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The practical applications of solar-driven water splitting pivot on significant advances that enable scalable production of robust photoactive films. Here, we propose a proof-of-concept for fabricating robust photoactive films by a particle-implanting technique (PiP) which embeds semiconductor photoabsorbers in the liquid metal. The strong semiconductor/metal interaction enables resulting films efficient collection of photogenerated charges and superior photoactivity. A photoanode of liquid-metal embraced BiVO 4 can stably operate over 120 h and retain ~ 70% of activity when scaled from 1 to 64 cm 2 . Furthermore, a Z-scheme photocatalyst film of liquid-metal embraced BiVO 4 and Rh-doped SrTiO 3 particles can drive overall water splitting under visible light, delivering an activity 2.9 times higher than that of the control film with gold support and a 110 h stability. These results demonstrate the advantages of the PiP technique in constructing robust and efficient photoactive films for artificial photosynthesis. The practical applications of photoelectrochemical water splitting pivot on significant advances that enable scalable production of robust photoactive films. Here, the authors propose a proof-of-concept for fabricating bioinspired robust photoactive films by a particle implanting technique, which embeds semiconductor photoabsorbers in the liquid metal.

Janus structures that include different functional compartments have attracted significant attention due to their specific properties in a diverse range of applications. However, it remains challenge to develop an effective strategy for achieving strong interfacial interaction. Herein, a Janus nanoreactor consisting of TiO2 2D nanocrystals integrated with Prussian blue analog (PBA) single crystals is proposed and synthesized by mimicking the planting process. In situ etching of PBA particles induces nucleation and growth of TiO2 nanoflakes onto the concave surface of PBA particles, and thus enhances the interlayer interaction. The anisotropic PBA–TiO2 Janus nanoreactor demonstrates enhanced photocatalytic activities for both water reduction and oxidation reactions compared with TiO2 and PBA alone. As far as it is known, this is the first PBA‐based composite that serves as a bifunctional photocatalyst for solar water splitting. The interfacial structure between two materials is vital for charge separation and transfer based on the spectroscopic studies. These results shed light on the elaborate construction of Janus nanoreactor, highlighting the important role of interfacial design at the microscale level. The 2D nanocrystals can grow on etched faces of metal–organic framework (MOF) single crystals to form Janus nanoreactor. The rational interface engineering of Janus nanoreactor is the key to realizing efficient photocatalytic water reduction and oxidation reactions. This work opens up a new window for the design and construction of Janus nanoreactor as promising heterojunction photocatalysts.

Olfactory and metabolic dysfunctions are intertwined phenomena associated with obesity and neurodegenerative diseases; yet how mechanistically olfaction regulates metabolic homeostasis remains unclear. Specificity of olfactory perception integrates diverse environmental odors and olfactory neurons expressing different receptors. Here, we report that specific but not all olfactory neurons actively regulate fat metabolism without affecting eating behaviors in Caenorhabditis elegans , and identified specific odors that reduce fat mobilization via inhibiting these neurons. Optogenetic activation or inhibition of the responsible olfactory neural circuit promotes the loss or gain of fat storage, respectively. Furthermore, we discovered that FLP-1 neuropeptide released from this olfactory neural circuit signals through peripheral NPR-4/neuropeptide receptor, SGK-1/serum- and glucocorticoid-inducible kinase, and specific isoforms of DAF-16/FOXO transcription factor to regulate fat storage. Our work reveals molecular mechanisms underlying olfactory regulation of fat metabolism, and suggests the association between olfactory perception specificity of each individual and his/her susceptibility to the development of obesity. Olfaction is a key sensory modality with high diversity and olfactory defects has been associated with metabolic and neurodegenerative disorders. Here, the authors discovered that specific olfactory inputs actively regulate lipid metabolism in a dynamic and reversible manner.

Background Abnormal protein localization due to disrupted nucleoplasmic transport is common in tumor cells, but its mechanisms are not well understood. Nuclear pore complexes and nuclear transporter proteins are crucial for protein transport between the nucleus and cytoplasm. Evidence increasingly shows that abnormal expression of karyopherin family proteins disrupts protein translocation, affecting processes like cell differentiation, proliferation, apoptosis, and transcriptional regulation. However, their functions and roles in ovarian cancer remain unclear. Methods The expression level of KPNA5 in ovarian cancer tissues and cells was detected by IHC, Western blot, and qPCR. CCK‐8 and colony formation assays were used to assess cell proliferation ability. Transwell assay was conducted to determine cell migration and invasion capacity. A xenograft model was used to assess the effect of KPNA5 on tumor growth in vivo. Results KPNA5 expression is downregulated in ovarian cancer (OC) tissues. Low KPNA5 levels were associated with poor survival in OC patients, validated by an OC tissue sample cohort. Overexpression of KPNA5 significantly suppressed OC cell proliferation, tumor growth, and invasion in both in vitro and in vivo studies. Mechanistically, KPNA5 recognizes nuclear localization signals (NLSs) in PTPN4, mediating its nuclear transport and inhibiting STAT3 phosphorylation and its downstream signaling pathway. Similarly, PTPN4 overexpression reduced OC cell viability and invasion, also suppressing STAT3 phosphorylation. Conclusions Our findings identify KPNA5 as a tumor suppressor in OC, presenting a potential therapeutic target for OC treatment.

A swarm of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) can be used for many applications, including disaster relief, search and rescue, and establishing communication networks, due to its mobility, scalability, and robustness to failure. However, a UAV swarm’s performance is typically limited by each agent’s stored energy. Recent works have considered the usage of thermals, or vertical updrafts of warm air, to address this issue. One challenge lies in a swarm of UAVs detecting and taking advantage of these thermals. Inspired by hawks, a swarm could take advantage of thermals better than individuals due to the swarm’s distributed sensing abilities. To determine which emergent behaviors increase survival time, simulation software was created to test the behavioral models of UAV gliders around thermals. For simplicity and robustness, agents operate with limited information about other agents. The UAVs’ motion was implemented as a Boids model, replicating the behavior of flocking birds through cohesion, separation, and alignment forces. Agents equipped with a modified behavioral model exhibit dynamic flocking behavior, including relative ascension-based cohesion and relative height-based separation and alignment. The simulation results show the agents flocking to thermals and improving swarm survival. These findings present a promising method to extend the flight time of autonomous UAV swarms.

Janus structures that include different functional compartments have attracted significant attention due to their specific properties in a diverse range of applications. However, it remains challenge to develop an effective strategy for achieving strong interfacial interaction. Herein, a Janus nanoreactor consisting of TiO 2 2D nanocrystals integrated with Prussian blue analog (PBA) single crystals is proposed and synthesized by mimicking the planting process. In situ etching of PBA particles induces nucleation and growth of TiO 2 nanoflakes onto the concave surface of PBA particles, and thus enhances the interlayer interaction. The anisotropic PBA–TiO 2 Janus nanoreactor demonstrates enhanced photocatalytic activities for both water reduction and oxidation reactions compared with TiO 2 and PBA alone. As far as it is known, this is the first PBA‐based composite that serves as a bifunctional photocatalyst for solar water splitting. The interfacial structure between two materials is vital for charge separation and transfer based on the spectroscopic studies. These results shed light on the elaborate construction of Janus nanoreactor, highlighting the important role of interfacial design at the microscale level.

The correct establishment and maintenance of unidirectional Notch signaling are critical for the homeostasis of various stem cell lineages. However, the molecular mechanisms that prevent cell-autonomous ectopic Notch signaling activation and deleterious cell fate decisions remain unclear. Here we show that the retromer complex directly and specifically regulates Notch receptor retrograde trafficking in Drosophila neuroblast lineages to ensure the unidirectional Notch signaling from neural progenitors to neuroblasts. Notch polyubiquitination mediated by E3 ubiquitin ligase Itch/Su(dx) is inherently inefficient within neural progenitors, relying on retromer-mediated trafficking to avoid aberrant endosomal accumulation of Notch and cell-autonomous signaling activation. Upon retromer dysfunction, hypo-ubiquitinated Notch accumulates in Rab7+ enlarged endosomes, where it is ectopically processed and activated in a ligand-dependent manner, causing progenitor-originated tumorigenesis. Our results therefore unveil a safeguard mechanism whereby retromer retrieves potentially harmful Notch receptors in a timely manner to prevent aberrant Notch activation-induced neural progenitor dedifferentiation and brain tumor formation. Most cells in the animal body are tailored to perform particular tasks, but stem cells have not yet made their choice. Instead, they have unlimited capacity to divide and, with the right signals, they can start to specialize to become a given type of cells. In the brain, this process starts with a stem cell dividing. One of the daughters will remain a stem cell, while the other, the neural progenitor, will differentiate to form a mature cell such as a neuron. Keeping this tight balance is crucial for the health of the organ: if the progenitor reverts back to being a stem cell, there will be a surplus of undifferentiated cells that can lead to a tumor. A one-way signal driven by the protein Notch partly controls the distinct fates of the two daughter cells. While the neural progenitor carries Notch at its surface, its neural stem cell sister has a Notch receptor on its membrane instead. This ensures that the Notch signaling goes in one direction, from the cell with Notch to the one sporting the receptor. When a stem cell divides, one daughter gets more of a protein called Numb than the other. Numb pulls Notch receptors away from the external membrane and into internal capsules called endosomes. This guarantees that only one of the siblings will be carrying the receptors at its surface. Yet, sometimes the Notch receptors can get activated in the endosomes, which may make neural progenitors revert to being stem cells. It is still unclear what tools the cells have to stop this abnormal activation. Here, Li et al. screened brain cells from fruit fly larvae to find out the genes that might play a role in suppressing the inappropriate Notch signaling. This highlighted a protein complex known as the retromer, which normally helps to transport proteins in the cell. Experiments showed that, in progenitors, the retromer physically interacts with Notch receptors and retrieves them from the endosomes back to the cell surface. If the retromer is inactive, the Notch receptors accumulate in the endosomes, where they can be switched on. It seems that, in fruit flies, the retromer acts as a bomb squad that recognizes and retrieves potentially harmful Notch receptors, thereby preventing brain tumor formation. Several retromer components are less present in patients with various cancers, including glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer. The results by Li et al. may therefore shed light on the link between the protein complex and the emergence of the disease in humans.

Owing to the weak self-assembly ability of precursor components and the serious crosslinking of neighbouring nanospheres during a hydrothermal process, the synthesis of monodisperse mesoporous polymer nanospheres with diameters below 500 nm remains a great challenge. Here we extend the synthesis method of mesoporous silica nanospheres to enable the preparation of ordered mesoporous resorcinol formaldehyde nanospheres with particle size from 80 to 400 nm and mesopores of ~3.5 nm in diameter. By finely tuning the synthesis parameters, multi-layered mesoporous resorcinol formaldehyde hollow nanospheres can be successfully synthesized. Mesoporous carbon nanospheres and hollow nanospheres with high surface area are further obtained through carbonization of the polymer spheres. The resulting mesoporous carbon nanospheres are demonstrated as the host cathode material for lithium–sulphur batteries. The synthesis strategy provides a benchmark for fabricating well-defined porous carbonaceous nanospheres with potential for energy storage and conversion applications. The controlled synthesis of monodisperse nanospheres faces a number of difficulties, such as extensive crosslinking during hydrothermal processes. Here, the authors show a route for the controlled synthesis of mesoporous polymer nanospheres, which can be further converted into carbon nanospheres through carbonization.

A novel nanocomposite film for sustained release of anionic ophthalmic drugs through a double-control process has been examined in this study. The film, made as a drug-loaded contact lens, consists principally of a polymer hydrogel of 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA), in whose matrix MgAl-layered double hydroxide (MgAl-LDH) nanoparticles intercalated with the anionic drug are well dispersed. Such nanocomposite films (hydrogel-LDH-drug) contained 0.6–0.8 mg of MgAl-LDH and 0.08–0.09 mg of the ophthalmic drug (ketorolac) in 1.0 g of hydrogel. MgAl-drug-LDH nanoparticles were prepared with the hydrodynamic particle size of 40–200 nm. TEM images show that these nanoparticles are evenly dispersed in the hydrogel matrix. In vitro release tests of hydrogel-LDH-drug in pH 7.4 PBS solution at 32 °C indicate a sustained release profile of the loaded drug for 1 week. The drug release undergoes a rapid initial burst and then a monotonically decreasing rate up to 168 h. The initial burst release is determined by the film thickness and the polymerization conditions, but the following release rate is very similar, with the effective diffusion coefficient being nearly constant (3.0 × 10 −12  m 2 /s). The drug release from the films is mechanistically attributed to anionic exchange and the subsequent diffusion in the hydrogel matrix.

After years of embodying morally complicated men, Hatosy admits that playing a character who is \"across-the-board likable\" is a nice change of pace. Wyle, Wells and Gemmill all tell THR that the second season will inevitably tackle the current social and political climate, including the \"Big Beautiful Bill\" and other cuts President Trump has made to Medicaid spending and veterans' agencies. Earning his first Emmy nomination may change Hatosy's life, but he insists his approach to the work remains the same.