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Cyclotriphosphazene (CP) is a cyclic inorganic compound with the chemical formula N3P3. This unique molecule consists of a six‐membered ring composed of alternating nitrogen and phosphorus atoms, each bonded to two chlorine atoms. CP exhibits remarkable versatility and significance in the realm of materials chemistry due to its easy functionalization via facile nucleophilic substitution reactions in mild conditions as well as intriguing properties of resultant final CP‐based molecules or polymers. CP has been served as an important building block for numerous functional materials. This review provides a general and broad overview of the synthesis of CP‐based small molecules through nucleophilic substitution of hexachlorocyclotriphosphazene (HCCP), and their applications, including flame retardants, liquid crystals (LC), chemosensors, electronics, biomedical materials, and lubricants, have been summarized and discussed. It would be expected that this review would offer a timely summary of various CP‐based materials and hence give an insight into further exploration of CP‐based molecules in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effects of Cr alloying on phase stability, magnetism, and electronic structures in both body‐centered cubic (bcc) and face‐centered cubic (fcc) phases and on the transformation from fcc to bcc are studied by first‐principles calculations. Results show that the doped Cr atoms in fcc and bcc phases choose distinct occupation models. This phenomenon can be understood from the amount of electron density of states close to Fermi energy. For magnetism, Cr tends to be antiferromagnetically coupled with the surrounding Fe in the studied phases. The magnetic moment of Fe is greater than that of Cr in bcc, but the order is reversed in fcc. The moment of Fe is dictated by the distance between it and the doped Cr in bcc, whereas it is dominated by spatial orientation with Cr in fcc. For phase stability, it is found that the alloying of Cr prefers destabilizing bcc while tends to stabilize fcc, leading to a strong inhibition of phase transition from fcc to bcc. Notably, the role in the fcc phase is more prominent than that in bcc, which can be associated with the antiferromagnetism between Fe and Cr in fcc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydroxychloroquine sulfate is a common drug for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. However, the disadvantage of this drug is that it needs to be taken continuously for 3–6 months to be effective and compliance of patients is poor. In this work, four new salt forms of hydroxychloroquine are successfully prepared whose crystal structures and properties are confirmed by a series of solid‐state characterization methods, including infrared spectroscopy, single crystal X‐ray diffraction, powder X‐ray diffraction, thermal analysis, and dynamic vapor sorption analysis. The hygroscopicity, stability, equilibrium solubility, and intrinsic dissolution rate of the four new salts are also tested. The moisture absorption, solubility, and intrinsic dissolution rate of newly prepared salts are significantly reduced, and the dissolution rates of 1‐hydroxy‐2‐naphthoate and 1,5‐naphthalenedisulfonate salts are only 1/158 and 1/335 of that of the therapeutically used sulfates, respectively. It is expected that they are potentially useful to be developed into a sustained‐release formulation, which can greatly improve the dosing compliance for rheumatoid arthritis treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study sought to evaluate the late toxicity associated with neoadjuvant and concurrent docetaxel and radiation therapy in patients with prostate cancer. Methods: A secondary analysis was performed of the phase 3 multicenter randomized trial (Dana‐Farber Cancer Institute 05‐043) including 350 patients with nonmetastatic unfavorable‐risk prostate cancer. Patients were randomized 1:1 to receive androgen deprivation therapy, radiation therapy, and docetaxel versus androgen deprivation therapy and radiation therapy. The study assessed the cumulative incidence rates of grade 2 and grade 3 or higher gastrointestinal, genitourinary, and sexual toxicity. A multivariable Fine and Gray's competing risks regression model adjusted for age at randomization and pelvic lymph node radiation therapy was used to evaluate the treatment effect of docetaxel on time to late genitourinary and gastrointestinal toxicities. Results: The study included 338 patients who primarily had minimal or no comorbidity (74.9%) and median age 66 years (interquartile range: 61,71). At a median follow‐up of 10.2 years, docetaxel was not associated with increased risk of any grade 3 or higher (adjusted hazard ratio [AHR], 0.98; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.36–2.67; p =.96) or grade 2 gastrointestinal (p =.75), genitourinary (p =.44), and sexual (p =.29) toxicity. Age was associated with increased grade 3 or higher (AHR, 1.08; 95% CI, 1.01–1.16; p =.03) and grade 2 gastrointestinal toxicity (AHR, 1.11; 95% CI, 1.03–1.20; p =.005). A nonsignificant trend (p =.09) toward increased late grade 3 or higher toxicity was observed for pelvic radiation therapy use. Conclusions: Docetaxel combined with radiotherapy has an acceptable long‐term toxicity profile. Docetaxel combined with radiotherapy has an acceptable long‐term toxicity profile, affirming the safety of this regimen as evidence supporting its efficacy continues to emerge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document summarizes a study on endogenous Staphylococcus aureus endophthalmitis (ESaE), a rare but serious complication that can lead to vision loss. The study focused on cases in Taiwan and examined the source of infection, risk factors, treatments, and visual outcomes. The most common predisposing factor for ESaE was diabetes mellitus, and septic arthritis was the most frequently identified source of infection. Poor initial visual acuity and retinal detachment were predictors for worse visual outcomes. All MRSA and MSSA strains were susceptible to vancomycin. The study did not find a statistically significant difference in visual acuity outcomes between the MRSA and MSSA groups. [Extracted from the article]

Two new Schiff‐base bismuth (III) complexes were prepared by an equivalent reaction between Schiff‐base ligand and Bi (NO3)3•5H2O with the assistance of Mannitol. The chemical structures of the two complexes were characterized by spectroscopic studies (FT‐IR, NMR, and MS), elemental analysis, and single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction. The ligand‐to‐metal ion ratio was found to be 1:1 in the complexes. During the formation of the complexes, Schiff bases changed from the amidic forms to the iminol forms, and the resulting tautomers could coordinate with bismuth (III) ions to produce dinuclear BiIII complexes(1a and 2a). Structural analyses showed that each Bi (III) ion held a distorted capped octahedron geometry with a seven‐coordinate mode in two complexes. Screening in vitro biological activities revealed that two bismuth (III) complexes exhibited much higher antimicrobial and cytotoxic activity than their parent ligands. The cytotoxic activity of the complex(1a) was close to that of the known anticancer drug (Doxorubicin) by evaluating against SGC7901 cells, with the IC50 value 0.59 μM. The complex(1a) could effectively induce SGC7901 cell apoptosis and its oral acute toxicity for LD50 value was found to be 576 mg kg−1. The content of bismuth (III) in mitochondria was higher than that in the nucleus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neoantigen delivery using extracellular vesicles (EVs) has gained extensive interest in recent years. EVs derived from tumour cells or immune cells have been used to deliver tumour antigens or antitumor stimulation signals. However, potential DNA contamination from the host cell and the cost of large‐scale EV production hinder their therapeutic applications in clinical settings. Here, we develop an antigen delivery platform for cancer vaccines from red blood cell‐derived EVs (RBCEVs) targeting splenic DEC‐205+ dendritic cells (DCs) to boost the antitumor effect. By loading ovalbumin (OVA) protein onto RBCEVs and delivering the protein to DCs, we were able to stimulate and present antigenic OVA peptide onto major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I, subsequently priming activated antigen‐reactive T cells. Importantly, targeted delivery of OVA using RBCEVs engineered with anti‐DEC‐205 antibody robustly enhanced antigen presentation of DCs and T cell activation. This platform is potentially useful for producing personalised cancer vaccines in clinical settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of conjugated polymers bearing thiophene‐based donors and pyromellitic diimide (PMDI) acceptor were prepared, and their electrochromic (EC) properties were studied via using fabricated thin‐film EC devices. It was observed that structurally regular alternating polymers with fewer (1 and 2) thiophene donors do not exhibit any EC properties while increasing the number of donors eventually led to the emergence of orange‐red‐to‐green colour switching. On this basis, two more random co‐polymers containing higher donor‐to‐acceptor ratios were synthesized to further improve EC switching properties. The two polymers, which bear a PMDI‐to‐thiophene ratio of ca. 1 : 7 and 1 : 8, revealed orange red‐to‐blue colour switching and generally improved optical contrasts and switching speeds in both the visible and near infra‐red (NIR) region. In addition, the subtle modulation of polymer colour and hue via variation of the number of thiophene donors was evident through colorimetric study. This work therefore demonstrates the potential and possibility of using the PMDI acceptor unit to construct EC‐active conjugated polymers, and considerations for future tuning of colour and switching performances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Exosomes are extracellular vesicles, measuring 40–160 nm in diameter, that are released by many cell types and tissues, including adipose tissue. Exosomes are critical mediators of intercellular communication and their contents are complex and diverse. In recent years, accumulating evidence has proved that multiple adipose tissue‐derived exosomal noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs), including microRNAs (miRNAs), long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) and circular RNAs (circRNAs), play pivotal roles in the pathogenesis of diverse metabolic diseases, such as obesity. In this narrative review, we focus on the adipose tissue‐derived exosomal ncRNAs, especially exosomal miRNAs, and their dysregulation in multiple types of metabolic diseases. A deeper understanding of the role of adipose tissue‐derived exosomal ncRNAs may help provide new diagnostic and treatment methods for metabolic diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Having a comprehensive understanding of genetic differentiation, responses to environmental change and demographic history is critical for genetic improvement and conservation efforts. Forest trees are an excellent resource for understanding population differentiation and adaptive genetic variation due to their ability to adapt to different climates and environments. Cephalotaxus oliveri is a relict conifer endemic to China. In this study, we generated transcriptome data and identified 17 728 high‐quality single‐nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from 18 populations. We found significant negative correlations between expression diversity and nucleotide diversity within and among populations, suggesting that gene expression and nucleotide diversity have a reciprocal relationship when the species adapts to the environment. The analyses of population structure showed that C. oliveri displayed a striking genetic structure with four groups. BayeScEnv and RDA methods detected the signatures of local adaptation, and identified that 738 outlier SNPs were associated with precipitation, temperature and soil conditions across heterogeneous environmental conditions. Approximate Bayesian computation analyses showed that the first and second divergence occurred in the late Miocene (c. 10.075 million years ago [Ma]) and the middle Pleistocene transition (c. 0.815 Ma), respectively. Ecological niche modeling of C. oliveri revealed signs of westward expansion after the last glacial maximum, while it was predicted to experience significant range contractions in future climate change scenarios. Geographical factors and environmental factors in southern China have played a critical role in establishing the current genetic diversity and population structure of C. oliveri. This study provides an important reference for forest resource management and conservation for C. oliveri. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bruchidius coreanus is a serious pest on Gleditsia sinensis Lam during seed storage, causing significant losses to their yield in southwest China. To gain insight into their behavioral mechanisms, the external morphology, ultrastructure, and distribution of sensilla on antennae, maxillary palps, and labial palps of both male and female B. coreanus were observed using a scanning electron microscope. The results revealed that both male and female adults had serrated antennae comprising a scape, a pedicel, and nine flagellomeres (F1–F9). There were eight types and seven subtypes of antenna sensilla observed in both sexes, including Böhm sensilla (BS), two subtypes of sensilla chaetica (SC1 and SC2), two subtypes of sensilla trichodea (ST1 and ST2), three subtypes of sensilla basiconica (SB1, SB2, and SB3), sensilla auricillica (SA), sensilla styloconicum (SS), capitate pegs (CP), and sensilla cavity (SCa). The average length of BS and ST (ST1 and ST2) showed significant differences between males and females. Furthermore, the number of SC (SC1 and SC2), ST1, and SCa differed significantly between the sexes. Four types of sensilla were found on the maxillary palps and labial palps, with the length of ST on these palps significantly differing between males and females. Additionally, SS on male labial palps was significantly longer than in females. The number of SC significantly differed between the male and female maxillary palps and labial palps, while ST and SS showed significant differences in the maxillary palps. These findings will contribute to further electrophysiological recording and behavioral research. Research Highlights: The external morphology and distribution of various sensilla on the antennae, maxillary palps, and labial palps of Bruchidius coreanus were described.Eight types and seven subtypes of antenna sensilla were observed on the antennae, while four types of sensilla were observed on the maxillary palps and labial palps.The capitate pegs were found exclusively on the antennae of female B. coreanus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As one of the most commonly used data types, methods in testing or designing a trial for binary endpoints from two independent populations are still being developed until recently. However, the power and the minimum required sample size comparisons between different tests may not be valid if their type I errors are not controlled at the same level. In this article, we unify all related testing procedures into a decision framework, including both frequentist and Bayesian methods. Sufficient conditions of the type I error attained at the boundary of hypotheses are derived, which help reduce the magnitude of the exact calculations and lay out a foundation for developing computational algorithms to correctly specify the actual type I error. The efficient algorithms are thus proposed to calculate the cutoff value in a deterministic decision rule and the probability value in a randomized decision rule, such that the actual type I error is under but closest to, or equal to, the intended level, respectively. The algorithm may also be used to calculate the sample size to achieve the prespecified type I error and power. The usefulness of the proposed methodology is further demonstrated in the power calculation for designing superiority and noninferiority trials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a form of malignancy with limited curative options available. To improve therapeutic outcomes, it is imperative to develop novel, potent therapeutic modalities. Ketoconazole (KET) has shown excellent therapeutic efficacy against HCC by eliciting apoptosis. However, its limited water solubility hampers its application in clinical treatment. Herein, a mitochondria‐targeted chemo‐photodynamic nanoplatform, CS@KET/P780 NPs, is designed using a nanoprecipitation strategy by integrating a newly synthesized mitochondria‐targeted photosensitizer (P780) and chemotherapeutic agent KET coated with chondroitin sulfate (CS) to amplify HCC therapy. In this nanoplatform, CS confers tumor‐targeted and subsequently pH‐responsive drug delivery behavior by binding to glycoprotein CD44, leading to the release of P780 and KET. Mechanistically, following laser irradiation, P780 targets and destroys mitochondrial integrity, thus inducing apoptosis through the enhancement of reactive oxygen species (ROS) buildup. Meanwhile, KET‐induced apoptosis synergistically enhances the anticancer effect of P780. In addition, tumor cells undergoing apoptosis can trigger immunogenic cell death (ICD) and a longer‐term antitumor response by releasing tumor‐associated antigens (TAAs) and damage‐associated molecular patterns (DAMPs), which together contribute to improved therapeutic outcomes in HCC. Taken together, CS@KET/P780 NPs improve the bioavailability of KET and exhibit excellent therapeutic efficacy against HCC by exerting chemophototherapy and antitumor immunity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reduced major axis (RMA) regression, widely used in the fields of zoology, botany, ecology, biology, spectroscopy, and among others, outweighs the ordinary least square regression by relaxing the assumption that the covariates are without measurement errors. A Bayesian implementation of the RMA regression is presented in this paper, and the equivalence of the estimates of the parameters under the Bayesian and the frequentist frameworks is proved. This model‐based Bayesian RMA method is advantageous since the posterior estimates, the standard deviations, as well as the credible intervals of the estimates can be obtained through Markov chain Monte Carlo methods directly. In addition, it is straightforward to extend to the multivariate RMA case. The performance of the Bayesian RMA approach is evaluated in the simulation study, and, finally, the proposed method is applied to analyze a dataset in the plantation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Panax ginseng and Panax quinquefolium are traditional Chinese herb medicines and similar in morphology and some chemical components but differ in drug properties, so they cannot be mixed. However, the processed products of them are often sold in the form of slices, powder, and capsules, which are difficult to identify by traditional morphological methods. Furthermore, an accurate evaluation of P. ginseng, P. quinquefolium and the processed products have not been conducted. Objective: This study aimed to establish a catalysed hairpin assembly (CHA) identification method for authenticating products made from P. ginseng and P. quinquefolium based on single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) differences. Method: By analysing the differences of SNP in internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) in P. ginseng and P. quinquefolium to design CHA‐specific hairpins. Establish a sensitive and efficient CHA method that can identify P. ginseng and P. quinquefolium, use the sequencing technology to verify the accuracy of this method in identifying Panax products, and compare this method with high‐resolution melting (HRM). Results: The reaction conditions of CHA were as follows: the ratio of forward and reverse primers, 20:1; hairpin concentration, 5 ng/μL. Compared with capillary electrophoresis, this method had good specificity and the limit of detection was 0.5 ng/μL. The result of Panax product identification with CHA method were coincidence with that of the sequencing method; the positive rate of CHA reaction was 100%. Conclusion: This research presents an effective identification method for authenticating P. ginseng and P. quinquefolium products, which is helpful to improve the quality of Panax products. The specific hairpins were designed based on the difference in SNP in the ITS2 of Panax ginseng and Panax quinquefolium, and the CHA identification method for Panax ginseng and Panax quinquefolium was successfully established for the first time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to examine the depletion of tilmicosin residues in Gushi chickens following the administration at a concentration of 75 mg/L in their drinking water for three consecutive days. Plasma, liver, kidney, lung, muscle, and skin + fat samples were collected from 6 chickens at 6 h, 1, 3, 5, and 7 days after the treatment. Tilmicosin concentrations in the samples were determined using a high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method. The findings revealed that the highest tilmicosin residues were detected in the liver, followed by the kidney, lung, skin + fat, muscle, and plasma. Notably, at 7 days post‐treatment, no drug residue was detected in all samples except for the liver and kidney. The non‐compartmental model was employed to calculate relevant pharmacokinetic parameters. The elimination half‐lives (t1/2λz) of tilmicosin were as follows, ranked from long to short: skin + fat (45.42 h), liver (44.17 h), kidney (40.06 h), plasma (37.64 h), lung (31.39 h), and muscle (30.05 h). Considering the current residue depletion and the maximum residue limits (MRLs) set by Chinese regulatory authorities, the withdrawal times for tilmicosin were estimated as 18.91, 10.81, and 8.58 days in the kidney, liver, and skin + fat, respectively. A rounded‐up value of 19 days was selected as the conclusive withdrawal time. Furthermore, based on the observed tilmicosin concentrations in plasma and lung, combined with previously reported minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values against Mycoplasma gallisepticum, the current dosing regimen was deemed adequate for treating Mycoplasma gallisepticum infections in Gushi chickens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Rice taste is closely associated with endosperm composition, which varies among different rice layers. Although clarifying the relationship between this difference and nutritional taste can guide rice breeding and cultivation practices, research on this topic is limited. RESULTS: Here, typical rice varieties having excellent and poor taste characteristics were selected to analyze the distribution characteristics and differences of their components. The varieties with excellent taste exhibited lower apparent amylose content (AAC) and protein content (PC), lesser short‐chain (Fa) and long‐chain (Fb3) amylopectin (AP) and more medium‐chain (Fb1+2) AP, higher long‐to‐short chain ratio (Fa:Fb3), and higher nitrogen (N), magnesium (Mg) and calcium (Ca) content in layer 1 (L1) than the varieties with poor taste. Layer 2 (L2) played a key role in AAC and PC regulation in the varieties with excellent taste by reducing AAC and appropriately increasing PC, consequently improving rice taste. AP structure in layer 3 (L3) substantially affected the taste of the two types of varieties. The mineral content was the highest in L1, and increased potassium (K), Ca, and Mg content improved taste in all varieties. CONCLUSION: AAC in each layer contributes to rice taste. PC and minerals primarily act on L1 and L2, whereas AP acts on L2 and L3. Therefore, the endosperm formation process should be exploited for improving rice taste. Furthermore, key resources and cultivation should be identified and regulated, respectively, to improve rice taste. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dual‐frequency (DF) dual‐antenna inductively coupled plasma (ICP) sources have been proposed as one of the methods to produce large‐area uniform plasma. In this study, a hybrid model, consisting of a fluid module and an electron Monte Carlo (eMC) module, is used to further investigate the modulation of the plasma characteristics (i.e., induced electric field, electron energy distribution, electron heating mechanism, electron temperature, and plasma density) by the low‐frequency (LF) and high‐frequency (HF) currents in a DF argon discharge. When the inner LF current increases from 12 to 22 A at a fixed outer HF current of 10 A, the induced electric field is strengthened near the LF coil and weakened near the HF coil. The fraction of high‐energy electrons at different spatial positions increases with the increase of LF current, which is caused by the sufficient collision heating in the skin layer of LF source, leading to an increase in electron temperature. When the outer HF current rises from 7 to 13 A with the inner LF current fixed at 17 A, the induced electric field is enhanced near the HF coil and weakened near the LF coil. The fraction of low‐energy electrons at different positions increases with the increase of HF current since the energetic electrons from the skin layer of HF source are cooled due to the ionization, excitation, and stepwise ionization collisions between electrons and neutral particles, as well as the weakened induced electric field near the LF coil. As a result, the electron temperature drops with the increase of HF current. Moreover, when the LF and HF currents increase, the plasma density increases, and the distribution of plasma density is also significantly modulated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aims to assess the relationship between cumulative blood pressure load (cBPL) and the risk of renal function decline in hypertensive patients and determine the blood pressure (BP) threshold required to prevent hypertensive nephropathy. A single‐center prospective cohort study was conducted on hypertensive patients. The cBPL was defined as the proportion of area beyond variable BP cutoffs under ambulatory BP monitoring. Renal events were defined as > 25% (minor) or > 50% (major) decline of baseline estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). Cox regression analysis was conducted between cBPL, other ambulatory BP parameters, and renal events. The results revealed a total of 436 Han Chinese hypertensive patients were eligible for enrollment. During an average follow‐up period of 5.1 ± 3.3 years, a decline of > 25% and > 50% in eGFR was observed in 77 and eight participants, respectively. Cox regression analysis revealed that cSBPL140 (hazard ratio [HR], 1.102; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.017–1.193; p =.017), cSBPL130 (HR, 1.076; 95% CI, 1.019–1.137; p =.008), and cSBPL120 (HR, 1.054; 95% CI, 1.010–1.099; p =.015) were independently associated with minor renal events. Similarly, cSBPL140 (HR, 1.228; 95% CI, 1.037–1.455; p =.017), cSBPL130 (HR, 1.189; 95% CI, 1.045–1.354; p =.009), and cSBPL120 (HR, 1.155; 95% CI, 1.039–1.285; p =.008) were independently associated with major renal events. In conclusion, cBPL is associated with renal function decline in hypertensive patients. Minimizing cBPL120 may decrease the risk of hypertensive nephropathy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Platinum-based chemotherapy drugs commonly used for cancer treatment can cause peripheral neuropathy, which damages nerves in the peripheral nervous system and affects patients' quality of life. A recent study found that activating the S1P2 receptor can counteract the effects of cisplatin-induced peripheral neuropathy, suggesting that targeting this receptor could be a potential treatment approach. The study used animal models and gene sequencing analysis to investigate the neuroprotective effects of S1P2 activation and found that it restored gene dysregulation associated with nerve growth and mitochondrial functions. These findings indicate that S1P2 activation may be a promising therapeutic target for cisplatin-induced peripheral neuropathy. [Extracted from the article]

Rapid and effective control of non‐compressible massive hemorrhage poses a great challenge in first‐aid and clinical settings. Herein, a biopolymer‐based powder is developed for the control of non‐compressible hemorrhage. The powder is designed to facilitate rapid hemostasis by its excellent hydrophilicity, great specific surface area, and adaptability to the shape of wound, enabling it to rapidly absorb fluid from the wound. Specifically, the powder can undergo sequential cross‐linking based on "click" chemistry and Schiff base reaction upon contact with the blood, leading to rapid self‐gelling. It also exhibits robust tissue adhesion through covalent/non‐covalent interactions with the tissues (adhesive strength: 89.57 ± 6.62 KPa, which is 3.75 times that of fibrin glue). Collectively, this material leverages the fortes of powder and hydrogel. Experiments with animal models for severe bleeding have shown that it can reduce the blood loss by 48.9%. Studies on the hemostatic mechanism also revealed that, apart from its physical sealing effect, the powder can enhance blood cell adhesion, capture fibrinogen, and synergistically induce the formation of fibrin networks. Taken together, this hemostatic powder has the advantages for convenient preparation, sprayable use, and reliable hemostatic effect, conferring it with a great potential for the control of non‐compressible hemorrhage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BRAF V600E attracts wide attention in the treatment of colorectal cancer (CRC) as stratifying and predicting a refractory classification of CRC. Recent evidence indicates that Wnt/β‐catenin signaling is broadly activated and participates in the refractoriness of BRAF V600E CRC, but the underlying molecular mechanism needs to be elucidated. Here, heat shock 70 kDa protein 8 (HSPA8), an essential regulator in chaperone‐mediated autophagy (CMA), is identified as a potential therapeutic target for advanced BRAF V600E CRC. These results show that HSPA8 is transcriptionally upregulated in BRAF V600E CRC, which promotes CMA‐dependent degradation of caveolin‐1 (CAV1) to release β‐catenin into the nucleus and thus activates the Wnt/β‐catenin pathway, contributing to metastasis and progression of BRAF V600E CRC. Of note, HSPA8 directly interacts with the KIFSN motif on CAV1, the interaction can be enhanced by p38 MAPK‐mediated CAV1 S168 phosphorylation. Furthermore, pharmacological targeting HSPA8 by VER155008 exhibits synergistic effects with BRAF inhibitors on CRC mouse models. In summary, these findings discover the important role of the HSPA8/CAV1/β‐catenin axis in the development of refractory BRAF V600E CRC and highlight HSPA8 as a predictive biomarker and therapeutic target in clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is limited evidence on the associations of unintended pregnancy with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). This study aimed to examine this relationship and the modification of pre‐conceptional and prenatal folic acid supplements. Six thousand and five toddlers aged 16 to 30 months from seven cities of six provinces in China were eligible for participation. Information on unintended pregnancy and folic acid supplements was obtained via questionnaires from caregivers of toddlers. The diagnosis of ASD was based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM‐5) and the Chinese version of the Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS). Of the 6005 toddlers in the study (3337 boys and 2668 girls), 71 (1.18%) received the diagnosis of ASD. Generalized linear models with a logit link function showed unintended pregnancy was positively associated with ASD (odds ratios [OR] = 1.69, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.05–2.79). Stratified estimates indicated that the association remained stable among toddlers of mothers without pre‐conceptional and prenatal folic acid supplements (OR = 2.75, 95% CI, 1.04–7.27; n = 1243, 20.70%). Unintended pregnancy was associated with higher odds of ASD in 16–30 months of toddlers, and the association was consistent among toddlers of mothers without prenatal folic acid supplements. Our findings emphasize the need to raise awareness of the risk of unintended pregnancy and the benefits of folic acid supplements among Chinese women. Lay Summary: The relationship between unintended pregnancy and autism spectrum disorders (ASD), as well as the effects of modifying pre‐conceptional and prenatal folic acid supplements, has not been examined in China. We found unintended pregnancy was positively associated with ASD in toddlers aged 16–30 months from a nationwide cross‐section study. Folic acid supplements during preconception and pregnancy might reduce the impact of unintended pregnancy on the ASD of offspring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, five 2‐ or 6‐ functionalized azulenes are electropolymerized to form azulene homopolymers. All five poly(azulenes) films exhibited electrochromism, with a two‐stage oxidation corresponding to the formation of the azulenium cation and the polaron, respectively. Electron‐donating groups at the 2‐position of azulene were found to greatly increase the poly(azulenes) film stability, with retention of optical contrast about four times as much as the 6‐alkylazulene analogue. This result demonstrates the potential of azulene functionalization as a strategy to improve the long‐term stability of electropolymerized azulenes, enabling applications in both optoelectronics as well as in ion selective electrodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Prostate cancer represents a significant global health issue, yet our understanding of its impact in the Middle East remains limited. This study aimed to assess the incidence and mortality of prostate cancer in the Middle East, and compare these rates to those in Europe and North America. Materials and Methods: We utilized the 2020 Global Cancer Observatory data, compiling incidence and mortality rates of prostate cancer in 20 Middle Eastern countries. We calculated mortality‐to‐incidence ratios (MIR) and compared the age‐standardized incidence rate (ASIR) and MIR between the Middle East and the combined regions of North America and Europe. The countries were further stratified based on the Human Development Index (HDI) and income level for additional analysis. Results: In 2020, the Middle East documented an estimated 51,649 new prostate cancer diagnoses, accounting for 3.7% of global cases. Despite a significantly lower ASIR in the Middle East compared with Europe and North America (10.50 vs. 21.50, p = 0.0087), the region had a higher MIR (12.35 vs. 3.00, p = 0.0476). When stratified based on HDI or income levels, there was no significant difference in MIRs; however, a significant trend of increasing MIR with decreasing HDI (p = 0.028) and income levels (p = 0.016) was observed. Conclusions: Despite a lower incidence, our analysis showed a significantly higher MIR for prostate cancer in the Middle East compared with Europe and North America. These findings underscore the unique challenges posed by prostate cancer in the Middle East and emphasize the necessity of tailored strategies to address this pressing public health issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Qubits are the basic unit of quantum information and computation. To realize quantum computing and information processing, the decoherence times of qubits must be long enough. Among the studies of molecule‐based electron spin qubits, most of the work focused on the ions with the spin S=1/2, where only single‐bit gates can be constructed. However, quantum operations require the qubits to interact with each other, so people gradually carry out relevant research in ions or systems with S>1/2 and multilevel states. In this work, a two‐dimensional (2D) oxygen‐coordinated GdIIINaI‐based oxamato supramolecular coordination framework, Na[Gd(4‐HOpa)4(H2O)] ⋅ 2H2O (1, 4‐HOpa=N‐4‐hydroxyphenyloxamate), was selected as a possible carrier of qubit. The field‐induced slow magnetic relaxation shows this system has phonon bottleneck (PB) effect at low temperatures with a very weak magnetic anisotropy. The pulse electron paramagnetic resonance studies show the spin‐lattice and spin‐spin relaxation times are T1=1.66 ms at 4 K and Tm=4.25 μs at 8 K for its diamagnetically diluted sample (1Gd0.12 %). It suggested that the relatively long decoherence time is mainly ascribed to its near isotropic and the PB effect from resonance phonon trapped for pure sample, while the dilution further improves its qubit performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper develops a mesoscopic numerical method for evaluating the fracture energy of concrete. In this method, concrete is modeled as a three‐phase composite material, composed of mortar, coarse aggregate, and the interface between them. The actual mixed‐mode I–II crack growth path in mode I fracture tests is traced by applying crack propagation criteria. After verifying the numerical method by a series of three‐point bending tests, the effects of aggregate location, aggregate size, and crack propagation path on the fracture energy of concrete are evaluated. It is found that for the fracture mode of crack bypassing aggregates, the actual fracture energy of concrete is significantly affected by the aggregate location but independent of the aggregate size and the crack propagation path. Highlights: A mesoscopic numerical method is proposed for the fracture energy of concrete.The actual mixed‐mode I–II crack growth path is traced by applying crack growth criteria.The actual fracture energy of concrete is significantly affected by aggregate location.The actual fracture energy of concrete is independent of crack growth path. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conifers make up about one third of global forests but are threatened by seed parasitoid wasp species. Many of these wasps belong to the genus Megastigmus, yet little is known about their genomic background. In this study, we provide chromosome‐level genome assemblies for two oligophagous conifer parasitoid species of Megastigmus, which represent the first two chromosome‐level genomes of the genus. The assembled genomes of Megastigmus duclouxiana and M. sabinae are 878.48 Mb (scaffold N50 of 215.60 Mb) and 812.98 Mb (scaffold N50 of 139.16 Mb), respectively, which are larger than the genome size of most hymenopterans due to the expansion of transposable elements. Expanded gene families highlight the difference in sensory‐related genes between the two species, reflecting the difference in their hosts. We further found that these two species have fewer family members but more single‐gene duplications than polyphagous congeners in the gene families of ATP‐binding cassette transporter (ABC), cytochrome P450 (P450) and olfactory receptors (OR). These findings shed light on the pattern of adaptation to a narrow spectrum of hosts in oligophagous parasitoids. Our findings suggest potential drivers underlying genome evolution and parasitism adaptation, and provide valuable resources for understanding the ecology, genetics and evolution of Megastigmus, as well as for the research and biological control of global conifer forest pests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multitype recurrent events are commonly observed in transportation studies, since commercial truck drivers may encounter different types of safety critical events (SCEs) and take different lengths of on-duty breaks in a driving shift. Bayesian nonhomogeneous Poisson process models are a flexible approach to jointly model the intensity functions of the multitype recurrent events. For evaluating and comparing these models, the deviance information criterion (DIC) and the logarithm of the pseudo-marginal likelihood (LPML) are studied and Monte Carlo methods are developed for computing these model assessment measures. We also propose a set of new concordance indices (C-indices) to evaluate various discrimination abilities of a Bayesian multitype recurrent event model. Specifically, the within-event C-index quantifies adequacy of a given model in fitting the recurrent event data for each type, the between-event C-index provides an assessment of the model fit between two types of recurrent events, and the overall C-index measures the model's discrimination ability among multiple types of recurrent events simultaneously. Moreover, we jointly model the incidence of SCEs and on-duty breaks with driving behaviors using a Bayesian Poisson process model with time-varying coefficients and time-dependent covariates. An in-depth analysis of a real dataset from the commercial truck driver naturalistic driving study is carried out to demonstrate the usefulness and applicability of the proposed methodology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Individuals with methamphetamine use disorder (MUD) commonly exhibit socially problematic behaviours. Investigating the prosocial decision-making of individuals with MUD could enable a better understanding of their impaired social functioning and help improve their social relationships. We conducted two studies to examine the performance of individuals with MUD and healthy controls on a modified dictator game. In Study 1, 55 male individuals with MUD and 34 healthy male participants made a series of choices between two pairs of monetary prizes for themselves and for others. In Study 2, 62 male individuals with MUD and 31 healthy male participants made the same choices as in Study 1 after a brief exposure to methamphetamine-related pictures. In both studies, we consistently found a context dependency of decreased prosociality in individuals with MUD. That is, individuals with MUD made fewer prosocial choices than healthy individuals in disadvantageous contexts (but not advantageous contexts). The results of the computational model suggested that the lower prosociality of individuals with MUD in disadvantageous contexts could be attributed to the lower weight placed on others' benefits. Moreover, when exposed to methamphetamine-related pictures, individuals with MUD showed less caution and slower encoding/motor speed than healthy individuals, and individuals with MUD with a longer history of methamphetamine use tended to respond less cautiously. Our findings provide evidence that in disadvantageous contexts, individuals with MUD show reduced prosociality and less consideration of others' benefits. Identifying the origin of the alterations in prosocial decision-making has implications for diagnosis and treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the nature of study design or other reasons, the upper limits of the interval‐censored data with multiple visits are unknown. A naïve approach is to treat the last observed time as the exact event time, which may induce biased estimators of the model parameters. In this paper, we first develop a Cox model with time‐dependent covariates for the event time and a proportional hazards model with frailty for the gap time. We then construct the upper limits using the latent gap times to resolve the issue of interval‐censored event time data with unknown upper limits. A data‐augmentation technique and a Monte Carlo EM (MCEM) algorithm are developed to facilitate computation. Theoretical properties of the computational algorithm are also investigated. Additionally, new model comparison criteria are developed to assess the fit of the gap time data as well as the fit of the event time data conditional on the gap time data. Our proposed method compares favorably with competing methods in both simulation study and real data analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The power prior has been widely used to discount the amount of information borrowed from historical data in the design and analysis of clinical trials. It is realized by raising the likelihood function of the historical data to a power parameter δ∈[0,1]$\delta \in [0, 1]$, which quantifies the heterogeneity between the historical and the new study. In a fully Bayesian approach, a natural extension is to assign a hyperprior to δ such that the posterior of δ can reflect the degree of similarity between the historical and current data. To comply with the likelihood principle, an extra normalizing factor needs to be calculated and such prior is known as the normalized power prior. However, the normalizing factor involves an integral of a prior multiplied by a fractional likelihood and needs to be computed repeatedly over different δ during the posterior sampling. This makes its use prohibitive in practice for most elaborate models. This work provides an efficient framework to implement the normalized power prior in clinical studies. It bypasses the aforementioned efforts by sampling from the power prior with δ=0$\delta = 0$ and δ=1$\delta = 1$ only. Such a posterior sampling procedure can facilitate the use of a random δ with adaptive borrowing capability in general models. The numerical efficiency of the proposed method is illustrated via extensive simulation studies, a toxicological study, and an oncology study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Distal metastases from breast cancer, especially bone metastases, are extremely common in the late stages of the disease and are associated with a poor prognosis. EMT is a biomarker of the early process of bone metastasis, and MMP‐9 and MMP‐13 are important osteoclastic activators. Previously, we found that meso‐Hannokinol (HA) could significantly inhibit EMT and MMP‐9 and MMP‐13 expressions in breast cancer cells. On this basis, we further explored the role of HA in breast cancer bone metastasis. In vivo, we established a breast cancer bone metastasis model by intracardially injecting breast cancer cells. Intraperitoneal injections of HA significantly reduced breast cancer cell metastasis to the leg bone in mice and osteolytic lesions caused by breast cancer. In vitro, HA inhibited the migration and invasion of breast cancer cells and suppressed the expressions of EMT, MMP‐9, MMP‐13, and other osteoclastic activators. HA inhibited EMT and MMP‐9 by activating the ROS/JNK pathway as demonstrated by siJNK and SP600125 inhibition of JNK phosphorylation and NAC scavenging of ROS accumulation. Moreover, HA promoted bone formation and inhibited bone resorption in vitro. In conclusion, our findings suggest that HA may be an excellent candidate for treating breast cancer bone metastasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Detecting slope deformation is an important issue in engineering. Timely deformation detection can effectively avoid catastrophic slope failure and ensure the safety of a project and engineering personnel. In this study, deformation detection for a quarry slope is implemented using the integration of subpixel offset tracking (sPOT) and unsupervised change detection algorithms based on unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) image datasets. The sPOT algorithm is used to give the surface displacement field of the slope with subpixel accuracy, and the unsupervised change detection algorithm yields the ground object reconstruction area of the slope to verify and explain the sPOT result. The integrated analysis method in this paper is highly applicable and only requires a minimum of two UAV datasets as raw data. Combining the advantages of the sPOT and unsupervised change detection algorithms, the proposed method has the ability to detect and analyse slow and rapid slope deformation with good accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The selection of adaptive strategies in MR‐guided adaptive radiotherapy (MRgART) usually relies on subjective review of anatomical changes. However, this kind of review may lead to improper selection of adaptive strategy for some fractions. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to develop prediction models based on deformation vector field (DVF) features for automatic and accurate strategy selection, using prostate cancer as an example. Methods: 100 fractions of 20 prostate cancer patients were retrospectively selected in this study. Treatment plans using both adapt to position (ATP) strategy and adapt to shape (ATS) strategy were generated. Optimal adaptive strategy was determined according to dosimetric evaluation. DVFs of the deformable image registration (DIR) of daily MRI and CT simulation scans were extracted. The shape, first order statistics, and spatial features were extracted from the DVFs, subjected to further selection using the minimum redundancy maximum relevance (mRMR) method. The number of features (Fn) was hyper‐tuned using bootstrapping method, and then Fn indicating a peak area under the curve (AUC) value was used to construct three prediction models. Results: According to subjective review, the ATS strategy was adopted for all 100 fractions. However, the evaluation results showed that the ATP strategy could have met the clinical requirements for 23 (23%) fractions. The three prediction models showed high prediction performance, with the best performing model achieving an AUC value of 0.896, corresponding accuracy (ACC), sensitivity (SEN) and specificity (SPC) of 0.9, 0.958, and 0.667, respectively. The features used to construct prediction models included four features extracted from y direction of DVF (DVFy) and mask, one feature from z direction of DVF (DVFz). It indicated that the deformation along the anterior‐posterior direction had a greater impact on determining the adaptive strategy than other directions. Conclusions: DVF‐feature‐based models could accurately predict the adaptive strategy and avoid unnecessary selection of time‐consuming ATS strategy, which consequently improves the efficiency of the MRgART process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: The green lacewing Chrysoperla nipponensis is an important natural enemy of many insect pests and exhibits reproductive diapause to overwinter. Our previous studies showed that adult C. nipponensis enters reproductive diapause under a short‐day photoperiod. However, the molecular mechanism underlying diapause maintenance in C. nipponensis is still unknown. RESULTS: The total lipid and triglyceride content showed the reservation and degradation of energy during diapause in C. nipponensis. Thus, we performed combined transcriptomic and proteomic analyses of female reproductive diapause in C. nipponensis at three ecophysiological phases (initiation, maintenance and termination). A total of 64 388 unigenes and 5532 proteins were identified from the transcriptome and proteome. In‐depth dissection of the gene‐expression dynamics revealed that differentially expressed genes and proteins were predominately involved in the lipid and carbohydrate metabolic pathways, in particular fatty acid metabolism, metabolic pathways and the citrate cycle. Among of these genes, TIM, CLK, JHAMT2, PMK, HMGS, HMGR, FKBP39, Kr‐h1, Phm, ECR, IR1, ILP3, ILP4, mTOR, ACC, LSD1 and LSD2 were differentially expressed in diapause and non‐diapause female adults of C. nipponensis. The expression patterns of these genes were consistent with the occurrence of vitellogenesis and expression of either Vg or VgR. CONCLUSION: Our findings indicated that diapause adult C. nipponensis accumulate energy resources to overwinter. Transcriptomic and proteomic analyses suggested candidate key genes involved in the maintenance of C. nipponensis during adult reproductive diapause. Taken together, these results provide in‐depth knowledge to understand the maintenance mechanism of C. nipponensis during adult reproductive diapause. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Robust allogeneic immune reactions after transplantation impede the translational pace of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs)‐based therapies. Selective genetic editing of human leucocyte antigen (HLA) molecules has been proposed to generate hESCs with immunocompatibility, which, however, has not been specifically designed for the Chinese population yet. Herein, we explored the possibility of customizing immunocompatible hESCs based on Chinese HLA typing characteristics. We generated an immunocompatible hESC line by disrupting HLA‐B, HLA‐C, and CIITA genes while retaining HLA‐A*11:01 (HLA‐A*11:01‐retained, HLA‐A11R), which covers ~21% of the Chinese population. The immunocompatibility of HLA‐A11R hESCs was verified by in vitro co‐culture and confirmed in humanized mice with established human immunity. Moreover, we precisely knocked an inducible caspase‐9 suicide cassette into HLA‐A11R hESCs (iC9‐HLA‐A11R) to promote safety. Compared with wide‐type hESCs, HLA‐A11R hESC‐derived endothelial cells elicited much weaker immune responses to human HLA‐A11+ T cells, while maintaining HLA‐I molecule‐mediated inhibitory signals to natural killer (NK) cells. Additionally, iC9‐HLA‐A11R hESCs could be induced to undergo apoptosis efficiently by AP1903. Both cell lines displayed genomic integrity and low risks of off‐target effects. In conclusion, we customized a pilot immunocompatible hESC cell line based on Chinese HLA typing characteristics with safety insurance. This approach provides a basis for establishment of a universal HLA‐AR bank of hESCs covering broad populations worldwide and may speed up the clinical application of hESC‐based therapies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Competing risks survival data in the presence of partially masked causes are frequently encountered in medical research or clinical trials. When longitudinal biomarkers are also available, it is of great clinical importance to examine associations between the longitudinal biomarkers and the cause‐specific survival outcomes. In this article, we propose a cause‐specific C‐index for joint models of longitudinal and competing risks survival data accounting for masked causes. We also develop a posterior predictive algorithm for computing the out‐of‐sample cause‐specific C‐index using Markov chain Monte Carlo samples from the joint posterior of the in‐sample longitudinal and competing risks survival data. We further construct the Δ$$ \Delta $$C‐index to quantify the strength of association between the longitudinal and cause‐specific survival data, or between the out‐of‐sample longitudinal and survival data. Empirical performance of the proposed assessment criteria is examined through an extensive simulation study. An in‐depth analysis of the real data from large cancer prevention trials is carried out to demonstrate the usefulness of the proposed methodology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tin (II) selenide (SnSe) is an emerging 2D material with many intriguing properties, such as record‐high thermoelectric figure of merit (ZT), purely in‐plane ferroelectricity, and excellent nonlinear optical properties. To explore these functional properties and related applications, a crucial step is to develop controllable routes to synthesize large‐area, ultrathin, and high‐quality SnSe crystals. Physical vapor deposition (PVD) constitutes a reliable method to synthesize 2D SnSe, however, effects of various growth parameters have not yet been systematically investigated, and current PVD‐synthesized flakes are often thick (>10 nm) with small lateral sizes (<10 µm). In this work, high‐quality 2D SnSe crystals are synthesized via low‐pressure PVD, which display in‐plane ferroelectric domains observed by piezoresponse force microscopy and polarization‐dependent reflection spectroscopy. Detailed studies regarding the roles of various parameters are further carried out, including substrate pre‐annealing, growth duration, temperature, and pressure, which enable to rationally optimize the growth and obtain 2D SnSe crystals with lateral sizes up to ≈23.0 µm and thicknesses down to ≈2.0 nm (3–4 layers). This work paves the way for the controlled growth of large‐area 2D SnSe, facilitating the future exploration of many interesting multiferroic properties and applications with atomic thickness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Topological Hall effect, being an unconventional anomalous Hall effect, is originated from the real‐space Berry curvature caused by the nontrivial topological spin textures in materials. Manipulations of nontrivial magnetic structure and related topological Hall effect are very important for the study of the chiral magnet. Herein, it is experimentally observed that the significant topological Hall conductivity σxy in antiferromagnetic K0.5RhO2 can reach 3.5% of ν = 1 quantum conductivity below 20 K. Furthermore, by adjusting the concentration of K‐cation different from 0.5 in KxRhO2 or substituting the K cations by Rb or Cs to form Rb0.5RhO2 or Cs0.5RhO2, it is observed that the topological Hall effect is much weakened or even disappeared. This evolution, verified by the theoretical calculations, is attributed to the unstable ground state of the non‐coplanar spin structure in KxRhO2 (x = 0.4 and 0.6) and Cs0.5RhO2. The significantly tunable topological Hall effect in AxRhO2 makes it prospective on logical/sensor devices of spintronics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]