Excited-state antioxidant activity for apigenin based on external electric field-modulated ESIPT behavior: TD-DFT and molecular docking calculations.

Apigenin (Api), a flavonoid possessing dual features of antioxidant activity and intramolecular hydrogen bond (IMHB), is subjected to an external electric field (EEF) to investigate its excited-state antioxidant activity after excited state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) behavior employing the density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent DFT (TD-DFT) methods, as well as molecular docking. The existence of IMHB is demonstrated by structural parameters and AIM topological analysis, where Api in the enol form under an EEF of +60 × 10 a.u.

Lightweight tea bud detection method based on improved YOLOv5.

Tea bud detection technology is of great significance in realizing automated and intelligent plucking of tea buds. This study proposes a lightweight tea bud identification model based on modified Yolov5 to increase the picking accuracy and labor efficiency of intelligent tea bud picking while lowering the deployment pressure of mobile terminals. The following methods are used to make improvements: the backbone network CSPDarknet-53 of YOLOv5 is replaced with the EfficientNetV2 feature extraction network to reduce the number of parameters and floating-point operations of the model; the neck network of YOLOv5, the Ghost module is introduced to construct the ghost convolution and C3ghost module to further reduce the number of parameters and floating-point operations of the model; replacing the upsampling module of the neck network with the CARAFE upsampling module can aggregate the contextual tea bud feature information within a larger sensory field and improve the mean average precision of the model in detecting tea buds.

Predicting lncRNA-protein interactions using a hybrid deep learning model with dinucleotide-codon fusion feature encoding.

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play crucial roles in numerous biological processes and are involved in complex human diseases through interactions with proteins. Accurate identification of lncRNA-protein interactions (LPI) can help elucidate the functional mechanisms of lncRNAs and provide scientific insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying related diseases. While many sequence-based methods have been developed to predict LPIs, efficiently extracting and effectively integrating potential feature information that reflects functional attributes from lncRNA and protein sequences remains a significant challenge.

A signal energy approach of acoustic source localization in plate structures using a discrete sensor array.

In the field of engineering structural health monitoring, acoustic source localization (ASL) is a common method to monitor early damage. Most of the existing ASL techniques have high requirements for accurate acquisition of time of arrival, and require complex iterative algorithms or signal processing techniques, which are not conducive to real-time monitoring. In this paper, a signal energy approach of acoustic source localization in plate structures using a discrete sensor array is proposed.

Ultrathin, Friendly Environmental, and Flexible CsPb(Cl/Br)-Silica Composite Film for Blue-Light-Emitting Diodes.

Due to intrinsic defects in blue-light-emitting perovskite materials, the charge carriers are prone to being trapped by the trap states. Therefore, the preparation of efficient blue-light-emitting perovskite materials remains a significant challenge. Herein, CsPb(Cl/Br) nanocrystal (NCs)@SiO structures were fabricated through hydrolyzing (3-aminopropyl)-triethoxysilane (APTS).

Carbonized Plant Powder Gel for Rapid Hemostasis and Sterilization in Regard to Irregular Wounds.

Irregularly shaped wounds cause severe chronic infections, which have attracted worldwide attention due to their high prevalence and poor treatment outcomes. In this study, we designed a new composite functional dressing consisting of traditional Chinese herb carbonized plant powder (CPP) and a polyacrylic acid (PAA)/polyethylenimine (PEI) gel. The rapid gelation of the dressing within 6-8 s allowed the gel to be firmly attached to an irregularly shaped wound surface and avoided powder detachment.

A Highly Stable Electrochemical Sensor Based on a Metal-Organic Framework/Reduced Graphene Oxide Composite for Monitoring the Ammonium in Sweat.

The demand for non-invasive, real-time health monitoring has driven advancements in wearable sensors for tracking biomarkers in sweat. Ammonium ions (NH) in sweat serve as indicators of metabolic function, muscle fatigue, and kidney health. Although current ion-selective all-solid-state printed sensors based on nanocomposites typically exhibit good sensitivity (~50 mV/log [NH]), low detection limits (LOD ranging from 10 to 10 M), and wide linearity ranges (from 10 to 10 M), few have reported the stability test results necessary for their integration into commercial products for future practical applications.

Multidimensional Characterization of the Physiological State of Hematococcuspluvialis Using Scanning Structured Illumination Super-Resolution Microscopy.

(HP) is a freshwater alga known for its ability to accumulate the potent antioxidant astaxanthin, which has extensive applications in aquaculture, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics. Astaxanthin rapidly accumulates under unfavorable environmental conditions. However, the mechanisms of astaxanthin accumulation under various stress conditions remain unclear.

Near-infrared light therapy normalizes amyloid load, neuronal lipid membrane order, rafts and cholesterol level in Alzheimer's disease.

Cholesterol dysregulation, disorder of neuronal membrane lipid packing, and lipid rafts lead to the synthesis and accumulation of toxic amyloid-β (Aβ), contributing to the development of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Our study shows that near-infrared (NIR) transcranial photobiomodulation therapy (tPBMT) can reduce Aβ load and restore the properties of neuronal plasma membrane, including Aβ production, bilayer order, rafts, lipid content, and Ca channels during AD. Mice in the experiments were exposed to 808-nm LED for 1 h daily over 3 months.

Robust I···H-O Intramolecular Halogen Bond Boosts Reversible I/I Redox Behavior for Sustainable Potassium-Iodine Batteries.

Potassium-iodine batteries show great promise as alternatives for next-generation battery technology, owing to their high power density and environmental sustainability. Nevertheless, they suffer from polyiodide dissolution and the multistep electrode fabrication process, which leads to severe performance degradation and limitations in mass-market adoption. Herein, we report a simple "solution-adsorption" strategy for scale-up production of TiC(OH)-wrapped carbon nanotube paper (CNP), as an economic host for strengthening the iodine encapsulation.

Noble-Metal-Free Cocatalysts Reinforcing Hole Consumption for Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution with Ultrahigh Apparent Quantum Efficiency.

Achieving efficient and sustainable hydrogen production through photocatalysis is highly promising yet remains a significant challenge, especially when replacing costly noble metals with more abundant alternatives. Conversion efficiency with noble-metal-free alternatives is frequently limited by high charge recombination rates, mainly due to the sluggish transfer and inefficient consumption of photo-generated holes. To address these challenges, a rational design of noble-metal-free cocatalysts as oxidative sites is reported to facilitate hole consumption, leading to markedly increased H yield rates without relying on expensive noble metals.

Tailoring crystal facets of metal-organic frameworks to enhance sensing performance for aromatic vapors detection.

It is well known that metals and metal oxides with different crystal facets exhibit varying sensitivity in gas sensors, but this strategy is rarely used in metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). Herein, we proved for the first time that Cu metal-organic with high energy crystal facets (Cu-MOF-74-300) shows a much higher sensitivity than the low energy crystal facets (Cu-MOF-74-110), with a up to 2 times response more than Cu-MOF-74-110 and ultra-low limit of detection (LOD) of 68 ppb to toluene vapors. In addition, this strategy was further demonstrated on MOF-14 and HKUST-1, which are also Cu-centered and exhibit clear recognition effects on benzene and xylene, respectively.

Optimization of Thermoelectric Performance in p-Type SnSe Crystals Through Localized Lattice Distortions and Band Convergence.

Crystalline thermoelectric materials, especially SnSe crystals, have emerged as promising candidates for power generation and electronic cooling. In this study, significant enhancement in ZT is achieved through the combined effects of lattice distortions and band convergence in multiple electronic valence bands. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations demonstrate that cation vacancies together with Pb substitutional doping promote the band convergence and increase the density of states (DOS) near the Fermi surface of SnSe, leading to a notable increase in the Seebeck coefficient (S).

Single-atom transition metals supported on B-doped g-CN monolayers for electrochemical nitrogen reduction.

Electrochemical reduction of naturally abundant nitrogen (N) under ambient conditions is a promising method for ammonia (NH) synthesis, while the development of a highly active, stable and low-cost catalyst remains a challenge. Herein, the N reduction reaction of TM@g-BCN in electrochemical nitrogen reduction has been systematically investigated using density functional theory (DFT) calculations and compared with that of TM@g-CN. It was found that TM atoms are more stably anchored to g-BCN than to g-CN.

In Vivo Neurodynamics Mapping via High-Speed Two-Photon Fluorescence Lifetime Volumetric Projection Microscopy.

Monitoring the morphological and biochemical information of neurons and glial cells at high temporal resolution in three-dimensional (3D) volumes of in vivo is pivotal for understanding their structure and function, and quantifying the brain microenvironment. Conventional two-photon fluorescence lifetime volumetric imaging speed faces the acquisition speed challenges of slow serial focal tomographic scanning, complex post-processing procedures for lifetime images, and inherent trade-offs among contrast, signal-to-noise ratio, and speed. This study presents a two-photon fluorescence lifetime volumetric projection microscopy using an axially elongated Bessel focus and instant frequency-domain fluorescence lifetime technique, and integrating with a convolutional network to enhance the imaging speed for in vivo neurodynamics mapping.

Pressure-Dependent Electronic Superlattice in the Kagome Superconductor CsV_{3}Sb_{5}.

We present a high-resolution single crystal x-ray diffraction study of kagome superconductor CsV_{3}Sb_{5}, exploring its response to variations in pressure and temperature. We discover that at low temperatures, the structural modulations of the electronic superlattice, commonly associated with charge-density-wave order, undergo a transformation around p∼0.7  GPa from the familiar 2×2 pattern to a long-range-ordered modulation at wave vector q=(0,3/8,1/2).

A One-Stone-Two-Birds Strategy for Intervertebral Disc Repair: Constructing a Reductive Chelation Hydrogel to Mitigate Oxidative Stress and Promote Disc Matrix Reconstruction.

Intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD) is characterized by fibrosis of nucleus pulposus (NP) cells and accelerated surrounding extracellular matrix catabolism. Bioactive hydrogels have shown significant potential in regulating cellular functions and tissue homeostasis. In this work, a dynamic hydrogel (HA-NCSN/Cu) is designed via the reductive chelation of hyaluronic acid grafted with thiourea (HA-NCSN) and Cu.

Discovery of natural few-layer graphene on the Moon.

Natural few-layer graphene is unambiguously identified from the Chang'e-5 lunar soil samples, which serves as a new platform for investigating extraterrestrial bodies.

Enhanced Hydrogen Storage Capacity in OLi-Decorated Holey Graphitic Carbon Nitride Monolayer.

The primary challenge hindering the widespread adoption of hydrogen energy is its storage, highlighting the need for effective storage media. In this study, we utilize first-principles calculations to systematically evaluate the superalkali cluster OLi decorated on a CN monolayer for its potential as an efficient hydrogen storage material. Our findings reveal that the OLi cluster binds to each side of the CN monolayer through a charge transfer mechanism, exhibiting a binding energy of 12.

Terahertz scanning near-field optical microscopy for biomedical detection: Recent advances, challenges, and future perspectives.

Terahertz (THz) radiation is widely recognized as a non-destructive, label-free, and highly- sensitive tool for biomedical detections. Nevertheless, its application in precision biomedical fields faces challenges due to poor spatial resolution caused by intrinsically long wavelength characteristics. THz scanning near-field optical microscopy (THz-SNOM), which surpasses the Rayleigh criterion, offers micrometer and nanometer-scale spatial resolution, making it possible to perform precise bioinspection with THz imaging.

Efficient ion transport mode and stable Li-interface induced by the introduction of HA-SiO in PVDF-based electrolytes for solid-state lithium metal batteries.

Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) materials have been widely investigated as polymer matrix for solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) due to their high dielectric constant, electroactive effect (piezo-, pyro-, and ferroelectricity), and excellent thermal stability. However, the poor interface compatibility caused by highly reactive residual solvents and unsatisfactory ionic conductivity owing to sluggish Li transport kinetics are principal bottlenecks impeding the further development of PVDF-based electrolytes. Herein, we design a PVDF-based electrolytes with the assistance of hydrophilic-amorphous silica (HA-SiO).

Plasmonic MOF for Highly Selective SERS Sensing of Trace Mercury (II) in Complex Matrices.

Developing Ag-based surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) sensors for detecting Hg(II) has garnered significant research interest due to their unparalleled selectivity, which is brought by the specific Ag-Hg amalgamation reaction. However, existing sensors perform unsatisfactorily in the trace detection of Hg(II) because the low concentration of Hg(II) does not have the redox potential sufficient to amalgamate with Ag. To address this challenge, a plasmonic MOF SERS sensor is developed, nanoetched Ag@UiO-68-SMe, by integrating the enormous Raman enhancement effects of nanoetched Ag with the selective enrichment function of UiO-68-SMe into single entity.

Ultra-Narrowband Green-Emitting Transparent Composite Ceramics for Laser-Driven Display.

Laser-driven projection displays face a critical challenge in developing laser-excitable and high-performance narrowband green emitters. Herein, new AlO-LaMgAlO: Mn (AlO-LMA: Mn) transparent composite ceramics are reported via high-temperature vacuum sintering, which produces a high-color-purity (95.4%) green emission with full width at half maximum of 24 nm and superior thermal and moisture and laser irradiation stability.

Engineering dual-mode near-infrared ratiometric thermometers based on rare earth-doped molybdates.

Near-infrared optical thermometers have sparked great interest for their ability to provide non-destructive testing and high-resolution. However, the restricted relative sensitivity and single temperature measurement mode represent the current limitations of luminescent thermometers. Herein, near-infrared dual-mode ratiometric thermometers with high sensitivity in La(MoO): Yb, Ln (LMO: YbLn, Ln = Er, Ho, Nd) phosphors were designed.

A bismuth oxide-modified copper host achieving bubble-free and stable potassium metal batteries.

Due to the minimal electrochemical oxidation-reduction potential, the potassium (K) metal anode has emerged as a focal in K-ion batteries. However, the reactivity of the K metal anode leads to significant side reactions, particularly gas evolution. Mitigating gas generation from K metal anodes has been a persistent challenge in the field.