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Comprehensive Summary: A general and broadly applicable copper and photoredox dual‐catalyzed multicomponent 1,4‐perfluoroalkylcyanation of 1,3‐enynes has been developed. This protocol enjoys success with high regioselectivity, mild reaction conditions, and excellent functional‐group tolerance, allowing the facile synthesis of structurally diverse perfluoroalkylated allenes from readily available fluoroalkyl halides, 1,3‐enynes and TMSCN in a one‐pot manner. A reasonable mechanism has been proposed according to a series of control experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and Western Medicine both have shown efficacy in treating male sexual dysfunction (MSD). The aim of this perspective paper is to discuss a possible link between Western medicine and TCM in the MSD field as represented by the entity of Klotho. Klotho is a recently discovered protein, mainly expressed in the kidney, encoded by the anti‐aging gene klotho. Not only is Klotho significantly correlated with the development and progression of kidney diseases and their complications, but increasing evidence indicates that it is also closely related to MSD. A comprehensive search within PubMed database was performed to retrieve available evidence on Klotho's roles, particularly in kidney and in MSD. Indeed, in the TCM theory, the concept of the "kidney" is entirely different from the Western medicine: it is closely related to metabolism and to the reproductive, nervous, endocrine systems, being more than just a urinary organ. According to the "Kidney storing essence (jīng) and governing reproduction" (KSEGR) theory, a cornerstone in TCM, the treatment of MSD mainly consists of restoring the kidney's function. Signs of decreasing kidney essence show a consistent similarity to deficiencies of Klotho, also for what regards the male sexual function. Based on the current evidence, Klotho may represent a potential biological indicator for sexual desire and sexual function and a kind of new scientific Silk Road between TCM and Western medicine for MSD; nevertheless, there is a need to conduct further high‐quality research to prove this hypothesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Radiotherapy demonstrates a synergistic effect with immunotherapy by inducing a transformation of "immune cold" tumors into "immune hot" tumors in triple negative breast cancer (TNBC). Nevertheless, the effectiveness of immunotherapy is constrained by low expression of tumor‐exposed antigens, inadequate inflammation, and insufficient tumor infiltrating lymphocyte (TILs). To address this predicament, novel lutecium‐based rare earth nanoparticles (RENPs) are synthesized with the aim of amplifying radiation effect and tumor immune response. The nanoprobe is characterized by neodymium‐based down‐conversion fluorescence, demonstrating robust photostability, biocompatibility, and targetability. The conjugation of RENPs with a CXCR4 targeted drug enables precise delineation of breast tumors using a near‐infrared imaging system and improves radiation efficacy via lutetium‐based radio‐sensitizer in vivo. Furthermore, the study shows a notable enhancement of immune response through the induction of immunogenic cell death and recruitment of TILs, resulting in the inhibition of tumor progression both in vitro and in vivo models following the administration of nanoparticles. Hence, the novel multifunctional nanoprobes incorporating various lanthanide elements offer the potential for imaging‐guided tumor delineation, radio‐sensitization, and immune activation post‐radiation, thus presenting an efficient radio‐immunotherapeutic approach for TNBC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The thymus, a site to culture the naïve T lymphocytes, is susceptible to atrophy or involution due to aging, inflammation, and oxidation. Epigallocatechin‐3‐gallate (EGCG) has been proven to possess anti‐inflammatory, antioxidant, and antitumor activity. Here, we investigate the effects of EGCG on thymic involution induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS), an endotoxin derived from Gram‐negative bacteria. The methodology included an in vivo experiment on female Kunming mice exposed to LPS and EGCG. Morphological assessment of thymic involution, immunohistochemical detection, and thymocyte subsets analysis by flow cytometry were further carried out to evaluate the potential role of EGCG on the thymus. As a result, we found that EGCG alleviated LPS‐induced thymic atrophy, increased mitochondrial membrane potential and superoxide dismutase levels, and decreased malondialdehyde and reactive oxygen species levels. In addition, EGCG pre‐supplement restored the ratio of thymocyte subsets, the expression of autoimmune regulator, sex‐determining region Y‐box 2, and Nanog homebox, and reduced the number of senescent cells and collagen fiber deposition. Western blotting results indicated that EGCG treatment elevated LPS‐induced decrease in pAMPK, Sirt1 protein expression. Collectively, EGCG relieved thymus architecture and function damaged by LPS via regulation of AMPK/Sirt1 signaling pathway. Our findings may provide a new strategy on protection of thymus from involution caused by LPS by using EGCG. And EGCG might be considered as a potential agent for the prevention and treatment of thymic involution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oxygen‐inducing controllable surface reconstruction on the transition metal‐based (TMB) materials surface has a great impact on catalytic performance. However, regulating the oxygen coordinative position during the active sites reconstructive process is challenging and poorly understood. Here, the metastable isomeric catalytic site is reasonably designed and fabricated for enhancing photocatalytic hydrogen evolution. Due to the controlled coordinative position of the oxygen atom, a new ternary catalytic site Co‐P(‐‐O) is created, improving the photocatalytic performance of H2 evolution toward 20.7 mmol g−1 in 6 h and 0.56% apparent quantum efficiency. The reconstruction method not only changes the electronic state around the catalytic site but also tunes the adsorption energy of the hydrogen atom. Compared with Co‐Co, Co‐P, Co‐O, and O‐Co‐P catalytic sites, the remarkable Co‐P(‐‐O) sites would drive the H‐atom connecting with the Co‐P bridge style achieving the best performance and excellent stability. Such a reconstructed catalytic site is also proved efficient in electrocatalysis and photo‐electrocatalysis systems. In conclusion, this work provides a new insight that the controllable isomeric catalytic site reconstruction strategy can dramatically enhance the catalytic performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The surrounding hydrogen bond (H‐bond) interaction around the active sites plays indispensable functions in enabling the organic electrode materials (OEMs) to fulfill their roles as ion reservoirs in aqueous zinc‐organic batteries (ZOBs). Despite important, there are still no works could fully shed its real effects light on. Herein, quinone‐based small molecules with a H‐bond evolution model has been rationally selected to disclose the regulation and equilibration of H‐bond interaction between OEMs, and OEM and the electrolyte. It has been found that only a suitable H‐bond interaction could make the OEMs fully liberate their potential performance. Accordingly, the 2,5‐diaminocyclohexa‐2,5‐diene‐1,4‐dione (DABQ) with elaborately designed H‐bond structure exhibits a capacity of 193.3 mAh g−1 at a record‐high mass loading of 66.2 mg cm−2 and 100 % capacity retention after 1500 cycles at 5 A g−1. In addition, the DABQ//Zn battery also possesses air‐rechargeable ability by utilizing the chemistry redox of proton. Our results put forward a specific pathway to precise utilization of H‐bond to liberate the performance of OEMs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As an effective method to modulate the physicochemical properties of materials, crystal phase engineering, especially hetero‐phase, plays an important role in developing high‐performance photocatalysts. However, it is still a huge challenge but significant to construct porous hetero‐phase nanostructures with adjustable band structures. As a kind of unique porous crystalline materials, metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) might be the appropriate candidate, but the MOF‐based hetero‐phase is rarely reported. Herein, we developed a secondary building unit (SBU) regulating strategy to prepare two crystal phases of Ti‐MOFs constructed by titanium and 1,4‐dicarboxybenzene, i.e. COK and MIL‐125. Besides, COK/MIL‐125 hetero‐phase was further constructed. In the photocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction, COK/MIL‐125 possessed the highest H2 yield compared to COK and MIL‐125, ascribing to the Z‐Scheme homojunction at hetero‐phase interface. Furthermore, by decorating with amino groups (i.e. NH2‐COK/NH2‐MIL‐125), the light absorbing capacity was broadened to visible‐light region, and the visible‐light‐driven H2 yield was greatly improved. Briefly, the MOF‐based hetero‐phase possesses periodic channel structures and molecularly adjustable band structures, which is scarce in traditional organic or inorganic materials. As a proof of concept, our work not only highlights the development of MOF‐based hetero‐phase nanostructures, but also paves a novel avenue for designing high‐performance photocatalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) in pregnancy is the most common form of thyroid dysfunction in pregnancy, which can affect fetal nervous system development and increase the risk of neurodevelopmental disorders after birth. However, the mechanism of the effect of maternal subclinical hypothyroidism on fetal brain development and behavioral phenotypes is still unclear and requires further study. In this study, we constructed a mouse model of maternal subclinical hypothyroidism by exposing dams to drinking water containing 50 ppm propylthiouracil (PTU) during pregnancy and found that its offspring were accompanied by severe cognitive deficits by behavioral testing. Mechanistically, gestational SCH resulted in the upregulation of protein expression and activity of HDAC1/2/3 in the hippocampus of the offspring. ChIP analysis revealed that H3K9ac on the neurogranin (Ng) promoter was reduced in the hippocampus of the offspring of SCH, with a significant reduction in Ng protein, leading to reduced expression levels of synaptic plasticity markers PSD95 (a membrane‐associated protein in the postsynaptic density) and SYN (synaptophysin, a specific marker for presynaptic terminals), and impaired synaptic plasticity. In addition, administration of MS‐275 (an HDAC1/2/3‐specific inhibitor) to SCH offspring alleviated impaired synaptic plasticity and cognitive dysfunction in offspring. Thus, our study suggests that maternal subclinical hypothyroidism may mediate offspring cognitive dysfunction through the HDAC1/2/3‐H3K9ac‐Ng pathway. Our study contributes to the understanding of the signaling mechanisms underlying maternal subclinical hypothyroidism‐mediated cognitive impairment in the offspring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Methylcyclohexane (MCH) is the simplest alkylated cyclohexane, and has been widely employed in surrogate models to represent the cycloalkanes in real fuels. Thus, extensive experimental and kinetic modeling studies have been performed to understanding the combustion chemistry of MCH. However, through a detailed literature analysis, there still lack a systematic theoretical study on the abstraction reactions of MCH, which are the main initial oxidation pathway of MCH. Herein, this work reports a systematic ab initio chemical kinetic study on the abstraction reactions of MCH with different radicals/species. Specifically, reaction rate constants of 30 abstraction reactions of MCH with H/O/OH/O2/HO2/CH3 at different sites are computed using transition state theory (TST) by using quantum chemistry calculation results at DLPNO‐CCSD(T)/CBS//M06‐2X/cc‐pVTZ level. The computed results are incorporated into a detailed mechanism to simulate newly measured ignition delay times (IDTs) of MCH in this work at equivalence ratios of 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0, pressures of 2 and 5 bar, temperatures ranging from 1140 to 1640 K. The updated detailed mechanism demonstrates improvement in the prediction of IDTs, especially at fuel‐rich conditions. The fuel concentration and dilution effect on the IDTs are discussed, and a general Arrhenius expression is adopted to fit the IDTs from both this work and literature work. This work should be valuable for further optimization of detailed kinetic mechanisms and also for gaining insight into the combustion chemistry of MCH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The space hurricane is a large‐scale three‐dimensional magnetic vortex structure that can cause massive local energy injections in the polar cap. By analyzing Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) F16–F19 satellite observations from 2005 to 2016, we found that the Southern Hemisphere space hurricane mainly occurs in summer under negative By dominated northward interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) conditions. In particular, the space hurricanes are more likely to occur in the dayside polar cap at magnetic latitude greater than 80°. The characteristics for the Southern Hemisphere are basically consistent with the characteristics of space hurricanes in the Northern Hemisphere. The different dependences of By component in different hemispheres supports the high‐latitude lobe reconnection as the formation mechanism. Plasma data from DMSP satellites in both hemispheres show that the appearance of the space hurricane greatly enhances the convection in the polar cap and the electron density on its dawn side. Within the space hurricane, electron temperatures typically increase significantly, accompanied by strong upward field‐aligned currents and electron precipitation. These results give us a better understanding of the solar wind‐magnetosphere‐polar ionosphere coupling process under northward IMF conditions. Plain Language Summary: The space hurricane is defined as a large three‐dimensional magnetic vortex structure that spans the polar ionosphere and magnetosphere. Previous research has pointed out that it often appears as an aurora spot near the north magnetic pole, which can greatly enhance the convection patterns and current systems in the polar ionosphere. To clarify its occurrence rate and characteristics in the Southern Hemisphere, we identified the 259 space hurricane events from the long‐term DMSP satellite observations in the Southern Hemisphere. The statistical results indicated that the Southern Hemisphere space hurricanes mainly occur in summer and dayside polar cap under negative By dominated and northward IMF conditions. In addition, we found that the electron temperatures within the space hurricane increased significantly and accompanied by strong upward field‐aligned field currents and electron precipitation. The appearance of the space hurricane greatly enhances the plasma velocity and the electron density on its dawn side. The characteristics in the Southern Hemisphere are basically consistent with the characteristics of space hurricanes in the Northern Hemisphere, and support high‐latitude lobe reconnection as the formation mechanism. This work helps us understand the spatial and temporal characteristics of the space hurricane and their impact on plasma parameters. Key Points: Space hurricanes in the Southern Hemisphere mainly occur in summer and afternoon sector with negative By dominated northward IMFPlasma data from DMSP satellites indicate that the space hurricane has enhanced Te, horizontal convection and Ne on its dawn sideStatistical properties of space hurricanes in the Southern Hemisphere are consistent with high‐latitude lobe reconnection [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The orbital angular momentum (OAM) of light, which is associated with the rotation of the phase structure, gives rise to numerous novel physical phenomena inlight–matter interactions. However, the direct generation of scalar OAM lasers with power‐handling capability and controllable states at the source remains challenging owing to mode degeneracy, handedness selection, and nonlinear thermal effects, which can even lead to topological charge splitting. This paper proposes a novel approach that allows spatial mode‐conversion‐controlled laser oscillation in a high‐gain OAM laser cavity with an integrated spiral‐face output coupler (SFOC). By adapting position‐dependent resonant modes, scalar optical vortices with a record power level (>60 W), high purity (>90%), and controllable OAM states (ħ or −8ħ) are demonstrated. Further, the dynamic process of OAM generation and evolution in the cavity is revealed. The concept presented herein opens a new route for the generation of OAM laser sources toward high power levels and holds promise for advancing classical and quantum optics, particularly in the area of light–matter interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To enhance the resilience of transmission systems with offshore wind farms before the advent of typhoons, a proactive unit commitment scheme is proposed. A novel scenario tree is proposed to quantify the uncertain impacts of typhoons on offshore wind farms, transmission lines, and system states, where the inertia support from offshore wind farms and random system state are in‐cooperated. The frequency security constraint is captured by a multi‐variative piece‐wise linear function, where the frequency nadir are simulated under varying inertia and disturbance combinations. The unit commitment problem is formulated as a two‐stage stochastic optimisation problem with nonlinear recourse. This problem is solved by a multi‐cuts Benders decomposition algorithm with finite iteration convergence property. Simulations are conducted on a modified IEEE‐RTS 79 test system with offshore wind farms. Results verify the effectiveness of the proposed model regarding the load shedding and frequency nadir enhancement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comprehensive Summary: A convenient approach for the construction of 2‐aminobenzothiazoles via I2‐catalyzed tandem cyclization reaction of amines and carbon disulfide has been developed. The present approach starts from simple and readily available starting materials, affording a series of 2‐aminobenzothiazoles in up to 89% yields under metal‐free conditions. In this work, C—H/N—H functionalization was achieved and multiple C‐hetero bonds were successfully constructed in one pot. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new species of Papaveraceae, Corydalis sunhangii, in the section Trachycarpae, is described and illustrated from Nyingchi City, Xizang, China. The new species has some resemblance to Corydalis kingdonis, but differs by radical leaves prominent, usually several, blade tripinnate (vs. insignificant, few, blade bi‐ to triternate); cauline leaf usually one, much smaller than radical leaves, usually situated in lower half of stem (vs. usually two, larger than radical leaves, concentrated in upper third of stem); racemes densely 13–35‐flowered (vs. rather lax, 4–11‐flowered); claw of lower petal shallowly saccate (vs. very prominently and deeply saccate); capsule oblong, with raised lines of dense papillae (vs. broadly obovoid, smooth). Phylogenetic analysis, based on 68 protein‐coding plastid genes of 49 samples, shows that C. sunhangii is not closely related to any hitherto described species, which is consistent with our morphological analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Firstly, the Canny operator combined with circle fitting is used to position the working surface. Secondly, the median filter and the Laplacian operator are selected for preprocessing. Due to uneven illumination, surface texture, or environmental dust, the extracted scratches exhibit fragmentation, and traditional morphological operations cannot handle scratches well, so an improved Canny operator combined with probabilistic Hough transform is proposed for scratch connection. A bidirectional connection is introduced to optimize the edge detection process of the Canny operator, and a parallel algorithm is introduced to shorten the detection time. Finally, the standard Hough transform needs to traverse the entire parameter space, and the calculation is complicated, and the probability Hough transform is selected. The experimental results show that compared with the traditional Canny algorithm, the precision, recall, and F1‐score of the improved Canny algorithm are increased by 3.2%, 13.2%, and 6.0%, respectively. After adding parallel processing, the average detection time was reduced by 45 ms. Finally, the accuracy of scratches extracted using this algorithm reached 97.96%, the leak rate, and mistake rate of this study are only 3.33% and 2.00%, which provides a more accurate and efficient theoretical support for the research on brake disc scratch detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the high risks of postoperative complications brought on by gastric cancer, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) as a commonly used therapy, has exerted its vital role in postoperative recovery care. In this sense, this meta‐analysis was conducted to explore the related documents about TCM's impact on gastric cancer postoperative recovery. During the research, we explored a total of 1549 results from databases PubMed, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Embase, Cochrane Library and Web of Science (WoS). Thirty‐two clinical randomized trials (RCTs) were then selected and analysed for this meta‐analysis by using the software RevMan 5.4 (under PRISMA 2020 regulations), with a population of 3178 patients. Data prove that TCM therapy reduced the risks for postoperative complications exposure by an estimated average of 19% (95% CI). Among the complications, TCM therapy suppressed the risks of wound infection and incisional infections by 53% and 48% respectively. Meanwhile, the patient's wound healing duration exhibited a significant reduction compared to those without TCM treatment, with a difference at around 0.74 days (95% CI). TCM also exerted its potential to strengthen the patient's immune and health conditions, leading to a significantly promoted gastrointestinal function in the patients with a shorter duration to release first exhaustion and defecation compared to those with no TCM therapy. In addition, similar promoted phenomena also exist in those patients with TCM therapy in terms of their immunity and nutritional conditions. These facts all indicate a positive impact of TCM therapy in clinical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alternative splicing (AS) is a fundamental mechanism that regulates gene expressionin both physiological and pathological processes. This article introduces ASTK, a software package covering upstream and downstream analysis of AS. Initially, ASTK offers a module to perform enrichment analysis at both the gene‐ and exon‐level to incorporate various impacts by different spliced events on a single gene. We further cluster AS genes and alternative exons into three groups based on spliced exon sizes (micro‐, mid‐, and macro‐), which are preferentially associated with distinct biological pathways. A major challenge in the field has been decoding the regulatory codes of splicing. ASTK adeptly extracts both sequence features and epigenetic marks associated with AS events. Through the application of machine learning algorithms, we identified pivotal features influencing the inclusion levels of most AS types. Notably, the splice site strength is a primary determinant for the inclusion levels in alternative 3'/5' splice sites (A3/A5). For the alternative first exon and skipping exon classes, a combination of sequence and epigenetic features collaboratively dictate exon inclusion/exclusion. Our findings underscore ASTK's capability to enhance the functional understanding of AS events and shed light on the intricacies of splicing regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is long been suggested that one‐carbon metabolism (OCM) is associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD), whereas the potential mechanisms remain poorly understood. Taking advantage of chemical biology, that mitochondrial serine hydroxymethyltransferase (SHMT2) directly regulated the translation of ADAM metallopeptidase domain 10 (ADAM10), a therapeutic target for AD is reported. That the small‐molecule kenpaullone (KEN) promoted ADAM10 translation via the 5′ untranslated region (5′UTR) and improved cognitive functions in APP/PS1 mice is found. SHMT2, which is identified as a target gene of KEN and the 5′UTR‐interacting RNA binding protein (RBP), mediated KEN‐induced ADAM10 translation in vitro and in vivo. SHMT2 controls AD signaling pathways through binding to a large number of RNAs and enhances the 5′UTR activity of ADAM10 by direct interaction with GAGGG motif, whereas this motif affected ribosomal scanning of eukaryotic initiation factor 2 (eIF2) in the 5′UTR. Together, KEN exhibits therapeutic potential for AD by linking OCM with RNA processing, in which the metabolic enzyme SHMT2 "moonlighted" as RBP by binding to GAGGG motif and promoting the 5′UTR‐dependent ADAM10 translation initiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The quantum mechanisms how life efficiently utilizes energy and transmits information remain unclear yet. Frequency medicine, an emerging cross‐discipline of both quantum mechanics and biomedicine, is a promising turning point for biomaterials and medicine developing from the matter level to the energy level. Recognizing the pivotal role of molecular vibrational frequencies in resonant energy coupling and transmission underscores the potential of frequency medicine to precisely regulate biomaterial vibrations, influencing interactions and reactions in living organisms. At present, scientists have unveiled sophisticated phototherapeutics; nevertheless, their advancement necessitates the precise mapping of the life energy. In contrast to genomics, proteomics, and metabolomics studied on the matter level, omics of frequencies related to medicine should be on the energy level. Herein, starting from the history of frequency medicine, and followed by the introduction of vibrational strong coupling applications in life sciences, we emphasize the significance, necessity, and urgency of studying spatiotemporal omics of medicine frequencies. By decoding the energy atlas of life, we can acquire profound insights into the quantum mechanisms that govern life processes from an energy standpoint. We anticipate that the integration of biomaterials with spatiotemporal frequency omics related to medical research will contribute significantly to advancing the goals of precision medicine, potentially revolutionizing pharmaceuticals, such as terahertz drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici (Pst) secretes effector proteins that enter plant cells and manipulate host processes. In a previous study, we identified a glycine‐serine‐rich effector PstGSRE4, which was proven to regulate the reactive oxygen species (ROS) pathway by interacting with TaCZSOD2. In this study, we further demonstrated that PstGSRE4 interacts with wheat glyceraldehyde‐3‐phosphate dehydrogenase TaGAPDH2, which is related to ROS signalling. In wheat, silencing of TaGAPDH2 by virus‐induced gene silencing increased the accumulation of ROS induced by the Pst virulent race CYR31. Overexpression of TaGAPDH2 decreased the accumulation of ROS induced by the avirulent Pst race CYR23. In addition, TaGAPDH2 suppressed Pst candidate elicitor Pst322‐triggered cell death by decreasing ROS accumulation in Nicotiana benthamiana. Knocking down TaGAPDH2 expression attenuated Pst infection, whereas overexpression of TaGAPDH2 promoted Pst infection, indicating that TaGAPDH2 is a negative regulator of plant defence. In N. benthamiana, PstGSRE4 stabilized TaGAPDH2 through inhibition of the 26S proteasome‐mediated destabilization. Overall, these results suggest that TaGAPDH2 is hijacked by the Pst effector as a negative regulator of plant immunity to promote Pst infection in wheat. Summary statement: TaGAPDH2 is hijacked by the Pst effector PstGSRE4 as a negative regulator of plant immunity to promote Pst infection in wheat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Premature ejaculation (PE), despite its wide prevalence, is largely underdiagnosed and undertreated. Being a multifactorial dysfunction with strong cultural characteristics, PE requires skillful attitudes in the psychosexological support, necessary to manage the patient's and the couple's expectations, as well as in the medical treatment. Dapoxetine is a short‐acting selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor approved for use in lifelong and acquired PE in a number of countries. Opinions, not always generated by the evidence‐based medicine, impacted the attitudes of Western andrologists, as a nocebo effect which produced a drug's Waterloo, characterized by low prescription rates much more built on the patients' and doctors' expectations than on costs, side effects, and efficacy. In the present study, we retrospectively reviewed real‐life data from eight Andrology and Sexual Medicine Public Centers in China to assess the prevalence of PE among attending patients, its association with erectile dysfunction, its subtype, and the proposed treatments. In 2019, among 156,486 patients coming to the centers, 32,667 visits having PE as the chief complaint were performed (20.9%). Almost all patients received treatment prescriptions (32,641 patients, 99.92%); 23,273 patients came back for a follow‐up visit in the subsequent 12 months (71.2% of those who initially received treatment). Dapoxetine, either alone or in combination with another therapy, was the most prevalent treatment, prescribed to 22,767 patients (69.7% of treated patients), followed by traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) (39.4%). At follow‐up, 8174 patients were unsatisfied with treatment, and a new treatment was proposed (35.12%). Dapoxetine was the best treatment, with an overall 27.1% switching rate when used either alone or in combination: Although the switching rate for Dapoxetine alone was 44.2%, the association of the same drug with psychotherapy resulted in much lower rates (19.5%) and reached a minimum of 12% when also combined with TCM demonstrating how cultural aspects and medical attitudes may dramatically impact on the therapy of a multifaceted, complex, and culture‐grounded sexual symptom such as PE. In conclusion, taking switching rates as surrogate markers of treatment failure, this real‐life study—the largest in the field—shows that in a more patient‐oriented (as in Chinese medical culture), and less symptom‐oriented (as in Western medical attitudes), Dapoxetine is a successful treatment for PE patients, with higher reliability when used alone or as part of combined and integrated therapies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A guidewire‐free angiography‐derived microcirculatory resistance (AMR) derived from Quantitative flow ratio (QFR) exhibits good diagnostic accuracy for assessing coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD), but there are no relevant studies supporting the specific application of AMR in patients with ST‐elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). The study aims to evaluate CMD in patients with STEMI using the AMR index. Methods: This study included patients with STEMI who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) from June 1, 2020 to September 28, 2021. All patients were divided into two groups: the CMD (n = 215) and non‐CMD (n = 291) groups. After matching, there were 382 patients in both groups.1‐year follow‐up major adverse cardiac events (MACEs) were evaluated. Results: After matching, the primary endpoint was achieved in 41 patients (10.7%), with 27 and 14 patients in the CMD and non‐CMD groups, respectively (HR 1.954 [95% CI 1.025–3.726]; 14.1% versus 7.3%, p =.042). Subgroup analysis revealed that 18 patients (4.7%) were readmitted for heart failure, with 15 and 3 in the CMD and non‐CMD groups, respectively (HR 5.082 [95% CI 1.471–17.554]; 7.9% versus 1.6%, p =.010). Post‐PCI AMR ≥ 250 was significantly associated with a higher risk of the primary endpoint and was its independent predictor (HR 2.265 [95% CI 1.136–4.515], p =.020). Conclusion: The retrospective use of AMR with a cutoff value of ≥250 after PCI in patients with STEMI can predict a significant difference in the 1‐year MACE rates when compared with a propensity score‐matched group with normal AMR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solid‐state lithium‐sulfur batteries have shown prospects as safe, high‐energy electrochemical storage technology for powering regional electrified transportation. Owing to limited ion mobility in crystalline polymer electrolytes, the battery is incapable of operating at subzero temperature. Addition of liquid plasticizer into the polymer electrolyte improves the Li‐ion conductivity yet sacrifices the mechanical strength and interfacial stability with both electrodes. In this work, we showed that by introducing a spherical hyperbranched solid polymer plasticizer into a Li+‐conductive linear polymer matrix, an integrated dynamic cross‐linked polymer network was built to maintain fully amorphous in a wide temperature range down to subzero. A quasi‐solid polymer electrolyte with a solid mass content >90 % was prepared from the cross‐linked polymer network, and demonstrated fast Li+ conduction at a low temperature, high mechanical strength, and stable interfacial chemistry. As a result, solid‐state lithium‐sulfur batteries employing the new electrolyte delivered high reversible capacity and long cycle life at 25 °C, 0 °C and −10 °C to serve energy storage at complex environmental conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ursolic acid (UA) is a naturally occurring pentacyclic triterpenoid widely found in fruits and vegetables. It has been reported that UA has anti‐inflammatory effects. However, its efficacy and mechanism of action in the treatment of chronic prostatitis (CP) remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of UA treatment in CP and further explore the underlying mechanism. CP rat and pyroptosis cell models were established in vivo and in vitro, respectively. The efficacy of UA in inhibiting CP was evaluated via haematoxylin‐eosin (HE) staining and measurement of inflammatory cytokines. RNA sequencing and molecular docking were used to predict the therapeutic targets of UA in CP. The expression of pyroptosis‐related proteins was examined using various techniques, including immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence, and flow cytometry. UA significantly ameliorated pathological damage and reduced the levels of proinflammatory cytokines in the CP model rats. RNA sequencing analysis and molecular docking suggested that NLRP3, Caspase‐1, and GSDMD may be key targets. We also found that UA decreased ROS levels, alleviated oxidative stress, and inhibited p‐NF‐κB protein expression both in vivo and in vitro. UA improved pyroptosis morphology as indicated by electron microscope and inhibited the expression of the pyroptosis‐related proteins NLRP3, Caspase‐1, ASC, and GSDMD, reversed the levels of IL‐1β, IL‐18, and lactate dehydrogenase in vivo and in vitro. UA can mitigate CP by regulating the NLRP3 inflammasome‐mediated Caspase‐1/GSDMD pathway. Therefore, UA may be a potential for the treatment of CP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To analyze the clinical and genetic characteristics of a patient with long QT syndrome type 14 (long QT syndrome‐14, LQT14, OMIM # 616247) caused by a de novo CALM1 mutation. Methods: The clinical data of the patient were collected, next‐generation sequencing technology was used to determine the exome gene sequence of the patient, and the suspected pathogenic locus was verified by Sanger sequencing. Results: A 5‐year and 9‐month‐old girl was admitted to the hospital due to a syncopal episode. During the attack, the main symptoms were loss of consciousness, cyanosis of the face and lips, and weakness of limbs. The child had multiple seizures in the past, all of which occurred after emotional excitement and activity. She was diagnosed with epilepsy for more than 3 years, but the effect of antiepileptic treatment was not satisfactory. The electrocardiogram was normal in the past. A month ago, convulsions occurred again after exercise, and the electrocardiogram showed QTc 496 ms. The treadmill test showed a significant prolongation of QTc after exercise, and the genetic results suggested a new heterozygous variant of CALM1, c.395A>G; p. (Asp132Gly). Consequently, she was diagnosed with LQT14 and treated with propranolol. During a follow‐up of 15 months, there were no seizures or syncope. Conclusions: This patient had multiple episodes of convulsions or syncope after emotional stimulation or activity, with intermittent prolongation of the QTc on routine ECG, marked prolongation of the QTc after exercise, and T‐wave alternans, which differed from the LQT14 phenotype caused by the previous CALM1 mutation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Acral melanoma, the most common subtype of melanoma in Asians, is often diagnosed at an advanced stage and responds poorly to current programmed cell death protein 1 (PD‐1) inhibitors. Objectives: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of TQB2450 and anlotinib in patients with advanced acral melanoma in a phase Ib study (NCT03991975). Methods: Patients received TQB2450 (1200 mg every 3 weeks) and anlotinib (10 mg or 12 mg once daily, 2‐week on/1‐week off) in the dose‐escalation and dose‐expansion phases. The primary endpoints were dose‐limiting toxicity (DLT), maximum tolerated dose (MTD) and objective response rate (ORR). Results: Nineteen patients were enrolled between June 2019 and June 2022. The majority of patients (16 of 19 patients) received anlotinib and TQB2450 as first‐line treatment. No DLTs were observed, and MTD was not reached. Eighteen (94.7%) out of 19 patients experienced treatment‐related adverse events (TRAEs), but most were grade 1 or 2. Grade 3 or greater TRAEs occurred in seven patients (36.8%). The ORR was 26.3% (two complete responses and three partial responses). The disease control rate was 73.7%. The median duration of response was 30.3 months [95% confidence interval (CI): 5.8–NA]. The median progression‐free survival (PFS) was 5.5 months (95% CI: 2.8–NA), and median overall survival was 20.3 months (95% CI: 14.8–NA). Whole‐exome sequencing suggested that acquired drug resistance might be attributed to activation of the MAPK signalling pathway and transformation to an immunosuppressive tumour environment. Conclusions: TQB2450 combined with anlotinib showed favourable tolerance and promising anti‐tumour activity with a prolonged PFS compared with anti‐PD1 monotherapy in patients with advanced acral melanoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An editorial is presented on evaluating the risks associated with mRNA drug and vaccine toxicity, emphasizing the transformative potential of mRNA technologies during the COVID-19 pandemic despite reported cases of toxicity, highlighting challenges in managing these risks due to widespread vaccine application. It discusses strategies such as improving delivery systems, adjusting dosages, and public education to enhance understanding and confidence in mRNA vaccines.

Crown ethers demonstrate significant conformational flexibility and rotational symmetry, rendering them invaluable in the realms of supramolecular chemistry and crystal engineering. These unique natures facilitate the construction of supramolecular crystals of crown ethers, characterized by disorder‐order phase transitions, imparts unique properties that hold promise for diverse applications across multiple fields. In this study, four supramolecular compounds, namely [Na(15‐crown‐5)]BF4 (1), [Na(18‐crown‐6)]BF4⋅H2O (2), [K(15‐crown‐5)]BF4 (3) and [K(18‐crown‐6)]BF4⋅H2O (4) were synthesized and characterized by microanalysis, thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry and powder X‐ray diffraction techniques. Herein, 15‐crown‐5 and 18‐crown‐6 correspond to 1,4,7,10,13‐pentaoxacyclopentadecane and 1,4,7,10,13,16‐hexaoxacyclooctadecane, respectively. It was observed that the crystal structure, phase transition, and dielectric properties of these supramolecular compounds are significantly influenced by the size of the crown‐ether rings. The research extensively discussed the correlation between the coordination mode of metal ions of K+ or Na+ with crown ethers, the compatibility between metal ions and crown‐ether rings in terms of size, and the effects of crown‐ether disorder on dielectric permittivity during phase transitions. Our discoveries hold significant implications for the design and development of crown‐ether supramolecular functional materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A convenient protocol for the synthesis of thiazole‐2‐thiones from nitrobenzene, chalcones and carbon disulfide is described. The construction of one C−S bond and two C−N bonds via [3+2] cycloaddition reaction is achieved using NaOH as the base in one pot. Various functional groups attached to substrates were well tolerated to afford the corresponding products in moderate to good yields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Estrogen receptor α (ERα) serves as an essential therapeutic predictor for breast cancer (BC) patients and is regulated by epigenetic modification. Abnormal methylation of cytosine phosphoric acid guanine islands in the estrogen receptor 1 (ESR1) gene promoter could silence or decrease ERα expression. In ERα‐negative BC, we previously found snail family transcriptional repressor 2 (SNAI2), a zinc‐finger transcriptional factor, recruited lysine‐specific demethylase 1 to the promoter to transcriptionally suppress ERα expression by demethylating histone H3 lysine 4 dimethylation (H3K4me2). However, the role of SNAI2 in ERα‐positive BC remains elusive. In this study, we observed a positive correlation between SNAI2 and ESR1 methylation, and SNAI2 promoted ESR1 methylation by recruiting DNA methyltransferase 3 beta (DNMT3B) rather than DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) in ERα‐positive BC cells. Subsequent enrichment analysis illustrated that ESR1 methylation is strongly correlated with cell adhesion and junction. Knocking down DNMT3B could partially reverse SNAI2 overexpression‐induced cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. Moreover, high DNMT3B expression predicted poor relapse‐free survival and overall survival in ERα‐positive BC patients. In conclusion, this study demonstrated the novel mechanisms of the ESR1 methylation mediated with the SNAI2/DNMT3B complex and enhanced awareness of ESR1 methylation's role in promoting epithelial–mesenchymal transition in BC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simultaneous observations from Defense Meteorological Satellite Program, Swarm, Resolute Bay all‐sky imagers, GPS Total Electron Content and Super Dual Auroral Radar Network, are used to investigate the evolution and key characteristics of the Tongue of Ionization (TOI) being restructured into a polar cap patch. Six satellites crossed the TOI of patch as it moved from the dayside to the nightside. It was initially hot, then a mix of both cold and hot, and finally it became a cold patch. This suggests that cold patch is not only a result of solar extreme ultraviolet radiation, but may also develop when a hot patch cools down. Soft‐electron precipitation and flow shears both contribute to the TOI restructuring and the appearance of polar cap patch. The plasma density of patch at ∼500 km was at least 4 times higher than at ∼800 km. The plasma density enhancement gradually decreased as the patch evolved due to decreased production and transport of cold nightside low‐density plasma. Moreover, the duskward motion of the patch was influenced by changes in the ionospheric convection pattern. Plain Language Summary: The appearance of high‐density plasma is a common phenomenon in the polar ionosphere. High‐density polar cap patches usually form near the dayside sunlit region, and then move from the dayside to the nightside with the ionospheric flow. In the paper, we use multiple instruments including six satellites and ground‐based observations to carefully investigate an event that started out on the dayside. It was initially a hot tongue of ionization (TOI) of high density and high electron temperature, followed by a mix of hot and cold (high vs. low electron temperature), before it finally became a cold patch. Soft‐electron precipitation and flow shears both influenced the dayside high‐density TOI plasma restructuring and the appearance of polar cap patch. The enhanced plasma density gradually weakened as the plasma migrated toward the nightside due to decreased production and transport of cold nightside low‐density plasma. Moreover, the duskward motion of the patch was influenced by changes in the ionospheric convection pattern. Key Points: Cold dense plasma in the polar cap can appear either via transport of solar extreme ultraviolet plasma or after a hot patch cools downSoft‐electron precipitation and flow shears both influence the Tongue of Ionization restructuring and the appearance of polar cap patchesThe enhanced plasma density is reduced due to decreased production and transport of cold nightside low‐density plasma [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As nonlinear thermal devices, thermal regulators can intelligently respond to temperature and control heat flow through changes in heat transfer capacities, which allows them to reduce energy consumption without external intervention. However, current thermal regulators generally based on high‐quality crystalline‐structure transitions are intrinsically rigid, which may cause structural damage and functional failure under mechanical strain; moreover, they are difficult to integrate into emerging soft electronic platforms. In this study, we develop a flexible, elastic thermal regulator based on the reversible thermally induced deformation of a liquid crystal elastomer/liquid metal (LCE/LM) composite foam. By adjusting the crosslinking densities, the LCE foam exhibits a high actuation strain of 121% with flexibility below the nematic–isotropic phase transition temperature (TNI) and hyperelasticity above TNI. The incorporation of LM results in a high thermal resistance switching ratio of 3.8 over a wide working temperature window of 60°C with good cycling stability. This feature originates from the synergistic effect of fragmentation and recombination of the internal LM network and lengthening and shortening of the bond line thickness. Furthermore, we fabricate a "grid window" utilizing photic‐thermal integrated thermal control, achieving a superior heat supply of 13.7°C at a light intensity of 180 mW/cm2 and a thermal protection of 43.4°C at 1200 mW/cm2. The proposed method meets the mechanical softness requirements of thermal regulator materials with multimode intelligent temperature control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let ACG(2ν,Fq) $ACG(2\nu ,{{\mathbb{F}}}_{q})$ be the 2ν $2\nu $‐dimensional classical affine space with parameter e $e$ over a q $q$‐element finite field Fq ${{\mathbb{F}}}_{q}$, and Oν ${{\mathscr{O}}}_{\nu }$ be the set of all maximal totally isotropic flats in ACG(2ν,Fq) $ACG(2\nu ,{{\mathbb{F}}}_{q})$. In this paper, we discuss Cameron–Liebler sets in Oν ${{\mathscr{O}}}_{\nu }$, obtain several equivalent definitions and present some classification results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, we developed a rhodium(III)‐catalyzed synthesis of indenones from 2‐aryl‐3‐nitrosoindoles and alkynes in a redox‐neutral manner. The reaction did not require harsh conditions or any external oxidants. Mechanistic experiments and DFT calculation revealed that the reaction involved directed C−H activation, dearomative spirocyclization, N−O/C−C bond cleavage and ketimine hydrolysis cascade processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Mitragynine, an analgesic alkaloid from the plant Mitragyna speciosa (kratom), offers a safer alternative to clinical opioids such as morphine, owing to its more favorable side effect profile. Although kratom has been traditionally used for stimulation and pain management in Southeast Asia, the mitragynine biosynthesis pathway has remained elusive.We embarked on a search for mitragynine biosynthetic genes from the transcriptomes of kratom and other members of the Rubiaceae family. We studied their functions in vitro and in vivo.Our investigations led to the identification of several reductases and an enol methyltransferase that forms a new clade within the SABATH methyltransferase family. Furthermore, we discovered a methyltransferase from Hamelia patens (firebush), which catalyzes the final step. With the tryptamine 4‐hydroxylase from the psychedelic mushroom Psilocybe cubensis, we accomplished the four‐step biosynthesis for mitragynine and its stereoisomer, speciogynine in both yeast and Escherichia coli when supplied with tryptamine and secologanin.Although we have yet to pinpoint the authentic hydroxylase and methyltransferase in kratom, our discovery completes the mitragynine biosynthesis. Through these breakthroughs, we achieved the microbial biosynthesis of kratom opioids for the first time. The remarkable enzyme promiscuity suggests the possibility of generating derivatives and analogs of kratom opioids in heterologous systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Xanthotoxin (XAT) is a natural furanocoumarin clinically used in the treatment of skin diseases such as vitiligo and psoriasis. Recent studies have also investigated its effects on anti‐inflammatory, anti‐cognitive dysfunction, and anti‐amnesia as a guideline for clinic application. However, little is known about its effects on pain relief. Here, we tested the analgesic effects of XAT in serious acute pain and chronic pain models. For acute pain, we used hot‐, capsaicin‐ and formalin‐induced paw licking. Nociceptive threshold was measured by mechanical stimuli with von Frey filaments. For chronic pain, we injected complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) into the mice's plantar surface of the hind paw to induce inflammatory pain. Heat and mechanical hyperalgesia were evaluated by radiant heat and von Frey filament tests, respectively. To investigate the mechanisms underlying the analgesic effect of XAT, we used calcium imaging and western blot to assess transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) activity and expression in isolated L4‐L6 dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons. Haematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining, reverse transcription‐quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT‐qPCR) and enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) were used to examine immune cell recruitment and proinflammatory factor release from skin tissue from paw injection sites. Our results demonstrated that XAT not only reduced acute pain behaviors generated by hot, capsaicin, and formalin but also attenuated CFA‐induced heat and mechanical hyperalgesia. The analgesic activity of XAT may be achieved by controlling peripheral inflammation, lowering immune cell infiltration at the site of inflammatory tissue, reducing inflammatory factor production, and therefore inhibiting TRPV1 channel sensitization and expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the presence of core effects of high‐entropy materials, it is believed that the impact of carbon vacancy in high‐entropy carbides may differ from that of transition metal monocarbides. In this work, nonstoichiometric high‐entropy carbides (Ti0.2Zr0.2Hf0.2Nb0.2Ta0.2)C1−x (HEC1−x) with variable carbon vacancy concentration were fabricated by spark plasma sintering using powder mixtures of high‐entropy carbide and metallic powders. Compared with the corresponding monocarbides, the decline rates of lattice constant and elastic modulus were obviously slower as carbon vacancy concentration increased, indicating a more rigid crystalline lattice in the high‐entropy carbide. The valence electron number for HEC1−x ceramics with the highest hardness is 7.6, which is inconsistent with the theoretically predicted value of 8.4 for the traditional transition metal carbides. When the carbon vacancy concentration in HEC1−x ceramics is above 20%, the promoting effect of carbon vacancy on grain growth will outweigh the inhibiting effect of sluggish diffusion on grain growth, causing grains to grow quickly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Problem: We aimed to explore the risk factors in patients with unexplained recurrent spontaneous abortion (URSA) and to provide a basis for clinically targeted therapy. Method of study: This case‐control study comprised 202 patients with URSA treated at our hospital and 115 women in early pregnancy with a normal birth history during the same period. After procuring the data we conducted a multivariate logistic regression analysis of risk factors related to URSA. Results: Logistic regression analysis showed (i) that the number of spontaneous abortions (SAs; odds ratio [OR] = 492.123), the levels of autoantibodies (OR = 19.322) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF‐α; OR = 9.615), and the CT and TT genotypes of methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) C677T (OR = 6.217 and 15.009, respectively) were risk factors for URSA and (ii) that 25‐hydroxyvitamin D (25‐(OH)D; OR = 0.919) was a protective factor. The most important risk factor was a history of one or more SAs, with the risk of pregnancy loss increasing 491.123‐fold. Every unit increase in serum 25‐(OH)D reduced the risk of SA by 8.1%. Conclusions: The risk factors for URSA included the number of SAs, the levels of autoantibodies and TNF‐α, and the MTHFR C677T T allele; 25‐(OH)D was a protective factor. We recommend that women diagnosed with URSA receive intervention as soon as possible so as to actively reduce the incidence of recurrent SA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Honeybee (Apis mellifera) ingestion of toxic nectar plants can threaten their health and survival. However, little is known about how to help honeybees mitigate the effects of toxic nectar plant poisoning. We exposed honeybees to different concentrations of Bidens pilosa flower extracts and found that B. pilosa exposure significantly reduced honeybee survival in a dose‐dependent manner. By measuring changes in detoxification and antioxidant enzymes and the gut microbiome, we found that superoxide dismutase, glutathione‐S‐transferase and carboxylesterase activities were significantly activated with increasing concentrations of B. pilosa and that different concentrations of B. pilosa exposure changed the structure of the honeybee gut microbiome, causing a significant reduction in the abundance of Bartonella (p < 0.001) and an increase in Lactobacillus. Importantly, by using Germ‐Free bees, we found that colonization by the gut microbes Bartonella apis and Apilactobacillus kunkeei (original classification as Lactobacillus kunkeei) significantly increased the resistance of honeybees to B. pilosa and significantly upregulated bee‐associated immune genes. These results suggest that honeybee detoxification systems possess a level of resistance to the toxic nectar plant B. pilosa and that the gut microbes B. apis and A. kunkeei may augment resistance to B. pilosa stress by improving host immunity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study prepared textured (Ti1/3Zr1/3Hf1/3)B2 medium‐entropy ceramics for the first time that maintain enhanced flexural strength up to 1800°C using single‐phase (Ti1/3Zr1/3Hf1/3)B2 powders, slip casting under a strong magnetic field, and hot‐pressed sintering methods. Effects of WC additive and strong magnetic field direction on the phase compositions, orientation degree, microstructure evolution, and high‐temperature flexural strength of (Ti1/3Zr1/3Hf1/3)B2 were investigated. (Ti1/3Zr1/3Hf1/3)B2 grain grows along the a,b‐axes, resulting in a platelet‐like morphology. Pressure parallel and perpendicular to the magnetic field direction can promote the orientation degree and hinder the texture structure formation, respectively. Reaction products of W(B,C) and (Ti,Zr,Hf)C between (Ti1/3Zr1/3Hf1/3)B2 and WC additive can efficiently refine the (Ti1/3Zr1/3Hf1/3)B2 grain size and promote grain orientation. (Ti1/3Zr1/3Hf1/3)B2 ceramics doped with 5 vol.% WC yielded a Lotgering orientation factor of 0.74 through slip casting under a strong magnetic field (12 T) and hot‐pressed sintering at 1900°C. Furthermore, cleaning the boundary by W(B,C) and introducing texture can enhance the grain‐boundary strength and improve its high‐temperature flexural strength. The four‐point flexural strength of textured (Ti1/3Zr1/3Hf1/3)B2‐5 vol.% WC ceramics was 770 ± 59 MPa at 1600°C and 638 ± 117 MPa at 1800°C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a new type of high‐entropy material, most of the current work has focused on the synthesis and characterization of mechanical properties of high‐entropy diboride ceramics (HEBs). In this work, single‐phase HEBs with 5–9 cations were prepared by spark plasma sintering with self‐synthesized HEB powders through the boro/carbothermal reduction method. The distribution of the metal elements in the obtained HEBs was homogeneous. Due to the phonon scattering caused by the inherent lattice distortion in the HEBs, the thermal conductivity of the ceramics decreased with the increased configurational entropy or the number of cation kinds. However, this study reveals that the degree of reduction in thermal conductivity for the HEBs demonstrate a weakened tendency with cation kinds of more than 6. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

All‐inorganic metal halide perovskite CsPbBr3 crystal is regarded as an attractive alternative to high purity Ge and CdZnTe for room temperature γ‐ray detection. However, high γ‐ray resolution is only observable in small CsPbBr3 crystal; more practical and deployable large crystal exhibits very low, and even no detection efficiency, thereby thwarting prospects for cost‐effective room temperature γ‐ray detection. The poor performance of large crystal is attributed to the unexpected secondary phase inclusion during crystal growth, which traps the generated carriers. Here, the solid–liquid interface during crystal growth is engineered by optimizing the temperature gradient and growth velocity. This minimizes the unfavorable formation of the secondary phase, leading to industrial‐grade crystals with a diameter of 30 mm. This excellent‐quality crystal exhibits remarkably high carrier mobility of 35.4 cm2 V−1 s−1 and resolves the peak of 137Cs@ 662 keV γ‐ray at an energy resolution of 9.91%. These values are the highest among previously reported large crystals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Miscarriage is a major concern in early pregnancy among women having conceived with assisted reproductive treatments. This study aimed to examine potential miscarriage‐related biophysical and biochemical markers at 6 weeks' gestation among women with confirmed clinical pregnancy following in vitro fertilization (IVF)/embryo transfer (ET) and evaluate the performance of a model combining maternal factors, biophysical and biochemical markers at 6 weeks' gestation in the prediction of first trimester miscarriage among singleton pregnancies following IVF/ET. Material and methods: A prospective cohort study was conducted in a teaching hospital between December 2017 and January 2020 including women who conceived through IVF/ET. Maternal mean arterial pressure, ultrasound markers including mean gestational sac diameter, fetal heart activity, crown rump length and mean uterine artery pulsatility index (mUTPI) and biochemical biomarkers including maternal serum soluble fms‐like tyrosine kinase‐1 (sFlt‐1), placental growth factor (PlGF), kisspeptin and glycodelin‐A were measured at 6 weeks' gestation. Logistic regression analysis was carried out to determine significant predictors of miscarriage prior to 13 weeks' gestation and performance of screening was estimated by receiver‐operating characteristics curve analysis. Results: Among 169 included pregnancies, 145 (85.8%) pregnancies progressed to beyond 13 weeks' gestation and had live births whereas 24 (14.2%) pregnancies resulted in a miscarriage during the first trimester. In the miscarriage group, compared to the live birth group, maternal age, body mass index, and mean arterial pressure were significantly increased; mean gestational sac diameter, crown rump length, mUTPI, serum sFlt‐1, glycodelin‐A, and the rate of positive fetal heart activity were significantly decreased, while no significant differences were detected in PlGF and kisspeptin. Significant prediction for miscarriage before 13 weeks' gestation was provided by maternal age, fetal heart activity, mUTPI, and serum glycodelin‐A. The combination of maternal age, ultrasound (fetal heart activity and mUTPI), and biochemical (glycodelin‐A) markers achieved the highest area under the curve (AUC: 0.918, 95% CI 0.866–0.955), with estimated detection rates of 54.2% and 70.8% for miscarriage before 13 weeks' gestation, at fixed false positive rates of 5% and 10%, respectively. Conclusions: A combination of maternal age, fetal heart activity, mUTPI, and serum glycodelin‐A at 6 weeks' gestation could effectively identify IVF/ET pregnancies at risk of first trimester miscarriage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work reported the grain growth kinetics of high‐entropy diboride (HEB) and HEB‐SiC ceramics containing 10, 20, and 30 vol% SiC during heat treatment at 1800°C. The coarsening of HEB phase occurred in the four kinds of ceramics during heat treatment, especially in HEB ceramics. The kinetic analysis showed that the grain growth of HEB phase in HEB and HEB‐SiC ceramics is controlled by interface‐controlled kinetics and grain‐boundary pinning, respectively. The growth rate constant of HEB grains is lower than ZrB2, which is related to the low grain‐boundary energy and the sluggish diffusion effect in dynamics of high‐entropy materials. The growth rate of matrix phase in HEB‐SiC ceramics is similar to that in ZrB2–SiC ceramics, indicating that the pinning effect of the SiC second‐phase played the dominant role in inhibiting the grain growth of the high‐entropy matrix phase and disguised the sluggish diffusion effect. This study reveals that the grain growth inhibition through sluggish diffusion effect in a high‐entropy ceramic system may be magnified by the possible existence of segregated second‐phase particles located at the grain boundaries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Computational modeling of protein–DNA complex structures has important implications in biomedical applications such as structure‐based, computer aided drug design. A key step in developing methods for accurate modeling of protein–DNA complexes is similarity assessment between models and their reference complex structures. Existing methods primarily rely on distance‐based metrics and generally do not consider important functional features of the complexes, such as interface hydrogen bonds that are critical to specific protein–DNA interactions. Here, we present a new scoring function, ComparePD, which takes interface hydrogen bond energy and strength into account besides the distance‐based metrics for accurate similarity measure of protein–DNA complexes. ComparePD was tested on two datasets of computational models of protein–DNA complexes generated using docking (classified as easy, intermediate, and difficult cases) and homology modeling methods. The results were compared with PDDockQ, a modified version of DockQ tailored for protein–DNA complexes, as well as the metrics employed by the community‐wide experiment CAPRI (Critical Assessment of PRedicted Interactions). We demonstrated that ComparePD provides an improved similarity measure over PDDockQ and the CAPRI classification method by considering both conformational similarity and functional importance of the complex interface. ComparePD identified more meaningful models as compared to PDDockQ for all the cases having different top models between ComparePD and PDDockQ except for one intermediate docking case. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]