis. COPD was associated with an increased risk of all‐cause mortality (hospitalized HF: RR 1.43, 95% CI: 1.20‐1.70; chronic HF: RR 1.24, 95% CI: 1.16‐1.33), but not cardiovascular mortality, in patients with hospitalized HF or chronic HF. In addition, COPD was associated with increased risks of all‐cause hospitalization (RR 1.31, 95% CI: 1.21‐1.42) and HF hospitalization (RR 1.31, 95% CI: 1.21‐1.42) in the chronic HF patients. Conclusions: COPD comorbidity could increase the risk of all‐cause mortality of HF patients. Future research should confirm the findings on hospitalization because of the limited studies included for this outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is increasingly important to build topic linkages between scientific publications and patents for the purpose of understanding the relationships between science and technology. Previous studies on the linkages mainly focus on the analysis of nonpatent references on the front page of patents, or the resulting citation‐link networks, but with unsatisfactory performance. In the meanwhile, abundant mentioned entities in the scholarly articles and patents further complicate topic linkages. To deal with this situation, a novel statistical entity‐topic model (named the CCorrLDA2 model), armed with the collapsed Gibbs sampling inference algorithm, is proposed to discover the hidden topics respectively from the academic articles and patents. In order to reduce the negative impact on topic similarity calculation, word tokens and entity mentions are grouped by the Brown clustering method. Then a topic linkages construction problem is transformed into the well‐known optimal transportation problem after topic similarity is calculated on the basis of symmetrized Kullback–Leibler (KL) divergence. Extensive experimental results indicate that our approach is feasible to build topic linkages with more superior performance than the counterparts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The fruit epidermal features such as the size of tubercules are important fruit quality traits for cucumber production. But the mechanisms underlying tubercule formation remain elusive. Here, tubercule size locus CsTS1 was identified by map‐based cloning and was found to encode an oleosin protein. Allelic variation was identified in the promoter region of CsTS1, resulting in low expression of CsTS1 in all 22 different small‐warty or nonwarty cucumber lines. High CsTS1 expression levels were closely correlated with increased fruit tubercule size among 44 different cucumber lines. Transgenic complementation and RNAi‐mediated gene silencing of CsTS1 in transgenic cucumber plants demonstrated that CsTS1 positively regulates the development of tubercules. CsTS1 is highly expressed in the peel at fruit tubercule forming and enlargement stage. Auxin content and expression of three auxin signalling pathway genes were altered in the 35S:CsTS1 and CsTS1‐RNAi fruit tubercules, a result that was supported by comparing the cell size of the control and transgenic fruit tubercules. CsTu, a C2H2 zinc finger domain transcription factor that regulates tubercule initiation, binds directly to the CsTS1 promoter and promotes its expression. Taken together, our results reveal a novel mechanism in which the CsTu‐TS1 complex promotes fruit tubercule formation in cucumber. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT: Simple, direct precipitation was used to synthesize green, renewable, biobased flame retardants. Copper phytate (Cu–Phyt), zinc phytate, aluminum phytate, and tin phytate (Sn–Phyt) were synthesized. Thermogravimetric analysis performed in N2 revealed that the metallic phytate (M–Phyt, where M is Cu, Zn, Al, or Sn) salts showed good charring. The limiting oxygen index (LOI), cone calorimetry (CONE) test data, tensile strength, and impact toughness were measured for flexible poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) containing 15 wt % M–Phyt salts. The PVC/Sn–Phyt LOI rose from 24.9 to 30.3%, and the PVC/Sn–Phyt mechanical properties were on par with those of the pure PVC. The CONE test results indicate that PVC/Cu–Phyt showed the lowest total smoke production (TSP) and peak heat‐release rate (pHRR) among the samples. The TSP and pHRR of PVC/Cu–Phyt were 15.77 m2 and 181.77 kW/m2, respectively, 62.63 and 44.48% lower than those of the neat PVC. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2018, 135, 46601. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives To describe the biological characteristics of exosomes and to summarize the current status of stem cell-derived exosomes on fracture healing. Meanwhile, future challenges, limitations and perspectives are also discussed. Methods Search and analyze the related articles in pubmed database through the multi-combination of keywords like 'stem cells','exosomes','bone regeneration' and 'fracture healing'. Conclusion Stem cell-derived exosome therapy for fracture healing has been enjoying popularity and is drawing increasing attention. This strategy helps to promote proliferation and migration of cells, as well as osteogenesis and angiogenesis, in the process of bone formation. Although the exact mechanisms remain elusive, exosomal mi RNAs seem to play vital roles. Future studies are required to solve multiple problems before clinical application, including comprehensive and thorough understanding of exosomes, the exact roles of exosomes in regulating bone formation, and the optimal source, dose and frequency of treatment, as well as technical and safety issues. Moreover, studies based on fracture models of large animals are could offer guidance and are in demand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant microRNAs (miRNAs) regulate gene expression mainly by guiding cleavage of target mRNAs. In this study, a degradome library constructed from different soybean ( Glycine max (L.) Merr.) tissues was deep-sequenced. 428 potential targets of small interfering RNAs and 25 novel miRNA families were identified. A total of 211 potential miRNA targets, including 174 conserved miRNA targets and 37 soybean-specific miRNA targets, were identified. Among them, 121 targets were first discovered in soybean. The signature distribution of soybean primary miRNAs (pri-miRNAs) showed that most pri-miRNAs had the characteristic pattern of Dicer processing. The biogenesis of TAS3 small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) was conserved in soybean, and nine Auxin Response Factors were identified as TAS3 siRNA targets. Twenty-three miRNA targets produced secondary small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) in soybean. These targets were guided by five miRNAs: gma-miR393, gma-miR1508, gma-miR1510, gma-miR1514, and novel-11. Multiple targets of these secondary siRNAs were detected. These 23 miRNA targets may be the putative novel TAS genes in soybean. Global identification of miRNA targets and potential novel TAS genes will contribute to research on the functions of miRNAs in soybean. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this paper, we propose a novel force field parameter optimization method based on LSSVR and optimize the torsion energy parameters of ECEPP force field. In this method force field parameter optimization problem is turned into a support vector regression problem. Protein samples for regression model training are chosen from Protein Data Bank. The experiments show that the optimized force-field parameters make both α-helix and β-hairpin structures more consistent with the experimental implications than the original parameters. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The utilization of triplet metal‐metal‐to‐ligand‐charge‐transfer (3MMLCT) emissions of Pt(II) complexes having a large radiative decay rate is a promising strategy to develop efficient red and deep‐red emitters for practical organic light‐emitting diodes (OLEDs). The panel of robust luminescent dinuclear Pt(II) emitters described here features pyridine‐/pyrazine‐fused N‐heterocyclic carbene‐based cyclometalating ligands and ditopic bis‐µ2‐formamidinate bridging ligands. These complexes show intramolecular Pt–Pt distances of 2.85–2.87 Å, are thermally stable up to 446 °C, and display strong red and deep‐red 3MMLCT emission (604–689 nm) with emission quantum yields close to unity. Under laboratory conditions, red and deep‐red OLEDs with these complexes show high external quantum efficiencies (up to 21.3%) and prolonged operational lifetimes (LT97 up to 2446 h) at an initial luminance of 1000 cd m−2, highlighting the practicality of these dinuclear Pt(II) emitters in organic optoelectronics application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]