Time-Resolved Spectroelectrochemical Observation of Overlayer-Induced Charge Carrier Dynamics in Water Photooxidation.

Surface and interface engineering is essential for constructing efficient and stable photoelectrodes for photoelectrochemical (PEC) solar fuel production. Despite the recent advances in photoelectrode optimization for the practical application, the corresponding interfacial reaction mechanism has not been elucidated owing to a lack of suitable measurements at the semiconductor-electrolyte interface (SEI). Herein, the key factor for an interfacial reaction in a model system (WO photoanode coated with amorphous TiO overlayers) is elucidated using operando spectroelectrochemistry.

HIF-1 attenuates high-fiber diet-mediated proliferation and stemness of colonic epithelium.

The complex interplay between diet, microbiota, and host is exemplified by the effects of dietary fiber on the intestine. Inulin ingestion triggers epithelial changes in the colon that depend on microbiota-derived molecules, including enhanced proliferation, increased mucus production, and elevated antimicrobial peptide secretion. Here we employed a multilayered and multi-omics approach, including dietary interventions, intestinal organoids, and both genetic and pharmacological interventions to investigate the impact of inulin on two aspects of diet-microbiota-host interactions: intestinal hypoxia and hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1 signaling in intestinal epithelial cells (IECs).

Separation-Free High-Purity Hydrogen Production via the Mechanochemical Ammonia-Silicon Reaction under Mild Conditions.

Ammonia (NH) has emerged as a promising hydrogen (H) carrier thanks to its high hydrogen content (17.6 wt %) and easy liquification. However, conventional NH cracking requires high temperatures (400-600 °C) and additional gas separation processes, increasing the regeneration cost of high-purity H.

Emerging Role of 2D Materials in Photovoltaics: Efficiency Enhancement and Future Perspectives.

The growing global energy demand and worsening climate change highlight the urgent need for clean, efficient and sustainable energy solutions. Among emerging technologies, atomically thin two-dimensional (2D) materials offer unique advantages in photovoltaics due to their tunable optoelectronic properties, high surface area and efficient charge transport capabilities. This review explores recent progress in photovoltaics incorporating 2D materials, focusing on their application as hole and electron transport layers to optimize bandgap alignment, enhance carrier mobility and improve chemical stability.

Magnesiophilic Black Phosphorus Interphase Enabling Planar Electrodeposition and High-Rate Long-Cycling Magnesium Metal Anodes.

Magnesium metal anode is considered a promising alternative to lithium metal anode due to its high volumetric/gravimetric energy density, natural abundance, and high safety property. However, its practical application remains limited by detrimental three-dimensional (3D) deposition behavior, leading to shallow deposition/stripping capability and rapid short-circuit with low current density and restricted deposition capacity tolerance. In this study, a magnesiophilic black phosphorus interface is introduced onto a magnesium metal anode to homogenize the spatial distributions of ion flux and electric field near the deposition sites.

The renin-angiotensin system in healthy human platelets: expressed but inactive.

Platelets play a crucial role in arterial thrombus formation, offering potential for new antiplatelet therapies with reduced bleeding risk. Here, we investigated the role of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) in human platelets and explored its potential link to COVID-19 coagulopathy. Experiments were performed on healthy human platelets.

Rapid Reweighting of Sensory Inputs and Predictions in Visual Perception.

A striking perceptual phenomenon has recently been described wherein people report seeing abrupt jumps in the location of a smoothly moving object ("position resets"). Here, we show that this phenomenon can be understood within the framework of recursive Bayesian estimation as arising from transient gain changes, temporarily prioritizing sensory input over predictive beliefs. From this perspective, position resets reveal a capacity for rapid adaptive precision weighting in human visual perception and offer a possible test bed within which to study the timing and flexibility of sensory gain control.

Seed quality drives grain yield in Ethiopian and Senegalese sorghum: Insights from machine learning.

Accurately predicting grain yield remains a major challenge in sorghum breeding, particularly across genetically and geographically diverse germplasm. To address this, we applied a phenotype-informed machine learning (PIML) framework to analyze nine phenotypic traits in 179 Ethiopian and Senegalese accessions. Using hierarchical clustering and oversampling with ADASYN, we achieved high classification accuracy (0.

Experimental assessment of photodynamic therapy effects on 4NQO-induced rat tongue carcinogenesis: Clinical, morphological, and immunohistochemical analysis.

The present study aimed to evaluate the safety of photodynamic therapy (PDT) during oral carcinogenesis using a 4-nitroquinoline 1-oxide (4NQO) rat model, which serves as a surrogate for tobacco-induced oral cancer. Forty male Wistar rats received 4NQO (25 ppm) in drinking water for either 12 or 20 weeks to induce oral lesions. Animals were divided into two groups: Control and PDT.

In Vitro and In Silico Evaluation of the Anti-Aging Potential of UAE Extracts.

Skin aging is a natural biological process that can be accelerated by free radical induction, leading to a reduction in skin elasticity and the formation of wrinkles due to the depletion of elastin. (dewandaru) is a promising plant believed to possess anti-aging properties, primarily attributed to its major constituents, myricitrin and quercetin. This study aimed to investigate the anti-elastase and antioxidant properties of stem bark, ripe fruit, and seed extracts.

The geologic history of marine dissolved organic carbon from iron oxides.

Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) is the largest reduced carbon reservoir in modern oceans. Its dynamics regulate marine communities and atmospheric CO levels, whereas C compositions track ecosystem structure and autotrophic metabolism. However, the geologic history of marine DOC remains largely unconstrained, limiting our ability to mechanistically reconstruct coupled ecological and biogeochemical evolution.

Isoreticular moiré metal-organic frameworks with quasiperiodicity.

The discovery of quasicrystals, characterized by unique, non-repeating atomic arrangements and forbidden rotational symmetries, has significantly expanded our understanding of structural order in materials. However, precise control over quasiperiodic length scales remains challenging due to the inherent constraints of atomic arrangements and chemical compositions. In this study, we utilized metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) as a designable platform to generate moiré patterns including dodecagonal quasiperiodic symmetry through the projection of twisted bilayer structures.

Open or closed: ROS-mediated regulation of stomatal movements.

The stomatal aperture is finely tuned through guard cell reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels. Chang et al. recently elucidated the relationship between guard cell ROS homeostasis and stomatal behavior, revealing a molecular mechanism by which stomata integrate light signals to maintain ROS homeostasis in guard cells and thereby promote stomatal opening.

Phonon-Assisted Charge Trapping and Threshold Voltage Modulation in MoS FETs with AlON Overlayers.

In this study, we demonstrate that a room-temperature reactively sputtered aluminum oxynitride (AlON) overlayer enables both effective doping and pronounced threshold voltage hysteresis in multilayer MoS FETs, while preserving field-effect mobility. Compared to conventional AlO, the AlON layer introduces trap states that are energetically aligned with the conduction band of MoS, facilitating charge exchange across the heterointerface. Capacitance-voltage measurements confirm that nitrogen incorporation reduces the effective fixed charge density, enabling mobility-preserving operation without thermal annealing.

Behavior can be decoded across the cortex when individual differences are considered.

Group-level analyses have typically linked behavioral signatures to a constrained set of brain areas. Here, we show that two behavioral metrics-reaction time (RT) and confidence-can be decoded across the cortex when each individual is considered separately. Subjects (N = 50) completed a perceptual decision-making task with confidence.

Synthesis and properties of mirror-like large-grain graphite films.

Graphite films with large grain sizes have been reportedly obtained by using metal as catalysts, but the obtained graphite is mostly heavily wrinkled, thus containing defects that degrade its properties. We report the synthesis of mirror-like and large-grained graphite films with only a few nano kinks and controllable dimensions, achieved by using flat Ni-Mo alloy melts of the same lateral dimensions as the metal foils used to make this alloy melt. The graphite film exhibited few nano kinks and a mirror-like appearance because the deliberate evaporation of much of the Ni produced a porous substrate, which in turn dramatically weakened the substrate-graphite film interaction before cooling.

Empirical evidence for the functional benefit of intra-specific wing shape variation in a sedentary bird, the Oriental Magpie (Pica serica).

This study investigates the intraspecific variation in wingtip shape and its effects on aerodynamic forces and flight capabilities with the Oriental Magpies as a model species. Characterized by short and rounded wings, Oriental Magpies are highly sedentary and exhibit wingtip shape variations between juveniles and adults, as well as between males and females due to physiological changes during breeding. Analysis of 115 individuals revealed a significant interaction between sex and age in the location of the wingtip, with adult females exhibiting wings with backward-shifted wingtips than other sex and age categories.

Defect-Rich CuO Nanospheres as a Fenton-Like Catalyst for Cu(III) Generation: Enhanced Inactivation of Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria and Genes.

Cupryl species (Cu(III)) are promising oxidants for degrading recalcitrant organic contaminants and harmful microorganisms in water. In this study, defect-rich cuprous oxide (D-CuO) nanospheres (NSs) are introduced as a Fenton-like catalyst to generate Cu(III) for the inactivation of antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). D-CuO, in the presence of HO, achieved inactivation efficiencies 3.

Cell-Free Production of Soybean Leghemoglobins and Nonsymbiotic Hemoglobin.

Hemoglobins are heme proteins and are present in certain microorganisms, higher plants, and mammals. Two types of hemoglobin are found in legume nodules: leghemoglobin (LegH) or symbiotic and nonsymbiotic (nsHb). LegHs occur in high amounts in legume roots, and together with bacteroides, are responsible for the nitrogen fixation process.

Long wavelength infrared sensor array using VO microstructures fabricated on visible GaN LED.

The vanadium dioxide (VO) microstructure arrays were integrated with InGaN light-emitting diodes (LEDs) to develop a long-wavelength infrared sensor array. By utilizing GaN-based LEDs as a readout unit, the VO/LED heterostructure directly converts temperature-induced resistance changes into visible light emission. The VO layer exhibits uniform chemical configuration and atomic bonding, leading to consistent metal-to-insulator transition behavior across all pixels.

Enhanced stability and efficiency in perovskite solar cells via mixed-metal chalcohalide-alloyed formamidinium lead iodide.

Achieving long-term stability in halide perovskite solar cells (PSCs) remains challenging due to their susceptibility to environmental degradation. Enhancing material stability at the intrinsic level offers a pathway to more durable solutions. This study addresses the instability of halide perovskites by enhancing ionic binding energy and alleviating lattice strain through the mixed metal chalcohalide into formamidinium lead tri-iodide (FAPbI₃).

Single-molecule tweezers decode hidden dimerization patterns of membrane proteins within lipid bilayers.

Dimerization of transmembrane (TM) proteins is a fundamental process in cellular membranes, central to numerous physiological and pathological pathways, and increasingly recognized as a promising therapeutic target. Although often described as a simple two-state transition from monomers to dimers, the process following monomer diffusion-referred to as post-diffusion dimerization-is likely more intricate due to complex inter-residue interactions. Here, we present a single-molecule tweezer platform that directly profiles these post-diffusion transitions during TM protein dimerization.

High-Period Element Doping as a Key Driver of Hydrogen Evolution in a Proton Exchange Membrane Water Electrolyzer.

Proton exchange membrane water electrolysis (PEMWE) is a promising strategy for sustainable hydrogen production, but its application is limited by the high cost and instability of catalysts under acidic operation conditions. Here, the study reports group VA element-doped graphitic nanoplatelets (XGnPs; X = N, P, or Sb) as effective supports to enhance both the activity and durability of electrocatalysts. The resulting platinum (Pt) nanoparticles on XGnPs (Pt@XGnPs) catalysts exhibit improved charge transfer to the metal and strong metal-support interactions.