Browse Articles

Synthetic Microbial Ecosystems for Stable Flow Biocatalysis

ABSTRACT Constructing living materials with microbial consortia represents an emerging approach for creating life‐like functional systems; however, the spatiotemporal orchestration of the activities across diverse species remains a major challenge. Yu et al. address this with a 3D‐printable hydrogel matrix that embeds phase‐separated aqueous microdroplets for microbial compartmentalization, enabling sustained biocatalysis under continuous flow ( https://doi.org/10.1002/anov.70015 ).

Towards a more reliable assessment of aortic diameters using a Bayesian Z-score

Rapid Discrimination of Single‐Virus Entry Pathways via a Bioorthogonal Activatable Fluorescent Probe

ABSTRACT Viral transmembrane entry is a critical yet heterogeneous process that governs infectivity and pathogenesis. However, directly distinguishing virus attachment from internalization and resolving distinct entry mechanisms in real time at the single‐virus level remains challenging. Here, we introduce a Bioorthogonal Click‐Activatable Viral Labeling (CAVL) system for spatiotemporally resolved visualization of viral entry dynamics. This approach combines a membrane‐anchored, tetrazine‐quenched BODIPY probe (BDP‐Tz‐MAL) with viral particles dually labeled with trans‐cyclooctene (TCO) on their surface and quantum dots (QDs) within their core. Virus–cell contact triggers a rapid inverse electron‐demand Diels–Alder (iEDDA) reaction, generating a turn‐on fluorescence signal exclusively during transmembrane entry. By integrating this activatable signal with a persistent internal QDs label, we achieve real‐time discrimination of endocytic and non‐endocytic entry pathways at single‐particle resolution. The CAVL platform operates without genetic modification, applies to diverse enveloped and non‐enveloped viruses, and provides a quantitative, background‐suppressed strategy for elucidating viral entry mechanisms across broad biological contexts.

A novel superpixel based Vision Transformer for improving interpretability in glaucoma screening

A novel quantum convolutional neural network framework for quantum-enhanced classification of pixelated colour images

The Nonadiabatic Nature of the Substituent Effects in Azobenzene

ABSTRACT The mechanism of thermal Z → E isomerization in azobenzenes has been debated for nearly a century, with inversion, rotation, and nonadiabatic pathways proposed to account for the nonlinear substituent dependence of the reaction rate. Here, we combine systematic kinetic analysis with temperature‐dependent Eyring and isokinetic evaluations to experimentally evaluate the origin of this behavior. A series of para ‐substituted azobenzenes exhibits uniformly negative entropies of activation, suggesting a single nonadiabatic rotational mechanism is operative across all substituents. We found that the characteristic “V‐shaped” Hammett correlation of azobenzene arises not from a mechanistic change, but from the inadequacy of the σ p scale to describe the stabilization of the open‐shell, diradicaloid species involved in the nonadiabatic pathway. The Creary σ· radical parameter restores linearity, confirming that both electron‐donating and electron‐withdrawing substituents increase the reaction rate, stabilizing the diradicaloid species. Complementary calculations using different multireference spin‐flip and single‐reference approaches reproduce the experimental trends and support the predominance of the nonadiabatic pathway, whereas density functional theory (DFT) systematically fails to reproduce these trends.

Unraveling aerotolerancy of campylobacter jejuni and campylobacter coli using a transcriptomic approach

ENSO-modulated heat source and moisture sink of Asian monsoon and its impact on rice production

Multiscale Engineering of PEO Electrolytes for High‐Voltage and Ultrastable Solid‐State Lithium Batteries With Exceptional Room‐Temperature Performance

ABSTRACT Poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) electrolytes show significant promise for flexible solid‐state batteries, yet face insufficient ion transport kinetics and interfacial stability. Herein, we propose a multiscale engineering that synergistically modulates both macro‐mesoscopic polymer architectures and microscopic solvation configurations by incorporating poly(ethylene oxide)‐poly(2‐dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate) nitrate (PEG‐PDMAEMAH + ·NO 3 − ) additives. The introduced polycationic chains effectively disrupt PEO crystallinity, promote segmental motion and enhance the solubility of NO 3 − . Importantly, NO 3 − with high donor number can competitively coordinate with Li + , weakening the ethylene oxide‐Li + chelation and thereby boosting bulk Li + mobility. The resulting anion‐rich solvation structure lowers the desolvation energy barrier and fosters the formation of robust, highly conductive inorganic‐rich solid electrolyte interlayers at both the cathode and anode, which enhances the interfacial kinetics and high‐voltage tolerance. Consequently, the engineered PEO electrolyte enables lithium metal batteries to operate stably at near‐room temperature (30°C) without liquid plasticizers. Correspondingly, the 4.3 V LiNi 0.8 Co 0.1 Mn 0.1 O 2 cell achieves stable cycling over 500 cycles at 0.2 C with a high capacity retention (82.7%), while the LiFePO 4 cell maintains stable operation for 1200 cycles at 0.5 C (30°C). The proposed strategy creates an avenue to accelerate the eventual commercialization of the polymer electrolytes for solid‐state lithium batteries.

Friction properties of 5PK belt made by various manufacturers

Targeted Formation of Bidentate Carbonates at Alkaline Sites for Efficient CO ₂ Photomethanation

ABSTRACT Precise design of active sites is crucial for developing highly efficient and selective catalysts. However, in CO 2 conversion, the lack of systematic evaluation of CO 2 promoters and more importantly the atomic‐level understanding of their interactions has limited the continuous progress of CO 2 ‐conversion catalysts. Here, we present a CoAl oxide modified with tailored functional sites and employ CO 2 photomethanation as a model reaction to probe the interactions between reactants and active sites. Specifically, experimental and theoretical results elucidate that the promotion effects of alkaline sites (Li, Na, K, and Cs) originate from their ability to activate CO 2 into effective species of bidentate carbonates (b‐CO 3 *). Meanwhile, the introduced Ru species enable the heterolytic H 2 dissociation and the as‐formed H δ− species, then efficiently drive the successive hydrogenation of b‐CO 3 * intermediates into CH 4 . Based on this targeted activation of CO 2 into b‐CO 3 * (and H 2 into H δ− ), the catalyst delivers an excellent single‐pass CO 2 conversion of ∼77% and CH 4 selectivity of ∼97.7% at a WHSV of 30,000 mL g cat −1 h −1 (2.6 W cm −2 irradiation), with stable operation for nearly 400 h. This work provides valuable insights into targeted activation of CO 2 and offers a new perspective for CO 2 conversion into value‐added chemicals.

Sustained decline in healthcare-associated infections despite stabilized antimicrobial use: a 10-year study in Southwestern China

Hydrogen Activation via Dihydride Formation on a Rh ₁ /Fe ₃ O ₄ (001) Single‐Atom Catalyst

ABSTRACT Hydrogen activation is a key elementary step in catalytic hydrogenation. In heterogeneous catalysis, it usually proceeds through dissociative adsorption on metal nanoparticles followed by surface diffusion or spillover, whereas homogeneous catalysts activate H 2 through dihydride or dihydrogen intermediates at a single metal center. Here, we show that isolated Rh adatoms supported on Fe 3 O 4 (001) activate hydrogen through formation of a stable dihydride species without atomic H spillover. Temperature‐programmed desorption, x‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and scanning tunneling microscopy collectively reveal strong (≈1 eV) hydrogen adsorption exclusively at isolated Rh 1 sites, while isotope‐exchange experiments further demonstrate that hydrogen remains localized. Density‐functional theory‐based calculations indicate a barrierless conversion from molecular H 2 to the dihydride, and random‐phase approximation calculations further confirm the relative stability of the dihydride. Together, these results show that single‐atom Rh sites cleave hydrogen through a dihydride pathway analogous to homogeneous complexes, establishing a mechanistic bridge between homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis.

Mechanical tunability of oriented and random electrospun poly(ε-caprolactone) scaffolds via concentration, molecular weight, and environment

Abstract Achieving precise mechanical control in electrospun fibrous scaffolds remains a critical challenge for tissue engineering, where scaffold stiffness, strength, and extensibility must be tailored to diverse biological environments. Here, we establish a systematic framework for tuning the mechanical behavior of electrospun poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) fibers by integrating molecular-weight blending, polymer concentration control, fiber orientation, and environmental exposure within a single study. High-molecular-weight PCL (H-PCL) and blends with low-molecular-weight PCL (L-PCL) were electrospun to produce fibers with controlled diameters, morphologies, and orientations. Fiber alignment emerged as the dominant structural factor governing mechanical performance: oriented fibers exhibited substantially higher stiffness (~ 90–140 MPa) and tensile strength (up to ~ 100 MPa), while randomly deposited fibers showed markedly greater extensibility (up to ~ 1000%). Polymer concentration and resulting fiber diameter further modulated stiffness, with optimal mechanical performance observed at intermediate concentrations (~ 10–12% w/v). Molecular-weight blending provided an additional route to tailor fiber morphology and modulus, with oriented fibers reaching peak stiffness at ~ 50–60% H-PCL. Environmental exposure studies revealed that acidic treatments (formic and acetic acid solutions) reduce stiffness in a concentration- and temperature-dependent manner, whereas physiological soaking in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS, 37 °C) largely preserves scaffold integrity. Collectively, the electrospun scaffolds developed here span a broad mechanical window (~ 5–140 MPa). When positioned against literature-reported electrospun PCL scaffolds for cardiac, bone, and muscle tissue engineering, this range bridges multiple application-relevant stiffness regimes. These results provide a unified structure–property framework for designing mechanically tunable PCL fibrous scaffolds across diverse biomedical applications.

Symmetry driven altermagnetic spin splitting in hexagonal CrTe from first principles

Sequence‐Defined Oligourethane Isomeric Mixtures for Irreversible Encryption

ABSTRACT Sequence‐defined polymers (SDPs) offer a promising molecular medium for information storage and encryption, yet current strategies for enhancing security typically depend on extending chain length or increasing monomer diversity—approaches that impose substantial synthetic complexity. Here, we introduce a fundamentally different encryption mechanism based on isomeric mixtures of sequence‐defined oligourethanes (SDOs). Because isomeric SDOs share identical molecular weights, their mixtures collapse into a single peak in primary MALDI‐TOF MS, concealing compositional identity. More critically, tandem MS fragmentation generates multiple degenerate decoding paths, preventing reconstruction of the original mixture and establishing an intrinsically one‐way, irreversible molecular encryption process. Using four octameric isomers as a proof‐of‐concept system, we further integrate these mixtures into CMYK molecular digital inks that enable direct printing and secure information transmission. Encrypted messages can be retrieved only through a bespoke MS/MS decoding algorithm coupled with a predefined ASCII‐mapping scheme. This work introduces isomeric oligomer mixtures as a new class of molecular cryptographic media, bridging chemical design with information theory and offering a scalable platform for next‐generation data security and anti‐counterfeiting technologies.

A physics-informed machine learning framework for predicting and mitigating doxorubicin nanocarrier toxicity in normal cells

Energy‐Level‐Selective Dye Sensitization Enables Enhanced Ultraviolet Upconversion Emission

ABSTRACT Ultraviolet (UV) upconversion emission is attractive because high‐energy photons can initiate photophysical and photochemical transformations that are inaccessible with longer‐wavelength irradiation. However, conventional Yb 3+ ‐sensitized upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) exhibit intrinsically weak 4f‐4f absorption and significant energy dispersion among multiple energy levels, limiting their ability to generate intense, spectrally focused UV emission. Here, we introduce a direct dye‐sensitization strategy that dramatically enhances Tm 3 + ‐based UV upconversion emission. Using cyanine dye Cy5 as a molecular antenna, 635 nm excitation selectively populates the Tm 3+ 1 D 2 state, yielding intense emission at 361 and 451 nm. Mechanistic studies revealed a direct energy transfer from photo‐excited Cy5 to Tm 3+ , in which a 3 F 2,3 ‐mediated two‐photon upconversion process efficiently populates the 1 D 2 level. Subsequent radiative relaxation generates well‐defined UV and blue emissions. Compared with conventional 980 nm excitation, this dye‐sensitized Tm 3+ UV emission shows a three‐orders‐of‐magnitude enhancement from ultrasmall ∼7 nm UCNPs. Furthermore, we demonstrated that Cy5 sensitized Tm 3+ UV emission can facilitate the photochemical reaction in a microreactor, underscoring its practical utility. This generalizable approach provides a versatile platform for creating bright, spectrally concentrated UV upconversion systems for photochemical, photocatalytic, and photonic applications.

Synergistic anticancer activity of frankincense aqueous extract with sorafenib in HepG2 cells and its UHPLC–QTOF–MS/MS-based metabolomic profiling

Abstract Liver cancer remains a major global health challenge, with limited therapeutic options for advanced stages. Sorafenib, the standard first-line systemic therapy, provides only modest survival benefits and is frequently associated with drug resistance and adverse effects, necessitating the exploration of safer and more effective combination therapies. Frankincense, the olibanum gum resin from Boswellia sacra Flück.(Burseraceae), has long been used as a traditional medicinal remedy and is known to target multiple biological pathways, with diverse therapeutic activities. Owing to its reported multi-target anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and pro-apoptotic properties, frankincense represents a promising candidate for combination therapy aimed at enhancing sorafenib efficacy while potentially reducing required doses and associated toxicity. This study aimed to evaluate the cytotoxic activity of frankincense aqueous extract (FrAE) alone and in combination with sorafenib (SOR) against the hepatoblastoma cell line HepG2. Phytochemical analysis tentatively identified five diterpenoids and sixteen triterpenoids in FrAE. Both FrAE and SOR exhibited dose-dependent cytotoxicity, and their combination selectively enhanced cytotoxic effects, reducing the effective concentration of SOR and demonstrating strong synergism (CI = 0.298). Mechanistically, the combination induced integrated anticancer effects characterized by enhanced apoptosis and necrosis, activation of autophagic signaling, and marked inhibition of HepG2 cell migration, accompanied by cell cycle disruption across multiple phases. Molecular docking further supported these findings by demonstrating favorable binding of FrAE-derived terpenoids to key apoptotic (BCL-2, p53) and autophagic (mTOR, LC3C) regulators. Collectively, these findings suggest that the aqueous extract of frankincense enhances the anticancer efficacy of sorafenib, representing a promising adjuvant strategy for the management of liver cancer.

Localized Surface Plasmon Resonance Effect for Near Full‐Spectrum Photo‐Enhanced Osmotic Energy Harvesting

ABSTRACT Photoresponsive nanofluidics hold great promise for osmotic energy conversion, leveraging the photo‐electro‐ion transport conversion process. However, conventional semiconductor‐based nanofluidics, which only rely on intrinsic interband transition, constrain the absorption range of light for performance enhancements. Here, we have developed a plasmonic semiconductive heterojunction nanofluidics (PSH‐NFs) by integrating a W 18 O 49 layer exhibiting strong localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR), with a hole‐trapping Co(OH) 2 layer. The synergy forms a type‐II heterojunction, specifically designed for near‐full‐spectrum light absorption. Under simulated standard sunlight irradiation, the synergistic effect of LSPR‐generated hot electrons and separated photogenerated carriers at the heterojunction interface creates a significantly enhanced surface potential gradient, ensuring a high ion selectivity of 0.93. Furthermore, the directional alignment of these photogenerated carrier transport with the diffusion of cation markedly improves interfacial ion transport efficiency, leading to a substantially increased ionic flux, in agreement with theoretical calculations. Consequently, the PSH‐NFs deliver a power density of 36.4 W m −2 , which is a 58.3% increase over non‐irradiated conditions and surpasses the performance of reported photoresponsive nanofluidics. The generated electricity can be effectively used to power electronic devices via a photoregulated procedure.