Browse Articles

Two-dimensional melt growth of large-scale, single-crystalline hybrid organic-inorganic perovskite films

Abstract Melt growth is a process for creating large, bulk single crystals by solidifying a molten material. It combines elements of the Czochralski method, which creates a molten phase, and the Bridgman method, which controls the temperature gradient. Here, we apply two-dimensional (2D) melt growth to synthesize large-scale, single-crystal hybrid organic-inorganic perovskites (HOIPs), enabling substrate-agnostic crystallization with precise thickness control. Our method involves a vapor-liquid-solid process, where the reaction between the pre-deposited inorganic Na x PbBr y seeding layer and the organic precursor flux produces the 2D molten phase of HOIPs. This molten phase spreads into a 2D liquid film and allows uniform, large-scale crystallization of ultrathin HOIPs in a substrate-agnostic manner, bypassing requirements for lattice matching. Using this approach, we successfully grow 2D ( n  = 1) and quasi-2D ( n  > 1) ferroelectric HOIP films on SiO 2 /Si wafers at a low thermal budget, enabling direct large-scale device fabrication. Statistical analysis of devices demonstrates reliable ferroelectric switching and uniform electronic performance across the film. Our method holds great potential for other types of HOIPs and heterostructures, paving the way for applications in large-scale on-chip devices.

Impacts of hearing history, etiology, vestibular and balance function, and socioeconomic marginalization on developmental outcomes in children with cochlear implants

Epiblast lumenogenesis is not a mammalian-specific trait

Abstract Epiblast lumenogenesis is a hallmark of mammalian embryogenesis, and crucial for the subsequent processes of anterior-posterior patterning and gastrulation. Based on avian model-organisms, reptile epiblasts are thought to form a monolayered flat disc to undergo these developmental events. Here, we report that the squamate, veiled chameleon ( Chameleo calyptratus ), exhibits epiblast lumenogenesis prior to anterior-posterior patterning. Using SEM, immunofluorescence, and histology techniques, we demonstrate that chameleon epiblast lumenogenesis occurs via a purse-string-like mechanism involving the formation and constriction of concentric rings of supracellular actin cables around the epiblast. Through expression analyses of Nodal1 , Nodal2 , Cerberus , Lefty , Brachyury , Wnt3A , and Bmp2 , and immunostaining for Brachyury, we uncovered a Wnt3 A - and Brachyury-positive ring at the edge of the epiblast concomitant with lumenogenesis. Furthermore, our data suggest that anterior-posterior patterning in veiled chameleons may occur independently of Cerberus and Lefty. These processes result in chameleon embryos exhibiting human embryo-like morphology, despite 300 million years of evolutionary separation. Collectively, we show that pre-gastrulation epiblast lumenogenesis is not mammalian-specific but has also evolved in some non-avian reptiles.

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Quantitative measurement of agonistic behaviors of intra- and interspecifics of Gryllus bimaculatus and Acheta domesticus by using DeepLabCut

Resource-state quantum RAM for fast and error-correctable queries

Meta-heuristic and machine learning based functional capacity prediction using gait parameters in patients with heart failure

The need for sustaining mpox vaccination in Africa

How good are ‘AI doctors’ — and will they take over medicine?

Potential effect of cerium oxide nanoparticles against boldenone-induced oxidative stress, inflammation, and reproductive dysfunction in male albino rats

Multimodal control of Cas13d activity through domain insertion at an allosteric hotspot

Abstract CRISPR-Cas13d RNA nucleases are powerful tools for programmable RNA targeting. A light-controlled RNA nuclease could be transformative by enabling researchers to selectively knock down transcripts at desired positions in a cell or tissue or at timepoints of interest. Here, we develop a set of RfxCas13d tools that can be multimodally controlled by either light or small molecule addition. By screening an RfxCas13d library containing insertions of the AsLOV2 photoswitchable domain, we identify an OptoCas13d-off variant that induced target RNA cleavage in the dark and switched to an inactive state under blue light. We show that the same allosteric hotspot can be exploited to generate an OptoCas13d-on with an inverted light response and a ChemoCas13d that is activated by rapamycin analogs, enabling knockdown of endogenous mRNA and protein targets. Overall, our study shows that engineered allostery can produce stimulus-controlled Cas13d variants to modulate RNA with high spatial and temporal precision.

Troubled waters: a plant protein senses when cells are running dry

Assessment of microplastics on the coastal urban waterways in a developing country: a spectrometric study

Unidirectional cellulose nanocrystal hydrogel for bio-based invertible chiral optics and sensors

Abstract Realizing invertible chiral optical properties in the visible region is crucial for developing optical systems with applications in displays and sensors. Achieving this with cellulose nanocrystal (CNC)-based materials is difficult because their chiral nematic structures are inherently fixed in a left-handed configuration. Here, we demonstrate that by introducing a unidirectional (or monodomain nematic-like) CNC hydrogel as a retardation layer onto a chiral nematic CNC film, the naturally left-handed chiral reflections of CNC films can be converted to right-handed reflections. Furthermore, the right-handed reflection can be switched back to their left-handed state simply by applying pressure. These mechano-responsive invertible chiral optical phenomena, along with the manipulation of light through the cooperation of unidirectional and chiral nematic CNC structures, opens up new opportunities for developing bio-based invertible chiral optics and sensors.

Cognitive control networks causally support implicit emotion regulation: evidence from dlPFC stimulation and directed functional connectivity

Genome-wide modelling of plant transcription factor binding captures regulatory variants associated with phenotypic traits

Abstract The sequence-specific recognition of cis -regulatory elements (CRE) by transcription factors (TF) propagates genotype information to phenotypes. Understanding how genetic variation affects gene regulation remains limited by the diversity and complexity of CRE interactions. Here, we address this challenge using an explainable multi-label deep learning model trained on A. thaliana DNA-binding data to capture how CRE sequence, their broader sequence context, and syntax influence TF occupancy. Once trained, the model annotates cistrome-wide TF-binding sites and uncovers condition-specific regulatory syntax. By integrating genomic and GWAS data from A. thaliana , our approach predicts differential TF-binding and identifies regulatory gene variants within quantitative trait loci. Experimental validation highlights the link between cis -regulatory variation, gene expression, and phenotypic outcomes. Finally, applying our model to untargeted DNA binding assays in Z. mays under heat-stress conditions demonstrates its potential to characterize condition-responsive TF binding in phylogenetically distant crops.

Your phone can use tiny skin-colour changes to measure your heart rate

Retraction Note: An effective PO-RSNN and FZCIS based diabetes prediction and stroke analysis in the metaverse environment

Berry pseudorotation enabled photodissociation of Fe(CO)5 observed by ultrafast electron diffraction

‘Transformative’ CAR-T therapy allows three people to receive kidney transplants