BINA

Silicate mineral powders (SMP) from weathered granite soil from Kazakhstan are proposed for the desalination of potash brines containing sodium, potassium and chloride ions. Batch adsorption experiments using acid-treated silicate (AS) achieved a Na+/K+/Cl− recovery of ~13/28/6 mg/g. An isothermal study best fitted the Freundlich and Dubinin–Radushkevich models for Na+ and K+/Cl−. The kinetic data were best modeled by pseudo-second-order kinetics for Na+/K+ and pseudo-first-order for Cl−. Thermodynamic calculations showed spontaneity under natural conditions. For Na+/K+, physisorption is accompanied by ion exchange. To study the possibility of sorbent reuse, several cycles of K+/Na+ adsorption–desorption were carried out under optimal conditions. AS selectively adsorbed potassium ions, maintaining a high effectiveness during five cycles providing K-form silicate fertilizers. Leachates of spent AS contain high concentrations of K/Na/Ca/Mg and other microelements essential for plants. Thus, SMP resolve two issues: the desalination of brine and the provision of fertilizer.

A critical current challenge in the development of all-solid-state lithium batteries (ASSLBs) is reducing the cost of fabrication without compromising the performance. Here we report a sulfide ASSLB based on a high-energy, Co-free LiNiO2 cathode with a robust outside-in structure. This promising cathode is enabled by the high-pressure O2 synthesis and subsequent atomic layer deposition of a unique ultrathin LixAlyZnzOδ protective layer comprising a LixAlyZnzOδ surface coating region and an Al and Zn near-surface doping region. This high-quality artificial interphase enhances the structural stability and interfacial dynamics of the cathode as it mitigates the contact loss and continuous side reactions at the cathode/solid electrolyte interface. As a result, our ASSLBs exhibit a high areal capacity (4.65 mAh cm−2), a high specific cathode capacity (203 mAh g−1), superior cycling stability (92% capacity retention …

Since the times of Holtsmark (1911), statistics of fields in random environments have been widely studied, for example in astrophysics, active matter, and line-shape broadening. The power-law decay of the two-body interaction of the form , and assuming spatial uniformity of the medium particles exerting the forces, imply that the fields are fat-tailed distributed, and in general are described by stable Lévy distributions. With this widely used framework, the variance of the field diverges, which is nonphysical, due to finite size cutoffs. We find a complementary statistical law to the Lévy-Holtsmark distribution describing the large fields in the problem, which is related to the finite size of the tracer particle. We discover biscaling with a sharp statistical transition of the force moments taking place when the order of the moment is , where is the dimension. The high-order moments, including the variance, are described …

Nutraceuticals have historically been seen as natural and safe supplements that have the potential to prevent illness, compensate for prescription medications, supplement for a bad diet, and boost overall health and well-being. At the moment, a number of nutraceuticals products are available on the market, the majority of which are antioxidants and probiotics. Because most nutraceutical items are designed for oral consumption, questions about their formulations, bioavailability, and/or location-specific delivery have arisen in recent years. This chapter covers the various pathways and sustained release mechanisms for active agents release from nutraceuticals release systems. The controlled release devices are mostly composed of polymers or polymer-derived nanoparticles. The physical methods are highlighted here to provide a brief idea of how the system works. The physical mechanisms involve diffusion …

RAG2-SCID is a primary immunodeficiency caused by mutations in Recombination-activating gene 2 (RAG2), a gene intimately involved in the process of lymphocyte maturation and function. ex-vivo manipulation of a patient’s own hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) using CRISPR-Cas9/rAAV6 gene editing could provide a therapeutic alternative to the only current treatment, allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Here we show an innovative RAG2 correction strategy that replaces the entire endogenous coding sequence (CDS) for the purpose of preserving the critical endogenous spatiotemporal gene regulation and locus architecture. Expression of the corrective transgene leads to successful development into CD3+TCRαβ+ and CD3+TCRγδ+ T cells and promotes the establishment of highly diverse TRB and TRG repertoires in an in-vitro T-cell differentiation platform. Thus, our …

We demonstrate the measurement of ultrafast dynamics using ghost spectroscopy and a pump-probe approach with an optical pump and a short-wavelength radiation probe. The ghost spectroscopy approach is used to overcome the challenge of the strong intensity and spectrum fluctuations at free-electron lasers and to provide high -spectral resolution, which enables the measurement of small energy shifts in the absorption spectrum. We exploit the high resolution to explore the dynamics of the charge carrier excitations and relaxations and their impact on the photoinduced structural changes in silicon by measuring the variation of the absorption spectrum of a Si(100) membrane near the silicon L2,3 edge and the accompanying edge shifts in response to the optical illumination.

Recent work has revealed the central role played by the Kirkwood-Dirac quasiprobability (KDQ) as a tool to properly account for non-classical features in the context of condensed matter physics (scrambling, dynamical phase transitions) metrology (standard and post-selected), thermodynamics (power output and fluctuation theorems), foundations (contextuality, anomalous weak values) and more. Given the growing relevance of the KDQ across the quantum sciences, our aim is two-fold: First, we highlight the role played by quasiprobabilities in characterizing the statistics of quantum observables and processes in the presence of measurement incompatibility. In this way, we show how the KDQ naturally underpins and unifies quantum correlators, quantum currents, Loschmidt echoes, and weak values. Second, we provide novel theoretical and experimental perspectives by discussing a wide variety of schemes to access the KDQ and its non-classicality features.

Recent work has revealed the central role played by the Kirkwood-Dirac quasiprobability (KDQ) as a tool to properly account for non-classical features in the context of condensed matter physics (scrambling, dynamical phase transitions) metrology (standard and post-selected), thermodynamics (power output and fluctuation theorems), foundations (contextuality, anomalous weak values) and more. Given the growing relevance of the KDQ across the quantum sciences, our aim is two-fold: First, we highlight the role played by quasiprobabilities in characterizing the statistics of quantum observables and processes in the presence of measurement incompatibility. In this way, we show how the KDQ naturally underpins and unifies quantum correlators, quantum currents, Loschmidt echoes, and weak values. Second, we provide novel theoretical and experimental perspectives by discussing a wide variety of schemes to access the KDQ and its non-classicality features.

Topological insulators are materials characterized by an insulating bulk and high mobility topologically protected surface states, making them promising candidates for future optoelectronic and quantum devices. Although their electronic properties have been extensively studied, their mid-infrared (MIR) properties and prospective photonic capabilities have not been fully uncovered. Here, we use a combination of far-field and near-field nanoscale imaging and spectroscopy to study chemical vapor deposition-grown Bi2Se3 nanobeams (NBs). We extract the MIR optical constants of Bi2Se3, revealing refractive index values as high as n ∼ 6.4, and demonstrate that the NBs support Mie resonances across the MIR. Local near-field reflection phase mapping reveals domains of various phase shifts, providing information on the local optical properties of the NBs. We experimentally measure up to 2π phase-shift across the …

Quantum information processing is the foundation of quantum technology. Protocols of quantum information share secrets between two distant parties for secure communication (quantum key distribution), teleport quantum states, and stand at the heart of quantum computation. While various protocols of quantum communication have already been realized, and even commercialized, their communication speed 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 and demonstrate an efficient method to process quantum information with such broadband sources in parallel over multiplexed frequency channels using parametric homodyne detection for simultaneous measurement of all the channels. Specifically, we propose two basic protocols: A multiplexed Continuous-Variable Quantum Key Distribution (CV-QKD) and A multiplexed continuous-variable quantum teleportation protocol. We demonstrate the multiplexed CV-QKD protocol in a proof-of-principle experiment, where we successfully carry out QKD over 23 uncorrelated spectral channels and show the ability to detect eavesdropping in any of them. These multiplexed methods (and similar) will enable to carry out quantum processing in parallel over hundreds of channels, potentially increasing the throughput of quantum protocols by orders of magnitude

The ninth American Society for Microbiology Conference on Biofilms was convened in-person on 13–17 November 2022 in Charlotte, NC. As the first of these conferences since prior to the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the energy among the participants of the conference was clear, and the meeting was a tremendous success. The mixture of >330 oral and poster presentations resoundingly embodied the vitality of biofilm research across a wide range of topics and multiple scientific disciplines. Special activities, including a pre-conference symposium for early career researchers, further enhanced the attendee experience. As a general theme, the conference was deliberately structured to provide high levels of participation and engagement among early career scientists.

Since the pioneering set of aerogels created by Kistler in 1931, this fascinating class of materials has evoked a myriad of scientific and technological possibilities and inspired an ever-growing and diverse research community. Within each aerogel lies an inner nanonetworked solid architecture that imparts it with novel physical and chemical properties; hence, scientists have continued to seek synthetic routes for preparing aerogels of an ever-widening variety of substances, including inorganic oxides, synthetic and biological polymers, metal chalcogenides, and, recently, metals. Metal aerogels in particular combine the unique catalytic, electrical, optical, and chemical functionalities of metals with the high surface area, high porosity, and low density typified by aerogel architectures. However, preparation of metallic aerogels via traditional sol–gel synthesis and supercritical drying is challenging, highly dependent on …

We present a mode-locked semiconductor laser oscillator that emits few picosecond pulses (5-8ps at 379MHz repetition) with record peak power (112W) and pulse energy (0.5nJ) directly out of the oscillator (with no amplifier). To achieve this high power performance we employ a high-current broad-area, spatially multi-mode diode amplifier (0.3x5mm), placed in an external cavity that enforces oscillation in a single spatial mode. Consequently, the brightness of the beam is near-ideal (). Mode locking is achieved by dividing the large diode chip (edge emitter) into two sections with independent electrical control: one large section for gain and another small section for a saturable absorber. Precise tuning of the reverse voltage on the absorber section allows to tune the saturation level and recovery time of the absorber, which provides a convenient control knob to optimize the mode-locking performance for …

MM: conducted experiments, data and bioinformatics analyses, and wrote manuscript. CG: bioinformatics analysis. NS: genome assembly. DM: project idea and funding acquisition. EB: supervision. EC: experimental design, supervision, funding acquisition, writing, and revisions. OF: participating in experimental design, supervision, funding acquisition, writing, and revisions. RJ: isolation and conducting of the initial in-vitro antifungal analysis on three of the five bacteria investigated in the manuscript. All authors contributed to the article and approved the submitted version.

Modular Iron–Bipyridine-Based Conjugated Aerogels as Catalysts for Oxygen Reduction Reaction | ACS Catalysis ACS ACS Publications C&EN CAS Find my institution Log In ACS Catalysis ACS Publications. Most Trusted. Most Cited. Most Read Share Share on Facebook Twitter WeChat Linked In Reddit Email ACS Catal. All Publications/Website OR SEARCH CITATIONS My Activity Recently Viewed Kinetics of Propylene Epoxidation over Extracrystalline Gold Active Sites on AU/TS-1 Catalysts Toward an Accurate Black-Box Tool for the Kinetics of Gas-Phase Reactions Involving Barrier-less Elementary Steps Construction of ZnIn2S4–In2O3 Hierarchical Tubular Heterostructures for Efficient CO2 Photoreduction Mitochondria Targeted Protein-Ruthenium Photosensitizer for Efficient Photodynamic Applications Cascaded Catalytic Copyrolysis of Microalgae and LDPE with Ni/Biochar and HZSM-5 for Improving High-…

When exposed to specific light wavelengths, carbon dots (CDs), which tend to be fluorescent, can emit colorful light. It provides them with a lot of adaptability for different applications including bioimaging, optoelectronics, and even environmental sensing. Poly(ethylenimine) (PEI) coated carbon dots (PEI-CDs) with a long emission wavelength were synthesized via the hydrothermal method. The resultant CDs show strong fluorescence with quantum yield up to 20.2%. The PEI-CDs exist with distinct pH-sensitive features with pH values in the range of 2–14. The optical characteristics of CDs are pH-responsive due to the presence of different amine groups on PEI, which is a functional polycationic polymer. One of the most widely employed nanoparticles for improving the fluorescence plasmonic characteristics of a nanocomposite is gold. Gold nanoparticles were coupled with PEI-CDs in this assay by using the EDC …

In many disordered systems, the diffusion of classical particles is described by a displacement distribution P(x, t) that displays exponential tails instead of Gaussian statistics expected for Brownian motion. However, the experimental demonstration of control of this behavior by increasing the disorder strength has remained challenging. In this work, we explore the Gaussian-to-exponential transition by using diffusion of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) in attractive nanoparticle–polymer mixtures and controlling the volume fraction of the nanoparticles. In this work, we find “knobs”, namely nanoparticle concentration and interaction, which enable the change in the shape of P(x,t) in a well-defined way. The Gaussian-to-exponential transition is consistent with a modified large deviation approach for a continuous time random walk and also with Monte Carlo simulations involving a microscopic model of polymer trapping via …

Ni-rich, Co-free layered oxide cathode materials are promising candidates for next-generation Li-ion batteries due to their high energy density. However, these cathode materials suffer from rapid capacity fading during electrochemical cycling. To overcome this shortcoming, so-called high-entropy (HE) materials, which are obtained by incorporating multiple dopants, have been suggested. Recent experimental work has shown that HE Ni-rich cathode materials can offer excellent capacity retention on cycling, although a thorough rationale for this has yet to be provided. Here, we present classical and first-principles calculations to elucidate the salient features of HE layered oxides as cathode materials in Li-ion batteries. We suggest that a combination of five prime factors may be responsible for the enhanced performance of HE Ni-rich layered oxide cathode materials over other Ni-rich cathodes: (1) low crystal lattice …

Immunoglobulins (IGs), critical components of the human immune system, are composed of heavy and light protein chains encoded at three genomic loci. The IG Kappa (IGK) chain locus consists of two large, inverted segmental duplications. The complexity of IG loci has hindered effective use of standard high-throughput methods for characterizing genetic variation within these regions. To overcome these limitations, we leverage long-read sequencing to create haplotype-resolved IGK assemblies in an ancestrally diverse cohort (n=36), representing the first comprehensive description of IGK haplotype variation at population-scale. We identify extensive locus polymorphism, including novel single nucleotide variants (SNVs) and a common novel ~24.7 Kbp structural variant harboring a functional IGKV gene. Among 47 functional IGKV genes, we identify 141 alleles, 64 (45.4%) of which were not previously curated. We report inter-population differences in allele frequencies for 14 of the IGKV genes, including alleles unique to specific populations within this dataset. Finally, we identify haplotypes carrying signatures of gene conversion that associate with enrichment of SNVs in the IGK distal region. These data provide a critical resource of curated genomic reference information from diverse ancestries, laying a foundation for advancing our understanding of population-level genetic variation in the IGK locus.