Browse Articles

Solid-liquid interface synthesis of selective (111)-oriented Cs2AgBiBr6 perovskite crystals

The three obstetrics delays determine uterine rupture at Nekemte specialized hospital: a hospital-based case-control study

Synergistic sulfur-chlorine battery chemistry towards efficient energy storage

Positive Feedback‐Driven NiRu Frustrated Lewis Pairs Catalyst Enables a Self‐Reinforcing Catalytic Cycle for Cascade‐Coupled Hydrogen Production

Abstract The alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) associated with anion exchange membrane water electrolyzers (AEMWEs) is kinetically hindered by sluggish water dissociation and complex intermediate adsorption, which previous reports have inadequately addressed through isolated optimization, neglecting the intrinsic coupling between HER elementary steps. Herein, we report a frustrated Lewis pairs (FLPs) catalyst comprising NiRu dual single‐atoms and adjacent NiRu nanoclusters anchored on nitrogen‐doped carbon (Ni 1 Ru 1 ‐NiRu@NC), mimicking the enzymatic positive feedback mechanism that drives a self‐reinforcing catalytic cycle and accelerates the coupled elementary steps in a cascade manner. The catalyst featuring spatially proximate Lewis acid and base sites enable sequential reaction steps, where water dissociation occurs at acid sites and hydrogen adsorption proceed at base sites. The two steps are bridged through rapid hydrogen spillover channel, constructing a closed catalytic circuit in which hydrogen consumption at base sites promotes continuous water dissociation at acid sites. Benefiting from this positive feedback loop, Ni 1 Ru 1 ‐NiRu@NC achieves a remarkable HER performance and exhibits exceptional long‐term durability (>1000 h at 1.0 A cm − 2 ) in AEMWEs. Our findings demonstrate a new strategy to integrate positive feedback‐driven, cascade‐coupled catalysis in FLPs systems, offering a promising pathway toward high‐performance alkaline HER catalysts for industrial application.

Potential urine NMR Metabolomic signatures for early diagnosis of paediatric tuberculosis

From the same supramolecular framework to distinct types of porous liquids via in-situ transformation

Molecular‐Level Energy Dissipation and Micropore Engineering Synergistically Enhance Anion Exchange Membrane Performance

Abstract Overcoming the intrinsic trade‐off between ionic conductivity and mechanical robustness remains a long‐standing challenge for anion exchange membranes (AEMs). Here, we report a helical tetra‐functional building block derived from tetraphenyl‐ethylene (TPE) that enables the simultaneous construction of interconnected ion‐transport channels and mechanically reinforced polymer networks. The non‐coplanar molecular configuration of TPE generates continuous microporous pathways, which establish efficient pathways for ion transport and enable 22.6% enhancement in H 2 O/OH − species diffusion. Meanwhile, restricted intramolecular rotations of the phenyl rings dissipate mechanical stress and prevent brittle fracture. Concurrently, the tetra‐functional structure yields a cross‐linked network, synergistically endowing the exceptional mechanical robustness of 79% enhancement in transverse tensile strength and 43% improvement in longitudinal hardness. Anion exchange membrane water electrolyzers (AEMWEs) operating under harsh conditions of temperature and high alkalinity were used for application evaluation. The QTPE‐x‐configurated cell delivered an enhanced current density and exceptional operational stability. The molecular‐level design strategy successfully decouples ionic conductivity and mechanical integrity, providing a general framework for the development of high‐performance AEMs in sustainable energy conversion.

mViSE: A visual search engine for analyzing multiplex IHC brain tissue images (spatial proteomics)

3D atomic-scale metrology of strain relaxation and roughness in Gate-All-Around transistors via electron ptychography

Abstract Next-generation semiconductor devices are adopting three-dimensional (3D) architectures with feature sizes in the few-nanometer regime, creating a need for atomic-scale metrology to identify and resolve performance-limiting fabrication challenges. X-ray methods provide 3D information but lack atomic resolution, while conventional electron microscopy offers limited depth sensitivity. Here we show how multislice electron ptychography, a computational microscopy technique with sub-Ångström lateral and nanometer-scale depth resolution, enables 3D imaging of buried device structures. We image prototype gate-all-around transistors and directly quantify roughness, strain, and defects at the interface of the 3D gate oxide wrapped around the channel. We find that silicon in the 5-nm-thick channel relaxes away from the interfaces, leaving only ~60% of atoms in a bulk-like structure. From a single dataset, ptychography provides quantitative metrology of atomic-scale interface roughness in 3D, previously accessible only through indirect inference, along with strain and other structural parameters needed for device modeling and process development.

Predicting microbial activity potential in salt caverns based on brine chaotropicity analysis

Abstract Salt caverns are promising sites for hydrogen (H₂) storage, but microbial activity in these high-salinity environments poses risks, including H₂ consumption and subsequent toxic hydrogen-sulfide (H₂S) production by sulphate-reducing bacteria. While salinity influences microbial diversity, the role of chaotropicity, defined as a membrane-disrupting effect of salts like magnesium chloride (MgCl 2 ) and calcium chloride (CaCl 2 ), remains unexplored. We introduce a novel method using oscillatory rheology to measure solute-induced changes in agar gel point temperature, enabling prediction of chaotropicity and subsequent microbial activity. We assessed individual salts, salt mixtures, literature data, and original brine samples from four salt caverns. Our results show that chaotropic conditions arise when the ionic strength (I) of solution exceeds 3 mol/L with 55% MgCl₂, or 6 mol/L with 40% MgCl₂. One tested cavern exhibited chaotropic properties, suggesting reduced microbial risk. Microbial analysis and growth tests confirmed missing microbial activity and minimal cell numbers in the chaotropic cavern, in contrast to the more kosmotropic caverns. Therefore, we propose a strategy to mitigate microbial threats by adjusting salt cavern brine composition to induce chaotropicity as one additional factor to limit activity, which offers a new framework for microbial risk management.

BRAHMA represses STOP1-NRT1.1 module to control plant rhizosphere alkalization and acid stress adaptation

Effects of testosterone on gene expression in males and females across 40 human tissues

Abstract Variation in testosterone levels is associated with pronounced health risks, often in a discordant manner between males and females. While studies have demonstrated a sex-specific genetic architecture for testosterone, the biological basis for the differential impact on diseases between the sexes is largely unknown. In this study, we correlated predicted testosterone and within-sex gene expression measures across 40 human tissues to identify genes that show sex-differential control of gene expression and examine how this varies across tissues. Gene expression measures were obtained from the Genotype-Tissue Expression project (v8 GTEx release), with sex-specific genome-wide summary statistics from the UK Biobank used to construct polygenic scores as proxies for total testosterone and bioavailable testosterone. We quantified the proportion of variance in the genomically predicted testosterone levels that was captured by gene expression measures within each sex/tissue pair. The association between predicted testosterone measures was tested within each sex/tissue pair for over 20,000 gene transcripts. Gene expression levels in the mammary breast (R 2  = 0.54 ± 0.20), adipose (visceral omentum; 0.56 ± 0.21), esophagus (muscularis; 0.42 ± 19) and skin (sun exposed lower leg; 0.34 ± 0.16) tissue explained the largest proportion of total testosterone variance in females, although these estimates were not significant after correction for multiple testing across tissues. Association analyses identified significant associations between total testosterone and gene expression across four transcripts ( NUPR1L , PTPRD , PSPHP1 , and RP11-208G20.3 ) in the skeletal muscle, tibial artery, and pancreas tissues for females p < $$\:2.37\times\:{10}^{-6}$$ , whereas no significant associations were observed in males. No transcript or gene showed a significant association with predicted bioavailable testosterone across all study tissues in both males and females. The relationship between testosterone and gene expression levels is complex, showing variation across tissues and between the sexes. While we found limited numbers of associations between individual gene expression levels and predicted testosterone levels, our whole transcriptome approach found that a substantial proportion of testosterone levels could be captured by gene expression levels, indicating that more associations could be identified with larger sample sizes and directly measured hormone levels.

Stereoselective vicinal C(sp³)–C bond formation via metallaphotoredox 1,2-difunctionalization of internal alkenes

Experimental Observation of a Calcium Silicon Double Carbonate

Abstract Reactions between carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) and silica (SiO 2 ), as well as between carbonates and silicates, are central to understanding carbon behavior in planetary interiors and have important technological implications. Yet, only a few oxides are known in which carbon and silicon coexist within the same crystal lattice. These silicate–carbonates typically contain trigonal carbonate [CO 3 ] groups and tetrahedrally coordinated silicate [SiO 4 ] units. In the CaO–SiO 2 –CO 2 system, no phase had previously been shown to contain both octahedrally coordinated silicon [SiO 6 ] and carbonate [CO 3 ] groups, nor had such a structure been theoretically predicted. Here, we report the synthesis of the calcium silicon double carbonate Ca 2 Si(CO 3 ) 4 , obtained by reacting tilleyite, Ca 5 (Si 2 O 7 )(CO 3 ) 2 , with CO 2 in diamond anvil cells at 39.5 GPa and 2600 K. The compound was subsequently temperature‐ and pressure‐quenched, remaining metastable at ambient conditions. Structural and spectroscopic characterization was performed using synchrotron single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy. The structure of Ca 2 Si(CO 3 ) 4 is unique among silicate–carbonates, featuring sixfold‐coordinated Si sharing oxygen atoms with [CO 3 ] groups. Additionally, a novel calcium tetracarbonate, Ca 2 (C 4 O 10 ), containing tetrahedral [CO 4 ] units, was discovered. These findings reveal a new oxide chemistry under extreme conditions and open avenues for synthesizing metastable carbon‐bearing materials relevant to the deep carbon cycle.

Synergistic dye removal through curcumin functionalized MCM-22 zeolite as a photocatalyst nanocomposite via the simultaneous photocatalysis and adsorption method

Manipulating the Active Sites in Single‐Nanocluster Catalysis by Heterometallic Coordination Hybridization at Atomic Precision

Abstract Constructing accessible active sites on the surface of catalysts at the atomic precision remains challenging in heterogeneous single‐nanocluster catalysis. Leveraging the differences in coordination preferences between various metals and ligands, a heterometallic coordination hybridization (HCH) protocol was proposed to manipulate the stable and accessible active sites on the surface of single‐nanocluster catalysts. A homoleptic superatomic nanocluster [(AuCu) 71 (m‐MBT) 46 ](CF 3 SO 3 ) 3 (short as (AuCu) 71 and m‐MBT = 3‐methylbenzenethiol) was synthesized in high yield, and its structure was determined by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction. Benefiting from the HCH strategy, (AuCu) 71 features four open, accessible, and stable dual‐Au sites on its surface. Notably, heterogeneous single‐nanocluster catalyst  (AuCu) 71 /XC‐72 (XC‐72 is carbon support) exhibited excellent catalytic performance for denitrative C–O coupling under mild conditions (60 °C, atmosphere). The turnover numbers and turnover frequencies reached record high values of 2.88 × 10 6 and 3.48 × 10 5 h −1 , respectively, which are four orders of magnitude higher than those observed for the well‐established Pd/C system. The remarkable catalytic performance of (AuCu) 71 was attributed to the exposed dual‐Au sites, which facilitated the adsorption of deprotonated phenol and its derivatives via Au‐O interactions, guided the proximity of nitroarenes rather than being commonly absorbed simultaneously on active sites, and exhibited exceptional durability of the catalyst. The HCH protocol provides new idea for the rational design and construction of heterogeneous metal catalysts with well‐defined accessible active sites.

Leveraging learned representations and multitask learning for lysine methylation site discovery

Breaking Metal‐Organic Cage Symmetry Enhances Diels–Alder Catalytic Specificity and Proficiency

Abstract Biomimetic catalysts that rely on hollow, synthetic hosts lack the sophistication of an enzyme active site. One reason for this is that synthetic hosts, particularly those prepared using self‐assembly, are invariably highly symmetrical and therefore not tailored to achieve optimal interactions. Herein, we describe a low‐symmetry coordination cage that shows enhanced Diels–Alder catalytic proficiency compared to equivalent high‐symmetry systems. Similar to biological catalysis, this enhanced proficiency is due to the presence of non‐degenerate, distinct pockets that separately facilitate both substrate recognition and transition state stabilization, leading to higher specificity. The same low symmetry catalyst also shows emergent properties in that it can catalyze sequential chemical reactions that equivalent symmetrical cages cannot. These results pave the way to ever more elaborate catalysts that show enhanced activity and selectivity delivered solely by the tailored expression of weak non‐covalent interactions.

SAM2-ARAFNet: adapting SAM2 with an attention-enhanced residual ASPP fusion network for high-resolution remote sensing semantic segmentation

Nucleophilic Substitution Enables Robust Fluorinated Interphase for Low <i>N</i> / <i>P</i> Ratio Zinc Battery

Abstract Aqueous zinc (Zn) batteries have garnered considerable interest as a promising, safe, and sustainable energy storage technology. Nevertheless, their widespread commercialization is hindered by critical challenges, particularly the limited Zn reversibility caused by persistent electrolyte decomposition and uncontrolled dendritic growth. In this study, we propose a chemical strategy involving nucleophilic ethoxide ions, generated via ethanol deprotonation, to induce defluorination of the trifluoromethanesulfonate anion. This approach facilitates the in situ formation of a fluorinated protective interphase on the Zn anode surface. The engineered interphase exhibits remarkable mechanical robustness, as demonstrated by substantially improved Zn Coulombic efficiency at both high and low current densities as well as high Zn utilization rates. Furthermore, this surface modification strategy enables the Zn 0.25 V 2 O 5 /Zn powder batteries to achieve unprecedented cycling stability, including prolonged operation under demanding low N/P ratio conditions (&lt;2:1) and high areal capacity (&gt;2 mAh cm −2 ).