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Established in 1962, lithium–sulfur (Li–S) batteries boast a longer history than commonly utilized lithium–ion batteries counterparts such as LiCoO2 (LCO) and LiFePO4 (LFP) series, yet they have been slow to achieve commercialization. This delay, significantly impacting loading capacity and cycle life, stems from the long‐criticized low conductivity of the cathode and its byproducts, alongside challenges related to the shuttle effect, and volume expansion. Strategies to improve the electrochemical performance of Li–S batteries involve improving the conductivity of the sulfur cathode, employing an adamantane framework as the sulfur host, and incorporating catalysts to promote the transformation of lithium polysulfides (LiPSs). 2D MXene and its derived materials can achieve almost all of the above functions due to their numerous active sites, external groups, and ease of synthesis and modification. This review comprehensively summarizes the functionalization advantages of MXene‐based materials in Li–S batteries, including high‐speed ionic conduction, structural diversity, shuttle effect inhibition, dendrite suppression, and catalytic activity from fundamental principles to practical applications. The classification of usage methods is also discussed. Finally, leveraging the research progress of MXene, the potential and prospects for its novel application in the Li–S field are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The untapped potential of sub‐nanometric materials (SNMs) in constructing high‐performance thermoelectrics (TE) presents a promising yet unexplored avenue. This study investigates the utilization of supertetrahedral CdS clusters, representing SNMs, in conjunction with state‐of‐the‐art Bi2Te3‐based systems. The CdS cluster with size‐dependent electronic structure enables selective interface scattering of carriers, while its 1 nm size and size‐dependent phonon density of states (DOS) contribute to significant interfacial thermal resistance. Furthermore, interfacial dislocations and significant grain refinement induced by the incorporation of the CdS cluster boost the mechanical properties. Consequently, a remarkable peak figure of merit (ZT) value of 1.47 at 350 K and a record‐high Vickers hardness of 1.08 GPa is achieved in the Bi0.5Sb1.5Te3/0.1 wt% CdS cluster composite. The robust TE module achieves an excellent conversion efficiency of about 6.1% under a ΔT of 241 K. This work opens up exciting possibilities for utilizing 1 nm clusters in thermoelectrics and even inspires other fields involving size‐dependent electrical and thermal transport behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chimeric RNAs, distinct from DNA gene fusions, have emerged as promising therapeutic targets with diverse functions in cancer treatment. However, the functional significance and therapeutic potential of most chimeric RNAs remain unclear. Here we identify a novel fusion transcript of solute carrier family 2‐member 11 (SLC2A11) and macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF). In this study, we investigated the upregulation of SLC2A11–MIF in The Cancer Genome Atlas cohort and a cohort of patients from Sun Yat‐Sen Memorial Hospital. Subsequently, functional investigations demonstrated that SLC2A11–MIF enhanced the proliferation, antiapoptotic effects, and metastasis of bladder cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, the fusion protein encoded by SLC2A11–MIF interacted with polypyrimidine tract binding protein 1 (PTBP1) and regulated the mRNA half‐lives of Polo Like Kinase 1, Roundabout guidance receptor 1, and phosphoinositide‐3‐kinase regulatory subunit 3 in BCa cells. Moreover, PTBP1 knockdown abolished the enhanced impact of SLC2A11–MIF on biological function and mRNA stability. Furthermore, the expression of SLC2A11–MIF mRNA is regulated by CCCTC‐binding factor and stabilized through RNA N4‐acetylcytidine modification facilitated by N‐acetyltransferase 10. Overall, our findings revealed a significant fusion protein orchestrated by the SLC2A11–MIF–PTBP1 axis that governs mRNA stability during the multistep progression of bladder cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spatial hindrance‐based pro‐antibodies (pro‐Abs) are engineered antibodies to reduce monoclonal antibodies' (mAbs) on‐target toxicity using universal designed blocking segments that mask mAb antigen‐binding sites through spatial hindrance. By linking through protease substrates and linkers, these blocking segments can be removed site‐specifically. Although many types of blocking segments have been developed, such as coiled‐coil and hinge‐based Ab locks, the molecular structure of the pro‐Ab, particularly the region showing how the blocking fragment blocks the mAb, has not been elucidated by X‐ray crystallography or cryo‐EM. To achieve maximal effect, a pro‐Ab must have high antigen‐blocking and protease‐restoring efficiencies, but the unclear structure limits its further optimization. Here, we utilized molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to study the dynamic structures of a hinge‐based Ab lock pro‐Ab, pro‐Nivolumab, and validated the simulated structures with small‐ and wide‐angle X‐ray scattering (SWAXS). The MD results were closely consistent with SWAXS data (χ2best‐fit = 1.845, χ2allMD = 3.080). The further analysis shows a pronounced flexibility of the Ab lock (root‐mean‐square deviation = 10.90 Å), yet it still masks the important antigen‐binding residues by 57.3%–88.4%, explaining its 250‐folded antigen‐blocking efficiency. The introduced protease accessible surface area method affirmed better protease efficiency for light chain (33.03 Å2) over heavy chain (5.06 Å2), which aligns with the experiments. Overall, we developed MD‐SWAXS validation method to study the dynamics of flexible blocking segments and introduced methodologies to estimate their antigen‐blocking and protease‐restoring efficiencies, which would potentially be advancing the clinical applications of any spatial hindrance‐based pro‐Ab. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cross‐coupling of nitriles and alcohols offers an environmentally friendly and atom‐economical method for the synthesis of various valuable compounds. These compounds include α‐alkylated and α‐olefinated nitriles, primary amines, imines, N‐alkylation amines, amides, N‐heterocycles, δ‐hydroxynitriles, olefins, etc. Herein, we have reviewed recent developments (from 2013–date) of transition‐metal‐catalyzed cross‐coupling of nitriles and alcohols. A number of transition metal complexes such as noble metals Ru and Ir, as well as base metals Mn, Fe, Co, and Ni are presented. Moreover, different product types, reaction conditions and mechanisms are discussed to understand the reaction and catalyst development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Near‐infrared (NIR) emitting phosphors draw much attention because they show great applicability and development prospects in many fields. Herein, a series of inverse spinel‐type structured LiGa5O8 phosphors with a high concentration of Cr3+ activators is reported with a dual emission band covering NIR‐I and II regions. Except for strong ionic exchange interactions such as Cr3+−Cr3+ and Cr3+ clusters, an intervalence charge transfer (IVCT) process between aggregated Cr ion pairs is proposed as the mechanism for the ~1210 nm NIR‐II emission. Comprehensive structural and luminescence characterization points to IVCT between two Cr3+ being induced by structural distortion and further enhanced by irradiation. Construction of the configurational energy level diagram enabled elucidation of this transition within the IVCT process. Therefore, this work provides insight into the emission mechanism within the high Cr3+ concentration system, revealing a new design strategy for NIR‐II emitting phosphors to promote its response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Background: Lifestyle factors play an important role in the development and management of childhood obesity and its related cardiometabolic complications. Objective/Methods: We aimed to explore childhood obesity subtypes based on lifestyle factors and examine their association with cardiometabolic health. We included 1550 children with obesity from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Cluster analysis identified obesity subtypes based on four lifestyle factors (physical activity, diet quality, sedentary time and smoking). Multiple linear regression assessed their association with cardiometabolic factors. Results: Five subtypes of childhood obesity were identified: unhealthy subtype (n = 571; 36.8%), physically active subtype (n = 185; 21.1%), healthy diet subtype (n = 404; 26.1%), smoking subtype (n = 125; 8.1%) and non‐sedentary subtype (n = 265; 17.1%). Compared with the unhealthy subtype, the physically active subtype had lower insulin and HOMA‐IR levels, and smoking subtype was associated with lower HDL levels. When compared with children with normal weight, all obesity subtypes had worse cardiometabolic profile, except the physically active subtype who had similar DBP, HbA1c and TC levels; smoking subtype who had similar TC levels; and healthy diet and non‐sedentary subtypes who had similar DBP levels. Conclusion: Children of different lifestyle‐based obesity subtypes might have different cardiometabolic risks. Our new classification system might help personalize assessment of childhood obesity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we focus on the sufficient dimension reduction problem in regression analysis with real‐valued response and functional or longitudinal covariates. We propose a new method based on gradients of the conditional distribution function to estimate the sufficient dimension reduction subspace. While existing inverse‐regression‐type methods relies on a linearity condition, our method is based on the gradient of conditional distribution function and its validity only requires smoothness conditions on the population parameters. Practically, the proposed estimator can be obtained by standard algorithm of functional principal component analysis. The proposed method is demonstrated through extensive simulations and two empirical examples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The nuanced role of spin effects remains a critical gap in designing proficient open‐shell catalysts. This study elucidates an iron‐catalyzed allylic C(sp3)−H silylation/alkyne hydrosilylation reaction, in which the spin state of the open‐shell iron catalyst dictates the reaction kinetics and pathway. Specifically, spin crossover led to alkyne hydrosilylation, whereas spin conservation resulted in a novel allylic C(sp3)−H silylation reaction. This chemoselectivity, governed by the spin‐crossover efficiency, reveals an unexpected dimension in spin effects and a first in the realm of transition‐metal‐catalyzed in situ silylation of allylic C(sp3)−H bonds, which had been previously inhibited by the heightened reactivity of alkenes in hydrosilylation reactions. Furthermore, this spin crossover can either accelerate or hinder the reaction at different stages within a single catalytic reaction, a phenomenon scarcely documented. Moreover, we identify a substrate‐assisted C−H activation mechanism, a departure from known ligand‐assisted processes, offering a fresh perspective on C−H activation strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large cohort studies have disclosed the association between obesity and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) risk. The sarcopenia prevalence in RA patients can be up to 31%. However, there is little information linking adipokines to sarcopenia in RA, so this study aimed to investigate whether adipokines were indeed involved in secondary sarcopenia in RA with a focus on non‐obese females. Sixty‐four female patients and 36 controls were included in this study. The serum adipokine levels (leptin and adiponectin) were determined by ELISA kits. The impacts of adipokines on muscle atrophy and potential autophagy were examined in mouse myoblasts, C2C12, upon treatment with recombinant leptin and adiponectin agonist (AdipoRan). Interestingly, serum adiponectin was significantly increased but the ratio of leptin/adiponectin was dramatically decreased in the RA patients with sarcopenia. After normalization by body mass, serum leptin was positively associated but adiponectin was negatively associated with muscle mass respectively, even after adjustment for fat mass. Treating C2C12 cells with leptin and AdipoRan inhibited proliferation of mature myotube respectively, as did treatment with the serum from RA patients. A combination of low leptin and high AdipoRan greatly decreased myogenin, but instead increased MAFbx and MuRF‐1 as well as increased Beclin 1, Atg5, and LC3β. Taken together, our study reveals that secondary sarcopenia of RA females may be an imbalance of RA‐related, but not obesity‐related, increase in adipokine production; additionally, the reduced leptin/adiponectin ratio could be a better indicator in monitoring sarcopenia in non‐obese RA females. Moreover, adipokine imbalance may promote muscle atrophy through inducing autophagy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In modern technology devices, an energy‐saving miniature near‐infrared (NIR) light source plays a critical role in non‐destructive, non‐invasive sensing applications and further advancement of technology. This paper reports the broadband NIR luminescence of Cr3+ clusters for designing phosphor‐converted NIR light‐emitting diodes as an alternative to typical isolated Cr3+ centers and Cr3+ ion pairs. Here, Cr3+ clusters form in the intermediate spinel structure of MgGa2O4 by utilizing the long‐chain edge‐shared octahedral dimers with the shortest bond distance between Cr3+ cations. Electron paramagnetic and magnetometry measurements confirm the isolated Cr3+ and Cr3+ clusters, resulting in NIR luminescence with three distinct emission centers. The formation of Cr3+ clusters in MgGa2O4 ensures stable internal quantum efficiency (≈94%), full‐width‐half‐maximum (248 nm), thermal stability (87%), and a radiant flux of ≈17.66 mW. This work offers a promising approach to NIR phosphor design and enhances the understanding of luminescence mechanisms in spinel and related structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper designs and optimizes a new structure hybrid material B‐pillar assembly. Establish a finite element analysis model for the side impact test of an electric vehicle to verify the model's accuracy. Construct a finite element model of the hybrid material B‐pillar assembly. Combined with the static performance analysis of the B‐pillar, the laminate design of the carbon fiber composite B‐pillar reinforcement plate and optimization. For the outer and inner panels of the B‐pillar, the surrogate model method and the multiobjective optimization method are combined to set 11 design variables and 13 responses. The optimal Latin hypercube design method was used to randomly sample each design variable and fit the radial basis function (RBF) approximate model. The modified second‐generation non‐dominated sorting genetic algorithm (MNSGA‐II) was used to carry out multiobjective optimization of the mixed material B‐pillar assembly, and the multicriteria decision‐making method was used to obtain the optimal solution for the Pareto solution set. A drop weight impact test was performed on the hybrid material B‐pillar assembly. The results showed that the peak collision force of the hybrid material B‐pillar was reduced by 43.7% compared with the original steel B‐pillar, the specific energy absorption was increased by 17.5%, and the side impact safety performance was better. After optimization, the weight of the mixed material B‐column was reduced by 26.44%. The improvement rates of the intrusion amount at P2 and the intrusion speed at P1 were 23.99% and 0.63%, respectively, and the lightweight effect and side impact safety were significantly improved. Highlights: The finite element analysis parameters of carbon fiber composite materials were constructed through experiments, and the basis for simulation analysis under various working conditions of the B‐pillar based on performance‐driven optimization was established.A hybrid material B‐pillar design method is proposed, which consists of a variable‐thickness high‐strength steel B‐pillar outer plate, a variable‐thickness high‐strength steel B‐pillar inner plate, and a carbon fiber composite B‐pillar reinforcement plate.The super layer of the carbon fiber composite B‐pillar reinforcement plate was optimized and the laying plan of the carbon fiber composite B‐pillar reinforcement plate was determined.Performance‐driven optimization is adopted to realize the collaboration of multilevel design and optimization methods such as B‐pillar conceptual design, detailed design, and multiobjective optimization.A modified NSGA‐II algorithm was proposed and combined with the multicriteria decision‐making method and the entropy‐weighted gray relation analysis method to determine the Pareto optimal solution and the optimal design scheme for the mixed material B‐pillar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Mitochondrial dysfunction, a characteristic pathological feature of renal Ischemic/reperfusion injury (I/RI), predisposes tubular epithelial cells to maintain an inflammatory microenvironment, however, the exact mechanisms through which mitochondrial dysfunction modulates the induction of tubular injury remains incompletely understood. Methods: ESI‐QTRAP‐MS/MS approach was used to characterize the targeted metabolic profiling of kidney with I/RI. Tubule injury, mitochondrial dysfunction, and fumarate level were evaluated using qPCR, transmission electron microscopy, ELISA, and immunohistochemistry. Results: We demonstrated that tubule injury occurred at the phase of reperfusion in murine model of I/RI. Meanwhile, enhanced glycolysis and mitochondrial dysfunction were found to be associated with tubule injury. Further, we found that tubular fumarate, which resulted from fumarate hydratase deficiency and released from dysfunctional mitochondria, promoted tubular injury. Mechanistically, fumarate induced tubular injury by causing disturbance of glutathione (GSH) hemostasis. Suppression of GSH with buthionine sulphoximine administration could deteriorate the fumarate inhibition‐mediated tubule injury recovery. Reactive oxygen species/NF‐κB signaling activation played a vital role in fumarate‐mediated tubule injury. Conclusion: Our studies demonstrated that the mitochondrial‐derived fumarate promotes tubular epithelial cell injury in renal I/RI. Blockade of fumarate‐mediated ROS/NF‐κB signaling activation may serve as a novel therapeutic approach to ameliorate hypoxic tubule injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The expression of metastasis tumor‐associated protein 2 (MTA2) and protein tyrosine kinase 7 (PTK7) is associated with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) progression. However, the functional effect and mechanism through which MTA2 regulates PTK7‐mediated HCC progression remains unclear. Here, we found that MTA2 knockdown significantly down‐regulated PTK7 expression in HCC cells (SK‐Hep‐1 and PLC/PRF/5). Data from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) databases show that the PTK7 expression level was higher in HCC tissues than in normal liver tissues. In HCC patients, the PTK7 expression level clearly correlated with tumor stage and grade, lower overall survival (OS) correlated positively with MTA2 level, and PTK7 expression acted as a downstream factor for MTA2 expression. In addition, matrix metalloproteinase 7 (MMP7) expression was closely regulated by PTK7, and the mRNA and protein expression levels of MTA2 and PTK7 correlated positively with lower OS. MMP7 downregulation by PTK7 knockdown clearly decreased the migration and invasion abilities of HCC cells. In HCC cells, recombinant human MMP7 reversed the PTK7 knockdown‐induced suppression of migration and invasion. Furthermore, deactivation of FAK using siFAK or FAK inhibitor (PF‐573228, PF) synergistically contributed to PTK7 knockdown‐inhibited FAK activity, MMP7 expression, and the migration and invasion abilities of HCC cells. Collectively, our findings show that PTK7 mediates HCC progression by regulating the MTA2‐FAK‐MMP7 axis and may be a diagnostic value for HCC patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Studies have shown that some single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) could serve as excellent markers in foretelling the treatment outcome of interferon (IFN) in myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN). However, most work originated from western countries, and data from different ethnic populations have been lacking. Methods: To gain insights, targeted sequencing was performed to detect myeloid‐associated mutations and SNPs in eight loci across three genes (IFNL4, IFN‐γ, and inosine triphosphate pyrophosphatase [ITPA]) to explore their predictive roles in our cohort of 21 ropeginterferon alpha‐2b (ROPEG)‐treated MPN patients, among whom real‐time quantitative PCR was also performed periodically to monitor the JAK2V617F allele burden in 19 JAK2V617F‐mutated cases. Results: ELN response criteria were adopted to designate patients as good responders if they achieved complete hematological responses (CHR) within 1 year (CHR1) or attained major molecular responses (MMR), which occurred in 70% and 45% of the patients, respectively. IFNL4 and IFN‐γ gene SNPs were infrequent in our population and were thus excluded from further analysis. Two ITPA SNPs rs6051702 A>C and rs1127354 C>A were associated with an inferior CHR1 rate and MMR rate, respectively. The former seemed to be linked to grade 2 or worse hepatotoxicity as well, although the comparison was of borderline significance only (50%, vs. 6.7% in those with common haplotype, p = 0.053). Twelve patients harbored 19 additional somatic mutations in 12 genes, but the trajectory of these mutations varied considerably and was not predictive of any response. Conclusions: Overall, this study provided valuable information on the ethnics‐ and genetics‐based algorithm in the treatment of MPN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The weak interface and poor dispersion of carbon nanofillers in polymer matrix composites lead to a significant decrease in their performance, restricting the development of polymer nanocomposites. In this work, a highly facile strategy has been developed to improve the interfacial adhesion performance between graphene nanoplates (GNP) and thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPU) matrix via self‐polymerization of dopamine. Then, single‐walled carbon nanotubes (CNT), as reinforcing agent, were introduced into surface modified GNP solution to prepare the corresponding ternary composites. Scanning electron microscope images show that GNP and CNT formed 3‐D interconnecting network‐like architecture. The sample modified with three layers of nonwoven fabric decorated with 1.0 mg/mL nanomaterial exhibit a tensile strength 35% higher than that of the virgin TPU. Consequently, compared with virgin TPU, the erosion resistance and thermal conductivity are enhanced by 78% and 45%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Following the highly successful Chinese American Society for Mass Spectrometry (CASMS) conferences in the previous 2 years, the 3rd CASMS Conference was held virtually on August 28–31, 2023, using the Gather.Town platform to bring together scientists in the MS field. The conference offered a 4‐day agenda with a scientific program consisting of two plenary lectures, and 14 parallel symposia in which a total of 70 speakers presented technological innovations and their applications in proteomics and biological MS and metabo‐lipidomics and pharmaceutical MS. In addition, 16 invited speakers/panelists presented at two research‐focused and three career development workshops. Moreover, 86 posters, 12 lightning talks, 3 sponsored workshops, and 11 exhibitions were presented, from which 9 poster awards and 2 lightning talk awards were selected. Furthermore, the conference featured four young investigator awardees to highlight early‐career achievements in MS from our society. The conference provided a unique scientific platform for young scientists (i.e. graduate students, postdocs, and junior faculty/investigators) to present their research, meet with prominent scientists, learn about career development, and job opportunities (http://casms.org). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To meet net‐zero carbon emissions in injection molding, it is desirable to use regrind polymers in plastic parts fabrication. However, the quality of regrind polymer differs from virgin polymer due to the effects of temperature, pressure, and shear stress in the prior molding process. Consequently, the molded components differ in quality compared to those made from virgin material. This study investigates the feasibility of enhancing the quality consistency of regrind plastic components by controlling melt quality in plasticization. The evaluation of melt quality involves extracting two quality metrics from the pressure signal (i.e., the peak pressure and the pressure integral). They are then used to adjust the plasticization parameters as required to ensure that the weight and dimensions of the final regrind parts approach those of parts produced using virgin polymer. The experimental results show that the pressure integral effectively indicates the quality variation of the molded part during the injection molding of regrind polymer. Notably, by adjusting the back pressure, the quality of the molded part closely resembles that of the part made from virgin feedstock after six shots. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The construction of effective conductive networks can enhance the electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding performance of the conductive polymer composites (CPCs). Herein, poly (l‐lactide) (PLLA) micro‐particles were used as a volume‐occupying phase to design and prepare the PLLA/polydimethylsiloxane/multi‐walled carbon nanotubes (PLLA/PDMS/MWCNT) composites with honeycomb‐like conductive networks. The interfacial morphology of the composites was adjusted by changing the surface morphology of the PLLA micro‐particles. The effects of the morphology and particle size of the PLLA phase on the EMI shielding effectiveness (SE) of the composites were investigated in this study. The results indicate that the PLLA micro‐particles with regular shape and rough surface can effectively improve the EMI shielding performance of the PLLA/PDMS/MWCNT composites with the same filler loadings and the particle size of PLLA micro‐particles. Specifically, the EMI SE of the composites with etched 300‐μm spherical micro‐particles with rough surface can achieve 35.1 dB, which is 15% higher than the EMI SE of 30.6 dB for the composites with the 300‐μm irregular micro‐particles. In addition, the R values of the composites with honeycomb‐like conductive networks are below 0.5, indicating absorption dominated shielding mechanism. Highlights: Micro‐particle surface tunes the interfacial structure of the honeycomb‐like samples.Micro‐particles with different sizes endow different EMI SE for the composites.Samples with regular micro‐particles have higher EMI SE than irregular ones.The samples with etched micro‐particles have the highest EMI SE.The honeycomb‐like samples show an absorption‐dominated shielding mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biphenyl fused alicyclic tetracarboxylic dianhydride, 6,6′,7,7′‐tetracarboxylic dianhydride‐5,5′,6,6′,7,7′,8,8′‐octahydro‐2,2′‐binaphthalene (OHBNDA) was successfully synthesized from biphenyltetracarboxylic dianhydride (BPDA) through hydrolysis, reduction, bromination, and Diels–Alder reaction. Three OHBNDA‐based polyimides (PIs) were synthesized by one‐step polycondensation at high temperature with 9,9‐bis(4‐aminophenyl)fluorene (BAFL), 2,2′‐bis(trifluoromethyl)‐4,4′‐diaminobiphenyl (TFMB), and 4,4′‐diamino‐2,2′‐dimethyl‐1,1′‐biphenyl (m‐TolDA) diamines, respectively. These PIs have moderate molecular weights and good solubility in polar organic solvents, such as N,N‐dimethylformamide, dimethylacetamide (DMAc), and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO). OHBNDA‐TFMB, OHBNDA‐m‐TolDA, and OHBNDA‐BAFL display glass transition temperatures (Tgs) of 309, 329, and 377°C from differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) curves, and the decomposition temperatures at 5% weight loss (Td5) of as high as 522, 507, and 548°C under nitrogen, respectively. Meanwhile, these PI films also show good optical transparency with the cut‐off wavelength <315 nm and the transmittance >75% at 400 nm. These results confirm that aryl‐fused alicyclic tetracarboxylic dianhydrides can afford transparent/colorless PIs with high thermal stability, especially the higher decomposition temperatures than the wholly alicyclic dianhydrides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cisplatin‐based chemotherapy is considered the primary treatment option for patients with advanced bladder cancer (BCa). However, the objective response rate to chemotherapy is often unsatisfactory, leading to a poor 5‐year survival rate. Furthermore, current strategies for evaluating chemotherapy response and prognosis are limited and inefficient. In this study, we aimed to address these challenges by establishing a chemotherapy response type gene (CRTG) signature consisting of 9 genes and verified the prognostic value of this signature using TCGA and GEO BCa cohorts. The risk scores based on the CRTG signature were found to be associated with advanced clinicopathological status and demonstrated favorable predictive power for chemotherapy response in the TCGA cohort. Meanwhile, tumors with high risk scores exhibited a tendency toward a "cold tumor" phenotype. These tumors showed a low abundance of T cells, CD8+ T cells and cytotoxic lymphocytes, along with a high abundance of cancer‐associated fibroblasts. Moreover, they displayed higher mRNA levels of these immune checkpoints: CD200, CD276, CD44, NRP1, PDCD1LG2 (PD‐L2), and TNFSF9. Furthermore, we developed a nomogram that integrated the CRTG signature with clinicopathologic risk factors. This nomogram proved to be a more effective tool for predicting the prognosis of BCa patients. Additionally, we identified Rac family small GTPase 3 (RAC3) as a biomarker in our model. RAC3 was found to be overexpressed in chemoresistant BCa tissues and enhance the chemotherapeutic resistance of BCa cells in vitro and in vivo by regulating the PAK1‐ERK1/2 pathway. In conclusion, our study presents a novel CRTG model for predicting chemotherapy response and prognosis in BCa. We also highlight the potential of combining chemotherapy with immunotherapy as a promising strategy for chemoresistant BCa and that RAC3 might be a latent target for therapeutic intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To develop and validate a novel weighted score integrating multisystem laboratory and clinical variables to predict poor 3‐month outcome (mRS score of 3–6) in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients with intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) therapy. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed data from Trial of Revascularization Treatment for Acute Ischemic Stroke study. The Supra‐Blan2t score was derived using the data on age, the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score, history of atrial fibrillation, blood sugar level, neutrophil count, direct bilirubin level, platelet–lymphocyte ratio, and TnI level in the derivation cohort of 433 patients, and validated in a cohort of 525 patients. Furthermore, we compared the performance of the Supra‐Blan2t score with DRAGON, TURN, and SPAN‐100 scores. Results: The discrimination capacity in the derivation and validation cohorts was good for poor 3‐month outcome (the area under the curve was 0.821 and 0.843, respectively). The cumulative incidence of poor 3‐month outcome significantly increased across risk categories in the derivation (low‐risk, 9.2%; medium‐risk, 17.4%; and high‐risk, 58.8%) and validation cohorts (12.7%, 36.5%, and 73.6%, respectively). The performance of the Supra‐Blan2t score was similar to or superior to DRAGON, TURN, and SPAN‐100 scores. Conclusion: The Supra‐Blan2t score, based on easily available multisystem laboratory and clinical variables, reliably predicted poor 3‐month functional outcome in AIS patients treated with IVT therapy featuring good calibration and discrimination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stereoconvergent transformation of E/Z mixtures of olefins to products with a single steric configuration is of great practical importance but hard to achieve. Herein, we report an iron‐catalyzed stereoconvergent 1,4‐hydrosilylation reactions of E/Z mixtures of readily available conjugated dienes for the synthesis of Z‐allylsilanes with high regioselectivity and exclusive stereoselectivity. Mechanistic studies suggest that the reactions most likely proceed through a two‐electron redox mechanism. The stereoselectivity of the reactions is ultimately determined by the crowded reaction cavity of the α‐diimine ligand‐modified iron catalyst, which forces the conjugated diene to coordinate with the iron center in a cis conformation, which in turn results in generation of an anti‐π‐allyl iron intermediate. The mechanism of this stereoconvergent transformation differs from previously reported mechanisms of other related reactions involving radicals or metal‐hydride species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Structural optimization design aims to identify optimal design variables corresponding to a minimum objective function with constraints on performance requirements. To this end, many optimization frameworks have been proposed to determine optimal structural systems that are subjected to seismic and wind hazards in isolation. However, some modern tall buildings are sensitive to seismic and wind excitation owing to their complex structural systems and geographic regions. Therefore, a proper structural optimization method for such buildings is required to ensure that the expected performance is achieved in a multi‐hazard scenario. This study proposes a multi‐objective serviceability design optimization methodology for buildings in multi‐hazard seismic and wind environments by combining optimality criteria and the nondominated sorting genetic algorithm II (NSGA‐II). Seismic and wind effects can be instantaneously updated due to changes in the structural dynamic properties during the optimal design process. A neural‐network‐based surrogate model with self‐updating is proposed to predict the structural natural frequency so that the overall computation time of the optimization process can be reduced. The proposed method was used to optimize a 50‐story frame‐tube building and was compared against the general genetic algorithm and general NSGA‐II to verify the feasibility and effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Although studies in Western countries have investigated the quality of life (QoL) of heroin users, limited research on this topic has been conducted in Asia. The present study assessed QoL in patients with heroin dependence receiving medications to treat opioid use disorder. Methods: We performed a cross‐sectional study of patients with heroin dependence receiving methadone and buprenorphine treatment. The demographic and substance use variables of patients receiving methadone and buprenorphine were compared. The Chinese Health Questionnaire (CHQ‐12), Obsessive Compulsive Drug Use Scale (OCDUS), and World Health Organization Quality of Life Short Form Taiwan version (WHOQOL‐BREF‐T) were administered to measure patient mental health problems, addiction severity, and QoL, respectively. Multivariate regression was used to identify the factors associated with QoL. Results: A total of 149 patients receiving methadone and 31 receiving buprenorphine completed the questionnaires. Individuals in the buprenorphine group were more likely to be married (p = 0.024) or employed (p = 0.024), have a higher educational level (p = 0.013), have lower drug craving (OCDUS: p = 0.035), or have higher QoL (WHOQOL‐BREF‐T: p = 0.004) than those in the methadone group. After adjustment for other variables, employment was positively associated with the physical, psychological, and environmental domains of QoL. Receiving buprenorphine treatment (p = 0.032) and longer treatment duration (p = 0.016) were associated with higher psychological QoL. Conclusion: Several factors were associated with QoL in patients with heroin dependence. Some measures may improve their QoL, such as reducing employment barriers, improving treatment adherence, or increasing accessibility to buprenorphine treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Applications in near‐infrared (NIR) have been explored significantly in many fields, including bioimaging, night vision, plant growth, and chemical analysis. Different emission profiles are required within the same industry. Developing luminescent materials with different tuning methods is reliable for controlling the NIR regions (NIR‐I, 700–1000 nm; NIR‐II, 1000–1700 nm). Spinel phosphors are promising candidates due to their ability to modulate the crystal field. Understanding the parameters that influence the degree of inversion in spinel compounds is crucial to harness the variability of the spinel structure. Cr3+ and Ni2+ are ideal activators for NIR‐I and NIR‐II emissions, respectively. However, there is a need for phosphors that emit in the NIR‐II region when excited by visible light. Although the energy transfer method combining two activators is considered, this review focuses on different types of spinel structures, discussing their types and common strategies to tune the host structure. The goal is to achieve desired shift and broadness of the entire NIR spectrum, highlighting the importance of spectrum tuning for practical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wakes and wake interactions in wind turbine arrays diminish energy output and raise the risk of structural fatigue; hence, comprehending the features of rotor–wake interactions is of practical relevance. Previous studies suggest that vertical axis wind turbines (VAWTs) can facilitate a quicker wake recovery. This study experimentally investigates the rotor–wake and wake–wake interaction of VAWTs; different pitch angles of the blades of the upwind VAWT are considered to assess the interactions for different wake deflections. With stereoscopic particle image velocimetry, the wake interactions of two VAWTs are analysed in nine distinct wake deflection and rotor location configurations. The time‐average velocity fields at several planes upwind and downwind from the rotors are measured. Additionally, time‐average loads on the VAWTs are measured via force balances. The results validate the rapid wake recovery and the efficacy of wake deflection, which increases the available power in the second rotor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Because oxygen molecules in the ground state favor a triplet spin configuration, spin‐polarized electrons at electrocatalysts may promote the generation of parallel spin‐aligned oxygen atoms, enhancing oxygen evolution reaction (OER) kinetics. In this study, a significant enhancement of OER performance is demonstrated by controlling the spin‐exchange interaction and spin‐selected electron transfer of 2D CoxFe1−xPS3 (x = 0–0.45) van der Waals (vdW) single crystals through Co doping. The pristine FePS3 exhibits antiferromagnetic orbital ordering, while the Co‐doped FePS3 exhibits the emergence of interatomic ferromagnetism due to doping‐mediated magnetic exchange interactions. The coupling between Fe and Co ions in the Co‐doped FePS3 crystal allows the formation of efficient spin‐selective electron transfer channels compared to the pristine FePS3. The correlation of spin‐exchange interactions and spin‐selected electron transfers of 2D Co‐doped FePS3 crystals with a superior OER performance is further revealed by superconducting quantum interference device magnetometer, in situ X‐ray absorption near edge spectra and density functional theory simulations. The result suggests that manipulating the spin‐exchange interactions of 2D vdW crystals to enhance the spin‐selected electron transfer efficiencies through doping is an effective strategy to boost their OER catalytic performances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: This study investigated the potential target and mechanism of duck‐derived active peptides in preventing hypertension through network pharmacology and molecular docking. Food‐derived active peptides proved to have potent anti‐hypertension activity, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. 'Active peptide‐target' and protein–protein interaction (PPI) networks were constructed, followed by GO and KEGG enrichment analyses. The top five genes in PPI network were selected as target genes, and associated peptides and targets were subjected to molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations. Forty‐four active peptides were obtained, and 143 targets were uncovered, twenty‐two of which were associated with hypertension. In PPI network, ACE, MMP2, REN, NOS3 and VCAM1 were main potential targets. Moreover, GO and KEGG enrichment analyses documented that function involved in modulation of blood pressure, endocrine and renin–angiotensin cycle, including impact on membrane raft, membrane microdomain, membrane region and even G protein‐coupled peptide receptor activity, peptide receptor activity, endopeptidase activity and calcium signalling pathway. Molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations proved that the interaction between active peptides and targets depended on hydrogen. IPIIDYEVSITLGDPEALRDLLGEWVPWQ, AEDEEEINAELTAK, LLCVAV, IQLESVAVNVTIQDFVADVESKLF and GGPDF exhibited the strongest binding ability with ACE, MMP2, NOS3, REN and VCAM1. These findings provided potential key targets for hypertension treatment by duck‐derived active peptides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on a recent review on blind bolted connections to concrete‐filled steel tubes, there is a need to improve the performance of anchored blind bolts in such composite connections. This paper presents a study on the pull‐out behavior of anchored blind bolts under applied tensile load in terms of stiffness, yield strength, ultimate strength and load‐displacement response. A finite element (FE) model with concrete damage plasticity model was developed for parametric study. Effects of key parameters, such as concrete strength, bolt grade, embedment length, tube thickness and tube grade, on the tensile behavior of the connection were studied to identify the key parameters influencing the behavior. Finally, a predictive model based on component method was proposed to estimate the structural behavior of the blind‐bolted connections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The chicken broth was pre‐treated with ultrasound at 0, 480, 600, 720 and 840 W for 30 min before stewing, and the changes of free fatty acids, small molecular compounds, volatile flavour compounds, umami polypeptides in the chicken broth were determined by GC–MS, UPLC‐Q‐Exactive‐MS, GC–IMS and LC–MS/MS, respectively. 600 W ultrasonic treatment group outperformed the other groups in terms of sensory evaluation (P < 0.05). Palmitic acid and stearic acid were the chief free fatty acids in chicken broth. 530 and 236 small molecule metabolites were found. 36 volatile compounds were identified in chicken broth, mainly aldehydes. The proportion of sweet and umami amino acids in the chicken broth of the 600 W ultrasonic treatment group accounted for 63% of the total polypeptide sequence, indicating that pre‐ultrasonication can increase the content of sweet and umami polypeptides in chicken soup. The overall taste and flavour of Wuding chicken soup under pre‐ultrasonication with 600 W power were the best combined with sensory evaluation scores. These results can provide scientific and theoretical guidance for the further understanding of the effect of ultrasound assistance on the quality of chicken broth and the intensive processing of local chicken. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aeromonas hydrophila can pose a great threat to the survival of farmed fish. In current study, we investigated the pathological characteristics and immune response in gut–liver axis of white crucian carp (WCC) upon gut infection. WCC anally intubated with A. hydrophila exerted a tissue deformation in damaged midgut with elevated levels of goblet cells along with a significant decrease in tight junction proteins and villi length‐to‐width ratios. In addition, immune‐related gene expressions and antioxidant properties increased dramatically in gut–liver axis of WCC following gut infection with A. hydrophila. These results highlighted the immune modulation and redox alteration in gut–liver axis of WCC in response to gut infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Details of the design and operational status of the silicon-nitride-based entrance slit installed in the Taiwan Photon Source (TPS) 45A beamline are given. The slit is a diamond blade edge etched onto a copper slit part, which is in thermal contact with the silicon nitride base. A stable slit opening smaller than 4 mm is achieved in TPS 45A. The beam size at the slit has a full width at half-maximum of 3 mm in the vertical direction with a power of 20 W. Additionally, a hard stop made of invar is incorporated to control the thermal expansion displacement. The slit reduces the size and increases the stability of the source of the monochromator. Consequently, a higher energy resolution and excellent beamline stability are achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Gastrectomy remains the curative option in gastric cancer. However, the growing concern that preoperative waiting jeopardizes survival has not been fully addressed. The present population‐based cohort study aimed to clarify the impact of preoperative waiting time (PreWT). Methods: We included patients with clinical Stage II–III gastric cancer who received curative surgery from 2008 to 2017 of Taiwan Cancer Registry. PreWT was defined as the time from endoscopic diagnosis to surgery. The prognostic impact on overall survival (OS) was evaluated with Cox and restricted cubic spline regressions. Results: A total of 3059 patients with a median age of 68 years were evaluated. The median PreWT was 16 days (interquartile range, 11–24 days), and patients with a shorter PreWT were younger, had a more advanced disease and received adjuvant therapies. Despite a shorter OS occurring with prolonged PreWT (median OS by PreWT [days]: 7–13, 2.7 years; 14–20, 3.1 years; 21–27, 3.0 years; 28–34, 4.7 years; 35–31, 3.7 years; 42–48, 3.4 years; 49–118, 2.8 years; p = 0.029), the differences were not significant after adjustment. The Cox and restricted cubic spline regressions showed that prolonged PreWT was not a significant prognostic factor for OS (p = 0.719). Conclusions: The population‐based study suggests that a PreWT of 49–118 days does not independently correlate with a poor prognosis in Stage II–III gastric cancer. The study provides rationale for a window period for preoperative therapies and patient optimization. The population‐based study suggests that preoperative waiting within an acceptable range dose not impact the survival in Stage II–III gastric or gastroesophageal junction cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the monomers of proteins, amino acids are critical in chemistry and biology, playing important roles in multiple fields such as synthetic chemistry, medicinal chemistry, and materials chemistry. Unlike proteinogenic amino acids, unnatural amino acids can be difficult to obtain from living organisms and generally are synthesized chemically. Recently, a method involving the asymmetric N−H bond carbene insertion reaction with α‐diazoacetates as the carbene precursor has shown high enantioselectivity and good functional group tolerance, allowing for the facile synthesis of natural and unnatural amino acids and the introduction of new concepts in catalysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: In this study, the paper‐containing 1‐methylcyclopropene (1‐MCP) and 100% nitrogen (modified atmosphere packaging, MAP) were used to treat plums during logistics process of e‐commerce (about 24 h). Quality changes of plums were analysed during shelf life at 25 °C and 4 °C for 6 and 12 days, respectively. Results showed that compared with control, 1‐MCP, MAP and 1‐MCP + MAP decreased respiration rate and ethylene production, maintained lower weight loss, higher green (a*) and firmness, maintained titratable acidity (TA) and ascorbic acid (ASA) content, reduced malondialdehyde (MDA) accumulation, inhibited polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity and maintained peroxidase (POD) activity. The quality of 1‐MCP + MAP group was the best, followed by the 1‐MCP group and MAP group. Overall, the combination of 1‐MCP with MAP treatments in the logistics process of e‐commerce has potential prospects for application to maintain the shelf life quality of fruits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Activation of PI3K/AKT signalling by PTEN loss significantly enhances chemoresistance in bladder cancer. This study aims to evaluate PTEN regulation and identify targets that could be used to relieve chemoresistance. Expression of YTHDC1, γ‐H2AX and PTEN were detected by IHC assay. Cell Counting Kit‐8 assay, colony formation assay and tumour xenograft experiment evaluated cisplatin response. Flow cytometry and comet assay estimated cell apoptosis, cell cycle distribution and DNA repair capability. Quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction, Western blot and RIP assay assessed binding properties between PTEN mRNA and YTHDC1. Silencing YTHDC1 in bladder cancer cells reduced PTEN expression and activated PI3K/AKT signalling by destabilizing PTEN mRNA in an m6A‐dependent manner. Low YTHDC1 expression indicated poor cisplatin sensitivity in bladder cancer patients. Reducing YTHDC1 expression promoted drug resistance to cisplatin, while over‐expressing YTHDC1 promoted cisplatin sensitivity. Reducing YTHDC1 expression activated DNA damage response, which includes quicker cell cycle recovery, apoptosis evasion and an enhanced DNA repair capability, whereas these effects were attenuated when MK2206, a PI3K/AKT inhibitor was applied. We provide novel evidence that PTEN/PI3K/AKT signalling pathway could be regulated by YTHDC1 in an m6A‐dependent manner and highlight a critical role of YTHDC1 in cisplatin resistance of bladder cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, high‐efficiency microwave shielding networks are constructed in multi‐walled carbon nanotube/poly(ε‐caprolactone) (CNT/PCL) composites by adding carbon black (CB) or graphene nano‐plates (GNPs). The synergistic effect of carbonaceous fillers with different rdimensions is investigated to obtain the optimal electromagnetic shielding performance of the composites. The CNT/GNP/PCL, CNT/CB/PCL and CB/GNP/PCL composites with different ratios were prepared by melt mixing and hot press molding for the microwave shielding evaluation. Because of the synergistic effect, the microwave shielding effectiveness values of 53.8 and 54.6 dB, which are achieved in the CNT9/CB1/PCL (CNT:CB = 9:1) and CNT9/GNP1/PCL (CNT:GNP = 9:1) composites, respectively, are higher than the value of 46.4 dB for the CNT/PCL composites with the same filler content of 4.12 vol%. The synergistic effect between carbonaceous fillers is attributed to the high‐efficiency shielding networks which can be easily formed by carbonaceous fillers with different dimensions. © 2023 Society of Industrial Chemistry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Visibility graph methods allow time series to mine non‐Euclidean spatial features of sequences by using graph neural network algorithms. Unlike the traditional fixed‐rule‐based univariate time series visibility graph methods, a symmetric adaptive visibility graph method is proposed using orthogonal signals, a method applicable to in‐phase and quadrature (I/Q) orthogonal signals for adaptive graph mapping for radio modulated signals in automatic modulation classification tasks. The method directly models the intra‐channel and inter‐channel graph relations of I/Q signals using two different types of convolutional kernels. It captures non‐Euclidean spatial feature information of I/Q signals using a graph neural network combining graph sampling aggregation and graph differentiable pooling as a feature extractor. Extensive experimental results on two benchmark datasets and a simulated dataset containing channel fading show that the proposed Quadrature Signal Symmetric Adaptive Visibility Graph (QSSAVG) method in this paper outperforms the benchmark method in terms of classification accuracy and is also more robust against channel fading and noise variations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Optoelectronic synaptic devices integrating light‐perception and signal‐storage functions hold great potential in neuromorphic computing for visual information processing, as well as complex brain‐like learning, memorizing, and reasoning. Herein, the successful growth of MoS2 monolayer arrays assisted by gold nanorods guided precursor nucleation is demonstrated. Optical, spectral, and morphology characterizations of MoS2 prove that arrayed flakes are homogeneous monolayers, and they are further fabricated as optoelectronic devices showing featured photocurrent loops and stable optical responses. Typical synaptic behaviors of photo‐induced short‐term potentiation, long‐term potentiation, and paired pulse facilitation are recorded under different light stimulations of 450, 532, and 633 nm lasers at various excitation powers. A visual sensing system consisting of 5 × 6 pixels is constructed to simulate the light‐sensing image mapped by forgetting curves in real time. Moreover, the system presents the ability of utilizing associated images to restore vague and incomplete memories, which successfully mimics human intelligent behaviors of association memory and logical reasoning. The work emulates the brain‐like artificial intelligence using arrayed 2D semiconductors, which paves an avenue to achieve smart retina and complex brain‐like system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two ionic hydrogen‐bonded organic frameworks (iHOF‐10, iHOF‐11) were prepared using 1,1′‐diamino‐4,4′‐bipyridine diiodide (Dbpy ⋅ 2I) and tetrakis(4‐sulfophenyl)ethylene (H4TPE). With increasing RH and temperature, water molecules induce single crystal to single crystal (SCSC) transformation of iHOF‐10, resulting in the formation of iHOF‐11. At 90 °C, 98 % RH, the proton conductivity of iHOF‐11 (7.03×10−3 S cm−1) is 2.09 times higher than iHOF‐10 (3.37×10−3 S cm−1). At 50 °C, 98 % RH, iHOF‐11 (9.49×10−4 S cm−1) is 19.06 times higher than iHOF‐10 (4.98×10−5 S cm−1). The proton conductivity shows water molecules enter the crystal and induce crystal transformation and reorganization of the hydrogen bonding structure, thus increasing the proton conductivity and stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Orchidaceae (with >28,000 orchid species) are one of the two largest plant families, with economically and ecologically important species, and occupy global and diverse niches with primary distribution in rainforests. Among orchids, 70% grow on other plants as epiphytes; epiphytes contribute up to ~50% of the plant diversity in rainforests and provide food and shelter for diverse animals and microbes, thereby contributing to the health of these ecosystems. Orchids account for over two‐thirds of vascular epiphytes and provide an excellent model for studying evolution of epiphytism. Extensive phylogenetic studies of Orchidaceae and subgroups have ;been crucial for understanding relationships among many orchid lineages, although some uncertainties remain. For example, in the largest subfamily Epidendroideae with nearly all epiphytic orchids, relationships among some tribes and many subtribes are still controversial, hampering evolutionary analyses of epiphytism. Here we obtained 1,450 low‐copy nuclear genes from 610 orchid species, including 431 with newly generated transcriptomes, and used them for the reconstruction of robust Orchidaceae phylogenetic trees with highly supported placements of tribes and subtribes. We also provide generally well‐supported phylogenetic placements of 131 genera and 437 species that were not sampled by previous plastid and nuclear phylogenomic studies. Molecular clock analyses estimated the Orchidaceae origin at ~132 million years ago (Ma) and divergences of most subtribes from 52 to 29 Ma. Character reconstruction supports at least 14 parallel origins of epiphytism; one such origin was placed at the most recent common ancestor of ~95% of epiphytic orchids and linked to modern rainforests. Ten occurrences of rapid increase in the diversification rate were detected within Epidendroideae near and after the K‐Pg boundary, contributing to ~80% of the Orchidaceae diversity. This study provides a robust and the largest family‐wide Orchidaceae nuclear phylogenetic tree thus far and new insights into the evolution of epiphytism in vascular plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a key step of tumor lymphatic metastasis, lymphangiogenesis is regulated by VEGFC‐VEGFR3 signaling pathway mediated by immune cells, mainly macrophages, in the tumor microenvironment. However, little is known whether tumor associated neutrophils are involved in lymphangiogenesis. Here, it is found that TANs infiltration is increased in LN‐metastatic BCa and is associated with poor prognosis. Neutrophil depletion results in significant reduction in popliteal LN metastasis and lymphangiogenesis. Mechanistically, transcription factor ETV4 enhances BCa cells‐derived CXCL1/8 to recruit TANs, leading to the increase of VEGFA and MMP9 from TANs, and then facilitating lymphangiogenesis and LN metastasis of BCa. Moreover, phosphorylation of ETV4 at tyrosine 392 by tyrosine kinase PTK6 increases nuclear translocation of ETV4 and is essential for its function in BCa. Overall, the findings reveal a novel mechanism of how tumor cells regulate TANs‐induced lymphangiogenesis and LN metastasis and identify ETV4 as a therapeutic target of LN metastasis in BCa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Secondary organic aerosol (SOA) produced by ozonolysis of styrene and other alkene compounds is a major part of fine particles in urban atmospheres. The atmospheric ozonolysis process of styrene is simulated in a smog chamber, and the formed SOA particles are detected on‐line by a synchronous radiation vacuum ultraviolet photoionization mass spectrometer (VUV‐PIMS) in this study. Through molecular ion peaks in the photonionization mass spectra of SOA and the corresponding photoionization efficiency curve, combined with off‐line measurement verification of ultraviolet visible and infrared absorption spectra, it is determined that formaldehyde, formic acid, benzene, phenol, benzaldehyde, and benzoic acid are the main constituents of styrene SOA. These provide new information for studying the atmospheric ozonolysis oxidation mechanism of styrene. VUV‐PIMS can get over complicated sample preparation procedures, secondary pollution, and other shortcomings of the off‐line method and is a useful instrument to measure constituents and unveil the formation process of SOA particles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metastasis in breast cancer usually lead to the majority of deaths on clinical patients. Accordingly, diagnosis of metastasis at the early stage in breast cancer is important to improve the prognosis. We observed that Dicer protein levels are significant decrease in highly invasive breast cancer cells and usually correlated with poor clinical outcomes. Following, we aim to clarify the molecular regulatory mechanism of this phenomenon in breast cancer to provide a new therapeutic target. In this study, we obtained that Dicer expression correlated with metastasis and invasion without affect cell stability in breast cancer cells. Importantly, we identified the regulatory mechanism of Dicer protein degradation, the chaperone‐mediated autophagy (CMA)‐mediated degradation that is major mechanism to decrease Dicer protein expression and lead to cancer metastasis. We discovered that heat shock cognate 71‐kDa protein (Hsc70) which as a CMA‐related factor interacts with the CMA‐targeting motif I333A/K334A on Dicer to promote degradation through CMA. Taken together, our findings hint that Dicer highly correlated with cancer metastasis, we reveal the tumor‐promoting effect of CMA‐mediated Dicer degradation in breast cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]