Monatomic glass formation through competing order balance.

The phase transformation of single-element systems is a fundamental natural process with broad implications, yet many aspects remain puzzling despite their simplicity. For instance, transition metals, Tantalum (Ta) and Zirconium (Zr), commonly form body-centred cubic crystals when supercooled. However, according to large-scale computer simulations, their crystallisation rates can differ by over 100 times.

Late fluid flow in a primitive asteroid revealed by Lu-Hf isotopes in Ryugu.

Carbonaceous asteroids are the source of the most primitive meteorites and represent leftover planetesimals that formed from ice and dust in the outer Solar System and may have delivered volatiles to the terrestrial planets. Understanding the aqueous activity of asteroids is key to deciphering their thermal, chemical and orbital evolution, with implications for the origin of water on the terrestrial planets. Analyses of the objects, in particular pristine samples returned from asteroid Ryugu, have provided detailed information on fluid-rock interactions within a few million years after parent-body formation.

Observing differential spin currents by resonant inelastic X-ray scattering.

Controlling spin currents, that is, the flow of spin angular momentum, in small magnetic devices, is the principal objective of spin electronics, a main contender for future energy-efficient information technologies. A pure spin current has never been measured directly because the associated electric stray fields and/or shifts in the non-equilibrium spin-dependent distribution functions are too small for conventional experimental detection methods optimized for charge transport. Here we report that resonant inelastic X-ray scattering (RIXS) can bridge this gap by measuring the spin current carried by magnons-the quanta of the spin wave excitations of the magnetic order-in the presence of temperature gradients across a magnetic insulator.

The maximum T of conventional superconductors at ambient pressure.

The theoretical maximum critical temperature (T) for conventional superconductors at ambient pressure remains a fundamental question in condensed matter physics. Through analysis of electron-phonon calculations for over 20,000 metals, we critically examine this question. We find that while hydride metals can exhibit maximum phonon frequencies of more than 5000 K, the crucial logarithmic average frequency rarely exceeds 1800 K.

Palladium-Catalyzed Cascade Cross-Coupling/Retro-Claisen Reaction of CF-Substituted β-Diketones with -Difluorocyclopropanes.

A palladium-catalyzed cascade coupling/retro-Claisen reaction of CF-substituted β-diketones with readily available -difluorocyclopropanes has been developed. This methodology allows for the expedient synthesis of γ-fluorinated γ,δ-unsaturated ketones in a one-pot procedure with a broad scope and good to excellent yields.

Gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors: A retrospective study conducted in the Colombian Southwest.

Introduction And Aim: Gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (GEP-NETs) are rare neoplasms originating in neuroendocrine cells from the gastric mucosa and submucosa, small intestine, large intestine, rectum, and pancreas. Our aim was to describe their histopathologic, endoscopic, and clinical characteristics and the experience with these tumors at a tertiary care hospital center in the Colombian Southwest.

Materials And Methods: A retrospective, analytic, observational, and descriptive study included 93 patients diagnosed with GEP-NETs, within the time frame of 2018 and 2022.

Unveiling the Pathogenicity of Allosteric Protein Mutations via Multifaceted Feature Ensembling.

Allosteric proteins play a central role in biological processes and systems. Identifying the biological impact of mutations on allosteric proteins and the phenotypes they influence during disease initiation and progression presents a significant challenge. In theory, computational methods have the potential to facilitate the interpretation of genetic variants in allosteric proteins on a large scale.

Artificial nacre based on polydopamine functionalized graphene oxide nanosheets constrained palladium nanocluster with enhanced mechanical properties and catalytical functionalities.

Inspired by "the composition of catechol and amine groups in the adhesive proteins" of marine mussel and "brick-and-mortar" structure of nacre, we use polydopamine (PDA) as "mortar", graphene oxides (GO) nanosheets as "brick", and Pd ions as interfacial reinforcer, to fabricate nacre-like Pd enhanced PDA functionalized GO membranes (Pd@PDA/GO) with vacuum filtration-assisted assembly method. Meanwhile, in situ reduced Pd nanoclusters by PDA chains were well constrained within the resultant Pd@PDA/GO artificial nacre composites. Good interfacial adhesion with dense packing of the GO nanosheets was further confirmed with sub-nano level microstructure characterization by positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy.

Simultaneous removal of NO and propane by solid electrolyte cells with LaPrBaNiO bifunctional electrodes.

Solid electrolyte cell is a novel gas purification approach, which has unique superiority in simultaneous nitrogen oxides (NO) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) removal. The development of effective electrode materials and the comprehensive understanding of reaction mechanisms are essential to advancing this technology. In this study, LaPrBaNiO (x = 0, 0.

Elucidating the origin of cellulose in various fibers and textiles via gas chromatography coupled with high resolution mass spectrometry based on pyrolysis behavior.

The identification of cellulose fibers from different sources remains a significant challenge across various fields due to their complex structural composition and diverse applications. In this study, pyrolysis gas chromatography/high-resolution mass spectrometry (Py-GC/HRMS) was employed to identify cellulose fibers and fabrics utilizing a relative ratio approach based on pyrolyzate yield, with levoglucosan (LG) as the primary peak, furfural (FF) and 5-methyl-2(3H)-furanone (α-AL) as reference peaks. Initially, four cellulose fibers had large discrepancies in pyrolyzate yield relative ratios when pyrolyzed at 600°C.

Compositional "plainification" in biodegradable magnesium-rare earth alloys - Achieving well-balanced performance in an ultra-lean Mg-Pr alloy.

Contrary to the traditional strengthening route by adding multiple & high-dosage alloying elements, we here explored extremely compositional and phase-constituent "simplification" in rare earth (RE) containing biodegradable magnesium alloys for better biocompatibility. An ultra-lean Mg-0.1Pr alloy with a multiscale microstructure has been developed through casting and extrusion, which showed well-balanced performances that match the commercial Mg-based orthopedic products.

New horizons in synthesis, functionalization, and deposition of advanced materials using multifunctional organic alkalizers.

This review describes new strategies in the use of multifunctional organic alkalizers (OA) for the fabrication of advanced functional materials. OA facilitate solubilization and delivery of poorly solubilized drugs through the formation of drug-OA complexes and supramolecular gels. OA are applied for the synthesis of materials for biomedical, energy storage, catalytic, photovoltaic, sensor, and electronic applications.

Silica-coating-mediated depassivation of nanosized zero-valent iron by Fe(II) at circumneutral pH.

Surface passivation of materials based on nanosized zero-valent iron (nZVI) limits the reductive reactivities of such materials at near-neutral pH. To overcome this, a reactivation strategy was developed involving adding aqueous Fe(II) to a silica-coated nZVI (nZVI@SiO) system, which markedly increased the nitrobenzene reduction efficiency. The Fe(0) core in nZVI@SiO acted as the main reductant, and Fe(II) sorbed to the SiO coating acted as a reactivating agent that facilitated electron conduction mainly through the 'chemi-conductor' mechanism.

Ordered alkene-alkyne alternating conjugation in polyimides: A dual-strategy approach to ultralow dielectric constant and high thermal conductivity.

Polyimide (PI) faces significant challenges in highly integrated and high-frequency electronic devices due to its inherently low thermal conductivity and relatively high dielectric constant (D). In this study, topologically micro-crosslinked PI films were synthesized by incorporating highly conjugated multi-amino polydiacetylene (MAPDA) into a fluorinated PI matrix. The unique alkene-alkyne alternating conjugated structure of MAPDA, combined with the strong electron-withdrawing trifluoromethyl groups in the matrix, promotes charge redistribution and reduces the dipole moment and polarizability.

MXene-enhanced paper/hydrogel bilayer moisture-driven generator for long-term energy output.

Moisture-driven energy generators (MEGs) represent a renewable energy technology, yet challenges such as environmental humidity dependence and transient power generation behavior hinder their practical applications. Herein, a high-performance bilayer MEG is developed by integrating MXene-impregnated paper with a polyacrylamide (PAM) hydrogel to realize environmental tolerance and sustained power generation. Electronegative MXene and paper with 3D porous structure synergistically facilitate selective transport of positive charge, while the hydrogel serves as a water reservoir to provide a moist environment and migratory ions.

Near-surface reconstruction in cobalt-free spinel positive electrodes for high-performance lithium-ion batteries.

Spinel lithium manganate (LiMnO) is considered a highly promising cobalt-free cathode material for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) owing to its three-dimensional Li-ion diffusion channels and the abundance of manganese. However, its practical applications are limited due to the substantial capacity deterioration induced by the Jahn-Teller effect and interfacial instability with the organic electrolyte. In this work, we propose a polyanion-based surface engineering strategy that enables simultaneous doping and the formation of a protective coating on the LiMnO cathode.

Valproic acid-based self-assembling nanoparticle prodrugs prevent skeletal muscle loss in cancer cachexia.

Cancer cachexia is a multifactorial syndrome characterized by persistent skeletal muscle loss, affecting 80 % of patients with advanced cancer and accounting for 20 % of cancer-related deaths. Despite its prevalence, effective treatment options remain limited due to the side effects and poor pharmacokinetic (PK) profiles of existing therapeutics, including valproic acid (VPA). To overcome these limitations, we developed self-assembling VPA-based nanoparticle prodrugs (abbreviated as Nano), consisting of amphiphilic block copolymers, in which VPA is covalently conjugated via ester linkages.

Rapid Removal of Azo Cationic Dyes Using a Cu(II) Hydrogen-Π-Bonded Organic Framework and Its Derived Oxide: A Combined Adsorption and Photocatalysis Study.

Azo dyes, prevalent in various industries, including textile dyeing, food, and cosmetics, pose significant environmental and health risks due to their chemical stability and toxicity. This study introduces the synthesis and application of a copper hydrogen-π-bonded benzoate framework (Cu-HBF) and its derived marigold flower-like copper oxide (MFL-CuO) in a synergetic adsorption-photocatalytic process for efficiently removing cationic azo dyes from water, specifically crystal violet (CV), methylene blue (MB), and rhodamine B (RhB). The Cu-HBF, previously available only in single crystal form, is prepared here as a crystalline powder for the first time, using a low-cost and facile procedure, allowing its application as an adsorbent and also serving as a precursor for synthesizing well-structured copper oxide (MFL-CuO).

Hamiltonian Grid-Based QM/MM Method with Mean-Field Embedding for Simulating Arbitrary Slab Geometries.

The quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) method is a powerful approach for investigating solid surfaces in contact with various types of media, since it allows for flexible modeling of complex interfaces while maintaining an all-atom representation. The mean-field QM/MM method is an average reaction field model within the QM/MM framework. The method addresses the challenges associated with the statistical sampling of interfacial atomic configurations of a medium and enables efficient calculation of free energies.

Two-Peak Heat Capacity Accounts for Rln(2) Entropy and Ground State Access in the Dipole-Octupole Pyrochlore Ce_{2}Hf_{2}O_{7}.

Magnetic heat capacity measurements of a high-quality single crystal of the dipole-octupole pyrochlore Ce_{2}Hf_{2}O_{7} down to a temperature of T=0.02  K are reported. These show a two-peaked structure, with a Schottky-like peak at T_{1}∼0.

Essay: Photonic Crystals as a Platform to Explore New Physics.

Photonic crystals are artificial materials characterized by a photonic band structure that governs the propagation of light waves. The photonic gap was originally introduced to inhibit spontaneous emission and facilitate photon localization. In this essay, I will highlight how, despite the established understanding of photonic crystals, they remain highly relevant today.

Deep feature engineering for accurate sperm morphology classification using CBAM-enhanced ResNet50.

Background And Objective: Male fertility assessment through sperm morphology analysis remains a critical component of reproductive health evaluation, as abnormal sperm morphology is strongly correlated with reduced fertility rates and poor assisted reproductive technology outcomes. Traditional manual analysis performed by embryologists is time-intensive, subjective, and prone to significant inter-observer variability, with studies reporting up to 40% disagreement between expert evaluators. This research presents a novel deep learning framework combining Convolutional Block Attention Module (CBAM) with ResNet50 architecture and advanced deep feature engineering (DFE) techniques for automated, objective sperm morphology classification.

Bioadaptive liquid-infused multifunctional fibers for long-term neural recording via BDNF stabilization and enhanced neural interaction.

Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) enable direct communication between the brain and computers. However, their long-term functionality remains limited due to signal degradation caused by acute insertion trauma, chronic foreign body reaction (FBR), and biofouling at the device-tissue interface. To address these challenges, we introduce a multifunctional surface modification strategy called targeting-specific interaction and blocking nonspecific adhesion (TAB) coating for flexible fiber, achieving a synergistic integration of mechanical compliance and biochemical stability.

Magnetic field-enhanced vertical integration enables embodied intelligence in untethered soft robots.

Embodied intelligence in soft robotics offers unprecedented capabilities for operating in uncertain, confined, and fragile environments that challenge conventional technologies. However, achieving true embodied intelligence-which requires continuous environmental sensing, real-time control, and autonomous decision-making-faces challenges in energy management and system integration. We developed deformation-resilient flexible batteries with enhanced performance under magnetic fields inherently present in magnetically actuated soft robots, with capacity retention after 200 cycles improved from 31.