Catálogo de publicaciones - revistas

<jats:p> Effective control of heat transfer is vital for energy saving and carbon emission reduction. In contrast to achievements in electrical conduction, active control of heat transfer is much more challenging. Ferroelectrics are promising candidates for thermal switching as a result of their tunable domain structures. However, switching ratios in ferroelectrics are low (&lt;1.2). We report that high-quality antiferroelectric PbZrO <jats:sub>3</jats:sub> epitaxial thin films exhibit high-contrast (&gt;2.2), fast-speed (&lt;150 nanoseconds), and long-lifetime (&gt;10 <jats:sup>7</jats:sup> ) thermal switching under a small voltage (&lt;10 V). In situ reciprocal space mapping and atomistic modelings reveal that the field-driven antiferroelectric-ferroelectric phase transition induces a substantial change of primitive cell size, which modulates phonon-phonon scattering phase space drastically and results in high switching ratio. These results advance the concept of thermal transport control in ferroic materials. </jats:p>

<jats:p> The white-bellied pangolin ( <jats:italic>Phataginus tricuspis</jats:italic> ) is the world’s most trafficked mammal and is at risk of extinction. Reducing the illegal wildlife trade requires an understanding of its origins. Using a genomic approach for tracing confiscations and analyzing 111 samples collected from known geographic localities in Africa and 643 seized scales from Asia between 2012 and 2018, we found that poaching pressures shifted over time from West to Central Africa. Recently, Cameroon’s southern border has emerged as a site of intense poaching. Using data from seizures representing nearly 1 million African pangolins, we identified Nigeria as one important hub for trafficking, where scales are amassed and transshipped to markets in Asia. This origin-to-destination approach offers new opportunities to disrupt the illegal wildlife trade and to guide anti-trafficking measures. </jats:p>

<jats:p> Although there has been long-standing recognition that stimuli-induced cytosolic pH alterations coincide with changes in calcium ion (Ca <jats:sup>2+</jats:sup> ) levels, the interdependence between protons (H <jats:sup>+</jats:sup> ) and Ca <jats:sup>2+</jats:sup> remains poorly understood. We addressed this topic using the light-gated channelrhodopsin <jats:italic>Hc</jats:italic> KCR2 from the pseudofungus <jats:italic>Hyphochytrium catenoides</jats:italic> , which operates as a H <jats:sup>+</jats:sup> conductive, Ca <jats:sup>2+</jats:sup> impermeable ion channel on the plasma membrane of plant cells. Light activation of <jats:italic>Hc</jats:italic> KCR2 in <jats:italic>Arabidopsis</jats:italic> guard cells evokes a transient cytoplasmic acidification that sparks Ca <jats:sup>2+</jats:sup> release from the endoplasmic reticulum. A H <jats:sup>+</jats:sup> -induced cytosolic Ca <jats:sup>2+</jats:sup> signal results in membrane depolarization through the activation of Ca <jats:sup>2+</jats:sup> -dependent SLAC1/SLAH3 anion channels, which enabled us to remotely control stomatal movement. Our study suggests a H <jats:sup>+</jats:sup> -induced Ca <jats:sup>2+</jats:sup> release mechanism in plant cells and establishes <jats:italic>Hc</jats:italic> KCR2 as a tool to dissect the molecular basis of plant intracellular pH and Ca <jats:sup>2+</jats:sup> signaling. </jats:p>

<jats:p>It is widely hoped that statistical models can improve decision-making related to medical treatments. Because of the cost and scarcity of medical outcomes data, this hope is typically based on investigators observing a model’s success in one or two datasets or clinical contexts. We scrutinized this optimism by examining how well a machine learning model performed across several independent clinical trials of antipsychotic medication for schizophrenia. Models predicted patient outcomes with high accuracy within the trial in which the model was developed but performed no better than chance when applied out-of-sample. Pooling data across trials to predict outcomes in the trial left out did not improve predictions. These results suggest that models predicting treatment outcomes in schizophrenia are highly context-dependent and may have limited generalizability.</jats:p>

<jats:p> “Dinner for One,” a short black-and-white video performed in English from the 1960s, has become a cherished tradition in several German-speaking and Scandinavian countries, broadcast on TV every New Year's Eve for decades and gaining newfound popularity on social media among members of <jats:ext-link xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" ext-link-type="uri" xlink:href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/30/arts/television/dinner-for-one-german-tradition.html">Generation Z</jats:ext-link> . The narrative follows a British butler, James, whose employer, Miss Sophie, celebrates her 90th birthday as she has for many years by inviting her closest friends to dinner, though they have long since passed away. When asked by James throughout the dinner “The same procedure as last year?” while soup, fish, chicken, and fruit are being served, each with its corresponding beverage, Miss Sophie replies, “The same procedure as every year.” But although it may be beloved as a work of comedic fiction, the same procedure as every year, the “business as usual” approach, is not sustainable in the real world when it comes to the food on our plates. </jats:p>

<jats:p>The world is continuously being transformed by science and technology (S&amp;T), but to deliver equitable benefits to the public, scientists must be embedded in influential sectors of society—policy, diplomacy, journalism, law, business, education, and more. This means injecting PhD-level experts at every stage of research and development, from ideation, investigation, and investment to manufacture, deployment, regulation, and after-market evaluation.</jats:p>

<jats:p>More than 200 materials could be “altermagnets,” predicted just a few years ago</jats:p>