Single Atom-Substituted Chalcogenides with Anion Vacancy Bonded on Graphene Nanotubes for Achieving "1+1+1>3" Synergistic Enhanced Sodium Storage.

Developing distinctive composite anodes with multiple active components is critical for enhancing the charge storage capability of sodium-ion hybrid capacitors (SIHCs). Herein, In single atom-substituted SnS with moderate sulfur vacancies in situ bonded on N-doped graphene nanotubes (In─SnS@NG) is ingeniously engineered as a superior anode. Theoretical calculations and in situ/ex situ characterizations illustrate that the introduced Sn(In)─N interfacial bonds immensely strengthen composites integration and boost charge transfer, then In single atom substitution effectively elevates d band center and enhances Na adsorption.

Defined human tri-lineage brain microtissues.

Microglia are the immune cells of the central nervous system and are thought to be key players in both physiological and disease conditions. Several microglial features are poorly conserved between mice and human, such as the function of the neurodegeneration-associated immune receptor Trem2. Induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived microglia offer a powerful opportunity to generate and study human microglia.

Over 26% and 24%-Efficiency Rigid and Flexible Perovskite Photovoltaics through Enhanced Crystallinity and Alleviated Residual Strains.

The realization of the perovskite with few ionic defects, high crystallinity, and alleviated residual strains is crucial for making efficient rigid and flexible perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Herein, we used a passivating agent of 3-methylthio-1,2,4-triazine with strong anchoring strengths to passivate defects of the perovskite. This buried interface passivation improved the crystallinity of the perovskite with an alleviated residual strain while eliminating the localized deep-level defect states, thereby reducing the nonradiative recombination and minimizing the charge transport losses.

DFT Investigation of a Nonclassical Oxidative Addition-Reductive Elimination Pathway in the Pd(0)/Pd(II)/Pd(0) Cycle for Dual Hydroamination of Cycloheptatriene to Tropene.

Density functional theory calculations were conducted to investigate the Pd-catalyzed dual hydroamination of cycloheptatriene leading to tropene formation. The results reveal a nonclassical oxidative addition-reductive elimination mechanism operating within the Pd(0)/Pd(II)/Pd(0) catalytic cycle. In this mechanism, the Pd(0) to Pd(II) transformation occurs via an outer-sphere protonation-oxidation process, while the reverse Pd(II) to Pd(0) transformation proceeds through nucleophilic attack-induced reductive coupling.

Structure of the complex of C1q-like 3 protein with adhesion-GPCR BAI3.

The adhesion-GPCR Brain-specific Angiogenesis Inhibitor-3 (BAI3) plays a crucial role in organizing synapses in the brain. However, how BAI3 engages one of its ligands, the C1q-like proteins (C1qls), remains largely unexplored. Here, we present the single-particle cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) structure of the C1ql3-BAI3 complex at 2.

Distinct mechanisms control the specific synaptic functions of Neuroligin 1 and Neuroligin 2.

Neuroligins are postsynaptic cell-adhesion molecules that regulate synaptic function with a remarkable isoform specificity. Although Nlgn1 and Nlgn2 are highly homologous and biochemically interact with the same extra- and intracellular proteins, Nlgn1 selectively functions in excitatory synapses whereas Nlgn2 functions in inhibitory synapses. How this excitatory/inhibitory (E/I) specificity arises is unknown.

Mechanistic Insights from Density Functional Theory into Rh/Acid-Catalyzed Synthesis of 1,2-Dihydroquinolines via Skeleton-Reorganizing Coupling of Cycloheptatriene and Amines.

Density functional theory calculations were conducted to refine our understanding at the molecular level of the synthesis of fused 1,2-dihydroquinolines through Rh- and acid-catalyzed skeleton-reorganizing coupling reactions of cycloheptatriene with amines. The results reveal that the reaction progresses via cascade catalysis, consisting of consecutive steps of Rh-catalyzed intermolecular coupling involving two Rh-Rh-Rh transformations with a maximum energy barrier of 27.1 kcal/mol, followed by acid-catalyzed intramolecular skeleton reorganization with a peak energy barrier of 23.

Efficient and stable semitransparent perovskite photovoltaics a Lewis base incorporation.

Semitransparent perovskite solar cells (ST-PSCs) have great potential in building integrated photovoltaics. However, semitransparent devices suffer from a low electron mobility and an imbalanced charge-carrier transport, leading to an unsatisfactory power conversion efficiency (PCE) and limited stability. Herein, we report a high-performance ST-PSC the incorporation of a special Lewis base.

23.81%-Efficiency Flexible Inverted Perovskite Solar Cells with Enhanced Stability and Flexibility via a Lewis Base Passivation.

Lewis base molecules bind the undercoordinated lead atoms at interfaces and grain boundaries, leading to the high efficiency and stability of flexible perovskite solar cells (PSCs). We demonstrated a highly efficient, stable, and flexible PSC via interface passivation using a Lewis base of tri(-tolyl)phosphine (TTP). It not only induced an intimate interface contact and a complete deposition of the perovskite thin layers on hole transport layers (HTLs) but also led to a better perovskite with a raised crystallinity, fewer defects, and a better morphology, including fewer gullies, high uniformity, and low roughness.

Sensitivity enhancement of bimodal waveguide interferometric sensor based on regional mode engineering.

In this paper, we propose a novel bimodal waveguide based on regional mode engineering (BiMW-RME). Leveraging the orthogonality of the guided modes, the form of patterned SiO cladding on the bimodal waveguide can reduce the interaction between the reference mode and the analyte, thereby significantly improving sensitivity. The proposed BiMW-RME sensor experimentally demonstrates a phase sensitivity of 2766 π rad/RIU/cm and a detection limit of 2.

A Cu fluorescent chemosensor suitable for quantitative detection of tyrosinase in potatoes over a wide pH range.

Cu as an important trace element plays an essential role in various biologic processes due to the unique redox active nature. For this reason, much effort has been made to develop effective methods for Cu detection. In this study, a novel structure fluorescent chemosensor, 1-(6-(((5-(5, 5-difluoro-1, 3, 7, 9-tetramethyl-5H-4λ, 5λ-dipyrrolo[1, 2-c:2', 1'-f][1, 3, 2] diazaborinin-10-yl)quinolin-8-yl)oxy)methyl)pyridin-2-yl)-N, N-bis(pyridin-2-ylmethyl)methanamine (1), was synthesized and characterized by H and C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry.

On-Chip Fabrication-Tolerant Exceptional Points Based on Dual-Scatterer Engineering.

The intriguing and anomalous optical characteristics of exceptional points (EPs) in optical resonators have attracted significant attention. While EP-related phenomena have been observed by perturbing resonators with off-chip components, implementing EPs fully on-chip remains challenging due to their extreme susceptibility to fabrication errors. In this Letter, we propose a succinct and compact approach to reach EP in an on-chip integrated silicon microring resonator by manipulating the evolution of backscatterings with two nanocylinders of disparate diameters.

Theoretical Insight into the Palladium-Catalyzed Prenylation and Geranylation of Oxindoles with Isoprene.

This work presents a comprehensive mechanistic study of the ligand-controlled palladium-catalyzed prenylation (with C added) and geranylation (with C added) reactions of oxindole with isoprene. The calculated results indicate that the prenylation with the bis-phosphine ligand and geranylation with the monophosphine ligand fundamentally share a common mechanism. This mechanism involves the formation of two crucial species: a η-allyl-Pd(II) cation and an oxindole carbon anion.

Efficient generation of functional neurons from mouse embryonic stem cells via neurogenin-2 expression.

The production of induced neuronal (iN) cells from human embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells by the forced expression of proneural transcription factors is rapid, efficient and reproducible. The ability to generate large numbers of human neurons in such a robust manner enables large-scale studies of human neural differentiation and neuropsychiatric diseases. Surprisingly, similar transcription factor-based approaches for converting mouse ESCs into iN cells have been challenging, primarily because of low cell survival.

Direct Formation of Electronic Excited NO Contributes to the High Yield of HONO during Photosensitized Renoxification.

Photosensitized renoxification of HNO is found to produce HONO in an unexpectedly high yield, which has been considered an important source for atmospheric HONO. Conventionally, the production of HONO is ascribed to the secondary photolysis of the primarily formed NO. In this study, by using humic acid (HA) as a model environmental photosensitizer, we provide evidence of the direct formation of NO in its electronic excited state (NO*) as a key intermediate during the photosensitizing renoxification of HNO.

Dynamic signatures of microplastic distribution across the water column of Yangtze River Estuary: Complicated implication of tidal effects.

Riverine microplastic (MP) discharge into the ocean contributes greatly to global MP contamination, yet our understanding of this process remains primitive. To deepen our interpretation of the dynamic MP variation throughout the estuarine water columns, we sampled at Xuliujing, the saltwater intrusion node of the Yangtze River Estuary, over the course of ebb and flood tides in four seasons (July and October 2017, January and May 2018 respectively). We observed that the collision of downstream and upstream currents contributed to the high MP concentration and that the mean MP abundance fluctuated with the tide.

Deletion of Neuroligins from Astrocytes Does Not Detectably Alter Synapse Numbers or Astrocyte Cytoarchitecture by Maturity.

Astrocytes perform multifarious roles in the formation, regulation, and function of synapses in the brain, but the mechanisms involved are incompletely understood. Interestingly, astrocytes abundantly express neuroligins, postsynaptic adhesion molecules that function as synaptic organizers by binding to presynaptic neurexins. Here we examined the function of neuroligins in astrocytes with a rigorous genetic approach that uses the conditional deletion of all major neuroligins () in astrocytes and complemented this approach by a genetic deletion of neuroligins in glia cells that are co-cultured with human neurons.

Rapid Redox Cycling of Fe(II)/Fe(III) in Microdroplets during Iron-Citric Acid Photochemistry.

Fe(III) and carboxylic acids are common compositions in atmospheric microdroplet systems like clouds, fogs, and aerosols. Although photochemical processes of Fe(III)-carboxylate complexes have been extensively studied in bulk aqueous solution, relevant information on the dynamic microdroplet system, which may be largely different from the bulk phase, is rare. With the help of the custom-made ultrasonic-based dynamic microdroplet photochemical system, this study examines the photochemical process of Fe(III)-citric acid complexes in microdroplets for the first time.

Amyloid-β Protein Precursor Regulates Electrophysiological Properties in the Hippocampus via Altered Kv1.4 Expression and Function in Mice.

Background: Amyloid-β protein precursor (AβPP) is enriched in neurons. However, the mechanism underlying AβPP regulation of neuronal activity is poorly understood. Potassium channels are critically involved in neuronal excitability.

Palladium-catalyzed generation of CO from formic acid for alkoxycarbonylation of internal alkenes involves a PTSA-assisted NH-Pd mechanism: a DFT mechanistic study.

DFT calculations have been performed to find the mechanism of the alkyloxycarbonylation of an internal alkene with HCOOH catalyzed by a palladium complex with P,N hemilabile ligands. Four different cycles have been explored in detail, and a plausible catalytic cycle involves the decomposition of HCOOH/HCOOMe to CO, internal alkene isomerization, terminal alkene insertion, CO migratory insertion and methanolysis. It is shown that decomposition and isomerization processes involve a cooperative P,N hemilabile ligand and Pd(0) (NH-Pd) rather than the Pd(II) hydride (Pd-H) mechanism.

Erratum: Corrigendum: The distribution and behavioral characteristics of plateau pikas (). ZooKeys 1059: 157-171. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1059.63581.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1059.

Enhancing the flame retardancy and UV resistance of polyamide 6 by introducing ternary supramolecular aggregates.

An integrated multi-functional additive was fabricated by successively grafting melamine (MEL) and phytic acid (PhA) on multiwalled carbon-nanotubes (MWNCTs), and was then applied in PA6 to improve the flame retardancy and light aging resistance of the composite. The limit oxygen index of PA6 composite containing 7 wt% PhA-MEL-MWCNTs was increased to 26.4 from 21.

Sequence logic at enhancers governs a dual mechanism of endodermal organ fate induction by FOXA pioneer factors.

FOXA pioneer transcription factors (TFs) associate with primed enhancers in endodermal organ precursors. Using a human stem cell model of pancreas differentiation, we here discover that only a subset of pancreatic enhancers is FOXA-primed, whereas the majority is unprimed and engages FOXA upon lineage induction. Primed enhancers are enriched for signal-dependent TF motifs and harbor abundant and strong FOXA motifs.