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Polarization is one of the fundamental properties of light and has an important application value, involving multiple fields, such as imaging, display, quantum computing, and biosensing. The artificial metasurface can achieve comprehensive control of electromagnetic waves, such as amplitudes, phases, and polarization states. Compared to traditional optical devices, the metasurfaces have advantages, such as small size and diverse functions, meeting the needs of modern optical systems for ultra-lightweight, ultra-compact, and multifunctional optical components. Chiral media are widely presented in various macroscopic and microscopic systems in nature. Circular dichroism (CD) is commonly used to describe the difference in absorption rates of left-handed circularly polarized light and right-handed circularly polarized light in chiral media. However, the optical response of chiral media in nature is usually weak and mainly located in the ultraviolet band, which limits their detection sensitivity and practical application range. In this work, we proposed a chiral metasurface model with four rectangular holes with proper rotation. By rotating the rectangular or elliptical holes at a certain angle, the symmetry of the structure is disrupted, making it chiral. The proposed metasurface devices were fabricated, and the optical measurements were performed, which were in good agreement with the designs. The normalized CD values are around 0.01 at the near-infrared region. This work provides a complete procedure of the metasurface device and initials chiral-tunable flat meta-devices. It also has broad application prospects in fields, such as polarization imaging, life sciences, and drug chiral detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The atmospheric pressure pulsed microwave He plasma jet has the advantages of high electron density and abundant active particles, but its shrinking on the discharge electrode morphology limits its application range. In order to modulate a He plasma jet with a longer plume and study its ionization development characteristics, we constructed a dual-channel pulsed microwave coaxial discharge device. He and air were, respectively, injected into the inner and outer gas channels of the resonator to generate a double-layer atmospheric pressure microwave plasma jet with a longer plume. It is observed that the bifurcation of the stratified plasma jet will occur by changing the gas flow. The ionization development of plasma jet was observed by using enhanced charge-coupled device and microwave Rayleigh scattering apparatus measured the space-time evolution of plasma and observed the three times ionization enhancement process of plasma jet development. The spectral lines of the active products associated with Penning ionization were observed by using a fiber optic spectrometer. A fluid model was constructed to simulate and analyze that under the condition of sufficient He flow rate (He flow rate is above 0.6 slm), there will be sufficient and stable He mole fraction (64%) at the stratification of the plasma jet. The experimental and simulation results show that the jet profile of the microwave He plasma is related to the inlet structure of the discharger and He flow rate. Stratified intake structure can produce stratified He plasma jet, and the unique appearance of bifurcation of jet can be produced by changing the flow rate of He. In the bifurcation process of the plasma jet, the product of Penning ionization inhibits the development of the main branch of the plasma jet, and the secondary electron avalanche of the local electric field promotes the formation of the branch of the plasma jet and is accompanied by the enhancement of the second ionization. The ionization mechanism of microwave He plasma is the resonance excitation of local enhanced electric field, the advance of ionizing waves, and the interaction between the spatially distributed active particles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, worldwide electric vehicle (EV) sales have experienced rapid growth, and recycling an enormous quantity of spent power batteries has become a challenge. This study aims to explore the optimal joint recycling strategy from the EV manufacturer's perspective by using game theory-based models. The model investigates four kinds of joint recycling strategies: 1) nonalliance (NA) mode, 2) alliance with the power battery manufacturer (APBM) mode, 3) alliance with the third-party recycler (ATPR) mode, and 4) integrated alliance (IA) mode. The results show that: 1) A deposit-refund system can effectively increase the recycling rate. However, an excessive upfront disposal fee will reduce overall profits. 2) For the closed-loop supply chain, the optimal alliance mode depends on the intensity of recycling competition. When recycling competition is fierce, the IA mode is the best alliance mode. When recycling competition is weak, the NA mode is the optimal choice from the recycling rate perspective, and the APBM mode is the optimal choice from the total profit perspective. 3) For the EV manufacturer, the alliance in which its proportion of the extra joint profit is highest tends to be the optimal choice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aiming at the large-scale application of metasurface in the field of radar stealth, we present a hybrid resonance-based and dispersion substrate integrated checkerboard metasurface (CMS) for reducing the radar cross section (RCS) of flat metallic targets. Considering the frequency-dependent characteristics of such a dispersion material, a pair of single and dual resonant artificial magnetic conductor meta-atoms with the modified "crusades-like" cell topologies is employed to maximize the operating bandwidth; besides, a comprehensive and thorough investigation on the resonance mechanism is conducted in this paper to provide an intuitive physical insight of meta-atoms' reflection responses. By comparing the predicted results with simulations, the quasi-periodic effect is introduced to explain the frequency shift of 10 dB RCS reduction bandwidth. In the implementation procedure, a prototype of the designed RCS reducer with a total dimension of 180 × 180 mm2 is fabricated and measured, the 10 dB RCS reduction bandwidth of theoretical simulation and experimental measurement are basically consistent, and the performance improvement of 8 dB RCS reduction in the experimental results can be attributed to the dispersion effects of the dielectric substrate. With a better figure of merit, our efforts may serve as a useful exemplar for the economical CMS architecture in radar evasive applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent decades, the research priority of ultra heat-resistant explosives (Td > 350 °C, comparable to TATB) has been to investigate innovative design strategies to balance and/or exceed energy-safety limitations. In this study, a series of novel energetic molecules (H1–H4) containing six membered nitrogen heterocycles and vicinal amine-nitro pyrazole were designed and synthesized. Among these compounds, H1, H2, and H4 exhibit high onset thermal decomposition temperatures exceeding 350 °C. It is worth noting that H4 shows an ultrahigh onset thermal decomposition temperature of 365 °C, with the highest detonation velocity (8889 m s−1) in the field of ultra heat-resistant explosives (Td > 350 °C). The prominent properties of H4 with intramolecular hydrogen bonding networks support its successful selection as an ideal ultra heat resistant explosive. This research would increase the likelihood of designing energetic materials with intramolecular hydrogen bonding networks and is a significant step toward the development of advanced ultra heat-resistant explosives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The photoredox electron donor–acceptor (EDA) complex‐mediated radical coupling reaction has gained prominence in the field of organic synthesis, finding widespread application in two‐component coupling reactions. However, EDA complex‐promoted multi‐component reactions are not well developed with only a limited number of examples have been reported. Herein, we report a photoinduced and EDA complex‐promoted highly chemoselective three‐component radical arylalkylation of [1.1.1]propellane, which allows the direct functionalization of C(sp3)−H with bicyclo[1.1.1]pentanes (BCP)‐aryl groups under mild conditions. A variety of unnatural α‐amino acids, featuring structurally diversified 1,3‐disubstituted BCP moieties, were synthesized in a single‐step process. Notably, leveraging the high tension release of [1.1.1]propellane, the highly unstable transient aryl radical undergoes rapid conversion into a relatively stable tertiary alkyl transient radical, and consequently, the competing side‐reaction of two‐component coupling was entirely suppressed. The strategic use of this transient radical conversion approach would be useful for the design of diverse EDA complex‐mediated multi‐component reactions. It is noteworthy that the highly chemoselective late‐stage incorporation of the 1,3‐disubstituted BCP pharmacophores into peptides was achieved both in liquid‐phase and solid‐phase reactions. This advancement is anticipated to have significant application potential in the future development of peptide drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The photoredox electron donor–acceptor (EDA) complex‐mediated radical coupling reaction has gained prominence in the field of organic synthesis, finding widespread application in two‐component coupling reactions. However, EDA complex‐promoted multi‐component reactions are not well developed with only a limited number of examples have been reported. Herein, we report a photoinduced and EDA complex‐promoted highly chemoselective three‐component radical arylalkylation of [1.1.1]propellane, which allows the direct functionalization of C(sp3)−H with bicyclo[1.1.1]pentanes (BCP)‐aryl groups under mild conditions. A variety of unnatural α‐amino acids, featuring structurally diversified 1,3‐disubstituted BCP moieties, were synthesized in a single‐step process. Notably, leveraging the high tension release of [1.1.1]propellane, the highly unstable transient aryl radical undergoes rapid conversion into a relatively stable tertiary alkyl transient radical, and consequently, the competing side‐reaction of two‐component coupling was entirely suppressed. The strategic use of this transient radical conversion approach would be useful for the design of diverse EDA complex‐mediated multi‐component reactions. It is noteworthy that the highly chemoselective late‐stage incorporation of the 1,3‐disubstituted BCP pharmacophores into peptides was achieved both in liquid‐phase and solid‐phase reactions. This advancement is anticipated to have significant application potential in the future development of peptide drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Active and stable electrocatalysts based on earth-abundant elements for the acidic oxygen evolution reaction (OER) are crucial for hydrogen production using proton-exchange membrane water electrolyzers. Herein, nickel-doped manganese oxide nanorods (Ni–MnO2) are prepared using a hydrothermal method in an acidic environment. The nanorods exhibit moderate stability towards the OER in 0.1 M HClO4. Doping Ni enhances OER activity, which originates from the electronic interaction that tunes the adsorption energy of OH*, which is an important OER intermediate. The most active electrode exhibits an overpotential of 390 mV to reach 10 mA cm−2 OER current density in 0.1 M HClO4. All electrodes prepared are stable towards 10 mA cm−2 galvanostatic test for at least 5 h. The dissolution of Ni and Mn species is observed, and the crystalline phase transforms to the amorphous phase under prolonged OER. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The microscopic reaction pathway plays a crucial role in determining the electrochemical performance. However, artificially manipulating the reaction pathway still faces considerable challenges. In this study, we focus on the classical acidic water oxidation based on RuO2 catalysts, which currently face the issues of low activity and poor stability. As a proof-of-concept, we propose a strategy to create local structural symmetry but oxidation-state asymmetric Mn4-δ-O-Ru4+δ active sites by introducing Mn atoms into RuO2 host, thereby switching the reaction pathway from traditional adsorbate evolution mechanism to oxide path mechanism. Through advanced operando synchrotron spectroscopies and density functional theory calculations, we demonstrate the synergistic effect of dual-active metal sites in asymmetric Mn4-δ-O-Ru4+δ microstructure in optimizing the adsorption energy and rate-determining step barrier via an oxide path mechanism. This study highlights the importance of engineering reaction pathways and provides an alternative strategy for promoting acidic water oxidation. Microscopic reaction pathways are crucial for electrochemical performance, but manipulating them remains challenging. Here, the authors report an approach that involves integrating Mn into RuO2 catalysts to switch the reaction mechanism of the oxygen evolution reaction from a traditional single metal-site adsorbate evolution mechanism to a different dual-metal-site oxide path mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The microscopic reaction pathway plays a crucial role in determining the electrochemical performance. However, artificially manipulating the reaction pathway still faces considerable challenges. In this study, we focus on the classical acidic water oxidation based on RuO2 catalysts, which currently face the issues of low activity and poor stability. As a proof-of-concept, we propose a strategy to create local structural symmetry but oxidation-state asymmetric Mn4-δ-O-Ru4+δ active sites by introducing Mn atoms into RuO2 host, thereby switching the reaction pathway from traditional adsorbate evolution mechanism to oxide path mechanism. Through advanced operando synchrotron spectroscopies and density functional theory calculations, we demonstrate the synergistic effect of dual-active metal sites in asymmetric Mn4-δ-O-Ru4+δ microstructure in optimizing the adsorption energy and rate-determining step barrier via an oxide path mechanism. This study highlights the importance of engineering reaction pathways and provides an alternative strategy for promoting acidic water oxidation. Microscopic reaction pathways are crucial for electrochemical performance, but manipulating them remains challenging. Here, the authors report an approach that involves integrating Mn into RuO2 catalysts to switch the reaction mechanism of the oxygen evolution reaction from a traditional single metal-site adsorbate evolution mechanism to a different dual-metal-site oxide path mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Taihu Lake basin is one of the fastest-growing regions in China, where the natural environment has been seriously affected by humans. The plant area index (PAI) is an important parameter reflecting the change in vegetation growth, which plays a crucial role in studying vegetation growth and protecting the ecological environment. Advancements in remote sensing technology, complemented by machine learning techniques, have facilitated the accurate and efficient acquisition of PAI over large areas. In this study, the Taihu Lake Basin vegetation area was taken as the research object. Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI) point cloud data and Landsat-8 remote sensing images were the primary information sources. MODIS land cover types were utilized to classify the vegetation into six categories. Three classical machine learning models, namely, Random Forest (RF), Support Vector Regression (SVR), and Back Propagation Neural Network (BPNN), were used to estimate the PAI in the Taihu Lake Basin. It was found that the RF model showed the best performance. The determination coefficients (R2) for grassland, evergreen forest, mixed forest, deciduous forest, farmland, and wetland were 0.71, 0.67, 0.69, 0.66, 0.65, and 0.69, respectively. Over 2000-2022, the PAI exhibited an absolute change rate of 0.035, with an overall increasing trend. The area of improved and degraded vegetation accounted for 58.33% and 41.67% of the total area, respectively. The study also revealed that PAI was positively correlated with precipitation (R = 0.64, P < 0.05) and negatively correlated with temperature (R = -0.58, P < 0.05). Different land types' effects on PAI were also analyzed, with wetland PAI having the smallest mean value and evergreen forest PAI having the most considerable mean value. This research underscores the effectiveness of integrating GEDI data and Landsat-8 imagery in PAI assessment, providing valuable insights for environmental monitoring and analysis in the Taihu Lake Basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grassland vegetation phenology has undergone great changes under the influence of climate, which affects ecosystem functions and services. However, the mechanism of preseason climatic factors in driving phenological shifts is unclear. In this study, we determined the start (SOS) and peak (POS) of the growing season for Inner Mongolian grasslands using gross primary productivity data (2000-2018). We investigated the spatiotemporal changes of SOS and POS and elucidated the mechanisms behind these changes by analyzing how these phenological events were influenced by the specific preseason climatic requirements (precipitation, air temperature, and solar radiation). Our results revealed that the SOS significantly advanced at a rate of 0.65 days/a, while the POS was stable across the study area. At the pixel scale, areas with initially later SOS and POS exhibited stronger advanced trends. An earlier SOS and POS were associated with lower thermal requirements, including air temperature and solar radiation. Conversely, a delayed SOS and POS necessitated higher climatic requirements. The impact of preseason precipitation on both SOS and POS demonstrated notable spatial variability. Moreover, the effects of different climatic factors on phenology were not in sync due to regional environmental disparities. Our study provides insight into the mechanisms underlying phenological shifts in grassland ecosystems under climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aging is a complex multifactorial process associated with epigenome dysregulation, increased cellular senescence, and decreased rejuvenation capacity. Short-term cyclic expression of octamer-binding transcription factor 4 (Oct4), sex-determining region Y-box 2 (Sox2), Kruppel-like factor 4 (Klf4), and cellular myelocytomatosis oncogene (cMyc) (OSKM) in wild-type mice improves health but fails to distinguish cell states, posing risks to healthy cells. Here, we delivered a single dose of adeno-associated viruses (AAVs) harboring OSK under the control of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 2a (Cdkn2a) promoter to specifically partially reprogram aged and stressed cells in a mouse model of Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS). Mice showed reduced expression of proinflammatory cytokines and extended life spans upon aged cell–specific OSK expression. The bone marrow and spleen, in particular, showed pronounced gene expression changes, and partial reprogramming in aged HGPS mice led to a shift in the cellular composition of the hematopoietic stem cell compartment toward that of young mice. Administration of AAVs carrying Cdkn2a-OSK to naturally aged wild-type mice also delayed aging phenotypes and extended life spans without altering the incidence of tumor development. Furthermore, intradermal injection of AAVs carrying Cdkn2a-OSK led to improved wound healing in aged wild-type mice. Expression of CDKN2A-OSK in aging or stressed human primary fibroblasts led to reduced expression of inflammation-related genes but did not alter the expression of cell cycle–related genes. This targeted partial reprogramming approach may therefore facilitate the development of strategies to improve health and life span and enhance resilience in the elderly. Editor's summary: Partial cellular reprogramming via cyclic expression of octamer-binding transcription factor 4, sex-determining region Y-box 2, Kruppel-like factor 4, and cellular myelocytomatosis oncogene (OSKM) improves health and life span in mouse models but may lead to tumor induction or organ damage. Here, Sahu and colleagues used adeno-associated viruses to deliver OSK under the control of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 2a (Cdkn2a) promoter to specifically target stressed and senescent cells in a mouse model of Hutchinson-Guilford progeria syndrome. Treatment extended life spans and improved overall fitness, associated with a shift in the transcriptome toward that seen in younger mice. Similar effects occurred in aged wild-type mice and treatment did not increase tumor occurrence, suggesting that targeting partial cellular reprogramming to specific cell populations may be a more viable rejuvenation strategy moving forward. —Melissa L. Norton [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sub‐nanoporous membranes with ion selective transport functions are important for energy utilization, environmental remediation, and fundamental bioinspired engineering. Although mono/multivalent ions can be separated by monovalent ion selective membranes (MISMs), the current theory fails to inspire rapid advances in MISMs. Here, we apply transition state theory (TST) by regulating the enthalpy barrier (ΔH) and entropy barrier (ΔS) for designing next‐generation monovalent cation exchange membranes (MCEMs) with great improvement in ion selective separation. Using a molecule‐absorbed porous material as an interlayer to construct a denser selective layer can achieve a greater absolute value of ΔS for Li+ and Mg2+ transport, greater ΔH for Mg2+ transport and lower ΔH for Li+ transport. This recorded performance with a Li+/Mg2+ perm‐selectivity of 25.50 and a Li+ flux of 1.86 mol ⋅ m−2 ⋅ h−1 surpasses the contemporary "upper bound" plot for Li+/Mg2+ separations. Most importantly, our synthesized MCEM also demonstrates excellent operational stability during the selective electrodialysis (S‐ED) processes for realizing scalability in practical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sub‐nanoporous membranes with ion selective transport functions are important for energy utilization, environmental remediation, and fundamental bioinspired engineering. Although mono/multivalent ions can be separated by monovalent ion selective membranes (MISMs), the current theory fails to inspire rapid advances in MISMs. Here, we apply transition state theory (TST) by regulating the enthalpy barrier (ΔH) and entropy barrier (ΔS) for designing next‐generation monovalent cation exchange membranes (MCEMs) with great improvement in ion selective separation. Using a molecule‐absorbed porous material as an interlayer to construct a denser selective layer can achieve a greater absolute value of ΔS for Li+ and Mg2+ transport, greater ΔH for Mg2+ transport and lower ΔH for Li+ transport. This recorded performance with a Li+/Mg2+ perm‐selectivity of 25.50 and a Li+ flux of 1.86 mol ⋅ m−2 ⋅ h−1 surpasses the contemporary "upper bound" plot for Li+/Mg2+ separations. Most importantly, our synthesized MCEM also demonstrates excellent operational stability during the selective electrodialysis (S‐ED) processes for realizing scalability in practical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The role of the geriatric nutritional risk index (GNRI) as a prognostic factor in intensive care unit (ICU) patients with acute kidney injury (AKI) remains uncertain. Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of the GNRI on mortality outcomes in critically ill patients with AKI. Methods: For this retrospective study, we included 12,058 patients who were diagnosed with AKI based on ICD-9 codes from the eICU Collaborative Research Database. Based on the values of GNRI, nutrition-related risks were categorized into four groups: major risk (GNRI < 82), moderate risk (82 ≤ GNRI < 92), low risk (92 ≤ GNRI < 98), and no risk (GNRI ≥ 98). Multivariate analysis was used to evaluate the relationship between GNRI and outcomes. Results: Patients with higher nutrition-related risk tended to be older, female, had lower blood pressure, lower body mass index, and more comorbidities. Multivariate analysis showed GNRI scores were associated with in-hospital mortality. (Major risk vs. No risk: OR, 95% CI: 1.90, 1.54–2.33, P < 0.001, P for trend < 0.001). Moreover, increased nutrition-related risk was negatively associated with the length of hospital stay (Coefficient: -0.033; P < 0.001) and the length of ICU stay (Coefficient: -0.108; P < 0.001). The association between GNRI scores and the risks of in-hospital mortality was consistent in all subgroups. Conclusions: GNRI serves as a significant nutrition assessment tool that is pivotal to predicting the prognosis of critically ill patients with AKI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and cholecystitis share overlapping symptoms, including belching, acid reflux, and heartburn. Despite this, the causal relationship between these two conditions remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the causal link between GERD and cholecystitis using a Mendelian randomization (MR) approach. Methods: A two-sample MR analysis was conducted using the inverse variance weighted (IVW), weighted median, weighted mode, and MR-Egger method to assess the causal effects of GERD on the cholecystitis risk. Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) on GERD (N cases = 129080; N controls = 473524) and cholecystitis (N cases = 1930; N controls =359264) were obtained from the IEU Open GWAS project. Various techniques were employed to assess pleiotropy and heterogeneity. Results: Seventy-seven single nucleotide polymorphisms from GERD GWASs were selected as instrumental variables (IVs). The primary IVW method revealed a significant association between GERD and an increased risk of cholecystitis (odds ratio = 1.004; 95% confidence interval = 1.003–1.005, p = 2.68 × 10− 9). The absence of heterogeneity and pleiotropy in the data supports the reliability of the results. Conclusions: GERD was positively associated with the risk of cholecystitis. This study provides insights into potential avenues for the development of prevention strategies and treatment options for cholecystitis in patients with GERD. These findings contribute to our understanding of the complex interplay between GERD and cholecystitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hairpin structure is a common and fundamental secondary structure in macromolecules. In this work, the process of the translocation of a model polymer chain with a hairpin structure is studied using Langevin dynamics simulations. The simulation results show that the dynamics of hairpin polymer translocation through a nanopore are influenced by the hairpin structure. Hairpin polymers can be classified into three categories, namely, linear-like, unsteady hairpin, and steady hairpin, according to the interaction with the stem structure. The translocation behavior of linear-like polymers is similar to that of a linear polymer chain. The time taken for the translocation of unsteady hairpin polymers is longer than that for a linear chain because it takes a long time to unfold the hairpin structure, and this time increases with stem interaction and decreases with the driving force. The translocation of steady hairpin polymers is distinct, especially under a weak driving force; the difficulty of unfolding the hairpin structure leads to a low translocation probability and a short translocation time. The translocation behavior of hairpin polymers can be explained by the theory of the free-energy landscape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

N6‐methyladenosine (m6A) is the most abundant modification of RNA in eukaryotic cells. Previous studies have shown that m6A is pivotal in diverse diseases especially cancer. m6A corelates with the initiation, progression, resistance, invasion, and metastasis of cancer. However, despite these insights, a comprehensive understanding of its specific roles and mechanisms within the complex landscape of cancer is still elusive. This review begins by outlining the key regulatory proteins of m6A modification and their posttranslational modifications (PTMs), as well as the role in chromatin accessibility and transcriptional activity within cancer cells. Additionally, it highlights that m6A modifications impact cancer progression by modulating programmed cell death mechanisms and affecting the tumor microenvironment through various cancer‐associated immune cells. Furthermore, the review discusses how microorganisms can induce enduring epigenetic changes and oncogenic effect in microorganism‐associated cancers by altering m6A modifications. Last, it delves into the role of m6A modification in cancer immunotherapy, encompassing RNA therapy, immune checkpoint blockade, cytokine therapy, adoptive cell transfer therapy, and direct targeting of m6A regulators. Overall, this review clarifies the multifaceted role of m6A modification in cancer and explores targeted therapies aimed at manipulating m6A modification, aiming to advance cancer research and improve patient outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Euphorbia dentata Michx. is an invasive plant species in China, known for its toxicity and potential to reduce crop yields, posing numerous threats. To gain a deeper understanding of this invasive plant, phytochemical methods were employed to isolate 13 terpenoids (1–11, 19, 20) and 7 sterols (12–18) from the ethanol extract of E. dentata, identifying one new compound and 19 known compounds. Within spectroscopic methods such as NMR, HR-ESI-MS, and ECD, the structures and absolute configurations of these compounds were established. Among them, dentatacid A (11) possesses an unprecedented 2, 3-seco-arbor-2, 3-dioic skeleton within the potential biosynthetic pathway proposed. Dentatacid A also exhibited excellent anti-proliferative activity against the HT-29 (human colorectal adenocarcinoma) cell line, with an IC50 value of 2.64 ± 0.78 μM, which was further confirmed through network pharmacology and molecular docking. This study significantly expands the chemical diversity of E. dentata and offers new insights into the resource utilization and management of this invasive plant from the perspective of natural product discovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fish swim bladder (FSB) is a type of traditional nutraceutical, but the lack of high-quality drying methods limits its premium market development. In order to obtain optimal-quality dried FSBs from Chinese longsnout catfish, the effects of liquid nitrogen pre-freezing (LNF) and drying on the physical properties and flavor of FSB were evaluated. Four methods were used for FSB drying, including natural air-drying (ND), hot-air-drying (HD), LNF combined with freeze-drying (LN-FD), and LNF combined with HD (LN-HD). Color, collagen content, rehydration ratio, textural properties, and flavor characteristics (by GC-IMS, E-nose, and E-tongue) were measured to clarify the differences among four dried FSBs. The results showed that ND cannot effectively remove moisture from FSB as the final product showed a stronger sourness in taste. HD led to a decrease in the collagen content and the collapse of the fiber structure in FSB. Compared to HD, LN-HD showed a higher collagen content (0.56 g/g) and a different flavor fingerprint. FSB treated by LN-FD had better physical qualities in terms of an attractive color, a high collagen content (0.79 g/g), low shrinkage, a higher rehydration ratio (2.85), and a soft texture, while also possessing richer characteristic flavors. The application of LN-FD may help the optimization of the nutrition level, rehydration ability, mouthfeel, and flavor of dried FSB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As mining engineering progresses into the deep excavation phase, the intensification of high pressure, high temperature, strong disturbances, and complex geological conditions becomes increasingly prominent. Researchers perform stability analysis on the excavation area to reduce potential safety hazards during the extraction process. Developing a detailed numerical calculation model that accurately reflects the true geological structure is essential for numerical simulation analysis in mining engineering. Based on the excellent 3D geological modeling capabilities of 3D Mine software, this paper introduces a new 3D geological and numerical unified modeling method (3DMine-Rhino-HyperMesh) involving multi-software coupling and details the specific steps and concepts of this modeling approach. Subsequently, using a certain open-pit mine in Panzhihua as a backdrop, a detailed geological and numerical unified model is established, reflecting the true geological structure of the mining area, and the potential failure mechanisms of the mine slope are analyzed. The results indicate that the modeling method aligns well with the actual geological conditions, enhancing the grid quality of the numerical model and offering a new modeling approach for simulating and analyzing large complex geological entities in mining operations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solid-state shear milling (S3M) equipment is an evolution from traditional stone mills, enabling the processing of polymer materials and fillers through crushing, mixing, and mechanochemical reactions at ambient temperature. Due to the complex structure of the mill-pan, empirical data alone are insufficient to give a comprehensive understanding of the physicochemical interactions during the milling process. To provide an in-depth insight of the working effect and mechanism of S3M equipment, finite element method (FEM) analysis is employed to simulate the milling dynamics, which substantiates the correlation between numerical outcomes and experimental observations. A model simplification strategy is proposed to optimize calculation time without compromising accuracy. The findings in this work demonstrate the S-S bond breakage mechanism behind stress-induced devulcanization and suggest the structural optimizations for enhancing the devulcanization and pulverization efficiency of S3M equipment, thereby providing a theoretical foundation for its application in material processing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Automatic classification of buildings within port areas from synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images is crucial for effective port monitoring and planning. Yet, the unique challenges of SAR imaging, such as side-looking geometry, multi-bouncing scattering, and the compact arrangement of structures, often lead to incomplete building structures and blurred boundaries in classification results. To address these issues, this paper introduces SPformer, an efficient and lightweight pyramid transformer model tailored for semantic segmentation. The SPformer utilizes a pyramid transformer encoder with spatially separable self-attention (SSSA) to refine both local and global spatial information and to process multi-scale features, enhancing the accuracy of building structure delineation. It also integrates a lightweight all multi-layer perceptron (ALL-MLP) decoder to consolidate multi-scale information across various depths and attention scopes, refining detail processing. Experimental results on the Gaofen-3 (GF-3) 1 m port building classification dataset demonstrate the effectiveness of SPformer, achieving competitive performance compared to state-of-the-art models, with mean intersection over union (mIoU) and mean F1-score (mF1) reaching 77.14% and 87.04%, respectively, while maintaining a compact model size and lower computational requirements. Experiments conducted on the entire scene of SAR images covering port area also show the good capabilities of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The assessment of soil erosion in a region can provide an effective reference for local ecological environment management. The Yunnan–Guizhou Plateau54 is an important ecological security barrier in southwest China, owing to its unique climatic and environmental characteristics and superior natural resource endowment. The current research focus is the spatial analysis of a certain area. In this study, soil erosion in the Yunnan–Guizhou Plateau during 2000–2030 was analyzed and predicted from two aspects of structure and spatial layout by coupling several models. The report also analyzes the shift in the center of gravity of land use and analyzes the drivers of soil erosion, analyzing soil erosion by land use type. The study shows a decreasing trend in the soil erosion modulus from 2000 to 2020 from 1183.69 to 704.58 t·hm−2·a−1, but it is expected to have an increasing trend in the future and will increase to 877.72 t·hm−2·a−1. Analyzing the drivers of soil erosion allows for testing whether the factor affects the spatial distribution of the independent variable and to what extent it explains that dependent variable. This study showed that elevation had the highest explanatory power for soil erosion. Relatively high mountainous areas are often subject to greater soil erosion due to their steep topography, resulting in poorer vegetation cover. The north–south offset distance is greater than the east–west offset distance for forested land, water and unutilized land, and the east–west offset distance is greater than the north–south offset distance for cropland, grassland and built-up land in the Yunnan–Guizhou Plateau. The purpose of this study is to identify areas of serious soil erosion vulnerability in the Yunnan–Guizhou Plateau, and to analyze the driving factors affecting soil erosion vulnerability, so as to provide a basis for regional soil erosion management, and, at the same time, to provide a reference for the government to formulate soil and water conservation measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An integrated construction station for an expressway is characterized by complex carbon emission sources and high carbon emission intensity. Conducting carbon emissions accounting makes possible a comprehensive understanding of these characteristics, enabling targeted and guided carbon reduction efforts, which is crucial for advancing the low-carbon development of expressway construction. This paper, based on an in-depth analysis of the carbon emission structure during the operational period of an integrated expressway construction station identifies, as calculation boundaries, eight categories: residential areas, station transportation, mixing stations, precast beams, steel bar yards, artificial carbon emissions, chemical reactions during construction, and construction conditions. The study adopts a "bottom-up" approach to carbon emission measurement and constructs a carbon emission model for the production and operational period of the integrated construction station, based on the carbon emission factor method. Using the SG-2 section of the Fengqiu to Xiuwu stretch of the Changxiu Expressway as an engineering case, carbon emissions accounting for each component of the integrated construction station's operational period was conducted, and the results were compared with the station's monitoring system. High-precision characterization and calculation of total carbon emissions, as well as emissions from each process and piece of equipment during the operational period, were achieved. The results indicate that: (1) the relative error between the overall calculation results and actual monitoring is 3.6%, verifying the model's accuracy; (2) the monthly carbon emissions of the integrated construction station during the operational period reached 72.15 tons; (3) there is a significant difference in carbon emissions among the different processes, with the highest emissions coming from transportation and residential areas, accounting for 43.4% and 23.7%, respectively. Therefore, electrification of transportation equipment could significantly reduce the overall carbon emissions of the integrated construction station. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of the second-phase morphology on dynamic recrystallisation in a Mg–9Gd–0.8Al alloy during hot extrusion was investigated at a temperature of 400 ℃. Microstructure analysis of the as-cast Mg–9Gd–0.8Al alloy revealed a predominant composition comprising an α-Mg matrix, a petal-like (Mg,Al)3Gd phase, and a lamellar Mg5Gd phase along the grain boundary, along with a small proportion of a square Al2Gd phase within the grain. Upon subjecting the alloy to a solid-solution treatment at 540 ℃, the lamellar phase underwent precipitation, eventually dissolving into the matrix as the treatment time increased. The recrystallisation volume fraction of the alloy showed a positive correlation with the solution time following hot extrusion at 400 ℃. The mechanical properties of the extruded alloy were tested, and the results revealed that the as-cast extruded alloy had the highest tensile strength of 317 MPa among the tested samples, mainly owing to its bimodal structure. Moreover, the broken (Mg,Al)3Gd phase initiated particle-stimulated nucleation. Here, the extruded alloy subjected to 10 h of solution treatment exhibited the highest yield strength of 240 MPa. The increased yield strength was attributed to the presence of the broken (Mg,Al)3Gd phase and the dispersion of lamellar (Mg,Al)2Gd phases at the recrystallised grain boundaries. Notably, the alloy extruded with a treated solution for 50 h exhibited the most favourable plasticity compared to the others, achieving an elongation of 29.7%. These results underscore the significance of the study in understanding the relationship between the second-phase morphology and alloy behaviour after hot extrusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Earthquake is one of the main factors causing structural disasters in current buildings. Under earthquake action, adjacent building structures are generally in different vibration stages, and collisions may occur in the structures, which may cause serious damage to the structure. In order to prevent certain earthquakes from damaging the designed buildings, this article mainly introduced the design and analysis of a numerical algorithm for seismic nonlinear structural dynamic response based on the HVSR algorithm. This article evenly divided the acceleration response time series into 15 time periods and then selected the position corresponding to the peak point of instantaneous amplitude within each period as the selected data point position. The same seismic load can be applied at the bottom of the established nonlinear model to extract the dynamic response data of the top layer of the structure, and then, the instantaneous amplitude and corresponding instantaneous phases and frequencies of the main components of the structural dynamic response can be extracted through the time-varying filter and Hilbert transform based on the discrete analytic mode decomposition. Under the influence of these four ground motions, the collision force within the range of 0–50 kN accounted for over 87% of the total number of collisions. In the comparison results of collision response to peak displacement, the four ground motions all led to structural collision, and the collision inhibited the positive peak displacement response of node 1512. Compared with noncollision, the peak displacement was reduced by 27.273, 33.675, 27.727, and 37.248%, respectively. The peak displacement of 1512 nodes was suppressed and reduced by 18.856%. The results indicate that the HVSR algorithm can obtain the instantaneous characteristic parameters of nonlinear structural dynamic response and achieve model correction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forest fire is a severe natural disaster, which leads to the destruction of forest ecology. At present, fire detection technology represented by convolutional neural network is widely used in forest resource protection, which can realize rapid analysis. However, in forest flame and smoke detection tasks, due to continuous expansion of the target range, a better detection effect cannot be achieved. This paper proposes an improved YOLOX method for multi-scale forest fire detection. This method proposes a novel feature pyramid model to reduce the information loss of high-level forest fire feature maps and enhance the representation ability of feature pyramids. Moreover, the method applies a small object data augmentation strategy to enrich the forest fire dataset, making it more suitable for the actual forest fire scene. According to the experimental results, the mAP of the model proposed in this paper reaches 79.64%, which is about 4.89% higher than the baseline network YOLOX. The method improves the accuracy of forest fire detection, reduces false alarms, and is suitable for real scenarios of forest fires. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: We sought to analyze the genetic outcomes of fetuses with nuchal translucency (NT) > 95th centile, and determine whether prenatal genetic counseling, chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA) or non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) are truly beneficial for the outcomes of fetuses with increased NT > 95th centile and below 99th centile. Materials and methods: A total of 535 pregnant women were included in this study, with a fetal NT > 95th centile at 11–13+6 weeks of gestation from January 2017 to December 2020. 324 pregnant women with fetal NT > 95th centile and below 99th centile combined with other risk factors and NT > 99th centile received prenatal diagnostic karyotype analysis and CMA, and 211 pregnant women with fetal isolated increased NT > 95th centile and below 99th centile were selected to carry out NIPT. Results: A total of 211 pregnant women who underwent NIPT were included in the study, NIPT results showed that 8 high-risk cases were confirmed by prenatal diagnosis. Overall, the detection rate of NIPT was 3.79%. A total of 324 pregnant women with fetal NT > 95th centile and below 99th centile, along with other risk factors, and those with fetal NT > 99th centile, received karyotype analysis and CMA for prenatal diagnosis. Among them, a total of 73 genetic abnormalities were detected, including 45 cases of chromosomal aneuploidy, 7 cases of structural abnormalities, and 21 cases of copy number variations (CNVs) with a size of less than 10 Mb. In addition, the 73 women with genetic abnormalities are divided into three groups based on the NT measurement (Group 1: Fetuses with NT > 95th centile and below 99th centile, Group 2: Fetuses with NT > 99th centile, and Group 3: Fetuses with NT > 99th centile). 13.11% (8/61) of pathogenic genetic abnormalities (6 chromosomal aneuploidy, 1 structural abnormality, and 1 likely pathogenic CNV) will be missed if genetic counseling and prenatal genetic testing were not conducted in fetuses with increased NT > 95th centile and below 99th centile combined with other risks. Pathogenic CNVs were the most common abnormalities in group 3, and one likely pathogenic CNV was detected in group 1 and group 3, respectively, and a total of 14 CNVs of unknown clinical significance (VOUS) were detected. Conclusions: Through this study, we demonstrated that the critical value of NT > 95th centile for invasive detection or NIPT. Invasive testing combined with CMA may be recommended for fetuses with NT > 95th centile and below 99th centile and with other risks. But when isolated NT > 95th centile and below 99th centile, NIPT would be appropriate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fabrication of light-weight, highly impact-resistant, and energy-absorbent materials is urgently demanded in many facets of the society from body armor to aerospace engineering, especially under an extreme environment. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs), one of the strongest and toughest materials ever found, also have good conductivity, chemical stability, and thermal stability, etc, making them a competitive candidate as building blocks to help achieve the above goal. In this work, a kind of CNT network was prepared by using chlorosulfonic acid (CSA) to release the internal stress of super-aligned carbon nanotube films (SA-CNTF) and dendritic polyamide amine (PAMAM) to further introduce multiple hydrogen bonds and interlocking structures. The fabricated bioinspired carbon nanotube network films (PAMAM@C-CNTF) have a high toughness of 45.97 MJ/m3, showing an increase of 420% compared to neat SA-CNTF. More importantly, the anti-impact performance of the films (e.g., with a maximum specific energy absorption of 1.40 MJ/kg under 80–100 m/s projectile impact) is superior to that of conventional protective materials from steel and Kevlar fiber, and also exceeds that of any other reported carbon-based materials. The hierarchical energy dissipation mechanism was further revealed through experiment and simulation. Additional functions including intelligent heating/anti-icing, ultraviolet protection, as well as electromagnetic interference shielding properties make these network films have great potential in practical multi-protection applications, especially under an extreme environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agents with robust ultraviolet (UV) absorption capabilities play a vital role in safeguarding organisms and inorganic materials from UV damage. Nonetheless, the synthetic procedures towards these UV absorbers are usually lengthy and complicated, accompanied by undesirable side reactions and the generation of toxic substances. In nature, allomelanin, a class of melanins variant found in melanized fungi near the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, plays crucial roles in the cell wall of melanized fungi, offering resistance to harsh external environments and promising UV resistance capabilities. Notably, allomelanin can be rapidly biosynthesized via the polymerization of 1,8-dihydroxynaphthalene in presence of enzymes in fungi. Inspired by this, we report here a green enzymatic polymerization strategy to efficiently and eco-friendly synthesize polydihydroxynaphthalene (PDHN)-based artificial allomelanin nanoparticles (NPs) with interesting features. Theoretical calculations and experimental results demonstrated that the PDHN NPs exhibited excellent UV absorption capacity, surpassing another widely used artificial melanin, polydopamine (PDA). Moreover, the light absorption mechanism of PDHN NPs was systematically elucidated for the first time. Then, the PDHN NPs were incorporated with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) to create an anti-aging composite film with significantly enhanced UV shielding ability. The potential of these composite films in safeguarding plants from UV damage was meticulously verified. Remarkably, these PDHN NPs were first found to produce hydroxyl radicals (•OH) under UV irradiation, offering antibacterial properties that expand their potential applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study empirically investigates the impact of climate change on credit risks in rural financial institutions, emphasizing transition risk. We analyzed data from 202 rural financial institutions across, China spanning 2012 to 2020. The empirical findings reveal the following: Firstly, climate change exerts an inverted U‐shaped influence on credit risks in rural financial institutions. Secondly, the inverted U‐shaped relationship is influenced by both the level of digital development and uncertainty in climate policy. Lastly, heightened levels of digital development and increased uncertainty about climate policy can mitigate the negative effects of climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SUMMARY: We present a novel strategy for performing joint inversion with guided fuzzy c-means (GFCM) clustering coupling and apply it to electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) and ambient noise surface wave (ANSW) data. To accurately extract a priori clustering information, we use density peak clustering (DPC) rather than fuzzy c-means (FCM). The number and centres of resistivity and shear-wave velocity a priori clusters are extracted by DPC and then used to guide the joint inversion with the GFCM clustering coupling of ERT and ANSW data. Synthetic and field data are used to evaluate the flow and algorithm of DPC-GFCM clustering joint inversion. The results of synthetic examples show that the models recovered by the DPC-GFCM clustering joint inversion are nearly the same as the true models and are more accurate than those inverted using individual inversion and FCM-GFCM clustering joint inversion. In the field case, the depths of the stratigraphic interfaces shown in the resistivity and shear-wave velocity models inverted by DPC-GFCM clustering joint inversion are nearly consistent with those from the drilling data. In contrast, the strata recovered by the individual inversion and FCM-GFCM clustering joint inversion significantly differ from the drilling results. Both the synthetic and field examples verify the effectiveness of the DPC-GFCM clustering coupling method used for the joint inversion of ERT and ANSW data acquired from the near surface with strong heterogeneity. This novel approach can also be applied to other types of geophysical data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deep learning has been widely applied in the fields of image classification and segmentation, while adversarial attacks can impact the model's results in image segmentation and classification. Especially in medical images, due to constraints from factors like shooting angles, environmental lighting, and diverse photography devices, medical images typically contain various forms of noise. In order to address the impact of these physically meaningful disturbances on existing deep learning models in the application of burn image segmentation, we simulate attack methods inspired by natural phenomena and propose an adversarial training approach specifically designed for burn image segmentation. The method is tested on our burn dataset. Through the defensive training using our approach, the segmentation accuracy of adversarial samples, initially at 54%, is elevated to 82.19%, exhibiting a 1.97% improvement compared to conventional adversarial training methods, while substantially reducing the training time. Ablation experiments validate the effectiveness of individual losses, and we assess and compare training results with different adversarial samples using various metrics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to systematically reveal the complex interaction between uncertainty and the international commodity market (CRB). Design/methodology/approach: A composite uncertainty index and five categorical uncertainty indices, together with wavelet analysis and detrended cross-correlation analysis, were used. First, in the time-frequency domain, the coherency and lead-lag relationship between uncertainty and the commodity markets were investigated. Furthermore, the transmission direction of the cross-correlation over different lag periods and asymmetry in this cross-correlation under different trends were identified. Findings: First, there is significant coherency between uncertainties and CRB mainly in the short and medium terms, with natural disaster and public health uncertainties tending to lead CRB. Second, uncertainty impacts CRB more markedly over shorter lag periods, whereas the impact of CRB on uncertainty gradually increases with longer lag periods. Third, the cross-correlation is asymmetric and multifractal under different trends. Finally, from the perspective of lag periods and trends, the interaction of uncertainty with the Chinese commodity market is significantly different from its interaction with CRB. Originality/value: First, this study comprehensively constructs a composite uncertainty index based on five types of uncertainty. Second, this study provides a scientific perspective on examining the core and diverse interactions between uncertainty and CRB, as achieved by investigating the interactions of CRB with five categorical and composite uncertainties. Third, this study provides a new research framework to enable multiscale analysis of the complex interaction between uncertainty and the commodity markets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multidrug-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (MDR-KP) poses a significant challenge in global healthcare, underscoring the urgency for innovative therapeutic approaches. Phage therapy emerges as a promising strategy amidst rising antibiotic resistance, emphasizing the crucial need to identify and characterize effective phage resources for clinical use. In this study, we introduce a novel lytic phage, RCIP0100, distinguished by its classification into the Chaoyangvirus genus and Fjlabviridae family based on International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) criteria due to low genetic similarity to known phage families. Our findings demonstrate that RCIP0100 exhibits broad lytic activity against 15 out of 27 tested MDR-KP strains, including diverse profiles such as carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae (CR-KP). This positions phage RCIP0100 as a promising candidate for phage therapy. Strains resistant to RCIP0100 also showed increased susceptibility to various antibiotics, implying the potential for synergistic use of RCIP0100 and antibiotics as a strategic countermeasure against MDR-KP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of tissue engineering and regeneration research has created new platforms for bone transplantation. However, the preparation of scaffolds with good fiber integrity is challenging, because scaffolds prepared by traditional printing methods are prone to fiber cracking during solvent evaporation. Human skin has an excellent natural heat-management system, which helps to maintain a constant body temperature through perspiration or blood-vessel constriction. In this work, an electrohydrodynamic-jet 3D-printing method inspired by the thermal-management system of skin was developed. In this system, the evaporation of solvent in the printed fibers can be adjusted using the temperature-change rate of the substrate to prepare 3D structures with good structural integrity. To investigate the solvent evaporation and the interlayer bonding of the fibers, finite-element analysis simulations of a three-layer microscale structure were carried out. The results show that the solvent-evaporation path is from bottom to top, and the strain in the printed structure becomes smaller with a smaller temperature-change rate. Experimental results verified the accuracy of these simulation results, and a variety of complex 3D structures with high aspect ratios were printed. Microscale cracks were reduced to the nanoscale by adjusting the temperature-change rate from 2.5 to 0.5 °C s−1. Optimized process parameters were selected to prepare a tissue engineering scaffold with high integrity. It was confirmed that this printed scaffold had good biocompatibility and could be used for bone-tissue regeneration. This simple and flexible 3D-printing method can also help with the preparation of a wide range of micro- and nanostructured sensors and actuators. ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS: • A controllable and cost-effective high-resolution E-jet 3d-printing fabrication technology inspired by skin thermal management was developed. • The solvent-evaporation path in the printed structure and its stress–strain development under the influence of temperature were obtained. • High-aspect-ratio 3D structures with good structural integrity were prepared by adjusting the evaporation of the solvent using the temperature-change rate. • A PCL/PVP scaffold with fiber diameters close to the size of living cells was printed, which exhibited high biocompatibility for bone-tissue regeneration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper introduces a novel approach for characterizing and estimating the size of incipient cracks, employing Jensen–Shannon divergence and Wasserstein distance for precise measurement. A novel signal correction method is proposed and coupled with Finite Element Modeling can extend the experimental data. The method is verified to accurately quantify incipient cracks with areas as small as 0.02 mm 2 , with a maximum relative error of 3.5% in surface estimation, and accurately discern variations in crack sizes. This allows for more accurate predictions of crack dimensions crucial for structural health monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) with ticagrelor or adjusted‐dose prasugrel has been used for acute coronary syndrome (ACS). However, few studies have directly compared these two drugs. In this study, we compared the real‐world applications and outcomes of these two drugs in patients with ACS who had undergone percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). This retrospective cohort study was conducted using the data of eligible patients with ACS who had undergone PCI at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital System between June 2019 and December 2021. The primary efficacy‐related outcome was the occurrence of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs), and the primary safety‐related outcome was major bleeding. Inverse probability of treatment weighting based on propensity score was performed to reduce confounding effects. The study included 2,636 patients; of them, 429 received prasugrel and 2,207 received ticagrelor. No significant between‐group difference was observed in the risk of MACE (13.1 vs. 13.1 events per 100 person‐years, respectively, hazard ratio (HR): 1.01, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.71–1.43). Both groups exhibited similar rates of major bleeding (3.9 vs. 4.1 events per 100 person‐years, respectively, subdistribution HR: 0.96, 95% CI: 0.68–1.35). In real‐world settings, adjusted‐dose prasugrel and ticagrelor exhibit comparable safety and efficacy profiles in East Asian patients with ACS after PCI. Our findings offer valuable insights for future clinical decision making and patient management strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Recent observational studies have highlighted the role of altered gut microbiota (GM) in the activation of the host immune system and the resulting of gastric cancer (GC). However, the exact causal relationship and mechanisms of action are still not fully understood. Materials and methods: Genetic data from published genome-wide association studies (GWASs) were employed to determine the causal effects of 207 taxa and 205 bacterial pathways on GC via two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) and two-step mediation MR analysis. In this study, 731 immune cell traits served as potential mediators. An inverse variance-weighted (IVW) estimation, augmented by a range of alternative estimators, notably the Bayesian-weighted MR method, was employed as the primary methodological approach. Results: Four taxa and five bacterial pathways were found to be negatively correlated with GC, whereas one taxon and two bacterial pathways were a positively correlated with GC. Reverse causality was not found in the reverse MR analysis. Additional validation was performed using a sensitivity analysis. Mediation MR analyses revealed that the GM influences GC through various phenotypes of 16 immune cells that act as mediators. For example, s_Alistipes AP11 was found to inhibit GC through NKT %T cell (total effect: -0.3234, mediation effect: 0.0212). This mediating effect further highlights the complex relationship among GMs, immune cell traits, and their combined effects on GC. Conclusions: Our findings highlight the genetic connection between specific GMs and GC, emphasizing the potential role of immune cells as mediators, and offering valuable perspectives on potential therapeutic strategies that manipulating the GM to address GC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Direct methane conversion to high-value chemicals under mild conditions is attractive yet challenging due to the inertness of methane and the high reactivity of valuable products. This work presents an efficient and selective strategy to achieve direct methane conversion through the oxidative coupling of methane over a visible-responsive Au-loaded CeO2 by photon-phonon co-driven catalysis. A record-high ethane yield of 755 μmol h−1 (15,100 μmol g−1 h−1) and selectivity of 93% are achieved under optimised reaction conditions, corresponding to an apparent quantum efficiency of 12% at 365 nm. Moreover, the high activity of the photocatalyst can be maintained for at least 120 h without noticeable decay. The pre-treatment of the catalyst at relatively high temperatures introduces oxygen vacancies, which improves oxygen adsorption and activation. Furthermore, Au, serving as a hole acceptor, facilitates charge separation, inhibits overoxidation and promotes the C-C coupling reaction. All these enhance photon efficiency and product yield. To achieve high yield and selectivity of C2+ products from methane conversion, the authors report a photon-phonon co-driven catalytic process using CeO2 catalysts. Gold, as a co-catalyst, promotes C-C coupling and suppresses overoxidation [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The wideband absorption and transmission of frequency-selective rasorber (FSR) remain a persistent challenge in the application of radar devices. In this article, a novel high performance wideband FSR design based on cross bend resonators was proposed. The FSR consists of an upper absorption lossy layer, which offers broad absorption and transmission bands, and a lower bandpass frequency-selective surface that enables a highly selective transmission of incident electromagnetic wave. Full wave simulation results showed that this novel design achieves an absorption bandwidth of 83.7% with more than 90% absorptivity in the frequency range of 5.2–12.7 GHz. Furthermore, the passband's fractional bandwidth for the insertion loss (IL) less than −3 dB is 33.9%, ranging from 14.9 to 21 GHz, with the minimum IL recorded at 0.69 dB at 17.7 GHz. To further verify the proposed method, a prototype FSR with 10 × 10 units of 120 mm × 120 mm was fabricated and the performance of the FSR was tested. The experiment results were in good agreement with the simulated results, and it showed a significant monostatic radar cross-section reduction in the frequency range of 5.3 GHz to 18.3 GHz compared with a metallic plane of the same size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Covalent triazine frameworks (CTFs) are promising battery electrodes owing to their designable functional groups, tunable pore sizes, and exceptional stability. However, their practical use is limited because of the difficulty in establishing stable ion adsorption/desorption sites. In this study, a melt‐salt‐stripping process utilizing molten trichloro iron (FeCl3) is used to delaminate the layer‐stacked structure of fluorinated covalent triazine framework (FCTF) and generate iron‐based ion storage active sites. This process increases the interlayer spacing and uniformly deposits iron‐containing materials, enhancing electron and ion transport. The resultant melt‐FeCl3‐stripped FCTF (Fe@FCTF) shows excellent performance as a potassium ion battery with a high capacity of 447 mAh g−1 at 0.1 A g−1 and 257 mAh g−1 at 1.6 A g−1 and good cycling stability. Notably, molten‐salt stripping is also effective in improving the CTF's Na+ and Li+ storage properties. A stepwise reaction mechanism of K/Na/Li chelation with C═N functional groups is proposed and verified by in situ X‐ray diffraction testing (XRD), ex‐situ X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and theoretical calculations, illustrating that pyrazines and iron coordination groups play the main roles in reacting with K+/Na+/Li+ cations. These results conclude that the Fe@FCTF is a suitable anode material for potassium‐ion batteries (PIBs), sodium‐ion batteries (SIBs), and lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recently‐observed poleward shift in western North Pacific tropical cyclone (TC) genesis has increased the TC threat to East Asia. We find that the poleward shift of TC genesis since 1979 is linked to mega‐ENSO. A downscaling analysis of TC genesis latitude given the constraint of mega‐ENSO using 30 models from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6) show a continued increasing poleward shift with additional warming. We use the dynamic genesis potential index as a TC proxy in future CMIP6 simulations. These simulations show enhanced TC formation in the subtropics and decreased TC formation in the tropics. Modeled TCs in CMIP6 high‐resolution models that well represent mega‐ENSO project future poleward shifts in TC genesis. Both observations and simulations show that extra‐tropical North Pacific sea surface temperature warming associated with mega‐ENSO are the primary driver of the TC genesis poleward shift. Our study provides new insights into climate change‐driven TC migration. Plain Language Summary: The observed poleward shift in tropical cyclone (TC) genesis over the western North Pacific has increased the threat from these storms to East Asia. Until now, it remains unclear whether TC genesis will continue to move poleward in the future, due to both a relatively short reliable observational TC record as well as model inconsistencies. This study provides evidence that the poleward migration of TC genesis will likely continue due to anthropogenic warming. We find that there is a strong relationship between TC genesis latitude and a mode of Pacific sea surface temperature (SST) variability termed mega‐ENSO. We find using a suite of 30 climate models comprising the Coupled Modeled Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6) that future poleward trends in TC genesis latitude are likely to continue. This poleward shift is observed whether using projected trends in mega‐ENSO or an index that measures the conduciveness of the environment for TC formation. Modeled tropical cyclones in high resolution simulations from CMIP6 also show a continued projected poleward shift in TC genesis. This poleward shift in TC genesis appears largely related to changes in extra‐tropical SST warming associated with mega‐ENSO. Key Points: The recently‐observed poleward shift of tropical cyclone (TC) genesis is related strongly to mega‐ENSOChanges in modeled TCs and a TC proxy in a warming climate show a consistent northward TC genesis migrationExtra‐tropical sea surface temperature warming associated with mega‐ENSO appears responsible for poleward TC genesis movement [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]