BINA

Efficient and stable electrocatalysts are critically needed for the development of practical overall seawater splitting. The nanocomposite of RuCoBO has been rationally engineered to be an electrocatalyst that fits these criteria. The study has shown that a calcinated RuCoBO-based nanocomposite (Ru2Co1BO-350) exhibits an extremely high catalytic activity for H2 and O2 production in alkaline seawater (overpotentials of 14 mV for H2 evolution and 219 mV for O2 evolution) as well as a record low cell voltage (1.466 V@10 mA cm–2) and long-term stability (230 h @50 mA cm–2 and @100 mA cm–2) for seawater splitting. The results show that surface reconstruction of Ru2Co1BO-350 occurs during hydrogen evolution reaction and oxygen evolution reaction, which leads to the high activity and stability of the catalyst. The reconstructed surface is highly resistant to Cl– corrosion. The investigation suggests that a new …

[(LiNi0·8Co0·1Mn0.1)O2], or NCM811, a member of the LixNi1−y−zCoyMnzO2 (NCM) family of cathode active materials (CAMs), is gaining recognition in the battery community as the CAM of choice for future high energy density lithium-ion batteries, given its high nickel content of c. 80%. Yet, its commercialization is impeded by its mechanochemical instability at a high state of charge (SOC), which results in severe capacity fading and active lithium loss during cycling. In this contribution, we report conformal nanometer-thick (c. 4–7 nm) lithiated tin-oxide ternary coatings (LixSnyOz) deposited on NCM811 cathode powder using the atomic layer deposition (ALD) technique. The first-of-its-kind ALD coating, where Li is being accompanied by a second metal ion (Sn); provides a combination of benefits: (i) it stabilizes the crystal structure, (ii) suppresses electrode polarization, (iii) lowers the voltage hysteresis, and (iv …

The electron transport (ETp) efficiency of solid-state protein-mediated junctions is highly influenced by the presence of electron-rich organic cofactors or transition metal ions. Hence, we chose to investigate an interesting cofactor-free non-redox protein, streptavidin (STV), which has unmatched strong binding affinity for an organic small-molecule ligand, biotin, which lacks any electron-rich features. We describe for the first time meso-scale ETp via electrical junctions of STV monolayers and focus on the question of whether the rate of ETp across both native and thiolated STV monolayers is influenced by ligand binding, a process that we show to cause some structural conformation changes in the STV monolayers. Au nanowire-electrode–protein monolayer–microelectrode junctions, fabricated by modifying an earlier procedure to improve the yields of usable junctions, were employed for ETp measurements. Our …

At both conceptual and applied levels, quantum physics provides new opportunities as well as fundamental limitations. We hypothetically ask whether quantum games inspired by population dynamics can benefit from unique features of quantum mechanics such as entanglement and nonlocality. For doing so, we extend quantum game theory and demonstrate that in certain models inspired by ecological systems where several predators feed on the same prey, the strength of quantum entanglement between the various species has a profound effect on the asymptotic behavior of the system. For example, if there are sufficiently many predator species who are all equally correlated with their prey, they are all driven to extinction. Our results are derived in two ways: by analyzing the asymptotic dynamics of the system, and also by modeling the system as a quantum correlation network. The latter approach enables us to apply various tools from classical network theory in the above quantum scenarios. Several generalizations and applications are discussed.

The intestinal epithelial barrier facilitates homeostatic host-microbiota interactions and immunological tolerance. However, mechanistic dissections of barrier dynamics following luminal stimulation pose a substantial challenge. Here, we describe an ex-vivo intestinal permeability assay, X-IPA, for quantitative analysis of gut permeability dynamics at the whole-tissue level. We demonstrate that specific gut microbes and metabolites induce rapid, dose-dependent increases to gut permeability, thus providing a powerful approach for precise investigation of barrier functions.

Metal transcription factors regulate metal concentrations in eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells. Copper is a metal ion that is being tightly regulated, owing to its dual nature. Whereas copper is an essential nutrient for bacteria, it is also toxic at high concentrations. CopY is a metal-sensitive transcription factor belonging to the copper-responsive repressor family found in Gram-positive bacteria. CopY represses transcription in the presence of Zn(II) ions and initiates transcription in the presence of Cu(I) ions. The complete crystal structure of CopY has not been reported yet, therefore most of the structural information on this protein is based on its similarity to the well-studied MecI protein. In this study, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy was used to characterize structural and local dynamical changes in Streptococcus pneumoniae CopY as a function of Zn(II), Cu(I), and DNA binding. We detected different …

PROCEEDINGS OF SPIE Page 1 PROCEEDINGS OF SPIE SPIEDigitalLibrary.org/conference-proceedings-of-spie Front Matter: Volume 12394 , "Front Matter: Volume 12394," Proc. SPIE 12394, Nanoscale Imaging, Sensing, and Actuation for Biomedical Applications XX, 1239401 (2 May 2023); doi: 10.1117/12.2678752 Event: SPIE BiOS, 2023, San Francisco, California, United States Downloaded From: https://www.spiedigitallibrary.org/conference-proceedings-of-spie on 03 May 2023 Terms of Use: https://www.spiedigitallibrary.org/terms-of-use Page 2 PROGRESS IN BIOMEDICAL OPTICS AND IMAGING Vol. 24 No. 43 Volume 12394 Proceedings of SPIE, 1605-7422, V. 12394 SPIE is an international society advancing an interdisciplinary approach to the science and application of light. Nanoscale Imaging, Sensing, and Actuation for Biomedical Applications XX Dror Fixler Ewa M. Goldys Sebastian Wachsmann-…

This review describes the use of Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) to measure residue specific dynamics in proteins with a specific focus on Cu(II)‐based spin labels. First, we outline approaches used to measure protein motion by nitroxide‐based spin labels. Here, we describe conceptual details and outline challenges that limit the use of nitroxide spin labels to solvent‐exposed α‐helical sites. The bulk of this review showcases the use of newly developed Cu(II)‐based protein labels. In this approach, the strategic mutation of native residues on a protein to generate two neighboring Histidine residues (i.e., the dHis motif) is exploited to enable a rigid site‐selective binding of a Cu(II) complex. The chelation of the Cu(II) complex to dHis directly anchors the Cu(II) spin label to the protein backbone. The improvement in rigidity expands both the spin‐labeling toolkit as well as the resolution of many EPR …

The term “carbon-based spintronics” mostly refers to the spin applications in carbon materials such as graphene, fullerene, carbon nitride, and carbon nanotubes. Carbon-based spintronics and their devices have undergone extraordinary development recently. The causes of spin relaxation and the characteristics of spin transport in carbon materials, namely for graphene and carbon nanotubes, have been the subject of several theoretical and experimental studies. This article gives a summary of the present state of research and technological advancements for spintronic applications in carbon-based materials. We discuss the benefits and challenges of several spin-enabled, carbon-based applications. The advantages include the fact that they are significantly less volatile than charge-based electronics. The challenge is in being able to scale up to mass production.

The cover feature image illustrates two sites of a protein with different site specific reorientational dynamics (purple). Such differences can be measured by newly developed site-directed Cu (II) labeling methodology. The resultant EPR lineshape at physiological temperatures is sensitive to the timescale of backbone motion. Importantly, this methodology enables site-specific detection on both α-helices and β-sheets via EPR. Thus, the role of protein dynamics to protein function can be elucidated. More information can be found in the Review by Sunil Saxena and co-workers.

A distinguishing feature of ultracold collisions of bosonic lithium atoms is the presence of two near-degenerate two-body continua. The influence of such a near-degeneracy on the few-body physics in the vicinity of a narrow Feshbach resonance is investigated within the framework of a minimal model with two atomic continua and one closed molecular channel. The model allows analysis of the spin composition of loosely bound dimers and trimers. In the two-body sector the well-established coupled-channels calculations phenomenology of lithium is qualitatively reproduced, and its particularities are emphasized and clarified. In the three-body sector we find that the Efimov trimer energy levels follow a different functional form as compared to a single continuum scenario while the thresholds remain untouched. This three-channel model with two atomic continua complements our earlier developed three-channel model with two molecular channels [Y. Yudkin and L. Khaykovich, Phys. Rev. A 103, 063303 (2021)] and suggests that the experimentally observed exotic behavior of the first excited Efimov energy level [Y. Yudkin, R. Elbaz and L. Khaykovich, arXiv:2004.02723] is most probably caused by the short-range details of the interaction potential.

Large grid energy storage devices are critical for the success of the clean and sustainable energy revolution. As Li-ion batteries are earmarked for electric vehicles and portable devices such as laptops and cellphones, other electrochemical systems should be developed that enable cost-effective, safe, and durable large-scale energy storage. Due to the low cost and non-flammability of aqueous electrolyte solutions, much effort is being put into the development of ‘beyond-Li’ batteries and super capacitors that can work in these environments. Here, we propose new proton batteries comprising an acetic acid electrolyte solution, NiII [FeIII(CN)6]2/3·4H2O Prussian blue analog cathodes, and Ti3C2Tx MXene anodes. Both electrodes were investigated independently to discover ideal settings for the electrochemical performance and stability. Significant attention was given to the cathodes' protons storage mechanism. In …

During embryonic development, mutually antagonistic signaling cascades determine gonadal fate toward a testicular or ovarian identity. Errors in this process result in disorders of sex development (DSDs), characterized by discordance between chromosomal, gonadal, and anatomical sex. The absence of an appropriate, accessible in vitro system is a major obstacle in understanding mechanisms of sex-determination/DSDs. Here, we describe protocols for differentiation of mouse and human pluripotent cells toward gonadal progenitors. Transcriptomic analysis reveals that the in vitro–derived murine gonadal cells are equivalent to embryonic day 11.5 in vivo progenitors. Using similar conditions, Sertoli-like cells derived from 46,XY human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) exhibit sustained expression of testis-specific genes, secrete anti-Müllerian hormone, migrate, and form tubular structures. Cells derived …

The short time (large energy) behavior of the Sachdev-Ye-Kitaev model (SYK) is one of the main reasons for the growing interest garnered by this model. True chaotic behavior sets in at the Thouless time, which can be extracted from the energy spectrum. In order to do so, it is necessary to unfold the spectrum, ie, to filter out global tendencies. Using a simple ensemble average for unfolding results in a parametically low estimation of the Thouless energy. By examining the behavior of the spectrum as the distribution of the matrix elements is changed into a log-normal distribution, it is shown that the sample-to-sample level spacing variance determines this estimation of the Thouless energy. Using the singular value decomposition method, which filters out these global sample-to-sample fluctuations, the Thouless energy becomes parametrically much larger, essentially of the order of the band width. It is shown that the …

Crohn's disease (CD) is a chronic relapsing–remitting inflammatory disorder of the gastrointestinal tract that is characterized by altered innate and adaptive immune function. Although massively parallel sequencing studies of the T cell receptor repertoire identified oligoclonal expansion of unique clones, much less is known about the B cell receptor (BCR) repertoire in CD. Here, we present a novel BCR repertoire sequencing data set from ileal biopsies from pediatric patients with CD and controls, and identify CD-specific somatic hypermutation (SHM) patterns, revealed by a machine learning (ML) algorithm trained on BCR repertoire sequences. Moreover, ML classification of a different data set from blood samples of adults with CD versus controls identified that V gene usage, clusters, or mutation frequencies yielded excellent results in classifying the disease (F1 > 90%). In summary, we show that an ML algorithm …

A hydrothermal method was conducted to synthesize Ni(1−α)Co(α)MoO4 (α = 0, 0.1, 0.3, and 0.5 M) nanorods, which were proven as excellent electrode materials in a hybrid supercapacitor. Their electrochemical properties were also dependent on the Ni/Co ratio as demonstrated by different electrochemical techniques. Ni0.5Co0.5MoO4 (α = 0.5 M) offered specific capacity (Qg) = 354 Cg–1@1 Ag–1, a remarkable specific capacity with a notable retention capacity of 92% after 8000 repeated cycles at 10 Ag–1. Ni0.5Co0.5MoO4 with a high surface area outperformed the mono-metallic (NiMoO4) and bimetallic (Ni0.9Co0.1MoO4 and Ni0.7Co0.3MoO4) nanostructures. The hybrid supercapacitor (Ni0.5Co0.5MoO4//activated carbon) delivered a maximum Qcell of 53 Cg–1 at 1 Ag–1 with an energy density of 16.2 Wh kg–1 and power density of 725 W kg–1.

Particle hopping is a common feature in heterogeneous media. We explore such motion by using the widely applicable formalism of the continuous time random walk and focus on the statistics of rare events. Numerous experiments have shown that the decay of the positional probability density function P (X, t), describing the statistics of rare events, exhibits universal exponential decay. We show that such universality ceases to exist once the threshold of exponential distribution of particle hops is crossed. While the mean hop is not diverging and can attain a finite value; the transition itself is critical. The exponential universality of rare events arises due to the contribution of all the different states occupied during the process. Once the reported threshold is crossed, a single large event determines the statistics. In this realm, the big jump principle replaces the large deviation principle, and the spatial part of the decay is unaffected by the temporal properties of rare events.

Efficient and stable electrocatalysts are critically needed for the development of practical overall seawater splitting. The nanocomposite of RuCoBO has been rationally engineered to be an electrocatalyst that fits these criteria. The study has shown that a calcinated RuCoBO-based nanocomposite (Ru2Co1BO-350) exhibits an extremely high catalytic activity for H2 and O2 production in alkaline seawater (overpotentials of 14 mV for H2 evolution and 219 mV for O2 evolution) as well as a record low cell voltage (1.466 V@10 mA cm–2) and long-term stability (230 h @50 mA cm–2 and @100 mA cm–2) for seawater splitting. The results show that surface reconstruction of Ru2Co1BO-350 occurs during hydrogen evolution reaction and oxygen evolution reaction, which leads to the high activity and stability of the catalyst. The reconstructed surface is highly resistant to Cl– corrosion. The investigation suggests that a new …

Nanoporous metals possess unique properties attributed to their high surface area and interconnected nanoscale ligaments. They are mostly fabricated by wet synthetic methods that are not universal to various metals and not free from impurities due to solution-based etching processes. Here, we demonstrate that the plasma treatment of metal nanoparticles formed by physical vapor deposition is a general route to form such films with many metals including the non-noble ones. The resultant nanoporous metallic films are free of impurities and possess highly curved ligaments and nanopores. The metal films are ultrathin, yet remarkably robust and very well connected, and thus are highly promising for various applications such as transparent conducting electrodes.

Biosensors are analytical devices with a wide range of uses in various fields such as food, military, environmental monitoring, and clinical diagnostics. Similarly, polymers and their composites have sparked a lot of interest in biosensing because of their properties, including compatibility with biological molecules, efficient electron transfer during biochemical reactions, bioreagent loading, and biomolecule immobilization. Different nanoparticles such as carbon nanotubes, graphenes, gold nanoparticles, etc., have been efficiently integrated into the polymer matrix to improve performance features such as rapid response, high selectivity, improved sensitivity, long-term stability, and lower detection limit. Polymers in combination with nanomaterials provide a three-dimensional matrix that preserves biomolecule activity and provides an excellent platform for immobilization due to their good durability, porosity, selectivity …