Browse Articles

Repeated activation of Gαq has a detrimental impact on C. elegans in an age-dependent manner

Solitary and soliton solutions of the nonlinear fractional Chen Lee Liu model with beta derivative

Polyserine–tau interactions modulate tau fibrillization

Atomic‐Scale Mott–Schottky Analogy in SnCu Nanoalloy Promote High‐Efficiency Urea Electrosynthesis at Ultralow Potential

Abstract Electrocatalytic urea synthesis from CO 2 and NO 3 − offers a sustainable strategy to address environmental challenges and growing urea demand. However, current systems suffer inefficient C‐N coupling due to poor selectivity toward critical C/N‐intermediates. Herein, we engineered atomic‐scale Mott–Schottky analogy in SnCu nanoalloy to create electron‐enriched Cu sites, enabling remarkable urea production through quadruple synergy. Sn 2 Cu delivered exceptional urea yield (28.9 mmol h −1 g cat. −1 ) with 46.7% Faradaic efficiency (FE) in H‐cell, while demonstrating practical potential with superior catalytic performance (yield: 72.6 mmol h −1 g cat. −1 , FE: 41.3%, stability: 60 h) at −0.52 V in flow cell. In‐situ synchrotron radiation‐Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and theoretical calculations revealed electron‐enriched Cu active sites enhanced CO 2 /NO 3 − co‐adsorption and *CO coverage, while steering reaction pathway toward *CO‐*NHO coupling and suppressing hydrogen evolution, thereby reducing rate‐determining step energy barrier and prioritizing C‐N coupling. This work develops a structure–adsorption‐reactivity framework, providing fundamental guidance for advanced urea electrocatalyst design.

Improving lung cancer detection with enhanced convolutional sequential networks

WTAP-mediated m6A methylation of circRNA_404908 promotes esophageal squamous cell carcinoma progression

Atomic‐Level Design of Acid–Base Pairs in Oxides for Selective Catalytic Reduction of Nitrogen Oxides with Ammonia

Abstract Selective catalytic reduction of nitrogen oxides (NO x ) with NH 3 (NH 3 ‐SCR) poses considerable potential in the abatement of NO x emissions. However, the efficient adsorption and speedy reaction of reactants following the specific mechanism in a favorable way is still a challenge for enhancing catalysis. Herein, we propose the strategy aimed at adjusting electronic properties of Ce‐O v ‐W acid–base pairs through constructing oxygen vacancies on Ce/WO x , thereby fostering SCR activity. Experimental and theoretical results reveal that Ce‐O v ‐W acid–base pairs not only provide more Ce 3+ sites for promoting the reactivity of adsorbed NO, but also accelerate the reaction between NH 3 and gaseous NO owing to the generation of W 5+ species with superior surface acidity, which enhance Langmuir–Hinshelwood and Eley–Rideal mechanisms, respectively. Consequently, the designed catalysts achieve over 90% NO x conversion above 250 °C and exhibit higher activity than normal Ce/WO 3 and V/W‐TiO 2 commercial catalysts, with anti‐poisoning of SO 2 and H 2 O under harsh working conditions, expecting to provide the guidance for promoting de‐NO x industrial application.

Assessment of classroom design for physical education using COCOSO algorithm and modified Sugeno Weber aggregation operators

A three-stage assembly program governing pancreatic, plasma, pituitary, and bone secretory cell differentiation: A strategy to augment protein delivery

Light‐Induced Fe‐LMCT Catalysis for Redox‐Coupled Conversion of NO _x and SO ₂ Mixture

Abstract The coexistent nitrogen oxides (NO x ) and sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ) in flue gas pose inherent challenges for simultaneous removal due to their disparate reactivities. Conventional sequential treatments for their simultaneous removal face major issues of catalyst deactivation and byproduct generation. Here, we develop a subtle strategy using light‐induced ligand‐to‐metal charge transfer (LMCT) catalysis with Fe(II) ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA‐Feᴵᴵ) to achieve redox‐coupled conversion of NO and SO 2 mixtures. LMCT excitation in EDTA‐Fe II induces directional charge separation under irradiation, routing photogenerated electrons (e⁻) to Feᴵᴵ for driving selective NO‐to‐N 2 conversion (selectivity: 99.89%), while photogenerated holes (h + ) oxidize SO 2 to SO 4 2 ⁻ (selectivity: 96.34%). This spatial segregation of redox pathways suppresses N 2 O generation, enabling continuous operation with 90.3% NO and nearly 100% SO 2 removal efficiency. Mechanism studies reveal the LMCT‐enhanced charge transfer from carboxyl/amino groups to Fe centers, while in situ EPR confirms the •SO 3 2 ⁻ radical‐mediated h + scavenging that accelerates charge separation and utilization. This work establishes Fe‐LMCT catalysis as a sustainable platform for gas‐phase pollutants remediation, achieving unprecedented selectivity through precise redox pathway control.

Soil conditioning optimization of sandy pebble soil with different fine contents and prediction by machine learning

Negatively charged α-synuclein condensate modulates partitioning of molecules

Amplifying Circularly Polarized Luminescence with High Dissymmetry Factor over 10 ⁻² Based on Robust Point Chirality Triptycene Derivatives

Abstract Chiral organic luminescent materials are promising candidates as direct emitting layers (EMLs) in circularly polarized organic light‐emitting diodes (CP‐OLEDs). However, most conventional systems suffered poor thermal stability of chiral configurations and low luminescent dissymmetry factors. Herein, we reported a pair of triptycene‐bridged enantiomers with a point chirality and a donor–acceptor architecture. Robust point chirality, originating from quaternary bridgehead‐carbons, prevented the common racemization during thermal sublimation. Thanks to the reduced electric transition dipole moment (µ e ) in donor–acceptor architecture, tuned parallel alignment between the further reduced µ e and magnetic transition dipole moment (µ m ) in the exciplex emitter, and the utilized chiral exciplex host for energy transfer to phosphor, the corresponding dissymmetry factors of emitters were sequentially amplified from 3.3 × 10 −4 to 4.5 × 10 −3 , and to 8.1 × 10 −3 . Remarkably, the CP‐OLED device simultaneously achieved outstanding electroluminescence performance with a high external quantum efficiency of 31.8% and a large dissymmetry factor of 2.2 × 10 −2 . This work provided a viable pathway for developing high‐performance CP‐OLED materials through synergistic structural, material, and device engineering.

Environmental contaminants drive insecticide resistance in Anopheles mosquitoes in Ghana

Abstract Insecticide-based interventions such as IRS and LLINs have significantly reduced malaria transmission globally. However, their sustainability is increasingly threatened by insecticide resistance. While insecticide and pesticide use are known resistance drivers, the role of environmental contaminants remains underexplored. This study investigated the impact of environmental contaminants on insecticide resistance by sampling Anopheles larvae from six sites in Ghana, including petroleum spill sites, mining areas and industrial zones. WHO bioassays revealed resistance to clothianidin (Mortality rate (MR) = 54% – 80%) and chlorfenapyr (MR = 80% − 84%) in all site categories. Interestingly, high-intensity resistance to pirimiphos methyl (MR = 10x = 1.7%) was detected in vectors from Obuasi. High-intensity pyrethroid resistance [deltamethrin (MR = 10x = 79–92%); permethrin (MR = 10x = 74–95%)] was observed across all sites, with varying frequencies of kdr mutations ( L995F , V402L , I1527T , P1874L ; 0.12–0.98) were observed across all sites. High allele frequency of Ace-1 (0.62) was observed in Obuasi. Chemical analyses of water from breeding habitats revealed significant associations between heavy metals and insecticide resistance ( P  = 0.04). Anopheles coluzzii (81.7%) was the dominant species across all sites. These findings provide evidence that environmental contaminants may contribute to insecticide resistance. There is an urgent need for enhanced surveillance and resistance management strategies for effective malaria vector control.

TORC2 and MAPK signaling pathways regulate mitochondrial degradation induced by iron starvation in Schizosaccharomyces pombe

Radical Reactivity of Thioimidates for Diversified Polymeric Amidines with Tunable Properties

Abstract The first reactions of thioimidates under radical‐mediated conditions are described along with the delineation of structural factors that impact radical reactivity and possible side reactions. Thioimidate‐containing copolymers with methylmethacrylate (MMA) are synthesized through radical‐mediated, chain‐growth polymerization. These materials serve as a synthetic branch point for facile conversion into amidines by treatment with a weak acid and an external amine. Our approach allows for more diverse amidine structures than have been previously reported in polymers. This chemistry also enables crosslinking to form novel hydrogels with finely tuned acid–base behavior. Subsequent examination of the acid–base properties revealed that these features are preserved across linear, soluble amidine polymers to cross‐linked amidine gel polymer architectures.

Experimental and numerical study on the effect of web openings on the torsional behavior of pre-compressed hollow UHPC beams

Abstract Hollow ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) members subjected to axial pre-compression and torsion represent realistic loading scenarios commonly observed in modern engineering structures, including bridge box girders, prestressed members, and high-rise tubular columns. The inclusion of web openings further reflects practical design requirements. However, the combined effect of pre-compression, torsion, and openings on UHPC members remains insufficiently addressed in literature. To address this gap, the present study integrates experimental work with numerical simulation to provide novel insights into the structural behavior of UHPC beams under complex loading scenarios. The experimental study involves testing five UHPC pre-compressed reinforced hollow beams with central openings under torsion. Their results are presented in terms of cracking and ultimate torque, failure modes, cracking pattern, elastic and cracked torsional stiffness, post-cracking load-carrying capacity, torsional ductility, strain in lower steel bars and torque–angle of twist curve. In the numerical study, 23 UHPC beams (including the 5 tested beams) are modeled using the finite element method with Abaqus software. The presentation of numerical results includes some measurements that could not be experimentally reported. Based on the findings, key recommendations are also proposed to guide future design and implementation of UHPC members under combined loading.

Uncovering mRNA sequences that control translation initiation

Real-time monitoring of secretory protein traffic for investigating trafficking regulators of ACE2 in living cells

Neurons ensheathed by perineuronal nets are prone to hyperphosphorylation of tau protein in the hibernating Syrian hamster brain

Abstract Perineuronal nets (PNNs) are a specialized form of neuronal extracellular matrix that often ensheath highly active cells, such as parvalbumin-positive (PV+) interneurons. Net-bearing neurons have been shown to be devoid of pathological aggregates of hyperphosphorylated tau protein (p-tau), suggesting they may serve neuroprotective functions. P-tau is a major hallmark of tauopathies like Alzheimer’s disease (AD) but is also naturally present in the brains of hibernating mammals during the torpor phase. However, the relationship between PNNs and p-tau in both pathological and physiological contexts remains unclear. In this study, we examined the association between PNNs, PV, and p-tau in the neocortex of hibernating Syrian hamsters. We observed consistent PNN expression across euthermic and torpid states. Unexpectedly, PNN-enwrapped neurons showed a higher prevalence of p-tau (82%) compared to the overall neuronal population (60%) during torpor. Similarly, PV+ interneurons displayed a high prevalence of p-tau (78%). These findings suggest that PNNs do not prevent tau hyperphosphorylation under physiological conditions like hibernation, in contrast to their potential neuroprotective role in AD pathology. Instead, specific neuronal subsets, such as PNN-enwrapped PV+ interneurons, are likely to exhibit p-tau during torpor. Further analysis of the interplay between p-tau, PNNs, and PV+ interneurons may therefore reveal adaptive strategies for neuronal protection and metabolic regulation, with implications for neurodegeneration and brain metabolic stress.