Browse Articles

Research on a fuzzy programming model and algorithm for berth allocation considering time-varying water depth

Hydrodynamic and water quality simulation of Yangzonghai Lake, Southwest China, using the two-dimensional CE-QUAL-W2 model

Damping behavior of adaptable shoe under torsional loading at varying angular velocities: replicating the effects on cutting maneuvers

Modeling roles and trade-offs in multiplex networks

High-resolution, high-throughput detection of hidden antibiotic resistance with the dilution-and-delay (DnD) susceptibility assay

Abstract Rising rates of antibiotic treatment failure highlight the complexity of resistance mechanisms. While genetically encoded resistance is well established, recent clinical studies have uncovered noncanonical mechanisms driven by phenotypic heterogeneity, such as heteroresistance, persistence, or adaptive resistance. Yet, standard susceptibility tests lack the resolution or throughput to detect these diverse phenotypic mechanisms. To address these limitations, we develop a scalable, high-resolution assay—Dilution-and-Delay (DnD)—by implementing two basic principles of bacterial growth. DnD detects rare drug-insensitive cells at frequencies as low as 1 in 100 million, while also reporting bulk population inhibition as the conventional MIC. We demonstrate this capability across synthetic communities, heteroresistance, persistence, and evolutionary progression. These high-resolution data expose how traditional susceptibility assays are constrained by statistical detection limits. Scaling up DnD for high-throughput application to ~120 clinical isolates reveals that under-the-radar multidrug resistance or tolerance is common. By combining resolution with scalability, DnD provides an advanced platform for antibiotic susceptibility testing with broad impact on basic research, clinical practice, and epidemiological surveillance. It supports a new framework for measuring, defining, and understanding antibiotic resistance.

Cryo-ET comparison of the hierarchical ultrastructure of silkworm, spider, and artificial silk fibers

Frequency-division routing via spin–refractive-index locking

Direct oxidative carbonylation of methane to acetic acid via high-valent iron-oxo mediated water activation

Abstract Direct conversion of CH 4 into value-added chemicals is impeded by the inert C-H bonds and inefficient C-C coupling. We report a spatially separated Rh-O-Fe active-site architecture that decouples CH 4 and H 2 O activation through a high-valent-metal mediated radical mechanism, enabling selective CH 3 COOH synthesis. In-situ infrared, operando Mössbauer spectroscopy, and quasi in-situ high-field EPR reveal that O 2 oxidizes Rh and Fe to high valence states. Rh (III) activates CH 4 to •CH 3 , while Fe (IV)  = O dissociates H 2 O into •OH through a truncated water-gas shift pathway. •OH rapidly reacts with CO to form •COOH intermediates, which couples with •CH 3 within the zeolite to yield CH 3 COOH. This dual-site strategy circumvents kinetic limits of conventional water-gas shift and CO insertion steps. The catalyst achieves 18.2 mmol g cat -1 h -1 CH 3 COOH with 92% selectivity and 100-hour stability in continuous operation. This study establishes radical decoupling enabled by high-valent metal sites as a design principle for selective alkane oxidation.

Perivascular mesenchymal cells instruct ST2+ reparative macrophages to promote endovascular injury-induced neointimal hyperplasia in mice

Spatio-spectral light-by-light moulding in multimode fibre

Mapping global avian influenza risk patterns through waterbird activity entropy

Estimating firms' emissions from asset level data helps revealing (mis)alignment to net zero targets

Abstract We develop a bottom-up methodology to estimate companies’ (mis)alignment to net-zero scenarios. The approach relies on asset-level data for individual production units, enabling a detailed estimation of corporate emissions trajectories. We apply the methodology to the steel sector globally and find that companies’ projected emissions for 2030 exceed those implied by the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) Net Zero Emissions (NZE) scenario by between 10% and 22%, depending on the assumptions about the future evolution of emission factors of steel production. Further, we find that projected emissions for 2030 exceed companies’ aggregate stated targets, even under the optimistic assumption of electricity supply decarbonization rate following the net-zero scenario, with the gap primarily driven by the largest steel companies. Our results show that a bottom-up asset-level approach allows for a reality check of companies’ contributions to national decarbonization plans. This, in turn, is crucial to inform more targeted industrial policies for decarbonization, and regulatory disclosure.

Electric double layer structure in concentrated aqueous solution

Ballistic transport in nanodevices based on single-crystalline Cu thin films

In-situ recomposition of polyethyleneimine additive enables a multiprocess long-lifetime thermocell

A human cerebral organoid model of West Nile virus encephalitis shows innate immunocompetency

Abstract West Nile virus (WNV), an arbovirus of emerging global interest, can cause neuroinvasive disease in humans. Currently, no protective vaccine or specific treatment is available for human WNV encephalitis. The virus induces neuronal cell death, while astrocytes and microglia cells are suspected to contribute to WNV pathology. Hence, understanding their role is crucial for future treatment approaches. In this study, we establish a WNV encephalitis model using human cerebral organoids, generated with male iPSCs. Infection results in heterogeneous kinetics with an early strong replication potentially leading to viral clearance, while a late peak was associated with more long-term infection. Viral foci are seen in cortical-like areas, rich in neurons and astrocytes, however void of microglia. Pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, TNF-α, IL-18), chemokines (CXCL10, CCL17, CX3CL1, CCL2) and biomarkers (IL-1RA, sTREM-1, sRAGE, BDNF) are increasingly released. Conclusively, human cerebral organoids make suitable WNV encephalitis models with valuable properties to study acute and long-term infection.

DNA Repair gene alterations and efficacy from gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel with/without durvalumab and tremelimumab in metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

Coupling programmable shape morphing and solvent-fueled propulsion in a soft bicontinuous composite

Evaluating LLMs' divergent thinking capabilities for scientific idea generation with minimal context

Reversible On/Off Switching of Ferroelectricity in a Molecular FeCo Prussian Blue Analogue with Multiple Control

Abstract Polar molecule-based magnetic materials capable of multistate switching have garnered significant interest for their potential applications in next-generation memory devices, sensors, and energy conversion. Among such materials, Prussian blue analogs that exhibit electron transfer–coupled spin transition (ETCST) behavior stand out due to their unique switching properties. In this study, we report a trinuclear cyanide-bridged FeCo compound ( 1 ) that exhibits photo- and thermo-induced ferroelectric phase transition via ETCST mechanism. Notably, this FeCo complex also demonstrates a quenching effect, whereby a non-polar state is trapped as a metastable state at low temperature, allowing the polarization control via the cooling rate variations. In addition, reversible single-crystal-to-single-crystal transformation via the desorption and absorption of solvent molecules are observed. The EtOH-removed FeCo compound ( 1’ ) loses its ferroelectricity, revealing that the ferroelectric phase transition can be modulated by dynamic desorption/adsorption of the guest molecule. These findings advance the design of functional ferroelectric materials with multistate switching capabilities, offering potential for future applications in contactless memory devices and beyond.