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Abstract Objective This cross‐sectional study aimed to determine the epidemiology of olfactory and gustatory dysfunctions related to COVID‐19 in China. Methods This study was conducted by 45 tertiary Grade‐A hospitals in China. Online and offline questionnaire data were obtained from patients infected with COVID‐19 between December 28, 2022, and February 21, 2023. The collected information included basic demographics, medical history, smoking and drinking history, vaccination history, changes in olfactory and gustatory functions before and after infection, and other postinfection symptoms, as well as the duration and improvement status of olfactory and gustatory disorders. Results Complete questionnaires were obtained from 35,566 subjects. The overall incidence of olfactory and taste dysfunction was 67.75%. Being female or being a cigarette smoker increased the likelihood of developing olfactory and taste dysfunction. Having received four doses of the vaccine or having good oral health or being a alcohol drinker decreased the risk of such dysfunction. Before infection, the average olfactory and taste VAS scores were 8.41 and 8.51, respectively; after infection, they decreased to 3.69 and 4.29 and recovered to 5.83 and 6.55 by the time of the survey. The median duration of dysosmia and dysgeusia was 15 and 12 days, respectively, with 0.5% of patients having symptoms lasting for more than 28 days. The overall self‐reported improvement rate was 59.16%. Recovery was higher in males, never smokers, those who received two or three vaccine doses, and those that had never experienced dental health issues, or chronic accompanying symptoms. Conclusions The incidence of dysosmia and dysgeusia following infection with the SARS‐CoV‐2 virus is high in China. Incidence and prognosis are influenced by several factors, including sex, SARS‐CoV‐2 vaccination, history of head‐facial trauma, nasal and oral health status, smoking and drinking history, and the persistence of accompanying symptoms.

Abstract Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) are a class of promising nanomaterials for atmospheric water harvesting (AWH), especially in arid remote areas. However, several challenges are still faced for practical applications because of the dissatisfied water adsorption/desorption properties in terms of the capability, kinetics, and stability. Herein, we report the facile synthesis of a nano‐sized octahedral nitrogen‐modified MOF‐801 that exhibits superior solar‐powered AWH performance using a custom‐made device, with a state‐of‐the‐art water harvesting ability up to 4.64LH2OkgMOFs−1 from air upon 12‐h test under a relative humidity (RH) of 30% and simulated sunlight irradiation. The nitrogen‐modified MOF‐801 with rapid sorption–desorption kinetics, uptakes 0.29gH2OgMOFs‐1 of water at 30% RH within 30 min and releases 90% of the captured water within 10 min under 1‐sun illumination. The success relies on N‐doping‐induced mixed‐linkers in the form of 2,3‐diaminobutanedioic acid and fumaric acid in the unique pore structures of the MOFs for rapid and high‐capacity water capture. The N‐doped MOF‐801 with water uptake capacity, fast adsorption kinetics, and cycle stability sheds light on the practical use of MOFs for effective solar‐powered water harvesting from droughty air.

Abstract Video‐based emotion recognition has been a long‐standing research topic for computer scientists and psychiatrists. In contrast to traditional discrete emotional models, emotion recognition based on continuous emotional models can better describe the progression of emotions. Quantitative analysis of emotions will have crucial impacts on promoting the development of intelligent products. The current solutions to continuous emotion recognition still have many issues. The original continuous emotion dataset contains incomplete data annotations, and the existing methods often ignore temporal information between frames. The following measures are taken in response to the above problems. Initially, aiming at the problem of incomplete video labels, the correlation between discrete and continuous video emotion labels is used to complete the dataset labels. This correlation is used to propose a mathematical model to fill the missing labels of the original dataset without adding data. Moreover, this paper proposes a continuous emotion recognition network based on an optimized temporal convolutional network, which adds a feature extraction submodule and a residual module to retain shallow features while improving the feature extraction ability. Finally, validation experiments on the Aff‐wild2 dataset achieved accuracies of 0.5159 and 0.65611 on the valence and arousal dimensions, respectively, by adopting the above measures.

Abstract Postoperative peritoneal adhesion (PPA) is the most frequent complication after abdominal surgery. Current anti‐adhesion strategies largely rely on the use of physical separating barriers creating an interface blocking peritoneal adhesion, which cannot reduce inflammation and suffers from limited anti‐adhesion efficacy with unwanted side effects. Here, by exploiting the alternative activated macrophages to alleviate inflammation in adhesion development, a flexible graphene‐composite‐film (F‐GCF) generating far‐infrared (FIR) irradiation that effectively modulates the macrophage phenotype toward the anti‐inflammatory M2 type, resulting in reduced PPA formation, is designed. The anti‐adhesion effect of the FIR generated by F‐GCF is determined in the rat abdominal wall abrasion‐cecum defect models, which exhibit reduced incidence and area of PPA by 67.0% and 92.1% after FIR treatment without skin damage, significantly superior to the clinically used chitosan hydrogel. Notably, within peritoneal macrophages, FIR reduces inflammation reaction and promotes tissue plasminogen activator (t‐PA) level via the polarization of peritoneal macrophages through upregulating Nr4a2 expression. To facilitate clinical use, a wirelessly controlled, wearable, F‐GCF‐based FIR therapy apparatus (GRAFT) is further developed and its remarkable anti‐adhesion ability in the porcine PPA model is revealed. Collectively, the physical, biochemical, and in vivo preclinical data provide compelling evidence demonstrating the clinical‐translational value of FIR in PPA prevention.

Abstract Lead halide perovskites with superior optoelectrical properties are emerging as a class of excellent materials for applications in solar cells and light‐emitting devices. However, perovskite films often exhibit abundant intrinsic defects, which can limit the efficiency of perovskite‐based optoelectronic devices by acting as carrier recombination centers. Thus, an understanding of defect chemistry in lead halide perovskites assumes a prominent role in further advancing the exploitation of perovskites, which, to a large extent, is performed by relying on first‐principles calculations. However, the complex defect structure, strong anharmonicity, and soft lattice of lead halide perovskites pose challenges to defect studies. In this perspective, on the basis of briefly reviewing the current knowledge concerning computational studies on defects, this work concentrates on addressing the unsolved problems and proposing possible research directions in future. This perspective particularly emphasizes the indispensability of developing advanced approaches for deeply understanding the nature of defects and conducting data‐driven defect research for designing reasonable strategies to further improve the performance of perovskite applications. Finally, this work highlights that theoretical studies should pay more attention to establishing close and clear links with experimental investigations to provide useful insights to the scientific and industrial communities.

Background Coronary microvascular dysfunction as measured by myocardial flow reserve (MFR) is associated with increased cardiovascular risk in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The objective of this study was to determine the association between reducing inflammation with MFR and other measures of cardiovascular risk. Methods and Results Patients with RA with active disease about to initiate a tumor necrosis factor inhibitor were enrolled (NCT02714881). All subjects underwent a cardiac perfusion positron emission tomography scan to quantify MFR at baseline before tumor necrosis factor inhibitor initiation, and after tumor necrosis factor inhibitor initiation at 24 weeks. MFR

Abstract γδ T cells are evolutionarily conserved T lymphocytes that manifest unique antitumor efficacy independent of tumor mutation burden (TMB) and conventional human leukocyte antigen (HLA) recognition. However, the dynamic changes in their T cell receptor (TCR) repertoire during cancer progression and treatment courses remain unclear. Here, a comprehensive characterization of γδTCR repertoires are performed in thyroid cancers with divergent differentiation states through cross‐sectional studies. The findings revealed a significant correlation between the differentiation states and TCR repertoire diversity. Notably, highly expanded clones are prominently enriched in γδ T cell compartment of dedifferentiated patients. Moreover, by longitudinal investigations of the γδ T cell response to various antitumor therapies, it is found that the emergence and expansion of the Vδ2neg subset may be potentially associated with favorable clinical outcomes after post‐radiotherapeutic immunotherapy. These findings are further validated at single‐cell resolution in both advanced thyroid cancer patients and a murine model, underlining the importance of further investigations into the role of γδTCR in cancer immunity and therapeutic strategies.

Abstract Dielectric barrier discharges (DBD) are widely utilised non‐equilibrium atmospheric pressure plasmas with a diverse range of applications, such as material processing, surface treatment, light sources, pollution control, and medicine. Over the course of several decades, extensive research has been dedicated to the generation of homogeneous DBD (H‐DBD), focussing on understanding the transition from H‐DBD to filamentary DBD and exploring strategies to create and sustain H‐DBD. This paper first discusses the influence of various parameters on DBD, including gas flow, dielectric material, surface conductivity, and mesh electrode. Secondly, a chronological literature review is presented, highlighting the development of H‐DBD and the associated understanding of its underlying mechanisms. This encompasses the generation of H‐DBD in helium, nitrogen, and air. Lastly, the paper provides a brief overview of multiple‐current‐pulse (MCP) behaviours in H‐DBD. The objective of this article is to provide a chronological understanding of homogeneous dielectric barrier discharge (DBD). This understanding will aid in the design of new experiments aimed at better comprehending the mechanisms behind H‐DBD generation and ultimately assist in achieving large‐volume H‐DBD in an air environment.

Abstract Aim The study aimed to investigate the short‐term outcomes of hospitalized patients with chronic liver disease (CLDs) and assess the prognostic impact of predisposition and precipitants, which currently remains unclear. Methods The study included 3970 hospitalized patients with CLDs from two prospective longitudinal multicenter studies (NCT02457637 and NCT03641872) conducted in highly endemic hepatitis B virus (HBV) areas. Competing risk analysis was used to evaluate the effect of predispositions, including the etiology and severity of CLDs and precipitants; on sequential 28, 90, and 365‐day liver transplantation (LT)‐free mortality. Results Among all enrolled patients, 76.8% of adverse outcomes (including death and LT) within one year occurred within 90 days. Compared with alcoholic etiology, the association of HBV etiology with poorer outcomes was remarkably on the 28th day (hazard ratio [HR], 1.81; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.07–3.06; p = 0.026); however, and diminished or became insignificant at 90 days and 365 days. Cirrhosis increased the adjusted risk for 365‐day (HR, 1.50; CI, 1.13–1.99; p = 0.004) LT‐free mortality when compared with noncirrhosis. In patients with cirrhosis, prior decompensation (PD) independently increased the adjusted risk of 365‐day LT‐free mortality by 1.25‐fold (p = 0.021); however, it did not increase the risk for 90‐day mortality. Neither the category nor the number of precipitants influenced the adjusted risk of 28 or 90‐day LT‐free mortality. Conclusions The 90‐day outcome should be considered a significant endpoint for evaluating the short‐term prognosis of hospitalized patients with CLD. Predisposing factors, other than etiology, mainly affected the delayed (365‐day) outcome. Timely effective therapy for CLD etiology, especially antiviral treatments for HBV, and post‐discharge long‐term surveillance monitoring in cirrhotic patients undergoing PD are suggested to enhance disease management and reduce mortality.

Abstract Background Hand grip strength (HGS) is a powerful indicator of sarcopenia and other adverse health outcomes. Normative values for HGS for general Chinese people with a broad age spectrum are lacking. This study aims to establish normative values of HGS and explore the correlations between HGS and body composition among unselected people aged 8–80 in China. Methods From 2012 to 2017, 39 655 participants aged 8–80 years in the China National Health Survey were included. Absolute HGS was measured using a Jamar dynamometer. The relative HGS was normalized by body mass index. Body composition indexes included body mass index, body fat percentage, muscle mass, fat mass index (FMI) and muscle mass index (MMI). Sex‐specific smoothed centile tables for the P1, P5, P25, P50, P75, P95 and P99 centiles of HGS and body composition were generated using lambda‐mu‐sigma method. The correlations between muscle strength and body composition were estimated by partial Spearman correlation analysis. Results The median values (25th and 75th percentile) of HGS in boys and girls (8–19 years old) were 22 (14, 34) kg and 18 (12, 22) kg, respectively; in men and women aged 20–80 were 39 (33, 44) kg and 24 (20, 27) kg, respectively. Values of upper and lower HGS across ages had three periods: an increase to a peak in the 20 s in men (with the 5th and 95th values of 30 and 55 kg, respectively) and 30 s in women (with the 5th and 95th values of 18 and 34 kg, respectively), preservation through midlife (20s–40 s), and then a decline after their 50 s. The lowest HGS values in both sexes were in the 70‐ to 80‐year‐old group, with the 5th and 95th percentile values of 16 and 40 kg in men, and 10 and 25 kg in women. There were substantial sex differences in body composition in the life course (all P values

Abstract Background Skeletal muscle atrophy is a common condition without a pharmacologic therapy. AGGF1 encodes an angiogenic factor that regulates cell differentiation, proliferation, migration, apoptosis, autophagy and endoplasmic reticulum stress, promotes vasculogenesis and angiogenesis and successfully treats cardiovascular diseases. Here, we report the important role of AGGF1 in the pathogenesis of skeletal muscle atrophy and attenuation of muscle atrophy by AGGF1. Methods In vivo studies were carried out in impaired leg muscles from patients with lumbar disc herniation, two mouse models for skeletal muscle atrophy (denervation and cancer cachexia) and heterozygous Aggf1+/− mice. Mouse muscle atrophy phenotypes were characterized by body weight and myotube cross‐sectional areas (CSA) using H&E staining and immunostaining for dystrophin. Molecular mechanistic studies include co‐immunoprecipitation (Co‐IP), western blotting, quantitative real‐time PCR analysis and immunostaining analysis. Results Heterozygous Aggf1+/− mice showed exacerbated phenotypes of reduced muscle mass, myotube CSA, MyHC (myosin heavy chain) and α‐actin, increased inflammation (macrophage infiltration), apoptosis and fibrosis after denervation and cachexia. Intramuscular and intraperitoneal injection of recombinant AGGF1 protein attenuates atrophy phenotypes in mice with denervation (gastrocnemius weight 81.3 ± 5.7 mg vs. 67.3 ± 5.1 mg for AGGF1 vs. buffer; P

Abstract Hydrogen energy as the next‐generation clean energy carrier has attracted the attention of both academic and industrial fields. A key limit in the current stage is the operation temperature of hydrogen fuel cells, which lies in the slow development of high‐temperature and high‐efficiency proton exchange membranes. Currently, much research effort has been devoted to this field, and very innovative material systems have been developed. The authors think it is the right time to make a short summary of the high‐temperature proton exchange membranes (HT‐PEMs), the fundamentals, and developments, which can help the researchers to clearly and efficiently gain the key information. In this paper, the development of key materials and optimization strategies, the degradation mechanism and possible solutions, and the most common morphology characterization techniques as well as correlations between morphology and overall properties have been systematically summarized.

Herein, a real‐time, fast, tightly coupled simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) system is proposed. The deep neural network is used to segment the point cloud semantically to construct the point cloud semantic map descriptor, and the global navigation satellite system real‐time kinematic position is used to detect the loop closure. Finally, a factor‐graph model is used for global optimization. The working principle of the SLAM system is introduced in detail, including the construction of the factor graph, the generation of the point cloud semantic graph descriptor, the generation of the ring graph, the loop‐closure detection process, and the global optimization. Indoor and outdoor experiments are conducted to validate the performance of overall trajectory estimation and loop‐closure detection. Compared to traditional methods, the proposed method offers improved accuracy and real‐time performance in trajectory estimation. It effectively addresses issues such as limited feature constraints, large computational consumption, and subpar real‐time performance, allowing for quick and accurate loop‐closure detection. Moreover, the method demonstrates a time consumption reduction of two‐thirds compared to traditional approaches while exhibiting superior overall loop‐closure detection performance.

Abstract A low concentration of Te4+ doping is found to be capable of endowing the lead‐free Cs2SnCl6 perovskites with excellent photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY), while further increasing Te4+ concentration leads to PLQY deterioration. The mechanism behind the improved PLQY is intensively studied and reported elsewhere. However, little work is conducted to understand the decreased PLQY at high doping levels and to explore its implications for non‐PL‐related applications. Here, it is demonstrated that the Te4+‐incorporated Cs2SnCl6 can be promising candidate for efficient CO2 photocatalysis. An optimum photocatalytic performance is achieved when Te4+ concentration reaches as high as 50%, at which point significant PL quenching has occurred. Through a detailed spectral characterization, such concentration‐dependent functionality is attributed to systematic changes in both electronic and local crystal structure, which allow a robust regulation of excitation energy relaxation channels. These findings expand the scope of available photocatalysts for CO2 reduction and also inform synthetic planning for the preparation of multifunctional Pb‐free metal halide perovskites.

Abstract Body area network has attracted extensive attention for its applications in athletics, medical, diagnosis, and rehabilitation training in the next generation personalized health care solutions. Here, a contact‐separation direct current triboelectric nanogenerators (CSDC‐TENGs) based self‐powered wireless body area network (SWBAN) is reported that enables multi‐joint movements monitoring for human motion. The CSDC‐TENG is designed as a flexible active sensor with an internal contact switch, and the flexible substrate makes the TENG‐sensor stick onto skin easily. Due to the internal switch, the CSDC‐TENG could generate a DC current, a large instantaneous output voltage exceeds 700 V, and an instantaneous power can reach 1.076 W, which is more than 23 000 times higher than that of the traditional contact‐separation mode TENG in same size and materials without the switch. By coupling with flexible coil, the fixed high‐frequency radio signals can be modulated and emitted clearly ranging from 6 to 16 MHz, which can be wirelessly received and demodulated through a reader. Moreover, the SWBAN is demonstrated in a real time monitoring system for joints motion. This work has realized the wearable TENG for self‐powered wireless real‐time monitoring of body movements driven by low‐frequency human daily activities, which may promote a tremendous development of intelligent healthcare, wireless sensing system and body area network.

Abstract Surface flashover of insulating materials induced by pollution and moisture environment is one of the main reasons for the damage of power system and electrical equipment. The improvement of the insulating materials surface hydrophobicity is key important, which can prevent the pollutants and water attachment, and enhance the insulating performance. In this paper, the super‐hydrophobic film is formed on the surface of epoxy resin by a one‐dimensional (1D) argon (Ar) jet array driven by nanosecond pulse power supply with hexamethyldisiloxane (HMDSO) addition. The influences of the processing time and HMDSO content on the epoxy resin surface hydrophobicity are investigated. It shows that with 0.04 % HMDSO, the jet array achieves a best hydrophobic treatment effect on the epoxy resin surface. After 60 s treatment, the apparent contact angle (ACA) of the epoxy resin surface increases from 60.3° of the untreated surface to 150.0°. The wettability of epoxy resin surface does not change too much as the treatment time beyond 60 s. The maximum ACA value 153.4° appears at 120 s processing time, which is just slightly higher than that of 60 s treatment time. The epoxy resin surface morphology and chemical feature before and after plasma processing are characteristics by the scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), Fourier transform infra‐red spectroscopy and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy. It shows that the treated epoxy resin surface is covered with dense coral like particles in nanoscales, the original C=O、C‐H and other organic functional groups are replaced by Si‐(CH3), Si‐O‐Si and other silicon containing groups, and the Si content increases from 0.4% to 28.0%. The experimental results provide important references to develop jet array as an efficient tool to enhance the surface hydrophobicity and insulating performance of insulating materials.

Abstract In this paper, a reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS) assisted downlink non‐orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) network is considered, where a base station communicates with a pair of users with the assistance of a RIS. The performance of RIS‐assisted downlink NOMA networks is investigated by exploiting the coherent phase shifting design. In particular, the central limit theorem based Gaussian approximation is introduced to model the sum of independent and identically distributed random variables and derive the approximate expressions of the outage probability for two users. Furthermore, the upper bounds for the outage probability are obtained based on the property of the Bessel function. Additionally, both the asymptotic outage probabilities and the asymptotic upper bounds at high signal‐to‐noise ratio are derived and the diversity order achieved by the network is obtained. Simulation results are provided to validate the theoretical findings and demonstrate that RIS‐NOMA can achieve superior outage performance compared to RIS‐assisted orthogonal multiple access and conventional full‐duplex decode‐and‐forward relaying schemes. Moreover, it can be observed that the outage performance of RIS‐NOMA can be tremendously enhanced with increasing the number of reflecting elements.

Abstract The accurate evaluation of telomerase activity, a typical cancer biomarker, is vital for early cancer screening. In this study, we developed a dark‐field microscopy (DFM) visual single‐particle detection scheme to detect telomerase activity based on automatic counting gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). This method started with attaching the telomerase substrate (TS) primer to the magnetic beads (MBs) through streptavidin‐biotin interaction. In the presence of telomerase and dNTPs, the TS primer was expanded with (TTAGGG)n repeat units to form the telomerase extension product (MBs‐telomerase extension product), which could be hybridized with the complementary DNA (cDNA) modified with AuNPs through Au‐S bonds (AuNPs‐SH‐cDNA). After magnetic separation and DNA double‐strand unwinding, AuNPs were collected from the supernatant, and the telomerase activity was quantitatively measured by visually counting bright spots based on DFM. This strategy achieved a limit of detection as low as 1 HeLa cell and distinguished telomerase activity among different cell lines, thus verifying its excellent sensitivity and specificity. Further, two common telomerase inhibitors (BIBR1532 and curcumin) were screened with the consistent IC50 values with other methods, respectively. It is worth mentioning that this strategy can clearly identify bladder cancer among various urinary diseases. Consequently, the visualized automatic particle counting strategy is potential as a powerful tool in early and noninvasive diagnosis of bladder cancer.

Abstract Osteoarthritis, a chronic degenerative cartilage disease, is the leading cause of movement disorders among humans. Although the specific pathogenesis and associated mechanisms remain unclear, oxidative stress‐induced metabolic imbalance in chondrocytes plays a crucial role in the occurrence and development of osteoarthritis. In this study, a trimanganese tetroxide (Mn3O4) nanozyme with superoxide dismutase (SOD)‐like and catalase (CAT)‐like activities is designed to reduce oxidative stress‐induced damage and its therapeutic effect is investigated. In vitro, Mn3O4 nanozymes are confirmed to reprogram both the imbalance of metabolism in chondrocytes and the uncontrolled inflammatory response stimulated by hydrogen peroxide. In vivo, a cross‐linked chondroitin sulfate (CS) hydrogel is designed as a substrate for Mn3O4 nanozymes to treat osteoarthritis in mouse models. As a result, even in the early stage of OA (4 weeks), the therapeutic effect of the Mn3O4@CS hydrogel is observed in both cartilage metabolism and inflammation. Moreover, the Mn3O4@CS hydrogel maintained its therapeutic effects for at least 7 days, thus revealing a broad scope for future clinical applications. In conclusion, these results suggest that the Mn3O4@CS hydrogel is a potentially effective therapeutic treatment for osteoarthritis, and a novel therapeutic strategy for osteoarthritis based on nanozymes is proposed.

Abstract Wearable thermoelectric generators (TEGs), which can convert human body heat to electricity, provide a promising solution for self‐powered wearable electronics. However, their power densities still need to be improved aiming at broad practical applications. Here, a stretchable TEG that achieves comfortable wearability and outstanding output performance simultaneously is reported. When worn on the forehead at an ambient temperature of 15 °C, the stretchable TEG exhibits excellent power densities with a maximum value of 13.8 µW cm−2 under the breezeless condition, and even as high as 71.8 µW cm−2 at an air speed of 2 m s−1, being one of the highest values for wearable TEGs. Furthermore, this study demonstrates that this stretchable TEG can effectively power a commercial light‐emitting diode and stably drive an electrocardiogram module in real‐time without the assistance of any additional power supply. These results highlight the great potential of these stretchable TEGs for power generation applications.

Abstract Introduction Nitrification inhibitors and straw incorporation are used to reduce microbial mediated nitrogen (N) losses, thereby increasing N use efficiency (NUE) in cropland soil, but their effects on nitrous oxide (N2O) emission across different soil types and the underlying molecular mechanisms remain less understood. Materials and Methods In this study, we investigated how nitrification inhibitor nitrapyrin and straw incorporation affected soil N balance, N2O emission, nitrifiers and denitrifiers in three cropland soils (black, fluvo‐aquic and red soils). Results Compared with fertilization‐only treatment (N), nitrapyrin addition increased ammonium, while it decreased nitrate concentration in all soils; however, the performance of straw incorporation was less significant. Nitrapyrin decreased N2O emission only in the fluvo‐aquic soil, while straw incorporation strongly increased N2O emission in the red soil. Terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis revealed that the denitrifier community was distinct across the three soils, but not strongly structured by nitrapyrin or straw incorporation. Compared with the N treatment, straw incorporation and nitrapyrin increased nosZ gene abundance only in the black soil. Structural equational modelling further confirmed that, after accounting for different soil properties, straw incorporation significantly increased N2O emission from black and red soils, and a decrease in nosZ gene abundance was the main biological factor for increased N2O emission in red soil. Conclusion Taken together, our work provides new knowledge that the performance of nitrification inhibitor and straw incorporation on N2O emission is soil type‐dependent, and management practices should be used as per soil type to balance NUE and N2O emission.

Abstract Objectives We describe the harmonized MRI acquisition and quality assessment of an ongoing global OCD study, with the aim to translate representative, well‐powered neuroimaging findings in neuropsychiatric research to worldwide populations. Methods We report on T1‐weighted structural MRI, resting‐state functional MRI, and multi‐shell diffusion‐weighted imaging of 140 healthy participants (28 per site), two traveling controls, and regular phantom scans. Results Human image quality measures (IQMs) and outcome measures showed smaller within‐site variation than between‐site variation. Outcome measures were less variable than IQMs, especially for the traveling controls. Phantom IQMs were stable regarding geometry, SNR, and mean diffusivity, while fMRI fluctuation was more variable between sites. Conclusions Variation in IQMs persists, even for an a priori harmonized data acquisition protocol, but after pre‐processing they have less of an impact on the outcome measures. Continuous monitoring IQMs per site is valuable to detect potential artifacts and outliers. The inclusion of both cases and healthy participants at each site remains mandatory.

Purpose. Dendritic cells (DC) are specialized antigen-presenting cells, and cytokine-induced killer (CIK) cells have a specific killing activity to a variety of tumors. However, the underlining mechanism and function of DC-CIK cells in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) remain largely elusive. Methods. Gene expression profiles of leukemia patients were obtained from TCGA, DC cell components were evaluated using the quanTIseq method, and cancer stem cell scores were estimated using machine learning methods. The transcriptomes were obtained in DC-CIK cells from normal and AML patients by high-throughput sequencing. Large differentially expressed mRNAs were verified by RT-qPCR assay, and MMP9 and CCL1 were selected for subsequent studies in vivo and in vitro experiments. Results. Significant positive correlations were found with DC versus cancer stem cells (p=0.008) and the expression of MMP9 versus cancer stem cells (p=0.018). MMP9 and CCL1 were found to be highly expressed in DC-CIK cells from AML patients. DC-CIK cells with MMP9 and CCL1 knockout alone had little effect on leukemia cells, while knockdown of MMP9 and CCL1 in DC-CIK cells increased cytotoxicity, suppressed proliferation, and induced apoptosis of leukemia cells. In addition, we proved that MMP9- and CCL1-silenced DC-CIK cells significantly elevated the CD3+CD4+ and CD3+CD8+ cells and lowered the CD4+PD-1+ and CD8+PD-1+ T cells. Meanwhile, blockage of MMP9 and CCL1 in DC-CIK cells dramatically increased IL-2 and IFN-γ, increased CD107aþ (LAMP-1) and granzyme B (GZMB), and downregulated PD-1, CTLA4, TIM3, and LAG3 T cells from AML patients and AML model mice. Furthermore, activated T cells in DC-CIK cells knocking down MMP9 and CCL1 also prevented proliferation and accelerated apoptosis of AML cells. Conclusion. Our findings demonstrated that blockage of MMP9 and CCL1 in DC-CIK cells could markedly enhance the therapeutic efficiency in AML via activating T cells.

On-ramps are considered to be one of the common traffic bottlenecks. In order to improve the operation efficiency of on-ramps, scholars worldwide have proposed various vehicle merging strategies. In this study, we designed different rules to express three collaborative strategies and studied their impact on on-ramp systems. Cellular automata models were used to simulate the systems under different situations, and the average speed and traffic flow rate of both the main roads and ramps were analyzed. The results show that (1) all the three merging strategies give excessive “priority” to the merging vehicle, leading to a severe reduction in the traffic performance of the main road; (2) nevertheless, these strategies have different effects on the entire system with a one-lane or two-lane main road. Due to the lane-changing behavior, the system with a two-lane main road has more advantages than that featured with a one-lane road, making the former system performing better than the latter under the same strategies; (3) the vehicles on the ramp and main road affect each other, and as the vehicle entering probabilities become large, the traffic flow rate on the main road decreases whereas that on the ramp increases. However, the effect is not unlimited, the flow rate on both roads finally reaches a stable level (forming a “platform”); and (4) large values of the merging safety distance parameter decrease the flow rate of the entire system. All the previous results provide a deep understanding of the impact of the three merging strategies on traffic flow, contributing to the design of on-ramp systems that have better operation efficiency and low levels of congestion.

Abstract Aims/Introduction Glucose metabolic disorder is the main cause for type 2 diabetes progression. Exploring the molecular mechanisms of metabolic disorder are crucial for type 2 diabetes treatment. Materials and Methods Micro ribonucleic acid (miR)‐363, NOTCH1 and forkhead box C2 (FOXC2) expressions in high glucose (HG)‐treated HepG2 cells and the livers of type 2 diabetes mellitus rats were assessed using quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Protein levels of NOTCH1, FOXC2 and phosphatidylinositol 3‐kinase (PI3K)/serine/threonine protein kinase (Akt)‐related proteins were evaluated using western blot. Lipid accumulation was determined using Oil Red O staining. Then glucose consumption, blood glucose level and glycogen content were detected using kits. Finally, dual luciferase reporter assay was used to verify the binding relationship between miR‐363 and NOTCH1, and the binding relationship between miR‐363 and FOXC2. Results MiR‐363 was significantly upregulated in the livers of diabetic rats and HG‐induced HepG2 cells, whereas NOTCH1 and FOXC2 were downregulated. In HG‐induced HepG2 cells, miR‐363 inhibitor markedly increased glucose consumption and uptake, and reduced accumulation of lipid droplets. Then NOTCH1 and FOXC2 were identified as downstream targets of miR‐363. NOTCH1 overexpression or FOXC2 overexpression could ameliorate glucose and lipids metabolism disorder in type 2 diabetes model cells. In addition, we found that FOXC2 inhibition abolished the effect of NOTCH1 overexpression on HG‐induced HepG2 cells. Finally, we proved that the PI3K/Akt pathway was the downstream pathway of FOXC2. Conclusion MiR‐363 was considered as a key regulator of glucose and lipids metabolism in type 2 diabetes mellitus, which regulated PI3K/Akt axis by targeting NOTCH1 and FOXC2, thus leading to hepatic glucose and lipids metabolism disorder in type 2 diabetes.

Abstract Myocardial fibrosis detected by cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) has been reported in patients with desmin‐related myopathy, although its characteristics remain unclear. Here, we describe a case of desmin‐related restrictive cardiomyopathy wherein CMR imaging revealed myocardial oedema, ischaemia, and fibrosis in the left ventricle; the different types and processes of myocardial injury were detected by CMR. Middle wall left ventricular enhancement may be a feature of late gadolinium enhancement, and the lateral wall is often involved in cases of myocardial injury. CMR is useful for the early detection of cardiac involvement and the prediction of prognosis in patients diagnosed with desmin‐related myopathy.

Abstract To understand the distribution of biodiversity and its determinants, particularly that of ecologically sensitive ones, has long been intriguing to the science community and will help formulate conservation strategies under future climate changes. To this end, we conducted extensive field surveys on the distribution of orchid flora in the Beipan River Basin in Guizhou Province, which is one of the biodiversity conservation priorities in China. The data we acquired, together with those published previously, were converted into orchid species richness for each of the 3 km × 3 km grid cells covering the study region. Redundancy analysis (RDA) and geographically weighted regression (GWR) were then applied to determine which of the 30 environmental factors are potentially critical for the spatial distribution of orchid flora we have observed. Despite a moderate spatial extent, we found that the Beipan River Basin harbors about 249 native orchid species belonging to 74 genera, equivalent to 14.5% of orchid flora of China. Orchid species richness in this area follows a descending gradient from the southeast to the northwest, 70.41% of its variation among grid cells can be explained by environmental factors and spatial variables, and spatial variables accounted for 63.90% of the spatial variation of orchid distribution, indicating that spatial variables played a dominant role in the distribution of wild Orchidaceae species richness. In addition, the main environmental driver is the mean temperature of the wettest quarter. Our study provides a good example for revealing the main drivers of orchid distribution characteristics and has a certain reference value for the development of orchid conservation strategies.

Abstract Single‐component emitters with stable and bright warm white‐light emission are highly desirable for high‐efficacy warm white light‐emitting diodes (warm‐WLEDs), however, materials with such luminescence properties are extremely rare. Low­dimensional lead (Pb) halide perovskites can achieve warm white photoluminescence (PL), yet they suffer from low stability and PL quantum yield (PLQY). While Pb‐free air‐stable perovskites such as Cs2AgInCl6 emit desirable warm white light, sophisticated doping strategies are typically required to increase their PL intensity. Moreover, the use of rare metal‐bearing compounds along with the typically required vacuum‐based thin‐film processing may greatly increase their production cost. Herein, organic–inorganic hybrid cuprous (Cu+)‐based metal halide MA2CuCl3 (MA = CH3NH3+) that meets the requirements of i) nontoxicity, ii) high PLQY, and iii) dopant‐free is presented. Both single crystals and thin films of MA2CuCl3 can be facilely prepared by a low‐cost solution method, which demonstrate bright warm white‐light emission with intrinsically high PLQYs of 90–97%. Prototype electroluminescence devices and down‐conversion LEDs are fabricated with MA2CuCl3 thin films and single crystals, respectively, which show bright luminescence with decent efficiencies and operational stability. These findings suggest that MA2CuCl3 has a great potential for the single‐component indoor lighting and display applications.

Abstract In all‐polymer solar cells (all‐PSCs), there remains such a dilemma that obtains good miscibility and crystallinity simultaneously. Herein a new family of Y‐shape polymer acceptor, namely PYTT is developed, which is copolymerized from Y6 and benzotrithiophene units in three‐way directions. Benefiting from its high‐density end‐chains and extended π‐conjugation thanks to highly‐branched 3D architecture, PYTT displays better organic solubility despite much higher molecular weights, larger crystallinity, and tighter π‐stacking than the linear counterpart—PYT comprising Y6 and thiophene moieties, while showing identical optical absorption yet threefold higher photoluminescence intensity. In PYTT blend film with PM6 polymer donor, the interpenetrating nano‐fibrillar structures are formed with well‐intermixed polymeric domain sizes close to the exciton diffusion length, which is greatly conducive to exciton dissociation and charge transport in device. Consequently, PYTT‐based all‐PSCs exhibit all increased photovoltaic parameters, yielding a decent power conversion efficiency of 15.60%, which is ≈20% enhancement over PYT‐based device, along with low nonradiative loss of 0.221 meV.

Abstract To enable power supply in rural areas and to exploit clean energy, fully renewable power systems consisting of cascaded run‐of‐the‐river hydropower and volatile energies such as photovoltaic (pv) and wind are built around the world. In islanded operation, the primary and secondary frequency controls, that are hydro governors and automatic generation control (AGC), are responsible for the frequency stability. However, due to limited water storage capacity of run‐of‐the‐river hydropower and river dynamics constraints, without coordination between the cascaded plants, the traditional AGC cannot fully exploit the adjustability of hydropower. When imbalances between the volatile energy and load occur, load shedding can be inevitable. To address this issue, this paper proposes a coordinated tertiary control approach by jointly considering power system dynamics and the river dynamics that couples the cascaded hydropower plants. To unify the multi‐timescale dynamics of the power system and river dynamics to establish a controller that coordinates the cascaded plants, the relation between AGC parameters and turbine discharge is approximated by a polynomial surrogate model. The cascaded plants are coordinated by optimising AGC participation factors in a receding‐horizon manner. Simulation of a real‐life system shows the proposed method significantly reduces load loss under pv volatility.

Objective To use image registration techniques to study the clavicular rotation of the shoulders in the sagittal plane. Methods From 28 April 2019 to 20 May 2019, 13 healthy adults (7 males and 6 females) with no history of shoulder trauma surgery or chronic pain were recruited. Patients’ ages ranged from 22 to 42 years, with a mean age of 26.5 years. Three‐dimensional composite images of the sternum–clavicle–humerus were taken using CT images of upper limb movement in the sagittal plane in the 13 healthy adults. Four different postures were registered: (i) anatomical supine position; (ii) elbow joints lifted anteriorly in the supine position; (iii) posterosuperior hyperextension of the elbow joints in the prone position; and (iv) posteroinferior hyperextension of the elbow joints in the prone position. Image data from the humerus and clavicle in three of the postures were processed to calculate Euler angles for movements in the sagittal plane. SPSS 19 was used to perform statistical analyses. Results There was no significant difference in the angles of change in the clavicle and humerus between the dominant and non‐dominant sides under different movement patterns. For upper limb movements in the sagittal plane, the clavicle displayed different Euler angles in different postures. The rotation angle from the anatomical to the horizontal position was the smallest angle, with an average value of 7.1°, whereas the rotation angle from horizontal to posterosuperior hyperextension was the largest, with an average value of 37.2°. When the upper limb moved from anterior protraction to a posterosuperior extension, the intrinsic rotation angle of the clavicle reached its maximum, with an average value of 27.9°; when moved from the anatomical to the horizontal position, 9.1% of the sagittal rotation was executed by the clavicle. During rotation from the horizontal position to posterosuperior hyperextension and from the anatomical to posterior extension, the clavicle showed relatively higher weights at 29.5% and 37.0%, respectively. Conclusion Our results showed that dominance was not a consideration when studying clavicular rotation. Image registration is an effective method that can be used to study upper limb scapular movements. Through comparing and analyzing the data, two postures had relatively large changes in the rotation angle. This can help improve indicators of clavicular rotational function during physical examinations and postoperative functional evaluations.

Abstract Wake effects impose significant aerodynamic interactions among wind turbines. To improve the wind farm operating performance, practical wind farm online control considering wake effects becomes very important. To achieve online optimal wind farm control while responding to grid demands, this paper proposes a novel optimal wind farm supervisory control (SC) model and its explicit solutions. From the controller modelling perspective, the two major wind farm operating modes, the maximum power point tracking mode and the set‐point tracking mode, are first analysed and unified in one optimisation model while considering wake effects. In this way, wind farm power production and rotor kinetic energy reserve can be simultaneously considered to conveniently modify the operation mode in response to different grid demands. Aside from controller modelling, the collocation method is first introduced to address the online application problem of such wake‐effect aware optimal WF control. Although a few optimisation algorithms have been proposed to find the optimum offline, online optimal control is still challenging because of the computational complexity brought by wake model non‐linearity and non‐convexity. The proposed collocation method explicitly approximates the optimal solutions to the proposed supervisory control model, through which only a direct algebraic operation is required for online optimal control instead of repeated optimisations. Case studies are carried out on different wind farms under various wind conditions, showing that the wind farm power production potential and releasable power reserve are improved compared to traditional greedy control in both modes. The accuracy of the collocation method is verified. A detailed analysis of the wind farm production capacity under different wind speeds and directions is also provided.

Abstract The donor/acceptor interaction in non‐fullerene organic photovoltaics leads to the mixing domain that dictates the morphology and electronic structure of the blended thin film. Initiative effort is paid to understand how these domain properties affect the device performances on high‐efficiency PM6:Y6 blends. Different fullerenes acceptors are used to manipulate the feature of mixing domain. It is seen that a tight packing in the mixing region is critical, which could effectively enhance the hole transfer and lead to the enlarged and narrow electron density of state (DOS). As a result, short‐circuit current (JSC) and fill factor (FF) are improved. The distribution of DOS and energy levels strongly influences open‐circuit voltage (VOC). The raised filling state of electron Fermi level is seen to be key in determining device VOC. Energy disorder is found to be a key factor to energy loss, which is highly correlated with the intermolecular distance in the mixing region. A 17.53% efficiency is obtained for optimized ternary devices, which is the highest value for similar systems. The current results indicate that a delicate optimization of the mixing domain property is an effective route to improve the VOC, JSC, and FF simultaneously, which provides new guidelines for morphology control toward high‐performance organic solar cells.

Objective. To examine the efficacy and safety of ozonated autohemotherapy (O3-AHT) combined with pharmacological therapy for comorbid insomnia and myofascial pain syndrome (MPS). Materials and Methods. One hundred and eighteen patients were randomly divided into two groups: the control group (N = 50) and the O3-AHT group (N = 53). Patients in both groups were given the same pharmacological management for three weeks. Patients in the O3-AHT group were treated with ozonated autohemotherapy (the concentration of ozone was 20 µg/ml in the first week, 30 µg/ml in the second week, and 40 µg/ml in the third week) combined with pharmacological therapy. Primary (the insomnia severity index (ISI) and visual analogue scale (VAS)) and secondary outcomes (the Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS), polysomnography data, the anxiety and preoccupation about sleep questionnaire (APSQ), the beck depression index (BDI), and the multidimensional fatigue inventory (MFI)) were examined at pretreatment, posttreatment, 1 month, and 6 months. Results. Fifty patients in the control group and fifty-three patients in the O3-AHT group completed the study. In both groups, insomnia and pain symptoms were relieved significantly compared with pretreatment. Compared with the control group, the O3-AHT group had significantly improved sleep quality, pain, and negative mood at different time points. No adverse complications were observed in either group. Conclusion. Compared with pharmacological therapy alone, ozonated autohemotherapy combined with pharmacological therapy can ameliorate insomnia, reduce pain intensity, improve negative mood, and alleviate fatigue more effectively without serious adverse complications.

Background. The poor survival rates of transplanted mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in harsh microenvironments impair the efficacy of MSCs transplantation in myocardial infarction (MI). Extrinsic apoptosis pathways play an important role in the apoptosis of transplanted MSCs, and Fas apoptosis inhibitory molecule (FAIM) is involved in regulation of the extrinsic apoptosis pathway. Thus, we aimed to explore whether FAIM augmentation protects MSCs against stress-induced apoptosis and thereby improves the therapeutic efficacy of MSCs. Methods. We ligated the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) in the mouse heart to generate an MI model and then injected FAIM-overexpressing MSCs (MSCsFAIM) into the peri-infarction area in vivo. Moreover, FAIM-overexpressing MSCs were challenged with oxygen, serum, and glucose deprivation (OGD) in vitro, which mimicked the harsh microenvironment that occurs in cardiac infarction. Results. FAIM was markedly downregulated under OGD conditions, and FAIM overexpression protected MSCs against OGD-induced apoptosis. MSCsFAIM transplantation improved cell retention, strengthened angiogenesis, and ameliorated heart function. The antiapoptotic effect of FAIM was mediated by cellular-FLICE inhibitory protein (c-FLIP), and FAIM augmentation improved the protein expression of c-FLIP by reducing ubiquitin–proteasome-dependent c-FLIP degradation. Furthermore, FAIM inhibited the activation of JNK, and treatment with the JNK inhibitor SP600125 abrogated the reduction in c-FLIP protein expression caused by FAIM silencing. Conclusions. Overall, these results indicated that FAIM curbed the JNK-mediated, ubiquitination–proteasome-dependent degradation of c-FLIP, thereby improving the survival of transplanted MSCs and enhancing their efficacy in MI. This study may provide a novel approach to strengthen the therapeutic effect of MSC-based therapy.

Th2 immune response is essential for providing protection against pathogens and orchestrating humoral immunity. However, excessive Th2 immune response leads to the pathogenesis of Th2 inflammation diseases, including asthma, allergic rhinitis, and atopic dermatitis. Emerging evidence suggest a critical role of the transcription factor Bach2 in regulating Th2 immune responses. Bach2 serves as a super enhancer and transcriptional repressor to control the differentiation and maturation of Th2-related immune cells such as B cell lineages and T cell lineages. In B cells, Bach2 is required for every stage of B cell development and can delay the class switch recombination and antibody-producing plasma cell differentiation. In T cell lineages, Bach2 suppresses the CD4+ T cell differentiation into Th2 cells, restrains Th2 cytokine production, and promotes the generation and function of regulatory T (Treg) cells to balance the immune activity. Furthermore, studies in various animal models show that Bach2 knockout animals spontaneously develop Th2 inflammation in the airway and gastrointestinal tract. Genome-wide association studies have identified various susceptibility loci of Bach2 which are linked with Th2 inflammatory diseases such as asthma and inflammatory bowel disease. Here, we discuss the critical role of Bach2 involved in the Th2 immune response and associated inflammatory diseases.

Background. Regulatory T cell (Treg)/T helper (Th) 17 skewing is important in the development of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Immunomodulatory effects of mesenchymal stem cell- (MSC-) secreted transforming growth factor- (TGF-) β1 on CD4+ T cells are environment-sensitive and lack discussion in hypoxic and inflammatory conditions. Methods. Mouse splenic CD4+ T cells were precoated with anti-CD3 (5 μg/ml) and anti-CD28 (2 μg/ml) overnight. RAW264.7 cells were added as antigen-presenting cells (APCs). T cells with and without RAW264.7 cells were treated with various LPS concentrations of 0, 10, 100, and 1000 ng/ml or/and at hypoxia condition of 5% O2. Based on LPS (100 ng/ml) and hypoxia conditions (5% O2) as stimuli, MSCs were set as direct coculture or indirect coculture by transwell system. Anti-TGF-β1 neutralization antibody was added to explore the role of TGF-β1 among the soluble factors secreted by MSCs; miR-155 overexpression of CD4+ T cells was performed by transfection, and then, cells were added to the MSC-CD4+ T cell coculture system in hypoxic- and LPS-stimulated condition. After 48 hours, cells or supernatants were collected for detection of frequency of Treg and Th17 subsets, CD4+ T cell apoptosis and proliferation capacity assay by flow cytometry, secretion of INF-γ, IL-17A, IL-21, TGF-β1, and IL-10 by ELISA, and levels of miR-155, Rorc, Foxp3, and Ptpn2 mRNA expression of CD4+ T cells by RT-PCR. Results. MSCs could restore skewed Treg/Th17 induced by LPS and hypoxia compared to groups without MSCs with increased secretion of TGF-β1, IL-10, and IL-17A (P

Video‐based person re‐identification aims to verify the pedestrian identity from image sequences. The sequences are captured by cameras located in different directions at different times. Existing studies have certain limitations in the case of occlusions and pose variations. To solve the aforementioned problems, this study proposes a new two‐stage framework, from which the key‐image‐based fusion spatial–temporal feature (KISTF) of the pedestrian can be extracted from the video. The image‐level features at all timestamps are aggregated into the sequence‐level feature representation of the video by using an long short‐term memory network. Additionally, the concept of key image is defined for the image sequence, and the frame‐level feature of the pedestrian is extracted from these key images. The proposed spatial–temporal feature, KISTF, is obtained by fusing the sequence‐level feature and the frame‐level feature. It aims to solve the problem of pedestrian representation in small video data sets. Experiments are conducted on the iLIDS‐VID and PRID2011 data sets. The results demonstrate that the proposed approach outperforms state‐of‐the‐art video‐based re‐identification methods.

Drug‐induced liver injury (DILI) can lead to acute liver failure, a lethal condition which may require liver transplantation. Hepatotoxicity associated with nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) accounts for ~ 10% of all DILI. In the current study, we determined whether indomethacin, one of the most commonly used NSAIDS, induced apoptosis in hepatocytes and investigated the underlying mechanism. Meanwhile, we investigated the protective effect of S‐allyl‐L‐cysteine (SAC), an active garlic derivative, on indomethacin‐induced hepatocyte apoptosis, and its implication on endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. We found that indomethacin triggered ER stress, as indicated by the elevated expression of phosphorylated eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2α (eIF2α), C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP) and spliced XBP1 in a rat liver BRL‐3A cell line. Following indomethacin treatment, caspase 3 activation and hepatocyte apoptosis were also observed. Inhibition of ER stress by chemical chaperone 4‐phenyl butyric acid alleviated cell apoptosis caused by indomethacin, indicating that ER stress is involved in indomethacin‐induced hepatocyte apoptosis. Moreover, SAC abated indomethacin‐induced eIF2α phosphorylation, inhibited CHOP upregulation and its nuclear translocation, abrogated the activation of caspase 3 and finally, protected hepatocytes from apoptosis. In conclusion, SAC protects indomethacin‐induced hepatocyte apoptosis through mitigating ER stress and may be suitable for development into a potential new therapeutic agent for the treatment of DILI.

Abstract Nanocrystalline (NC) materials exhibit many unique properties over their coarse‐grained counterparts due to the high grain boundary density and the small grain size, but they are too difficult to be used in engineering environment because of the poor thermal stability. With regard of this, two strategies are previously proposed to enhance the thermal stability (or impede the grain growth) of NC materials, that is, the thermodynamic and the kinetic approaches. Recent investigations increasingly support that the two approaches may be physically interacted and acted on each other, and they can be treated together within a unified thermo‐kinetic framework. This paper reviews the progress in the investigation of thermo‐kinetic correlation during grain growth in NC materials. First, the theoretical models to describe the concept of the thermo‐kinetic correlation and the grain growth equations developed based on the thermo‐kinetic correlation are reviewed. Second, experimental and simulated evidences to support the coexistence of thermodynamic and kinetic effects are summarized. Third, the potential application of thermo‐kinetic correlation is analyzed and discussed. This paper shows that the stabilization of NC materials can be tailored by the selection of the suitable strategies. Finally, several directions that require further exploration are identified.

Abstract Proinflammatory (M1) macrophages play a vital role in antitumor immunity, and regulation of proinflammatory macrophage polarization is critical for immunotherapy. The polarization of macrophages can be regulated by biological or chemical stimulation, but investigations of the regulatory effect of physical stimulation are limited. Herein, regulating macrophage polarization with localized electrical signals derived from a piezoelectric β‐phase poly(vinylidene fluoride) (β‐PVDF) film in a wireless mode is proposed. Charges released on the surface of the β‐PVDF film driven by ultrasonic irradiation can significantly enhance the M1 polarization of macrophages. Mechanistic investigation confirms that electrical potentials rather than reactive oxygen species and mechanical forces enable Ca2+ influx through voltage‐gated channels and establishment of the Ca2+‐CAMK2A‐NF‐κB axis to promote the proinflammatory macrophage response during ultrasound treatment. Piezoelectric material‐mediated electrical signal‐activated proinflammatory macrophages significantly inhibit tumor cell proliferation. A method for electrogenetic regulation of immune cells as well as a powerful tool for engineering macrophages for immunotherapy is provided here.

Abstract The hot deformation characteristics of Nickel‐based corrosion resistant alloy was studied in the temperature range of 1050°C to 1200°C and the strain rate range of 0.001 to 0.1 second−1 by employing hot compression tests. The results show that the peak stress increases with decreasing temperature and increasing strain rate, and the apparent activation energy is about 409 kJ/mol. Based on the Avrami equation through using the critical strain (εc) and the strain for 50% DRX (ε0.5), a kinetic model for dynamic recrystallization (DRX) was established, where the model parameters could be obtained using the modified Zener‐Hollomon parameter (Z*). Applying the model, the predicted value of the steady‐state strain (εss) and the strain for maximum softening rate (εm) agree well with the experimental results. Accordingly, the relationship between εm and ε0.5 is established, which is mainly dependent on the Avrami exponent (n). When n

Abstract Fatty acyl‐CoA reductases (FAR) are involved in plant wax synthesis and play important roles in plant growth and development. However, little information is available for cotton FAR genes. In this study, we carried out a genome‐wide identification of FAR genes in Upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) and found 10 GhFARs that form five pairs of homoeologs (GhFAR2A to GhFAR3.4D) distributed on six chromosomes. The 10 GhFARs were separated into two subfamilies. Most GhFARs showed tissue‐specific expression patterns, and at least one GhFAR of each pair of homoeologs was relatively highly expressed in at least one of the tissues investigated. GhFAR3.1 was highly expressed in leaves. The function of GhFAR3.1 in wax accumulation and drought tolerance was analyzed using virus‐induced gene silencing (VIGS). Silencing GhFAR3.1 reduced the total wax content and relative water content of leaves by over 60% and 13%, respectively, suggesting a role of GhFAR3.1 in wax synthesis and protection against water loss. Compared to the well‐watered conditions, drought stress induced significant accumulation of wax in leaves of wild‐type plants but not in leaves of GhFAR3.1 silenced plants, leading to less water holding capacity in GhFAR3.1 silenced plants and plant wilting. Silencing GhFAR3.1 had no effect on the expression levels of the wax biosynthesis pathway genes KAS, KCS, and LACS (upstream GhFAR3.1), but reduced the transcript level of its downstream gene WSD. Together, these results suggest that leaf wax content is important for water retention and drought tolerance and that GhFAR3.1 is essential for wax synthesis in cotton leaves. These results also provide the basis for further study on the molecular regulation mechanism of GhFARs in cotton development and surface lipid synthesis.

Abstract Oridonin could induce NB (neuroblastoma) cells growth inhibition by inducing apoptosis and cell cycle arrest, and the molecular mechanisms behind the effects deserve to be further explored. Here, oridonin was confirmed to cause the reactivation of p53 (cellular tumor antigen p53) to promote the expression of a series of apoptosis‐ and cell cycle arrest‐related proteins for the biological effects. During the process, oridonin relied on the caspase activation to cleave p53‐induced Mdm2 (E3 ubiquitin‐protein ligase Mdm2) to generate Mdm2‐p60. The generation of Mdm2‐p60 stabilized p53, and resulted in p53 accumulation for p53 continuous activation. In our research, it was also found that the reactivation of p53 induced by oridonin was closely related with the generation of ROS (reactive oxygen species). Taken together, these findings explain that oridonin exerts its anticancer activity partially by targeting the Mdm2‐p53 axis in NB cells, which lay an experimental base for future research of exploring the effects and molecular mechanisms of oridonin.

Hepatocyte apoptosis is frequently observed in alcohol‐related liver disease (ARLD), which ranks among the 30 leading causes of death worldwide. In the current study, we explored the impact of S‐allyl‐l‐cysteine (SAC), an organosulfur component of garlic, on hepatocyte apoptosis induced by alcohol. Rat liver (BRL‐3A) cells were challenged by ethanol with or without SAC treatment. Cell death/viability, reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, mitochondrial Cytochrome C release, and caspase 3 activity were then examined. We found that ethanol remarkably induced apoptosis of hepatocytes, while SAC treatment rescued ethanol‐induced hepatocyte injury, as demonstrated by cell counting kit‐8 (CCK8) assay, TUNEL assay, and annexin V/PI staining assay. Ethanol evoked ROS generation in BRL‐3A cells, and this was abated by SAC pretreatment, as indicated by 2′,7′‐dichlorofluorescin diacetate (DCFDA) staining assay. Moreover, ethanol suppressed cellular anti‐apoptotic protein B‐cell lymphoma‐2 (Bcl‐2) expression, increased pro‐apoptotic protein Bcl‐2‐associated X protein (Bax) expression, induced mitochondrial Cytochrome C release, and activated the caspase 3‐dependent apoptosis pathway in BRL‐3A cells. SAC was sufficient to abolish all these changes induced by ethanol, thereby revealing the molecular mechanisms underlying its protective effects. In conclusion, SAC protects hepatocytes from ethanol‐induced apoptosis and may be suitable for use as a novel anti‐apoptotic agent for treating ARLD.

Abstract Lysine acetylation (Kac) as an important posttranslational modification of histones is essential for the regulation of gene expression in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the atlas of whole acetylated proteins in HCC tissues and the difference in protein acetylation between normal human tissues and HCC tissues are unknown. In this report, we characterized the proteome and acetyl proteome (acetylome) profile of normal, paracancerous, and HCC liver tissues in human clinical samples by quantitative proteomics techniques. We identified 6781 acetylation sites of 2582 proteins and quantified 2492 acetylation sites of 1190 proteins in normal, paracancerous, and HCC liver tissues. Among them, 15 proteins were multiacetylated with more than 10 lysine residues. The histone acetyltransferases p300 and CBP were found to be hyperacetylated in hepatitis B virus pathway. Moreover, we found that 250 Kac sites of 214 proteins were upregulated and 662 Kac sites of 451 proteins were downregulated in HCC compared with normal liver tissues. Additionally, the acetylation levels of lysine 120 in histone H2B (H2BK120ac), lysine 18 in histone H3.3 (H3.3K18ac), and lysine 77 in histone H4 (H4K77ac) were increased in HCC. Interestingly, the higher levels of H2BK120ac, H3.3K18ac, and H4K77ac were significantly associated with worse prognosis, such as poorer survival and higher recurrence in an independent clinical cohort of HCC patients. Overall, this study lays a foundation for understanding the functions of acetylation in HCC and provides potential prognostic factors for the diagnosis and therapy of HCC.

This paper aims to investigate nonlinear vibration characteristics of rotor system considering cogging and harmonic effects. Firstly, relative permeance with eccentric was established and then corrected by correction factor caused by the cogging effect. Based on the new formula of relative permeance, the expression of unbalanced magnetic force was obtained, and the coefficient of cogging effect was defined. Motion equations of rotor system were established, and Runge–Kutta method was used to solve the equations. Results showed that errors between finite and analytical results were smaller considering cogging and harmonic effects. When the harmonics were taken into consideration, the vibration of rotor increases sharply. When the cogging and harmonics were taken into consideration simultaneously, the vibration of rotor decreased instead, which means that stator slots have the effect of reducing vibration in rotor system. Rotor vibration was axis symmetry with static eccentricity rather than central symmetry with no eccentricity, and double, four times, and six times supply frequency always existed in the components of main frequency with eccentric.