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Abstract LLC series resonant converter (LLC‐SRC) has attracted much attention due to its simple circuit structure and easy realization of soft‐switching. To get a better efficiency, rectifier stage can be realized by the active switches instead of the diodes. Meanwhile, more control variables can be selected besides the switching frequency, such as single phase shifted (SPS) angle, dual phase shifted (DPS) angle, and extended phase shifted (EPS) angle. Considering the simplicity of the implementation of the control strategy, this paper focused on the converter model with frequency and SPS control. Different from the common modelling method with the Fundamental Harmonic Approximation (FHA), the precise time‐domain mathematic model is built. By a comparison between the two modelling results, it can be proved the FHA model may be failure in some operating condition while the proposed time‐domain model can still show a good accuracy. According to the proposed model, two simple fixed‐frequency SPS control strategies are proposed. The first one can realize infinite soft‐switching margin with no restrictions on the transformer magnetizing inductance. The second one can greatly improve the efficiency of the converter. All the theoretical results are verified by a 1‐kW experiment prototype.

Abstract Study objective The aim of our study was to elucidate differences in brain activity patterns among obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) patients, OSA patients with depressive symptoms, and healthy controls (HCs). We also investigated the relationship between brain function and depression in OSA patients. Methods A total of 95 subjects were included in the study, including 34 OSA patients without depressive symptoms, 31 OSA patients with depressive symptoms, and 30 HCs. The 53‐channel functional near‐infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) was used to monitor the concentration of oxy‐hemoglobin (Oxy‐Hb) in the brain, whereas the participants performed the verbal fluency task, and the degree of depression was scored using the 17‐item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAMD‐17). Hierarchical regression models were conducted to analyze the association of fNIRS features with depressive symptom. Results The Oxy‐Hb changes of the three groups were significantly different in Channels 25 (H = 9.878, p = .007) and 43 (H = 6.957, p = .031). Inter‐group comparisons showed that the Oxy‐Hb change of Channel 25 (located in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex [DLPFC]) in OSA group was less than that in HC group (p = .006), and the Oxy‐Hb change of Channel 43 (located in the right frontal polar region) in OSA group with depression was less than that in OSA group (p = .025). Spearman's test showed that there was a significant negative correlation between HAMD‐17 scores and mean Oxy‐Hb changes in Channel 43 (r = −.319, p

Abstract Gliomas are highly heterogenous diseases with poor prognosis. Precise survival prediction could benefit further clinical decision‐making, clinical trial incursion, and health economics. Recent research has emphasized the prognostic value of magnetic resonance imaging, pathological specimens, and circulating biomarkers. However, the integrative potential and efficacy of these modalities require to be further validated. After incorporating 218 patients of The Cancer Genome Atlas glioma datasets of and 54 patients of the Huashan cohort with complementary prognostic information, we established a squeeze‐and‐excitation deep learning feature extractor for T1‐contrast enhanced images and histological slides and explored to screen significant circulating 5‐hydroxymethylcytosines (5hmC) profiles for glioma survival by least absolute shrinkage and selection operator‐Cox regression. Therefore, a prognostication predictive model with high efficiency was obtained through survival support vector machine multimodal integration of radiologic imaging, histopathologic imaging features, genome‐wide 5hmC in circulating cell‐free DNA and clinical variables, suggesting a valid strategy (concordance‐index = 0.897; Brier score = 0.118) for improved survival risk stratification of glioma patients.

Abstract As a highly organized system, endo‐lysosomes play a crucial role in maintaining immune homeostasis. However, the mechanisms involved in regulating endo‐lysosome progression and subsequent inflammatory responses are not fully understood. By screening 103 E3 ubiquitin ligases in regulating endo‐lysosomal acidification, it is discovered that lysosomal RNF13 inhibits lysosome maturation and promotes inflammatory responses mediated by endosomal Toll‐like receptors (TLRs) in macrophages. Mechanistically, RNF13 mediates K48‐linked polyubiquitination of LAMP‐1 at residue K128 for proteasomal degradation. Upon TLRs activation, LAMP‐1 promotes lysosomes maturation, which accelerates lysosomal degradation of TLRs and reduces TLR signaling in macrophages. Furthermore, peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) show increased RNF13 levels and decreased LAMP‐1 expression. Accordingly, the immunosuppressive agent hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) can increase the polyubiquitination of RNF13. Taken together, the study establishes a linkage between proteasomal and lysosomal degradation mechanisms for the induction of appropriate innate immune response, and offers a promising approach for the treatment of inflammatory diseases by targeting intracellular TLRs.

Abstract Emerging evidence has demonstrated the profound impact of the gut microbiome on cardiovascular diseases through the production of diverse metabolites. Using an animal model of myocardial ischemia–reperfusion (I/R) injury, we found that the prophylactic administration of a well‐known probiotic, Bifidobacterium infantis (B. infantis), exhibited cardioprotective effects in terms of preserving cardiac contractile function and preventing adverse cardiac remodeling following I/R and that these cardioprotective effects were recapitulated by its metabolite inosine. Transcriptomic analysis further revealed that inosine mitigated I/R‐induced cardiac inflammation and cell death. Mechanistic investigations elucidated that inosine suppressed the production of pro‐inflammatory cytokines and reduced the numbers of dendritic cells and natural killer cells, achieved through the activation of the adenosine A2A receptor (A2AR) that when inhibited abrogated the cardioprotective effects of inosine. Additionally, in vitro studies using C2C12 myoblasts revealed that inosine attenuated cell death by serving as an alternative carbon source for adenosine triphosphate (ATP) generation through the purine salvage pathway when subjected to oxygen‐glucose deprivation/reoxygenation that simulated myocardial I/R injury. Likewise, inosine reversed the I/R‐induced decrease in ATP levels in mouse hearts. Taken together, our findings indicate that B. infantis or its metabolite inosine exerts cardioprotective effects against I/R by suppressing cardiac inflammation and attenuating cardiac cell death, suggesting prophylactic therapeutic options for acute ischemic cardiac injury.

Abstract Layered oxides of sodium‐ion batteries suffer from severe side reactions on the electrode/electrolyte interface, leading to fast capacity degradation. Although surface reconstruction strategies are widely used to solve the above issues, the utilization of the low‐cost wet chemical method is extremely challenging for moisture‐sensitive Na‐based oxide materials. Here, the solvation tuning strategy is proposed to overcome the deterioration of NaNi1/3Mn1/3Fe1/3O2 in water‐based solution and conduct the surface reconstruction. When capturing the water molecules by the solvation structure of cations, here is Li+, the structural collapse and degradation of layered oxides in water‐based solvents are greatly mitigated. Furthermore, Li(H2O)3EA+ promotes the profitable Li+/Na+ exchange to build a robust surface, which hampers the decomposition of electrolytes and the structural evolution upon cycling. Accordingly, the lifespan of Li‐reinforced materials is prolonged to three times that of the pristine one. This work represents a step forward in understanding the surface reconstruction operated in a water‐based solution for high‐performance sodium layered oxide cathodes.

Abstract Anisotropic pressure sensors are gaining increasing attention for next‐generation wearable electronics and intelligent infrastructure owing to their sensitivity in identifying different directional forces. 3D printing technologies have unparalleled advantages in the design of anisotropic pressure sensors with customized 3D structures for realizing tunable anisotropy. 3D printing has demonstrated few successes in utilizing piezoelectric nanocomposites for anisotropic recognition. However, 3D‐printed anisotropic piezoresistive pressure sensors (PPSs) remain unexplored despite their convenience in saving the poling process. This study pioneers the development of an aqueous printable ink containing waterborne polyurethane elastomer. An anisotropic PPS featuring tailorable flexibility in macroscopic 3D structures and microscopic pore morphologies is created by adopting direct ink writing 3D printing technology. Consequently, the desired directional force perception is achieved by programming the printing schemes. Notably, the printed PPS demonstrated excellent deformability, with a relative sensitivity of 1.22 (kPa*wt. %)−1 over a substantial pressure range (2.8 to 8.1 kPa), approximately fivefold than that of a state‐of‐the‐art carbon‐based PPS. This study underscores the versatility of 3D printing in customizing highly sensitive anisotropic pressure sensors for advanced sensing applications that are difficult to achieve using conventional measures.

Abstract The gut microbiome has emerged as a potential target for the treatment of cardiovascular disease. Ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) after myocardial infarction is a serious complication and whether certain gut bacteria can serve as a treatment option remains unclear. Lactobacillus reuteri (L. reuteri) is a well‐studied probiotic that can colonize mammals including humans with known cholesterol‐lowering properties and anti‐inflammatory effects. Here, the prophylactic cardioprotective effects of L. reuteri or its metabolite γ‐aminobutyric acid (GABA) against acute ischemic cardiac injury caused by I/R surgery are demonstrated. The prophylactic gavage of L. reuteri or GABA confers cardioprotection mainly by suppressing cardiac inflammation upon I/R. Mechanistically, GABA gavage results in a decreased number of proinflammatory macrophages in I/R hearts and GABA gavage no longer confers any cardioprotection in I/R hearts upon the clearance of macrophages. In vitro studies with LPS‐stimulated bone marrow‐derived macrophages (BMDM) further reveal that GABA inhibits the polarization of macrophages toward the proinflammatory M1 phenotype by inhibiting lysosomal leakage and NLRP3 inflammasome activation. Together, this study demonstrates that the prophylactic oral administration of L. reuteri or its metabolite GABA attenuates macrophage‐mediated cardiac inflammation and therefore alleviates cardiac dysfunction after I/R, thus providing a new prophylactic strategy to mitigate acute ischemic cardiac injury.

Abstract The photocatalytic conversion of CO2 into solar‐powered fuels is viewed as a forward‐looking strategy to address energy scarcity and global warming. This work demonstrated the selective photoreduction of CO2 to CO using ultrathin Bi12O17Cl2 nanosheets decorated with hydrothermally synthesized bismuth clusters and oxygen vacancies (OVs). The characterizations revealed that the coexistences of OVs and Bi clusters generated in situ contributed to the high efficiency of CO2–CO conversion (64.3 μmol g−1 h−1) and perfect selectivity. The OVs on the facet (001) of the ultrathin Bi12O17Cl2 nanosheets serve as sites for CO2 adsorption and activation sites, capturing photoexcited electrons and prolonging light absorption due to defect states. In addition, the Bi‐cluster generated in situ offers the ability to trap holes and the surface plasmonic resonance effect. This study offers great potential for the construction of semiconductor hybrids as multiphotocatalysts, capable of being used for the elimination and conversion of CO2 in terms of energy and environment.

Abstract The characteristics of three‐phase imbalances are present in medium‐ and low‐voltage distribution networks. Integrating single‐phase distributed generation (DG) exacerbates network imbalances, resulting in increased power losses and potential safety hazards. To address these issues, a dynamic reconfiguration strategy (DNR) for three‐phase imbalanced distribution networks, considering soft open points (SOP), has been proposed. The objective is to alleviate the three‐phase imbalance and minimize the operational costs of the distribution network. Within the reconfiguration strategy, the constraints of DG current imbalance in practical system operations are considered. A three‐phase imbalanced DNR model that simultaneously considers the constraints of the SOP and DG current imbalances is introduced. This model aims to optimize the operation of all devices, including the SOP, to address the overall imbalance of the distribution network. This enables the authors to transform the non‐linear model into a mixed‐integer linear programming model, significantly improving the solution efficiency. To validate the proposed strategy, simulations of a modified IEEE 34‐node distribution system and an actual 78‐node distribution system were conducted. The results demonstrate that this strategy offers significant economic benefits and ensures the security of the distribution network.

Abstract Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), a genetically and clinically heterogeneous cardiomyopathy, is commonly caused by mutations in the MYBPC3 gene or other various sarcomeric genes. HCM patients carrying sarcomeric gene mutations may experience an asymptomatic period at early stage but still possess an escalating risk of developing adverse cardiac events including sudden cardiac death. It is crucial to determine the phenotypic and pathogenic effects of mutations in sarcomeric genes. In this study, a 65‐year‐old male was admitted with a history of chest pain, dyspnoea, and syncope and with a family history of HCM and sudden cardiac death. On admission, electrocardiogram indicated atrial fibrillation and myocardial infarction. Transthoracic echocardiography revealed left ventricular concentric hypertrophy and systolic dysfunction (48%), which were ascertained by cardiovascular magnetic resonance. With late gadolinium‐enhancement imaging, cardiovascular magnetic resonance found myocardial fibrosis on left ventricular wall. The exercise stress echocardiography test showed non‐obstructive myocardial changes. Whole‐exome sequencing analysis identified a MYBPC3 gene heterozygous nonsense variant (c.1522C>T) in the patient and one of his healthy grandnieces (18‐year‐old). The patient was diagnosed with non‐obstructive HCM, heart failure, atrial fibrillation, and so on. Medications, ICD implantation, and catheter ablation were chosen to maintain heart function. Our study provides the clinical evidence regarding the HCM pathogenicity of MYBPC3 c.1522C>T variant and highlights the significance of family genetic testing in the diagnosis and management of HCM.

Abstract Smart chiral liquid crystal elastomers are a class of soft photonic crystals with periodic nanostructures. There are two kinds of chiral liquid crystal elastomers with structural colors: cholesteric liquid crystal elastomers with a one‐dimensional helical nanostructure and blue‐phase liquid crystal elastomers with a three‐dimensional photonic crystal nanostructure. The self‐assembled nanostructure of chiral liquid crystal elastomers can be dynamically controlled under external stimulation, and the reflected color can be adjusted throughout the visible light range. Along with the development of innovative material systems and cutting‐edge manufacturing technologies, researchers have proposed diverse strategies to design and synthesize chiral liquid crystal elastomers and have thoroughly investigated their properties and potential applications. Here, we provide a systematic review of the progress in the design and fabrication of smart chiral liquid crystal elastomers, focusing on the cholesteric liquid crystal elastomers via surface‐enforced alignment, bar coating, 3D printing, anisotropic deswelling methods as well as the three‐dimensional self‐assembly of blue‐phase liquid crystal elastomers without additional alignment. Smart chiral liquid crystal elastomers are able to respond quickly to external stimuli and have a wide range of applications in areas such as adaptive optics, color‐changing camouflage, soft robotics, and information encryption. This review concludes with a perspective on the opportunities and challenges for the future development of smart chiral liquid crystal elastomers.

Abstract The practical implementation of aqueous Zn‐ion batteries (ZIBs) for large‐scale energy storage is impeded by the challenges of water‐induced parasitic reactions and uncontrolled dendrite growth. Herein, we propose a strategy to regulate both anions and cations of electrolyte solvation structures to address above challenges, by introducing an electrolyte additive of 3‐hydroxy‐4‐(trimethylammonio)butyrate (HTMAB) into ZnSO4 electrolyte. Consequently, the deposition of Zn is significantly improved leading to a highly reversible Zn anode with paralleled texture. The Zn/Zn cells with ZnSO4/HTMAB exhibit outstanding cycling performance, showcasing a lifespan exceeding 7500 h and an exceptionally high accumulative capacity of 16.47 Ah cm−2. Zn/NaV3O8·1.5H2O full cell displays a specific capacity of ~130 mAh g−1 at 5 A g−1 maintaining a capacity retention of 93% after 2000 cycles. This work highlights the regulation on both cations and anions of electrolyte solvation structures in optimizing interfacial stability during Zn plating/stripping for high performance ZIBs.

Abstract The variation of plant traits is closely related to the trade‐offs between resource acquisition and conservation, as well as the accumulation of biomass. However, there has been a lack of comprehensive insights into the variation patterns, phylogenetic conservatism, and covariation with biomass allocation of root system architecture in desert areas. We examined the root systems of 47 annual ephemeral species and evaluated their biomass allocation and six key root system architecture traits. Our results indicated that the variation in root traits mainly originated from interspecific variation (48.78%–99.76%), but intraspecific variation should not be ignored as to why the contribution rate of root tissue density (RTD) reached 51.22%. The six root traits were mainly loaded on the first and second axes of the principal component analysis (PCA), these traits mainly vary along two dimensions. The highest interspecific variation is in RTD (51.63%) and the lowest in topological index (TI; 5.92%). The intraspecific variation value and range of specific root length (SRL), specific root area (SRA), and RTD were significantly higher than TI (p .05). The SRA is positively correlated with SRL (r = .72, p

Abstract The gut microbiome plays a crucial role in modulating host health and disease. It serves as a vast reservoir of functional molecules that hold great potential for clinical applications. One specific area of interest is identifying anticancer peptides (ACPs) for innovative cancer therapies. However, ACPs discovery is hindered by a heavy reliance on experimental methodologies. To overcome this limitation, we here employed a novel approach by leveraging the overlap between ACPs and antimicrobial peptides (AMPs). By combining well‐established AMP prediction methods with mining techniques in metagenomic cohorts, a total of 40 potential ACPs is identified. Out of the identified ACPs, 39 demonstrated inhibitory effects against at least one cancer cell line, exhibiting significant differences from known ACPs. Moreover, the therapeutic potential of the two most promising peptides in a mouse xenograft cancer model is evaluated. Encouragingly, the peptides exhibit effective tumor inhibition without any detectable toxic effects. Interestingly, both peptides display uncommon secondary structures, highlighting its distinctive characteristics. This findings highlight the efficacy of the multi‐center mining approach, which effectively uncovers novel ACPs from the gut microbiome. This approach has significant implications for expanding treatment options not only for CRC, but also for other cancer types.

Abstract Although the oxygen reduction process to hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is a green option for H2O2 generation, the low activity and selectivity hindered the industry's process. In recent years, the electrochemical synthesis of H2O2 through a 2e– transfer method of oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) has piqued the interest of both academics and industry. Metal oxide catalysts have emerged as a novel family of electrochemical catalysts due to their unusual physical, chemical, and electrical characteristics. In this work, we first developed a Ruddlesden–Popper perovskite oxide (Pr2NiO4+δ) as a highly selective and active catalyst for 2e– ORR to produce H2O2. Molybdenum was introduced here to adjust the oxidation states of these transition metals with successful substitution into Ni‐site to prepare Pr2Ni1‐xMoxO4+δ, and the molybdenum substitution improves the H2O2 selectivity during the ORR process, in 0.1 M KOH, from 60% of Pr2NiO4+δ to 79% of Pr2Ni0.8Mo0.2O4+δ at 0.55 V versus RHE. A limiting H2O2 concentration of 0.24 mM for Pr2NiO4+δ and 0.42 mM for Pr2Ni0.8Mo0.2O4+δ was obtained at a constant current of 10 mA/cm2 using a flow‐cell reactor using a gas‐diffusion electrode.

Abstract Integrating adaptative logic computation directly into soft microrobots is imperative for the next generation of intelligent soft microrobots as well as for the smart materials to move beyond stimulus‐response relationships and toward the intelligent behaviors seen in biological systems. Acquiring adaptivity is coveted for soft microrobots that can adapt to implement different works and respond to different environments either passively or actively through human intervention like biological systems. Here, a novel and simple strategy for constructing untethered soft microrobots based on stimuli‐responsive hydrogels that can switch logic gates according to the surrounding stimuli of environment is introduced. Different basic logic gates and combinational logic gates are integrated into a microrobot via a straightforward method. Importantly, two kinds of soft microrobots with adaptive logic gates are designed and fabricated, which can smartly switch logic operation between AND gate and OR gate under different surrounding environmental stimuli. Furthermore, a same magnetic microrobot with adaptive logic gate is used to capture and release the specified objects through the change of the surrounding environmental stimuli based on AND or OR logic gate. This work contributes an innovative strategy to integrate computation into small‐scale untethered soft robots with adaptive logic gates.

Abstract Anti‐obesity medications act by suppressing energy intake (EI), promoting energy expenditure (EE), or both. Metformin (Met) and mirabegron (Mir) cause weight loss by targeting EI and EE, respectively. However, anti‐obesity effects during concurrent use of both have yet to be explored. In this study, we investigated the anti‐obesity effects, metabolic benefits, and underlying mechanisms of Met/Mir combination therapy in two clinically relevant contexts: the prevention model and the treatment model. In the prevention model, Met/Mir caused further 12% and 14% reductions in body weight (BW) gain induced by a high‐fat diet compared to Met or Mir alone, respectively. In the treatment model, Met/Mir additively promoted 17% BW loss in diet‐induced obese mice, which was 13% and 6% greater than Met and Mir alone, respectively. Additionally, Met/Mir improved glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity. These benefits of Met/Mir were associated with increased EE, activated brown adipose tissue thermogenesis, and white adipose tissue browning. Significantly, Met/Mir did not cause cardiovascular dysfunction in either model. Together, the combination of Met and Mir could be a promising approach for the prevention and treatment of obesity by targeting both EI and EE simultaneously.

Abstract Background Cancer incidence and mortality have received critical attention during the long‐term management of morbidities in patients with autoimmune diseases (AIDs). This study aimed to investigate and compare the risk of cancer associated with five major AIDs in a large‐scale Chinese cohort. Methods A total of 8,120 AID patients consecutively admitted to a national tertiary referral center in China were included and followed‐up for 38,726.55 patient‐years, including those with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), Sjögren's syndrome (SS), systemic scleroderma (SSc), and idiopathic inflammatory myositis (IIM). Demographic data, cancer incidence, predilecting sites and cancer onset time were recorded and compared among the five AIDs. Results Four hundred and thirty (5.3%) patients developed cancer. Their median age was 57.5 years and AID duration was 79.8 months. The estimated total standardized incidence ratio (SIR) of cancer in AIDs patients was 3.37, with the highest SIR observed in IIM (4.31), followed by RA (3.99), SSc (3.77), SS (2.88) and SLE (2.58). The increased SIR of cancers in AID patients showed a female predominance (female vs. male: 3.59 vs. 2.77) and younger patient involvement (age

Abstract This paper presents the design and implementation of an expandable neural recording ASIC for multiple‐channel neural recording applications. The ASIC consists of 36 modular digital pixels (MDPs) and a global digital controller (GDC) circuit. Each MDP has an analog frontend (AFE) circuit, a 12‐bit successive approximation register ADC (SAR ADC), and a local digital controller (LDC) circuit. It achieves 5.9‐μV input referred noise (IRN), 10.8‐effective number of bits (ENOB), 37.8‐μW power consumption, and 0.095 mm2 area per channel. The ASIC is implemented in commercial SMIC 0.18‐μm CMOS process and validated by in‐vivo experiment on a lab mouse with a 36‐channel silicon‐based neural probe.

Abstract Surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is a feasible and ultra‐sensitive method for biomedical imaging and disease diagnosis. SERS is widely applied to in vivo imaging due to the development of functional nanoparticles encoded by Raman active molecules (SERS nanoprobes) and improvements in instruments. Herein, the recent developments in SERS active materials and their in vivo imaging and biosensing applications are overviewed. Various SERS substrates that have been successfully used for in vivo imaging are described. Then, the applications of SERS imaging in cancer detection and in vivo intraoperative guidance are summarized. The role of highly sensitive SERS biosensors in guiding the detection and prevention of diseases is discussed in detail. Moreover, its role in the identification and resection of microtumors and as a diagnostic and therapeutic platform is also reviewed. Finally, the progress and challenges associated with SERS active materials, equipment, and clinical translation are described. The present evidence suggests that SERS could be applied in clinical practice in the future.

Abstract The elemental analysis in disease diagnosis and biomedicine screening generally aims at alleviating the difficulties of sample pretreatment techniques, elucidating the distribution and speciation information of elements in bio‐samples as well as elevating resolution of multidimensional elemental profiling. The integration of microfluidic techniques with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP‐MS) has been demonstrated to possess great potential in these aspects due to the versatile microstructure design, rapid sample pretreatment, extremely low sample consumption, and high‐sensitivity/high‐throughput elemental detection capability. Herein, an overview of the advancements in microfluidic‐based ICP‐MS for precise biological elemental determination is provided. A few microfluidic approaches for multiplex and effective manipulation of clinical samples followed by detection with ICP‐MS are highlighted, that is, high spatiotemporal resolution sampling, high‐purity elemental microextraction device, and high signal‐to‐noise ratio elemental analysis. In addition, other front‐end techniques are discussed for converting various types of samples into a suitable form for detection, for example, laser ablation and time of flight MS. The opportunities and outstanding challenges of microfluidic‐based ICP‐MS elemental investigations in clinical diagnosis and biomedical studies are also depicted.

Abstract The overuse and exploitation of fossil fuels has triggered the energy crisis and caused tremendous issues for the society. Lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs), as one of the most important renewable energy storage technologies, have experienced booming progress, especially with the drastic growth of electric vehicles. To avoid massive mineral mining and the opening of new mines, battery recycling to extract valuable species from spent LIBs is essential for the development of renewable energy. Therefore, LIBs recycling needs to be widely promoted/applied and the advanced recycling technology with low energy consumption, low emission, and green reagents needs to be highlighted. In this review, the necessity for battery recycling is first discussed from several different aspects. Second, the various LIBs recycling technologies that are currently used, such as pyrometallurgical and hydrometallurgical methods, are summarized and evaluated. Then, based on the challenges of the above recycling methods, the authors look further forward to some of the cutting‐edge recycling technologies, such as direct repair and regeneration. In addition, the authors also discuss the prospects of selected recycling strategies for next‐generation LIBs such as solid‐state Li‐metal batteries. Finally, overall conclusions and future perspectives for the sustainability of energy storage devices are presented in the last chapter.

Abstract Emerging evidence emphasizes the functional impacts of host microbiome on the etiopathogenesis of autoimmune diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, there are limited mechanistic insights into the contribution of microbial biomolecules especially microbial peptides toward modulating immune homeostasis. Here, by mining the metagenomics data of tonsillar microbiome, a deficiency of the encoding genes of lantibiotic peptides salivaricins in RA patients is identified, which shows strong correlation with circulating immune cells. Evidence is provided that the salivaricins exert immunomodulatory effects in inhibiting T follicular helper (Tfh) cell differentiation and interleukin‐21 (IL‐21) production. Mechanically, salivaricins directly bind to and induce conformational changes of IL‐6 and IL‐21 receptors, thereby inhibiting the bindings of IL‐6 and IL‐21 to their receptors and suppressing the downstream signaling pathway. Finally, salivaricin administration exerts both prophylactic and therapeutic effects against experimental arthritis in a murine model of RA. Together, these results provide a mechanism link of microbial peptides‐mediated immunomodulation.

Abstract 2D polymers (2DPs) have attracted increasing interests in sensors, catalysis, and gas storage applications. Furthermore, 2DPs with unique band structure and tunable photophysical properties also have immense potential for application in photonic neuromorphic computing. Here, photonic synaptic transistors based on 2DPs as the light‐tunable charge‐trapping medium are developed for the first time. The resulted organic transistors can successfully emulate common synaptic functions, including excitatory postsynaptic current, pair‐pulse facilitation, the transition of short‐term memory to long‐term memory, and dynamic filtering. Benefitting from the high photosensitivity of the 2DP, the devices can be operated under a low operating voltage of −0.1 V, and achieve an ultralow energy consumption of ~0.29 pJ per event. In addition, the heterostructure formed between the 2DP and organic semiconductor enables spectrum‐dependent synaptic responses, which facilitates the simulation of visual learning and memory processes in distinct emotional states. The underlying mechanism of spectrum‐dependent synaptic‐like behaviors is systematically validated with in situ atomic force microscopy based electrical techniques. The spectrum‐enabled tunability of synaptic behaviors further promotes the realization of optical logic functions and associative learning. This work inspires the new application of 2DPs in photonic synapses for future neuromorphic computing.

Abstract Cascaded H‐bridge multilevel converter is widely applied in flexible AC transmission and grid connection of renewable energy, but its current quality decreases as the grid voltage distortion continues to deteriorate. A modified natural frame control method to enhance the harmonic elimination ability of converters is proposed in this paper. A single‐phase cascaded delayed signal cancellation operator is applied to deal with the distorted grid voltage signals. Benefit from a system structure without any feedback loops or integral items, the transient response of single‐phase cascaded delayed signal cancellation operator is faster than commonly‐used second‐order generalised integrator. The settling time of single‐phase cascaded delayed signal cancellation operator facing grid voltage phase jump is less than one grid period. After immunising the synchronisation reference against harmonic distortion by using the single‐phase cascaded delayed signal cancellation operator, the modified natural frame control method can then generate high‐quality sinusoidal current. Phase‐locked loop and coordinate transformation are unnecessary for the proposed method, which decreases the system complexity. Various simulations and experimental tests based on a down‐scaled platform demonstrate the performance of the proposed modified natural frame control method under distorted grid voltage.

Abstract Dysregulated maternal nutrition, such as vitamin deficiencies and excessive levels of glucose and fatty acids, increases the risk for congenital heart disease (CHD) in the offspring. However, the association between maternal amino‐acid levels and CHD is unclear. Here, it is shown that increased leucine levels in maternal plasma during the first trimester are associated with elevated CHD risk in the offspring. High levels of maternal leucine increase embryonic lysine‐leucylation (K‐Leu), which is catalyzed by leucyl‐tRNA synthetase (LARS). LARS preferentially binds to and catalyzes K‐Leu modification of lysine 339 within T‐box transcription factor TBX5, whereas SIRT3 removes K‐Leu from TBX5. Reversible leucylation retains TBX5 in the cytoplasm and inhibits its transcriptional activity. Increasing embryonic K‐Leu levels in high‐leucine‐diet fed or Sirt3 knockout mice causes CHD in the offspring. Targeting K‐Leu using the leucine analogue leucinol can inhibit LARS activity, reverse TBX5 K‐Leu modification, and decrease the occurrence of CHD in high‐leucine‐diet fed mice. This study reveals that increased maternal leucine levels increases CHD risk in the offspring through inhibition of embryonic TBX5 signaling, indicating that leucylation exerts teratogenic effects during heart development and may be an intervening target of CHD.

We previously demonstrated that a deficiency of natural antibodies against CD25, Mucin 1 (MUC1), and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 1 (VEGFR1) could contribute to high risk of non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This study was designed to investigate whether natural IgG antibodies against POU domain class 5 transcription factor 1 (POU5F1), tumor necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α), and the combination of CD25, VEGFR1, and MUC1 could play an anti‐tumorigenic role against developing NSCLC. An ELISA was developed in‐house to examine plasma IgG against peptide antigens derived from POU5F1, TNF‐α, and a combination of peptide antigens derived from CD25, MUC1, and VEGFR1 in 211 patients with NSCLC and 200 healthy controls. Mann–Whitney U test demonstrated that plasma IgG levels for the combination of peptide antigens derived from CD25, MUC1, and VEGFR1 were significantly lower in NSCLC patients than control subjects (Z = −12.978, P

Abstract Fast and accurate identification of microbial pathogens is critical for the proper treatment of infections. Traditional culture‐based diagnosis in clinics is increasingly supplemented by metagenomic next‐generation‐sequencing (mNGS). Here, RNA/cDNA‐targeted sequencing (meta‐transcriptomics using NGS (mtNGS)) is established to reduce the host nucleotide percentage in clinic samples and by combining with Oxford Nanopore Technology (ONT) platforms (meta‐transcriptomics using third‐generation sequencing, mtTGS) to improve the sequencing time. It shows that mtNGS improves the ratio of microbial reads, facilitates bacterial identification using multiple‐strategies, and discovers fungi, viruses, and antibiotic resistance genes, and displaying agreement with clinical findings. Furthermore, longer reads in mtTGS lead to additional improvement in pathogen identification and also accelerate the clinical diagnosis. Additionally, primary tests utilizing direct‐RNA sequencing and targeted sequencing of ONT show that ONT displays important potential but must be further developed. This study presents the potential of RNA‐targeted pathogen identification in clinical samples, especially when combined with the newest developments in ONT.

Abstract Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are a popular material in the field of nanoscience because of their excellent biocompatibility and unique physical and chemical properties, and have been widely used in the biomedical field. AuNPs have a simple preparation method, controllable shape and size, high electron density and atomic number, superparamagnetic properties, and radiation sensitization effect, and their optical absorbance can be adjusted to the required biological window; thus, AuNPs are suitable for cancer imaging (photoacoustic imaging, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging), photothermal therapy, and radiotherapy. AuNPs can also be used as carriers to load photosensitizers or chemotherapeutic agents, and therefore, can also be used in photodynamic therapy and chemotherapy. In summary, AuNPs and their assemblies can simultaneously realize cancer diagnosis and treatment, providing a new idea in the development of precision medical treatment.

Abstract Objectives To assess the correlation of cognitive function with sleep stability and depressive‐anxious symptoms in insomnia patients. Methods Twenty‐two insomnia patients with cognitive impairment (insomnia‐CI), 21 insomnia patients with normal cognition (insomnia‐CN), and 15 matched healthy control subjects (HCs) were enrolled and completed neuropsychological tests, the Hamilton Depression and Anxiety Scales (HAMD and HAMA), the Epworth Sleepiness Scale, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI),the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), and the cardiopulmonary coupling (CPC) examination. Ratios of high‐frequency coupling (HFC), low‐frequency coupling (LFC), and very low‐frequency coupling (VLFC) measured by CPC analysis represent stable sleep, unstable sleep, and wake/rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, respectively. Results The HAMD, HAMA, PSQI, and ISI scores were higher in the insomnia‐CN patients than in the HCs (all p

The increasing deployment of fast charging infrastructure is coupling the operation of power and transportation systems. However, how to evaluate the coupling relationship between these two systems is less studied. This study proposes a look-ahead decentralised framework to solve the integrated power-traffic flow problem using the optimality condition decomposition (OCD) technique. By exploring the similarity between the iterative procedure of the algorithm and the interactive decision-making process of the systems, this study adds two original contributions to this literature. First, the authors show that the convergence performance of the OCD algorithms is closely related to the interdependency between the power and transportation systems. Numerical oscillations or failure of convergence could occur in highly interdependent systems. This can be used as a metric for assessing whether the coordinated operation of the two systems is essential. Second, they employ a dynamic multiplier-based OCD algorithm to solve the integrated flow problem in a decentralised manner with improved convergence performance. Their proposed algorithm considers the sensitivity of the electricity prices to the charging demand, which reduces the price fluctuations at some congested electrical nodes to enhance the convergence speed. The case study demonstrates factors that influence the coupling relationship between the power and transportation systems.

Abstract Due to the fact that traditional heavy metal‐based catalysts toward wastewater treatment could cause the problem of secondary contamination, it is imperative to seek for more eco‐friendly catalysts to address this tricky issue. Recently, numerous novel metal‐based heterogeneous catalysts, especially perovskite oxides, have been widely investigated for the activation of peroxymonosulfate (PMS), which is significant in the removal of organic pollutants. Here, we report a novel perovskite oxide (La0.7Sr0.3)CoO3‐δ (LSC)‐based 3D ceramic hollow fiber catalyst for aqueous‐phase advanced oxidation. Through it cooperating with PMS, the methylene blue (20 ppm) can be completely degraded only about 30 minutes. The mechanism of advanced oxidation process is explored via the electron paramagnetic resonance test on the active species. In addition, it also displays high activity for the degradation of other pollutes, such as tetrabromobisphenol A and rhodamine B. This study provides a new strategy to effectively degrade contaminant via introducing 3D ceramic catalysts.

Abstract 4D printing is a newly emerging technique that shows the capability of additively manufacturing structures whose shape, property, or functionality can controllably vary with time under external stimuli. However, most of the existing 4D printed products only focus on the variation of physical geometries, regardless of controllable changes of their properties, as well as practical functionality. Here, a material combination concept is proposed to construct 4D printed devices whose property and functionality can controllably vary. The 4D printed devices consist of conductive and magnetic parts, enabling the integrated devices to show a piezoelectric property even neither part is piezoelectric individually. Consequently, the functionality of the devices is endowed to transfer mechanical to electrical energy based on the electromagnetic introduction principle. The working mechanism of 4D printed devices is explained by a numerical simulation method using Comsol software, facilitating further optimization of their properties by regulating diverse parameters. Due to the self‐powered, quick‐responding, and sensitive properties, the 4D printed magnetoelectric device could work as pressure sensors to warn illegal invasion. This work opens a new manufacturing method of flexible magnetoelectric devices and provides a new material combination concept for the property‐changed and functionality‐changed 4D printing.

Flexible/soft tactile sensors enable the robotic arms to gain real‐time mechanical responses, which are of utmost importance for future deep learning in robotic sciences and technologies. Learning from nature will inspire the advances of soft tactile sensors as mother nature is proficient in achieving unique functionality at the simplest construction. Herein, the fabrication of self‐powered soft tactile sensors is reported. The shape of flexible sensors mimics Merkel's disks, allowing for a well tactile perceptual functionality. Due to the use of flexible magnetoelectric materials, the sensors are self‐powered without external power supply. This unique functionality is explained by Maxwell's numerical simulation, allowing for further improvement of their performance by adjusting diverse fabrication factors. Furthermore, such self‐powered soft tactile sensors are attached to the tips of a robotic arm, enabling the arm to distinguish different objects after smart learning. The soft sensor design reported here is expected to manifest in a range of self‐powered sensing systems, opening up as yet unexplored avenues for the development and the exploitation of future intelligent robots and their deep learning.

Tumour cells release diverse populations of extracellular vesicles (EVs) ranging in size, molecular cargo, and function. We sought to characterize mRNA and protein content of EV subpopulations released by human glioblastoma (GBM) cells expressing a mutant form of epidermal growth factor receptor (U87EGFRvIII) in vitro and in vivo with respect to size, morphology and the presence of tumour cargo. The two EV subpopulations purified from GBM U87EGFRvIII cancer cells, non-cancer human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC; control) and serum of U87EGFRvIII glioma-bearing mice using differential centrifugation (EVs that sediment at 10,000 × g or 100,000 × g are termed large EVs and small EVs, respectively) were characterized using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), confocal microscopy, nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA), flow cytometry, immunofluorescence (IF), quantitative-polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), droplet digital polymerase chain reaction (ddPCR) and micro-nuclear magnetic resonance (μNMR). We report that both U87EGFRvIII and HUVEC release a similar number of small EVs, but U87EGFRvIII glioma cells alone release a higher number of large EVs compared to non-cancer HUVEC. The EGFRvIII mRNA from the two EV subpopulations from U87EGFRvIII glioma cells was comparable, while the EGFR protein (wild type + vIII) levels are significantly higher in large EVs. Similarly, EGFRvIII mRNA in large and small EVs isolated from the serum of U87EGFRvIII glioma-bearing mice is comparable, while the EGFR protein (wild type + vIII) levels are significantly higher in large EVs. Here we report for the first time a direct comparison of large and small EVs released by glioma U87EGFRvIII cells and from serum of U87EGFRvIII glioma-bearing mice. Both large and small EVs contain tumour-specific EGFRvIII mRNA and proteins and combining these platforms may be beneficial in detecting rare mutant events in circulating biofluids.

A recent study demonstrated that circulating levels of IgG antibodies against linear peptide antigens derived from baculoviral IAP repeat‐containing protein 5 isoform 2 (BIRC5) and myc proto‐oncogene protein (MYC) were significantly increased in nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This study was undertaken to replicate this initial work in an independent sample. An enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was developed in‐house to examine plasma IgG antibodies for three linear peptide antigens derived from BIRC5a, BIRC5b, and MYC in 211 patients with NSCLC and 200 control subjects. A Mann–Whitney U‐test demonstrated that plasma anti‐BIRC5a IgG levels, but not anti‐BIRC5b or anti‐MYC IgG levels, were significantly higher in NSCLC patients than control subjects, especially in male patients. Both squamous cell cancer and adenocarcinoma showed increased anti‐BIRC5a IgG levels, but the IgG levels were not found to be changed significantly in the early stage of NSCLC. Kaplan–Meier survival analysis showed that NSCLC patients with high anti‐BIRC5b IgG levels had better prognosis and longer overall survival (OS) than patients with low anti‐BIRC5b IgG levels, although this significant difference failed to survive the adjustment for age, gender, NSCLC stages, and types. Plasma anti‐BIRC5a and MYC IgG levels did not show significant associations with OS. In conclusion, Plasma anti‐BIRC5 IgG may be a useful marker for assessment of prognosis of NSCLC but not for early diagnosis of this malignancy.

Abstract Room‐temperature Na–S batteries are facing one of the most serious challenges of charge/discharge with long cycling stability due to the severe shuttle effect and volume expansion. Herein, a sodium polysulfides defense system is presented by designing and constructing the cathode‐separator double barriers. In this strategy, the hollow carbon spheres are decorated with MoS2 (HCS/MoS2) as the S carrier (S@HCS/MoS2). Meanwhile, the HCS/MoS2 composite is uniformly coated on the surface of the glass fiber as the separator. During the discharge process, the MoS2 can adsorb soluble polysulfides (NaPSs) intermediates and the hollow carbon spheres can improve the conductivity of S as well as act as the reservoir for electrolyte and NaPSs, inhibiting them from entering the anode to make Na deteriorate. As a result, the cathode‐separator group applied to room‐temperature Na–S battery can enable a capacity of ≈1309 mAh g−1 at 0.1 C and long cycling life up to 1000 cycles at 1 C. This study provides a novel and effective way to develop durable room‐temperature Na–S batteries.

Aiming at the detection of concrete surface cracks, based on digital image processing technology, OTSU algorithm is processed based on differential image. First, the Gaussian filter is acted on the original image to obtain the smoothed image. Then the smoothed image is subtracted by the original image, the differential image is obtained. According to the OTSU algorithm, the optimal threshold on the differential image was calculated. As the characteristic cracks are a few pixels and with lower grey values, the pixels whose grey values are less than the mean value of the whole image to get the best threshold value were only calculated. Finally, remove the background noise based on the morphologic noise reduction to obtain the binary image of the crack. The experimental results show that the cracks can be discerned in complex backgrounds.

BackgroundMany previous clinical studies have demonstrated that the nigrostriatal pathway, which plays a vital role in movement adjustment, is significantly impaired after stroke, according to medical imaging and autopsies. However, the basic pathomorphological changes have been poorly investigated to date. This study was designed to explore the pathomorphological changes, mechanism, and therapeutic method of nigrostriatal impairment after intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). Methods and ResultsIntrastriatal injection of autologous blood or microtubule depolymerization reagent nocodazole was performed to mimic the pathology of ICH in C57/BL6 mice. Immunofluorescence, Western blotting, electron microscopy, functional behavioral tests, and anterograde and retrograde neural circuit tracking techniques were used in these mice. The data showed that the number of dopamine neurons and the dopamine concentration were severely decreased and that fine motor function was impaired after ICH. Microtubule depolymerization was the main contributor to the loss of dopamine neurons and to motor function deficits after ICH, as was also proven by intrastriatal injection of nocodazole. Moreover, administration of the microtubule stabilizer epothilone B (1.5 mg/kg) improved the integrity of the nigrostriatal pathway neural circuit, increased the number of dopamine neurons (4598±896 versus 3125±355; P=0.034) and the dopamine concentration (4.28±0.99 versus 3.08±0.75 ng/mg; P=0.041), and enhanced fine motor functional recovery associated with increased acetylated α‐tubulin expression to maintain microtubule stabilization after ICH. ConclusionsOur results clarified the pathomorphological changes of the nigrostriatal pathway after ICH and found that epothilone B helped alleviate nigrostriatal pathway injury after ICH, associated with promoting α‐tubulin acetylation to maintain microtubule stabilization, thus facilitating motor recovery.

The present study was undertaken to detect circulating IgG antibodies to peptide antigens derived from baculoviral IAP repeat‐containing protein 5 isoform 2 (BIRC5) and myc proto‐oncogene protein (MYC) in cervical cancer. A total of 107 female patients with cervical cancer of stages I and II, and 130 healthy female subjects were recruited for analysis of circulating IgG antibodies to BIRC5 and MYC. Student'st‐test showed significant differences in circulating levels of anti‐BIRC5 IgG (t= −4.27, df = 235,P< 0.0001) and anti‐MYC IgG (t= 3.51, df = 232,P= 0.0005) between the patient group and the control group. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis showed an area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.67 with sensitivity of 23.4% against specificity of 90% for the anti‐BIRC5 IgG assay and an AUC of 0.66 with sensitivity of 9.4% against specificity of 90.6% for the anti‐MYC IgG assay. Analysis of quality control samples gave an inter‐assay deviation of 8.9% in the anti‐BIRC5 IgG assay and 9.0% in the anti‐MYC IgG assay. This work suggests that anti‐BIRC5 IgG could serve as a biomarker for early diagnosis of cervical cancer although a panel of such tumor‐associated antigens is needed to develop a highly sensitive test.

BackgroundSustained and dysfunctional macrophage activation promotes inflammatory cardiometabolic disorders, but the role of long intergenic noncoding RNA (lincRNA) in human macrophage activation and cardiometabolic disorders is poorly defined. Through transcriptomics, bioinformatics, and selective functional studies, we sought to elucidate the lincRNA landscape of human macrophages. Methods and ResultsWe used deep RNA sequencing to assemble the lincRNA transcriptome of human monocyte‐derived macrophages at rest and following stimulation with lipopolysaccharide and IFN‐γ (interferon γ) for M1 activation and IL‐4 (interleukin 4) for M2 activation. Through de novo assembly, we identified 2766 macrophage lincRNAs, including 861 that were previously unannotated. The majority (≈85%) was nonsyntenic or was syntenic but not annotated as expressed in mouse. Many macrophage lincRNAs demonstrated tissue‐enriched transcription patterns (21.5%) and enhancer‐like chromatin signatures (60.9%). Macrophage activation, particularly to the M1 phenotype, markedly altered the lincRNA expression profiles, revealing 96 lincRNAs differentially expressed, suggesting potential roles in regulating macrophage inflammatory functions. A subset of lincRNAs overlapped genomewide association study loci for cardiometabolic disorders. MacORIS (macrophage‐enriched obesity‐associated lincRNA serving as a repressor of IFN‐γ signaling), a macrophage‐enriched lincRNA not expressed in mouse macrophages, harbors variants associated with central obesity. Knockdown of MacORIS, which is located in the cytoplasm, enhanced IFN‐γ–induced JAK2 (Janus kinase 2) and STAT1 (signal transducer and activator of transcription 1) phosphorylation in THP‐1 macrophages, suggesting a potential role as a repressor of IFN‐γ signaling. Induced pluripotent stem cell–derived macrophages recapitulated the lincRNA transcriptome of human monocyte‐derived macrophages and provided a high‐fidelity model with which to study lincRNAs in human macrophage biology, particularly those not conserved in mouse. ConclusionsHigh‐resolution transcriptomics identified lincRNAs that form part of the coordinated response during macrophage activation, including specific macrophage lincRNAs associated with human cardiometabolic disorders that modulate macrophage inflammatory functions.