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Confined crystallization can realize controllable nucleation and growth of crystals with targeted morphologies in a restricted region. Here, we achieved confined reactive crystallization within a novel micro columnar jet flow regime constructed by the hollow fiber membrane. The interface of the jet flow corresponds as the restricted region for reactive crystallization, and the large‐sized calcium carbonate (CaCO3) crystals aggregates with millimeter length can ordered and self‐assembly grow along the boundary of this region. Formation mechanism of the jet flow was systematically investigated by real‐time observation and force analysis. The detected detachment‐regrowth cycle during the experiments furtherly uncovered the potential for continuous operation. Linear (diameter: 0.12–0.3 mm; length: 1.5–3.1 mm) and lamellar crystals (thickness of 200–300 nm and average area of 0.21 mm2) were obtained by effectively manipulating the diameter and effective length of jet flow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite rapid progress and wide applications of room temperature phosphorescence (RTP) materials, it is still a great challenge to optimize the RTP activity through rational structural design at a molecular level. Herein, a successful cationic engineering strategy is demonstrated to modulate the crystal flexibility achieving controllable RTP in a new pair of metal halides [APML]ZnCl4 ([APML] = N‐(3‐Aminopropyl)morpholine) and [AEML]ZnCl4 ([AEML] = N‐(2‐Aminoethyl)morpholine). Both halides display blue fluorescence under 365 nm UV. Comparing with longer [APML]+, shorter [AEML]+ significantly enhances crystal rigidity and restrains non‐radiative scattering, boosting photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) from 18.89% to 22.41%. Synchronously, enhanced crystal rigidity significantly promotes the inter‐system crossing from singlet to triplet excited states. As a consequence, [AEML]ZnCl4 displays long‐lived green RTP property with millisecond scale lifetime in contrast to the blank RTP activity of [APML]ZnCl4. Comprehensive investigations demonstrate that the energy transfer between inorganic and organic components greatly changes the redistribution of singlet and triplet excited states, resulting in distinct phosphorescence activity. The different short‐lived blue fluorescence and long‐lived green phosphorescence provide a color‐time‐dual‐resolved luminescent tag with advanced applications in anti‐counterfeiting, etc. This work highlights a new structural engineering strategy to achieve controllable RTP affording a guide to rationally design RTP materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global food security is being threatened by the reduction of high‐quality cropland, extreme weather events, and the uncertainty of food supply chains. The globalization of agricultural trade has elevated the diversification of non‐grain production (NGP) on cultivated land to a prominent strategy for poverty alleviation in numerous developing nations. Its rapid expansion has engendered a multitude of deleterious consequences on both food security and ecological stability. NGP in China is becoming very common in the process of rapid urbanization, threatening national food security. To better understand the causal mechanisms and enable governments to balance food security and rural development, it is crucial to have a clear understanding of the spatiotemporal dynamics of NGP using remote sensing. Yet knowledge gaps remain concerning how to use remote sensing to track human‐dominated or ‐induced long‐term cultivated land changes. Our study proposed a method for detecting the spatiotemporal evolution of NGP based on Landsat time‐series data under the Google Earth Engine platform. This approach was proposed by (1) obtaining the union of cultivated lands from multiple landcover products to minimize the cultivated land omission, (2) constructing multi‐index dynamic trend rules for 3 representative types of NGP and obtaining results at the pixel level, while adopting the continuous change detection and classification algorithm to Landsat time series (1986–2022) to determine when the most recent change occurred, (3) minimizing the noise by object‐oriented land use–land cover classification and mode filter approaches, and (4) mapping the spatiotemporal distribution of NGP. The proposed methodology was tested in Jiashan, located in Zhejiang Province (eastern China), where NGP is widespread. We achieved a high overall accuracy of 95.67% for NGP type detection and an overall accuracy of 85.26% for change detection of time. The results indicated a continued increasing pattern of NGP in Jiashan from 1986 to 2022, with the cumulative percentage of NGP increasing from 0.02% to 20.69%. This study highlights the utilization of time‐series data to document essential NGP information for evaluating food security in China and the method is well‐suited for large‐scale mapping due to its automatic manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Numerous guidelines have called for personalized interventions to address childhood obesity. The role of fat mass and obesity‐associated gene (FTO) in the risk of childhood obesity has been summarized. However, it remains unclear whether FTO could influence individual responses to obesity interventions, especially in children. To address this, we systematically reviewed 12,255 records across 10 databases/registers and included 13 lifestyle‐based obesity interventions (3980 children with overweight/obesity) reporting changes in body mass index (BMI) Z‐score, BMI, waist circumference, waist‐to‐hip ratio, and body fat percentage after interventions. These obesity‐related outcomes were first compared between children carrying different FTO genotypes (rs9939609 or its proxy) and then synthesized by random‐effect meta‐analysis models. The results from single‐group interventions showed no evidence of associations between FTO risk allele and changes in obesity‐related outcomes after interventions (e.g., BMI Z‐score: −0.01; 95% CI: −0.04, 0.01). The results from controlled trials showed that associations between the FTO risk allele and changes in obesity‐related outcomes did not differ by intervention/control group. To conclude, the FTO risk allele might play a minor role in the response to obesity interventions among children. Future studies might pay more attention to the accumulation effect of multiple genes in the intervention process among children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the luminescent performance of organic–inorganic metal halides (OIMHs) have obtained significant advances, achieving intrinsic water‐stable OIMHs remain a substantial challenge due to the fragile ionic nature of hybrid the halide structure. To overcome these challenges, a structural design strategy is proposed that involves the use of highly hydrophobic cations as a protective layer to improve the water stability of OIMH. Herein, an aprotic trimethylsulfoxonium [TMSO]+ is selected as a hydrophobic cation and successfully assemble two new manganese based OIMHs of (TMSO)MnCl3 and (TMSO)MnBr3 through facile solid and liquid phase reaction methods. Remarkably, these halides exhibit strong red light emissions with high quantum yields recorded at 86.1% and 53.4%, respectively, originating from the octahedral [MnX6]4− based one‐dimensional (1D) [MnX3]− chain. Most significantly, these halides present extraordinary structural and luminescent stabilities toward continuous corrosion by humid air, water, and acid‐aqueous solution for more than one month, suggesting promising application prospects in extreme chemical environments. In‐depth Hirshfeld surface calculations demonstrate that the ultrahigh water‐stability benefits from the abundant hydrogen bonds and strong electrostatic interactions between [TMSO]+ and [MnX3]− ions, which provides an underlying insight into the stability mechanism. This water‐stability enhancement strategy represents a breakthrough structural engineering to rationally design more water‐stable OIMH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The strength, toughness, and fatigue crack growth (FCG) resistance of high‐strength steels are the key performance indexes concerned in the material selection of engineering components. It is considered that the FCG resistance of high‐strength steels can be optimized by simultaneous strengthening and toughening. In order to make clear whether the above view is correct or not, the strength–toughness combination and FCG resistance of AISI 4340 steel under different heat treatments are investigated and compared with those of 18Ni maraging steel in the present study. Meanwhile, the major fatigue damage mechanism of the AISI 4340 steel is analyzed and discussed. It is found that the FCG resistance of AISI 4340 steel enhances rapidly at first and then remains approximately the same with the decrement of strength (the improvement of toughness). Moreover, it is detected that simultaneously upgrading the strength and toughness of high‐strength steels cannot improve the FCG resistance. Finally, it is believed that the microscopic fatigue damage mechanism is the major factor determining the FCG resistance rather than the macroscopic strength–toughness combination, and the factors affecting the FCG resistance of AISI 4340 steel are mainly the pre‐existing dislocations and carbide precipitates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epithelioid inflammatory myofibroblastic sarcoma (EIMS) is an aggressive subtype of inflammatory myofibroblastic tumour which rarely affects the chest cavity. We, for the first time, report a case of mediastinal EIMS with the EML4-ALK fusion. A young woman presented to our hospital with cough, chest tightness and shortness of breath. Computed tomography (CT) showed a mixed attenuation soft-tissue mass in the right middle and upper mediastinum. Negative results were obtained from bronchoscopy forceps biopsy and endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial fine needle aspiration. CT-guided percutaneous biopsy was finally performed. However, due to the rapidly progressed EIMS that compressed the trachea and right main bronchus, the patient died of respiratory failure 1 day before diagnosis. EIMS progresses rapidly, and an early diagnosis is important. For mediastinal EIMS, CT-guided percutaneous biopsy may be useful. Next-generation sequencing of blood may be instructive to EIMS patients who are intolerant to invasive biopsy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the ultra‐high photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) of 0D hybrid manganese halides as state‐of‐the‐art luminescent materials, intrinsic water stability remains an unsurpassable barrier due to the serious hygroscopicity of the hydrogen‐bonding structure. Herein, a synthetic strategy that realizes adjustable emission color and high water resistance in a 0D hybrid manganese chloride family based on the same cation of [H2TMDAP]2+ (TMDAP = N,N,N′,N′‐tetramethyl‐1,3‐diaminopropane) is reported. Specifically, direct solution or solid‐state reaction of precursor materials generates [H2TMDAP]3[MnCl4]2[Mn2Cl6], while additional Zn2+‐doping as a structural directing agent results in [H2TMDAP]Mn0.63Zn0.37Cl4. Functionally, the [Mn/ZnCl4]2− tetrahedron based [H2TMDAP]Mn0.63Zn0.37Cl4 displays green light emission at 521 nm with a PLQY of 63.9%. [H2TMDAP]3[MnCl4]2[Mn2Cl6] is composed of a [MnCl6]4− octahedron based [Mn2Cl6]2− chain and a discrete [MnCl4]2− tetrahedron, but it only exhibits single red emission at 628 nm with a PLQY of 48.1%. Compared with water‐instable [H2TMDAP]Mn0.63Zn0.37Cl4, [H2TMDAP]3[MnCl4]2[Mn2Cl6] represents extraordinary chemical stability in humid air and water over 1 month, manifested by an unchanged structural lattice and sufficient emission intensity. Significantly, the ultra‐high water proof performance of [H2TMDAP]3[MnCl4]2[Mn2Cl6] is nearly unmatchable among all previously reported manganese halides as far as is known. The combined merits of tunable emission wavelength, high PLQY, and stability highlight the potential applications of title materials in solid‐state lighting and display diodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the extraordinary X‐ray scintillation performance of three‐dimensional (3D) lead perovskite nanocrystals (PNCs), the serious biotoxicity of Pb2+ and luminescent instability in water remain insurmountable obstacles for their applications in medical imaging. To address these drawbacks, herein, the study demonstrates one new lead‐free zero‐dimensional (0D) hybrid cuprous halide of single‐crystalline [BzTPP]2Cu2I4 (BzTPP = Benzyltriphenylphosphonium) as a satisfactory X‐ray scintillator. [BzTPP]2Cu2I4 displays broadband yellowish‐green light emission with a high photoluminescent quantum yield (PLQY) of 44.2% and large Stokes shift of 167 nm upon UV light excitation. High PLQY and negligible self‐absorption enable [BzTPP]2Cu2I4 to display impressive scintillation performance excited by X‐ray with a light yield of 27 706 photons MeV‐1 and low detection limit of 0.352 µGy s−1, surpassing typical 3D PNCs. More importantly, [BzTPP]2Cu2I4 represents extraordinary structural and luminescent stability in water for at least one month. The excellent and stable radioluminescence performance as well as solution growth method ensure a [BzTPP]2Cu2I4‐based screen for fine‐resolution X‐ray imaging with potential in radiography and inspection. This work highlights the multiple merits of low‐toxicity and cost, high light yield, and long‐term water‐stability of 0D hybrid cuprous halides as highly desirable X‐ray scintillators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many coal mining areas overlapped with agricultural land in the world. However, surface subsidence and waterlogging brought on by coal mining inexorably harm the agricultural land. Soil moisture can reflect the variation of mining impact significantly according to the geographic features of the high underground water table, which shows significant spatial gradient variation within the subsidence basin. Previous studies have used site survey and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), which are not applicable to large‐scale assessments of the ecological impacts and defining the scale of impacts. Here, we used the Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform and an optical trapezoid model (OPTRAM) to estimate the soil moisture distribution around 50 mining subsidence waterbody samples in eastern China. Based on the spatial variation in soil moisture, the impact boundary of coal mining was determined using buffer analysis and trend fitting. The results showed that: (1) The OPTRAM can well reflect the soil moisture distribution which shows a good correlation between estimated and measured values, with R = 0.83 and RMSE = 0.054. (2) The spatial trend fitting of soil moisture is suitable for evaluating mining impact, and the impact distances are in the range of 96–762 m, 80% of which are located at 128–436 m. We also find that 28% of subsidence waterbody buffer basins were heavily influenced by human activities, and the coal mining impact boundaries cannot be effectively identified. The study provides a new idea to quantify the ecological and agricultural impact boundary of coal mining, which could be applied to other similar regions across the globe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lactate is not only an endpoint of glycolysis but is gradually being discovered to play the role of a universal metabolic fuel for energy via the ‘lactate shuttle’ moving between cells and transmitting signals. The glycolytic-dependent metabolism found in tumours and fast-growing cells has made lactate a pivotal player in energy metabolism reprogramming, which enables cells to obtain abundant energy in a short time. Moreover, lactate can provide favourable conditions for tumorigenesis by shaping the acidic tumour microenvironment, recruiting immune cells, etc. and the recently discovered lactate-induced lactylation moves even further on pro-tumorigenesis mechanisms of lactate production, circulation and utilization. As with other epigenetic modifications, lactylation can modify histone proteins to alter the spatial configuration of chromatin, affect DNA accessibility and regulate the expression of corresponding genes. What's more, the degree of lactylation is inseparable from the spatialized lactate concentration, which builds a bridge between epigenetics and metabolic reprogramming. Here, we review the important role of lactate in energy reprogramming, summarize the latest finding of lactylation in tumorigenesis and try to explore therapeutic strategies in oncotherapy that can kill two birds with one stone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, the high‐cycle fatigue behaviors of 18Ni maraging steel with different tensile strength in the stress ratio range from 0.1 to 0.5 are investigated, and compared with those at the stress ratio of −1. It is found that the relationship between the fatigue strength at the stress ratios of −1 and 0.1 and tensile strength is nonmonotonic, while the fatigue strength at the stress ratio of 0.5 improves as the tensile strength heightens. The tensile strength corresponding to the optimal fatigue strength state would change with the variation of the stress ratio, which is related to the alteration of key factors affecting the fatigue damage. Moreover, it is found that the Walker equation: σaR = σ−1 ⋅ [(1 − R)/2]β gives reasonable results for the influence of stress ratio on the fatigue strength of 18Ni maraging steel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of a feasible industrial method for poly(ϵ‐caprolactone) (PCL) preparation is great of significant and challenging. The bulk ring‐opening polymerization of ϵ‐caprolactone (ϵ‐CL) using various organic acid catalysts and benzyl alcohol (BnOH) as the initiator was developed. Benzoic acid (BA) has been proved to be an efficient catalyst for the ROP of ϵ‐CL under mild conditions. The conversion of ϵ‐CL to PCL was 84.7 % under the optimized reaction conditions, with number‐average molecular weight (Mn) and dispersity (PDI) of 7700 g/mol and 1.25, respectively. Moreover, a monomer‐activated ring‐opening polymerization mechanism mediated by benzoic acid was proposed. Overall, this work is expected to provide a feasible industrial method for the preparation of PCL using benzoic acid as organocatalyst. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, we report two hybrid zero‐dimensional (0D) lead‐free metal oxide halides of [PPip]Sb2Cl6O (1) ([PPip]=1‐(2‐Pyridyl)piperazine) and [PmPip]Sb2Cl6O (2) ([PmPip]=1‐(2‐Pyrimidyl)piperazine). Compounds 1 and 2 are able to exhibit narrow blue light emissions excited by UV light with photo‐luminescence quantum yields (PLQYs) of 25.49 % and 24.71 %, respectively. Through systematical characterizations, these blue light emissions can be attributed to the radiative transition in conjugated organic cations. Benefiting from the highly efficient intrinsic blue emissions, compound 2 can be used as blue fluorophor to fabricate liquid crystal display. This work provides a new to assembly blue emitter through by virtue of the optical active organic cations in hybrid materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Excessive exudate secreted from diabetic wounds often results in skin overhydration, severe infections, and secondary damage upon dressing changes. However, conventional wound dressings are difficult to synchronously realize the non‐maceration of wound sites and rapid exudate transport due to their random porous structure. Herein, a self‐pumping Janus hydrogel with aligned channels (JHA) composed of hydrophilic poly (ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) hydrogel layer and hydrophobic polyurethane (PU)/graphene oxide (GO)/polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) layer is designed to rapidly export exudate and accelerate diabetic wound healing. In the design, the ice‐templating process endows the hydrophilic hydrogel layer with superior liquid transport ability and mechanical strength due to the formation of aligned channel structure. The hydrophobic layer with controlled thickness functions as an effective barrier to prevent exudate from wetting the skin surface. Experiments in diabetic rat model show that JHA can significantly promote re‐epithelialization and collagen deposition, shorten the inflammation phase, and accelerate wound healing. This unique JHA dressing may have great potential for real‐life usage in clinical patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To elucidate the mechanism of miR‐128‐3p in peritoneal fibrosis (PF). Methods: Peritoneal mesothelial cells (PMCs) were dealt with high glucose (HG) for 3 days. The expressions of miR‐128‐3p, p21‐activated kinase 2 (PAK2), spleen tyrosine kinase (SyK), and transforming growth factor‐β1 (TGF‐β1) were detected with quantitative real‐time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. The levels of IL‐1β, TNF‐α, IL‐6, and monocyte chemotactic protein‐1 in supernatant were measured by ELISA. Proteins of TGF‐β1, SyK, PAK2, α‐SMA, collagen I, vimentin, ERK/AP‐1, and IκBα/NF‐κB pathway related proteins were measured by Western blot. The correlation between miR‐128‐3p and PAK2 was found by bioinformatics analysis and luciferase reporter gene analysis. Results: miR‐128‐3p was decreased while PAK2, SyK, and TGF‐β1 were increased in HG‐induced PMCs. Moreover, miR‐128‐3p inhibited HG‐induced fibrosis and inflammation in PMCs by targeting PAK2. PAK2 activated SyK, which induced TGF‐β1 expression through ERK/AP‐1 and IκBα/NF‐κB pathways to promote HG‐induced fibrosis of PMCs. Conclusion: miR‐128‐3p inhibited HG‐induced PMCs fibrosis via PAK2/SyK/TGF‐β1 axis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The crystallization process in small droplet possessed wide engineering applications in micromaterial fabrication and fine crystal screening. Herein, hydrophilic sessile platform via 3D printing technology was developed to facilely construct the interfacial confined droplets (ICDs) with a designed contact angle by conveniently regulating the droplet volume. The micro‐flows inside the droplet were adjusted by controlling the intensity of Marangoni flow and capillary flow within different droplet shapes (i.e., contact angle), which were verified by experimental and simulative results. Especially for the 120° ICD, the micro‐flows, achieved by the coordination of Marangoni flow and capillary flow, could convey solutes toward droplet center and harvest a standard cubic crystal at sessile platform center. These results indicated that ICD and sessile platform possessed great potential on high‐quality crystal screening and crystallization technique development, which additionally enriched the research strategy on crystal engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study was conducted to investigate key long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) involved in competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network associated with laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC). Materials and Methods: Three mRNA datasets, two miRNA datasets, and one lncRNA dataset of LSCC were downloaded from GEO database. Following the identification of differentially expressed mRNAs (DEmRNAs), (microRNAs) miRNAs (DEmiRNAs), and lncRNAs (DElncRNAs) in LSCC compared with adjacent tissues, functional enrichment of DEmRNAs was performed. Then, construction of the ceRNA (DElncRNA‐DEmiRNA‐DEmRNA) regulatory network and functional analyses of all DEmRNAs in ceRNA regulatory network were conducted. Quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reactions (qRT‐PCR) were used to detect the expression levels of selected DEmRNAs, DEmiRNAs, and DElncRNAs. Results: A total of 3449 DEmRNAs, 40 DEmiRNAs, and 100 DElncRNAs were identified in LSCC. The ceRNA networks, which contained 132 DElncRNA‐DEmiRNA pairs and 287 DEmiRNA‐DEmRNA pairs, involving 44 lncRNAs, 3 miRNAs, and 271 mRNAs, were obtained. DEmRNAs in ceRNA regulatory networks were significantly enriched in pathways in cancer, prostate cancer, and aldosterone‐regulated sodium reabsorption. Except for HCG22 and hsa‐miR‐1246, expressions of the others in the qRT‐PCR results played the same pattern with that in our integrated analysis, generally. Conclusions: We concluded that HCG22/EGOT‐hsa‐miR‐1275‐FAM107A and HCG22/EGOT‐hsa‐miR‐1246‐Glycerol‐3‐phosphate dehydrogenase 1 like interaction pairs may play a central role in LSCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) with polychromatic colors has been widely studied due to its great applications in chiroptical, optoelectronics, and spintronics. However, the realization of white CPL in single‐component solid‐state materials remains a great challenge and suffers from the incompatibility between high efficient luminescence and large asymmetric discrimination. Here, by exploiting self‐trapped exciton mechanism and chirality induction strategy, a pair of 1D chiral perovskites, (RR/SS‐DMPZ)PbBr4 (where DMPZ = cis‐2,5‐dimethylpiperazine divalent cation), is reported to achieve white CPL with both high quantum yield of 28.4% and large photoluminescence asymmetry factor |glum| of 2.32 × 10−2. The crystal structures are featured by 1D double‐chain structure composed of distorted octahedra with short PbPb distances as the structural origin of the high photoluminescence yield. The high |glum| value is caused by efficient chiral induction due to the multiple hydrogen bonds between the chiral host composed of the enantiopure organic cations containing two stereocenters and the inorganic emitting guest. The self‐trapped exciton emission mechanism is demonstrated by density functional theory calculations and variable‐temperature photoluminescence and femtosecond‐transient absorption spectroscopy studies. The photo‐luminescent white light‐emitting diodes exhibit good stability and can be used as single‐component white light emitters. This work provides applicable strategies to explore single‐component white CPL emitters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To 3‐dimensional radiographically assess the effect of titanium plate in guided bone regeneration (GBR) for the treatment of peri‐implant ridge defects in esthetic zone. Material and Methods: Nineteen patients with buccal peri‐implant defects in the maxillary esthetic zone were treated with GBR using xenograft, autogenous bone, and collagen membrane. Subjects were divided into two groups: control (conventional GBR, 10 patients with 16 implants) and test (GBR with an adjunctive titanium plate; nine patients with 15 implants). Cone‐beam computed tomography (CBCT) images obtained immediately after and 5–7 months following GBR were used to assess buccal crestal bone level (BBL) and buccal bone thickness (BBT) at different implant levels. Results: Thirty‐one implants in 19 patients were evaluated. Titanium plate exposure occurred in three cases (33.33%) of the test group. After 5–7 months, the mean BBL was located 1.48 ± 0.71 mm coronal to the platform in the test group and 0.90 ± 3.03 mm coronal to the platform in the control group (p = 0.03). The mean over all BBT (BBT‐M) was 4.16 ± 0.48 mm in the test group and 2.38 ± 0.97 mm in the control group (p < 0.01). More resorption occurred in the control group than in the test group regarding mean BBL (3.00 ± 3.11 mm vs. 0.78 ± 0.79 mm, respectively; p = 0.04), BBT‐M change (1.87 ± 1.59 mm vs. 0.56 ± 0.33 mm, respectively; p = 0.02), and percentage change in BBT‐M (40.69 ± 24.01% vs. 11.53 ± 5.86%, respectively; p < 0.01). Conclusion: In the short‐term, titanium plate‐enhanced GBR maintained ridge dimensions better than conventional GBR did. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, zero‐dimensional (0D) hybrid metal halides have attracted intensive attention with wide applications in solid‐state lighting and display diodes. Herein, by using a facile wet‐chemistry method, we prepared one new 0D hybrid antimony halide of [HMHQ]2SbCl5 ⋅ 2H2O (MHQ=2‐methyl‐8‐hydroxyquinoline) based on the discrete [SbCl5]2− unit. Remarkably, the bulk crystals of [HMHQ]2SbCl5 ⋅ 2H2O exhibit strong cyan light emission with a promising photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) of 18.92%. Systematical studies disclose that the cyan emission is mainly derived from the radiative recombination within conjugated organic cation. Benefiting from the promising luminescent performance, this 0D antimony halide can be utilized as an excellent down‐conversion light emitting luminescent material to assemble white light‐emitting diodes with high color rendering index (CRI) of 90.2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite remarkable luminescent performance of 0D lead halide perovskites, achieving highly efficient blue light emission is extremely challenging and crucial for this domain. Considering the high toxicity of Pb2+ ion, it is significant to explore water‐stable lead‐free 0D halides as highly efficient and stable blue emitting materials. To address these issues, a family of 0D hybrid zinc halides of AZnBr4 (A = EP, BP, and TMPDA) based on discrete [ZnBr4]2− tetrahedrons is herein reported as desirable blue light emitters. The wide band gaps enable these 0D halides to display highly efficient blue light emissions (452–485 nm) with highest photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) of 35.47%. More importantly, all these 0D halides present extraordinary chemical stabilities in humid air and water for one month, and are also capable of withstanding extreme pH conditions in the range of 0–14, likely the widest observed pH range for perovskites. Notably, the ultrahigh chemical stabilities of 0D zinc halides are nearly unmatchable among all known literature perovskite materials to the best of the authors' knowledge. Combined superiorities of unusual blue light emission, promising PLQY, ultrahigh stability, and non‐toxicity highlight the potential optoelectronic applications in wide chemical environments for these 0D zinc halides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spontaneous combustion of coal waste dumps is one of the main problems in mining areas. This risk still exists even after land reclamation and ecological restoration. Once spontaneous combustion of a coal waste dump occurs after reclamation, it will lead to repeated land degradation and vegetation damage again. Focusing on this issue, a monitoring method using unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) RGB imagery based on alfalfa aboveground biomass (AGB) is proposed in this study. Two areas of a coal waste dump that suffered spontaneous combustion of coal waste after reclamation in Shanxi Province, China, were selected as the study area. Combined with the vegetation index and texture metrics extracted from UAV RGB imagery, the AGB was estimated using stepwise linear regression models. Finally, the intensity of spontaneous combustion was classified based on alfalfa AGB. In this study, our results show that: (i) the AGB estimation accuracy can be improved by combining the spectral and texture features [R2 = 0.86, root mean square error (RMSE) = 0.09 kg /m‐2, and mean absolute error (MAE) = 0.08 kg m‐2]; (ii) alfalfa AGB had a good ability to explain the underground thermal anomalies based on the deep soil temperature; (iii) Compared with the land surface temperature, alfalfa AGB was more suitable for monitoring the potential spontaneous combustion areas, especially in the initial stage, where spontaneous combustion has occurred but does not have a significant impact on the land surface. This study was intended to provide an improved method for detecting the spontaneous combustion monitoring of coal waste dumps, which may provide a reference for initial monitoring and prevention in mining areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A convenient and rapid detection method for methanol in ethanol remains a major challenge due to their indistinguishable physical properties. Herein, a novel fluorescence probe based on perovskite was successfully designed to overcome this bottleneck. We report a new zero‐dimensional (0D) hybrid perovskite of [MP]2InxSb1−xCl7 ⋅ 6 H2O (MP=2‐methylpiperazine) displaying an unusual green light emission with near‐unity photoluminescence quantum yield. Remarkably, this 0D perovskite exhibits reversible methanol‐response luminescence switching between green and yellow color but fail in any other organic vapors. Even for blended alcohol solutions, the luminescent probe exhibits excellent sensing performance with multiple superiorities of rapid response time (30 s) and ultra‐low detection limit (40 ppm), etc. Therefore, this 0D perovskite can be utilized as a perfect fluorescence probe to detect traces of methanol from ethanol with ultrahigh sensitivity, selectivity and repeatability. To the best of our knowledge, this work represents the first perovskite as fluorescence probe for methanol with wide potential in environmental monitoring and methanol detection, etc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Infiltrating immune cells in the tumor microenvironment (TME) influence tumor progression and patient prognosis, making them attractive therapeutic targets for immunotherapy research. A deeper understanding of immune cell distributions in the TME in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is needed to identify interactions among different immune cell types that might impact the effectiveness of potential immunotherapies. We performed multiplex immunohistochemistry using a tissue microarray of samples from 302 patients with HCC to elucidate the spatial distributions of immune cell subpopulations (CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, CD66b+, and CD68+) in HCC and normal liver tissues. We analyzed the associations between different immune subpopulations using Pearson's correlation. G(r) functions, K(r) functions and Euclidean distance were applied to characterize the bivariate distribution patterns among the immune cell types. Cox regression and Kaplan‐Meier analysis were used to evaluate the associations between tumor infiltration by different immune cells and patient outcomes after curative surgery. We also analyzed the relationship between the spatial distribution of different immune cell subpopulations with HCC patient prognosis. We found that the immune cell spatial distribution in the HCC TME is heterogeneous. Our study provides a theoretical basis for HCC immunotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mn2+ doped colloidal three‐dimensional (3D) lead halide perovskite nanocrystal (PNC) has attracted intensive research attention; however, the low exciton binding energy and fatal optical instability of 3D PNC seriously hinder the optoelectronic application. Therefore, it remains significant to explore new stable host perovskite with strongly bound exciton to realize more desirable luminescent property. In this work, we utilized bulk one‐dimensional (1D) hybrid perovskite of [AEP]PbBr5 ⋅ H2O (AEP=N‐aminoethylpiperazine) as structural platform to rationally optimize the luminescent property by a controllable Mn2+ doping strategy. Significantly, the series of Mn2+‐doped 1D [AEP]PbBr5 ⋅ H2O show enhanced energy transfer efficiency from the strongly bound excitons of host material to 3d electrons of Mn2+ ions, resulting in tunable broadband light emissions from weak yellow to strong red spectral range with highest photoluminescence quantum yield up to 28.41 %. More importantly, these Mn2+‐doped 1D perovskites display ultrahigh structural and optical stabilities in humid atmosphere, water and high temperature exceeding the conventional 3D PNC. Combined highly efficient, tunable and stable broadband light emissions enable Mn2+‐doped 1D perovskite as excellent down‐converting phosphor showcasing the potential application in white light emitting diode. This work not only provides a profound understanding of low‐dimensional perovskites but also opens a new way to rationally design high‐performance broadband light emitting perovskites for solid‐state lighting and displaying devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pancreatic cancer is one of the most notorious diseases for being asymptomatic at early stage and high mortality rate thereafter. However, either chemotherapy or targeted therapy has rarely achieved success in recent clinical trials for pancreatic cancer. Novel therapeutic regimens or agents are urgently in need. Ibr‐7 is a novel derivative of ibrutinib, displaying superior antitumour activity in pancreatic cancer cells than ibrutinib. In vitro studies showed that ibr‐7 greatly inhibited the proliferation of BxPC‐3, SW1990, CFPAC‐1 and AsPC‐1 cells via the induction of mitochondrial‐mediated apoptosis and substantial suppression of mTOR/p70S6K pathway. Moreover, ibr‐7 was able to sensitize pancreatic cancer cells to gemcitabine through the efficient repression of TRIM32, which was positively correlated with the proliferation and invasiveness of pancreatic cancer cells. Additionally, knockdown of TRIM32 diminished mTOR/p70S6K activity in pancreatic cancer cells, indicating a positive feedback loop between TRIM32 and mTOR/p70S6K pathway. To conclude, this work preliminarily explored the role of TRIM32 in the malignant properties of pancreatic cancer cells and evaluated the possibility of targeting TRIM32 to enhance effectiveness of gemcitabine, thereby providing a novel therapeutic target for pancreatic cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to determine the effect of different oligosaccharides on growth performance, intestinal health, and antioxidant status of broilers, 240 1-day-old XiangHuang broilers were randomly distributed to 4 treatments with 6 replicates each. Birds were fed corn-soybean-based diets (CON), and birds in xylo-oligosaccharides (XOS), fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS), and iso-maltooligosaccharide (IMO) groups were given the basal diet supplemented with 200 mg/kg XOS, FOS, and IMO, respectively. Result showed that average daily gain (ADG) during the whole 5 weeks in FOS group was greater than that in control group (p < 0.05). Both breast and thigh muscle percentages were higher for birds fed XOS versus CON (p < 0.05). Oligosaccharides supplementation increased jejunal villus height compared with control group (p < 0.05). Malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration in breast muscle was lower for birds fed diet containing FOS versus CON (p < 0.05). Activities of total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD) in serum and thigh muscle were higher in IMO than in control group (p < 0.05). Serum T-SOD and breast muscle's glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity was higher in XOS compared with control group (p < 0.05). Conclusion, dietary oligosaccharides such as XOS, FOS, and IMO could improve intestinal health and antioxidant ability of muscle without affect growth performance in broilers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rationally optimizing the photoluminescence performance via accurate structural modulation is one of most important and challenging issues for hybrid halides. Herein, a viable crystal dimensional reduction strategy is proposed to reasonably enhance the photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) of hybrid antimony halide. Specifically, a synthetic technique is developed and new 1D [DMPZ]SbCl5 ∙ H2O (DP‐SbCl5) is sliced to 0D [DMPZ]2SbCl6 ∙ Cl ∙ (H2O)2 (DP‐SbCl6) with crystal dimensional reduction from infinite [SbCl5]2− chain to discrete [SbCl6]3− octahedron. Comparing with nonluminescent 1D DP‐SbCl5, 0D DP‐SbCl6 displays highly efficient broadband yellow light emission with enhanced PLQY up to 75.94%. First‐principles calculation demonstrates that 0D DP‐SbCl6 features more flat and narrow band structure, which promotes the photoelectron localization and increases the quantum confinement, and finally boosts the luminescence efficiency. Together highly efficient and ultra‐stable luminescence performance enable DP‐SbCl6 as excellent down‐conversion broadband yellow phosphor to successfully fabricate white light emitting diodes with a high color rendering index of 92. This work provides a novel structural modulation strategy of crystal dimensional reduction to rationally optimize the PL performance of hybrid metal halides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background & Aims: Liver transplantation (LTx) is one of the most effective treatments for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC); however, tumour recurrence after LTx often leads to poor outcomes. This study investigated the value of circulating tumour cells (CTCs) as a predictor of recurrence following LTx in patients with HCC. Methods: This analysis included 193 patients with HCC who underwent LTx at our institute and accepted pre‐ and post‐operative CTC detection; 38 were selected for serial CTC monitoring. The predictive value of CTCs for tumour recurrence in patients with HCC following LTx was evaluated. Single‐cell whole genome sequencing was used to characterize CTCs. Results: Overall, the CTC burden decreased after LTx (P <.05). Post‐operative CTC count ≥ 1 per 5 mL peripheral blood was identified as a potential biomarker for predicting tumour recurrence after LTx, especially in patients with no detectable CTCs prior to LTx and negative tumour serological biomarkers. The predictive value of post‐operative CTC count ≥ 1 per 5 mL blood was retained in patients who did not meet the Milan criteria, University of California San Francisco (UCSF) criteria, or Fudan criteria (all P <.05). Furthermore, post‐operative serial CTC detection may be useful in post‐surgical surveillance for HCC recurrence. Conclusions: CTCs may be a useful biomarker to evaluate recurrence risk following LTx in patients with HCC. Evaluation based on CTC detection may enhance the post‐transplant management of HCC, and improve the therapeutic efficacy of LTx. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: We try to investigate whether the values of three‐dimensional principal longitudinal strain present differently between the left and right ventricles in patients with long‐time follow‐ups after heart transplantation (HTx). Methods and results: Transthoracic echocardiography with three‐dimensional speckle tracking was performed at one‐, five‐ and ten‐year follow‐ups in 62 "healthy" HTx patients together with routine echocardiographic evaluation in 32 control group (CG) individuals. Longitudinal strain was applied in all subjects assessing without myocardium wall motion abnormality. Firstly, left ventricular ejection fraction preserved in HTx and had no significant difference in comparison with the controls (p >.05). 3D measurement showed obvious reduction in global (%: CG: −20.5 ± 3.5 vs. HT1y: −13.7 ± 4.6, HT5y: −14.4 ± 4.5, HT10y: −14.6 ± 4.7. p <.01) and horizontal segmental (basal, mid, apical, CG vs. HTx: all p <.01) strain values of the left compared HTx with control subjects. Secondly, tissue Doppler imaging s' velocity and tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion reduced in HTx as compared to the controls in right ventricle (p <.01). Longitudinal strain presented a more distinctive reduction in global (%: CG: −24.5 ± 4.6 vs. HT1y:‐14.8 ± 7.5, HT5y: −15.5 ± 6.4, HT10y: −15.9 ± 6.8. p <.01) and horizontal segmental (basal, mid, apical, CG vs. HTx: all p <.01) average values of the right compared HTx with control subjects. Thirdly, there weren't any significant changes between one‐, five‐ and ten‐year of all the values with HTx inter‐group comparison in both the left and right ventricles (p >.05). Fourthly, the global and segmental strain of the right ventricle decreased more than that of the left ventricle in all HTx groups, with the global decreased differentiation rates of 7%, 7%, 6%, respectively. Conclusions: Compared HTx with control subjects in both ventricles, conventional evaluation showed preserved or decreased functions in the left and right separately. Myocardial function evaluating by 3D longitudinal strain reduced after HTx, but the deformation of the right ventricle reduced more than those of the left ventricle. Additionally, 3D strain values almost remained with stable decreased differentiation rates during the long‐time follow‐ups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, low‐dimensional organic‐inorganic hybrid metal halide perovskites acting as single‐component white‐light emitting materials have attracted extensive attention, but most studies concentrate on hybrid lead perovskites. Herein, we present two isomorphic zero‐dimensional (0D) hybrid cadmium perovskites, (HMEDA)CdX4 (HMEDA=hexamethylenediamine, X=Cl (1), Br (2)), which contain isolated [CdX4]2− anions separated by [HMEDA]2+ cations. Under UV light excitation, both compounds display broadband bluish white‐light emission (515 nm for 1 and 445 nm for 2) covering the entire visible light spectrum with sufficient photophysical stabilities. Remarkably, compound 2 shows a high color rendering index (CRI) of 83 enabling it as a promising candidate for single‐component WLED applications. Based on the temperature‐dependent, powder‐dependent and time‐resolved PL measurements as well as other detailed studies, the broadband light emissions are attributed to self‐trapped excitons stemming from the strong electron‐phonon coupling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We give two proofs of the following theorem and a partial generalization: if a finite‐dimensional algebra A is derived equivalent to a smooth projective scheme, then any derived equivalence between A and another algebra B is standard, that is, isomorphic to the derived tensor functor by a two‐sided tilting complex. The main ingredients of the proofs are as follows: (1) between the derived categories of two module categories, liftable functors coincide with standard functors; (2) any derived equivalence between a module category and an abelian category is uniquely factorized as the composition of a pseudo‐identity and a liftable derived equivalence; (3) the derived category of coherent sheaves on a certain class of projective schemes is triangle‐objective, that is, any triangle autoequivalence on it, which preserves the isomorphism classes of all objects, is necessarily isomorphic to the identity functor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considering the instability and low photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) of blue‐emitting perovskites, it is still challenging and attractive to construct single crystalline hybrid lead halides with highly stable and efficient blue light emission. Herein, by rationally introducing d10 transition metal into single lead halide as new structural building unit and optical emitting center, we prepared a bimetallic halide of [(NH4)2]CuPbBr5 with new type of three‐dimensional (3D) anionic framework. [(NH4)2]CuPbBr5 exhibits strong band‐edge blue emission (441 nm) with a high PLQY of 32 % upon excitation with UV light. Detailed photophysical studies indicate [(NH4)2]CuPbBr5 also displays broadband red light emissions derived from self‐trapped states. Furthermore, the 3D framework features high structural and optical stabilities at extreme environments during at least three years. To our best knowledge, this work represents the first 3D non‐perovskite bimetallic halide with highly efficient and stable blue light emission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coal mining often brings negative impacts to land and eco‐environments. How to quantitatively evaluate this impact at a regional scale, and assess its related influences in mining and nonmining areas from an ecological viewpoint is important and a challenge. The Shendong Mining Area (SMA) at the junction region of Shaanxi Province and Inner Mongolia Autonomous region in northern China is a typical semi‐arid region. Remote sensing (RS) and Geographic Information System (GIS) were used to construct an ecosystem service measurement and evaluation index system in a typical high‐intensity coal mining area. Ecological Capital was estimated using remote sensing and statistical data from 2005, 2010 and 2015. The results show that (a) EC distribution has gradually increased from southeast to northwest (with an average annual growth rate of 2.32%); (b) water and soil conservation are the largest among ecosystem service functions, and the EC per unit area for the shrub ecosystem is the highest; and (c) the EC within the SMA grew steadily with an average annual growth rate of 3.09%. We can conclude that under high‐intensity mining, EC has not decreased, and the EC growth rate in some mining areas were even greater than nonmining areas, indicating that underground mining impacts were under tolerable threshold in this region. Through the remote sensing quantitative evaluation model, this article reveals the impact of regional ecological assets under different mining intensity, and provides an important basis for evaluating regional sustainable development and ecological environment management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, 2D organic–inorganic hybrid lead halide perovskites have attracted intensive attention in solid‐state luminescence fields such as single‐component white‐light emitters, and rational optimization of the photoluminescence (PL) performance through accurate structural‐design strategies is still significant. Herein, by carefully choosing homologous aliphatic amines as templates, isotypical perovskites [DMEDA]PbCl4 (1, DMEDA=N,N‐dimethylethylenediamine) and [DMPDA]PbCl4 (2, DMPDA=N,N‐dimethyl‐1,3‐diaminopropane) having tunable and stable broadband bluish white emission properties were rationally designed. The subtle regulation of organic cations leads to a higher degree of distortion of the 2D [PbCl4]2− layers and enhanced photoluminescence quantum efficiencies (<1 % for 1 and 4.9 % for 2). The broadband light emissions could be ascribed to self‐trapped excitons on the basis of structural characterization, time‐resolved PL, temperature‐dependent PL emission, and theoretical calculations. This work gives a new guidance to rationally optimize the PL properties of low‐dimensional halide perovskites and affords a platform to probe the structure–property relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Protective seam mining is the preferred method for gas control and safe mining in high‐outburst coal seam groups. However, a hard‐thick sandstone roof (HTSR) triggers new gas problems when it covers directly above the first‐mined protective coal seam. To solve these problems, a typical case study in No. 12 Coal Mine was conducted. The simulation results indicate that the HTSR greatly prevents the plastic deformation of the upper roof formations without affecting the expansive deformation in the underlying protected seams. The pressure‐relief gas in protected seams will flow into the protective seam without continuing to migrate to roof strata, thereby turning the protective seam into a new high‐risk area. Therefore, roof presplitting (RPS) technology was proposed to effectively break the HTSR, create roof fracture passages, and divert the gob gas of the protective seam upward. Meanwhile, gob‐side entry construction (GSEC) was conducted to enhance gas discharge in the protective seam by adopting rapid filling, roof cutting, and active supporting technologies. Through the upper protective seam mining, RPS, and GSEC, gas migration passages were constructed step‐by‐step to divert the gas from high‐risk areas to low‐risk areas. As a key first step, gas diversion not only optimized the distribution of gas sources but also significantly reduced gas hazards. Source‐by‐source extraction was then performed to effectively control the high‐concentration gas in the newly formed gas source, further eliminating the mining risk. By applying the stepwise risk control method combined with gas diversion and extraction, the safe production was successfully achieved with excellent outburst prevention effects, and the gas extraction rate was significantly improved to more than 66%. This practice could be used for deep high‐gassy or high‐outburst coal seam group mining. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Droplet evaporative crystallization on microscale heterogeneous surface is a vivid topic in chemical engineering, bioengineering, nanomaterials, and so on. Here, 3D printed interfacial matrix platform with regular pillar convexity and tunnel structure is fabricated to reveal the mechanism of the interfacial micro droplet crystallization. Element‐based rotation volume model is established to simulate the concentration and nucleation barrier distribution during the microscale process. Sodium urate monohydrate and NaCl crystallization on the pillar convex structure both confirm that confined capillary flow in the micro droplet and initial nucleation condition dominate the nucleation, growth control and particle distribution. Droplet crystallization stretches over the tunnel structure reveal an interesting phenomenon that two regions possessing distinct‐different nucleation barriers can isolated obtain the crystal particles from nanoscale to even millimeter scale. The fabricated platform and the capillary circulation transfer theory unfold a potential approach to harvest high value‐added crystals with specific morphology and desire sizes distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Yellow River is one of the most significant sources of terrestrial sediment to the global seas, and the Bohai Strait is the only pathway that delivers Yellow River-derived sediments from the shallow Bohai Sea to the Yellow Sea. To investigate sediment transport processes through the strait under the influence of storms (strong northerly winds) that frequently occur in winter, we deployed two sets of observing platforms equipped with Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers (ADCP) and a suite of other sensors in the strait in January 2018. Aided by a system of high-resolution models, we reconstructed sediment dynamics in response to the strong northerly wind of a winter storm. Model results show that the instantaneous suspended sediment flux (SSF) is highly aligned with tidal currents, while the net sediment flux has a clear dependence on variations in exchange flow and sediment resuspension. Enhanced coastal currents, intensified wave motions, and higher suspended sediment concentrations indicate that the through-strait sediment flux during outflows is greater than during inflow conditions. Such SSF asymmetries are believed responsible for the net sediment export through the Bohai Strait in wintertime. Diagnostic analyses provided insights into the dynamic mechanisms of exchange flow variations influenced by both the strong northerly winds and the wind-triggered coastal trapped waves in the shallow, narrow strait via geostrophic effects. This study highlights the importance of storm-induced horizontal exchange processes in a coupled bay-shelf system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rationale: Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) are associated with intestinal microbiota and diseases in humans. SCFAs have a low response in mass spectrometry, and in order to increase sensitivity, reduce sample consumption, shorten analysis time, and simplify sample preparation steps, a derivatization method was developed. Methods: We converted seven SCFAs into amide derivatives with 4-aminomethylquinoline. The reaction occurred for 20 min at room temperature. The analytes were separated on a reversed-phase C18 column and quantitated in the positive ion electrospray ionization mode using multiple reaction monitoring. Acetic acid-d4 was used as the stable-isotope-labeled surrogate analyte for acetic acid in the working solutions, while the other stable-isotope-labeled standards were used as internal standards (ISs). Results: Method validation showed that the intra-day and inter-day precision of quantitation for the seven SCFAs over the whole concentration range was ≤3.8% (n = 6). The quantitation accuracy ranged from 85.5% to 104.3% (n = 6). Most important, the collected feces were vortexed immediately with ethanol. Conclusions: This study provides a new derivatization method for a precise, accurate, and rapid quantitation of SCFAs in human feces using ultra-performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry. This method successfully determined the concentration of SCFAs in human feces and could assist in the exploration of intestinal microbiota and diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To analyze the long‐term outcome and pattern of failure for patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) after intensity‐modulated radiotherapy (IMRT). Methods and materials: Patients with NPC after IMRT from 2001 to 2008 were recruited (n = 865). Clinical features, laboratory data, and treatments were collected. Results: The 10‐year local recurrence‐free survival, distant metastasis‐free survival, and disease‐specific survival (DSS) were 92.0%, 83.4%, and 78.6%, respectively. A total of 209 patients died: 59% of whom died from distant metastasis. The 10‐year DSS was higher in patients who received chemoradiotherapy than those who received IMRT alone for patients with high‐risk stage III disease, while there was no survival difference for patients with stage II and low‐risk stage III disease. Conclusions: IMRT provides satisfactory long‐term survival for patients with NPC. Distant metastasis has been the most common reason for failure. Adding chemotherapy did not improve survival in patients with stage II and low‐risk stage III disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Membrane separation is highly expected for enriching CO2 from flue gases, but the inadequacy in separation efficiency and production capacity should not be overlooked. Process planning and initial design with multi‐product and energy recovery approach is attempted in this work to ameliorate this limitation. Three retrofitting options are considered: the novel constraint mode with the local permeate CO2 concentration that is always higher than the feed stream concentration is proposed for CO2 enrichment to increase the output of the CO2‐enriched product (with a general mode, the local permeate stream that is more diluted than the feed stream mixes in the permeate bulk); the turbine unit is used to take back the static energy in membrane residue; and the multi‐product option with N2 purification would have the advantage that N2 has been enriched greatly after CO2 separation. According to the comprehensive comparison conducted in this study, the retrofitted process involving both the novel constraint mode and the multi‐product approach is the most effective for saving energy and enhancing production capacity. Crude CO2 (50 vol%) and N2 (99 vol%) would be generated simultaneously. In addition, the positive performance has been demonstrated by process simulation and economical analysis with both a normal polysulphone membrane and a novel Polaris membrane. On the whole, membrane separation system retrofitting with multi‐product and energy recovery approach together should be an effectual approach to promote carbon capture, storage, and utilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate crystallization control is an essential aspect for chemical engineering and separation processes. Herein, we demonstrated the novelty of membrane crystallization (MCr) on the interfacial based‐crystal particle autoselection aimed for nucleation regulation and process control. With the proposed model based on a van der Waals‐friction‐hydrodynamic force field and classical nucleation theory, the motion mechanisms of heterogeneously induced nucleation were illustrated. The defined particle detachment criterion K revealed the control mechanism of the crystal particle motion behavior: temporary adherence, detachment, and perpetual adherence (scaling) at the membrane interface. For the first time, the function region of MCr (nucleation detection, scaling control, and crystallization regulation) was systematically illustrated and validated with the directly observed laboratory demonstration. These findings also demonstrate the potential applications of the uniform size distribution, morphology modified particle manufacture, and in situ nucleation detection. © 2018 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 65: 723–733, 2019 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, a novel hollow fiber membrane‐assisted antisolvent crystallization (MAAC) was proposed to enhance the mass transfer control over the antisolvent crystallization. A polyethersulfone membrane module was introduced as the key device for antisolvent transfer and solution mixing. An antisolvent liquid film layer was formed on the membrane surface and mixed with the solution. The liquid film also prevented the membrane from directly contacting with crystallization solution. By controlling both the shell side flow velocity and the antisolvent transfer, the antisolvent permeation rate achieved sensitive, stable, and accurate control during long‐term and repeated utilization. The interfacial mass transfer rate of MAAC was 0.66 mg cm−2 s−1, which was only 1/50 that of conventional droplet antisolvent crystallization. MAAC also provided crystal products with better morphologies and narrower size distributions than the conventional process. The stable performances of MAAC in terms of its accurate antisolvent mass transfer and antifouling capabilities were also highlighted. © 2018 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 65: 734–744, 2019 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glioma is known to be the most prevalent primary brain tumor. In recent years, there has been evidence indicating myeloid cell leukemia‐1 (MCL1) plays a role in brain glioblastoma. Therefore, the present study was conducted with aims of exploring the ability of MCL1 silencing to influence glioma cell senescence and apoptosis through the mediation of the phosphatidylinositol 3‐kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt) signaling pathway. Glioma and tumor‐adjacent tissues were collected in order to detect the presence of higher levels of MCL1 protein expression. Next, the mRNA and protein expression of MCL1, PI3K, Akt, B cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl2), Bcl2‐associated X (Bax), B lymphoma Mo‐MLV insertion region 1 homolog (Bmi‐1), and phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) were determined. Cell counting kit‐8 assay was applied to detect cell proliferation, β‐galactosidase staining for cell senescence, and flow cytometry for cell cycle entry and apoptosis. Initially, the results revealed higher positive expression rate of MCL1 protein, increased mRNA and protein expression of MCL1, PI3K, Akt, Bmi‐1, and Bcl‐2 and decreased that of Bax and PTEN in human glioma tissues. The silencing of MCL1 resulted in a decrease in mRNA and protein expression of PI3K, Akt, Bmi‐1, and Bcl‐2 and an increase in Bax and PTEN expressions in glioma cells. Moreover, silencing of MCL1 also inhibited cell proliferation and cell cycle entry in glioma cells, and promoted glioma cell senescence and apoptosis. In conclusion, the aforementioned results collectively suggested that the silencing of MCL1 promotes senescence and apoptosis in glioma cells through inhibiting the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. Thus, decreasing the expression of MCL1 might have therapeutic functions in glioma. © 2018 IUBMB Life, 71(1):81–92, 2019 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Cf/ZrC‐SiC composites with a density of 2.52 g/cm3 and a porosity of 1.68% were fabricated via reactive melt infiltration (RMI) of Si into nano‐porous Cf/ZrC‐C preforms. The nano‐porous Cf/ZrC‐C preforms were prepared through a colloid process, with a ZrC “protective coating” formed surrounding the carbon fibers. Consequently, highly dense Cf/ZrC‐SiC composites without evident fiber/interphase degradation were obtained. Moreover, abundant needle‐shaped ZrSi2 grains were formed in the composites. Benefiting from this unique microstructure, flexural strength, and elastic modulus of the composites are as high as 380 MPa and 61 GPa, respectively, which are much higher than Cf/ZrC‐SiC composites prepared by conventional RMI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: New catalytic systems that contain incompatible catalytic sites were constructed by the in situ polymerization of acidic and basic polymers into metal–organic frameworks, which resulted in highly porous, recyclable, and durable catalytic composites with excellent compartmentalization, so that opposing agents were spatially isolated. These synthesized hybrid catalysts exhibited excellent catalytic activity for one‐pot “wolf and lamb” reactions (deacetalization/Knoevenagel or Henry), which was attributed to their unique characteristic of having a locally homogeneous, but globally heterogeneous, structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]