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Background Purpose Methods Results Conclusions Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a genetic neuromuscular disorder that leads to mobility loss and life‐threatening cardiac or respiratory complications. Quantitative ultrasound (QUS) envelope statistics imaging, which characterizes fat infiltration and fibrosis in muscles, has been extensively used for DMD evaluations.Notably, changes in muscle microstructures also result in acoustic attenuation, potentially serving as another crucial imaging biomarker for DMD. Expanding upon the reference frequency method (RFM), this study contributes to the field by introducing the robust RFM (RRFM) as a novel approach for ultrasound attenuation imaging in DMD.The RRFM algorithm was developed using an iterative reweighted least squares technique. We conducted standard phantom measurements with a clinical ultrasound system equipped with a linear array transducer to assess the improvement in attenuation estimation bias by RRFM. Additionally, 161 DMD patients, included in both a validation dataset (n = 130) and a testing dataset (n = 31), underwent ultrasound scanning of the gastrocnemius for RRFM‐based attenuation imaging. The diagnostic performances for ambulatory functions and discrimination between early and late ambulatory stages were evaluated and compared with those of QUS envelope statistics imaging (involving Nakagami distribution, homodyned K distribution, and entropy values) using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC).The results indicated that the RRFM method more closely matched the actual attenuation properties of the phantom, reducing measurement bias by 50% compared to conventional RFM. The AUROCs for RRFM‐based attenuation imaging, used to discriminate between early and late ambulatory stages, were 0.88 and 0.92 for the validation and testing datasets, respectively. These performances significantly surpassed those of QUS envelope statistics imaging (p < 0.05).Ultrasound attenuation imaging employing RRFM may serve as a sensitive tool for evaluating the progression of ambulatory function deterioration, offering substantial potential for the health management and follow‐up care of DMD patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comprehensive Summary: A [2 + 1 + 1 + 1] cyclization reaction has been developed for the synthesis of multisubstituted β‐pyrrolidinones from commercially available aryl methyl ketones, primary amines, and ethyl nitroacetate. In this I2–DMSO‐meditated process, the C—NO2 bond of ethyl nitroacetate is cleaved, affording a C1 synthon, and the formation of two C—C and two C—N bonds and a quaternary carbon center are constructed in one pot. This method has good substrate compatibility and permits the late‐stage modification of pharmaceutical compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In this study, we comprehensively profiled the T‐cell receptor (TCR) repertoire of the tumor and adjacent normal tissue in patients with HBV‐associated hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and determined the baseline characteristics and clinical significance of TCR. Methods: High‐throughput sequencing was used to determine the profile of complementarity‐determining region 3 (CDR3) of the TCR‐β chain variable (TRBV) in the tumor and normal tissue samples of 14 HCC patients. At the same time, TRBV diversity and differences in expression between tumor and normal tissues were investigated. The cumulative frequency of top 100 CDR3 (CF100), clonality, and Shannon entropy as indices to evaluate diversity, Results: The diversity of TRBV CDR3 showed no significant difference between tumor and normal tissues. Of the 58 V gene segments in TRBV, TRBV16 and TRBV7‐6 had a significantly higher frequency in the tumor group than in the normal group (p < 0.05). The frequency of 14 J gene segments showed no significant difference between tumor and normal tissues. In contrast, the frequency of 22 TRBVx/BJx combinations was significantly higher in the tumor than in the normal tissue. In addition, the length and type of TRBV CDR3 were similar in tumor and normal tissues, and a Gaussian distribution was observed in both groups. Conclusion: This study provided a large amount of information about the TCR lineage in HBV‐associated HCC, laying the foundation for further research. In addition, the fact that the immune repertoire (TRBV CDR3) hardly differs between tumor and adjacent normal tissue provides a new clue for exploring the mechanism of the liver as an organ with immune privileges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effects of Cr alloying on phase stability, magnetism, and electronic structures in both body‐centered cubic (bcc) and face‐centered cubic (fcc) phases and on the transformation from fcc to bcc are studied by first‐principles calculations. Results show that the doped Cr atoms in fcc and bcc phases choose distinct occupation models. This phenomenon can be understood from the amount of electron density of states close to Fermi energy. For magnetism, Cr tends to be antiferromagnetically coupled with the surrounding Fe in the studied phases. The magnetic moment of Fe is greater than that of Cr in bcc, but the order is reversed in fcc. The moment of Fe is dictated by the distance between it and the doped Cr in bcc, whereas it is dominated by spatial orientation with Cr in fcc. For phase stability, it is found that the alloying of Cr prefers destabilizing bcc while tends to stabilize fcc, leading to a strong inhibition of phase transition from fcc to bcc. Notably, the role in the fcc phase is more prominent than that in bcc, which can be associated with the antiferromagnetism between Fe and Cr in fcc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aberrant signaling in tumor cells induces nonmetabolic functions of some metabolic enzymes in many cellular activities. As a key glycolytic enzyme, the nonmetabolic function of hexokinase 2 (HK2) plays a role in tumor immune evasion. However, whether HK2, dependent of its nonmetabolic activity, plays a role in human pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) tumorigenesis remains unclear. Here, we demonstrated that HK2 acts as a protein kinase and phosphorylates IκBα at T291 in PDAC cells, activating NF‐κB, which enters the nucleus and promotes the expression of downstream targets under hypoxia. HK2 nonmetabolic activity‐promoted activation of NF‐κB promotes the proliferation, migration, and invasion of PDAC cells. These findings provide new insights into the multifaceted roles of HK2 in tumor development and underscore the potential of targeting HK2 protein kinase activity for PDAC treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biological soil crusts (biocrusts) are widespread soil photosynthetic communities covering about 12% of Earth's land surface, and play crucial roles in terrestrial carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) cycles, yet scalable quantifications of biocrusts and their biogeochemical contributions are notably lacking. While remote sensing has enormous potential to assess, scale, and contextualize biocrusts and their functions, the applicability of hyperspectral data in predicting C‐ and N‐related biocrust traits remains largely unexplored. We address this issue by evaluating the potential of in situ hyperspectral data to predict C and N across a range of biocrust species and different environmental conditions. We found that in situ hyperspectral reflectance measurements can be used to predict biocrust tissue C/N ratios and N concentrations with relatively high accuracy but to a lesser extent for potential biocrust N2 fixation rates. Critical wavelength domains included the visible region of the spectrum from roughly 490–600 nm, which most effectively captured variations in biocrust tissue C, and the shortwave infrared region from 1,150 to 1,350 nm and 1,550–1,650 nm, which most effectively captured biocrust tissue N and N2 fixation potential. Finally, we provide evidence that multi‐ and hyperspectral missions with targeted band placement, such as the proposed 26‐band Landsat Next, could be effective in predicting biocrust traits. This work provides a critical step in understanding how to apply data from new and upcoming satellite missions to the monitoring of biocrusts. Plain Language Summary: Biological soil crusts (biocrusts) are communities of organisms such as cyanobacteria, fungi, and lichens existing on soil surfaces. Biocrusts play an important role in the carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) cycles of terrestrial ecosystems. The C and N status of biocrusts can be examined in various ways. However, the applicability of studying C and N status of biocrusts using spectral reflectance is poorly explored. We combined statistical models and spectral reflectance measured using a spectroradiometer within the wavelength range from 400 to 2,450 nm to predict variations in C and N status of samples from 14 representative biocrust species, and under both wet and dry conditions. We found that variations in biocrust tissue C/N ratios and N concentrations could be accurately predicted. We also found that the wavelength range of 490–600 nm, and 1,150–1,350 nm as well as around 1,600 nm are the most important wavelength domains to study C and N status of biocrusts. Finally, we provide evidence that upcoming satellite missions with proper band placement, such as the proposed 26‐band Landsat Next, could be effective in predicting biocrust traits. Results from this work shed light on applying data from upcoming satellite missions to the monitoring of biocrusts. Key Points: The applicability of hyperspectral data in predicting carbon‐ and nitrogen‐related biocrust functional traits is poorly understoodVisible and shortwave infrared region of the spectrum best predicted variations in carbon‐ and nitrogen‐related biocrust functional traitsMulti‐ and hyperspectral satellite missions with targeted band placement could be effective in predicting biocrust functional traits [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High‐performance soft magnetic materials are important for energy conservation and emission reduction. One challenge is achieving a combination of reliable temperature stability, high resistivity, high Curie temperature, and high saturation magnetization in a single material, which often comes at the expense of intrinsic coercivity–a typical trade‐off in the family of soft magnetic materials with homogeneous microstructures. Herein, a nanostructured FeCoNiSiAl complex concentrated alloy is developed through a hierarchical structure strategy. This alloy exhibits superior soft magnetic properties up to 897 K, maintaining an ultra‐low intrinsic coercivity (13.6 A m−1 at 297 K) over a wide temperature range, a high resistivity (138.08 µΩ cm−1 at 297 K) and the saturation magnetization with only a 16.7% attenuation at 897 K. These unusual property combinations are attributed to the dual‐magnetic‐state nature with exchange softening due to continuous crystal ordering fluctuations at the atomic scale. By deliberately controlling the microstructure, the comprehensive performance of the alloy can be tuned and controlled. The research provides valuable guidance for the development of soft magnetic materials for high‐temperature applications and expands the potential applications of related functional materials in the field of sustainable energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trio exome sequencing was performed on a female fetus with an increased nuchal translucency, along with nasal bone hypoplasia, suspected cleft palate and abnormal outflow tract of the heart. A de novo heterozygous variant c.5500_5507del, p.(Tyr1834Argfs × 58) in the MED12 gene was detected. Loss‐of‐function variants in MED12 in females are associated with Hardikar syndrome (HS). A follow‐up ultrasound at 15+5 weeks of gestation identified multiple fetal anomalies including bilateral cleft lip and palate, diaphragmatic hernia, atrioventricular septal defect, persistent truncus arteriosus, and bilateral renal pelvis dilation. Fetal autopsy confirmed the prenatal sonographic findings, and the MED12 variant was discussed by our multidisciplinary team to be the cause of fetal anomalies. Our case is the first prenatal one in which HS was diagnosed due to first trimester structural malformations. This case report presents another example of early identification of a major anomaly which allows earlier genetic diagnosis and more time for clinical management. Key points: What's already known about this topic? Hardikar syndrome (HS) is caused by loss‐of‐function variants in X‐linked MED12 in females.HS is characterized by obstructive liver and kidney disease, intestinal malrotation, genitourinary abnormalities, cleft lip and palate (CLP), pigmentary retinopathy, and congenital heart defects. What does this review add? We first report a female fetus with HS identified in the first trimester due to increased nuchal translucency (NT), CLP and cardiac defects.This case report presents another example of early identification of a major anomaly which allows earlier genetic diagnosis and more time for clinical management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The unique structural features of hard carbon (HC) make it a promising anode candidate for sodium‐ion batteries (SIB). However, traditional methods of preparing HC require special equipment, long reaction times, and large energy consumption, resulting in low throughputs and efficiency. In our contribution, a novel synthesis method is proposed, involving the formation of HC nanosheets (NS‐CNs) within minutes by creating an anoxic environment through flame combustion and further introducing sulfur and nitrogen sources to achieve heteroatom doping. The effect of heterogeneous element doping on the microstructure of HC is quantitatively analyzed by high‐resolution transmission electron microscopy and image processing technology. Combined with density functional theory calculation, it is verified that the functionalized HC exhibits stronger Na+ adsorption ability, electron gain ability, and Na+ migration ability. As a result, NS‐CNs as SIB anodes provide an ultrahigh reversible capacity of 542.7 mAh g−1 at 0.1 A g−1, and excellent rate performance with a reversible capacity of 236.4 mAh g−1 at 2 A g−1 after 1200 cycles. Furthermore, full cell assembled with NS‐CNs as the can present 230 mAh g−1 at 0.5 A g−1 after 150 cycles. Finally, in/ex situ techniques confirm that the excellent sodium storage properties of NS‐CNs are due to the construction of abundant active sites based on the novel synthesis method for realizing the reversible adsorption of Na+. This work provides a novel strategy to develop novel carbons and gives deep insights for the further investigation of facile preparation methods to develop high‐performance carbon anodes for alkali‐ion batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comprehensive Summary: The conversion of CF3‐alkenes to gem‐difluoroalkenes using reductive cross‐coupling strategy has received much attention in recent years, however, the use of green and readily available reducing salt to mediate these reactions remains to be explored. In this work, a concise construction of gem‐difluoroalkenes, which requires neither a catalyst nor a metal reducing agent, was established. Rongalite, a safe and inexpensive industrial product, was employed as both a radical initiator and reductant. This procedure was compatible with both linear and cyclic diaryliodonium salts, enabling a wide variety of substrates (>70 examples). The utility of this approach was demonstrated through gram‐scale synthesis and efficient late‐stage functionalizations of anti‐inflammatory drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

NASICON‐type cathode with remarkable ionic conductivity is perspective candidate for fast‐charging sodium‐ion battery. However, severely restricted by low electrical conductivity and poor interfacial kinetics, it usually delivers poor charge transfer kinetics. Different from traditional carbon compositing with high carbon contents, herein, a trace carbon incorporation tactic is proposed based on a typical NASICON‐structured Na3V2(PO4)3. First, particle‐growth process of Na3V2(PO4)3 is regulated via incorporating carbon dot, significantly reducing its particle size to shorten charge diffusion path. Second, electrical conductivity of Na3V2(PO4)3 is improved without sacrificing its high electrochemical activity due to the incorporated trace carbon content (0.76 wt.%). Third, Na3V2(PO4)3‐electrolyte interface structure is optimized by abundant functional groups from the incorporated carbon dot, enabling a thin and stable NaF‐rich CEI layer to boost interface kinetics. As a result, carbon dot endows Na3V2(PO4)3 with ultrastable cyclability up to 20 k cycles (capacity retention of 98.4%) and excellent rate capability (up to 200 C) in half cell, as well as high energy density (368.7 Wh kg−1) and fast charging property (≈110.2 s per charging with 250.8 Wh kg−1 input) in full cell. This study carves a new path for developing fast‐charging cathode, as is increasingly desired for present energy storage applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Broadband near‐infrared (NIR) emissions in the long wavelength region with simultaneous high efficiency and thermal stability are desirable for NIR phosphor‐converted light‐emitting diodes (NIR pc‐LEDs) light sources. Herein, a novel broadband NIR‐emitting phosphor is reported, Ba5La3MgAl3O15:Cr3+ (BLMAO:Cr3+), which exhibits a NIR emission band spanning 700–1300 nm with maximum peak wavelength (λmax) at 925 nm and full width at half maximum of 160 nm. The optimized phosphor achieves an internal quantum efficiency of 66%, and the integrated emission intensity at 423 K remains 61% of that at room temperature, which surpasses most Cr3+‐activated phosphors emitting in the long‐wavelength NIR region (λmax > 900 nm). The NIR luminescence properties are elucidated on the basis of density functional calculations of the multiple Cr3+ local structures as generated by the Ba/La occupation disorder in the host material. The applications of the NIR phosphor in pc‐LED devices are demonstrated, showing potential in night‐vision and nondestructive examination. The results indicate that BLMAO:Cr3+ is a promising phosphor with highly efficient and thermally stable broadband NIR emission for NIR LED light sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a single‐layer filtering antenna based on half‐mode patches is proposed. It consists of a main driven patch and a parasitic patch. A U‐shaped slot is first etched on the main driven patch to generate a new resonant mode and a radiation null simultaneously. Four pairs of shorting pins are introduced on the main driven patch to raise its operating frequency to near that of the U‐shaped slot, thus broadening the impedance bandwidth (IBW). Additionally, a parasitic patch is introduced near the driven patch to introduce an extra half‐TM10 mode and an extra radiation null, significantly enhancing the IBW and the upper‐edge selectivity of the antenna. A prototype was fabricated and tested for validation. It achieves a peak realized gain of 6.55 dBi and −10‐dB IBW of 8.8%, and exhibits good out‐of‐band rejection performance while maintaining a low profile of 0.017 λ0 and a compact transverse size of 0.29 λ02. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP) is a rare clinical malignant syndrome, and its rarity causes a lack of pathology research. This study aims to quantitatively analyze HE‐stained pathological images (PIs), and develop a new predictive model integrating digital pathological parameters with clinical information. Methods: Ninety‐two PMP patients with complete clinic‐pathological information, were included. QuPath was used for PIs quantitative feature analysis at tissue‐, cell‐, and nucleus‐level. The correlations between overall survival (OS) and general clinicopathological characteristics, and PIs features were analyzed. A nomogram was established based on independent prognostic factors and evaluated. Results: Among the 92 PMP patients, there were 34 (37.0%) females and 58 (63.0%) males, with a median age of 57 (range: 31–76). A total of 449 HE stained images were obtained for QuPath analysis, which extracted 40 pathological parameters at three levels. Kaplan–Meier survival analysis revealed eight clinicopathological characteristics and 20 PIs features significantly associated with OS (p < 0.05). Partial least squares regression was used to screen the multicollinearity features and synthesize four new features. Multivariate survival analysis identified the following five independent prognostic factors: preoperative CA199, completeness of cytoreduction, histopathological type, component one at tissue‐level, and tumor nuclei circularity variance. A nomogram was established with internal validation C‐index 0.795 and calibration plots indicating improved prediction performance. Conclusions: The quantitative analysis of HE‐stained PIs could extract the new prognostic information on PMP. A nomogram established by five independent prognosticators is the first model integrating digital pathological information with clinical data for improved clinical outcome prediction. Pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP) is a rare clinical malignant syndrome, and its rarity causes the insufficiency of pathology research. This study established a prognosis nomogram prediction model based on new pathological characteristics of PMP through quantitative analysis of pathological images. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The serum chemokine C‐X‐C motif ligand‐10 (CXCL10) and its unique receptor (CXCR3) may predict the prognosis of patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) treated with tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF). Nevertheless, there are few reports on the profile of CXCL10 and CXCR3 and their clinical application in HBeAg (+) CHB patients during TDF antiviral therapy. CXCL10 and CXCR3 were determined in 118 CHB patients naively treated with TDF for at least 96 weeks at baseline and at treatment weeks 12 and 24. In addition, gene set enrichment analysis was used to examine the associated dataset from Gene Expression Omnibus and explore the gene sets associated with HBeAg seroconversion (SC). The change of CXCL10 (ΔCXCL10, baseline to 48‐week TDF treatment) and CXCR3 (ΔCXCR3) is closely related to the possibility of HBeAg SC of CHB patients under TDF treatment. Immunohistochemical analysis of CXCL10/CXCR3 protein in liver tissue shows that there is a significant difference between paired liver biopsy samples taken before and after 96 weeks of successful TDF treatment of CHB patients (11 pairs) but no significance for unsuccessful TDF treatment (14 pairs). Multivariate Cox analysis suggests that the ΔCXCL10 is an independent predictive indicator of HBeAg SC, and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of the ΔCXCL10 in CHB patients is 0.8867 (p < 0.0001). Our results suggest that a lower descending CXCL10 level is associated with an increased probability of HBeAg SC of CHB patients during TDF therapy. Moreover, liver tissue CXCL10 might be involved in the immunological process of HBeAg SC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enterovirus C116 (EV‐C116) is a new member of the enterovirus C group which is closely associated with several infectious diseases. Although sporadic studies have detected EV‐C116 in clinical samples worldwide, there is currently limited information available. In this study, two EV‐C‐positive fecal specimens were detected in apparently healthy children, which harbored low abundance, through meta‐transcriptome sequencing. Based on the prototypes of several EV‐Cs, two lineages were observed. Lineage 1 included many types that could not cause EV‐like cytopathic effect in cell culture. Three genogroups of EV‐C116 were divided in the maximum likelihood tree, and the two strains in this study (XZ2 and XZ113) formed two different lineages, suggesting that EV‐C116 still diffuses worldwide. Obvious inter‐type recombination events were observed in the XZ2 strain, with CVA22 identified as a minor donor. However, another strain (XZ113) underwent different recombination situations, highlighting the importance of recombination in the formation of EV‐Cs biodiversity. The EV‐C116 strains could propagate in rhabdomyosarcoma cell cultures at low titer; however, EV‐like cytopathic effects were not observed. HEp‐2, L20B, VERO, and 293T cell lines did not provide an appropriate environment for EV‐C116 growth. These results challenge the traditional recognition of the uncultured nature of EV‐C116 strains and explain the difficulty of clinical detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transition metal sulfide‐based anodes usually suffer from huge volumetric change and sluggish reaction kinetics, hindering their application for long‐term and high‐power/energy sodium‐ion batteries. Herein, a new design of CoS2‐xSex (0≤x≤2) nanocrystals with highly controllable selenium substitution and S, Se‐codoped graphene immobilization (CoS2‐xSex@SG) is proposed to tune the reaction kinetics and structural stability. The nanocrystal‐on‐graphene structure and robust C─S &C─Se bonding rivets between CoS2‐xSex and SG greatly improve the structural stability of the CoS2‐xSex@SG. Electrochemical performance, kinetic analysis, and theoretical calculation reveal that Se substitution plays a double‐edged role in sodium storage: the increase of Se substitution content enhances the Na+ diffusion kinetics but decreases the Na‐storage capacity. When the Se substitution content is 0.4, the CoS1.6Se0.4@SG electrode demonstrates the best performance: high initial Coulombic efficiency (95.5%), ultrahigh rate capability (412.8 mAh g−1 at 30 A g−1), and ultra‐stable cycling performance (97.6% capacity retention after 1000 cycles). In situ/ex situ measurements further unveil that the conversion reaction between Co0 and Na2S/Na2Se generates the micro‐scaled CoSe2–CoS2 heterostructure, synergistically improving the Na‐storage active sites and reaction kinetics. This work provides a controllable anion substitution strategy to balance the Na+ storage active sites and kinetics with potential applications for high‐power/energy sodium‐ion batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We demonstrated a narrow‐linewidth Ho:yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG) injection‐locked laser by using a 1908 nm thulium‐doped fiber laser as a pumping source to generate 2.09 μm single‐frequency pulses. A compact single‐longitudinal‐mode nonplanar ring oscillator (NPRO) based on Ho:YAG material with a beam quality factor of 1.01 at the central wavelength of 2090.91 nm was considered as the seed source. In the experiment, the pulse energy of 3.6 mJ with a pulse width of 161.6 ns from single‐frequency Ho laser was achieved at a pulse repetition frequency (PRF) of 100 Hz. The linewidth of the single‐frequency pulse spectrum monitored through the heterodyne method was approximately 1.9 MHz at the lowest Ho laser energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Membrane‐associated RING‐CH (MARCH) family proteins were recently reported to inhibit viral replication through multiple modes. Previous work showed that human MARCH8 blocked Ebola virus (EBOV) glycoprotein (GP) maturation. Our study here demonstrates that human MARCH1 and MARCH2 share a similar pattern to MARCH8 in restricting EBOV GP‐pseudotyped viral infection. Human MARCH1 and MARCH2 retain EBOV GP at the trans‐Golgi network, reduce its cell surface display, and impair EBOV GP‐pseudotyped virions infectivity. Furthermore, we uncover that the host proprotein convertase furin could interact with human MARCH1/2 and EBOV GP intracellularly. Importantly, the furin P domain is verified to be recognized by MARCH1/2/8, which is critical for their blocking activities. Besides, bovine MARCH2 and murine MARCH1 also impair EBOV GP proteolytic processing. Altogether, our findings confirm that MARCH1/2 proteins of different mammalian origins showed a relatively conserved feature in blocking EBOV GP cleavage, which could provide clues for subsequent MARCHs antiviral studies and may facilitate the development of novel strategies to antagonize enveloped virus infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The objective of this study was to quantify the morphology, composition, and asymmetry of the paravertebral extensor muscles (PSEMs) in patients with cervical ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL) who had different modified K‐line (mK‐line) and the minimum interval between the mK‐line and OPLL (INTmin) values and to investigate the relationship between PSEMs and symptoms and outcomes following laminoplasty. These original findings elucidated that the atrophy of PSEMs could predict decompression outcomes and provided a theoretical basis for paraspinal muscle rehabilitation. Methods: A total of 94 consecutive patients who underwent laminoplasty for OPLL between January 2020 and January 2022 were enrolled in this retrospective study. The relative cross‐sectional areas (rCSA), functional cross‐sectional areas (rFCSA), and FCSA/CSA ratio of the multifidus (MF), semispinalis cervicalis (SSCe), semispinalis capitis (SSCa), and splenius capitis (SpCa) were measured at the C3–C7 segments on cervical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). This study compared the differences between the mK‐line (+) group and the mK‐line (−) group, as well as between the INTmin <4 mm group and the INTmin ≥4 mm group, using the independent t‐test or Mann–Whitney test for continuous variables and the χ2‐test for categorical variables. The correlations between the PSEMs and symptoms were analyzed using either the Pearson or Spearman correlation coefficient. Results: The relative total CSA (rTCSA) of the PSEMs, especially the MF, was significantly smaller in the mK‐line (−) group. However, the FCSA/CSA of the right deep extensor muscle (DEM) was larger. The asymmetry of the MF TFCSA/TCSA showed a significant difference between the mK‐line groups. In the INTmin <4 mm group, the PSEMs rCSA and rFCSA were significantly smaller, while the bilateral MF TFCSA/TCSA and right SSCe TFCSA/TCSA were larger. The asymmetry of the superficial extensor muscle rCSA was significantly lower in the group with INTmin <4 mm. The postoperative modified Japanese Orthopedic Association score (mJOA) and mJOA recovery rate were positively correlated with the INTmin and DEM rCSA and negatively correlated with the asymmetry of MF FCSA/CSA. Conclusions: In patients with mK‐line (−) or INTmin <4 mm, the PSEMs were smaller, and the DEM atrophy and composition changes were predominant. The MF asymmetry was higher in patients with mK‐lines (−), whereas the SEM atrophy and asymmetry were more prevalent in patients with INTmin <4 mm. The DEM was related to the preoperative and postoperative mJOA scores. DEM‐preserving surgery or DEM‐specific rehabilitation exercises can improve the recovery of patients with OPLL during the perioperative period. In addition, attention should be paid to the evaluation of the SEM, especially the SpCa at the C3 and C5 levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Existing potato grading device has a complex structure and a large volume, which is not suitable for small‐scale potato farmers. However, traditional manual grading methods not only have low efficiency but also high labor costs. This article developed a small movable rotating plate (MRP)‐type potato grading device, and the influences of three factors (the height of the horizontal slide, the tilt angle of the inclined slide, and the chain speed) on the grading efficiency and accuracy were investigated using the discrete element method and virtual orthogonal experiments. It was found that the horizontal slide height of 185 mm, the inclined slide tilt angle of 3.5°, and the chain speed of 0.9 m/s yielded the optimal grading efficiency (13.84 t/h) and grading accuracy (94.11%). Finally, the potato grading process was tested and validated through indoor tests, and the optimal grading accuracy was 91.04%. The grading accuracy deviation between the test and simulation results was less than 8%. Practical Application: Currently, most commercial potato grading machines are designed for large‐scale farms, which are not suitable for developing countries. The potato grading device designed in this article can not only be used independently by small‐scale farms, but also be integrated with potato combine harvesters to achieve potato harvest and grading joint operations. This grading device has a simple structure, small footprint (1700 × 1200 × 840 mm3), and a very low cost ($600). With a high grading efficiency and accuracy, it can significantly improve the grading productivity of small and medium‐sized potato farmers in developing countries, reduce the production costs, and save labors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paciorek and Wehner raise important questions around our use of the Mann‐Kendall nonparametric trend test on smoothed data for analyzing long‐term hydrometeorological trends in Zhang et al. (2021, https://doi.org/10.1029/2020gl092293). We thank them for initiating this important conversation and their gracious cooperation in exploring the issues addressed in their comment. In this reply we confirm the inflation of significant p‐values by our choice to smooth, illustrate the relatively minor impacts on the main conclusions of our paper, and add our voices to those of Paciorek and Wehner in highlighting the lack of methodology for hypothesis testing across multiple stations that have spatial structure (i.e., testing for regionally consistent trends). Plain Language Summary: Our colleagues Drs. Paciorek and Wehner have raised concerns about our paper (Zhang et al., 2021, https://doi.org/10.1029/2020gl092293), which showed widespread increases in the duration of drought events over the last five decades in the western United States. They point out that our decision to smooth the data using a moving average inflated the number of weather stations at which the trends toward longer droughts were deemed significant by a statistical test. We agree with them on this point, and we have recomputed all our results using unsmoothed data to determine the impacts. We find that for most stations and regions, trend magnitudes remained largely unchanged, with many stations nearby one another often suggesting similar trends. Finally, we agree with Paciorek and Wehner that there is a lack of statistical methods to test such coherent regional patterns, and we caution that over‐reliance on p‐values limits the power of regional data to identify important climate trends. Key Points: We agree that smoothing to 5‐year moving windows introduced serial correlation into time series of annual statistics of daily rainfall data, inflating the number of weather stations individually showing significant trends (p < 0.05) with the Mann‐Kendall testRecomputation with unsmoothed values produced substantially the same dry intervals trend magnitude and direction at most stations individually and had only minimal impacts on dry interval trends computed for National Ecological Observatory Network domains using the Regional Kendall testNo perfect statistical approach leverages the capacity of coherent regional patterns among spatially correlated weather stations, and an over‐reliance on p‐values as a binary (significant vs. insignificant) determinant of trends limits the power of regional data [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the existence of the magnetic pole edge effect, the actual cogging torque of the existing segmented step skew motor does not reach the theoretical minimum. Thus, a method for suppressing cogging torque of permanent magnet synchronous motor considering the magnetic pole edge effect is proposed. The magnetic pole edge effect is creatively converted into the amplitude and phase offset of the cogging torque generated by each pole segment. On this basis, an optimization problem is constructed in which the fundamental component of cogging torque is zero and the total harmonics is minimum. The optimal magnetic pole length and skew angle parameters of each segment are obtained by solving the optimization problem quantitatively. The results can provide theoretical guidance for motor design, which can minimize the cogging torque of step skew structures. The effectiveness of the proposed method in weakening the cogging torque of the step skew motor is demonstrated by theoretical calculation, 3D finite element analysis, and experimental results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A compact low‐profile planar filtering antenna with an enhanced suppression level is presented in this paper. The presented antenna has a simple structure, consisting of an E‐shaped driving patch, a shorted parasitic patch, and a defected ground structure (DGS). The E‐shaped driving patch serves as an effective radiator and facilitates the filtering response. The shorted parasitic patch is horizontally arranged and coupled with the driving patch through the radiating edge. And a radiation null and an extra in‐band resonance can be generated, which would simultaneously broaden the impedance bandwidth and improve the suppression level. In addition, a DGS on the metalized ground plane is etched to introduce another radiation null, and the out‐of‐band suppression level would be significantly enhanced. The filtering antenna with a center frequency of 3 GHz was constructed and tested to verify its performance. The measured values, which indicate a bandwidth of 10% (2.85–3.15 GHz) and a peak realized gain of 5.2 dBi, are in agreement with the simulated values. The presented filtering antenna features a low profile of 0.016λ0, a compact antenna size of 0.16λ20, as well as an improved suppression level of more than 22 dB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comprehensive Summary: This review provides a comprehensive summary of progress to date in the utilization of rongalite as a versatile reagent in organic synthesis, with a focus on recent researches. The contents have been organized according to the functions exhibited by rongalite. Reaction mechanisms are provided, demonstrating the multifaceted roles of this compound in various transformations, including as a sulfone, C1 or masked proton source and as a single electron donor or reducing agent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this letter, a compact circularly polarized (CP) microstrip patch filtenna designed by reusing dual‐mode substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) cavity is proposed. The dual‐mode SIW cavity, operating at its TE120 and TE210 modes, can be used not only as the first stage resonator of the filtering network but also feeds the four microstrip patches working at their TM10 and TM01 modes. A pair of asymmetric perturbed posts is inserted in the SIW cavity to perturb the electric field distributions of TE120 and TE210 modes so as to achieve one axial ratio (AR) minima. The other AR minima is realized by sequentially exciting the four orthogonal microstrip patches via the four rectangular slots that are etched on the top surface of the SIW cavity. In addition, four metal posts penetrated the SIW cavity is employed to improve the impedance matching. For verification, a CP filtenna prototype centered at 5.13 GHz is designed, manufactured, and tested. The measured results agree well with the simulated ones, demonstrating a fractional impedance bandwidth of 6.9% (4.95–5.3 GHz), a 3 dB AR bandwidth of 4.2% (5–5.21 GHz), and a maximum boresight realized gain of 8.4 dBic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aerial–aquatic robots have promising applications due to their ability to operate in air and water with different motion modes. However, challenges such as water/air transition and multimedia movement still limit their development. Inspired by the aerial–aquatic behavior of wild ducks, an aerial–aquatic robot with tunable tilting motors and a delta wing is introduced. The robot can perform multimode motion, including flying in air, swimming on the water surface, transitioning between air and water, and diving underwater. Besides, the buoyancy design enables the robot to float at the air–water interface without consuming energy. Herein, the performance of the robot, including vertical and horizontal cross‐media performance, power consumption, and endurance in various motion modes, is evaluated. The field experiments show that the proposed robot possesses multimode motion and high maneuverability. This study provides a new idea for the structural design of next‐generation practical aerial–aquatic robots. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since 2015, m‐phenylenediamines (mPD) have become a popular carbon source for the synthesis of carbonized polymer dots (CPDs). However, their exact fluorescence mechanism is still obscure. To elucidate this, inorganic acids that are carbon‐free are chosen as additives for a comparative study. It is found that the green fluorescence quantum yield (nearly 80%), photostability, and reaction yield (over 90%) can be enhanced by introduction of most of inorganic acids with moderate amount. Besides, green‐blue dual emission is observed in acid‐assisted groups. UV‐vis absorption, Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy, and surface‐enhanced Raman scattering results indicate that the green fluorescence center is composed of quinoid rings, whereas the blue fluorophore contains benzenoid rings. Moreover, room‐temperature afterglow with lifetime up to 1.25 s is observed exclusively in acid‐assisted CPDs composites with urea/biuret. The blue chromophore is proposed to be the origin of the triplet level that induces the long afterglow. This work provides an in‐depth understanding on the macromolecular structures of CPDs derived from phenylenediamines, and contributes a new line of thought to the origin of phosphorescence in N‐doped carbon dots. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma (OTSCC) is a malignant tumor. Recently, studies have found that adenylate cyclase 6 (ADCY6) plays a pivotal role in many lethal tumors formation processes. The role of ADCY6 in OTSCC remains unknown. The expression of ADCY6 in OTSCC tissue samples was detected. The clinical significance of ADCY6 in OTSCC was analyzed by statistical methods. OTSCC cell lines were selected to analyze the biological function of ADCY6. Meanwhile, the effect of ADCY6 on the growth of OTSCC in vivo was explored using subcutaneous tumorigenesis assay. WB assay was used to detect the underlying signaling pathway. Cell function recovery test used to investigate the mechanism of ADCY6‐promoting OTSCC malignant biological behavior via Hippo signaling pathway. We report that ADCY6 was obviously downregulated in OTSCC tissue samples and cell lines. Importantly, lower expression of ADCY6 indicates a poorer prognosis in patients with OTSCC, and its expression is significantly correlated with TNM stage and tumor size. Functionally, forced expression of ADCY6 can significantly inhibit the proliferation, migration, invasion, and promote apoptosis of OTSCC cells. Mechanistically, we demonstrated that ADCY6 upregulation impaired Hippo signaling pathway to reduce the malignant biological behavior of OTSCC. Generally, our findings suggest that ADCY6 suppressed Hippo signaling pathway to regulate malignant biological behavior in OTSCC, which provide new cues for further exploring the mechanism of occurrence and development of OTSCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dual‐ion battery is a new type of battery in which both anions and cations participate in the energy storage process. However, this unique battery configuration imposes high requirements on the cathode, which typically presents a poor rate performance due to the sluggish diffusion dynamics and intercalation reaction kinetics of anions. Herein, we report petroleum coke‐based soft carbon as the cathode for dual‐ion batteries, exhibiting a superior rate performance with a specific capacity of 96 mAh g−1 at a rate of 2 C and 72 mAh g−1 remained even at 50 C. In situ XRD and Raman demonstrate that the anions can directly form lower‐stage graphite intercalation compounds during the charge process owing to the surface effect, skipping the long evolutionary process from higher to lower stage, thus significantly improving the rate performance. This study highlights the impact of the surface effect and provides a promising perspective for dual‐ion batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A I2‐DMSO mediated approach to introduce −OCD3 into pyrroles in situ via multicomponent cascade cyclization reaction using methyl ketones, aniline, ethyl benzoylacetate and CD3OD as readily available substrates is reported. This process realizes introduction of −OCD3 into the Hantzsch pyrrole synthesis and synthesis of deuterated alkoxy‐substituted pyrroles with formation of one C−C bond, one C−O bond and two C−N bonds in one pot. Notably, this conversion has good substrate compatibility (62 examples) and eliminates of the need for anhydrous and anaerobic operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A high‐precision earthquake catalog is made from continuous waveform data recorded at 360 portable seismographs deployed for one month in the Changbaishan‐Tianchi volcanic area based on an automatic earthquake detection and location workflow. Then we investigate detailed 3‐D structures of P and S wave velocities (Vp and Vs) and Vp/Vs ratio of the crust beneath the study region. Our results reveal a high‐Vp/Vs zone accompanied with active volcanic earthquakes beneath the Tianchi caldera at ∼5 km depth, which may reflect a magma chamber. The intense seismic activities within 2 km depth beneath the Tianchi caldera from 2002 to 2005 occurred directly above the magma chamber revealed by this study, which could be related to upward migration of high‐pressure volatiles originating from the magma chamber. A potential middle‐crustal magma chamber might provide continuous magmatic materials feeding the upper‐crust magma chamber and lead to ruptures of surrounding rocks, resulting in two swarms of volcanic seismicity during the observation period. We deem that the diverse eruption styles of the Changbaishan volcano are closely associated with the multilevel structure of magma chambers in the upper and middle crust. Plain Language Summary: It is difficult for the earthquake monitoring system to identify and locate microearthquakes by using traditional seismic detection methods due to their weak signals, leading to a relatively low quantity and quality of seismic data in a study region, which cannot meet the demands of high‐resolution seismic tomography. In this study, we detect and locate microseismic events beneath the Changbaishan‐Tianchi volcanic area using 1‐month waveform data recorded at our 360 portable seismographs deployed in the volcanic area. Then we investigate high‐resolution 3‐D crustal structures of P and S wave velocities (Vp, Vs) and Vp/Vs ratio beneath the study area. Our results reveal a possible crustal magma reservoir at ∼5 km depth beneath the Tianchi caldera, which is accompanied with volcanic earthquakes during our observation period. In addition, small earthquakes occurred actively at a depth of ∼2 km during 2002–2005, which are located right above the magma reservoir. We deem that the joint effect of magma reservoirs in the upper and middle crust could explain the active volcanic seismicity and distinctive eruption behaviors of the Changbaishan volcano. Key Points: A magma chamber at ∼5 km depth beneath the Tianchi caldera of the Changbaishan volcano (CBV) is revealedThe CBV unrest during 2002–2005 was related to reactivation of the crustal magma chamberDistinctive eruption behaviors of the volcano are related to multilevel magma chambers in the crust [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lithium metal has been considered one of the most promising anodes for next‐generation rechargeable batteries, but its practical application is largely hindered by the uncontrollable dendrite growth and infinite volume change. Here, inspired by superior catalytic effects of single‐atom catalysts, carbon‐supported single atomic Co with asymmetric N, O‐coordination (Co‐N/O) is developed for Li metal battery. Experimental results and theoretical calculations indicate that single atomic Co atoms with asymmetric N, O‐coordination present enhanced binding ability toward Li in comparison with N‐coordinated atomic Co site and isolated O site, enabling uniform Li plating/stripping. Moreover, the asymmetric N, O‐coordination around Co atoms induces co‐activation effects, lowering the energy barriers toward Li+ to Li0 conversion and largely promoting the deposition kinetics. When used as a Li deposition host, the Co‐N/O achieves a high average coulombic efficiency of 98.6% at a current density of 1 mA cm−2 and a capacity of 2 mAh cm−2, long cycling life of 2000 h in symmetrical cells, and excellent rate performance (voltage hysteresis of 23 mV at 8 mA cm−2). This work provides a comprehensive understanding of single atomic metals with asymmetric heteroatom coordination in the design of Li metal anode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Posterior wall (PW) fractures were sometimes associated in both‐column acetabular fractures. How to evaluate pre‐operatively the necessity for the performance of the posterior approach was an issue to be solved. In order to solve this issue, the computer‐assisted virtual surgery technique was used to evaluate if the involved PW in both‐column acetabular fractures (BACF) should be managed through posterior approach and verify the feasibility of this method. Methods: Data of a consecutive cohort of 72 patients with both‐acetabular fractures from January 2012 to January 2020 was collected for retrospective study, of which 44 patients had concomitant acetabular PW fractures, and patients without PW fractures were labeled as the BCAF group. Computer‐assisted virtual surgery technique was performed pre‐operatively to evaluate the necessity for performance of posterior approach in 44 patients, and posterior approach was required if more than 3 mm of displacement was still present in the reduced 3D model. The 23 patients without treatment through posterior approach were labeled as the BCAF‐PW− group, and the 21 patients with treatment through posterior approach were labeled as the BCAF‐PW+ group. Operation‐related and post‐operative parameters were recorded. The quality of reduction and functional outcomes were assessed by the Matta scoring system and modified Merle d'Aubigné and Postel scoring system. The measurement data were analyzed using the t‐test of independent samples and rank‐sum test of ranked data between every two groups. Also, the one‐way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to analyze data between the three groups. Results: Comparing operation‐related and post‐operative parameters in the three groups, some PW fractures in both‐column acetabular fractures could be ignored, and which could be evaluated pre‐operatively for necessity of an additional posterior approach. Operative time (271.2 ± 32.8 mins) and intra‐operative blood loss (1176.7 ± 211.1 mL) were significantly higher in the BCAF‐PW+ group. The excellent/good of reduction (25/28 of the BCAF group, 21/23 of the BCAF‐PW− group, 19/21 of the BCAF‐PW+ group) and functional outcomes (24/28 of the BCAF group, 18/23 of the BCAF‐PW− group, 18/21 of the BCAF‐PW+ group) of three groups were similar. The incidence of complications, such as deep vein thrombosis (4/28 of the BCAF group >3/23 of the BCAF‐PW− group >1/21 of the BCAF‐PW+ group) and injury of lateral femoral cutaneous nerve (3/23 of the BCAF‐PW− group >2/28 of the BCAF group >0/21 of the BCAF‐PW+ group), was no significant difference. Conclusion: The partial both‐column acetabular fractures with PW involvement could be managed through a single anterior approach without another posterior approach by evaluation of computer‐assisted virtual surgery technique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Both edible fungal polysaccharides (Auricularia and Tremellan) and Crataegus flavonoids promote the balance of dyslipidemia, which have a positive biological regulating effect on intestinal flora. In this study, the extraction of water‐soluble polysaccharides from Auricularia and Tremellan was investigated and optimized firstly. Polysaccharides and flavonoids were then combined to study the effects on the mediating role of abnormal blood lipid concentration and intestinal flora in vivo. The rats were divided into 10 groups, the NC (normal control), HM (model), PCI (Simvastatin control), PCII (Fenofibrate control), AAP (Auricularia auricular Polysaccharide), TFP (Tremella fuciformis Polysaccharide), HF (Crataegus Flavonoid), LDC (Low‐dose combination), MDC (Medium dose combination), and HDC (High‐dose combination), used to explore the impact of polysaccharides and flavonoids complex on state of blood lipid, liver, and intestinal flora of dyslipidemia rats. The results showed that the combination of polysaccharides and flavonoids could significantly decrease the levels of triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), low‐density lipoprotein (LDL‐C), and increase the level of high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL‐C). It also significantly decreased the levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and improved liver morphology. What is more, the HDC favorably alters the intestinal microflora balance, promotes intestinal integrity and mobility, and inhibits the growth of harmful bacteria such as Escherichia coli/Shigella and Clostridium compared with HM group. In brief, the combination of polysaccharides and flavonoids had a synergistic effect on the remission of dyslipidemia, and promoted health by improving lipid metabolism, protecting liver tissue, and regulating the intestinal flora in hyperlipidemia rats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Triangular meshes of superior quality are important for geometric processing in practical applications. Existing approximative CVT‐based remeshing methodology uses planar polygonal facets to fit the original surface, simplifying the computational complexity. However, they usually do not consider surface curvature. Topological errors and outliers can also occur in the close sheet surface remeshing, resulting in wrong meshes. With this regard, we present a novel method named PowerRTF, an extension of the restricted tangent face (RTF) in conjunction with the power diagram, to better approximate the original surface with curvature adaption. The idea is to introduce a weight property to each sample point and compute the power diagram on the tangent face to produce area‐controlled polygonal facets. Based on this, we impose the variable‐capacity constraint and centroid constraint to the PowerRTF, providing the trade‐off between mesh quality and computational efficiency. Moreover, we apply a normal verification‐based inverse side point culling method to address the topological errors and outliers in close sheet surface remeshing. Our method independently computes and optimizes the PowerRTF per sample point, which is efficiently implemented in parallel on the GPU. Experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness, flexibility, and efficiency of our method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this letter, a single‐layer differential‐fed dual‐band filtering antenna for wireless local area network application is proposed. The proposed antenna consists of a square patch, and two pairs of stepped impedance resonators (SIRs). The lower operating passband is realized by exciting the square patch with a pair of differential ports. Then, a pair of SIRs is connected with the radiating edge of the square patch to introduce another resonance, thus forming the upper passband. And a radiation null is simultaneously produced to enhance the frequency selectivity between the two passbands. Moreover, another pair of SIRs is utilized to connect with the nonradiating edge of the square patch, which generates an additional high‐frequency in‐band resonance and a radiation null to further improve the bandwidth and frequency selectivity of upper passband. The developed prototype was fabricated and measured to verify the design concept. The measured results are in good agreement with the simulated ones, demonstrating that it exhibits −10 dB fractional impedance bandwidths of 3.68% and 7.35%, maximum realized gains at boresight direction of 5.5 and 8.7 dBi, and cross‐polarization levels smaller than −30 dB, in lower and upper passbands, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current literature on the finance‐inequality nexus fall short of providing extensive evidence. This paper fills the gap by framing the financial sector; to the development of financial intermediation (supply side) and individual use of financial services (demand side). The first approach decouples the financial sector into the banking and stock market. We use the 5‐year nonoverlapping averaged data from 1980 to 2017 across 49 countries and employ a panel data fixed effect and two‐stage least squared estimation (2sls). We show that banking and stock market development widens income inequality. Besides, the effect is more prominent in countries that have a banking and stock market than countries only with the banking sector. The second approach uses financial inclusion and financial technology (Fintech) data from three waves of survey data in 2011, 2014 and 2017 on the individual use of financial services across 39 countries. We obtain three key findings. First, institutional quality significantly affects financial inclusion and Fintech. Second, Fintech positively affects inclusion and savings. Third, financial inclusion and Fintech exacerbate income inequality. Our result asserts a natural tendency that financial sector development exacerbate income inequality in Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The widespread accessibility of commercial/clinically‐viable electrochemical diagnostic systems for rapid quantification of viral proteins demands translational/preclinical investigations. Here, Covid‐Sense (CoVSense) antigen testing platform; an all‐in‐one electrochemical nano‐immunosensor for sample‐to‐result, self‐validated, and accurate quantification of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) nucleocapsid (N)‐proteins in clinical examinations is developed. The platform's sensing strips benefit from a highly‐sensitive, nanostructured surface, created through the incorporation of carboxyl‐functionalized graphene nanosheets, and poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene) polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) conductive polymers, enhancing the overall conductivity of the system. The nanoengineered surface chemistry allows for compatible direct assembly of bioreceptor molecules. CoVSense offers an inexpensive (<$2 kit) and fast/digital response (<10 min), measured using a customized hand‐held reader (<$25), enabling data‐driven outbreak management. The sensor shows 95% clinical sensitivity and 100% specificity (Ct<25), and overall sensitivity of 91% for combined symptomatic/asymptomatic cohort with wildtype SARS‐CoV‐2 or B.1.1.7 variant (N = 105, nasal/throat samples). The sensor correlates the N‐protein levels to viral load, detecting high Ct values of ≈35, with no sample preparation steps, while outperforming the commercial rapid antigen tests. The current translational technology fills the gap in the workflow of rapid, point‐of‐care, and accurate diagnosis of COVID‐19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose an implementation of the smooth extension embedding method (SEEM), first described by Agress and Guidotti's study, in the setting of Chebyshev polynomials. SEEM is a hybrid fictitious domain/collocation method which solves general boundary value problems in complex domains by recasting them as constrained optimization problems in a simple encompassing set. Previously, SEEM was introduced and implemented using a periodic box (read a torus) using Fourier series; here, it is implemented on a (non‐periodic) rectangle using Chebyshev polynomial expansions. This implementation has faster convergence on smaller grids. Numerical experiments will demonstrate that the method provides a simple, robust, efficient, and high order fictitious domain method which can solve elliptic and parabolic problems in complex geometries, with non‐constant coefficients, and for general boundary conditions. We consider applications to two and three dimensional boundary value problems as well as an initial boundary value problem via a genuinely space–time discretization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Significant variations in leaf colours, pigment contents, and main taste compounds in young shoots from albino tea plants (Camellia sinensis) influence tea flavour. However, the seasonal metabolic pattern and molecular regulatory mechanism of these metabolites remain largely elusive. Herein, we conducted morphological, biochemical, metabolomic and transcriptomic analyses between an albino tea cultivar 'Zhonghuang 3' ('ZH3') and a green strain 'Tai cha 15' ('TC15') at four‐time points (April 12, May 31, July 14, and August 17) to elucidate dynamic changes in these compounds and predict the relationships among transcription factors (TFs), target genes (TGs), and metabolite abundance. Generally, leaf colours and pigment contents were significantly lighter and lower, respectively, in 'ZH3' than in 'TC15' from spring to summer, but were subsequently similar. Compared to 'TC15', 'ZH3' had a lower and broader phenol/ammonia ratio as well as stable caffeine content and showed more significantly different metabolites and differentially expressed genes. The relationship between pigments, main taste compounds, and their biosynthetic genes, as well as TFs and their TGs, had genetic specificity. These results suggested that the biosynthesis of these compounds was probably both season‐ and variety‐dependent. In total, 12 models of the TF‐TG‐metabolite regulatory network were proposed to uncover the biosynthetic and regulatory mechanisms of these metabolites in tea plants. A high correlation was observed between some structural genes and TFs with the accumulation of these metabolites. These findings provide novel insights into the regulatory mechanisms underlying accumulation of pigments and main taste compounds in tea plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mn2+‐activated halide double perovskites (HDPs) are found to show promising luminescent behavior and have great potential for optoelectronic applications. However, such interesting materials hitherto are only limited to compounds with a monotonous three‐dimensional structure and show a low photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY). Herein, an Mn2+‐doped two‐dimensional (2D) layered HDP PPA4NaInCl8 (PPA+ = C6H5(CH2)3NH3+) showing promising photoluminescence properties is reported. The large separation between the adjacent inorganic sheets and the good dissolution of Mn2+ in the layered structure endow PPA4NaInCl8:Mn2+ with efficient red emission and a record PLQY of 69.90%. The spectroscopic analyses and density functional theory calculations indicate that the inherent absorption and luminescence stem from the inserted organic cations PPA+ in PPA4NaInCl8. An energy transfer process occurs between the singlet excitons from PPA+ and Mn2+, resulting in tunable emission accompanied by the variation of Mn2+ concentration. These results provide several new fundamental insights on doping and doped 2D layered HDPs, which enhances the understanding of structure−property relations in this important family. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Arxan volcanic group is one of the largest active volcanic fields in China. Its last eruption occurred ∼2,000 years ago, but it still has a potential of eruption in the future. The spatial distribution and migration channel of its magmatic reservoirs are still unclear. Here we precisely locate microearthquakes and study the detailed 3‐D velocity structure of the volcanic area using a large number of high‐quality P and S wave arrival‐time data recorded at 227 portable seismometers. A swarm of microearthquakes (M < 1.5) related to magmatic activity were recorded, which lasted about 4 days during 13–16 September 2020. Our tomographic results show that 12 Arxan volcanoes share the same magmatic system. The melt fraction of a magma chamber below the Tianchi volcano at ∼0–8 km depths is estimated to be ∼6.1%–8.6% from the seismic velocity reductions. Our results indicate that the Arxan magmatic system is still active at present. Plain Language Summary: The detailed crustal structure and magmatic system beneath the Arxan volcanic field in NE China are still unclear due to the lack of a dense seismic network in the area. Local earthquakes associated with the volcanic activity in this area are all very small, so precise location of the seismic events is a challenge. We deployed a dense portable seismic network in the volcanic area to precisely locate 712 microearthquakes. Then we determine a detailed 3‐D seismic velocity model of the crust beneath the volcanic area. As a result, the spatial distribution and migration channel of magmatic reservoirs in the Arxan volcanic area are revealed for the first time. Key Points: We precisely locate microearthquakes and study 3‐D Vp and Vs crustal structure beneath the Arxan volcanic areaA microearthquake swarm occurred during 13–16 September 2020, reflecting magmatic activity of the Arxan volcanic group12 Arxan volcanoes share the same magmatic system with a melt fraction of ∼6.1%–8.6% [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative disease that occurs mostly in the elderly, and its specific pathogenesis is still unknown, but recent studies have found that circular RNA generally display aberrant expression in OA. Our study explored the expression characteristics and mechanism of action of circ‐NT5C2 in OA. Circ‐NT5C2, microRNA‐142‐5p (miR‐142‐5p), and nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (NAMPT) mRNA levels were measured using RT‐qPCR. Western blot was employed to assess the protein level of NAMPT and extracellular matrix (ECM) production‐related markers. The viability, proliferation, apoptosis and inflammation were examined using 3‐(4, 5‐dimethylthiazol‐2‐yl)‐2, 5‐diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, 5‐ethynyl‐2′‐deoxyuridine (EdU) assay, flow cytometry, and enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay, respectively. Relationship between miR‐142‐5p and circ‐NT5C2 or NAMPT was demonstrated by dual‐luciferase reporter system and RNA immunoprecipitation assay. We reported that circ‐NT5C2 and NAMPT were greatly upregulated, and miR‐142‐5p level was constrained in OA tissues and in a cell model. Circ‐NT5C2 silencing alleviated IL‐1β‐induced inhibitory effects on chondrocyte proliferation and ECM generation, meanwhile the promotional role of IL‐1β on chondrocyte apoptosis and inflammation was also weakened. The targeting relationship of miR‐142‐5p with either circ‐NT5C2 or NAMPT was confirmed. Knockdown of miR‐142‐5p reversed the suppressive effects of circ‐NT5C2 silencing on the OA progression in vitro, and NAMPT overexpression also attenuated the effects of miR‐142‐5p upregulation in an OA cell model. Collectively, circ‐NT5C2 accelerated the OA process by targeting the miR‐142‐5p/NAMPT axis. This study provides valuable information to find a better treatment for OA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]