Reversible Nanocomposite by Programming Amorphous Polymer Conformation Under Nanoconfinement.

Nanoconfinements are utilized to program how polymers entangle and disentangle as chain clusters to engineer pseudo bonds with tunable strength, multivalency, and directionality. When amorphous polymers are grafted to nanoparticles that are one magnitude larger in size than individual polymers, programming grafted chain conformations can "synthesize" high-performance nanocomposites with moduli of ≈25GPa and a circular lifecycle without forming and/or breaking chemical bonds. These nanocomposites dissipate external stresses by disentangling and stretching grafted polymers up to ≈98% of their contour length, analogous to that of folded proteins; use both polymers and nanoparticles for load bearing; and exhibit a non-linear dependence on composition throughout the microscopic, nanoscopic, and single-particle levels.

Direct and quantitative analysis of tRNA acylation using intact tRNA liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry.

Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (aaRSs) provide an essential functional link between an mRNA sequence and the protein it encodes. aaRS enzymes catalyze a two-step chemical reaction that acylates specific tRNAs with a cognate α-amino acid. In addition to their role in translation, acylated tRNAs contribute to non-ribosomal natural product biosynthesis and are implicated in multiple human diseases.

Discovery and Characterization of a Metastable Cubic Interstitial Nickel-Carbon System with an Expanded Lattice.

Metastable, , kinetically favored but thermodynamically not stable, interstitial solid solutions of carbon in iron are well-understood. Carbon can occupy the interstitial atoms of the host metal, altering its properties. Alloying of the host metal results in the stabilization of the FeC phases, widening its application.

Proton Accumulation Modulated Surface Potential in Proton Conducting Ceramics Revealed by Near-Ambient Pressure X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy.

Proton conducting electrochemical cells (PCECs) are efficient and clean intermediate-temperature energy conversion devices. The proton concentration across the PCECs is often nonuniform, and characterizing the distribution of proton concentration can help to locate the position of rate-limiting reactions. However, the determination of the local proton concentration under operating conditions remains challenging.

Correlating Disordered Activation Domain Ensembles with Gene Expression Levels.

Transcription factor proteins bind to specific DNA promoter sequences and initiate gene transcription. These proteins often contain intrinsically disordered activation domains (ADs) that regulate their transcriptional activity. Like other disordered protein regions, ADs do not have a fixed three-dimensional structure and instead exist in an ensemble of conformations.

Two decades of bacterial ecology and evolution in a freshwater lake.

Ecology and evolution are considered distinct processes that interact on contemporary time scales in microbiomes. Here, to observe these processes in a natural system, we collected a two-decade, 471-metagenome time series from Lake Mendota (Wisconsin, USA). We assembled 2,855 species-representative genomes and found that genomic change was common and frequent.

Disentangling Sources of Momentum Fluctuations in Xe+Xe and Pb+Pb Collisions with the ATLAS Detector.

High-energy nuclear collisions create a quark-gluon plasma, whose initial condition and subsequent expansion vary from event to event, impacting the distribution of the eventwise average transverse momentum [P([p_{T}])]. Disentangling the contributions from fluctuations in the nuclear overlap size (geometrical component) and other sources at a fixed size (intrinsic component) remains a challenge. This problem is addressed by measuring the mean, variance, and skewness of P([p_{T}]) in ^{208}Pb+^{208}Pb and ^{129}Xe+^{129}Xe collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.

Correction: The roles of 4f- and 5f-orbitals in bonding: a magnetochemical, crystal field, density functional theory, and multi-reference wavefunction study.

Correction for 'The roles of 4f- and 5f-orbitals in bonding: a magnetochemical, crystal field, density functional theory, and multi-reference wavefunction study' by W. W. Lukens , , 2016, , 11508-11521, https://doi.

Synthesis and Evaluation of a Bifunctional Chelator for Thorium-227 Targeted Radiotherapy.

Thorium-227 (Th) is an α-emitting radionuclide currently under investigation for targeted alpha therapy. Available chelators used for this isotope suffer from challenging multistep syntheses. Here, we present the synthesis and preclinical evaluation of a novel bifunctional chelator, SCN-Bn-DOTHOPO, which contains an isothiocyanate group that is suitable for conjugation to biological molecules.

Search for Fractionally Charged Particles with CUORE.

The Cryogenic Underground Observatory for Rare Events (CUORE) is a detector array comprised by 988 5  cm×5  cm×5  cm TeO_{2} crystals held below 20 mK, primarily searching for neutrinoless double-beta decay in ^{130}Te. Unprecedented in size among cryogenic calorimetric experiments, CUORE provides a promising setting for the study of exotic throughgoing particles. Using the first tonne year of CUORE's exposure, we perform a search for hypothesized fractionally charged particles (FCPs), which are well-motivated by various standard model extensions and would have suppressed interactions with matter.

Enabling simultaneous photoluminescence spectroscopy and X-ray footprinting mass spectrometry to study protein conformation and interactions.

X-ray footprinting mass spectrometry (XFMS) is a structural biology method that uses broadband X-rays for hydroxyl radical labeling to map protein interactions and conformation in solution. However, while XFMS alone provides important structural information on biomolecules, as we move into the era of the interactome, hybrid methods are becoming increasingly necessary to gain a comprehensive understanding of protein complexes and interactions. Toward this end, we report the development of the first synergetic application of inline and real-time fluorescent spectroscopy at the Advanced Light Source's XFMS facility to study local protein interactions and global conformational changes simultaneously.

Global and regional perspectives on optimizing thermo-responsive dynamic windows for energy-efficient buildings.

Architectural thermo-responsive dynamic windows offer an autonomous solution for solar heat regulation, thereby reducing building energy consumption. Previous work has emphasized the significance of thermo-responsive windows in hot climates due to their role in solar heat control and subsequent energy conservation; conversely, our study provides a different perspective. Through a global-scale analysis, we explore over 100 material samples and execute more than 2.

Functional protein mining with conformal guarantees.

Molecular structure prediction and homology detection offer promising paths to discovering protein function and evolutionary relationships. However, current approaches lack statistical reliability assurances, limiting their practical utility for selecting proteins for further experimental and in-silico characterization. To address this challenge, we introduce a statistically principled approach to protein search leveraging principles from conformal prediction, offering a framework that ensures statistical guarantees with user-specified risk and provides calibrated probabilities (rather than raw ML scores) for any protein search model.

Separation of life stages within anaerobic fungi (Neocallimastigomycota) highlights differences in global transcription and metabolism.

Anaerobic gut fungi of the phylum Neocallimastigomycota are microbes proficient in valorizing low-cost but difficult-to-breakdown lignocellulosic plant biomass. Characterization of different fungal life stages and how they contribute to biomass breakdown are critical for biotechnological applications, yet we lack foundational knowledge about the transcriptional, metabolic, and enzyme secretion behavior of different life stages of anaerobic gut fungi: zoospores, germlings, immature thalli, and mature zoosporangia. A Miracloth-based technique was developed to enrich cell pellets with zoospores - the free-swimming, flagellated, young life stage of anaerobic gut fungi.

Two-Dimensional Transition Metal Dichalcogenides: A Theory and Simulation Perspective.

Two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides (2D TMDs) are a promising class of functional materials for fundamental physics explorations and applications in next-generation electronics, catalysis, quantum technologies, and energy-related fields. Theory and simulations have played a pivotal role in recent advancements, from understanding physical properties and discovering new materials to elucidating synthesis processes and designing novel devices. The key has been developments in theory, deep learning, molecular dynamics, high-throughput computations, and multiscale methods.

Effects of Cofeeding Hydrogen on Propane Dehydrogenation Catalyzed by Isolated Iron Sites Incorporated into Dealuminated BEA.

Iron sites dispersed on nonacidic siliceous supports have been reported to be catalytically active for propane dehydrogenation (PDH), yet the precise relationship between site structure and catalytic activity remains elusive. This study provides a comprehensive understanding of the catalytic performance of iron supported on dealuminated BEA (DeAlBEA) zeolites for PDH. Using XAS, UV-vis, and IR spectroscopy of adsorbed pyridine and deuterated acetonitrile, it was found that, at an Fe/Al of 0.

Regioisomeric Engineering for Multicharge and Spin Stabilization in Two-Electron Organic Catholytes.

Developing multicharge and spin stabilization strategies is fundamental to enhancing the lifetime of functional organic materials, particularly for long-term energy storage in multiredox organic redox flow batteries. Current approaches are limited to the incorporation of electronic substituents to increase or decrease the overall electron density or bulky substituents to sterically shield reactive sites. With the aim to further expand the molecular toolbox for charge and spin stabilization, we introduce regioisomerism as a scaffold-diversifying design element that considers the collective and cumulative electronic and steric contributions from all of the substituents based on their relative regioisomeric arrangements.

Infrared nanosensors of piconewton to micronewton forces.

Mechanical force is an essential feature for many physical and biological processes, and remote measurement of mechanical signals with high sensitivity and spatial resolution is needed for diverse applications, including robotics, biophysics, energy storage and medicine. Nanoscale luminescent force sensors excel at measuring piconewton forces, whereas larger sensors have proven powerful in probing micronewton forces. However, large gaps remain in the force magnitudes that can be probed remotely from subsurface or interfacial sites, and no individual, non-invasive sensor is capable of measuring over the large dynamic range needed to understand many systems.

Future increase in compound soil drought-heat extremes exacerbated by vegetation greening.

Compound soil drought and heat extremes are expected to occur more frequently with global warming, causing wide-ranging socio-ecological repercussions. Vegetation modulates air temperature and soil moisture through biophysical processes, thereby influencing the occurrence of such extremes. Global vegetation cover is broadly expected to increase under climate change, but it remains unclear whether vegetation greening will alleviate or aggravate future increases in compound soil drought-heat events.

Grain engineering for efficient near-infrared perovskite light-emitting diodes.

Metal halide perovskites show promise for next-generation light-emitting diodes, particularly in the near-infrared range, where they outperform organic and quantum-dot counterparts. However, they still fall short of costly III-V semiconductor devices, which achieve external quantum efficiencies above 30% with high brightness. Among several factors, controlling grain growth and nanoscale morphology is crucial for further enhancing device performance.

ASbMnO (A = K or Rb): New Mn-Based 2D Magnetoplumbites with Geometric and Magnetic Frustration.

Magnetoplumbites are one of the most broadly studied families of hexagonal ferrites, typically with high magnetic ordering temperatures, making them excellent candidates for permanent magnets. However, magnetic frustration is rarely observed in magnetoplumbites. Herein, the discovery, synthesis, and characterization of the first Mn-based magnetoplumbite, as well as the first magnetoplumbite involving pnictogens (Sb), ASbMnO (A = K or Rb) are reported.

Plastid-nuclear coevolution of ribosomal protein genes in papilionoid legumes.

In plants, cellular function is orchestrated by three distinct genomes located within the nucleus, mitochondrion, and plastid. These genomes are interdependent, requiring tightly coordinated maintenance and expression. Plastids host several multisubunit protein complexes encoded by both the plastid and nuclear genomes.