Browse Articles

FKBP10 may affect the malignant phenotype of oral squamous cell carcinoma cells through the ECM/WNT signaling pathway

Cell Selective STING‐Activating Polysaccharide Immunomodulators for Cancer Therapy

ABSTRACT Activation of the stimulator of interferon genes (STING) signaling pathway represents a robust strategy to reverse tumor immunosuppressive microenvironment (TIME) for cancer therapy. However, selective STING activation and its quantitative comparison across heterogeneous cell populations remain a tremendous challenge. Herein, we engineered a type of selective STING‐activating polysaccharide immunomodulators (SSAPIs) with quantitative STING activation efficiency across tumor cell, macrophage, and dendritic cell (DC). Dextran as an immune cell targeting nanocarrier was employed to improve drug delivery to macrophage and DC, and to avoid the impact of macromolecular self‐assembly on drug release kinetics. The STING agonist (DMXAA) was conjugated to dextran via defined linkers to control the selectivity of STING activation in different cell populations. In vitro experiments quantitively revealed the enhanced STING activation of the ester linker SSAPI (DESX) in macrophage, while the disulfide linker SSAPI (DSSX) prompted STING activation across tumor cell and immune cell. In B16F10 and CT26 tumor‐bearing mice models, DSSX exhibited much superior antitumor efficacy with six out of eight complete tumor remission by inducing broad immune responses across diverse cell populations to reprogram TIME. Collectively, this work highlights the significance of activating the STING signaling pathway across cell populations in solid tumor for cancer immunotherapy.

Morphogenic colloids

Spatial variability of soil boron in a boron-rich agricultural plain using GIS

Field‐Programmed Anisotropy in Magneto‐Piezoelectric Composites for Material‐Encoded Mechanoperception

ABSTRACT Decoupling superposed force vectors along spatially distinct axes is a prerequisite for artificial somatosensation in soft intelligent systems. Although polymer‐piezoelectric composites offer essential compliance, randomly distributed nanofillers result in a loss of inherent polar directionality and macroscopic anisotropy, which prevents force‐vector discrimination. Here, we address this challenge by encoding force‐mode selectivity into magneto‐piezoelectric composites via field‐programmed anisotropy. Guided by a rigorous torque‐balance framework, we achieve the deterministic spatial alignment of Fe 3 O 4 ‐decorated BaTiO 3 nanowires within a shape‐memory polymer matrix. The resulting axially aligned hierarchical percolation networks serve as continuous load‐transfer pathways to concentrate mechanical stress along the principal axes of the nanowires while suppressing off‐axis interference. Such structure‐driven anisotropy in electromechanical coupling maximizes piezoelectric transduction efficiency and empowers the nanocomposite to intrinsically distinguish force modalities. By upscaling the intrinsic anisotropy of piezoelectric nanowires to the macroscopic composite level, our approach defines a physical basis for material‐encoded mechanoperception. Our findings establish a versatile platform for soft embodied intelligence that offers vector‐resolved somatosensory capabilities at the material level.

Epigenomic modifications define chromatin states to regulate cell-free DNA fragmentomics

Trigger-based conditional selective unlearning with elastic weight consolidation

Tunable Extended Magnetic Non‐Fermi Liquid in Twisted Double Bilayer Graphene With Aligned hBN

ABSTRACT Twisted graphene heterostructures with highly tunable flat‐band electronic structures serve as an ideal platform for exploring novel correlated and topological quantum phases. While previous efforts have focused on the twist angle, the lattice alignment with the hBN substrate is another crucial parameter that breaks symmetry and reconstructs the band structure. However, its underlying mechanisms remain insufficiently explored, and extending it to a wider class of twisted graphene systems is urgently needed to uncover more exotic quantum phenomena. Here, we report the observation of tunable extended non‐Fermi liquid behavior in twisted double bilayer graphene (TDBG) encapsulated by aligned hBN layers. This NFL phase emerges on the hole‐doped side of the correlated insulating state near charge neutrality, spanning a broad range of carrier densities and exhibiting a carrier density–dependent resistance exponent. Notably, the NFL phase can re‐enter a correlated insulating state at higher doping levels. Combined with temperature‐dependent resistance, magnetotransport, and differential resistance measurements, these findings support a scenario where strong quantum fluctuations may emerge from the interplay between localized and itinerant carriers. Our work establishes a highly tunable platform beyond conventional frameworks to investigate the organizing principles of non‐Fermi liquid physics manifested in diverse behaviors.

Imaging of gate-controlled suppression of superconductivity via the Meissner effect

Abstract It was recently discovered that supercurrents flowing through thin superconducting nanowires can be quenched by applying a gate voltage to a nearby gate electrode. This gate control of supercurrents, known as the GCS effect, could enable superconducting transistor logic. Here, we report that the GCS also manifests in a suppression of Meissner screening, establishing the phenomenon as a genuine feature of superconductivity that is not restricted to transport. Using a scanning nitrogen-vacancy (NV) magnetometer at sub-Kelvin temperatures, we image the nanoscale spatial region of GCS suppression in micron-size niobium islands. Our observations are compatible with a microscopic hot-spot model of quasiparticle generation and diffusion, and in conflict with other candidate mechanisms such as Joule heating or an electric field effect. Our work introduces an alternative means for studying quasiparticle dynamics in superconducting nanostructures, and showcases the power of local imaging techniques for understanding emergent condensed matter phenomena.

Socioeconomic status assessment in Lebanese primary health care centers: development and validation of the SES-PHC scale

Abstract Socioeconomic status (SES) is a major determinant of health outcomes among patients with chronic diseases, yet validated context-specific tools for primary health care centers (PHCCs) remain limited. In Lebanon, overlapping crises have exacerbated socioeconomic vulnerability, prompting this validation study among Lebanese patients with chronic diseases attending PHCCs. This cross-sectional study enrolled 370 adults with at least one chronic disease from eight PHCCs operated by the Order of Malta Lebanon between June and August 2024. Participants completed the SES Composite (SES-C), the Arabic-translated InCharge Financial Distress–Financial Well-Being (IFDFW) scale, and the WHO-5 Well-Being Index. Because the SES-C showed poor sampling adequacy (KMO = 0.546) and low internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = 0.579), a new scale, the SES-PHC, was developed using iterative principal component analysis. The final seven-item instrument, comprising four IFDFW items and three SES-C items, demonstrated good internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = 0.755), strong structural validity (KMO = 0.838; two factors explaining 61.491% of the variance), and strong convergent validity with the IFDFW ( r  = 0.852, p  < 0.001). Higher SES was associated with older age, better psychological well-being, and private insurance, supporting the SES-PHC as a valid tool for identifying vulnerable patients in Lebanese PHCCs.

Fabrication of High‐Resolution 3D Ceramic Electronics Via In Situ Laser‐Activated Selective Electroless Plating

ABSTRACT Customized 3D ceramic electronics are gaining attention for advanced electronics systems due to their exceptional thermal, electrical, and mechanical properties, coupled with the capability to precisely tailor their structural and functional designs to meet specialized application requirements. In this work, we propose a hybrid additive manufacturing approach that combines digital light processing and in situ laser‐activated electroless plating to fabricate high‐precision 3D ceramic electronics. A photopolymer containing low‐temperature co‐fired ceramic (LTCC) and antimony tin oxide (ATO) is developed for 3D printing and subsequent sintering processes. Then, the sintered 3D ceramic can be selectively laser activated in situ to convert the ATO into Sn II plating seeds, enabling metallization via electroless copper plating and electroless nickel immersion gold plating. To validate the feasibility and scalability of the proposed technology, a series of ceramic electronics, including 3D circuits with IC chips, high‐power LED circuits incorporating thermal management channels, and 3D UV sensors with an interdigital electrode array are successfully developed. This technology offers a new pathway for the rapid and cost‐effective customization of high‐performance 3D ceramic electronics, exhibiting great promise for driving innovation in advanced applications such as aerospace and satellite, advanced automotive systems, and next‐generation wireless communication technologies in harsh environments.

Raphia hookeri seed-inspired weakly anisotropic nanocomposites

Collective surfing of single cells on a chemo-attractant wave using multiscale Eulerian velocity vector field

Chloride‐Bridge Reshaped Electric Double Layer Enables Oriented Deposition for High‐Performance Aqueous Aluminum Ion Batteries

ABSTRACT Aqueous aluminum‐ion batteries (AAIBs) have emerged as a promising candidate for large‐scale energy storage. However, the strong solvation of Al 3+ ions and the formation of passivating oxide layers impede interfacial charge‐transfer kinetics, resulting in progressive performance degradation during prolonged cycling. Herein, a chloride‐bridge strategy is proposed by employing trichloroethanol (TCE) as an additive that spontaneously self‐assembles at the electrolyte/electrode interface to form a chloride‐bridge‐rich molecular layer. The resulting chloride‐bridge framework reorganizes the electric double layer (EDL), accelerates interfacial charge‐transfer kinetics, and promotes uniform Al 3+ deposition with a preferred (111) crystallographic orientation. The tailored interface sustains highly reversible Al deposition/stripping for over 800 h with low polarization and enhances the FeCoPBA full‐cell lifetime from fewer than 50 cycles in the OTF electrolyte to 150 at 100 mA g −1 and 300 cycles at 200 mA g −1 . Furthermore, the PANI cathode delivers 116 mAh g −1 after 200 cycles at 100 mA g −1 and remains stable over 350 cycles at 200 mA g −1 , whereas the OTF electrolyte retains only 46 mAh g −1 after 200 cycles at the same current rate. This work establishes a chloride‐bridge‐mediated interfacial engineering strategy for accelerating interfacial charge‐transfer kinetics and enabling durable AAIBs.

Coulomb interaction-stabilized isolated narrow bands with Chern numbers $${{\mathcal{C}}} > 1$$ in twisted rhombohedral trilayer-bilayer graphene

Soil property–driven prediction of heavy metal uptake by Anethum graveolens L. in sewage sludge–amended soils toward sustainable biomass utilization

A Fluorine‐Free Solvent Based on Dual Descriptors for Ultrawide‐Temperature Lithium Metal Batteries (−105°C to 70°C)

ABSTRACT Fluorinated solvents are widely employed in electrolytes for lithium metal batteries (LMBs) due to their broad liquid‐phase temperature range. However, their use entails significant challenges, including undesirable interfacial parasitic reactions at elevated temperatures and lithium‐salt precipitation at low temperatures. In this study, we propose a fluorine‐free electrolyte design strategy based on synergistic optimization of molecular geometry and electron density distribution. The tailored solvent, 2‐ethylbutyl acetate (2EA), plays a critical role in modulating intermolecular interactions and Li + coordination. The 2‐ethylbutyl group introduces substantial steric hindrance while exerting electron‐donating inductive effects, thereby effectively weakening the binding affinity between carbonyl oxygen and Li + . Concurrently, steric hindrance inhibits intermolecular interaction of solvent molecules at cryogenic temperatures, resulting in an ultra‐low melting point (below −100°C). Furthermore, the synergistic steric and electronic effects reorganize the solvation structure into an anion‐dominated configuration, facilitating Li + desolvation and promoting a robust, inorganic‐rich interphase. As a result, the 2EA‐based electrolyte enables high‐voltage Li||LiCoO 2 cells to achieve exceptional cycling stability (80% capacity retention after 1500 cycles at 25°C), remarkable rate capability (90% capacity retention at 10°C), and stable operation over an ultrawide temperature range from −60°C to 70°C.

Escape-induced temporally correlated noise driven crossover in growth kinetics and universality class

Knowledge, attitude, practice, and self-efficacy in pap smear adherence intent: a cross-sectional study

Electrical Resistivity Change Upon Crystallization as a Robust Descriptor for Metallic Glass Forming Ability

ABSTRACT Rapid identification of compositions with high glass forming ability (GFA) remains a major bottleneck in the discovery of new metallic glasses. Here we show that the electrical resistivity change induced by thermal annealing, a rapidly measurable parameter, serves as a robust descriptor of crystallization resistance for identifying high‐GFA compositions within given alloy systems. Combinatorial thin film libraries comprising ∼3500 distinct alloy compositions across multiple metallic glass‐forming systems reveal well‐defined compositional landscapes, in which regions of minimal resistivity change coincide with alloys exhibiting high GFA. This trend persists in melt‐spun ribbons and correlates directly with the crystallization kinetic parameters: alloys with smaller resistivity change exhibit lower Avrami exponents and higher activation energies of crystallization. As resistivity measurements require only seconds per composition point, more than two orders of magnitude faster than diffraction or calorimetry‐based characterization, the descriptor provides an efficient route for mapping microstructural stability across complex compositional spaces and enables rapid exploration of new bulk metallic glasses.