Ultrasound-activated piezoelectric heterojunction drives nanozyme catalysis to induce bacterial cuproptosis-like death and promote bone vascularization and osseointegration.

Osteomyelitis is a severe and persistent bone infection that poses significant challenges to clinical treatment, often requiring prolonged antibiotic therapy and invasive procedures. Nanomaterial-based non-antibiotic therapies have emerged as promising alternatives in combating bacterial infections. However, effectively treating osteomyelitis while simultaneously promoting bone repair remains a challenge.

Unveiling the Origin of Oxygen Framework Stability in Ultra-High Nickel Layered Oxide Cathodes.

Ultra-high nickel layered oxides are recognized as promising cathode candidates for high-energy-density lithium-ion batteries due to their enhanced overall capacity and elevated operating voltage. However, the interlayer sliding of transition metal-oxygen octahedra (TMO6) and the instability of lattice oxygen at high voltages for ultra-high nickel oxide cathodes pose significant challenges to their development. Herein, the origin of oxygen framework stability is investigated by incorporating high-covalent element Mo in both bulk and surface using a one-step integrated method for ultra-high nickel cathode material LiNiCoO.

Microtubule-modulating drugs alter sensitivity to isoflurane in mice.

Background: Microtubules (MTs) have been postulated as one of the molecular targets underlying loss of consciousness induced by inhalational anesthetics. Microtubule-targeting chemotherapy drugs and opioids affect MT stability and function. However, the impact of prolonged administration of these drugs on anesthetic potency and anesthesia induction and emergence times remain unelucidated.

TRIM38 Inhibits Zika Virus by Upregulating RIG-I/MDA5 Pathway and Promoting Ubiquitin-Mediated Degradation of Viral NS3 Protein.

Members of the tripartite motif (TRIM)-containing protein family play crucial roles in regulating immune system responses. The TRIM38 protein regulates host innate immunity and directly degrades some viral proteins through its E3 ubiquitin ligase activity. This study demonstrated that Zika virus (ZIKV) infection can promote the expression of TRIM38 in human glioma cells (U251).

Local chemical inhomogeneity enables superior strength-ductility-superelasticity synergy in additively manufactured NiTi shape memory alloys.

NiTi shape memory alloys produced via additive manufacturing are suffering low tensile strength, low total elongation, and unstable superelasticity, thus failing to meet the requirements of practical applications. Here, we report an strategy to substantially and synergistically improve the strength, ductility, and superelasticity of NiTi produced by laser powder bed fusion through establishing high-density Ni-rich local chemical inhomogeneity (LCI) entities within B2 matrix. Compared with other documented microstructures such as long-range ordered NiTi precipitates, the present Ni-rich LCI entities are unique to increase the resistance against dislocation slip, facilitate stress-induced martensitic transformation, and most importantly, relieve local stress concentration around micro-pore defects and entity interfaces.

Small-Angle Neutron Scattering for Lithium-Based Battery Research: Progress and Perspective.

Lithium-based batteries have become the mainstream energy storage system due to their high energy density and long cycle life, driving rapid advancements in smart electronics and electric vehicles. However, the development of lithium-based batteries has encountered several difficult technical challenges, including safety issues and capacity degradation, which result from uncontrollable dendrite growth, complex interface reactions, and volume expansion. There is an urgent need to develop in situ characterization techniques to elucidate the complex evolution processes during battery operation.

Embedding Antimony Nanoparticles into a Nitrogen-Doped Porous Carbon Matrix for High-Performance Potassium-Ion Battery Anode.

Antimony (Sb) has the advantages of high theoretical K storage capacity, low alloying potential, and excellent electrical conductivity, and it is a promising active anode material for potassium-ion batteries (PIBs). In this work, a series of Sb/NC nanocomposites were prepared by the sol-gel method and carbothermic reduction technique, encapsulating Sb particles in a nitrogen (N)-doped three-dimensional porous carbon matrix. The results show that Sb/NC nanocomposites with a unique porous structure and optimal Sb content can be obtained by simply adjusting the amount of organic carbon source during the synthesis process.

Preparation and structural optimization of vanadium oxide nanotubes as cathode materials for PIBs with improved performance.

In this work, we synthesized hollow multi-walled vanadium oxide nanotubes (VO -NT) using a soft template technique under hydrothermal reaction conditions. By replacing organic templates, which do not contribute to electrochemical potassium storage, with K in a solution environment, we effectively retained the original hollow multi-walled structure of VO -NT while obtaining the K-VO -NT material. We conducted systematic characterizations of the microstructure, morphology, and composition of these materials and evaluated their potassium storage performance.

Carbon nanotube paper with different polymer composition for laser ablation propulsion.

Laser ablation propulsion is an important micro-propulsion system for microsatellites. Polymers with carbon added and carbon-based nanomaterial have been demonstrated as propellants with high impulse coupling coefficient (C). Among them, the carbon nanotube film exhibits a low ablation threshold fluence of 25 mJ/cm, which shows its potential for propulsion under low laser fluence.

Application of molten salt thermoelectric effect in biomass preparation of hydrogen-rich gas, porous biochar and molten salt regeneration.

Hydrogen production from biomass pyrolysis is attractive since it allows for green hydrogen production through feedstock and thermal conversion. However, the key limiting factors for hydrogen production are the high oxygen content, uneven heating of biomass pellets during the slow heating process, and insufficient depolymerization due to low reaction temperatures (low gas yields and low hydrogen content). To address these challenges, fast pyrolysis of super Arundo in NaOH-NaCO molten salt was carried out in this paper at 450 °C, 550 °C and 650 °C.

Dynamic development of gut microbiota and metabolism during and after weaning of kittens.

Background: As the pet population grows, there is increasing attention on the health and well-being of companion animals. Weaning, a common challenge for young mammals, often leads to issues such as diarrhea, growth retardation, and in severe cases, even mortality. However, the specific changes in gut microbiota and metabolites in kittens following weaning remain unclear.

The short-term comprehensive impact of the phase-out of global coal combustion on air pollution and climate change.

With the continuous intensification of global warming, the reduction and ultimate phase-out of coal combustion is an inevitable trend in the future global energy transformation. This study comprehensively analyzed the impact of phasing out coal combustion on global emissions and concentrations of air pollutants, radiative fluxes, meteorology and climate using Community Earth System Model 2 (CESM2). The results indicate that after the global phase-out of coal combustion, there is a marked decrease in the concentrations of sulfur dioxide (SO), nitrogen oxides (NO) and fine particulate matter (PM), with some regions experiencing a reduction of exceeding 50%.

Dual-Anion-Rich Polymer Electrolytes for High-Voltage Solid-State Lithium Metal Batteries.

Solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) are promising candidates for lithium metal batteries (LMBs) owing to their safety features and compatibility with lithium metal anodes. However, the inferior ionic conductivity and electrochemical stability of SPEs hinder their application in high-voltage solid-state LMBs (HVSSLMBs). Here, a strategy is proposed to develop a dual-anion-rich solvation structure by implementing ferroelectric barium titanate (BTO) nanoparticles (NPs) and dual lithium salts into poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF)-based SPEs for HVSSLMBs.

Commercial SiO Encapsulated in Hybrid Bilayer Conductive Skeleton as Stable Anode Coupling Chemical Prelithiation for Lithium-Ion Batteries.

Although Silicon monoxide (SiO) is regarded as the most promising next-generation anode material, the large volume expansion, poor conductivity, and low initial Coulombic efficiency (ICE) severely hamper its commercialization application. Designing a multilayer conductive skeleton combined with advanced prelithiation technology is considered an effective approach to address these problems. Herein, a reliable strategy is proposed that utilizes MXene and carbon nanotube (CNT) as dual-conductive skeletons to encapsulate SiO through simple electrostatic interaction for high-performance anodes in LIBs, while also performing chemical prelithiation.

Strong, ductile, and hierarchical hetero-lamellar-structured alloys through microstructural inheritance and refinement.

The strength-ductility trade-off exists ubiquitously, especially in brittle intermetallic-containing multiple principal element alloys (MPEAs), where the intermetallic phases often induce premature failure leading to severe ductility reduction. Hierarchical heterogeneities represent a promising microstructural solution to achieve simultaneous strength-ductility enhancement. However, it remains fundamentally challenging to tailor hierarchical heterostructures using conventional methods, which often rely on costly and time-consuming processing.

A SARS-CoV-2 EG.5 mRNA vaccine induces a broad-spectrum immune response in mice.

The emerging of emergent SARS-CoV-2 subvariants has reduced the protective efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines. Therefore, novel COVID-19 vaccines targeting these emergent variants are needed. We designed and prepared CoV072, an mRNA-based vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 Omicron (EG.

Disentangling the genetic overlap between ischemic stroke and obesity.

Objective: Obesity has been recognized as a risk factor for cerebrovascular diseases, with observational studies suggesting a heightened incidence of stroke. However, the genetic epidemiology field has yet to reach a consensus on the causal relationship and genetic overlap between ischemic stroke (IS) and obesity.

Methods: We utilized linkage disequilibrium score regression, high-definition likelihood, and local analysis of variant associations to assess the genetic correlation between body mass index (BMI) and IS.

Genome-wide identification and expression analysis of the kinesin gene superfamily suggests roles in response to abiotic stress and fertility of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.).

Background: Kinesin is a motor for microtubule-based motility. It plays a vital role in plant growth and development. The kinesin superfamily members are known mainly from Arabidopsis.

Mathematical Modeling of Inactivation During Apple Drying and Pre-Drying Heating in Closed Environments.

Drying is one of the most effective preservation methods for extending the shelf-life of perishable foods. The microbial safety of low-moisture food products had not been recognized as a concern until outbreaks reported over the past decade in products contaminated with bacterial pathogens, in particular . There is now an urgent need to understand the influence of process conditions on the thermal inactivation of pathogens in various drying operations.

Quantitative Identification of Dopant Occupation in Li-Rich Cathodes.

Elemental doping is widely used to improve the performance of cathode materials in lithium-ion batteries. However, macroscopic/statistical investigation on how doping sites are distributed in the material lattice, despite being a key prerequisite for understanding and manipulating the doping effect, has not been effectively established. Herein, to solve this predicament, a universal strategy is proposed to quantitatively identify the locations of Al and Mg dopants in lithium-rich layered oxides (LLOs).

A tetrathiafulvalene-containing covalent organic nanobelt: preparation, crystal structure and application for sodium-ion batteries.

Developing single crystals of covalent organic polymers (COPs) is highly attractive as they can afford precise structural information for studying internal interactions. Employing dative boron-nitrogen (B-N) bonds to construct single-crystalline COPs is feasible since the dynamic linkages can self-correct errors, thus improving crystallization. In this project, we develop a single-crystal COP with a nanobelt structure, namely CityU-26, B-N-driven-assembly between 4,4',5,5'-tetrakis(4-(pyridin-4-yl)phenyl)-2,2'-bi(1,3-dithiolylidene) and 1,4-bis(benzodioxaborole) benzene.

Genome-wide identification of CRF gene family members in four rice subspecies and expression analysis of OsCRF members in response to cold stress at seedling stage.

Cytokinin Response Factors (CRFs) play a crucial role in plant growth and development, hormone signaling, and responses to biotic and abiotic stresses. However, there have been no reports on CRF genes in rice until now. We analyzed the CRF families in four rice subspecies: cultivated rice Oryza sativa Japonica Group, Oryza sativa Indica Group, and Oryza sativa (circum-Aus1 var.

Nanotechnology in healthcare, and its safety and environmental risks.

Nanotechnology holds immense promise in revolutionising healthcare, offering unprecedented opportunities in diagnostics, drug delivery, cancer therapy, and combating infectious diseases. This review explores the multifaceted landscape of nanotechnology in healthcare while addressing the critical aspects of safety and environmental risks associated with its widespread application. Beginning with an introduction to the integration of nanotechnology in healthcare, we first delved into its categorisation and various materials employed, setting the stage for a comprehensive understanding of its potential.

Disclosure Patterns of Opioid Use Disorders in Perinatal Care During the Opioid Epidemic on X From 2019 to 2021: Thematic Analysis.

Background: In 2021, the United States experienced a 14% rise in fatal drug overdoses totaling 106,699 deaths, driven by harmful opioid use, particularly among individuals in the perinatal period who face increased risks associated with opioid use disorders (OUDs). Increased concerns about the impacts of escalating harmful opioid use among pregnant and postpartum persons are rising. Most of the current limited perinatal OUD studies were conducted using traditional methods, such as interviews and randomized controlled trials to understand OUD treatment, risk factors, and associated adverse effects.