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Group 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2s) play critical roles in driving the pathogenesis of allergic airway inflammation. The mechanisms underlying the regulation of ILC2s remain to be fully understood. Here, we identified neuropilin‐1 (NRP1) as a surface marker of ILC2s in response to IL‐33 stimulation. NRP1 was abundantly expressed in ILC2s from lung under steady state, which was significantly reduced upon IL‐33 stimulation. ILC2s with high expression of NRP1 (NRP1high) displayed lower response to IL‐33, as compared with NRP1low ILC2s. Transcriptional profiling and flow cytometric analysis showed that downregulation of AKT–mTOR signalling participated in the diminished functionality of NRP1high ILC2s. These observations revealed a potential role of NRP1 in ILC2s responses under allergic inflammatory condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The artificial photosynthesis of H2O2 from water and oxygen using semiconductor photocatalysts is attracting increasing levels of attention owing to its green, environmentally friendly, and energy‐saving characteristics. Although covalent organic frameworks (COFs) are promising materials for promoting photocatalytic H2O2 production owing to their structural and functional diversity, they typically suffer from low charge‐generation and ‐transfer efficiencies as well as rapid charge recombination, which restricts their use as catalysts for photocatalytic H2O2 production. Herein, we report a strategy for anchoring vinyl moieties to a COF skeleton to facilitate charge separation and migration, thereby promoting photocatalytic H2O2 generation. This vinyl‐group‐bearing COF photocatalyst exhibits a H2O2‐production rate of 84.5 μmol h−1 (per 10 mg), which is ten‐times higher than that of the analog devoid of vinyl functionality and superior to most reported COF photocatalysts. Both experimental and theoretical studies provide deep insight into the origin of the improved photocatalytic performance. These findings are expected to facilitate the rational design and modification of organic semiconductors for use in photocatalytic applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Memristors are essential components of neuromorphic systems that mimic the synaptic plasticity observed in biological neurons. In this study, a novel approach employing one‐dimensional covalent organic framework (1D COF) films was explored to enhance the performance of memristors. The unique structural and electronic properties of two 1D COF films (COF‐4,4′‐methylenedianiline (MDA) and COF‐4,4′‐oxydianiline (ODA)) offer advantages for multilevel resistive switching, which is a key feature in neuromorphic computing applications. By further introducing a TiO2 layer on the COF‐ODA film, a built‐in electric field between the COF‐TiO2 interfaces could be generated, demonstrating the feasibility of utilizing COFs as a platform for constructing memristors with tunable resistive states. The 1D nanochannels of these COF structures contributed to the efficient modulation of electrical conductance, enabling precise control over synaptic weights in neuromorphic circuits. This study also investigated the potential of these COF‐based memristors to achieve energy‐efficient and high‐density memory devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electrolytes for lithium metal batteries (LMBs) are plagued by a low Li+ transference number (T+) of conventional lithium salts and inability to form a stable solid electrolyte interphase (SEI). Here, we synthesized a self‐folded lithium salt, lithium 2‐[2‐(2‐methoxy ethoxy)ethoxy]ethanesulfonyl(trifluoromethanesulfonyl) imide (LiETFSI), and comparatively studied with its structure analogue, lithium 1,1,1‐trifluoro‐N‐[2‐[2‐(2‐methoxyethoxy)ethoxy)]ethyl]methanesulfonamide (LiFEA). The special anion chemistry imparts the following new characteristics: i) In both LiFEA and LiETFSI, the ethylene oxide moiety efficiently captures Li+, resulting in a self‐folded structure and high T+ around 0.8. ii) For LiFEA, a Li−N bond (2.069 Å) is revealed by single crystal X‐ray diffraction, indicating that the FEA anion possesses a high donor number (DN) and thus an intensive interphase "self‐cleaning" function for an ultra‐thin and compact SEI. iii) Starting from LiFEA, an electron‐withdrawing sulfone group is introduced near the N atom. The distance of Li−N is tuned from 2.069 Å in LiFEA to 4.367 Å in LiETFSI. This alteration enhances ionic separation, achieves a more balanced DN, and tunes the self‐cleaning intensity for a reinforced SEI. Consequently, the fast charging/discharging capability of LMBs is progressively improved. This rationally tuned anion chemistry reshapes the interactions among Li+, anions, and solvents, presenting new prospects for advanced LMBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, 2D ferroelectric (FE) heterostructures have become a subject of great interest due to their potential device applications and the underlying physics involved. In this study, the first‐principles calculations are employed to examine the FE control of electronic structures in 2D FE heterostructures, specifically In2Se3/h‐BN and CuInP2S6 (CIPS)/h‐BN. In these results, it is demonstrated that by reversing the polarization of the FE layers, the band alignment of the heterostructures can be interconverted between type II and type I. For In2Se3/h‐BN, the variation of out‐of‐plane polarization can be attributed to the hindrance and facilitation of charge transfer from h‐BN to In2Se3 by the intrinsic electric field of the In2Se3 monolayer. For CIPS/h‐BN heterostructures, the higher transferred charge in the Cdn configuration due to the presence of built‐in electric fields and the stronger interfacial interaction in the Cdn configuration result in a higher polarization value compared to the Cdn configuration. Moreover, the carrier mobility of the heterostructures can also be effectively modulated by the FE polarization. In these findings, the potential significance of FE heterostructures with tunable band alignment and bandgap is highlighted in the development of nanoscale optoelectronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Covalent organic polymers (COPs) have emerged as a promising class of materials for memory devices due to their unique electronic properties and potential for tunability. This review highlights recent advances in the field of COPs‐based thin films for memory applications, with a focus on the synthesis and characterization of COP thin films, their electronic properties, and their performance as memory devices. The potential of COPs‐based thin films as flexible memory devices is also discussed. Overall, the recent progress in COPs‐based thin films for memory applications suggests that these materials may have a significant impact on the development of next‐generation memory technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Covalent organic polymers (COPs) memristors with multilevel memory behavior in harsh environments and photoelectric regulation are crucial for high‐density storage and high‐efficiency neuromorphic computing. Here, a donor–acceptor (D–A)‐type COP film (Py‐COP‐3), which is initiated by keto–enol tautomerism, is proposed for high‐performance memristors. Satisfactorily, the indium tin oxide (ITO)/Py‐COP‐3/Ag device demonstrates multilevel memory performance, even in high temperatures, acid‐base corrosion, and various organic solvents. Moreover, the performance can be modulated by the photoelectric effect to maintain a great switching behavior. By contrast, Py‐COP‐0, with similar structure and chemical composition to Py‐COP‐3 but without keto–enol tautomerism, exhibits binary storage performance. Further studies unravel that both the formation of conductive filaments and charge transfer within D‐A Py‐COP‐3 film contribute to the resistive switching behavior of memory devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) are promising active mediums for high‐performance data storage devices stemming from their high crystallinity, ordered porous channels, predetermined topology, and rigid architectures, while relative studies are still limited. Here, two COFs (i.e., COF‐EtD and COF‐EtA)‐based resistive‐switching memory devices are proposed to demonstrate the impact of intramolecular hydrogen bonding interactions, both of which exhibit nonvolatile write‐once‐read‐many (WORM) memory characteristics. Comparatively, COF‐EtD with the hydroxyl motif decoration illustrated a lower SET voltage (i.e., turn‐on voltage) and a higher ON/OFF current ratio as well as exceptional high‐temperature endurance and solvent resistance. Mechanism explorations suggest that the resistance‐switching behavior of COF‐EtD may be controlled by the synergistic effect of space‐charge‐limited current and conductive filaments. This finding is the first example of simply varying the functional group of COFs to regulate the WORM resistive switching behavior, providing some inspiration for the advancement of electronic memories and positively contributing to the realization of high endurance and high‐density electric storage materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Described herein is a visible light‐mediated radical addition/SO2 insertion/anionic cyclization of benzo‐fused homoallylic tosylates, allowing access to a diverse array of otherwise challenging‐to‐access fluoromethylated polycyclic γ‐sultines with two adjacent tetrasubstituted carbon stereocenters in 49–95% yields, which can be further readily functionalized towards bulky two adjacent tetrasubstituted carbon‐containing benzo‐fused γ‐sultone and mercaptoalkanol. Sodium fluoroalkanesulfinates were utilized as bifunctionalization reagents for both fluoromethyl groups and SO2. The cyclization proceeds through a stepwise photoinduced radical addition followed by an intramolecular 5‐exo‐tet anionic substitution cyclization after SO2 insertion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Topological nodal‐line semimetals have received extensive attention in recent years, and they exhibit a variety of shapes under various crystallographic symmetry protections, including nodal rings, nodal chains, and nodal knots. By using symmetry analysis and an effective force constant model, it is proposed that a class of 2D hourglass nodal nets protected by nonsymmorphic symmetry can exist in the space group P42/ncm, where the glide operations play a crucial role in the formation of the nets. Further effective k⋅p model analysis shows that the connect points of the nets are Dirac points that are forced by the symmetries. Based on first‐principle calculations, it is predicted that this nodal net can be realized in the phonon dispersion of 3D Sn. The Berry phase and nontrivial surface states further support its nontrivial topological characteristics. Herein, the studies expand the nodal structure in the study of nodal line in phononic systems and offer a solid foundation for subsequent experimental investigation on this challenging topological state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improved durability, enhanced interfacial stability, and room temperature applicability are desirable properties for all‐solid‐state lithium metal batteries (ASSLMBs), yet these desired properties are rarely achieved simultaneously. Here, in this work, it is noticed that the huge resistance at Li metal/electrolyte interface dominantly impeded the normal cycling of ASSLMBs especially at around room temperature (<30 °C). Accordingly, a supramolecular polymer ion conductor (SPC) with "weak solvation" of Li+ was prepared. Benefiting from the halogen‐bonding interaction between the electron‐deficient iodine atom (on 1,4‐diiodotetrafluorobenzene) and electron‐rich oxygen atoms (on ethylene oxide), the O‐Li+ coordination was significantly weakened. Therefore, the SPC achieves rapid Li+ transport with high Li+ transference number, and importantly, derives a unique Li2O‐rich SEI with low interfacial resistance on lithium metal surface, therefore enabling stable cycling of ASSLMBs even down to 10 °C. This work is a new exploration of halogen‐bonding chemistry in solid polymer electrolyte and highlights the importance of "weak solvation" of Li+ in the solid‐state electrolyte for room temperature ASSLMBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the significance of sultines in synthesis, medicine, and materials science, the chemistry of sultines has remained unexplored due to their inaccessibility. Herein, we demonstrate the development of a photoredox‐catalyzed multifluoromethyl radical addition/SO2 incorporation/polar cyclization cascade approach to multifluoromethylated γ‐sultines. The reactions proceed by single electron transfer induced multifluoromethyl radical addition to an alkene followed by SO2 incorporation, and single‐electron reduction for polar 5‐exo‐tet cyclization. Key to the success of the protocol is the use of easily oxidizable multifluoroalkanesulfinates as bifunctional reagents. The reactions proceed with excellent functional‐group tolerance to deliver γ‐sultines in moderate to excellent yields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of batch fabrication techniques for flexible skin patches may promote the use of these devices in daily health monitoring and public health crisis. Here, a modularized mass fabrication and selective integration approach that can yield multiparameter electronic skin patches are presented. The screen‐printing technique has been adopted to achieve five modularized sensors for electrocardiogram (ECG), temperature, hydration, blood oxygen, and pH sensing as well as a universal central hub to connect the sensors with external wireless circuits. In a single glass substrate, 13 ECG electrodes, more than 200 sensors, or 80 central hubs can be printed with high homogeneity in performance. In addition to rapid printing of these components, special temperature‐sensitive paste, batch electropolymerization processes, selection of stress confining substrates, and usage of anisotropic conductive tapes have been investigated to facilitate the integration processes of the multiparameter skin patches. The systematic techniques presented in this paper may help to overcome the bottleneck that is currently constraining the mass fabrication of multiparameter skin patches, allowing rapid deployment and convenient application of these devices for health monitoring in large populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nonsymmorphic symmetries play a significant role in the emergence of topological nontrivial phases in some 2D materials. Herein, a new 2D material P21/m‐MoTe2 with nontrivial topological properties and nonsymmorphic symmetries is proposed. With the help of first‐principles calculations, it is found that it is dynamically stable, and has relatively high energetic stability. When spin–orbit coupling (SOC) is ignored, this material is a semimetal with two intersects appearing on the high‐symmetry line Γ–Y. Detailed symmetry analysis reveal that they are protected by the screw operator C˜2y. After SOC is turned on, it turns into a topological insulator with a global bandgap of 94 meV. The large gap ensures that the topological nontrivial phase is robust to an external perturbation. The discovery of nonsymmorphic P21/m‐MoTe2 expands the family of transition metal dichalcogenides and provides a new platform to study topological phases in 2D nonsymmorphic materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cyclic loadings could induce complicated soil responses, including the fabric change and principal stress rotation, both of which would reduce the effective confining pressure and accelerate the build‐up of excess pore water pressures, thus leading to sand liquefaction in undrained conditions. The principal stress rotation, even without the change of principal stress magnitudes, would further generate the accumulative plastic shear strains. However, most of the existing studies focus on their individual effect and the combined effect was seldom considered. In this paper, a numerical approach including an elastoplastic sand constitutive model is proposed to consider the combined effect of the fabric change and principal stress rotation. In this model, the fabric change is considered with the anisotropic critical state theory and the principal stress rotation is considered by splitting the plastic strain increment into the monotonic part and rotational part. By simulating a series of cyclic shear tests, results from the numerical solutions are found showing good agreements with the existing experimental results and the importance of considering the combined effect is demonstrated. The approach can be used to predict the stress‐strain response of sand and guide the design of foundations especially in undrained cyclic loading conditions, for example, earthquake loadings conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the method for synthesis of indole‐ and pyrrole‐fused seven‐membered nitrogen heterocycles by means of acid‐base switchable cyclization reactions. The reactions involved cleavage of amide C−N bonds, chemoselective N‐1 or C‐3 acylation, and 1,4‐Michael addition. This method could be used to construct two different kinds of seven‐membered rings in one step from the same starting material without the need for a transition‐metal catalyst. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The selective oxidation of aniline to metastable and valuable azoxybenzene, azobenzene or nitrosobenzene has important practical significance in organic synthesis. However, uncontrollable selectivity and laborious synthesis of the expensive required catalysts severely hinders the uptake of these reactions in industrial settings. Herein, we have pioneered the discovery of Zr(OH)4 as an efficient heterogeneous catalyst capable of the selective oxidation of aniline, using either peroxide or O2 as oxidant, to selectively obtain various azoxybenzenes, symmetric/unsymmetric azobenzenes, as well as nitrosobenzenes, by simply regulating the reaction solvent, without the need for additives. Mechanistic experiments and DFT calculations demonstrate that the activation of H2O2 and O2 is primarily achieved by the bridging hydroxyl and terminal hydroxyl groups of Zr(OH)4, respectively. The present work provides an economical and environmentally friendly strategy for the selective oxidation of aniline in industrial applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, we describe a new catalysis platform, supramolecular carbon‐bonding catalysis, which exploits the highly directional weak interactions between carbon centers of catalysts and electron donors to drive chemical reactions. To demonstrate this catalysis approach, we discovered a class of cyclopropane derivatives incorporated with carbonyl, ester and cyano groups as catalysts which showed general catalysis capability in different types of benchmark reactions. Among these typical examples, a challenging tail‐to‐head terpene cyclization can be achieved by supramolecular carbon‐bonding catalysis. The co‐crystal structures of catalyst and electron donors, comparison experiments, and titrations support a catalysis mode of carbon‐bonding activation of Lewis basic reactants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mechanisms of the Diels‐Alder (D‐A) reactions between N‐alkyl and aryl‐1,2‐dihydropyridines and dienophiles have been investigated by M06‐2X‐D3/6‐31 + G(d,p) basis set, and SMD model was employed to simulate the solvent effect. The computational results show that the productive process of endo‐product is favorable with lower energy barrier. The calculations of substituent effect indicate that there are some relations between the energy barrier and the productivity. The lower energy barrier means the higher productivity, and the barrier of retro D‐A reaction could also have influence on the productivity. Finally, natural bond orbital Fukui function (NOFF) and frontier molecular orbital theory (FMOT) are employed to analyze the structures and reveal the substances of D‐A reactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copper(II)‐mediated unprecedented intermolecular radical [3+2] annulation of N,N‐dimethyl enaminones has been developed. The protocol is promoted simply by copper(II) chloride to access 5‐acyl‐3‐furancarboxaldehydes with acceptable to good yields and broad substrate scope. This reaction allows the formation of multiple new bonds, including C(sp2)−O bond between two nucleophilic sites, C(sp2)−C(sp2) bond and C=O bond, through a radical cyclization process. Moreover, gram‐synthesis and application research show the potential application value of this transformation in industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dirac cones in 2D carbon allotropes are generally protected by symmorphic symmetry operations. Herein, it is proposed that TPH‐graphene has Dirac cones protected by nonsymmorphic mirror symmetries. This monolayer is composed of tetragonal, pentagonal, and heptagonal carbon rings and exhibits not only good mechanical and dynamic stability but also high energetic stability. The structure has anisotropic mechanical properties, and its Young's modulus is close to that of graphene, up to 291 N m−1. The Dirac points on high‐symmetry lines Γ−X and X−S are protected by the nonsymmorphic mirror operations {m010|0,1/2,0} and {m100|0,1/2,0}, respectively. The edge states obtained from semi‐infinite structures confirm the nontrivial topological nature of these cones. The work reveals that TPH‐graphene is an excellent candidate to study nonsymmorphic‐symmetry‐protected Dirac cones in 2D carbon materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While the presence of sulfur⋅⋅⋅π bonding interaction is a general phenomenon in the biological systems, the exploitation of this noncovalent force in a chemical process yet remains elusive. Herein, we describe the concept of chalcogen⋅⋅⋅π bonding catalysis that activates molecules of π systems through the interaction between chalcogen and π‐electron cloud. The proof‐of‐concept studies using a vinylindole‐based Diels–Alder benchmark reaction demonstrate that S⋅⋅⋅π and Se⋅⋅⋅π bonding interaction can drive the cycloaddition reaction efficiently. Experimental results suggest that a simultaneously double Se⋅⋅⋅π bonding interaction directs the stereoselectivity in this cycloaddition process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Valleytronics has gradually attracted people's attention for providing new degrees of freedom to future electronic devices. Herein, it is proposed that valley polarization can be realized in 2D ferromagnetic FeCl with a square lattice. The first‐principles calculations without spin–orbital coupling (SOC) show that 2D FeCl is a spin‐polarized semimetal material, and the crossing points around the Fermi level are protected by mirror symmetry. When considering SOC, local bandgaps open around the Fermi level, and further calculations reveal that the Berry curvatures are opposite in sign around these gaps along with different high‐symmetry directions. By integrating the Berry curvature around these local extreme points, the Chern numbers of two valleys are ≈ −1/4 and 1/4, respectively, and the corresponding valley Chern number Cv is approximately equal to 1/2. This indicates that FeCl has the potential to realize the valley Hall effect (VHE) and will be a promising material in future valleytronics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The topological phase transition between normal and topological insulators is essential in topological mechanism analysis and search for new topological materials. Herein, on the basis of the well‐known monolayer 2D topological insulator 1T′‐WTe2, a new 2D material 1T′‐WSTe is constructed. It is a typical central inversion asymmetric 2D topological insulator. The fascinating feature of this material is that its low‐energy electronic structure is very similar to the inversion broken topological phase transition point. The first‐principles calculations reveal that the ±4% uniaxial strain can effectively turn the 2D material into topological insulator or normal insulator phases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Methods Results Conclusions As an initial treatment for primary membranous nephropathy (PMN), there remains a significant proportion of patients for whom rituximab is not fully effective. Here, we aimed to assess the effectiveness and safety of obinutuzumab as initial treatment in patients with PMN.In this observational case series, patients diagnosed with PMN and treated with obinutuzumab as initial treatment were included. Treatment response was assessed by 24‐h urine total protein (24 h UTP) and serum albumin, and immunologic remission was assessed by phospholipase A2 receptor (PLA2R) antibodies.Twelve patients with PMN receiving obinutuzumab as initial treatment were included. Over 6 months, a statistically significant reduction in 24 h UTP levels (p = 0.003) and an increase in serum albumin levels were observed (p < 0.001). By the 6‐month follow‐up, two patients (16.7%) achieved complete remission, eight (66.6%) reached partial remission, and two (16.7%) showed no remission. Immunological remission was observed in 44.4% of evaluable patients (n = 9) after 3 months, increasing to 100% (6/6) at 6 months. Except for cases 1, 2, and 3, the total B cell counts in the remaining patients fell to less than 5 cells/μL before the administration of the second dose of obinutuzumab, including seven patients with counts as low as 0 cells/μL. Mild to moderate treatment‐related adverse events (TRAEs) were reported in 58.3% (7/12) of the patients. No serious TRAEs were reported.Obinutuzumab demonstrates promising potential as an initial treatment for PMN, with good effectiveness and a manageable safety profile. Further large‐scale prospective studies are needed to confirm these findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the basic reproduction number (BRN) is explored in terms of a degenerate reaction–diffusion host–pathogen model. The expressions of BRN R0$$ {R}_0 $$ and local basic reproduction number (LBRN) R¯0(x)$$ {\overline{R}}_0(x) $$ for the model are calculated. Some basic properties of R0$$ {R}_0 $$ with respect to the general diffusion rates and the asymptotic profiles of R0$$ {R}_0 $$ with respect to large diffusion rates and small diffusion rates are established by introducing two compact operators H1$$ {H}_1 $$ and H2$$ {H}_2 $$. Our results reveal that R0$$ {R}_0 $$ is the spectral radius of a sum of the product of additive operators and strongly positive compact linear operators with spectral radii one. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PRDM family proteins are dysregulated in many human diseases, especially hematological malignancies and solid cancers, and share a unique N‐terminal PR domain followed by zinc fingers toward the C terminus. With a high frequency of DNA promoter hypermethylation, PRDM5 is primarily considered as a tumor suppressor in solid tumors. However, little is known about the function of PRDM5 in blood malignancies, especially acute myeloid leukemia (AML). In this study, we showed that high PRDM5 expression levels were independently correlated with poor overall survival in AML patients. PRDM5 overexpression promoted cell proliferation, colony formation, and migration in vitro and enhanced tumorigenesis in an in vivo xenograft model. Furthermore, we found that PRDM5 overexpression promoted cell cycle progression with the decreased level of cell cycle inhibitors such as p16 and p21, and regulated the expression of epithelial‐mesenchymal transition markers ZO‐1 and Vimentin to promote migration. Moreover, we observed that PRDM5 upregulated the Jun N‐terminal kinase (JNK) signaling pathway and downregulated c‐Myc expression. Pharmacological inhibition of JNK by SP600125 partially abrogated PRDM5‐induced cell proliferation and migration. Taken together, our findings demonstrate that PRDM5 functions as an oncogenic driver in AML via JNK pathway, suggesting that PRDM5 is a potential therapeutic target for AML. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Introduction: Dl‐3‐N‐butylphthalide (NBP), a small molecule drug used clinically in the acute phase of ischemic stroke, has been shown to improve functional recovery and promote angiogenesis and collateral vessel circulation after experimental cerebral ischemia. However, the underlying molecular mechanism is unknown. Aims: To explore the potential molecular mechanism of angiogenesis induced by NBP after cerebral ischemia. Results: NBP treatment attenuated body weight loss, reduced brain infarct volume, and improved neurobehavioral outcomes during focal ischemia compared to the control rats (P < 0.05). NBP increased the number of CD31+ microvessels, the number of CD31+/BrdU+ proliferating endothelial cells, and the functional vascular density (P < 0.05). Further study demonstrated that NBP also promoted the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor and angiopoietin‐1 (P < 0.05), which was accompanied by upregulated sonic hedgehog expression in astrocytes in vivo and in vitro. Conclusion: NBP treatment promoted the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor and angiopoietin‐1, induced angiogenesis, and improved neurobehavioral recovery. These effects were associated with increased sonic hedgehog expression after NBP treatment. Our results broadened the clinical application of NBP to include the later phase of ischemia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND Limited studies have examined links between maternal methyl donor (MET) supplementation and the growth‐development characteristics of offspring, and possible underlying mechanisms for such links. This study investigated the effect of maternal or post‐weaning MET‐supplementation on growth performance, carcass characteristics, and meat quality of the finishing (d 180) offspring. Twenty‐four sows were placed on a control (C) or MET‐supplemented diet during pregnancy and lactation. Forty‐eight female offspring were fed the control or MET‐supplemented diet from weaning to 6 months of age, resulting in four study groups (six litters per group): C/C, C/MET, MET/C, and MET/MET. RESULTS: Maternal MET‐supplementation increased average daily gain (ADG), body weight (BW), lean percentage and longissimus dorsi (LD) of the offspring at day 180 (P < 0.05), and upregulated the myosin heavy chain IIx, myogenic differentiation and muscle regulatory factor 4 mRNA levels in the LD muscle (P < 0.05). Meanwhile, offspring from maternal MET‐supplementation exhibited a higher pH24hpost mortem and superoxide dismutase activity, a lower L*45min, glycolytic potential, malonaldehyde content in the LD muscle, and plasma homocysteine concentration (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Maternal MET‐supplementation has a remarkable effect on growth performance, carcass traits, and meat quality of the offspring, which is associated with increased expression levels of myogenic genes and anti‐oxidant capacity. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The crystallization of 3‐chloroisonicotinic acid (3‐CINA) can lead to three crystal forms (I, II and III), but 3‐CINA in each form has different conformation. The three crystal forms have different lattice energies. The intermolecular interactions in the molecular pairs involving the conformer in each crystal were evaluated, it is found that the sum of these intermolecular interaction energies in each crystal has a linear relationship with the corresponding lattice energy. QTAIM analyses for the intermolecular interactions of molecular pairs correspond to Hirshfeld surface analyses for the crystal form, illustrating that the stability of the crystal is closely associated with the intermolecular interactions involving the conformer in the asymmetric unit of the crystal. 3‐chloroisonicotinic acid (3‐CINA) has three crystal forms (I, II and III), first principles investigation and Hirshfeld surface analysis have been employed to explore them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A TBAI/K2S2O8‐promoted multicomponent domino protocol has been developed for the synthesis of various functionalized 3‐indolyl‐pyrroles from simple and readily available aryl methyl ketones, enaminones, and indoles. This domino process involves sequential C(sp3)−H bond oxidative functionalization and cyclization. This practical methodology have significant advantages including simple and readily available starting materials, mild reaction conditions, high tolerance of various functional groups, and very simple operation. A multicomponent domino protocol for the synthesis of 2,3,4‐trisubstituted pyrroles through a TBAI/K2S2O8‐promoted sequential C(sp3)‐H bond oxidation/cyclization reaction of aryl methyl ketones, enaminones, and indoles is described. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The study aimed to investigate the effects of maternal dietary methyl donors on the performance of sows and their offspring, and the associated hepatic insulin‐like growth factor‐1 (IGF‐1) expression of the offspring. A total of 24 multiparous sows were randomly fed the control (CON) or the CON diet supplemented with methyl donors (MD) at 3 g/kg betaine, 15 mg/kg folic acid, 400 mg/kg choline and 150 μg/kg VB12, from mating until delivery. After farrowing, sows were fed a common lactation diet through a 28‐days lactation period and six litters per treatment were selected to be fed until at approximately 110 kg BW. Maternal MD supplementation resulted in greater birthweight (p < 0.05) and increased the piglet weights (p < 0.01) and litter weights (p < 0.05) at the age of day 28, compared with that in CON group. The offspring pigs in the MD group had greater ADG (p < 0.05) and tended to lower F:G ratio (p = 0.07) compared with that of CON group from day 28 to 180 of age. The offspring pigs from MD group had greater serum IGF‐1 concentrations and expressions of hepatic IGF‐1 gene and muscular IGF‐1 receptor (IGF‐1r) protein at birth (p < 0.05), and greater hepatic IGF‐1 protein (p = 0.03) and muscular IGF‐1r gene expressions (p < 0.05) at slaughter, than that from the CON group. Moreover, the methylation at the promoter of IGF‐1 gene in the liver of newborn piglets and finishing pigs was greater in the MD group than that of the CON group (p < 0.05). In conclusion, maternal MD supplementation throughout gestation could enhance the birthweight and postnatal growth rate of offspring, associated with an increased expression of the IGF‐1 gene and IGF‐1r, as well as the altered DNA methylation of IGF‐1 gene promotor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An efficient Bi(OTf)3‐catalyzed method for the synthesis of quinoline‐4‐carboxylates through a domino cyclization/esterification reaction of isatins with enaminones in alcohols is reported. The salient features are the formation of the quinoline ring and an acyl–oxygen bond in one step, the use of readily available starting materials, and the wide substrate scope. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two complementary cascade cyclization reactions, namely, the KHSO4-promoted [1+2+3] cyclization and the TMSCl-promoted four-component cascade cyclization, are described for the concise synthesis of highly functionalized spirooxindoles in excellent yields. The improved TMSCl-promoted cyclization reaction of isatins, N, N-dimethylenaminones, and amines was carried out under milder conditions than those of the [1+2+3] cyclization to afford the desired products. The observed chemoselectivity of this TMSCl-promoted cyclization is explained by the design and preparation of an intermediate bis(enaminone). A gram-scale synthesis and synthetic applications of this transformation were also evaluated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on first-principles calculation, we found a new type of three-dimensional (3D) topological semimetal: β-PbO2. When spin-orbit coupling (SOC) is ignored, β-PbO2 behaves as a node-line semimetal, but in the presence of SOC, the system turns into 3D Dirac semimetal, and the Dirac points are protected by C4 crystal symmetry. Moreover, the surface states and Fermi arcs on the semi-infinite edge clearly reveal its topological nature. Therefore, β-PbO2 provides a flexible platform for exploring exotic physical phenomena of Dirac semimetals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, core-shell structured Li3V2(PO4)3/C wrapped in graphene nanosheets has been successfully prepared. The reduction of graphene oxide and the synthesis of Li3V2(PO4)3/C are carried out simultaneously using a chemical route followed by a solid-state reaction. The effects of conducting graphene are studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Raman spectra and electrochemical measurements. The results reveal that the graphene sheets not only form a compact and uniform coating layer throughout the Li3V2(PO4)3/C, but also stretch out and cross-link into a conducting network around the Li3V2(PO4)3/C particles. Thus, the graphene decorated Li3V2(PO4)3/C electrode exhibits superior high-rate capability and long-cycle stability. It delivers a reversible discharge capacity of 178.2 mAh·g−1 after 60 cycles at a current density of 0.1 C, and the rate performances of 176, 169.3, 156.1 and 135.7 mAh·g−1 at 1, 2, 5 and 10 C, respectively. The superior electrochemical properties make the graphene decorated Li3V2(PO4)3/C composite a promising cathode material for high-performance lithium-ion battery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The distribution of the Berry curvatures reported violates this rule because FeCl has C SB 4 sb symmetry, which requires the same signs for the Berry curvatures around the valleys B and B'. For 2D FeCl (see B Figure b 2c herein), the bands of the different valleys (B and B') have the same energies for unstrained FeCl and the energy degeneracy is protected by the C SB 4 sb rotation symmetry and I M i SB x( I y i ) sb mirror symmetries of the point group D SB 4h sb . SP [ sp 2,3 SP ] sp Valleys B and B' are related by C SB 4 sb symmetry, which leads to similar Berry curvature distributions around B and B'. Although the energy bands from the MLWFs match with the results of first-principles calculations, the C SB 4 sb symmetry is broken for low-energy electronic states and the Berry curvatures. [Extracted from the article]

A new glycine-based reversible phase transition compound diglycine methanesulfonate ( 1) has been successfully synthesized. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) measurements of 1 showed a pair of broad peaks around 134 K ( Tc=phase transition temperature) with a slight thermal hysteresis during the heating/cooling cycle, thereby indicating that this compound undergoes a reversible second-order phase transition. Dielectric measurements further confirmed the phase transition and revealed a switchable response to the ambient temperature change for the dielectric constants of 1, namely, the dielectric constants have a distinctive step-like anomaly switching between a high dielectric state in the room temperature phase (RTP) and a low state in the low temperature phase (LTP). Variable-temperature single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses show that 1 undergoes an atypical transition from the space group P21/ m in the RTP to P21/ c in the LTP. The origin of the switchable dielectric phase transition is ascribed to the movement of the moieties in 1 from the equilibrium position, and this stems from the twisting of the molecules in the compound. We believe that these findings will be useful in exploring switchable dielectric phase transition materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The discovery of two new GeP monolayers (GeP‐2 and GeP‐4) with structural similarity to the experimentally synthesized C2/m (GeP‐3) phase, that their structures can be decomposed to hypothetical (2,2), (4,4), and (3,3) GeP nanotubes, respectively, is reported. The calculated total energies show that both GeP‐2 and GeP‐4 possess comparable stabilities to the experimentally realized GeP‐3, and they are confirmed to be dynamically stable according to their phonon vibrational spectrum. The current study also shows that three homojunctions (GeP‐2 and GeP‐4, GeP‐2 and GeP‐3, and GeP‐3 and GeP‐4) with perfect boundary can be naturally formed in GeP‐2, GeP‐3, and GeP‐4. The HSE06‐based electronic properties show that GeP‐2, GeP‐3, GeP‐4, and their homojunctions possess suitable band alignment and type‐II features for sunlight‐driven water‐splitting at both pH = 0 and pH = 7. These low‐energy GeP monolayers are desirable targets and highly expected to be synthesized in future experiments in view of their structural compatibility to GeP‐3 and the potential applications in water‐splitting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on first‐principles calculations and effective model analysis, the long‐ago synthesized material YPtP is identified as a topological semimetal (TSM) material for studying the interaction between Weyl and triply degenerate fermions. When the spin–orbit coupling (SOC) is ignored, a triply degenerate point (TDP) and two types of ring‐shaped gapless nodal lines coexist in YPtP. When SOC is considered, the TDP turns to two type‐II TDPs, and the nodal lines open the bandgap and one of them transforms into 12 pairs of Weyl points. Thus, YPtP is a ternary TSM with the coexistence of type‐II TDPs and Weyl points. The surface states and Fermi arcs in YPtP further verify the topological characteristics of YPtP. The results herein provide a new platform for exploring ternary topological materials and the interaction between the two different fermions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two‐dimensional (2D) transition‐metal halides have attracted great interest owing to their versatile applications in electronics, optoelectronics, and renewable energy storage/conversions. Using first‐principles calculations, it is proposed that a new series of 2D transition‐metal halide CdX (X = F, Cl, Br, and I) monolayers with honeycomb lattice structure show topological properties. When omitting the spin–orbital coupling (SOC) effect, all of them behave as Dirac semimetal whose Fermi surface is composed of two Dirac points at high symmetry K and K' points in Brillouin zone. When considering the SOC effect, CdCl, CdBr, and CdI monolayers behave as topological insulators with global band gap, whereas CdF is converted from Dirac semimetal into topological metal with local band gap. The nontrivial topological properties are further proved by their nontrivial edge states. The fascinating properties of the CdX (X = F, Cl, Br, and I) monolayers show their potential for future quantum computing and next generation of high‐speed electronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on first-principles calculation, we found a new type of three-dimensional (3D) topological semimetal: β-PbO2. When spin-orbit coupling (SOC) is ignored, β-PbO2 behaves as a node-line semimetal, but in the presence of SOC, the system turns into 3D Dirac semimetal, and the Dirac points are protected by C4 crystal symmetry. Moreover, the surface states and Fermi arcs on the semi-infinite edge clearly reveal its topological nature. Therefore, β-PbO2 provides a flexible platform for exploring exotic physical phenomena of Dirac semimetals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]