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High Energy Density Heterostructured Sodium Layered Oxide Cathodes Enabled by Mechanical‐Chemical Coupling Effect

Abstract Designing cobalt‐free manganese‐based oxide cathode materials with high energy density and excellent stability is of great significance and a challenge. Here, we construct a P2/O3 core–shell heterostructured layered oxide cathode material with a mechanical‐chemical coupling effect to achieve precise structural modulation and superior electrochemical performance. Using O3‐NaNi 0.4 Fe 0.2 Mn 0.4 O 2 as the core material, the P2/O3 core–shell heterostructured cathode was obtained by accurately regulating the epitaxial layer. Benefiting from the synergistic effect of the O3 bulk phase and P2 shell layer, this heterostructured cathode shows a high energy density (587.34 Wh·kg −1 , based on cathode active materials), excellent structure, superior air stability, and full cell performance. The phase transition mechanism of the cathode as well as the atomic arrangement characteristics were analyzed by in situ X‐ray diffraction and spherical aberration‐corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM), respectively. Most importantly, it was verified using stress simulation calculations that the P2 shell layer can share the mechanical stress of the internal O3 bulk phase on a micro‐scale, suppressing the plastic yielding and structural degradation of the material during electrochemical processes, and dramatically enhancing the structural stability. The heterostructured cathode with the mechanical‐chemical coupling effect designed in this study will provide new insights for the optimization of other electrode materials.

Prevention of Infections in Cardiac Surgery (PICS)-Prevena Study – A pilot/vanguard factorial cluster cross-over RCT

Sternal surgical site infections after cardiac surgery can lead to significant morbidity, mortality, and cost. The effects of negative pressure wound management and adding vancomycin as perioperative antimicrobial prophylaxis are unknown. The PICS-PREVENA pilot/vanguard trial, a 2x2 factorial, open label, cluster-randomized crossover trial with 4 periods, was conducted at two major cardiac surgery hospitals in Ontario, Canada. Sites were randomized to one of eight sequences of the four study arms (Cefazolin or Cefazolin + Vancomycin (not analyzed) and standard wound dressing or a negative pressure 3M Prevena incision management system (Prevena). Only diabetic or obese patients were eligible for the latter comparison. This trial investigated feasability including adherence to protocol of each intervention (goal: > 90% each) and loss to follow-up (goal: < 10%). Among the 4107 included patients, 2230 were obese/diabetic (1208 standard wound dressing period, 1022 during Prevena period). Compliance to wound management and antimicrobial prophylaxis was 68.1% and 98.7%, respectively. Loss to follow-up was 3.6%. Deep/organ-space sternal surgical site infections occurred in 16 (1.6%) patients in the Prevena allocated periods and in 17 (1.4%) patients in the standard wound dressing allocated periods (OR= 1.11, 95% CI: 0.56–2.20). Other clinical outcomes did not suggest a difference and a post-hoc as-treated analysis showed similar results. This study showed challenges with introducing a novel technology as standard of care, with non-compliance mostly driven by one of the sites. No firm conclusions should be drawn regarding the effectiveness of Prevena, as this vanguard trial was not powered for clinical outcomes.

New insights into the mechanism of microvascular rarefaction via endothelial-mesenchymal transition in steroid-induced osteonecrosis of femoral head

Study on the release pattern of Zn in soil of ionic rare earth mining areas under different leaching conditions

The acidic leachate injected during the mining process of ion-type rare earth ores can damage the environmental characteristics of the soil, thereby triggering the activation and release of associated heavy metals. Severe Zn contamination has been found in the environment of ion-type rare earth mining areas, but the activation and release of Zn in the soil during the leaching process have not been fully understood. This study investigated the activation and release patterns and mechanisms of Zn in soil under different leaching agents ((NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 , MgSO 4 , Al 2 (SO 4 ) 3 ) and varying concentrations of Al 2 (SO 4 ) 3 (1%, 3%, 5%, 7%) using a simulated leaching experimental system. The results show that the activation and release patterns of Zn in the soil vary significantly under the influence of the three leaching agents. During the entire leaching cycle, the peak Zn concentration in the leachate was highest under MgSO 4 leaching, while the residual Zn content in the soil under Al 2 (SO 4 ) 3 leaching approached the high-risk environmental threshold. The high-concentration systems (5%, 7%) of Al 2 (SO 4 ) 3 significantly enhanced the activation and release efficiency of Zn in the soil compared to the low-concentration systems (1%, 3%) of Al 2 (SO 4 ) 3 . (NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 mainly promotes the activation and release of Zn through ion exchange between NH 4 + and Zn 2+ and the acidification effect; Al 2 (SO 4 ) 3 , on the other hand, dominates the activation and release of Zn by providing a strongly acidic environment and dissolving and damaging the mineral lattice; while MgSO 4 not only exchanges ions between Mg 2+ and Zn 2+ , but also alters the soil colloidal structure, facilitating Zn activation and release. The promoting effects of the three leaching agents on the transformation of Zn in soil follow the order of Al 2 (SO 4 ) 3 > (NH 4 ) 2 SO 4  > MgSO 4 , with the environmental risk assessment index (RAC) being highest after Al 2 (SO 4 ) 3 leaching, indicating the greatest potential environmental risk. Compared to the other three concentrations (1%, 5%, 7%) of Al₂(SO 4 ) 3 , the 3% concentration of Al 2 (SO 4 ) 3 had the most significant promoting effect on the transformation of Zn in soil. This study provides a theoretical basis for optimizing the green mining process of ion-type rare earth ores and preventing heavy metal pollution, and offers scientific support for revealing pollution mechanisms and formulating remediation and risk assessment strategies.

Tailoring and boosting the charge storage capacity of Li-ion batteries using EuxCu1-xFe2O4 as an electrode material

Optimizing vitamin A supplementation: A comparative cost-effectiveness analysis of routine distribution strategies in northern Côte d’Ivoire

Background While recent data on vitamin A deficiency (VAD) prevalence is lacking, the 2004 Côte d’Ivoire Nutrition and Mortality Survey reported that 26.7% of children aged 6–59 months were affected by VAD, and approximately 60% were at risk. Since 2016, the government has transitioned from mass campaigns to routine vitamin A supplementation (VAS) delivery integrated into health services. However, evidence on the cost-effectiveness of the routine distribution approaches is limited. This study evaluated the cost, coverage, and cost-effectiveness of three routine VAS delivery strategies across two health districts in northern Côte d’Ivoire. Methods A mixed-methods study evaluated three routine VAS delivery strategies – routine-fixed, advanced community-based, and catch-up – across two health districts, Ferkessédougou and Niakaramadougou, in northern Côte d’Ivoire. The quantitative cost data were collected via a structured tool covering six cost categories: planning, procurement, training, social mobilization, distribution, and supervision. VAS coverage was assessed through a post-event coverage survey (PECS) via a two-stage cluster sampling methodology. A cost-effectiveness analysis determined the cost per child supplemented, the cost per DALY averted, and a sensitivity analysis tested the robustness of the findings under different cost scenarios. Results The total program cost for July-December 2023 was 25.5 million FCFA, with personnel costs comprising over 70% of expenditures. In Ferkessédougou, the routine advanced community-based strategy was the most cost-effective, at 458 FCFA per child in rural areas (versus 596 FCFA for the routine-fixed facility-based approach in the same area). In Niakaramadougou, the December catch-up was more cost-effective in rural areas (606 FCFA per child) than the routine-fixed approach (714 FCFA). Across both districts combined, the routine-fixed strategy averaged roughly 651 FCFA per child supplemented, and the cost per DALY averted ranged from 30,093 FCFA (advanced strategy in Ferkessédougou) to 89,550 FCFA (catch-up Jul 2023 in Niakaramadougou) – all below Côte d’Ivoire’s cost-effectiveness threshold (0.5 x GDP per capita; approximately USD 1,265). Conclusion All three strategies were cost-effective, though the advanced community-based strategy achieved the best balance of reach and efficiency. Scaling advanced strategies within health system constraints may enhance sustainability and coverage in low-resource settings.

Deep learning-based detection of power transmission lines using YOLOv4 and YOLOv8

Relationships between professional mission, work engagement, spiritual climate, and job performance among Chinese clinical nurses: A moderated mediation model

Background With the global socio-economic development, health concerns are increasing, prompting healthcare professionals to provide higher quality healthcare services. Job performance is a behavior related to performance and competence and reflects nurses’ efficiency, quality, creativity, and goal accomplishment at work. A high level of job performance is essential for nurses, patients, and organizations. However, the overall level of nurses’ job performance is low due to several factors. This study aimed to investigate the role of clinical nurses’ sense of professional mission as a direct influence on job performance, as well as the mediating role of work engagement and the moderating role of spiritual climate. Methods From February 2024 to March 2024, 15 tertiary hospitals and ten secondary hospitals in Sichuan Province were selected as survey respondents for clinical nurses using convenience sampling. The Professional Mission Scale, Work Engagement Scale, Spiritual Climate Scale, and Job Performance Scale were used for data collection. Model 4 and Model 7 in the SPSS 26.0 macro program were used for mediation and mediation effect analysis with moderation. Results The results showed that sense of professional mission, work engagement, and spiritual climate were significantly and positively correlated with job performance ( P  < 0.01). Work engagement partially mediates the relationship between professional mission and work performance. Specifically, professional mission can directly influence work performance or indirectly affect it through the mediating role of work engagement. The mediating effect accounts for 29.6% of the total effect. Meanwhile, spiritual climate buffered the positive impact of a sense of professional mission on work engagement and played a moderating role in the first half path of the mediation effect model of a sense of professional mission affecting work performance through work engagement. Conclusion This study further understood the current status of clinical nurses’ job performance in China and confirmed that a sense of professional mission positively predicted job performance. Work engagement and spiritual climate further explained the relationship between a sense of professional mission and job performance through mediating and moderating effects. Nursing managers can improve the impact of a sense of professional mission on job performance by increasing spiritual climate and clinical nurses’ work engagement.

Social environment affects vocal individuality in a non-learning species

Abstract Individual recognition is fundamental to the social behaviour of many animals. In the context of territorial behaviour, animals in high-density populations encounter conspecific rivals and potential mates more frequently, which should enhance the individuality of territorial signals to facilitate recognition among conspecifics. We investigated vocal individuality in male territorial calls of two populations of little owls ( Athene noctua ) with different densities. Further, to explore the potential influence of local population distribution on individuality, we also examined isolated males without neighbours and clumped males with neighbours. Our findings indicate higher individuality at higher densities across both scenarios, measured using two individuality metrics: Beecher’s information statistic and Discrimination score. Clumped males exhibited significantly lower acoustic niche overlaps (i.e. higher vocal individuality) compared to isolated males. However, only a non-significant trend for lower acoustic niche overlaps (i.e. higher vocal individuality) was found for males from high density compared to low density populations. This suggests that the immediate social environment might be more influential than larger-scale population density patterns. This study suggests that vocal individuality in a territorial species is influenced by conspecific density, similar to findings in group-living and colonial species.

The Weakened Super‐Exchange Interaction Realizes the Direct Regeneration of Spent Lithium‐lon Battery Cathodes

Abstract The direct regeneration of cathodes is an effective technique to address resource waste and environmental pollution caused by spent lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs). However, Li + migration within the rock‐salt phase of degraded LiNi 0.5 Co 0.2 Mn 0.3 O 2 cathodes follows an energetically unfavorable 2‐transition metal (2‐TM) transport pathway (tetrahedral sites between face‐sharing octahedra), creating a kinetic barrier that fundamentally limits direct regeneration. A Na‐based molten salt pretreatment is applied to introduce Na atoms into the unoccupied tetrahedral sites of the rock‐salt phase, which alters the electronic state distribution of bridged oxygen anions and reduces super‐exchange interactions between TM atoms in adjacent layers, thereby triggering a phase transformation from rock‐salt to targeted layered structure. Consequently, the Li + migration pathway shifts from a high‐energy 2‐TM route to a more favorable low‐barrier 1‐TM route, enabling efficient lithiation and complete restoration of the cathode. The regenerated materials exhibit high structural uniformity and excellent electrochemical performance, achieving 78% capacity retention after 500 cycles. This study provides an insightful perspective on direct LIB recycling by regulating super‐exchange interactions within the degraded cathode structures.

A psycho-ecological signal recognition framework for user behavior prediction on digital media platforms

Background Digital media usage has become an integral part of daily life, but prolonged or emotionally driven engagement—especially during late-night hours—may lead to concerns about behavioral and mental health. Existing predictive systems fail to account for the nuanced interplay between users’ internal psychological states and their surrounding ecological contexts. Objective This study aims to develop a psychologically and ecologically informed behavior prediction model to identify high-risk patterns of digital media usage and support early-stage intervention strategies. Methods We propose a Dual-Channel Cross-Attention Network (DCCAN) architecture composed of three layers: signal identification (for psychological and ecological encoding), interaction modeling (via cross-modal attention), and behavior prediction. The model was trained and tested on a dataset of 9,782 users and 51,264 behavior sequences, annotated with labels for immersive usage, late-night activity, and susceptibility to health misinformation. Results The DCCAN model achieved superior performance across all three tasks, especially in immersive usage prediction (F1-score: 0.891, AUC: 0.913), outperforming LSTM, GRU, and XGBoost baselines. Ablation studies confirmed the critical role of both psychological and ecological signals, as well as the effectiveness of the cross-attention mechanism. Conclusions Incorporating psychological and ecological modalities through attention-based fusion yields interpretable and accurate predictions for digital risk behaviors. This framework shows promise for scalable, real-time behavioral health monitoring and adaptive content moderation on media platforms.

Hygiene status and carcass contamination with Escherichia coli 0157H7 at meat handling sites in Eastern Uganda

The effect of life stress on the public participation of rural youth in China

Youth are pivotal participants in public engagement. They use public participation to promote societal change and improve living conditions, thereby coping with life stress. Against the backdrop of rural-urban disparities in geography and socio-economic development, rural youth face limited access to information and narrower channels for public participation. Moreover, scholarly exploration of life stress among rural youth remains scant. To investigate how life stress among rural youth influences their public participation behavior, this study used data from the “Chinese Social Survey” for empirical analysis, with a total sample size of 1624 individuals and an average age of 27 years. The findings indicated that lower family stress encourages rural youth to engage in mutual cooperation and collective rights protection, while higher social stress promotes the more active expression of attitudes and participation in decision-making. To enhance the public participation of rural youth, and elevate their engagement levels, recommendations include focusing on managing life stress and promoting psychological well-being, strengthening social support networks for rural youth, initiating family education programs, devising differentiated economic support policies, and intensifying advocacy for rural youth rights and public affairs.

Characteristics of gut microbiota and metabolites in rats with ketamine-induced cystitis

Inside Back Cover: Miniature Photoenzyme Enables Organelle‐Specific Cellular Control via Deboronative Hydroxylation (Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 51/2025)

Azobenzene/Triptycene‐Based Cholesteric Liquid Crystal Dopants

Abstract The noncovalent interactions in cholesteric liquid crystals (CLCs) can be modulated using switchable chiral dopants resulting in the phototuning of the reflected structural color. The nature of the interactions between the CLC and dopant, and how the latter can effectively transfer chiral information to the former is still somewhat of a black box. To gain insights into the nature of these interactions, we conducted structure–property analysis of five photoswitchable chiral dopants comprised of triptycene as the chiral core and azobenzene as the switchable unit. Our findings show that this combination results in high (e.g., 127 µm −1 ) helical twisting power ( β  ) values (i.e., extent of chiral information transfer between dopant and host), with dispersion interactions and/or electron deficient aromatic units playing a crucial role in determining the value. The large change in β values upon E/Z photoswitching enabled us to devise multicolor, high contrast LC films that reflect across the UV to infrared light range.

Elucidating Ligand‐Dependent Selectivities in Pd‐Catalyzed C–H Activations

Abstract Achieving regioselectivity in C–H activation remains a major challenge. Controlling or even reversing the regioisomeric outcome through the choice of ligand is even harder to achieve, let alone to predict. In this study, we investigated ligand effects in the regioselective Pd‐catalyzed alkynylation of thiophenes using multivariate linear regression to build predictive models that offer deeper insight into the structural factors driving regioselectivity and enabled the discovery of a more selective ligand. Combining experimental and DFT studies, we propose a Curtin–Hammett scenario between the C–H activation and migratory insertion as the origin of the ligand‐controlled selectivities. A detailed investigation of solvent effects uncovered an inadequate description of solvent‐solute dispersion interactions by implicit solvation models. The crucial role of the solvent in substrate coordination is further evidenced by an inverse solvent kinetic isotope effect. Additionally, the often poorly understood role of silver was scrutinized, showing that it serves to mitigate a detrimental side reaction. This study provides generalizable insights for the computational description of challenging regio‐ and stereoselectivities and is expected to aid future mechanistic investigations in Pd‐catalyzed C–H activation that holistically consider the role of all reaction components.

Integrating human–AI collaboration into translation education: A comprehensive protocol for assessment, diagnosis, and strategy development

In the era of artificial intelligence (AI), translation education faces pressing challenges to integrate human–machine collaboration into talent cultivation. This study protocol outlines a two-year mixed-methods project that focuses on developing, validating, and applying systematic tools for assessing human–machine collaborative competence among translation students and teaching competence among translation instructors. In the first stage, measurement instruments will be constructed and validated through thematic analysis, exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, based on interviews, pilot testing, and large-scale surveys. The second stage will employ grounded theory, structural equation modeling, and regression analysis to identify the factors influencing students’ and teachers’ competence development. The third stage will investigate industry needs through semi-structured interviews with translation service professionals and descriptive statistical analysis across multiple domains. The fourth stage will assess classroom effectiveness via multimodal analysis of teaching and learning processes across five types of universities. Finally, a comprehensive training strategy will be designed, refined through action research pilot implementations, and validated by Delphi consultation with translation educators, industry specialists, and policymakers. By integrating empirical rigor with iterative validation, this study advances theoretical modeling of human–AI collaboration, establishes robust assessment tools for students and teachers, and delivers actionable training strategies that align translation education with evolving professional and industry needs.

Multi stage generative upscaler recovers low resolution football broadcast images through diffusion models with ControlNet conditioning and LoRA fine tuning

Cyclodextrin reduces cholesterol crystal uptake by circulating monocytes in patients undergoing coronary angiography

Background Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disease driven by endothelial dysfunction, cholesterol accumulation, and immune activation leading to thrombosis and vascular stenosis. While LDL-lowering therapies are firmly established, targeting the underlying inflammation is still an emerging strategy. Cholesterol crystals (CC) contribute to inflammation by activating the NLRP3 inflammasome in monocytes and promoting disease progression. Cyclodextrin (CD), an FDA-approved drug carrier, has shown atheroprotective effects by enhancing cholesterol metabolism and reducing inflammation in preclinical models. This study investigated whether CC-uptake in human monocytes, a prerequisite for inflammasome activation, is also influenced by CD pretreatment. Methods Human peripheral mononuclear cells were isolated from whole blood samples provided by 76 patients undergoing coronary angiography at the University Hospital Bonn between November 2017 and February 2018. After separation, peripheral mononuclear cells were stimulated with 2-Hydroxypropyl-γ-Cyclodextrin and CC. CC-uptake by monocytes was analyzed using flow cytometry. Results CC-uptake by monocytes varied greatly between patients (8–37%), with lower uptake observed in patients with elevated leukocytes ( p  = 0.0058) and diabetes mellitus ( p  = 0.0448). CD-pretreatment significantly reduced CC-uptake (20.1% ± 0.8% vs. 15.0% ± 0.6%, p  < 0.0001). Interindividual variability in CD response (CCΔCD) was noted; 40 patients exhibited a significant reduction in CC-uptake, while nine showed an increase. Patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) ( p  = 0.0316), requirement for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) ( p  = 0.0030), and elevated leucocyte levels ( p  = 0.0135) had lower CCΔCD, suggesting a link between systemic inflammation and attenuated CD efficacy. Conclusion We demonstrated that CD significantly reduced CC-uptake in patients undergoing coronary angiography, which supports its role in inhibiting CC-phagocytosis and promoting cholesterol efflux. Interestingly, patient response to CD varied, with those exhibiting greater systemic inflammation or CAD showing a less pronounced reduction in CC-uptake. Our findings provide insight into the atheroprotective mechanisms of CD and suggest its potential utility in evaluating individual cardiovascular risk and monitoring CD-based therapeutic interventions in humans.