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A ladder‐type rigid‐coplanar polymer with highly ordered molecular arrangement has been designed via a covalent cycloconjugation conformational strategy. Benefitting from the extended π‐electron delocalization in the highly aromatic ladder‐type polymeric backbone, the prepared polymer exhibits fast intra‐chain charge transport along the polymeric chain, realizing extraordinary proton‐storage capability in aqueous proton batteries.Affordable and safe aqueous proton batteries (APBs) with unique "Grotthuss mechanism," are very significant for advancing carbon neutrality initiatives. While organic polymers offer a robust and adaptable framework that is well‐suited for APB electrodes, the limited proton‐storage redox capacity has constrained their broader application. Herein, a ladder‐type polymer (PNMZ) has been designed via a covalent cycloconjugation conformational strategy that exhibits optimized electronic structure and fast intra‐chain charge transport within the high‐aromaticity polymeric skeleton. As a result, the polymer exhibits exceptional proton‐storage redox kinetics, which are evidenced by in‐operando monitoring techniques and theoretical calculations. It achieves a remarkable proton‐storage capacity of 189 mAh g−1 at 2 A g−1 and excellent long‐term cycling stability, with approximately 97.8 % capacity retention over 10,000 cycles. Finally, a high‐performance all‐polymer APB device has been successfully constructed with a desirable capacity retention of 99.7 % after 6,000 cycles and high energy density of 56.3 Wh kg−1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diabetic patients often experience delayed wound healing due to impaired functioning of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) under high glucose (HG) conditions. This is because HG conditions trigger uncontrolled lipid peroxidation, leading to iron‐dependent ferroptosis, which is caused by glucolipotoxicity. However, natural flavonoid compound Orientin (Ori) possesses anti‐inflammatory bioactive properties and is a promising treatment for a range of diseases. The current study aimed to investigate the function and mechanism of Ori in HG‐mediated ferroptosis. A diabetic wound model was established in mice by intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (STZ), and HUVECs were cultured under HG to create an in vitro diabetic environment. The results demonstrated that Ori inhibited HG‐mediated ferroptosis, reducing levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), lipid peroxidation, and mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (mtROS), while increasing decreased levels of malondialdehyde, lipid peroxidation, and mitochondrial reactive oxygen species, as well as increased levels of glutathione (GSH). Ori treatment also improved the wound expression of glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) and angiogenesis markers, reversing the delayed wound healing caused by diabetes mellitus (DM). Additional investigations into the mechanism revealed that Ori may stimulate the nuclear factor‐erythroid 2‐related factor 2 (Nrf2)/GPX4 signaling pathway. Silencing Nrf2 in HG‐cultured HUVECs negated the beneficial impact mediated by Ori. By stimulating the Nrf2/GPX4 signaling pathway, Ori may expedite diabetic wound healing by decreasing ferroptosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) is a widely recognized and effective tool for monitoring meteorological droughts. However, existing SPEI datasets suffer from spatial discontinuity or coarse spatial resolution problems, which limits their applications at the local level for drought monitoring research. Therefore, we calculated the SPEI index at meteorological stations, combined with the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Precipitation (Pre), Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Land Surface Temperature (LST), ERA5‐Land Shortwave Radiation (SR), Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) Digital Elevation Model (DEM) datasets and Random Forest Regression (RFR) model, developed a high spatial resolution (1 km) SPEI (HSPEI) datasets with multiple time scales in mainland China from 2001 to 2022. Compared to other SPEI datasets, the HSPEI datasets have higher spatial resolution and can effectively identify the detailed characteristics of drought in mainland China from 2001 to 2022. Overall, the HSPEI datasets can be effectively applied to the research of different droughts in China from 2001 to 2022. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rechargeable aqueous zinc batteries (AZIBs) with merits of high safety and high theoretical capacity are regarded as next‐generation energy storage devices. However, their practical application is hindered by the instable Zn anodes associated with the dendrite growth, parasite corrosion and side reactions. Developing a stable solid electrolyte interface is crucial for improving the cycling stability of Zn anodes. Herein, a hydrophobic interface is constructed on Zn anode through a simple heptafluorobutyrate acid etching route. The hydrophobic interface containing organic C─F, O─C═O and inorganic Zn─F bonds effectively address the issues of dendrites growth and parasitic reactions. Consequently, symmetric cells with acid‐treated Zn‐HA anodes achieve a prolonged lifespan of over 2000 h at 4.0 mA cm−2 and 1100 h at 10.0 mA cm−2. When paired with MnO2 cathode, the full cells deliver lower overpotential and outstanding cycling stability. This strategy provides a simple and feasible method to construct stable Zn anode for achieving high performance AZIBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effective water management is crucial for the optimal operation of low‐temperature polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). Excessive liquid water production can cause flooding in the gas diffusion electrodes and flow channels, limiting mass transfer and reducing PEMFC performance. To tackle this issue, a nature‐inspired chemical engineering (NICE) approach has been adopted that takes cues from the integument structure of desert‐dwelling lizards for passive water transport. By incorporating engraved, capillary microchannels into conventional flow fields, PEMFC performance improves significantly, including a 15% increase in maximum power density for a 25 cm2 cell and 13% for a 100 cm2 cell. Electro‐thermal maps of the lizard‐inspired flow field demonstrate a more uniform spatial distribution of current density and temperature than the conventional design. Neutron radiography provides evidence that capillary microchannels in the lizard‐inspired flow field facilitate the efficient transport and removal of generated liquid water, thereby preventing blockages in the reactant channels. These findings present a universally applicable and highly efficient water management strategy for PEMFCs, with the potential for widespread practical implementation for other electrochemical devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In our work, the inclusion ability and binding pattern of flavonoids (catechin, iso‐liquiritigenin, luteolin, puerarin, rutin, and curcumin) with β‐cyclodextrin (β‐CD) and curcumin (CUR) with CDs (α‐CD, β‐CD, γ‐CD, dimethyl‐β‐CD, Hydroxypropyl‐β‐CD, and glucosyl‐β‐CD) were studied by molecular docking. The results showed that CUR among the six flavonoids was more likely to form stable inclusion complexes with β‐CD, and the HP‐β‐CD is the most suitable for CUR inclusion among the 6 types of CD. Phase solubility studies showed that CUR with β‐CD or HP‐β‐CD, respectively, could form stable inclusion complexes in a stoichiometric ratio of 1 : 1. The CUR/β‐CD and CUR/HP‐β‐CD inclusion complexes (ICs) were prepared by freeze‐drying method. The successful preparation of IC was confirmed by SEM images, FT‐IR spectra, and TG‐DSC. The results of in vitro release showed that the release of CUR from IC prepared with β‐CD or HP‐β‐CD could be improved significantly, and the release effect of HP‐β‐CD was better than that of β‐CD. The inclusion with CD could be used to improve the solubility and bioavailability of CUR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adhesive hydrogels play a crucial role in numerous applications across fields such as wound dressing, biomedical implants, and flexible electronics. Despite recent efforts on hydrogel design, reconciling the conflicting requirements of adaptability to rough surfaces and intrinsic strength remains elusive for self‐adhesive hydrogels. To address this challenge, a novel strategy is proposed where conformal contact between hydrogels and solids is initially established in a weak state, followed by reinforcement to enhance strength and toughness. Illustrating this approach, bovine serum albumin (BSA) is employed to incorporate a flexible synthetic polymer network, resulting in soft and adhesive organohydrogels (OHGs) with instantaneous and reversible adhesion on various substrates, providing fault‐tolerant operation convenience. A brief on‐demand heating step transforms them into a strong and supra‐adhesive state by forming a rigid BSA network and establishing a double network (DN) structure. The resulting BSA based DN OHGs demonstrate remarkably enhanced bulk mechanical strength and exceptional interfacial toughness on diverse nonporous solid substrates, allowing for on‐demand permanent fixation. This approach integrates fault‐tolerance and permanent fixation into a single material, highlighting the potential of these natural albumin based OHGs as advanced functional materials for diverse applications, including artisanal restoration, and all‐season flexible sensors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dictyophora rubrovolvata and Pleurotus ostreatus are economically important mushrooms in China. Bradysia minpleuroti Yang et Zhang and Coboldia fuscipes (Meigen, 1830) are important mushroom flies that damage the two mushrooms. In this study, we used the age‐stage, two‐sex life table method to assess the fitness of B. minpleuroti and C. fuscipes when they were respectively fed on D. rubrovolvata and P. ostreatus. Our results showed that the first (2.39 days) and second (1.41 days) instar larvae, pupa (2.87 days) and total longevity (18.19 days) of B. minpleuroti were shorter when fed on P. ostreatus than fed on D. rubrovolvata (3.46, 1.86, 3.10 and 20.19 days). B. minpleuroti had similar fecundity when fed on the two edible mushrooms. B. minpleuroti had higher values of net reproductive rate (R0, 87.73), intrinsic rate of increase (r, 0.2604 day‐1), and finite rate of increase (λ, 1.2974 day‐1) and shorter mean generation time (T, 17.19 days) when fed on P. ostreatus than fed on D. rubrovalvata (26.96, 0.1659 day‐1, 1.1805 day‐1, 19.85 days). The developmental period of larvae and pupa stages of C. fuscipes were significantly different fed on the two edible mushrooms. Female fecundity, total longevity, R0, r, λ and T of C. fuscipes were not significantly different between the two edible mushrooms. We found that fitness of B. minpleuroti larvae had higher fitness when fed on P. ostreatus than fed on D. rubrovolvata. However, there was no significant difference in the fitness of C. fuscipes larvae when fed on the two edible mushrooms. This study has provided valuable data and insights by delving into the adaptability of two significant pests on two edible mushrooms, thereby facilitating the development of more effective pest management strategies and contributing to the advancement of the mushroom industry. For instance, it provides guidance on the appropriate timing for preventive measures and treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: The Colorado potato beetle (CPB), Leptinotarsa decemlineata, is a major potato (Solanum tuberosum) pest, infesting over 16 million km2 and causing substantial economic losses. The insect cuticle forms an apical extracellular matrix (ECM) envelope covering exposed organs to direct morphogenesis and confer structural protection. While select chitinase (Cht) genes have proven essential for larval development, their potential activities directing ECM remodeling underlying adult wing maturation remain undefined. RESULTS: We investigated the expression patterns and performed an oral RNA interference (RNAi) screen targeting 19 LdChts in late‐instar L. decemlineata larvae. Subsequently, we assessed their effects on adult eclosion and wing characteristics. Knockdown of LdCht5, LdCht7, LdCht10, LdIDGF2, and LdIDGF4, as well as others from Group IV (LdCht15, LdCht12, LdCht17, and LdCht13) and Groups VII–X (LdCht2, LdCht11, LdCht1, and LdCht3), resulting in shrunken, misshapen elytra with reduced areal density, as well as transverse wrinkling and impaired wing‐tip folding in hindwings. Scanning electron micrographs revealed eroded elytral ridges alongside thinned, ruptured hindwing veins, indicative of mechanical fragility post‐LdCht suppression. Spectroscopic analysis uncovered biomolecular alterations underlying the elytral anomalies, including decreases in peaks representing chitin, proteins, and lipids. This loss of essential ECM components provides evidence for the fragility, wrinkling, and shrinkage observed in the RNAi groups. CONCLUSION: Our findings elucidate the crucial role of chitinases in the turnover of chitinous cuticles on beetle wings, offering insights into RNAi‐based control strategies against this invasive pest. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant JASMONATE ZIM‐DOMAIN (JAZ) genes play crucial roles in regulating the biosynthesis of specialized metabolites and stressful responses. However, understanding of JAZs controlling these biological processes lags due to numerous JAZ copies. Here, we found that two leaf‐specific CwJAZ4/9 genes from Curcuma wenyujin are strongly induced by methyl‐jasmonate (MeJA) and negatively correlated with terpenoid biosynthesis. Yeast two‐hybrid, luciferase complementation imaging and in vitro pull‐down assays confirmed that CwJAZ4/9 proteins interact with CwMYC2 to form the CwJAZ4/9‐CwMYC2 regulatory cascade. Furthermore, transgenic hairy roots showed that CwJAZ4/9 acts as repressors of MeJA‐induced terpenoid biosynthesis by inhibiting the terpenoid pathway and jasmonate response, thus reducing terpenoid accumulation. In addition, we revealed that CwJAZ4/9 decreases salt sensitivity and sustains the growth of hairy roots under salt stress by suppressing the salt‐mediated jasmonate responses. Transcriptome analysis for MeJA‐mediated transgenic hairy root lines further confirmed that CwJAZ4/9 negatively regulates the terpenoid pathway genes and massively alters the expression of genes related to salt stress signaling and responses, and crosstalks of multiple phytohormones. Altogether, our results establish a genetic framework to understand how CwJAZ4/9 inhibits terpenoid biosynthesis and confers salt tolerance, which provides a potential strategy for producing high‐value pharmaceutical terpenoids and improving resistant C. wenyujin varieties by a genetic approach. Summary statement: CwJAZ4/9 interacts with CwMYC2 and negatively regulates MeJA‐induced terpenoid biosynthesis by inhibiting jasmonate response in Curcuma wenyujin. Meanwhile, CwJAZ4/9 can confer salt tolerance and sustain hairy root growth by weakening the salt‐mediated JA response and upregulating the expression of stress‐responsive genes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A transition‐metal‐free protocol is proposed for the selective oxidation of flavones, providing various sulfoxide/sulfone‐flavonoids in excellent yields. This strategy features excellent selectivities, high yields and broad substrate scope. The combination of oxone (2KHSO5 ⋅ KHSO 4⋅ K2SO4) as the sole oxidant and NaHCO3/Na2CO3 as the buffer play an important role in the process, in which the amounts of oxone and reaction temperatures are the key to the outstanding selectivities and high efficiency of the reaction. It should be noteworthy that a class of novel sulfone‐flavonols is also synthesized through triple oxidation. Moreover, the glycosylation of sulfone‐flavonols has been realized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two‐dimensional (2D) materials have attracted extensive attention in the field of photodetection thanks to their unique physical properties. Among them, the PdSe2 nanoflake shows great potential. However, the performance of the PdSe2‐based photodetector with a hetero‐type heterojunction remains poor due to the severe tunneling‐assisted interfacial recombination of photogenerated electron‐hole pairs in the thin bilateral‐depletion heterojunctions. In this work, a novel photodetector with a α‐In2Se3/PdSe2 homo‐type heterojunction for both high‐performance and broadband detection from visible to short‐wave infrared is constructed. The high‐performance of the photoresponsivity of 4.64 × 103 A·W−1, the external quantum efficiency of 1.08 × 106%, and the specific detectivity of 1.55 × 1014 Jones at 532 nm is the result of the homo‐type unilateral‐depletion junction which can promote the effective separation of photogenerated electron‐hole pairs compared to the hetero‐type. Also, adjusting the α‐In2Se3 ferroelectric polarization state further optimizes the unilateral depletion region. In addition, the photodetector can work in a self‐powered mode. This study suggests that the PdSe2‐based homo‐type device has great application potential in the field of 2D optoelectronics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing prevalence of drought events poses a major challenge for upcoming crop production. Melatonin is a tiny indolic tonic substance with fascinating regulatory functions in plants. While plants can respond in several ways to alleviate drought stress, the processes underpinning stress sensing and signaling are poorly understood. Hereafter, the objectives of this investigation were to explore the putative functions of melatonin in the regulation of sugar metabolism and abscisic acid biosynthesis in drought‐stressed tomato seedlings. Melatonin (100 μM) and/or water were foliar sprayed, followed by the plants being imposed to drought stress for 14 days. Drought stress significantly decreased biomass accumulation, inhibited photosynthetic activity, and stimulated senescence‐associated gene 12 (SAG12) expression. Melatonin treatment effectively reversed drought‐induced growth retardation as evidenced by increased leaf pigment and water balance and restricted abscisic acid (ABA) accumulation. Sugar accumulation, particularly sucrose content, was higher in drought‐imposed seedlings, possibly owing to higher transcription levels of sucrose non‐fermenting 1‐related protein kinase 2 (SnKR2.2) and ABA‐responsive element binding factors 2 (AREB2). Melatonin addition further uplifted the sucrose content, which coincided with increased activity of sucrose synthase (SS, 130%), sucrose phosphate synthase (SPS, 137%), starch degradation encoding enzyme β‐amylase (BAM, 40%) and α‐amylase (AMY, 59%) activity and upregulated their encoding BAM1(10.3 folds) and AMY3 (8.1 folds) genes expression at day 14 relative to the control. Under water deficit conditions, melatonin supplementation decreased the ABA content (24%) and its biosynthesis gene expressions. Additionally, sugar transporter subfamily genes SUT1 and SUT4 expression were upregulated by the addition of melatonin. Collectively, our findings illustrate that melatonin enhances drought tolerance in tomato seedlings by stimulating sugar metabolism and negatively regulating ABA synthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article systematically explores the strengthening effect of NaOH dosage on the fermentation acid production of Waste Activated Sludge (WAS) by the rhamnolipids‐alkali‐thermal combined pretreatment. Analyzed the dissolution characteristics of organic matter in sludge, changes in total volatile fatty acids (VFAs) content and components, and microbial community structure. Research has shown that increasing the amount of NaOH can promote the dissolution of sludge extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) and cell lysis. When NaOH dose was 60 mg/g VS, the dissolution of SCOD was the largest, reaching 5427.78 mg/L. It provides high‐quality substrate for anaerobic flora through the decomposition of refractory humus‐like substances and macromolecular substances, thus improving the production of VFAs. When NaOH dose was 80 mg/g VS, the maximum VFAs yield was 1663.76 mg C/L, and the fermentation type was butyric acid. The increase of NaOH dose promotes the effective enrichment of bacteria, and the dominant bacteria are Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, and Bacteroides at the gate level, with different abundance. The fermentation time plays a decisive role in the evolution of microbial population, and the increase of NaOH dose promotes the enrichment of acid‐producing bacteria, thus improving the production of VFAs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Woody Plant Encroachment (WPE) is a key driver of grassland collapse in the Southern Great Plain (SGP), resulting in a series of adverse ecological and socioeconomic consequences. Climate change will interact with ongoing WPE as it will likely shift the potential ranges of WPE species. In this study, we employed an ensemble approach integrating results from multiple Species Distribution Models to project future distribution ranges of four major WPE species (Ashe juniper, honey mesquite, post oak, and eastern redcedar) in the SGP across the 21st century. The findings highlighted a noteworthy trend: under future climate conditions, the distribution ranges for these WPE species were projected to shift northward and eastward. Of particular concern is honey mesquite with significant expansion in distribution range, potentially covering up to two‐thirds of the SGP's non‐agricultural area by the end of the 21st century. Conversely, the other three WPE species were expected to experience a contraction in their distribution ranges. Ashe juniper may experience a decline in its current habitats in central Texas but gain new habitats in northern Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas. The suitable ranges of post oak and eastern redcedar were projected to shrink eastward, primarily being restricted to eastern portions of Oklahoma and Texas under the RCP4.5 and a smaller area in eastern Oklahoma under the RCP8.5. The projected shift in WPE ranges provides a scientific basis for governments to optimize the allocation of management resources and implement timely practices to control the spread of woody plants during the early encroachment stage. Our study methodology is applicable to other regions and continents with WPE issues, including Africa, South America, and Australia. Plain Language Summary: In the Southern Great Plains, the spread of woody plants like Ashe juniper, honey mesquite, post oak, and eastern redcedar is reducing grassland area and causing a series of environmental and socioeconomic problems, such as the decline in livestock carrying capacity and reduction in water availability. Future climates could change where these plants can grow. Our study is to look at how these woody plants might change their distribution pattern in the future. We found that as the climate changes, these woody plants will likely move north and east. This means honey mesquite could take over a significant portion of the Southern Great Plains by the end of the century. But while honey mesquite spreads, the other three plants might shrink in range. Ashe juniper could lose some of its current habitat but gain new areas in northern Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas. Post oak and eastern redcedar might only be able to grow in smaller areas in eastern Oklahoma and Texas. Knowing how these woody plants will change in their distribution can help governments develop better strategies to prevent the further loss of grasslands and the related ecological and economic benefits. Key Points: Distribution ranges for encroaching woody species in the Southern Great Plains will shift northward and eastward under future climatesHoney mesquite will undergo significant expansion potentially covering two‐thirds of the non‐agricultural area by the end of the centuryThis study provides a scientific basis for optimizing the allocation of management resources to control the spread of woody plants [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The unique 1D crystal structure of Antimony Triselenide (Sb2Se3) offers notable potential for use in flexible, lightweight devices due to its excellent bending characteristics. However, fabricating high‐efficiency flexible Sb2Se3 solar cells is challenging, primarily due to the suboptimal contact interface between the embedded Sb2Se3 layer and the molybdenum back‐contact, compounded by complex intrinsic defects. This study introduces a novel Molybdenum Trioxide (MoO3) interlayer to address the back contact interface issues in flexible Sb2Se3 devices. Further investigations indicate that incorporating a MoO3 interlayer not only enhances the crystalline quality but also promotes a favorable [hk1] growth orientation in the Sb2Se3 absorber layer. It also reduces the barrier height at the back contact interface and effectively passivates harmful defects. As a result, the flexible Sb2Se3 solar cell, featuring a Mo‐foil/Mo/MoO3/Sb2Se3/CdS/ITO/Ag substrate structure, demonstrates exceptional flexibility and durability, enduring large bending radii and multiple bending cycles while achieving an impressive efficiency of 8.23%. This research offers a straightforward approach to enhancing the performance of flexible Sb2Se3 devices, thereby expanding their application scope in the field of photovoltaics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the important research components of photocatalytic research is the development of new photocatalysts, and recent studies have shown the rise of borate‐type photocatalysts. This paper focuses on the photoreduction of potassium dichromate and the photodegradation of rhodamine B by two borate composites under simulated sunlight. A coral‐like borate was obtained by sol‐gel preparation and then assembled by photodeposition with Pt nanoparticles dots or CuO particles to obtain the new composites with excellent performance. The kinetic constants of photocatalytic properties of 2 %Pt/Gd0.85Ce0.15B5O9 and 2.5 %CuO/Gd0.90Ce0.10B5O9 samples in the reduction and degradation reactions are 0.0050 min−1 and 0.0150 min−1, which are 25 and 4.2 times of the intrinsic GdB5O9 sample respectively. The results of the study indicate the research promise of developing new visible photocatalysts based on borates, especially for photocatalytic applications for pollutant removal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) can invade and cause harm to the human body through various pathways, but there is currently little research on the relationship between mixed‐PAHs exposure and periodontitis. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of mixed‐urinary PAHs exposure on periodontitis in adults in the United States. Methods: The cross‐sectional study included 2749 subjects selected from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2009–2014 cycles. A professional examination of the periodontal status was conducted to distinguish between periodontitis and non‐periodontitis based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/American Academy of Periodontology (CDC/AAP) case definition. Laboratory testing of urine samples was performed to obtain the levels of urinary PAHs. Pearson correlation coefficients were utilized to determine the degree of correlation between urinary PAHs, while weighted binary logistic regression and Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) were employed to evaluate the relationship between urinary PAHs and periodontitis. Results: In a single‐exposure model, 3‐hydroxyfluorene (OH‐3F), 2‐hydroxyfluorene (OH‐2F), 1‐hydroxyphenanthrene (OH‐1Ph), and 2‐hydroxyphenanthrene and 3‐hydroxyphenanthrene (OH‐2,3Ph) were positively associated with periodontitis risk. In the mixed‐exposure model, BKMR analysis demonstrated that mixed exposure to urinary PAHs was positively associated with periodontitis, with OH‐2F being the most critical factor for the overall mixed effects (posterior inclusion probability [PIP] = 0.98). Univariate exposure–response function and univariate effects analysis revealed a positive correlation between urinary OH‐2F levels and periodontitis. Conclusions: The study reveals a significant positive correlation between exposure to mixed PAHs and periodontitis, with a particular emphasis on the pivotal role of OH‐2F. Mitigating PAHs in the environment may serve as a preventive measure against periodontitis and alleviate its global public health burden. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A wide variety of borate materials are emerging as photocatalysts. Usually, the borates possess a large bandgap which limits their absorption of visible light, and the strategy of preparing nanocomposites is an effective way to enhance the absorption of light. X‐ray powder diffraction, infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy were used to show that a three‐component nanocomposites was successfully prepared. For the photo‐degraded reactions of rhodamine B(RhB) and doxycycline hydrochloride(DH), the optimum composition of the ternary composite is a molar ratio of Gd0.9Ce0.1B5O9(GCBO) and g‐C3N4(CN) of 7 : 93, besides the mass of Cu is 2 % of the sum of the above two masses, and the ternary composite is abbreviated as 2Cu/CN@GCBO‐7. The kinetic constant for the photodegradation of RhB of sample 2Cu/CN@GCBO‐7 is 0.0580 min−1, which is 3.6 and 3.8 times that of non‐composite CN and GCBO. The mechanism postulated by free radical quenching experiments suggests that the importance of the three radicals is hole >⋅OH>⋅O2− in the photodegradation reaction. In addition, the kinetic constant for the photodegradation of DH of sample 2Cu/CN@GCBO‐7 is 0.0018 min−1, and the sample 2Cu/CN@GCBO‐7 has a hydrogen evolution rate of 11.8 μmol/h/g. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

gem‐Difluoroalkenes are unique structural motifs with important applications ranging from drugs to materials. Herein, we report a novel radical‐mediated defluorinative allylation of sulfamate esters with through distal C(sp3)−H functionalization under photoredox conditions. The reaction could readily incorporate various gem‐difluoroalkene motifs into previously unfunctionalized sp3 carbon centers. The transformation allows directly dual activation of N−H and C(sp3)−H bonds via a photocatalytic and redox‐neutral process, as well as using water as environmentally friendly co‐solvent. The reaction could provide a general and operationally simple method to access gem‐difluoroalkene compounds with high diversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The therapeutic effectiveness of anticancer drugs, including nanomedicines, can be enhanced with active receptor‐targeting strategies. Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is an important cancer biomarker, constitutively expressed in sarcoma patients of different histological types. The present work reports materials and in vitro biomedical analyses of silanized (passive delivery) and/or EGF‐functionalized (active delivery) ceria nanorods exhibiting highly defective catalytically active surfaces. The EGFR‐targeting efficiency of nanoceria was confirmed by receptor‐binding studies. Increased cytotoxicity and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production were observed for EGF‐functionalized nanoceria owing to enhanced cellular uptake by HT‐1080 fibrosarcoma cells. The uptake was confirmed by TEM and confocal microscopy. Silanized nanoceria demonstrated negligible/minimal cytotoxicity toward healthy MRC‐5 cells at 24 and 48 h, whereas this was significant at 72 h owing to a nanoceria accumulation effect. In contrast, considerable cytotoxicity toward the cancer cells was exhibited at all three times points. The ROS generation and associated cytotoxicity were moderated by the equilibrium between catalysis by ceria, generation of cell debris, and blockage of active sites. EGFR‐targeting is shown to enhance the uptake levels of nanoceria by cancer cells, subsequently enhancing the overall anticancer activity and therapeutic performance of ceria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Primary cilia are distributed extensively within the corneal epithelium and endothelium. However, the presence of cilia in the corneal stroma and the dynamic changes and roles of endothelial and stromal cilia in corneal homeostasis remain largely unknown. Here, we present compelling evidence for the presence of primary cilia in the corneal stroma, both in vivo and in vitro. We also demonstrate dynamic changes of both endothelial and stromal cilia during corneal development. In addition, our data show that cryoinjury triggers dramatic cilium formation in the corneal endothelium and stroma. Furthermore, depletion of cilia in mutant mice lacking intraflagellar transport protein 88 compromises the corneal endothelial capacity to establish the effective tissue barrier, leading to an upregulation of α‐smooth muscle actin within the corneal stroma in response to cryoinjury. These observations underscore the essential involvement of corneal endothelial and stromal cilia in maintaining corneal homeostasis and provide an innovative strategy for the treatment of corneal injuries and diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work assessed the prevalence and risk‐related phenotypes of Bacillus cereus in milk products. Bacillus was the most dominant genus of 113 collected strains from 41 milk samples, and B. cereus (19.27%) was the most abundant species showing a high genetic diversity with seven random amplified polymorphic DNA patterns. Most B. cereus isolates were strong biofilm formers with good motility, extracellular polymeric substance‐producing ability, high proteolytic and lipolytic activities. Antibiotic resistance analysis suggested the majority B. cereus strains were resistant to oxacillin (90.48%), tetracycline (95.24%), and penicillin G sodium (47.62%). Results revealed the genotypic diversity of B. cereus, and their potential risk in dairy industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although Postpartum depression (PPD) and PPD with anxiety (PPD‐A) have been well characterized as functional disruptions within or between multiple brain systems, however, how to quantitatively delineate brain functional system irregularity and the molecular basis of functional abnormalities in PPD and PPD‐A remains unclear. Here, brain sample entropy (SampEn), resting‐state functional connectivity (RSFC), transcriptomic and neurotransmitter density data were used to investigate brain functional system irregularity, functional connectivity abnormalities and associated molecular basis for PPD and PPD‐A. PPD‐A exhibited higher SampEn in medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC) and posterior cingulate cortex (PPC) than healthy postnatal women (HPW) and PPD while PPD showed lower SampEn in PPC compared to HPW and PPD‐A. The functional connectivity analysis with MPFC and PPC as seed areas revealed decreased functional couplings between PCC and paracentral lobule and between MPFC and angular gyrus in PPD compared to both PPD‐A and HPW. Moreover, abnormal SampEn and functional connectivity were associated with estrogenic level and clinical symptoms load. Importantly, spatial association analyses between functional changes and transcriptome and neurotransmitter density maps revealed that these functional changes were primarily associated with synaptic signaling, neuron projection, neurotransmitter level regulation, amino acid metabolism, cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) signaling pathways, and neurotransmitters of 5‐hydroxytryptamine (5‐HT), norepinephrine, glutamate, dopamine and so on. These results reveal abnormal brain entropy and functional connectivities primarily in default mode network (DMN) and link these changes to transcriptome and neurotransmitters to establish the molecular basis for PPD and PPD‐A for the first time. Our findings highlight the important role of DMN in neuropathology of PPD and PPD‐A. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A better understanding of the impact of lifestyle factors on cognitive function in older adults is critical for developing intervention strategies to achieve successful aging. Moreover, older adults who fulfill the World Health Organization criteria for anemia have a significantly higher risk of developing dementia. In the current study, we aimed to assess the buffering effects of lifestyle on cognitive function in older Chinese adults through a nationally representative survey. The sample consisted of 1201 participants (mean age: 82.39 ± 12.08 years, 52.1% female) from the 2011/2012 and 2014 waves of the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey. Multiple linear regression analyses were used to explore the relationship between changes in lifestyle factors and the rate of cognitive function changes, as well as the effects of the interaction between lifestyle factors and anemia on cognitive function changes. Increased levels of participation in leisure activities, social activities, and dietary diversity delayed cognitive decline. Persistent anemia accelerated cognitive decline, while frequent participation in leisure activities delayed cognitive decline due to anemia. The increased levels of participation in leisure activities, social activities, and dietary diversity can alleviate the cognitive decline caused by aging itself, and more frequently participation in leisure activities can also alleviate the adverse effects of anemia on cognitive function in older adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Osteosarcoma, the most common primary bone cancer that affects adolescents worldwide, has the early metastatic potential to be responsible for high mortality rates. Morin has a multipurpose role in numerous cancers, whereas little is known about its role in osteosarcoma migration and invasion. Therefore, we hypothesized that morin suppresses the invasive activities and the migratory potential of human osteosarcoma cells. Our results showed that morin reduced migration and invasion capabilities in human osteosarcoma U2OS and HOS cells. Moreover, morin inhibited the urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA) expression through a signal transducer and an activator of transcription‐3 (STAT3) phosphorylation. After STAT3 overexpression, the decrease of the migratory potential and uPA expression caused by 100 μM of morin in U2OS cells was countered, indicating that STAT3 contributes to the antimetastatic property of morin in human osteosarcoma cells by reducing uPA. In conclusion, morin may be a potential candidate for the antimetastatic treatment of human osteosarcoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Optical metalenses offer a compact approach for the development of nanoscale optical devices with various imaging functionalities. Realizing high‐quality images using metalenses with large numerical aperture (NA) requires eliminating unwanted optical aberrations. Existing strategies have largely focused only on correcting chromatic aberrations, and a metalens capable of simultaneously correcting chromatic and spherical aberrations has not yet been developed. Here, this issue is addresed by realizing an aplanatic phase profile for a red–green–blue (RGB) achromatic metalens, thereby demonstrating an RGB‐achromatic aplanatic metalens. This device consists of crystalline silicon nanostructures and it enables RGB‐achromatic aplanatic focusing with an NA of 0.635. The focal length of metalens remains unchanged at the three RGB wavelengths, whereas the associated focal spots are significantly smaller than those of an RGB‐achromatic metalens with spherical aberrations. An enhanced RGB imaging resolution is demonstrated, offering exciting opportunities to power up various imaging and display applications using flat metalenses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Residual lead iodide (PbI2) is deemed to a double‐edged sword in perovskite film as small amounts of PbI2 are beneficial to the photovoltaic performance, but excessive will cause degradation of photovoltaic performance and stability. Herein, an in situ repair strategy has been developed by introducing amine‐releasable mediator (methylammonium pyridine‐2‐carboxylic, MAPyA) to eliminate over‐residual PbI2 and regulate the crystal quality of perovskite film. Notably, MAPyA can be partially decomposed into methylamine (MA) gas and pyridine‐2‐carboxylic (PyA) during high temperature annealing. The released MA can locally form liquid intermediate phase, facilitating the reconstruction of perovskite microcrystals and residual PbI2. Moreover, the leftover PyA is confirmed to effectively passivate the uncoordinated lead ions in final perovskite film. Based upon this, superior perovskite film with optimized crystal structure and holistic negligible PbI2 is acquired. The assembled device realizes outstanding efficiency of 24.06 %, and exhibits a remarkable operational stability that maintaining 87 % of its origin efficiency after continuous illumination for 1480 h. And the unencapsulated MAPyA‐treated devices present significant uplift in humidity stability (maintaining ~93 % of the initial efficiency over 1500 h, 50–60 % relative humidity). Furthermore, the further optimization of this strategy with nanoimprint technology proves its superiority in the amplificative preparation for perovskite films. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: With the implementation of China's three‐child policy in 2021, the nurse population faces an increase in the number of breastfeeding nurses returning to work after maternity leave. This study aims to describe the work experience of breastfeeding nurses returning to work after maternity leave. Design: A qualitative descriptive design. Methods: The data were collected through semi‐structured interviews with eight nurses and analysed through Braun and Clarke's thematic analysis. Results: Three themes and nine sub‐themes emerged from the analysis of the interviews: changes in nurses (emotional changes, physical changes and changes in work); needs for an improving work environment (needs for a supportive workplace and nurse shortage); support for breastfeeding nurses (support from coworkers, support from the manager, support from the organisation and own need for work). Public Contribution: This study highlighted that breastfeeding nurses need an adjustment period when they return to work after maternity leave. Successful breastfeeding requires support from coworkers, managers and the organisation. In addition, workplace support for breastfeeding and management for nurses needs to be improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Substandard printing quality of electron transport layers (ETLs) always leads to non‐ideal nucleation crystallization and bottom interface contact of the perovskite, followed by the formation of poor‐quality perovskite films with severe heterogeneity, which is the major source of non‐radiative recombination loss and environmental sensitivity of perovskite solar cells (PVSCs). These often result in serious photovoltaic performance loss, significant instability, and negative fabrication reproducibility. Herein, sodium phytate is proposed as a chelating agent for passivating the tin oxide (SnO2) ETLs to enable the stabilization of SnO2 nanoparticles and facilitate the printing of pinhole‐free films, thereby realizing the controlled nucleation crystallization in perovskite precursor. Thus, the printed PVSCs exhibit a champion power conversion efficiency up to 23.77% with negligible hysteresis effect. The unencapsulated devices demonstrate outstanding long‐term stability, which maintains over 80% of their initial efficiency under exposure to atmospheric environment (50% relative humidity) for 1500 hours, and a consistent and centralized distribution of efficiencies across all seasons, indicating their good reproducibility in diverse climatic atmospheres. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During multivalent ions insertion processes, intense electrostatic interaction between charge carriers and host makes the high‐performance reversible Al3+ storage remains an elusive target. On account of the strong electrostatic repulsion and poor robustness, Prussian Blue analogues (PBAs) suffer severely from the inevitable and large strain and phase change during reversible Al3+ insertion. Herein, we demonstrate an entropy‐driven strategy to realize ultralong life aqueous Al‐ion batteries (AIBs) based on medium entropy PBAs (ME‐PBAs) host. By multiple redox active centers introduction, the intrinsic poor conductivity can be enhanced simultaneously, resulting in outstanding capabilities of electrochemical Al3+ storage. Meanwhile, the co‐occupation at metal sites in PBA frameworks can also increase the M−N bond intensity, which is beneficial for constraining the phase change during consecutive Al3+ reversible insertion, to realize an extended lifespan over 10,000 cycles. Based on the calculation at different operation states, the fluctuation of ME‐PBA lattice parameters is only 1.2 %. Assembled with MoO3 anodes, the full cells can also deliver outstanding electrochemical properties. The findings highlight that, the entropy regulation strategy could uncover the isochronous constraint on both strain and phase transition for long‐term reversible Al3+ storage, providing a promising design for advanced electrode materials for aqueous multivalent ions batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High‐performance fibrous materials urgently desired for fabricating energy storage devices to power wearable textile electronics are expected excellent mechanical properties, improved output capacitance, and rapid charge/discharge capability; nevertheless, their contradictory requirements in material design impose immense challenges. Inspired by the robust structure of higher plants that evolve over millions of years, herein, an interfacial engineering strategy is proposed for synergizing the mechanical strength and electrochemical performance of Ti3C2TX MXene fibers by selecting aramid (Kevlar) nanofibers and borate ions (B) as the enhancers. The intercalation of Kevlar nanofibers endows the nascent wet‐spun MXene gel fibers with a high stretchable ratio through physical interaction (hydrogen bonds), greatly aligning the orientation of MXene nanosheets. B‐cross‐links introduce covalent bonds between MXene nanosheets, which together with hydrogen bonds significantly enhance fiber strength. More importantly, optimal ion transport kinetics is achieved by synergizing the inverse impacts of Kevlar nanofibers and B‐cross‐link on interlayer spacing, guaranteeing excellent electrochemical performances. Benefiting from their excellent mechanical, electrical, and electrochemical performances, borate (B)‐cross‐linked MXene/Kevlar fibers (MKB) are simultaneously adopted as fibrous electrodes and receiving antennae for asymmetric supercapacitors with wireless charging functions. The proposed strategy provides an avenue for designing high‐performance functional fibers for future wearable applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogen production from photocatalysis via the usage of multicomponent photocatalysts represents a promising pathway for carbon peaking and carbon neutrality, owing to their structural advantages in dealing with the three crucial processes in photocatalysis, namely, light harvesting, charge transfer, and surface redox reactions. We demonstrate the fabrication of a MOF‐based multicomponent photocatalyst, denoted as semiconductor/MOF/cocatalyst, by a one‐pot electrochemical synthetic route. The as‐fabricated multicomponent photocatalyst has a clean interface among the components, leading to close connections that contribute to high‐quality heterojunction and facilitate photogenerated charge transfer and separation, thereby the efficient hydrogen evolution. The hydrogen production rate of the resultant ZrO2/Zr‐MOF/Pt is 1327 μmol ⋅ g−1 ⋅ h−1, which is much higher than that of ZrO2/Zr‐MOF (15 μmol ⋅ g−1 ⋅ h−1) and pure Zr‐MOF (10.1 μmol ⋅ g−1 ⋅ h−1), as well as the photodeposited‐Pt products ZrO2/Zr‐MOF/PtPD (287 μmol ⋅ g−1 ⋅ h−1) and Zr‐MOF/PtPD (192 μmol ⋅ g−1 ⋅ h−1) obtained by the step‐wise synthetic approach. The work gives a good inspiration for the rational design and construction of MOF‐based multicomponent photocatalysts through the one‐pot electrosynthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) plays a critical role in liver fibrosis. However, the molecular basis for HSC activation remains poorly understood. Herein, we demonstrate that primary cilia are present on quiescent HSCs but exhibit a significant loss upon HSC activation which correlates with decreased levels of the ciliary protein intraflagellar transport 88 (IFT88). Ift88-knockout mice are more susceptible to chronic carbon tetrachloride-induced liver fibrosis. Mechanistic studies show that the X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis (XIAP) functions as an E3 ubiquitin ligase for IFT88. Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), a profibrotic factor, enhances XIAP-mediated ubiquitination of IFT88, promoting its proteasomal degradation. Blocking XIAP-mediated IFT88 degradation ablates TGF-β-induced HSC activation and liver fibrosis. These findings reveal a previously unrecognized role for ciliary homeostasis in regulating HSC activation and identify the XIAP–IFT88 axis as a potential therapeutic target for liver fibrosis. Synopsis: Profibrotic stimuli disrupt primary cilia on quiescent hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) by inducing XIAP-mediated ubiquitination and proteasomal degradation of IFT88. This contributes to HSC activation and liver fibrosis. Primary cilia exist on multiple cell types in the liver, but only cilia present on HSCs disassemble during liver fibrosis. TGF-β enhances XIAP-mediated ubiquitination of IFT88, promoting its proteasomal degradation. Blocking XIAP-mediated IFT88 degradation ablates TGF-β-induced HSC activation. Profibrotic stimuli disrupt primary cilia on quiescent hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) by inducing XIAP-mediated ubiquitination and proteasomal degradation of IFT88. This contributes to HSC activation and liver fibrosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid expansion of smart devices leads to the increasing demand for vulnerability detection in the cyber security field. Writing secure source codes is crucial to protect applications and software. Recent vulnerability detection methods are mainly using machine learning and deep learning. However, there are still some challenges, how to learn accurate source code semantic embedding at the function level, how to effectively perform vulnerability detection using the learned semantic embedding of source code and how to solve the overfitting problem of learning‐based models. In this paper, we consider codes as various graphs with node features and propose a tensor‐based gated graph neural network called TensorGNN to produce code embedding for function‐level vulnerability detection. First, we propose a high‐dimensional tensor for combining different code graph representations. Second, inspired by the work of tensor technology, we propose the TensorGNN model to produce accurate code representations using the graph tensor. We evaluate our model on 7 C and C++ large open‐source code corpus (e.g. SARD&NVD, Debian, SATE IV, FFmpeg, libpng&LibTiff, Wireshark and Github datasets), which contains 13 types of vulnerabilities. Our TensorGNN model improves on existing state‐of‐the‐art works by 10%–30% on average in terms of vulnerability detection accuracy and F1, while our TensorGNN model needs less training time and model parameters. Specifically, compared with other existing works, our model reduces 25–47 times of the number of parameters and decreases 3–10 times of training time. Results of evaluations show that TensorGNN has better performance while using fewer training parameters and less training time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Bone or brain metastases may develop in 20–40% of individuals with late‐stage non‐small‐cell lung cancer (NSCLC), resulting in a median overall survival of only 4–6 months. However, the primary lung cancer tissue's distinctions between bone, brain and intrapulmonary metastases of NSCLC at the single‐cell level have not been underexplored. Methods: We conducted a comprehensive analysis of 14 tissue biopsy samples obtained from treatment‐naïve advanced NSCLC patients with bone (n = 4), brain (n = 6) or intrapulmonary (n = 4) metastasis using single‐cell sequencing originating from the lungs. Following quality control and the removal of doublets, a total of 80 084 cells were successfully captured. Results: The most significant inter‐group differences were observed in the fraction and function of fibroblasts. We identified three distinct cancer‐associated fibroblast (CAF) subpopulations: myofibroblastic CAF (myCAF), inflammatory CAF (iCAF) and antigen‐presenting CAF (apCAF). Notably, apCAF was prevalent in NSCLC with bone metastasis, while iCAF dominated in NSCLC with brain metastasis. Intercellular signalling network analysis revealed that apCAF may play a role in bone metastasis by activating signalling pathways associated with cancer stemness, such as SPP1‐CD44 and SPP1‐PTGER4. Conversely, iCAF was found to promote brain metastasis by activating invasion and metastasis‐related molecules, such as MET hepatocyte growth factor. Furthermore, the interaction between CAFs and tumour cells influenced T‐cell exhaustion and signalling pathways within the tumour microenvironment. Conclusions: This study unveils the direct interplay between tumour cells and CAFs in NSCLC with bone or brain metastasis and identifies potential therapeutic targets for inhibiting metastasis by disrupting these critical cell–cell interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The effects of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is still unclear. The objective is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of tDCS in improving symptoms in patients with KOA. Methods: The following electronic databases were searched for eligible randomized controlled trials (RCTs): PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library. The search was performed from the inception dates to April 30, 2023. Data extraction and quality assessment were performed by two independent reviewers. Standard mean differences (SMDs) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) for pooled data were calculated. A random‐effects model was used for the data analyses. The primary outcomes were pain and physical function. Secondary outcomes included stiffness, mobility performance, quality of life, pressure pain tolerance, and plasma levels of brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). Results: This meta‐analysis included 13 RCTs. tDCS was significantly associated with pain decrease compared with sham tDCS (SMD = −0.62, 95% CI −0.87 to −0.37, P < 0.00001). When comparing tDCS plus other non‐tDCS with sham tDCS plus other non‐tDCS, there was no longer a significant association with pain decrease (SMD = −0.45, 95% CI −1.08 to 0.17, P = 0.16). The changes in physical function were not significantly different between the tDCS and sham tDCS groups (SMD = −0.09, 95% CI −0.56 to 0.38, P = 0.71). When comparing tDCS plus other non‐tDCS with sham tDCS plus other non‐tDCS, there was still no significant association with improvement in physical function (SMD = −0.66, 95% CI −1.63 to 0.30, P = 0.18). There was no significant difference with improvement in stiffness (SMD = −0.21, 95% CI −0.77 to 0.34, P = 0.45), mobility performance (SMD = 4.58, 95% CI −9.21 to 18.37, P = 0.51), quality of life (SMD = −7.01, 95% CI −22.61 to 8.59, P = 0.38), and pressure pain tolerance (SMD = 0.30, 95% CI −0.09 to 0.69, P = 0.13). There was a statistically significant reduction in plasma levels of BDNF (SMD = −13.57, 95% CI −24.23 to −2.92, P = 0.01). Conclusion: In conclusion, tDCS could significantly alleviate pain, but it might have no efficacy in physical function, stiffness, mobility performance, quality of life, and pressure pain tolerance among patients with KOA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tunable metasurfaces are verified as an effective way to modulate electromagnetic (EM) waves within a thin interface. However, most tunable metasurfaces currently use electronic control methods, making it difficult to achieve large‐scale sample manufacturing. This article proposes a novel metasurface design approach based on germanium telluride (GeTe) film, which is used to achieve anomalous scattering of radar detection signals. By designing the composite units to form a 2‐bit dual geometric phase modulation coding array, low reflection characteristics in different frequency bands can be achieved by controlling the state of GeTe, which adds a new degree of freedom to array design. In this article, the phase characteristics of composite units and the EM scattering characteristics of different array arrangements are analyzed in detail. The simulation and experimental results indicate the designed metasurface has excellent dual geometric phase independent modulation ability, and the reflectivity reduction of the fabricated sample is less than ‐10 dB in the range of 11.6–15.2 GHz and 8.0–11.6 GHz before and after phase transition of GeTe film, respectively. This method has significant advantages in design, fabrication, and modulation, which determine that this research can be a good candidate for military stealth materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The possibilities offered by the use of variational mode decomposition–based Hilbert marginal spectrum and the differential cepstrum for gas‐bearing detection are studied in this paper. We propose a novel variational mode decomposition–based Hilbert marginal differential cepstrum for hydrocarbon detection. Variational mode decomposition–based Hilbert marginal spectrum is first computed. Then discrete cosine transform is carried out to the differential logarithmic variational mode decomposition–based Hilbert marginal spectrum to obtain the variational mode decomposition–based Hilbert marginal differential cepstrum. For hydrocarbon detection, the seismic amplitude anomaly section is generated by extracting the first and second common quefrency sections. Compared with the traditional Fourier‐based cepstrum, the wavelet‐based cepstrum and the Berthil cepstrum, it has the ability to effectively reveal more detailed frequency‐dependent amplitude anomalies with high accuracy and resolution. Model tests and field data applications from a carbonate reservoir in China show that the variational mode decomposition‐based Hilbert marginal differential cepstrum can provide a better gas‐prone interpretation. The proposed method can be a complementary approach to current cepstrum‐based hydrocarbon detection methods and the spectrum decomposition methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Anisopteromalus calandrae (Howard) is a solitary ectoparasitoid with wide‐ranging potential applications as a natural biological control agent against various coleopterous pests in food warehouses. Implementing an effective cold storage program is crucial for extending the shelf life of biological control agents and ensuring their stable and abundant supply. Herein, we attempted to determine the optimal cold storage conditions for Anisopteromalus calandrae by investigating the effect of cold storage at three different temperatures (7, 13, and 19 °C) for 7, 21, and 35 days on four developmental stages (late‐instar larvae, early‐stage pupae, mid‐stage pupae, and 2‐day‐old adults). Additionally, we explored the maximum cold storage potential by observing early‐stage pupae stored at 13 °C for various durations (30, 60, 90, 120, and 150 days). RESULTS: The most suitable cold storage temperature for the early‐stage pupae of Anisopteromalus calandrae was 13 °C, and the highest adult emergence rate (98.3%) was after 90 days of storage at 13 °C. Furthermore, we did not find any significant effect on longevity (female: 44.3 days; male: 38.1 days) or fecundity (121.7 wasps). The female ratio ranged from 43.5% to 50.8%. More importantly, cold storage did not adversely affect the developmental duration or fecundity of the offspring. CONCLUSION: This study offers crucial insights for managing Anisopteromalus calandrae populations under laboratory conditions and lays the foundation for potential industrial production and development. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, biosyncretic robots, a novel type of robot that integrates living and artificial materials, have gained significant attention. Biosyncretic robots are expected to leverage the advantages provided by living materials and offer a new approach to address the challenges faced by traditional robots, such as biocompatibility, intrinsic safety, and miniaturization. Therefore, this review aims to provide an overview of the current state of development of biosyncretic robots. First, the existing research on biosyncretic robots based on commonly used living materials is systematically categorized and introduced, including cardiomyocytes, skeletal muscle cells, insect dorsal vascular tissue, and microorganisms. Subsequently, their potential in the fields of in vivo medical diagnosis and treatment, organ‐on‐a‐chip, tissue engineering, environmental monitoring, and postdisaster rescue in detail is also discussed. Finally, the current challenges faced by biosyncretic robotic research, including establishing theoretical models, fabrication, cultivation, and maintenance of living materials, controllability, versatility, artificial material, and entering the human body or leaving the laboratory, are examined. This review summarizes the cutting‐edge progress of biosyncretic robots and provides insights into their future development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study employs density functional theory (DFT) and time‐dependent density functional theory (TD‐DFT) to investigate a series of cyclometallated Ir(III) complexes for their application as OLED light‐emitting materials, including (dtp)2Ir(dpm), (mmpyp)2Ir(dpm), (dtp)2Ir(tpip), (mmpyp)2Ir(tpip), (dtp)2Ir(pic), and (mmpyp)2Ir(pic). Their geometries, frontier molecular orbital properties, ionization potential, electron affinity, absorption and emission spectra, and spin‐orbit coupling properties have been analyzed respectively. Through comparison, we have identified complexes with reduced efficiency roll‐off and enhanced kISC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]