Browse Articles

Hybrid deep learning framework integrating CNNs, transformers, and adaptive optimization for accurate suspended sediment concentration prediction

Lipid metabolism and contact site homologs are present at the chloroplast envelope-thylakoid interface

Correction: Synthesis of terbium and silica modified graphene quantum dots for targeted bioimaging of breast cancer cells using folate receptors

Respiratory pauses highlight sleep architecture in mice

Plasmonic and magnetic ZnO-based nanocomposites for enhanced photocatalysis and ultrasensitive SERS detection of malachite green

Abstract Water pollution arising from persistent organic dyes constitutes a critical environmental and public health concern. In this work, ZnO nanorods (NRs), Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles (NPs), and their corresponding Ag@ZnO and Fe 3 O 4 @ZnO nanocomposites were successfully fabricated via a facile and cost-effective microwave-assisted hydrothermal approach. The photocatalytic activities of ZnO NRs, Fe 3 O 4 NPs, and the as-prepared nanocomposites, including Ag@ZnO, were systematically evaluated for the degradation of malachite green (MG) dye. In addition, Ag@ZnO was further employed as an efficient active substrate for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) sensing, demonstrating its dual functionality in both photocatalytic degradation and sensing applications. Structural, morphological, and optical properties were comprehensively characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), Raman spectroscopy, diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), photoluminescence (PL), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and dynamic light scattering (DLS) analysis. The XRD analysis confirmed the hexagonal wurtzite structure for both ZnO NRs and Ag@ZnO nanocomposites, in addition to the cubic structure for Fe 3 O 4  NPs. The FTIR and Raman studies confirmed the formation of ZnO, Ag@ZnO, and Fe 3 O 4 NPs by revealing their distinct characteristic vibrational bands. Zeta potential results display the negative surface charge of Fe 3 O 4 NPs, indicating their strong adsorption affinity toward positively charged malachite green (MG) dye. The DRS and PL results reveal the effect of Ag NPs on improving the optical property of ZnO and reducing the (e–h) recombination rate. Photocatalytic experiments under visible-light irradiation showed that ZnO achieved 55% degradation of MG within 90 min, whereas complete degradation was achieved using Ag@ZnO and Fe 3 O 4 @ZnO nanocomposites, highlighting their superior photocatalytic performance. In addition, Ag@ZnO exhibited excellent SERS activity, enabling the detection of MG down to 2 ppm, attributed to strong localized surface plasmon resonance and interfacial charge-transfer effects. The combined photocatalytic efficiency, adsorption capability, and SERS sensitivity demonstrate that Ag@ZnO and Fe 3 O 4 @ZnO nanocomposites are promising multifunctional materials for wastewater treatment and trace-level pollutant detection.

Multiomics analysis of the molecular and single-cell responses of rice after deep-space flight on Chang’e-5

Lipid profiles and risk of gestational diabetes mellitus in women with isolated TPOAb positivity during early pregnancy

Functional restructuring of the global soil microbiome under multiple stressors

Early evidence for a stable and flexible foraging niche in the evolution of <i>Homo</i>

Major evolutionary transitions in Homo (e.g., increased brain size, complex social behavior) are linked to reliance on high-quality foods. Increased meat consumption likely contributed to this shift, but whether hominins practiced carcass acquisition and processing strategies consistently across time and environments remains unclear. The Koobi Fora Formation spans much of the Plio-Pleistocene and is central to reconstructing the ecology of early Homo . However, zooarchaeological research has focused almost entirely on the Okote Member (~1.56 to 1.38 Ma), while the KBS Member (~1.87 to 1.56 Ma) has yielded important hominin fossils but relatively few faunal assemblages comparably well preserved for similar analysis. We present an analysis of FwJj 80 (~1.6 Ma), an assemblage from the KBS Member that preserves butchered fauna associated with early Homo fossils. Results show that behaviors documented in the Okote Member, including early access to carcasses, selective transport of limbs, and systematic marrow extraction within riparian settings, were also practiced at FwJj 80. This provides the most comprehensive and systematically analyzed evidence of such behaviors within the KBS Member, demonstrating continuity in carcass-exploitation patterns between the KBS and Okote Members. Comparisons with FLK Zinj (~1.84 Ma, Tanzania) and Kanjera South (~2.0 Ma, Kenya) demonstrate a consistent foraging niche sustained across varied environmental contexts, underscoring behavioral flexibility as central to early Homo’ s evolutionary success.

Lifecycle impact assessments of ternary concrete modified with shea nutshell ash and ground oyster seashell

Oxysterol undersulfation promotes osteoarthritis by fueling chondrocyte lipid accumulation

Non-contact alcohol detection in mice using an imaging photoplethysmography (IPPG) system

TaRGET II Data Portal: a multi-omics resource for environmental toxicant studies in mice

Attention mechanism-based CNN-LSTM hybrid deep learning model for industrial pipeline leak detection

Centennial-scale intensifications of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation during Heinrich Stadial 1

Sugar-mediated physical constraints drive the evolution of pollination drops into nectar

A real-time early warning system to anticipate respiratory disease outbreaks using transfer learning

Correction: Ectomycorrhizal fungal community varies across broadleaf species and developmental stages

Bridged scaffold editing of carbocycles and heterocycles

Soil temperature fluctuations modulated millet agriculture evolution in Neolithic East Asia

Millet agriculture was foundational to the emergence of complex societies in Neolithic East Asia, yet the environmental mechanisms shaping its spatiotemporal development remain unresolved. Here, we present a high-resolution reconstruction of Holocene growing-season soil temperature from biomarker proxies in a precisely dated loess sequence from the central Chinese Loess Plateau. Our data reveal a pronounced ~3 °C soil cooling between ~7.5 to 6.0 thousand years B.P. (kyr B.P.), followed by rapid warming and millennia-long relatively stable conditions. By integrating archaeological datasets with transient climate simulations, we show that this mid-Holocene soil cooling which reflects coupled climatic forcing and vegetation-related land surface changes likely compressed the thermally suitable niche for frost-sensitive millets, contributing to a southward displacement of cultivation and delaying large-scale agricultural expansion until the subsequent soil temperature recovery after ~6.0 kyr B.P. These findings suggest that large-amplitude soil temperature fluctuations acted as a modulating climatic constraint on the geographic distribution and development trajectory of millet agriculture in East Asia, providing refined insights into climate–society interactions during the Neolithic.