How fixed structural wiring supports a flexible brain?
Peer-Reviewed Publication
Updates every hour. Last Updated: 23-Oct-2026 17:17 ET (23-Oct-2026 21:17 GMT/UTC)
A study published online in Science Bulletin introduces structural connectome embeddedness, a state-level dimension describing how deeply each momentary whole-brain activity pattern is embedded in the topology of anatomical connections. Evidence from whole-brain biophysical modeling, macroscale functional organization patterns, and multimodal imaging in 713 Human Connectome Project participants supports the concept's biophysical grounding and prevalence. High-CoDE moments help anchor stable functional connectivity, individual variability relates to a behavioral dimension associated with mental health and clinical vulnerability, and task-evoked embeddedness increases with cognitive demand. The framework helps explain how a stable connectome organizes flexible brain activity.
Researchers recovered five multidrug-resistant Stutzerimonas nitrititolerans isolates from 60 geese fecal samples collected at a farm in Yangzhou, China. Genome sequencing showed that all five carried chromosomal tmexC2D2-toprJ2 and blaPST-2 resistance-associated determinants. Across 104 available genomes, complete tmexCD-toprJ clusters were uncommon, and only nine genomes carried both a complete tmexCD-toprJ cluster and blaPST, five of which were the geese isolates.
Researchers used combinatorial solid-phase peptide synthesis and infrared thermography to screen 300 tripeptide sequences for interactions with CO2. Two tripeptides, His(Boc)-Phe-Asn and Phe-Ala-Glu(OtBu), showed reproducible thermal responses after CO2 exposure. The signals were reproduced on glass, functionalised cellulose, and Rink-amide resin, indicating that thermographic screening can help identify peptide candidates for further development as bioinspired CO2-binding materials.
Researchers fabricated ultralight anisotropic SiC aerogel using corn‑stalk biomass as raw material. The study, published in Defence Technology, reveals that the material exhibits orientation‑dependent electromagnetic‑wave absorption and outstanding high-temperature insulation performance, clarifying structure‑function coupling effects of biomass‑derived anisotropic ceramic aerogels and offering a green fabrication route for adaptive multifunctional protective materials.
Electrochemical energy technologies are central to the net-zero transition, yet their multiscale characteristics ranging from atomic materials to device architectures present critical challenges in research and development (R&D). Although artificial intelligence (AI) has accelerated discovery and design in this field, commonly used predictive AI methods remain limited in enabling disruptive advances. Generative AI has shown transformative potential in disciplines such as biology and medicine, though its impact on electrochemical energy R&D is only beginning to emerge. Here we review recent progress in applying generative AI to molecular and crystal discovery, electrode microstructure design, and system optimization, with particular attention to the role of large language models in electrochemical engineering. We argue for a paradigm shift toward generative electrochemical intelligence (GenE), a physics-informed, multimodal framework that integrates human expertise with automated experimentation. We anticipate that GenE will redefine the R&D paradigm for rapidly deployable electrochemical energy technologies and accelerate their translation into real-world applications.
A unified scaling analysis gives quantum geometry and disorder their own measurable weight patterns, allowing researchers to separate competing sources of the second-order nonlinear Hall effect in existing experiments.
Organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) are fundamental building blocks for flexible electronics, including flexible displays, wearable sensors and electronic skin. However, at the heterointerface between the organic semiconductor (OSC) and the dielectric layer where charge transport takes place, structural and energetic disorders inevitably introduce defects, which adversely affect device stability. To address these challenges, researchers from Tianjin University and collaborating institutions have developed a novel interfacial engineering strategy, in which ultrathin alkyl chains of alkylated OSC molecules are covalently attached to the OSC backbone. This approach effectively reduces the trap density at the OSC/dielectric interface, thereby enabling stable OFET operation. In addition, this strategy substantially decreases the dielectric layer thickness, which facilitates low‑voltage operation. As a result, OFETs constructed on the basis of this strategy operate stably at a low voltage of −1 V for over 10,000 s, while integrated logic circuits achieve high gain, fast switching and robust stability. This work provides a new pathway toward high-reliability flexible electronics.