Browse Articles

Deepest-ever rock core extracted from under Antarctic ice sheet

Incidence and risk factors of LUTS associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia among Chinese men: findings from the CHARLS cohort

Gear-like MOF microrobots for single cell mechanotransduction of microvilli

Fluid injection interruption causes temporary changes in local stress field and induced seismicity at Krafla caldera, Iceland

Abstract Induced seismicity related to fluid injection in the upper crust is a major concern in the context of geothermal energy production. For exploited high-temperature geothermal systems in tectonically and volcanically active areas, such as Krafla caldera in NE Iceland, understanding the processes that trigger seismicity and changes in the local stress field can be difficult to unravel. We observe a link between anthropogenic activity and changes in the local stress field, since the appearance of a strike-slip cluster coincides with changes in the seismic anisotropy around an injection well during an injection interruption period. By analyzing the shear-wave splitting phenomenon, 90 $$^\circ$$ flips of the fast S-wave polarization and a decrease in the time delays between the fast and the slow S-wave component is observed, starting within hours after an injection stop, coinciding with a sharp increase of strike-slip events in the vicinity of the well. When the injection restarts, the seismic quiescence and increase of time delays may suggest a resumption of the previous state. The changes in seismicity patterns and variations of the seismic anisotropy might be linked to changes in the pore pressure and a possible activation of a shear-fault due to anthropogenic activity.

Excess FGFR3 signaling in achondroplasia disrupts turnover of resting zone chondrocytes via CREB signaling

Abstract Achondroplasia, associated with gain-of-function mutations in FGFR3 , causes growth plate cartilage dysfunction, resulting in short-limb dwarfism. However, its precise molecular and cellular mechanisms remain unclear. To address this, we aimed to generate knock-in mice ( Fgfr3 Ach ) harboring the achondroplasia mutation (p.Gly380Arg). In addition to previously reported abnormalities, we observe an expansion of the resting zone. EdU labeling and lineage tracing analyses indicate that disruption of turnover and impairment of stem cell-like behavior of resting zone chondrocytes results in accumulation of cells in the resting zone. Single-cell RNA-seq and immunohistochemical analysis identify a cell cluster that corresponds to the expanded resting zone. Pathway analysis and functional experiments reveal that CREB disrupts stem cell-like properties in resting zone chondrocytes and contributes to dwarfism. Administration of CREB inhibitor 666-15 restores growth plate pathology and bone length. These findings demonstrate that excess FGFR3 signaling disrupts resting zone chondrocyte properties and suggest potential therapeutic targets for achondroplasia.

HSICNet a novel deep learning architecture for hyperspectral image classification in remote sensing and environmental monitoring

Millennial land carbon emissions in China offset by carbon sinks of the past four decades

Pretreatment tumor infiltrating lymphocytes and outcome in patients with HR+/HER2- advanced breast cancer treated with CDK4/6 inhibitors

Abstract Growing evidence suggests that enhancement of the tumor immune response contributes to the antitumor activity of CDK4/6 inhibitors (CDK4/6i), but the role of pretreatment tumor immune microenvironment is not clear. We retrospectively investigated in patients with HR+/HER2- advanced breast cancer receiving CDK4/6i and endocrine therapy whether pretreatment stromal tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (sTILs) were associated with outcome. A total of 100 patients were evaluable 53 treated with palbociclib, 44 with ribociclib and 3 with abemaciclib. Tumors were classified as sTILs positive (sTILs+) when sTILs were ≥ 10%. 58 tumors were sTILs negative (sTILs-) and 42 sTILs+. sTILs were not associated with any outcome overall and in the ribociclib cohort. Conversely, patients treated with palbociclib and sTILs+ tumors experienced a statistically significant improved overall survival (mOS Not Reached vs. 41.1 months, p  = .038) and a reduced risk of visceral progression (24 vs. 8 patients p =.0048) as compared with patients with sTILs- tumors. Pretreatment sTILs levels were associated with outcome in patients treated with palbociclib. Given the lack of interaction between treatment and sTILs our findings warrant validation in larger, independent cohorts and if confirmed propose sTILs as a simple and reproducible biomarker to aid patient selection for palbociclib.

Plasmodium ARK1 regulates spindle formation during atypical mitosis and forms a divergent chromosomal passenger complex

Abstract Mitosis in Plasmodium spp., the causative agent of malaria, is fundamentally different from model eukaryotes, proceeding via a bipartite microtubule organising centre (MTOC) and lacking canonical regulators such as Polo kinases. During schizogony, asynchronous nuclear replication produces a multinucleate schizont, while rapid male gametogony generates an octaploid nucleus before gamete formation. Here, we identify Aurora-related kinase 1 (ARK1) as a key component of inner MTOC and spindle formation, controlling kinetochore dynamics and driving mitotic progression. Conditional ARK1 depletion disrupts spindle biogenesis, kinetochore segregation, karyokinesis and cytokinesis in both stages, and affects parasite transmission. Interactome analysis shows that ARK1 forms the catalytic core of a non-canonical chromosomal passenger complex (CPC) containing two highly divergent inner centromere proteins (INCENPs), which we term INCENP-A and INCENP-B, and lacking the canonical chromatin-targeting subunits Survivin and Borealin. Comparative genomics suggests that apicomplexan INCENPs arose through recurrent lineage-specific duplications, reflecting an evolutionary rewiring of CPC architecture in this eukaryotic lineage. Together, these findings reveal key adaptations in Plasmodium mitosis involving ARK1 and its INCENP scaffolds, and identify the ARK1–INCENP interface as a potential multistage target for antimalarial intervention.

One-year outcomes of an innovative laparoscopic pectopexy procedure using inverted T-mesh for treatment of advanced uterine and anterior vaginal prolapse

Abstract This prospective pilot study was conducted to evaluate the safety and efficacy of an innovative laparoscopic pectopexy (LP) technique employing an inverted T-mesh for the concomitant treatment of advanced uterine and anterior vaginal prolapse. 42 patients (62.7%) underwent the innovative LP procedure, while 25 patients (37.3%) with predominant uterine or vaginal vault prolapse underwent conventional laparoscopic sacral hysteropexy or colpopexy (LS). The primary outcome was the anatomic outcomes and functional results. Secondary outcomes included surgical complications and reoperations. At baseline, the demographics of the LP group was younger, with lower body mass index (BMI), and were more sexually active when compared to the LS group ( P  < 0.05). At one-year follow-up, the anatomic cure rate (POP-Q stage < 2) was significantly lower in the LP group (78.6% [33/42] vs. 92.0% [23/25]; P  = 0.0108). Functional outcomes were assessed using the PFDI-20, POPIQ-7 and PISQ-12 questionnaires, and significant improvements were observed in all domains. Multiple logistic regression revealed that the type of surgical procedure was not a significant predictor of outcome. Levator avulsion was the only variable significantly associated with poorer results ( P  < 0.05). Both groups demonstrated favorable postoperative outcomes, and had no severe surgical complications. Limitations of this study included non-randomization of the sample groups, small sample size and a follow-up time of one year. Despite these limitations, the findings suggest that the innovative LP procedure is a safe and feasible option for the concomitant management of advanced uterine and anterior vaginal prolapse. However, levator ani avulsion markedly increases the risk of anatomic recurrence. This study was registered on ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT07411898; 13/02/2026).

Continuous-variable fault-tolerant quantum computation under general noise

Abstract Quantum error-correcting code in continuous-variable (CV) systems attracts much attention due to its flexibility and high resistance against specific noise. However, the theory of fault tolerance in CV systems is premature and lacks a general strategy to translate noise in CV systems into noise in logical qubits, leading to severe restrictions on correctable noise models. In this paper, we show that Markovian-type noise in CV systems is translated into Markovian-type noise in the logical qubits through the Gottesman-Kitaev-Preskill code. We analyze an upper bound on the resulting noise strength in terms of our newly introduced noise parameterization. Combined with the established threshold theorem of concatenated codes against Markovian-type noise, we show that CV quantum computation has a fault-tolerant threshold against general Markovian-type noise, closing the existing crucial gap in CV quantum computation. We also give a new insight into the fact that careful management of the energy of a state is required to achieve fault tolerance in CV systems.

FBXO22 targets ubiquitination and degradation of c-Cbl in leukemia

Quantitative mapping of pseudouridines in bacterial RNA

Abstract RNA pseudouridylation is one of the most prevalent post-transcriptional modifications, occurring universally across all organisms. Although pseudouridines have been extensively studied in bacterial tRNAs and rRNAs, their presence and role in bacterial mRNA remain poorly characterized. Here, we used a bisulfite-based deep sequencing approach to provide a comprehensive and quantitative measurement of bacterial pseudouridines using E. coli , to provide proof of concept. We identified 1,954 high-confidence sites in 1,331 transcripts, which is 29 times above previous estimates and representing almost 30% of the transcriptome. Furthermore, pseudouridines were significantly associated with mRNA stability and enriched in transcripts associated with secondary metabolite production and adaptation to diverse environments. Finally, we mapped pseudouridines in oral microbiome samples of human subjects, demonstrating the broad applicability of our approach in complex microbiomes. This way, we observe that, although uridines are required for modification, mRNAs from GC-rich bacteria harbored more pseudouridine sites than AT-rich genomes in our dataset. Altogether, our work highlights the advantages of mapping bacterial pseudouridines and provides a tool to study posttranscription regulation in microbial communities.

Enhanced crystallinity, hardness and thermal stability of PEEK/TC4 composites for biomedical applications

Identification and engineering of highly functional potyviral proteases in cells using co-evolutionary models

Abstract Efficiency and substrate specificity of proteases in the Potyviridae family have not been comprehensively profiled. Here we develop a model that learns co-evolutionary features to accurately predict and experimentally validate protease performance at single amino-acid resolution. We identify and engineer several proteases that perform better than the commercially available tobacco etch virus protease. To demonstrate the resolving power of our methods, we engineer protease crosstalk to selectively trigger a synthetic cell-death program in human cells.

Novel eugenol/limonene nanoplatform as a new remedy against bacterial lung infections

Abstract A combinational approach to antimicrobial design emerges from a nanoemulsified nanoplatform from the union of two Egyptian essential oils—orange peel and clove—whose distinct chemistries were revealed by GC–MS. Orange EO is dominated by D-limonene (63.25%), with supporting alkyl-benzenes (22.92%) and β-myrcene (1.41%), while clove EO centers on Eugenol (36.20%), Caryophyllene (19.30%), Eugenol acetate (18.71%), along with alkyl-benzenes (11.86%) and humulene (2.41%). The chemical consonance between Eugenol and Limonene hints at a cooperative assembly: their lipophilic profiles enable the formation of nanoemulsified nanoparticles from their emulsion blend, potentially amplifying bioavailability and multi-target action. Biologically, Eugenol/Limonene demonstrates tangible antimicrobial activity. In a direct DHFR inhibition assay, the nanoformulation inhibits DHFR with an IC 50 of 8075 ± 0.96 μg/mL, while the benchmark drug methotrexate (MTX) shows far stronger inhibition ( IC 50  = 0.81 ± 0.07 μg/mL). Across pathogenic strains, the nanoemulsion exhibits broad antibacterial reach, producing inhibition zones of 24.0–29.0 mm and delivering bactericidal effects with MICs of 8.0–32.0 μg/mL and MBCs of 64.0–512.0 μg/mL. Explorations into in vivo-like tissue responses reveal nuanced outcomes. The nano-treated cohort shows dramatic reductions in bacterial load, yet also manifests airway changes consistent with bronchiolar irritation and alveolar remodelling, signalling both therapeutic potential and safety considerations. Histological comparisons indicate that nanoparticle-treated groups preserve some alveolar integrity, with Type II pneumocytes and lamellar bodies present. Overall, the study underscores the promise of combining EO components to enhance antimicrobial performance via nanostructured carriers, while highlighting the delicate balance between efficacy and pulmonary safety.

An information theory approach to quantifying the sequence-dependent response of nucleic acid motors with applications to nanopore DNA sequencing

Enhanced biomethane production from organic matter recovered from municipal wastewater by a pilot-scale plant continuous high-rate contact stabilization process

Abstract High-rate contact stabilization (HiCS) processes for efficiently recovering organic matter from municipal wastewater are gaining attention as a means of producing renewable energy. In this study, a pilot-scale continuous HiCS process was applied to the effluent from a primary clarifier at a municipal wastewater treatment plant—a setting rarely reported in the literature, despite its importance for future full-scale implementation. The results confirmed that the continuous HiCS process recovers more organic matter than the conventional activated sludge (CAS) process while reducing organic matter oxidation. Biomethane potential testing further demonstrated that sludge recovered from the HiCS process generated methane at higher yields and faster rates compared to sludge from the CAS process. Moreover, the energy recovered per unit of removed organic matter in the HiCS process under practical operating conditions was higher than that achieved with the CAS process.

Single-photon advantage in quantum cryptography beyond QKD

Abstract Quantum key distribution (QKD) can be used to establish a secret key between trusted parties. Many practical use-cases in communication networks, however, involve parties who do not trust each other. A fundamental cryptographic building block for such distrustful scenarios is quantum coin flipping, which has been investigated only in few experimental studies to date, all of which used probabilistic quantum light sources imposing fundamental limitations. Here, we experimentally implement a quantum strong coin flipping protocol using single-photon states and demonstrate a quantum advantage compared to both classical realizations and implementations using faint laser pulses. We achieve this by employing a state-of-the-art deterministic quantum dot light source in combination with fast, random polarization-state encoding enabling sufficiently low quantum bit error ratio. By demonstrating a single-photon quantum advantage in a cryptographic primitive beyond QKD, our work represents a major advance towards the implementation of complex cryptographic tasks in a future quantum internet.

GO@CNT@Fe₃O₄@CuO quaternary nanohybrids enhance dielectric-magnetic synergy for high-performance epoxy-based electromagnetic absorbers

Abstract This study introduces a novel quaternary GO@CNT@Fe₃O₄@CuO core-shell nanohybrid designed to overcome impedance mismatch limitations in electromagnetic (EM) absorbers. Through stepwise synthesis, we integrated dielectric (GO, CNT), magnetic (Fe₃O₄), and semiconducting (CuO) components to create synergistic loss mechanisms. When incorporated at only 5 wt% into epoxy resin, the nanocomposite achieved exceptional X-band absorption with a minimum reflection loss of − 37.5 dB at 10.25 GHz and an effective absorption bandwidth of 3.2 GHz (9.0–12.2 GHz) at 5.0 mm thickness. The enhanced performance stems from balanced complex permittivity (ε′ = 6.1, ε″ = 2.6) and permeability (µ′ = 1.28, µ″ = 0.19), enabling optimal impedance matching and multi-mechanism attenuation through conduction loss, interfacial polarization, and magnetic resonance. This work establishes a design principle for low-loading, high-efficiency EM absorbers suitable for 5G and aerospace applications.