Browse Articles

VN1K is a pangenome-informed multi-omics and phenomics resource for the Vietnamese population

Toward a Comparable Reactivity Framework for Type I Photoinitiators in Photocleavage, Photopolymerization and Light-Driven Additive Manufacturing

Preclinical characterization of a reversible XPO1 inhibitor for cancer therapy

Controlled Amine-Borane Dehydropolymerization Enabled by Mechanistic Insight Using the Ir( ^t Bu-POCOP)H ₂ Catalyst

Near-unity near-infrared emission from Mo6 cluster doped hybrid halide glasses via halide-ligand and matrix engineering

Abstract Efficient and air-stable near-infrared emitters are needed for compact optical systems, but translating highly emissive molecular triplet emitters into processable bulk solids remains challenging because aggregation, molecular motion and oxygen deactivate long-lived excited states. Here we show that a molecular hybrid halide glass can serve as a protective and regulating host for the triplet emission of molybdenum cluster. By comparing isostructural cluster salts with chloride, bromide and iodide terminal ligands, we establish how apical halide chemistry controls electronic structure and near-infrared radiative dynamics. The chloride-terminated cluster shows the highest efficiency among the molecular salts. When incorporated into a cadmium chloride-based molecular hybrid glass, the clusters become molecularly dispersed, while matrix-dictated halide redistribution and amorphous confinement suppress aggregation, vibrational deactivation and oxygen accessibility. The optimized glass achieves 96.95% internal quantum efficiency and 91.43% external quantum efficiency in air, enabling compact near-infrared illumination for imaging applications.

Early phase of shock formation in pair plasma colliding with electron–proton plasma

Abstract We investigate the collisionless interaction between an electron–positron pair plasma and a magnetized electron–proton plasma using a three-dimensional particle-in-cell simulation. Our aim is to resolve the early stage of the formation of a discontinuity separating the inner cocoon formed by shocked pair plasma from the outer cocoon in relativistic jets and pair-plasma winds. An initially unmagnetized pair plasma impacts a background plasma permeated by a magnetic field perpendicular to the collision direction. The relative speed is 60% of the speed of light. The drift of electrons and positrons along the sharp, initially planar magnetic boundary destabilizes the boundary, fragmenting it into an ensemble of magnetic flux tubes. The magnetically reflected pair plasma then drives a strong, mildly relativistic shock mediated by the filamentation instability in front of the boundary. The heated and compressed pair plasma pushes the flux tubes deeper into the electron–proton plasma. The electric fields induced by the moving flux tubes and by the unequal densities of electrons and positrons behind the boundary accelerate ambient protons. The simulation resolves the intrinsic spatial and temporal scales governing flux-tube formation and pair shock evolution, providing quantitative guidance for laboratory laser–plasma experiments while directly informing models of astrophysical shocks.

Membrane remodeling by the collective action of caveolin-1

Interfacial Nucleation Pathways Governing Polymorph Selection Revealed by Synchrotron-Based <i>In Situ</i> GIWAXS and Molecular Simulations

A dual-tier plasmid network model underpins the evolutionary success of pandemic Klebsiella pneumoniae ST11

Abstract The convergence of antimicrobial resistance and hypervirulence in high-risk Klebsiella pneumoniae clones represents a major public health threat. However, evolutionary mechanisms enabling specific lineages to achieve pandemic dominance remain unclear. In this study, we integrated pangenomics and network analysis across 1,010 complete genomes from 38 countries. Species-wide dynamics revealed an extremely open pangenome (α = 0.59). In contrast, the dominant ST11 lineage, representing 30% of isolates, exhibited extremely low within-lineage phylogenetic diversity, consistent with a recent clonal expansion concentrated in East Asia. The East Asian ST11 lineage exhibited the lowest pangenome diversity (α = 0.86) associated with fixation of persistence and plasmid-stabilization systems and purging of redundant defense mechanisms. This configuration sustains a dual-tier plasmid network comprising a lineage-anchored IncFII(pHN7A8) replicon for vertical stability alongside high-connectivity hubs such as IncFIB(K) facilitating horizontal gene transfer. Chromosomal integration and tandem amplification of key resistance determinants ( blaK PC−2 , bla CTX−M−15 ) further reinforced this architecture. Consequently, 34.2% of isolates exhibited convergence of carbapenem resistance and hypervirulence. Within the East Asian ST11 clade, two dominant sub-lineages emerged: KL47:O13 (25.5%) and KL64:O2α (72%). Despite lower IncFII(pHN7A8) penetrance, KL64 became the dominant sub-lineage, indicating that factors beyond plasmid carriage, possibly including surface antigen properties, contribute to its epidemiological success. These findings indicate that ST11 success arises from synergy between species-wide pangenome openness and lineage-specific genomic optimization, and highlight plasmid network topology as a complementary framework for genomic surveillance of adaptive clonal expansion.

Adding flexibility to payments for environmental services enhances cost-effectiveness in the Brazilian Amazon

Abnormal Multistep Charge Transfer in a 2D Single-Crystalline Covalent Organic Framework Photocatalyst

Beyond vehicle electrification: a global analysis of reported city actions to reduce car use

Abstract A transition to electric vehicles will reduce carbon emissions but risks leaving wider harms associated with car dependency unresolved. Using the Avoid-Shift-Improve (ASI) Framework to analyse Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) data we find a gap between global climate goals and local transport delivery. Of the 791 cities reporting to the CDP in 2022, 42% reported no transport actions and a further 13% reported only vehicle electrification (Improve) actions. We group cities according to reported number of Avoid or Shift (A-S) categories of action to reduce car use and ownership. Cities reporting across a higher number of A-S categories (High A-S) to avoid car trips and shift to sustainable modes were found more likely to have been awarded A-List status by the CDP for exceptional climate leadership. To explore the self-reported CDP data further we interviewed senior transport practitioners working in 16 cities across high, medium and low A-S categories. Insights from interviews suggest that policy stability, political commitment to climate action and public engagement support implementation of more car reduction measures. Officers in High A-S cities associate successful implementation with durable sustainable transport policies and communication of the co-benefits of reducing car use. In contrast, officers in Low A-S cities describe challenges with policy volatility, lack of resources for engagement, and single benefit framing e.g. to address air pollution or congestion. These findings suggest that reducing car dependency in cities requires more than technological substitution and may depend on institutional capacity, policy continuity and public engagement.

Chirality induced by supramolecular self-assembly of fluorinated π-conjugated carbon dots for bright circularly polarized electroluminescent light-emitting diodes

Alternating Magnetic Field Promotes Ammonia Cracking by Disrupting the Sabatier Limitation of Ruthenium Catalytic Species

Non-ordinary states of consciousness evoked by breathwork correlate with improved heart-rate variability

Abstract High-ventilation breathwork is a breathing practice that involves deep, accelerated breathing over an extended duration (&gt; 15 min). Variants of this technique appear across diverse traditions, from Pranayama to Holotropic and Conscious-Connected breathwork (CCB), and have been reported to benefit physical and mental health, often by evoking non-ordinary states of consciousness. However, scientific research on the effects and mechanisms of high-ventilation breathwork is still in its infancy. This study examines the physiological and experiential effects of CCB. Specifically, we characterize subjective breathwork experiences using Natural Language Processing analyses of semi-structured phenomenological interviews, and relate them to changes in heart-rate variability. Finally, to disentangle the effects of the breathing technique itself from context effects, we tested whether accompanying the session with music altered its impact. Our findings show that CCB consistently triggers non-ordinary states of consciousness, intensifies emotional experience, and leads to reduced HRV during the session, but increased HRV post-session. Notably, this post-session increase in HRV was larger for subjects who experienced a wider range of emotions during the session, but not predicted by HRV fluctuations during the session. This suggests that post-session HRV improvements might be a product of emotional release (catharsis) rather than a purely physiological stress adaptation (hormesis, i.e., an adaptive improvement in function following time-limited, manageable physiological stress). Finally, none of these effects were significantly impacted by music, underscoring the central role of the breathing practice itself.

High-order photonic degeneracy enables topological reconfiguration in bound states in the continuum

Abstract Extreme suppression of free-space radiation in open planar photonic systems remains a long-standing goal in nanophotonics. Conventional bound states in the continuum (BICs), constrained by symmetry-protected or accidental singularities, restrict experimental Q - k scaling exponents to n  = 2-8 because ordinary bands lack sufficient degrees of freedom to host, redistribute or merge additional radiation-suppressing singularities. Here we demonstrate a degeneracy-driven topological-reconfiguration mechanism: an E 2 -type high-order degeneracy at Γ acts as a multi-charge reservoir, enabling controlled release, inversion and merging of topological charges under symmetry breaking. This unlocks a Q ∝ k −10 radiation-suppression regime in a single-layer all-dielectric metasurface. Experimentally, we realize ultrahigh free-space Q-factors with 3% geometric robustness and a maximum Q of 1.1 × 10 6 . A 100-pixel array exploiting these resonances demonstrates picometre-scale spectral discrimination by resolving ultranarrow H 13 C 14 N absorption lines. These results establish high-order-degeneracy-enabled BIC physics for robust ultrahigh-Q photonics and precision free-space spectroscopy.

The Selective Routing of Plasmonic Interface Charge Transfer in Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy or Chemical Reaction

On the origin of the effect of silent articulation on speech perception

AI digital pathology as a key tool providing in-depth understanding of the progression and regression of MASH and fibrosis in male mouse models

Abstract Optimizing murine models for studying Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatohepatitis (MASH) and fibrosis is crucial for understanding disease mechanisms and evaluating therapies. In this study, we characterized diet-induced male murine models of MASH and liver fibrosis using an AI-digital pathology (DP) pipeline for zone-specific analysis and spatial (co)-localization of key MASH features within the liver microarchitecture, providing insights beyond standard histology. Model characterization included an integrative omics-based approach, standard blood-chemistry, and traditional histology. AI-DP revealed previously unknown temporal events leading to MASH, emphasizing the interplay between inflammation and dysmetabolism in disease progression. We also noted distinct morphometric characteristics of granulomas and their correlation with fibrosis. In efficacy studies of clinically-validated treatments, Semaglutide (GLP-1RA), Resmetirom (THRβ-agonist), and MK-4074 (Acetyl-CoA-carboxylase inhibitor), AI-DP demonstrated differential effects on macrosteatosis, microsteatosis, and colocalized fibrosis. Overall, integrating AI enables identification of fit-for-purpose disease models for therapeutic testing, and facilitates robust preclinical study designs for advancing effective therapeutic strategies.

A Robust Carbon Overlayer as Hydrogen Spillover Highway and CO-Binding Barrier Enhances Reverse Water–Gas Shift