bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Rare‐Earth Oxychlorides as Promoters of Ruthenium Toward High‐Performance Hydrogen Evolution Electrocatalysts for Alkaline Electrolyzers
Authors: Liu Tongtong , Chen Yanan , Wang Xinyu , Di Yajing , Müllen Klaus , Zhang Zhengping , Wang Feng 
Published: February 2025

AbstractDeveloping efficient electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in alkaline environments is vital for hydrogen production, owing to the extra water dissociation and hydroxyl desorption steps. Here, rare‐earth oxychlorides (REOCl) are proposed as innovative promoters for ruthenium as HER electrocatalyst in alkali. The lamellar structure of REOCl with weakly bond [Cl] layers can facilitate the formation of an internal electric field that enhances interphase charge transfer. Taking ruthenium/ neodymium oxychloride (Ru/NdOCl) composites as a case study, sub ≈4 nm Ru nanoparticles are successfully embedded into NdOCl crystals through a rapid self‐exothermic process, and the highly‐coupled Ru−Cl/O−Nd interfaces are observed as metallic Ru particles with the edge of the NdOCl lamellar layers, where the [Nd2O2] and [Cl] layers act as the negative and positive charge transfer channels, respectively. The enhanced charge transfer between REOCl and Ru makes the highly‐coupled Ru/REOCl catalysts show better electrocatalytic activity than both the benchmark Pt and Ru catalysts in alkaline electrolyte. This work will encourage more novel promoters for electrocatalysis and other emerging technologies.
Biopolymeric Gels: Advancements in Sustainable Multifunctional Materials
Authors: Lei Chuxin , Li Qing , Chen Wenshuai , Yu Guihua 
Published: February 2025

AbstractWith the growing emphasis on building a global sustainable community, biopolymeric gels have emerged as a promising platform for environmentally friendly and sustainable applications, garnering significant research attention. Compared to conventional synthetic gels, biopolymeric gels offer numerous advantages, including abundant and renewable raw materials, energy‐efficient and eco‐friendly fabrication processes, tunable physicochemical properties, and superior biocompatibility and biodegradability. This review provides a comprehensive overview of recent advancements in multifunctional biopolymeric gels. It begins by introducing various biopolymeric building blocks and their intrinsic properties across multiple scales. Subsequently, the synthetic strategies for biopolymeric gels are thoroughly discussed, emphasizing versatile gelation strategies, multiple approaches for fabricating gels, diverse processing approaches to achieve tailorable gels with desired functionalities. The sustainable applications of biopolymeric gels are systematically explored, focusing on their roles in energy storage, environmental remediation of water management, thermal management, and bioelectronics. Finally, the review concludes with an outlook on the challenges and opportunities for advancing biopolymeric gels as key materials in the pursuit of sustainability.
Interface‐Specific Excitation of Coherent Phonons at the Buried GaP/Si(001) Heterointerface
Authors: Mette Gerson , Ishioka Kunie , Youngkin Steven , Stolz Wolfgang , Volz Kerstin , Höfer Ulrich 
Published: February 2025

AbstractUltrafast charge‐carrier and phonon dynamics at the buried heterointerface of GaP/Si(001) are investigated by means of two‐color pump‐probe reflectivity measurements. The carrier‐induced reflectivity signal exhibits a resonant enhancement at a pump‐photon energy of 1.4 eV, which is assigned to an optical transition at the interface. In addition, the transient reflectivity is modulated by a coherent oscillation at 2 THz, whose amplitude also becomes maximum at 1.4 eV. The observed resonant behavior of the oscillation, in combination with the characteristic wavelength‐dependencies of its frequency and its initial phase, strongly indicates that the 2‐THz mode is a difference‐combination mode between a GaP‐like and a Si‐like phonon at the heterointerface and that the corresponding second‐order Raman scattering process can be enhanced by a double resonance involving the interfacial electronic states.
Robust, Multimodal Capacitive Sensors Using Carbon Nanotube Paper Composites for Human and Robot Finger Tracking in Human–Robot Collaboration
Authors: Kim Shawn , Kim Dohoon , Chung Jake , Cheng Yu‐Jen , Li Tianyi , Ahn Sanggyeun , Kim Heung Soo , Chung Jae‐Hyun 
Published: February 2025

AbstractRobust multimodal capacitive sensors can significantly enhance human–robot collaboration (HRC) across sectors such as healthcare, daily life support, and manufacturing. Despite this potential, achieving high‐precision 3D recognition of fingertip movements using capacitive sensors remains challenging. This study demonstrates multimodal capacitive sensors for proximity, pressure, and permittivity sensing in HRC applications. The goal is to accurately detect subtle fingertip movements, enabling precise control of a robotic arm in 3D space. The circular capacitive sensors, made from a carbon nanotube‐paper composite (CPC), generate a high electric field and proximity. These sensors are integrated into two types of controllers: a desktop controller for intuitive and robust control, and a handheld controller for enhanced portability. An algorithm is presented for accurate 3D fingertip tracking under scenarios involving wet‐ and gloved hands, to ensure a reliable interface in harsh environments. Additionally, the use of multimodal sensors integrated into robot fingers is demonstrated to detect pressure and permittivity changes, allowing the operator to identify objects. Two tasks of moving objects and distinguishing alcohol from water demonstrate the system's effectiveness for industrial applications, such as efficient HRC, hazardous material inspection, and remote work.
Flower‐Shaped Zinc Oxide Nanostructures Loaded with Au Nanoparticles for Efficient and Highly Stable Production of Dihydroxyacetone from Glycerol Oxidation
Authors: Xiong Zhile , Zhang Xiaoli , Huang Jiali , Xie Weidong , Chen Yuewen , Cui Li , Wang Yimin , Zhang Xiya , Liu Hai 
Published: February 2025

AbstractThe selective oxidation of glycerol to dihydroxyacetone (DHA) represents a critical method for efficiently utilizing glycerol, a primary byproduct of biodiesel production. However, the challenge of balancing catalyst activity and recycling stability significantly limits the practical application of this process. Herein, the glycerol conversion performance is effectively modulated by controlling the nanostructure of the support in Au‐supported catalysts. Zinc oxide carriers with morphologies of nanorods (NRs), nanoflowers (NFs), and nanoparticles (NPs) are successfully prepared and loaded with Au nanoparticles (NPs) to obtain a series of Au/ZnO‐Z catalysts. Among them, the catalyst composed of flower‐shaped zinc oxide nanostructures loaded with Au NPs (Au/ZnO‐NF) exhibits optimal performance, with a glycerol conversion of 92.9% and a DHA selectivity of 69.5%. Notably, Au/ZnO‐NF demonstrates exceptional cycling stability surpassing most of the currently reported catalysts, maintaining a glycerol conversion of 75.2% and a DHA selectivity of 75.1% even after five cycles. Comprehensive characterization and experimental analysis demonstrat that the Au/ZnO‐NF catalysts exhibit low reduction temperatures, the smallest Au nanoparticle size, excellent crystallinity, and significantly enhance adsorption of O2 and the adsorption and conversion of polyols at glycerol secondary hydroxyl moiety.
Photothermal Therapy: From Encouraging Lab Results to Lackluster Clinical Translation
Authors: Buiel Jonathan , Robert Jordan , Mekhjian Dikran , Chauhan Deepak S. , Banquy Xavier 
Published: February 2025

AbstractCancer is a pervasive and complex disease that poses a significant threat to public health worldwide. The prevalent therapeutic options, including chemotherapy and radiotherapy, pose detrimental side effects. Consequently, non‐invasive and selective therapeutic strategies are sought, such as nanoparticle‐mediated photothermal therapy (PTT). This technique employs benign photothermal agents that gather within tumors post‐injection. Under near‐infra‐red light exposure, these agents induce localized hyperthermia, killing tumor cells. Here, the laboratory development, recent advances, and clinical status of photothermal therapy are examined. Despite two decades of development, photothermal therapy has yielded few clinical trials. A standout agent, the gold nanoshell, holds promise for prostate cancer treatment as the only one in human clinical trials. To provide context, PTT is compared to photodynamic therapy, which has over 250 human trials in 40 years, highlighting the need to bridge the gap for effective photothermal therapy translation. Therefore, we delve into the gap of clinical implementation between photothermal therapy and similar technologies, such as photodynamic therapy, laser interstitial thermal therapy, and cancer nanomedicines, offering insights and potential solutions.
Exploring New Bioorthogonal Catalysts: Scaffold Diversity in Catalysis for Chemical Biology
Authors: Zhang Yan , Huang Qizhen , Lei Fang , Qian Wanlong , Zhang Chengfeng , Wang Qi , Liu Chaoqun , Ji Haiwei , Wang Faming 
Published: February 2025

AbstractBioorthogonal catalysis has revolutionized the field of chemical biology by enabling selective and controlled chemical transformations within living systems. Research has converged on the development of innovative catalyst scaffolds, seeking to broaden the scope of bioorthogonal reactions, boost their efficiency, and surpass the limitations of conventional catalysts. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the latest advancements in bioorthogonal catalyst research based on different scaffold materials. Through an in‐depth analysis of fabrication strategies and applications of bioorthogonal catalysts, this review discusses the design principles, mechanisms of action, and applications of these novel catalysts in chemical biology. Current challenges and future directions in exploring the scaffold diversity are also highlighted. The integration of diverse catalyst scaffolds offers exciting prospects for precise manipulation of biomolecules and the development of innovative therapeutic strategies in chemical biology. In addition, the review fills in the gaps in previous reviews, such as in fully summarizing the presented scaffold materials applied in bioorthogonal catalysts, emphasizing the potential impact on advancing bioorthogonal chemistry, and offering prospects for future development in this field.
The Diminution of R‐Loops Generated by LncRNA DSP‐AS1 Inhibits DSP Gene Transcription to Impede the Re‐Epithelialization During Diabetic Wound Healing
Authors: Yang Chen , Lian Hong , Luo Hengli , Song Chenlin , Lin Jianghong , Liang Zhuoxian , Yang Yulin , Hong Xiaosi , Li Shaohua , Chen Yanbo , Wu Liangyan , Yan Li , Chen Sifan , Ren Meng 
Published: February 2025

AbstractRe‐epithelialization constitutes a critical stage in the intricate process of wound healing, yet its mechanisms in the context of diabetic wounds remain elusive. In this study, the role of the mesenchymal‐epithelial transition (MET) vis‐à‐vis the epithelial‐mesenchymal transition (EMT) of keratinocytes in diabetic wound re‐epithelialization is investigated. The findings reveal an impediment in the MET process, rather than EMT, which significantly compromised re‐epithelialization in diabetic wounds. Furthermore, Desmoplakin (DSP) gene expression, encoding a key desmosome protein, is down‐regulated in diabetic rats. This down‐regulation coincided with aberrant hypo‐demethylation of the DSP promoter. The inhibition of DSP expression is linked to reduced occupancy of Ten‐eleven translocation 3 (TET3) at the DSP promoter, consequently suppressing TET3‐dependent DNA demethylation. Additionally, a novel lncRNA termed DSP‐AS1is identified, which is antisense to DSP. Notably, DSP‐AS1 expression is down‐regulated in diabetic skin wounds, and it interacted with TET3, a DNA demethylase. Notably, DSP‐AS1 is found to form R‐loops, triple‐stranded DNA:RNA hybrids, at the DSP promoter, facilitating TET3 localization to the DSP promoter. Collectively, the findings suggest that reduced R‐loop formation by DSP‐AS1 impairs DSP gene transcription by repressing TET3‐mediated DNA demethylation. This disruption of the orchestrated re‐epithelialization process contributes to refractory diabetic wound healing.
Excellent Thermoelectric Performance Realized in Copper Sulfide Magnetic Nanocomposites Via Modified Solid States Reaction
Authors: Yang Tian‐Yu , Wang Zi‐Yuan , Yan Xi , Wang Chong‐Yu , Zhang Yi‐Xin , Ge Zhen‐Hua , Feng Jing 
Published: February 2025

AbstractSolid‐state reactions, which are the basic reactions involved in the preparation, processing, and application of materials, are ubiquitous in material science and chemistry research. In the fields of metallurgy and geology, a significant number of complex chemical reactions occur during the smelting of ores. Inspired by the smelting of copper concentrate, this work applies modified metallurgical chemical reactions to the field of (thermoeletric) TE materials. By controlling the reaction temperature and composition, porous copper sulfide magnetic nanocomposites can be formed. Regulating the composition generates numerous precipitates and Cu‐rich phases, and controlling the microstructure facilitates the formation of porous structures. The second phase and porous structure effectively decreased thermal conductivity. Furthermore, the introduction of ferromagnetic Fe3O4 particles plays a role in reducing carrier concentration and forming potential barrier scattering low energy carriers, which improves the Seebeck coefficient of the samples. Ultimately, the optimum figure of merit (ZT) of ≈1.3 at 773 K for the Cu1.8S + 2 wt.% Fe3O4 bulk sample and an average ZT of 0.57 over the entire operating temperature range. The modified solid states reaction between oxides and sulfides could be employed to optimize electrical and thermal transport properties for sulfide TE material, as well as sulfide batteries, sulfide photoelectric materials, and sulfide catalytic materials.
NF2 is Essential for Human Endoderm Development
Authors: Jeong Minjin , Han Dongjun , Bhetariya Preetida , Welling D. Bradley , Stojkovic Miodrag , Stankovic Konstantina M. 
Published: February 2025

AbstractVertebrate embryogenesis requires the precisely timed specification of 3 germ cell layers— ectoderm, mesoderm, and endoderm— which give rise to tissues and organs in the developing organism. The tumor suppressor gene NF2, moesin‐ezrin‐radixin like (MERLIN) tumor suppressor (Nf2) is expressed in all 3 germ layers during mouse development and its homozygous deletion causes embryonic lethality. People with heterozygous NF2 mutations typically develop Schwann cell tumors, especially vestibular schwannoma, but the specific role of NF2 in human embryonic development is unclear. Here, human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) are used to demonstrate that NF2 is essential for endoderm specification and formation in humans. Although endoderm differentiation is not impaired in hiPSCs with heterozygous NF2 mutation, NF2 knockout (NF2−/−) abolished the capacity to form endoderm in vitro, confirmed by loss of expression of endoderm‐related genes and proteins, or teratomas in vivo. This defect is mediated by the nuclear translocation of yes‐associated protein 1 (YAP1), a transcription co‐activator regulating lineage fate via the Hippo pathway and subsequent YAP1‐mediated shutdown of Activin/Nodal signaling. Endoderm formation can be rescued via YAP1 knockdown or forced re‐expression of NF2 in NF2−/− cells. Taken together, the essential role of NF2 during endoderm specification in human embryogenesis as a regulator of YAP1 is reported.
Deep Learning Combined with Quantitative Structure‒Activity Relationship Accelerates De Novo Design of Antifungal Peptides
Authors: Yin Kedong , Li Ruifang , Zhang Shaojie , Sun Yiqing , Huang Liang , Jiang Mengwan , Xu Degang , Xu Wen 
Published: February 2025

AbstractNovel antifungal drugs that evade resistance are urgently needed for Candida infections. Antifungal peptides (AFPs) are potential candidates due to their specific mechanism of action, which makes them less prone to developing drug resistance. An AFP de novo design method, Deep Learning‐Quantitative Structure‒Activity Relationship Empirical Screening (DL‐QSARES), is developed by integrating deep learning and quantitative structure‒activity relationship empirical screening. After generating candidate AFPs (c_AFPs) through the recombination of dominant amino acids and dipeptide compositions, natural language processing models are utilized and quantitative structure‒activity relationship (QSAR) approaches based on physicochemical properties to screen for promising c_AFPs. Forty‐nine promising c_AFPs are screened, and their minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) against C. albicans are determined to be 3.9–125 µg mL−1, of which four leading c_AFPs (AFP‐8, −10, −11, and −13) has MICs of <10 µg mL−1 against the four tested pathogenic fungi, and AFP‐13 has excellent therapeutic efficacy in the animal model.
Unrevealing the Interaction Between Electrode Degradation and Bubble Behaviors in an Anion Exchange Membrane Water Electrolyzer
Authors: Wu Lizhen , Wang Qing , Yuan Shu , Mei Xiaohan , Wang Qian , Zou Xiaohong , Zhang Kouer , Huo Xiaoyu , Shi Xingyi , Pan Zhefei , Yan Xiaohui , An Liang 
Published: February 2025

AbstractStainless steel felt has been employed in AEMWE as a combination of oxygen evolution reaction (OER) electrocatalysts and porous transport layers, which are not only easy to prepare but also have excellent OER activity under alkaline conditions. However, by realizing detailed electrochemical analysis and multi‐scale visualization of the bubble behaviors, it is found that the combined effect of chemical and electrochemical corrosion led to the constant accumulation of metal oxides on the stainless steel fiber surface post‐durability compared to the slow‐growing hydroxides after initial activation. Moreover, the rougher fiber surface morphology and weaken hydrophilicity cause the adjacent bubbles are slower to detach from the electrode and are more likely to fusion. The measured diameter of bubbles leaving the electrode almost doubles, while the total number of bubbles decreases by about two‐thirds, causing the increase of plug flow in the flow field and deteriorating the performance and long‐term stability of AEMWE.
A Multi‐Task Self‐Supervised Strategy for Predicting Molecular Properties and FGFR1 Inhibitors
Authors: Yang Xin , Wang Yang , Lin Ye , Zhang Mingxuan , Liu Ou , Shuai Jianwei , Zhao Qi 
Published: February 2025

AbstractStudying the molecular properties of drugs and their interactions with human targets aids in better understanding the clinical performance of drugs and guides drug development. In computer‐aided drug discovery, it is crucial to utilize effective molecular feature representations for predicting molecular properties and designing ligands with high binding affinity to targets. However, designing an effective multi‐task and self‐supervised strategy remains a significant challenge for the pretraining framework. In this study, a multi‐task self‐supervised deep learning framework is proposed, MTSSMol, which utilizes ≈10 million unlabeled drug‐like molecules for pretraining to identify potential inhibitors of fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 (FGFR1). During the pretraining of MTSSMol, molecular representations are learned through a graph neural networks (GNNs) encoder. A multi‐task self‐supervised pretraining strategy is proposed to fully capture the structural and chemical knowledge of molecules. Extensive computational tests on 27 datasets demonstrate that MTSSMol exhibits exceptional performance in predicting molecular properties across different domains. Moreover, MTSSMol's capability is validated to identify potential inhibitors of FGFR1 through molecular docking using RoseTTAFold All‐Atom (RFAA) and molecular dynamics simulations. Overall, MTSSMol provides an effective algorithmic framework for enhancing molecular representation learning and identifying potential drug candidates, offering a valuable tool to accelerate drug discovery processes. All of the codes are freely available online at https:// github.com/zhaoqi106/MTSSMol.
A Serum Resistant Polymer with Exceptional Endosomal Escape and mRNA Delivery Efficacy for CRISPR Gene Therapy
Authors: Lv Jia , Fan Qianqian , Zhang Yirou , Zhou Xujiao , Yu Panting , Yu Xin , Xin Changchang , Hong Jiaxu , Cheng Yiyun 
Published: February 2025

AbstractNanoparticle‐based mRNA delivery offers a versatile platform for innovative therapies. However, most of the current delivery systems are limited by poor serum tolerance, suboptimal endosomal escape and mRNA delivery efficacy. Herein, a highly efficient mRNA‐delivering material is identified from a library of fluoropolymers. The lead material FD17 shows exceptional serum stability and endosomal escape, enabling efficient mRNA delivery into various cell types, surpassing commercial mRNA delivery reagents such as Lipofectamine 3000. The formed mRNA nanoparticles adsorb abundant serum albumin on the surface, which facilitates cellular uptake via scavenger receptor‐mediated endocytosis. FD17 enables the delivery of mRNAs encoding CRE, Cas9, and base editor hyCBE for efficient genome editing. The material mediates CRISPR/Cas9 gene therapy via intraocular injection effectively down‐regulates vascular endothelial growth factor A in retinal pigment epithelial cells of mice, yielding promising therapeutic responses against laser‐induced choroidal neovascularization. The discovered material in this study shows great promise for the development of mRNA therapeutics to combat a wide range of diseases.
Elevated GFI1 in Alveolar Macrophages Suppresses ACOD1 Expression and Exacerbates Lipopolysaccharide‐Induced Lung Injury in Obesity
Authors: Ma Jingyue , Ao Yichan , Yue Zhen , Wang Zhiqiao , Hou Xiangyu , Li Hongbin , Wang Hanbing , Luo Siqing , He Jianyu , Duan Zikun , Liu Ling , Wei Ke 
Published: February 2025

AbstractTo investigate the mechanisms behind the worsening of acute lung injury (ALI) in obesity, transcriptomic sequencing is performed, and significantly reduced mRNA levels of Aconitate Decarboxylase 1 (ACOD1) in the lung tissue of high‐fat diet (HFD) mice are found. Clinical samples are collected, an ALI model is established in HFD mice, and both human and mouse samples are analyzed, revealing a significant decrease in ACOD1 expression in lung tissue and alveolar macrophages in obesity. Further in vivo and in vitro experiments show that ACOD1 knockdown worsens lung injury, inflammation, and oxidative stress, while ACOD1 overexpression alleviates these effects. Moreover, nuclear factor erythroid 2‐related factor 2 (Nrf2) inhibition diminishes the protective effects of ACOD1 overexpression in ALI exacerbated by obesity. Additionally, in the context of obesity, growth factor independent 1 (GFI1) protein levels are elevated in alveolar macrophages, and its knockdown leads to upregulated ACOD1 expression. Therefore, this study suggests that ACOD1 downregulation in alveolar macrophages is a key factor in worsening ALI in obesity, likely driven by GFI1 upregulation.