Interfacial Spinel Local Interlocking Strategy Toward Structural Integrity in P3 Oxide Cathodes.

P3-layered transition oxide cathodes have garnered considerable attention owing to their high initial capacity, rapid Na+ kinetics, and less energy consumption during the synthesis process. Despite these merits, their practical application is hindered by the substantial capacity degradation resulting from unfavorable structural transformations, Mn dissolution and migration. In this study, we systematically investigated the failure mechanisms of P3 cathodes, encompassing Mn dissolution, migration, and the irreversible P3-O3' phase transition, culminating in severe structural collapse. To address these challenges, we proposed an interfacial spinel local interlocking strategy utilizing P3/spinel intergrowth oxide as a proof-of-concept material. As a result, P3/spinel intergrowth oxide cathodes demonstrated enhanced cycling performance. The effectiveness of suppressing Mn migration and maintaining local structure of interfacial spinel local interlocking strategy was validated through depth-etching X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray absorption spectroscopy, and in situ synchrotron-based X-ray diffraction. This interfacial spinel local interlocking engineering strategy presents a promising avenue for the development of advanced cathode materials for sodium-ion batteries.

Achieving a Deeply Desodiated Stabilized Cathode Material by the High Entropy Strategy for Sodium-ion Batteries.

Manganese-based layered oxides are currently of significant interest as cathode materials for sodium-ion batteries due to their low toxicity and high specific capacity. However, the practical applications are impeded by sluggish intrinsic Na+ migration and poor structure stability as a result of Jahn-Teller distortion and complicated phase transition. In this study, a high-entropy strategy is proposed to enhance the high-voltage capacity and cycling stability. The designed P2-Na0.67Mn0.6Cu0.08Ni0.09Fe0.18Ti0.05O2 achieves a deeply desodiation and delivers charging capacity of 158.1 mA h g-1 corresponding to 0.61 Na with a high initial Coulombic efficiency of 98.2%. The charge compensation is attributed to the cationic and anionic redox reactions conjunctively. Moreover, the crystal structure is effectively stabilized, leading to a slight variation of lattice parameters. This research carries implications for the expedited development of low-cost, high-energy-density cathode materials for sodium-ion batteries.

Mild hyperthermia enhanced synergistic uric acid degradation and multiple ROS elimination for an effective acute gout therapy.

BACKGROUND: Acute gouty is caused by the excessive accumulation of Monosodium Urate (MSU) crystals within various parts of the body, which leads to a deterioration of the local microenvironment. This degradation is marked by elevated levels of uric acid (UA), increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, hypoxic conditions, an upsurge in pro-inflammatory mediators, and mitochondrial dysfunction. RESULTS: In this study, we developed a multifunctional nanoparticle of polydopamine-platinum (PDA@Pt) to combat acute gout by leveraging mild hyperthermia to synergistically enhance UA degradation and anti-inflammatory effect. Herein, PDA acts as a foundational template that facilitates the growth of a Pt shell on the surface of its nanospheres, leading to the formation of the PDA@Pt nanomedicine. Within this therapeutic agent, the Pt nanoparticle catalyzes the decomposition of UA and actively breaks down endogenous hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) to produce O2, which helps to alleviate hypoxic conditions. Concurrently, the PDA component possesses exceptional capacity for ROS scavenging. Most significantly, Both PDA and Pt shell exhibit absorption in the Near-Infrared-II (NIR-II) region, which not only endow PDA@Pt with superior photothermal conversion efficiency for effective photothermal therapy (PTT) but also substantially enhances the nanomedicine's capacity for UA degradation, O2 production and ROS scavenging enzymatic activities. This photothermally-enhanced approach effectively facilitates the repair of mitochondrial damage and downregulates the NF-κB signaling pathway to inhibit the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines. CONCLUSIONS: The multifunctional nanomedicine PDA@Pt exhibits exceptional efficacy in UA reduction and anti-inflammatory effects, presenting a promising potential therapeutic strategy for the management of acute gout.

Maternal and infant dietary patterns are not related to food allergy risk in Singapore children: GUSTO cohort study.

BACKGROUND: We previously reported that delayed allergenic food introduction in infancy did not increase food allergy risk until age 4 years within our prospective cohort. However, it remains unclear whether other aspects of maternal or infant diet play roles in the development of childhood food allergy. OBJECTIVE: Here we examined the relationship between maternal pregnancy and infant dietary patterns and the development of food allergies until age 8 years. METHODS: Among 1152 Singapore GUSTO study mother-infant dyads, the infant's diet was ascertained using food frequency questionnaires at 18 months (M). Maternal dietary patterns during pregnancy were derived from 24-hour diet recalls. Food allergy was determined through interviewer-administered questionnaires at regular time points from infancy to age 8 years (Y) and defined as a positive history of allergic reactions, alongside skin prick tests at M18, Y3, Y5 and Y8. RESULTS: Food allergy prevalence was 2.5% (22/883) at 12 months and generally decreased over time by 8 years (1.9%; 14/736). Higher maternal dietary quality was associated with increased risk of food allergy (p≤0.016), however, odds ratios were modest. Offspring food allergy risk up until 8 years showed no associations with measures of infant diet including timing of solids/food introduction [aOR 0.90 (0.42-1.92)], infant's diet quality [aOR 0.93 (0.88-0.99)] or diet diversity [aOR 0.84 (0.6-1.19)]. Most infants (89%) were first introduced to cow's milk protein within the first month of life, while egg and peanut introduction were delayed (58.3% introduced by mean age 8.8 months and 59.8% by mean age 18.1 months, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Apart from maternal diet quality showing a modest association, infant's allergenic food introduction, diet quality and dietary diversity were not associated with food allergy development in this Asian paediatric population. Interventional studies are needed to evaluate the efficacy of these approaches to food allergy prevention across different populations.

Oral administration of IPI549 protects mice from neuropathology and an overwhelming inflammatory response during experimental cerebral malaria.

Infection with Plasmodium falciparum is often deadly when it results in cerebral malaria, which is associated with neuropathology described as an overwhelming inflammatory response and mechanical obstruction of cerebral microvascular. PI3Kγ is a critical component of intracellular signal transduction and plays a central role in regulating cell chemotaxis, migration, and activation. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between inhibiting the PI3Kγ pathway and the outcome of experimental cerebral malaria (ECM) in C57BL/6J mice infected with the mouse malaria parasite, Plasmodium berghei ANKA. We observed that oral administration of the PI3Kγ inhibitor IPI549 after infection completely protected mice from ECM. IPI549 treatment significantly dampened the magnitude of inflammatory responses, with reduced production of pro-inflammatory factors, decreased T cell activation, and altered differentiation of antigen-presenting cells. IPI549 treatment protected the infected mice from neuropathology, as assessed by an observed reduction of pathogenic T cells in the brain. Treating the infected mice with IPI549 three days after parasite inoculation improved the murine blood brain barrier (BBB) integrity and helped the mice pass the onset of ECM. Together, these data indicate that oral administration of the PI3Kγ inhibitor IPI549 has a suppressive role in host inflammation and alleviates cerebral pathology, which supports IPI549 as a new malaria treatment option with potential therapeutic implications for cerebral malaria.

Mendelian randomization and transcriptome analysis identified immune-related biomarkers for osteoarthritis.

Background: The immune microenvironment assumes a significant role in the pathogenesis of osteoarthritis (OA). However, the current biomarkers for the diagnosis and treatment of OA are not satisfactory. Our study aims to identify new OA immune-related biomarkers to direct the prevention and treatment of OA using multi-omics data. Methods: The discovery dataset integrated the GSE89408 and GSE143514 datasets to identify biomarkers that were significantly associated with the OA immune microenvironment through multiple machine learning methods and weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA). The identified signature genes were confirmed using two independent validation datasets. We also performed a two-sample mendelian randomization (MR) study to generate causal relationships between biomarkers and OA using OA genome-wide association study (GWAS) summary data (cases n = 24,955, controls n = 378,169). Inverse-variance weighting (IVW) method was used as the main method of causal estimates. Sensitivity analyses were performed to assess the robustness and reliability of the IVW results. Results: Three signature genes (FCER1G, HLA-DMB, and HHLA-DPA1) associated with the OA immune microenvironment were identified as having good diagnostic performances, which can be used as biomarkers. MR results showed increased levels of FCER1G (OR = 1.118, 95% CI 1.031-1.212, P = 0.041), HLA-DMB (OR = 1.057, 95% CI 1.045 -1.069, P = 1.11E-21) and HLA-DPA1 (OR = 1.030, 95% CI 1.005-1.056, P = 0.017) were causally and positively associated with the risk of developing OA. Conclusion: The present study identified the 3 potential immune-related biomarkers for OA, providing new perspectives for the prevention and treatment of OA. The MR study provides genetic support for the causal effects of the 3 biomarkers with OA and may provide new insights into the molecular mechanisms leading to the development of OA.

Psychometric Evaluation of a Tablet-Based Tool to Detect Mild Cognitive Impairment in Older Adults: Mixed Methods Study.

BACKGROUND: With the rapid aging of the global population, the prevalence of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia is anticipated to surge worldwide. MCI serves as an intermediary stage between normal aging and dementia, necessitating more sensitive and effective screening tools for early identification and intervention. The BrainFx SCREEN is a novel digital tool designed to assess cognitive impairment. This study evaluated its efficacy as a screening tool for MCI in primary care settings, particularly in the context of an aging population and the growing integration of digital health solutions. OBJECTIVE: The primary objective was to assess the validity, reliability, and applicability of the BrainFx SCREEN (hereafter, the SCREEN) for MCI screening in a primary care context. We conducted an exploratory study comparing the SCREEN with an established screening tool, the Quick Mild Cognitive Impairment (Qmci) screen. METHODS: A concurrent mixed methods, prospective study using a quasi-experimental design was conducted with 147 participants from 5 primary care Family Health Teams (FHTs; characterized by multidisciplinary practice and capitated funding) across southwestern Ontario, Canada. Participants included health care practitioners, patients, and FHT administrative executives. Individuals aged ≥55 years with no history of MCI or diagnosis of dementia rostered in a participating FHT were eligible to participate. Participants were screened using both the SCREEN and Qmci. The study also incorporated the Geriatric Anxiety Scale-10 to assess general anxiety levels at each cognitive screening. The SCREEN's scoring was compared against that of the Qmci and the clinical judgment of health care professionals. Statistical analyses included sensitivity, specificity, internal consistency, and test-retest reliability assessments. RESULTS: The study found that the SCREEN's longer administration time and complex scoring algorithm, which is proprietary and unavailable for independent analysis, presented challenges. Its internal consistency, indicated by a Cronbach α of 0.63, was below the acceptable threshold. The test-retest reliability also showed limitations, with moderate intraclass correlation coefficient (0.54) and inadequate κ (0.15) values. Sensitivity and specificity were consistent (63.25% and 74.07%, respectively) between cross-tabulation and discrepant analysis. In addition, the study faced limitations due to its demographic skew (96/147, 65.3% female, well-educated participants), the absence of a comprehensive gold standard for MCI diagnosis, and financial constraints limiting the inclusion of confirmatory neuropsychological testing. CONCLUSIONS: The SCREEN, in its current form, does not meet the necessary criteria for an optimal MCI screening tool in primary care settings, primarily due to its longer administration time and lower reliability. As the number of digital health technologies increases and evolves, further testing and refinement of tools such as the SCREEN are essential to ensure their efficacy and reliability in real-world clinical settings. This study advocates for continued research in this rapidly advancing field to better serve the aging population. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): RR2-10.2196/25520.

Cordyceps sinensis extract protects against acute kidney injury by inhibiting perforin expression in NK cells via the STING/IRF3 pathway.

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is associated with immune cell activation and inflammation. However, the putative pathogenic mechanisms of this injury have not been thoroughly investigated. Natural killer (NK) cells play an important role in immune regulation; however, whether NK cells regulate AKI remains unclear. Cordyceps sinensis (CS), a modern Chinese patented medicine preparation, has been widely used in treating patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) owing to its anti-inflammatory effects and maintenance of immune homeostasis. Whether 2'-deoxyadenosine, a major active component in CS, can ameliorate renal AKI by regulating immunity, particularly in NK cells, has not been reported. This study is the first to demonstrate how NK cells promote AKI by releasing perforin, interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) and other inflammatory factors in vivo and in vitro. Differential gene expression between AKI and normal tissues was assessed using bioinformatic analyses. Quantitative real-time PCR, western blotting, and immunohistochemical staining were used to detect target protein mRNA and protein expression. Levels of inflammatory factors were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. We found the high doses of the 2'-deoxyadenosine treatment significantly alleviated FA-induced renal damage in vivo, and alleviated the NK cells of renal injury by activating the STING/IRF3 pathway to inhibit perforin release in vitro. The results showed that 2'-deoxyadenosine could mitigate AKI by downregulating the activity of NK cells (by decreasing the expressions of perforin and IFN-γ) and inhibiting the stimulator of interferon genes and phosphorylated IFN regulatory factor 3. This may provide valuable evidence supporting the clinical use of CS in treating patients with AKI.

2D Ferromagnetic M3 GeTe2 (M = Ni/Fe) for Boosting Intermediates Adsorption toward Faster Water Oxidation.

In this work, 2D ferromagnetic M3 GeTe2 (MGT, M = Ni/Fe) nanosheets with rich atomic Te vacancies (2D-MGTv ) are demonstrated as efficient OER electrocatalyst via a general mechanical exfoliation strategy. X-ray absorption spectra (XAS) and scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM) results validate the dominant presence of metal-O moieties and rich Te vacancies, respectively. The formed Te vacancies are active for the adsorption of OH* and O* species while the metal-O moieties promote the O* and OOH* adsorption, contributing synergistically to the faster oxygen evolution kinetics. Consequently, 2D-Ni3 GeTe2v exhibits superior OER activity with only 370 mV overpotential to reach the current density of 100 mA cm-2 and turnover frequency (TOF) value of 101.6 s-1 at the overpotential of 200 mV in alkaline media. Furthermore, a 2D-Ni3 GeTe2v -based anion-exchange membrane (AEM) water electrolysis cell (1 cm2 ) delivers a current density of 1.02 and 1.32 A cm-2 at the voltage of 3 V feeding with 0.1 and 1 m KOH solution, respectively. The demonstrated metal-O coordination with abundant atomic vacancies for ferromagnetic M3 GeTe2 and the easily extended preparation strategy would enlighten the rational design and fabrication of other ferromagnetic materials for wider electrocatalytic applications.

Linearly Interlinked Fe-Nx-Fe Single Atoms Catalyze High-Rate Sodium-Sulfur Batteries.

Linearly interlinked single atoms offer unprecedented physiochemical properties, but their synthesis for practical applications still poses significant challenges. Herein, linearly interlinked iron single-atom catalysts that are loaded onto interconnected carbon channels as cathodic sulfur hosts for room-temperature sodium-sulfur batteries are presented. The interlinked iron single-atom exhibits unique metallic iron bonds that facilitate the transfer of electrons to the sulfur cathode, thereby accelerating the reaction kinetics. Additionally, the columnated and interlinked carbon channels ensure rapid Na+ diffusion kinetics to support high-rate battery reactions. By combining the iron atomic chains and the topological carbon channels, the resulting sulfur cathodes demonstrate effective high-rate conversion performance while maintaining excellent stability. Remarkably, even after 5000 cycles at a current density of 10 A g-1, the Na-S battery retains a capacity of 325 mAh g-1. This work can open a new avenue in the design of catalysts and carbon ionic channels, paving the way to achieve sustainable and high-performance energy devices.

Metabolomic Biomarkers of Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) Dietary Patterns in Pregnant Women.

Objective: the aim of this study was to identify plasma metabolomic markers of Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) dietary patterns in pregnant women. Methods: This study included 186 women who had both dietary intake and metabolome measured from a nested case-control study within the NICHD Fetal Growth Studies-Singletons cohort (FGS). Dietary intakes were ascertained at 8-13 gestational weeks (GW) using the Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) and DASH scores were calculated based on eight food and nutrient components. Fasting plasma samples were collected at 15-26 GW and untargeted metabolomic profiling was performed. Multivariable linear regression models were used to examine the association of individual metabolites with the DASH score. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression was used to select a panel of metabolites jointly associated with the DASH score. Results: Of the total 460 known metabolites, 92 were individually associated with DASH score in linear regressions, 25 were selected as a panel by LASSO regressions, and 18 were identified by both methods. Among the top 18 metabolites, there were 11 lipids and lipid-like molecules (i.e., TG (49:1), TG (52:2), PC (31:0), PC (35:3), PC (36:4) C, PC (36:5) B, PC (38:4) B, PC (42:6), SM (d32:0), gamma-tocopherol, and dodecanoic acid), 5 organic acids and derivatives (i.e., asparagine, beta-alanine, glycine, taurine, and hydroxycarbamate), 1 organic oxygen compound (i.e., xylitol), and 1 organoheterocyclic compound (i.e., maleimide). Conclusions: our study identified plasma metabolomic markers for DASH dietary patterns in pregnant women, with most of being lipids and lipid-like molecules.

Impossibility theorems for feature attribution.

Despite a sea of interpretability methods that can produce plausible explanations, the field has also empirically seen many failure cases of such methods. In light of these results, it remains unclear for practitioners how to use these methods and choose between them in a principled way. In this paper, we show that for moderately rich model classes (easily satisfied by neural networks), any feature attribution method that is complete and linear-for example, Integrated Gradients and Shapley Additive Explanations (SHAP)-can provably fail to improve on random guessing for inferring model behavior. Our results apply to common end-tasks such as characterizing local model behavior, identifying spurious features, and algorithmic recourse. One takeaway from our work is the importance of concretely defining end-tasks: Once such an end-task is defined, a simple and direct approach of repeated model evaluations can outperform many other complex feature attribution methods.

Clinical Characteristics of Children Infected with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron (B.1.1.529) in China's Shanghai.

Introduction: The pandemic of SARS-CoV-2 brings great challenge and threats to humans worldwide. Multiple variants of SARS-CoV-2 tend to be epidemic, among which Omicron is highly infectious within China. The aim of this study was to analyze the clinical characteristics of children infected with SARS-CoV-2 variant B.1.1.529 (Omicron) in the Shanghai, China. Methods: We included 9378 pediatric patients diagnosed with Omicron and treated in the Shanghai International Convention and Exhibition Center between April 1, 2022 and May 31, 2022. We recorded and summarized the clinical characteristics, infectious conditions and biological features of the children infected with Omicron. Results: A total of 9355 paediatric patients were treated in isolation since Makeshift became available, including 5564 males (59.48%) and 3791 females (40.52%). More than half (55.56%) of the affected children were identified at premises screening. The number of symptomatic or asymptomatic patients was 4530 (48.42%) and 4825 (51.58%), respectively. Initial signs or symptoms in asymptomatic patients included fatigue (3582, 38.29%), cough (560, 5.99%), fever (242, 2.59%) and other (146, 1.56%). Age and number of vaccinations in paediatric patients were negatively associated with the number of days from positive to negative nucleic acid test results. Conclusion: Age and number of vaccinations were key factors influencing the conversion of nucleic acid test results in paediatric patients. Early childhood vaccination is encouraged to establish a complete immune barrier.

Comparative evaluation of early diabetic outcomes in southeast asian patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus undergoing Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) versus sleeve gastrectomy (LSG).

Obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is an alarming problem globally and a growing epidemic. Metabolic surgery has been shown to be successful in treating both obesity and T2DM, usually after other treatments have failed. This study aims to compare Roux-Y gastric bypass and sleeve gastrectomy in determining early diabetic outcomes in obese Malaysian patients with T2DM following surgery. A total of 172 obese patients with T2DM who were assigned to either laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (LRYGB) or laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) were analysed up to a year post-procedure. The patients' T2DM severity were stratified using the Individualized Metabolic Surgery (IMS) score into mild, moderate and severe. Remission rates of diabetes were compared between surgical techniques and within diabetic severity categories. T2DM remission for patients who underwent either surgical technique for mild, moderate or severe disease was 92.9%, 56.2% and 14.7% respectively. Both surgical techniques improved T2DM control for patients in the study. Comparing baseline with results 1 year postoperatively, median HbA1c reduced from 7.40% (IQR 2.60) to 5.80% (IQR 0.80) (p < 0.001), mean total antidiabetic medications use reduced from 1.48 (SD 0.99) to 0.60 (SD 0.86) [p < 0.001], insulin usage reduced from 27.9 to 10.5% (p < 0.001), and T2DM control improved from 27.9 to 82% (p < 0.001). The patients had a median excess BMI loss of 69.4% (IQR 34%) and 53.2% (IQR 36.0%) for RYGB and SG respectively (p = 0.016). At one year following surgery, there is no difference between LRYGB and LSG in terms of diabetic remission. LSG is not inferior to LRYGB in terms of early diabetic outcomes. Milder T2DM shows a better response. LSG is a simpler procedure with a lower risk profile and should be considered as an early treatment option for obese patients with T2DM.

Droughts impede water balance recovery from fires in the Western United States.

A steady rise in fires in the Western United States, coincident with intensifying droughts, imparts substantial modifications to the underlying vegetation, hydrology and overall ecosystem. Drought can compound the ecosystem disturbance caused by fire, although how these compound effects on hydrologic and ecosystem recovery vary among ecosystems is poorly understood. Here we use remote sensing-derived high-resolution evapotranspiration (ET) estimates from before and after 1,514 fires to show that ecoregions dominated by grasslands and shrublands are more susceptible to drought, which amplifies fire-induced ET decline and, subsequently, shifts water flux partitioning. In contrast, severely burned forests recover from fire slowly or incompletely, but are less sensitive to dry extremes. We conclude that moisture limitation caused by droughts influences the dynamics of water balance recovery in post-fire years. This finding explains why moderate to extreme droughts aggravate impacts on the water balance in non-forested vegetation, while moisture accessed by deeper roots in forests helps meet evaporative demands unless severe burns disrupt internal tree structure and deplete fuel load availability. Our results highlight the dominant control of drought on altering the resilience of vegetation to fires, with critical implications for terrestrial ecosystem stability in the face of anthropogenic climate change in the West.

Structural Distortion in the Wadsley-Roth Niobium Molybdenum Oxide Phase Triggering Extraordinarily Stable Battery Performance.

Wadsley-Roth niobium oxide phases have attracted extensive research interest recently as promising battery anodes. We have synthesized the niobium-molybdenum oxide shear phase (Nb, Mo)13 O33 with superior electrochemical Li-ion storage performance, including an ultralong cycling lifespan of at least 15000 cycles. During electrochemical cycling, a reversible single-phase solid-solution reaction with lithiated intermediate solid solutions is demonstrated using in situ X-ray diffraction, with the valence and short-range structural changes of the electrode probed by in situ Nb and Mo K-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy. This work reveals that the superior stability of niobium molybdenum oxides is underpinned by changes in octahedral distortion during electrochemical reactions, and we report an in-depth understanding of how this stabilizes the oxide structure during cycling with implications for future long-life battery material design.

Functional characterization of a conserved membrane protein, Pbs54, involved in gamete fertilization in Plasmodium berghei.

The successful completion of gamete fertilization is essential for malaria parasite transmission, and this process can be targeted by intervention strategies. In this study, we identified a conserved gene (PBANKA_0813300) in the rodent malaria parasite Plasmodium berghei, which encodes a protein of 54 kDa (designated as Pbs54). Localization studies indicated that Pbs54 is associated with the plasma membranes of gametes and ookinetes. Functional studies by gene disruption showed that the Δpbs54 parasites had no defect in asexual proliferation, gametocyte development, or gametogenesis. However, the interactions between male and female gametes were significantly decreased compared with wild-type parasites. The Δpbs54 lines did not show a further reduction in zygote and ookinete numbers during in vitro culture, indicating that the defects were probably restricted to gamete fertilization. Consistent with this finding, mosquitoes fed on Δpbs54-infected mice showed a 30.1% reduction in infection prevalence and a 74.7% reduction in oocyst intensity. Cross-fertilization assay indicated that both male and female gametes were impaired in the Δpbs54 parasites. To evaluate its transmission-blocking potential, we obtained polyclonal antibodies from mice immunized with the recombinant Pbs54 (rPbs54) protein. In vitro assays showed that anti-rPbs54 sera inhibited ookinete formation by 42.7%. Our experiments identified Pbs54 as a fertility factor required for mosquito transmission and a novel candidate for a malaria transmission-blocking vaccine.

Multifunctional Separator Enables High-Performance Sodium Metal Batteries in Carbonate-Based Electrolytes.

Sodium metal has become one of the most promising anodes for next-generation cheap and high-energy-density metal batteries; however, challenges caused by the uncontrollable sodium dendrite growth and fragile solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) restrict their large-scale practical applications in low-cost and wide-voltage-window carbonate electrolytes. Herein, a novel multifunctional separator with lightweight and high thinness is proposed, assembled by the cobalt-based metal-organic framework nanowires (Co-NWS), to replace the widely applied thick and heavy glass fiber separator. Benefitting from its abundant sodiophilic functional groups and densely stacked nanowires, Co-NWS not only exhibits outstanding electrolyte wettability and effectively induces uniform Na+ ion flux as a strong ion redistributor but also favors constructing the robust N,F-rich SEI layer. Satisfactorily, with 10 µL carbonate electrolyte, a Na|Co-NWS|Cu half-cell delivers stable cycling (over 260 cycles) with a high average Coulombic efficiency of 98%, and the symmetric cell shows a long cycle life of more than 500 h. Remarkably, the full cell shows a long-term life span (over 1500 cycles with 92% capacity retention) at high current density in the carbonate electrolyte. This work opens up a strategy for developing dendrite-free, low-cost, and long-life-span sodium metal batteries in carbonate-based electrolytes.