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A vital approach to accessing high‐safety and high‐energy‐density lithium batteries is to develop solid‐state electrolytes (SSEs) instead of liquid electrolytes. However, lithium‐ion transport and interface stability issues puzzle the construction of solid‐state lithium batteries (SSLBs). Thus, developing fast‐ionic conductors with high electrochemical performances and chemical stability is crucial to SSLBs. Nanowires (NWs) possess high aspect ratios for maintaining carrier transport along the radial direction, thus being extensively employed in SSLBs for the enhancement of ion transport efficiency, mechanical properties, thermostability, flame retardancy, and interface stability between electrodes and electrolytes, consequently boosting the cycle stability and safety of SSLBs. In this work, the advances in NWs for SSLBs, from rational design and synthesis strategies to applications in composite cathodes, anode materials, and SSEs of SSLBs, are systematically reviewed. The key role of NWs in electrodes and the enhancement mechanism of SSE performance by introducing NWs are concluded in detail. Finally, the existing challenges and anticipated prospects for the future development of advanced nanowire‐based SSLBs are summarized and demonstrated. This review aims to provide a comprehensive understanding to facilitate the application of NWs in SSLBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epimedium is a traditional Chinese medicine with a wide range of clinical applications; however, there have been numerous reports of adverse reactions in recent years. The most common side effect of Epimedium is liver injury. In this study, the liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC–MS) method has been established to study the components of Epimedium and to identify the components absorbed into the blood of rats. Bioinformatics was used to screen out potential toxic components, and the integrating metabolomics method was used to explore the molecular mechanism of Epimedium‐induced liver injury. The chemical constituents of Epimedium were identified by LC–MS, and 62 compounds were obtained, including 57 flavonoids, four organic acids and one alkaloid. The toxicity network of "Epimedium–component–target–liver injury" was constructed using bioinformatics research methods, and then the key hepatotoxic component icaritin was identified. Integrating metabolomics was used to investigate the changes in the metabolic profile of L‐02 cells with different durations of icaritin administration compared with the control group, and 106 different metabolites were obtained. A total of 14 potential biomarkers significantly associated with cell survival were screened by Pearson correlation analysis combined with the L‐02 cell survival rate. Our study preliminarily revealed the mechanism of hepatotoxicity induced by Epimedium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gas accidents represent a crucial domain of coal mine safety research, as they result in substantial property damage, environmental pollution, and even loss of life compared to other types of accidents. Particularly, human factors play a significant role in the majority of mining accidents. The objective of this paper is to enhance the quality of coal mine safety management, minimize the occurrence of adverse human factors in gas accidents, and analyze the factors influencing coal mine gas accidents using the Human Factors Analysis and Classification System (HFACS). To commence, this paper has devised a human factor influence index system based on the enhanced HFACS for coal mine gas accidents. Subsequently, the Decision‐making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) method has been employed to quantitatively delineate the causal relationships among these factors. Lastly, this paper utilized the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) comprehensive evaluation method to evaluate the importance of factors influencing coal mine gas accidents. The research findings indicate that through the utilization of the DEMATEL methodology for centrality and causal relationship calculations, the centrality and causality values associated with poor organizational management emerge as the foremost among all factors. This underscores the pivotal role that poor organizational management plays in the human factors influencing coal mine gas accidents. Furthermore, a meticulous examination using TOPSIS identified the top five indicators of influence capability: cognitive errors > habitual violations > operational management > management process > resource management. The analysis of human factors in coal mine gas accidents can provide enhanced theoretical support for the management of production safety in coal mines, as well as the prevention of gas accidents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High‐temperature thermochemical energy storage based on metal oxides is the key technology to reducing the levelized costs of electricity of the next‐generation concentrated solar power plants. CuO/Cu2O has wide availability and high energy density, but severe sintering leads to low reactivity. In this study, an innovative approach to modulate the oxygen vacancy content to change the surface properties and crystal structure to enhance the sintering resistance and redox reversibility is proposed. The re‐oxidation degree is increased from 46% to 99%, and the energy release rate is increased by 3.5 times. It remains 99.9% reduction and 97.1% oxidation activity after 3000 cycles, which is very valuable for engineering applications. Cu2MgO3 and Mg0.78Cu0.22O are prone to form oxygen vacancies, which promotes the formation of porous structures. Mg0.78Cu0.22O helps Cu2MgO3/CuO/Cu2O deliver more O through the surface. Mg0.78Cu0.22O is firmly and uniformly dispersed on the CuO/Cu2O surface after long cycling. They have a large binding energy, more charge transfer and enhanced bond energy at the interface. The mechanism of composite in increasing the sintering temperature and long‐term reaction stability is revealed from experimental and theoretical calculations, which provides a new idea for the rational design of thermochemical energy storage materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study delves into the utilization of modern technology in rural policing, offering insights from front‐line police officers operating in the Chinese context. As rural areas globally grapple with unique policing challenges, the significance of this research extends beyond the borders of China. Findings indicate that technology, particularly video surveillance and communication platforms such as WeChat, has enhanced the responsiveness and overall capabilities of rural policing. The study sheds light on the dual nature of this technological adoption, highlighting its positive impact on policing practices while unraveling challenges, such as burnout and sustainability concerns. Notably, the study reveals that despite financial constraints hindering equipment maintenance and technological development in rural police departments, collaborations with commercial entities provide a viable avenue to alleviate such constraints. The global resonance of these findings underscores the broader implications for rural policing practices worldwide, emphasizing the need for strategic technological interventions to address challenges and optimize policing effectiveness in rural areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study delves into the utilization of modern technology in rural policing, offering insights from front‐line police officers operating in the Chinese context. As rural areas globally grapple with unique policing challenges, the significance of this research extends beyond the borders of China. Findings indicate that technology, particularly video surveillance and communication platforms such as WeChat, has enhanced the responsiveness and overall capabilities of rural policing. The study sheds light on the dual nature of this technological adoption, highlighting its positive impact on policing practices while unraveling challenges, such as burnout and sustainability concerns. Notably, the study reveals that despite financial constraints hindering equipment maintenance and technological development in rural police departments, collaborations with commercial entities provide a viable avenue to alleviate such constraints. The global resonance of these findings underscores the broader implications for rural policing practices worldwide, emphasizing the need for strategic technological interventions to address challenges and optimize policing effectiveness in rural areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

β‐fluorocarbanions have garnered considerable attention for their dual reactivity in nucleophilic processes and β‐fluorine elimination. In this study, a thorough computational analysis was conducted to explore the reactions of α‐(trifluoromethyl)styrenes with 2‐pyridones to delineate the factors determining protonation or defluorination pathways for the in situ generated β‐fluorocarbanions under varied basic conditions. Our findings illuminate the critical role of organobase basicity in steering the direction of the competitive protonation and β‐fluorine elimination reactions. We propose the use of pKaH values of organobases as a quantitative indicator for discerning the predominant reaction pathways. This provides an efficient approach to predict and control the reaction outcome, facilitating the deliberate design of reactions to leverage the unique reactivity of β‐fluorocarbanions in the realm of fluorine chemistry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Following a series of actions in China, the annual mean fine particle (PM2.5) concentrations have considerably reduced since 2013. However, in some cities, the PM2.5 concentrations exceed the national ambient air quality standard of 35 μg/m3. Herein, we evaluated the historical trends of PM2.5 from 2014 to 2022 in mainland China and found continuously declining trends. However, the annual decline rates decreased despite increasing investments on pollution control, showing considerably diminishing marginal effects of these investments. Accumulative reduction in PM2.5 concentrations is linearly dependent on the log‐transformed accumulative investment in air pollution control. The standard of 35 μg/m3 can be achieved by 2035 if the current efforts continue at the same pace. However, the standard of 35 μg/m3 can weaken the momentum of future actions in cities where the standard has already been implemented. We proposed and tested two tiers with four or six levels of specific regional standards based on the regression model predictions from the historical data and demonstrated that more rigorous standards for regions where the current standard is already attained could provide more momentum for strengthening abatement efforts. The results show that both tiers are feasible if the level of abatement endeavor is maintained even with marginal effects. We also demonstrate that additional 135,000 or 384,000 deaths can be avoided by applying the regional standards. Health benefits are monetized and compared with the control costs, suggesting that compared to Tier‐2, Tier‐1 is more cost‐effective and balanced across the mainland China. Plain Language Summary: Air quality in China has substantially improved since 2013 and the goal of meeting the national standard of 35 μg/m3 is expected to be achieved by 2035. However, with significant spatial variations, a single standard will be very likely to weaken the momentum of future actions in cities where the standard has already been attained. We proposed two tiers of regional standards by quantifying the declining trends of PM2.5 since 2013 for individual provinces. The feasibility and cost–benefit of the regional standards were evaluated, and the environmental and health benefits of implementing the local standards were demonstrated. Key Points: Different regional air quality standards for PM2.5 are feasible and more beneficial than a single national one in ChinaImplementing the regional PM2.5 standards well developed in this study in 2035 will avoid additional 135,000–384,000 deaths [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Substrate‐based ablation can treat uninducible or hemodynamically instability scar‐related ventricular tachycardia (VT). However, whether a correlation exists between the critical VT isthmus and late activation zone (LAZ) during sinus rhythm (SR) is unknown. Objective: To demonstrate the structural and functional properties of abnormal substrates and analyze the link between the VT circuit and abnormal activity during SR. Methods: Thirty‐six patients with scar‐related VT (age, 50.0 ± 13.7 years and 86.1% men) who underwent VT ablation were reviewed. The automatic rhythmia ultrahigh resolution mapping system was used for electroanatomic substrate mapping. The clinical characteristics and mapping findings, particularly the LAZ characteristics during SR and VT, were analyzed. To determine the association between the LAZ during the SR and VT circuits, the LAZ was defined as five activation patterns: entrance, exit, core, blind alley, and conduction barrier. Results: Forty‐five VTs were induced in 36 patients, 91.1% of which were monomorphic. The LAZ of all patients was mapped during the SR and VT circuits, and the consistency of the anatomical locations of the LAZ and VT circuits was analyzed. Using the ultrahigh resolution mapping system, interconversion patterns, including the bridge, T, puzzle, maze, and multilayer types, were identified. VT ablation enabled precise ablation of abnormal late potential conduction channels. Conclusion: Five interconversion patterns of the LAZ during the SR and VT circuits were summarized. These findings may help formulate more precise substrate‐based ablation strategies for scar‐related VT and shorter procedure times. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the combined effects of tillage and straw incorporation on grain yield and nitrogen (N) fertilizer utilization is vital for sustainable agriculture in northeastern China. How various tillage patterns with straw incorporation affect soil N balance and optimal N rate for crop production remains largely unknown. A four‐year (2015–2018) field experiment was conducted to assess the impact of rotary tillage with maize straw incorporation (RTS) and plough tillage with straw incorporation (PTS) combined with different N fertilizer rates (0, 112, 187, 262, and 337 kg N ha−1) on maize yield, N uptake, soil N balance, nitrogen use efficiency, and optimal N rate. In general, higher straw N uptake and lower N partial factor productivity, N use efficiency, and recovery of applied N in grains were obtained under PTS than under RTS. Moreover, grain yield and both straw and grain N uptake increased with the N application rate. However, no further increase in grain yield was observed when the applied N exceeded 187 kg N ha−1. PTS resulted in a higher level of unaccounted N from applied N fertilizer (38–81 kg N ha−1) than RTS. A high N fertilizer input (>262 kg N ha−1) combined with straw incorporation resulted in a high soil mineral N profit and substantially increased unaccounted N (614–715 kg N ha−1) over the four‐year field trial period. The optimal N input required for the highest maize yield could be reduced by 35.0%–44.6% using tillage with straw return. Nevertheless, PTS was more effective than RTS at lowering the optimal N application rate. Overall, the results of this short‐term maize field study conducted in northeastern China suggest that the amount of N fertilizer input required for maize production could be reduced by using tillage with continuous straw incorporation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A comprehensive multiphysics 3D model of an anode‐supported planar reversible solid oxide cell (rSOC) with a half‐channel‐unit‐cell geometry is created and validated. The physical phenomena that are modeled include reversible electrochemistry/charge transport, coupled with momentum/mass/heat transport. Several electrode microstructures comprising the homogeneous and functionally graded porosity distributions are applied to the validated model, to evaluate and compare the current‐voltage (j‐V) performance in both fuel cell mode and electrolysis mode. The results indicate that increasing the porosity in a homogeneous porous electrode does not always promote the cell's j‐V performance. An optimal porosity emerges where the effect of porosity on the mass transport is maximized, which ranges between 0.5 and 0.7 in the working conditions of the present study. Compared with homogeneous porous electrodes, the heterogeneous porous electrode design with a functionally graded porosity distribution is found to be a potential option to better the overall j‐V performance of the rSOC. Furthermore, it is discovered that theoretically grading the porosity in the width direction (i.e., increasing porosity from the center of each gas channel to the center of each adjacent rib) brings an outsize benefit on the cell's performance, compared to the traditional way of improving the porosity along the cell thickness direction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epimedium has a wide range of clinical applications; however, there have been numerous reports of adverse reactions in recent years, which has resulted in it being changed from a widely recognized "nontoxic" to a "potentially toxic" traditional Chinese medicine. The combination of Epimedium and Ligustri lucidi fructus is commonly used in the clinic. The purpose of this study was to investigate the pharmacokinetic characteristics of Epimedium and Ligustri lucidi fructus to explore the possible synergism and reduction in toxicity. Based on liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry, a method was established for the determination of icariin, epimedin A, epimedin B, epimedin C, baohuoside Ⅰ, and specnuezhenide in biological samples and was successfully applied to study the pharmacokinetics of the drug pair. The results showed that the five flavonoids (specnuezhenide could not be detected) could be rapidly absorbed into the blood, and the second peak time in vivo was earlier after the combination, indicating that the metabolic pathway may be changed. In addition, combination with Ligustri lucidi fructus could significantly reduce the concentration of 5 flavonoids in vivo and increase their elimination rate, which may attenuate their virulence, thus providing a reference for the rational clinical use of Epimedium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SUMMARY: Reactive oxygen species (ROS) overproduction leads to oxidative damage under almost all stress conditions. Lesion‐Simulating Disease (LSD), a zinc finger protein, is an important negative regulator of ROS accumulation and cell death in plants. However, the in vivo role of LSD in cassava (Manihot esculenta) and the underlying molecular mechanisms remain elusive. Here, we found that MeLSD3 is essential for the oxidative stress response in cassava. MeLSD3 physically interacted with ascorbate peroxidase 2 (MeAPX2), thereby promoting its enzymatic activity. In addition, MeLSD3 also interacted with the nuclear factor YC15 (MeNF‐YC15), which also interacted with nuclear factor YA2/4 (MeNF‐YA2/4) and nuclear factor YB18 (MeNF‐YB18) to form an MeNF‐YC15–MeNF‐YA2/4–MeNF‐YB18 complex. Notably, MeLSD3 positively modulated the transcriptional activation of the MeNF‐YC15–MeNF‐YA2/4–MeNF‐YB18 complex by interacting with the CCAAT boxes of the promoters of glutathione S‐transferases U37/U39 (MeGST‐U37/U39), activating their transcription. When one or both of MeLSD3 and the MeNF‐YC15–MeNF‐YA2/4–MeNF‐YB18 complex were co‐silenced, cassava showed decreased oxidative stress resistance, while overexpression of MeGST‐U37/U39 alleviated the oxidative stress‐sensitive phenotype of these silenced plants. This study illustrates the dual roles of MeLSD3 in promoting MeAPX2 activity and MeNF‐YC15–MeGST‐U37/U39 regulation, which underlie the oxidative stress response in cassava. Significance Statement: In response to oxidative stress, MeLSD3 physically interacts with MeAPX2 to promote its activity, and MeLSD3 also interacts with MeNF‐YC15 to promote the transcriptional activation of MeGST‐U37/U39 by forming a heterotrimeric complex with MeNF‐YA2/4 and MeNF‐YB18 in cassava (Manihot esculenta). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, the magnetoelastic nonlinear free vibration of a thin conductive annular plate under the nonuniform toroidal magnetic field is investigated, where the magnetic field is generated by a long straight current‐carrying wire. Based on electromagnetic theory, expressions of the nonuniform magnetic field, electromagnetic forces are deduced. The nonlinear free vibration equation of plate is derived by using the Hamilton principle. Considering different boundary conditions, the axisymmetric vibration differential equation is achieved by the Galerkin method. The method of multiple scales is employed to obtain the second‐order approximate analytical solutions and natural frequency. In numerical calculation, the characteristics of nonlinear natural vibration and singular points varying with different parameters, for example, current intensity and plate size, are presented, respectively. The results indicate that, with the increase of current, natural frequency increases and then stabilizes in the inner‐clamped and out‐free (C‐F) boundary, but decreases and stabilizes in the cases of the inner‐clamped and out‐clamped (C‐C) boundary or inner‐simply and out‐simply (S‐S) boundary. Moreover, when wire current is off, natural frequency maintains a constant, where the equilibrium solution of the system is a center. In addition, for all boundary conditions, natural frequency increases significantly with increase of internal radius and thickness, but decreases with the increase of outer radius. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to analyse the clinical characteristics and risk factors of patients with positive prostate biopsy at 4–20 ng/mL of prostate‐specific antigen (PSA), construct a new parameter based on this characteristics and assess its diagnostic value for prostate cancer (PCa). Logistic regression analysis was used to clarify the risk factors of PCa, and a new parameter based on the results was constructed. Compare the diagnostic value of various diagnostic parameters for PCa. Logistic multivariate regression analysis revealed that age (OR, 5.269; 95%CI, 2.762–10.050), comorbid diabetes (OR, 2.437; 95%CI, 1.162–5.111), PSA (OR, 2.462; 95%CI, 1.198–5.059) and prostate volume (PV) (OR, 0.227; 95%CI, 0.100–0.516) are risk factors for PCa. The age, PSA and PV of patients were combined to construct a new parameter, that is A‐PSAD = (age × total PSA [TPSA])/PV]. The area under the receiver‐operating characteristic curve(AUC) of A‐PSAD (0.728) for PCa diagnosis was higher than the AUCs of TPSA (0.581), free prostate‐specific antigen (0.514), (F/T)PSA (0.535) and PSAD (0.696), with significant differences. Age, history of diabetes, TPSA and PV are risk factors for PCa(PSA:4‐20ng/mL); in addition, A‐PSAD has a moderate diagnostic value for PCa and may become a new indicator for PCa screening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examine the impact of terrorism risk on corporate tax avoidance. We find that firms headquartered in areas with a higher terrorism risk engage in more corporate tax avoidance. Further, we show that terrorism risk has a greater impact on corporate tax avoidance when terrorist attacks are severe in terms of the targets hit, damage, and the numbers of victims. Tests on channels show that higher terrorism risk is associated with firms suffering greater financial constraints. We provide evidence that increased terrorism risk is also associated with the reallocation of US Internal Revenue Service budgeted expenditures away from tax return audit enforcement and towards increased funding for the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigative Division combating terrorism. We conclude that terrorism risk increases and facilitates the corporate demand for tax savings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing efficient cathode catalysts can largely promote the application of Li‐O2 batteries (LOBs). In this work, the core‐shell MoS2−x@CNTs composite is synthesized via a hydrothermal method with annealing and NaBH4 reduction post‐processing, of which the defective MoS2 nanoflakes are homogeneously coated on the 3D carbon nanotube (CNT) webs. It is found that it delivers superior bifunctional catalytic activities toward both oxygen reduction and evolution reactions for LOBs. On the one hand, the charge re‐distribution on MoS2 nanoflakes with sulfur vacancies can be effectively constructed by the surface engineering strategy, remarkably boosting the kinetics of Li‐O2 catalysis. On the other hand, the conductive and high surface area CNT network can facilitate mass transfer and provide enough free space for composite cathodes, accommodating the volume changes caused by the reversible formation and decomposition of discharge products during cycling. More importantly, the unique core‐shell architecture can not only enable fully covering of defective MoS2 nanoflakes on CNT surfaces to avoid the contact between CNTs and electrolyte, distinctly suppressing side reactions, but also realize the exposure of more active sites to fulfill their catalytic properties. This work provides an insightful investigation on advanced catalysts and holds great potential for catalyst structural engineering in LOBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two donor units (D)‐acceptor units (A) type monomers were synthesized by Stille coupling reaction, and then three D‐A type hybrid polymers based on 3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene and various benzodiazoles were synthesized by electrochemical polymerization. Spectroelectrochemical and kinetic studies of these polymers showed that all polymer films exhibited excellent electrochromic behavior, obvious optical contrast, and excellent stability. Among them, the response time of P3 film was the shortest (tc = 1.6 s, tb = 2.2 s), the coloring efficiency of P2 film was the highest (CE = 333 cm2·C−1), and the stability of P1 was the best (the ΔT loss of P1 after 1000 s cycles is only 2.3%). Therefore, these data prove that these new polymers have great potential in applications as electrochromic materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vanadium (V) and nickel (Ni) are considered the most abundant trace metals in ship exhaust burning heavy fuel oils. This study is the first attempt to estimate the impact of V and Ni from shipping on air quality in East Asia for the year 2015. In this study, emission inventories of V and Ni from shipping and land‐based sources were constructed and implemented into the revised aerosol module to simulate ambient V and Ni concentrations. Our results showed that ship emissions contributed the majority of vanadium and were important to nickel emissions in most coastal regions in East Asia, with the contributions exceeding 60% and approximately 40% in some regions, respectively. The simulated ambient V and Ni concentrations has been validated by the measurements, and the comparison revealed there was an obvious improvement (reducing the mean bias by 32%–63%) in the model performance of the V and Ni predictions after including shipping emissions. Our study filled the gaps of trace element contributions in coastal regions and implied that the impact of metals from shipping traffic on regional air quality is worthy of attention in East Asia. Although the International Maritime Organization (IMO) low‐sulfur fuel policy has been implemented since 2020, the impact of shipping traffic on trace metals with respect to regional air quality is still important given heavy fuel oils being in use. Key Points: Emission inventories of vanadium and nickel from shipping and land‐based sources were constructedThe revised aerosol module was implemented in the Community Multiscale Air Quality to simulate ambient vanadium and nickel concentrationsThe strongest impact of ship emissions to vanadium and nickel was found in southeastern China, accounting for 88% and 70%, respectively [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The chlorine evolution reaction (CER) is extensively used in disinfection, chlorine products, and water treatment. However, CER catalysts based on noble metals are expensive, limiting their industrial application. For the purpose of enhancing the CER performance with low usage of Ir, Nd‐doped IrO2 electrocatalysts supported on Ti plates were fabricated by using the sol‐gel method. The optimal Ti/Ir0.8Nd0.2Ox electrode exhibited excellent CER performance with a low potential of 1.52 V vs. RHE at 100 mA cm−2 and a great stability of over 210 h in 5 M NaCl solution. Notably, the mass activity of Ti/Ir0.8Nd0.2Ox (96.5 A gIr−1 at 1.5 V vs RHE) was twice as high as that of Ti/IrO2, which was the highest among noble metal electrodes reported. Density functional theory calculations indicated that the doping of Nd could clearly decrease the loss of Gibbs free energy for the rate‐determining step (desorption of chlorine). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To enhance the performance of Li‐ion batteries, hierarchical carbon‐based hollow frameworks embedded with cobalt nanoparticles are prepared by the pyrolysis of core‐shell ZIF‐8@ZIF‐67 polyhedrals prepared via a seed‐mediated growth method. The resultant hollow frameworks are composed of the N‐doped carbon as the inner shells and the porous graphitic carbon embedded with cobalt nanoparticles as the outer shells. Benefiting from the unique hollow architecture with large surface area and good electrical conductivity, the electrode materials exhibit good electrochemical performance with improved specific capacities, high‐rate capability, and good cycling stability for Li‐ion batteries. More importantly, the quantitative kinetic analysis reveals the crucial contributions of N doping and the porous structure of graphitic carbon with cobalt nanoparticles for boosting the performance of carbon‐based materials. The rational design of the unique carbon‐based architecture and the understanding of the underlying mechanism for the charge storage process are crucial to construct advanced carbon‐based materials for high‐performance Li‐ion batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vacancy engineering is one of the most effective strategies to introduce defects for improving electrocatalytic activities of cobalt oxides. Recent intensive research has been conducted to introduce oxygen vacancies for boosting Li–O2 battery performance. However, it is difficult to examine the efficiency of cationic vacancies due to their complicated preparation. Herein, a feasible method is demonstrated to introduce cationic vacancies into cobalt oxides via the thermal treatment of glycerolatocobalt (GlyCo) nanostructure. The formation of GlyCo composed of the repeating CoOCoO units provides the possibility to regulate the ratio between cobalt and oxygen, thus cobalt vacancies in cobalt oxides can be easily created by the thermal treatment. The presence of cobalt vacancies enables the regulation of electronic structure and charge‐transport properties of cobalt oxides with abundant defects on the basis of the experimental results and theoretical calculations, thus improving electrocatalytic activities. Therefore, the Li–O2 battery delivers superior electrochemical performance with large specific capacities of 13 331/12 040 mAh g−1, low overpotentials for the oxygen evolution reaction/oxygen reduction reaction of 1.15/0.23 V and good cycling stability. This work provides a favorable method to create metal vacancies for improving catalytic efficiency of advanced energy materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shales from the Yanchang Formation Chang 7 Member in the Ordos Basin are among the most important shale reservoirs in China and have been investigated due to their great potential. Knowledge of pore structure is important for understanding the storage capacity and flow mechanism in shale reservoirs. In this study, eight shale samples were collected from the Yanchang Formation Chang 7 Member in the southwestern Ordos Basin, and their geochemistry, mineral compositions, pore structure, and fractal characteristics were investigated based on X‐ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, total organic carbon (TOC) analysis, low‐pressure adsorption/desorption analysis, thermal maturity analysis, and fractal analysis. The results indicated that the TOC content ranged between 0.48% and 2.37%, and the Ro values varied from 0.826% to 1.217%. The major mineral compositions were quartz and clay minerals. Nitrogen adsorption/desorption analysis indicated that the isotherms were similar for all collected shale samples from the Chang 7 Member and resembled the type IV isotherm. Narrow slit‐like pore was the dominant pore type, and the pore size distribution appeared to be unimodal with its peak mainly around 40 nm. Investigation of factors for pore structures showed that the TOC content was the controlling factor for the Chang 7 shales. The Frenkel‐Halsey‐Hill (FHH) method was applied to determine fractal dimensions, which were calculated as the D1 (relative pressure >0.96), D2 (0.96 >relative pressure >0.45), and D3 (0.45 >relative pressure) values, ranging in the intervals of 2.788~2.854, 2.547~2.688, and 2.410~2.567, respectively. The relatively high fractal dimensions indicated that pore structures were complicated, and the higher D1 values suggested that pores with larger sizes showed a rougher pore surface and more complex pore structure. Fractal dimensions showed positive correlations with the contents of TOC and clay minerals, and a negative relationship with the quartz contents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: By investigating the association between economic policy uncertainty and audit fees using data from eight countries, this study examines whether and how Big 4 auditors reinforce their advantages over non‐Big 4 auditors through audit pricing. We find that both Big 4 and non‐Big 4 auditors reduce their audit fees when economic policy uncertainty increases. However, while non‐Big 4 auditors adjust audit pricing asymmetrically as economic policy uncertainty changes, i.e., the magnitude of decline in audit fees when economic policy uncertainty increases exceeds the magnitude of rise when economic policy uncertainty decreases, Big 4 auditors regulate their audit pricing in a symmetric manner. Further analyses reveal that: (1) the asymmetric pricing of non‐Big 4 auditors mainly exists in countries where Big 4 auditors have dominant market share, (2) Big 4 auditors provide higher‐quality audits when economic policy uncertainty increases and (3) many firms in better financial condition turn to Big 4 auditors during uncertain years. Our findings suggest that the symmetric audit pricing helps Big 4 auditors maintain a favorable position in the audit market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interaction between H2S and Vitreoscilla hemoglobin (VHb) has been studied by UV-Vis and Resonance Raman spectroscopes to confirm the binding between the ligand and the protein. Kinetic constants, kon = 1.2 × 105 m−1·s−1 and koff = 2.5 × 10−4·s−1, have been determined and compared with those for mammalian hemoglobins. Density Functional Theory study supports the binding of H2S by modeling the configurations of HOMO dispersions. We hypothesized that VHb is involved in H2S reception and storage. Different from Lucina pectinata HbI, a typical H2S-binding hemoglobin, VHb, exhibits unusual properties on H2S reactivity such as steric constraints playing an important role in modulating H2S entry. A distinct mechanism of VHb interaction with H2S is supported by studies of variant forms of VHb. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Caveolin-1 is a main structural component of caveolae and essential for the invagination of caveolae by forming a hairpin-shaped structure in the membrane-inserting domain (residues, 102-122). In this article, we determined the tertiary structures of the peptides comprising residues 93-126 and 101-126 of caveolin-1 in 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoro-2-propanol (HFIP) aqueous solution and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) micelles, respectively, by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) study. The self-association of the peptides in SDS and dodecylphosphocholine (DPC) micelles was also studied by circular dichroism (CD), NMR, and sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) techniques. Our results indicated that both peptides form a helix-break-helix structure with two helices spanning over Leu103-Phe107 and Ile117-His126 and a loop ranging over Gly108-Gly116. The longer peptide 93-126 showed a stronger propensity to aggregate than the shorter peptide 101-126 in the micelles. Our results suggested that the glycine residues at positions 108 and 116 are important for the break of the helical structure of the membrane-inserting domain and the segment Thr93-Arg101 flanking the membrane-inserting domain may play a role in the self-association of the caveolin-1 protein at cellular membrane. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT A new single-/two-photon sensitive monomer, ( E)-5-(4-ethoxystyryl)−2-nitrobenzyl methacrylate (ENbMA), was synthesized and copolymerized with methyl methacrylate (MMA) to form a series of photosensitive copolymers P(ENbMA-MMA)s that were well characterized by 1H NMR and GPC. The photochemical and photophysical properties of both photosensitive monomer and copolymers upon visible light irradiation were studied by UV-Vis, FTIR, and HPLC spectra, which confirmed that 5-(4-ethoxystyryl)-2-nitrobenzyl ester can be photolyzed effectively with generation of the corresponding 5-(4-ethoxystyryl)-2-nitrosobenzaldehyde and carboxylic acid groups. The successful photocleavage endowed the optimized copolymers with excellent micropatterning property due to the effective generation of alkaline-soluble carboxylic acid groups. Moreover, the high two-photon absorption cross-sections (over 20 GM at 800 nm) and the comparable photolysis upon two-photon NIR light irradiation of the chromophores provided the copolymers with significant application in two-photon microfabrication. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 130: 4099-4106, 2013 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]