Direct Z-scheme charge transfer in a Bi4O5Br2/Sn-based mental-organic framework composite enabling efficient visible-light removal of oxytetracycline.

Synergistic interplay between quorum sensing and direct interspecies electron transfer enhances anaerobic granular sludge resilience under toxic stress.

Functional genes and microbial interactions governing methanogenesis via direct interspecies electron transfer: Functions and emerging concepts.

Interfacial electric field-driven directional charge transfer in CdS amorphous/crystalline homojunctions

Efficient analytical set-up for the monitoring of albumin adduction on Cysteine 34 exposed to mustard agents with optimized digestion and on-line SPE-LC-MS analysis.

Here, the first paper-based direct electron-transfer enzymatic biosensor is presented. This is the first biosensor designed to enable simple detection of inulin in biological fluids, serving as an exogenous marker for estimating glomerular filtration rate (GFR). The biosensor relies on a laser-induced graphene (LIG) paper-based sensor integrating Fructose Dehydrogenase (FDH). This enzyme was incorporated into paper for the first time in this work and demonstrated direct electron transfer (DET) capability. Various cellulosic substrates were evaluated as biosensor supports, and a tree-free bamboo-derived paper (FB) was selected for its ability to accommodate both LIG as the transducer film and FDH as the bioreceptor. The FB-LIG, which yielded the highest bioelectrocatalytic response, was employed to determine inulin in human urine and serum in the context of GFR studies. The FB-LIG biosensor was selective, and via matrix-matched calibration was used to determine inulin in samples, obtaining useful dose-response linearity (urine: 1.6-22.7mgL-1; serum: 4.6-11.4mgL-1) and the needed sensitivity (LOD: urine=0.3mgL-1, serum=1.0mgL-1), together with high reproducibility (RSD ≤2.0%, n=3). The complete inulin analysis takes less than 10min and includes a rapid hydrolysis step followed by direct biosensor measurement. The FB-LIG biosensor reliability was demonstrated by measuring inulin in real urine and serum samples at clinically relevant levels, achieving satisfactory recoveries (90-111%; RSD ≤7.9%, n=3). Here, for the first time, a sustainable substrate enabled the development of a paper-based third-generation biosensor, demonstrating the potential of LIG on paper for bioelectrocatalysis.

A new perspective on evaluating the critical roles of sludge hydrochar (SH) and powdered activated carbon (PAC) in anaerobic granular sludge (AnGS) reactor: Focusing on operational stability, sludge characteristics and strengthening mechanism.

Tunneling nanotubes (TNTs) play a crucial role in intercellular communication, enabling transfer of molecular cargoes over long distances between connected cells. Previous studies have demonstrated efficient, directional transfer of -Synuclein (-Syn) aggregates from neurons to microglia, with endosomal trafficking and lysosomal processing identified as the primary events following -Syn internalization. Using human neuronal and microglial cell lines, we show that microglia exhibit higher lysosomal turnover, particularly through lysophagy, whereas neuronal lysosomes display compromised degradative capacity and impaired autophagic flux upon -Syn exposure, resulting in compromised aggregate clearance. Such a response to -Syn aggregates is also conserved in human iPSC-derived neurons and microglia. Moreover, perturbing aggregate clearance via autophagy inhibition enhances TNT-mediated transfer of -Syn from neuronal cells to microglia. Microglia co-cultured with -Syn-containing neurons upregulate autophagy flux, enabling efficient degradation of the transferred aggregates. These results highlight dysfunctional autophagy in neurons as a key driver outsourcing -Syn aggregates to microglia.

Nerve transfers have been shown to restore upper-extremity function after cervical spinal cord injury, but recovery of hand grasp remains a challenge. The brachialis (BRA) to anterior interosseous nerve (AIN) nerve transfer is the most common nerve transfer used to recover finger flexion. The BRA-AIN transfer has been reported to have less favorable outcomes compared with other nerve transfers, which is attributed to long regenerative distances and axonal dispersion from proximal interconnecting fascicles. We propose a simpler variation of this procedure to both avoid the proximal interfascicular connections and to limit the denervation time of the recipient with a staged procedure using an interposed nerve graft. Preoperative assessment includes physical examination and electrodiagnostic studies to confirm preserved innervation of both the BRA donor and the backup elbow flexor, biceps brachii. In Stage 1, the BRA branches are coapted to the reversed medial antebrachial cutaneous nerve autograft and the distal graft is tunneled into the forearm and left in the subcutaneous tissue. In Stage 2, 4-6 months later, the distal graft is identified in the forearm and coapted to the AIN branch. The medial brachial exposure allows for access to both the medial antebrachial cutaneous nerve graft and the BRA nerve. The graft is marked with a Prolene suture for easy identification in the second-stage procedure when tension-free coaptation to the AIN is performed to achieve finger flexion. Preliminary outcomes in 23 limbs at a minimum of 1 year after the procedure demonstrated 78% achieving at least an Medical Research Council 3 best finger flexion. The BRA-AIN is one of the few interventions available for recovery of hand grasp in the tetraplegic patient, but previous reports have shown less favorable outcomes. A 2-stage approach with an interpositional graft may address some of the limitations of the direct BRA-AIN transfer, improving outcomes.

ABSTRACT The article examines whether social protection programmes meant for poverty reduction have any impact on income distribution across households in India using the social accounting matrix for the year 2022-2023. The analysis focuses on three social protection programmes, viz. the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G) and National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP). Sponsored by the central government, these programmes have distinct features and significance within India’s social security framework. The findings show that the indirect income effect is higher than the direct income effect of expenses under these programmes, indicating a strong multiplier effect driven by production and consumption linkages. While the direct income transfers are made in favour of the poor households, the richer households in both rural and urban areas receive larger indirect income arising from inter-sectoral linkages, higher skills and ownership of productive assets. Nevertheless, the total income effect of targeted beneficiaries remains higher than that of other household classes due to a larger direct income effect. It causes marginal changes in income distribution across households, indicating the distributional impact of social protection programmes.

In photosynthesis, transient supercomplexes formed between reaction centers (RCs) and mobile electron carriers provide the physical interfaces that enable directional electron transfer. Recent advances in cryo-electron microscopy have substantially expanded the structural available information for these short-lived assemblies in both oxygenic and anoxygenic photosynthetic systems. This review summarizes and integrates recent high-resolution structural studies of representative RCs-mobile electron carrier supercomplexes, including Photosystem I (PSI) with plastocyanin (PC), ferredoxin (Fd), and flavodoxin (Fld) in oxygenic organisms, and RC-Light-Harvesting complex 1 (LH1) with high-potential iron-sulfur protein (HiPIP) in anoxygenic photosynthetic bacteria. Across these systems, common design features of supercomplex formation emerge, including electrostatic-hydrophobic interplay, assembly symmetry, and environmental adaptability. In oxygenic systems, the PSI-PC supercomplex follows a dynamic "electrostatic guidance-hydrophobic stabilization" model, with binding affinity modulated by the redox state of PC. PSI-Fd and PSI-Fld supercomplexes rely on synergistic electrostatic, hydrophobic, and hydrogen-bonding interactions, with Fld exhibiting symmetric, high-affinity binding under iron-deficient conditions as a functional substitute for Fd. In anoxygenic bacteria, the HiPIP-RC-LH1 supercomplex is primarily stabilized by hydrophobic interactions and hydrogen bonds, featuring a conserved transmembrane electron transfer pathway. Together, these studies provide a structural framework for understanding how interface interactions and conformational variability are related to electron transfer efficiency in photosynthetic supercomplexes, and, in doing so, outline key directions for future investigation into regulatory mechanisms, environmental adaptation, and biomimetic applications.

Contemporary care of patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) with primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is still dominated by “24/7 PCI-capable” hospital model, whereas a novel approach encompassing true “PCI now” capabilities could provide meaningful clinical benefits. Indeed, prehospital electrocardiogram (ECG) acquisition, early emergency medical service activation of the interventional team, direct transfer to the catheterization laboratory when appropriate, and continuous in-house staff coverage may reduce treatment delays, especially during off-hours, and may improve clinical outcomes. In this perspective, first-medical-contact-to-PCI and total ischemic time appear more meaningful quality indicators than door-to-balloon time alone, as also testified by regional data from Lazio and the experience from Santa Maria Goretti Hospital in Latina which show how delays frequently arise when patients first present to non-PCI hospitals, whereas organized direct-transfer pathways may streamline care. Development of centralized, sectorized STEMI networks, together with transparent auditing of performance and safeguards against false-positive activation, including ECG transmission, teleconsultation, standardized criteria, and validated artificial intelligence tools, may allow a safer and more effective management of STEMI. We hereby thus formally propose the universal adoption of such PCI now approach for STEMI care.

Electron transport dynamics govern microbial energy conversion through spatiotemporal regulation of electron flux and redox cascades, yet conventional paradigms predominantly emphasize unidirectional energy transfers (e.g., hydrogen or current). This study unlocks the inherent multifunctionality of electron flow through precisely engineered syringaldehyde-derived carbon dots (CDs), which orchestrate bidirectional electron transport networks in Lactobacillus plantarum (L. plantarum). Our innovative microbial electrolysis platform reveals two synergistically amplified energy conversion pathways: Intracellular proton-coupled electron transfer, achieving recorded hydrogen biosynthesis (1.43 ± 0.07 mmol L-1 vs. 0.48 ± 0.04 mmol L-1, a 2.98-fold enhancement over abiotic control), and extracellular direct electron transfer, driving anodic current amplification (885.67 ± 273.54 μA vs. 38.84 ± 9.06 μA, 22.80 × baseline performance). Concomitant metabolic rewiring elevated lactic acid production to 0.26 ± 0.01 mmol L-1 (200% of control yield) via CDs-enabled NAD+/NADH redox cycling acceleration. Mechanistic studies attribute these enhancements to the hierarchical electron configuration of CDs-pyridinic-N-dominated active sites synergizing with extended π-conjugation systems to modulate interfacial charge transfer thermodynamics. Our work establishes a new paradigm for strengthening microbial electrochemistry by engineering an CDs mediated integrated biohybrid system that simultaneously enhances energy harvesting and directs metabolic pathways, providing a scalable blueprint for future biorefineries.

Pakistan's agri-business industry is one of the most the most essential components of the domestic economy. It accounts for the approx. 22.9 % of the GDP. It also provides employment to about 37 to 40% of the domestic labor force. The sector has been grappling with a variety of short-term growth opportunities and long-term volatility, e.g. 6.3% growth in FY 2023/2024. The author of this paper critically reassesses the input, support polices of the country, especially fertilizer, water (Abiana) and tube-well energy subsidies. Such policies, while significantly contributing to the fiscal deficit, aggravate the circular debt, which is projected to reach Rs. 2.47 trillion by May 2025, and provide little to no productivity increases. Empirical data shows very low growth elasticity of fertilizer subsidies (4.3% for wheat and 6.1% for rice for each 1% increase in subsidy), significant underperformance of subsidy mechanisms with little benefits to households (average Rs. 74/month for a family of five), and significant water wastage (38% of canal water is unutilized), excessive groundwater extraction, and low recovery of irrigation SE. Initiatives like the Punjab Kissan Card program have boosted overall input usage (increased urea sales by 57.9%) and while seed sector reforms and solarization efforts are promising, other issues of counterfeit seeds and unmoderated impacts of solar grids remain. Advocating for lessons from India (that is, Direct Benefit Transfer savings), along with Vietnam and Brazil, the analysis speaks to the need to move from indiscriminate, distortionary subsidies to precise, digital, market-facilitated subsidies and supports, complemented by enhanced targeted R&D in climate-smart agriculture, precision farming technologies, along with the requisite institutional reforms to construct resilience, sustainability, and productive farming in a climate and fiscally constrained world.

Pseudocapacitive conductive materials drive selective shifts in direct versus mediated electron transfer pathways during sludge anaerobic digestion.

Abstract Two-dimensional Z-scheme photocatalytic materials have demonstrated considerable potential for solar-driven water splitting, owing to their efficient charge carrier separation and strong redox capabilities. In this work, we employ first-principles calculations to systematically investigate the structural stability, electronic properties, optical response, and photocatalytic performance of three Janus heterostructures: WTe₂/XSSe (X = Hf, Pt, Sn). The computational results reveal that all three heterostructures are indirect bandgap semiconductors, with bandgap values of 0.17 eV for WTe₂/HfSSe, 0.085 eV for WTe₂/SnSSe, and 0.52 eV for WTe₂/PtSSe. These systems exhibit a direct Z-scheme charge transfer mechanism and possess suitable band edge alignments that straddle the redox potentials required for overall water splitting. Moreover, the built-in electric field at the interface, oriented from WTe₂ to XSSe, effectively promotes the spatial separation of photogenerated electrons and holes. All heterostructures display significantly enhanced light absorption in both the ultraviolet and visible regions, surpassing that of their monolayer components. The predicted solarto-hydrogen conversion efficiencies exceed 20% for all cases, indicating excellent photocatalytic performance. These findings suggest that WTe₂/XSSe heterostructures are promising candidates for Z-scheme photocatalysts in solar water splitting applications.

Proteomic-lipidomic based MALDI-TOF MS for rapid discrimination of Bacillus cereus and Bacillus thuringiensis and its emetic-producing strain in food.

While the ball-milled [Al-Fe-AC]bm composite has demonstrated remarkable performance for nitrate remediation, the underlying mechanisms governing its pH-dependent reactivity and high nitrogen (N2) selectivity remain inadequately elucidated. This work systematically decouples the synergistic roles of Al0, Fe0, and activated carbon (AC) in the [Al-Fe-AC]bm system across a broad pH range (initial pH0 4.0-13.0; stabilized pHw 7.0-12.0). We identify a critical operational pHw threshold of approximately 10.5, beyond which the dominant reduction pathway shifts from direct electron transfer to atomic hydrogen (H*)-mediated reduction. Under acidic to circumneutral conditions, Fe0 corrosion elevates pH to depassivate Al0, enabling electron-driven nitrate reduction with high N2 selectivity (>73%). In contrast, under strongly alkaline conditions, excessive H* generation─promoted by Al//Fe and Al//AC galvanic couples─shifts the pathway toward nonselective hydrogenation, resulting in ammonium as the predominant product, as corroborated by H* scavenging experiments and electrochemical analysis. Strong correlations between AC's specific surface area/pore volume and N2 selectivity, combined with in situ Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) detection of *N2O intermediate, demonstrate that AC's nanoconfinement promotes *NO dimerization for selective N-N coupling. This study provides a fundamental mechanistic framework for designing efficient and selective metal-carbon composites for sustainable nitrate remediation.

ABSTRACT The spin‐dependent recombination behavior of photogenerated charges has long been overlooked in the study of photocatalytic hydrogen (H 2 ) evolution over covalent organic frameworks (COFs). Moreover, correlating the structure of COFs with the spin states of photogenerated charges to enhance photocatalytic H 2 evolution performance remains a significant challenge. Herein, we present a chiral amino acid functionalization strategy to engineer chiral TpPa‐1 COF for boosted photocatalytic H 2 evolution. Following systematic optimization, the chiral TpPa‐1 COFs showcased a ∼5‐fold enhancement in photocatalytic performance, achieving a record TOF of 9867 h −1 , alongside the second‐highest reported AQY of 66% at 475 nm and HER of 2.54 mmol h −1 among the reported state‐of‐the‐art COF‐based photocatalysts for H 2 evolution. Mechanism studies revealed that the synergistic effect between the chirality and the directional charge transfer allows efficient photo‐generated charge separation. Furthermore, Chiral TpPa‐1 assembled with polymeric carbon nitride (g‐C 3 N 4 ) in an S‐scheme heterojunction can overcome the bottleneck in photocatalytic overall water splitting on g‐C 3 N 4 without oxygen evolution co‐catalysts. In this work, we present a universal design strategy from a charge spin perspective to synthesize chiral photocatalysts for efficient photocatalytic performance.

ABSTRACT Layered double hydroxides (LDHs) are prominent electrocatalysts for electro‐oxidation, leveraging direct electron transfer and radical species generation. However, their efficiency is limited by intrinsic activity and electron transfer capabilities. This study constructs a Ni(OH) 2 /NiFe‐LDH heterostructure anode to degrade refractory nickel‐organic complexes from electroless nickel plating (ENP) wastewater. This system achieved simultaneous complete oxidation of organics and nickel recovery, with a 96.9% chemical oxygen demand removal and a 71.4% Ni 2+ recovery rate within 2 h. Subsequently, the residual Ni 2+ was effectively immobilized using calcined CaAl‐LDH (CaAl‐500), enabling the effluent to meet discharge standards. Mechanistic investigations revealed that the Ni(OH) 2 modification significantly enhanced the electron transfer capability and increased the number of active sites on the LDH, while the oxygen vacancies in CaAl‐500 markedly promoted the isomorphic substitution of Ni 2+ . This coupled electrochemical oxidation and mineralization strategy provides an efficient and sustainable pathway for treating wastewater containing complex heavy metal–organic complexes.