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While the link between the urban network and institutional context has been well established, there has been less work on the effect of shifting political economy on the mechanism of its intercity flows. In this paper, the investment dataset of Chinese publicly listed firms is used to construct corporate‐based urban networks with different ownership structures. Two straightforward but effective comparative analyses are conducted. The first distinguishes between networks formed by state‐controlled and nonstate‐controlled firms, and the second distinguishes between subnetworks formed by central‐ and local‐state power. By surveying the distinctions from the perspectives of state–market relations and central‐local government relations, we argue that the urban network in China is shaped by the varied forms in which the central government, local governments, and the private sector interact. To gain a more proper knowledge of the geographical patterns, this research recommends further field research into enterprise‐based linkages of multiple ownership. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aging is a significant risk factor for various human disorders, and DNA methylation clocks have emerged as powerful tools for estimating biological age and predicting health‐related outcomes. Methylation data from blood DNA has been a focus of more recently developed DNA methylation clocks. However, the impact of immune cell composition on epigenetic age acceleration (EAA) remains unclear as only some clocks incorporate partial cell type composition information when analyzing EAA. We investigated associations of 12 immune cell types measured by cell‐type deconvolution with EAA predicted by six widely‐used DNA methylation clocks in data from >10,000 blood samples. We observed significant associations of immune cell composition with EAA for all six clocks tested. Across the clocks, nine or more of the 12 cell types tested exhibited significant associations with EAA. Higher memory lymphocyte subtype proportions were associated with increased EAA, and naïve lymphocyte subtypes were associated with decreased EAA. To demonstrate the potential confounding of EAA by immune cell composition, we applied EAA in rheumatoid arthritis. Our research maps immune cell type contributions to EAA in human blood and offers opportunities to adjust for immune cell composition in EAA studies to a significantly more granular level. Understanding associations of EAA with immune profiles has implications for the interpretation of epigenetic age and its relevance in aging and disease research. Our detailed map of immune cell type contributions serves as a resource for studies utilizing epigenetic clocks across diverse research fields, including aging‐related diseases, precision medicine, and therapeutic interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alcohol consumption is popular worldwidely and closely associated with cardiovascular diseases. Influences of paternal preconception alcohol consumption on offspring cerebral arteries are largely unknown. Male rats were randomly given alcohol or water before being mated with alcohol‐naive females to produce alcohol‐ and control‐sired offspring. Middle cerebral artery (MCA) was tested with a Danish Myo Technology wire myograph, patch‐clamp, IONOPTIX, immunofluorescence and quantitative PCR. Alcohol consumption enhanced angiotensin II (AngII)‐mediated constriction in male offspring MCA mainly via AT1R. PD123,319 only augmented AngII‐induced constriction in control offspring. AngII and Bay K8644 induced stronger intracellular calcium transient in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) from MCA of alcohol offspring. L‐type voltage‐dependent calcium channel (L‐Ca2+) current at baseline and after AngII‐stimulation was higher in VSMCs. Influence of large‐conductance calcium‐activated potassium channel (BKCa) was lower. Caffeine induced stronger constriction and intracellular calcium release in alcohol offspring. Superoxide anion was higher in alcohol MCA than control. Tempol and thenoyltrifluoroacetone alleviated AngII‐mediated contractions, while inhibition was significantly higher in alcohol group. The mitochondria were swollen in alcohol MCA. Despite lower Kcnma1 and Prkce expression, many genes expressions were higher in alcohol group. Hypoxia induced reactive oxygen species production and increased AT1R expression in control MCA and rat aorta smooth muscle cell line. In conclusion, this study firstly demonstrated paternal preconception alcohol potentiated AngII‐mediated vasoconstriction in offspring MCA via ROS‐AT1R. Alcohol consumption increased intracellular calcium via L‐Ca2+ channel and endoplasmic reticulum and decreased BKCa function. The present study provided new information for male reproductive health and developmental origin of cerebrovascular diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on field and laboratory studies of the rock massifs in South Yakutia using remote earth sensing technologies, methods of scanning electron microscopy, X‐ray 3D tomography, lithological‐mineralogical and optical‐petrographic studies, quantitative data on the intensity of cryogenesis of granites and gneisses in this area were obtained. A 16%–20% increase in the fracturing of rocks at the near‐surface part of the rock massif was shown to have occurred over a 10‐year period; during this time, vertical landforms, represented by granites and gneisses, retreated at a rate of 3 mm per year. However, no variations in the chemical and mineral composition of these rock types were identified over the study period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A clear understanding of the dependence of the heat transfer process on the flow field in three‐dimensional (3D) rough fractures is crucial for many underground projects. In this study, 3D rough rock fractures with heterogeneous apertures and mechanical effects are established. Navier‐Stokes flow and local heat balance theory are used to simulate the seepage‐heat transfer coupling process. Five normal stresses and five flow velocities are set to quantify the influence of aperture variability on the flow field and heat transfer behavior of the fractures. The results show that the change in fracture aperture caused by normal stress is the direct cause of the nonlinear distribution of the flow field and temperature fluctuation. A quantitative parameter of temperature fluctuation degree in the fracture is proposed, which decreases exponentially with increasing fracture aperture and increases with greater flow velocity. An empirical model is established to describe the relationship between the heat transfer coefficient and the ratio of hydraulic aperture to mechanical aperture. The correctness of the model is verified by published seepage‐heat transfer coupling test results. The model is extended to establish the relationship between the heat transfer coefficient and the volume fraction of eddy. It is confirmed that the heat transfer coefficient increases with the augmentation of nonlinear flow, and the reason why the results of evaluating the heat transfer coefficient by roughness alone in related experiments are inconsistent is revealed. The results enhance the understanding of convective heat transfer characteristics in 3D rough rock fractures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, an oxidation‐controlled SnS2 gas sensor is reported. Different oxidation levels of SnS2 are constructed by adjusting the dosage ratio of reagents. The sensing response of oxidized SnS2 to NH3 is studied, and the working mechanism is explored. Results demonstrate that the different oxidation levels of SnS2 exhibit significantly improved gas‐sensing properties. In particular, oxidation‐controlled SnS2 (SnS2‐2 sample) shows a high response to NH3 (92 000%) with a fast response recovery time (17/2 s). The novelty of this work lies in the simple synthesis of SnS2 with oxidation regulation and its application as a high‐sensitivity NH3 gas sensor at room temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, it has been found that changing ambient conditions (CO2/N2, temperature, pH) can trigger a switchable phase transition of deep eutectic solvents, and such solvents are known as responsive deep eutectic solvents. In this work, we present the development history, properties, and preparation of responsive deep eutectic solvents, followed by the application of responsive deep eutectic solvents in the extraction and separation of bioactive compounds are presented. Importantly, the mechanism of responsive deep eutectic solvents in the extraction of bioactive compounds is discussed. Finally, the challenges and prospects of responsive deep eutectic solvents in the extraction and separation of bioactive compounds are proposed. Responsive deep eutectic solvents are considered green and efficient solvents. Some methods for extraction and separation of bioactive compounds by responsive deep eutectic solvents can increase the possibility of recycling the deep eutectic solvents, and provide higher efficiency in the extraction and separation field. It is hoped that this will provide a reference for the green and sustainable extraction and separation of various bioactive compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multiblock copolymers are envisioned as promising materials with enhanced properties and functionality compared with their diblock/triblock counterparts. However, the current approaches can construct multiblock copolymers with a limited number of blocks but tedious procedures. Here, we report a thioester‐relayed in‐chain cascade copolymerization strategy for the easy preparation of multiblock copolymers with on‐demand blocks, in which thioester groups with on‐demand numbers are built in the polymer backbone by controlled/living polymerizations. These thioester groups further serve as the in‐chain initiating centers to trigger the acyl group transfer ring‐opening polymerization of episulfides independently and concurrently to extend the polymer backbone into multiblock structures. The compositions, number of blocks, and block degree of polymerization can be easily regulated. This strategy can offer easy access to a library of multiblock copolymers with ≈100 blocks in only 2 to 4 steps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multiblock copolymers are envisioned as promising materials with enhanced properties and functionality compared with their diblock/triblock counterparts. However, the current approaches can construct multiblock copolymers with a limited number of blocks but tedious procedures. Here, we report a thioester‐relayed in‐chain cascade copolymerization strategy for the easy preparation of multiblock copolymers with on‐demand blocks, in which thioester groups with on‐demand numbers are built in the polymer backbone by controlled/living polymerizations. These thioester groups further serve as the in‐chain initiating centers to trigger the acyl group transfer ring‐opening polymerization of episulfides independently and concurrently to extend the polymer backbone into multiblock structures. The compositions, number of blocks, and block degree of polymerization can be easily regulated. This strategy can offer easy access to a library of multiblock copolymers with ≈100 blocks in only 2 to 4 steps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The narrow composition design space of high‐entropy transition metal diborides (HE TMB2) limits their further development. In this study we designed six quaternary and quinary high‐entropy transition metal and rare‐earth diborides (HE TMREB2) and investigated their phase stability using the energy distribution of the local mixing enthalpy of all possible configurations. The results show that both quaternary and quinary HE TMREB2 have higher enthalpic driving forces, which facilitates the formation of single‐phase AlB2‐type structures between TMB2 and REB2. Calculations of elastic constants show that the TMB2 component has the greatest effect on the c44 elastic constant and shear modulus G, while REB2 significantly influences the bulk modulus B. Furthermore, LuB2 and TmB2 substantially affect the elastic modulus anisotropy of HE TMB2. Rare‐earth atoms in HE TMREB2 can enhance the nonharmonic interactions between phonons, which results in a significant hindrance in the thermal transport of low‐frequency phonons as well as an increase in the volume thermal expansion coefficients. Thus, the incorporation of REB2 into HE TMB2 has a significant impact on the phase stability and properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mio‐Pliocene sedimentary archives of the East Asian summer monsoon (EASM) in NE Tibet record a monotonic response to orbital forcing, dominated by eccentricity. By contrast, Pleistocene archives display a more stochastic response that varies regionally and temporally. When and why this response changed is poorly understood. Here, we present a new high‐resolution Rb/Sr ratio data set of EASM intensity from the Sanmenxia Basin, North China, that spans the Plio‐Pleistocene transition. Our results indicate decreased monsoonal rainfall in the late Pliocene, dated at 2.75–2.6 Ma, associated with an intensified response to obliquity and enhanced climate stochasticity. This transition is attributed to the increase of Northern Hemisphere ice volume. Quaternary monsoons display a sensitivity unique to the modern icehouse with large bipolar ice sheets, while pre‐Quaternary monsoons were solely impacted by Antarctic ice sheet dynamics on orbital time‐scales. Plain Language Summary: The late Pliocene‐early Pleistocene transition (LP/EP) is a period of global cooling and the intensification of Northern Hemisphere glaciation. Yet, the evolution of the East Asian summer monsoon (EASM) during this time remains a topic of ongoing discussion and debate. Here we present high‐resolution paleoclimate data from a record of lake sediments across the Pliocene‐Pleistocene transition period. We show that there was a reorganization of the East Asian monsoon system 2.75–2.6 million years ago, associated with an increase in climate forcing caused by cyclic changes in Earth's tilt and in climate stochasticity. This transition is attributed to the appearance of new high‐latitude forcing mechanisms on monsoon intensity caused by the growth of ice sheets in the Northern Hemisphere. Key Points: Cyclic patterns in East Asian summer monsoonal intensity during the Pliocene were mainly driven by Antarctic ice sheet variationsA major reorganization of the East Asian climate system occurred at 2.75–2.6 Ma in response to Northern Hemisphere glaciationQuaternary East Asian summer monsoon on orbital scales displays a sensitivity that is unique to the modern icehouse with bipolar ice sheets [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent studies have found the connections between cognitive reappraisals' creativity and their regulatory efficacy. The present study proposed and tested a novel hypothesis on the function of cognitive reappraisals, especially creative ones. That is, whether they could positively alter negative emotional arousal toward unpleasant stimuli. To this end, two questions were investigated: (a) whether the creative reappraisals were more capable than ordinary ones of transforming the negative stimuli (pictures) to be perceived as positive, and (b) whether these two kinds of reappraisals made the "negative‐to‐positive transformation" through different mechanisms. To answer the first question, we examined the power of the creative and ordinary reappraisals in making the "negative‐to‐positive transformation" using an indirect and delayed "positive‐or‐negative" picture‐sorting task (Exp. 1, n = 41 with a statistical power of 0.877), or using a direct and immediate subjective rating (Exp. 2, n = 31 with a statistical power of 0.768). To answer the second question, we checked how the factor of creativeness (creative vs. ordinary reappraisal) interacted with the factor of "timing" (simultaneous vs. delayed reappraisal delivery, Exp. 1), or with that of "dose" (one vs. three reappraisal applications; Exp. 2), in making the "negative‐to‐positive transformation," respectively, and examined if the variation of "timing" or "dose" factors would exert different effects on the creative and ordinary reappraisals' regulatory function. Our results generally proved that creative reappraisal was more capable of making the "negative‐to‐positive transformation" than the ordinary reappraisal, regardless of the direct and indirect emotion evaluation ratings as well as the variations in the timing and dose of reappraisal delivery. Moreover, we found that these two kinds of reappraisals could show dissociable dose‐dependent effects (but not timing‐dependent ones), thus partially implying that creative and ordinary reappraisal might make the "negative‐to‐positive transformation" through fundamentally different processes or mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the factors that regulate the functioning of our ecosystems in response to environmental changes can help to maintain the stable provisioning of ecosystem services to mankind. This is especially relevant given the increased variability of environmental conditions due to human activities. In particular, maintaining a stable production and plant biomass during the growing season (intra‐annual stability) despite pervasive and directional changes in temperature and precipitation through time can help to secure food supply to wild animals, livestock, and humans. Here, we conducted a 29‐year field observational study in a temperate grassland to explore how the intra‐annual stability of primary productivity is influenced by biotic and abiotic variables through time. We found that intra‐annual precipitation variability in the growing season indirectly influenced the community intra‐annual biomass stability by its negative effect on intra‐annual species asynchrony. While the intra‐annual temperature variability in the growing season indirectly altered community intra‐annual biomass stability through affecting the intra‐annual species richness. At the same time, although the intra‐annual biomass stability of the dominant species and the dominant functional group were insensitive to climate variability, they also promoted the stable community biomass to a certain extent. Our results indicate that ongoing intra‐annual climate variability affects community intra‐annual biomass stability in the temperate grassland, which has important theoretical significance for us to take active measures to deal with climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thioether and its derivatives are important active pharmacophores, widely adopted in the molecular design of agrochemicals. The introduction of thioether into drug intermediate is important to improve the liposolubility, hydrophobicity, and bioactivity of molecules. For development of novel insecticides targeting at ryanodine receptor (RyR), a series of anthranilic diamides of N‐pyridylpyrazole derivatives containing 3‐thioether were designed and synthesized. The structures of these compounds were verified using 1H NMR, 13C NMR, and HRMS. Their insecticidal activities against Mythimna separata (M. separata, oriental armyworms) and Plutella xylostella (P. xylostella, diamondback moths) were evaluated and the preliminary structure–activity relationship (SAR) was discussed, among which 9f, 9g exhibited favorable insecticidal activities against M. separata at 5 mg/L (9f, 50%; 9g, 40%). In addition, insecticidal activity of the intermediate 8 indicated that bromomethyl group at 3‐position of pyrazole moiety has an important impact for retaining insecticidal activity. Calcium imaging experiment and molecular docking were carried out to elaborate insecticidal mechanism from the perspective of experiment and molecular simulation, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comprehensive Summary: Cheap metal (Fe, Mn, and Co)‐catalyzed hydroamination of alkenes has been an attractive method for synthesis of amines because of biocompatibility of metal, excellent Markovnikov selectivity and chemoselectivity. However, most reports are limited to unsaturated nitrogen sources (nitric oxide, azos, azides, cyano, etc.), for which aminated products are very limited. Notably, while used widely for fluorinating reaction, N‐fluorobenzenesulfonimide (NFSI) as amine source for hydroamination has seldom been reported. Here we developed a cobalt‐catalyzed intermolecular hydroamination of unactivated alkenes using NFSI as nitrogen source under mild conditions. The reaction exhibits excellent chemo‐ and regio‐selectivity with no hydrofluorination or linear‐selectivity products. Notably, the reaction proceeded with excellent yield even though the amount of Co(salen) catalyst was reduced to 0.2 mol%. Recently, a similar work was also reported by Zhang and coworkers (ref. 19). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poly(ethylene oxide)‐b‐poly(4‐vinylpyridine) (PEO‐b‐P4VP) block copolymers (BCPs) exhibiting lower disorder‐to‐order transition (LDOT) phase behavior are doped with different salts (LiCl, CuCl2, and FeCl3), in which both blocks can competitively associate with the metal ions. It is found that the entropy‐driven LDOT phase behavior of PEO‐b‐P4VP can be bi‐directionally adjusted by enthalpic interactions, depending on the complexation selectivity of metal ions toward two blocks and doping ratio (r). At low rs, Li+ ions preferentially interact with PEO block, leading to a decreased disorder‐to‐order transition temperature (TDOT). Cu2+ ions selectively complex with the P4VP block, and the TDOT first increases with increasing r, followed by a decrease. By contrast, Fe3+ ions interact strongly with both blocks, resulting in increase of TDOT. At high rs, the complexation selectivity becomes weaker, leading to reduced immiscibility and increased TDOT, as compared with the hybrids with low rs. The effects of metal cation and r on the LDOT phase behavior are qualitatively explained by the change of the Flory–Huggins parameter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Today, the threat of pathogenic bacterial infection worldwide that leads to the increase of mortality rate strongly demands the development of new antibacterial agents that can kill bacteria quickly and effectively. Although there are a lot of antibacterial agents that have been developed so far, few studies on the antibacterial performance of SnS have been investigated at 808 nm laser. Here, we synthesized SnS nanosheets with strong near‐infrared absorption performance and excellent antibacterial performance via a simple solvothermal synthesis route. The as‐prepared SnS nanosheets showed excellent photothermal conversion efficiency (38.7 %), photodynamic performance, and photostability, and at the same time 99.98 % and 99.7 % sterilization effect against Gram‐negative Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Gram‐positive Bacillus subtilis (B. subtilis) under near‐infrared irradiation (808 nm, 1.5 W/cm2). This study suggests that SnS nanosheets could be a promising candidate for antibacterial therapy owing to the synergetic effects of photothermal and photodynamic performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between language and thinking has long been a matter of debate and a research focus in studies on thinking and problem solving, including creativity. Previous behavioral studies have found that verbalization of one's internal thoughts does not participate in or even interfere with the creative insight process, thus suggesting that insight may take place nonverbally. In contrast to this hypothesis, the present study proposes a new one. That is, given that the basic categories or fundamental functions of key concepts or objects are critically changed or expanded during insightful thinking, the linguistic processing accompanying insight can be reflected as category‐related representation and recategorization processes, which can be critically mediated by the posterior middle temporal gyrus and the angular gyrus (pMTG/AG). Using constraint‐relaxation insight riddles as materials in a guided‐insight experimental design with external hints to trigger the insightful representational change, this preliminary neuroimaging study of 11 participants found the involvement of pMTG/AG during moments of induced insight, but did not find the activation of left ventral frontal areas which are typically involved in verbalizing of one's internal thoughts. Although this observation still cannot exclude the possibility of internal verbalization in insightful restructuring, it implies that linguistic processing in insight may take the more fundamental form of category‐related processing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), the output neurons of the retina, allow us to perceive our visual environment. RGCs respond to rod/cone input through the retinal circuitry, however, a small population of RGCs are in addition intrinsically photosensitive (ipRGCs) and project to unique targets in the brain to modulate a broad range of subconscious visual behaviors such as pupil constriction and circadian photoentrainment. Despite the discovery of ipRGCs nearly two decades ago, there is still little information about how or if conventional RGCs (non‐ipRGCs) target ipRGC‐recipient nuclei to influence subconscious visual behavior. Using a dual recombinase fluorescent reporter strategy, we showed that conventional RGCs innervate many subconscious ipRGC‐recipient nuclei, apart from the suprachiasmatic nucleus. We revealed previously unrecognized stratification patterns of retinal innervation from ipRGCs and conventional RGCs in the ventral portion of the lateral geniculate nucleus. Further, we found that the percent innervation of ipRGCs and conventional RGCs across ipsi‐ and contralateral nuclei differ. Our data provide a blueprint to understand how conventional RGCs and ipRGCs innervate different brain regions to influence subconscious visual behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between cognitive reappraisal's creativity (both novelty and appropriateness), positivity (the positive or negative attitudes), and emotion regulation efficacy was analyzed. Positivity was found to play a full mediating role between creativity and regulation effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the function of the hippocampus and adjacent medial temporal lobe (MTL) areas in forming associations is generally recognized, how MTL contributes to form creative associations that could result in novel and appropriate functions or meanings remains unclear. In this study, we compared highly creative combinations (HCCs) of two objects (e.g., that of "lifejacket" and "distress signal device") that resulted in genuine innovative designs comprising additionally unprecedented functions (the "1 + 1 > 2" effects) with the lowly creative combinations (LCCs, e.g., the combination of "set‐top box" and "jewelry box") that resulted in nothing more than simple "1 + 1 = 2" effects. The event‐related functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study found that during the "early binding phase," when the combinations of the two objects were initially encoded, the right parahippocampus was more intensively activated during the encoding of HCC relative to LCC trials. However, during the "late integration phase," when participants finally formed a holistic mental representation of new products based on the two‐object combinations, both HCCs and LCCs were found to be associated with significantly increased hippocampal and parahippocampal activation relative to the baseline condition, but at a similar level. In this "late integration phase," the functional areas appeared to be more intensively activated in HCCs relative to LCCs located in the posterior middle temporal gyrus (pMTG), the area known to mediate category‐related processing. Consistently, our supplementary behavioral study found that, relative to LCCs, HCCs had a higher possibility of resulting in some new conceptual expansions that differed from each of the original two objects that constituted the combinations. These findings indicate that the formation of creative combinations not only require MTL‐based novel association‐formation, but also pMTG‐based novel concept‐expansion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transition‐metal‐catalyzed C−H functionalization of aromatic secondary amides with alkynes mainly undergo C−H/N−H annulation but rarely undergo ortho‐alkenylation. It is particularly challenging to selectively realize both oxidative annulation and ortho‐alkenylation of aromatic secondary amides with alkynes in the transition‐metal‐catalysis. In this article, we synthesized fully‐substituted 2‐pyridones and 2,6‐naphthyridine‐1,5‐diones via C(sp2)−H functionalization of fumaramides for the first time. Under the Ru‐catalysis, fumaramides and 1,2‐diaryl ethynes first undergo C−H/N−H annulation leading to the intermediate 2‐pyridone with an exocyclic secondary amide, and subsequently undergo the unexpected stereoselective C−H alkenylation to realize fully substituted 2‐pyridones bearing an exocyclic anti alkenyl group. On the addition of K2CO3, however, the transformation of fumaramides with 1,2‐dialkyl ethyne undergoes two conventional C−H/N−H annulations to provide 2,6‐naphthyridine‐1,5‐diones in high yield. The two procedures can be successfully enlarged to gram‐scales without erosion of the yields. In addition, some 2‐pyridones and 2,6‐naphthyridine‐1,5‐diones emitting clear ultraviolent and fluorescent light, indicating the potential utility of this work in organic light‐emitting materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Lithium–sulfur (Li–S) batteries deliver a high theoretical energy density of 2600 Wh kg−1, and hold great promise to serve as a next‐generation high‐energy‐density battery system. Great progress has been achieved in cathode design to deal with the intrinsic problems of sulfur cathodes, including low conductivity, the dissolution of polysulfide intermediate, and volume fluctuation. However, aiming at the practical applications of Li–S batteries, the weight percentage of sulfur in cathode materials and the overall areal sulfur loading need to be significantly increased, which inevitably complicate the process and cause heavy shuttle effect, slow redox kinetics, and more undesirable reaction pathways. Recently, rationally designing efficient mediators, as well as incorporating them into a working battery, emerges to be a promising method to construct high‐energy‐density Li–S batteries. The influence of mediators on Li–S batteries appears to be the enhancement in redox kinetics and the increase in reaction efficiency. In this feature article, the mechanistic understanding of redox kinetics in Li–S reactions is discussed, and then a comprehensive analysis of the recent advances in both heterogeneous and homogeneous mediator design is provided. A mediator perspective in building high‐energy‐density Li–S batteries is also included. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ceramide NP (Cer‐NP) has favorable effects in treating dry skin and barrier damage; nevertheless, their efficacy is hindered by a relatively low skin permeability. The most common used method to evaluate drug permeability in cosmetic filed is Franz diffusion cell, which have limitations in terms of experimental materials and manipulation, making it difficult to reliably quantify drug permeability in vivo on the human skin. In contrast, confocal Raman spectroscopy (CRM) is regarded as a versatile tool for tracking of the penetration of active molecules through the skin, which is non‐invasive, non‐destructive, and real‐time and allows in vivo testing of ceramide permeability and efficacy as well. The goal of this study was to track the skin penetration of Cer‐NP nanoemulsions (NEs) into the inner forearm skin, and to assess the short‐term effects of Cer‐NP on stratum corneum (SC) thickness, hydration, and intercellular lipids (ICL) conformation order using the water content and lateral packing order Slat = I2880/I2850, which were obtained by CRM data. Cer‐NP penetrated into the SC and epidermis, and the amount of penetration reduced with depth and increased with duration and finally retained in the SC. The results also uncovered Cer‐NP‐promoted SC hydration and increased SC thickness and Slat. The research mentioned above demonstrated that Cer‐NP NEs successfully penetrated the skin and performed moisturizing and barrier restoration functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Stimuli‐responsive polymers built by reversible covalent bonds used to possess unbalanced mechanical properties. Here, a crosslinked polyurethane containing aromatic pinacol as a novel reversible CC bond provider is synthesized, whose tensile strength and failure strain are tunable from 27.3 MPa to as high as 115.2 MPa and from 324% to 1501%, respectively, owing to the relatively high bond energy of the CC bond of pinacol as well as the hydrogen bond between hard segments and semicrystalline soft segments. Moreover, the dynamic equilibrium of pinacol enables self‐healing and recycling of the polymer. Interestingly, the dynamic exchange among macromolecules, for the first time, successfully cooperates with solid‐state drawing that applies to thermoplastics, realizing strengthening of thermoset. Meanwhile, the radicals derived from homolysis of pinacol can repeatedly initiate polymerization of vinyl monomers. The fruitful outcomes of this work may create a series of promising new techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel strategy for highly sensitive electrochemical detection of uric acid (UA) was proposed based on graphene quantum dots (GQDs), GQDs were introduced as a suitable substrate for enzyme immobilisation. Uric oxidase (UOx) was immobilised on GQDs modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE). Transmission electron microscope, scanning electron microscopy, cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy techniques were used for characterising the electrochemical biosensor. The developed biosensor responds efficiently to UA presence over the concentration linear range 1–800 μM with the detection limit 0.3 μM. This novel biosensing platform based on UOx/GQDs electrode responded even more sensitively than that based on GCE modified by UOx alone. The inexpensive, reliable and sensitive sensing platform based on UOx/GQDs electrode provides wide potential applications in clinical. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In eukaryotic cells, a surveillance mechanism, the S phase checkpoint, detects and responds to insults that challenge chromosomal replication, arresting cell cycle progression and triggering appropriate events to prevent genomic instability. In the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Mec1/ ATM/ ATR, and its downstream kinase, Rad53/Chk2, mediate the response to genotoxic stress. In this study, we place Cip1, a recently identified Cdk1 inhibitor ( CKI), under the regulation of Mec1 and Rad53 in response to genotoxic stress. Cip1 accumulates dramatically in a Mec1- and Rad53-dependent manner upon replication stress. This increase requires the activity of MBF, but not the transcriptional activator kinase Dun1. At the protein level, stabilization of replication stress-induced Cip1 requires continued de novo protein synthesis. In addition, Cip1 is phosphorylated at an S/ TQ motif in a Mec1-dependent manner. Deletion of Cip1 affects proliferation in hydroxyurea-containing plates. Significantly, the sensitivity is increased when the dosage of the G1 cyclin CLN2 is increased, compatible to a role of Cip1 as a G1-cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor. In all, our results place Cip1 under the S phase checkpoint response to genotoxic stress. Furthermore, Cip1 plays a significant role to preserve viability in response to insults that threaten chromosome replication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Eight ladderphanes with C2-symmetric planar chiral ferrocene linkers are synthesized by ring opening metathesis polymerization of bisnorbornene monomers using Grubbs-I catalyst. The aminobenzoate in both monomers and polymers shows absorption maximum around 320 nm. Both monomers and polymers are Circular dichroism (CD) active. Little enhancements of CD profiles around 320 nm are observed for ladderphanes having chiral chloro- or phenyl-substituted ferrocene linkers. However, ladderphanes with a phenyl substituent on the cyclopendienyl ring exhibits enhancement of CD curves aound 240-300 nm. The congested phenyl moieties in adjacent linkers in this polymer might be well oriented such that interactions between these aromatic substituents on different monomeric units might provoke the enhancement of the CD curves in this region. When the methyl-substituted cyclopendienyl ligand is used for chiral ferrocene linkers, the ladderphanes exhibit two-fold enhancement of CD spectrum around 320 nm. This enhancement is further increased when the cyclopentadienyl ligand contains an additional phenyl substituent, owing to exciton coupling between aminobenzoate moieties in adjacent monomeric units. Moreover, the intensity of the CD curves in the region of 240-300 nm is significantly increased. These results suggest that the later polymer may adopt a posible helical structure. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2017, 55, 2999-3010 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Divergent synthesis of fluorine‐containing scaffolds starting from a suite of raw materials is an intriguing topic. Herein, we report the solvent‐controlled rhodium‐catalyzed tunable arylation of 1‐bromo‐2,2‐difluoroethylene. The selection of the reaction solvents provides switchable defluorinated or debrominated arylation from readily available feedstock resources (both arylboronic acids/esters and 1‐bromo‐2,2‐difluoroethylene are commercially available). This switch is feasible because of the difference in coordination ability between the solvent (CH2Cl2 or CH3CN) and the rhodium center, resulting in different olefin insertion. This protocol allows the convenient synthesis of monofluoroalkenes and gem‐difluoroalkenes, both of which are important scaffolds in the fields of medicine and materials. Moreover, this newly developed solvent‐regulated reaction system can be applied to the site‐selective dechlorinated arylation of trichloroethylene. Overall, this study provides a useful strategy for the divergent synthesis of fluorine‐containing scaffolds and provides insight into the importance of solvent selection in catalytic reactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Divergent synthesis of fluorine‐containing scaffolds starting from a suite of raw materials is an intriguing topic. Herein, we report the solvent‐controlled rhodium‐catalyzed tunable arylation of 1‐bromo‐2,2‐difluoroethylene. The selection of the reaction solvents provides switchable defluorinated or debrominated arylation from readily available feedstock resources (both arylboronic acids/esters and 1‐bromo‐2,2‐difluoroethylene are commercially available). This switch is feasible because of the difference in coordination ability between the solvent (CH2Cl2 or CH3CN) and the rhodium center, resulting in different olefin insertion. This protocol allows the convenient synthesis of monofluoroalkenes and gem‐difluoroalkenes, both of which are important scaffolds in the fields of medicine and materials. Moreover, this newly developed solvent‐regulated reaction system can be applied to the site‐selective dechlorinated arylation of trichloroethylene. Overall, this study provides a useful strategy for the divergent synthesis of fluorine‐containing scaffolds and provides insight into the importance of solvent selection in catalytic reactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon materials have attracted extensive attention as the host materials of sulfur for lithium-sulfur battery, especially those with 3D architectural structure. Here, a novel 3D graphene nanosheet-carbon nanotube (GN-CNT) matrix is obtained through a simple one-pot pyrolysis process. The length and density of CNTs can be readily tuned by altering the additive amount of carbon source (urea). Specifically, CNTs are in situ introduced onto the surface of the graphene nanosheets (GN) and show a stable covalent interaction with GN. Besides, in the GN-CNT matrix, cobalt nanoparticles with different diameters exist as being wrapped in the top of CNTs or scattering on the GN surface, and abundant heteroatoms (N, O) are detected, both of which can help in immobilizing sulfur species. Such a rationally designed 3D GN-CNT matrix makes much more sense in enhancing the electrochemical performance of the sulfur cathode for rapid charge transfer and favorable electrolyte infiltration. Moreover, the presence of dispersed cobalt nanoparticles is beneficial for trapping lithium polysulfides by strong chemical interaction, and facilitating the mutual transformation between the high-order polysulfides and low-order ones. As a result, the S/GN-CNT composite presents a high sulfur utilization and large capacity on the basis of the S/GN-CNT composite as active material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We prove that on a smooth metric measure space with m−Bakry-Émery curvature bounded from below by −( m − 1) K for some constant K≥0 (i.e., Ric f, m≥−( m − 1) K), the following degenerate elliptic equation [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new method for one-step construction of the tetracyclic core structure of the indole alkaloid (+)-minfiensine was developed utilizing a palladium-catalyzed asymmetric indole dearomatization/iminium cyclization cascade. An efficient total synthesis of (+)-minfiensine was realized using this strategy. The present method enables access to the common core structure of a series of monoterpene indole alkaloids, such as vincorine, echitamine, and aspidosphylline A. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new method for one-step construction of the tetracyclic core structure of the indole alkaloid (+)-minfiensine was developed utilizing a palladium-catalyzed asymmetric indole dearomatization/iminium cyclization cascade. An efficient total synthesis of (+)-minfiensine was realized using this strategy. The present method enables access to the common core structure of a series of monoterpene indole alkaloids, such as vincorine, echitamine, and aspidosphylline A. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article describes the arch plate technique for treating lumbosacral tuberculosis. Lumbosacral tuberculosis often leads to the destruction of anterior vertebral columns and presacral or iliopsoas abscess, which requires an anterior approach to achieve thorough debridement. Due to the complexity of the anatomical structure of lumbosacral spine and the high requirement of fixation stability, a combined posterior approach to perform internal fixation is necessary, which is rather traumatic. On the other hand, most of the current anterior lumbosacral internal fixation systems cannot be applied to spinal tuberculosis patients who have irregular bony endplate destruction. The arch plate was designed as a cephalic narrow and caudal wide trapezoid or triangle outline according to the preliminary anatomic research. In terms of the endplate bony destruction, a multidirectional technique was introduced in the arch screws, which enables surgeons to arbitrarily change the direction of the screw in the range of 5°-20°, which increases the length and the inclination angles in the sagittal plane of the implant screw and makes sure that the autologous iliac bone graft fits the irregular bone destruction for maximum stability. This study demonstrated the effectiveness of one-stage anterior debridement, bone grafting, and arch plate fixation to treat lumbosacral tuberculosis. The risk of intraoperative and postoperative complications, such as injury to major vessels, could be minimized. This surgical procedure had many advantages, including a shorter operation time, less blood loss, and better functional recovery over the conventional combined anterior and posterior approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cotton ( Gossypium hirsutum) fibre is an important natural raw material for textile industry in the world. Understanding the molecular mechanism of fibre development is important for the development of future cotton varieties with superior fibre quality. In this study, overexpression of Gh14-3-3L in cotton promoted fibre elongation, leading to an increase in mature fibre length. In contrast, suppression of expression of Gh14-3-3L, Gh14-3-3e and Gh14-3-3h in cotton slowed down fibre initiation and elongation. As a result, the mature fibres of the Gh14-3-3 RNAi transgenic plants were significantly shorter than those of wild type. This 'short fibre' phenotype of the 14-3-3 RNAi cotton could be partially rescued by application of 2,4-epibrassinolide ( BL). Expression levels of the BR-related and fibre-related genes were altered in the Gh14-3-3 transgenic fibres. Furthermore, we identified Gh14-3-3 interacting proteins (including Gh BZR1) in cotton. Site mutation assay revealed that Ser163 in Gh BZR1 and Lys51/56/53 in Gh14-3-3L/e/h were required for Gh14-3-3-Gh BZR1 interaction. Nuclear localization of Gh BZR1 protein was induced by BR, and phosphorylation of Gh BZR1 by Gh BIN2 kinase was helpful for its binding to Gh14-3-3 proteins. Additionally, 14-3-3-regulated Gh BZR1 protein may directly bind to Gh XTH1 and Gh EXP promoters to regulate gene expression for responding rapid fibre elongation. These results suggested that Gh14-3-3 proteins may be involved in regulating fibre initiation and elongation through their interacting with Gh BZR1 to modulate BR signalling. Thus, our study provides the candidate intrinsic genes for improving fibre yield and quality by genetic manipulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Normal and electrically stimulated PC12 cell cultures and the implantation of nerve guidance channels were performed to evaluate newly developed electrically conductive biodegradable polymer composites. Polypyrrole (PPy) doped by butane sulfonic acid showed a significantly higher number of viable cells compared with PPy doped by polystyrenesulfonate after a 6-day culture. The PC12 cells were left to proliferate for 6 days, and the PPy-coated membranes, showing less initial cell adherence, recorded the same proliferation rate as did the noncoated membranes. Direct current electricity at various intensities was applied to the PC12 cell-cultured conductive membranes. After 7 days, the greatest number of neurites appeared on the membranes with a current intensity approximating 1.7–8.4 μA/cm. Nerve guidance channels made of conductive biodegradable composite were implanted into rats to replace 8 mm of sciatic nerve. The implants were harvested after 2 months and analyzed with immunohistochemistry and transmission electron microscopy. The regenerated nerve tissue displayed myelinated axons and Schwann cells that were similar to those in the native nerve. Electrical stimulation applied through the electrically conductive biodegradable polymers therefore enhanced neurite outgrowth in a current-dependent fashion. The conductive polymers also supported sciatic nerve regeneration in rats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, we report a rare example of cationic three‐dimensional (3D) metal‐organic framework (MOF) of [Cu5Cl3(TMPP)]Cl5 ⋅ xSol (denoted as Cu−TMPP; H2TMPP=meso‐tetrakis (6‐methylpyridin‐3‐yl) porphyrin; xSol=encapsulated solvates) supported by [Cu8Cl6]10+ cluster secondary building units (SBUs) wherein the eight faces of the Cl−‐based octahedron are capped by eight Cu2+. Surface‐area analysis indicated that Cu−TMPP features a mesoporous structure and its solvate‐like Cl− counterions can be exchanged by BF4−, PF6−, and NO3−. The polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) coated Cu−TMPP (denoted as Cu−TMPP−PVP) demonstrated good ROS generating ability, producing ⋅OH in the absence of light (peroxidase‐like activity) and 1O2 on light irradiation (650 nm; 25 mW cm−2). This work highlights the potential of Cu−TMPP as a functional carrier of anionic guests such as drugs, for the combination therapy of cancer and other diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Dendrobium officinale flowers (DOF) have the effects of antiaging and nourishing yin, but it lacks pharmacological research on skin aging. Objective: Confirming the role of DOF in delaying skin aging based on the "in vitro animal–human" model. Methods: In this experiment, three kinds of free radical scavenging experiments in vitro, D‐galactose‐induced aging mouse model, and human antiaging efficacy test were used to test whether DOF can improve skin aging through anti‐oxidation. Results: In vitro experiment shows that DOF has certain scavenging effect on 2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical, hydroxyl free radical, and superoxide free radical, and its IC50 is 0.2090 μg/mL, 15.020, and 1.217 mg/mL respectively. DOF can enhance the activities of T‐AOC, SOD, CAT, and GSH Px in the serum of aging mice, increase the content of GSH, and reduce the content of MDA when administered with DOF of 1.0, 2.0, and 4.0 g/kg for 6 weeks. In addition, it can enhance the activity of SOD in the skin of aging mice, increase the content of Hyp, and decrease the content of MDA, activated Keap1/Nrf2 pathway in the skin of aging mice. Applying DOF with a concentration of 0.2 g/mL on the face for 8 weeks can significantly improve the skin water score and elasticity value, reduce facial wrinkles, pores, acne, and UV spots, and improve the facial brown spots and roughness. Conclusion: DOF can significantly improve skin aging caused by oxidative stress, and its mechanism may be related to scavenging free radicals in the body and improving skin quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We tested the incubation effect on promoting problem‐solving insight in a "test–incubation–retest" procedure in different groups receiving a reward notification (RN) before or after the incubation phase, or no RN. Only RN given before incubation significantly promoted creative performance, implying that incubation may help optimize the promoting effects of reward on creativity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of efficient and inexpensive materials for light energy conversion is very important for achieving sustainable energy supply and carbon neutrality. Polymeric carbon nitride has become a promising material for light energy conversion due to its advantages of simple preparation and high physical and chemical stability. However, the pristine polymeric carbon nitride only absorbs light with a wavelength of less than 450 nm, and the energy conversion for low‐energy photons is very limited. Here, by introducing the pyromellitic dianhydride component to construct an in‐plane heterostructure, the conjugated structure of polymeric carbon nitride is successfully expanded. This in‐plane carbon nitride‐carbon nanoribbon (C3N4‐C) heterostructure has an ultrawide absorption range from 200 to 2000 nm. Compared with the original material, the photothermal conversion performance of C3N4‐C is significantly improved under the irradiation of Xe lamp or infrared laser. Furthermore, C3N4‐C exhibits good potential for synergistic photothermal and chemotherapy. This work provides a simple strategy to construct expanded conjugate structure for improved light absorption and energy conversion materials based on polymeric carbon nitride. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is difficult to cureradically. Long non‐coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in LUAD are a hotspot in molecular research, however, the role of lncRNA ASMTL‐AS1 in LUAD is still unknown. Our study explores the role and mechanisms of ASMTL‐AS1 in LUAD. Quantitative reverse transcription PCR or western blot was utilized to analyze the expression of RNAs or proteins. The influences of ASMTL‐AS1 and SAT1 on LUAD cells were analyzed by functional assays. Biological instruments were applied to observe ferroptosis‐related markers. In vivo assays were performed to uncover the impact of ASMTL‐AS1 on LUAD. Moreover, mechanism assays were done to confirm the relationship among ASMTL‐AS1, SAT1 and U2AF2. Results showed that ASMTL‐AS1 was down‐regulated in LUAD cells and ASMTL‐AS1 up‐regulation resulted in retarded LUAD cell and xenograft tumor growth along with stimulated ferroptosis. ASMTL‐AS1 recruited U2AF2 to stabilize SAT1 mRNA. Furthermore, SAT1 exerted a cancer suppressor role in LUAD cells. In conclusion, we first demonstrated that ASMTL‐AS1 positively regulated SAT1 to promote ferroptosis and could stabilize SAT1 mRNA via recruiting U2AF2, shedding a light on a novel molecular mechanism in LUAD progression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Masculinizer gene, Masc, encodes a lepidopteran‐specific novel CCCH‐type zinc finger protein, which controls sex determination and dosage compensation in Bombyx mori. Considering the potential application of it in pest control, it is necessary to investigate the function of Masc gene in Hyphantria cunea, a globally invasive forest pest. In the present study, we identified and functionally characterized the Masc gene, HcMasc, in H. cunea. Sequence analysis revealed that HcMASC contained the conserved CCCH‐type zinc finger domain, nuclear localization signal, and male determining domain, in which the last was confirmed to be required for its masculinization in BmN cell line. However, expression data showed that unlike male‐biased expression in B. mori, HcMasc gene expresses in main all developmental stages or tissues in both sexes. Clustered regularly interspaced palindromic repeats (CRISPR) / CRISPR‐associated protein 9‐based disruption of the common exons 1 and 3 of the HcMasc gene resulted in imbalanced sex ratio and abnormal external genitalia of both sexes. Our results suggest that the HcMasc gene is required for both male and female sexual differentiation and dosage compensation in H. cunea and provide a foundation for developing better strategies to control this pest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Self‐repair of spinal cord injury (SCI) has been found in humans and experimental animals with partial recovery of neurological functions. However, the regulatory mechanisms underlying the spontaneous locomotion recovery after SCI are elusive. Aims: This study was aimed at evaluating the pathological changes in injured spinal cord and exploring the possible mechanism related to the spontaneous recovery. Results: Immunofluorescence staining was performed to detect GAP43 expression in lesion site after spinal cord transection (SCT) in rats. Then RNA sequencing and gene ontology (GO) analysis were employed to predict lncRNA that correlates with GAP43. LncRNA smart‐silencing was applied to verify the function of lncRNA vof16 in vitro, and knockout rats were used to evaluate its role in neurobehavioral functions after SCT. MicroRNA sequencing, target scan, and RNA22 prediction were performed to further explore the underlying regulatory mechanisms, and miR‐185‐5p stands out. A miR‐185‐5p site‐regulated relationship with GAP43 and vof16 was determined by luciferase activity analysis. GAP43‐silencing, miR‐185‐5p‐mimic/inhibitor, and miR‐185‐5p knockout rats were also applied to elucidate their effects on spinal cord neurite growth and neurobehavioral function after SCT. We found that a time‐dependent increase of GAP43 corresponded with the limited neurological recovery in rats with SCT. CRNA chip and GO analysis revealed lncRNA vof16 was the most functional in targeting GAP43 in SCT rats. Additionally, silencing vof16 suppressed neurite growth and attenuated the motor dysfunction in SCT rats. Luciferase reporter assay showed that miR‐185‐5p competitively bound the same regulatory region of vof16 and GAP43. Conclusions: Our data indicated miR‐185‐5p could be a detrimental factor in SCT, and vof16 may function as a ceRNA by competitively binding miR‐185‐5p to modulate GAP43 in the process of self‐recovery after SCT. Our study revealed a novel vof16‐miR‐185‐5p‐GAP43 regulatory network in neurological self‐repair after SCT and may underlie the potential treatment target for SCI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Control over the monomer sequence during polymerization has attracted great attention in polymer science, but it remains a serious challenge. Recently, multicomponent reactions have been playing a significant role in the synthesis of sequence‐controlled polymers due to their inherent advantage of combining three or more starting materials in time‐saving, one‐pot operations to afford complex microstructures. In this feature article, the recent representative developments in the synthesis of sequence‐controlled polymers by multicomponent reactions are highlighted to give insight on the design of novel sequence‐controlled polymers with sufficient molecular diversity and complexity. The main part of this article is divided into three sections according to the different polymerization strategies using multicomponent reactions: direct multicomponent polymerization, multicomponent cascade polymerization, and iterative multicomponent reaction, respectively. It is anticipated that this feature article may provide some guidance for the fabrication of sequence‐controlled polymers by multicomponent reactions. Multicomponent reactions play a significant role in the synthesis of sequence‐controlled polymers due to their inherent advantage of combining three or more starting materials in time‐saving, one‐pot operations. The recent representative developments in the synthesis of sequence‐controlled polymers by multicomponent reactions are highlighted in this feature article to give insight on the design of sequence‐controlled polymers with sufficient molecular diversity and complexity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the plastic behavior of crack tips is crucial for improving the fracture toughness of nanometals. Although many studies are carried out, most previous studies focus on pure metals, and how the crack tip accommodates the plastic deformation of highly concentrated solid‐solution alloys is unclear owing to a lack of direct atomic‐scale evidence. In this study, the atomic‐scale plastic behavior of the crack tip in face‐centered cubic (FCC) AuCu alloy nanocrystals is observed in situ, which provides direct evidence that plastic deformation is governed by the generation of deformation twins and hexagonal close‐packed (HCP) 2H and 4H phases, recurrence of reversible FCC‐HCP phase transitions, and detwinning, which are rarely observed in pure metals. This unusual behavior originates from the inherent chemical inhomogeneity of the AuCu alloy, which inhibits twin thickening via partial dislocations on the adjacent plane, instead of random generation of deformation twins, phase transitions, and reversible processes. This naturally implies a similar behavior at the crack tip in other highly concentrated solid‐solution alloys, including high‐medium‐entropy alloys, providing important insights that greatly improve the understanding of the fracture toughness of metallic materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Upon injury, nearby cells, including fibroblasts at the wound edge, are often found in a hypoxic microenvironment. Nevertheless, the influence of hypoxia on skin fibroblasts is poorly understood. Using previously established mouse full‐thickness wounds, we show that Bcl‐2 and adenovirus E1B 19‐kDa interacting protein 3 (BNIP3) expression was significantly elevated at the wound edge, and hypoxia treatment enhanced BNIP3 expression in fibroblasts. Interestingly, BNIP3 promoted the migration and proliferation, as well as the activation of autophagy, in fibroblasts under hypoxia. The hypoxia‐induced autophagy was found to induce the migration and proliferation of fibroblasts, a process that could be reversed by knocking down the autophagy‐related gene for autophagy protein 5, ATG5. Furthermore, hypoxia‐inducible factor 1 subunit alpha (HIF‐1α) was significantly upregulated in fibroblasts under hypoxia treatment, and HIF‐1α knockdown attenuated the hypoxia‐induced expression of BNIP3 and the migration and proliferation of fibroblasts. Altogether, our results establish the hypoxia‐BNIP3‐autophagy signaling axis as a newly identified regulatory mechanism of skin fibroblast migration and proliferation upon wounding. Autophagy intervening might thus represent a promising therapeutic strategy for patients with chronic refractory wounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study was conducted to determine the protective effect of Dexmedetomidine (DEX) in myocardial ischemia–reperfusion injury in hyperlipidemic rats. Towards this, the effect of DEX was first evaluated on the infarct size and the histopathology of cardiac tissues using TTC and H and E staining, and it was found that DEX significantly improved the infarct size and architecture of the myocardial tissues following the I/R injury. DEX also showed significant improvement in various examined hemodynamic parameters (e.g., LVSP, and ± dp/dtmax) in a dose‐dependent manner. The lipid profile (LDL, VLDL, TC, TG, and HDL level) of the rats were also found significantly improved in DEX‐treated rats. The level of various pro‐inflammatory cytokines (IL‐1β, IL‐6, IL‐10, IL‐17, and TNF‐α), cardiac injury (CK, CK‐MB, Troponin I AST, ALT, and LDH), and oxidative stress (MDA, SOD, and GSH) biomarkers were also found to be restored near to the normal in DEX‐treated group. It has been found that DEX also significantly reduces apoptosis of rat cardiomyocytes. In western blot analysis, DEX showed a significant reduction in the activation of NF‐κB. In conclusion, our study demonstrated the protective effect of Dexmedetomidine in myocardial ischemia–reperfusion injury in hyperlipidemic rats possibly via amelioration of oxidative stress, and inflammation apoptosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]