Polyoxometalates (POMs) have broad applicability and significant potential in electrocatalysis and photocatalysis. However, the practical application of pure POMs is significantly constrained by their decomposition in polar media (such as neutral and alkaline solutions). The modification of POMs with metal-calixarene clusters is beneficial for fabricating functional hybrid materials with the combined merits of the two components. Four new thiacalixarene-functionalized polyoxometalate clusters were synthesized by researchers at School of Petrochemical Engineering, Liaoning Petrochemical University, China. These four clusters were characterized by Keggin-type PM₄Mo₈ motifs, which confer redox properties similar to those of PMo₁₂O₄₀³⁻ (PMo₁₂) while providing superior structural stability and electrocatalytic reduction of IO₃⁻. The substitution of four metal ions in PMo₁₂, along with the capping TC4A ligand and VO unit, significantly modulated visible-light absorption, enhancing photothermal conversion in the solid state and organic solutions.

South China Sea marine heatwaves split into two types, with ocean dynamics playing a surprising role

Obesity-related metabolic disorders are driven by insulin resistance and inflammation, yet therapeutic efficacy of endogenous lipid mediators is limited by poor bioavailability and enzymatic degradation. Self-assembled vesicles combining inorganic clusters and lipid mediators improve glucose control, reduce inflammation, and promote weight loss in preclinical study.

The relentless down-scaling of electronics grands the modern integrated circuits (ICs) with the high speed, low power dissipation and low cost, fulfilling diverse demands of modern life. Whereas, with the semiconductor industry entering into sub-10 nm technology nodes, degrading device performance and increasing power consumption give rise to insurmountable roadblocks confronted by modern ICs that need to be conquered to sustain the Moore law’s life. Bulk semiconductors like prevalent Si are plagued by seriously degraded carrier mobility as thickness thinning down to sub-5 nm, which is imperative to maintain sufficient gate electrostatic controllability to combat the increasingly degraded short channel effects. Nowadays, the emergence of two-dimensional (2D) materials opens up new gateway to eschew the hurdles laid in front of the scaling trend of modern IC, mainly ascribed to their ultimately atomic thickness, capability to maintain carrier mobility with thickness thinning down, dangling-bonds free surface, wide bandgaps tunability and feasibility to constitute diverse heterostructures. Blossoming breakthroughs in discrete electronic device, such as contact engineering, dielectric integration and vigorous channel-length scaling, or large circuits arrays, as boosted yields, improved variations and full-functioned processor fabrication, based on 2D materials have been achieved nowadays, facilitating 2D materials to step under the spotlight of IC industry to be treated as the most potential future successor or complementary counterpart of incumbent Si to further sustain the down-scaling of modern IC.

In a recent publication in Medcomm-Oncology, a team of expert scientists specializing in immuno-oncology extensively outlined the complexities involved in the therapeutic targeting of transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) inhibition as a strategy for cancer immunotherapy. They discuss the significant hurdles in translating preclinical successes into effective clinical treatments, such as robust anti-tumor immune responses observed in in vitro and animal models. The authors analyze the multifaceted biological roles of TGF-β in tumor progression and immune regulation, and propose strategies to overcome these translational challenges, thereby enhancing the efficacy and safety of TGF-β-targeted therapies in clinical settings.

Surface-engineered LNPs, propelled by clinical successes like patisiran and mRNA vaccines, enable targeted nucleic acid delivery via ligands (antibodies, peptides) and conjugation chemistries (click reactions). These LNPs target organs (liver, lungs) and cells (immune, brain), advancing gene therapy and vaccines. Key challenges—batch reproducibility, ligand stability, scalable production—must be resolved to accelerate clinical translation and expand applications to protein/small-molecule delivery.

This protocol establishes the chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) model in avian embryos to investigate migrasome-mediated angiogenesis mechanisms. Key methodologies include the CAM nylon mesh assay and ex vivo sprouting assay for quantifying vascular growth, alongside migrasome isolation, labeling, and targeted delivery. CRISPR-generated T4-KO-mCherry-KI embryos enable functional analysis of migrasome dynamics in real-time angiogenesis. The CAM's high vascularity and accessibility allow parallel assessment of pro-/anti-angiogenic factors and migrasome-cell interaction mapping. By integrating genetic editing and migrasome manipulation, this platform bridges migrasome biology with developmental angiogenesis, offering a scalable tool for mechanistic and therapeutic exploration.

This review focuses on the unique characteristics of mitochondrial nucleoids in mammalian cells, highlighting their semi-autonomous nature and the role of phase separation in their organization and function. It draws parallels to the well-established role of phase separation in nuclear architecture and gene regulation.