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Raptors can change the shape and area of their wings to an exceptional degree in a fast and efficient manner, surpassing other birds, insects, or bats. Some researchers have focused on the functional properties of muscle skeletons, mechanics, and flapping robot design. However, the wing motion of the birds of prey has not been measured quantitatively, and synthetic bionic wings with morphing abilities similar to raptors are far from reality. Therefore, in the current study, a 3D suspension system for holding bird carcasses was designed and fabricated to fasten the wings of Falco Peregrinus with a series of morphing postures. Subsequently, the wing skeleton of the falcon was scanned during extending motions using the computed tomography (CT) approach to obtain three consecutive poses. Subsequently, the skeleton was reconstructed to identify the contribution of the forelimb bones to the extending/folding motions. Inspired by these findings, we propose a simple mechanical model with four bones to form a wing-morphing mechanism using the proposed pose optimisation method. Finally, a bionic wing mechanism was implemented to imitate the motion of the falcon wing—divided into inner and outer wings with folding and twisting motions. The results show that the proposed four-bar mechanism can track bone motion paths with high fidelity.

Abstract The White-eared Night-Heron (Gorsachius magnificus, G. magnificus) is a critically endangered heron that is very poorly known and only found in southern China and northern Vietnam, with an estimated population of 250 to 999 mature individuals. However, the lack of a reference genome has hindered the implementation of conservation management efforts. In this study, we present the first high-quality chromosome-scale reference genome, which was assembled by integrating PacBio long-reads sequencing, Illumina paired-end sequencing, and Hi-C technology. The genome has a total length of 1.176 Gb, with a scaffold N50 of 84.77 Mb and a contig N50 of 18.46 Mb. Utilizing Hi-C data, we anchored 99.89% of the scaffold sequences onto 29 pairs of chromosomes. Additionally, we identified 18,062 protein-coding genes in the genome, with 95.00% of which were functionally annotated. Notably, BUSCO assessment confirmed the presence of 97.2% of highly conserved Aves genes within the genome. This chromosome-level genome assembly and annotation will be valuable for future investigating the G. magnificus’s evolutionary adaptation and conservation.

Understanding migratory routes is crucial for the conservation of birds and their habitats. Zhejiang is a crucial stopover and wintering area for birds in the East Asian–Australasian Flyway; however, detailed information on this area, and particularly on connections between coastal areas, is limited. By synthesizing ringed and recapture records from local bird-ringing projects and re-sighting community science data (208 records of 35 species), we established migratory connectivity between the Zhejiang coast and nine countries (i.e., Russia, Mongolia, the United States, Korea, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and Australia), as well as eleven sites within China, and established its crucial role in this flyway. Stopover fidelity was verified by some species with high recapture frequency (seven species exceeded 1%) and species with duplicated re-sighted records (seven Black-faced Spoonbill, one Dalmatian Pelican, and two Spoon-billed Sandpiper individuals). We identified six areas—Hangzhou Bay, Aiwan Bay, Xuanmen National Park, Wenzhou Bay, the reclaimed area between the Ou and Feiyun Rivers, and the Wenzhou Jiangnan Reclamation Area—as crucial stopovers and wintering refuges for waterbirds. Notably, in Xuanmen National Park and the coastal regions along Wenzhou, there were many recovery records for flagship species, such as the Black-faced Spoonbill and Spoon-billed Sandpiper. There were several cases of the recovery of the same individual studied across the years. These findings indicate that these unprotected wetlands require particular attention. Broadly, our findings highlight the feasibility of integrating comprehensive ringing projects with citizen science data to formulate effective conservation strategies and underscore the critical importance of the Zhejiang Coast for migratory waterbirds, particularly those with high conservation concerns, emphasizing the need to mitigate the threats faced by these vulnerable populations.

Biliary stricture is defined as the reduction and narrowing of the bile duct lumen, which can be caused by many factors such as cancer and inflammation. Biliary stent placement can effectively alleviate benign and malignant biliary strictures. However, the commonly used plastic or metallic biliary stents are far from ideal and do not satisfy all clinical requirements，although several types of biodegradable biliary stents have been developed and used clinically. In this review, we summarized current development status of biodegradable stents with the emphasis on the stent materials. We also presented the future development trends based on the published literature.

The prediction of sea surface temperature anomalies (SSTA) is vital to the study of marine ecosystems and global climate. The SSTA can be accurately forecasted one step ahead by numerical and statistical methods. However, multistep-ahead forecasting for SSTA is greatly challenging since the nonlinearity and nonstationarity of SSTA and the lag problem of prediction. Therefore, in this article, a multistep-ahead SSTA forecasting method based on the hybrid empirical mode decomposition (EMD) and gated recurrent unit (GRU) model is proposed considering that EMD has the advantage of reducing data complexity and GRU is good at long-term prediction of data. First, the EMD algorithm is applied to obtain several intrinsic modal mode functions that are more stationary than the original data. Then, GRU is used for multistep forecasting, in which three multistep forecasting strategies (recursive, direct, and multioutput) are compared. The proposed hybrid model is validated by multistep forecasting for monthly average SSTA at the Niño3.4 region. The experimental results show that using reconstruction error as part of the prediction effectively improves the prediction accuracy of the EEMD-GRU model and outperforms other EMD algorithms combined with GRU. Compared with traditional models, the EEMD-GRU model can better predict future multimonth trends of SSTA and effectively alleviate the problem of prediction lag of the traditional model. Finally, this model is applied to the Niño3.4 regional SSTA prediction, and the results show that this model can provide a reference for ocean research.

The Chinese Crested Tern, Thalasseus bernsteini, is one of the most endangered seabird species in the world, with only small breeding populations of around 100 individuals. To profile the genetic properties of this population, we screened 200 short tandem repeat sequences from a de novo assembled genome of the Great Crested Tern, T. bergii, which is the sister species of T. bernsteini. We designed a panel of 12 novel microsatellites, and genotyped nine and 23 individuals of T. bernsteini and T. bergii, respectively. The results showed that T. bernsteini genetic diversity was lower than that of T. bergii, and no inbreeding was detected. There was no sign of recent bottleneck events in the two species, but T. bernsteini showed signals of a post-bottleneck population expansion. Gene flow analysis indicated introgression between the two species, but the magnitude from T. bernsteini to T. bergii was higher than the opposite. This could be explained by Hubb’s principle, which states that there is a propensity of rarer species to reproduce with abundant congeners. Overall, our efforts provide useful genetic tools for conservation genetic studies of T. bernsteini and potentially other crested terns which face several natural and anthropogenic threats. The findings of this study further highlight that introgression may be a neglected factor in species conservation that needs to be seriously considered for conservation management. Availability of data and materials: The dataset of all microsatellite are available from the corresponding author upon request.

The critically endangered Yellow-breasted Bunting has undergone population collapse globally because of illegal hunting and habitat deterioration. It was listed as critically endangered (CR) by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in 2017 and designated a Class I (highest level) national conservation bird species in China in 2021. Birdsong in the breeding season is the main communicative signal under sexual selection, and song variations have long been considered critical evidence of divergence among subspecies or populations. We compared the songs of 89 males from 18 populations to test subspecies taxonomy. We found that songs of the Yellow-breasted Bunting Emberiza aureola are subspecies specific and that three subspecies can be clearly discriminated by song divergences. Moreover, an analysis of multiple vocal traits supports the claim that insulana is distinct from aureola and ornata. Finally, at the geographic population level, populations can be clearly classified in accordance with the three subspecies, although the aureola population in Xinjiang, China is differentiated from other populations of the same subspecies. The results of this study demonstrate that all populations and subspecies are unique and should be protected to maintain intraspecies song diversity. In addition, several specific populations, such as insulana populations in Japan and the Xinjiang, China population of aureola, need to be paid special attention to prevent the extinction of unique or local taxa.

Abstract For metal-insulator-metal (MIM) capacitors applicated in the fields of RF, DRAM, and analog/mixed-signal integrated circuits, a high capacitance density is imperative with the downscaling of the device feature size. In this work, the microwave annealing technique is investigated to enhance the dielectric characteristics of Al2O3/ZrO2/Al2O3 based MIM capacitors. The results show that the permittivity of ZrO2 is increased to 41.9 (~ 40% enhanced) with a microwave annealing at 1400 W for 5 min. The substrate temperature is lower than 400 °C, which is compatible with the back end of line process. The leakage current densities are 1.23 × 10−8 and 1.36 × 10−8 A/cm2 for as-deposited sample and 1400 W sample, respectively, indicating that the leakage property is not deteriorated. The conduction mechanism is confirmed as field-assisted tunneling.

Synergistic effect refers to simultaneous actions of separate factors which have a greater total effect than the sum of the individual factor effects. However, there has been a limited knowledge on how synergistic effects occur and individual roles of different drivers are not often considered. Therefore, it becomes quite challenging to manage multiple threatening processes simultaneously in order to mitigate biodiversity loss. In this regard, our hypothesis is, if the traits actually play different roles in the synergistic interaction, conservation efforts could be made more effectively. To understand the synergistic effect and test our hypothesis, we examined the processes associated with the endangerment of critically endangered Chinese Crested Tern (Thalasseus bernsteini), whose total population number was estimated no more than 50. Through monitoring of breeding colonies and investigations into causative factors, combined with other data on human activities, we found that widespread human harvest of seabird eggs and increasing frequency of typhoons are the major factors that threatened the Chinese Crested Tern. Furthermore, 28 percent of breeding failures were due to the synergistic effects in which egg harvest-induced renestings suffered the higher frequent typhoons. In such combined interactions, the egg harvest has clearly served as a proximal factor for the population decline, and the superimposition of enhanced typhoon activity further accelerated the species toward imminent extinction. Our findings suggest that species endangerment, on one hand, should be treated as a synergistic process, while conservation efforts, on the other hand, should focus principally on combatting the threat that triggers synergistic effects.

Purpose. To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of three biodegradable terpolymers prepared from L-lactide, trimethylene carbonate, and glycolide (PTLGA) as an aid for trabeculectomy compared with the Ologen (OLO). Methods. Trabeculectomy was carried out on rabbits with implantation made from OLO or three PTLGA terpolymers. Intraocular pressure (IOP) was recorded 1, 2, 3, and 6 months postoperatively and bleb evaluations were performed using ultrasound biomicroscopy (UBM) 3 months after surgery, optical coherence tomography (OCT) every month, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) six months after surgery followed by histological examination 1, 2, 3, and 6 months postoperatively. Result. IOP was significantly reduced in all groups after surgery. There were no significant differences in the IOL between groups at any time after implantation. There was no significant difference between the groups examined by OCT, UBM, and TEM. Exposure of the implant was observed in one eye from the OLO group and one eye in the P1. Subconjunctiva hyperblastosis was observed in one eye from group P3 and two eyes from the OLO group. Conclusions. Subconjunctival implantation of filtering devices made from PTLGA may present a safe and effective additional surgical tool for the treatment of filtering surgery. Fewer complications were observed in the group with P2 implants compared to other groups.

Stereoblock polylactide (Sb‐PLA) was prepared via a consecutive method by ring‐opening polymerization and its stereocomplex crystallization behavior was investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), polarized optical microscopy (POM). The molecular weight, sequence structure of anisotropic segments of Sb‐PLA and crystals structure were characterized by using GPC, 1H NMR, 13C NMR and XRD. The Sb‐PLA with bonding a higher stereoregularity chains prepared by the synthesis route exhibited a higher melting point and uniquely stereocomplex crystallization behavior compared with the Sb‐PLA prepared by commonly reported method. The isothermal crystallization results indicated that the crystallization temperature of Sb‐PLA's increased about 20°C higher than reported Sc‐PLA materials. Moreover, crystallization rate constant (K) and crystallization activation energy (ΔE) expressed by the Arrhenius equation demonstrated that Sb‐PLA presents a higher crystallization rate. The data of isothermal crystallization experiments were analyzed based on Lauritzen–Hoffman (LH) theory, crystallization rate constant (G0), nucleation constant (Kg), fold surface free energy (σe), and folding work (q) were estimated to be 1.5 × 1027 μm/min, 1.2 × 106 K2, 113.0 erg/cm2 and 8.20 × 10−21 J, respectively. These results indicated that Sb‐PLA chains with a higher stereoregularity suggested to be the main factor accounting for the formation unique stereocomplex crystals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Birds have impressive flying abilities in part because of the remarkable structural aspects of their feathers. It is also interesting that a feather has the ability to reconstitute its structural integrity in a convenient and effective way. To reveal this mechanism, separating and recovering processes of neighboring barbs were observed after stretching a barb of an Aquila chrysaetos. Thereafter, a three-dimensional model of barbs was proposed herein. A connecting force in range of 0.47 N/mm to 1.26 N/mm between distal barbules and proximal barbules was quantified by an experimental approach that combined an in situ stretching device and a strain sensor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of adjustable long chain branching poly(L -lactide)s (b-PLAs) was prepared by reactive processing of linear PLA using pyromellitic dianhydride (PMDA) and polyfunctional epoxy ether (PFE) as the branching agent and their vascular stents were fabricated via 3D-printing. Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and gel permeation chromatography (GPC) results indicated that the chain branching reaction occurs and the average molecular weight increases obviously after the chain branching reaction. Rheological tests on the b-PLAs demonstrated that they are composed of a symmetric- or asymmetric-star, or tree-like chain configuration. The volume fraction of the branching structure of the chains increased from 0.03 to 0.3 with increasing branching agent content. The effects of the branching structure on the melt crystallization behavior of b-PLAs were investigated by means of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The isothermal crystallization results showed that the half-time of crystallization (t1/2) of the samples decreased from 16.8 min for linear PLA to 2.3 min when the branching agent content was 2 wt% at 106 °C. Also, as observed from polarized optical microscopy experiments, the nucleation density of the b-PLAs significantly increased with increasing volume fraction of the branching structure because the enrichment of segments around the branching structure facilitated nucleation, thus the b-PLA samples have a higher probability to form a primary nucleus than linear PLA. Moreover, mechanical testing demonstrated that forming the branching structure enabled the effective modification of the mechanical properties of PLA. The microstructures with a smaller spherulite size and higher crystallinity of the b-PLAs improved their tensile strength and modulus from 45.7 MPa and 1.63 GPa to 77.2 MPa and 3.41 GPa, respectively. Furthermore, the radial force performance of the 3D printed b-PLA vascular stents was enhanced from 4.8 to 13.7 N by the branching structure of the chains. The CCK-8 assay results indicated that the osteoblast activity of b-PLA is higher than that of linear PLA, and the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) results also indicated that b-PLA was covered and flattened with a better attachment morphology for the osteoblasts than PLA. Therefore, the b-PLAs with a long chain branching structure could effectively facilitate cell growth, proliferation, and differentiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work aims to develop novel composites from a poly(L-lactide-co-trimethylene carbonateco-glycolide) (PLTG) terpolymer and mesoporous silica (SBA-15) nanofillers surface modified by post-synthetic functionalization. SBA-15 first reacts with a silane coupling agent, γ- aminopropyl-trimethoxysilane to introduce ammonium group. PLLA chains were then grafted on the surface of SBA-15 through ammonium initiated ring-opening polymerization of L-lactide. Composites were prepared via solution mixing of PLTG terpolymer and surface modified SBA-15. The structures and properties of pure SBA-15, γ-aminopropyl-trimethoxysilane modified SBA-15 (H2N- SBA-15), PLLA modified SBA-15 (PLLA- NH-SBA-15), and PLTG/PLLA-NH-SBA-15 composites were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, N2 adsorption-desorption, differential scanning calorimetry, contact angle measurement, and mechanical testing. The results demonstrated that PLLA chains were successfully grafted onto the surface of SBA-15 with grafting amounts up to 16 wt.%. The PLTG/PLLA-NH- SBA-15 composites exhibit good mechanical properties. The tensile strength, Young's modulus, and elongation at break of the composite containing 5 wt.% of PLLA-NH- SBA-15 were 39.9 MPa, 1.3 GPa, and 273.6%, respectively, which were all higher than those of neat PLTG or of the composite containing 5 wt.% of pure SBA-15. Cytocompatibility tests showed that the composites present very low cytotoxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of high molecular weight polymers were prepared by ring opening polymerization of L-lactide (L-LA), 1,3-trimethylene carbonate (TMC) and glycolide using stannous octoate as catalyst. The resulting polymers were characterized by gel permeation chromatography, 1H nuclear magnetic resonance, differential scanning calorimeter and tensile tests. All the polymers present high molecular weights. Compared with PLLA and PTLA copolymers, the terpolymers exhibit interesting properties such as improved toughness and lowered crystallinity with only slightly reduced mechanical strength. In vivo degradation was performed by subcutaneous implantation in rats to evaluate the potential of the copolymers as bioresorbable coronary stent material. The results show that all the polymers conserved to a large extent their mechanical properties during the first 90 days, except the strain at break which exhibited a strong decrease. Meanwhile, significant molecular weight decrease and weight loss are detected in the case of terpolymers. Therefore, the PTLGA terpolymers present a good potential for the development of totally bioresorbable coronary stents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nonisothermal melt crystallization behaviour and crystallization kinetics of poly(4,4'-aminocyclohexyl methylene dodecanedicarboxylamide), a novel cycloaliphatic microcrystalline polyamide (named PA PACM12), are investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The results show that with decreasing cooling rate, the crystallization peak becomes narrower and shifts to higher temperature, while the crystallization enthalpy increases. The Avrami equation, Ozawa model and Mo method are proved to be suitable to describe the whole crystallization process. Needle-like crystals of PA PACM12 are observed under polarizing optical microscopy (POM), which is in agreement with the characteristics of nucleation type and crystal geometry deduced from the Avrami analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The non‐isothermal crystallization kinetics of poly(L‐lactide) (PLLA) in comparison with a polylactide stereocopolymer (PLA98) containing 98% L‐lactyl and 2% D‐lactyl units were investigated using differential scanning calorimetry to examine the effect of the configurational structure. Avrami, Ozawa and Liu models were applied to describe the crystallization process. The Avrami analysis exhibited two stages in non‐isothermal crystallization, while the Ozawa and Liu models did not successfully describe the crystallization behaviour. The activation energy was calculated with Kissinger's method. The energy barrier was found to be the same for PLLA and PLA98with a value of 126 kJ mol−1. Copyright © 2010 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of novel degradable triarm polypropylene oxideblockpolylactide PPObPLA copolymers was synthesized by ringopening polymerization of Llactide LLA or D,Llactide DLLA using low unsaturated PPO triols as macromolecular initiator. The chemical structures of the resulting copolymers were characterized by Fourier transform infrared FTIR, gel permeation chromatography GPC, and proton nuclear magnetic resonance 1HNMR spectroscopy. Combination of FTIR, GPC, and NMR results confirmed the formation of PPObPLA copolymers. One glass transition was observed by differential scanning calorimetry DSC, suggesting good miscibility between PPO and PLA segments in the copolymers. DSC and wideangle Xray diffraction demonstrated that PPObPLLA copolymers were semicrystalline materials, and the crystallinity increased with increasing the PLLA content. In contrast, PPObPDLLA copolymers were totally amorphous. The PPObPLA copolymers exhibited improved thermal stability when compared with PPO polyols according to thermogravimetric analysis. The thermal degradation behavior of the copolymers depended on the composition. Polyurethane foams were prepared by crosslinking PPO and PPObPLA copolymers using isocyanate. Alkaline degradation of the foams was investigated in 10 wtvol NaOH at 80°C. The results show that the novel PPObPLA copolymers could be promising as degradable polymeric materials. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Critically Endangered Chinese crested tern Sterna bernsteini is a poorly known species. From June 2003 to August 2007 we therefore surveyed the Zhejiang and Shandong coasts of eastern China for breeding colonies and to document any threats. Our results indicated that (1) the colonies at Matzu and Jiushan are the only two in the species' potential breeding range, (2) the total population is no more than 50, (3) numbers in the two extant breeding colonies fluctuate annually, and (4) threats to the breeding populations include habitat degradation, egg poaching, disturbance, overfishing and typhoons. Egg poaching is the greatest threat to the Chinese crested tern population and other breeding seabird populations along the coast of China. We make recommendations for the conservation of this species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article describes a study examining the crystallization behavior of a series of poly(L-lactide)-poly(ethylene glycol) (PLLA-PEG) diblock copolymers for drug delivery applications in the form of microparticles, nanoparticles, micelles and hydrogels. The authors discuss the overall isothermal crystallization and subsequent melting behavior of diblock copolymers of ethylene oxide/lactide ratios, based on results obtained from differential scanning calorimetry. They use the Lauritzen-Hoffman theory to compare the morphology and melt crystallization behavior of the diblock copolymer with PLLA homopolymers.

The article examines the morphology and melt crystallization of zinc catalyzed poly(L-lactide) (PLLA) using differential scanning calorimetry, polarized optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The morphology relies on the degree of supercooling. Circumferential and hexagonal cracks in PLLA were formed during melt-crystallization and quenching in liquid nitrogen. There was no distinct difference between PLLA catalyzed by zinc metal and those prepared with stannous octoate catalyst.

The article reports on a study of how exposure time and vapor pressure affect the crystallization characteristics of bisphenol-A polycarbonate (BAPC) films by using differential scanning calorimetry at 25 degrees Centigrade. The morphology of crystallized samples after several exposure time periods was observed by polarized optical microscopy.

Examines the influence of intermolecular entanglements on the crystallization behavior of ultra-high molar mass polyethylene. Physical properties of macromolecules; Hysteresis of heat conduction; Increase of the amount of single-chain coils.

Flight feathers stand out with extraordinary mechanical properties for flight because they are lightweight but stiff enough. Their elasticity has great effects on the aerodynamics, resulting in aeroelasticity. Our primary task is to figure out the stiffness distribution of the feather to study the aeroelastic effects. The feather shaft is simplified as a beam, and the flexibility matrix of an eagle flight feather is tested. A numerical method is proposed to estimate the stiffness distributions along the shaft length based on an optimal Broyden–Fletcher–Goldfarb–Shanno (BFGS) method with global convergence. An analysis of the compressive behavior of the shaft based on the beam model shows a good fit with experimental results. The stiffness distribution of the shaft is finally presented using a 5th order polynomial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bird flight is a remarkable adaption that has allowed thousands of species to colonize all terrestrial habitats. A golden eagle has impressive flying abilities, such as hovering, perching, preying and attacking. To reveal the flying abilities, avian geometry of a golden eagle was extracted based on noncontact surface measurements using a ROMBER three-dimensional laser scanner. Distributions of a camber line, thickness and a secondary feather line of the extracted point cloud were fitted using convenient analytical expressions. A traditional airfoil was established with the camber line and thickness, then a combined airfoil was constructed by combining the traditional airfoil with a secondary feather. Oscillations of an airfoil as well as rapid pitch up were simplified as a sine wave around the quarter chord axis. Thereafter, both steady and unsteady aerodynamic performances of the airfoil are computed, the influences of the secondary feather on the steady and unsteady aerodynamics were further studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of poly(l‐lactide)‐grafted gelatin (Gel‐g‐PLLA) copolymers are synthesized by coupling the amino groups of gelatin with different molar masses and the carboxyl endgroup of poly(l‐lactide) in the presence of 1‐ethyl‐3‐(3‐dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide hydrochloride and N‐hydroxysuccinimide. Fourier transform infrared and nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR) data confirm the successful bonding between gelatin and PLLA. Self‐assembled micelles of copolymers are prepared by using the direct dissolution method. The size and micellar morphology are determined from dynamic light scattering as well as transmission electron microscopy measurements. Meanwhile, in vitro drug release reveals that Gel‐g‐PLLA micelles show excellent sustained‐release properties when used as the carrier of the anticancer drug paclitaxel. A burst release of about 70% is observed in the first 24 h. All these features, together with the outstanding biocompatibility, make Gel‐g‐PLLA micelles a promising drug carrier for cancer therapy. In this paper, a series of poly(l‐lactide)‐grafted gelatin (Gel‐g‐PLLA) graft copolymers are successfully synthesized via a coupling agent (1‐ethyl‐3‐(3‐dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide hydrochloride/N‐hydroxysuccinimide) route, which exhibit self‐assembly and drug‐release behaviors in aqueous solutions. In vitro drug‐release behavior reveals that the synthesized Gel‐g‐PLLA micelles show excellent sustained‐release properties at different lengths of gelatin when used as the carriers of the anticancer drug paclitaxel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]