Fundamental Research最新文献

{"title":"Pulse electrochemical pathways regulation via dynamic interfacial control for selective lithium extraction from low-quality brines","authors":"Qi Dang, Guorui Wu, Xingmei Chen, Liang Tang","doi":"10.1016/j.fmre.2026.01.008","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fmre.2026.01.008","url":null,"abstract":"The surging demand for lithium requires innovative technologies to sustainably extract lithium from low-quality brines, which are abundant but highly challenging due to low lithium content and high concentrations of competing ions. Inspired by biological ion transport rhythms, we present a bio-mimetic pulsed electrochemical strategy that enables dynamic interfacial regulation for selective and energy-efficient lithium extraction. By alternating between activation and relaxation phases, the pulsed system modulates local ion distributions, enhances lithium ion diffusion, and suppresses co-intercalation of Mg 2+ and Na + . Combined experimental investigations and COMSOL Multiphysics simulations reveal that pulse-driven interfacial dynamics alleviate concentration polarization and maintain high lithium selectivity, even in brines with extreme Mg/Li ratios (>120). Under optimized pulse voltage and duty cycle conditions, the system achieved a lithium–magnesium separation factor (α_Li/Mg) exceeding 9500, with a 91.6% reduction in energy consumption compared to conventional constant-voltage modes. Furthermore, we establish that the performance of pulsed electrochemical extraction is governed by a concentration–polarization–kinetics feedback mechanism, driven by the synergistic interplay of pulse voltage, current density, and duty cycle. This work establishes a membrane-free, tunable, and energy-adaptive lithium extraction system applicable to diverse saline resources.","PeriodicalId":507256,"journal":{"name":"Fundamental Research","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147884630","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Combining engineered post-implantation embryoid and xenotransplantation for improved modeling of early human organogenesis","authors":"Shanshan Zhou, Yue Chen, Jingxuan Liu, Jie Xiong, Jiajing Zhang, Shuyuan Zheng, Yiming An, Yanjie Zhou, Yi Hui, Ruiyi Li, Ling Liu, Xiaoqing Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.fmre.2025.12.027","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fmre.2025.12.027","url":null,"abstract":"• Human post-implantation embryoid is generated from human embryonic stem cells in 3D. • Human post-implantation embryoid recapitulates formation of all three germ layers. • Cell fate determination events underpinning construction of an early human post-implantation embryoid is depicted via single cell transcriptomic analyses. • Human post-implantation embryoid develops into well-patterned multiple organ systems after xenotransplantation. After implantation, the human embryo undergoes gastrulation and organogenesis, crucial stages for early development. Given the limited accessibility, the cell lineage developmental trajectory in an early human embryo remains largely elusive. Derivation of organoids in vitro via 3D culture or teratomas in vivo via xenotransplantation of human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) has shed new light on this respect. Here, we report a new system to model human gastrulation and early organogenesis by engineering hPSCs into a self-developed early human embryoid. Single-cell transcriptomic analyses uncovered molecular features of cell populations organized in early human embryoid. Remarkably, xenotransplantation of the engineered early human embryoid in mice generated well-patterned human organ systems, such as muscle and bone from the mesoderm, gut from the endoderm and neural tissues from the ectoderm, which showed more sophisticated morphology than those generated from teratomas. Engineering of hPSCs into early human embryoids, followed by xenotransplantation, therefore represents an improved model for studying cellular and molecular features underlying early human embryogenesis.","PeriodicalId":507256,"journal":{"name":"Fundamental Research","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147892938","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Magnetic field-assisted anchoring of high-density Pt single atoms on MXene for enhanced hydrogen evolution reaction","authors":"Zhong Wang, Tuo Zang, Ye Ziyu, Siyuan Zhang, Guojian Li, Xiaoming Liu, Qiang Wang, Shuang Yuan","doi":"10.1016/j.fmre.2025.10.012","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fmre.2025.10.012","url":null,"abstract":"Precise anchoring and high-density utilization of platinum single atoms (Pt SA ) remain critical challenges in advancing efficient hydrogen production via water electrolysis. Here, we present an innovative magnetic-field-assisted electrodeposition strategy for the controllable synthesis of high-density Pt SA on two-dimensional MXene substrates. Application of a 0.6 T magnetic field significantly enhanced Pt SA deposition kinetics, yielding a 2.1-fold increase in the deposition rate. Numerical simulations confirmed that magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) effects induced by the magnetic field were the primary mechanism driving this enhanced deposition efficiency. The optimized Pt SA -0.6@MXene/NF catalyst exhibited outstanding hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) performance in 1 M KOH, achieving an ultralow overpotential of 12 mV at 10 mA cm −2 , along with a Tafel slope of 29 mV dec −1 . Notably, the catalyst demonstrated 66.1-fold higher Pt mass activity (3458.7 A g −1 ) compared to commercial Pt/C (52.3 A g −1 ) at a 50 mV overpotential. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations revealed that the high-density Pt SA configuration synergistically enhances MXene's electrical conductivity while lowering the d-band center, thereby optimizing the energy barrier for hydrogen intermediate (H*) adsorption. This work provides a novel strategy for regulating the magnetic-field-assisted deposition of Pt SA catalysts, offering a new avenue for designing high-performance water electrolysis catalysts. A magnetic field-assisted electrodeposition strategy was developed to achieve high-density Pt SA anchoring on MXene substrates. The catalyst exhibited exceptional HER performance (12 mV@10 mA·cm −2 , 29 mV·dec −1 Tafel slope) in 1 M KOH.","PeriodicalId":507256,"journal":{"name":"Fundamental Research","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147920823","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Mechanically robust super-absorptive hydrogels for grouting treatment of water inrush via a dual fixing-sliding effect of physical entanglements","authors":"Hongli Zheng, Jiawen Zhang, Guangxia Sheng, Xiaotian Wang, Siqi Yang, Fengjuan Wang, Li Xiang, Cheng Yu, Guoxing Sun, Jinyang Jiang","doi":"10.1016/j.fmre.2025.12.011","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fmre.2025.12.011","url":null,"abstract":"• A physical entanglement strategy simultaneously enhances hydrogel swelling capacity and mechanical strength. • Rate-dependent fixing-sliding effect of physical entanglement is revealed. • Entanglement-reinforced hydrogels exhibit superior swelling ratios (∼1663 g/g to ∼618 g/g) and improved mechanical strengths (> ∼7 MPa). • 24 g of hydrogel blocks 1 L/min water flow in 5 minutes, demonstrating critical efficacy for water inrush disasters. Water inrush is a major disaster in civil infrastructures extensively located in geologically unstable and water-rich regions, which demand grouting hydrogels to expansively block geological fractures and to be robust against the impact of rushing water. However, the traditional strategy of reinforcing hydrogels via fixed crosslinking sites inevitably interferes with their swelling properties. In this study, physical entanglement is employed as a reinforcing strategy to prepare a mechanically robust super-absorptive hydrogel, aiming to address this challenging dilemma. A rate-dependent fixing-sliding effect is revealed to exist in physical entanglement-reinforced hydrogels by comprehensively analyzing the rheological, mechanical, and swelling properties. Under high-velocity external forces such as water stream impact, polymer chains are frozen to fix the physical entanglement sites, thereby strengthening the hydrogels; during relatively slower water absorption, polymer chains are movable to allow sliding, achieving a higher swelling ratio. Accordingly, the hydrogels exhibit robust mechanical compressive strength (> ∼7 MPa) and a remarkable swelling ratio (∼1663 g/g to 618 g/g), which can effectively plug gushing water (1 L/min) with only usage of 24 g in the model water inrush test device. This work presents a useful strategy to design hydrogels combining seemingly incompatible swelling and mechanical properties, providing insightful guidance for developing not only grouting hydrogels but also a wide range of robust yet super-absorptive polymer-based materials.","PeriodicalId":507256,"journal":{"name":"Fundamental Research","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147333696","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Tudor-SN, a novel regulator in mesoderm-derived endochondral ossification, is functionally related to postnatal osteogenesis imperfecta in mice","authors":"Lingbiao Xin, Xinxin Zhang, Chuanbo Ha, Dan Wang, Rui Chen, Peiying Li, Lihong Hu, Yuanyan Ren, Yang Yang, Lei Shi, Zhi Yao, Xudong Wu, Xiaoteng Cui, Xingjie Gao, Jie Yang","doi":"10.1016/j.fmre.2025.10.015","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fmre.2025.10.015","url":null,"abstract":"• Tudor-SN influences the mesoderm differentiation of mESCs. • Tudor-SN exhibits enrichment in the promoter regions of mesoderm genes. • Tudor-SN promotes transcription of mesoderm genes by facilitating chromatin accessibility. • Tudor-SN affects the differentiation of mouse embryonic mesoderm-derived endochondral ossification. Mammalian embryogenesis relies on precise transcriptional regulation to establish lineage-specific differentiation. Here, we identify Tudor-SN as a novel regulator of mesoderm-derived endochondral ossification and postnatal bone formation. Both the in vitro embryoid body assay and in vivo teratoma model demonstrated that Tudor-SN tends to modulate the differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cells towards the mesodermal lineage, while loss-of-function of Tudor-SN significantly hinders cartilage development. In line with the concept, the Tudor-SN knockout mice exhibit osteogenesis imperfecta (OI)-like phenotypes, including reduced bone mineral density, trabecular defects, and impaired skeletal growth, due to endochondral ossification deficiency. In support, single-cell RNA-seq analysis of chondrocytes discovered that Tudor-SN is particularly highly expressed in preHTCs and HTCs, and likely to regulate skeletal development by Wnt/BMP signaling pathways involved in the synthesis of collagen-rich extracellular matrix. Moreover, ChIP-seq and ATAC-seq revealed that Tudor-SN enriches H3K27ac at promoter regions of mesodermal genes [ T (Brachyury), Wnt3, Eomes ], enhancing chromatin accessibility and transcriptional activation. The chondrocyte-specific Tudor-SN knockout mice verified the critical role of Tudor-SN in endochondral ossification. In vitro validation using the ATDC5 chondrogenic cell model confirmed that Tudor-SN knockdown diminished Wnt/β-catenin and BMP signaling activation, leading to impaired chondrocyte differentiation. Collectively, our findings indicate that Tudor-SN plays essential roles in regulating mesoderm-derived endochondral ossification.","PeriodicalId":507256,"journal":{"name":"Fundamental Research","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147917095","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Mid-infrared photons enhance mitochondrial ATP synthesis","authors":"Wenyu Peng, Fangli Wu, Yuchen Tian, Zhiqiang Mu, Kun Chen, Zhi Zhu, Yuanming Wu","doi":"10.1016/j.fmre.2025.06.010","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fmre.2025.06.010","url":null,"abstract":"Mitochondrial ATP production is essential as the primary energy source for intracellular metabolic pathways. Growing evidence suggests that disruptions in mitochondrial energy supply are at the root of various diseases, particularly impacting organs such as the heart and central nervous system. Various interventions have been proposed to address mitochondrial dysfunction, photobiomodulation therapy within the near-infrared range has emerged as a promising approach. However, the effects of mid-infrared (MIR) photons on mitochondrial function are not yet fully understood. In this study, we investigated the effect of highly absorbed infrared photons from mitochondria on ATP synthesis in real time, and the results demonstrate that the MIR photons at 8.3 µm exhibit unique significantly enhance ATP synthesis in a short period of time. However, prolonged exposure was observed to decrease mitochondrial biogenesis, but increasing cytochrome c oxidase (CcO) enzyme activity. Molecular dynamics simulations suggest that the specific photons may resonate with the amino acids of H61 and H378 that linked to heme α , leading to an increase in water molecules within the H proton-conducting channel of CcO, and this phenomenon could potentially boost the efficiency of oxidative phosphorylation. This study emphasizes the critical significance of the frequency and timing of MIR photons in future endeavors aimed at improving mitochondrial function and ATP production.","PeriodicalId":507256,"journal":{"name":"Fundamental Research","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147889692","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}