Our study investigated stance markers used in Materials Science research article abstracts by native Chinese-speaking (Chinese L1) and native English-speaking (English L1) researchers, adopting the widely recognized interactional metadiscourse framework. We constructed two comparable corpora, each comprising 501 abstracts from research articles published between 2023 and 2025 in Materials Science journals indexed in the Web of Science Core Collection. Quantitative analysis revealed that there were significant cross-cultural differences between the two corpora: Chinese L1 researchers used hedges more frequently than English L1 researchers (9.67 vs. 7.04 per 1,000 words). Chinese L1 researchers preferred to use the self-mention phrase "this paper", while English L1 researchers employed slightly more boosters and self-mentions generally. Attitude markers were found comparable between the two corpora (4.63 vs. 4.28 per 1,000 words), which can reflect the demands of this academic genre for objectivity. These usage patterns are consistent across all journal quartiles and are generally not influenced by impact levels of the journals. Further analysis of the subcategories shows that Chinese L1 researchers depended more on modal and phrase-based hedges, while English L1 ones used a more diversified range of hedging strategies. In terms of English L1 countries, researchers from the USA, the UK, and Canada shared similar rhetorical conventions. The findings indicate that cultural traditions and disciplinary norms jointly shape the use of stance markers. This study enriches cross-cultural academic discourse studies in hard sciences, and provides practical guidance on the academic English writing instruction for Chinese L1 researchers, especially graduate students.
Implementation science theories, models, and frameworks (TMFs) are central to rigorous, theory-informed research and practice; however, linking TMF constructs to appropriate assessment instruments is challenging for many users. Existing repositories have been valuable but are fragmented, vary in accessibility, and are often limited in scope, modality, and TMF linkage. To address this gap, we expanded the Dissemination and Implementation (D&I) Models Webtool. Using a user-centered, expert-informed, iterative process, we redesigned the webtool's Assess section into a public, construct-linked tool. We first identified and refined a set of instrument metadata (characteristics) through reviews of prior repositories and multistage expert engagement (subject matter experts and an external advisory board). Each candidate metadata field was rated for usefulness and feasibility, culminating in 38 finalized fields. We then purposefully selected and abstracted priority instruments to ensure diversity across modalities (quantitative, qualitative, or mixed), implementation phase, setting, audience, and equity/policy relevance. Abstraction followed a consensus approach with quality checks and regular reconciliation. Usability testing with intended users informed content, navigation, and functionality refinements. Phase 1 includes 51 instruments linked to relevant TMFs and constructs. Instruments span quantitative (n = 33), qualitative (n = 14), and mixed-method (n = 4) formats. Common types include surveys (n = 31), interviews (n = 6), and worksheets (n = 3). Coverage encompasses preimplementation, implementation, and sustainment phases; varied clinical and public health settings; multiple priority user groups; and equity- and policy-relevant tools. The tool provides multipath navigation (by instrument, construct, or model), search and filtering using key metadata, and guidance for selecting and applying Implementation Science (IS) assessments. The Assess section of the D&I Models Webtool offers a curated, publicly available, continually updated, construct-linked tool that operationalizes TMFs through concrete measurement options across modalities and contexts. This resource supports more consistent, theory-driven assessment in IS and will continue to expand through iterative updates and community input.
Tactile sensing and perception are fundamental to intelligent interaction with complex environments, yet most artificial sensing systems rely on continuous signal acquisition and centralized electronic computation, resulting in high data redundancy, latency, and limited robustness. In this research, we introduce mechanically encoded materials (MEM) as a sensing-centric paradigm that embeds perception directly into material architecture. Inspired by biological mechanosensory systems, MEM exploits geometry-force-property coupling to selectively transduce mechanical stimuli into discrete binary outputs, enabling event-driven tactile sensing without continuous sampling or intensive electronic processing. By rational design, MEMs are programmed to respond only when external stimuli exceed predefined thresholds, thereby encoding tactile information such as pressure, stiffness, and curvature into binary representations at the material level. Arrays of MEMs with graded thresholds further enable multi-level discrimination of mechanical stimuli solely through mechanical design. We demonstrate the integration of pressure-, stiffness-, and curvature-sensitive MEMs into a compliant gripper, where proprioceptive and tactile perception emerges locally at the sensing interface without CPU-driven computation. This mechano-encoding strategy reduces data bandwidth and sensing latency while enhancing robustness and adaptability under dynamic conditions. By transforming sensing, encoding, and preliminary computation into intrinsic material functions, MEMs establish a general framework for decentralized tactile perception in next-generation intelligent systems.
Postmenopausal osteoporosis is a major public health concern, imposing a substantial economic burden on healthcare systems. Teriparatide is one of the key pharmacological treatments; however, its cost effectiveness remains controversial. This systematic review aimed to evaluate the cost effectiveness of teriparatide in the treatment of postmenopausal women with osteoporosis. A comprehensive literature search was conducted in PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and Web of Science up to October 2024. The included studies comprised cost-effectiveness and cost-utility analyses conducted from healthcare system/payer and societal perspectives. Studies that met the inclusion criteria were assessed using the Quality of Health Economic Studies (QHES) checklist. A total of 22 economic evaluations were included. Most studies found that teriparatide was not cost effective under general conditions, except in specific scenarios such as reduced drug prices, the use of generic alternatives, or under sensitivity analysis assumptions. The variability in willingness-to-pay thresholds and regional drug costs contributed substantially to differing incremental cost-effectiveness ratio outcomes across countries. Only a few studies accounted for indirect costs, and the limited geographic distribution highlighted the need for research in underrepresented regions such as the Middle East and Africa. Furthermore, a funding disclosure analysis suggested a potential bias in industry-sponsored studies, although no definitive conclusions could be drawn. Our findings suggest that teriparatide is generally not cost effective for the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis, although its economic value may vary depending on contextual and policy-related factors. Further robust economic evaluations are needed, incorporating both direct and indirect costs, and covering understudied regions. The findings of this review can support informed resource allocation and policy making in osteoporosis management. Limitations include heterogeneity across the included studies, potential language bias due to the inclusion of only English-language publications, and methodological variations that limited cross-study comparability.
A long-standing goal in computational chemistry and materials science has been the development of general-purpose interatomic force fields that define the energy and forces associated with arbitrary sets of atoms. This task can be accomplished with density functional theory (DFT) and other levels of computational quantum chemistry, but the computational cost of these methods strongly constrains the physical problems that can be explored. Rapid advances in machine-learned interatomic potentials (MLIPs) mean that calculations at DFT levels of accuracy will soon be accelerated by factors of up to a million, a situation that will dramatically change the landscape of computational chemistry. In this Outlook, we examine the implications and limitations of MLIPs and describe a research agenda for taking full advantage of these remarkable tools.
The M13 filamentous bacteriophage has transcended its origins as a model for viral replication to become a premier programmable bio-scaffold at the intersection of nanotechnology, synthetic biology and clinical medicine. While famously known for the Nobel Prize-winning development of phage display, M13's utility now extends far beyond peptide libraries. Its unique anisotropic structure, genetic plasticity and chemically addressable coat proteins enable the precise bottom-up assembly of functional nanomaterials, ranging from high-performance energy storage to targeted theranostic agents. This review provides a definitive account of the M13 platform, synthesising foundational structural biology and infection dynamics with state-of-the-art engineering strategies. We detail the physical and genetic architecture of the virion, provide a critical evaluation of production and purification methodologies, and explore the chemical-genetic toolboxes used to functionalise its surface. By bridging the gap between fundamental virology and applied materials science, this synthesis identifies the current bottlenecks in clinical and industrial translation and offers a roadmap for the next generation of M13-based biotechnologies.
Co-culturing fungi offers a promising strategy for generating hybrid fungal biomass with structural and functional properties for developing fungal-based alternative leather. In this study, two filamentous fungi, Aspergillus oryzae and Rhizopus delemar, were co-cultured to valorise food waste through production of fungal materials with enhanced mechanical properties owing to chitin-rich biomass of A. oryzae and chitin-chitosan-rich biomass of R. delemar. After confirming symbiotic growth on solid media and in submerged semi-synthetic media, the system was applied to a complex medium prepared from bread and lemon waste. Cultivation was scaled up to a 4.5 L bubble-column bioreactor. The harvested biomass was tanned with chestnut tannin and processed into materials using wet-laid method. Symbiotic growth was verified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification and visually via optical and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Unlike the pelletised morphology typical of A. oryzae, the co-culture produced dispersed mycelium favouring material formation. Co-cultures yielded higher ethanol concentrations (12-14 g/L), with biomass yields exceeding those of R. delemar (~0.2 g/g) and comparable to A. oryzae (~0.3 g/g) monocultures. The highest tensile strength and elongation achieved were 11.7 MPa and 8% respectively. Overall, this work establishes fungal-fungal co-culture as a transformative approach for producing hybrid biomass for fungal-based leather alternatives.
Titanium dioxide (TiO₂) remains one of the most investigated photocatalysts for environmental remediation; however, its practical application under visible light is still limited by its wide band gap and rapid electron-hole recombination. In this work, TiO₂ nanoparticles were synthesized by a modified polymeric precursor method using different citric acid/metal ratios, leading to materials with distinct structural and surface properties. Structural analyses confirmed the formation of anatase TiO₂ with nanometric crystallite sizes and high specific surface area. Spectroscopic and EPR analyses revealed the presence of oxygen vacancies, Ti³⁺ species, and sulfur-related surface defects, which contributed to enhanced visible-light absorption and charge separation. Among the synthesized materials, the M1C15 sample exhibited the best photocatalytic performance toward acetaminophen degradation, achieving complete removal under UV irradiation. LC-MS analyses confirmed the disappearance of acetaminophen signals after treatment and revealed the formation of intermediate compounds associated with oxidative degradation pathways and radical coupling reactions. EPR spin-trapping experiments demonstrated the generation of hydroxyl radicals (•OH), supporting the proposed photocatalytic mechanism. Under visible-light irradiation, the M1C15 sample achieved 18.2% paracetamol removal, indicating photocatalytic activity beyond the UV region. DRS, FTIR, EPR, and XPS analyses suggested that this behavior is associated with the formation of TiS₂ species on the surface of M1C15. These findings show that the proposed low-cost synthesis route produces promising photocatalysts for the treatment of pharmaceutical-contaminated wastewater under natural or artificial irradiation conditions with reduced energy demand.
To explore the influence of intermolecular interaction force on the performance of OFET-based sensor and to achieve high detection sensitivity and selectivity, a acrylonitrile bridged thieno[3,2-b]thiophene derivative (2Z,2'Z)-3,3'-(2,2'-thieno[3,2-b]thiophene)bis(2-(naphthalen-2-yl)acrylonitrile) (TTBNA) was synthesized as the active organic semiconductor material. The single crystal x-ray diffraction analysis reveals that TTBNA forms ordered lamellar stacking by the π-π stacking interactions, and each molecule presents four hydrogen bonds through C─H…N with adjacent two molecules within the molecular layer. The OFET devices exhibit high mobility of 0.444 cm2V-1s-1 and on/off ratio larger than 107. The OFET-based sensors show high sensitivity and selectivity for H2S detection and the ratio of current change can still maintain over 2.5 % when the gas concentration lower to 10 ppb level, with the relative sensitivity (RS) up to 250 % ppm-1. The excellent sensing characteristics could be caused by the formation of new hydrogen bonding between H2S molecules and N atoms of TTBNA molecules which was confirmed by the theory simulation calculations. This general approach demonstrates that it would be an effective way to improve sensing response capability by introducing variable intermolecular interaction forces in the active simiconductor materials.
We formulate the weak intramolecular coupling Förster resonance energy transfer theory in a form suitable for calculating the ultrafast non-linear response of molecular systems. This is done through a formally exact factorization of the time-dependent molecular statistical operator into the system and bath components. Combining this factorization with unperturbed environment evolution, we generalize the traditional Förster master equation for the state population probabilities into a complete master equation for the system's reduced statistical operator. The traditional Förster theory applies in the limit where the intermolecular coupling is weak and the system-bath coupling is strong. Our derivation explicitly yields a time-nonlocal Förster-type master equation that remains valid even in the limit of vanishing system-bath coupling. The theory predicts a rapid initial coherent evolution of populations arising from a transient initial coherence-dependent term, which induces a "slippage" of the initial condition that persists during subsequent rate-controlled transfer. Comparison with exact numerical results confirms the clear improvement of the present generalization over earlier formulations of the Förster theory and delineates its range of validity.
Birefringence in low-dimensional organic-inorganic hybrids depends on both the intrinsic anisotropy of building units and their dense, coherent lattice organization. Herein, we identify lateral coordination-site blocking as a structural bottleneck in one-dimensional (1D) lead hybrids and demonstrate a lateral-site unblocking strategy to overcome this restriction. Using a model pair, (C12H8N2)Pb(H2PO3)2 (PNPP) and (C12H8N2)PbCl2 (PNPC), we reveal that the side-occupying H2PO3 - linkers enforce a sparse, single-sided hanging mode of phenanthroline (phen) ligands. In contrast, the introduction of compact bridging Cl- ions preserves the 1D Pb-based backbone while releasing the lateral coordination space, thereby enabling a bilateral, tightly interleaved organization of the phen π-chromophores. This structural switch induces a contraction of the interchain spacing and decreases the interchromophore separation from 6.79 Å in PNPP to 3.36 Å in PNPC, resulting in close π-π stacking in PNPC and enhanced spatial accumulation of the Pb-centered and π-conjugated polarizability anisotropy tensors. Consequently, PNPC exhibits an exceptional birefringence of Δn = 0.82 at 546 nm, establishing a record-high value among all reported Pb-based crystalline materials. This work highlights lateral-site accessibility as a decisive structural parameter for regulating lattice-scale polarization alignment, providing a design paradigm for next-generation miniaturized visible-to-near-infrared polarizers.
Biofilms are the predominant lifestyle for bacteria. Biofilm abundance makes understanding their behavior important for different research domains. These domains can have different information and reporting standards. Information reporting standards have been proposed for some biofilm research methods. Standard methods and consensus standards have also been promulgated. We propose dimensional analysis to encourage abundant information reporting and facilitate comparative analysis. Dimensional analysis utilizes physical system parameters to generate generalizable model data. We review dimensionless quantities that can be applied to biofilm studies. We suggest dimensionless quantities for existing standards, with three examples using dimensional analysis to quantitatively compare literature data.
The ability of carbon to adopt multiple hybridization states gives rise to a variety of allotropes with diverse electronic behaviors, including insulating, metallic, and potentially magnetic phases. Although metallic and magnetic structures have been explored, intrinsically ferromagnetic crystalline carbon allotropes remain rare. U-Carbon (UC), a recently synthesized crystalline allotrope with mixed sp2-sp3 hybridization, exhibits dynamic stability and intrinsic ferromagnetism under ambient conditions, highlighting its potential for next-generation materials. The aim of this study is to characterize the structural complexity of stacked UC configurations and investigate the relationships among their structural elements by applying degree and distance related topological indices together with entropy-derived measures. Furthermore, a regression model based on these indices is developed to efficiently determine graph energies in complex higher-dimensional structures, thereby providing a scalable computational framework.
The rapid expansion of the livestock sector has precipitated a substantial surge in animal feed demand, necessitating immediate exploration and development of alternative feed sources to ensure sustainable supply. Mulberry leaves (ML) and distillers' grains (DG) are by-products generated from agriculture and industry in Sichuan, China. Characterized by abundant output and favorable nutritional composition, two materials can be further processed to alleviate the shortage of feed resources. In this study, four strains including Bacillus subtilis, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Levilactobacillus brevis and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum were mixed at three ratios: A (B. subtilis: S. cerevisiae: L. brevis = 1:1:1), B (B. subtilis: S. cerevisiae: L. plantarum = 1:1:1), and C (B. subtilis: S. cerevisiae: L. brevis: L. plantarum = 1:1:1:1). 10% inoculation rate was adopted for short-term anaerobic fermentation lasting 5 days using ML, DG and their mixed substrates (ML&DG) to optimize fermentation performance and modulate the microbial community structure. The results demonstrated that exogenous microbial inoculation effectively degraded tannin (50.81%) and phytic acid (52.66%), lowered the pH value below 4.77, and increased lactic acid content to 83.43 mg/g, which was 4.57 times higher than that of the control group. Meanwhile, the mixed fermentation of mulberry leaves and distillers' grains maintained a true protein retention rate of over 99% and retained antioxidant activity, with the ABTS radical scavenging capacity of the mixed substrates reaching 114.35% relative to the initial level. Microbial analysis confirmed Lactobacillus as the dominant genus correlating with quality enhancement. This study demonstrates the efficient bio-conversion of ML and DG into high-nutrient feed via solid-state fermentation using mixed fermentation and a designed microbial consortium. This waste-to-feed strategy establishes a sustainable model for circular agriculture by transforming low-value residues into functional feed resources.
Probiotic therapy provides clinical potential for systemic health, but its therapeutic efficacy is limited by low bioavailability in the harsh gastrointestinal environment. Natural polysaccharides, such as inulin, are promising candidates for bioactive delivery; however, they easily dissolve in water and rapidly break down under acidic conditions, limiting their function as protective materials. In this study, we applied chemical modification to create a stable, acid-resistant inulin shell to protect probiotics from the gastric environment and to improve their stability during gastrointestinal transit. We prepared acetylated inulin (In-Ac) through a controlled esterification process, verifying its molecular structure by 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction. NMR analysis confirmed successful synthesis with a high degree of acetyl substitution (79.7% ± 3.0%). Using a coaxial electrospraying system, we encapsulated Lactobacillus reuteri within these In-Ac shells. An optimized coaxial electrospraying process using a 30% (w/v) shell solution produced well-defined spherical microparticles with an average diameter of 5.62 ± 2.13 µm. The In-Ac matrix exhibited good structural integrity under acidic conditions (pH 3.0), indicating resistance against acid-induced degradation. In HuH-6 and Caco-2 cell models, the material demonstrated excellent biocompatibility, with no significant toxicity at relevant concentrations; moreover, in an in vivo mouse model, the In-Ac matrix exhibited improved probiotic stability and delivery efficiency under physiological conditions. Overall, these findings reveal that In-Ac-based microparticles fabricated via electrospraying provide a stable, biocompatible delivery platform that effectively protects probiotics during gastrointestinal transit, offering a promising platform for enhanced intestinal delivery and probiotic protection.
Copper-(II) coordination compounds are prospective building blocks of magnetic materials for future technologies and biologically active compounds. Their magnetic properties are greatly influenced by coordinating ligands, counterions, cocrystallization partners, and crystal arrangements. The self-organization of crystal structures containing [Cu-(Arg)-(B)]2+ cationic complexes is largely determined by the type of counteranions. Using NO3 - ions resulted in the formation of a new copper-(II) l-arginato 1D polymeric complex, with the following formula: {[Cu-(l-Arg)-(phen)-(μ-NO3)]-(NO3)·H2O}n. The results demonstrate the importance of interactions between NO3 - and the [Cu-(l-Arg)-(phen)]2+ coordination units in constructing the unit cell, stabilizing the structure and the spectroscopic and magnetic properties. The [Cu-(l-Arg)-(phen)]2+ cations are linked by NO3 - axial-axial bridges with Cu···Cu distance of 7.071 Å, which induced weak antiferromagnetic interactions between copper-(II) ions with S = 1/2. The O···H intermolecular interactions mostly control the molecular packing. The EPR (g ⊥ = 2.056, g || = 2.230) and vis (16970 cm-1) parameters confirm the elongated octahedral geometry (T = 0.76) and SOMO oriented in the xy plane N3O coordination sphere. Solid-state 13C NMR spectroscopy is used to characterize the distribution of spin density in organic ligands, with relativistic two-component (SO-ZORA) DFT calculations used to interpret experimental 13C NMR data. Our current N3O coordination polymer belongs to an interesting class of weakly coupled antiferromagnetic compounds.
Oxygen vacancies in semiconductor photoanodes play a crucial role in facilitating charge transport and enhancing photoelectrochemical (PEC) performance. Herein, we report a facile and effective photocatalytic (PC) strategy to engineer oxygen vacancies in WO3 nanoflakes (NFs) via UV-vis irradiation in reducing media. As a result, the PEC water oxidation activity of WO3 NFs is markedly enhanced, delivering a nearly fourfold increase in limiting photocurrent density compared with pristine WO3. This pronounced improvement originates from photocatalytically induced oxygen vacancies generated through the partial reduction of W6+ to W5+ under reducing conditions. The introduction of oxygen vacancies leads to a sevenfold increase in carrier concentration, accompanied by an approximately 30% enhancement in bulk carrier separation efficiency and a substantial improvement in charge transfer efficiency at the WO3/electrolyte interface. Notably, this enhancement effect is universal across a wide range of reducing media, providing greater flexibility compared with conventional oxygen vacancy engineering strategies. These findings demonstrate the effectiveness and generality of PC oxygen vacancy engineering and highlight its potential applicability to other semiconductor photoanode systems.
Synergizing reticular materials to form heterostructures has sparked increasing interest in diverse fields. Organic photoelectrochemical transistor (OPECT) has been demonstrated as a transformative platform for next-generation biosensors, optoelectronics, and neuromorphic simulation. Herein, covalent organic frameworks (COF)-on-hydrogen-bonded organic frameworks (HOF) heterojunction as a novel photogating module is first explored for competitive OPECT biosensing of streptomycin (STR) via a self-assembled protein network. The competitive binding by STR in the solution and on the surface can cause the variant coverage of protein network on the COF-on-HOF photogate, leading to the different steric hindrance with differentiable OPECT responses and thus achieving sensitive STR detection down to 0.5 pM. This work features competitive OPECT biosensing photogated by a reticular heterostructure.
The modulation of three-dimensional (3D) covalent-organic frameworks (COFs) into multifunctional nano-architectures is highly desirable for their extended applications yet still challenging in both material design and morphology investigation. Here, we have designed a functional 3D COF (DPP-TAM-COF) and successfully modulated it into diverse nano-architectures, including nano-ring, hollow-sphere, and nano-urchin, through a solvent-driven tuning strategy. The produced nano-architectures possess bifunctional groups, well-tuned morphology, high porosity, and photothermal properties that can be applied in efficient photothermal biomass valorization coupled with hydrogen peroxide production. Specifically, they can realize the furfuryl alcohol conversion into furoic acid with an optimal generation efficiency of 39.0 mmol/g coupled with the efficient hydrogen peroxide production, which is superior to the majority of reported materials. Based on various characterizations and theoretical calculations, the functions of nano-architectures and bifunctional groups have been validated in the coupling reaction. Aiming at extending the application regimes of 3D COFs, this work might give new insights into the structure or morphology study of 3D COFs.
Increasing the volume of halide perovskite nanocrystals (NCs) is generally accompanied by lower photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY). Here, we overcame this trade-off with giant (25 nm) rhombicuboctahedral CsPbI3 NCs that retain an exceptional PLQY of 87%. Their distinct size and morphology were induced by using phenacyl iodide as a novel precursor and subsequently characterized by x-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. In these giant NCs, the non-radiative Auger process is suppressed, giving rise to a high biexciton PLQY of 55%, while a high single-photon purity up to 95% was achieved using a time-gating method. Benefiting from their enlarged volume, these NCs achieve one of the largest reported absorption cross-sections of 5.3 × 10-13 cm2, along with emission tunable to the near-infrared region (>700 nm) and a prolonged room-temperature lifetime of 465 ns-nearly an order of magnitude longer than conventional NCs. In contrast, at cryogenic temperatures, these enlarged NCs exhibit narrow and ultrafast emission (τ = 467 ps) arising from the coherent coupling of dipoles within a single NC, which induces a giant oscillator strength and leads to single-photon superradiance. These results position the unique rhombicuboctahedral, giant CsPbI3 NCs as novel near-infrared emitters and promising candidates for high-speed quantum photon sources.