Browse Articles

Dual-space visible light authentication toward high security physical unclonable function

Abstract Random pattern generation by nondeterministic self-assembly offers physical unclonable function (PUF) for hardware-based information security system. However, authenticating intricate signals from randomized disordered structures is challenging without time-consuming, expensive characterization. Here, we present easily authenticatable, highly secure self-assembly-based PUF system enabled by synergistic authentication mechanism exploiting dual-space visible signals. Polycrystalline monolayer morphology of colloidal self-assembled pattern, consisting of a virtual 3D space defined by 2D spatial coordinates and crystal orientation, can be effectively authenticated by combining real-space Bragg reflection and reciprocal-space diffraction signals in visible wavelength regime. Notably, polycrystalline patterned structures composed of hexagonal close-packed colloidal grains are highly beneficial for practical PUF labels, while providing unpredictable reciprocal lattice information with a high degree of freedom for easy authentication with a vast number of encryption keys. Our PUF solely based on structural information can serve for versatile templates for mechanically flexible, renewable, concealable, medium-independent, and biocompatible purposes.

Bayesian neural networks with physics-based priors for robust battery health assessment

Abstract Accurate and uncertainty-aware health assessment of lithium-ion batteries is essential for ensuring the reliability, safety, and efficiency of energy storage systems. While data-driven methods provide strong predictive performance, they often lack interpretability and reliable uncertainty quantification, whereas physics-based models rely on accurate parameterization and may exhibit limited generalization. To address these challenges, this paper proposes a Bayesian neural network (Bayesian Neural Network (BNN)) framework incorporating physics-based priors derived from electrochemical battery simulations. These priors embed electrochemical domain knowledge directly into the Bayesian inference process via the Kullback–Leibler divergence term of the variational objective, providing a principled regularization mechanism that balances data fidelity with physical consistency. The proposed framework produces a physics-informed posterior predictive distribution and enables end-to-end uncertainty quantification. Its performance is evaluated on the publicly available NASA battery dataset and the Wenzhou Pack Degradation dataset, covering diverse discharge profiles, operating conditions, and battery scales. Across both datasets, the method consistently achieves improvements in predictive accuracy, probabilistic calibration, and robustness compared to standard BNNs with conventional priors and state-of-the-art physics-guided Bayesian approaches. These results highlight the effectiveness of physics-informed priors for reliable battery health prognostics across different chemistries and cell-to-pack validation settings, under controlled nominal operating conditions.

Oldest known Mars rock offers glimpse of planet’s watery youth

Teghaza meteorite hints at surprisingly Earth-like crust and shows Mars was already losing its water 4.1 billion years ago

Structural inequality shapes the daily rhythm of stationarity and mobility

Low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 1 and factor VIII are independent predictors of target vessel revascularization in myocardial infarction patients receiving PCSK9 inhibitors

Dose-dependent sensitivity of human three-dimensional chromatin to a heart disease–linked transcription factor

Dosage-sensitive transcription factors (TFs) underlie altered gene regulation in human developmental disorders, and cell type–specific gene regulation is linked to the reorganization of three-dimensional (3D) chromatin during cellular differentiation. In this work, we show dose-dependent regulation of chromatin organization by the congenital heart disease (CHD)–linked, lineage-restricted TF TBX5 in human cardiomyocyte differentiation. Genome organization, including compartments, topologically associated domains, and chromatin loops, was sensitive to reduced TBX5 dosage in a human model of CHD, with variations in response across individual cells. Cohesin binding was reduced at TBX5-bound enhancer elements in a TBX5 dose-dependent manner, providing a potential mechanism for disrupted loop formation. These results highlight the importance of lineage-restricted TF dosage in cell type–specific 3D chromatin dynamics, suggesting a mechanism for TF-dependent disease.

Author Correction: Integrative omics of the genetic basis for wheat WUE and drought resilience reveal the function of TaMYB7-A1

A multi-criteria economic and technical power optimization in intelligent off-electrical grid considering hybrid management of consumption and centralized participation of the hydrogen system

Invasive species’ environmental impacts are more severe in the Global South

Invasive alien species (IAS) are a major threat to biodiversity, yet their impact distribution remains poorly understood. Global biodiversity assessments suggest the highest impacts in wealthy countries of the Global North, but this is only inferred from IAS numbers, reflecting research bias. Using a new global database of standardized impact measures, we calculated average impact severity per country and found that it is higher in the Global South despite more than twice as many reports in the Global North. Weak governance and limited management capacity are the main drivers of high impact severity. Emerging economies with rapid economic growth but poor governance are particularly vulnerable. Failure to recognize the Global South as facing the highest IAS impacts diverts attention away from the most threatened regions.

A programmable living force sensor fabricated with surface engineered microbial network

Analysis of structure and dynamic characteristics for an electric tractor platform

Abstract The electrification of agricultural tractors introduces significant changes in vehicle architecture, mass distribution, and structural load paths. In particular, the transition from conventional diesel tractor platforms employing engine–axle integrated load-bearing structures to electrified configurations based on modular frame architectures requires a systematic evaluation of platform-level structural performance. This study presents a structural assessment of a modular electrified tractor platform through integrated analyses of structural strength, static stiffness, and free vibration characteristics. A fully integrated finite element model representing the electrified tractor platform was evaluated under representative worst-case loading conditions, including impact, braking, and implement-induced working loads. In addition, the evolution of dynamic characteristics was investigated through comparative modal analysis between progressively integrated electrified tractor platform models and a reference diesel tractor platform of the same power rating employing an engine–axle integrated structural architecture. The results reveal localized stress concentrations under severe impact- and braking-dominated load cases; however, the overall frame structure satisfies structural safety requirements for typical agricultural operating conditions. The stiffness evaluation confirms that the modular frame architecture provides sufficient resistance to global bending and torsional deformation despite the absence of a conventional engine block acting as a primary load-bearing component. Modal analysis indicates reduced dominant natural frequencies due to increased structural mass associated with electrification, while the primary vibration modes remain sufficiently separated from typical excitation sources encountered during agricultural operation. Overall, the findings demonstrate the structural feasibility of modular electrified tractor platforms and provide a structural design basis for future development of electrified agricultural machinery.

Protect and expand ocean observation systems

Multi-subunit collaboration enables Smc5/6 to function as a composite SUMO E3 complex

Abstract The SUMO E3 enzymes control the efficiency and specificity of protein SUMOylation, providing regulatory means for many cellular processes. While most SUMO E3s fulfill their roles as single proteins, the conserved Nse2 E3 is an obligatory subunit of the genome-protecting complex Smc5/6. How the Smc5/6 complex functions in SUMOylation and the roles of its non-SUMO E3 subunits in this process remain to be elucidated. Here we examine the budding yeast Smc5/6 in SUMOylation reactions and in cellular SUMOylation assays. Biochemical data show that DNA stimulates Smc5/6’s E3 activity by fostering enzyme and substrate proximity. Mutational analyses reveal that four non-SUMO E3 subunits utilize their DNA-binding abilities to support this stimulation. Moreover, ATP binding by SMC subunits favors SUMOylation by enhancing Smc5/6 association with DNA and chromatin and by enabling conformational changes. Our findings thus provide evidence for a specialized DNA- and ATP-stimulated composite SUMO E3 complex that uses inter-subunit collaboration to achieve efficient SUMOylation in genome regulation.

Qualitative attributes, nutritional traits and yield components of Calendula officinalis L.: response to liquid NPK fertilizer, humic acid, and moringa leaf extract

Reconfigurable mmWave microchips co-integrating hBN switches on GaN

University science in the US needs a coherent plan

The Trump administration continues to degrade America’s scientific establishment, causing widespread harm to the country’s broader interests and well-being. Last week, the Association of American Universities reported that graduate student enrollment in major research universities, which award half of all doctorate degrees in the United States, is down 15% compared to a year ago. And no wonder, considering the effect of recent immigration policies that deter international students and the financial uncertainties that universities are facing given the unpredictable nature of federal funding. The ability to support new doctoral students depends heavily on research grants, and any responsible administrator would be cautious about making commitments to students they can’t keep. This is discouraging to the scientific community but should be alarming to everyone.

Miniature Dungey-like cycle at Mars

Abstract With its non-uniform distribution of crustal magnetic fields, Mars exhibits complex and highly variable auroral patterns related to both planetary rotation and solar wind conditions. Using in situ electron, ion, and magnetic field data from the Mars Atmospheric and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) mission, we show that auroral processes associated with these small-scale crustal magnetic fields can be understood in terms of a miniature cycle of magnetic flux and plasma circulations that resemble a miniature version of what occurs at the Earth. However, at Earth, this Dungey cycle, named after its discoverer, operates in the presence of a global intrinsic dipole field with a strength approximately 100 times stronger and spatial scales roughly 20 times larger. From a universal perspective, the current finding adds an entry to the zoo of auroral concepts that enriches our understanding of the diversity of (exo)planetary plasma and our understanding of how planets interact with their space environments.

Toppling deformation mechanisms in layered rock slopes controlled by bedding dip angle

Human body single-cell atlas of three-dimensional genome organization and DNA methylation

Higher-order chromatin structure and DNA methylation are critical for gene regulation, but how these vary across the human body remains unclear. We performed multiomic profiling of three-dimensional (3D) genome structure and DNA methylation for 86,689 single nuclei across 16 tissues, identifying 35 major and 206 cell subtypes. We revealed extensive changes in CG and non-CG methylation across cell types and characterized 3D chromatin structure at an unprecedented cellular resolution. Extensive discrepancies exist between cell types delineated by DNA methylation and genome structure, which indicates that the role of distinct epigenomic features in maintaining cell identity may vary by lineage. This study expands our understanding of the diversity of DNA methylation and chromatin structure and offers a reference for exploring gene regulation in human health and disease.

Kinetic inductance of few-layer NbSe2 in the two-dimensional limit

Abstract Van der Waals (vdW) superconductors remain superconducting down to the monolayer limit, enabling the exploration of emergent physical phenomena and functionality driven by reduced dimensionality. Here, we report the characterization of the kinetic inductance of atomically thin NbSe 2 , a two-dimensional van der Waals superconductor, using superconducting coplanar waveguides and microwave measurement techniques familiar to circuit quantum electrodynamics (cQED). The kinetic inductance scales inversely with the number of NbSe 2 layers, reaching 1.2 nH/ □ in the monolayer limit. Furthermore, the measured kinetic inductance exhibits a thickness-dependent crossover from clean- to dirty-limit behavior, with enhanced dirty-limit contributions emerging in the ultra-thin regime. These effects are likely driven by increased surface scattering, multi-band superconductivity, and geometric confinement. Additionally, the self-Kerr nonlinearity of the NbSe 2 films ranges from K/2π = −0.006 to −14.7 Hz/photon, indicating its strong potential in applications requiring compact, nearly linear, high-inductance superconducting quantum devices and detectors. The fabrication and characterization techniques demonstrated here are extensible to the investigation of other two-dimensional superconductors.