Aqueous zinc-ion batteries are promising candidates for large-scale energy storage, yet their development is severely hindered by the interfacial instability of zinc anodes. Distinct from strategies employing pre-formed polymers, this work proposes an innovative monomer-induced in situ interface engineering strategy. By leveraging the preferential adsorption of acrylamide monomers on the Zn surface, a locally high-concentration region is created, which subsequently enables the in situ construction of a stable hydrated network interphase (HNI) triggered synergistically by Zn²⁺ and SO₄²⁻ during electrochemical cycling. The HNI precisely regulates Zn deposition via a triple synergistic mechanism: Lewis acid–base coordination (C = O···Zn²⁺) provides fixed nucleation sites; dynamically anchored SO₄²⁻ within the interphase forms negatively charged microregions that homogenize Zn²⁺ flux via Coulombic repulsion; and a dense hydrogen-bonding network effectively confines free water and suppresses side reactions. Benefiting from this multifunctional interphase, the Zn//Zn symmetric cell achieves an ultra-long cycling life of 8650 h (over 360 days) at 1 mA cm⁻² with excellent reproducibility, the Zn//Ti cell delivers a high average Coulombic efficiency of 99.71% at 5 mA cm⁻². The Zn//I₂ full cell retains 89.15% of its capacity after 12,000 cycles. This work provides a novel paradigm for interfacial construction toward high-performance zinc metal anodes.

Signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) proteins function as key mediators of cytokine signaling and are critically involved in stem cell regulation, tissue regeneration, and immune responses in vertebrates. However, their roles in invertebrate regeneration, particularly in adult pluripotent stem cell systems like those of planarians, remain largely unexplored. In this study, we investigated the function of Djstat5, a STAT5 homolog in the planarian Dugesia japonica, and demonstrated that it is dynamically upregulated during the early regenerative phases. RNA interference (RNAi)-mediated knockdown of Djstat5 resulted in severe defects in tissue regeneration, including blastema hypoplasia, reduced mitotic activity, and diminished apoptosis. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that Djstat5 knockdown led to upregulation of Djnlrc3, a putative negative regulator of regeneration. Functional interaction between Djstat5 and Djnlrc3 was further supported by double RNAi experiments, which showed that co-knockdown of Djnlrc3 significantly rescued the regeneration defects induced by Djstat5 loss. Together, our findings establish Djstat5 as an essential regulator of planarian regeneration and provide new insights into conserved STAT-mediated signaling pathways in adult stem cell-based tissue regeneration.

Masato Ota, Assistant Professor at the National Institute for Fusion Science, National Institutes for Natural Sciences (at the time of the research, a graduate student at the Graduate School of Science, Osaka University); Youichi Sakawa, Associate Professor at the Institute of Laser Science, Osaka University; Ryutaro Matsui, Specially Appointed Associate Professor at the National Institute for Fusion Science, National Institutes for Natural Sciences (at the time of the research, Assistant Professor at Kyoto University); Yasuaki Kishimoto, Program-Specific Researcher at the Institute for Chemical Research and Program-Specific Professor at the Institute of Advanced Energy, Kyoto University; Toshinori Yabuuchi, Chief Scientist at the Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute; and Yuji Fukuda, Senior Principal Researcher at the Kansai Institute for Photon Science (KPSI), National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology (QST)—has developed a new measurement technique that simultaneously captures diffraction signals ranging from ultra-small angles to wide angles with a single camera when a single X-ray pulse is irradiated onto a structure. By combining this method with an X-ray free-electron laser, the team derived the rarefaction velocity of high-energy-density plasma on a picosecond timescale across a broad range of spatial scales—from nanometers to submicrometers. A comparison of experimental results and numerical simulations revealed that even an increase of just a few nanometers in the size of the initial plasma on a solid surface reduces the efficiency with which the laser is absorbed by the microstructured solid to approximately one-fourth.

Cold snaps can damage grapevine tissues, weaken photosynthesis, and reduce yield stability, yet the molecular relay that converts a temperature drop into cellular protection has remained unclear.