News from China
Updates every hour. Last Updated: 26-Jul-2025 14:10 ET (26-Jul-2025 18:10 GMT/UTC)
Computerized cognitive training shows promise for improving mental health in schizophrenia
Shanghai Jiao Tong University Journal CenterSchizophrenia is characterised by pervasive cognitive deficits that significantly impair daily functioning and quality of life. Pharmacological treatments have limited efficacy in addressing these deficits, highlighting the need for adjunctive interventions like computerised cognitive training (CCT). This study aimed to evaluate the effects of a 30-session CCT programme on mental well-being and cognitive performance in individuals with schizophrenia. Additionally, it assessed the usability and acceptability of CCT in this population.
- Journal
- General Psychiatry
Breaking performance limits of Zn anodes in aqueous batteries by tailoring anion and cation additives
Shanghai Jiao Tong University Journal CenterPeer-Reviewed Publication
Crystallographic engineering of Zn anodes to favor the exposure of (002) planes is an effective approach for improving stability in aqueous electrolytes. However, achieving non-epitaxial electrodeposition with a pronounced (002) texture and maintaining this orientation during extended cycling remains challenging. This study questions the prevailing notion that a single (002)-textured Zn anode inherently ensures superior stability, showing that such anodes cannot sustain their texture in ZnSO4 electrolytes. We then introduced a novel electrolyte additive, benzyltriethylammonium chloride (TEBAC), which preserves the (002) texture over prolonged cycling. Furthermore, we successfully converted commercial Zn foils into highly crystalline (002)-textured Zn without any pretreatment. Experiments and theoretical calculations revealed that the cationic TEBA+ selectively adsorbs onto the anode surface, promoting the exposure of the Zn(002) plane and suppressing dendrite formation. A critical discovery was the pitting corrosion caused by chloride ions from TEBAC, which we mitigated by anion substitution. This modification leads to a remarkable lifespan of 375 days for the Zn||Zn symmetric cells at 1 mA cm-2 and 1 mAh cm-2. Furthermore, a TEBA+-modified Zn||VO2 full cell demonstrates high specific capacity and robust cycle stability at 10.0 A g-1. These results provide valuable insights and strategies for developing long-life Zn ion batteries.
- Journal
- Nano-Micro Letters
Construction of high-performance membranes for vanadium redox flow batteries: Challenges, development, and perspectives
Shanghai Jiao Tong University Journal CenterPeer-Reviewed Publication
While being a promising candidate for large-scale energy storage, the current market penetration of vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFBs) is still limited by several challenges. As one of the key components in VRFBs, a membrane is employed to separate the catholyte and anolyte to prevent the vanadium ions from cross-mixing while allowing the proton conduction to maintain charge balance in the system during operation. To overcome the weakness of commercial membranes, various types of membranes, ranging from ion exchange membranes with diverse functional groups to non-ionic porous membranes, have been designed and reported to achieve higher ionic conductivity while maintaining low vanadium ion permeability, thus enhancing efficiency. In addition, besides overall efficiency, stability and cost-effectiveness of the membrane are also critical aspects that determine the practical applicability of the membranes and thus VRFBs. In this article, we have offered comprehensive insights into the mechanism of ion transportation in membranes of VRFBs that contribute to the challenges and issues of VRFB applications. We have further discussed optimal strategies for solving the trade-off between the membrane efficiency and its durability in VRFB applications. The development of state-of-the-art membranes through various material and structure engineering is demonstrated to reveal the relationship of properties-structure-performance.
- Journal
- Nano-Micro Letters
New tool creates synthetic any-size networks to benchmark vital-node detection
Higher Education PressResearchers have launched a new open-source MATLAB toolbox that generates synthetic networks with built-in vital nodes, providing a standardized benchmark for accurate influential-node detection in epidemic control, power-grid resilience, and social media analysis.
- Journal
- Frontiers of Computer Science
New robotics platform cuts prototyping time
Higher Education PressA new open-source modular mobile manipulator platform streamlines embodied AI research with unified simulation-to-reality APIs, plug-and-play modules, and a turnkey PyBullet framework to accelerate service robot deployment in healthcare, manufacturing, logistics, and home assistance.
- Journal
- Frontiers of Computer Science
New way to count unique big data items faster
Higher Education PressRenmin University researchers present a comprehensive survey of sampling- and sketch-based algorithms for distinct value estimation in big data, offering insights to accelerate database queries, enhance network security anomaly detection, and reduce cloud analytics costs.
- Journal
- Frontiers of Computer Science
New assertion-based verification in python hardware flow
Higher Education PressPeer-Reviewed Publication
Researchers unveil a new Python-based assertion verification framework for agile hardware design, enabling real-time error detection with minimal area and performance overhead to streamline prototyping and boost reliability.
- Journal
- Frontiers of Computer Science
Flowerlike CeO2 used as novel adsorption material for removal of hydrogen fluoride gas from lithium-ion battery during thermal runaway
Higher Education PressPeer-Reviewed Publication
This study provides valuable insights into the prevention of toxic gas diffusion during lithium battery fires, offering a potential solution for protecting firefighters’ respiratory health. The findings highlight the potential of flower-like CeO2 microspheres as an effective adsorbent for HF gas removal during LIB thermal runaway, which could significantly enhance the safety of lithium-ion batteries in various applications.
- Journal
- Frontiers in Energy
High‐throughput quantitative assessment of ABA‐responsive elements at single‐nucleotide
Higher Education PressPeer-Reviewed Publication
- Journal
- Quantitative Biology