Browse Articles

Exploring electrochemical dynamics in graphite||LiNi0.8Mn0.1Co0.1O2 cells via operando ultrasound and multiprobe approaches

Intelligent identification analysis and process design for highly similar categories using Platycerium as an example

Solution-sheared supramolecular oligomers with enhanced thermal resistance in interfacial adhesion and bulk cohesion

Abstract Developing strong, thermally resistant adhesives for load-bearing applications remains challenging. Here we report a class of solution-sheared supramolecular oligomers that exhibit exceptional adhesive strength and toughness across a broad temperature range. These adhesives achieve a debonding work up to 23.6 kN/m and a lap shear strength exceeding 30.6 MPa, surpassing commercial structural adhesives by up to eightfold on metal and glass surfaces. Impressively, they retain a lap shear strength above 21 MPa even at 120 °C, outperforming current leading commercial alternatives. This performance arises from hierarchical nanostructures formed during solution shearing, which create enlarged, ordered nanocrystals and aligned nanofibrils within the bulk, enhancing mechanical robustness and toughness. Simultaneously, hydrogen-bonded nanocrystals anchored at the surface significantly strengthen interfacial adhesion. This multiscale structural organization enables thermal tolerance, crack resistance, and efficient energy dissipation, setting a new paradigm for high-performance, reusable adhesives capable of multiple rebonding cycles. Our work demonstrates how solution-shearing simultaneously optimizes adhesion chemistry and multiscale nano/microstructural control, achieving synergistic improvements in interfacial adhesion and bulk cohesion.

The interplay between executive functions and updating predictive representations

Abstract Modifying habits, particularly unwanted behaviors, is often challenging. Cognitive research has focused on understanding the mechanisms underlying habit formation and how habits can be rewired. A key mechanism is statistical learning, the continuous, implicit extraction of probabilistic patterns from the environment, which forms the basis of predictive processing. However, the interplay between executive functions (EF) and the rewiring – or updating – of these probabilistic representations remains largely unexplored. To address this gap, we conducted an experiment consisting of four sessions: (1) Learning Phase – acquisition of probabilistic representations, (2) Rewiring Phase – updating these probabilistic representations, (3) Retrieval Phase – accessing learned representations, and (4) EF assessment, targeting five key aspects: attentional control, inhibition, working memory, flexibility, and verbal fluency. We focused on the relationship between these EF measures and the updating of previously acquired knowledge using an interindividual differences approach. Our results revealed a positive relationship between rewiring and inhibition, suggesting that better inhibitory control may facilitate the adaptive restructuring of probabilistic predictive representations. Conversely, a negative relationship was identified between rewiring and semantic fluency, implying that certain underlying aspects of verbal fluency tasks, such as access to long-term memory representations, may hinder the updating process. We interpret this relationship through the lens of competitive memory network models. Our findings indicate that the rewiring of implicit probabilistic representations is a multifaceted cognitive process requiring both the suppression of proactive interference from prior knowledge through cognitive inhibition and a strong reliance on model-free functioning.

Monocyclic Azetidines via a Visible-Light-Mediated Aza Paternò-Büchi Reaction of Ketone-Derived Sulfonylimines

Activating silicon for high hydrogen conversion and sustainable anode recovery

Abstract The hydrolysis/methanolysis of silicon has received considerable attention to achieve efficient and on-demand hydrogen conversion. However, the intense covalent network and highly localized electrons in pure Si impede its reactivity with water (H2O) or methanol (CH3OH), thereby hindering the hydrogen release. In this work, we report the synthesis of Zintl phase alkalis-Si alloys via simple ball-milling or sintering, showing eminent performance in enhancement of H2O/CH3OH dissociation. Experiments combined with DFT calculations have revealed that the obtained Zintl phase alloys exhibit discrete Si clusters containing well-defined unpaired electrons that efficiently facilitate the interaction between reductant and solvent molecules. Such an effect thereby reduces the activation barrier of H2O/CH3OH dissociation to yield active intermediates containing Si-H structure, which significantly promotes the hydrogen release with favorable kinetics and efficiency. The optimal Zintl Li21Si5 alloy achieves ultrahigh Si utilization rates of 86.9% in water and 98.1% in methanol at 25 °C, respectively. Remarkably, even at an extremely low temperature of −40 °C, a substantial hydrogen yield of 1.091 L g− 1 in methanol is retained. Furthermore, the desirable Zintl phase-water reaction inspires an economic-friendly “charge-hydrolysis-separation” strategy, for effectively recovering the valuable lithium, graphite, Si and Cu resources from the degraded lithium-ion batteries.

Feasibility study of coke combustion and energy exergy analysis in the De-Coke process of cracking furnaces in olefin unit

Abstract This study investigates the numerical simulation of cracking furnaces and the feasibility of coke combustion in the De-Coke flow, utilizing computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and energy-exergy analysis. Employing the Euler-Lagrange approach, we simulate the motion of coke particles within the model. A turbulent model is applied to assess the combustion processes, while non-premixed models simulate fuel and coke particle interactions. Additionally, we incorporate the Discrete Ordinates Model for radiation and the Discrete Phase Model for coke particle motion simulation. Results indicate that injecting coke particles with dry air leads to a 100% conversion rate. However, increasing the temperature of the De-Coke stream from 454 K to 654 K yields only a slight increase in coke conversion from 52 to 55%, suggesting that sufficient time and temperature are crucial for complete combustion. The energy and exergy efficiency of the combustion furnace during the cracking process stand at 44.8% and 29%, respectively, compared to 93.24% and 96.2% during the coil cracking process. Furthermore, the destruction exergy for the combustion furnace is approximately 36%, whereas the coil experiences destruction exergy of less than 4%. Although energy and exergy distributions reveal similar trends for both conventional and burning-coke De-Coke processes at the coil, the burning-coke method offers increased destruction exergy and enhanced heat transfer, albeit at the cost of efficiency in energy and exergy transfer to the coil compared to conventional methods.

Exploring Three-Dimensional Porphyrin-Based Covalent Organic Frameworks with Outstanding Solar Energy Conversion

Direct observation of two-channel photodissociation of carbon monoxide from the hemoglobin subunits

Abstract Determining dynamics of bond breaking between carbon monoxide (CO) and heme proteins is essential to understand the interplay between protein function and dynamics, which is one of the fundamental challenges of physical biology. There is an ongoing debate about the mechanism of CO photodissociation from the heme iron. Here we use picosecond to millisecond transient mid-infrared spectroscopy to determine the dynamics of CO photodissociation from the isolated human hemoglobin chains. We find that the breaking of the Fe–CO bond is not a single-step process as is commonly accepted, but rather at least a two-step process, which includes both the known prompt sub-50-fs CO dissociation event and the additional slower, ~15 ps CO dissociation process discovered in this study. These results offer the direct experimental proof of the CO photodissociation mechanism containing several dissociative states.

Memetic Salp Swarm Algorithm for economic load dispatch problems

Tailoring Solvent-Mediated CO₂ Reservoirs at Heterointerfaces for Enhanced Electrochemical CO₂-to-C₂H₄ Conversion

IWS1 positions downstream DNA to globally stimulate Pol II elongation

Abstract The protein IWS1 (Interacts with SPT6 1) is implicated in transcription-associated processes, but a direct role in RNA polymerase (Pol) II function is unknown. Here, we use multi-omics kinetic analysis after rapid depletion of IWS1 in human cells to show that loss of IWS1 results in a global decrease of RNA synthesis and a global reduction in Pol II elongation velocity. We then resolve the cryo-EM structure of the activated Pol II elongation complex with bound IWS1 and elongation factor ELOF1 and show that IWS1 acts as a scaffold and positions downstream DNA within the cleft of Pol II. In vitro assays show that the disordered C-terminal region of IWS1 that contacts the cleft of Pol II is responsible for stimulation of Pol II activity and is aided by ELOF1. Finally, we find that the defect in transcription upon IWS1 depletion leads to a decrease of histone H3 tri-methylation at residue lysine-36 (H3K36me3), but that this secondary effect is an indirect function of IWS1. In summary, our structure-function analysis establishes IWS1 as a Pol II-associated elongation factor that acts globally to stimulate Pol II elongation velocity and ensure proper co-transcriptional histone methylation.

Corporate carbon emissions and market value

Non-genetic neuromodulation with graphene optoelectronic actuators for disease models, stem cell maturation, and biohybrid robotics

Abstract Light can serve as a tunable trigger for neurobioengineering technologies, enabling probing, control, and enhancement of brain function with unmatched spatiotemporal precision. Yet, these technologies often require genetic or structural alterations of neurons, disrupting their natural activity. Here, we introduce the Graphene-Mediated Optical Stimulation (GraMOS) platform, which leverages graphene’s optoelectronic properties and its ability to efficiently convert light into electricity. Using GraMOS in longitudinal studies, we found that repeated optical stimulation enhances the maturation of hiPSC-derived neurons and brain organoids, underscoring GraMOS’s potential for regenerative medicine and neurodevelopmental studies. To explore its potential for disease modeling, we applied short-term GraMOS to Alzheimer’s stem cell models, uncovering disease-associated alterations in neuronal activity. Finally, we demonstrated a proof-of-concept for neuroengineering applications by directing robotic movements with GraMOS-triggered signals from graphene-interfaced brain organoids. By enabling precise, non-invasive neural control across timescales from milliseconds to months, GraMOS opens new avenues in neurodevelopment, disease treatment, and robotics.

The clinicopathological and molecular landscape of breast cancer patients: a retrospective study in Sulaimaniyah, Iraq

Designed optogenetic tool for bridging single-neuronal multimodal information in intact animals

Abstract Integrating morphological, functional and molecular information of individual neurons is critical for classifying neuronal cell types and probing circuit mechanisms of brain functions. Despite the emergence of extensive single-neuronal morphology datasets largely via random sparse labeling, it remains challenging to map arbitrarily selected neuron’s morphology in vivo, especially in conjunction with its functional and molecular characteristics. Here, we report a genetically encoded Photo-inducible single-cell labeling system (Pisces) that enables simple, rapid and long-term in vivo labeling of the entire morphology of arbitrary neurons, as exemplified in intact larval zebrafish. Pisces allows sequential tracing of multiple neurons within individual animals, facilitating brain-wide projectome mapping. Importantly, combined with in vivo calcium imaging, and fluorescence in situ hybridization or single-cell RNA sequencing, Pisces allows linking individual neurons’ morphology characterization with their functional and/or gene expression investigation, respectively. This strategy promises to advance the construction of single-neuronal multimodal atlases and expedite the elucidation of neural circuitries underlying brain functions.

GPT2 mediates glutamine metabolism-driven metabolic alterations in platinum-resistant ovarian cancer cells

In-cell structure and variability of pyrenoid Rubisco

Abstract Ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco) is central to global CO 2 fixation. In eukaryotic algae, its catalytic efficiency is enhanced through the pyrenoid - a protein-dense organelle within the chloroplast that concentrates CO 2 . Although Rubisco structure has been extensively studied in vitro, its native structure, dynamics and interactions within the pyrenoid remain elusive. Here, we present the native Rubisco structure inside the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii determined by cryo-electron tomography and subtomogram averaging of cryo-focused ion beam milled cells. Multiple structural subsets of Rubisco are identified, stochastically distributed throughout the pyrenoid. While Rubisco adopts an active conformation in the best-resolved map, comparison among the subsets reveals significant local variations at the active site, at the large subunit dimer interfaces, and at binding protein contact regions. These findings offer a comprehensive understanding of the structure, dynamics, and functional organization of native Rubisco within the pyrenoid, providing valuable insights into its critical role in CO 2 fixation.

Theoretical investigation on PD-L1-In-1 for cancer immunotherapy via density functional theory

Cryo-EM structure of ribosome from pathogenic protozoa Entamoeba histolytica reveals unique features of its architecture