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Active and Stable Layered Alkali Iridates Efficiently Catalyze Oxygen Electroevolution in Low-Ir Proton-Exchange Membrane (PEM) Water Electrolyzers

Pahon Cave, Gabon: New insights into the Later Stone Age in the African rainforest

Although the Later Stone Age as a distinctive techno-cultural phase has disappeared, forager groups in the African rainforest persist today. However, their origins remain poorly understood. The absence of stone tool production raises questions about the pace and processes of its decline and its relationship to the emergence or adoption of metallic tools. Archaeological sequences from the Middle and Late Holocene are particularly valuable for documenting the coexistence of diverse subsistence strategies and technologies within the Central African rainforest. In this context, the Pahon Cave sequence, in Gabon, spanning a period from 7,571 cal. BP to 2,523 cal. BP, provides an opportunity to study the evolution of stone tool production in the rainforest of the Ogooué Basin. This chronological range coincides with significant broader techno-cultural and environmental changes in Central Africa. This article provides a detailed description of the lithic industry for each layer, along with the identification of faunal remains, giving insight into the exploitation of rainforest resources and hunting practices. At Pahon Cave, our findings suggest that stone tool technology remained stable over time, at least until around 2,523 cal. BP. Furthermore, the technological characteristics of the lithic industry indicate no clear cultural affiliations. These features contribute highlighting a techno-cultural diversity during the Middle and Late Holocene Later Stone Age in Atlantic Central Africa.

Harnessing the Potent Excited-State Reductive Power of Pyrene-Modified N-Heterocyclic Carbene-Stabilized Au ₁₃ Nanoclusters for Four-Electron Nitroarene Reduction with Unity Selectivity

One size does not fit all: Nurturing identity needs and job satisfaction through employee benefits across gender and age

The impact of employee benefits on workers’ identity needs was examined through an integrated framework combining social exchange theory with identity-based mechanisms. Two large-scale studies (Study 1: N = 13368, N Firms  = 5; Study 2: N = 6337, N Firms  = 3) investigated how the quantity (number of benefits used) and quality (satisfaction with benefits) of organizational benefits affect workers’ identity needs across four welfare categories: Work-life integration, health/safety, financial, and socio/cultural. Results consistently showed that benefits quality, rather than quantity, are more strongly associated both identity needs and job satisfaction. The impact of benefits varied according to benefit categories and demographic characteristics, suggesting the importance of considering individual differences in designing effective benefits programs.

Thianthrenium Chemistry for Identification of Protein–Protein Interactions in Cells

Fertility correlates with queen size and sperm quality in an ant

Fitness can vary between individuals of the same population for reasons related to nutrient acquisition during development, but also to the quality of the mating partners. We focus on ant queens of Cardiocondyla obscurior to investigate the effects of female and male morphology and sperm characteristics on productivity. We monitored queens for 12 weeks after egg production started as a proxy for lifetime productivity, and found that larger queens are more productive, as commonly found in other insects, producing more workers and winged males. Sperm viability, but not sperm length, was positively correlated with female-biased sex ratios, pointing to a better insemination rate. The high correlation between sperm viability, male body size, and mandible size suggests strong selection for larger and stronger males. However, male competition for access to unmated queens in the maternal colony may result in a trade-off between male size and developmental time in this species.

Sustainable Synthesis of Biomass-Derived C8 Monomers for Closed-Loop Recyclable and Biodegradable Polyesters

A new species of Brachycephalus (Anura: Brachycephalidae) from Serra do Quiriri, northeastern Santa Catarina state, southern Brazil, with a review of the diagnosis among species of the B. pernix group and proposed conservation measures

Brachycephalus are miniaturized diurnal frogs inhabiting the leaf litter of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, mainly in montane areas. The genus includes 42 currently recognized species, 35 of which being described since 2000. This study describes a new species of Brachycephalus from the B. pernix species group discovered at Serra do Quiriri, Santa Catarina, Brazil. Morphological and acoustic comparisons were made with other species in the species group, and high-resolution computed tomography was used for osteological examination. The phylogenetic position was based on partitioned Bayesian analysis of mitochondrial (16S rRNA) and nuclear DNA sequences (β–fibrinogen, ribosomal Protein L3, and tyrosinase exon 1). We collected 32 individuals and recorded 13 calls of the new species. It is distinguished by 18 characters including snout–vent length 8.9–11.3 mm for males and 11.7–13.4 mm for females, general bright orange coloration of the body with small green and brown irregular points, and advertisement call including note groups (two notes per group, with 1–4 pulses per note). Phylogenetic data indicate that the new species is closely related to B. auroguttatus and B. quiririensis , which also occur at Serra do Quiriri. A review of diagnoses among species of the B. pernix group is provided. We propose classifying the new species as Least Concern. Serra do Quiriri experienced semi-arid periods in the Quaternary, with forests likely occurring at lower altitudes. As the climate became wetter, these forests expanded upward as cloud forests, forming patches amidst grasslands, leading to speciation by allopatry (microrefugia) of B. quiririensis , B. auroguttatus , and the new species. This process continues, with recent observations of Brachycephalus colonizing newly formed cloud forests at high altitudes. We propose the creation of the Refúgio de Vida Silvestre (RVS) Serra do Quiriri to protect this and other endemic species, without requiring government acquisition of private land.

A Pragmatic Radical Strategy for Dearomative Hydroalkylation of Unactivated Indoles

PCA/K-L transformation facial recognition method for vending systems

Facial recognition, as an efficient and convenient biometric technology, can be applied to automatic vending systems to achieve functions such as fast checkout and personalized recommendations. To improve the accuracy and processing speed of facial recognition technology, this study designs a facial recognition model for an automatic vending system with an improved principal component analysis method and the Holtling transform. This method reduces the dimensionality of facial features by introducing sample partitioning and histograms into principal component analysis to process facial data. On this basis, the Holtling transform is applied to process the reduced dimensional feature image to obtain the projection value of the face image, making the image easier to recognize. On the renderMe-360 and VoxCeleb2 datasets, the recognition accuracy of the model reached 96.32% and 98.24%, both higher than the comparison methods. The model had an average recognition accuracy of 94.388% in facial recognition from various angles, and showed significant efficiency advantages in feature face construction time and recognition time, especially in high noise conditions, demonstrating strong robustness. Therefore, the proposed model can improve the accuracy of facial recognition, as well as have faster processing speed and noise tolerance, providing new technical value for the intelligent development of automatic vending systems in the future.

Protocells with ATP-Fueled Dissipative Behaviors as Functional Regulators

Contextual validation of HEMLEM tool used for measuring clinical micro-learning environments

Objective A positive clinical learning environment is essential for the professional development of medical and dental students. The Healthcare Education Micro Learning Environment Measure (HEMLEM) was originally developed in the UK but lacked cross-cultural validation, limiting its global applicability. This study aims to adapt and validate a revised version of HEMLEM (HEMLEM 2.0) in Pakistani medical and dental schools, with a focus on factorial structure, measurement invariance, and psychometric robustness. Methodology The HEMLEM was culturally adapted and validated for content and face validity through expert assessments and pilot testing to evaluate Pakistani medical and dental institution’s micro-learning environment. A subsequent cross-sectional study was conducted to evaluate the tool’s construct validity and reliability using a sample population. Data was collected using a revised 12-item HEMLEM instrument administered via Google Forms. Descriptive statistics, including skewness and kurtosis, were calculated. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was used to compare one-factor, three-factor, and bifactor models. Measurement invariance was tested across gender and academic discipline (MBBS/BDS) using multi-group CFA. Internal consistency was evaluated using Cronbach’s alpha and McDonald’s omega. Results A 20-expert panel assessed the content validity of HEMLEM tool, with an I-CVI score above 0.78 for each item and UA-CVI at 0.8. Ten items were revised based on feedback, forming HEMLEM 2.0. Construct validity was evaluated through responses from 628 Pakistani medical and dental students. The three-factor model of HEMLEM 2.0, comprising “Supervision,” “Autonomy,” and “Atmosphere,” demonstrated good fit (CFI = 0.932, RMSEA = 0.081) and was preferred over the bifactor model due to theoretical parsimony. Full configural, metric, and scalar invariances were confirmed across both gender and discipline. Item-level skewness and kurtosis indicated acceptable normality. Reliability testing showed Cronbach’s Alpha of 0.897, Omega coefficient of 0.929, and composite reliability of 0.901, indicating strong internal consistency. Conclusion HEMLEM 2.0 is a culturally adapted, psychometrically robust tool for assessing the clinical micro-learning environment in Pakistani healthcare education. Its strong validity and reliability support its use for quality improvement, curriculum evaluation, and educational research. Future studies should examine test-retest reliability, specialty-specific insights, and applicability in other low- and middle-income countries.

Unlocking the Core Geometry of High-Efficiency Copper Iodide Cluster Scintillators

A Late Pleistocene archaic human tooth from Gua Dagang (Trader’s Cave), Niah national park, Sarawak (Malaysia)

The rarity of Late Pleistocene hominin remains from Insular Southeast Asia (ISEA) has hampered our ability to understand a crucial episode of human evolutionary history, namely, the global dispersal of Homo sapiens from Africa. Moreover, recent discoveries indicate a surprising level of taxic diversity during this time with at least two species— H. floresiensis and H. luzonensis —endemic to the region when H. sapiens first arrived. A third hominin dubbed the ‘Denisovans’ is shown from DNA evidence to have interbred with the ancestors of contemporary Indigenous populations across ISEA, New Guinea and Australia. Yet, the Denisovans have not been identified from the fossil record of the area despite recent breakthroughs in this regard on mainland East Asia. New excavations by our team at the Trader’s Cave in the Niah National Park (‘Niah Caves’), northern Borneo, have yielded an isolated hominin upper central permanent incisor dated with Optically Stimulated Luminescence dating of sediments to about 52 − 55 thousand years ago. Specimen SMD-TC-AA210 has a massive crown absolutely and relative to its root size, the crown is wide (mesiodistally) and relatively short (labiolingually). Morphologically, it exhibits a very strong degree of labial convexity, pronounced shovelling, and the bulging basal eminence exhibits several upward finger-like projections. Labial enamel wrinking on the enamel-dentine junction is expressed as two large ridges exhibiting numerous spine-like projections, and the lingual extensions on the enamel surface of the basal eminence are expressed as six extensions. This combination of crown size and morphological traits is not normally found in H. sapiens and instead characterises archaic members of Homo such as H. erectus , H. neanderthalensis and Middle Pleistocene hominins sharing a clade with H. heidelbergensis. The Trader’s Cave tooth suggests that an archaic hominin population inhabited northern Borneo just prior to or coincident with the arrival of H. sapiens as documented at the nearby West Mouth of the Niah Great Cave.

P450-Mediated Dual Cyclization Mechanisms for Pyrroloindoline Unit Formation in Bispyrrolidinoindoline Diketopiperazine Alkaloid Biosynthesis

Social determinants of health and dual sensory loss in older adults: A scoping review

Background Social determinants of health (SDH), such as socioeconomic status, education, healthcare access, and social support, play a significant role in shaping individuals lived experiences. Dual sensory loss (DSL), a distinct disability involving both vision and hearing loss, poses greater challenges for daily living compared to the general population. This scoping review synthesized evidence on how various SDH indicators influence the life experiences of older adults with DSL. Methods Five scientific databases were searched from January 2014 to May 2024. Articles focusing on individuals aged 60 and older with DSL, in the context of at least one SDH indicator, were included. Results A total of 69 studies met the eligibility criteria. Most studies addressed the following SDH indicators: disability (n = 46), social inclusion and non-discrimination (n = 21), gender (n = 10), and access to healthcare services (n = 9). Disability-related indicators revealed higher risks of mobility limitations, cognitive decline, depression, anxiety, social isolation, and workplace discrimination, all adversely affecting mental health and quality of life. Older adults with DSL encounter significant barriers to accessing healthcare, such as absence of adequate assistive devices, communication challenges, and high healthcare costs. Many report dissatisfaction with the quality of care received. Conclusions Our review identifies disparities that increase the vulnerability of older adults with DSL and restrict their access to healthcare, rehabilitation, and social participation. These findings warrant further research on underexplored SDH factors, using robust data sources that collects information on the lived experiences of older adults with DSL. Addressing these social determinants requires a comprehensive approach, including raising awareness, improving service access, enhancing social support networks, and ensuring inclusive policies and practices.

Atomic Eu Substitution in Cu ₂ O Tailors C ₁ and C ₂₊ Product Selectivity by Frustrated Deep Hydrogenation in Electrochemical CO ₂ Reduction

Bridging the gap: Essential factors for poststroke community reintegration in low-and-middle income countries

Background Community reintegration (CR), a fundamental goal in stroke rehabilitation, depends on both patients’ personal factors and disease-related factors. Dissatisfaction in reintegration levels is commonly observed among chronic stroke patients; hence, it is essential to understand the factors influencing CR of the chronic stroke patients in low-and-middle income countries. Methods A cross-sectional study was carried out involving 53 chronic stroke patients residing in the community aged over 18 years, with a single episode of stroke. Demographic details and patient-reported outcomes, including community reintegration, perceived social participation, balance self-efficacy, fear of fall, physical function, quality of life, caregiver strain, and perceived social support, were collected. The outcomes were correlated using Karl Pearson’s correlation for continuous and the t-test for categorical variables. Furthermore, a multiple linear regression was employed to identify the strongest predictor. Results All the patient-reported outcomes assessed in the present study have a significant influence on CR. A multiple regression analysis revealed that perceived social participation (β = −4.039, p  < 0.001), physical function (β = 0.470, p  = 0.018), and caregiver strain (β = −0.241, p  = 0.040) were good predictors of CR. However, perceived social participation restriction was observed to be the strongest predictor (R 2  = 0.812). Conclusion This study identified balance self-efficacy, physical function, quality of life, and perceived social support as positive contributors to CR, while fear of fall, caregiver strain and reduced perceived social participation hindered CR. Findings highlight the need for culturally sensitive strategies, especially in lowmiddle income countries, where family-led caregiving is predominant. Community-based programs and inclusive digital platforms may enhance recovery while empowering both patients and caregivers.

σ-Aromatic Ge–Sn Bridges in a Triply-Bonded Bare Cluster Dimer with a Long-Lived Triplet State

Drivers of fishermens’livelihood resilience and transitioning to ecological farming in Yangtze River,China:From PLS-SEM and fs/QCA

This study investigates the effects of risk perception, buffering ability, self-organization ability and learning ability on the fishermens’ecological farming willingness in Yangtze River, China. Using the Yangtze River basin fishermen as a case study, this study simultaneously used the partial least squares structural equation model (PLS-SEM) and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fs/QCA) to explore the linear and nonlinear dynamic impacts among the variables. PLS-SEM analysis revealed that livelihood resilience positively affect ecological farming willingness of retired fishermen; risk perception and livelihood resilience can positively influence ecological farming willingness through buffering, self-organization and learning abilities. The fs/QCA revealed that simple antecedent variables do not constitute a necessary condition for promoting fishermens’ strong ecological farming willingness, which depends on the conditions combined with another element. The analysis also elucidates the optimized combination of support policies for fishermen in different regions. In the eastern region, a compensation configuration that emphasizes “livelihood capital” through natural and material resources is identified as the most effective approach. This strategy aims to enhance the stock of livelihood capital for fishermen, thereby ensuring stability and sustainability in their livelihoods. Conversely, the central region is most effectively served by “policy-driven” assistance measures. These measures emphasize enhancing policy implementation to promote the transformation and restoration of livelihoods. Simultaneously, in the western region, an optimal comprehensive support model, characterized as “integrated capital -policy-community-skills,” comes to the fore. This approach empowers communities and offers substantial support for the sustainable development of fishermen’s livelihoods.