Elastocaloric Thermal Battery: Ultrahigh Heat-Storage Capacity Based on Generative Learning-Designed Phase-Change Alloys.

An elastocaloric thermal battery based on generative learning-designed phase-change alloys is developed to facilitate the efficient recycling of low-temperature waste heat. This battery stores thermal energy as latent heat in a phase-change alloy and releases it on demand through applied stress at ambient temperature. Alloy compositions and corresponding processing parameters, tailored to desired transformation characteristics, are efficiently discovered through a generative learning-enabled inverse design framework, which converts the hand-drawn target heat flow curve into tangible compositional and processing designs.

Direct Preparation of Ultrathin Polymer Membranes on Porous Substrates for the Separation of Helium From Methane.

Ultrathin polymer membranes on porous substrates exhibit excellent gas and ion permeability and have important applications in many fields, such as membrane separation and batteries. However, there is still a lack of facile and general methods for the direct preparation of ultrathin polymer membranes on porous substrates, especially from polymer solutions. Within this work, a new strategy to fabricate centimeter-size ultrathin polymer membranes (thickness down to 16 nm) is presented directly on porous supports by using the liquid-liquid interfacial spin-coating technique.

Revealing genes related teat number traits via genetic variation in Yorkshire pigs based on whole-genome sequencing.

Background: Teat number is one of the most important indicators to evaluate the lactation performance of sows, and increasing the teat number has become an important method to improve the economic efficiency of farms. Therefore, it is particularly important to deeply analyze the genetic mechanism of teat number traits in pigs. In this study, we detected Single Nucleotide Ploymorphism (SNP), Insertion-Deletion (InDel) and Structural variant (SV) by high-coverage whole-genome resequencing data, and selected teat number at birth and functional teat number as two types of teat number traits for genome-wide association study (GWAS) to reveal candidate genes associated with pig teat number traits.

Emergent Skyrmions in CrTe nanoflakes at Room Temperature.

Chiral noncollinear magnetic nanostructures, such as skyrmions, are intriguing spin configurations with significant potential for magnetic memory technologies. However, the limited availability of 2D magnetic materials that host skyrmions with Curie temperatures above room temperature presents a major challenge for practical implementation. Chromium tellurides exhibit diverse spin configurations and remarkable stability under ambient conditions, making them a promising platform for fundamental spin physics research and the development of innovative 2D spintronic devices.

Comparative effectiveness of multi-sensory interventions for reducing pain among premature infants: A systematic review and network meta-analysis.

Background: A series of multi-sensory interventions are proved to be effective in reducing pain among premature infants. Nevertheless, there lacks a comparison of these interventions to find the most suitable and optimal one for clinical decision-making.

Objective: This systematic review and network meta-analysis aims to compare the effectiveness of various multi-sensory interventions, and to identify the optimal intervention for alleviating pain in premature infants.

Development of Neural Network Potentials for Studying Chemical Behaviors of La/Nd Ions in Molten LiCl-KCl-CsCl in Combination with Raman Spectroscopy.

The chemistry of molten salts has attracted great research interest owing to their wide applications in diverse fields. In the pyrochemical reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel or molten salt nuclear reactors, lanthanide elements as the principal fission products bring about changes in the composition and properties of molten salts. Herein, we report a comprehensive study on the coordination chemistry of the representative trivalent lanthanide ions (La/Nd) in LiCl-KCl-CsCl using a multiscale strategy combining Raman spectroscopy, deep learning, and large-scale molecular dynamics (MD) simulations.

Ultrahigh Elastic Energy Storage in Nanocrystalline Alloys with Martensite Nanodomains.

Elastic materials that store and release elastic energy play pivotal roles in both macro and micro mechanical systems. Uniting high elastic energy density and efficiency is crucial for emerging technologies such as artificial muscles, hopping robots, and unmanned aerial vehicle catapults, yet it remains a significant challenge. Here, a nanocrystalline structure embedded with elliptical martensite nanodomains in ferroelastic alloys was utilized to enable high yield strength, large recoverable strain, and low energy dissipation simultaneously.

A pig model exploring the postnatal hair follicle cycle.

Introduction: The hair follicle (HF) is a micro-organ capable of regeneration. A HF cycle consists of an anagen, catagen and telogen. Abnormalities in the HF cycle can lead to many hair disorders such as hair loss.

The effectiveness of interventions on improving body image for pregnant and postpartum women: a systematic review of randomized clinical trials.

Background: Body image dissatisfaction, leading to a variety of negative emotions and adverse pregnancy or birth outcomes. Studies on body image interventions for pregnant and postpartum women have been reported, yielding mixed results. Existing evidence lacks a comprehensive review of the effectiveness of body image interventions for pregnant and postpartum women.

Machine Learning for Predicting Ultralow Thermal Conductivity and High in Complex Thermoelectric Materials.

Efficient and precise calculations of thermal transport properties and figures of merit, alongside a deep comprehension of thermal transport mechanisms, are essential for the practical utilization of advanced thermoelectric materials. In this study, we explore the microscopic processes governing thermal transport in the distinguished crystalline material TlSbTe by integrating a unified thermal transport theory with machine learning-assisted self-consistent phonon calculations. Leveraging machine learning potentials, we expedite the analysis of phonon energy shifts, higher-order scattering mechanisms, and thermal conductivity arising from various contributing factors, such as population and coherence channels.

Near-infrared fluorescent probe for ultrasensitive detection of organophosphorus pesticides and visualization of their interaction with butyrylcholinesterase in living cells.

The toxicity of organophosphorus pesticides (OPs) can catastrophically cause liver cell damage and inhibit the catalytic activity of cholinesterase. We designed and synthesized a near-infrared fluorescent probe HP-LZB with large Stokes shift which can specifically identify and detect butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) and visually explore the interaction between OPs and endogenous BChE in living cells. Fluorescence was turned on when HP-LZB was hydrolyzed into HP-LZ in the presence of BChE, and OPs could inhibit BChE's activity resulting in a decrease of fluorescence.

Phase interface engineering enables state-of-the-art half-Heusler thermoelectrics.

In thermoelectric, phase interface engineering proves effective in reducing the lattice thermal conductivity via interface scattering and amplifying the density-of-states effective mass by energy filtering. However, the indiscriminate introduction of phase interfaces inevitably leads to diminished carrier mobility. Moreover, relying on a singular energy barrier is insufficient for comprehensive filtration of low-energy carriers throughout the entire temperature range.

Compressive strain in Cu catalysts: Enhancing generation of C products in electrochemical CO reduction.

Elastic strain in Cu catalysts enhances their selectivity for the electrochemical CO reduction reaction (eCORR), particularly toward the formation of multicarbon (C) products. However, the reasons for this selectivity and the effect of catalyst precursors have not yet been clarified. Hence, we employed a redox strategy to induce strain on the surface of Cu nanocrystals.

Predictive ability of multi-population genomic prediction methods of phenotypes for reproduction traits in Chinese and Austrian pigs.

Background: Multi-population genomic prediction can rapidly expand the size of the reference population and improve genomic prediction ability. Machine learning (ML) algorithms have shown advantages in single-population genomic prediction of phenotypes. However, few studies have explored the effectiveness of ML methods for multi-population genomic prediction.

The effectiveness of digital twins in promoting precision health across the entire population: a systematic review.

Digital twins represent a promising technology within the domain of precision healthcare, offering significant prospects for individualized medical interventions. Existing systematic reviews, however, mainly focus on the technological dimensions of digital twins, with a limited exploration of their impact on health-related outcomes. Therefore, this systematic review aims to explore the efficacy of digital twins in improving precision healthcare at the population level.

Remarkable flexibility in freestanding single-crystalline antiferroelectric PbZrO membranes.

The ultrahigh flexibility and elasticity achieved in freestanding single-crystalline ferroelectric oxide membranes have attracted much attention recently. However, for antiferroelectric oxides, the flexibility limit and fundamental mechanism in their freestanding membranes are still not explored clearly. Here, we successfully fabricate freestanding single-crystalline PbZrO membranes by a water-soluble sacrificial layer technique.

Integrating Single-Cell and Spatial Transcriptomics Reveals Heterogeneity of Early Pig Skin Development and a Subpopulation with Hair Placode Formation.

The dermis and epidermis, crucial structural layers of the skin, encompass appendages, hair follicles (HFs), and intricate cellular heterogeneity. However, an integrated spatiotemporal transcriptomic atlas of embryonic skin has not yet been described and would be invaluable for studying skin-related diseases in humans. Here, single-cell and spatial transcriptomic analyses are performed on skin samples of normal and hairless fetal pigs across four developmental periods.

Research advancements on nerve guide conduits for nerve injury repair.

Peripheral nerve injury (PNI) is one of the most serious causes of disability and loss of work capacity of younger individuals. Although PNS has a certain degree of regeneration, there are still challenges like disordered growth, neuroma formation, and incomplete regeneration. Regarding the management of PNI, conventional methods such as surgery, pharmacotherapy, and rehabilitative therapy.

Electric Field Switching of Magnon Spin Current in a Compensated Ferrimagnet.

Manipulation of directional magnon propagation, known as magnon spin current, is essential for developing magnonic devices featuring nonvolatile functionalities and ultralow power consumption. Magnon spin current can usually be modulated by magnetic field or current-induced spin torques. However, these approaches may lead to energy dissipation due to Joule heating.

Water-Mediated Hydrogen Bond Network Drives Highly Crystalline Structure Formation of Crown Ether-Based Covalent Organic Framework for Sr Adsorption.

Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) with crown ether units have drawn great attention due to their potential applications in adsorption, catalysis, and sensing. However, employing crown ethers to construct COFs is still challenging in light of the flexible nature of macrocycles. Here, a highly crystalline one-dimensional covalent organic framework (1D-18C6-COF) with crown ether units on the ribbon edge was synthesized.

Polymer Additives with Gas Barrier and Anti-Aging Properties Made from Asphaltenes via Supercritical Ethanol.

Asphaltene is often regarded as an undesirable by-product of petroleum processing, possesses vast reserves with little market value. The typical routes of consuming asphaltene, namely burning and landfilling, pose significant environmental challenges. In this study, low-value asphaltene is converted into high-value ethylated carbon clusters (ECC) using a supercritical ethanol technique.