Strong segregation promotes self-destructive cooperation.

Self-destructive cooperators, which sacrifice themselves for others, challenge traditional group selection theory, as costs often exceed individual benefits. We predict self-destructive cooperators can persist in highly segregated environments where populations are primarily divided into homogenous groups originating from one or two founders. In such contexts, the benefits of self-destructive cooperators remain within homogeneous groups of self-destructive cooperators, preserving the sacrifice value and ensuring its maintenance.

Core-shell structured FeO@C hollow nanospheres as a high-performance negative material for potassium-ion batteries.

FeO is considered a promising electrode for potassium-ion batteries (PIBs) applications due to their natural abundance, low cost and high theoretical capacity. However, FeO suffers from capacity decay and sluggish reaction kinetic during the electrochemical process. Herein, the unique core-shell FeO@C featured with hollow nanospheres FeO as core and amorphous carbon layer as protect shell, the optimal framework of FeO@C is proposed to improve the structural stability and promote K charge transport.

Enzymatic Synthesis of Poly(β-Amino Ester) Copolymer With High Potency in Eliminating Gram-Negative Bacteria.

The functional lactone 2-Methyl-2-propanyl-7-oxo-1,4-oxazepane-4-carboxylate (BocOP), containing a protected secondary amino group, is synthesized through oxone-mediated Baeyer-Villiger oxidation. After that, the homopolymerization kinetics of BocOP catalyzed by immobilized Candida antarctia lipase B (Novozym 435, N435) are investigated. The N435 can efficiently catalyze the conversion of BocOP into poly(β-amino ester) (PAE).

Nomogram for predicting the development of pneumonia after colorectal cancer surgery.

The aim of this study was to analyze the factors contributing to the development of pneumonia after colorectal cancer (CRC) surgery and to develop a validated nomogram to predict the risk. We retrospectively collected information on patients who underwent radical CRC resection at a single clinical center from January 2011 to December 2021. The information was then randomly assigned to a training cohort and a validation cohort in a 7:3 ratio.

Ambient air pollution and the risk of cancer: Evidence from global cohort studies and epigenetic-related causal inference.

The correlation between air pollution and cancer incidence has been a longstanding concern, understanding the need to elucidate the specifics of this relationship. Thus, this study aimed to assess the association between exposure to air pollution and cancer incidence, and to identify the possible biological links between the two. We examined global cohort studies investigating the association between air pollution and cancer and performed a univariate Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis.

Manganese-Based Oxide Cathode Materials for Aqueous Zinc-Ion Batteries: Materials, Mechanism, Challenges, and Strategies.

Aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs) have recently attracted worldwide attention due to the natural abundance of Zn, low cost, high safety, and environmental benignity. Up to the present, several kinds of cathode materials have been employed for aqueous zinc-ion batteries, including manganese-based, vanadium-based, organic electrode materials, Prussian Blues, and their analogues, etc. Among all the cathode materials, manganese (Mn)-based oxide cathode materials possess the advantages of low cost, high theoretical specific capacity, and abundance of reserves, making them the most promising cathode materials for commercialization.

γδ T-cell autoresponses to ectopic membrane proteins: a new type of pattern recognition.

T-cell receptor (TCR) γδ-expressing cells are conserved lymphocytes of innate immunity involved in first-line defense and immune surveillance. TCRγδ recognizes protein/nonprotein ligands without the help of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC), especially via direct binding to protein ligands, which is dependent primarily on the δ chain complementary determining region 3 (CDR3δ). However, the mechanism of protein‒antigen recognition by human γδ TCRs remains poorly defined.

Identification of Key Proteomic Markers for Enhanced Conjugated Linoleic Acid Biosynthesis in Lactating Goats via Linseed Oil Supplementation.

This study investigated the effects of linseed oil (LO) supplementation on conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) biosynthesis in lactating Saanen goats. Goats (DIM = 96 ± 14 days) were divided into control ( = 6) and LO treatment ( = 6) groups. LO supplementation was implemented in both short- and long-term experimental settings.

Regulating Closed Pore Structure of Coal-Based Hard Carbon Anode by Preoxidation for High-Rate Performance Sodium-Ion Batteries.

Coal-derived hard carbons (CHCs) have considerable potential as sodium storage materials because of their abundant resources and structural diversity. Nevertheless, the smaller layer spacing and ordered carbon microstructure of CHCs bring about low charge/discharge rates and poor cycle life of sodium-ion batteries (SIBs), rendering it challenging to support large-scale energy storage applications. Herein, the preoxidation strategy is employed to achieve multiscale structure optimization of CHCs and improve its sodium storage capacity.

Copper excess induces autophagy dysfunction and mitochondrial ROS-ferroptosis progression, inhibits cellular biosynthesis of milk protein and lipid in bovine mammary epithelial cells.

Excessive copper (Cu) has the potential risk to ecosystems and organism health, with its impact on dairy cow mammary glands being not well-defined. This study used a bovine mammary epithelial cell (MAC-T) model to explore how copper excess affects cellular oxidative stress, autophagy, ferroptosis, and protein and lipid biosynthesis in milk. Results showed the increased intracellular ROS, MDA, and CAT (P < 0.

Oceanic evasion fuels Arctic summertime rebound of atmospheric mercury and drives transport to Arctic terrestrial ecosystems.

Mercury (Hg) contamination poses a persistent threat to the remote Arctic ecosystem, yet the mechanisms driving the pronounced summer rebound of atmospheric gaseous elemental Hg (Hg) and its subsequent fate remain unclear due to limitations in large-scale seasonal studies. Here, we use an integrated atmosphere-land-sea-ice-ocean model to simulate Hg cycling in the Arctic comprehensively. Our results indicate that oceanic evasion is the dominant source (~80%) of the summer Hg rebound, particularly driven by seawater Hg release facilitated by seasonal ice melt (~42%), with further contributions from anthropogenic deposition and terrestrial re-emissions.

Automated Deep Learning-Based Detection and Segmentation of Lung Tumors at CT.

Background Detection and segmentation of lung tumors on CT scans are critical for monitoring cancer progression, evaluating treatment responses, and planning radiation therapy; however, manual delineation is labor-intensive and subject to physician variability. Purpose To develop and evaluate an ensemble deep learning model for automating identification and segmentation of lung tumors on CT scans. Materials and Methods A retrospective study was conducted between July 2019 and November 2024 using a large dataset of CT simulation scans and clinical lung tumor segmentations from radiotherapy plans.

Harnessing technological innovation and renewable energy and their impact on environmental pollution in G-20 countries.

Climate change and environmental degradation are critical global challenges, and the G-20 nations play a pivotal role in addressing these issues due to their substantial contributions to global GDP and carbon emissions. Transitioning toward renewable energy sources is imperative for mitigating CO2 emissions and achieving sustainable development. This study investigates the impact of technological innovation, gross domestic product (GDP), renewable energy consumption, economic freedom, and financial advancement on renewable energy use and environmental pollution levels in G-20 countries from 1995 to 2022.

Dual functional coordination interactions enable fast polysulfide conversion and robust interphase for high-loading lithium-sulfur batteries.

The stable operation of high-capacity lithium-sulfur batteries (LSBs) has been hampered by slow conversion kinetics of lithium polysulfides (LiPSs) and instability of the lithium metal anodes. Herein, 6-(dibutylamino)-1,3,5-triazine-2,4-thiol (DTD) is introduced as a functional additive for accelerating the kinetics of cathodic conversion and modulating the anode interface. We proposed that a coordination interaction mechanism drives the polysulfide conversion and modulates the Li solvated structure during the binding of the N-active site of DTD to LiPSs and lithium salts.

Different Impacts of Long-Term Tillage and Manure on Yield and N Use Efficiency, Soil Fertility, and Fungal Community in Rainfed Wheat in Loess Plateau.

Conservation tillage and fertilization are widely adopted in agricultural systems to enhance soil fertility and influence fungal communities, thereby improving agroecosystems. However, the effects of no-tillage combined with manure on grain yield, nitrogen use efficiency (NUE), soil fertility, and rhizosphere fungal communities remain poorly understood, particularly in rainfed wheat fields on the Loess Plateau. A 15-year field experiment was conducted at the Niujiawa Experimental Farm of the Cotton Research Institute, Shanxi Agricultural University.

Using High-Entropy Configuration Strategy to Design Spinel Lithium Manganate Cathodes with Remarkable Electrochemical Performance.

Owing to its abundant manganese source, high operating voltage, and good ionic diffusivity attributed to its 3D Li-ion diffusion channels. Spinel LiMnO is considered a promising low-cost positive electrode material in the context of reducing scarce elements such as cobalt and nickel from advanced lithium-ion batteries. However, the rapid capacity degradation and inadequate rate capabilities induced by the Jahn-Teller distortion and the manganese dissolution have limited the large-scale adoption of spinel LiMnO for decades.

Gate-Controlled Superconducting Switch in GaSe/NbSe van der Waals Heterostructure.

The demand for low-power devices is on the rise as semiconductor engineering approaches the quantum limit, and quantum computing continues to advance. Two-dimensional (2D) superconductors, thanks to their rich physical properties, hold significant promise for both fundamental physics and potential applications in superconducting integrated circuits and quantum computation. Here, we report a gate-controlled superconducting switch in GaSe/NbSe van der Waals (vdW) heterostructure.

Cross-alignment of silver nanowires network for efficient nanowelding.

The performance of silver nanowire (AgNW) network flexible transparent electrodes is limited by large contact resistance, making it necessary to perform nanowelding to improve conductivity of the network. However, not all nanowire junctions can be welded. Our work indicates that the welding kinetics between nanowires depend on the crossing angle, with higher surface diffusion velocity prone to welding and fracture at nanowire junctions of crossing angles close to 90 degrees.

Engineering and construction of multi-functional Janus separator for high-stability Li-CO battery.

Due to the high theoretical energy density, lithium-carbon dioxide (Li-CO) batteries provide unique advantages when using CO to generate electricity. However, the issues with lithium dendrite generated by uneven deposition and quick cathode passivation continue to impede the development of Li-CO batteries. In this work, a Janus separator with dual functionalities is created using an in-situ growth and hydrothermal technique.

Core Payload of the Space Gravitational Wave Observatory: Inertial Sensor and Its Critical Technologies.

Since Einstein's prediction regarding the existence of gravitational waves was directly verified by the ground-based detector Advanced LIGO, research on gravitational wave detection has garnered increasing attention. To overcome limitations imposed by ground vibrations and interference at arm's length, a space-based gravitational wave detection initiative was proposed, which focuses on analyzing a large number of waves within the frequency range below 1 Hz. Due to the weak signal intensity, the TMs must move along their geodesic orbit with a residual acceleration less than 10 m/s/Hz.

Advances in Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Natural Killer Cell Therapy.

Natural killer (NK) cells are cytotoxic lymphocytes of the innate immune system capable of killing virus-infected cells and/or cancer cells. The commonly used NK cells for therapeutic applications include primary NK cells and immortalized NK cell lines. However, primary NK cell therapy faces limitations due to its restricted proliferation capacity and challenges in stable storage.

A CT-Based Lung Radiomics Nomogram for Classifying the Severity of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a major global health concern, and while traditional pulmonary function tests are effective, recent radiomics advancements offer enhanced evaluation by providing detailed insights into the heterogeneous lung changes.

Purpose: To develop and validate a radiomics nomogram based on clinical and whole-lung computed tomography (CT) radiomics features to stratify COPD severity.

Patients And Methods: One thousand ninety-nine patients with COPD (including 308, 132, and 659 in the training, internal and external validation sets, respectively), confirmed by pulmonary function test, were enrolled from two institutions.

Intranasal delivery of engineered extracellular vesicles loaded with miR-206-3p antagomir ameliorates Alzheimer's disease phenotypes.

The level of miR-206-3p in the plasma and temporal cortex is increased in Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients. miR-206-3p antagomir injected into hippocampus ameliorates cognitive deficits by enhancing the level of BDNF. However, the trauma caused by brain injection and susceptibility to degradation limit its application.

Role of Immune Inflammation in Recurrent Spontaneous Abortions.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the role of immune inflammation in recurrent spontaneous abortions (RSA).

Methods: In this study, decidua tissues from 12 patients were collected. These included six individuals with RSA in the RSA group and six in the control group.