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BACKGROUND: Odorant‐binding proteins (OBPs) in insects are key to detection and recognition of external chemical signals associated with survival. OBP7 in Spodoptera frugiperda's larval stage (SfruOBP7) may search for host plants by sensing plant volatiles, which are important sources of pest attractants and repellents. However, the atomic‐level basis of binding modes remains elusive. RESULTS: SfruOBP7 structure was constructed through homology modeling, and complex models of six plant volatiles ((E)‐2‐hexenol, α‐pinene, (Z)‐3‐hexenyl acetate, lauric acid, O‐cymene and 1‐octanol) and SfruOBP7 were obtained through molecular docking. To study the detailed interactions between the six plant volatile molecules and SfruOBP7, we conducted three 300 ns molecular dynamics simulations for each study object. The correlation coefficients between binding free energy obtained by molecular mechanics/generalized Born surface area together with solvated interaction energy methods and experimental values are 0.90 and 0.88, respectively, showing a good correlation. By comparing binding free energy along with interaction patterns between SfruOBP7 and the six volatile molecules, hotspot residues of SfruOBP7 when binding with different volatile molecules were determined. Hydrophobic interactions stemming from van der Waals interactions play a significant role in SfruOBP7 and these plant volatile systems. CONCLUSION: The optimized three‐dimensional structure of SfruOBP7 and its binding modes with six plant volatiles revealed their interactions, thus providing a means for estimating the binding energies of other plant volatiles. Our study will help to guide the rational design of effective and selective insect attractants. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Folate is crucial for maintaining health, but humans are unable to synthesize folate and need to obtain it from food. Lactiplantibacillus plantarum can produce the necessary vitamin B for the human body, including folate. Whole genome sequencing technology can clarify the physiological characteristics of folate production in Lactiplantibacillus plantarum. In order to explore new Lactiplantibacillus plantarum that produce folate, the folate production and probiotic characteristics of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum ZFM55 isolated from infant feces were investigated, and whole genome sequencing was performed. RESULTS: The folate synthesis ability of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum ZFM55 were measured, and its total folate production was 299.72 ± 28.81 ng mL−1. Subsequently, its probiotic properties were explored. The antibacterial test showed that its inhibition zone diameter against Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella typhimurium was 15.5 ± 0.82 mm and 13.88 ± 0.98 mm, respectively. The tolerance test results indicated that it maintained good activity in simulated gastrointestinal tract and bile salt environments. In vitro intestinal simulation experiments had confirmed that Lactiplantibacillus plantarum ZFM55 can increase the abundance of beneficial bacteria such as Bifidobacteria in the intestine and inhibit the growth of harmful bacteria such as Escherichia_Shigella. Genomic sequencing indicated that the genetic material of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum ZFM55 contains one chromosome and three plasmids, and it has 20 genes related to folate synthesis, which explains its ability to produce folate. CONCLUSION: This study reports a new potential probiotic that produces folate, and provides ideas for exploring probiotics with specific probiotic characteristics. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The closure of an ancient ocean basin via oceanic arc‐continent collision has two subduction styles with opposite polarities, which may proceed via subduction polarity reversal (SPR) or a subduction zone jump (SZJ). Interpreting the geometry or kinematic evolution of ancient collisional zones, especially the original subduction polarity, can be challenging. Here we used 2D thermo‐mechanical modeling to investigate the dynamic evolution process of SPR versus SZJ. Our modeling predicts different structural, topographic, magmatic, and basin histories for SPR and SZJ, which can be compared against, and help interpret, the geologic record past sites of oceanic closure during collisional orogens. Our results match geologic observations of past collisions in Kamchatka, eastern Russia, and the Banda Arc, eastern Indonesia, and thus our results can help effectively decode the evolutionary history of past arc‐continent collisions. Plain Language Summary: Determining the geometry and kinematic evolution of ancient subduction zones that experienced collision with an oceanic island arc can be challenging based on the surface geology along. Such collisions usually result in different dynamical evolution processes, namely subduction polarity reversal (SPR) or a subduction zone jump (SZJ). Here we conducted numerical modeling of oceanic island arcs that collide with a continental margin to explore the dynamic evolution process of different subduction styles. Our results reveal geologic indicators to decipher SPR versus SZJ in natural oceanic arc‐continent collisions, such as the distribution of thrust faults, metamorphic rocks, magmatism, crustal thickness, and topography. The numerical simulations help explain the geologic history of Kamchatka in eastern Russia and Banda Arc in eastern Indonesia. This study provides provide new insights and implications diagnosing the polarity of vanished subduction in arc‐continental systems. Key Points: New numerical models with convergent velocity boundary condition for deciphering subduction polarity during arc‐continent collisionsThrust faults, metamorphic rocks, magmatism, topography and Moho morphology can be used as indicators to diagnose subduction polarityThe evolution of subduction polarity reversal well explains the tectonic activities of the Kamchatka and Banda Arc in the Cenozoic [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although dearomative functionalizations enable the direct conversion of flat aromatics into precious three‐dimensional architectures, the case for simple arenes remains largely underdeveloped owing to the high aromatic stabilization energy. We herein report a dearomative sequential addition of two nucleophiles to arene π‐bonds through umpolung of chromium–arene complexes. This mode enables divergent dearomative carbonylation reactions of benzene derivatives by tolerating various nucleophiles in combination with alcohols or amines under CO‐gas‐free conditions, thus providing modular access to functionalized esters or amides. The tunable synthesis of 1,3‐ or 1,4‐cyclohexadienes as well as the construction of carbon quaternary centers further highlight the versatility of this dearomatization. Diverse late‐stage modifications and derivatizations towards synthetically challenging and bioactive molecules reveal the synthetic utility. A possible mechanism was proposed based on control experiments and intermediate tracking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of oil type, emulsifier type, and emulsion particle size on the texture, gel strength, and rheological properties of SPI emulsion‐filled gel (SPI‐FG) and TFSP emulsion‐filled gel (TFSP‐FG) were investigated. Using soybean protein isolate or sodium caseinate as emulsifiers, emulsions with cocoa butter replacer (CBR), palm oil (PO), virgin coconut oil (VCO), and canola oil (CO) as oil phases were prepared. These emulsions were filled into SPI and TFSP gel substrates to prepare emulsion‐filled gels. Results that the hardness and gel strength of both gels increased with increasing emulsion content when CBR was used as the emulsion oil phase. However, when the other three liquid oils were used as the oil phase, the hardness and gel strength of TFSP‐FG decreased with the increasing of emulsion content, but those of SPI‐FG increased when SPI was used as emulsifier. Additionally, the hardness and gel strength of both TFSP‐FG and SPI‐FG increased with the decreasing of mean particle size of emulsions. Rheological measurements were consistent with textural measurements and found that compared with SC, TFSP‐FG, and SPI‐FG showed higher G′ values when SPI was used as emulsifier. Confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) observation showed that the distribution and stability of emulsion droplets in TFSP‐FG and SPI‐FG were influenced by the oil type, emulsifier type and emulsion particle size. SPI‐stabilized emulsion behaved as active fillers in SPI‐FG reinforcing the gel matrix; however, the gel matrix of TFSP‐FG still had many void pores when SPI‐stabilized emulsion was involved. In conclusion, compared to SPI‐FG, the emulsion filler effect that could reinforce gel networks became weaker in TFSP‐FG. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identifying the effect of precipitation, vegetation cover and underlying surface conditions on run‐off and soil loss is essential for understanding the mechanism of water erosion. The study site is located in the Shiqiaopu watershed of Hubei Province, China. The long‐term (2017–2021) monitoring data for this study included rainfall characteristics, antecedent soil moisture, run‐off and soil loss in four run‐off plots with four vegetation cover types (tea garden, soybean and rape, peanut and rape, and vetiver zizanioides). K‐means clustering and discriminant analysis were used to classify rainfall patterns. The improved redundancy analysis was used to quantitatively explore the relative importance of rainfall characteristics, vegetation cover and antecedent soil moisture to run‐off and soil loss. The results showed that the rainfall patterns were mainly divided into three categories: A (medium duration, small rainfall, medium rain intensity, high frequency), B (long duration, large rainfall, light rain intensity, low frequency) and C (short duration, medium rainfall, heavy rain intensity, medium frequency). The average run‐off coefficient, run‐off depth of different rainfall patterns were C > B > A, and the cumulative run‐off depth and soil loss under the A rainfall pattern were the largest. For the run‐off plots with four vegetation cover types, vetiver zizanioides had the best effect on run‐off and sediment reduction, while peanut and rape had the worst effect. The driving factor that contributed the most to the run‐off depth was vegetation cover (19.36%), and rainfall characteristics explained the most to the soil loss (11.65%). We also found that although antecedent soil moisture had a small explanation rate for soil loss, it was significantly correlated with the run‐off depth under the vegetation cover of the tea garden. Therefore, regional soil erosion should be combined with the importance of driving factors to take comprehensive control measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Bone morphogenetic protein 9 (BMP9) is a hepatokine that plays a pivotal role in the progression of liver diseases. Moreover, an increasing number of studies have shown that BMP9 is associated with hepatopulmonary syndrome (HPS), but its role in HPS is unclear. Here, we evaluated the influence of CBDL on BMP9 expression and investigated potential mechanisms of BMP9 signalling in HPS. Methods: We profiled the circulating BMP9 levels in common bile duct ligation‐induced HPS rat model, and then investigated the effects and mechanisms of HPS rat serum on pulmonary vascular endothelial dysfunction in rat model, as well as in primarily cultured rat pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells. Results: Our data revealed that circulating BMP9 levels were significantly increased in the HPS rats compared to control group. Besides, the elevated BMP9 in HPS rat serum was not only crucial for promoting endothelial cell proliferation and tube formation through the activin receptor‐like kinase1 (ALK1)‐Endoglin‐Smad1/5/9 pathway, but also important for accumulation of monocytes. Treatments with ALK1‐Fc or silencing ALK1 expression to inhibit the BMP9 signalling pathway effectively eliminated these effects. In agreement with these observations, increased circulating BMP9 was associated with an increase in lung vessel density and accumulation of pro‐angiogenic monocytes in the microvasculature in HPS rats. Conclusions: This study provided evidence that elevated circulating BMP9, secreted from the liver, promote pulmonary angiogenesis in HPS rats via ALK1‐Endoglin‐Smad1/5/9 pathway. In addition, BMP9‐regulated pathways are also involved in accumulation of pro‐angiogenic monocytes in the pulmonary microvasculature in HPS rats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Dexmedetomidine (DEX) has been described as a safe sedative in clinical practice, but its effects on the pathophysiological traits of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) are unclear. We estimated the effects of DEX sedation on the four key pathophysiological traits of OSA (pharyngeal collapsibility, dilator muscle function, arousal threshold, and loop gain) in adult patients with OSA by conducting a secondary analysis of a prospective diagnostic trial. Pathophysiological traits estimated from polysomnography and the respiratory parameters under natural sleep and DEX‐induced sleep were compared. Bivariate and multivariate linear regression analyses were used to estimate the relationship between pathophysiological traits and OSA severity for both sleep states. Adult patients with OSA had a significantly higher pharyngeal collapsibility (Vpassive: 44.9 [15.7 to 53.8] vs. 53.3 [34.2 to 66.3] %eupnea, p < 0.001), arousal threshold (178.5 [132.5 to 234.6] vs. 140.5 [123.2 to 192.3] %eupnea, p < 0.001), and loop gain (LG1: 0.74 ± 0.25 vs. 0.60 ± 0.17, p < 0.001; LGn: 0.52 ± 0.12 vs. 0.44 ± 0.08, p < 0.001) during DEX‐induced sleep compared with natural sleep. There was no significant difference in dilator muscle function or PSG respiratory parameters between natural versus DEX‐induced sleep states. Bivariate regression analysis showed varying degrees of correlation between OSA traits and severity. Multiple regression analysis indicated that collapsibility was the strongest predictor of the apnea–hypopnea index for both sleep states. Dexmedetomidine sedation in patients with OSA increased the pharyngeal collapsibility without impairing dilator muscle function, while elevating arousal threshold and increasing loop gain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low‐dose 5‐aminolevulinic acid photodynamic therapy (ALA‐PDT) has been used to cope with skin photoaging, and is thought to involve DNA damage repair responses. However, it is still unknown how low‐dose ALA‐PDT regulates DNA damage repair to curb skin photoaging. We established a photoaging model using human dermal fibroblasts (HDFs) and rat skin. RNA‐sequencing (RNA‐seq) analysis was conducted to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in HDFs before and after low‐dose ALA‐PDT treatment, followed by bioinformatics analysis. Senescence‐associated β‐galactosidase (SA‐β‐gal) staining was employed to assess skin aging‐related manifestations and Western blotting to evaluate the expression of associated proteins. A comet assay was used to detect cellular DNA damage, while immunofluorescence to examine the expression of 8‐hydroxy‐2′‐deoxyguanosine (8‐oxo‐dG) in cells and skin tissues. In both in vivo and in vitro models, low‐dose ALA‐PDT alleviated the manifestations of ultraviolet B (UVB)‐induced skin photoaging. Low‐dose ALA‐PDT significantly reduced DNA damage in photoaged HDFs. Furthermore, low‐dose ALA‐PDT accelerated the clearance of the photoproduct 8‐oxo‐dG in photoaged HDFs and superficial dermis of photoaged rat skin. RNA‐seq analysis suggested that low‐dose ALA‐PDT upregulated the expression of key genes in the base excision repair (BER) pathway. Further functional validation showed that inhibition on BER expression by using UPF1069 significantly suppressed SA‐β‐gal activity, G2/M phase ratio, expression of aging‐associated proteins P16, P21, P53, and MUTYH proteins, as well as clearance of the photoproduct 8‐oxo‐dG in photoaged HDFs. Low‐dose ALA‐PDT exerts anti‐photoaging effects by activating the BER signalling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic autoimmune disorder characterized by excessive proliferation of rheumatoid arthritis synovial fibroblasts (RASFs) and accumulation of inflammatory cytokines. Exploring the suppression of RASFs and modulation of the RA microenvironment is considered a comprehensive strategy for RA. In this work, specifically activated nanoagents (MAHI NGs) based on the hypoxic and weakly acidic RA microenvironment are developed to achieve a second near‐infrared fluorescence (NIR‐II FL)/photoacoustic (PA) dual‐model imaging‐guided multi‐treatment. Due to optimal size, the MAHI NGs passively accumulate in the diseased joint region and undergo rapid responsive degradation, precisely releasing functionalized components: endogenous melanin‐nanoparticles (MNPs), hydrogen gas (H2), and indocyanine green (ICG). The released MNPs play a crucial role in ablating RASFs within the RA microenvironment through photothermal therapy (PTT) guided by accurate PA imaging. However, the regional hyperthermia generated by PTT may exacerbate reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and inflammatory response following cell lysis. Remarkably, under the acidic microenvironment, the controlled release of H2 exhibits precise synergistic antioxidant and anti‐inflammatory effects with MNPs. Moreover, the ICG, the second near‐infrared dye currently approved for clinical use, possesses excellent NIR‐II FL imaging properties that facilitate the diagnosis of deep tissue diseases and provide the right time‐point for PTT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Over the course of evolution, plants have developed various sophisticated defense mechanisms to resist pests and diseases. The phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA) has an important role in the growth and development of plants and confers tolerance to selected abiotic stressors, such as drought. Previous studies have shown that ABA promotes the deposit of callose in response to piercing/sucking insect pests. The English grain aphid, Sitobion avenae Fabricius, causes huge losses in rice and is especially harmful to rice seedlings. RESULTS: Exogenous ABA promoted growth and reduced the feeding behavior of S. avenae nymphs in rice. Our results suggested that enhanced trichome density and increased expression of related genes may be associated with rice resistance to aphids. An analysis of volatiles revealed the production of seven compounds associated with pest resistance. CONCLUSION: These results indicate that ABA reduces aphid feeding in rice. Our findings provide a basis for understanding ABA‐mediated defense responses in rice and provide insights on more environmentally‐friendly approaches to control. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Direct seawater splitting (DSS) offers an aspirational route toward green hydrogen (H2) production but remains challenging when operating in a practically continuous manner, mainly due to the difficulty in establishing the water supply–consumption balance under the interference from impurity ions. A DSS system is reported for continuous ampere‐level H2 production by coupling a dual‐cation exchange membrane (CEM) three‐compartment architecture with a circulatory electrolyte design. Monovalent‐selective CEMs decouple the transmembrane water migration from interferences of Mg2+, Ca2+, and Cl− ions while maintaining ionic neutrality during electrolysis; the self‐loop concentrated alkaline electrolyte ensures the constant gradient of water chemical potential, allowing a specific water supply–consumption balance relationship in a seawater–electrolyte–H2 sequence to be built among an expanded current range. Even paired with commercialized Ni foams, this electrolyzer (model size: 2 × 2 cm2) continuously produces H2 from flowing seawater with a rate of 7.5 mL min−1 at an industrially relevant current of 1.0 A over 100 h. More importantly, the energy consumption can be further reduced by coupling more efficient NiMo/NiFe foams (≈6.2 kWh Nm−3 H2 at 1.0 A), demonstrating the potential to further optimize the continuous DSS electrolyzer for practical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Vacuum packaging has the ability to reduce oxidative deterioration and microbial‐induced spoilage of meat. However, in an oxygen‐free environment, it can lead to the development of an unappealing purplish‐red color and a decrease in the water‐holding capacity of meat, thereby impacting the overall meat quality. Portulaca oleracea L. (POL) is a homology of medicine and food known for its exceptional antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. RESULTS: The aim of our present study was to investigate the antioxidant and antimicrobial ability of n‐butanol phase extract of POL and the effect of POL extract incorporation on the quality (water‐holding capacity, shear force, color, and texture) and physicochemical (pH, total volatile base nitrogen, and total viable counts) attributes of vacuum‐packed seasoned steaks at 4 °C over a 15‐day period. Results showed that the POL extract had excellent antioxidant and antimicrobial capacity. Furthermore, the addition of POL extract significantly inhibited protein oxidation and microbial growth of steaks (P < 0.05), and improved the water‐holding capacity, color properties, and tenderness (P < 0.05). Moreover, there were no significant differences (P > 0.05) in the color, water‐holding capacity, or tenderness between the 0.5 and 1 g kg−1 POL extract treatment groups compared to the sodium nitrite control group. CONCLUSION: These results indicate that POL extract had the potential to replace sodium nitrite due to its ability to hinder protein oxidation and microbial growth of vacuum‐packed seasoned steaks, while enhancing the color, water‐holding capacity, and tenderness of seasoned steaks. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Issue tracking systems are now prevalent in software development, which would help developers submit and discuss issues to solve development problems on software projects. Most previous studies have been conducted to analyze issue relations within projects, such as recommending similar or duplicate bug issues. However, along with the popularization of co‐developing through multiple projects, many issues are cross‐project correlated (CPC), that is, one issue is associated with another issue in a different project. When developers meet with CPC issues, it may primarily increase the difficulties of solving them because they need information from not only their projects but also other related projects that developers are not familiar with. Identifying a CPC issue as early as possible is a fundamental challenge for both managers and developers to allocate the resources for software maintenance and estimate the effort to solve it. This paper proposes 11 issue metrics of two groups to describe textual summary and reporters' activity, which can be extracted just after the issue was reported. We employ these 11 issue metrics to construct just‐in‐time (JIT) prediction models to identify CPC issues. To evaluate the effect of CPC issue prediction models, we conduct experiments on 16 open‐source data science and deep learning projects and compare our prediction model with two baseline models based on textual features (i.e., Term Frequency‐Inverse Document Frequency [TF‐IDF] and Word Embedding), which are commonly adopted by previous studies on issue prediction. The results show that the JIT prediction model based on issue metrics has significantly improved the performance of CPC issue prediction under two evaluation indicators, Matthew's correlation coefficient (MCC) and F1. In addition, we find that the prediction model is more suitable for large‐scale complex core projects in the open‐source ecosystem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rainfall partitioning by the vegetation canopy into stemflow (SF) and throughfall (TF) plays a crucial role in soil infiltration and the local water balance. This study aims to quantify the differences in SF and TF between two sand‐binding shrubs, Caragana liouana and Salix psammophila, in the desert steppe, clarify the effects of biotic and abiotic factors on them using the boosted regression trees (BRT) model, and compare soil moisture replenishment during the growing seasons of 2021 and 2022. Under identical rainfall conditions, the canopies of C. liouana and S. psammophila can lead to differences in rainfall partitioning. The SF percentage ranged from 0 to 23.70% for C. liouana and from 0% to 3.3% for S. psammophila, respectively, while the TF percentage ranged from 42.12% to 90.07% for C. liouana and from 52.39% to 94.87% for S. psammophila. The funnelling ratio for C. liouana (69.59) is 1.19 times higher than for S. psammophila (58.36). Rainfall amount is the primary variable affecting rainfall partitioning. The average soil moisture replenishment and soil moisture conversion efficiency under the C. liouana canopy are 11.02 mm and 58.39%, respectively, which are significantly higher than those for S. psammophila (4.84 mm and 24.33%, respectively). These findings suggest that C. liouana, with its relatively higher SF and soil moisture conversion capability compared to S. psammophila, plays a significant ecohydrological role in water‐limited ecosystems. This study provides a reference for species selection and ecological management in vegetation restoration efforts in desert steppes and similar regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poor grain filling in inferior spikelets (IS), which is influenced by the remobilization of nonstructural carbohydrates (NSC) stored in the sheath and internode of rice plants, limits the expected high yield of large‐panicle rice. NSC remobilization from the sheath to the panicle is regulated by the T6P/SnRK1 pathway. However, in large‐panicle rice, it is unclear whether IS grain filling is related to the NSC remobilization mediated by T6P/SnRK1 signaling. In this study, two large‐panicle cultivars—W1844 and CJ03—with distinct differences in IS grain filling were used to explore the physiological mechanism mediating IS development. Compared to W1844, CJ03 IS showed lower expression of the genes related to sucrose uploading, later sucrose peaking, and delayed starch accumulation. In the CJ03, low OsSUTs expression and NSC output, transport rate, and contribution rate were detected in the sheaths and internodes. These results suggest that poor NSC remobilization results in insufficient assimilate supply for the IS, and consequently, poor IS grain filling. Furthermore, poor NSC remobilization coincided with the increased T6P content and decreased SnRK1 activity during grain filling in CJ03 IS. The expression levels of genes related to T6P metabolism and those encoding the catalytic subunit of SnRK1 were consistent with the observed T6P content and SnRK1 activity in the sheaths and internodes. Therefore, IS grain filling is potentially affected by T6P/SnRK1 signaling‐mediated NSC remobilization in large‐panicle rice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hemicultrine fishes are a group of small‐sized cyprinids, widely distributed but endemic to East Asian rivers and lakes. Till now, the taxonomic boundaries and relationships within this group remain poorly explored. In the present study, we study the phylogeny of this group, providing suggestions for classification of the hemicultrine group. Using two mitochondrial and three nuclear genes, and samples representing all genera, our results showed that the group consists of seven major lineages, of which four (Hemiculterella, Hainania, Pseudolaubuca, and Anabarilius) were monophyletic and three (Hemiculter, Toxabramis, and Pseudohemiculter) were not. Based on the phylogenetic tree, we redefined the genera. We revive the genus Siniichthys, which has three species, Siniichthys bleekeri, Siniichthys lucidus, and S. varpachovskii, that were previously treated as members of the genus Hemiculter but showed distant relationships to the genus Hemiculter in our phylogenetic tree. With the new results, a diagnostic key for clades of the hemicultrine group is provided. Furthermore, we provide more detailed information on diagnostic features of the recently described species Hemiculter yungaoi (Vasil'eva et al., 2022). This work will facilitate future systematic studies, pave the way for evolutionary studies, and provide valuable information for the urgent conservation of hemicultrine fishes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In situ tumor vaccines (ISTVs) hold great potential in tumor immunotherapy, however, three major obstacles, including inadequate endogenous antigen uptake by dendritic cells (DCs), weak T‐cell immune responses, and stubborn immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME), still need to be fully addressed. Herein, a trifecta nanovaccine (TriNV) with TME‐responsive transformable ability is developed to tri‐boost antitumor immunity. First, sufficient endogenous tumor‐associated antigens (TAAs) are liberated in situ after immunogenic cell death is induced via TriNV‐based photoimmunotherapy. In the TME, soft‐transformed TriNV improves the uptake of TAAs by DCs to enhance acquired immunity. Second, the self‐adjuvating TriNV and the TME‐responsive released Mn2+ synergistically promote DC maturation and macrophage M1 polarization by augmenting the stimulator of interferon genes activation to further amplify T‐cell immune responses. Moreover, the decomposition of MnO2 within the core of TriNV exhausts glutathione and facilitates O2 release to alleviate hypoxia in the TME, thereby overcoming the chemical obstacles of the TME to further mitigate immunosuppression. Thus, TriNV remarkably eradicates primary tumors and inhibits distant metastasis, thus demonstrating great potential as a feasible and effective ISTV nanoplatform for combating poorly immunogenic solid tumors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Afterglow materials have attracted much attention owing to their long luminescence lifetimes, large Stokes shifts, and emission without real‐time excitation. Compared with traditional organic afterglow materials, carbon dots (CDs), as a new afterglow material, have superior properties such as easy preparation, low toxicity, and low cost. The emission color of afterglow CDs can be regulated by external factors such as excitation wavelength, temperature, and time, which is highly significant for expanding the diversified applications to make them available for biotechnology and information applications. This review summarizes the research progress of multicolor afterglow CDs in recent years, including luminescence regulation strategies, preparation methods, and applications. First, the multicolor afterglow CDs are classified into three strategies: multicolor room temperature phosphorescence (RTP), thermally activated delayed fluorescence converted to RTP, and delayed fluorescence based on Förster resonance energy transfer, and the strategies for regulating their luminescence properties are analyzed. Second, the preparation methods of achieving multicolor afterglow CDs are summarized in both matrix‐free and matrix‐confined aspects. Then, applications in anticounterfeiting and information encryption, sensing and bioimaging are introduced in detail. Finally, the future challenges and opportunities of multicolor afterglow CDs are prospected to provide ideas for their controlled design and wide application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glutathione (GSH) is an important antioxidant that is generated and degraded via the GSH cycle. Quantification of the main components in the GSH cycle is necessary to evaluate the process of GSH. In this study, a robust ultra‐performance liquid chromatography‐tandem mass spectrometry method for the simultaneous quantification of 10 components (GSH; γ‐glutamylcysteine; cysteinyl‐glycine; n‐acetylcysteine; homocysteine; cysteine; cystine; methionine; glutamate; pyroglutamic acid) in GSH cycle was developed. The approach was optimized in terms of derivative, chromatographic, and spectrometric conditions as well as sample preparation. The unstable thiol groups of GSH, γ‐glutamylcysteine, cysteinyl‐glycine, n‐acetylcysteine, cysteine, and homocysteine were derivatized by n‐ethylmaleimide. The derivatized and underivatized analytes were separated on an amino column with gradient elution. The method was further validated in terms of selectivity (no interference), linearity (R2 > 0.99), precision (% relative standard deviation [RSD%] range from 0.57 to 10.33), accuracy (% relative error [RE%] range from ‐3.42 to 10.92), stability (RSD% < 5.68, RE% range from ‐2.54 to 4.40), recovery (RSD% range from 1.87 to 7.87) and matrix effect (RSD% < 5.42). The validated method was applied to compare the components in the GSH cycle between normal and oxidative stress cells, which would be helpful in clarifying the effect of oxidative stress on the GSH cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ceramic thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) with high toughness and low thermal conductivity are important for developing aero engines with high thrust‐to‐weight ratio and thermal efficiency. In this work, the properties of tantalate Y1/6Yb5/6TaO4 (YYT) were optimized by introducing 8 wt.% yttria‐stabilized zirconia (8YSZ), synthesized using spark plasma sintering, as a second‐phase ceramic. The highest toughness (3.57 MPa m1/2) of the YYT/8YSZ composite ceramics was due to multiple toughening mechanisms. The underlying mechanisms of these processes were revealed based on the microstructures and residual stress of the YYT/8YSZ composite ceramics. A shift from an intergranular fracture to a transgranular fracture was caused by the difference between soft‐grain YYT and hard‐grain 8YSZ, which consumed the fracture energy. Furthermore, the formation of microcracks, crack deflection, bridging, and branching were analyzed based on the differences in Young's moduli and thermal expansion coefficients of YYT and 8YSZ. Internal defects and weak connections between the YYT and 8YSZ grains reduced the thermal conductivity of the composites until it reached its lowest value at 1.4 W m−1 K−1. The studied toughening mechanisms could be applied to various composites. Moreover, herein, we provide a new strategy to design and synthesize TBCs with enhanced performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Premise: Theories of plant–herbivore interactions hold that seedlings are more vulnerable to herbivory in warmer and more stable climates at lower elevations. Hypotheses of plant apparency, resource concentration, and resource availability have been proposed to explain variability in leaf herbivory. However, seasonal differences in the effects of these hypotheses on leaf herbivory on seedlings remain unclear. Methods: We evaluated the three herbivory hypotheses by comparing the percentage and frequency of leaf herbivory in understory broadleaf seedlings in a subtropical forest in May (spring) and October (autumn) along an elevational gradient (290–1370 m a.s.l.). In total, we measured 2890 leaves across 696 seedlings belonging to 95 species and used beta regressions to test the effects of plant apparency (e.g., leaf area, seedling height), resource concentration (e.g., plant species diversity), and resource availability (e.g., canopy openness, soil available N and P) on leaf herbivory. Results: Seedlings exhibited unimodal patterns of leaf herbivory along elevation, with drivers of leaf herbivory varying by the month. Variation in the frequency of leaf herbivory was best explained by the resource concentration hypothesis (e.g., plant species diversity) in both months, and herbivory was lower on seedlings in sites with higher plant diversity. Plant apparency hypothesis (e.g., leaf area, seedling height) was weakly supported only in spring, and the evidence for resource availability hypothesis (e.g., canopy openness, soil nutrients) was mixed. Conclusions: This study supports the resource concentration hypothesis and reveals the importance of seasonal difference on understanding leaf herbivory patterns and the drivers of plant diversity in subtropical forests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polyimides externally deployed in spacecraft or satellites extensively have various aerospace hazards, including atomic oxygen (AO) erosion, irradiation degradation, and electrostatic charge/discharge (ESC/ESD). To cope with these challenges, we fabricate a ZnO/CuNi‐polyimide composite film with augmented permanence. Using spectroscopy and microscopy techniques, we have shown that the combination of chelation and cross‐linking in the interfacial architecture leads to enhanced interfacial compatibility and mechanical robustness. Besides, due to the positive AO diffusion barrier ability of the wurtzite ZnO, our composite film shows remarkable AO resistance and a very small Ey value of 6.88 × 10−26 cm3/atom, which is merely 2.29% of that of pristine polyimide. Moreover, the well‐defined nanocrystalline state with minimal lattice swelling (0.3%–0.7%) of the Fe+‐irradiated ZnO/CuNi‐polyimide at a damaging dose of 353.4 dpa demonstrates its excellent irradiation resistance. Finally, the ZnO/CuNi‐polyimide also shows sufficient electrostatic dissipation capacity to cope with the ESC/ESD events. Our fabrication approach for composite films based on multi‐technology integration shows potential for aerospace applications and deployment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Keratinocytes, located in the outermost layer of human skin, are pivotal cells to resist environmental damage. Cellular autophagy plays a critical role in eliminating damaged organelles and maintaining skin cell homeostasis. Low‐dose 5‐Aminolevulinic acid photodynamic therapy (ALA‐PDT) has been demonstrated to enhance skin's antistress ability; however, the regulatory mechanisms of autophagy in keratinocytes remain unclear. In this study, we treated immortalized human keratinocytes (HaCaT cells) with low‐dose ALA‐PDT (0.5 mmol/L, 3 J/cm2). Through RNA‐sequencing analysis, we identified that low‐dose ALA‐PDT modulated autophagy‐related pathways in keratinocytes and pinpointed Unc‐51‐like kinase 1 (ULK1) as a key gene involved. Western blot results revealed that low‐dose ALA‐PDT treatment upregulated the expression of autophagy‐related proteins Beclin‐1 and LC3‐II/LC3‐I ratio. Notably, low‐dose ALA‐PDT regulated autophagy by inducing an appropriate level of reactive oxygen species (ROS), transiently reducing mitochondrial membrane potential, and decreasing adenosine triphosphate production; all these processes functioned on the AMP‐activated protein kinase (AMPK)/ULK1 pathway to activate autophagy. Finally, we simulated external environmental damage using ultraviolet B (UVB) at a dose of 60 mJ/cm2 and observed that low‐dose ALA‐PDT mitigated UVB‐induced cell apoptosis; however, this protective effect was reversed when using the autophagy inhibitor 3‐methyladenine. Overall, these findings highlight how low‐dose ALA‐PDT enhances antistress ability in HaCaT cells through controlling ROS generation and activating the AMPK/ULK1 pathway to arouse cellular autophagy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the ageing process, TNF‐α can promote the expansion of myeloid‐derived suppressor cells (MDSCs). However, it remains unclear which receptor(s) of TNF‐α are involved in and how they modulate this process. Here, we report that TNFR2 hyperexpression induced by either TNF‐α or IL‐6, two proinflammatory factors of senescence‐associated secretory phenotype (SASP), causes cellular apolarity and differentiation inhibition in aged MDSCs. Ex vivo overexpression of TNFR2 in young MDSCs inhibited their polarity and differentiation, whereas in vivo depletion of Tnfr2 in aged MDSCs promotes their differentiation. Consequently, the age‐dependent increase of TNFR2 versus unaltered TNFR1 expression in aged MDSCs significantly shifts the balance of TNF‐α signaling toward the TNFR2–JNK axis, which accounts for JNK‐induced impairment of cell polarity and differentiation failure of aged MDSCs. Consistently, inhibiting JNK attenuates apolarity and partially restores the differentiation capacity of aged MDSCs, suggesting that upregulated TNFR2/JNK signaling is a key factor limiting MDSC differentiation during organismal ageing. Therefore, abnormal hyperexpression of TNFR2 represents a general mechanism by which extrinsic SASP signals disrupt intrinsic cell polarity behavior, thereby arresting mature differentiation of MDSCs with ageing, suggesting that TNFR2 could be a potential therapeutic target for intervention of ageing through rejuvenation of aged MDSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

JPEG‐LS is a lossless/near‐lossless image compression algorithm based on context modeling, which has the advantages of easy implementation, low resource consumption and high compression rate. It is widely used in the compression field of continuous‐tone still images. However, single image compression has significant latency and high hardware resource consumption issues, as the JPEG‐LS algorithm requires pixel by pixel prediction and real‐time context updates during the compression process, which is not conducive to algorithm IP implementation. Based on Demura compensation data compression requirements, this article has made changes to the pixel prediction method of the JPEG‐LS algorithm and delayed the update of the context to solve the compression latency and resource consumption issues. After algorithm optimization (NJPEGLS), the linebuffer resource occupation was reduced by 8/9, the clock frequency reached above 140 MHz, and the comprehensive compression rate loss was within 4.5%, meeting the demand for Demura compensation data compression/decompression. In this paper, we also conducted statistics and analysis on the distribution of values, and found that the distribution of values was very regular, and we propose an adaptive value scheme (KNJPEG‐LS) to further simplify the hardware circuit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a typical organic semiconductor material, rubrene plays a prominent role in the field of optoelectronic devices. Here, a notable photoluminescence (PL) and photocurrent enhancement of rubrene by 8‐ and 2.5‐fold is reported under compression, respectively. The shortening of the π−π stacking distance and the twisting of the lateral phenyl are crucial reasons for the decrease in the bandgap, resulting in the enhancement of PL emission and photocurrent. Pressure can effectively suppress the excitons transition from a free exciton state to a self‐trapped exciton state and improve the emission efficiency. The photocurrent is subject to dual regulation by bandgap and resistance. Interestingly, rubrene undergoes an electronic structure transition at about 4.8 GPa, which is responsible for the weakening of PL emission and photocurrent. This work provides a strategy for optimizing the performance of rubrene‐based optoelectronic devices and designing novel optoelectronic materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surface‐Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) technique is used to fabricate the gas sensor, which is developed for the visualization of the spatial distribution of gas evaporating from odor source. The 3 × 3 SERS sensor array is put on the odor source and then scanned by the home‐made detection system to obtain the Raman spectra of the odor. The intensities of the characteristic peaks from the collected spectra are used to draw a heatmap graph. After the heatmap graph is processed by the noise reduction, the localization of the odor source can be clearly identified through the resulting graph. © 2024 Institute of Electrical Engineer of Japan and Wiley Periodicals LLC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Cyclophosphamide (Cy) is a frequently used chemotherapeutic drug, but long‐term Cy treatment can cause immunosuppression and intestinal mucosal damage. The intestinal mucosal barrier and gut flora play important roles in regulating host metabolism, maintaining physiological functions and protecting immune homeostasis. Dysbiosis of the intestinal flora affects the development of the intestinal microenvironment, as well as the development of various external systemic diseases and metabolic syndrome. RESULTS: The present study investigated the influence of sciadonic acid (SA) on Cy‐induced immunosuppression in mice. The results showed that SA gavage significantly alleviated Cy‐induced immune damage by improving the immune system organ index, immune response and oxidative stress. Moreover, SA restored intestinal morphology, improved villus integrity and activated the nuclear factor κB signaling pathway, stimulated cytokine production, and reduced serum lipopolysaccharide (LPS) levels. Furthermore, gut microbiota analysis indicated that SA increased t beneficial bacteria (Alistipes, Lachnospiraceae_NK4A136_group, Rikenella and Odoribacter) and decreased pathogenic bacteria (norank‐f‐Oscillospiraceae, Ruminococcus and Desulfovibrio) to maintain intestinal homeostasis. CONCLUSION: The present study provided new insights into the SA regulation of intestinal flora to enhance immune responses. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding hot carrier dynamics in semiconductor nanocrystals is an important research focus due to their applications in photonics and photovoltaic devices. In this report, we investigated the effects of surface‐bound exciton‐delocalizing ligands (EDLs) on the lifetimes of hot electrons in CdSe quantum dots (QDs). After treatment of CdSe with two different phenylithiocarbamates (PTCs), a class of EDLs, the depletion times of the band‐edge exciton bleach were roughly equivalent as observed through ultrafast transient absorption spectroscopy. However, following the initial ultrafast depletion, the PTC‐treated samples continued to deplete while the untreated CdSe began recovering. Inspection of other transient features – such as the 3rd exciton and hot biexciton – reveal a general trend in which the PTC‐treated samples relax more slowly at short times (<10 ps) when compared with the untreated CdSe. At longer delay times, in the range of nanoseconds, the CdSe+CF3OPTC loses nearly 80 % of its excited state populations, while the CdSe+MeOPTC loses only 20–40 %. We discuss the role that exciton delocalization plays in determining these observed rates as well as how they compare to previous studies. Kinetic differences between the two ligands are attributed to their electron donating/withdrawing abilities and coupling to the CdSe QD. Coherent vibrational wavepacket analysis supports this line of reasoning, showing increased coupling between the exciton and the longitudinal optical (LO) phonon due to increased Coulombic field strength around the hole and electron‐donating MeOPTC. These results indicate that electron‐rich PTCs are especially good candidates for use in QD devices that would make use of hot carriers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Proanthocyanidins (PCs) are natural antioxidant polyphenols and their effect on the regulation of blood lipids is still controversial. This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of PCs on lipid metabolism. We searched PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Chinese biomedical literature service system, China National Knowledge Internet, and Wanfang Data with no time restriction until March 18, 2022, using various forms of "proanthocyanidins" and "blood lipid" search terms. Randomized controlled trials investigating the relationship between PCs and lipid metabolism were included. The standard system of Cochrane Collaboration was used to assess the quality of studies. We standardized mean differences (SMDs) with 95% confidence interval (CI) using the random‐effects model, Cohen approach. Seventeen studies (17 trials, N = 1138) fulfilled the eligibility criteria. PCs significantly reduced triglyceride, and increased recombinant apolipoprotein A1. Subgroup analysis showed a significant reduction in triglycerides in older adults (≥60 years) and total cholesterol for participants who were not overweight or obese (body mass index <24). An intervention duration of greater than 8 weeks reduced triglyceride and low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol levels but increased high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol. Different doses of PCs could regulate triglycerides, high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol and total cholesterol. PCs have beneficial effects on circulating lipids and may represent a new approach for treating or preventing lipid metabolism disorders. However, more high‐quality studies are needed to confirm these results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: In the present study, epigallocatechin‐3‐gallate (EGCG)‐loaded Spirulina platensis (SP) microcarriers (SP@EGCG) were constructed and used to extend the shelf‐life of minced lamb meat as an antioxidant with good sustained release properties. Results showed that the encapsulation efficiency and encapsulation yield of SP@EGCG microcarriers were 91.19 ± 1.18% and 133.19 ± 1.34 μg mg−1, respectively. Results of fluorescence microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and differential scanning calorimetry confirmed that the EGCG was successfully loaded in SP through hydrogen bonding interactions, and existing in an amorphous state. SP@EGCG displayed excellent antioxidant activity and stability. The SP@EGCG presented cumulative release in four food models (water, 3% acetic acid, 10% ethanol and 50% ethanol), and the cumulative release of SP@EGCG in 50% ethanol was the highest. These results indicated that SP can be used as a novel carrier of EGCG, and the prepared SP@EGCG microcarriers had potential applications in extending the shelf‐life of lamb meat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silicon carbide (SiC) is a promising material for a wide range of applications, including mechanical nano‐resonators, quantum photonics, and non‐linear photonics. However, its chemical inertness poses challenges for etching in terms of resolution and smoothness. Herein, a novel approach known as helium ion‐bombardment‐enhanced etching (HIBEE) is presented to achieve high‐quality SiC etching. The HIBEE technique utilizes a focused helium ion beam with a typical ion energy of 30 keV to disrupt the crystal lattices of SiC, thus enabling wet etching using hydrofluoric acids and hydrogen peroxide. The etching mechanism is verified via simulations and characterization. The use of a sub‐nanometer beam spot of focused helium ions ensures fabrication resolution, and the resulting etched surface exhibits an extremely low roughness of ≈0.9 nm. One of the advantages of the HIBEE technique is that it does not require resist spin‐coating and development processes, thus enabling the production of nanostructures on irregular SiC surfaces, such as suspended structures and sidewalls. Additionally, the unique interaction volume of helium ions with substrates enables the one‐step fabrication of suspended nanobeam structures directly from bulk substrates. The HIBEE technique is expected to facilitate and accelerate the prototyping of high‐quality SiC devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the water use characteristics and water relationship of coexisting vegetation in a mixed‐species plantation of trees and shrubs is crucial for the sustainable restoration of degraded arid areas. This study investigated the water use characteristic of coexisting sand‐binding vegetation combinations in the sierozem habitat (Populus przewalskii Maxim namely Populus‐S and Caragana liouana) and aeolian sandy soil habitats (Populus przewalskii Maxim namely Populus‐A and Salix psammophila) of the desert steppe. By analysing the δ2H and δ18O isotopes in xylem, soil water, groundwater and precipitation, a Bayesian MixSIAR model was employed to quantitatively assess the water utilization characteristics of plants. Throughout the growing season, in the sierozem habitat, C. liouana exhibits the highest efficiency in utilizing soil moisture above 60 cm (53.45%) and displays adaptable water use strategies. In contrast, Populus‐A predominantly relies on deep soil moisture below 60 cm plus groundwater (63.89%). In the aeolian sandy soil habitat, both Populus‐A and S. psammophila similarly favour deep soil moisture below the 60 cm soil plus groundwater (66.77% and 67.60%, respectively). During the transition period from the dry to the wet seasons, although both Populus‐A and S. psammophila in the aeolian sandy soil habitat shifted their water sources from deeper to shallower ones, there was considerable overlap in the water sources used by Populus‐A and S. psammophila. This overlap led to competition for water resources and exacerbated the depletion of deep soil moisture in both seasons. Conversely, in the sierozem habitat, the partitioning of water sources between Populus‐S and C. liouana facilitated the allocation and utilization of water resources between the two species. The findings highlight the need for species‐specific consideration in water resource allocation within mixed‐species plantations of trees and shrubs, which is crucial for sustainable vegetation restoration in sand‐binding ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is a major subtype of non‐small‐cell lung cancer and accompanies high mortality rates. While the role of bilirubin metabolism in cancer is recognized, its specific impact on LUAD and patient response to immunotherapy needs to be elucidated. This study aimed to develop a prognostic signature of bilirubin metabolism‐associated genes (BMAGs) to predict outcomes and efficacy of immunotherapy in LUAD. We analysed gene expression data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) to identify survival‐related BMAGs and construct a prognostic model in LUAD. The prognostic efficacy of our model was corroborated by employing TCGA‐LUAD and five Gene Expression Omnibus datasets, effectively stratifying patients into risk‐defined cohorts with marked disparities in survival. The BMAG signature was indeed an independent prognostic determinant, outperforming established clinical parameters. The low‐risk group exhibited a more favourable response to immunotherapy, highlighted by increased immune checkpoint expression and immune cell infiltration. Further, somatic mutation profiling differentiated the molecular landscapes of the risk categories. Our screening further identified potential drug candidates preferentially targeting the high‐risk group. Our analysis of critical BMAGs showed the tumour‐suppressive role of FBP1, highlighting its suppression in LUAD and its inhibitory effects on tumour proliferation, migration and invasion, in addition to its involvement in cell cycle and apoptosis regulation. These findings introduce a potent BMAG‐based prognostic indicator and offer valuable insights for prognostication and tailored immunotherapy in LUAD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Little is known regarding the shared genetic influences underlying the observed phenotypic association between chronotype and breast cancer in women. Leveraging summary statistics from the hitherto largest genome‐wide association study conducted in each trait, we investigated the genetic correlation, pleiotropic loci, and causal relationship of chronotype with overall breast cancer, and with its subtypes defined by the status of oestrogen receptor. We identified a negative genomic correlation between chronotype and overall breast cancer (rg = −0.06, p = 3.00 × 10−4), consistent across oestrogen receptor‐positive (rg = −0.05, p = 3.30 × 10−3) and oestrogen receptor‐negative subtypes (rg = −0.05, p = 1.11 × 10−2). Five specific genomic regions were further identified as contributing a significant local genetic correlation. Cross‐trait meta‐analysis identified 78 loci shared between chronotype and breast cancer, of which 23 were novel. Transcriptome‐wide association study revealed 13 shared genes, targeting tissues of the nervous, cardiovascular, digestive, and exocrine/endocrine systems. Mendelian randomisation demonstrated a significantly reduced risk of overall breast cancer (odds ratio 0.89, 95% confidence interval 0.83–0.94; p = 1.30 × 10−4) for genetically predicted morning chronotype. No reverse causality was found. Our work demonstrates an intrinsic link underlying chronotype and breast cancer, which may provide clues to inform management of sleep habits to improve female health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Observational studies have found an association between autoimmune liver disease (AILD) and Sjögren's syndrome (SS). However, the causal relationship between the two remains unknown. Clinical guidelines indicate that the coexistence of AILD with other autoimmune diseases may impact prognosis and quality of life; hence, early recognition and management of extrahepatic autoimmune diseases is particularly crucial. Against this backdrop, this study aimed to utilize Mendelian randomization (MR) methods to investigate the potential causal relationship between AILD and SS. Methods: We extracted summary statistics on AILD and SS from publicly available genome‐wide association studies (GWAS) databases to identify appropriate instrumental variables (IVs). The inverse‐variance weighted (IVW) method was utilized as the primary approach, with the weighted median (WM) method and MR‐Egger method employed as supplementary methods to evaluate the potential causal relationship between the two conditions. Sensitivity analyses, including Cochran's Q test, MR‐polynomial residuals and outliers (MR‐PRESSO), MR‐Egger intercept test, and the leave‐one‐out test, were performed to assess the stability of the results. Results: The MR study results indicate a significant causal relationship between PBC and PSC with the risk of SS in the European population (IVW: odds ratio [OR] = 1.155, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.092–1.222, p <.001; IVW: OR = 1.162, 95% CI: 1.051–1.284, p =.003). A series of sensitivity analyses have confirmed the reliability of the results. Conclusions: Our study indicates that the presence of both PBC and PSC increases the susceptibility to SS. However, no reliable causal relationship was found between SS and the risk of PBC or PSC. These findings contribute to elucidating the potential pathogenic mechanisms of the disease and are of significant importance for the management of patients with PBC and PSC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influence of Atlantic Niño on the following El Niño–Southern Oscillation becomes significant since mid‐1970s. However, exact mechanisms for this inter‐decadal change are still unclear. Here, we perform a set of model pacemaker experiments to probe the relative contributions of the changes in the Atlantic Niño itself and the mean‐state under global warming. The results suggest that the warmer background of the tropical Atlantic plays an essential role in enhancing local mean precipitation, inducing stronger divergence and low‐level easterlies in the Pacific. Under a favorable condition in the Pacific, even a weak Atlantic Niño‐related warming could promote the development of La Niña through cross‐basin Walker circulation and the Indian Ocean‐relayed Kelvin wave response. In contrast, the Atlantic Niño pattern change itself induces feeble convection anomalies in the western Atlantic, which cannot induce significant atmospheric response in the Pacific. These results imply an important modulation of global warming on the inter‐basin connection. Plain Language Summary: Climate phenomena in the three tropical oceans are tightly inter‐connected through atmospheric and oceanic pathways. The observations show that the influence of equatorial Atlantic sea surface temperature (SST) on the evolution of the following El Niño–Southern Oscillation displays a noticeable multi‐decadal change. The inter‐basin influence is negligible in early decades but becomes statistically significant since mid‐1970s. To understand this multi‐decadal change, the changes in the remote impacts of the tropical Atlantic Niño are divided into those related to the changes in the Atlantic Niño itself and the background mean SST. By comparing their relative contributions, we find the warmer climatological mean SST excites incremental precipitation around the western tropical Atlantic and Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), amplifying inter‐basin Walker circulation and the Indian Ocean relayed effect, and thus can more easily promote the evolution of La Niña in the following seasons. In contrast, despite the Atlantic Niño pattern broadens westwards in the recent decades, its induced‐feeble positive convection anomalies in the western Atlantic scarcely induce the atmospheric response over the tropical Pacific. Our results stress the vital role of the multi‐decadal SST warming in the tropical Atlantic and provide a plausible explanation for the multi‐decadal strengthening of this inter‐basin connection in recent decades. Key Points: The correlation between summer Atlantic Niño and the following El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) becomes significantly negative since 1976The warming‐induced tropical Atlantic mean‐state change, rather than the Atlantic Niño change itself, dominantly modulates the inter‐basin impact on ENSOThe climatological sea surface temperature/precipitation strengthened in the tropical Atlantic is important to exert the influence on ENSO [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on our previous study in chemical subtleties of the proton tunneling distance for metal hydride formation (PTD‐MH) to regulate the selectivity of CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR), we have developed a family of Mn terpyridine derivatives, in which urea groups functions as multipoint hydrogen‐bonding hangman to accelerate the reaction rate. We found that such changes to the second coordination sphere significantly increased the turnover frequency (TOF) for CO2 reduction to ca. 360 s-1 ${{s}^{-1}}$ with this family of molecular catalysts while maintaining high selectivity (ca. 100 %±3) for CO even in the presence of a large amount of phenol as proton source. Notably, the compounds studied in this manuscript all exhibit large value for icat/ip ${{{\bf i}}_{{\bf c a t}}/{{\bf i}}_{{\bf p}}}$ as that achieved by Fe porphyrins derivates, while saving up to 0.55 V in overpotential with respect to the latter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work investigates the impact of pressure on the structural, optical properties, and electronic structure of CsPbBr3 quantum dots (QDs) using steady‐state photoluminescence, steady‐state absorption, and femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy, reaching a maximum pressure of 3.38 GPa. The experimental results indicate that CsPbBr3 QDs undergo electronic state (ES) transitions from ES‐I to ES‐II and ES‐II to ES‐III at 0.38 and 1.08 GPa, respectively. Intriguingly, a mixed state of ES‐II and ES‐III is observed within the pressure range of 1.08–1.68 GPa. The pressure‐induced fluorescence quenching in ES‐II is attributed to enhanced defect trapping and reduced radiative recombination. Above 1.68 GPa, fluorescence vanishes entirely, attributed to the complete phase transformation from ES‐II to ES‐III in which radiative recombination becomes non‐existent. Notably, owing to stronger quantum confinement effects, CsPbBr3 QDs exhibit an impressive bandgap tuning range of 0.497 eV from 0 to 2.08 GPa, outperforming nanocrystals by 1.4 times and bulk counterparts by 11.3 times. Furthermore, this work analyzes various carrier dynamics processes in the pressure‐induced bandgap evolution and electron state transitions, and systematically studies the microphysical mechanisms of optical properties in CsPbBr3 QDs under pressure, offering insights for optimizing optical properties and designing novel materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Current analytical models for outrigger structures in super high‐rise buildings tend to oversimplify by not considering the stiffness of individual floors. This paper introduces a more refined calculation model, based on the substructure method, which takes floor stiffness into account. To verify our proposed approach, we derived a mathematical algorithm and developed a finite element model using ANSYS. When compared to traditional methods that only account for outrigger stiffness, our model, which incorporates both outrigger and floor stiffness, provides improved accuracy in calculating vertex displacement. It also suggests an upward shift in the optimal position for the outrigger and bolsters the overall building's lateral stiffness. To further our analysis, we introduced an equivalent stiffness calculation formula, using the Bayesian parameter estimation method. When applied to dynamic analysis, this formula aligns closely with the results from the finite element simulations. Furthermore, the suggested algorithm for determining the best position for the outrigger is consistent with theoretical calculations. By considering the contribution of regular floors to the overall structure, we found that the fitted equivalent core tube stiffness offers a reliable reflection of structural stiffness. Lastly, when this equivalent stiffness was applied to a dynamic analysis based on Rayleigh's energy method, there was a noticeable reduction in computational effort. This yields not only more efficient calculations but also precise results, rendering it particularly valuable during the initial design phases of high‐rise buildings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As an effective compression technology, vector quantization (VQ) has the outstanding advantages of large compression ratio and simple decoding algorithm, so it has become one of the important technologies of image compression coding. OLED, as a light emitting device, is prone to uneven light and dark phenomenon, that is, mura phenomenon, because of its TFT electrical characteristics. The Demura compensation data is written into SRAM to compensate the pixel driving process of OLED display panel to removing mura. Because the Multi‐Photo of gray need to take, the depth of compensation data generated by each gray level is large, so the total bit of compensation data is huge, data compression is required to meet SRAM requirements. This paper analyzes the advantages and disadvantages of VQ‐LBG quantization algorithm, applies LBG algorithm to demura data compression, and improves the accuracy of code vector by optimizing the "splitting" process of LBG algorithm, and optimizes the coding table after the "splitting" to improve compression rate of the algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]