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We examined the distribution characteristics of atmospheric microplastics in typical desert agricultural regions, with a focus on the agricultural areas surrounding the Taklamakan Desert, Xinjiang, China. We collected samples of total suspended particulate matter (TSP), atmospheric deposition, and atmospheric dust using both active and passive collection methods. The chemical composition, particle size, shape, and color of atmospheric microplastics were examined using a stereomicroscope and a Fourier‐transform infrared spectrometer to analyze their characteristics. The results showed that the primary chemical compositions of microplastics included polypropylene (PP), polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polymethylmethacrylate, and cellophane. Particle sizes were mainly within the range of 0 to 1000 μm. Fibrous microplastics constituted the majority of the TSP and atmospheric deposition, whereas film‐like microplastics constituted the largest proportion of atmospheric dustfall. The deposition flux of atmospheric microplastics in the first quarter was measured at 103.21 ± 22.12 particles/m2/day, which was lower than that observed in conventional agricultural areas. The abundance of microplastics in atmospheric dustfall was found to be 1.36 particles/g. The proportion of PP microplastics in atmospheric dustfall can be as high as 35%. Through a comparison of microplastic content in TSP during dust storms and under normal weather conditions, it was found that dust storms can lead to an increase in the abundance of microplastics within the atmospheric TSP. The present study provides a scientific basis for understanding the distribution of atmospheric microplastics in typical desert agricultural regions. Environ Toxicol Chem 2024;43:1982–1995. © 2024 SETAC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) are among the most promising candidates for solid‐state batteries due to their easy processibility, interface compatibility, and cost efficiency. However, the trade‐off between the ionic conductivity and mechanical strength of SPEs, which has persisted for decades, hinders their application in solid‐state lithium (Li) metal batteries. In this study, the aim is to break this trade‐off by utilizing poly(p‐phenylene benzobisoxazole) (PBO) nanofibers as a mechanically strong backbone and polyethylene oxide (PEO) as an ionically conductive network. The PBO/PEO composite electrolyte reduces the crystallinity of PEO while increasing the mechanical strength (74.4 MPa, ≈14 times that of PEO). Thus, PBO/PEO simultaneously improves ionic conductivity and mechanical strength both at room temperature and elevated temperatures, enabling uniform and smooth Li deposition. Thus, a long cycle life of solid‐state Li symmetric cells for 1000 h at 60 °C is achieved, and stable cycling of solid‐state Li metal full batteries at 60 °C and even 100 °C. Furthermore, the solid‐state pouch cell using this SPE exhibits excellent performance reliably after bending. The study clearly indicates that simultaneously improving mechanical properties and conductivity is the indispensable path to the practical application of solid‐state electrolytes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights Due to the exceptional flame retardancy, environmental protection, cost‐effectiveness, and ease of processing, halogen‐free flame‐retardant polyethylene (PE) composites are attracting wide attention. However, the addition of halogen‐free flame retardants usually leads to significantly decreased mechanical properties of PE composites, which greatly limits its application. Herein, we report a halogen‐free flame‐retardant PE/ethylene‐vinyl acetate copolymer composite (PE/EVA) with excellent flame retardancy and mechanical properties by combining compatibilizer, crosslinking agent, and carbon fiber. The presence of compatibilizer not only improves the compatibility of halogen‐free flame retardants and matrix, but also interacts with the crosslinking agent to form a cladding structure on the surface of carbon fiber. The enhanced interaction between carbon fiber surface and matrix then results in significantly enhanced flame retardancy and mechanical properties of the composite. Specifically, adding 4 phr compatibilizer, 0.5 phr crosslinking agent, and 10 phr carbon fiber will lead to the halogen‐free flame‐retardant PE/EVA composite with a UL‐94 V‐1 level, limiting oxygen index of 27.1, and an increased tensile strength by 84.02% reaching 19.12 MPa. Moreover, further carbon fiber surface modification can further enhance the flame retardancy of the composite probably due to a synergistic flame‐retardant effect caused by the surface modified nitrogen and silicon elements. As a result, the composite achieves UL‐94 V‐0 level and the limiting oxygen index of 27.7 with well‐retained high tensile strength of 15.19 MPa. This work provides a practical strategy for enhancing the flame retardancy and mechanical property of PE‐based composite simultaneously. Compatibilizer interacts with crosslinking agent to form a cladding structure on the surface of carbon fiber. Crosslinking agent promotes the formation of chemical bonds between modified carbon fiber, compatibilizer, and matrix. Carbon fiber surface modification can enhance the flame retardancy of the composite due to the synergistic flame‐retardant effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antiferromagnets (AFM) hold significant promise as ideal candidates for high‐density and ultrafast memory applications. Electrical manipulation of exchange bias (EB) has emerged as an effective solution to integrate AFMs into magnetic memories as active elements. In particular, spin‐orbit torque antiferromagnetic random‐access memory (SOT‐ARAM) is recently been demonstrated by using an AFM/FM hybrid free layer, which can simultaneously satisfy field‐free switching and good device scalability. However, the switching current density of the exchange bias in SOT‐ARAM devices is still high, and novel functionalities are exploited in this device scheme. In this study, the all‐electrical manipulation of the ARAM devices through the interplay of SOT and spin‐transfer torque (STT) is reported, both in three‐terminal and two‐terminal configurations. The SOT current density achieves a 40% reduction thanks to the incorporation of the STT current. Macrospin simulations are performed to illustrate the underlying mechanism. Further, a majority gate that can be decomposed into reconfigurable AND/OR functionalities in a single ARAM device is demonstrated, with an operation speed as fast as 2 ns. The results can advance the development of high‐performance memories and in‐memory computing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The prognostic predictive tool for patients with colorectal liver metastasis (CRLM) is limited and the criteria for administering preoperative neoadjuvant chemotherapy in CRLM patients remain controversial. Methods: This study enrolled 532 CRLM patients at West China Hospital (WCH) from January 2009 to December 2019. Prognostic factors were identified from the training cohort to construct a WCH‐nomogram and evaluating accuracy in the validation cohort. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to compare the prediction accuracy with other existing prediction tools. Results: From the analysis of the training cohort, four independent prognostic risk factors, namely tumor marker score, KRAS mutation, primary lymph node metastasis, and tumor burden score were identified on which a WCH‐nomogram was constructed. The C‐index of the two cohorts were 0.674 (95% CI: 0.634–0.713) and 0.655 (95% CI: 0.586–0.723), respectively, which was better than the previously reported predication scores (CRS, m‐CS and GAME score). ROC curves showed AUCs for predicting 1‐, 3‐, and 5‐year overall survival (OS) of 0.758, 0.709, and 0.717 in the training cohort, and 0.860, 0.669, and 0.692 in the validation cohort, respectively. A cutoff value of 114.5 points was obtained for the WCH‐nomogram total score based on the maximum Youden index of the ROC curve of 5‐year OS. Risk stratification showed significantly better prognosis in the low‐risk group, however, the high‐risk group was more likely to benefit from neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Conclusions: The WCH‐nomogram demonstrates superior prognostic stratification compared to prior scoring systems, effectively identifying CRLM patients who may benefit the most from neoadjuvant chemotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causal agent of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), has infected millions of individuals worldwide, which poses a severe threat to human health. COVID-19 is a systemic ailment affecting various tissues and organs, including the lungs and liver. Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) is one of the most common liver cancer, and cancer patients are particularly at high risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Nonetheless, few studies have investigated the impact of COVID-19 on ICC patients. Methods: With the methods of systems biology and bioinformatics, this study explored the link between COVID-19 and ICC, and searched for potential therapeutic drugs. Results: This study identified a total of 70 common differentially expressed genes (DEGs) shared by both diseases, shedding light on their shared functionalities. Enrichment analysis pinpointed metabolism and immunity as the primary areas influenced by these common genes. Subsequently, through protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis, we identified SCD, ACSL5, ACAT2, HSD17B4, ALDOA, ACSS1, ACADSB, CYP51A1, PSAT1, and HKDC1 as hub genes. Additionally, 44 transcription factors (TFs) and 112 microRNAs (miRNAs) were forecasted to regulate the hub genes. Most importantly, several drug candidates (Periodate-oxidized adenosine, Desipramine, Quercetin, Perfluoroheptanoic acid, Tetrandrine, Pentadecafluorooctanoic acid, Benzo[a]pyrene, SARIN, Dorzolamide, 8-Bromo-cAMP) may prove effective in treating ICC and COVID-19. Conclusion: This study is expected to provide valuable references and potential drugs for future research and treatment of COVID-19 and ICC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leaky-integrate-fire (LIF) neurons are core components to construct a spiking neural network. The emulation of LIF neurons has been implemented in spintronic devices, but typically suffers from challenges, such as relatively complex design and the requirement of additional operations for resetting. In this Letter, we propose a compact LIF neuron device realized within a single spin–orbit torque (SOT) magnetic tunnel junction device. Distinct from standard memory devices, the input SOT current for the integrating process is applied in a manner such that the magnetization cannot cross the hard plane. Consequently, the device can automatically reset to its original state by the combined effects of anisotropy and damping, which play a vital role during the leaky process as well. We verify the proposal in three types of SOT devices by micromagnetic simulations, and the power consumption is estimated as 0.1 pJ/spike. The auto-reset process is further captured by our single-shot dynamic experiments. With the state-of-the-art SOT technology, our work provides a concise and plausible scheme to mimic LIF neurons, which is of practical interest for neuromorphic computing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]