Unraveling the microbial community and succession during the maturation of Chinese cereal vinegar Daqu and their relationships with flavor formation.

Daqu, the fermentation starter of Shanxi aged vinegar (a traditional Chinese cereal vinegar), is produced by natural fermentation of barley and/or peas under conditions of open environment. However, the succession of microbial communities and its effects on volatile compounds during Daqu maturation were still unclear, which are closely related to the flavor and quality of Shanxi aged vinegar. In this study, the dynamics of physicochemical properties, microbial communities, and volatile compounds and their inter-relationships during the production of Shanxi aged vinegar Daqu were investigated.

Interconnected Lamellar 3D Semiconductive PCP for Rechargeable Aqueous Zinc Battery Cathodes.

2D electronically conductive porous coordination polymers/metal-organic frameworks (2D EC-MOFs) of M-HHTPs (HHTP = 2,3,6,7,10,11-hexahydroxytriphenylene; M = Co, Ni, Cu, etc.) have received extensive attention due to their ease of preparation, semiconductive properties, and tunability based on the choice of metal species. However, slight shifts between layers attenuate their specific surface area and stability.

Halogenated meroterpenoids with antifungal activities from the Deep-Sea-Derived fungus Acremonium sclerotigenum guided by the genomic and OSMAC strategy.

Thirteen new meroterpenoids, acremorins A-M (1, 2, 4, 6, 7 and 9-16), together with three known analogues (3, 5 and 8) were isolated from the deep-sea-derived fungus Acremonium sclerotigenum LW14 guided by the genomic and OSMAC strategy. Their structures and absolute configurations were established by extensive spectroscopic analysis, electronic circular dichroism (ECD) calculations, Rh(OCOCF)-induced ECD experiments, and a single-crystal X-ray diffraction experiment. Compounds 2, 4, 6 and 9 represent the rare brominated ascochlorins.

Stripe charge order and its interaction with Majorana bound states in 2M-WS topological superconductors.

To achieve logic operations via Majorana braiding, positional control of the Majorana bound states (MBSs) must be established. Here we report the observation of a striped surface charge order coexisting with superconductivity and its interaction with the MBS in the topological superconductor 2M-WS, using low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy. By applying an out-of-plane magnetic field, we observe that MBSs are absent in vortices in the region with stripe order.

Biomimetic Confined Assembly of Plasmonic CuS from Electronic Waste for Rapid Photothermal Disinfection.

Photothermal disinfection (PTD) offers promising potential for water purification due to its sustainable and broad-spectrum bactericidal properties, although it is hindered by slow charge separation in photosensitizers. Herein, we present a plasma-mediated PTD technique utilizing an efficient localized heating effect induced by incident light at specific wavelengths for rapid bacterial inactivation. A metallic CuS photosensitizer, derived from electronic waste through a biomimetic transmembrane confined-assembled strategy, facilitates collective and coherent oscillation of free electrons around Cu atoms in the near-infrared range.

The chromatin remodeler ADNP regulates neurodevelopmental disorder risk genes and neocortical neurogenesis.

Although chromatin remodelers are among the most important risk genes associated with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs), the roles of these complexes during brain development are in many cases unclear. Here, we focused on the recently discovered ChAHP chromatin remodeling complex. The zinc finger and homeodomain transcription factor ADNP is a core subunit of this complex, and de novo mutations lead to intellectual disability and autism spectrum disorder.

Urea Chelation of I for High-Voltage Aqueous Zinc-Iodine Batteries.

The multielectron conversion electrochemistry of I/I/I enables high specific capacity and voltage in zinc-iodine batteries. Unfortunately, the I ions are thermodynamically unstable and are highly susceptible to hydrolysis. Current endeavors primarily focus on exploring interhalogen chemistry to activate the I/I couple.

Uncovering ZnS growth behavior and morphology control for high-performance aqueous Zn-S batteries.

Aqueous Zn-S batteries provide competitive energy density for large-scale energy storage systems. However, the cathode active material exhibits poor electrical conductivity especially at the discharged state of ZnS. Its morphology generated in cells thus directly determines the cathode electrochemical activity.

Unveiling the hidden network of STING's subcellular regulation.

A new study deconvolutes the systems-level control of the cGAS-STING pathway and identifies many novel regulators of STING biology. This was made possible by optical pooled screening (OPS), which enables high-dimensional imaging of millions of gene-edited cells, showcasing the future of CRISPR screening.

Improve clinical feature-based bladder cancer survival prediction models through integration with gene expression profiles and machine learning techniques.

Background: Bladder cancer (BCa), one of the most common cancers worldwide, is characterized by high rates of recurrence, progression, and mortality. Machine learning algorithms offer promising advancements in enhancing predictive models. This study aims to develop robust machine learning models for predicting BCa survival using clinical and gene expression data.

Formulating Electrolytes for 4.6 V Anode-Free Lithium Metal Batteries.

High-voltage initial anode-free lithium metal batteries (AFLMBs) promise the maximized energy densities of rechargeable lithium batteries. However, the reversibility of the high-voltage cathode and lithium metal anode is unsatisfactory in sustaining their long lifespan. In this research, a concentrated electrolyte comprising dual salts of LiTFSI and LiDFOB dissolved in mixing solvents of dimethyl carbonate (DMC) and fluoroethylene carbonate (FEC) with a LiNO additive was formulated to address this challenge.

Electrolyte Additive Molecule Disassembly to Reveal the Roles of Individual Groups in Zn Electrode Stabilities in Aqueous Batteries.

Zn metal anodes experience dendritic growth and hydrogen evolution reactions (HER) in aqueous batteries. Herein, we propose an interface regulation strategy with a trace (1.4 × 10 mol kg) all-in-one epicatechin (EC) electrolyte additive to solve the above issues and reveal the roles of individual functional groups.

Diatomic Catalysts for Aqueous Zinc-Iodine Batteries: Mechanistic Insights and Design Strategies.

There has been a growing interest in developing catalysts to enable the reversible iodine conversion reaction for high-performance aqueous zinc-iodine batteries (AZIBs). While diatomic catalysts (DACs) have demonstrated superior performance in various catalytic reactions due to their ability to facilitate synergistic charge interactions, their application in AZIBs remains unexplored. Herein, we present, for the first time, a DAC comprising Mn-Zn dual atoms anchored on a nitrogen-doped carbon matrix (MnZn-NC) for iodine loading, resulting in a high-performance AZIB with a capacity of 224 mAh g at 1 A g and remarkable cycling stability over 320,000 cycles.

Revisiting the Structure of the Chinese Version of the Questionnaire of Cognitive and Affective Empathy and Its Relationships with Schizotypy and Paranoia Using Network Approaches.

Empathy is predominantly assessed with self-report questionnaires. However, their structural validities were not well-supported. This study aimed to re-explore and refine the factor structure of the Chinese version of the Questionnaire of Cognitive and Affective Empathy (QCAE) and investigate the pathways linked between dimensions of empathy and schizotypy.

Feasibility of a Smartphone Application for Education and Symptom Management of Patients With Renal Cell Carcinoma on Combined Tyrosine Kinase and Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors.

Purpose: Patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC) face significant challenges, stemming both from the complexities of the disease itself and the adverse effects of treatments. This study evaluated the feasibility and acceptability of a mobile health (mHealth) application tailored for education and symptom management of patients with advanced RCC receiving combined immune checkpoint inhibitor and tyrosine kinase inhibitor (ICI-TKI) therapy.

Methods: The primary end points were acceptability and feasibility.

FireSonic: Design and Implementation of an Ultrasound Sensing-Based Fire Type Identification System.

Accurate and prompt determination of fire types is essential for effective firefighting and reducing damage. However, traditional methods such as smoke detection, visual analysis, and wireless signals are not able to identify fire types. This paper introduces FireSonic, an acoustic sensing system that leverages commercial speakers and microphones to actively probe the fire using acoustic signals, effectively identifying fire types.

Strategies for the development of metalloimmunotherapies.

Metal ions play crucial roles in the regulation of immune pathways. In fact, metallodrugs have a long record of accomplishment as effective treatments for a wide range of diseases. Here we argue that the modulation of interactions of metal ions with molecules and cells involved in the immune system forms the basis of a new class of immunotherapies.

High-throughput evolution of near-infrared oxytocin nanosensors enables oxytocin imaging in mice and prairie voles.

Oxytocin is a neuropeptide involved in regulating social and emotional behavior. Current techniques for oxytocin imaging are generally limited in spatial and temporal resolution, real-time imaging capacity, selectivity for oxytocin over vasopressin, and application in young and non-model organisms. To address these issues, we developed a method to evolve purely synthetic molecular recognition for oxytocin on the surface of near-infrared fluorescent single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) using single-stranded DNA (ssDNA).

A FRET-based multifunctional fluorescence probe for the simultaneous detection of sulfite and viscosity in living cells.

Viscosity and sulfur dioxide derivatives were significant indicators for the assessment of health threat and even cancers, therefore, on-site and real time detection of viscosity and sulfur dioxide derivatives has obtained considerable attentions. An FRET-based fluorescence probe JZX was designed and synthesized based on a novel energy donor of N,N-diethyl-4-(1H-phenanthro[9,10-d]imidazol-2-yl)benzamide fluorophore. JZX exhibited a large Stokes shift (230 nm), high energy transfer efficiency, wide emission channel gap (135 nm) and excellent stability and biocompatibility.

Self-Assembled STING-Activating Coordination Nanoparticles for Cancer Immunotherapy and Vaccine Applications.

The cGAS-STING pathway plays a crucial role in innate immune activation against cancer and infections, and STING agonists based on cyclic dinucleotides (CDN) have garnered attention for their potential use in cancer immunotherapy and vaccines. However, the limited drug-like properties of CDN necessitate an efficient delivery system to the immune system. To address these challenges, we developed an immunostimulatory delivery system for STING agonists.