Profiling signaling mediators for cell-cell interactions and communications with microfluidics-based single-cell analysis tools.

Cell-cell interactions and communication represent the fundamental cornerstone of cells' collaborative efforts in executing diverse biological processes. A profound understanding of how cells interface through various mediators is pivotal across a spectrum of biological systems. Recent strides in microfluidic technologies have significantly bolstered the precision and prowess in capturing and manipulating cells with exceptional spatial and temporal resolution.

Near-Field Mixing in a Coaxial Dual Swirled Injector.

Improving mixing between two coaxial swirled jets is a subject of interest for the development of next generations of fuel injectors. This is particularly crucial for hydrogen injectors, where the separate introduction of fuel and oxidizer is preferred to mitigate the risk of flashback. Raman scattering is used to measure the mean compositions and to examine how mixing between fuel and air streams evolves along the axial direction in the near-field of the injector outlet.

Solvent-dripping modulated 3D/2D heterostructures for high-performance perovskite solar cells.

The controlled growth of two-dimensional (2D) perovskite atop three-dimensional (3D) perovskite films reduces interfacial recombination and impedes ion migration, thus improving the performance and stability of perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Unfortunately, the random orientation of the spontaneously formed 2D phase atop the pre-deposited 3D perovskite film can deteriorate charge extraction owing to energetic disorder, limiting the maximum attainable efficiency and long-term stability of the PSCs. Here, we introduce a meta-amidinopyridine ligand and the solvent post-dripping step to generate a highly ordered 2D perovskite phase on the surface of a 3D perovskite film.

Advanced technologies in InGaN micro-LED fabrication to mitigate the sidewall effect.

The size of InGaN micro-LEDs is continuously decreasing to meet the demands of various emerging applications, especially in tiny micro-displays such as AR/VR. However, the conventional pixel definition based on plasma etching significantly damages the mesa sidewalls, leading to a severe reduction in efficiency as the micro-LED size decreases. This seriously impedes the development and application of micro-LEDs.

Kojic Acid Derivative as an Antimitotic Agent That Selectively Kills Tumour Cells.

The primary method used to pharmacologically arrest cancer development and its metastasis is to disrupt the cell division process. There are a few approaches that may be used to meet this objective, mainly through inhibiting DNA replication or mitosis. Despite intensive studies on new chemotherapeutics, the biggest problem remains the side effects associated with the inhibition of cell division in non-tumoural host cells.

Methicillin-Resistant : The Shifting Landscape in the United Arab Emirates.

Background: Methicillin-resistant (MRSA) is a significant burden globally, particularly in the Arabian Gulf region. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has experienced rising MRSA prevalence, with increasing diversity in the clonal complexes (CCs) identified. The COVID-19 pandemic, with its increased hospitalization rates and antibiotic use, may have further influenced MRSA's genetic evolution and epidemiology in the country.

Reproduction and Development in Fish: Solving Bottlenecks in Modern Aquaculture.

The aquaculture industry is home to the fastest-growing activity in the agriculture sector worldwide and is one of the leading sectors in global food production [...

Interlayer reconstruction phase transition in van der Waals materials.

Van der Waals materials display rich structural polymorphs with distinct physical properties. An atomistic understanding of the phase-transition dynamics, propagation pathway and associated evolution of physical properties is essential for capturing their potential in practical technologies. However, direct visualization of the rapid phase-transition process is fundamentally challenging due to the inherent trade-offs among atomic resolution, field of view and imaging frame rate.

Repurposing eugenol and cinnamaldehyde as potent antimicrobial agents: A comprehensive in-vitro and in-silico study.

Multi-drug-resistant (MDR) pathogens represent a critical global health threat, necessitating the development of novel antimicrobial agents with broad-spectrum activity and minimal toxicity. This study investigates the antimicrobial and anti-biofilm properties of 4-Allyl-2-methoxyphenol (eugenol, EU) and (E)-3-Phenylprop-2-enal (cinnamaldehyde, CN) against 19 clinically significant pathogens through a combination of in-vitro assays and in-silico analyses. EU displayed remarkable activity, particularly against Aspergillus niger (20.

Spacer Designs for Improved Hydrodynamics and Filtration Efficiency in Sea Water Reverse Osmosis.

Reverse osmosis (RO) filtration performance is heavily influenced by the design of the feed spacer. Spacer design impacts hydrodynamic patterns within the system, affecting water production and concentration polarization. Two spacer designs, namely pillar (P) and standard (S), were investigated to improve the performance of a commercially available spacer design (C) in the RO process.

Dual Repurposing of End-of-Life BWRO Membranes: Ultrafiltration Membranes for Advanced Wastewater Treatment and Cation Exchange Membranes for Fungal Microbial Fuel Cells.

The objective of this study is to evaluate the degradation of end-of-life BWRO membranes sourced from a factory in France by analyzing their water permeability, roughness, and chemical composition in order to diagnose the level of degradation incurred during their first life cycle in water softening. Following this, two new applications for the end-of-life BWRO membranes were investigated: (i) as ultrafiltration membranes (UF) for domestic effluent treatment and (ii) as cation exchange membranes (CEM) for use in fungal microbial fuel cells (FMFC). The UF membrane was renovated with an acetic acid treatment and, subsequently, used for domestic effluent filtration.

Marine heatwaves imperil emblematic reef fishes by altering the energetic landscape of coral reefs.

Marine heatwaves are increasingly common due to human-induced climate change. Under prolonged thermal stress on coral reefs, corals can undergo bleaching, leading to mass coral mortality and large-scale changes in benthic community composition. While coral mortality has clear, negative impacts on the body condition and populations of coral-dependent fish species, the mechanisms that drive these changes remain poorly resolved.

Optimized Time-Segmented Acquisition Expands Peptide and Protein Identification in TIMS-TOF Pro Mass Spectrometry.

We introduce here a novel approach, termed time-segmented acquisition (Seg), to enhance the identification of peptides and proteins in trapped ion mobility spectrometry (TIMS)-time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectrometry. Our method exploits the positive correlation between ion mobility values and reversed-phase liquid chromatography (LC) retention time to improve ion separation and resolution. By dividing the LC retention time into multiple segments and applying a segment-specific narrower ion mobility range within the TIMS tunnel, we achieved better separation and higher resolution of ion mobility.

Walking coral: Complex phototactic mobility in the free-living coral Cycloseris cyclolites.

Not all corals are attached to the substrate; some taxa are solitary and free-living, allowing them to migrate into preferred habitats. However, the lifestyle of these mobile corals, including how they move and navigate for migration, remains largely obscure. This study investigates the specific biomechanics of Cycloseris cyclolites, a free-living coral species, during phototactic behaviour in response to blue and white light stimuli.

AggNet: Advancing protein aggregation analysis through deep learning and protein language model.

Protein aggregation is critical to various biological and pathological processes. Besides, it is also an important property in biotherapeutic development. However, experimental methods to profile protein aggregation are costly and labor-intensive, driving the need for more efficient computational alternatives.

Significant Efficiency Enhancements in Non-Y Series Acceptors by the Addition of Outer Side Chains.

Most current highly efficient organic solar cells utilize small molecules like Y6 and its derivatives as electron acceptors in the photoactive layer. In this work, a small molecule acceptor, SC8-IT4F, is developed through outer side chain engineering on the terminal thiophene of a conjugated 6,12-dihydro-dithienoindeno[2,3-d:2',3'-d']-s-indaceno[1,2-b:5,6-b']dithiophene (IDTT) central core. Compared to the reference molecule C8-IT4F, which lacks outer side chains, SC8-IT4F displays notable differences in molecule geometry (as shown by simulations), thermal behavior, single-crystal packing, and film morphology.

Atomically resolved imaging of radiation-sensitive metal-organic frameworks via electron ptychography.

Electron ptychography, recognized as an ideal technique for low-dose imaging, consistently achieves deep sub-angstrom resolution at electron doses of several thousand electrons per square angstrom (e/Å) or higher. Despite its proven efficacy, the application of electron ptychography at even lower doses-necessary for materials highly sensitive to electron beams-raises questions regarding its feasibility and the attainable resolution under such stringent conditions. Herein, we demonstrate the implementation of near-atomic-resolution ( ~ 2 Å) electron ptychography reconstruction at electron doses as low as ~100 e/Å, for metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), which are known for their extreme sensitivity.

A Fully Printable Strain Sensor Enabling Highly-Sensitive Wireless Near-Field Interrogation.

Wireless, passive, and flexible strain sensors can transform structural health monitoring across various applications by eliminating the need for wired connections and active power sources. Such sensors offer the dual benefits of operational simplicity and high-function adaptability. Herein, a novel wireless sensor is fabricated using radio frequency (RF) technology for passive, wireless measurement of mechanical strains.

Sublethal changes to coral metabolism in response to deoxygenation.

Coastal deoxygenation poses a critical threat to tropical coral reefs. Dissolved oxygen (DO) depletion can cause hypoxia-induced stress and mortality for scleractinian corals. Coral hypoxic responses are species-specific and likely modulated by the duration and severity of low-DO conditions, although the physiological mechanisms driving hypoxia tolerance are not fully understood.

Prevalent integration of genomic repetitive and regulatory elements and donor sequences at CRISPR-Cas9-induced breaks.

CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing has been extensively applied in both academia and clinical settings, but its genotoxic risks, including large insertions (LgIns), remain poorly studied due to methodological limitations. This study presents the first detailed report of unintended LgIns consistently induced by different Cas9 editing regimes using various types of donors across multiple gene loci. Among these insertions, retrotransposable elements (REs) and host genomic coding and regulatory sequences are prevalent.

Wheel-shaped polyoxometalates as nanozymes for autophagy-augmented and phototherapy-involved cancer nanotherapy.

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Unraveling Various Stacking Modes and Local Structures in Poly(triazine imide) Materials via Low-Dose Electron Microscopy.

Poly(triazine imide) (PTI) materials, a class of layered graphitic carbon nitrides, have garnered significant attention for their unique electronic, thermal, and catalytic properties. These properties can be adjusted through postsynthesis treatments. However, the influence of these treatments on the layer stacking modes and local structures within PTI remains largely unexplored.

Novel adaptive immune systems in pristine Antarctic soils.

Antarctic environments are dominated by microorganisms, which are vulnerable to viral infection. Although several studies have investigated the phylogenetic repertoire of bacteria and viruses in these poly-extreme environments with freezing temperatures, high ultra violet irradiation levels, low moisture availability and hyper-oligotrophy, the evolutionary mechanisms governing microbial immunity remain poorly understood. Using genome-resolved metagenomics, we test the hypothesis that Antarctic poly-extreme high-latitude microbiomes harbour diverse adaptive immune systems.

AlphaFold and what is next: bridging functional, systems and structural biology.

Introduction: The DeepMind's AlphaFold (AF) has revolutionized biomedical research by providing both experts and non-experts with an invaluable tool for predicting protein structures. However, while AF is highly effective for predicting structures of rigid and globular proteins, it is not able to fully capture the dynamics, conformational variability, and interactions of proteins with ligands and other biomacromolecules.

Areas Covered: In this review, we present a comprehensive overview of the latest advancements in 3D model predictions for biomacromolecules using AF.