BINA

Rechargeable Mg‐ion Batteries (RMB) containing a Mg metal anode offer the promise of higher specific volumetric capacity, energy density, safety, and economic viability than lithium‐ion battery technology, but their realization is challenging. The limited availability of suitable inorganic cathodes compatible with electrolytes relevant to Mg metal anode restricts the development of RMBs. Despite the promising capability of some oxides to reversibly intercalate Mg+2 ions at high potential, its lack of stability in chloride‐containing ethereal electrolytes, relevant to Mg metal anode hinders the realization of a full practical RMB. Here the successful in situ encapsulation of monodispersed spherical V2O5 (≈200 nm) is demonstrated by a thin layer of VS2 (≈12 nm) through a facile surface reduction route. The VS2 layer protects the surface of V2O5 particles in RMB electrolyte solution (MgCl2 + MgTFSI in DME). Both V2O5 …

Weak values and Kirkwood–Dirac (KD) quasiprobability distributions have been independently associated with both foundational issues in quantum theory and advantages in quantum metrology. We propose simple quantum circuits to measure weak values, KD distributions, and spectra of density matrices without the need for post-selection. This is achieved by measuring unitary-invariant, relational properties of quantum states, which are functions of Bargmann invariants, the concept that underpins our unified perspective. Our circuits also enable experimental implementation of various functions of KD distributions, such as out-of-time-ordered correlators and the quantum Fisher information in post-selected parameter estimation, among others. An upshot is a unified view of nonclassicality in all those tasks. In particular, we discuss how negativity and imaginarity of Bargmann invariants relate to set coherence.

We introduce a novel time-energy uncertainty relationship within the context of restarts in monitored quantum dynamics. Initially, we investigate the concept of ``first hitting time'' in quantum systems using an IBM quantum computer and a three-site ring graph as our starting point. Previous studies have established that the mean recurrence time, which represents the time taken to return to the initial state, is quantized as an integer multiple of the sampling time, displaying pointwise discontinuous transitions at resonances. Our findings demonstrate that, the natural utilization of the restart mechanism in laboratory experiments, driven by finite data collection time spans, leads to a broadening effect on the transitions of the mean recurrence time. Our newly proposed uncertainty relation captures the underlying essence of these phenomena, by connecting the broadening of the mean hitting time near resonances, to the intrinsic energies of the quantum system and to the fluctuations of recurrence time. This work not only contributes to our understanding of fundamental aspects related to quantum measurements and dynamics, but also offers practical insights for the design of efficient quantum algorithms with mid-circuit measurements.

Rechargeable alkaline zinc–air batteries (ZAB) hold great promise as a viable, sustainable, and safe alternative energy storage system to the lithium‐ion battery. However, the practical realization of ZABs is limited by their intrinsically low energy trip efficiency, stemming from a large charge and discharge potential gap. This overpotential is attributed to the four‐electron oxygen evolution and reduction reactions and their sluggish kinetics. Here, a new concept based on two‐electron generation and consumption of hydrogen peroxide at the air electrode is introduced. The O2/peroxide chemistry, facilitated by a newly developed Ni‐based bifunctional electrocatalyst, enables fast peroxide generation/consumption, exceptional energy efficiency, high durability, and high capacity. Hence, this new design offers substantial progress toward the commercialization of high energy density metal–air batteries.

Catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI) are among the most common bacterial infections associated with prolonged hospitalization and increased healthcare expenditures. Despite recent advances in the prevention and treatment of these infections, there are still many challenges remaining, among them the creation of a durable catheter coating, which prevents bacterial biofilm formation. The current work reports on a method of protecting medical tubing endowed with antibiofilm properties. Silicone catheters coated sonochemically with ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) demonstrated excellent antibiofilm effects. Toward approval by the European Medicines Agency, it was realized that the ZnO coating would not withstand the regulatory requirements of avoiding dissolution for 14 days in artificial urine examination. Namely, after exposure to urine for 14 days, the coating amount was reduced by 90%. Additional …

We demonstrate a molybdenum silicide superconducting nanowire single-photon detector heterogeneously integrated onto a thin-film lithium niobate waveguide. The detector achieves approximately 50% on-chip detection efficiency at 1550 nm with a jitter of 82 ps when measured at 0.78 K. This demonstration showcases the integration of an amorphous superconductor utilizing conventional fabrication processes without strict cooling and substrate requirements. This paves the way for the integration of additional superconducting electronic components, potentially realizing the full promise of integrated quantum photonic circuits.

Magnesium batteries have attracted considerable attention as a promising technology for future energy storage because of their capability to undergo multiple charging reactions. However, most oxide materials utilized as hosts for magnesium batteries do not perform well at room temperature or in nonaqueous electrolytes. Herein, a host material, Na0.04MoO3·(H2O)0.49 is successfully developed through the chemical reduction of alpha‐MoO3, which enables magnesium storage reaction in a 0.5 m Mg(ClO4)2/acetonitrile electrolyte at 25 °C. Electrochemical analysis reveals that the cathode material possesses a discharge capacity of 157.4 mAh g−1 at a 0.2 C rate. The Na0.04MoO3·(H2O)0.49 cathode material also exhibits a capacity retention of 93.4% after 100 cycles compared to the first cycle at a 2 C rate, with an average discharge voltage of −0.474 V versus activated carbon (≈2.16 V estimated …

Protocols of quantum information processing are the foundation of quantum technology, allowing to share secrets at a distance for secure communication (quantum key distribution), to teleport quantum states, and to implement quantum computation. While various protocols have already been realized, and even commercialized, the throughput and processing speed of standard protocols is generally low, limited by the narrow electronic bandwidth of the measurement apparatus in the MHz-to-GHz range, which is orders-of-magnitude lower than the optical bandwidth of available quantum optical sources (10-100 THz). We present a general concept and methods to process quantum information in parallel over multiplexed frequency channels using parametric homodyne detection for measurement of all the channels simultaneously, thereby harnessing the optical bandwidth for quantum information in an efficient …

Cobalt toxicity is difficult to detect and therefore often underdiagnosed. The aim of this study was to explore the pathophysiology of cobalt-induced oxidative stress in the brain and its impact on structure and function. Thirty-five wild-type C57B16 mice received intraperitoneal cobalt chloride injections: a single high dose with evaluations at 24, 48, and 72 h (n= 5, each) or daily low doses for 28 (n= 5) or 56 days (n= 15). A part of the 56-day group also received minocycline (n= 5), while 10 mice served as controls. Behavioral changes were evaluated, and cobalt levels in tissues were measured with particle-induced X-ray emission. Brain sections underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), electron microscopy, and histological, immunohistochemical, and molecular analyses. High-dose cobalt caused transient illness, whereas chronic daily low-dose administration led to long-term elevations in cobalt levels …

Traumatic injuries, neurodegenerative diseases and oxidative stress serve as the early biomarkers for neuronal damage and impede angiogenesis and subsequently neuronal growth. Considering this, the present work aimed to develop a poly(N-acryloylglycine)-co-(acrylamide)-co-(N-acryloylglutamate) hydrogel [p(NAG-Ac-NAE)] with angiogenesis/neurogenesis properties. As constituents of this polymer modulate their vital role in biological functions, inhibitory neurotransmitter glycine regulates neuronal homeostasis, and glutamatergic signalling regulates angiogenesis. The p(NAG-Ac-NAE) hydrogel is a highly branched, biodegradable and pH-responsive polymer with a very high swelling behavior of 6188%. The mechanical stability (G′, 2.3–2.7 kPa) of this polymeric hydrogel is commendable in the differentiation of mature neurons. This hydrogel is biocompatible (as tested in HUVEC cells) and helps to …

In recent years, there has been a lot of interest in biodegradable surface-engineered iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) because they could be used in drug delivery and other biomedical fields. This chapter gives an overview of the current state of research on how to make biodegradable IONPs, how to engineer their surfaces, and how to make them work for drug delivery and other biomedical applications. Because these nanoparticles are biodegradable, they will break down and leave the body in a safe way, reducing worries about toxicity. Also, the surface of IONPs can be changed to make them more stable, biocompatible, and able to target specific cells or tissues. This makes it easier for drugs to get to where they need to go. The review talks about how natural polymers, peptides, and targeting ligands are used to change the surface, as well as how these changes affect the physicochemical properties and …

The progression of kidney damage in chronic kidney disease (CKD) involves multiple post-injury stages and complex cellular and molecular mechanisms that are not yet fully understood. In our study we set to characterize the dynamics of mRNA splicing following kidney injury. To this end, we analyzed publicly available bulk RNA-seq data covering nine time points following a kidney ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) mouse experiment. Using topic modeling we discerned five distinct temporal phases corresponding to the following cell states: 'early injury response', 'injury', 'repairing', 'failed recovery', and 'healthy proximal tubule'. Additionally, we discovered a set of genes that are alternatively spliced between selected time points associated with these cell states, some of which are related to injury, stress, EMT, and apoptosis. Finally, we found several putative splicing regulators that are differentially expressed between the different time points and whose binding motifs are enriched in the vicinity of alternatively spliced exons, indicating that they may play critical roles in mRNA splicing dynamics following kidney injury and repair. These findings enhance our understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved in kidney injury and repair, offering potential avenues for developing targeted therapeutic strategies for acute kidney injury (AKI) and its progression to CKD.

Tunnel-type Na0.44MnO2 (tt-NMO) is a promising cathode for sodium ion battery having excellent structural stability, diffusion kinetics, and low cost. However, this cathode is reported to suffer from low initial charge capacity (e.g., ≤60 mA h g−1) due to the limited accessibility of sodium ion extraction (0.22–0.24 Na+ per formula unit) from the structure, which hinders the practical viability of this material in a full battery cell. In this study, we report a tailored tt-NMO structure, synthesized using a two-step facile and scalable process, with >95% yield. Our tt-NMO demonstrated a 1st charge capacity of 110 mA h g−1, followed by a discharge capacity of 115 mA h g−1 within the potential window of 4–1.7 V versus Na/Na+. The long-term cycling performance at 0.5C rate and 1C rate (1C = 120 mA h g−1) shows excellent structural integrity for over 400 cycles with >75% capacity retention. We show experimentally and support it …

Topological insulators, a class of materials possessing bulk bandgap and metallic surface states with a topological nontrivial symmetry, are considered promising candidates for emerging quantum and optoelectronic applications. However, achieving scalable growth and control over the parameters including thickness, carrier density, bulk bandgap, and defect density remains a challenge in realizing such applications. In this work, we show the scalable growth of topological insulator alloys Bi2Se(3−x)Sx and demonstrate composition-tunable bandgap, using chemical vapor deposition (CVD). A bandgap increase of up to ∼40% at a sulfur concentration of ∼15% is demonstrated. Correspondingly, the real part (n) of the refractive index is reduced in the alloy by ∼25% relative to that of Bi2Se3. Additionally, electronic transport measurements indicate a bulk p-type doping and field-effect tunable metallic surface states …

Rechargeable manganese batteries hold promise for large-scale energy storage due to the abundance and eco-friendly nature of manganese. A key challenge is developing cathode materials capable of reversibly inserting Mn ions with a high specific capacity. Here, we demonstrate that perylene-3,4,9,10-tetracarboxylic dianhydride electrodes efficiently and reversibly insert Mn2+ ions in 3 M MnCl2 aqueous electrolyte solutions. Leveraging the carbonyl groups and the π-electron configuration, such compounds can serve as robust redox centers, facilitating reversible interactions with divalent ions such as Mn2+. Through comprehensive studies involving electrochemistry, elemental analyses, spectroscopy, and structural analysis, we explored these systems and found them as promising anode materials for Mn batteries. Demonstrating excellent Mn storage capabilities, such molecules could attain a reversible …

Mutations in NR2E3 have been implicated in several progressive retinal disease phenotypes such as enhanced S-cone syndrome, Goldmann-Favre syndrome and retinitis pigmentosa. One of the most frequent mutations in NR2E3 is c.932G>A (p.R311Q), where pathogenicity is thought to stem from the resulting amino acid substitution. However, multiple studies that evaluated the effect of this substitution on the protein, did not elucidate the molecular basis underlying the pathogenicity. Primed by bioinformatic analyses, we hypothesized and experimentally validated that the NR2E3 c.932G>A mutation leads to aberrant splicing which results in a short, non-functional protein isoform. Using cell models expressing WT and mutant constructs of the full NR2E3 sequence (including exonic and intronic regions), we observed that the mutated transcript exhibits a high level (75%) of aberrant splicing through gain of a novel splice acceptor site within exon 6. This mis-splicing results in the in-frame loss of 186 base pairs that code for a portion of the protein ligand binding domain. We further designed and evaluated splice-shifting antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs), that circumvented the aberrant splicing. The best performing ASO successfully restored 70% of the total NR2E3 full-length isoform levels and demonstrated rescue of nuclear localization and rhodopsin transcriptional activation. This study demonstrates the importance of understanding splicing consequences of pathogenic mutations, allowing the design and development of ASO-based therapies. Our findings set the stage for the potential treatment of NR2E3-related retinal degeneration caused by …

Calcium (Ca) metal batteries, due to the high crustal abundance and potential for dendrite-free cycling of Ca, are promising alternatives to current lithium batteries. Ca deposition in aprotic organic electrolytes had been stalled by ion-blocking passivation layers on the Ca metal. This limitation has recently been overcome by using borate-based electrolyte solutions, but the electrode/electrolyte interfacial chemistry enabling reversible Ca metal deposition remains unclear. This study elucidates the formation and dynamic evolution of passivation layers upon immersion of Ca metal electrodes and during electrochemical Ca deposition/dissolution processes in a representative calcium tetrakis(hexafluoroisopropyloxy)-borate (Ca[B(hfip)4]2) and glyme electrolyte solution. Upon ageing, a native passivation layer comprising porous Ca metal and a Ca ion conducting solid–electrolyte interphase is formed. In subsequent …

The maintenance of a properly folded proteome is critical for cellular function and organismal health, and its age-dependent collapse is associated with a wide range of diseases. Here, we find that despite the central role of Coenzyme A as a molecular cofactor in hundreds of cellular reactions, limiting Coenzyme A levels in C. elegans and in human cells, by inhibiting the conserved pantothenate kinase, promotes proteostasis. Impairment of the cytosolic iron-sulfur clusters formation pathway, which depends on Coenzyme A, similarly promotes proteostasis and acts in the same pathway. Proteostasis improvement by Coenzyme A/iron-sulfur cluster deficiencies are dependent on the conserved HLH-30/TFEB transcription factor. Strikingly, under these conditions, HLH-30 promotes proteostasis by potentiating the expression of select chaperone genes providing a chaperone-mediated proteostasis shield, rather than by its established role as an autophagy and lysosome biogenesis promoting factor. This reflects the versatile nature of this conserved transcription factor, that can transcriptionally activate a wide range of protein quality control mechanisms, including chaperones and stress response genes alongside autophagy and lysosome biogenesis genes. These results highlight TFEB as a key proteostasis-promoting transcription factor and underscore it and its upstream regulators as potential therapeutic targets in proteostasis-related diseases

Adaptive Immune Receptor Repertoire sequencing (AIRR-seq) is critical for our understanding of the adaptive immune system's dynamics in health and disease. Reliable analysis of AIRR-seq data depends on accurate Immunoglobulin (Ig) sequence alignment. Various Ig sequence aligners exist, but there is no unified benchmarking standard representing the complexities of AIRR-seq data, obscuring objective comparisons of aligners across tasks. Here, we introduce GenAIRR, an efficient simulation framework for generating Ig sequences alongside their ground truths. GenAIRR realistically simulates the intricacies of V(D)J recombination, somatic hypermutation, and an array of sequence corruptions. We comprehensively assessed prominent Ig sequence aligners across various metrics, unveiling unique performance characteristics for each aligner. The GenAIRR-produced datasets, combined with the proposed rigorous evaluation criteria, establish a solid basis for unbiased benchmarking of immunogenetics computational tools. It sets up the ground for further improving the crucial task of Ig sequence alignment, ultimately enhancing our understanding of adaptive immunity.

Coupling superconducting (SC) contacts to light-emitting layers can lead to remarkable effects, as seen in inorganic quantum-well LEDs with superconducting contacts, where an enhancement in radiative recombination was observed. Additional dramatic effects were theorized if both electrodes are SC, such as correlated emission and 2-photon entanglement. Motivated by this and by the question if proximity induced SC is possible in organic light emitting materials, we studied the electronic properties of stacked SC-organic-SC devices. Our structures consisted of Nb (bottom) and NbN (top) SC electrodes and a spin-coated light emitting semiconductor polymer, MEH-PPV. Sputtering the SC directly on the polymer causes pinhole, which we prevent by ultra-slow deposition of a 5 nm aluminum film, before depositing the top SC in-situ. The Al protects the organic film from damage and pinhole formation, while preserving SC in the top electrodes due to proximity effect between Al and NbN. Electrical transport measurements of the completed junctions indicate that indeed, the top and bottom contacts are superconducting and the protected MEH-PPV layer is pinholefree, as supported by HR-TEM and EDS. Most important, we find that as the temperature is decreased below the critical temperature of the SCs, the device shows evidence for proximity effect in the MEH-PPV and for a Josephson effect in the device.

Approximately 10% of Renal Cell Carcinoma (RCC) tumors form a thrombus that invades into nearby vasculature and is associated with lower survivability. However, the mechanisms driving tumor thrombus formation and progression are poorly understood. We therefore examined a publicly available RNAseq dataset of samples from RCC patients containing tumors with and without thrombi, as well as associated normal kidney tissues, and compared them. Using cell deconvolution, we found indications that kidney tumors and thrombi are associated with loss of mature kidney-specific cell types and gain of proliferative characteristics. Moreover, we identified a set of transcripts that are alternatively spliced between tumors with and without thrombi. Using motif enrichment analysis for known RNA binding proteins we found putative splicing regulators that are presumably associated with thrombus formation. We believe that this study will assist in unraveling cellular and molecular mechanisms of tumor progression and thrombus formation in RCC.