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Argon ion treatment increases carbon nanowall electrode capacitance fivefold

Researchers from Skoltech, MIPT, and the RAS Institute of Nanotechnology of Microelectronics have achieved a five-fold increase in the capacitance of carbon nanowalls, a material used in the electrodes of supercapacitors. These are auxiliary energy storage devices used in conjunction with conventional accumulators in electric cars, trains, port cranes, and other systems.

A key characteristic of these devices, the capacitance of carbon nanowalls could be enhanced by treatment with an optimal dose of high-energy argon ions. The research is published in Scientific Reports.

China’s ‘Darwin Monkey’ is the world’s largest brain-inspired supercomputer

Scientists in China have unveiled a supercomputer built on brain-like architecture — specifically, that of a monkey.

Called Darwin Monkey or “Wukong”, the system features over 2 billion artificial neurons and more than 100 billion synapses, putting it roughly on par with the neural structure of a macaque.

Key kidney sensor that helps control fluid balance identified

A new study has identified a critical “pressure sensor” inside the kidney that helps the body control blood pressure and fluid levels. The finding helps explain how the kidneys sense changes in blood volume—something scientists for decades have known occurs but didn’t have a mechanistic explanation.

Researchers at Oregon Health & Science University and collaborating institutions discovered that a protein called PIEZO2 acts as a mechanical sensor in the kidney. When blood volume changes, this protein helps trigger the release of renin, a hormone that starts a chain reaction known as the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, or RAAS. The system is one of the body’s main tools for keeping blood pressure stable and making sure the body has the right balance of salt and water.

The study, published today in Cell, shows that without PIEZO2, the kidney releases too much renin. This throws the RAAS off balance and causes the kidneys to filter blood too quickly, something that can lead to health problems if it continues over time.

Researchers uncover the earliest stages of human placenta formation

A gene that turns on very early in embryonic development could be key to the formation of the placenta, which provides the developing fetus with what it needs to thrive during gestation.

The placenta provides all of the nutrition, oxygen and antibodies that a developing human fetus needs to thrive throughout gestation. The temporary organ begins to form within six to 12 days after conception, just as the embryo implants itself in the lining of the uterus. Failure of the placenta to form correctly is the second leading cause of miscarriage during early pregnancy, after genetic abnormalities of the fetus that are incompatible with life.

However, the initial stages of placental formation have remained a mystery due to ethical considerations and technical constraints on studying the process in humans.

Dengue vaccine gains first major approval

The world’s first single-dose vaccine to prevent dengue fever has been approved for licensure in one of the largest countries affected by the disease, following 16 years of research contributions by scientists at the University of Vermont (UVM) Vaccine Testing Center, in partnership with the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (JHSPH).

Dengue is the most common mosquito-borne disease worldwide, with nearly half the world’s population living in places with the risk of dengue. Along with high fever and severe muscle and bone pain, the virus can lead to shock, bleeding, and death.

With more than 100 million cases reported annually, dengue poses a growing risk throughout the globe, including in the United States. Brazil recorded 5.9 million cases of dengue and more than 6,000 deaths in 2024.

Machine learning reveals how disordered protein regions contribute to cancer-causing condensates

Fusion oncoproteins arise when a gene fuses with another gene and acquires new abilities. Such abilities can include the formation of biomolecular condensates, “droplets” of concentrated proteins, DNA or RNA.

The abnormal molecular condensates formed by fusion oncoproteins can disrupt cellular functions and drive cancer development, but the specific protein features behind this process remain unclear.

Scientists at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital studied intrinsically disordered regions, unstructured protein segments that are often involved in condensate formation, to determine if they drive fusion oncoproteins to form condensates. They trained a machine learning model, called IDR-Puncta ML, with experimental data from intrinsically disordered regions in fusion oncoproteins to predict the behavior of other such regions.

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