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SUMMARY: Structural variations (SVs) pervade plant genomes and contribute substantially to the phenotypic diversity. However, most SVs were ineffectively assayed due to their complex nature and the limitations of early genomic technologies. By applying the PacBio high‐fidelity (HiFi) sequencing for wheat genomes, we performed a comprehensive evaluation of mainstream long‐read aligners and SV callers in SV detection. The results indicated that the accuracy of deletion discovery is markedly influenced by callers, accounting for 87.73% of the variance, whereas both aligners (38.25%) and callers (49.32%) contributed substantially to the accuracy variance for insertions. Among the aligners, Winnowmap2 and NGMLR excelled in detecting deletions and insertions, respectively. For SV callers, SVIM achieved the best performance. We demonstrated that combining the aligners and callers mentioned above is optimal for SV detection. Furthermore, we evaluated the effect of sequencing depth on the accuracy of SV detection, revealing that low‐coverage HiFi sequencing is sufficiently robust for high‐quality SV discovery. This study thoroughly evaluated SV discovery approaches and established optimal workflows for investigating structural variations using low‐coverage HiFi sequencing in the wheat genome, which will advance SV discovery and decipher the biological functions of SVs in wheat and many other plants. Significance Statement: This study thoroughly evaluated structural variation (SV) discovery approaches and established optimal workflows for investigating SVs using low‐coverage HiFi sequencing in the wheat genome, which will advance SV discovery and decipher the biological functions of SVs in wheat and many other plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Proximity sensing technology, which can obtain information without physical contact, has become an ideal choice in scenarios where physical contact is not feasible. Despite substantial advancements in tactile sensing, proximity sensing technology still holds great potential and has yet to be fully developed. Among numerous proximity sensing technologies, the fringing‐effect‐based capacitive proximity sensor (FE‐CPS) has garnered considerable attention due to its low cost, low power consumption, wide sensing range, and flexible and versatile structural design. However, research on FE‐CPS has not yet formed a complete system, and its development and intellectualization are still in their infancy, urgently requiring a systematic review to advance its development. This paper systematically summarizes the recent advances in FE‐CPS, from basic theory to practical applications. The working principle and typical structure of FE‐CPS are first introduced, followed by a discussion of methods for optimizing device performance. Furthermore, the application scenarios of FE‐CPS in intelligent pre‐alarm systems, intelligent control systems, and intelligent material perception systems are reviewed. Finally, the future development and challenges faced by FE‐CPS are prospected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under strong wind action over vast Gobi surfaces, eolian transportation can cause significant environmental problems and infrastructural damage. However, scientific understanding of the underlying mechanisms and dynamics of this process in the Gobi region remains limited. To address this gap, our study focused on investigating eolian transportation over the Gobi surface along the Lanzhou–Xinjiang high‐speed railway (LXHSR) in Northwest China, where strong winds are prevalent. The results indicate that sand transportation heights can reach 9 m in this region, with the saltation layer approximately 3–6 times higher than that of other gravel deserts. The sediment flux density over the Gobi surface exhibited an exponential decrease with increasing elevation; however, the grain‐size vertical profile in wind‐blown sand displayed an increase up to a critical altitude, followed by a decrease with height. The annual eolian transported quantity recorded in this region exceeds that of most deserts worldwide. Notably, fine sand and total suspended particulates (TSP) contributed to approximately 90% of the sediment deposited on railway tracks and drawn in by passing trains. To control transportation of these fine particles, we propose increasing the height of sand‐blocking fences within the current railway wind‐blown sand protection system from 2 to 3 m. Simultaneously, anthropogenic damage to the Gobi surface should be minimized to reduce excessive dust release. This study provides insight into the wind‐blown sand movement mechanism over the Gobi surface under strong winds, and the eolian physics parameters revealed may serve as a theoretical foundation for preventing and managing eolian catastrophes along the Lanzhou–Xinjiang high‐speed railway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Achieving optimal implant restoration hinges on both robust osseointegration as the structural foundation and favorable osseoperception for advanced masticatory function. The significance of nerve innervation in the peri‐implant environment as the cornerstone of osseointegration and osseoperception is often underestimated. Despite the integral role of endogenous electric fields (EFs) in the human body, particularly in electrosensitive tissues like nerve tissue, the current approach involving external electrical stimulation is invasive and not clinically applicable. The present study introduces a conductive hydrogel designed to respond to endogenous EFs, aiming to foster nerve regeneration around dental implants to coordinate both osseointegration and osseoperception. The hydrogel promotes neurite outgrowth by upregulating intracellular Ca2+ concentration and activating subsequent pathways. Furthermore, the enhanced release of neuropeptides from neurocells improves the osteogenesis of osteoblasts. The impact of the conductive hydrogel on osseointegration and osseoperception is also thoroughly investigated in vivo. This conductive hydrogel represents a unique strategy for enhancing osseointegration and osseoperception within the endogenous EFs of the peri‐implant environment. This advancement opens the door to achieving the physiological and psychological integration of dental implants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The surface texture of asphalt pavement has a significant effect on skid resistance performance. However, its contribution to the performance of skid resistance is non‐homogeneous and subjects to local validity. There are also a few deep learning models that take into account the effective contact texture region. This paper proposes a convolutional neural network model based on the effective contact texture region, containing macro‐ and micro‐scale awareness sub‐modules. In this study, the asphalt mixture with varying gradations was designed to accurately obtain the effective contact texture region. Then, the textures were disentangled into macro‐ and micro‐texture scales by applying the fast Fourier transform and fed into the model for training. Finally, the area of effective contact texture region was calculated, and the effective contact ratio parameter was then proposed using the triangulation algorithm. The results showed that the effective contact texture area of pavement varies by the asphalt mixture type. The effective contact ratio parameter exhibited a significant positive correlation (Pearson correlation coefficient is 0.901, R2= 0.8129) with skid resistance performance and was also influenced by key sieve aggregate content from 2.36 to 4.75 mm. The data of effective contact texture region following disentanglement significantly released the model performance (the relative error dropped to 1.81%). The model exhibited improved precision and performance, which can be utilized as an efficient, non‐contact alternative method for skid resistance analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cofrogliptin (HSK7653) is a long‐acting dipeptidyl peptidase‐4 inhibitor for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus with a twice‐monthly dosing regimen. This study included 62 participants (48 without food effect, 14 with food effect) receiving single doses of HSK7653 (5, 10, 25, 50, 100, and 150 mg) or placebo. Pharmacokinetic samples were collected over 24 hours postdosing and sampling times are aligned with 12‐lead electrocardiograms (ECGs) which were derived from continuous ECG recordings. For the concentration‐QT interval corrected for heart rate (C‐QTc) analysis, we used linear mixed‐effects modeling to characterize the correlation between plasma concentrations of HSK7653 and the change from baseline in the QT interval which was corrected by Fridericia's formula (ΔQTcF). The result showed that a placebo‐corrected Fridericia corrected QT interval (ΔΔQTcF) prolongation higher than 10 milliseconds is unlikely at the mean maximum observed concentration (Cmax) (411 ng/mL) associated with the recommended therapeutic doses (25 mg twice‐monthly), even at the highest supratherapeutic concentration (2425 ng/mL). Thus, HSK7653 does not significantly affect QT prolongation at either recommended doses or the highest supratherapeutic concentration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aging‐associated renal dysfunction promotes the pathogenesis of chronic kidney disease. Mitochondrial dysfunction in renal tubular epithelial cells is a hallmark of senescence and leads to accelerated progression of renal disorders. Dysregulated calcium profiles in mitochondria contribute to aging‐associated disorders, but the detailed mechanism of this process is not clear. In this study, modulation of the sirtuin 1/angiotensin II type 1 receptor (Sirt1/AT1R) pathway partially attenuated renal glomerular sclerosis, tubular atrophy, and interstitial fibrosis in D‐galactose (D‐gal)‐induced accelerated aging mice. Moreover, modulation of the Sirt1/AT1R pathway improved mitochondrial dysfunction induced by D‐gal treatment. Transient receptor potential channel, subtype C, member 3 (TRPC3) upregulation mediated dysregulated cellular and mitochondrial calcium homeostasis during aging. Furthermore, knockdown or knockout (KO) of Trpc3 in mice ameliorated D‐gal‐induced mitochondrial reactive oxygen species production, membrane potential deterioration, and energy metabolism disorder. Mechanistically, activation of the AT1R/PKA pathway promoted CREB phosphorylation and nucleation of CRE2 binding to the Trpc3 promoter (−1659 to −1648 bp) to enhance transcription. Trpc3 KO significantly improved the renal disorder and cell senescence in D‐gal‐induced mice. Taken together, these results indicate that TRPC3 upregulation mediates age‐related renal disorder and is associated with mitochondrial calcium overload and dysfunction. TRPC3 is a promising therapeutic target for aging‐associated renal disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COG light board is prone to breakage during the stringent mechanical testing, which is a major pain point for COG light boards. In order to improve the adaptability to the back cover which is made by stamping, the elastic supporter solution is proposed and its feasibility is confirmed by the FEM simulation method and a series of tests. The pain point is solved successfully. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the process of curing or service, epoxy resin is prone to crack damage due to complex stress, resulting in material performance degradation and other catastrophic accidents. Self‐healing microcapsules offer an effective strategy to address the aforementioned issues and enhance the long‐term durability of materials. However, traditional microcapsules face challenges in achieving non‐contact repair, as the healing agent requires high temperature or other extreme conditions to achieve curing, which necessitates the artificial provision of these conditions. Moreover, such extreme conditions may accelerate equipment aging or negatively impact the matrix material. To address these issues, this paper reports a photosensitive microcapsule that can achieve healing by natural light for non‐contact self‐healing of insulating composites. In particular, SiO2 nanoparticles are incorporated into the shell of the microcapsules to construct a UV shielding layer, effectively preventing premature curing and failure of the untriggered microcapsules. Experimental results indicate that the proposed photosensitive microcapsule@SiO2 exhibits excellent thermal stability, remaining intact at temperatures up to 200°C. With a healing agent content of approximately 77.5%, the photosensitive microcapsule@SiO2 ensures effective repair. Furthermore, when cross‐linked with epoxy resin, it has minimal negative impact on the epoxy matrix, with a slight improvement in mechanical properties. The composites demonstrate outstanding self‐healing performance in response to mechanical scratch damage. Without the need for any artificial stimuli, the healing process can be easily activated by natural light, facilitating intelligent, contactless, and autonomous self‐healing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comprehensive Summary: Kagome lattices have garnered significant attention due to their promising applications in catalysis, electronics, and magnetics. Although many efforts have been paid to the design and synthesis of Kagome lattices, there is a limited focus on constructing this lattice by multiple interaction forces. In this work, we employ 2,7‐dibromo‐carbazole as precursors to successfully fabricate the two‐dimensional self‐assembly Kagome lattices stabled by multiple interaction forces on Au(111) substrate. Using low‐temperature scanning tunneling microscopy, non‐contact atomic force microscopy and density functional theory calculation, we visualize and identify the four interaction forces within Kagome lattices: Au—N coordination bonds, Au—H hydrogen bonds, Br—Br halogen bonds, and Br—H hydrogen bonds, respectively. This study provides a basic understanding for designing and constructing more complex Kagome lattices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comprehensive Summary: Carbohelicenes have garnered considerable attention for their inherent chirality and structural flexibility. Increasing multi‐helicity and incorporating non‐six‐membered rings to substitute benzenoid rings within helicenes are effective strategies for introducing unique photoelectric properties. Despite the disclosure of numerous helicenes, the inaccessible precursors and the lack of synthetic routes pose a challenge in achieving desired helicene structures fused with non‐benzenoid rings. Herein, we report the synthesis of multiple non‐benzenoid carbohelicenes fused with fluorene unit(s) through intramolecular cyclodehydrogenation of 9,10‐di(naphthalen‐1‐ yl)anthracene on Au(111) surface. Two potential cyclodehydrogenation manners between naphthyl and anthracene lead to the formation of fluorene‐fused [5]helicene and [4]helicene moiety. Consequently, a total of four stable products were observed. The atomic topographies of products are characterized by bond‐resolving scanning tunneling microscopy. The chiral helicity of targeted products can be switched by tip manipulation. Density‐functional‐theory calculations unveils the reaction pathway of four products. The comparative analysis of their respective energy barriers exhibits a correlation with the experimentally determined yields. Furthermore, we synthesize the polymer chains incorporating non‐benzenoid carbohelicenes via the Ullmann reaction of 2,6‐dibromo‐9,10‐di(1‐naphthyl)anthracene precursors. Our work proposes a synthetic methodology for several novel helicene‐like structures fused with fluorene units and the polymer bearing helicene subunits, thus highlighting the immense potential of these compounds in the application fields of luminescent electronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lightweight, flexible, and thermostable thermally conductive materials are essential for enhancing heat dissipation efficiency in advanced electronics. The development of intrinsic thermally conductive polymers is the key to expanding the space for improving the thermal conductivity of polymer‐based thermal management materials. In order to balance the thermal conductivity and mechanical performance of bulk polymers, thermally conductive aramid nanofiber (ANF) films are assembled by manipulating the proton‐donating ability of solvents. Compared to water as a conventional proton donor, ethanol‐induced multi‐scale structures composed of dense hydrogen bonding interaction, large grain size, and uniform fiber topology endow the resulting ANF films with enhanced intrinsic thermal conductivity up to 5.05 W m−1 K−1 with a 34% increase, salient mechanical performance with the tensile strength of 181.4 MPa, and exceptional thermal stability higher than 500 °C. These outstanding properties of ANF films provide many possibilities for the preparation of polymer‐based thermally conductive materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mechanical properties of the carbon fiber and glass fiber composite honeycomb sandwich structure were studied through compression experiments. The influence of different aluminum honeycomb edge lengths, upper and lower panel thickness, aluminum honeycomb thickness, and loading speed on the compression failure load of carbon fiber composite laminates sandwich structure is analyzed. The influence of different aluminum honeycomb edge lengths and thicknesses on the compression failure load of glass fiber composite laminates sandwich structure was studied. The results show that the thickness of the panel has a significant effect on the failure load of the carbon fiber composite laminate sandwich structure, and the loading speed has a significant effect on the failure load of the carbon fiber composite laminate sandwich structure. The greater the loading speed, the greater the value of the failure load. The edge length and thickness of the aluminum honeycomb have a certain effect on the damage load of the carbon fiber composite laminates sandwich structure, but the influence on the mechanical properties of the glass fiber composite laminates sandwich structure is much greater. Highlights: The compression performance of composite sandwich structures was experimentally studied.The influence of composite panel thickness was studied.The influence of aluminum honeycomb edge length and thickness was studied.The influence of loading speed was studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The technique of transforming symptom's symbol into emptiness (TSSE) is a new mind–body treatment method proposed by Tianjun Liu in 2008. It integrates Qigong and concrete object‐image thinking rooted in traditional Chinese culture into modern psychotherapy and proposes that mental and physical problems can be alleviated or eliminated in the process of movement. Accordingly, the therapist needs to guide the client with various symptoms to psychological nothingness where the client cannot see or feel these symptoms, and the purpose of healing can be achieved through the experience of emptiness. TSSE is divided into static and dynamic operations and consists of 10 steps. The static operation includes trio relaxation exercises (the body, breath, and mind), identifying the target symptom, visualizing the target symptom as an object‐image, visualizing a symbolic carrier, and filling out record sheet A. The dynamic operation includes trio relaxation exercises again, moving the symbolic object into the carrier, moving the carrier with the symbolic object into psychological nothingness, moving back and assessment, and filling out record sheet B. The effectiveness of TSSE can be evaluated by the therapist's judgment based on the client's performance and by the difference between the symptom impact scores recorded in sheets A and B. TSSE has been proven to be an effective psychosomatic treatment solution by some empirical studies conducted in China. Future research can combine other technologies, such as fMRI and fNIRS, to further explore the potential effective mechanisms of TSSE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon capture emerges as a pivotal decarbonization technology for addressing global warming challenges. Porous carbons, despite their cost‐effectiveness and ease of regeneration for CO2 capture, typically exhibit limited capacity owing to insufficient adsorption sites. Here, nitrogen‐doped porous carbons (NPCs) are introduced that overcome the prevalent trade‐offs between specific surface area and N‐doped content in NPCs fabrication through cascade reactions. The optimized NPC, which features hierarchical porosity ranging from ultra‐micropores to macropores, shows a superior CO2 capture capacity of 4.46 mmol g−1, ranking in the top 10% of the reported NPCs. This capacity exceeds that of the NPC fabricated with the conventional method by 58% and surpasses the control porous carbon by 106%. Langmuir adsorption modeling and mathematic correlation analysis revealed that this enhanced capacity is attributed to significantly improved ultra‐micropores volume and nitrogen‐species content. Moreover, this optimized NPC demonstrates exceptional stability, preserving its adsorption performance over 110 adsorption–desorption cycles under simulated flue gas conditions. This research not only highlights the integration of templating and N‐doping within NPCs fabrication but also offers an effective strategy to optimize porosity and nitrogen functionality in carbon materials, advancing beyond conventional methodologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soft robots spark a revolution in human–machine interaction. However, developing high‐performance soft actuators remains challenging due to trade‐offs among output force, driving distance, control precision, safety, and compliance. Here, addressing the lack of long‐distance, high‐precision flexible linear actuators, an innovative pneumatic flexible linear actuator (PFLA) is introduced, inspired by the smooth and controlled process observed in snakes ingesting sizable food, such as eggs. This PFLA combines a soft tube, emulating the snake's body cavity, with a pneumatically driven piston. Through the joint modulation of moving resistance and driving force by pneumatic pressure, the PFLA exhibits exceptional motion control capabilities, including self‐holding without pressure supply, smooth low‐speed motion (down to 0.004 m s–1), high‐speed motion (up to 5.6 m s–1) with low air pressure demand, and a self‐protection mechanism. Highlighting its adaptability and versatility, the PFLA finds applications in various settings, including a wearable assistive devices, a manipulator capable of precise path tracking and positioning, and rapid transportation in diverse environments for pipeline inspection and firefighting. This PFLA combines biomimetic principles with sophisticated fluidic actuation to achieve long‐distance, flexible, precise, and safe actuation, offering a more adaptive solution for force/motion transmission, particularly in challenging environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lead‐free halide double perovskites (DPs) have attracted much attention due to their potential applications in the field of near‐infrared (NIR) optoelectronics. However, regulating the NIR luminescence properties of such materials remains a challenge. In this study, it is found that Cs2AgInCl6:Cr3+ DPs exhibit a broad NIR emission under ultraviolet excitation, with a peak value of 980 nm. In the range of 9 GPa, the emission intensity increases significantly. As the pressure increases, a transition from broadband NIR emission to narrow‐line emission occurs, accompanied by a decrease in the full width at half maximum (FWHM) from 260 to 40 nm, attributed to increased local structural asymmetry and enhanced crystal field around Cr3+ ions. Ultrafast transient absorption experiments reveal the changes of energy transfer under pressure and the emergence of new radiation channels, demonstrating the dynamic evolution of emission characteristics under high pressure. The research results deepen the understanding of high pressure luminescence in Cr3⁺‐doped halide DPs, providing strategies for designing highly efficient NIR emitters in metal halide DPs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effectiveness of imagery rescripting (IR) in reducing psychological symptoms associated with aversive memories has been confirmed across various disorders. To better understand the neural mechanisms underlying IR, we assessed the immediate and lasting effects and their associations with imagery tendency by using unpleasant pictures depicting child maltreatment within a population with childhood maltreatment (CM) history. Participants (n = 68) were instructed to engage in two experimental phases while electroencephalogram was recorded. In the rescripting phase, participants viewed neutral or unpleasant pictures and then either imagined the same pictures or rescripted unpleasant ones to assess immediate effect. In the re‐exposure phase, participants passively viewed all pictures without instruction to assess lasting effect. Participants rated their subjective valence and imagery vividness in the rescripting phase or intensity of negative feelings in the re‐exposure phase. IR led to an attenuation of the late positive potential (LPP) amplitude in the late time window (2000–6000 ms at parietal‐occipital electrodes) and a decrease in self‐reported unpleasantness during the rescripting phase. After 5‐min interval, unpleasant pictures with rescripted history elicited smaller LPP (400–1500 ms at centro‐parietal electrodes) and negative feelings than those with imagery history in the re‐exposure phase. The higher habitual use of imagery was associated with a greater reduction in late LPP during the rescripting phase and full‐time range LPP during the re‐exposure phase. The current findings suggest that IR has an immediate effect and a lasting effect on subjective and neural response in the CM population. Individuals with higher imagery tendency are likely to profit more from IR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbonaceous materials are recognized for their high conductivity and adaptable structures, making them potential candidates for potassium‐ion batteries (PIBs). Yet, their application has been restricted due to challenges like limited potassium storage and slow kinetics. Addressing these issues, this study presents a novel method by anchoring nitrogen‐oxygen‐coordinated bismuth metal atom sites onto honeycomb‐like carbon rods, termed Bi‐N4‐O2@HCR. This aims to enhance PIB performance by exploiting carbonaceous materials' strengths and mitigating their limitations. Through comprehensive experiments and theoretical simulations, it is found that Bi‐N4‐O2 sites enrich potassium storage and facilitate potassium ion migration, thus improving transport efficiency and reaction kinetics. The resulting anode showcased rapid and durable potassium storage, with a remarkable capacity of 190.7 mAh g−1 at 30 A g−1 and maintaining 192.2 mAh g−1 over 4200 cycles at 5 A g−1, outperforming many existing carbon anodes. Additionally, in full cell tests, it exhibited excellent rate performance and ultra‐long cycle life, sustaining up to 8000 cycles with a stable capacity of 88.9 mAh g−1 at 5 A g−1. This research underscores the significance of incorporating unique metal sites on carbon substrates to advance battery technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

2D semiconductor nanomaterials have received significant attention as photocatalysts for solar‐to‐hydrogen conversion due to their robust light absorption capacity, large specific surface area, and superior electron transport characteristics. Nevertheless, it is challenging to develop 2D quaternary copper‐based sulfides (QCSs) with functional integration of conducive structural features for photocatalysis from multiple elements and intricate control conditions. Herein, ultrathin 2D alloyed Cu−Ga−Zn−S (CGZS) curved nanobelts (NBs) are fabricated by using a facile one‐pot colloidal method. Subsequently, the derived Cu31S16‐CGZS Janus heterostructures are designed by increasing Cu concentrations. The formation mechanism of 2D curved alloys and Janus heterostructures is systematically investigated. Without cocatalysts, curved alloyed CGZS NBs demonstrated superior photocatalytic activities of 1264.2 µmol g−1 h−1 compared to Janus heterostructured Cu31S16−CGZS (463.1 µmol g−1 h−1) under visible light (> 400 nm). Experimental and theoretical results unveiled that the improved photocatalytic activities of curved CGZS NBs can be attributed to enhanced charge–carrier separation efficiency resulting from high crystallinity and ultrathin 2D structure, abundant active sites from curved structure, high‐active (0001) crystal facet with the lowest reaction Gibbs energy, work function, and metal‐like properties. This work offers new insights into functional integration into ultrathin 2D QCSs with enhanced visible‐light photocatalytic performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper considers the event‐triggered adaptive fuzzy bipartite containment control problem for switched nonlinear multi‐agent systems (MASs) with actuator attacks. To handle the completely unknown nonlinear functions in the considered system, fuzzy logic systems (FLSs) are applied to approximate the unknown nonlinear functions. In addition, an adaptive bipartite containment control approach is designed to deal with the actuator attacks, which can reduce the burden of communication. According to the designed adaptive bipartite containment control scheme, it is shown that all the signals are semi‐globally uniformly ultimately bounded (SGUUB), and all the outputs of the followers achieve the bipartite consensus and finally enter the convex set spanned by leaders' in the presence of actuator attacks. Eventually, a simulation example is presented to illustrate the availability of the developed strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) suffer from serious quality of life problems. Diabetes has been demonstrated as an independent risk element for PD, aggravating its severity and accelerating its progression. There are currently no suitable biomarkers to reveal the impact of diabetes on PD. The purpose of our research was to study the impact of diabetes on PD using corneal confocal microscopy (CCM), a non‐invasive and objective test. Methods: Fourteen PD patients with diabetes (PD‐DM), 60 PD patients without diabetes (PD‐NDM), and 30 healthy controls (HC) were included in the study. The clinical symptoms of patients with PD were assessed using the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale‐3 (UPDRS‐3) and the Parkinson's Disease Autonomic Symptom Prognosis Scale (SCOPA‐AUT). Participants underwent CCM to quantify the corneal nerve fibres. Results: Corneal nerve fibre density (CNFD) and corneal nerve fibre length (CNFL) in patients with PD were lower than HC. Furthermore, CNFD in PD‐DM was lower than in PD‐NDM (P < 0.01). We also assessed the relationship between CCM parameters and clinical scores. CNFL and Hamilton anxiety (HAMA) have a negative correlation (r = −0.261, P = 0.032), but this study did not observe a significant correlation between CCM parameters and SCOPA‐AUT. Additionally, CNFD could distinguish PD‐DM from PD‐NDM, achieving an area under the curve of 75.06% (95% CI, 61.76%–88.36%). Conclusions: The CCM could be served as an objective and sensitive biomarker to investigate the impact of diabetes in PD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Individuals who suffer from simple snoring rarely go to a doctor due to a lack of medical knowledge, but simple snoring can reduce the individual's quality of life and may cause social problems to the bed partner/family members. Objectives: The aims of the present study are to explore the effects of online modified oropharyngeal exercises on the individuals with simple snoring and to provide a rehabilitation method for individuals with simple snoring. Methods: This study is a double‐blinded, two‐arm, randomized controlled trial. Participants were enrolled and randomly assigned to the intervention group (n = 33) or the control group (n = 33). The participants in the control group received health education on snoring, while the participants in the intervention group received the modified oropharyngeal exercise besides health education on snoring. The intervention duration was 4 weeks. The primary outcomes included snoring index, snoring loudness, and snoring quantity. The secondary outcomes included self‐reported snoring, sleep quality, daytime sleepiness, anxiety symptoms, depression symptoms, and quality of life. All outcomes were measured at baseline, 4 weeks, and 8 weeks. Results: Generalized estimating equations (GEE) analyses showed significant differences between the intervention group and the control group on snoring index, loudness, and quantity (p <.001). Moreover, modified oropharyngeal exercise had effects on sleep quality, daytime sleepiness, anxiety symptoms, depression symptoms, and quality of life in individuals with simple snoring (p <.001). Self‐reported snoring also improved at 8 weeks. Conclusion: The modified oropharyngeal exercises were effective in improving simple snoring. It could also improve sleep quality, daytime sleepiness, anxiety symptoms, depression symptoms, and quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction/Aims: Nerve enlargement has been described in autoimmune nodopathy and chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP). However, comparisons of the distribution of enlargement between autoimmune nodopathy and CIDP have not been well characterized. To fill this gap, we explored differences in the ultrasonographic and electrophysiological features between autoimmune nodopathy and CIDP. Methods: Between March 2015 and June 2023, patients fulfilling diagnostic criteria for CIDP were enrolled; among them, those with positive antibodies against nodal–paranodal cell‐adhesion molecules were distinguished as autoimmune nodopathy. Nerve ultrasound and nerve conduction studies (NCS) were performed. Results: Overall, 114 CIDP patients and 13 patients with autoimmune nodopathy were recruited. Cross‐sectional areas (CSA) at all sites were larger in patients with CIDP and autoimmune nodopathy than in healthy controls. CSAs at the roots and trunks of the brachial plexus were significantly larger in patients with anti‐neurofascin‐155 (NF155), anti‐contactin‐1 (CNTN1), and anti‐contactin‐associated protein 1 (CASPR1) antibodies than in CIDP patients. The patients with anti‐NF186 antibody did not have enlargement in the brachial plexus. NCS showed more frequent probable conduction block at Erb's point in autoimmune nodopathy than in CIDP (61.9% vs. 36.6% for median nerve, 52.4% vs. 39.5% for ulnar nerve). Markedly prolonged distal motor latencies were also present in autoimmune nodopathy. Discussion: Patients with autoimmune nodopathies had distinct distributions of peripheral nerve enlargement revealed by ultrasound, as well as distinct NCS patterns, which were different from CIDP. This suggests the potential utility of nerve ultrasound and NCS to supplement clinical characteristics for distinguishing nodopathies from CIDP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The abundance of fishery resources significantly impacts the ratio of fishing effort to harvest. However, traditional statistics of fishery catches or commonly used catch per unit effort (CPUE) metrics cannot accurately capture the complexity of resource abundance in the ocean. To address this issue, we propose here a novel approach that integrates the actual fishery catch from vessel logs with fishing duration obtained through automatic identification system (AIS) positioning. This combined analysis eliminates confounding factors and introduces a novel metric called "catch efficiency (CE)" to evaluate fishing operations more accurately, thereby reflecting resource abundance in a more reasonable way. In this study, we focus on the CE of squid in the Oyashio Extension region in the Northwestern Pacific. Our analysis reveals significant temporal and spatial variations of CE, manifesting in both intensity and distribution patterns. Moreover, our findings establish a close relationship between CE and background water mass distribution, chlorophyll‐a concentration, and micronekton biomass. This implies that the resource abundance of squid can be inferred by considering the varying environmental factors within the fishing area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under the background of vigorously promoting clean heating, the introduction of phase‐change energy storage technology into heating systems has become a new hot issue. In this study, a novel KAl(SO4)2·12H2O/expanded graphite (EG) shape‐stabilized composite phase‐change material (PCM), with a melting temperature of 91.6 °C, latent heat of 245.7 kJ kg−1, and high heat conductivity of 2.07 W m−1 K−1, is prepared to manufacture a PCM‐based module for space heating. This phase‐change electric heating module is developed, and its heat storage and release characteristics are investigated through experimental and numerical studies. The numerical model is validated by experimental results. In view of the numerical simulation, the structure of the module is optimized and its thermal performance is studied. Based on the optimized module, a peak‐valley time‐of‐use (TOU) electric heating module is finally proposed. It is revealed that the module exhibits good thermal performance and is capable of satisfying the indoor heating demand. The effective heat storage and release duration is 8.12 and 15.34 h, which can perfectly realize the operating mode under the "peak‐valley TOU electricity" mechanism. In this study, it is demonstrated that peak–valley electric energy storage heating devices have broad prospects in building space heating and provides reference for future application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses the problem of adaptive containment fault‐tolerant control for nonlinear multiagent systems with periodic disturbances. Different from most existing fault‐tolerant control schemes, the form of multiple faults is explicitly considered in this paper, including actuator faults and sensor faults. By combining the Fourier series expansion with neural networks, the unknown nonlinear dynamics subject to time‐dependent periodic disturbances are approximated. Then, the "complexity of explosion" issue that exists in traditional backstepping‐based results is avoided by introducing a first‐order sliding‐mode differentiator. It is proved that the developed containment control policies can ensure that all signals of the close‐loop systems are uniformly ultimately bounded, and all followers can converge to a convex area formed by multiple leaders. Simulation results verify the validity of the proposed scheme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extreme drought and intensification of land use pose substantial threats to ecosystem stability. However, existing studies that assess ecosystem stability focus primarily on the stability of aboveground net primary productivity (ANPP), while the stability of belowground net primary productivity (BNPP) is often not considered.Here, we examined the response patterns and drivers of ANPP stability and BNPP stability in an alpine meadow to drought and clipping (simulating grazing and mowing) by the implementation of five levels of simulated precipitation (1/12, 1/4, 1/2, 3/4 and ambient precipitation) and clipping (unclipped vs. clipped) treatments over 7 years (2016–2022).The results showed that extreme drought decreased ANPP stability, while moderate drought increased BNPP stability and net primary productivity stability. The findings highlight the importance of jointly considering above‐ and belowground processes when evaluating ecosystem stability. Moreover, clipping did not have an impact on ANPP stability but reduced BNPP stability, and clipping differentially affected the stability of ANPP and BNPP in response to extreme drought. Furthermore, ANPP stability was largely determined by species temporal asynchrony rather than richness, whereas dominant species stability strongly contributed to the variation in BNPP stability of this alpine meadow faced with drought and clipping.Synthesis: In general, these results provide experimental evidence for the decoupling of the responses of above‐ and belowground productivity stability to extreme drought and clipping. Our findings indicate that aboveground responses should not be used as the sole indicator of the whole ecosystem consequences of extreme drought and disturbance factors such as grazing or mowing, emphasizing the need to evaluate ecosystem stability from a whole ecosystem perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) disclosure has drawn much attention from listed companies, investors, and regulators. In response to the increasing demand of investors and regulators for non‐financial information, listed companies have paid attention to publishing ESG reports consisting of environmental, social, and governance information. Listed companies are increasingly required to provide high‐quality information that is clear and comparable. However, the lack of incentive to listed companies makes it hard to improve the quality of ESG disclosure, and the cost of ESG disclosure leads to the uncontrollable quality of ESG reports and may even manipulation by opportunistic behaviors. In this paper, we illustrate the moral hazard problem in ESG disclosure from the perspective of investors and listed companies, in which the effort level for listed companies to provide high‐quality ESG report cannot be observed by investors. Then we propose a blockchain‐based incentive mechanism for ESG disclosure from a principal‐agent perspective to improve the information quality of ESG disclosure, where investors act as principal and listed companies act as agents. Token in blockchain technology is utilized as the rewards to improve the listed companies' reputation, thus increasing their chance of being promoted to investors for preferential investment opportunities in the blockchain platform. We then design the first‐best (FB) and second‐best (SB) optimal contracts based on classic principal‐agent model to overcome the moral hazard problem. Extensive simulations are conducted to demonstrate the effectiveness and feasibility of the incentive mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Aortic dissection (AD) is a life‐threatening cardiovascular emergency that is often misdiagnosed as other chest pain conditions. Physiologically, AD may cause abnormalities in peripheral blood flow, which can be detected using pulse oximetry waveforms. Purpose: This study aimed to assess the feasibility of identifying AD based on pulse oximetry waveforms and to highlight the key waveform features that play a crucial role in this diagnostic method. Methods: This prospective study employed high‐risk chest pain cohorts from two emergency departments. The initial cohort was enriched with AD patients (n = 258, 47% AD) for model development, while the second cohort consisted of chest pain patients awaiting angiography (n = 71, 25% AD) and was used for external validation. Pulse oximetry waveforms from the four extremities were collected for each patient. After data preprocessing, a recognition model based on the random forest algorithm was trained using patients' gender, age, and waveform difference features extracted from the pulse oximetry waveforms. The performance of the model was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis and decision curve analysis (DCA). The importance of features was also assessed using Shapley Value and Gini importance. Results: The model demonstrated strong performance in identifying AD in both the training and external validation sets. In the training set, the model achieved an area under the ROC curve of 0.979 (95% CI: 0.961–0.990), sensitivity of 0.918 (95% CI: 0.873–0.955), specificity of 0.949 (95% CI: 0.912–0.985), and accuracy of 0.933 (95% CI: 0.904–0.959). In the external validation set, the model attained an area under the ROC curve of 0.855 (95% CI: 0.720–0.965), sensitivity of 0.889 (95% CI: 0.722–1.000), specificity of 0.698 (95% CI: 0.566–0.812), and accuracy of 0.794 (95% CI: 0.672–0.878). Decision curve analysis (DCA) further showed that the model provided a substantial net benefit for identifying AD. The median mean and median variance of the four limbs' signals were the most influential features in the recognition model. Conclusions: This study demonstrated the feasibility and strong performance of identifying AD based on peripheral pulse oximetry waveforms in high‐risk chest pain populations in the emergency setting. The findings also provided valuable insights for future human fluid dynamics simulations to elucidate the impact of AD on blood flow in greater detail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Differences in the pore and fracture systems of four marcolithotypes (bright，semi‐bright, semi‐dull and dull) in coal reservoirs affect the quality of coalbed methane (CBM) and constrain exploration and development of CBM. In this paper, vitrinite reflectance (RO), maceral composition, proximate analysis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP), low‐field nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and high‐pressure isothermal adsorption experiments and the mathematical method of fractal dimension were carried out on high‐rank coal samples of different marcolithotypes from the Weizhou mining area in the western margin of Ordos Basin. The results show that from bright coal to dull coal, the RO and vitrinite content gradually decrease, while the mineral content and Aad gradually increase. SEM images show that the bright and semi‐bright coals develop open fractures, whereas semi‐dull and dull coals develop closed fractures. According to pore size distribution established by MIP and NMR, the proportion of seepage pores gradually increased from bright coal to dull coal, and MIP fractal dimension of seepage pores (DM2; 2.3352, 2.3532, 2.3755 and 2.4727, respectively) and NMR fractal dimension of seepage pores (DN2; 2.8767, 2.9142, 2.9297 and 2.9981, respectively) show that the structure of the seepage pore is progressively more complex from bright coal to dull coal. In addition, percentage of NMR adsorption pores progressively increases from bright coal to dull coal (64.96%, 76.64%, 82.04% and 89.67%, respectively), but total porosity of bright coal (6.74%) is much greater than that of dull coal (1.34%), which results in that bright coal also has the strongest CH4 adsorption capability (Langmuir volume is 22.898 cm3/g). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Societal Impact Statement: Nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium are essential elements for plant growth and are the primary nutrients in commercial fertilizers. However, the extent to which these nutrients individually limit plant growth is still unclear, as is the influence of their interactions. Using a meta‐analysis approach, plant growth was found to be co‐limited by nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Furthermore, these findings demonstrate that multiple nutrient additions are primarily additive, with the exception of synergistic effects observed with NP additions on plant growth. These findings are important as they provide a timely and valuable reference for assessing the ecosystem‐scale consequences of increasing nutrient deposition caused by human activities. Summary: Numerous field studies and a few meta‐analyses have confirmed that terrestrial primary production is individually or jointly limited by nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P). Meanwhile, a recent synthesis emphasized that potassium (K) limitation in terrestrial ecosystems is more widespread than previously thought. However, it remains unclear whether N, P, and K co‐limit terrestrial production and how their interactions influence plant growth.Therefore, we conducted a globally comprehensive synthesis of a total 2877 observations to explore the individual and interactive effects of N, P, and K additions on plant growth.We found that N, P, K, NP, NK, PK, and NPK additions significantly increased aboveground biomass production (AGP) by 30.8%, 15.3%, 12.3%, 68.4%, 36.5%, 21.1%, and 78.7%, respectively. The combined addition of multiple nutrients resulted in a larger increase in AGP than a single addition of nutrients. These findings suggested that terrestrial production is widely co‐limited by N, P, and K. However, no significant responses of belowground biomass production (BGP) to nutrient additions were observed. Except for synergistic interactions between N and P additions, the responses of AGP to other pairs of nutrient additions were predominantly additive.This meta‐analysis highlights the importance of multiple‐nutrient limitation in regulating terrestrial primary production while pointing out that non‐additive effects (including synergistic and antagonistic) of multiple‐nutrient additions on terrestrial production are relatively rare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Sacral neuromodulation (SNM) is widely recognized as the essential treatment modality for patients suffering from various lower urinary tract disorders, particularly overactive bladder (OAB). This prospective study recruited patients who underwent variable frequency SNM treatment at six Chinese medical centers, aiming to evaluate the gender‐specific effects of this intervention and provide precise guidance on its application for clinical management. Methods: This prospective study was managed by Beijing Hospital, and six Chinese medical centers participated in this prospective research. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were established to screen patients based on the indication for SNM. During the research, all patients were required to record 72‐h voiding diaries, urgency scores, and visual analogue scale (VAS) scores to reflect their disease symptoms. Additionally, subjective questionnaire surveys such as OAB symptom score (OABSS) and quality‐of‐life (Qol) score were recorded to reflect the patients' quality of life and treatment satisfaction. Results: In this study, 52 patients (male patients: 25; female patients: 27) with OAB symptoms agreed to undergo variable frequency stimulation SNM therapy and finally convert to Stage II. Regarding the baseline outcomes, no significant differences were observed between the male and female groups. In terms of postoperative indicators, male patients showed a greater improvement in Qol scores compared to their female counterparts (20.06 ± 13.12 vs. 40.83 ± 26.06, p = 0.005). The results from VAS scores indicated that pain remission was more pronounced in male patients than in female patients (0.31 ± 0.87 vs. 1.67 ± 2.16, p = 0.02). Importantly, there was a statistically significant disparity in urinary urgency between males and females (male patients: 1.19 ± 1.56; female patients: 2.17 ± 1.52, p = 0.04). Conclusions: In our study, we found that variable frequency SNM treatment yielded sex‐specific differences in therapeutic effects, with male patients having a better outcome in some metrics. This suggests that a patient's sex may influence when variable frequency SNM is used, and in the patient's follow‐up. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: ChiCTR2000036677. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study aimed to assess the use of two‐dimensional (2D) ultrasound combined with high‐definition flow (HD‐flow) render mode and spatiotemporal image correlation (STIC) in diagnosing and classifying fetal persistent left superior vena cava (PLSVC). Methods: Overall, 114 cases of fetal PLSVC were diagnosed using 2D ultrasound combined with STIC, and 114 normal fetuses of the same gestational week were selected. These cases were retrospectively analyzed to evaluate the effectiveness of the diagnostic approach. Results: All 114 PLSVC cases were diagnosed using 2D ultrasound combined with STIC. Although the diagnostic coincidence rate of PLSVC in the HD‐flow combined with STIC was similar to that in the 2D ultrasound combined with HD‐flow (96.8 vs 96.2%), 2D ultrasound with STIC enabled dynamic visualization of the PLSVC, furthering prenatal diagnosis. These cases were classified as type I PLSVC: 80 cases of type Ia, 29 cases of type Ib, and 5 cases of type Ic. Seventy isolated PLSVC cases (61.4%) were noted, whereas 44 cases (35.6%) were associated with concomitant structural abnormalities. Intracardiac structural malformations accounted for the highest proportion (n = 53, 58.89%), followed by single umbilical artery and facial/bodily abnormalities (n = 10, 11.11%). Conclusion: Combining HD‐flow and STIC complements 2D ultrasound in diagnosing and classifying fetal PLSVC, demonstrating significant clinical relevance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An in vivo animal model of a weight‐bearing intra‐articular implant is crucial to the study of implant osseointegration and aseptic loosening caused by osseointegration failure. Osseointegration, defined as a direct structural and functional attachment between living bone tissue and the surface of a load‐carrying implant, is essential for implant stability and considered a prerequisite for the long‐term clinical success of implants in total joint arthroplasty. Compared to large animal models, murine models offer extensive genetic tools for tracing cell differentiation and proliferation. The 18‐ to 22‐week‐old C57BL/6J background mice underwent either press‐fitted or loose implantation of a titanium implant, achieving osseointegration or fibrous integration. A protocol was developed for both versions of the procedure, including a description of the relevant anatomy. Samples were subjected to microcomputed tomography and underwent biomechanical testing to access osseointegration. Lastly, samples were fixed and embedded for histological evaluation. The absence of mineralized tissue and weakened maximum pull‐out force in loose implantation samples indicated that these implants were less mechanically stable compared to the control at 4 weeks postoperation. Histological analysis demonstrated extensive fibrotic tissue in the peri‐implant area of loose implantation samples and excellent implant osseointegration in press‐fitted samples at 4 weeks. Both mechanically stable and unstable hemiarthroplasty models with either osseous ingrowth or a robust periprosthetic fibrosis were achieved in mice. We hope that this model can help address current limitations for in vivo study of aseptic loosening and lead to necessary translational benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biallelic pathogenic variants in CCN6 cause progressive pseudorheumatoid dysplasia (PPD), a rare skeletal dysplasia. The predominant features include noninflammatory progressive joint stiffness and enlargement, which are not unique to this condition. Nearly 100% of the reported variants are single nucleotide variants or small indels, and missing of a second variant has been reported. Genome sequencing (GS) covers various types of variants and deep phenotyping (DP) provides detailed and precise information facilitating genetic data interpretation. The combination of GS and DP improves diagnostic yield, especially in rare and undiagnosed diseases. We identified a novel compound heterozygote involving a disease‐causing copy number variant (g.112057664_112064205del) in trans with a single nucleotide variant (c.624dup(p.Cys209MetfsTer21)) in CCN6 in a pair of monozygotic twins, through the methods of GS and DP. The twins had received three nondiagnostic results before. The g.112057664_112064205del variant was missed by all the tests, and the recorded phenotypes were inaccurate or even misleading. The twins were diagnosed with PPD, ending a 13‐year diagnostic odyssey. There may be other patients with PPD experiencing underdiagnosis and misdiagnosis due to inadequate genetic testing or phenotyping methods. This case highlights the critical role of GS and DP in facilitating an accurate and timely diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Monochamus saltuarius is a destructive trunk‐borer of pine forest and an effective dispersal vector for pinewood nematode (PWN), a causative agent of pine wilt disease (PWD), which leads to major ecological disasters. Cold winter temperatures determine insect survival and distribution. However, little is known about the cold tolerance and potential physiological mechanisms of M. saltuarius. RESULTS: We demonstrated that dead Pinus koraiensis trunks do not provide larvae with insulation. The M. saltuarius larvae are freeze‐tolerant species. Unlike most other freeze‐tolerant insects, they can actively freeze extracellular fluid at higher subzero temperatures by increasing their supercooling points. The main energy sources for larvae overwintering are glycogen and the mid‐late switch to lipid. The water balance showed a decrease in free and an increase in bound water of small magnitude. Cold stress promoted lipid peroxidation, thus activating the antioxidant system to prevent cold‐induced oxidative damage. We found eight main pathways linked to cold stress and 39 important metabolites, ten of which are cryoprotectants, including maltose, UDP‐glucose, d‐fructose 6P, galactinol, dulcitol, inositol, sorbitol, l‐methionine, sarcosine, and d‐proline. The M. saltuarius larvae engage in a dual respiration process involving both anaerobic and aerobic pathways when their bodily fluids freeze. Cysteine and methionine metabolism, as well as alanine, aspartate, and glutamate metabolism, are the most important pathways linked to antioxidation and energy production. CONCLUSIONS: The implications of our findings may help strengthen and supplement the management strategies for monitoring, quarantine, and control of this pest, thereby contributing to controlling the further spread of PWD. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study develops a novel singularity analysis method that addresses the limitations posed by piezoelectric material quantity and the variation patterns of property functions in functionally graded piezoelectric materials (FGPMs). Given that piezoelectric composite materials consist of multiple materials, the material properties of FGPMs vary with respect to angle. By introducing the asymptotic assumption that governs the physical fields close to the notch vertex into the static equilibrium equations, a comprehensive set of characteristic equations is formulated. All singularity orders and corresponding characteristic angle functions of the notch are determined by numerically solving the established characteristic equations. The effects of the notch opening angle, piezoelectric material polarization direction, and boundary conditions on the electromechanical field singularity at the notch are assessed. The judicious selection of material variation patterns can alleviate notch singularity in FGPMs. Highlights: A novel method for studying the singularity of piezoelectric material notch is proposed.The singularity orders and the characteristic angle functions are obtained simultaneously.Multimaterial notch contained an arbitrary number of subdomains can be considered.The proposed method eliminates the need for solving complex transcendental equations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: We aimed to characterize and investigate the safety and efficacy of Plonmarlimab, a novel anti‐granulocyte‐macrophage colony‐stimulating factor (anti‐GM‐CSF) neutralizing antibody, on the treatment of macrophage activation syndrome (MAS), a life‐threatening systemic inflammatory disease, in pre‐clinical models. Methods: The binding affinity was evaluated using Biacore. The neutralizing activity was measured through the blockade of ligand–receptor interaction, inhibition of STAT5 phosphorylation and suppression of TF‐1 cell proliferation. The efficacy of Plonmarlimab was evaluated in a humanized MAS model, which was established by engrafting human umbilical cord blood (UCB) cells into NOG‐EXL mice. Additionally, the safety profile of Plonmarlimab was investigated in cynomolgus monkeys. Results: At the molecular level, Plonmarlimab showed sub‐nanomolar binding affinity with human GM‐CSF and effectively blocked the binding of GM‐CSF to its receptor. At the cellular level, Plonmarlimab dose‐dependently inhibited intracellular STAT5 phosphorylation and suppressed GM‐CSF‐induced TF‐1 proliferation. In the UCB‐engrafted NOG‐EXL MAS mouse model, Plonmarlimab treatment significantly ameliorated disease progression, demonstrated by the improvements in body weight loss, anaemia and some histopathological features. Furthermore, Plonmarlimab was well tolerated up to 150 mg/kg weekly in monkeys with no reported adverse effects. Conclusions: Plonmarlimab is a highly potent GM‐CSF blocking antibody and has demonstrated promising efficacy in a pre‐clinical MAS model with a favourable safety profile, supporting its clinical development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fraudulent returns have become increasingly frequent in the development of online retail platforms, leading to huge losses for retailers. A blockchain‐based system can help eliminate this problem primarily because the data stored in a blockchain network cannot be modified. In this paper, we study the impact of blockchain technology that aims to eliminate fraudulent return behavior on retailers and their upstream suppliers. We develop a game‐theoretic model that comprises a supplier, a retailer, and customers and analyze the equilibrium outcomes. The results show that the retailer would (not) adopt blockchain technology if the efficiency of the supplier's investment in the innovation of its products is high (low). Moreover, if the retailer's loss from the return is low (high), the adoption of blockchain technology decreases (increases) the supplier's investment and the wholesale and retail prices. In terms of its effect on profitability, we reveal that if the fraudulent return losses are high, using blockchain technology always benefits the supplier; otherwise, it increases retailer profitability and supply chain performance but may make the supplier suffer losses in profits. Interestingly, the retailer would adopt blockchain technology to ensure profitability in situations where the number of customers without fraudulent returns and the intensity of losses are low; however, this weakens supplier profitability and meanwhile reduces supply chain performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gene duplications have contributed to the innovation of morphological traits during plant evolution. An outstanding example is the role of CYCLOIDEA2 (CYC2) gene duplications in the formation of the complex structure of Asteraceae capitula. Previous studies have shown that Chrysanthemum lavandulifolium (Fischer ex Trautv.) Makino and a few other species of the Asteraceae harbor two copies of CYC2e. Here, we identified a lineage‐specific CYC2e duplication event at the root of the phylogeny of the tribe Anthemideae by analyzing the evolutionary history of CYC2 genes across the Asteraceae. Although the gene expression patterns of CYC2e1 and CYC2e2 were similar in most of floral organs, CYC2e1 promoted ligule elongation by promoting cell expansion, whereas CYC2e2 showed a weak inhibiting effect on the ray‐floret development, and overexpression of CYC2e2 resulted in the maldevelopment of stamens in disc florets. These results indicated differentiated functions of CYC2e1 and CYC2e2 in the capitulum development of the Anthemideae. Given the previous data that identified CYC2g and CYC2d as main regulators in ligule morphogenesis, we comparatively analyzed 10 Asteraceae genomic data, and identified tandem arrays of CYC2g, CYC2d, and CYC2e. We further investigated the regulatory relationships between CYC2g/CYC2d and CYC2e genes, and found that CYC2g can activate the expression of CYC2e1. The findings of this study elucidate the synergistic roles of CYC2 genes in regulating the formation of the Asteraceae capitula and enhance understanding of the mechanism of duplicated gene retention during plant evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polymer dielectrics that perform efficiently under harsh electrification conditions are critical elements of advanced electronic and power systems. However, developing polymer dielectrics capable of reliably withstanding harsh temperatures and electric fields remains a fundamental challenge, requiring a delicate balance in dielectric constant (K), breakdown strength (Eb), and thermal parameters. Here, amide crosslinking networks into cyano polymers is introduced, forming asymmetric dipole pairs with differing dipole moments. This strategy weakens the original electrostatic interactions between dipoles, thereby reducing the dipole orientation barriers of cyano groups, achieving dipole activation while suppressing polarization losses. The resulting styrene‐acrylonitrile/crosslinking styrene‐maleic anhydride (SAN/CSMA) blends exhibit a K of 4.35 and an Eb of 670 MV m−1 simultaneously at 120 °C, and ultrahigh discharged energy densities (Ue) with 90% efficiency of 8.6 and 7.4 J cm−3 at 120 and 150 °C are achieved, respectively, more than ten times that of the original dielectric at the same conditions. The SAN/CSMA blends show excellent cyclic stability in harsh conditions. Combining the results with SAN/CSMA and ABS (acrylonitrile‐butadiene‐styrene copolymer)/CSMA blends, it is demonstrated that this novel strategy can meet the demands of high‐performing dielectric polymers at elevated temperatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In plants, vegetative growth is controlled by synergistic and/or antagonistic effects of many regulatory factors. Here, the authors demonstrate that the ubiquitin ligase seven in absentia1 (SINA1) mammalian BTF2‐like transcription factors, Drosophila synapse‐associated proteins, and yeast DOS2‐like proteins (BSD1) function as a regulatory module to control vegetative growth in tomato via regulation of the production of plant growth hormone gibberellin (GA). SINA1 negatively regulates the protein level of BSD1 through ubiquitin‐proteasome‐mediated degradation, and the transgenic tomato over‐expressing SINA1 (SINA1‐OX) resembles the dwarfism phenotype of the BSD1‐knockout (BSD1‐KO) tomato plant. BSD1 directly activates expression of the BSD1‐regulated gene 1 (BRG1) via binding to a novel core BBS (standing for BSD1 binding site) binding motif in the BRG1 promoter. Knockout of BRG1 (BRG1‐KO) in tomato also results in a dwarfism phenotype, suggesting BRG1 plays a positive role in vegetative growth as BSD1 does. Significantly, GA contents are attenuated in transgenic SINA1‐OX, BSD1‐KO, and BRG1‐KO plants exhibiting dwarfism phenotype and exogenous application of bioactive GA3 restores their vegetative growth. Moreover, BRG1 is required for the expression of multiple GA biosynthesis genes and BSD1 activates three GA biosynthesis genes promoting GA production. Thus, this study suggests that the SINA1‐BSD1 module controls vegetative growth via direct and indirect regulation of GA biosynthesis in tomato. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photonic‐ionic skins (PI‐skins) featuring multi‐signal synergistic outputs exhibit fascinating interactive sensing potential in flexible iononics. However, the existing ones are susceptible to irreversible damage in usage due to their poor toughness and deficiency in self‐healing. Herein, a novel tough mechanochromic PI‐skin is ingeniously constructed, from both molecular engineering and nanostructural engineering perspectives, via integrating the ordered photonic array and robust metal‐imidazole cross‐linked network. The PI‐skin displays synchronous structural color variation and sensitive electrical response under strain. Notably, the synergy of dense physical cross‐linking network and microphase‐separation structure achieved by strong metal‐imidazole coordination greatly promotes energy dissipation. PI‐skin possesses a combination of exceptional properties, including high fracture strength (8.22 MPa), remarkable toughness (10.23 MJ m−3), and robust adhesion behavior (2.30 MPa). Furthermore, favorable self‐healing capability at room temperature is realized thanks to the dynamic topological rearrangement of metal‐imidazole coordination. The PI‐skin demonstrates promising uses as a visually interactive wearable device for human motion monitoring and remote communication. This work not only broadens design considerations for the development of high‐performance artificial skins but also offers a general optical platform for high‐level interactive wearable devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rationale: Anemarrhenae Rhizoma (AR) has been a frequently utilized traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for an extended period, with its salt‐processed variant being a prevalent application form. Contemporary pharmacological investigations have demonstrated that the salt‐processed iteration exhibits a multitude of markedly augmented pharmacological properties. However, whether the pharmacodynamic material basis of this change is related to volatile substances remains unclear. The aim of this study was to develop a strategy to screen volatile pharmacodynamic substances in AR and salt‐processed AR (SAR). Methods: A comprehensive approach was developed to identify volatile pharmacodynamic compounds by integrating plant metabolomics, target network pharmacology, and molecular docking technology. Plant metabolomics using GC–MS analysis was conducted to identify volatile chemical markers distinguishing between AR and SAR. Subsequently, network pharmacology was utilized to investigate the correlation between chemical markers and associated diseases. Following this, molecular docking technology was utilized to explore the correlation between chemical markers and disease targets, resulting in the discovery of potential quality control markers. Results: Fifty volatile compounds were isolated and identified in the salt of AR and SAR. The findings from plant metabolomics analysis demonstrated a distinct differentiation, revealing 13 volatile chemical markers that distinguish between AR and SAR. A target (PPARG) associated with diabetes was identified through target network pharmacology analysis. Thirteen volatile components were subsequently chosen as potential quality markers, taking into account their hypoglycemic activity. Conclusions: The method developed provides a novel strategy for the identification of pharmacophores in AR and SAR, as well as establishing a foundation for the exploration of the volatile differential components and pharmacodynamics in various processed products of TCMs. Additionally, the findings of this study can serve as a theoretical framework for the development and utilization of volatile components in AR and its processed derivatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]