Browse Articles

Experimental and numerical investigation of vibrations induced by manual demolition work in masonry buildings

Solubility, Speciation and Thermodynamics of PuCO ₃ OH(cr) in Carbonate Containing NaCl Solutions

Abstract The solubility, aqueous speciation, and solid phase formation of trivalent plutonium, Pu(III) was investigated for the first time in pH near‐neutral 0.10 M NaCl solutions under the presence of carbonate at T  = (23 ± 2) °C in the frame of a comprehensive experimental study. Crystalline PuCO 3 OH(cr) was synthesized by long‐term equilibration of the binary hydroxide Pu(OH) 3 (am) in aqueous Na 2 CO 3 solutions and comprehensively characterized by VIS/NIR absorption spectroscopy, SEM/EDX, powder XRD and Rietveld analysis, and Pu L3‐edge EXAFS. Batch solubility experiments with PuCO 3 OH(cr) equilibrated in 0.10 M NaCl–Na 2 CO 3 solutions were performed from undersaturation as a function of pH m and followed over time for up to 90 days. A chemical model was derived and the corresponding thermodynamic constants evaluated. These novel data demonstrate that under specific conditions Pu(III) equilibrium concentrations are up to three orders of magnitude lower when controlled by the PuCO 3 OH(cr) compared to the concentration level defined by Pu(OH) 3 (am), and reveal a remarkable stabilization of the entire Pu(III) oxidation state in carbonate containing aqueous solutions. The relevance of the new data for geochemical modeling of environmental systems and nuclear waste repositories is discussed.

Terahertz emission from Pt/BiFeO3 heterostructures

We demonstrate a terahertz (THz) emitter based on Pt/BiFeO3 heterostructures, leveraging the ultrafast strain-wave-driven spin dynamics for coherent THz generation. Femtosecond laser pulses absorbed in the Pt layer generate elastic strain waves that propagate into the epitaxial BiFeO3 thin films, deflecting the antiferromagnetic Néel vector and exciting out-of-plane spin-wave (magnons) via magnetostriction. These spin waves are converted into ultrafast charge currents through the inverse spin Hall effect in Pt, and then the charge currents excite significant THz radiations. The excitation mechanism, confirmed by polarization-independent emission and a cosine azimuthal dependence, excludes optical nonlinearities and highlights the importance of the interface strain. While electric-field control of THz emission was not experimentally realized, this work establishes Pt/BiFeO3 as a promising platform for nonvolatile, electrically tunable spintronic THz emitters, exploiting the inherent magnetoelectric coupling of multiferroic BiFeO3.

Unveiling crucifer metabolomes via UPLC-HRMS/MS and chemometric analysis of edible and non-edible varieties

Abstract Cruciferous green vegetables are considered as one of the most important consumed vegetables world-wide owing to their rich nutritive value, characteristic taste as well as health benefits. Cruciferous vegetables are rich in a myriad of bioactive phytochemicals including phenolic compounds and glucosinolates (GLS). The current work aims to assess heterogeneity in secondary metabolites profile among six cruciferous green leafy vegetables including Brassica oleracea (cabbage), B. oleracea var. Italica (broccoli), B. oleracea var. oleracea (cauliflower), B. rapa (turnip), Raphanus sativus L. (radish), and Nasturtium officinale (watercress) using UHPLC-HRMS/MS coupled with chemometric analysis. A total of 149 metabolites were identified belonging to different phytochemical classes including flavonoids, phenolic acids, steroids, anthocyanins, fatty acids/acyl esters, and GLS. Flavonoids were detected as the most abundant class in cruciferous vegetables represented by 48 peaks, especially Broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower. Radish exhibited unique flavonoid profiles including kaempferol- O -pentosylhexoside- O -deoxyhexoside, kaempferol- O -hexosyl- O -di-deoxyhexoside, and quercetin- O -tri-deoxyhexoside, along with indole-derived GLS known as methoxyspirobrassinin. Distinct phenolic acid profile was observed where di-sinapoyl- O -hexoside was detected only in turnip and broccoli, p-coumaroyl-malic acid was enriched in turnip only, and feruloyl malate and coumaroyl malate were enriched in turnip and radish. Unsupervised PCA analysis revealed distinct variation of turnip from other cruciferous samples, while OPLS-DA distinguished non-edible broccoli from edible cabbage, showing enrichment of neoglucobrassicin and malic acid in broccoli and higher flavonoid and anthocyanin levels in cabbage. These findings highlight the metabolic diversity of cruciferous leaves and support the valorization of underutilized species as potential functional food resources.

Redox Reactions with Calcium‐Metal Nanoparticles

Abstract Calcium is generally a highly reactive alkaline‐earth metal, but as bulk metal, it exhibits only low reactivity at ambient conditions due to small surface area, low solubility, and/or passivation. The reactivity can be significantly enhanced when using small‐sized calcium nanoparticles. In this regard, we describe the first synthesis of Ca(0) nanoparticles, 5.4 ± 1.2 nm in size, by TMEDA‐supported reduction of CaI 2 with lithium naphthalenide in toluene (TMEDA: N,N,N′,N′‐tetramethylethylenediamine). We also show Ca(0) nanoparticles to be substantially different from so‐called “ Rieke calcium ”. The high reactivity can be used for redox reactions, for instance, with [Cp 2 MoCl 2 ] and the sterically demanding β‐diketiminate ligand H Dipp NacNac (Dipp: 2,6‐ i Pr 2 C 6 H 3 ) or with [(Ph 3 P)AuCl] as a derivative of a ligand‐stabilized noble metal. The Ca(0)‐nanoparticle‐driven reactions result in the novel compounds [{( Dipp NacNac)(thf)Ca} 2 (naph)] ( 1 ) with a rare naphthalenide dianion, [{( Dipp NacNac)(thf)CaMo(Cp)H} 2 (fulvalene)] ( 2 ) with unusual MoH → Ca dative bonding, and [Au 9 (PPh 3 ) 8 ](naph)(tmeda) 0.5 ( 3 ) with a non‐charged body‐centered cubic Au 9 cluster core of zerovalent gold. Ca(0) nanoparticles and the compounds 1–3 are characterized by electron microscopy, X‐ray diffraction (single crystals, powders), spectroscopy (IR, UV‐Vis, NMR, EPR), and computation. Exemplarily, the formation of 1–3 points to the potential of nanosized alkaline‐earth metals for chemical syntheses and the different reactivity of nanosized and bulk metals.

Epoxy-driven carbon host engineering enables ultrafast wetting and dendrite-free K metal anode

K metal anodes are plagued by uncontrolled dendrite growth and interfacial instability, severely limiting their practical viability. To address this, we engineer a carbon paper host with surface epoxy groups (OCP) to regulate K metal deposition. This design enables ultrafast wetting of molten K (<0.1 s) and dendrite-free plating. In situ microscopy confirms uniform K deposition on OCP, in stark contrast to the rampant dendrite formation observed on bare K. Symmetric cells achieve excellent stability, operating over 2000 h at 2 mA cm−2/0.5 mAh cm−2 and sustaining dendrite suppression up to 5 mA cm−2. Mechanistic insights demonstrate that the epoxy groups in OCP promote the formation of an inorganic-rich solid–electrolyte interphase by enhancing electron shielding and facilitating desolvation. As a result, the OCP host achieves a high average Coulombic efficiency of 99.6% over 800 cycles at 1 mA cm−2/1 mAh cm−2. When integrated with a Prussian blue analog, the full cells further exhibit almost no capacity decline after 600 cycles at 500 mA g−1. We believe that our work provides a promising strategy for suppressing dendrite growth and extending the cycle life of K metal batteries.

Association between a body shape index (ABSI) and periodontal disease: a cross-sectional study

Negative bias temperature stress-induced threshold voltage instability and mobility degradation in SiC PMOS devices

This study reveals a fundamental difference in the degradation mechanisms of 4H-SiC PMOS and NMOS devices under negative bias temperature stress. While NMOS devices exhibit substantial electron mobility degradation exceeding 8% under stress at 300 °C and −40 V for 1000 s, PMOS devices demonstrate remarkable stability, with hole mobility degradation limited to less than 2.5%, despite experiencing significantly higher hole injection into the gate oxide. By applying Matthiessen's rule to decompose mobility components and fitting scattering parameters as functions of effective electric field and temperature (up to 300 °C), we quantitatively pinpoint the dominant degradation mechanisms. For PMOS, phonon scattering prevails under high fields and temperatures, intrinsically limiting mobility via lattice vibrations and rendering it resilient to stress-induced defects. In stark contrast, NMOS degradation stems primarily from a stress-induced enhancement of Coulomb scattering, correlated with the generation of new interface traps. This experimental and decomposition approach quantifies the scattering-specific contributions to degradation, demonstrating that the dominance of phonon scattering preserves PMOS mobility integrity despite significant stress. The methodology offers a framework for reliability-aware design optimization in SiC metal–oxide–semiconductor technology.

Prognostic value and biological role of STING-related genes GAB3 and IL16 in lung adenocarcinoma: implications for immune evasion and treatment

High-efficiency SHG and polarization manipulation of femtosecond higher-order Poincaré sphere beam

Nonlinear frequency conversion is a well-established technique for extending the laser wavelength range. However, achieving nonlinear frequency conversion and polarization manipulation for vector beams with non-uniform polarization distributions remains a challenge due to the intrinsic polarization selectivity of optical nonlinear processes. This study demonstrates high-efficiency second harmonic generation (SHG) of femtosecond vector beams using orthogonal dual-BBO crystals. A cascaded group-delay compensation crystal is employed to correct the temporal asynchrony between the two orthogonally polarized second harmonic components generated sequentially. A 100 fs cylindrical vector beam at a near-infrared wavelength of 800 nm was efficiently converted into its second harmonic at 400 nm, achieving a maximum single-pass SHG efficiency of approximately 23%. The polarization distribution of the vector-polarized second harmonic (SH) beam exhibited a strong correlation with its fundamental-harmonic (FH) counterpart. Arbitrary polarization states on the higher-order Poincaré sphere, characterized by a doubled topological charge (lSH = 2lFH), were demonstrated through polarization modulation of the seeded FH beam, with SHG efficiency consistently maintained above ∼20%.

Network pharmacology and in vitro studies demonstrate modulation of fibrotic pathways by Swertia chirayita in pulmonary fibrosis

Abstract Various biological processes contribute to pulmonary fibrosis, which results in fibrotic foci that impede the exchange of gases between alveoli and capillaries. This study investigates the therapeutic mechanism in fibrotic foci reconfiguring via the TNF signaling pathway by potential Swertia chirayita (SC) components to treat pulmonary fibrosis by network pharmacology, in silico, and in vitro studies. The targets of LC-MS/MS analyzed SC components were used to build a protein-protein interaction network in Cytoscape and predicted key targets and signalings. The molecular docking, dynamics (MD) simulation, and principal component analysis (PCA) were performed to predict the potential interactions between components and their targets. In vitro studies, such as cell migration, E-cadherin immune fluorescence assay, and western blot analysis were performed in NIH3T3 and A549 cells with or without TGFβ1 stimulation. The network pharmacology of SC revealed nine key targets, and the pathway analysis found that these targets are implicated in TNF-α signaling. The main components of SC have substantial binding affinities, as shown by molecular docking. Furthermore, MD simulation and PCA predict that bellidifolin, gentiopicroside, and mangiferin will substantiate the anti-fibrotic effect. SC inhibited fibroblast migration and differentiation, epithelial to mesenchymal transition, and TNF-α downstream markers like NF-κB/p-NF-κB. In vitro studies confirmed the network pharmacology and docking predictions that SC can modulate fibrotic foci by acting through the TNF-α signaling pathway.

Tuning the electronic properties of graphene via embedding diborane molecules

Tuning the gapless and isotropic Dirac electron behavior in graphene remains an active research pursuit. Recently, a study revealed that the on-surface synthesis of zigzag graphene nanoribbons embedded with porphyrins laterally fused along the ribbon backbone opens exciting opportunities for creating hybrid graphene nanostructures in which the electronic properties can be precisely tuned [Xiang et al., Nat. Chem. 17, 1356 (2025)]. Inspired by this progress, herein, we propose a band engineering scheme involving the fusion of exotic molecules, rather than pure atoms or carbon-based molecules, into the graphene lattice, as exemplified by embedding diborane molecules along the armchair or zigzag direction in graphene (named diBEG-AN or diBEG-ZN). First-principles calculations reveal that diBEG-A1 is a direct bandgap semiconductor. Additionally, a bandgap oscillation emerges in other diBEG-ANs, following the rule N = 3,5,7 + 6n (where n is an integer). The combination of a broad intrinsic and strain-tunable direct bandgap window, light charge carriers, optical dichroism, and dipole-allowed optical transitions makes diBEG-ANs highly promising for optoelectronic and direction-dependent device applications. Strained diBEG-A5/A7 and diBEG-ZNs (N > 1) are Dirac semimetals (DSs) that exhibit tunable anisotropic phases, including the highly tilted type-I, type-II, and semi-DS states. Tight-binding analysis suggests that the diverse electronic properties of diBEGs primarily originate from the reformulation of orbital interactions near the diborane units. The engineering strategy proposed herein and the outcomes demonstrated hereby are poised to provide an alternative angle for graphene-related applications and the underlying physics.

Instructional modality influences neurocognitive engagement during moral learning

Discriminative Peroxymonosulfate Activation on Iron Carbides for Redox‐Neutral Singlet Oxygen Generation

Abstract In conventional redox cycle‐based Fenton‐like processes, the imbalanced rates between the reductive activation of peroxymonosulfate (PMS) and the subsequent catalyst recovery by PMS oxidation often leads to the catalyst deactivation, posing a major challenge to achieving long‐term stability. Herein, we report a discriminative, redox‐neutral PMS activation pathway enabled by a core–shell Fe 3 C@C catalyst, which eliminates performance loss caused by such redox imbalance. Covalent Fe─C bonds within Fe 3 C@C suppress complete electron transfer for PMS oxidation or reduction, preventing the radical‐forming pathways. Instead, PMS is activated through electronic induction, discriminatively cleaving the peroxyl O─O bond to generate singlet oxygen ( 1 O 2 ) as the sole reactive oxygen species (ROS) without significant changes in the Fe valence state, thereby greatly enhancing catalyst durability. Beyond PMS activation, the highly conductive Fe 3 C@C network serves as an efficient electron relay, promoting pollutant degradation with 1 O 2 by facilitating electron‐exchange between PMS and pollutant. By integrating redox‐neutral PMS activation with electron‐connection driven pollutant oxidation, Fe 3 C@C achieves both high reactivity and exceptional long‐term stability, overcoming the traditional trade‐off between activity and durability. This work introduces a new paradigm in Fenton‐like catalysis, demonstrating how covalent coordination engineering can unlock selective, nonradical pathways for sustainable and robust water treatment.

Giant perpendicular magnetic anisotropy in Mo/Boron-rich CoFeB/MgAl2O4 structure

Perpendicular magnetic tunnel junctions (p-MTJs) with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) are key devices for scaling magnetoresistance random access memories down to ∼10 nm. However, the magnetic anisotropy field Hk of the intensively studied CoFeB/MgO is still about 4–6 kOe for bottom CoFeB, and the corresponding magnetic anisotropy energy coefficient Keff is about 3 × 106–5 × 106 erg cm−3. In this study, we aim to realize a giant PMA in Mo (2 nm)/Co19Fe56B25 (tCoFeB)/MgAl2O4 (4 nm)/Ta (1 nm) stack. By using the Boron-rich Co19Fe56B25 layer in combination with the Boron-blocking Mo underlayer and the spinel MgAl2O4 oxide layer, we can realize giant PMA in CoFeB with Hk as high as 17.5–19.5 kOe and Keff as high as 6.9 × 106–9.4 × 106 erg cm−3. Auger electron spectroscopy depth profiles reveal that the good balance between the Boron-blocking Mo layer and the Boron-sink MgAl2O4 layer results in about 20% of the original Boron remaining in CoFeB, leading to a small magnetization and giant PMA. Our results pave the way for further scaling of MTJs and improved resistance against thermal and external magnetic field disturbance.

Three-learning strategy particle swarm optimization for air-ground collaborative logistics transportation scheduling problem with pickup and delivery considering customer priorities

Dipole modulated switching in an energy-efficient flexible organic bilayer memristor

An electroforming-free and self-compliance flexible organic memristor has been developed using an organic–organic bilayer interface. A phase-separated 6,13-bis(triisopropylsilylethynyl)pentacene (TP): poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl) (P3HT) bilayer sandwiched between silver and copper electrode patterned in the form of a crossbar mounted on a polyvinyl alcohol substrate served as the organic memristor. The switching behavior and memory characteristics of the device are found to be affected by blending ratios of TP and P3HT. At the blending ratio of 3:1, the resistive switching device exhibited a memristive behavior with a high ON/OFF ratio (>103), prolonged data retention (>105 s), and a low switching voltage (<±1 V). In contrast, the 1:1 blend configuration yields a write-once-read-many memory with an ON/OFF ratio of ∼105. Interfacial dipole orientation and π–π stacked transport are demonstrated to govern resistive switching in these phase-separated bilayer organic memristors. Along with low power consumption, the crossbar architecture and flexibility of the device make it a promising candidate for energy-efficient in-memory computing.

Influence of the design of modern subperiosteal multivectorial anchored Implants on success and survival in complex patient cases

Abstract This study investigates factors relating to the success and survival of patient-specific subperiosteally multivectorial anchored implants (IPS-Implant) with a minimum of two coupling elements (CE) to anchor the prosthetic restoration in challenging patient situations. Construction parameters of the implants were analyzed. Implantation timepoint, complications, and complication severity using USPHS criteria (A–D) were obtained from patients records. CE-location, spacing, length and transmucosal height were evaluated for their influence. The medial plaque (mPI) and the gingival (GI) indices were evaluated in order to assess inflammations around the CE. Success and survival rates were analyzed via Kaplan–Meier analysis and log-rank tests. In fifteen patients (6 men, 9 women) aged 40 to 92 in total 49 CE were examined. Kaplan–Meier analysis revealed a 2-year success rate of 91.6% and survival rate of 97.5%, while long-term analysis showed a success rate of 53.9% and survival rate of 89.4% after 8.9 years in total. Only 3 CE got lost due to fracture of the supporting bone. 46 CE are still in clinical use. After 1.8 years in the earliest, in 18 cases, signs for inflammation were detected. 10 of these inflammations required medical care. Subperiosteal implants show good short-term results but often face soft-tissue complications over time. Neighboring natural teeth and distances between coupling elements < 10 mm increased the risk for complications. Implant design, surface finish, and prosthetic protection are crucial for long-term success, requiring further research.

Stabilization of elastoviscoplastic flow via gas-assisted interfacial slip

The suppression of interfacial instabilities in elastoviscoplastic fluids remains a crucial challenge in confined flow physics. In this work, numerical simulations are performed on the extrusion of elastoviscoplastic polymer flow to study the suppressing mechanism of gas assistance on interfacial instabilities. The Saramito–Herschel–Bulkley model is used to characterize the complex rheological behavior of elastoviscoplastic polymer. An in-depth comparative analysis of the extrusion of an elastoviscoplastic polymer flow with and without gas assistance is carried out, aiming to reveal the effects of gas assistance in enhancing surface stability. Furthermore, the effects of normalized gas inlet velocity (U/V) and Bingham number (Bi) on the deformation and internal stress of the polymer are studied. The results show that the auxiliary gas establishes a continuous lubricating layer, which transforms the wall slip boundary into a gas-slip condition, thereby homogenizing shear transmission and suppressing the onset of sharkskin instability, and there exists an optimal gas inlet velocity condition. In addition, the Bingham number (Bi) governs the transition between elastic and yield-dominated flow regimes, where higher Bi enhances local yielding and interfacial disruption, resulting in exacerbated surface fluctuations, intensified sharkskin defects, increased surface roughness, higher internal stress, and larger regions with high values of the trace of the stress tensor. The gas layer effectively mitigates this by regulating near-wall stress continuity. This work benefits a deeper understanding of sharkskin instability of elastoviscoplastic polymers, thereby providing guidance to gas-assisted material extrusion additive manufacturing.

Ferritinophagy-related prognostic genes UBE2Q1, NEDD4L, and TCP11L2 for prognosis prediction in sepsis