Remote monitoring of plant drought stress with the apparent heat capacity.

Drought stress has profound impacts on ecosystems and societies, particularly in the context of climate change. Traditional drought indicators, which often rely on integrated water budget anomalies at various time scales, provide valuable insights but often fail to deliver clear, real-time assessments of vegetation stress. This study introduces the Cooling Efficiency Factor Index (CEFI), a novel metric purely derived from geostationary satellite observations, to detect vegetation drought stress by analyzing daytime surface warming anomalies.

Boat noise alters behaviour of two coral reef macroinvertebrates, Lambis lambis and Tridacna maxima.

Boat noise has been shown to distract and cause harm to many marine organisms. Most of the study effort has focused on fish & marine mammals, even though invertebrates represent over 92 % of all marine life. The few studies conducted on invertebrates have demonstrated clear negative effects of anthropogenic noise pollution.

Sustainable Antimicrobial Silver@MXene Nanofiber Membranes for Enhanced Photothermal Membrane Distillation Performance.

Solar-driven desalination has emerged as a sustainable and efficient solution for addressing global water scarcity, especially beneficial in remote, off-grid, and disaster-affected regions. Among emerging technologies, photothermal membrane distillation (PMD) stands out due to its effective solar-energy conversion, scalability, and simplicity. Here, we report a hybrid PMD membrane fabricated by electrospinning MXene (TiCT) nanosheets integrated with silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) onto a poly(vinylidene fluoride--hexafluoropropylene) (PH) substrate.

Pillar-like Macrocycle Reversibly Self-Assembled from a Molecular Thermally Activated Delayed Fluorescence Emitter Based on B ← N Dative Bonds with Intriguing Fluorescence.

Incorporating boron atoms into organic macrocycles imparts unique chemical, electronic, and optical properties. The concept of making use of dative boron-nitrogen (B ← N) bonds for the construction of macrocycles has been proposed, but very few examples have been prepared with functional structures, much less pillar-like and other prismatic macrocycles, and their various functionalities have not been fully exploited. Here, we introduce a "functional molecular wall" synthetic protocol based on the self-assembly characteristics of B ← N dative bonds to construct highly symmetrical macrocycles, forming a quasi-pentagonal-shaped macrocycle (named [5]pyBN-) with a pillar-like structure.

Thermoset Architecture Fusion Enabled by Catalyst-Free C═C/C═N Metathesis Chemistry.

Thermosets with permanent cross-linked structures provide excellent durability but pose significant challenges for reprocessing and recycling, raising engineering and environmental concerns as their usage expands. The advent of covalent adaptable networks (CANs) with dynamic covalent linkages has improved thermoset recyclability and enabled the fusion of identical polymer networks (A-A type fusion). However, fusing different thermosets (A-B type fusion) remains challenging due to their distinct dynamic behaviors and variable activation energies for bond exchange.

Graph neural networks with configuration cross-attention for tensor compilers.

With the recent popularity of neural networks comes the need for efficient serving of inference workloads. A neural network inference workload can be represented as a computational graph with nodes as operators transforming multidimensional tensors. The tensors can be transposed and/or tiled in a combinatorially large number of ways, some configurations leading to accelerated inference.

Electron accumulation across the perovskite layer enhances tandem solar cells with textured silicon.

Reducing charge carrier transport losses, improving selectivity, and minimizing non-radiative recombination are essential for enhancing the efficiency and stability of perovskite/silicon tandem solar cells. We used a hybrid two-step perovskite deposition method that is compatible with industry-standard textured silicon, incorporating a perovskite surface treatment based on 1,3-diaminopropane dihydroiodide. The interaction of this molecule with the perovskite surface increased the majority charge carrier concentration at the electron-selective contact, which reduced interfacial recombination.

Retention of increased maximum oxyregulation capacity in corals transplanted from an extreme mangrove environment to a reef flat.

Loss of oxygen (O) from the world's oceans to physiologically-critical levels ("hypoxia") is an important, yet understudied stressor for coral reefs. However, extreme reef-neighbouring ecosystems such as mangrove lagoons that are routinely subjected to frequent low-pO exposure (i.e.

Nanoscale Decoupling of Carrier-Phonon Transport in Carbon Nanotube-Halide Perovskite Heterostructures.

In conventional semiconductors, electrical and thermal conductivity are typically coupled, posing a challenge in optimizing both simultaneously. Overcoming this inherent trade-off enables strategies for advancing electronic applications. Herein, a strategy is demonstrated to decouple electrical and thermal conductivity trade-off by creating heterostructures of highly conductive single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) coated with low conductivity hybrid perovskites.

Synthesis, Identification, and Characterization of a Novel 1,2,5-Selenadiazole Derivative as a Microtubule Targeting Agent That Overcomes Multidrug Resistance.

Microtubules are crucial for various cellular processes, including cell division, where they form highly dynamic spindle fibers for chromosomal alignment and segregation. Interference with microtubule dynamics through microtubule targeting agents (MTAs) blocks progression through mitosis, ultimately resulting in apoptosis. Although MTAs have been effectively used as a frontline treatment for various cancers, multidrug resistance (MDR) often limits their effectiveness.

Transposable elements drive evolution and perturb gene expression in Brassica rapa and B. oleracea.

Transposable elements (TEs) significantly influence genomic diversity and gene regulation in plants. Brassica rapa and B. oleracea, with their distinct domestication histories, offer excellent models to explore TE dynamics.

Dynamic construction of a durable epitaxial catalytic layer for industrial alkaline water splitting.

Optimizing the catalyst-electrolyte interface structure is crucial for enhancing the performance of electrochemical alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction. Traditional approaches typically focus on regulating the thermodynamic barriers of adsorption and desorption for reactants, intermediates, and ions at active sites on the solid electrode surface. However, the structure of the electrical double layer influences the concentration of intermediates, adsorption energy, and surface reaction kinetics.

Shape Memory Graphene with Ultrahigh Specific Energy Dissipation.

The properties of architected materials, such as origami, kirigami, and lattice materials, are determined by the intrinsic properties of the base material and the designed architecture. It is shown that van der Waals interaction between the elements of the architecture is critical for the mechanical properties of nano-architected triangular graphene. Molecular dynamics simulations demonstrate that interplay between the flexibility and high Young's modulus of graphene, the designed architecture, and the van der Waals interaction between graphene ligaments results in a shape memory effect with a specific energy dissipation of more than 25 times that of the well-known shape memory alloy NiTi.

Secondary organic aerosol in urban China: A distinct chemical regime for air pollution studies.

In the past decades, China has witnessed high air pollution associated with rapid economic development, although regulatory efforts have alleviated the situation since 2013. Haze events characterized by high particulate matter (PM) levels in China are not only of enormous magnitude but also represent a distinct chemical regime. Once driven by direct emissions, these high-PM episodes are now more affected by secondary aerosol, especially secondary organic aerosol (SOA).

Genetic Divergence and Isolation of the Green Sea Turtle () in the Red Sea.

The green sea turtle is a wide-ranging marine reptile, inhabiting all the world's tropical and warm-temperate seas. This global distribution makes delineating population boundaries challenging, and molecular tools like genetic markers are often required to define these limits. The Red Sea hosts ~1500 nesting green turtles, but research in the region is limited.

Exploring the Potential and Advancements of Circular RNA Therapeutics.

Messenger RNA (mRNA) technology is revolutionizing the pharmaceutical industry owing to its superior safety profile, manufacturing capabilities, and potential applications in previously undruggable therapeutic targets. In addition to linear mRNA, such as conventional mRNA, self-amplifying mRNA, and trans-amplifying mRNA, circular mRNA has emerged as a promising candidate. Circular RNA (circRNA) is a class of single-stranded RNA with a covalently closed loop structure that offers enhanced stability compared to linear RNA by resisting degradation from RNases.

Atomical-Rippled-Nanodomains Stabilized Large Polarization in BiSmCoO Double-Perovskite Films.

Double-perovskite ferroelectrics have attracted increasing attention due to their highly tunable structures, multifunctional coupling effects, and potential applications in next-generation nonvolatile ferroelectric semiconductor devices. Here, an atomical-rippled-nanodomains (ARNs) are introduced to BiCoO and SmCoO solid solution double-perovskite film due to its ferroelectric single-domain coupling. By engineering triaxial tensile strain, the ferroelectric ARNs are robustly formed in BiSmCoO double-perovskite films, leading to a large ferroelectric polarization (≈23.

Selective nutrient incorporation may underestimate heterotrophy of a mixotrophic reef-building coral.

Mixotrophic reef-building corals acquire nutrition via photosynthate translocation from endosymbiotic microalgae and by heterotrophic prey/particle capture. Heterotrophy promotes resistance to, and recovery from, environmental stress, but quantifying coral heterotrophy remains difficult due to complex resource exchanges within the coral holobiont. We interrogated the response of multiple biomarkers to coral heterotrophy using fatty acid profiling and stable isotope analysis of Stylophora pistillata grown along a controlled feeding gradient from pure autotrophy to pure heterotrophy.

Impact of Surface Ocean CO Atlas (SOCAT) observing network extensions on the quantification of global air-sea CO fluxes.

Observing seawater CO concentrations is fundamental to understanding the dynamics of CO exchanges at the air-sea interface. Over the last decades, sustained efforts in global data collection have established the Surface Ocean CO2 Atlas (SOCAT) as the leading database for quantifying CO fluxes and the ocean carbon budget. SOCAT continuously integrates new data while performing annual quality reassessments, and such adjustments could significantly influence the global flux estimation.

Leveraging population information in brain connectivity via Bayesian ICA with a novel informative prior for correlation matrices.

Brain functional connectivity (FC), the temporal synchrony between brain networks, is essential to understand the functional organization of the brain and to identify changes due to neurological disorders, development, treatment, and other phenomena. Independent component analysis (ICA) is a matrix decomposition method used extensively for simultaneous estimation of functional brain topography and connectivity. However, estimation of FC via ICA is often sub-optimal due to the use of ad hoc estimation methods or temporal dimension reduction prior to ICA.

Sustainable Production of Bio-Based Geraniol: Heterologous Expression of Early Terpenoid Pathway Enzymes in .

Geraniol is a monoterpene alcohol with a rose-like aroma, used in food and cosmetics and for its anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and insect-repellent properties. Geraniol is commonly chemically synthesized from petroleum-based sources in a highly energy-demanding process with a large carbon footprint. Alternatively, geraniol can be derived from plant-based essential oils but with relatively low yields and limitations from seasonal cultivation.

Photosensitized Decay of Levoglucosan in Biomass Burning Aerosol Particles.

Biomass burning (BB) is increasingly relevant to air quality as global warming intensifies wildfire activity. Levoglucosan (LEVO) is a widely used tracer for BB, but its oxidative decay is still less understood. While gas-phase hydroxyl radicals (•OH) have been considered the primary oxidants for LEVO decay in biomass burning organic aerosol (BBOA) particles, high particulate viscosity at low relative humidity (RH) limits •OH uptake.

GeneSetCluster 2.0: a comprehensive toolset for summarizing and integrating gene-sets analysis.

Background: Gene-Set Analysis (GSA) is commonly used to analyze high-throughput experiments. However, GSA cannot readily disentangle clusters or pathways due to redundancies in upstream knowledge bases, which hinders comprehensive exploration and interpretation of biological findings. To address this challenge, we developed GeneSetCluster, an R package designed to summarize and integrate GSA results.