Search

We study the number of positive solutions to the n$n$‐coupled elliptic system −Δui=μiui2∗−1+∑j=1,j≠inβijuipij−1ujqij,ui∈D1,2(RN),i=1,2,...,n,$$\begin{align*} -\Delta u_i&=\mu _iu_i^{2^*-1}+\sum _{j=1,\,j\ne i}^n\beta _{ij}u_i^{p_{ij}-1}u_j^{q_{ij}},\ u_i\in \mathcal {D}^{1,2}(\mathbb {R}^N),\\ &\quad i=1,2,\ldots ,n, \end{align*}$$where N⩾3$N\geqslant 3$, n⩾2$n\geqslant 2$, μi>0$\mu _i>0$, βij>0$\beta _{ij}>0$, pij<2∗$p_{ij}<2^*$, and pij+qij=2∗$p_{ij}+q_{ij}=2^*$ for i≠j∈{1,2,...,n}$i\ne j\in \lbrace 1,2,\ldots ,n\rbrace$. We prove new multiplicity and uniqueness results for positive solutions of the system, whether the system has a variational structure or not. In some cases, we provide a rather complete characterization on the exact number of positive solutions. The results we obtain reveal that the positive solution set of this system has very different structures in the three cases pij<2$p_{ij}<2$, pij=2$p_{ij}=2$, and 2

An urgent challenge to the development of rechargeable Zn–air batteries (RZABs) is the highly active, durable, and low‐cost catalysts for oxygen reduction reaction and oxygen evolution reaction (ORR and OER). Herein, a carbon‐based monolithic catalyst is designed via anchoring P‐modified MnCo2O4 inverse spinel nanoparticles on biomass‐derived carbon (P‐MnCo2O4@PWC). The introduction of surface P atoms regulates the electronic structures and valences of metal atoms by adjusting the coordination fields by (P‐O)δ– and Metal‐P. The optimization of the adsorption behavior of key intermediates facilitates the activation and conversion of reaction species. The monolithic structure is beneficial to the construction of a three‐phase interface for efficient mass transfer and high electrical conductivity. The P‐MnCo2O4@PWC catalyst displays outstanding bifunctional catalytic properties with a thin ΔE (the difference between the OER potential at 10 mA cm–2 and the ORR halfwave potential) of 0.66 V. The RZAB with P‐MnCo2O4@PWC as cathode delivers an exceptional peak power density (160 mW cm–2) and remarkable cycle life (over 1200 cycles), overcoming those with noble metal counterparts. This research provides a promising general surface‐phosphorization way to the design of carbon electrocatalysts and the high‐value utilization of biomass. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, a flame retardant and antibacterial coating was constructed on the surface of polyester (PET) fabric by a simple layer‐by‐layer self‐assembly method based on chitosan (CS) and ammonium phytate (APA). The introduction of the coating significantly improved the flame retardant, anti‐dripping, and antibacterial properties of PET fabrics. The PET fabric that has been treated exhibits a limiting oxygen index of 34.6%. During the vertical flame test, it forms an expanded char layer, reduces the damage length to 3.4 cm, and produces no molten drops. The cone calorimeter test results revealed that the peak heat release rate of the treated PET fabric decreased by 62.0%. Additionally, the finished PET fabric has significant antibacterial properties against Escherichia coli, a slight increase in tensile breaking strength, and a slight decrease in whiteness index. This study presents a fully bio‐based, simple, and effective method for flame retardant, anti‐dripping, and antibacterial finishing of PET fabrics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A challenging task in solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) is seeking for an alternative electrolyte, enabling high ionic conduction at relatively low operating temperatures, i.e., 300–600 °C. Proton‐conducting candidates, in particular, hold a significant promise due to their low transport activation energy to deliver protons. Here, a unique hierarchical TiO2‐SrTiO3@TiO2 structure is developed inside an intercalated TiO2‐SrTiO3 core as "yolk" decorating densely packed flake TiO2 as shell, creating plentiful nano‐heterointerfaces with a continuous TiO2 and SrTiO3 "in‐house" interfaces, as well the interfaces between TiO2‐SrTiO3 yolk and TiO2 shell. It exhibits a reduced activation energy, down to 0.225 eV, and an unexpectedly high proton conductivity at low temperature, e.g., 0.084 S cm−1 at 550 °C, confirmed by experimentally H/D isotope method and proton‐filtrating membrane measurement. Raman mapping technique identifies the presence of hydrogenated HO─Sr bonds, providing further evidence for proton conduction. And its interfacial conduction is comparatively analyzed with a directly‐mixing TiO2‐SrTiO3 composite electrolyte. Consequently, a single fuel cell based on the TiO2‐SrTiO3@TiO2 heterogeneous electrolyte delivers a good peak power density of 799.7 mW cm−2 at 550 °C. These findings highlight a dexterous nano‐heterointerface design strategy of highly proton‐conductive electrolytes at reduced operating temperatures for SOFC technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses nonparametric estimation of a survival function in the presence of measurement errors on the observation of the failure time of interest. One situation where such issues arise would be clinical studies of chronic diseases where the observation on the time to the failure event of interest such as the onset of the disease relies on patient recall or chart review of electronic medical records. It is easy to see that both situations can be subject to measurement errors. To resolve this problem, we propose a simulation extrapolation approach to correct the bias induced by the measurement error. To overcome potential computational difficulties, we use spline regression to approximate the unspecified extrapolated coefficient function of time, and establish the asymptotic properties of our proposed estimator. The proposed method is applied to nonparametric estimation based on interval‐censored data. Extensive numerical experiments involving both simulated and actual study datasets demonstrate the feasibility of this proposed estimation procedure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The limited analgesic efficiency of magnesium restricts its application in pain management. Here, we report boron hydride (BH) with ion currents rectification activity that can enhance the analgesic efficiency of magnesium without the risks of drug tolerance or addiction. We synthesize MgB2, comprising hexagonal boron sheets alternating with Mg2+. In pathological environment, Mg2+ is exchanged by H+, forming two‐dimensional borophene‐analogue BH sheets. BH interacts with the charged cations via cation‐pi interaction, leading to dynamic modulation of sodium and potassium ion currents around neurons. Additionally, released Mg2+ competes Ca2+ to inhibit its influx and neuronal excitation. In vitro cultured dorsal root neurons show a remarkable increase in threshold potential from the normal −35.9 mV to −5.9 mV after the addition of MgB2, indicating potent analgesic effect. In three typical pain models, including CFA‐induced inflammatory pain, CINP‐ or CCI‐induced neuropathic pain, MgB2 exhibits analgesic efficiency approximately 2.23, 3.20, and 2.0 times higher than clinical MgSO4, respectively, and even about 1.04, 1.66, and 1.95 times higher than morphine, respectively. The development of magnesium based intermetallic compounds holds promise in addressing the non‐opioid medical need for pain relief. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) contributes to the incidence and prognosis of lung cancer. The presence of COPD significantly increases the risk of lung squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC). COPD may promote an immunosuppressive microenvironment in LSCC by regulating the expression of immune‐inhibitory factors in T cells, although the mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, we aimed to decipher the tumour microenvironment signature for LSCC with COPD at a single‐cell level. Methods: We performed single‐cell RNA sequencing on tumour tissues from LSCC with or without COPD, then investigated the features of the immune and tumour cells. We employed multiple techniques, including multispectral imaging, flow cytometry, tissue microarray analysis, survival analysis, co‐culture systems and in vitro and in vivo treatment experiments, to validate the findings obtained from single‐cell analyses. Results: LSCC with COPD showed increased proportions of tumour‐associated macrophages (TAMs) and higher levels of CD8+ T cell exhaustion molecules, which contributed to an immunosuppressive microenvironment. Further analysis revealed a critical cluster of CD74+ tumour cells that expressed both epithelial and immune cell signatures, exhibited a stronger capacity for tumorigenesis and predicted worse overall survival. Notably, migration inhibitory factor (MIF) secreted by TAMs from LSCC with COPD may promote the activation of CD74. MIF‐CD74 may interact with CD8+ T cells and impair their anti‐tumour activity by regulating the PI3K‐STAT3‐programmed cell death‐1 ligand 1 signalling pathway, facilitating tumour proliferation and immune evasion. Conclusions: Our comprehensive picture of the tumour ecosystem in LSCC with COPD provides deeper insights into relevant immune evasion mechanisms and potential targets for immunotherapy. Highlight: Our results demonstrated higher proportions of tumour‐associated macrophages (TAMs) and higher levels of exhaustion molecules in CD8+ T cells in the microenvironment of LSCC with COPD.CD74+tumour cells were associated with poor disease prognosis.Migration inhibitory factor (MIF)‐CD74 may interact with CD8+ T cells and impair their anti‐tumour activity by regulating the PI3K‐STAT3‐PD‐L1 signalling pathway, facilitating immune evasion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: This retrospective study analysed 106 acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) patients undergoing autologous haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (ASCT) to assess the impact of multiple small‐dose infusions of granulocyte‐colony‐stimulating factor (G‐CSF)‐mobilized haploidentical lymphocytes as post‐ASCT maintenance therapy. Among them, 50 patients received lymphocyte maintenance therapy, 21 received alternative maintenance therapy, and 35 received no maintenance therapy. Patients receiving lymphocyte maintenance therapy demonstrated significantly higher overall survival (OS) and disease‐free survival (DFS) compared to those without maintenance therapy, with 4‐year OS and DFS rates notably elevated. While there were no significant differences in recurrence rates among the three groups, lymphocyte maintenance therapy showcased particular benefits for intermediate‐risk AML patients, yielding significantly higher OS and DFS rates and lower relapse rates compared to alternative maintenance therapy and no maintenance therapy. The study suggests that multiple small‐dose infusions of G‐CSF‐mobilized haploidentical lymphocytes may offer promising outcomes for AML patients after ASCT, particularly for those classified as intermediate‐risk. These findings underscore the potential efficacy of lymphocyte maintenance therapy in reducing disease relapse and improving long‐term prognosis in this patient population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), one of the most prevalent and destructive causes of cancer‐related deaths worldwide, approximately 70% of patients with HCC exhibit advanced disease at diagnosis, limiting the potential for radical treatment. For such patients, lenvatinib, a long‐awaited alternative to sorafenib for first‐line targeted therapy, has become a key treatment. Unfortunately, despite some progress, the prognosis for advanced HCC remains poor because of drug resistance development. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying lenvatinib resistance and ways to relief drug resistance in HCC are largely unknown and lack of systematic summary; thus, this review not only aims to explore factors contributing to lenvatinib resistance in HCC, but more importantly, summary potential methods to conquer or mitigate the resistance. The results suggest that abnormal activation of pathways, drug transport, epigenetics, tumour microenvironment, cancer stem cells, regulated cell death, epithelial–mesenchymal transition, and other mechanisms are involved in the development of lenvatinib resistance in HCC and subsequent HCC progression. To improve the therapeutic outcomes of lenvatinib, inhibiting acquired resistance, combined therapies, and nano‐delivery carriers may be possible approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the growing environmental and energy problems, developing clean, renewable electrochemical energy storage devices is of great interest. Zn‐air batteries (ZABs) have broad prospects in energy storage because of their high specific capacity and environmental friendliness. The unavailability of cheap air electrode materials and effective and stable oxygen electrocatalysts to catalyze air electrodes are main barriers to large‐scale implementation of ZABs. Due to the abundant biomass resources, self‐doped heteroatoms, and unique pore structure, biomass‐derived catalytically active carbon materials (CACs) have great potential to prepare carbon‐based catalysts and porous electrodes with excellent performance for ZABs. This paper reviews the research progress of biomass‐derived CACs applied to ZABs air electrodes. Specifically, the principle of ZABs and the source and preparation method of biomass‐derived CACs are introduced. To prepare efficient biomass‐based oxygen electrocatalysts, heteroatom doping and metal modification were introduced to improve the efficiency and stability of carbon materials. Finally, the effects of electron transfer number and H2O2 yield in ORR on the performance of ZABs were evaluated. This review aims to deepen the understanding of the advantages and challenges of biomass‐derived CACs in the air electrodes of ZABs, promote more comprehensive research on biomass resources, and accelerate the commercial application of ZABs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Methods Findings Interpretation Understanding the pathogenesis of unexplained recurrent pregnancy loss is paramount for advancing effective treatments. Various biological processes, including spermatogenesis and embryo development, are tightly regulated by N6‐methyladenosine modifications. However, few studies have focused on the impact of sperm N6‐methyladenosine modifications on embryonic development. Therefore, we aimed to study altered N6‐methyladenosine‐mediated messenger RNA methylation modifications in the spermatozoa of male partners from couples experiencing unexplained recurrent pregnancy loss, to identify potential diagnostic markers and explore their potential molecular mechanisms in pregnancy loss and embryogenesis.Methylated RNA immunoprecipitation (MeRIP) sequencing and RNA sequencing were conducted on the spermatozoa of men from couples in the ‘unexplained recurrent pregnancy loss’ group (n = 6), and the fertility control group (n = 6). To identify the role of the detected key genes, zebrafish model embryos were studied, and multi‐omics (transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics) analyses helped to explore the molecular mechanism of abnormal embryogenesis.Comparing unexplained recurrent pregnancy loss with the fertility control group, 217 N6‐methyladenosine peaks were significantly upregulated, and 40 were downregulated in the spermatozoa. The combined analyses of spermatozoa‐methylated RNA immunoprecipitation sequencing and RNA sequencing indicated that N6‐methyladenosine methylation and the expression of SEMA5A, MT‐ATP6, ZNF662, and KDM4C were significantly different. In zebrafish embryos, the altered expression of the four genes increased embryonic mortality and malformations by disturbing several key signaling pathways and zygotic genome activation.This study highlights the paternal epigenome, which could be one of the reasons for faulty embryogenesis leading to pregnancy loss. The N6‐methyladenosine modification, the most prevalent RNA modification, contributes to the exploration and understanding of the paternal epigenome in the maintenance of pregnancy and fetal growth and development. The four genes identified in this study may serve as potential diagnostic markers and elucidate novel molecular mechanisms of embryogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The metasurfaces that support high‐Q resonances can provide ultra‐sharp resonance and achieve strong light‐matter interaction, which promotes their application in various fields such as sensing, lasing, and imaging. Bound modes, unable to radiate into free space, can be transformed into quasi‐bound modes and coupled with external radiation, achieving high‐Q resonances. For periodic structures, by introducing appropriate periodic perturbations, the guided modes (GMs) below the light line can be exposed above the light line, forming the high‐Q quasi‐guide modes (QGMs). Herein, a metallic metasurface is designed that supports the QGM in the continuum by introducing the Brillouin zone folding strategy. The simulation and experiment demonstrate that the GM below the light line can be transformed into the QGM in the continuum by tuning the distance parameter, and a typical "electromagnetic‐induced transparency‐like (EIT‐like)" spectrum is observed. The design unlocks additional degrees of freedom for generating high‐Q metallic metasurface. The advantage of avoiding the production of asymmetric defects contributes to releasing the strict requirement on manufacturing precision. The combination of the metallic metasurface supporting QGM resonance with high‐Q factors and the flexible substrate can improve the performance of the flexible devices and broaden its application in terahertz optoelectronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The shortage and unevenness of fossil energy sources are affecting the development and progress of human civilization. The technology of efficiently converting material resources into energy for utilization and storage is attracting the attention of researchers. Environmentally friendly biomass materials are a treasure to drive the development of new‐generation energy sources. Electrochemical theory is used to efficiently convert the chemical energy of chemical substances into electrical energy. In recent years, significant progress has been made in the development of green and economical electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). Although many reviews have been reported around the application of biomass‐derived catalytically active carbon (CAC) catalysts in ORR, these reviews have only selected a single/partial topic (including synthesis and preparation of catalysts from different sources, structural optimization, or performance enhancement methods based on CAC catalysts, and application of biomass‐derived CACs) for discussion. There is no review that systematically addresses the latest progress in the synthesis, performance enhancement, and applications related to biomass‐derived CAC‐based oxygen reduction electrocatalysts synchronously. This review fills the gap by providing a timely and comprehensive review and summary from the following sections: the exposition of the basic catalytic principles of ORR, the summary of the chemical composition and structural properties of various types of biomass, the analysis of traditional and the latest popular biomass‐derived CAC synthesis methods and optimization strategies, and the summary of the practical applications of biomass‐derived CAC‐based oxidative reduction electrocatalysts. This review provides a comprehensive summary of the latest advances to provide research directions and design ideas for the development of catalyst synthesis/optimization and contributes to the industrialization of biomass‐derived CAC electrocatalysis and electric energy storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Preclinical and clinical evidence indicates that proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) may indirectly diminish the microbiome diversity, thereby reducing the effectiveness of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). Conversely, recent publications have shown that PPIs could potentially enhance the response to ICIs. The precise mechanism through which PPIs modulate the ICIs remains unclear. In this study, we discovered a novel molecular function of PPIs in regulating immune invasion, specifically through inducing PD‐L1 translocation in various tumor cells. Methods: C57BL/6 mice subcutaneous transplantation model is used to verify the potential efficacy of PPIs and PD‐L1 antibody. Western blotting analysis and phosphorylated chip are used to verify the alteration of PD‐L1‐related pathways after being treated with PPIs. The related gene expression is performed by qRT‐PCR and luciferase reporter analysis. We also collected 60 clinical patients diagnosed with esophageal cancer or reflux esophagitis and then detected the expression of PD‐L1 in the tissue samples by immunohistochemistry. Results: We observed that the IC50 of tumor cells in response to PPIs was significantly higher than that of normal epithelial cells. PPIs significantly increased the expression of PD‐L1 on cell membrane at clinically relevant concentrations. Furthermore, pre‐treatment with PPIs appeared to synergize the efficiency of anti‐PD‐L1 antibodies in mouse models. However, PPI administration did not alter the transcription or total protein level of PD‐L1 in multiple tumor cells. Using a phosphorylated protein chip, we identified that PPIs enhanced the phosphorylation of GSK3β, then leading to PD‐L1 protein translocation to the cell membranes. The capacity of PPIs to upregulate PD‐L1 was negated following GSK3β knockout. Furthermore, our clinical data showed that the PPIs use resulted in increased PD‐L1 expression in esophageal cancer patients. Conclusion: We mainly address a significant and novel mechanism that the usage of PPIs could directly induce the expression of PD‐L1 by inducing GSK3β phosphorylation and facilitate primary tumor progression and metastasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, an interfacial electron redistribution is proposed to boost the activity of carbon‐supported spinel NiCo2O4 catalyst toward oxygen conversion via Fe, N‐doping strategy. Fe‐doping into octahedron induces a redistribution of electrons between Co and Ni atoms on NiCo1.8Fe0.2O4@N‐carbon. The increased electron density of Co promotes the coordination of water to Co sites and further dissociation. The generation of proton from water improves the overall activity for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). The increased electron density of Ni facilitates the generation of oxygen vacancies. The Ni−VO−Fe structure accelerates the deprotonation of *OOH to improve the activity toward oxygen evolution reaction (OER). N‐doping modulates the electron density of carbon to form active sites for the adsorption and protonation of oxygen species. Fir wood‐derived carbon endows catalyst with an integral structure to enable outstanding electrocatalytic performance. The NiCo1.8Fe0.2O4@N‐carbon express high half‐wave potential up to 0.86 V in ORR and low overpotential of 270 mV at 10 mA cm−2 in OER. The zinc‐air batteries (ZABs) assembled with the as‐prepared catalyst achieve long‐term cycle stability (over 2000 cycles) with peak power density (180 mWcm−2). Fe, N‐doping strategy drives the catalysis of biomass‐derived carbon‐based catalysts to the highest level for the oxygen conversion in ZABs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cationic water‐soluble polymers, which are widely used in many areas such as papermaking and separation process, are typically synthesized through polymerization of cationic monomers represented by quaternary ammonium salt. In this work, the polymerization reaction kinetics of three typical quaternary ammonium salt cationic monomers including acryloyl oxygen ethyl trimethyl ammonium chloride (DAC), methyl acryloyl oxygen ethyl trimethyl ammonium chloride (DMC), and methyl acrylamide propyl trimethyl ammonium chloride (MAPTAC) was examined by using the dilatometer method. The results showed that the polymerization rate of all three monomers increased with the increase of initiation temperature, monomer concentration, and initiator concentration. Under the same conditions, the polymerization activity of the three monomers followed the order: DAC > DMC > MAPTAC. The activation energies for the polymerization reaction under the specified conditions were EaDAC = 138.97 kJ/mol, EaDMC = 141.24 kJ/mol, and EaMAPTAC = 226.97 kJ/mol, respectively. The polymerization rate equations were RpDAC = k1[M]4.25[I]0.51, RpDMC = k2[M]3.77[I]0.50, and RpMAPTAC = k3[M]3.30[I]0.49. The polymerization activity of the monomers may be influenced by electronic effects and steric hindrance of the monomer structure. This work has provided a theoretical and experimental foundation for the actual work of structural design and preparation of cationic water‐soluble polymers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Immunoglobulin (Ig) G4 has a distinctive nature, and its involvement in autoimmune disorders is a subject of ongoing debate and uncertainty. A growing body of evidence indicates that IgG4 may play a pathogenic role in the development of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The IgG4 autoantibodies have the capability to bind autoantigens in a competitive manner with other Ig classes, thereby forming immune complexes (ICs) that are noninflammatory in nature. This is due to the low affinity of IgG4 for both the Fc receptors and the C1 complement molecule, which results in a diminished inflammatory response in individuals with SLE. The present study aims to elucidate the significance of IgG4 in SLE. The present discourse pertains to the nascent and suggested modalities through which IgG4 might participate in the pathogenesis of SLE and the potential ramifications for therapeutic interventions in SLE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To achieve highly‐efficient organic light‐emitting diodes (OLEDs), great efforts have been devoted into constructing thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) with high horizontal dipole ratios (Θ//). Here, we proposed a design strategy by integrating a rigid electron‐accepting oxygen‐bridged boron core with triple electron‐donating groups, which exhibited a "shamrock‐shape", namely BO‐3DMAC and BO‐3DPAC. Benefiting from the rigid and large‐planar skeletons brought by shamrock‐shaped design, BO‐3DMAC and BO‐3DPAC exhibit high Θ// of 84%/70% and 93%/94% in neat/doped films, respectively, and finally furnish excellent external quantum efficiencies (EQEs) of up to 28.3% and 38.7% in 20 wt% doped OLEDs with sky‐blue emission, as well as adequate EQEs of up to 21.0% and 16.7% in nondoped OLEDs. This work unveils a promising strategy to establish high‐Θ// TADF emitters by constructing large‐planar molecular structures using shamrock‐shaped design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The coronavirus disease (COVID‐19) has caused social isolation and loneliness among Japanese university students. Stress mindset, namely, beliefs about stress and its consequences, is related to mental health through emerging evidence. This study investigated the relationship between stress mindset and mental health during the COVID‐19 pandemic and assessed the mediating effect of coping behaviors. An online survey was conducted in mid‐October 2021 with 4,120 university students from 47 prefectures in Japan. Stress mindset (stress‐is‐enhancing and stress‐is‐debilitating mindsets), coping behaviors, and mental health (loneliness and depression) were measured. The results showed that the positive path from a stress‐is‐debilitating mindset to depression and loneliness, and the negative path from a stress‐is‐enhancing mindset to loneliness, were significant. Furthermore, the stress‐is‐enhancing mindset was mediated by vaccination status, inducing a decrease in loneliness; the stress‐is‐debilitating mindset was mediated by a decrease in part‐time jobs and extracurricular activities, and inducing an increase in loneliness and depression. Current findings indicate that stress mindset may influence the behavioral tendencies and mental health of Japanese university students during COVID‐19, comprising an internal resource to protect their mental health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Manipulating the trend of polarization profiles in the propagation direction, especially the evolution from homogeneous to inhomogeneous distribution, can provide subtle implements for light‐matter interactions. The implementation of conventional stacked structures in the terahertz (THz) band to maneuver polarization states within a finite distance will result in large insertion losses due to inherent material absorption or Fabry–Perot resonance. Metasurfaces have proved to possess many extraordinary properties and propelled the integration of THz functional devices. Herein, the evolution from scalar vortex to vector vortex beams in the longitudinal direction is experimentally demonstrated using all‐silicon metasurfaces generated by spin‐polarization multiplexing encoding techniques. The coaxial universalized phase design scheme with extended focal length provides a paradigm for polarization manipulation that is not limited to the THz band. As a conceptual investigation of the working mechanism, a series of all‐silicon samples are fabricated to experimentally evaluate the conversion capability from scalar to vortex beams, that is, homogeneous to inhomogeneous polarization profiles. The mode weight recorded in the effective region is utilized to further analyze the setting laws of topological charges in orthogonal channels, providing great opportunities for fundamental applications in emerging fields, such as singular optics and quantum science. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article aims to investigate the adsorption characteristics of aqueous Cr(VI) biochar by magnetic γFe2O3/Fe3O4/NaOH lotus stem biochar (SMBC) which was synthesized with modification of γFe2O3, Fe3O4, and sodium hydroxide. Biochar samples before and after adsorption were characterized with Brunauer Emmett Teller, X‐ray diffractometer, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X‐ray photoelectron spectrometer, magnetism. The results showed that SMBC was successfully prepared with the saturation magnetization of 66.608 emu/g and the BET specific surface area of 239.56 m2/g. The adsorption isotherm study showed that the theoretical maximum adsorption capacity of SMBC for Cr(VI) was 196.270 mg/g. The process of its adsorption of Cr(VI) fit the Langmuir isotherm adsorption model and the pseudo‐second‐order kinetic model, indicating that this process was chemical adsorption. The adsorption mechanism of SMBC to Cr(VI) mainly included electrostatic interaction, redox, and complexation. Desorption and regeneration experiment results showed that SMBC after adsorption could be easily recycled from the solution under the force of an external magnetic field. Furthermore, the adsorption capacity of SMBC reached about 80% of the original even after six desorption/regeneration cycles. This study proves that SMBC showed great potential as a separable and reproducible adsorbent to remove Cr(VI) in wastewater with excellent adsorption performance, strong adaptability, environmental friendliness, and good recycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this letter, a novel single parity check‐aided minimum sum (SPC‐aided MS) algorithm is proposed. A cascaded compiled code scheme is used to approximate the adaptive belief propagation (ABP) algorithm for Reed–Solomon (RS) codes using the min sum (MS) algorithm. The computational complexity is greatly reduced compared with the previous algorithm. Simulation results show that the SPC‐aided MS algorithm can achieve coding gains of up to 1.1, 0.7, and 0.6 dB for RS (255,239) code compared with the conventional ABP, LRBP, and HD‐P‐ABP algorithms, respectively under the condition of FER=10−3$\text{FER}=10^{-3}$. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper considers distributed inference for two‐sample U‐statistics under the massive data setting. In order to reduce the computational complexity, this paper proposes distributed two‐sample U‐statistics and blockwise linear two‐sample U‐statistics. The blockwise linear two‐sample U‐statistic, which requires less communication cost, is more computationally efficient especially when the data are stored in different locations. The asymptotic properties of both types of distributed two‐sample U‐statistics are established. In addition, this paper proposes bootstrap algorithms to approximate the distributions of distributed two‐sample U‐statistics and blockwise linear two‐sample U‐statistics for both nondegenerate and degenerate cases. The distributed weighted bootstrap for the distributed two‐sample U‐statistic is new in the literature. The proposed bootstrap procedures are computationally efficient and are suitable for distributed computing platforms with theoretical guarantees. Extensive numerical studies illustrate that the proposed distributed approaches are feasible and effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present research, the accelerated test using the stepped isothermal method (SIM) was applied to characterize the long‐term compressive behavior of laminated bamboo. Generating a creep master curve using the SIM data is somewhat empirical. In particular, the selection of the end and beginning segments in the rescaling process is not standardized, which will affect the determination of virtual time. The variability of the virtual time influences the construction of master curves, thus leading to errors in predicting long‐term behavior. The difference in selecting the end and beginning segments was studied in terms of the virtual time, rescaled isothermal curves, and master curves. A 40% end segment and a 30% beginning segment were recommended to build a more accurate master curve. The generated master curves showed repeatability and matched reasonably well with the conventional creep results. It indicates that SIM is a reliable tool for the accelerated test of the long‐term behavior of laminated bamboo. In addition, isochronous stress‐creep strain curves were constructed based on the master curves at different loadings to provide evidence to determine stress levels for structural design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ammonia borane (AB), a liquid hydrogen storage material, has attracted increasing attention for hydrogen utilization because of its high hydrogen content. However, the slow kinetics of AB hydrolysis and the indefinite catalytic mechanism remain significant problems for its large‐scale practical application. Thus, the development of efficient AB hydrolysis catalysts and the determination of their catalytic mechanisms are significant and urgent. A summary of the preparation process and structural characteristics of various supported catalysts is presented in this paper, including graphite, metal‐organic frameworks (MOFs), metal oxides, carbon nitride (CN), molybdenum carbide (MoC), carbon nanotubes (CNTs), boron nitride (h‐BN), zeolites, carbon dots (CDs), and metal carbide and nitride (MXene). In addition, the relationship between the electronic structure and catalytic performance is discussed to ascertain the actual active sites in the catalytic process. The mechanism of AB hydrolysis catalysis is systematically discussed, and possible catalytic paths are summarized to provide theoretical considerations for the designing of efficient AB hydrolysis catalysts. Furthermore, three methods for stimulating AB from dehydrogenation by‐products and the design of possible hydrogen product‐regeneration systems are summarized. Finally, the remaining challenges and future research directions for the effective development of AB catalysts are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Living roots and their rhizodeposits can accelerate or decelerate the decomposition of soil organic matter which refers to the rhizosphere priming effect (RPE). However, whereas plant traits are thought to be key factors controlling the RPE, little is known about how root traits representative of plant biomass allocation, morphology, architecture, or physiology influence the magnitude of the RPE. Using a natural abundance 13C tracer method allowing partitioning of native soil organic carbon (SOC) decomposition and plant rhizosphere respiration, we studied here the effects of eight C3 tree species featuring contrasting functional traits on C4 soil respiration over a 204‐day period in a microcosm experiment. All tree species enhanced the rate of SOC decomposition, by 82% on average, but the strength of the rhizosphere priming significantly differed among species. Mean diameter of first‐order roots and root exudate‐derived respiration were positively correlated with the RPE, together explaining a large part of observed variation in the RPE (R2 = 0.72), whereas root branching density was negatively associated with the RPE. Path analyses further suggested that mean diameter of first‐order roots was the main driver of the RPE owing to its positive direct effect on the RPE and its indirect effects via root exudate‐derived respiration and root branching density. Our study demonstrates that the magnitude of the RPE is regulated by complementary aspects of root morphology, architecture and physiology, implying that comprehensive approaches are needed to reveal the multiple mechanisms driving plant effects on the RPE. Overall, our results emphasize the relevance of integrating root traits in biogeochemical cycling models to improve model performance for predicting soil C dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A recent study published in the journal Science explores the potential of using engineered skin bacteria to treat or prevent melanoma. The researchers found that Staphylococcus epidermidis, a bacterium that colonizes the human skin, can stimulate antigen-specific T cells that recognize and attack tumors. The study showed that colonization with engineered S. epidermidis strains inhibited the growth of melanoma cells and could be combined with immune checkpoint inhibitors for a more effective antitumor response. While this research offers promising prospects for cancer therapeutics, further studies are needed to address potential safety concerns and to understand the interaction between commensal microorganisms and the host immune system. [Extracted from the article]

Background. Systemic inflammation may be involved in the entire cancer process as a promoter and is associated with antitumor immunity. The systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) has been shown to be a promising prognostic factor. However, the relationship between SII and tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) have not been established in esophageal cancer (EC) patients receiving concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT). Methods. Retrospective analysis of 160 patients with EC was performed, peripheral blood cell counts were collected, and TIL concentration was assessed in H&E-stained sections. Correlations of SII and clinical outcomes with TIL were analyzed. Cox proportional hazard model and Kaplan–Meier method were used to perform survival outcomes. Results. Compared with high SII, low SII had longer overall survival (OS) (P = 0.036 , hazard ratio (HR) = 0.59) and progression-free survival (PFS) (P = 0.041 , HR = 0.60). Low TIL showed worse OS (P < 0.001 , HR = 2.42) and PFS (P < 0.001 , HR = 3.05). In addition, research have shown that the distribution of SII, platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio, and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio were negatively associated with the TIL state, while lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio presented a positive correlation. Combination analysis observed that SIIlow + TILhigh had the best prognosis of all combinations, with a median OS and PFS of 36 and 22 months, respectively. The worst prognosis was identified as SIIhigh + TILlow, with a median OS and PFS of only 8 and 4 months. Conclusion. SII and TIL as independent predictors of clinical outcomes in EC receiving CCRT. Furthermore, the predictive power of the two combinations is much higher than a single variable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The excellent performance of bolometers in the infrared and terahertz regions has attracted great attention. Understanding the transport process of charged particles is an efficient approach to determine detector performance. However, the lack of studies on the fine‐scale spatial motion of microscopic particles in bolometers has prevented a full understanding of the physical process. Herein, using micro‐nano‐scale optoelectronic performance correlation measurements, it is described how prevalent defect states at the grain boundaries (GBs) decrease current responses. Ions at the GBs of the polycrystalline perovskite bolometer contribute to the photocurrent via thermal excitons. In addition, the built‐in electric field established by ion migration fluctuates periodically with the strength of the light‐heating process due to the interaction between the bolometric effect and the Coulomb force. Additionally, the first ion‐bolometric detector is demonstrated with a significant photovoltage response to infrared and THz waves (75.3 kV W−1 at 1064 nm and 2.3 kV W−1 at 0.22 THz). An examination of the THz images shows the potential for large‐area THz imaging applications. The ion‐bolometric effect combines the broad spectral characteristics of the bolometer effect with the temperature sensitivity due to ion migration and provides a unique perspective on detector technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acoustic detectors constitute a key factor of photoacoustic spectroscopy configuration, which is an ultrasensitive gas sensing method. This review aimed to discuss the recent development of acoustic detectors, including capacitive microphone, quartz tuning forks, and optical microphone. An overview of their applications for sensitive, selective, and quantitative trace gas detection was reported, and advantages and limitations of these detectors were presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photoacoustic spectroscopy (PAS), as a nondestructive method, permits high sensitivity and selectivity in trace gas detection fields. Advances in differential PAS configurations have dramatically suppressed the background noise and triggered the detectivity improvement. A detailed review on the development of differential photoacoustic gas sensors is presented: using two identical cavity differential cells and optical path types provides good performance for coherent noise suppression, and differential mode excitation technique, which evaluates the signal ratios with two frequency excitations, suppresses the common mode noise and signal drifts generated by the light power or the responsivity of the PA system. An overview of the latest developments of the differential PAS sensors is reported. Distinguished results in terms of sensitivity, selectivity, and miniaturization are presented. The advantages and limitations of differential sensors with different photoacoustic sensing technologies are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Engineered implantable functional thick tissues require hierarchical vasculatures within cell‐laden hydrogel that can mechanically withstand the shear stress from perfusion and facilitate angiogenesis for nutrient transfer. Yet current extrusion‐based 3D printing strategies are unable to recapitulate hierarchical networks, highlighting the need for bioinks with tunable properties. Here, we introduce an approach whereby crosslinkable microgels enhance mechanical stability and induce spontaneous microvascular networks comprised of human umbilical cord vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) in a soft gelatin methacryoyl (GelMA)‐based bioink. Furthermore, we successfully implanted the 3D printed multi‐branched tissue, being connected from the rat carotid artery to the jugular vein direct surgical anastomosis. The work represents a significant step toward in the field of large vascularized tissue fabrication and may have implications for the treatment of organ failure in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustained signal activation by hydroxyl radicals (⋅OH) has great significance, especially for tumor treatment, but remains challenging. Here, a built‐in electric field (BIEF)‐driven strategy was proposed for sustainable generation of ⋅OH, thereby achieving long‐lasting chemodynamic therapy (LCDT). As a proof of concept, a novel Janus‐like Fe@Fe3O4−Cu2O heterogeneous catalyst was designed and synthesized, in which the BIEF induced the transfer of electrons in the Fe core to the surface, reducing ≡Cu2+ to ≡Cu+, thus achieving continuous Fenton‐like reactions and ⋅OH release for over 18 h, which is approximately 12 times longer than that of Fe3O4−Cu2O and 72 times longer than that of Cu2O nanoparticles. In vitro and in vivo antitumor results indicated that sustained ⋅OH levels led to persistent extracellular regulated protein kinases (ERK) signal activation and irreparable oxidative damage to tumor cells, which promoted irreversible tumor apoptosis. Importantly, this strategy provides ideas for developing long‐acting nanoplatforms for various applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How to select the active variables that have significant impact on the event of interest is a very important and meaningful problem in the statistical analysis of ultrahigh‐dimensional data. In many applications, researchers often know that a certain set of covariates are active variables from some previous investigations and experiences. With the knowledge of the important prior knowledge of active variables, we propose a model‐free conditional screening procedure for ultrahigh dimensional survival data based on conditional distance correlation. The proposed procedure can effectively detect the hidden active variables that are jointly important but are weakly correlated with the response. Moreover, it performs well when covariates are strongly correlated with each other. We establish the sure screening property and the ranking consistency of the proposed method and conduct extensive simulation studies, which suggests that the proposed procedure works well for practical situations. Then, we illustrate the new approach through a real dataset from the diffuse large‐B‐cell lymphoma study S1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the key component of host innate antiviral immunity, type I interferons (IFN‐Is) exert multiple antiviral effects by inducing hundreds of IFN‐stimulated genes. However, the precise mechanism involved in host sensing of IFN‐I signaling priming is particularly complex and remains incompletely resolved. This research identified F‐box protein 11 (FBXO11), a component of the E3‐ubiquitin ligase SKP/Cullin/F‐box complex, acted as an important regulator of IFN‐I signaling priming and antiviral process against several RNA/DNA viruses. FBXO11 functioned as an essential enhancer of IFN‐I signaling by promoting the phosphorylation of TBK1 and IRF3. Mechanistically, FBXO11 facilitated the assembly of TRAF3–TBK1–IRF3 complex by mediating the K63 ubiquitination of TRAF3 in a NEDD8‐dependent manner to amplify the activation of IFN‐I signaling. Consistently, the NEDD8‐activating enzyme inhibitor MLN4921 could act as a blocker for FBXO11–TRAF3–IFN‐I axis of signaling. More significantly, examination of clinical samples of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and public transcriptome database of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus‐2‐, HBV‐, and hepatitis C virus‐infected human samples revealed that FBXO11 expression was positively correlated with the stage of disease course. Taken together, these findings suggest that FBXO11 is an amplifier of antiviral immune responses and might serve as a potential therapeutic target for a number of different viral diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing new all‐visible‐light driven fluorescent molecular switches has attracted much interests due to their important application prospects in materials science and life science. Herein, three novel all‐visible‐light triggered fluorescent molecular photoswitches (2P3, 4F, and 4Cl) are designed and prepared, which are realized by prolonging π‐conjugation length with aggregated‐induced emission units. These photoswitches show reversible photochromic and fluorescent switching in dilute solutions and films under 420 nm and 560 nm irradiations. Meanwhile, upon alternating irradiations with 450 nm/560 nm light, effective photochromic and fluorescent switching in powder states are also achieved. More interestingly, two distinct conformations with different photochromic abilities can be altered by solvents polarity. The size difference of the two conformations is over 5 Å in the vertical direction which is one of the largest changes among photochromic molecules based on dithienylethene. The accompanying conformational changes are analysed to understand the relationship between solvent characteristics and crystal structure, as well as the intermolecular interaction in solid state for all‐visible‐light triggered photoswitching molecules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vanadium oxides with fast and stable Zn2+ storage are of great significance to the development of high‐performance aqueous zinc ion batteries (ZIBs), and yet they commonly suffer from structural instability and sluggish diffusion kinetics. Herein, a new "dual‐ion‐in‐sequence" intercalation strategy based on quenching is proposed to address these issues. Interestingly, it is found that the Zn2+ storage mechanism evolves from the common solid‐state ion diffusion kinetic into an intercalation pseudocapacitance as a result of the enlarged interlayer spacing of V2O5. Together with the expanded interlayer spacing arising from the "dual‐ion‐in‐sequence" intercalation, oxygen defects are simultaneously generated at the sub‐surface of the reconstructed Li@MnVO materials. Benefitting from the improved ionic diffusivity, intercalation pseudocapacitance, and fast charge transferability, full cell based on Li@MnVO cathode shows impressive rate capability and excellent cycling stability of 5000 cycles with a high energy density of 253 Wh kg‐1 at 10 A g‐1. More importantly, the capacity can maintain at 125 mAh g‐1 at 4 A g‐1 even under a raised mass loading of 10 mg cm‐2. The proposed "dual‐ion‐in‐sequence" intercalation strategy of manipulating V2O5 structure at atomic scales is a viable pathway for the high‐performance layered metal oxides, not only for ZIBs but also for other energy storage systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermally‐activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) emitters are usually constructed with twisted donor‐acceptor (D‐A) frameworks, while studies on the relationship between diverse D‐A structures are still in high demand to achieve high‐performance emitters. Herein, by adopting triphenylamine as electron donor and dibenzo[a,c]phenazine as electron acceptor, three TADF molecules are reported with different frameworks of D‐A (TPZ), D‐A‐D (DPZ) and D‐A‐A (APZ). Theoretical and experimental results demonstrate that different D‐A frameworks play significant effects on photophysical, horizontal dipole ratio, and electroluminescence properties of the TADF molecules. In comparison, the APZ‐OLED device achieves the best performance with a maximum external quantum efficiency of 27.5%, resulting from its low energy gap between the singlet and triplet, effective reverse intersystem crossing, high photoluminescence quantum yield, and horizontal dipole ratio. This work provides an insight into the relationship between efficient TADF emitters and rational molecular design engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dissociation of water is the rate‐determining step of several energy‐relating reactions due to high energy barrier in homolysis of H‐O bond. Herein, engineering vacancy‐atom ensembles via injecting oxygen vacancy (VO) into single facet‐exposed TiO2‐Pd catalyst to form VO‐Pd ensemble is proposed and implemented. The outstanding activity of as‐prepared catalyst, 1.5‐PdTVO, toward water dissociation is established with a turnover frequency of 240 min−1 in ammonia borane hydrolysis at 298 K. Density functional theory simulation suggests that the VO‐Pd ensemble is responsible for the high intrinsic catalytic activity. Water molecules tend to be dissociated on VO sites and ammonia borane molecules on Pd atoms. Those H atoms from water dissociation on VO combine with H atoms from ammonia borane on Pd atoms to generate H2. This insights into engineering vacancy‐atom ensembles catalysis provide a new avenue to design catalytic materials for important energy chemical reactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most icing studies use 2D or quasi-3D models, ignoring the effects of blade span and tip icing. In this paper, a new model for predicting 3D vertical axis wind turbine blades icing by supplementing the blade span is established, the icing characteristics of blades under multiple working conditions are simulated step by step from the time scale, and the unsteady icing laws are compared and analyzed. Ice properties and surface temperature distribution determine the corresponding deicing power. The analysis results show that the unfrozen water film flows in the spanwise direction of the blade, resulting in a smaller icing limit on the pressure surface than the two-dimensional model, which indicates that the chordwise anti-icing structure can be set in a small range. At the same time, the annular ridge ice formed at the end of the blade slows down the reduction rate of the lift-drag ratio of the blade, effectively reducing the influence of the leading edge ice shape on the aerodynamic performance of the blade. Finally, the critical ice melting power density required to reach equilibrium temperature at the leading edge of the blade is reduced by about 11% compared to the trailing edge due to the increased thermal resistance of the gas-to-blade matrix interface by the ice layer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel biphotochromic fluorescent switch molecule N‐2F derived from dithienylethene (DTE) and triphenylethylene (TPE) is reported. Interestingly, different photochromic and fluorescence phenomena of N‐2F are observed in tetrahydrofuran/water mixtures. When fw ≤ 50%, N‐2F shows effective photochromic and fluorescent switch under alternating with 254 and 500 nm light irradiation due to the DTE unit undergoing reversible cyclization and cycloreversion reactions between its open and closed forms. However, when fw ≥ 60%, the strong blue‐green fluorescence of the original solution is almost quenched under 254 nm light irradiation, but becomes red fluorescent emission under 500 nm light irradiation. When further irradiated with 254 nm, the red fluorescent emission disappears, but it reappears upon 500 nm light illumination. The results reveal that DTE and TPE take cyclization and cycloreversion reactions upon alternating with 254 and 500 nm light irradiations, and TPE will take dehydrogenation reaction with further 254 nm irradiation. Moreover, N‐2F can easily obtain long length (about 2 cm) rod single crystal with high fluorescence quantum yield of 68.97%. Impressively, N‐2F shows excellent optical waveguide with very low loss coefficient of 0.171 dB mm−1. Therefore, N‐2F exhibits potential applications in anti‐counterfeiting, multi‐color display, and functional photonic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]