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Flexible and high‐performance aqueous zinc‐ion batteries (ZIBs), coupled with low cost and safe, are considered as one of the most promising energy storage candidates for wearable electronics. Hydrogel electrolytes present a compelling alternative to liquid electrolytes due to their remarkable flexibility and clear advantages in mitigating parasitic side reactions. However, hydrogel electrolytes suffer from poor mechanical properties and interfacial chemistry, which limits them to suppressed performance levels in flexible ZIBs, especially under harsh mechanical strains. Herein, a bio‐inspired multifunctional hydrogel electrolyte network (polyacrylamide (PAM)/trehalose) with improved mechanical and adhesive properties was developed via a simple trehalose network‐repairing strategy to stabilize the interfacial chemistry for dendrite‐free and long‐life flexible ZIBs. As a result, the trehalose‐modified PAM hydrogel exhibits a superior strength and stretchability up to 100 kPa and 5338 %, respectively, as well as strong adhesive properties to various substrates. Also, the PAM/trehalose hydrogel electrolyte provides superior anti‐corrosion capability for Zn anode and regulates Zn nucleation/growth, resulting in achieving a high Coulombic efficiency of 98.8 %, and long‐term stability over 2400 h. Importantly, the flexible Zn//MnO2 pouch cell exhibits excellent cycling performance under different bending conditions, which offers a great potential in flexible energy‐related applications and beyond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we report the syntheses of three Pt(II) emitters, namely, Pt4N1, Pt4N2, and Pt4N3, to which their tetradentate chelates were assembled by linking two pyrazolate chelates with a single xylenylamino entity. Functionalization of Pt4N1 was achieved upon the addition of electronegative CF3 substituent on pyridinyl groups and switching to more electron‐deficient pyrazinyl groups in giving Pt4N2 and Pt4N3, respectively. The vertically arranged xylenylamino entity has effectively suppressed the inter‐molecular π‐π stacking and Pt⋅⋅⋅Pt interaction, as shown by the single crystal X‐ray structural analyses. Upon fabrication of OLED devices, Pt4N2 and Pt4N3 based devices delivered efficient cyan and green emission, with an EQEmax of 15.2 % and 11.2 %, respectively, affirming the successfulness of the tetradentate chelating strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Radiated tumor cell‐derived extracellular vesicles (RT‐EVs) encapsulate abundant DNA fragments from irradiated tumor cells, in addition to acting as integrators of multiple tumor antigens. Accumulating evidence indicates these DNA fragments from damaged cells are involved in downstream immune responses, but most of them are degraded in cells before incorporation into derived RT‐EVs, thus the low abundance of DNA fragments limits immune responses of RT‐EVs. Here, this study found that different radiations affected fates of DNA fragments in RT‐EVs. Boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) induced DNA accumulation in RT‐EVs (BEVs) by causing more DNA breaks and DNA oxidation resisting nuclease degradation. This is attributed to the high‐linear energy transfer (LET) properties of alpha particles from the neutron capture reaction of 10B. When being internalized by dendritic cells (DCs), BEVs activated the DNA sensing pathway, resulting in functional enhancements including antigen presentation, migration capacity, and cytokine secretion. After vaccination of the BEVs‐educated DCs (BEV@BMDCs), the effector T cells significantly expanded and infiltrated into tumors, suggesting robust anti‐tumor immune activation. BEV@BMDCs not only effectively inhibited the primary tumor growth and metastasis formation but also elicited long‐term immune memory. In conclusion, a successful DC vaccine is provided as a promising candidate for tumor vaccine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the distinct thermostability difference of sulfate ammonium and nitrate ammonium aerosols, their distributions, evolutions and sources could be unpredictable on a long‐range transport condition. Here, we highlighted the 3‐D structures and sources of SO42−, NO3− and NH4+ (SNA) during two cold front episodes in east China. Cold fronts effectively uplift and transport PM2.5 and its precursors from upstream sources to the Yangtze River Delta (YRD). Specifically, in the YRD, surface SO42− is mostly imported from the upstreams, accounting for ∼48%, significantly higher than the contribution from the YRD itself (∼29%). In contrast, NH4NO3 is thermally unstable and more easily lost in the warmer and lower boundary layer (BL) ahead of cold front. Consequently, only 20% of the total NO3− originates from upstreams, while the YRD contributes 28%. In the upper BL, the contribution of SO42− from upstreams remain high (∼49%), with only 18% originating from the YRD. However, due to the intense thermostability of NH4NO3 in colder and wetter air, the YRD's contribution to NO3− is 27%, and upstreams contribute 20%. The physical processes exert relatively consistent effects on variations of PM2.5 and SNA concentrations. The aerosol chemical process (AERO) of (NH4)2SO4 consistently contributes positively throughout the entire BL. Conversely, the temperature‐sensitive NH4NO3 undergoes repeated dissociation/condensation and deposition, causing positive AERO contributions in upper BL and negative contributions in lower BL. Results indicate that one difference in physicochemical property of species could induce their distinct distributions and sources in large scale, and should be considered in regional air pollution control. Plain Language Summary: Long‐range transport of PM2.5 by cold frontal passage is an important haze formation mechanism. Previous field and modeling studies have revealed that the vertical distribution of particle sulfate and particle nitrate concentrations varied significantly. However, few studies have explored the 3‐D structures and sources of particle sulfate and nitrate under a long‐range transport conditions. In this study, we used combined observations and model simulations during cold front events to address the unrevealed inconsistent 3‐D structures and sources of sulfate and nitrate resulting from temperature stability differences. Cold front episodes redistribute SNA and precursors in three dimensions, driven by drastic meteorology changes and long range transport. Consequently, the distributions, variations and sources of SNA may exhibit complexity and unpredictablility during long‐range transport. Specificlly, (NH4)2SO4 is mostly imported from the upstream in the whole boundary layer (BL), but NH4NO3 is dominant by local source. Moreover, uplifting by cold front, temperature‐sensitive NH4NO3 form in the upper BL and dissociation in the lower BL, whereas (NH4)2SO4 forms uniformly across the whole BL. These findings suggest that one difference in physicochemical property of species can induce distinct distributions and sources in large scale, highlighting the importance of considering such differences in regional air pollution control. Key Points: Uplifted by cold fronts, the temperature‐sensitive NH4NO3 forms in the upper BL and dissociates in the lower BL(NH4)2SO4 forms in the whole BL because it is highly thermally stable and impervious to dissociationThe differences in thermostability and lifetime result in local sources being dominant for NH4NO3, while upstream sources dominate for (NH4)2SO4 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plagued by the dual challenges of energy scarcity and environmental pollution, photocatalytic CO2 reduction has emerged as a vital engineering for collecting solar energy to convert CO2 into renewable fuels. Herein, the ultrathin CoO atomic layers with varying concentrations of oxygen vacancies are designed to photoreduce CO2 and explore the mechanism of oxygen vacancy for CO2 photoreduction. Density functional theory calculations illustrate that the oxygen vacancy not only enhances the available photoelectrons efficiency of CoO structures by improving the absorption of solar light and promoting the surface separation of electron–hole pairs, but decreases the highest occupied molecular orbital of CO2 and the potential barrier of *CO conversion to *CHO, driving the CO2 directed photoreduction toward CH4. Finally, the rich‐oxygen vacancies CoO atomic layers significantly enhance the effective photoelectrons efficiency with 136.3 μmol g−1 h−1 compared to 44.6 μmol g−1 h−1 for 2D‐CoO atomic layers. Moreover, the CH4 selectivity also rises from 39.4% to 72.4% through the regulation of oxygen vacancies. This work promotes the development of Co‐based semiconductors for CO2 photocatalytic reduction, and elucidates the mechanism of oxygen vacancy for CO2 photoreduction, which provides valuable insights for the design and optimization of similar photocatalysts in both experimental and theoretical domains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multiple stimuli‐responsive molecular crystals are attracting extensive attentions due to their potential as smart materials, such as molecular machines, actuators, and sensors. However, the task of giving a single crystal multiple stimuli‐responsive properties remains extremely challenging. Herein, we found two polymorphs (Form O and Form R) of a Schiff base compound, which could respond to multiple stimuli (external force, acid, heat). Form O and Form R have different elastic deformability, which can be attributed to the differences in the molecular conformation, structural packing and intermolecular interactions. Moreover, both polymorphs exhibit reversible bending driven by volatile acid vapor, which we hypothesize is caused by reversible protonation reaction of imines with formic acid. In addition, jumping can be triggered by heating due to the significant anisotropic expansion. The integration of reversible bending and jumping into one single crystal expands the application scope of stimuli‐responsive crystalline materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To observe the predictive effect of fasting blood glucose (FBG) level on the prognosis, clinical sequelae, and pulmonary absorption in hospitalized coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) patients with and without a history of diabetes, respectively, and to evaluate the correlation between the dynamic changes of FBG and poor prognosis. In this bidirectional cohort study, we enrolled 2545 hospitalized COVID‐19 patients (439 diabetics and 2106 without a diabetic history) and followed up for 1 year. The patients were divided according to the level of admission FBG. The dynamic changes of FBG were compared between the survival and the death cases. The prediction effect of FBG on 1‐year mortality and sequelae was analyzed. The 1‐year all cause mortality rate and in‐hospital mortality rate of COVID‐19 patients were J‐curve correlated with FBG (p < 0.001 for both in the nondiabetic history group, p = 0.004 and p = 0.01 in the diabetic history group). FBG ≥ 7.0 mmol/L had a higher risk of developing sequelae (p = 0.025) and have slower recovery of abnormal lung scans (p < 0.001) in patients who denied a history of diabetes. Multivariable Cox regression analysis showed that FBG ≥ 7.0 mmol/L was an independent risk factor for the mortality of COVID‐19 regardless of the presence or deny a history of diabetes (hazard atio [HR] = 10.63, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 7.15−15.83, p < 0.001; HR = 3.9, 95% CI: 1.56−9.77, p = 0.004, respectively). Our study shows that FBG ≥ 7.0 mmol/L can be a predictive factor of 1‐year all‐cause mortality in COVID‐19 patients, independent of diabetes history. FBG ≥ 7.0 mmol/L has an advantage in predicting the severity, clinical sequelae, and pulmonary absorption in COVID‐19 patients without a history of diabetes. Early detection, timely treatment, and strict control of blood glucose when finding hyperglycemia in COVID‐19 patients (with or without diabetes) are critical for their prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photoreduction of CO2 without photosensitizers and scavengers runs into the development bottleneck for lack of excellent photocatalysts and ambiguous reduction mechanism. Herein, an ultrathin CoO layer containing Zn‐dopants and O‐vacancies (Vo‐Zn‐CoO) is designed as an archetype to explore the influence mechanism of Zn on O‐vacancies in ultrathin nanolayer for CO2 photoreduction. DFT calculations illustrate that Zn‐dopants not only reduce formation barriers of *COOH and *CO intermediates, but also form π‐back‐bonding with *CO stimulating CH4 evolution. Finally, Vo‐Zn‐CoO layer significantly enhances CO2 photoreduction efficiency and CH4 selectivity with 26.8 µmol g−1 h−1 (63.8%) compared to 7.2 µmol g−1 h−1 (23.6%) for CoO layer with O‐vacancies. Moreover, the synergistic effect of Zn and O‐vacancies benefits the stability of O‐vacancies in photocatalysts, achieving durable photocatalytic performance of Vo‐Zn‐CoO layer. This work manifests that the strategy of metal atoms synergistic O‐vacancies is effective to optimize CO2 photocatalytic efficiency, selectivity, and stability of photocatalyst with O‐vacancies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 1‐year mortality and health consequences of COVID‐19 in cancer patients are relatively underexplored. In this multicenter cohort study, 166 COVID‐19 patients with cancer were compared with 498 non‐cancer COVID‐19 patients and 498 non‐COVID cancer patients. The 1‐year all‐cause mortality and hospital mortality rates in Cancer COVID‐19 Cohort (30% and 20%) were significantly higher than those in COVID‐19 Cohort (9% and 8%, both P <.001) and Cancer Cohort (16% and 2%, both P < 0.001). The 12‐month all‐cause post‐discharge mortality rate in survival discharged Cancer COVID‐19 Cohort (8%) was higher than that in COVID‐19 Cohort (0.4%, P <.001) but similar to that in Cancer Cohort (15%, P =.084). The incidence of sequelae in Cancer COVID‐19 Cohort (23%, 26/114) is similar to that in COVID‐19 Cohort (30%, 130/432, P =.13). The 1‐year all‐cause mortality was high among patients with hematologic malignancies (59%), followed by those who have nasopharyngeal, brain, and skin tumors (45%), digestive system neoplasm (43%), and lung cancers (32%). The rate was moderate among patients with genitourinary (14%), female genital (13%), breast (11%), and thyroid tumors (0). COVID‐19 patients with cancer showed a high rate of in‐hospital mortality and 1‐year all‐cause mortality, but the 12‐month all‐cause post‐discharge mortality rate in survival discharged cancer COVID‐19 patients was similar to that in Cancer Cohort. Comparing to COVID‐19 Cohort, risk stratification showed that hematologic, nasopharyngeal, brain, digestive system, and lung tumors were high risk (44% vs 9%, P < 0.001), while genitourinary, female genital, breast, and thyroid tumors had moderate risk (10% vs 9%, P =.85) in COVID‐19 Cancer Cohort. Different tumor subtypes had different effects on COVID‐19. But if cancer patients with COVID‐19 manage to survive their COVID‐19 infections, then long‐term mortality appears to be similar to the cancer patients without COVID‐19, and their long‐term clinical sequelae were similar to the COVID‐19 patients without cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, squared eigenfunction symmetry of the differential‐difference modified Kadomtsev–Petviashvili (DΔmKP) hierarchy and its constraint are considered. Under the constraint, the Lax triplets of the DΔmKP hierarchy, together with their adjoint forms, give rise to the positive relativistic Toda (R‐Toda) hierarchy. An invertible transformation is given to connect the positive and negative R‐Toda hierarchies. The positive R‐Toda hierarchy is reduced to the differential‐difference Burgers hierarchy. We also consider another DΔmKP hierarchy and show that its squared eigenfunction symmetry constraint gives rise to the Volterra hierarchy. In addition, we revisit the Ragnisco–Tu hierarchy which is a squared eigenfunction symmetry constraint of the differential‐difference Kadomtsev–Petviashvili (DΔKP) system. It was thought the Ragnisco–Tu hierarchy did not exist one‐field reduction, but here we find a one‐field reduction to reduce the hierarchy to the Volterra hierarchy. Besides, the differential‐difference Burgers hierarchy is also investigated in the Appendix. A multidimensionally consistent three‐point discrete Burgers equation is given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of a synergistic flame‐retardant system with epoxy resin microcapsule modified ammonium polyphosphate (MAPP) as the primary flame retardant, and strontium carbonate (SrCO3) as the synergistic agent on the flame retardancy of polypropylene (PP) were studied. The flame‐retardant performance of the prepared PP composite samples was analyzed by vertical combustion test (UL94), limiting oxygen index (LOI) test, cone calorimeter test, infrared chromatography (FT‐IR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and other technical means. The results showed that when the addition amount of SrCO3 was 1.5 wt%, the LOI reached 36.1%, and the UL‐94 test reached V‐0. Compared with no SrCO3 added sample, the peak heat release rate (PHRR) dropped from 395 to 378 kW/m2. The SEM data showed that the addition of SrCO3 enabled the flame‐retardant system to form a firmer char layer. The TGA data showed that SrCO3 catalyzes the MAPP reaction to form a cross‐linked structure and forms a bridge bond between the two phosphate groups to promote a stable carbon layer. Compared with no SrCO3 added sample, PP composite's tensile strength was increased from 26.78 to 29.42 MPa. Thus, a suitable amount of SrCO3 had a synergistic effect on the flame retardancy of the PP composite and had improved the system's mechanical properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High temperature and pressure during lightning can quickly trigger multiple chemical reactions in the air, resulting in considerable impacts on aerosols, atmospheric chemistry, and air quality. Here, new particle formation (NPF) events motivated by lightning flashes were captured during an observation at Mt. Tai in summer 2017 for the first time. Numerous ultrafine particles were formed during the lightning events, leading to increases in nucleation and Aitken mode aerosols by 18.9 and 5.6 times, respectively. The formation rate (FR) and growth rate (GR) during lightning‐generated NPF were 67.1 cm−3·s−1 and 20.1 nm·h−1, which were 61 and 1.7 times higher than the averaged daytime NPF. Moreover, chemical composition of aerosols was strongly influenced by lightning NOx. Nitrate aerosol (NO2− and NO3−) signals intensified significantly (by 11.9% and 12.4%, respectively) during the lightning‐generated NPF, which contrasted with the sulfate aerosols measured in previous studies (non‐lightning NPF). Meanwhile, lightning contributed noticeably to surface NO2 concentrations. Accompanying the uplifting airflows before rainfall, surface air pollutants (SO2, NH3, and NOx, etc.) can be transported above the top of the planet boundary layer, which plays an important role in NPF. The NPF in the hot lightning channels resulted from pollution NOx and lightning NOx, with the latter dominating. Finally, lightning‐generated pollutants, including NOx and aerosols, were delivered down to the surface with descending airflows. Plain Language Summary: High temperature and pressure during lightning can quickly trigger multiple chemical reactions in the air, resulting in considerable impacts on the chemical composition of aerosols, atmospheric chemistry, and air quality. To date, new particle formation (NPF) events during lightning have rarely been observed. Here, NPF events motivated by lightning flashes were captured during an observation at Mt. Tai in summer 2017 for the first time. Accompanying the uplifting airflows before rainfall, surface air pollutants can be transported above the top of the planet boundary layer, which plays an important role in NPF. The NPF in the hot lightning channels resulted from pollution NOx and lightning NOx, with the latter dominating. Moreover, chemical composition of aerosols was strongly influenced by lightning NOx during the lightning‐generated NPF. Finally, lightning‐generated pollutants, including NOx and aerosols, were delivered down to the surface with descending airflows. Key Points: Lightning caused increases in nucleation and Aitken mode aerosols by 18.9 and 5.6 times, respectivelyFormation rate and growth rate during lightning‐generated new particle formation (NPF) were 61 and 1.7 times higher than the daytime NPF, respectivelyNitrate aerosol signals (NO3− and NO2−) intensified significantly during lightning‐generated NPF, which contrasted with the sulfate aerosols [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Novel boron‐containing carbon dots (BCDs) are designed and prepared for boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) with superior water solubility and excellent optical property for tracking 10B in vitro and in vivo. Encapsulation of BCDs using exosomes (Exos) from macrophages yields BCD–Exos of ≈100 nm. Fluorescent imaging shows that the BCD–Exos are internalized and distributed around the nuclei of U‐87‐MG glioma cells. BCD–Exos are also verified to cross the blood–brain barrier and significant accumulation in tumor tissue of the orthotopic U‐87‐MG glioma tumor‐bearing mice model 4 h after administration. Using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP‐MS), it is detected that 10B in tumor tissue is 107.07 ± 1.58 ppm, and T/N ratios are enhanced from 2.03 ± 0.08 of boron phenylalanine (BPA) to 5.28 ± 0.29 of the BCD–Exos. In BNCT, the neutron radiation dose is 8.40 ± 0.12 Gy when a 500 mg kg−1 10B dosage is given. Finally, there is a prominent BNCT effect of the BCD–Exos‐treated brain glioma in the mice model, and the survival ratio is 100% at the end of the experiment. The excellent curative effect of BNCT using BCD–Exos to brain glioma is achieved through adjusted biodistribution of boron in the cancer cell, enhanced T/N ratios, and the precise match between boron and neutron exposure in the site of the tumor in vivo with fluorescence imaging of BCD–Exos. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Durability is a severe problem in the commercial application of proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC). The platinum (Pt) catalyst which greatly affects performance and durability is one of the most important components in PEMFC. However, few PEMFC degradation models focused on the Pt catalyst degradation process in molecule scale. In this paper, a novel PEMFC catalyst degradation model is developed based on the catalyst transformation theory. In this model, the Pt catalyst degrades by changing form and size according to the transformation theory, which includes Pt dissolution and Ostwald ripening mechanisms. The advantage of this new model is that the transformation of every Pt particle is calculated directly, and the characteristics of every particle are considered, thus it can give more accurate catalyst degradation process. Six groups of experimental data have been used to validate the effectiveness of the proposed degradation model of PEMFC. Furthermore, the accuracy of the proposed degradation model is superior to a traditional model, and the application of such a degradation model to the performance prediction of the PEMFC has been discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atherosclerosis (AS) is the main cause of coronary heart disease, in which enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) has been implied to participate in this process. Thus, this work proposed to explore the effect of EZH2 on AS from microRNA‐139‐5p (miR‐139‐5p)/signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1) axis. EZH2, miR‐139‐5p, and STAT1 expression in arterial tissues of AS patients were detected. Human arterial smooth muscle cells (HASMCs) induced with oxidized low‐density lipoprotein (ox‐LDL) and the mice fed with high fat diet were treated with silenced EZH2 or upregulated miR‐139‐5p to explore their roles in proliferation and apoptosis of HASMCs, together with inflammation response and oxidative stress of mice. Chromatin immunoprecipitation experiment was applied to verify the regulatory effect of EZH2 on miR‐139‐5p through methylation of H3K27me3. The targeting relationship between miR‐139‐5p and STAT1 was verified by online website and luciferase activity assay. Reduced miR‐139‐5p and overexpressed EHZ2 and STAT1 were found in AS. Silenced EZH2 or elevated miR‐139‐5p decreased the production of cholesterol and inhibited inflammation reaction in serum of mice with AS. Silenced EZH2 or elevated miR‐139‐5p facilitated proliferation and restrained apoptosis of ox‐LDL‐treated HASMCs, and restrained oxidative stress and cell apoptosis in arterial tissues of AS mice. EZH2 regulated miR‐139‐5p through H3K27me3, and miR‐139‐5p targeted STAT1. miR‐139‐5p silencing antagonized the effects of EZH2 down‐regulation on AS. This study manifests that down‐regulated EZH2 or elevated miR‐139‐5p inhibits ox‐LDL‐induced HASMCs apoptosis, plaque formation, and inflammatory response in AS mice, which may be related to down‐regulated STAT1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Erbium fractional laser treatment has immense skin rejuvenation effects, but it is associated with side effects such as erythema and pigmentation. Platelet‐rich plasma (PRP) can enhance the restorative effects of Erbium fractional laser, but there are few studies on this combined treatment in the Asian population, and no study has examined the effects of adding platelet‐poor plasma (PPP) to the combination. Objective: This study aims to investigate the effects and safety of Erbium fractional laser irradiation combined with autologous PRP and PPP therapy for facial rejuvenation. Methods: Between January 2010 and June 2016, 158 patients with facial skin aging were treated by Erbium fractional laser irradiation combined with autologous PRP and PPP. After three sessions, patients and experienced physicians evaluated the effectiveness of the treatment. Results: The symptoms of skin aging, especially skin color, pore expansion, and skin texture, showed obvious improvement after the treatment, according to the evaluation of the patients and the physicians, who reported a total treatment effectiveness rate of 90.51% and 88.61%, respectively. The treatment was well‐tolerated by all the participants, and no hyperpigmentation or depigmentation was observed in any of the cases. The reported side effects were edema (1‐3 days), erythema (2‐4 days), and crusting (3‐10 days). Conclusion: Erbium fractional laser irradiation combined with PRP and PPP application is an effective and safe approach for improving facial skin aging and has minimal side effects. Future investigations on a bigger sample with a longer follow‐up period should focus on optimizing the treatment protocol and settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although many preparation approaches have been developed, it remains a huge challenge to achieve ultraviolet (UV)‐protection films that combine high transparency, excellent UV‐shielding, and mechanical properties. Herein, we demonstrate a facile and eco‐friendly process for fabricating strong, flexible, and transparent UV‐protective poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) films by exploiting silicomolybdic acid (SiMoA) as UV absorber and reinforcing phase. Fourier‐transform infrared analysis confirms the formation of strong hydrogen‐bonding interactions between PVA and SiMoA. The glass‐transition temperature, mechanical properties, and UV‐shielding stability of the UV‐protective PVA composite films obviously increase with increasing the content of SiMoA. By incorporation of only 2 wt % SiMoA, the UV‐protective PVA composite film can block more than 90% of UV light in the entire UV regions and retain high visible light transparency (up to 95%). Simultaneously, the UV‐protective PVA composite film presents excellent mechanical properties with a tensile strength of 65.2 MPa and an elongation at break of 172.6%, which are 72.0 and 69.5% higher than that of pristine PVA films. This work provides a simple but effective approach for creating strong, flexible, and transparent UV‐blocking polymeric materials via hydrogen‐bonding assembly, which are expected to have wide application prospects in UV‐protection field. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2020, 137, 48813. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Circular RNAs have been found to be aberrantly expressed in tumors and their significance in tumorigenesis has been focused on. The role of circDYNC1H1 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) pathogenesis and its relationship with miR‐140‐5p were explored. The expression of circDYNC1H1, miR‐140‐5p, and SULT2B1 in HCC tissues and cells was measured, and Pearson's analysis was used to analyze their expression correlation. 3‐(4,5‐Dimethylthiazol‐2‐yl)‐2,5‐diphenyltetrazolium bromide and Transwell assays were performed to determine cell proliferation and migration. Binding between circDYNC1H1 and miR‐140‐5p was evaluated with RNA pull‐down assay. A luciferase reporter assay was conducted to assess the interaction between circDYNC1H1 and miR‐140‐5p and between miR‐140‐5p and SULT2B1. circDYNC1H1 was highly expressed in HCC tissues (n = 20), and it was negatively associated with the expression of miR‐140‐5p but positively correlated with SULT2B1 messenger RNA expression. circDYNC1H1 was upregulated in cell lines of HCC. Interference of circDYNC1H1 suppressed cell proliferation and migration of HCC. circDYNC1H1 acted as a sponge of miR‐140‐5p. miR‐140‐5p controlled SULT2B1 expression by targeting its 3′‐untranslated region. circDYNC1H1 enhanced SULT2B1 expression via sponging miR‐140‐5p. Downregulation of circDYNC1H1 disturbed cell proliferation and migration of HCC through miR‐140‐5p/SULT2B1 pathway. Silencing of circDYNC1H1 delayed tumor growth in HCC mouse model. Acting like a sponge of miR‐140‐5p, silenced circDYNC1H1 downregulated SULT2B1 to restrain HCC cell proliferation and migration, which is adverse to HCC growth and progression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, using biopsy specimens for the early diagnosis of colorectal cancer (CRC) is not entirely reliable due to insufficient sampling amount and inaccurate sampling location. Thus, it is necessary to develop a signature that can accurately identify patients with CRC under these clinical scenarios. Based on the relative expression orderings of genes within individual samples, we developed a qualitative transcriptional signature to discriminate CRC tissues, including CRC adjacent normal tissues from non‐CRC individuals. The signature was validated using multiple microarray and RNA sequencing data from different sources. In the training data, a signature consisting of 7 gene pairs was identified. It was well validated in both biopsy and surgical resection specimens from multiple datasets measured by different platforms. For biopsy specimens, 97.6% of 42 CRC tissues and 94.5% of 163 non‐CRC (normal or inflammatory bowel disease) tissues were correctly classified. For surgically resected specimens, 99.5% of 854 CRC tissues and 96.3% of 81 CRC adjacent normal tissues were correctly identified as CRC. Notably, we additionally measured 33 CRC biopsy specimens by the Affymetrix platform and 13 CRC surgical resection specimens, with different proportions of tumor epithelial cells, ranging from 40% to 100%, by the RNA sequencing platform, and all these samples were correctly identified as CRC. The signature can be used for the early diagnosis of CRC, which is also suitable for minimum biopsy specimens and inaccurately sampled specimens, and thus has potential value for clinical application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aerosol pH is a useful diagnostic of aerosol chemistry for formation of secondary aerosol and has been hypothesized to be a key factor in specific chemical reaction routes producing sulfate and nitrate. In this study, we measured hourly concentrations of water‐soluble ions in particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5 μm, along with gaseous pollutants in Tianjin, China, from 4 to 31 January 2015. The following source contributions to water‐soluble ions were estimated by positive matrix factorization: secondary sulfate (13%), secondary nitrate (44%), coal (14%), vehicle (16%), and dust (13%). ISORROPIA‐II was used to investigate the complex relationships among aerosol pH, ammonia, and secondary aerosol formation. The estimated hourly aerosol pH varied from −0.3 to 7.7, with an average of 4.9 (±0.78); the median value was 4.89, and the interquartile range was 0.72. During less polluted conditions, aerosol pH ranged from less than 0 to about 7; during heavily polluted conditions, pH was close to 5 (3.9–7.9) despite large amounts of sulfate. Sufficient ammonia/ammonium was present to balance high sulfate and nitrate formation. NH4+/NH3 (g) helped stabilize pH while nonvolatile cations contributed less to decreasing aerosol acidity. High acidy (pH < 3), light pollution (total water soluble ions < 30 μg/m3), and low water content (less than 5 μg/m3) were more correlated with higher rates of sulfate formation than nitrate formation in the winter. Plain Language Summary: Megacities in China and elsewhere experience very smoggy days that get continuously worse during haze episodes. The high levels of smog are created both from directly emitted particles and the formation of more particulate matter from gas‐phase reactions. Scientists are not able to fully explain how so much smog is formed so rapidly during intense haze periods. Ammonia was found to stabilize the acidity of the aerosols, but the aerosols remained acidic with pH of around 4. Here detailed hourly measurements of many species are used to elucidate the importance of ammonia, which can potentially neutralize acidic gases and aqueous particles. Key Points: NH4+/NH3 and pH had a more nonlinear relationship during highly polluted periods, compared to less polluted periodsNH4+/NH3 (g) was important for stabilizing pH during the heavily polluted periodsSOR was higher than NOR under conditions with high acidity, light pollution, and low water content in the winter [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this paper, nonlocal reductions of the Ablowitz–Kaup–Newell–Suger (AKNS) hierarchy are collected, including the nonlocal nonlinear Schrödinger hierarchy, nonlocal modified Korteweg‐de Vries hierarchy, and nonlocal versions of the sine‐Gordon equation in nonpotential form. A reduction technique for solutions is employed, by which exact solutions in double Wronskian form are obtained for these reduced equations from those double Wronskian solutions of the AKNS hierarchy. As examples of dynamics, we illustrate new interaction of two‐soliton solutions of the reverse‐t nonlinear Schrödinger equation. Although as a single soliton, it is stationary that two solitons travel along completely symmetric trajectories in { x , t } plane and their amplitudes are affected by phase parameters. Asymptotic analysis is given as demonstration. The approach and relation described in this paper are systematic and general and can be used to other nonlocal equations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 2D axisymmetric model is established to investigate the dynamic formation of slag skin and heat flow distribution during the electroslag remelting process. The growth of ingots is addressed with the dynamic mesh technique, and the volume of fluid model is employed to trace the slag/metal interface. The results indicate that the slag skin thickness at the slag/mold interface increases with the distance from the free slag surface, with a maximum thickness of 4 mm at the slag/pool interface. With the growth of ingot, the slag skin at the slag/pool interface is partially remelted by the hotter metal and finally solidifies around the solidified ingot with a thickness of 1 mm. The calculated percentage of heat flow is in reasonable agreement with the measurement. The loss of heat flow to the mold accounts for 67% of the power input, and approximately 28% of that power is absorbed by droplets in a laboratory scale ESR unit. The heat loss to slag/mold interface first increases with increasing slag temperature and then slowly decreases with decreasing slag bath height. The heat of the ingot primarily escapes from the baseplate at the initial stage. However, as the ingot grows, the heat loss in the radial gradually becomes dominant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new method for manufacturing Mn18Cr18N steel applied to retaining ring has been developed based on hollow ESR ingot. The ESR hollow ingot not only keep away from upsetting and punching, provide hollow billet for forging directly, but also meet the need of high quality of the raw material. ESR hollow ingot of Mn18Cr18N steel has been produced successfully in our lab. Melt rate is the most important technological parameter of electroslag remelting (ESR) process, which influences ingot quality and production efficiency. To further investigate the influence of surface quality on melt rate, the experimental results comparing to the simulations results have been implemented in this paper. A mathematical model to describe the temperature distribution and the solidification structure of ESR hollow ingot of Mn18Cr18N steel has been established. The change of metal pool profile, pool cylinder part height, and grain growth angles during hollow ESR process are calculated based on the coupled technology of CAFE method and the moving boundary method, which are consistent with the experimental results. The experiment of hollow ESR Mn18Cr18N steel at the most suitable melt rate obtained by numerical simulation results has been carried out to reveal the law of cylinder part height of metal pool changing with the withdrawal speed. The optimal technological parameters applied in the experiment of hollow ESR process can reasonably control the surface quality of Mn18Cr18N hollow ingot. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agitation is one of the greatest challenges in the computer simulation, which is a common operation in mixer-settlers. In the present work, hydrodynamic characteristics of delta impeller pump-mixers have been studied using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations. Sliding mesh approach has been used for the modeling of interaction between static tank and rotating impeller. Standard k-ε turbulence model was adopted. The effect of different geometrical parameters including off-bottom clearance, impeller diameter, number of blades and height of suction orifice on suction head and power consumption characteristics has been investigated. Low off-bottom clearance and high suction orifice location were found beneficial to suction increase without extra power input. Scale-up study has also been carried out at two different vessel sizes. CFD simulation results have been validated and agree with literature and experimental data. Optimum geometry of pump-mixer has been proposed, and new delta impeller designs have been proved better than the original one in pumping capacity. Scale-up study shows a close agreement of power number and head number of different geometric scales and confirms the validity of CFD simulation in scale-up of the delta impeller for industrial-scale application. Copyright © 2016 Curtin University of Technology and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Janus particles with anisotropic biofunctionalities are perfect models to mimic anisotropic architectures and directional interactions that occur in nature. It is therefore highly desirable to develop reliable and efficient methods to synthesize biofunctional Janus particles. Herein, a facile method combining seeded-emulsion polymerization and thiol-click chemistry has been developed to synthesize Janus particles with glucose moieties on one side. These biofunctional Janus particles show region-selective binding of protein, which represents a big step toward biomimicry, and demonstrates the potential of the bioJanus particles for targeted drug delivery and binding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enhanced extraction of 2,3-butanediol by adding salt into solvent n-butanol has been studied in this paper. Ternary phase diagrams for 2,3-butanediol + water + salt have been determined. The influences of phase ratio, type of salts and salt content on distribution coefficient and selectivity have also been investigated systematically. With phase ratio of 0.75 (w/w) and salt content of K2HPO4 of 25% (w/w), the distribution coefficient, separation factors and recovery yield in a single extraction process by n-butanol can reach 5.2%, 34% and 80%, respectively. Salt addition can greatly enlarge the two phase region and enhance extraction simultaneously in this system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Transient receptor potential melastatin-7 (TRPM7) channels are involved in many cellular physiological and pathological processes. The present study was designed to investigate the expression of TRPM7 channels and the potential role in regulating cell proliferation and adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes with approaches of whole-cell patch voltage-clamp, molecular biology, cell proliferation, adipogenesis, etc. We found that a TRPM7-like current was recorded with Mg2+-free pipette solution in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes, and the current was inhibited by intercellular free Mg2+. The TRPM7-like current was potentiated by acidic pH and inhibited by 2-aminoethoxydiphenyl borate (2-APB). RT-PCR, Western blot and immunocytochemistry revealed that gene and protein of TRPM7 channels were abundant in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes. Blockade of TRPM7 channels with 2-APB inhibited cell proliferation in 3T3-L1 cells. In addition, knockdown of TRPM7 with specific siRNA inhibited both proliferation and adipogenesis. The present study demonstrates for the first time that TRPM7 channels regulate cell cycle and adipogenesis of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes. J. Cell. Physiol. 229: 60-67, 2014. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT A continuous melt suspension crystallization process has been presented for the purification of the phosphoric acid in this study, which is conducted in the cascade of a continuous mixed suspension and mixed product removal (MSMPR) crystallization and subsequent countercurrent solid-liquid contact in a gravity wash column. With magma withdrawn from the MSMPR crystallizer being fed into the top of the gravity wash column, crystals settle down toward the bottom of column and the reflux melt rises upward, whereas the sweating of crystals and counter-current contact between crystal particles and the melt lead to high separation capability of impurities. The gravity wash column used in this study is a vertical agitated cylindrical column, whose configuration is different from the inclined column crystallizer. The feasibility of suspension crystallization equipment for purification of phosphoric acid was studied. Distribution of impurities in the wash column was also investigated as a function of the feed concentration, crystal bed height, reflux ratio and stirring speed. Reflux ratio has been found to play an important role in the process. Food grade phosphoric acid can be achieved when the process is operated with feed concentrations of 84 ~ 86 wt.%, reflux ratios of 3.4 ~ 6.2, stirring speed of 10 rpm and crystal bed height of 150 ~ 250 mm in a gravity wash column. © 2012 Curtin University of Technology and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A gravity wash column is a common type of continuous solid-liquid separator, which can be applied in the final step in the suspension crystallisation process of purifying phosphoric acid. In this work, a mathematical model based on material balance was presented for the purification process in a gravity wash column, and the experimental data of suspension crystallisation of phosphoric acid hemi-hydrate were correlated. The developed purification model can be used to calculate concentration profiles of impurities along the column axis and to predict the effect of operating conditions on the purity of the product stream of phosphoric acid. The model parameters were also estimated by fitting the model with experimental data. © 2012 Canadian Society for Chemical Engineering [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two kinds of errors occur in numerically transforming the transfer function (TF) to the unitary impulse response function (UIRF), the truncating error due to ignoring high frequency band contribution, and the discrete error due to numerical integration. The truncating error becomes prevailing if the TF attenuating trend is slow as the frequency approaches infinity. A semi-analytic approach is presented to alleviate this error. This approach dissects the whole frequency axis symmetrically into three bands, the central band, and two side bands extending to infinity. The contribution from the central band is calculated numerically, while the TF over the side bands is approximated as a simple function with an explicitly known inverse Laplace transform. This approach can overcome the Gibbs oscillation in computing the UIRF for a slowly attenuating TF, as is verified by the numerical examples studied here. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non‐metallic inclusions in tire cord steels and saw wire steels often act as breakage source during cold drawing and standing process. In this work, the control of inclusions in tire cord steels and saw wire steels in the production process are extensively reviewed. On the one hand, the new perspectives on the problems left over in the past have been discussed comprehensively, include the new understanding of the origins of SiO2‐CaO‐Al2O3 system inclusions, the new found of evolution of inclusions in cord steel and saw wire steel during rolling and drawing process, and the new understanding of controlling the plasticity of inclusions. On the other hand, the new approaches of controlling inclusions in tire cord steels and saw wire steels have also been discussed, include alkali oxides treatment, boron treatment, Mg treatment and cerium treatment. R2O (R = K, Rb, Cs) containing refining slag can significantly improve the cleanliness of saw wire steels and saw wire steels. Adding alkali oxides, boron or Mg into molten steel can dramatically improve the deformability of inclusions through expanding the acreage of the region with low melting points. The basicity of top slag at the range of 1.1–1.2, and ωAl2O3 in top slag around 3 wt% in order to control the composition of inclusions in the region with low melting points when ZrO2‐based refractory be used to reduced the pure Al2O3 inclusions in tire cord steel. Finally, the unsolved problems are summarized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]