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One of the key challenges for high‐performance proton‐conducting solid oxide fuel cells (H‐SOFCs) is the mismatch in thermal expansion coefficients (TEC) between the cathode and electrolyte. While incorporating negative thermal expansion (NTE) materials can mitigate this issue, mechanical mixing often weakens cathode strength. To address this, a TEC gradient cathode is proposed and successfully implemented by co‐sintering PrBa(Co0.7Fe0.3)2O5‐δ(PBCF) with Y2W3O12 (YWO) in this work. In this work, Ba atoms at the A‐site of PBCF migrated from the lattice, generating A‐site defects. The resulting BaWO4 and Y10W8O21 phases, which have low TEC, are uniformly distributed between PBCF and YWO, forming a TEC gradient composite cathode. In addition, the transition phase captures the A‐site element Ba in the electrolyte layer, optimizing the electrolyte‐cathode interface. The composite cathode exhibits a reduced TEC, closely matching that of the electrolyte, significantly enhancing interface bonding, thereby providing a lower ohmic resistance of 0.051 Ω cm2 and a higher power density of 1.88 W cm−2 at 700 °C. Remarkably, thermal cycling tests conducted under temperature switching conditions demonstrate the composite cathode's long‐term thermal and chemical stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: This work presents an approach to control a type of stochastic cascade nonlinear systems, which involve external disturbances and nonlinear terms. The external disturbances under the consideration are not measurable and regarded as extended states. The proposed method addresses the problem of unmeasured states and external disturbances by introducing an extended state observer (ESO). Based on the above work, a new stochastic nonlinear system including ESO is established. To ensure the stability and boundedness of the system, an adaptive output feedback controller is designed by using stochastic integrated input‐to‐state stability and backstepping design technique. This controller guarantees that all the states remain almost surely bounded and globally asymptotically stable in probability. Simulation experiments are conducted to validate the effectiveness of the proposed control scheme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Vitamin A (VA) is a fat‐soluble compound that is essential for physiological functions including vision, fetal growth, immune response, cell differentiation and proliferation. However, its susceptibility to environmental conditions leading to poor stability limits its application in food. This study investigated the interaction between egg white protein (EWP) and VA by spectroscopy and molecular docking. The results indicated one EWP could bind 16.00 ± 0.89 VA molecules and the binding constant is (2.59 ± 0.71) × 105 m−1. What's more, there was a fluorescence resonance energy transfer between EWP and VA, and the Förster radius is 5.28 nm. In addition, VA enhanced the hydrophobic interactions with the EWP, resulting in protein aggregation, larger average particle size and more uniform particle size distribution. Finally, the combination of VA with EWP could significantly improve the photothermal stability and storage stability of VA. These studies indicate that EWP nanocomplexes can be used as ideal delivery carriers for bioactive substances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To facilitate the development of efficient neuromorphic perception and computation, it is crucial to explore optoelectronic synaptic devices that integrate perceptual and computational capabilities. Various materials such as oxide semiconductors, conjugated organic polymers, transition metal sulfides, perovskite materials, and metal nanoparticles, along with their composites, are utilized in constructing these devices. However, optoelectronic synaptic devices based on 2D covalent organic frameworks (COFs) is rarely reported. In this study, an anthracene‐based 2D COF (COF‐DaTp) film is prepared using a room‐temperature interface‐confined strategy and utilized it as the active layer in an optoelectronic synaptic device with an Al/COF‐DaTp/ITO configuration. The device demonstrated dual optoelectronic modulation, exhibiting significant optoelectronic resistive switching in response to light pulses, achieving 32 photoconductive states. Moreover, it exhibited history‐dependent memristive behavior in voltage scans and electrical pulses, with a comparable diversity of 32 conductive states. The photodual‐responsive properties of the COF‐DaTp‐based synaptic device enable it to simultaneously perform optical sensing and basic image denoising and recognition tasks, significantly enhancing recognition accuracy and reducing the number of training epochs compared to datasets without noise mitigation. This work opens the door for the application of 2D COF‐based optoelectronic synaptic devices in visual computational processing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND RESULTS CONCLUSION Texturized vegetable protein is currently a leading alternative to animal meat. This study examined the effects of soybean insoluble dietary fiber (SIDF) (0% to 20%) and CaCl2 (0% to 1%) on the structure and properties of extruded products made from a soybean protein isolate‐wheat gluten (SPI‐WG) composite.The study showed that SIDF (4% to 8%) increased the viscosity of extruded products, enhanced their specific mechanical energy, and improved their rehydration rate and tensile strength compared with a control group. The rehydration rate of the extruded products reached a maximum value of 331.67% in the 8% SIDF, 0.5% CaCl2 groups. The addition of excess SIDF prevented the cross‐linking of protein molecules to form a loose network structure. Analysis of the infrared spectrum and intermolecular forces showed that physical interactions between fibers and proteins were the dominant forces, with hydrophobic interactions and hydrogen bonds primarily maintaining the structure of the extruded products. The addition of CaCl2 (0.5%) led to protein aggregation and further improved the rehydration and tensile strength of extruded products.Soybean insoluble dietary fiber can improve the rehydration rate and quality of extruded products. The addition of CaCl2 mitigated the weakening of the protein structure caused by excess SIDF. These results provide a basis for the improvement of the quality of low‐moisture‐extruded texturized vegetable protein products with a high dietary fiber concentration and a high rehydration rate. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mg1/3A11/3A21/3Ta2O6 ceramics (where A1 and A2 represent Co, Ni, or Zn) were prepared using the solid‐phase reaction route. The results of X‐ray diffraction and Raman tests showed that (Co1/2Ni1/2)2+, (Co1/ 2Zn1/2)2+, and (Ni1/2Zn1/2)2+ ions replaced Mg2+ ions in the lattice of MgTa2O6, resulting in the formation of a pure tri‐rutile structure. All three complex ions could significantly reduce the sintering temperature of the ceramics (by 150°C–200°C) and could broaden the sintering window. The large deviation (48.8%–69.2%) between the porosity corrected relative permittivity εr‐corr. and the theoretical relative permittivity εr‐theo. might be due to the overestimation of the ionic polarizability of Ta5+ by Shannon. (Co1/2Ni1/2)2+ has the most significant effect of increasing the bond energy of ceramic A–O bonds, reducing the τf value from 51 to 36 ppm/°C. In addition, the mechanisms affecting their dielectric properties are discussed based on bond ionicity (fi), full width at half maximum (FWHM) of Raman peak, and bond energy (E). Mg1/3Co1/3Ni1/3Ta2O6 ceramic sintered at 1350°C have the most excellent microwave dielectric properties: εr = 26.8, Q × f = 86,000 GHz, and τf = 36 ppm/°C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The moisture‐enabled electricity generators (MEGs) represent an appealing clean power strategy within the realm of hydrovoltaic technology. However, their stable operation under all‐weather conditions is still challengeable due to the effect of ambient humidity. Herein, a self‐water‐storage MEGs with multifunctionality was developed. Gel textiles are employed as the proton‐release layer, while graphite fibers loaded with tin‐bismuth alloy liquid metal serve as water‐storing electrode. The gel textiles absorb water permeating down from the electrodes, releasing protons, which then react with the active electrode to enhance output performance. The experiment demonstrates that a device can generate a voltage of 0.55 V and a current of 7.08 μA after water storage, with a maximum power density of 1.14 μW·cm‐². The device's performance output can remain stable within a wide temperature range. The experiment confirms that the electrical output of the device originates from ionic diffusion, while density functional theory (DFT) and molecular dynamics (MD) calculations reveal the importance of the strong hydrolysis ability of the polymer and the high adsorption energy of the liquid metal for H3O+ on the output performance of the device. Furthermore, the integrated device has demonstrated effective applications in driving microelectronic devices, charging capacitors and, self‐powered health monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The binder plays a crucial role in binding the solid electrode components and fixing them to the current collector, ensuring good contact and transformation. The high‐energy‐density cathode poses several challenges for the Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) binder, such as high electrode potential, mass loading, and binding force. Although various new binders are proposed to optimize the electrochemical performance of cathode, the design focus and mechanisms often lack universality. This study introduces a design strategy for the cathode binder from the perspective of molecular structure design. The performance of the binder is optimized by adjusting the soft‐hard and hydrophilic‐hydrophobic balances of the polymer, and the effectiveness of this strategy is verified in the LiCoO2 (LCO) system. The optimized copolymer binder improves the cycling stability of the LCO electrode under high load and low binder content conditions and even achieves stable operation at a high charging voltage of 4.6 V. The mechanism for improving the performance of LCO electrodes is that the optimized binder stabilizes the electrode structure, the active material particle structure, and the active material interface. This design strategy provides a valuable reference for customizing cathode binders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The PEGylated ultrasmall iron oxide nanoparticles (PUSIONPs) exhibit longer blood residence time and better biodegradability than conventional gadolinium‐based contrast agents (GBCAs), enabling prolonged acquisitions in contrast‐enhanced magnetic resonance angiography (CE‐MRA) applications. The image quality of CE‐MRA is dependent on the contrast agent concentration and the parameters of the pulse sequences. Here, a closed‐form mathematical model is demonstrated and validated to automatically optimize the concentration, echo time (TE), repetition time (TR) and flip angle (FA). The pharmacokinetic studies are performed to estimate the dynamic intravascular concentrations within 12 h postinjection, and the adaptive concentration‐dependent sequence parameters are determined to achieve optimal signal enhancement during a prolonged measurement window. The presented model is tested on phantom and in vivo rat images acquired from a 3T scanner. Imaging results demonstrate excellent agreement between experimental measurements and theoretical predictions, and the adaptive sequence parameters obtain better signal enhancement than the fixed ones. The low‐dose PUSIONPs (0.03 mmol kg−1 and 0.05 mmol kg−1) give a comparable signal intensity to the high‐dose one (0.10 mmol kg−1) within 2 h postinjection. The presented mathematical model provides guidance for the optimization of the concentration and sequence parameters in PUSIONPs‐enhanced MRA, and has great potential for further clinical translation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gel polymer electrolytes (GPEs) hold great promise for the practical application of lithium metal batteries. However, conventional GPEs hardly resists lithium dendrites growth and maintains long‐term cycling stability of the battery due to its poor mechanical performance. Inspired by the slide‐ring structure of polyrotaxanes (PRs), herein we developed a dynamic slide‐crosslinked gel polymer electrolyte (SCGPE) with extraordinary stretchability of 970.93 % and mechanical strength of 1.15 MPa, which is helpful to buffer the volume change of electrodes and maintain mechanical integrity of the battery structure during cycling. Notably, the PRs structures can provide fast ion transport channels to obtain high ionic conductivity of 1.73×10−3 S cm−1 at 30 °C. Additionally, the strong polar groups in SCGPE restrict the free movement of anions to achieve high lithium‐ion transference number of 0.71, which is favorable to enhance Li+ transport dynamics and induce uniform Li+ deposition. Benefiting from these features, the constructed Li|SCGPE‐3|LFP cells exhibit ultra‐long and stable cycle life over 1000 cycles and high‐capacity retention (89.6 % after 1000 cycles). Even at a high rate of 16 C, the cells deliver a high capacity of 79.2 mAh g−1. The slide‐crosslinking strategy in this work provides a new perspective on the design of advanced GPEs for LMBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The production of Li2CO3/C through CO2 reduction reaction in nonaqueous systems is a complex four‐electron, multi‐step process, and the short existence time of intermediate monomers is not conducive to observation, which causes great difficulties in clarifying and regulating the CO2 reduction path. Herein, ferrocene (Fc) as a functional additive into the electrolyte can stabilize the discharge intermediates and favor the occurrence of the two‐electron reaction path during CO2RR, which leads to more stable operation of the Li‐CO2 battery; with the assistance of Fc, the CO2 reduction pathway in Li‐CO2 battery is also clarified. Theoretical calculation analysis combined with experimental characterization observation confirms that Fc can shorten the CO2 reduction distance through interaction with CO2 and affecting the solvent environment around Li+, stabilize intermediate products to clarify the discharge path. The existence time of intermediates and discharge depth of the battery are key factors affecting the CO2 reduction pathway. The Li2C2O4 formed by CO2 reduction through the 2‐electron pathway is more favorable for the reversible operation of the Li‐CO2 battery than Li2CO3/C through the 4‐electron pathway. This work provides inspiration for clarifying the reaction mechanism and regulating the CO2 reduction pathway to improve the electrochemical performance of Li‐CO2 battery in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neural Radiance Fields (NeRFs) have achieved significant recognition for their proficiency in scene reconstruction and rendering by utilizing neural networks to depict intricate volumetric environments. Despite considerable research dedicated to reconstructing physical scenes, rare works succeed in challenging scenarios involving dynamic, multi‐material objects. To alleviate, we introduce CoupNeRF, an efficient neural network architecture that is aware of multiple material properties. This architecture combines physically grounded continuum mechanics with NeRF, facilitating the identification of motion systems across a wide range of physical coupling scenarios. We first reconstruct specific‐material of objects within 3D physical fields to learn material parameters. Then, we develop a method to model the neighbouring particles, enhancing the learning process specifically in regions where material transitions occur. The effectiveness of CoupNeRF is demonstrated through extensive experiments, showcasing its proficiency in accurately coupling and identifying the behavior of complex physical scenes that span multiple physics domains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aquatic mobile robots are gaining attention for their potential to revolutionize marine monitoring and exploration within the Ocean Internet of Things. A significant challenge for these untethered robots, especially in remote areas, is achieving energy autonomy. This work presents an innovative self‐sustaining energy system for compact aquatic robots, inspired by biological digestion. Utilizing microbial fuel cell (MFC) technology, organic materials found in aquatic environments are converted into electricity through catalytic redox reactions. To extend the MFC's lifespan, spore‐forming Bacillus subtilis is used as the anodic biocatalyst, leveraging its ability to endure harsh conditions and reactivate in favorable environments, thus enhancing the MFC's longevity. To ensure a steady supply of organic substrates for microbial viability, a biomimetic Janus membrane with asymmetric surface wettability is integrated, enabling selective substrate intake. Additionally, stability mechanisms inspired by water striders allow the robot to move efficiently across water surfaces. The robot mimics the water strider's movement using a motor powered by microbial metabolism, fueled by organic nutrients via the Janus membrane. This study demonstrates the feasibility of using natural processes for technological advancement, setting new benchmarks in the design of autonomous systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rock‐ice avalanches have frequently occurred in the Eastern Himalayan Syntaxis region due to climate change and active tectonic movements. These events commonly trigger catastrophic geohazard chains, including debris flows, river blockages, and floods. This study focuses on the Zelongnong Basin, analyzing the geomorphic and dynamic characteristics of high‐altitude disasters. The basin exhibits typical vertical zonation, with disaster sources initiating at elevations exceeding 4000 m and runout distances reaching up to 10 km. The disaster chain movement involves complex dynamic effects, including impact disintegration, soil‐rock mixture arching, dynamic erosion, and debris deposition, enhancing understanding of the flow behavior and dynamic characteristics of rock‐ice avalanches. The presence of ice significantly increases mobility due to lubrication and frictional melting. In the disaster event of September 10, 2020, the maximum flow velocity and thickness reached 40 m/s and 43 m, respectively. Furthermore, continuous deformation of the Zelongnong glacier moraine was observed, with maximum cumulative deformations of 44.68 m in the distance direction and 25.96 m in the azimuth direction from March 25, 2022, to August 25, 2022. In the future, the risk of rock‐ice avalanches in the Eastern Himalayan Syntaxis region will remain extremely high, necessitating a focus on early warning and risk mitigation strategies for such basin disasters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent studies suggest that greater exposure to the market for corporate control matters for managers and shareholders since it affects firms' ex‐post risk of experiencing a stock price crash. The findings though question the direction of the effect. In contrast, in this study, we are the first to examine the effects of firms' ex‐ante risk of experiencing a stock price crash, a likely antecedent of which is managers' concealment of news on aspects of the market for corporate control. We find that higher crash risk leads to greater takeover target likelihood. This relationship, which is robust to duly circumventing reverse causality, depends to a significant extent on inferior managerial quality and greater managerial discretion around financial accruals, affording richer insight into the notion that correction of managerial behaviour is a stimulus for the market for corporate control, but one that depends on the likely extent of managers' concealment of news. We also concurrently find that actual takeover targets with higher crash risk generate a lower bid premium and receive more payment with stock. Overall, our findings strongly suggest that decision‐making in the market for corporate control is at least partially explained by incentives linked to opportunistic prices and takeovers of lemons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The migration is the key step for thymic T cells to enter circulation and then lymph nodes (LNs), essential for future immune surveillance. Although promoter‐based transcriptional regulation through Foxo1, Klf2, Ccr7, and Sell regulates T‐cell migration, it remains largely unexplored whether and how enhancers are involved in this process. Here we found that the conditional deletion of Med1, a component of the mediator complex and a mediator between enhancers and RNA polymerase II, caused a reduction of both CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in LNs, as well as a decrease of CD8+ T cells in the spleen. Importantly, Med1 deletion hindered the migration of thymic αβT cells into the circulation and then into LNs, accompanied by the downregulation of KLF2, CCR7, and CD62L. Mechanistically, Med1 promotes Klf2 transcription by facilitating Foxo1 binding to the Klf2 enhancer. Furthermore, forced expression of Klf2 rescued Ccr7 and Sell expression, as well as αβT‐cell migration into LNs. Collectively, our study unveils a crucial role for Med1 in regulating the enhancer‐based Foxo1‐Klf2 transcriptional program and the migration of αβT cells into LNs, providing valuable insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying T‐cell migration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Providing the human body with smooth and natural assistance through lower limb exoskeletons is crucial. However, a significant challenge is identifying various locomotion modes to enable the exoskeleton to offer seamless support. In this study, we propose a method for locomotion mode recognition named Convolution‐enhanced Vision Transformer (Conv‐ViT). This method maximizes the benefits of convolution for feature extraction and fusion, as well as the self‐attention mechanism of the Transformer, to efficiently capture and handle long‐term dependencies among different positions within the input sequence. By equipping the exoskeleton with inertial measurement units, we collected motion data from 27 healthy subjects, using it as input to train the Conv‐ViT model. To ensure the exoskeleton's stability and safety during transitions between various locomotion modes, we not only examined the typical five steady modes (involving walking on level ground [WL], stair ascent [SA], stair descent [SD], ramp ascent [RA], and ramp descent [RD]) but also extensively explored eight locomotion transitions (including WL‐SA, WL‐SD, WL‐RA, WL‐RD, SA‐WL, SD‐WL, RA‐WL, RD‐WL). In tasks involving the recognition of five steady locomotions and eight transitions, the recognition accuracy reached 98.87% and 96.74%, respectively. Compared with three popular algorithms, ViT, convolutional neural networks, and support vector machine, the results show that the proposed method has the best recognition performance, and there are highly significant differences in accuracy and F1 score compared to other methods. Finally, we also demonstrated the excellent performance of Conv‐ViT in terms of generalization performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Magnetosonic (MS) waves usually manifest as electromagnetic fluctuations, while quasi‐electrostatic magnetosonic (QEMS) waves have been recently reported. Here we present an intriguing coexistence of low harmonic electromagnetic magnetosonic (EMMS) waves and QEMS waves within the same band. Ion Bernstein instabilities are calculated based on the observed proton distribution. Effective growth rates >10−5 $\left(> 1{0}^{-5}\right)$ can occur in the first‐fourth harmonic bands with a broad wave number k $k$ range when the wave normal angle is sufficiently large. In each harmonic band, the MS waves would transform from electromagnetic to electrostatic as the wave number increases. This study reveals that the simultaneous occurrence of EMMS and QEMS arises from the expansive excitation range of MS waves in k $k$‐space, thereby implying the potential resonant interactions between MS and particles in a broad energy spectrum. Plain Language Summary: Magnetosonic (MS) waves are a type of space plasma wave that usually have both electric and magnetic components (EMMS). Recently, another kind of MS wave that only the electric component can be observed, called quasi‐electrostatic magnetosonic (QEMS), was discovered. In this study, we find an interesting event that EMMS and QEMS occurred in the same frequency range. We examine whether the proton distribution can be responsible for the coexistence of EMMS and QEMS waves. Our calculations show that when the angle between the waves and the ambient magnetic field is large enough, these waves can grow pretty quickly in the first four harmonic bands, even with a wide variety of wavelengths. As the wavelength gets shorter within each band, the EMMS waves can change into the QEMS ones. Our findings demonstrate that both EMMS and QEMS waves can indeed be excited at the same time because MS waves can be generated across a large range of wavelengths. This also means that MS waves might interact with particles over a wide energy range. Key Points: Observations show an interesting coexistence of electromagnetic and quasi‐electrostatic magnetosonic waves in low harmonic bandsMS waves can be generated across a wide range of wave numbers within the same harmonic bandAs the wave number increases, a transition from electromagnetic to quasi‐electrostatic magnetosonic waves would occur [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As major somatic cells in the testis, Sertoli cell development is precisely regulated by numerous factors, and aberrant development of these cells is associated with male reproductive diseases. JNK signalling is evolutionarily conserved and involved in multiple critical biological processes. Here, we found that the double knockout of Jnk1 and Jnk2 resulted in aberrant localisation of Sertoli cells at early developmental stages, with most Sertoli cells being lost at later stages. Further studies revealed that the inactivation of JNK signalling caused polarity loss in Sertoli cells. In vitro‐cultured Jnk1/2‐DKO Sertoli cells exhibited a senescence‐associated phenotype. Mechanistic studies demonstrate that JNK signalling is likely involved in establishing Sertoli cell polarity by regulating the expression of TGF‐β2, mediated by c‐Jun. The senescence of Sertoli cells in JNKs‐deficient mice is caused by aberrant proteolysis of P27KIP1, mediated by c‐Myc. This study demonstrates the role of JNK signalling in Sertoli cell development and functional maintenance, which may also represent an aetiology of male infertility in humans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A gradient‐information‐enhanced image segmentation method using convolutional neural networks is presented, and then combined with contact angle measurement to establish an automated processing workflow. For three‐dimensional X‐ray images, the segmentation accuracy at interfaces and sparsely distributed small objects directly influences the accuracy of the contact angle measurement. Leveraging reliable gradient information to train the neural network, this segmentation method addresses the issue of inaccurate segmentation of interfaces even at low resolution and with small objects present. Furthermore, memory requirements are reduced by performing analysis on orthogonal two‐dimensional planes. The workflow was tested on water‐wet Ketton limestone, as well as on both water‐wet and mixed‐wet sandstone and a reservoir carbonate. The results from both the segmentation and contact angle measurements underscore the effectiveness of the approach. Notably, the workflow shows considerable generalizability and robustness, even with varying wettability and lithology. Plain Language Summary: We use convolutional neural networks enhanced with gradient information to improve the accuracy of segmentation of three‐dimensional images of porous media and the fluids in the pore space, especially at interfaces and for small objects, even when the images have low resolution. We tested the method on several data sets including water‐wet Ketton limestone, both water‐wet and mixed‐wet Bentheimer sandstone, and a reservoir carbonate. The results demonstrated the effectiveness of our approach compared to traditional methods for segmentation. A particular challenge is the determination of contact angle ‐ the local wettability ‐ at the three‐phase contact loop between two fluid phases and the solid. We show that our new method leads to reliable estimates of the distribution of contact angle for the samples studied. This work allows for more accurate image analysis in multiphase flow in porous media with applications in carbon dioxide and hydrogen storage. Key Points: A gradient information enhanced segmentation method is presented to assist automatic contact angle measurementsThe gradient information method reduces the problems associated with low image resolution and manual segmentation [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to understand nurses' perceptions of COVID‐19‐related policies and risks during the outbreak of COVID‐19 in Hong Kong and to determine how their perceptions influenced their mental health status. A web‐based online survey among Hong Kong nurses was conducted. The questionnaire included a self‐designed 5‐point Likert scale with 17 items to assess the nurses' perceptions of COVID‐19‐related policies and risks, as well as the Davidson Trauma Scale (DTS), the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), the Patient Health Questionnaire‐2 (PHQ‐2) and the Generalised Anxiety Disorder scale (GAD) for measurement of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), stress, depression and anxiety, respectively. Of 592 nurses enrolled, 30.6% had PTSD (DTS total score ≥40), and 80.4%, 19.9% and 16.4% had moderate‐to‐high levels of stress (PSS‐10 score ≥14), depression (PHQ‐2 score ≥3) and anxiety (GAD score ≥3), respectively. The top three concerned aspects were 'worried about themselves and friends to suffer this disease' (84.5%), 'insufficient number of isolation wards' (81.8%) and 'insufficient number of personal protective equipment' (74.3%). Logistic regression analyses showed that more negative perception on 'personal protective equipment in the healthcare institutions', 'the confidence in HK's control of COVID‐19', 'worried about themselves and friends to suffer this disease' and 'self‐perceived risk of infection' indicated higher severity of the four mental health problems (all p < 0.01). The perception on 'public gathering ban', 'the number of isolation wards' and 'expected time to control COVID‐19' were significantly associated with PTSD and stress (all p < 0.05). Nurses' perception on government policies and COVID‐19 risks played an important role in predicting their mental health status. Policy makers should be aware of nurses' psychological responses and provide timely and targeted emotional support to nurses amid and after the COVID‐19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metal atom catalysts have been among the most important research objects due to their specific physical and chemical properties. However, precise control of the anchoring of metal atoms is still challenging to achieve. Cobalt and iridium atomic arrays formed sequentially ordered stable arrays in graphdiyne (GDY) triangular cavities depending on their intrinsic chemical properties and interactions. The success of this method was attributed to multifunctional integration of GDY, enabling selective growth from one to several atoms and various atomic densities. The bimetallic atom arrays show several advantages resulting from reducibility of acetylene bonds, space limiting effect, incomplete charge transfer between GDY and metal atoms, and sp‐C hybridized triple bond skeleton. This well‐designed system exhibits unprecedented oxygen evolution reaction (OER) performance with a mass activity of 2.6 A mgcat.−1 at a low overpotential of 300 mV, which is 216.6 times higher than the state‐of‐the‐art IrO2 catalyst, and long‐term stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Li−CO2 batteries utilizing greenhouse gas CO2 possess advantages of high energy density and environmental friendliness. However, these batteries following Li2CO3‐product route typically exhibit low work voltage (<2.5 V) and energy efficiency. Herein, we have demonstrated for the first time that cobalt phthalocyanine (CoPc) as homogeneous catalyst can elevate the work plateau towards 2.98 V, which is higher than its theoretical discharge voltage without changing the Li2CO3‐product route. This unprecedented discharge voltage is illustrated by mass spectrum and electrochemical analyses that CoPc has powerful adsorption capability with CO2 (−7.484 kJ mol−1) and forms discharge intermediate of C33H16CoN8O2. Besides high discharge capacity of 18724 mAh g−1 and robust cyclability over 1600 hours (1000 mAh g−1 cut‐off) at a current density of 100 mA g−1, the batteries show high temperature adaptability (−30–80 °C). Our work is paving a promising avenue for the progress of high‐efficiency Li−CO2 batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Targeted delivery of glutamine metabolism inhibitors holds promise for cholangiocarcinoma therapy, yet effective delivery vehicles remain a challenge. This study reports the development of a biomimetic nanosystem, termed R‐CM@MSN@BC, integrating mesoporous organosilicon nanoparticles with reactive oxygen species‐responsive diselenide bonds for controlled release of the glutamine metabolism inhibitor bis‐2‐(5‐phenylacetamido‐1,3,4‐thiadiazol‐2‐yl) ethyl sulfide (BPTES) and the photosensitizer Ce6. Erythrocyte membrane coating, engineered with Arg‐Gly‐Asp (RGD) peptides, not only enhanced biocompatibility but also improved tumor targeting and tissue penetration. Upon laser irradiation, R‐CM@MSN@BC executed both photodynamic and glutamine‐metabolic therapies, inducing necroptosis in tumor cells and triggering significant immunogenic cell death. Time‐of‐flight mass cytometry analysis revealed that R‐CM@MSN@BC can remodel the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment by polarizing M1‐type macrophages, reducing infiltration of M2‐type and CX3CR1+ macrophages, and decreasing T cell exhaustion, thereby increasing the effectiveness of anti‐programmed cell death ligand 1 immunotherapy. This strategy proposed in this study presents a viable and promising approach for the treatment of cholangiocarcinoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Soybean is a typical short‐day crop, and most commercial soybean cultivars are restricted to a relatively narrow range of latitudes due to photoperiod sensitivity. Photoperiod sensitivity hinders the utilization of soybean germplasms across geographical regions. When grown in temperate regions, tropical soybean responds to prolonged day length by increasing the vegetative growth phase and delaying flowering and maturity, which often pushes the harvest window past the first frost date. In this study, we used CRISPR/LbCas12a to edit a North American subtropical soybean cultivar named 06KG218440 that belongs to maturity group 5.5. By designing one gRNA to edit the nuclear localization signal (NLS) regions of both E1 and E1Lb, we created a series of new germplasms with shortened flowering time and time to maturity and determined their favourable latitudinal zone for cultivation. The novel partial function alleles successfully achieve yield and early maturity trade‐offs and exhibit good agronomic traits and high yields in temperate regions. This work offers a straightforward editing strategy to modify subtropical and tropical soybean cultivars for temperate growing regions, a strategy that could be used to enrich genetic diversity in temperate breeding programmes and facilitate the introduction of important crop traits such as disease tolerance or high yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quasicrystals (QCs) have attracted tremendous attention of researchers for their unusual properties. In this paper, an exact electric‐elastic solution of the simply supported and multilayered three‐dimensional (3D) cubic piezoelectric quasicrystal (PQC) nanoplate with the nonlocal effect is derived. Based on the basic elasticity equation of 3D QCs, we construct the linear eigenvalue system in terms of the pseudo‐Stroh formalism, from which the general solutions of the extended displacements and stresses in any homogeneous layer can be obtained. The two‐parameter foundation model is utilized to simulate the interaction between the nanoplate and elastic medium. The propagator matrices are employed to connect the field variables at the upper interface to those at the lower interface of each layer. Based on the boundary conditions of the upper and lower surfaces of the laminate and foundation model, the solutions are employed to derive from the global propagator matrix. Compared with the conventional propagator matrix method, a new propagator method is reestablished to deal with numerical instabilities of the case of large aspect ratio and high‐order frequencies for QC laminates. Finally, typical numerical examples are presented to illustrate the influence of nonlocal parameters and elastic medium coefficients on phonon, phason, and electric variables of 3D PQC nanoplates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global warming has led to more frequent extreme weather events, such as heavy summer rains, in the Huang‐Huai‐Hai region. These events significantly impede the growth and development of waxy maize in the area and disrupt the stable progression of the industry. However, there is a lack of effective agricultural measures to mitigate the impact of waterlogging, and the underlying regulation mechanisms remain unclear. To fill this knowledge gap, we conducted a two‐year experiment to assess whether exogenous EDAH (a mixture of ethephon and diethyl aminoethyl hexanoate (DA‐6), ethephon: DA‐6 = 27%: 3%) application during the waxy maize V6 stage, combined with 10 days of waterlogging treatment at the V6, VT and R2 growth stages. The results indicate that exogenous EDAH mitigates the adverse effects of waterlogging stress to a certain extent. It is noteworthy that exogenous EDAH increases the leaf area index and photosynthetic parameters of waxy maize, enhances the activity of catalase in ear leaves at the R3 stage, inhibits the accumulation of malondialdehyde and delays premature aging of plants. Furthermore, exogenous EDAH delays premature ripening of grains caused by waterlogging, increases the moisture content of fresh waxy maize grains during the fresh edible period, but does not effectively mitigate the yield losses caused by waterlogging. However, exogenous EDAH effectively improves grain quality under waterlogging stress, increasing the soluble sugar content and total protein content while reducing starch content, ultimately enhancing the edibility of fresh ears. Through TOPSIS comprehensive evaluation, it can be inferred that exogenous EDAH effectively mitigates the overall impact of waterlogging on waxy maize at both the V6 and VT stages. This research sheds light on potential strategies to mitigate the adverse effects of waterlogging on agricultural productivity and grain quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Myocardial ischemia–reperfusion injury (MIRI) is a common clinic scenario that occurs in the context of reperfusion therapy for acute myocardial infarction. It has been shown that cocaine and amphetamine‐regulated transcript (CART) can ameliorate cerebral ischemia–reperfusion (I/R) injury, but the effect of CART on MIRI has not been studied yet. Here, we revealed that CART protected the heart during I/R process by inhibiting apoptosis and excessive autophagy, indicating that CART would be a potential drug candidate for the treatment of MIRI. Further analysis showed that CART upregulated the activation of phospho‐AKT, leading to downregulation of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release, apoptosis, oxidative stress and excessive autophagy after I/R, which was inhibited by PI3K inhibitor, LY294002. Collectively, CART attenuated MIRI through inhibition of cardiomyocytes apoptosis and excessive autophagy, and the protective effect was dependent on PI3K/AKT signalling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The heterostructure of two‐dimensional transition metal dichalcogenide (TMDC) has garnered extensive attention, for the junction is the building block of a semiconductor device. However, the controllable synthesis of TMDC heterostructures of different transition metals and different chalcogen elements is still challenging because of the etching by atom substitution during the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process. Here, a Mo─O transition state with lower energy is introduced to the edge of an as‐grown MoSe2 by using ultraviolet ozone treatment, to prevent the fast atom substitution of S for Se, and enable a stable growth of WS2/MoSe2 lateral heterostructure. A polymer‐free transfer method is developed based on capillary interaction, and atomic structure characterization confirms the high‐quality WS2/MoSe2 lateral heterostructure. The WS2/MoSe2 lateral heterostructure photodetector exhibits superior photoresponse compared to WS2 and MoSe2 devices, with a responsivity of 21.87 A W−1 and a detectivity of 4.2 × 1012 Jones at 350 nm. Kelvin probe force microscopy result reveals that the built‐in electric field within the heterojunction facilitates the effective separation of photogenerated electron‐hole pairs. This study carries profound implications for the CVD growth and polymer‐free transfer of TMDC heterostructures in photodetector applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A direct diastereoselective aldol reaction of cyclic or acyclic α‐azido ketones with α‐trifluoromethyl (CF3) pyruvate catalysed by DABCO is developed, which allowed the facile access of CF3‐containing multifunctional organoazides with vicinal tetrasubstituted carbons in good to high yields and diastereoselectivities. Moreover, phenylethynyl trifluoro‐ and difluoromethyl ketones are also viable substrates. Up to 50 % enantioselectivity could be obtained in the initial exploration of the catalytic asymmetric variant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The traditional batch synthesis of liquid rubber faces issues such as low monomer polymerization concentration, poor uniformity of the reaction system, and inadequate heat dissipation, resulting in an unsatisfactory synthesis efficiency. This study presents a method for the rapid and efficient synthesis of high vinyl 1,2‐polybutadiene liquid rubber using butadiene as the monomer and n‐butyllithium as the initiator. By applying continuous flow microchannel reactors, the limitation of traditional synthesis method can be overcome. The addition of a modifier in the raw material promotes the formation of high vinyl structure. The preparation of liquid rubber requires the addition of a large amount of metal lithium initiator. However, for aerospace sealants, there is a requirement for low metal ion content. To address this, we employed different methods to reduce the metal ion content in the liquid rubber and increase its purity. Ultimately, we achieved the synthesis of high‐purity polybutadiene liquid rubber with 1,2‐vinyl content exceeding 88%, narrow molecular weight distribution, and tunable molecular weights. This research will provide technical guidance for the industrial application of polybutadiene synthesis in continuous flow microchannel reactors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The silicon (Si) anode is prone to forming a high electric field gradient and concentration gradient on the electrode surface under high‐rate conditions, which may destroy the surface structure and decrease cycling stability. In this study, a ferroelectric (BaTiO3) interlayer and field polarization treatment are introduced to set up a built‐in field, which optimizes the transport mechanisms of Li+ in solid and liquid phases and thus enhances the rate performance and cycling stability of Si anodes. Also, a fast discharging and slow charging phenomenon is observed in a half‐cell with a high reversible capacity of 1500.8 mAh g−1 when controlling the polarization direction of the interlayer, which means a fast charging and slow discharging property in a full battery and thus is valuable for potential applications in commercial batteries. Simulation results demonstrated that the built‐in field plays a key role in regulating the Li+ concentration distribution in the electrolyte and the Li+ diffusion behavior inside particles, leading to more uniform Li+ diffusion from local high‐concentration sites to surrounding regions. The assembled lithium‐ion battery with a BaTiO3 interlayer exhibited superior electrochemical performance and long‐term cycling life (915.6 mAh g−1 after 300 cycles at a high current density of 4.2 A g−1). The significance of this research lies in exploring a new approach to improve the performance of lithium‐ion batteries and providing new ideas and pathways for addressing the challenges faced by Si‐based anodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, snowflake‐like α‐CaSO4·0.5H2O (α‐CSH) hierarchical architectures were successfully synthesized by a facile one‐pot method in an ethylene glycol‐water system using Na2EDTA as a crystal morphology modifier. Characterization techniques including X‐ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric (TG) analysis, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) confirmed the progressive morphological evolution of α‐CSH from rods to snowflake‐like structures ultimately to hexagonal plates with increased Na2EDTA concentrations. The results revealed that Na2EDTA concentration played a critical role in directing the crystallization and self‐assembly of α‐CSH, and a mechanism is proposed where Na2EDTA modulated crystal orientation through preferential adsorption and regulated the driving forces between ion‐mediated crystallization and particle‐mediated assembly. This work puts forward a simple yet effective strategy for facilely regulating the morphology of α‐CSH microstructures, which could potentially expand their applications across diverse fields such as composites, construction, biomedicine, and drug delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant viral diseases compromise the growth and yield of the crop globally, and they tend to be more serious under extreme temperatures and drought climate changes. Currently, regulatory dynamics during plant development and in response to virus infection at the plant cell level remain largely unknown. In this study, single‐cell RNA sequencing on 23 226 individual cells from healthy and tomato chlorosis virus‐infected leaves was established. The specific expression and epigenetic landscape of each cell type during the viral infection stage were depicted. Notably, the mesophyll cells showed a rapid function transition in virus‐infected leaves, which is consistent with the pathological changes such as thinner leaves and decreased chloroplast lamella in virus‐infected samples. Interestingly, the F‐box protein SKIP2 was identified to play a pivotal role in chlorophyll maintenance during virus infection in tomato plants. Knockout of the SlSKIP2 showed a greener leaf state before and after virus infection. Moreover, we further demonstrated that SlSKIP2 was located in the cytomembrane and nucleus and directly regulated by ERF4. In conclusion, with detailed insights into the plant responses to viral infections at the cellular level, our study provides a genetic framework and gene reference in plant–virus interaction and breeding in the future research. Summary statement: The responses of different cell types in tomato leaves to tomato chlorosis virus (ToCV) infection were analyzed at the cellular level. We further determined that ERF4 regulates SlSKIP2, and the latter plays a crucial role in chlorophyll maintenance during ToCV infection in tomato leaves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lithium‐sulfur batteries (LSBs) are greatly promising next‐generation energy storage systems due to their high theoretical specific capacities and energy density. However, the dissolution of lithium polysulfides (LIPs) causees low capacity and short lifespan, impeding the practical application of LSBs. To address this challenge, the composites of oxygen‐doped porous carbon nanotubes (CNTs) wrapped in Bi2O3 were synthesized by the calcinating method (CNTs@Bi2O3). The CNTs@Bi2O3 composites as absorbent immobilize LIPs via the physical limitations of porous CNTs and the chemical adsorption of Bi2O3 and carbon‐oxygen polar bond. After loading sulfur, the CNTs@Bi2O3/S composites with the encapsulated structure can provide a large space to withstand the significant volume expansion during the electrochemical reaction process, ensuring the stability of the electrode structure. Thus, the batteries with CNTs@Bi2O3/S exhibit a high capacity (1232 mA h g−1 at 0.1 C) and good cycle stability (639.1 mA h g−1 after 150 cycles at 0.5 C). This work presents an innovative design suitable for the encapsulated structure of Bi2O3, serving as a valuable reference for the development of Bi2O3 in LSBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inspired by human skin, soft sensors that are capable of sensing various external signals have been an active area of research. However, the vast majority of the developed soft sensors still lag far behind human skin in terms of multimodal sensing capability. Herein, this work reports on a multimodal soft sensor that can decouple thermal and mechanical signals. The sensor is made of poly(ethylene glycol) gel (PEGgel) containing ionic liquid, which is stretchable and transparent and shows decent strain and temperature sensing performances. Importantly, analysis of the ion relaxation dynamics shows that the charge relaxation time and capacitance change of the sensor are independently sensitive to the variations of temperature and mechanical deformation, respectively. By measuring the charge relaxation time and capacitance, the thermal and mechanical signals detected by the PEGgel sensor can be nicely decoupled without signal interference. Such a multimodal soft sensor may serve as a starting point for the development of lifelike soft sensors for high‐tech applications in a variety of fields such as soft robotics, the internet of things, and human–machine interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Federated learning (FL) has emerged as a promising solution to address the challenges posed by data silos and the need for global data fusion. It offers a distributed machine learning framework with privacy‐preserving features, allowing model training without the need to collect user data. However, FL also presents significant security and privacy threats that hinder its widespread adoption. The requirements of privacy and security in FL are inherently conflicting. Privacy necessitates the concealment of individual client updates, while security requires the disclosure of client updates to detect anomalies. While most existing research focused on the privacy and security aspects of FL, very few studies have addressed the compatibility of these two demands. In this work, we aim to bridge this gap by proposing a comprehensive defense scheme that ensures privacy, security, and compatibility in FL. We categorize the existing literature into two key directions: privacy defense and security defense. Privacy defense includes methods based on additive masks, differential privacy, homomorphic encryption, and trusted execution environment, whereas security defense encompasses distance‐, performance‐, clustering‐, and similarity‐based anomaly detection techniques and statistical information‐based anomaly update bypassing techniques when the server is trusted and privacy‐compatible anomaly update detection techniques when the server is not trusted. In addition, this article presents decentralized FL solutions based on blockchain. For each direction, we discuss specific technical solutions, their advantages, and disadvantages. By evaluating various defense methods, we identify the most suitable approach to address the primary challenge of "achieving a secure and robust FL system against malicious adversaries while protecting users' privacy." We then propose a theoretical reference framework for end‐to‐end protection of privacy and security in FL for the key problem, which summarizes the attack surface of FL systems from the client to the server under the security model where the client and server are malicious. Leveraging the strengths and characteristics of existing schemes, our proposed framework integrates multiple techniques to strike a balance between privacy, usability, and efficiency. This framework serves as a valuable reference and provides insights for future work in the field. Finally, we also provide recommendations for future research directions in this field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Plant health is intricately linked to crop quality, food security and agricultural productivity. Obtaining accurate plant health information is of paramount importance in the realm of precision agriculture. Wearable sensors offer an exceptional avenue for investigating plant health status and fundamental plant science, as they enable real‐time and continuous in‐situ monitoring of physiological biomarkers. However, a comprehensive overview that integrates and critically assesses wearable plant sensors across various facets, including their fundamental elements, classification, design, sensing mechanism, fabrication, characterization and application, remains elusive. In this study, we provide a meticulous description and systematic synthesis of recent research progress in wearable sensor properties, technology and their application in monitoring plant health information. This work endeavours to serve as a guiding resource for the utilization of wearable plant sensors, empowering the advancement of plant health within the precision agriculture paradigm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chimeric antigen receptor‐ (CAR‐)modified T cells have been successfully used to treat blood cancer. With the improved research on anti‐tumour adoptive cell therapy, researchers have focused on immune cells other than T lymphocytes. Natural killer (NK) cells have received widespread attention as barriers to natural immunity. Compared to T lymphocyte‐related adoptive cell therapy, the use of NK cells to treat tumours does not cause graft‐versus‐host disease, significantly improving immunity. Moreover, NK cells have more sources than T cells, and the related modified cells are less expensive. NK cells function through several pathways in anti‐tumour mechanisms. Currently, many anti‐tumour clinical trials have used NK cell‐related adoptive cell therapies. In this review, we have summarized the recent progress in NK cell‐related adoptive cellular immunotherapy for tumour treatment and propose the current challenges faced by CAR‐NK cell therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exploration and manipulation of topological protected magnetic swirls, such as skyrmion, antiskyrmion, meron, and vortex, holds significance for fundamental research and practical applications in high‐density magnetic information storage and spintronics because of their high storage density and low driven current. This study unveils the existence of field‐free spontaneous (anti)meron chains with a topological charge of ±1/2 in the centrosymmetric rare‐earth magnet Tb6Co2.17Si2.5 via in situ real‐space observation. The spin reorientation transition from in‐plane to uniaxial anisotropy contributes to the spontaneous transformation from straight domain walls to topological (anti)meron chains and to stripe domains along the [110] zone axis during in situ cooling. The study further confirms the critical role of the noncollinear magnetic structure of Tb atoms in the formation of topological (anti)meron chains via real‐space observations, first‐principles calculations, and micromagnetic simulations. The spontaneous topological magnetic texture is strongly correlated with the 4f electrons of rare‐earth atoms, enriching and stimulating alternative generation mechanisms of topological spin textures from emerging rare‐earth magnets, and further applications in spintronics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spleen is a vital organ for the immune system, while splenectomy may be necessary for various reasons. However, there is limited research on the impact of splenectomy on T cell function in peripheral lymph nodes as a compensatory mechanism in preventing infections. This study aimed to investigate the characteristics and function of CD8+ and CD4+ T cells in different peripheral lymph nodes during viral infection using a well‐established splenectomy model. The results revealed that splenectomy caused an increase in CD8+GP33+ T cells in the mesenteric lymph nodes (MLN). Moreover, we demonstrated that splenectomy resulted in an increase of effector KLRG1+ T cells in the MLN. Additionally, the number of CD4+ cytotoxic T cells (CD4 CTLs) was also elevated in the peripheral lymph nodes of mice with splenectomy. Surprisingly, aged mice exhibited a stronger compensatory ability than adult mice, as evidenced by an increase in effector CD8+ T cells in all peripheral lymph nodes. These findings provide compelling evidence that T cells in MLN play a crucial role in protecting individuals with splenectomy against viral infections. The study offers new insights into understanding the changes in the immune system of individuals with splenectomy and highlights the potential compensatory mechanisms involved by T cells in peripheral lymph nodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A dual‐motor servo mechanism is a high‐order and strong‐coupling system with unknown nonlinearity, which brings challenges to controller design to realize high‐performance tracking and synchronization. This article proposes a finite‐time command filtered control strategy to address this problem. In tracking control design, finite‐time command filters are adopted to obtain the derivatives of virtual controllers, and the "explosion of complexity" problem in backstepping is thus solved. An improved compensation system is designed to reduce filtering errors. The tracking control is developed based on the combination of finite‐time control and command filtered approach. Moreover, to deal with unknown nonlinearities and uncertainties, fast finite‐time extended state observers are developed to observe lumped disturbances for the load and motor, respectively. In synchronization control design, two opposite control actions are developed using the speed difference to force two motors to rotate synchronously. The finite‐time convergence of the tracking and synchronization errors is proved. The efficiency of the proposed control strategy is verified via experiments conducted on a dual‐motor servo turntable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spatial self‐phase modulation (SSPM) of phosphorus‐based nanomaterials is widely studied and developed as passive nonlinear photonic devices for applications in all‐optical switches, logic gates, information converters, etc. In this work, violet phosphorus quantum dots (VP QDs) are prepared and characterized in three different solvents, their SSPM is investigated, and their spatial asymmetric light propagation performances are demonstrated. It is shown that VP QDs prepared in three different solvents exhibit different bandgaps, mainly due to the interaction between the dangling bonds of VP QDs and functional groups in different solvents. The SSPM experiment characterizes the nonlinear optical response of solvent‐dependent VP QDs. It is found that VP QDs exhibit strong nonlinear optical effect and their nonlinear refractive indexes are comparable to other phosphorus‐based 2D materials. Unlike the previously reported principle of spatial asymmetric light propagation (i.e., a cascaded sample based on SSPM composed of nanomaterials with excellent nonlinear refraction and SnS2 with reverse saturation absorption), the spatial asymmetric light propagation performance based on SSPM is demonstrated using a cascaded sample of VP QDs with significantly different nonlinear optical response prepared in two different solvents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numerous studies have elucidated the intricate relationship between bronchial asthma and small cell lung cancer (SCLC), as well as the role lipid metabolism genes play in transitioning from bronchial asthma to SCLC. Despite this, the predictive power of single gene biomarkers remains insufficient and necessitates the development of more accurate prognostic models. In our study, we downloaded and preprocessed scRNA‐seq of SCLC from the GEO database GSE164404 and severe asthma scRNA‐seq from GSE145013 using the Seurat package. Using the MSigDB database and geneCard database, we selected lipid metabolism‐related genes and performed scRNA‐seq data analysis from the gene expression GEO database, aiming to uncover potential links between immune signaling pathways in bronchial asthma and SCLC. Our investigations yielded differentially expressed genes based on the scRNA‐seq dataset related to lipid metabolism. We executed differential gene analysis, gene ontology, and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analyses. In‐depth GSEA pathway activation analysis, crucial target gene predictions via protein–protein interactions, and key cluster gene evaluations for differential and diagnostic ROC values correlation analysis confirmed that key cluster genes are significant predictors for the progression of bronchial asthma to SCLC. To validate our findings, we performed wet laboratory experiments using real‐time quantitative PCR to assess the expression of these relevant genes in SCLC cell lines. In conclusion, this research proposes a novel lipid metabolism‐related gene marker that can offer comprehensive insights into the pathogenesis of bronchial asthma leading to SCLC. Although this study does not directly focus on senescence‐associated molecular alterations, our findings in the lipid metabolism genes associated with inflammation and cancer progression offer valuable insights for further research targeting senescence‐related changes in treating inflammatory diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cervical cancer is one of the most common gynecological cancers. Accumulated evidence shows that long non‐coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play essential roles in cervical cancer occurrence and progression, but their specific functions and mechanisms remain to be further explored. Methods: The RT‐qPCR assay was used to detect the expression of NEAT1 in cervical cancer tissues and cell lines. CCK‐8, colony formation, flow cytometry, western blotting, and Transwell assays were used to evaluate the impact of NEAT1 on the malignant behavior of cervical cancer cells. Glucose consumption, lactate production, ATP levels, ROS levels, MMP levels, and the mRNA expressions of glycolysis‐related genes and tricarboxylic acid cycle‐related genes were detected to analyze the effect of NEAT1 on metabolism reprograming in cervical cancer cells. The expressions of PDK1, β‐catenin and downstream molecules of the WNT/β‐catenin signaling pathway in cervical cancer cells and tissues were detected by western blotting, RT‐qPCR, immunofluorescence and immunohistochemistry assays. Results: This study investigated the role and possible molecular mechanism of lncRNA nuclear paraspeckle assembly transcript 1 (NEAT1) in cervical cancer. Our results showed that NEAT1 was highly expressed in cervical cancer tissues and cell lines. Downregulation of NEAT1 inhibited the proliferation, migration, invasion and glycolysis of cervical cancer cells, while overexpression of NEAT1 led to the opposite effects. Mechanistically, NEAT1 upregulated pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase (PDK1) through the WNT/β‐catenin signaling pathway, which enhanced glycolysis and then facilitated cervical cancer metastasis. Furthermore, NEAT1 maintained the protein stability of β‐catenin but did not affect its mRNA level. We also excluded the direct binding of NEAT1 to the β‐catenin protein via RNA pull‐down assay. The suppressive impact of NEAT1 knockdown on cell proliferation, invasion, and migration was rescued by β‐catenin overexpression. The WNT inhibitor iCRT3 attenuated the carcinogenic effect induced by NEAT1 overexpression. Conclusion: In summary, these findings indicated that NEAT1 may contribute to the progression of cervical cancer by activating the WNT/β‐catenin/PDK1 signaling axis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Krüppel‐like factor 13 (KLF13), a zinc finger transcription factor, is considered as a potential regulator of cardiomyocyte differentiation and proliferation during heart morphogenesis. However, its precise role in the dedifferentiation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) during atherosclerosis and neointimal formation after injury remains poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the relationship between KLF13 and SM22α expression in normal and atherosclerotic plaques by bioanalysis, and observed a significant increase in KLF13 levels in the atherosclerotic plaques of both human patients and ApoE−/− mice. Knockdown of KLF13 was found to ameliorate intimal hyperplasia following carotid artery injury. Furthermore, we discovered that KLF13 directly binds to the SM22α promoter, leading to the phenotypic dedifferentiation of VSMCs. Remarkably, we observed a significant inhibition of platelet‐derived growth factor BB‐induced VSMCs dedifferentiation, proliferation, and migration when knocked down KLF13 in VSMCs. This inhibitory effect of KLF13 knockdown on VCMC function was, at least in part, mediated by the inactivation of p‐AKT signaling in VSMCs. Overall, our findings shed light on a potential therapeutic target for treating atherosclerotic lesions and restenosis after vascular injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]