Foxl2 is required for the initiation of the female pathway in a temperature-dependent sex determination system in Trachemys scripta.

KDM6B-mediated epigenetic modification of the testicular regulator Dmrt1 has previously been identified as the primary switch of the male pathway in a temperature-dependent sex-determination (TSD) system; however, the molecular network of the female pathway has not yet been established. Here, we have functionally characterized for the first time an upstream regulator of the female pathway, the forkhead transcription factor FOXL2, in Trachemys scripta, a turtle species with a TSD system. FOXL2 exhibited temperature-dependent female-specific expression patterns before the onset of gonadal differentiation and was preferentially localized in ovarian somatic cells. Foxl2 responded rapidly to temperature shifts and estrogen. Importantly, forced expression of Foxl2 at the male-producing temperature led to male-to-female sex reversal, as evidenced by the formation of an ovary-like structure, and upregulation of the ovarian regulators Cyp19a1 and R-spondin1. Additionally, knockdown of Foxl2 caused masculinization at the female-producing temperature, which was confirmed by loss of the female phenotype, development of seminiferous tubules, and elevated expression of Dmrt1 and Sox9. Collectively, we demonstrate that Foxl2 expression is necessary and sufficient to drive ovarian determination in T. scripta, suggesting a crucial role of Foxl2 in female sex determination in the TSD system.

Engineering Non-precious Trifunctional Cobalt-Based Electrocatalysts for Industrial Water Splitting and Ultra-High-Temperature Flexible Zinc-Air Battery.

Developing efficient, robust, and cost-effective trifunctional catalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) at high current density and high temperature is crucial for water splitting at industry-level conditions and ultra-high-temperature Zinc-air battery (ZAB). Herein, cobalt nanoparticles well-integrated with nitrogen-doped porous carbon leaves (Co@NPCL) by direct annealing of core-shell bimetallic zeolite imidazolate frameworks is synthesized. Benefiting from the homogeneous distribution of metallic Co nanoparticles, the conductive porous carbon, and the doped N species, the as-fabricated Co@NPCL catalysts exhibit outstanding trifunctional performances with low overpotentials at 10 mA cm-2 for HER (87 mV) and OER (276 mV), long-lasting lifetime of over 2000 h, and a high half-wave potential of 0.86 V versus RHE for ORR. Meanwhile, the Co@NPCL catalyst can serve as both cathode and anode for water splitting at industrial conduction, and exhibit a stable cell voltage of 1.87 V to deliver a constant catalytic current of 500 mA cm-2 over 60 h. Moreover, the excellent trifunctional activity of Co@NPCL enables the flexible ZAB to operate efficiently at ultra-high temperature of 70 °C, delivering 162 mW cm-2 peaks power density and an impressive stability for 4500 min at 2 mA cm-2.

Grafting a Polymer Coating Layer onto Li1.2 Ni0.13 Co0.13 Mn0.54 O2 Cathode by Benzene Diazonium Salts to Facilitate the Cycling Performance and High-Voltage Stability.

Li-rich Mn-based cathodes have been regarded as promising cathodes for lithium-ion batteries because of their low cost of raw materials (compared with Ni-rich layer structure and LiCoO2 cathodes) and high energy density. However, for practical application, it needs to solve the great drawbacks of Li-rich Mn-based cathodes like capacity degradation and operating voltage decline. Herein, an effective method of surface modification by benzene diazonium salts to build a stable interface between the cathode materials and the electrolyte is proposed. The cathodes after modification exhibit excellent cycling performance (the retention of specific capacity is 84.2% after 350 cycles at the current density of 1 C), which is mainly attributed to the better stability of the structure and interface. This work provides a novel way to design the coating layer with benzene diazonium salts for enhancing the structural stability under high voltage condition during cycling.

Spontaneous Built-In Electric Field in C3 N4 -CoSe2 Modified Multifunctional Separator with Accelerating Sulfur Evolution Kinetics and Li Deposition for Lithium-Sulfur Batteries.

The discovery of the heterostructures that is combining two materials with different properties has brought new opportunities for the development of lithium sulfur batteries (LSBs). Here, C3 N4 -CoSe2 composite is elaborately designed and used as a functional coating on the LSBs separator. The abundant chemisorption sites of C3 N4 -CoSe2 form chemical bonding with polysulfides, provides suitable adsorption energy for lithium polysulfides (LiPSs). More importantly, the spontaneously formed internal electric field accelerates the charge flow in the C3 N4 -CoSe2 interface, thus facilitating the transport of LiPSs and electrons and promoting the bidirectional conversion of sulfur. Meanwhile, the lithiophilic C3 N4 -CoSe2 sample with catalytic activity can effectively regulate the uniform distribution of lithium when Li+ penetrates the separator, avoiding the formation of lithium dendrites in the lithium (Li) metal anode. Therefore, LSBs based on C3 N4 -CoSe2 functionalized membranes exhibit a stable long cycle life at 1C (with capacity decay of 0.0819% per cycle) and a large areal capacity of 10.30 mAh cm-2 at 0.1C (sulfur load: 8.26 mg cm-2 , lean electrolyte 5.4 µL mgs -1 ). Even under high-temperature conditions of 60 °C, a capacity retention rate of 81.8% after 100 cycles at 1 C current density is maintained.

Evidence for RA-dependent meiosis onset in a turtle embryo.

Meiotic entry is one of the earliest sex determination events of the germ cell in higher vertebrates. Although advances in meiosis onset have been achieved in mammals, birds and fish, how this process functions in reptiles is largely unknown. In this study, we present the molecular analysis of meiosis onset and the role of retinoic acid (RA) in this process in the red-eared slider turtle. Our results using Stra8 as a pre-meiosis indicator show that in the female embryonic gonad, meiosis commitment starts around stage 19. Additionally, signals of the meiosis marker Sycp3 could be detected at stage 19 and become highly expressed by stage 23. No expression of these genes was detected in male embryonic gonads, suggesting the entry into meiosis prophase I was restricted to female embryonic germ cells. Notably, RA activity in fetal gonads is likely to be elevated in females than that in males, as evidenced by the higher expression of RA synthase Aldh1a1 and lower expression of RA-degrading enzyme Cyp26a1 in female gonads prior to meiotic entry. In addition, exogenous RA treatment induced the expression of Stra8 and Sycp3 in both sexes, whether in vivo or in vitro. Together, these results indicate that high levels of RA in the embryonic female gonads can lead to the initiation of meiosis in the turtle.

Nine-Electron Transfer of Binder Synergistic π-d Conjugated Coordination Polymers as High-Performance Lithium Storage Materials.

To solve the problems such as the dissolution and the poor conductivity of organic small molecule electrode materials, we construct π-d conjugated coordination polymer Ni-DHBQ with multiple redox-active centers as lithium storage materials. It exhibits an ultra-high capacity of 9-electron transfers, while the π-d conjugation and the laminar structure inside the crystal ensure fast electron transport and lithium ion diffusion, resulting in excellent rate performance (505.6 mAh g-1 at 1 A g-1 after 300 cycles). The interaction of Ni-DHBQ with the binder CMC synergistically inhibits its dissolution and anchors the Ni atoms, thus exhibiting excellent cycling stability (650.7 mAh g-1 at 0.1 A g-1 after 100 cycles). This work provides insight into the mechanism of lithium storage in π-d conjugated coordination polymers and the synergistic effect of CMC, which will contribute to the molecular design and commercial application of organic electrode materials.

In-Situ Synthesis of Carbon-Encapsulated Atomic Cobalt as Highly Efficient Polysulfide Electrocatalysts for Highly Stable Lithium-Sulfur Batteries.

Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries have been considered as one of the most promising electrochemical energy storage systems because of their high energy density. However, a series of issues severely limit the practical performances of Li-S batteries such as low conductivity, significant volume change, and shuttle effect. The hollow carbon spheres with huge voids and high electrical conductivity are promising as sulfur hosts. Unfortunately, the nonpolar nature of carbon materials cannot prevent the shuttle effect effectively. In this case, the atomic cobalt is introduced to a nitrogen-doped hollow carbon sphere (ACo@HCS) through polymerization and controlled pyrolysis. The atomic cobalt dopants not only act as active sites to restrict the shuttle effect, but also can promote the kinetics of the sulfur redox reactions. ACo@HCS acting as sulfur host exhibits a high discharge capacity (1003 mAh g-1 ) at a 1.0 C rate after 500 cycles, and the corresponding decay rate is as low as 0.002% per cycle. This exciting work paves a new way to design high-performance Li-S batteries.

Ultralow Volume Change of P2-Type Layered Oxide Cathode for Na-Ion Batteries with Controlled Phase Transition by Regulating Distribution of Na.

Most P2-type layered oxides exhibit a large volume change when they are charged into high voltage, and it further leads to bad structural stability. In fact, high voltage is not the reason which causes the irreversible phase transition. There are two internal factors which affect structural evolution: the amount and distribution of Na ions retained in the lattice. Hereon, a series of layered oxides Na2/3 Mnx Nix-1/3 Co4/3-2x O2 (1/3≤x≤2/3) were synthesized. It is observed that different components have different structural evolutions during the charge/discharge processes, and further researches find that the distribution of Na ions in layers is the main factor. By controlling the distribution of Na ions, the phase transition process can be well controlled. As the referential component, P2-Na2/3 Mn1/2 Ni1/6 Co1/3 O2 cathode with uniform distribution of Na ions is cycled at the voltage window of 1.5-4.5 V, which exhibits a volume change as low as 1.9 %. Such a low strain is beneficial for cycling stability. The current work provides a new and effective route to regulate the structural evolution of the promising P2-type layered cathode for sodium ion batteries.

B,N Codoped Graphitic Nanotubes Loaded with Co Nanoparticles as Superior Sulfur Host for Advanced Li-S Batteries.

Lithium-sulfur batteries (LSBs) are considered as one of the best candidates for novel rechargeable batteries due to their high energy densities and abundant required materials. However, the poor conductivity and large volume expansion of sulfur and the "shuttle effect" of lithium polysulfides (LPSs) have significantly hindered the development and successful commercialization of LSBs. Bean-like B,N codoped carbon nanotubes loaded with Co nanoparticles (Co@BNTs), which can act as advanced sulfur hosts for the novel LSB cathode, are fabricated. Uniform graphitic nanotubes improve the conductivity of the electrode and load more electroactive sulfur and buffer volume expansion during the electrochemical reaction. In addition, loaded Co nanoparticles and codoped B,N sites can significantly suppress the "shuttle effect" of LPSs with strong chemical interaction. It is established that the Co nanoparticles and codoped B,N can provide more active sites to catalyze the redox reaction of sulfur cathode. This stable Co@BNTs-S cathode displays an exceptional electrochemical performance (1160 mA h g-1 after 200 cycles at 0.1 C) and outstanding stable cycle performance (1008 mA h g-1 after 400 cycles at 1.0 C with an extremely low attenuation rate of 0.038% per cycle).

Radiative thermal switch driven by anisotropic black phosphorus plasmons.

Black phosphorus (BP), as a two-dimensional material, has exhibited unique optoelectronic properties due to its anisotropic plasmons. In the present work, we theoretically propose a radiative thermal switch (RTS) composed of BP gratings in the context of near-field radiative heat transfer. The simply mechanical rotation between the gratings enables considerable modulation of radiative heat flux, especially when combined with the use of non-identical parameters, i.e., filling factors and electron densities of BP. Among all the cases including asymmetric BP gratings, symmetric BP gratings, and BP films, we find that the asymmetric BP gratings possess the most excellent switching performance. The optimized switching factors can be as high as 90% with the vacuum separation d=50 nm and higher than 70% even in the far-field regime d=1 µm. The high-performance switching is basically attributed to the rotatable-tunable anisotropic BP plasmons between the asymmetric gratings. Moreover, due to the twisting principle, the RTS can work at a wide range of temperature, which has great advantage over the phase change materials-based RTS. The proposed switching scheme has great significance for the applications in optoelectronic devices and thermal circuits.

Fe3 O4 @C Nanotubes Grown on Carbon Fabric as a Free-Standing Anode for High-Performance Li-Ion Batteries.

Recently, Li-ion batteries (LIBs) have attracted extensive attention owing to their wide applications in portable and flexible electronic devices. Such a huge market for LIBs has caused an ever-increasing demand for excellent mechanical flexibility, outstanding cycling life, and electrodes with superior rate capability. Herein, an anode of self-supported Fe3 O4 @C nanotubes grown on carbon fabric cloth (CFC) is designed rationally and fabricated through an in situ etching and deposition route combined with an annealing process. These carbon-coated nanotube structured Fe3 O4 arrays with large surface area and enough void space can not only moderate the volume variation during repeated Li+ insertion/extraction, but also facilitate Li+ /electrons transportation and electrolyte penetration. This novel structure endows the Fe3 O4 @C nanotube arrays stable cycle performance (a large reversible capacity of 900 mA h g-1 up to 100 cycles at 0.5 A g-1 ) and outstanding rate capability (reversible capacities of 1030, 985, 908, and 755 mA h g-1 at 0.15, 0.3, 0.75, and 1.5 A g-1 , respectively). Fe3 O4 @C nanotube arrays still achieve a capacity of 665 mA h g-1 after 50 cycles at 0.1 A g-1 in Fe3 O4 @C//LiCoO2 full cells.

Recent Progress in Organic-Inorganic Composite Solid Electrolytes for All-Solid-State Lithium Batteries.

Conventional lithium-ion batteries, with flammable organic liquid electrolytes, have serious safety problems, which greatly limit their application. All-solid-state batteries (ASSBs) have received extensive attention from large-scale energy-storage fields, such as electric vehicles (EVs) and intelligent power grids, due to their benefits in safety, energy density, and thermostability. As the key component of ASSBs, solid electrolytes determine the properties of ASSBs. In past decades, various kinds of solid electrolytes, such as polymers and inorganic electrolytes, have been explored. Among these candidates, organic-inorganic composite solid electrolytes (CSEs) that integrate the advantages of these two different electrolytes have been regarded as promising electrolytes for high-performance ASSBs, and extensive studies have been carried out. Herein, recent progress in organic-inorganic CSEs is summarized in terms of the inorganic component, electrochemical performance, effects of the inorganic ceramic nanostructure, and ionic conducting mechanism. Finally, the main challenges and perspectives of organic-inorganic CSEs are highlighted for future development.

Facile Synthesis of Peapod-Like Cu3 Ge/Ge@C as a High-Capacity and Long-Life Anode for Li-Ion Batteries.

As anode materials for high-performance Li-ion batteries, peapod-like Ge-based composites, including Ge, a Li-inactive conducting Cu3 Ge, and a porous carbon matrix are synthesized simply by annealing CuGeO3 @dopamine in a H2 /Ar atmosphere. The introduction of the carbon layer and inactive alloying phase Cu3 Ge not only enhances the electrical conductivity of the Ge anode, but also reduces the volume change of Ge during the cell cycle as a buffer. In particular, the anode of this peapod-like Cu3 Ge/Ge@C shows an excellent long cycle life as well as outstanding capacity performance, with a discharge specific capacity up to 934 mA h g-1 after 500 cycles.

Nanoconfined Oxidation Synthesis of N-Doped Carbon Hollow Spheres and MnO2 Encapsulated Sulfur Cathode for Superior Li-S Batteries.

The sulfur cathode, as a new generation of lithium-ion battery cathode material, has a high theoretical energy density of about 2500 Wh kg-1 . However, the low conductivity of sulfur and the "shuttle effect", widely presenting in the lithiation/de-lithiation process, seriously hinder its practical application. Here, we report a new nanoconfined oxidation route (first complete oxidation of metal sulfide and subsequently partial oxidation of the generated S from sulfide) for S cathode encapsulated with MnO2 nanosheets and N-doped carbon hollow spheres. This nanoconfined oxidation route can successfully confine the sulfur particles in the interior of the carbon shell, and the rationally introduced nonpolar carbon and polar MnO2 can both reduce the dissolution of polysulfide during the charge-discharge process. The obtained well-defined S-MnO2 @C cathode exhibits high specific capacity with excellent cycling performance and superior rate capability.

Research on the shielding effect of the electrode frames in the electrostatic precipitator.

The electrostatic precipitator (ESP) plays an important role in the dust removal from the flue gas. Currently, the shielding effect of electrode frames seriously affects the electric field distribution and dust removal efficiency of ESPs. In order to explore the shielding effect and propose an improved measurement, an experimental setup with RS barbed electrodes and a 480 C type dust collector electrode plate was built to evaluate the corona discharge characteristics. The current density distribution on the surface of the collecting plate was tested on an ESP experimental setup. The effect of electrode frames on the current density distribution was also systematically investigated. The test results show that the current density distribution on the position that directly opposites the needle of RS corona discharge is much higher, on the contrary, the current density on the position that directly opposites the frames is almost zero. It indicates that the frames have a shielding effect on the corona discharge. Therefore, the dust collection efficiency is low in actual ESPs due to the dust escape route caused by the shielding effect. To solve the problem, a new ESP with a split-level frame arrangement was proposed.Implications: The conventional electrostatic precipitators are often affected by the electrostatic shielding effect, which leads to uneven charging. The particulate removal efficiency decreases and escape channels are very easy to form. In this study, effective measures were proposed to solve the electrostatic shielding of dust collector frames by studying their electrostatic shielding mechanism. The study provides theoretical support for the improvement of electrostatic precipitators, while improving the dust removal efficiency.

Loss- and gain-of-function analyses reveal the essential role of Cyp19a1 in ovarian determination of the red-eared slider turtle.

Estrogen signaling exerts a decisive role in female sex determination and differentiation in chicken and fish. Aromatase encoded by Cyp19a1 is the key enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of androgen to estrogen. Correlative analyses implicate the potential involvement of aromatase in reptilian sexual development, however, the direct genetic evidence is lacking. Herein, we found that Cyp19a1 exhibited temperature-dependent sexually dimorphic expression, and located in the medullary somatic cells in early female embryos of the red-eared slider turtle (Trachemys scripta elegans), before the gonad is distinct. To determine the functional role of Cyp19a1 in turtle ovarian determination, we established loss- and gain-of-function models through in ovo lentivirus-mediated genetic manipulation. At female-producing temperature, inhibition of aromatase or knockdown of Cyp19a1 in turtle embryos resulted in female-to-male sex reversal, with the formation of a testis-like structure and a male distribution pattern of germ cells, as well as ectopic expression of male-specific markers (SOX9 and AMH) and disappearance of ovarian regulator FOXL2. On the contrary, overexpression of Cyp19a1 at male-producing temperature led to male-to-female sex reversal. In conclusion, our results suggest that Cyp19a1 is both necessary and sufficient for ovarian determination in the red-eared slider turtle, establishing causality and a direct genetic link between aromatase and reptilian sex determination and differentiation.

Association of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus with Cognitive Function in Adults: A Prospective Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: The Cognitive role of untreated type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) has been less well substantiated. OBJECTIVE: We sought to explore the prospective association of T2DM and untreated T2DM with cognitive function among middle-aged and older Chinese adults. METHODS: Data of 7,230 participants without baseline brain damage/mental retardation, or memory-related diseases in China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) from 2011- 2012 to 2015, were analyzed. Fasting plasma glucose and self-reported information on T2DM diagnosis and treatment were assessed. Participants were categorized into normoglycemia, impaired fasting glucose (IFG), and T2DM (including untreated and treated T2DM) groups. Episodic memory and executive function were assessed by modified Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status every two years. We used generalized estimating equation model to examine the association of baseline T2DM status with cognitive function in succeedingyears. RESULTS: Compared to those with normoglycemia, T2DM was associated with worse overall cognitive function after controlling for demographic variables, lifestyles, follow-up time, major clinical factors, and baseline cognitive function, although the associations were statistically non-significant (ß= -0.19, 95% CI: -0.39, 0.00). However, a significant association was mainly observed for those with untreated T2DM (ß= -0.26, 95% CI: -0.47, -0.04), especially in the domain of executive function (ß= -0.19, 95% CI: -0.35, -0.03). In general, IFG and treated T2DM individuals had similar levels of cognitive function with normoglycemia participants. CONCLUSION: Our findings supported a detrimental role of untreated T2DM on cognitive function among middle-aged and older adults. Screening and early treatment for T2DM are warranted for maintaining better cognitive function in later life.

Advances in the Development of Single-Atom Catalysts for High-Energy-Density Lithium-Sulfur Batteries.

Although lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries are promising next-generation energy-storage systems, their practical applications are limited by the growth of Li dendrites and lithium polysulfide shuttling. These problems can be mitigated through the use of single-atom catalysts (SACs), which exhibit the advantages of maximal atom utilization efficiency (≈100%) and unique catalytic properties, thus effectively enhancing the performance of electrode materials in energy-storage devices. This review systematically summarizes the recent progress in SACs intended for use in Li-metal anodes, S cathodes, and separators, briefly introducing the operating principles of Li-S batteries, the action mechanisms of the corresponding SACs, and the fundamentals of SACs activity, and then comprehensively describes the main strategies for SACs synthesis. Subsequently, the applications of SACs and the principles of SACs operation in reinforced Li-S batteries as well as other metal-S batteries are individually illustrated, and the major challenges of SACs usage in Li-S batteries as well as future development directions are presented.

Uniform In Situ Grown ZIF-L Layer for Suppressing Hydrogen Evolution and Homogenizing Zn Deposition in Aqueous Zn-Ion Batteries.

The hydrogen evolution and dendrite of Zn anode are the major troubles hindering the commercialization of aqueous Zn-ion batteries (AZIBs). ZIF-Ls, a typical metal-organic framework (MOF) with a highly ordered structure and abundant functional groups, seem to be the answer for the above bottlenecks. In this paper, a uniform ZIF-L layer was obtained on the Zn surface (Zn@ZIF-L) via an in situ synthesis method to moderate the solvation structure of solid-liquid interface electrolyte reducing the contact between water and Zn, thereby relieving the hydrogen evolution and corrosion. Furthermore, density functional theory (DFT) analysis reveals the binding energy of H (-4.01 eV) and Zn (-0.82 eV) for ZIF-L is superior to that of pure Zn (H (-1.49 eV) and Zn (-0.68 eV)). Due to the multifunctional ZIF-L layer, the Zn@ZIF-L can regulate Zn deposition to overcome the dendrite for obtaining a long-life Zn anode. Consequently, the modified Zn@ZIF-L anode can cycle for 800 h at 0.25 mA cm-2 for 0.25 mAh cm-2, while the bare Zn anode is only maintained for 422 h. Finally, a designed V2O5 grown on carbon cloth (V2O5@CC) was used as the cathode and coupled with the Zn@ZIF-L anode to assemble the full-cell. The Zn@ZIF-L//V2O5@CC full-cell possesses a capacity retention rate of 84.9% after 250 cycles at 0.5 C, prominently higher than Zn//V2O5@CC (40.7%).

Defect-Induced Dense Amorphous/Crystalline Heterophase Enables High-Rate and Ultrastable Sodium Storage.

Currently, the construction of amorphous/crystalline (A/C) heterophase has become an advanced strategy to modulate electronic and/or ionic behaviors and promote structural stability due to their concerted advantages. However, their different kinetics limit the synergistic effect. Further, their interaction functions and underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Here, a unique engineered defect-rich V2 O3 heterophase structure (donated as A/C-V2 O3- x @C-HMCS) composed of mesoporous oxygen-deficient amorphous - hollow core (A-V2 O3- x /HMC) and lattice-distorted crystalline shell (C-V2 O3 /S) encapsulated by carbon is rationally designed via a facile approach. Comprehensive density functional theory (DFT) calculations disclose that the lattice distortion enlarges the porous channels for Na+ diffusion in the crystalline phase, thereby optimizing its kinetics to be compatible with the oxygen-vacancy-rich amorphous phase. This significantly reduces the high contrast of the kinetic properties between the crystalline and amorphous phases in A/C-V2 O3- x @C-HMCS and induces the formation of highly dense A/C interfaces with a strong synergistic effect. As a result, the dense heterointerface effectively optimizes the Na+ adsorption energy and lowers the diffusion barrier, thus accelerating the overall kinetics of A/C-V2 O3- x @C-HMCS. In contrast, the perfect heterophase (defects-free) A/C-V2 O3 @C-HCS demonstrates sparse A/C interfacial sites with limited synergistic effect and sluggish kinetics. As expected, the A/C-V2 O3- x @C-HMCS achieves a high rate and ultrastable performance (192 mAh g-1 over 6000 cycles at 10 A g-1 ) when employed for the first time as a cathode for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs). This work provides general guidance for realizing dense heterophase cathode design for high-performance SIBs and beyond.