Browse Articles

MRICombo: a deep-learning-based framework for universal volumetric segmentation grading-staging and malignancy detection across heterogeneous MRI

The RNA helicase domain of NAT10 promotes the biogenesis of hypomodified ribosomes to enhance cancer cell proliferation

Abstract N-acetyltransferase 10 (NAT10) is a multifunctional enzyme that harbors RNA acetyltransferase and RNA helicase domains and has emerged as a therapeutic vulnerability in solid and hematological malignancies. By coupling Proteolysis Targeting Chimera-mediated degradation of NAT10 with a deep mutational scanning assay, followed by validations in biochemical assays, human cell lines, and female mouse xenografts, we find that the RNA helicase domain of NAT10 enhances cancer cell proliferation and tumor growth. This proliferative function of NAT10 is independent of RNA acetylation but requires its RNA-binding activity. The RNA helicase domain of NAT10 is required for 18S rRNA binding, promoting biogenesis of the 40S ribosomal subunit, while simultaneously interfering with the deposition of the conserved 18S rRNA modification m¹acp³Ψ. Loss of m¹acp³Ψ in 18S rRNA enhances cancer cell proliferation, revealing that NAT10 promotes the biogenesis of hypomodified ribosomes to facilitate tumor growth. These findings uncover a mechanism by which NAT10 promotes cancer cell proliferation and establish its RNA helicase domain as a potential therapeutic target.

Diet-responsive proteogenomic effects following short-term restriction of animal products in humans

Systematic citywide analysis reveals ecological connectivity of antimicrobial resistance genes across urban water systems

Stratospheric impacts on Eurasian soil moisture on subseasonal timescales

Synthetic cargo adaptors reveal molecular features that enhance dynein activation

Elevation-structured viral ecological strategies along glacier-fed rivers on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

scAmp enables focal gene amplification analysis from single-cell data

Abstract Oncogene amplification on extrachromosomal DNA is a common driver of tumor progression and is associated with acquired drug resistance and poor patient survival. While bulk whole genome sequencing studies have revealed the landscape of genes amplified on extrachromosomal DNA in tumors, it remains challenging to study the subclonal heterogeneity and functional (e.g., transcriptomic) consequences of extrachromosomal DNA on tumors. To address this, we introduce scAmp : a probabilistic algorithm for detecting and analyzing extrachromosomal DNA from single-cell datasets. Using well-characterized cell lines, we demonstrate that scAmp has improved specificity over bulk genome sequencing in predicting extrachromosomal DNA status and can resolve the status of chromosomal amplifications that were historically extrachromosomal. We further showcase scAmp by analyzing 73 patient tumors profiled with single-cell assay for transposase-accessible chromatin by sequencing, where we characterize the subclonal evolution of subclones with extrachromosomal DNA and identify the effect of these amplifications on the chromatin accessibility landscape of cancer cells. Finally, we provide proof-of-concept analyses that scAmp aids in the detection of extrachromosomal DNA from clinical histopathology assays. Together, we anticipate that scAmp will broadly enable further studies – both retrospective and prospective – that dissect critical questions of how extrachromosomal DNAs affect cancer cells and the tumors in which they reside.

Plasticity of extrachromosomal DNA segregation during drug adaptation

Mechanically Encoded Materials for Edge Perception

ABSTRACT Tactile sensing and perception are fundamental to intelligent interaction with complex environments, yet most artificial sensing systems rely on continuous signal acquisition and centralized electronic computation, resulting in high data redundancy, latency, and limited robustness. In this research, we introduce mechanically encoded materials (MEM) as a sensing‐centric paradigm that embeds perception directly into material architecture. Inspired by biological mechanosensory systems, MEM exploits geometry‐force‐property coupling to selectively transduce mechanical stimuli into discrete binary outputs, enabling event‐driven tactile sensing without continuous sampling or intensive electronic processing. By rational design, MEMs are programmed to respond only when external stimuli exceed predefined thresholds, thereby encoding tactile information such as pressure, stiffness, and curvature into binary representations at the material level. Arrays of MEMs with graded thresholds further enable multi‐level discrimination of mechanical stimuli solely through mechanical design. We demonstrate the integration of pressure‐, stiffness‐, and curvature‐sensitive MEMs into a compliant gripper, where proprioceptive and tactile perception emerges locally at the sensing interface without CPU‐driven computation. This mechano‐encoding strategy reduces data bandwidth and sensing latency while enhancing robustness and adaptability under dynamic conditions. By transforming sensing, encoding, and preliminary computation into intrinsic material functions, MEMs establish a general framework for decentralized tactile perception in next‐generation intelligent systems.

Self‐Assembled Mesoporous Nickel Polyphthalocyanine/Graphene Microspheres for Room‐Temperature Sensing of Carbonate Ester Leakage in Batteries

ABSTRACT The low viscosity of linear carbonate esters improves electrolyte wetting and ionic conductivity, making them essential for battery operation, but also rendering them prone to rapid evaporation when cells are mechanically damaged or leaking. Given their high flammability, such evaporation poses serious safety hazards. Monitoring such emissions without elevating temperature is critical for providing early hazard warning. Herein, we report a room temperature operable carbonate esters sensor based on self‐assembled mesoporous nickel polyphthalocyanine/graphene microsphere. This spherical structure suppresses π–π stacking of the polyphthalocyanine layers, exposing abundant Ni–N 4 active centers for coordination with carbonate esters. The mesoporous architecture establishes 3D diffusion pathways, facilitating rapid gas transport. The extended π‑conjugation and enriched electron density further enhance the adsorption affinity of Ni–N 4 sites toward carbonate ester groups. The constructed sensor achieves a 90% response to dimethyl carbonate (DMC) vapor at 20°C within 10 s, with high selectivity and stability under bending, humidity variations, and long‐term standby operation. An integrated DMC‐temperature flexible chip identifies overheating and leakage faults of lithium‐ion battery and locates the leakage point within a battery module. This work enables monitoring of battery breakage under practical operating conditions, forming comprehensive risk assessment for battery management systems.

Mechanically Assisted Magnetic Actuation in Ceramic‐Based Microscrolls for Fast and Durable Soft Robotic Systems

ABSTRACT Soft magnetic actuators capable of fast, remote, and untethered motion are increasingly sought for microscale robotic systems. Here, we introduce compact ceramic‐based, magnetically responsive microscroll actuators inspired by the coiled geometry of the butterfly proboscis. The actuators are fabricated from hybrid films composed of aligned vanadium pentoxide (V 2 O 5 ) nanofibers and Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles distributed within the nanofiber matrix, forming a flexible, laminated architecture with enhanced mechanical robustness. Using a razor blade‐assisted scrolling method, the planar films are transformed into tightly wound microscrolls with tunable geometry and micrometer scale diameters. Under near‐field magnetic stimulation (∼60 mT), the scrolls exhibit rapid, reversible, and multidirectional actuation with angular displacements of up to 180°. The actuation relies on a dual magneto‐mechanical mechanism: distributed magnetic stresses generated by the embedded Fe 3 O 4 phase initiate unrolling, while residual elastic strain stored during scrolling drives the re‐rolling motion. This geometry‐programmed actuation enables a lifting ratio of 32.5× relative to actuator mass, a work density of ∼8.1 kJm − 3 , and a footprint reduction of up to 96%. Notably, the ceramic‐based microscrolls retain structural and functional integrity over 5000 magnetic actuation cycles, demonstrating a durable architecture‐driven route toward untethered soft robotic microsystems.

Flax Composites With Improved Interfacial Strength Through Microbially Induced Mineral Precipitation

ABSTRACT Driven by the needs of modern transportation and the clean energy transition, the demand for sustainable and lightweight materials is increasing. Composite materials incorporating natural fibers such as flax fibers have gained attention due to their carbon‐capturing potential and good specific mechanical properties. However, when embedded in hydrophobic polymer matrices, flax fibers exhibit inferior mechanical performance primarily due to their hydrophilic composition and discontinuous fiber architecture. Biological materials such as nacre have developed useful strategies through mineralization to distribute localized stresses and develop extrinsic toughness that could inspire a solution to enhance stress transfer in natural fiber composites. Here, we report a biomineralization strategy to introduce an additional hierarchy to flax composites. By tuning salt concentrations in the process, we achieve controlled deposition of microbe‐mediated mineral particles on flax yarns. With controlled biomineralization, we show that the minerals can enhance the compressive toughness by 178% and compressive strength by 30%. The findings highlight a novel bio‐inspired pathway for tailoring composite performance through sustainable processing, offering a scalable and environmentally friendly approach to enhance natural fiber composites for structural applications.

Single‐Photon Superradiance in Giant Rhombicuboctahedral CsPbI ₃ Nanocrystals

ABSTRACT Increasing the volume of halide perovskite nanocrystals (NCs) is generally accompanied by lower photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY). Here, we overcame this trade‐off with giant (25 nm) rhombicuboctahedral CsPbI 3 NCs that retain an exceptional PLQY of 87%. Their distinct size and morphology were induced by using phenacyl iodide as a novel precursor and subsequently characterized by x‐ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. In these giant NCs, the non‐radiative Auger process is suppressed, giving rise to a high biexciton PLQY of 55%, while a high single‐photon purity up to 95% was achieved using a time‐gating method. Benefiting from their enlarged volume, these NCs achieve one of the largest reported absorption cross‐sections of 5.3 × 10 −13 cm 2 , along with emission tunable to the near‐infrared region (>700 nm) and a prolonged room‐temperature lifetime of 465 ns—nearly an order of magnitude longer than conventional NCs. In contrast, at cryogenic temperatures, these enlarged NCs exhibit narrow and ultrafast emission ( τ = 467 ps) arising from the coherent coupling of dipoles within a single NC, which induces a giant oscillator strength and leads to single‐photon superradiance. These results position the unique rhombicuboctahedral, giant CsPbI 3 NCs as novel near‐infrared emitters and promising candidates for high‐speed quantum photon sources.

A Skin‐Inspired High‐κ Self‐Healing Polymer for Low‐Voltage Dielectric Elastomer Actuators

ABSTRACT Dielectric elastomer actuators (DEAs), known as a type of artificial muscles, are promising soft actuators with many applications including robotics and wearables due to their conformability, fast response, and large actuation. However, their usage remains constrained by high driving voltages needed to achieve substantial actuation. Here, we design a skin‐inspired high‐κ self‐healing elastomer, poly‐(acrylonitrile‐co‐butadiene)‐co‐thiourea (PABTU), that features a high dielectric constant (15 at 1 kHz), low Young's modulus (0.58 and 0.012 MPa upon pre‐stretch), and ability to form pinhole‐free thin films (∼ 3 µm). To mitigate relatively high dielectric loss of our PABTU, PABTU/PDMS‐MPU 0.3 ‐IU 0.7 bilayer structure (ULTRA) is used for actuators, increasing its breakdown strength from ∼33 to 43 V/µm. Our ULTRA actuators exhibit visible deformation at an unprecedented low voltage of 30 V and an areal strain exceeding 130% at 120 V, representing an order of magnitude reduction in voltage for actuation compared with previously reported DEAs while achieving similar actuation strain. As proof of concept, we demonstrate a low‐voltage multipixel array with ULTRA DEA. Our molecular design concept provides a path for material systems toward low‐voltage operating soft robotics.

Dynamic Te–OH Proton Relay Enables Industrial‐Level Acidic CO ₂ Electroreduction on Single‐Atom Catalysts

ABSTRACT Electrochemical CO 2 reduction reaction (CO 2 RR) in acidic media can suppress carbonate formation and boost CO 2 utilization efficiency. However, at high current densities, rapid proton consumption induces localized alkalization, causing insufficient proton supply and limiting reaction kinetics. Here we report a dynamic proton‐relay strategy that enables rapid and selective CO 2 RR by integrating atomically dispersed Ni–N sites on carbon with adjacent Te species (Ni–N/Te–C). The incorporated Te centers form reversible Te–OH/Te–O − couples that simultaneously promote water activation and mediate controlled proton delivery, thereby synchronizing hydrogen supply with intermediate protonation while suppressing competitive hydrogen evolution. As a result, Ni–N/Te–C achieves a CO Faradaic efficiency above 94.8% across a wide potential window from −0.8 to −1.4 V versus the reversible hydrogen electrode. Ni–N/Te–C delivers an industrial CO current density of 562.5 mA cm −2 and a turnover frequency of 16291.9 h −1 at −1.4 V, significantly higher than that of Ni–N/C. The catalyst also demonstrates remarkable durability, maintaining 93.8% selectivity for 300 h at 100.0 mA cm −2 . In situ spectroscopic characterization and theoretical calculations reveal that the Te–OH‐mediated proton relay modulates the reaction pathway of water dissociation and CO 2 protonation with significantly lower energy barriers, thus accelerating *COOH formation.

Pseudocapacitive Charge‐Driven Adhesive‐Electrocoupling Hydrogels for Myocardial Infarction Repair via Interstitial Microenvironment Remodeling

ABSTRACT Myocardial infarction (MI) creates a hostile microenvironment characterized by oxidative stress, inflammation, fibrosis, and electrical conduction block, posing a multifaceted challenge for tissue repair. To address this, we developed a multifunctional hydrogel (Gel‐PDZC), through an artificial neural network (ANN)‐guided optimization process, incorporating nanoparticles comprising a ZIF‐8@CaO 2 core for sustained oxygen release, a polydopamine (PDA) interlayer for adhesion and antioxidant activity, and a conductive poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) shell. The hydrogel exhibits a unique “adhesion‐electrocoupling” effect, where robust tissue adhesion facilitates a pseudocapacitive charge injection mechanism. This not only enables active electrical intervention in the avascular scar but also leverages the endogenous myocardial electric field to restore the hydrogel's antioxidant properties. In a rat MI model, the Gel‐PDZC hydrogel comprehensively remodeled the myocardial interstitial microenvironment. It alleviated hypoxia, reduced oxidative stress and apoptosis, suppressed pro‐inflammatory C‐C motif chemokine receptor 2 (CCR2 + ) macrophages recruitment and promoted electrical coupling between resident CCR2 − macrophages and cardiomyocytes (CMs), inhibited fibroblast‐to‐myofibroblast transition via the PI3K/AKT pathway, and stimulated angiogenesis. These coordinated cellular and molecular changes translated into substantial functional recovery, evidenced by restored epicardial electrical propagation, improved electromechanical coupling, and a significant increase in cardiac function. Our findings demonstrate that this ANN‐optimized, adhesive‐electrocoupling hydrogel provides a comprehensive and synergistic solution for repairing the infarcted heart.

Sustainable and Multifunctional Natural Macromolecular Polymers for Aqueous Zn Metal Batteries

ABSTRACT Aqueous zinc‐ion batteries (AZIBs) have emerged as a highly competitive energy storage system, owing to their inherent safety, ideal capacity, and the abundance of zinc resources. However, the practical applications of AZIBs are significantly hampered by challenges such as uncontrolled dendrite growth, corrosion, and passivation of zinc anodes. Natural macromolecular polymers, leveraging their multifunctionality, sustainability, and multilevel structures featuring superior mechanical strength, demonstrate unique potential in the development of effective strategies for optimizing zinc anodes. This review is the first to systematically analyze, at both the microscopic and mesoscopic levels, the structure‐function relationships between the structural/surface characteristics of natural polymers and their optimization effect on zinc anodes, and elucidates the relevant regulatory mechanisms. Concurrently, the research progress on optimizing zinc anodes with these natural polymers is sorted out and analyzed according to different optimization strategies, further illustrating the interrelationship among the structure/properties of natural polymers, zinc anode optimization strategies, and regulatory mechanisms. Additionally, the review identifies and outlines the crucial challenges faced by natural polymers in terms of optimizing zinc anodes. Ultimately, this review also delivers some prospects for future research directions and innovative engineering strategies focusing on natural polymers to construct ultra‐stable zinc anodes for large‐scale applications.

Transient Cytoskeletal Anisotropy Encodes Short‐Term Mechanical Memory in Glioblastoma Cells

ABSTRACT Cells experience time‐varying mechanical cues when navigating complex microenvironments, yet whether and how they retain a short‐term memory of recent deformations remains unclear. Here, we show that glioblastoma cells encode such memory through transient cytoskeletal anisotropy. Combining magneto‐mechanical actuation, nanoindentation, and selective cytoskeletal perturbations, we find that actin architectures drive opposite mechanical responses: stress fibers stiffen cells under stretch, whereas the actin cortex governs softening under compression. Vimentin intermediate filaments stabilize actin organization under load, preserving these deformation‐specific responses. Mechanical actuation aligns both networks, more strongly for actin than vimentin, and this anisotropy persists after unloading. Using a two‐step actuation protocol, we show that residual alignment biases the response to a second deformation: cells retain information about prior loading, and this bias decays as the cytoskeleton relaxes, defining a memory window of minutes to tens of minutes. To integrate these observations, we develop a multi‐network constitutive model that links cytoskeletal architecture and loading history to cell mechanics, reproducing asymmetric mechanical responses, cytoskeletal reorganization dynamics, and memory effect. These findings show how invasive cancer cells could exploit residual cytoskeletal order to adapt to fluctuating solid stresses and confinement, and identify vimentin–actin coupling and remodeling kinetics as levers to limit that adaptability.

Atomically Precise Pt ₃ Cu ₂ Clusters Restore Energy Metabolism via Targeted Succinate Degradation

ABSTRACT Succinate is a critical intermediate for the tricarboxylic acid cycle, whose abnormal accumulation can disrupt energy homeostasis and trigger systemic inflammatory injury across dominant metabolic organs. Targeting succinate thus represents a pivotal strategy to reestablish metabolic equilibrium. Here, through biomimetic electronic structure engineering, we report an atomically precise Pt 3 Cu 2 cluster engineered with intrinsic succinate dehydrogenase (SDH)‐mimicking activity that catalyzes succinate oxidation to restore energy metabolism. The Pt 3 Cu 2 cluster exhibits a succinate‐binding affinity 4.52‐fold superior to that of native SDH, wherein the Pt─Cu dual‐metal active center structurally and functionally recapitulates the Fe─S catalytic motifs of SDH, enabling precise substrate recognition and efficient electron transfer. In disease models of energy metabolic dysfunction, Pt 3 Cu 2 reduces succinate accumulation by 43.54% and restores ATP production by 5.31‐fold, effectively rescuing hepatic energy metabolic dysfunction. Concurrently, it decreases lipid accumulation by 79.82% and resolves hepatic inflammation through normalization of the PI3K/Akt signaling axis. Beyond the liver, systemic normalization of succinate and inflammatory cytokines attenuates neuroinflammation, restores cerebral energy supply, and improves cognitive function. This work establishes atomically precise metal nanoclusters as a compelling enzyme‐mimetic strategy for targeting metabolic‐inflammatory diseases.