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Interfacing with the Brain: How Nanotechnology Can Contribute
Full text linkInterfacing artificial devices with the human brain is the central goal of neurotechnology. Yet, our imaginations are often limited by currently available paradigms and technologies. Suggestions for brain-machine interfaces have changed over time, along with the available technology. Mechanical levers and cable winches were used to move parts of the brain during the mechanical age. Sophisticated electronic wiring and remote control have arisen during the electronic age, ultimately leading to plug-and-play computer interfaces. Nonetheless, our brains are so complex that these visions, until recently, largely remained unreachable dreams. The general problem, thus far, is that most of our technology is mechanically and/or electrically engineered, whereas the brain is a living, dynamic entity. As a result, these worlds are difficult to interface with one another. Nanotechnology, which encompasses engineered solid-state objects and integrated circuits, excels at small length scales of single to a few hundred nanometers and, thus, matches the sizes of biomolecules, biomolecular assemblies, and parts of cells. Consequently, we envision nanomaterials and nanotools as opportunities to interface with the brain in alternative ways. Here, we review the existing literature on the use of nanotechnology in brain-machine interfaces and look forward in discussing perspectives and limitations based on the authors' expertise across a range of complementary disciplines─from neuroscience, engineering, physics, and chemistry to biology and medicine, computer science and mathematics, and social science and jurisprudence. We focus on nanotechnology but also include information from related fields when useful and complementary.This work is supported by the Cluster of Excellence ‘Advanced Imaging of Matter’ EXC 2056 - project ID 390715994 (M.Skiba, W.J.P.) and the Research Training Group (Graduiertenkolleg) 2536 - project ID 408076438 (A.M., C.B., F.O., W.J.P.) of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) and the Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (BMBF) - project number 01DR19006 (L.N., W.J.P.) and 13GW0230A (U.G.H.). Several aspects have also been discussed in the framework of the Partnership for Innovation, Education and Research (PIER, PIER Plus). N.F. was funded by Fraunhofer Attract (Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft; Grant No. Attract 178-600040). A.A.A.A., S.B., I.C., and J.Harberts are grateful to the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. A.A. further acknowledges funding by IIE-SRF Alliance. I.C. also thanks the Science & Engineering Research Board (SERB) (project id: SRG/2022/000135) for support. Y.H., Y.K., Y.L., B.Q., Y.K., Y.L., B.Q., Y.H., M.F., C.Y., B.P., J.Han, Y.Zeng, and Y.Zhou were funded by China Scholarship Council (CSC). H.H., S.M., and B.O. were supported by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). B.A. acknowledges support from the Naval Research Laboratory and American Society for Engineering Education Postdoctoral Research Fellowship, as well as NSF CBET #2138587. J.J.B.-C. acknowledges support from CONACYT (México, doctoral scholarship number 862535). P.H. acknowledges support through the research initiative BlueMat: Water-Driven Materials, Hamburg and the Centre for Molecular Water Science CMWS, Hamburg. V.M. thanks the Carl Zeiss Foundation for support of the project InteReg and the Leibniz Science Campus NanoBrain. N.N. was supported by an ETH postdoctoral fellowship. M.O. acknowledges support from the French National Funding Agency (ANR), the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, and the EU. T.H. and D.-H.K. acknowledge the financial support by the Institute for Basic Science (IBS-R006-D1 and IBS-R006-A1). X.L. was supported by the Guangzhou Oversea Program. M.P. was funded by the project HeatNMof from European Union’s Horizon 2020 program. S.R. acknowledges funding from Department of Biotechnology, DBT – BioCARe Programme, India. E.Ş. acknowledges funding from National Institutes of Health (NIH) via NINDS/NIA R03-NS118156 and NCCIH R21-AT010933 and from the National Science Foundation via DMR-2003849. K.D.W. acknowledges the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie grant agreement No. 846764. U.R.G. received financial support by the German Research Council (DFG, grant RE 1203/38-1. SIREN). J.B.D. and A.L.E. acknowledge the financial support of the Office of Naval Research (ONR) through the Naval Research Laboratory Basic Research Program and the NRL Nanoscience Institute. S.S.Z. and F.P. acknowledge the First TEAM grant number POIR.04.04.00-00-5ED7/18-00, which has been conducted within the framework of the First TEAM programme of the Foundation for Polish Science (FNP) and cofinanced by the European Union under the European Regional development Fund. R.F.-C. acknowledges support from the Spanish Agencia Estatal de Investigación (PID2019-105530GB-I00, PID2022-138957NB-100, MICIU/AEI/10.13039/501100011033), CIBERNED (ISCIII), Junta de Andalucía (CUII, US-1381657), and European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). A.H.G. and C.L. received financial support by the DFG Collaborative Research Centre (SFB) 1328–project number 335447717. A.H.G. is also supported by the DFG Research Group Neuroflame (GU 360/22-1). M.E. acknowledges the financial support by the Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (BMBF) within the project 3DOS (project number 161L0278A). A.M.A. is supported by the National Institute of Mental Health (grant #R61 MH135106). A.P. acknowledges funding from National Institutes of Health (NIMH #R01 MH111872 and #R01 MH094730). R.A.-P. was supported by the projects PID2020-120306RB-I00 (funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033), PDC2021-121787-I00 (funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and European Union Next Generation EU/PRTR), 2020SGR00166 (funded by Generalitat de Cataluña), and 2021PFR-URV-B2-02 (funded by Universitat Rovira i Virgili). N.W.S. acknowledges the support of the Excellence Strategy of the German Federal Government and the Länder and a Starting Grant from the European Union (ERC StG REPLAY-852669).Peer reviewe
What to expect when you're expecting? Historical human presence without lasting effects on Amazonian rainforests
No full textPresent-day anthropogenic activities in the Amazon is threatening its survival as we know it nowadays, having an
effect of global consequences. However, the contribution humans have had in shaping the ecosystems we observe
today, and the long-lasting consequences of their activities has been almost neglected until recently. Even in well-
studied regions from a botanical and ecological point of view, the history of the current ecosystems and the role
humans have played on it during the last millennia remains patchy. Here we present the fire history of the last 5000
years in the Yasuní National Park based on the palaeoecological analysis of macrocharcoal particles from four
sedimentary archives collected in palm swamps. The charcoal records show in general low values, with some
exceptions: (i) a recent peak in one location often visited recently by Waorani as a hunting spot; (ii) some variation
around 2500 cal yr BP that could be related to climatic instability; and (iii) scarce fire signals around 5000 cal yr BP,
coeval with the presence of cultivars. Despite this ancient human presence, the reconstructed vegetation did not
show any clear signal of anthropogenic legacies, raising the question of how to better detect human presence of
small, mobile societies.Catalan Agency for Universities and Research (AGAUR) and the EU programme Marie Curie COFUND (Beatriu de Pinós - Marie Curie COFUND fellowship, ref.: 2014 BP-B 00094) and the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (research grant ref. PID2022-138059NB-I00). NERC NEIF Allocations for radiocarbon dating, refs. 2499.0322 & 2831.072
Polysaccharides: The Sustainable Foreground in Energy Storage Systems
No full textPolysaccharides offer a perfect option as raw materials for the development of a new generation of sustainable batteries and supercapacitors. This is due to their abundance and inherent structural characteristics. Polysaccharides can be chemically functionalized and engineered, offering a wide range of possibilities as electrode materials (as precursors of porous nanocarbons), binders and separators. Their hierarchical morphology also enables their exploitation as aerogel and hydrogel structures for quasi-solid and solid polymer electrolytes with high conductivity and wide voltage stability windows. In this review, we discuss how different polysaccharides, such as lignocellulosic biomass, starch, chitosan, natural gums, sugars and marine polysaccharides, can be applied in different components of energy storage systems (ESSs). An overview of the recent research work adhering to each functionality of different polysaccharides in various storage systems is provided.This research was funded by Ministerio de Ciencia Innovacion y Universidades (MCIU), Agencia Estatal de Investigación (AEI) and the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER) (grants PID2021-128390OB-I00, TED2021-130205B-C21, and PLEC2022-009328). The ICN2 is supported by the Severo Ochoa Centres of Excellence programme, grant CEX2021-001214-S, funded by MCIU/AEI/10.13039.501100011033. The ICN2 is also funded by the CERCA programme/Generalitat de Catalunya. This work has been carried out within the framework of the doctoral program (PhD) of Material Science (Department of Physics) of Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) and supported by the grant PRE2021-097210 from the call Ayudas para contratos predoctorales para la formación de doctores/as 2021 from the Agencia Estatal de Investigación, with the support of the Severo Ochoa Centres of Excellente programme, grant CEX2021-001214-S funded by MCIU/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and FSE+.With funding from the Spanish government through the "Severo Ochoa Centre of Excelence" accreditation (CEX2021-001214-S)Peer reviewe
Brillouin light scattering spectroscopy of cavity optomechanical crystals
No full textSpecial Collection: Brillouin Scattering and OptomechanicsWe present a detailed study of Brillouin light scattering (BLS) spectroscopy applied to phononic waveguides embedded within optomechanical crystal structures. By comparing numerical simulations with experimental spectra, we validate the capability of BLS to probe GHz mechanical modes, including acoustic slow modes at 6.7 GHz, in silicon-on-insulator platforms at room temperature. Our results highlight the potential of BLS to characterize mechanical dispersion, guided modes, and acoustic bandgaps in cavity optomechanics, where photons and phonons are colocalized. This work provides critical insights into the feasibility of leveraging hypersonic phonons for in-chip interconnects and integrated broadband communication systems.The authors acknowledge the support from the project LEIT funded by the European Research Council, H2020 (Grant Agreement No. 885689). ICN2 is supported by the Severo Ochoa program of the Spanish Research Agency (AEI, Grant No. SEV–2017-0706) and by the CERCA Programme/Generalitat de Catalunya.Peer reviewe
IAA : Información y actualidad astronómica (75) (2025)
No full textBuscando los ladrillos de la vida en el espacio.- Un “baile” de instrumentos que no cesa: El Plan Instrumental del Gran Telescopio CANARIAS.- Escuchando las galaxias: una nueva herramienta para explorar el universo.-El Moby Dick de ... Elham Ziaali (IAA-CSIC).- Deconstrucción. Sunrise III, un nuevo horizonte en la exploración solar.- Actualidad.- De Islandia a la Luna: un viaje científico hacia el Espacio.- Deborah Dultzin Kessler, la niña que miraba las estrellas.- Destacados y recomendadosEste número ha contado con el apoyo económico de la Agencia Estatal de Investigación (Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades) a través de la acreditación de Centro de Excelencia Severo Ochoa para el Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía (SEV-2017-0709). La página web de esta revista ha sido financiada por la Sociedad Española de Astronomía (SEA).Peer reviewe
Nanostructured films from poly(3-hexylthiophene)-graft-poly(ε-caprolactone) as light-responsive generators of reactive oxygen species
No full textThe design of smart photoelectrodes is used to modulate and control the spatio-temporal production of
reactive oxygen species (ROS). In this work, we develop photoactive films with tunable nanostructured
morphologies to favor ROS production via photostimulation. To that aim, we synthesized graft copoly-
mers, made of poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL), P3HT-g-PCL, which were
employed to fabricate compact films by drop casting. The films were further subjected to a thermo-oxi-
dative treatment in the presence of H2 O2 at 42 °C. This led to nanostructured films with a porosity
(∼500 nm diameter and ∼70 nm height) controlled at specific copolymer compositions, as determined by
atomic force microscopy (AFM). The nanostructured P3HT films possess higher storage moduli (E’) than
flat P3HT films, as determined by nanoindentation measurements. Finally, the performance of nano-
structured P3HT films as photoelectrodes is assessed in a three-electrode electrochemical cell upon
visible-light irradiation (λ = 467 nm), leading to the spatiotemporal production of H2 O 2 at non-cytotoxic
levels for future non-invasive redox medicine applications.The authors acknowledge the grants PID2020-119026GB-I00
and PID2020-117573GB-I00 funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/
501100011033. M. C.-G. thanks “Ayuda RYC2022-036380-I
financiada por MICIU/AEI /10.13039/501100011033 y por el
FSE+” and the Emakiker program of POLYMAT (UPV/EHU).
This work was funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020
research and innovation programme under the Marie
Sklodowska-Curie grant agreement no. 101034379.Peer reviewe
Peer Review Information for "Ab initio atomistic characterization of confined bulk and Bennett plasmons in metallic nanoparticles as probed by penetrating electrons"
No full textTransparent Peer Review report available.Peer reviewe
Unraveling the structure-properties correlation in thermal insulating and mechanically stiff PLA aerogels
No full text12 páginas, 12 figuras, 1 tablaIn this study, the relationship between the porous structure of polylactic acid-based (PLA) aerogels and their thermal insulation performance have been studied in detail. Different polymer contents were used for the fabrication of these aerogels leading to a wide range of low densities (36–167 kg/m3), porosities over 86 % and high crystallinity degrees (63–69 %). Their nanofibrillar structures led to high specific surface areas (79–91 m2/g), thin fibers (105–340 nm), and small pores (658–3140 nm). The mechanical performance and thermal insulating behavior have been deeply investigated, analyzing the involved mechanisms. The produced aerogels showed high stiffness with elastic modulus from 0.15 MPa to 12.82 MPa and compressive strengths of up to 540 kPa, significantly higher values than the traditional insulating materials, combined with remarkably low thermal conductivity values between 34.83 and 27.11 mW/m∙K, the lowest value found for PLA of aerogels to date. In addition, thermal conductivity was modeled, and the contributions of the different heat transfer mechanisms were calculated. The obtained results have been related to the different PLA aerogel samples and structural characteristics, obtaining a deep understanding of the relationship between the production process, porous structure, and the final mechanical and thermal insulating performance.Financial support from the Science and Innovation Ministry of Spain (RTI2018-098749-B-I00 and PID2021-127108OB-I00, TED2021-130965B–I00, and PDC2022-133391-I00) is gratefully acknowledged. Financial assistance from the Junta of Castille and Leon (VA202P20) is gratefully acknowledged. Activities funded by the EU NextGeneration and Castille and Leon. Complementary plans of research and development with the autonomous regions in actions of R&D. Component 17. Investment 1. (C17. I1), of the recovery, transformation, and resilience plan. This research is also part of the JDC2023-051979-I (Beatriz Merillas), financed by MCIU/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and the FSE+.Peer reviewe
SYBERAC project stakeholders workshop_ Case study 2A
No full textPresentación del proyecto TOWARDS A SYSTEMS-BASED, HOLISTIC ENVIRONMENTAL RISK ASSESSMENT OF CHEMICALS (SYBERAC) financiado por el programa HORIZONTE EUROPA de la Unión Europea (podéis visitar la web del proyecto aquí https://www.syberac.eu/). Este proyecto incluye el caso de estudio sobre evaluación de riesgos en la transición entre ambientes acuáticos y terrestres, que busca entender el flujo de contaminantes y sus efectos entre ambos medios usando los murciélagos del delta del Ebro como especie modelo, aunque también teniendo en cuenta las implicaciones para otros taxones como aves, anfibios o reptiles
Factors Controlling Superrotation in a Terrestrial Aquaplanet
No full textExtending previous work with a dry model, this study investigates the sensitivity of superrotation to the
location/strength of baroclinic eddies in an idealized moist aquaplanet GCM with terrestrial rotation rate and planetary
radius. A suite of fixed-SST experiments is performed in which the extratropical SST gradient is flattened poleward of
some specified latitude. Consistent with the dry simulations, transition to superrotation is found as this reference latitude
moves near the subtropics. The superrotation is dependent on the equatorial acceleration due to interactions between
equatorial Kelvin waves and subtropical Rossby waves, but is strongly enhanced by a reduction in drag by the baroclinic
eddies on the subtropical upper troposphere. The reduction in the extratropical drag and the strength of superrotation depend
on the strength and structure of the Hadley cell, and hence on convective closure. The transition to strong superrotation
is aided by a positive feedback that cannot occur when a strong Hadley cell drag limits the equatorial vertical
shear and upper-troposphere equatorial westerliesWe are grateful to Jonathan Mitchell,
Neil Lewis and an anonymous reviewer for their insightful and
constructive comments. PZG is funded by Grant PID2022-
136316NB-I00 by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033. Support
from NSF Grant AGS 2246700 is gratefully acknowledged.Peer reviewe