Browse Articles

Spatiotemporal shaping of terahertz radiation produced by a two-color ultrashort flying focus

Abstract The flying focus features an intensity peak that propagates at a focal velocity that is decoupled from the group velocity of the medium. Control over the velocity of the focal point is predicted to revolutionize secondary source experiments by allowing velocity matching of physical processes at the core of nonlinear optics and high-field physics. Despite this promise, experimental demonstrations have lagged pioneering theoretical work due to the difficulty of creating an ultrashort flying focus in the laboratory. In this article, the spatiotemporal shaping of a terahertz pulse generated via gas-phase photoionization by a two-color, ultrashort flying focus is described. The combination of radial group delay provided by reflective, radially-stepped echelons and spherical aberration produced by an axiparabola generates a flying focus with sub- and superluminal focal point velocities. The flying focus efficiently generates terahertz radiation that exhibits fundamentally different spatiotemporal properties based on its velocity. We present detailed measurements of the spatial and temporal properties of the terahertz radiation and measure its focal velocity. This demonstration shows the utility of terahertz generation with a flying focus and enables future experiments in nonlinear optics with spatiotemporal control.

Photoinduced Enhancement of Chemical Shift Sensitivity to Local Vibrations

Abstract The advent of novel free-electron laser sources enabling time-resolved X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (tr-XPS) provides a unique opportunity to monitor local chemical environments in real time by measuring sub-eV shifts in core-electron binding energies. These shifts reflect the interplay between electronic excitation and nuclear motion, an interplay that remains largely unexplored. In our combined theoretical and experimental study of fluoropyridine (C5H4FN), we investigate this link by monitoring the evolving chemical environment at the N and F atomic sites as the photoexcited S1 state relaxes to the ground state via a conical intersection. We find that the F site responds primarily to vibrational relaxation, showing minimal sensitivity to the electronic excited state. In contrast, excitation to S1 induces a measurable energy shift at the N site and significantly enhances its sensitivity to local vibrations within the ring. This behavior arises from a photoinduced redistribution of charge, which also increases the Coulomb interaction between the 1s electron at the N atom and the atomic partial charge at an adjacent C atom. This insight opens new avenues for exploring ultrafast dynamics and conical intersection pathways in more complex systems, from photostable DNA bases to light-harvesting materials.

Integrated geospatial, hydrochemical and isotopic assessment of groundwater recharge, dynamics and quality variations in a climate-induced coastal aquifer of Western India

Atomic Editing of the First‐Shell to Modulate the d‐Electron State of Transition Metal Sites for Accelerated Redox Kinetics in Lithium−Sulfur Batteries

ABSTRACT Organometallic macrocyclic molecules have shown great potential to accelerate the reaction kinetics in Li−S batteries. However, it is still challenging to precisely tailor the microenvironment of metal sites and enhance its intrinsic reactivity. Herein, inspired by single‐atom editing in organic chemistry, we prepared a series of isolobal nickel‐based organometallic macrocyclic molecules (denoted as Ni−N x C y ) to optimize the steric configuration and d‐orbital states of Ni sites by tuning the first coordination shell at atom‐level. In situ x‐ray absorption spectroscopy revealed the dynamic evolution of nickel sites, while in situ Raman spectra demonstrated the accelerated sulfur conversion kinetics for Ni−N 2 C 2 in Li−S batteries. Theoretical calculations confirmed that the geometric configuration of Ni−N x C y can be modulated by first‐shell atoms, when the d xy and d x 2 − y 2 orbitals of nickel can be activated for N 2 C 2 ‐coordinated Ni site. In addition, the up‐shift of d‐band center for Ni−N 2 C 2 further facilitates its hybridization with sulfur species. Consequently, cells with Ni−N 2 C 2 deliver 1277 mA h g −1 at 0.5 C, while showing a decay rate of 0.04% at 2 C. Furthermore, an Ah‐level pouch cell with energy density of 393 W h kg −1 can be achieved based on the total mass of cell. This work provides mechanistic insights into the microenvironment regulation of single‐metal‐site and structure–activity relationships in Li−S batteries.

Nanopore sequencing identifies parent-of-origin specific age-associated methylation changes at imprinted loci in the human genome

Effect of bridging intervention strategy with remimazolam on postoperative nausea and vomiting in patients undergoing breast cancer surgery

Nanomaterials Enable Spatiotemporally Controlled Ultrasound‐Triggered Pyroptosis for Cancer Immunotherapy

ABSTRACT Pyroptosis, a highly inflammatory form of programmed cell death (PCD), holds exceptional promise for activating antitumor immunity. However, achieving precise and tumor‐selective pyroptosis induction while preserving normal tissue integrity remains a major translational hurdle. Ultrasound has emerged as an ideal exogenous stimulus for this purpose, owing to its noninvasiveness, deep tissue penetration, and precise spatiotemporal control. Through integration with tailored nanomaterials, ultrasound energy can be specifically converted into localized biochemical signals at the tumor site, thereby triggering pyroptosis that potently stimulates antitumor immunity. This review systematically elucidates how rational nanomaterial design enables ultrasound‐triggered pyroptosis (sonopyroptosis) through distinct mechanisms, including sonodynamic, sonopiezocatalytic, enzyme‐mimetic, and multimodal synergistic pathways. It further delineates the ensuing immune cascade, from innate immune activation and adaptive T cell responses to the remodeling of the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME), and evaluates the synergistic potential of this approach with emerging immunotherapies such as immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) and cGAS‐STING pathway activation. Finally, key challenges in clinical translation are outlined, and future perspectives are proposed to accelerate the development of nanomaterial‐mediated ultrasound‐triggered pyroptosis for cancer immunotherapy.

Weak SLP-76/PLC-γ1 interaction fine-tunes T cell receptor signal strength to optimize T cell responsiveness

Abstract Upon T cell receptor (TCR) engagement, phosphorylation of the LAT adapter protein enables binding of the enzyme PLC-γ1 to a Gads/SLP-76 dimer, forming a tetrameric structure. The interaction between SLP-76 and PLC-γ1 is weak within this heterotetramer, and the relevant binding sites of SLP-76 and PLC-γ1 are highly conserved in vertebrates. We generated a mouse with a T cell-specific mutation in the SLP-76 that enhanced its affinity for PLC-γ1, thereby increasing PLC-γ1 activity and TCR signal strength. This mutation not only altered the development of αβTCR thymocytes, invariant NKT cells, and intraepithelial lymphocyte precursors but also impaired the generation of central memory CD8 + T cells upon acute viral infection and the humoral immune response mediated by germinal center T follicular helper T cells. These findings suggest that the conserved weak SLP-76/PLC-γ1 interaction is important for the controlled activation of PLC-γ1, thus fine-tuning TCR signal strength to optimize T cell-mediated immunity.

Spatial and temporal variation of dissolved heavy metal contamination in surface water of Na Thap River, Southern Thailand

Abstract Heavy metal pollution in aquatic environments represents a significant global challenge. The Na Thap River, a tidal river connected to the Gulf of Southern Thailand, represents a vulnerable tropical estuarine ecosystem subject to contamination from multiple pollution sources. This study aimed to quantify ten heavy metals; Iron (Fe), Manganese (Mn), Zinc (Zn), Cadmium (Cd), Lead (Pb), Chromium (Cr), Copper (Cu), Nickel (Ni), Arsenic (As), and Mercury (Hg) in Na Thap River surface water from 2017 to 2021, to analyze spatial and temporal distribution patterns. Surface water samples were collected from 10 sampling sites and analyzed using Inductively Coupled Plasma-Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES) and Hydride Generation-Inductively Coupled Plasma (HG-ICP) methods. Exploratory data analysis was used to assess contamination levels and identify unsafe month-site combinations. Correlation analysis was used to measure the relationship among heavy metals. Principal component analysis (PCA) was employed to explore the variation of different heavy metals in different dimensions. Results revealed that several heavy metals exceeded Thailand’s surface water quality standards, with high toxic metals (Cd, Pb) and medium toxic metals (Cu, Ni) showing concerning levels across different sites and time periods. Specific unsafe zones and time periods were identified throughout the Na Thap River system, revealing critical contamination hotspots posing risks to ecosystem health. Temporal and month wise analyses indicated a clear seasonal pattern that contamination risk was concentrated in February, March, June, and July, with February showing unsafe conditions across all monitoring sites simultaneously. Elevated concentrations of Fe, Mn, Cd, and Pb were most frequently observed during the southwest monsoon period, suggesting that seasonal hydrological processes played an important role in controlling heavy-metal transport and accumulation throughout the river system. Spatial sites 2, 3, 5, 6, and 7 emerged as persistent contamination hotspots requiring immediate intervention. PCA identified distinct metal groupings with Dimension 1 (43.7% variance) dominated by Ni, Cu, Cr, and Cd, while Dimension 2 (17.2% variance) was characterized by Mn, Fe, and Pb, indicating different pollution sources. Spatially, recurring exceedances were concentrated at sites 2, 3, 5, 6, and 7, indicating priority locations for management action. These findings provide essential baseline data for developing targeted pollution control strategies to protect this vulnerable ecosystem and dependent communities.

A Bifunctional Artificial Antibody for Universal Antimicrobial Therapy

ABSTRACT Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global health crisis, and multidrug‐resistant ESKAPE pathogens pose a significant threat to current treatments. Antibody therapy is a promising antibacterial strategy to combat AMR, but the inherent instability and limited functional diversity of biological antibacterial antibodies hinder the development of universal therapies. Here, we report the chemically engineered gold‐based bifunctional antibody biomimetic (AuriFAB), which achieves universal antimicrobial therapy against all multidrug‐resistant ESKAPE pathogens. By utilizing dithiocarbamate ligation, AuriFAB attains exceptional colloidal stability under harsh biological conditions and long‐term storage stability exceeding one year in solution. Chemical epitope screening identifies a disulfiram‐engineered AuriFAB that features a bispecific Fab‐mimicking recognition mechanism, targeting FtsZ in Gram‐positive bacteria and lipopolysaccharide in Gram‐negative bacteria, unlocking picomolar binding affinity and enabling nanogram‐per‐milliliter antibacterial efficacy. AuriFAB demonstrates low toxicity, high selectivity, favorable pharmacokinetics, and in vivo metabolizable clearance. This chemical strategy addresses the stability and functionality limitations of biological antibacterial antibodies and provides a universal solution to combat AMR, demonstrating the therapeutic potential of chemistry‐driven biologic mimics.

Longitudinal characterization of mosaic chromosomal alterations identifies factors influencing clonal dynamics of leukocytes

Abstract Characterizing the variation in clonal trajectory of age-related mosaic chromosomal alterations (mCAs) in circulating leukocytes can identify etiologic factors influencing clonal expansion and hematologic malignancy risk. Here we scan whole blood-derived DNA of 56,324 participants from the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, Ovarian Cancer Screening Study for mCAs and characterize 1746 longitudinal mCAs. Cross-sectional mCA clonal fraction only moderately correlates with clonal expansion rate, highlighting the utility of serial sampling for evaluating clonal trajectory. The strongest contributor to clonal expansion is genomic location of an mCA with participant age, smoking status, and co-occurring mCA types also modifying expansion rates. Germline susceptibility to mosaic Y or X loss is not associated with expansion rate, supporting independent mechanisms governing generation and expansion. Autosomal mCAs previously associated with hematologic malignancies have the highest rates of expansion, especially myeloid malignancy-associated mCAs, underscoring the importance of tracing mCA clonal dynamics for evaluating hematologic cancer risk.

Failure analysis of coal–rock composites with different coal thicknesses under uniaxial loading based on resistivity response and damage evolution

Rapid Identification of Nanoscale Point Defects in Two‐Dimensional Crystals by Rare‐Earth‐Enhanced Fluorescence

ABSTRACT Identifying nanoscale point defects (NPDs) is essential for producing high‐quality two‐dimensional (2D) crystals and moving them towards scalable device integration. However, existing methods face a fundamental compromise between spatial resolution and detection throughput: atomic‐resolution techniques provide limited testing area or sampling rates, whereas conventional optical methods often lack sufficient sensitivity required for low‐density NPDs. Here, we present a highly sensitive, non‐destructive strategy that employs erbium chloride (ErCl 3 ) to form erbium‐rich nanoparticles (Er‐NPs) as fluorescent markers at NPD sites on 2D crystal surfaces, enabling rapid and precise mapping of NPDs in large‐area samples. Both theoretical modeling and experimental observations demonstrate that Er‐NPs preferentially accumulate at defect sites, substantially enhancing localized photoluminescence (PL) signals and enabling direct visualization of NPD locations and distributions. This approach complements established optical techniques, including Raman spectroscopy, by providing higher‐contrast and more efficient localization of low‐density nanoscale defects across large‐area samples. Importantly, Er‐NPs can be fully removed through annealing under ultrahigh vacuum (UHV), ensuring the non‐destructive nature of the method. This work provides a powerful tool for quality control of 2D materials, supporting their transition from laboratory synthesis to large‐scale industrial applications.

An RNase domain-dependent microRNA detection with DNA-spiked nanocage for accurate cancer diagnosis

Abstract Cancer-associated microRNAs are promising biomarkers for early cancer diagnosis. However, current microRNA detections – which are based on polymerase chain reaction, microarray analysis, Raman scattering, or various electrochemical assays – rely on multi-step analysis including amplification of microRNA and/or read-out signals, often causing inaccuracy despite using elaborate instruments, which remains a major challenge. Here, we describe an RNaseH1-dependent, amplification-free detection of microRNAs, which is based on Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) between donor (single-stranded DNA probe (ssDNA)-spiked, green fluorescent nanocage) and acceptor (RNaseH1-linked, orange fluorescent protein) and enables reliable cancer diagnosis with high accuracy for human lung and gastric cancer patients and healthy donors by directly quantifying serum microRNA targets. Notably, unlike traditional ensemble FRET, this FRET platform senses molecular interactions between ssDNA and miRNAs and conformational changes of their hybrid helices and thus differentiates even a single-base mismatch, which holds significant promise for reliable, clinical cancer diagnosis.

Treatment strategies of palliative care and psycho-oncology specialists for patients with both pain and delirium: a nationwide survey

The dynamic response of Pine Island Glacier to two decades of intermittent ice shelf regrounding

Abstract Over the last few decades, ice keels have intermittently bumped against the bedrock underneath Pine Island Ice Shelf. In general, it is thought that this process, termed regrounding, could enhance buttressing and potentially slow glacier flow or arrest retreat. Here, we test this hypothesis for Pine Island Glacier. Using offset tracking applied to satellite radar data, we reveal an extensive history of regrounding on the central shelf since 2009. Combining Earth observation and ice sheet modelling, we assess the direct effects this might have had on ice dynamics and indirect effects via its influencing on calving behaviour. Our results show that regrounding caused little additional drag on the base of the ice shelf. Furthermore, it plausibly contributed to the promotion of calving between 2015 and 2020 which is, in turn, held largely responsible for the increase in flow rate of the glacier over the last decade.

Optimization and hardware evaluation of a modified reconfigurable ring oscillator PUF

Ionic weaving network enables mechanically robust smart hydrogels with anti-swelling and anti-freezing capabilities

Abstract Stretchable hydrogels hold great promise in cutting-edge fields such as flexible sensing and soft robotics. However, the poor mechanical properties and environmental intolerance restrict their practical applications in intelligent integrated systems. Herein, we construct ionic weaving hydrogels (IWHs) by pre-arranging polymer chains through force-induced restrictive drying, followed by the introduction of metal ions to form a 3D topological network with uniformly distributed dynamic coordination. This design dissipates energy through the synchronous dissociation of massive coordination bonds, yielding the hydrogel with high strength, high modulus, and excellent toughness. Additionally, the strong topological constraints impart excellent anti-swelling and anti-freezing capabilities, as well as dehydration-rehydration activation characteristics. Consequently, the IWH enables not only stable underwater sensing but also integrated actuation-sensing functions through solvent stimulation. Moreover, when processed by 3D printing, it achieves spatiotemporally programmable actuation while simultaneously monitoring the response process in real time. This work demonstrates an intelligent 4D printing platform that seamlessly integrates complex structures, actuation, and self-sensing, thereby opening an avenue for designing next-generation multifunctional smart hydrogels and soft material systems.

Response surface methodology optimization of ozonation for COD removal from real industrial wastewater

Golgi organization regulates stem cell function in the small intestine

Abstract Cell-to-cell signaling between niche and stem cells regulates tissue renewal. While the identity of many mediating factors is known, it is largely unknown whether stem cells optimize their receptiveness to niche signals according to the niche organization. Here, we show that Lgr5+ small intestinal stem cells (ISCs) regulate the morphology and orientation of their secretory apparatus to match the niche architecture, and to increase transport efficiency of niche signal receptors. ISCs orient their Golgi apparatus laterally towards Paneth cells of the epithelial niche, and divide Golgi into multiple stacks. Stem cells with multiple lateral Golgi transport stem cell receptors with a higher efficiency than cells with one single Golgi. The lateral Golgi orientation and enhanced receptor transport requires A-kinase anchor protein 9 (Akap9), and is necessary for normal renewal capacity. Moreover, reduced Akap9 in aged ISCs renders ISCs insensitive to niche-dependent modulation of Golgi stack number and transport efficiency. Our results reveal a stem cell-specific Golgi complex configuration that facilitates efficient niche signal reception and tissue renewal, which is compromised in the aged epithelium.