Browse Articles

Influence of Southeast China’s seawater chemistry on the performance development of cement-sodium silicate grout

Adsorption based on excitation

Toward systems agroecology: Risk–reward balance, emergent plant communities, and temporal weather map in multiplant farming

Although monoculture is a common practice, its fragility, high input requirements, and significant environmental impact underscore the need to seek alternatives. Polyculture, inspired by naturally occurring plant communities, could be one such alternative. Unfortunately, our understanding of how plant communities respond to human intervention while being subject to weather variations remains limited. Here, using data from long-term experiments, we demonstrate that the effects of soil treatment and weather conditions on biomass production can be dissociated. The choice of soil treatment modifies not only the average yields of multiplant systems (i.e., rewards) but also their sensitivity to weather variations (and thus the risks). Analysis of botanical survey data also reveals that observed plant communities can be grouped into distinct types, differing in their species composition. It is noteworthy that communities of different types occupy distinct regions in the risk–reward space. We also show that certain soil treatments can lead to higher yields without increasing weather sensitivity, while preserving plant biodiversity. Using daily meteorological data, we created an agricultural temporal “weather map” identifying distinct zones favorable or unfavorable to biomass production. Our analysis demonstrates the importance of comprehensive data for establishing the principles of systems agro-ecological design. Faced with the increasing environmental risks associated with intensive monoculture, such principles could prove invaluable for developing less risky polyculture alternatives.

Economic barriers to diagnostic equity: A multi-country analysis of patient costs for rapid SARS-CoV-2 testing in sub-Saharan Africa

While the acute phase of the COVID-19 pandemic has passed, understanding the economic barriers to diagnostic access remains critical for future pandemic preparedness and universal health coverage. Implementing efficient testing modalities is crucial to achieving optimal value for both clients and healthcare providers. This study examines the cost and affordability of various SARS-CoV-2 antigen rapid-diagnostic-test modalities in Nigeria, Malawi, and Zimbabwe from a client perspective, providing a blueprint for future diagnostic strategies in Sub-Saharan Africa. Testing was offered for free through professional testing and self-testing in government or NGO-led primary healthcare centers across all countries, and in community pharmacies and drug stores in Nigeria. Data were collected from October 2022 to May 2023 through a survey of a random sample of adults visiting participating sites. The survey collected patient costs, including transportation, medical and non-medical expenses, and productivity loss. Affordability was assessed by the incidence of catastrophic health expenditure (defined as costs exceeding 10% of household income). The unit patient cost of testing in Nigeria, Malawi and Zimbabwe was $4.2, $2.7 and $2.7, respectively. In Nigeria, testing in community pharmacies and drug stores was cheaper than in primary healthcare centers. Self-testing cost less than professional testing in Nigeria ($1.3 versus $9.8), but more in Zimbabwe ($3.2 versus $2.3). In Malawi, Nigeria and Zimbabwe 40.6%, 28.6%, and 5.7% of clients, respectively, faced catastrophic health expenditures. SARS-CoV-2 antigen testing imposes a significant financial burden on clients. Even “free” testing carries high indirect costs that threaten diagnostic equity. Diversified testing modalities, such as community pharmacies and drug stores, may offer lower-cost options for sustainable diagnostic integration.

Sensitivity in phononic crystal sensors via super asymmetric coupled-cavity engineering

Abstract This work presents a one-dimensional super-asymmetric coupled-cavity phononic crystal sensor for concentration-dependent liquid analysis using an ethanol–water mixture as the sensing medium. The proposed structure consists of periodic acoustic mirrors surrounding an asymmetric coupled-defect region expressed as Air∣(A/B) 7 ∣C L ∣D∣C R ∣(B/A) 7 ∣Air, where the asymmetry is introduced through unequal coupling cavity thicknesses. The structural asymmetry modifies the acoustic confinement behavior inside the liquid defect cavity and enhances the resonance sensitivity to concentration variations. The transmission characteristics were analyzed using the transfer matrix method within the MHz frequency range. The obtained results demonstrate a stable and nearly linear defect-mode shift with increasing water fraction, achieving a sensitivity of approximately 4.90 × 10 4 Hz.fraction − 1 with a correlation coefficient of R 2  = 0.999990. In addition, the resonance quality factor varies from approximately 1080 to 335 depending on concentration, indicating a trade-off between resonance confinement and tunability. The resonance evolution was further examined through normalized spectral analysis and transmission distribution mapping, confirming continuous and spectrally distinguishable resonance behavior across the investigated concentration range. A fabrication tolerance study based on defect-layer thickness deviations between − 10% and + 10% revealed acceptable sensitivity stability, supporting the structural robustness of the proposed configuration. The obtained results indicate that the proposed super-asymmetric phononic platform can provide an effective and compact approach for liquid-concentration sensing applications based on acoustic resonance manipulation.

An antagonistically pleiotropic gene regulates vertebrate growth, maturity, and lifespan

AI-assisted teams outperform AI-led teams but not human-only teams in assessing research reproducibility in quantitative social science

Large Language Models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT are transforming how scientists conduct and validate research, offering promise as tools to improve scientific reproducibility. However, computational reproducibility and error detection remain expensive and labor-intensive. We experimentally test how collaboration between researchers and LLM assistants influences the reproduction of quantitative social science findings across different levels of AI autonomy. We randomly assigned 288 researchers to 103 teams working under three conditions: human-only, AI-assisted (using ChatGPT as a collaborative tool), or AI-led (ChatGPT operating with minimal human oversight). Teams reproduced published results from leading social science journals, detected coding errors, and proposed robustness checks. Human-only and AI-assisted teams achieved comparable reproduction rates (94% vs. 91%) and performed similarly on most outcomes, except human-only teams identified significantly more major coding errors. Both substantially outperformed AI-led teams, which achieved only a 37% reproduction rate, detected fewer errors across all categories, proposed weaker robustness checks, and required more time. This autonomous approach, however, likely represents only a lower bound of AI capabilities. Despite rapid model advances, expert human judgment currently remains indispensable for reliable empirical verification. While AI assistance did not degrade most outcomes, it provided no measurable advantages and was associated with reduced detection of major errors. However, the 37% autonomous reproduction rate indicates that AI could provide value in settings where scale or cost constraints preclude human review of papers, even though general-purpose LLMs offer no immediate advantages for human-supervised verification.

Correction: Impact of different blood pressure targets on cerebral hemodynamics in septic shock: A prospective pilot study protocol—SEPSIS-BRAIN

Dual-targeted glutathione-glutamate functionalized Bismuth-Niosomes hybrid nanosystem for co-delivery of doxorubicin and Pi3K inhibitor into U87 glioblastoma cells

Distinct and overlapping roles of MutLγ, Mus81-Mms4, and STR in meiotic Holliday junction processing

Abstract Most meiotic crossovers arise from the nucleolytic resolution of recombination intermediates that ZMM proteins stabilize as double Holliday junctions (dHJs). MutLγ is the nuclease thought to resolve these ZMM-bound dHJs into crossovers, but alternative enzymes - including Mus81-Mms4 and the Sgs1-Top3-Rmi1 (STR) complex - can also process meiotic DNA joint molecules. How ZMM-bound dHJs are preferentially steered toward MutLγ-mediated processing has remained unresolved, in part because experimental systems have been unable to uncouple dHJ resolution from upstream recombination events and downstream cell-cycle progression. To overcome this limitation, we engineered a budding yeast system that stabilizes pre-existing ZMM-bound dHJs, eliminates the continued occurrence of upstream recombination events, and enables conditional pathway-specific resolution without cell-cycle advance. Using this approach, we show that MutLγ is uniquely capable of imposing crossover-specific resolution on ZMM-bound dHJs. In contrast, Mus81-Mms4 and STR can access crossover-designated recombination intermediates but generate mixed or exclusively noncrossover products. We further identify an Sgs1-independent role for Top3-Rmi1 in maintaining ZMM-dHJ architecture and preventing their conversion into aberrant, MutLγ-refractory species. Together, our findings reveal that ZMM proteins establish a hierarchy, rather than absolute selectivity, in dHJ processing, one that favours MutLγ-directed crossovers while preserving alternative resolution routes to safeguard chromosome segregation.

Entanglement-driven responses through multiscale 3D-printed knits

Filamentous entanglements such as textiles achieve resilience and toughness through topology rather than material composition alone. Yet architected materials rarely exploit dense interlooping and sliding contacts to achieve extraordinary physical behavior. While research across mechanics, architecture, and design has linked stitch structure to physical behavior, a predictive quantitative framework has remained elusive. Here we show that knitting can be reinterpreted as a general strategy for designing three-dimensional entangled solids with programmable mechanics. Using a geometrically exact description of each stitch and multimaterial 3D printing—a topology-agnostic fabrication approach—we create planar and volumetric knits whose loop parameters directly control stiffness, strength, and energy dissipation. The printed fabrics faithfully reproduce the nonlinear, anisotropic, and hysteretic responses of conventional machine-knitted textiles. We identify a simple normalization that collapses stress–strain curves across stitch geometries, yarn architectures, constituent materials, and length scales, unifying the behavior of traditional and 3D-printed knits on a single master curve. Extending the topology into the “Z” or stacking direction yields volumetric knits whose stiffness and dissipation can be tuned by imposed prestrain. Finally, we realize the same architecture from centimeters down to micrometers, culminating in, to our knowledge, the smallest knitted structure ever fabricated. By demonstrating that 3D-printed knits can be interpreted both as a traditional fabric composed of a single yarn and as an architected material with defined periodicity, this work establishes entangled filaments as a foundation for a class of material architectures whose mechanics are encoded in their topology.

CACE closed: A multiverse examination of the influence of implementation variability on student outcomes in a randomised controlled trial of a universal, school-based social-emotional learning intervention

Introduction Amidst calls for more high-quality research to assess the influence of implementation variability on student outcomes in school-based trials using instrumental variable approaches (e.g., complier average causal effect; CACE), unreported researcher degrees of freedom can limit replicability and lead to uncertainty of conclusions. The current study aims to acknowledge and address these limitations using a multiverse framework. We investigate whether, and how, conclusions of a universal social-emotional learning intervention’s efficacy are contingent on decisions about how compliance is defined and modelled. Methods Secondary analysis of data from a cluster randomised control trial of the intervention Passport was undertaken, with schools (k = 62, N = 2,425 children) randomly allocated to intervention ( k  = 33; N = 1,264) or control ( k  = 29; N = 1,161) conditions. Ten theoretically plausible specifications for the CACE model were identified and pre-registered, including five definitions of compliance (fidelity, dosage, quality, responsiveness, reach) and two compliance thresholds (50 th and 75 th percentile). Student relational outcomes (bullying, peer support, loneliness) were assessed pre- and post-intervention. Results Multilevel intent-to-treat analysis revealed null intervention effects. Applying a multiverse framework to CACE revealed variation in model results, manifest in entropy values, the precision of confidence intervals and the direction, size and statistical significance of CACE effects. A statistically significant and negative CACE effect was found for peer support when compliance was defined by reach using the 75 th percentile (β = −.38, 95% CI (−.68, −.08), E = .71, d = −.21), but non-statistically significant intervention effects were observed for the remaining CACE models. Conclusions A multiverse framework enables transparent reporting of analytic uncertainty in evaluations of implementation variability in school-based trials, thereby offering theoretical, methodological and empirical advancements for implementation science. In doing so, it enables us to move from a fragmented view towards a more coherent understanding of complex interventions in real-world settings. Pre-registration www.osf.io/s5pmw .

Mode I, Mode III and mixed-mode fracture behaviour of jute-sisal fiber reinforced ternary geopolymer concrete

Temporal super-cell engineering and acoustic amplification in dispersive phononic time crystals

Abstract Floquet time crystals, characterized by momentum band gaps ( k -gaps), offer powerful mechanisms for exotic wave control. However, selectively harnessing the Floquet band structure and opening multiple k -gaps remains a significant challenge in experiment. In this work, we construct a phononic time crystal by integrating discrete resonant meta-atoms into a one-dimensional acoustic waveguide, effectively creating a time-varying metamaterial. Through dynamic compressibility modulation, we observe amplified transmission and strong emission enhancement for a compact Floquet slab at the k -gap-associated frequency. Based on this versatile platform, we further extend the Floquet band physics by introducing a temporal-supercell concept that creates multiple k -gaps via momentum band folding. By suitably designing the compressibility in each phase of the supercell, we experimentally observe two clear amplified transmission frequency ranges around half and quarter of the original modulation frequency, for a corresponding compact Floquet slab with a band-folding-induced k-gap. This reconfigurable platform enables tailored parametric processes and unlocks pathways to higher-dimensional time crystals and topological temporal phenomena.

Theory of chromosome structural dynamics by processive loop extrusion

The processivity of Structural Maintenance of Chromosome complexes defines the characteristic run length and lifetime of loop extrusion events, which set up the large-scale architecture of chromosomes. We introduce an active, non-Markovian mechanistic model that explicitly incorporates motor processivity to provide a statistical mechanical treatment that identifies the nontrivial effects induced by the processive character of such active motors. At low activity, in interphase, processive loop extrusion generates effective cooperative multibody interactions, which lead to the so-called “chromatin jets.” Upon increasing activity, symmetry breaking occurs, as seen in the characteristic, cylindrically anisotropic mitotic chromosome organization. The strength of the motor processivity determines whether the symmetry breaking transition leads to crystalline ordering or to liquid-crystalline architectures for the mitotic chromosome.

ProtAttn-QuadNet: An attention-based deep learning framework for protein–protein interaction prediction using ProtBERT embeddings

Protein–protein interactions (PPIs) form the backbone of most cellular processes, governing signal transduction, gene regulation, and metabolic control. However, experimental approaches to identifying PPIs remain expensive, laborious, and often incomplete. Recent advances in protein language models (PLMs) have transformed sequence-based PPI prediction by enabling deep contextual encoding of biochemical and structural information directly from amino acid sequences. Building upon this progress, we present ProtAttn-QuadNet, an attention-based deep learning framework that leverages ProtBERT embeddings to model reciprocal dependencies between protein pairs. The proposed model employs a quad-stream attention mechanism that integrates individual protein features, synergistic interactions, and complementary differences through multi-level self- and cross-attention layers. This architecture enables the discovery of fine-grained relational patterns while ensuring balanced bidirectional modeling of interacting proteins. Evaluated on the independent test set of a large-scale dataset from UniProt, ProtAttn-QuadNet achieves 97.16% accuracy (AUC-ROC 99.00%) on balanced data and 99.19% accuracy (AUC-ROC 99.76%) on oversampled datasets, surpassing several recent state-of-the-art PPI prediction methods. Statistical validation using the Chi-square and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests confirms the model’s predictive significance and reliability. ProtAttn-QuadNet offers a powerful computational framework for large-scale PPI prediction.

Evaluation of surface roughness of titanium implants on human fibroblast cells

Abstract A soft-anchored titanium (Ti-6Al-4V) mesh implantable device was designed and morphologically characterised in an in vitro study. The mesh implant consists of a titanium mesh aimed at preserving continence and improving the quality of life for patients with a stoma. Titanium alloys are widely used in implantable devices such as knee and dental prosthetics; however, soft-anchored or percutaneous implant options remain limited. Surface roughness is known to influence cell adhesion and proliferation; thus, three titanium samples were produced with different surface finishes: non-polished (NP), matte polished (MaP), and mirror polished (MiP). Comparative analyses were conducted via cell metabolic activity, cytotoxicity, and immunocytochemistry assays with adult normal human dermal fibroblasts (NHDFs). No significant difference in NHDF metabolic activity was observed ( $$p> 0.8845$$ ), and the cytotoxicity results revealed no toxicity ( $$p> 0.9999$$ ) between the surfaces. Collagen type I expression was 568.86 ± 88.12, 433.26 ± 147.02, and 681.52 ± 86.14 $$\mu m^2$$ for NP, MaP, and MiP, respectively, whereas it was 544.54 ± 110.69 $$\mu m^2$$ in the controls ( $$p> 0.2193$$ ). Fibronectin-positive areas were 438.24 ± 109.05, 336.97 ± 80.22, and 311.62 ± 88.66 $$\mu m^2$$ for NP, MaP, and MiP, respectively, while they were 318.82 ± 52.56 $$\mu m^2$$ for the controls ( $$p> 0.0507$$ ). The results indicate that surface roughness (Ra) did not significantly affect cell proliferation, cytotoxicity, or ECM protein expression. Thus, under these in vitro conditions, we observed no detectable detrimental effect of surface roughness on fibroblast metabolic activity, cytotoxicity, or ECM protein expression, suggesting that extensive polishing steps may not be essential for achieving cytocompatibility of Ti-6Al-4V mesh components in devices designed for stoma patients, although further preclinical studies are required before any clinical recommendations can be made.

Ohm’s law of electromagnetic ideal fluids: impedance-governed supercoupling in complex near-zero-index networks

Abstract Supercoupling in near-zero-index (NZI) media enables geometry-insensitive electromagnetic (EM) transport through narrow channels with near-zero phase delay. However, most studies have focused on single-channel, point-to-point configurations, leaving EM power-flow distribution in complex structures largely unexplored. Here we extend NZI supercoupling to complex structures and show that EM power flow follows a passive, deterministic, and quasi-static distribution governed by boundary conditions and impedance contrasts, with PEC-terminated branches carrying no propagating power flow. We interpret this behavior using a pressure-driven flow analogy and directly visualize it in a waveguide-emulated plasmonic platform with photonic doping. This quasi-static power-flow distribution follows an “Ohm’s law of ideal EM power flow”, where the potential is set by boundary conditions and the effective impedance by each branch’s length-to-width ratio. Beyond the physical interpretation, our results suggest an impedance-designed approach to passive multi-port EM interconnects, offering insights for NZI physics and on-chip networks at millimeter-wave and terahertz frequencies.

Metallodielectric photonic glass paints enable hyperchromatic, angle-independent structural color across the full visible spectrum

Colloidal photonic glasses are attractive as dye-free, solution-processable pigments that show weak angle dependence, but their red hues are notoriously washed out, because single-particle Rayleigh/Mie scattering produces a strong blue background (form factor). Here, we report metallodielectric photonic glass paints that deliver hyperchromatic structural colors, including vivid angle-independent red. We disperse monodisperse Au@SiO 2 core–shell colloids at 34 vol% in a photocurable, refractive-index-matched ethoxylated trimethylolpropane triacrylate resin. The Au core introduces selective absorption below ~500 nm wavelength, suppressing form factor scattering that would otherwise leak blue light, while index matching sharpens the structure factor-driven reflection by reducing diffuse multiple scattering. A modified Monte Carlo multiple-scattering model predicts spectral narrowing only when both effects are combined. Derjaguin, Landau, Verwey, and Overbeek calculations and Langevin molecular-dynamics simulations reveal that Au-enhanced van der Waals attraction favors reaction-limited crystallization; adding NaCl reduces the Debye length and switches assembly to diffusion-limited aggregation, yielding amorphous short-range order. After ultraviolet (UV) curing into ~100 µm-thick films, the resulting photonic glasses exhibit bright, angle-independent structural colors across the visible range through particle-size tuning. In particular, 230 nm Au@SiO 2 colloidal glasses show a reflectance band confined to 600 to 800 nm wavelengths, producing a saturated red with minimal blue leakage. Because the precursor is a stable liquid resin, the photonic glasses can be freehand-painted to create large-area coatings and fine graphics with high brightness even under sunlight. This work establishes design rules for completing the structural color palette in photonic glasses and provides a practical route to structural color paints.

Expanding diversity of tick-borne phleboviruses (Phlebovirus mukawaense, Mudanjiang phlebovirus, Gomselga Virus, and Onega tick phlebovirus) in Russia

Tick-borne phleboviruses represent emerging pathogens with zoonotic potential, yet their distribution across Asian Russia remains poorly characterized. This study investigated the prevalence, genetic diversity, and evolutionary dynamics of phleboviruses in 1,078 individual Ixodes persulcatus ticks collected from 143 locations across Asian Russia during summer 2023. Samples underwent PCR screening, high-throughput sequencing for genome reconstruction, phylogenetic analysis, and AlphaFold protein structural modeling. We detected 27 phleboviral isolates belonging to Phlebovirus mukawaense (MKWV), Mudanjiang phlebovirus, Onega tick phlebovirus, and Gomselga virus , with prevalence rates of 0.6%, 0.1%, 0.3%, and 1.5%, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis suggested Gomselga virus belongs within the MKWV species complex. Complete coding sequences of Russian MKWV isolates enabled high-confidence structural predictions for key proteins. The predicted tertiary structure of the MKWV nucleoprotein exhibits strong similarity to those of Rift Valley fever virus and Toscana virus, despite limited sequence identity. The MKWV nucleoprotein features a conserved globular core with a well-defined RNA-binding cleft. Segment-specific phylogenetic incongruence among Primorsky MKWV isolates indicated potential reassortment events. Additionally, coinfections involving MKWV and Alongshan virus, Borrelia miyamotoi , or Rickettsia spp. were identified. These findings significantly expand the known geographic range and genetic diversity of tick-borne phleboviruses in Russia. The integration of genomic and structural data provides a robust framework for functional annotation and highlights the evolutionary stability of essential viral domains. Further research should focus on virus isolation and investigating antigenic properties and replication capacity in mammalian cells.