Green engineering of polylactic acid/polymyrcene/cellulose nanocrystals films with tunable mechanical and UV-shielding properties for food packaging applications.

In the modern era, polymyrcene, a sustainable polymer made from renewable resources, offers a potential path towards the advancement of green products. Here, we successfully created and characterized the first-ever all-bio-based composite films using cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) made from agricultural waste, polylactic acid (PLA), and polymyrcene. Environmentally acceptable substitutes for traditional polymer composites have been made possible by incorporating CNCs into the PLA-Polymyrcene matrix, which produced materials with improved structural and functional qualities.

Calcium and cancer metastasis: Discoveries from zebrafish xenografts.

Cancer metastasis remains the leading cause of cancer-related deaths, highlighting the urgent need for therapies targeting metastatic processes. Dysregulated calcium (Ca) signaling is increasingly linked to metastasis and offers a promising, underexplored therapeutic target. The zebrafish xenograft model has emerged as a powerful tool for studying cancer due to its optical transparency, genetic similarity to humans, and rapid development.

A multi-scenario framework for quantifying flood hazard and exposure accounting for runoff-driven uncertainty in global flood models.

With growing populations and an increasing frequency of flood events, large-scale flood hazard assessment (LSFHA) and exposure analyses have become critically important. Global Flood Models (GFMs) significantly contribute to these efforts by simulating flood dynamics based on runoff inputs from Land Surface Models (LSMs), Global Hydrological Models (GHMs), or Reanalysis datasets. However, GFM outputs remain highly sensitive to runoff input choice, leading to substantial uncertainty in LSFHA.

Evaporation of Ethanol from Liquid Ethanol and Water-Ethanol Mixtures: Mechanism, Kinetics, and Free Energy Changes for Different Compositions of the Mixtures.

Understanding the evaporation mechanism of liquid ethanol and ethanol-water binary mixtures is important for numerous scientific and industrial processes. The amount of water in liquid water-ethanol mixtures can significantly affect how quickly ethanol molecules evaporate. Here, we study the mechanism and rate of evaporation of ethanol from pure liquid ethanol and ethanol/water binary mixtures through both unbiased molecular dynamics simulations and biased simulations using the umbrella sampling method.

DNA Binding and Electrochemical Characterization of Oxidative Products of the Cobalt(II) Complex.

The synthesis of -tetrakis(3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl)porphyrin [HT(3,4,5-OCH)PP] and cobalt(II) -tetrakis(3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl)porphyrin [Co(T(3,4,5-OCH)PP)] has been successfully accomplished. The oxidation properties of [Co(T(3,4,5-OCH)PP)] have been assessed through UV-vis, NMR, and EPR techniques. It can be seen in the UV-vis spectrum that adding SbCl caused extra peaks to appear at 674 nm, which means that a π-cation radical was formed.

Strong Magnon-Phonon Coupling in the Kagome Antiferromagnets.

Magnon-phonon hybridization in ordered materials is a crucial phenomenon with significant implications for spintronics, magnonics, and quantum materials research. We present direct experimental evidence and theoretical insights into magnon-phonon coupling in Mn_{3}Ge, a kagome antiferromagnet with noncollinear spin order. Using inelastic x-ray scattering and ab initio modeling, we uncover strong hybridization between planar spin fluctuations and transverse optical phonons, resulting in a large hybridization gap of ∼2  meV.

Unwanted Couplings Can Induce Amplification in Quantum Memories despite Negligible Apparent Noise.

Theoretical quantum memory design often involves selectively focusing on certain energy levels to mimic an ideal Λ configuration, a common approach that may unintentionally overlook the impact of neighboring levels or undesired couplings. While this simplification may be justified in certain protocols or platforms, it can significantly distort the achievable memory performance. Through numerical semiclassical analysis, we show that the presence of unwanted energy levels and undesired couplings in an absorptive memory based on a nitrogen-vacancy center can significantly amplify the signal, resulting in memory efficiencies exceeding unity, a clear indication of unwanted noise at the quantum level.

Evidence for Similar Collectivity of High Transverse-Momentum Particles in p-Pb and Pb-Pb Collisions.

Charged hadron elliptic anisotropies (v_{2}) are presented over a wide transverse momentum (p_{T}) range for proton-lead (pPb) and lead-lead (PbPb) collisions at nucleon-nucleon center-of-mass energies of 8.16 and 5.02 TeV, respectively.

Observation of Three Resonant Structures in the Cross Section of e^{+}e^{-}→π^{+}π^{-}h_{c}.

Using e^{+}e^{-} collision data collected with the BESIII detector operating at the Beijing electron positron collider, the cross section of e^{+}e^{-}→π^{+}π^{-}h_{c} is measured at 59 points with center-of-mass energy sqrt[s] ranging from 4.009 to 4.950 GeV with a total integrated luminosity of 22.

Boron-Rich Metallaboranes from κ-N,E-Chelated Ru Complexes (E = S or Se): A Direct Route to Ruthenaboranes.

We have established a new route for boron-rich ruthenaborane clusters utilizing [BH·THF] and a ruthenium precursor featuring chelating ligands. Salt elimination reactions between [K(CHNE)], (E = S; Se) and [RuCl(PPh)], afforded -[Ru(κ--CHNE)(PPh)], -- (-: E = S and -: E = Se). Following the ligand exchange reaction with the 1,2-bis (diphenylphosphino)ethane (dppe) ligand yielded -[Ru(κ--CHNE)(dppe)] (-: E = S; -: E = Se).

Eco-efficient C-H alkynylation of indoles mechanochemical ruthenium catalysis.

A regioselective C2-alkynylation of indoles ruthenium(II)-catalyzed C-H activation using bromoalkynes is demonstrated under both solution-phase and mechanochemical conditions. The solvent-minimized mechanochemical method delivers comparable yields with reduced reaction time and improved green metrics. Broad substrate scope, gram-scale applicability, and post-functionalization showcase the synthetic utility of this approach.

A target responsive benzimidazole-based self-assembled micellar system embedded smart hydrogel: an integrated approach for quantification and removal of phenylbutazone.

The unregulated use and improper disposal of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), particularly phenylbutazone (PBZ), are contaminating water resources and posing serious risks to the food chain. PBZ is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) commonly used for treating pain and fever in animals, and its persistence in the environment due to inadequate waste management has become a cause of concern. To address this, we report the fabrication of benzimidazole-based self-assembled nanomicelles (R2 NMs) for selective detection and removal of PBZ.

Unlocking Superior Energy Storage: Multiscale Optimized BNT-Based Capacitors for Low-Field Applications.

Achieving superior energy storage performance in dielectric materials under low electric fields remains a challenge. Most recent advancements require high fields that limit device applicability. Developing dielectric capacitors with high recoverable energy density (W), efficiency (η), and energy-storage coefficient (W/E) at low/moderate fields is critical for safer, compact, and durable electronics.

Tuning the dimensionality of functional thiazolo[5,4-]thiazole based supramolecular polymers competitive interactions.

The supramolecular organization of functional molecules at the mesoscopic level influences their material properties. Typically, planar π-conjugated (disc- or linear-shaped) molecules tend to undergo one-dimensional (1D) stacking, whereas two-dimensional (2D) organization from such building blocks is seldom observed in spite of their technological potential. Herein, we rationally achieve both 1D and 2D organizations from a single planar, π-conjugated molecular system competitive interactions.

Plasmene nanosheets assembled from "plasmonic molecules".

Entropy-driven drying-mediated self-assembly of plasmonic nanocrystals (termed "plasmonic atoms") has emerged as a general strategy for fabricating plasmene nanosheets from a wide range of monodisperse nanocrystals. However, extending this approach to binary systems remains challenging due to the complex nanoscale interactions between dissimilar nanocrystal shapes. Here, we introduce a combined enthalpy- and entropy-driven strategy to achieve an orderly mixed two-dimensional (2D) binary nanoassemblies from complementary reacting polymer-ligated nanocrystals.

Purinergic signaling by ATP induces exercise-like effects and ameliorates insulin resistance in HT22 mouse hippocampal cells.

Neuronal insulin signaling is essential for regulating glucose metabolism and cognitive functions in the brain. Disruptions cause neuronal insulin resistance, potentially causing type 2 diabetes (T2D) and Alzheimer's disease (AD). Therefore, we investigated alternative pathways that maintain glucose homeostasis beyond traditional insulin signaling.

Carbazole-dansyl conjugate for latent fingerprint visualization and detection of date rape drugs.

An imino-linked dansyl-carbazole molecular system, DASH, is designed and synthesized. This system (DASH) is rationalized in such a way that it works as a suitable template for the detection of date rape drugs, gamma-butyrolactone (GBL) and gamma-valerolactone (GVL), in addition to latent fingerprint detection. Both rape drug and latent fingerprint detection are important aspects of drug abuse-related crimes in forensic analysis.

Ru-amidobis(phosphine) catalyzed alkylation of indole and epoxide opening followed by α-alkylation through alcohol oxidation.

Herein, we report a simple, microwave-assisted and open-air strategy for gram-scale C3-alkylation of indoles, along with an economically viable strategy for epoxide opening followed by α-alkylation, using the [RuCl(bpy){-PhPCHCONCHPPh-}-κ-(,,,,)] complex (hereafter referred to as [PNP-Ru]). This transformation proceeds an alcohol dehydrogenation (oxidation) mechanism, with water being the sole byproduct in both reactions, underscoring the environmentally benign and sustainable nature of the methodology. The protocol efficiently delivers both mono- and bis(indolyl) derivatives in good to excellent yields.

Role of heteroatom substitution on the stability and reactivity of mononuclear Cu(II)-alkylperoxo complexes.

Motivated by copper's essential role in biology and its wide range of applications in catalytic and synthetic chemistry, this work aims to understand the effect of heteroatom substitution on the overall stability and reactivity of biomimetic Cu(II)-alkylperoxo complexes. In particular, we designed a series of tetracoordinated ligand frameworks based on iso-BPMEN = (,-bis(2-pyridylmethyl)-','-dimethylethane-1,2-diamine) with varying the primary coordination sphere using different donor atoms (N, O, or S) bound to Cu(II). The copper(II) complexes bearing iso-BPMEN and their modified heteroatom-substituted ligands were synthesized and structurally characterized.

The systematic assessment of completeness of public metadata accompanying omics studies in the Gene Expression Omnibus data repository.

Background: Recent advances in high-throughput sequencing technologies have enabled the collection and sharing of a massive amount of omics data, along with its associated metadata-descriptive information that contextualizes the data, including phenotypic traits and experimental design. Enhancing metadata availability is critical to ensure data reusability and reproducibility and to facilitate novel biomedical discoveries through effective data reuse. Yet, incomplete metadata accompanying public omics data may hinder reproducibility and reusability and limit secondary analyses.

Effect of methyl DNA adducts on stimulation of human cytoplasmic DNA-sensor cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS).

The immune system uses a variety of DNA sensors, including endo-lysosomal Toll-like receptors 9 (TLR9) and cytosolic DNA sensor cyclic GMP-AMP (cGAMP) synthase (cGAS). These sensors activate immune responses by inducing the production of a variety of cytokines, including type I interferons (IFN). Activation of cGAS requires DNA-cGAS interaction.

Mannose-Decorated Stimuli-Responsive Fluorescent Poly(aminoamide) Microgels for Lectin Binding and Sensing.

Development of suitable carbohydrate-decorated, biocompatible, and stimuli-responsive fluorescent microgels that can selectively bind and detect proteins (such as lectins) is an important research topic. Herein, we report the development of mannose-decorated, dual-stimuli (temperature and pH)-responsive fluorescent poly(aminoamide) microgels, which can selectively bind to and thereby detect the presence of concanavalin A (Con A). The resultant stimuli-responsive microgels have a lower critical solution temperature (VPTT) of 37.

Two-Step Semi-Automated Classification of Choroidal Metastases on MRI: Orbit Localization via Bounding Boxes Followed by Binary Classification via Evolutionary Strategies.

Background And Purpose: The choroid of the eye is a rare site for metastatic tumor spread, and as small lesions on the periphery of brain MRI studies, these choroidal metastases are often missed. To improve their detection, we aimed to use artificial intelligence to distinguish between brain MRI scans containing normal orbits and choroidal metastases.

Materials And Methods: We present a novel hierarchical deep learning framework for sequential cropping and classification on brain MRI images to detect choroidal metastases.

Machine learning based classification of imagined speech electroencephalogram data from the amplitude and phase spectrum of frequency domain EEG signal.

Imagined speech classification involves decoding brain signals to recognize verbalized thoughts or intentions without actual speech production. This technology has significant implications for individuals with speech impairments, offering a means to communicate through neural signals. The prime objective of this work is to propose an innovative machine learning (ML) based classification methodology that combines electroencephalogram (EEG) data augmentation using a sliding window technique with statistical feature extraction from the amplitude and phase spectrum of frequency domain EEG segments.

Dual-Analyte Selective Electrochemical Detection of Phenylbutazone and Sulfamethoxazole Using Bio-Engineered BiS-ZnO Nanocomposites.

Simultaneous sensing and quantification of pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs) are crucial for protecting the environment and maintaining long-term ecological sustainability. This study focuses on the bio-based synthesis of BiS-ZnO nanocomposites (BiS-ZnO(bio)) using bio-extract for dual-analyte selective and simultaneous electrochemical monitoring of phenylbutazone (PBZ) and sulfamethoxazole (SMZ) in the environmental matrices. BiS-ZnO(bio) exhibited ZnO(bio) nanostructures embedded on BiS(bio) nanorods with an average rod length of 1409.