Metal catalysts are generally supported on hard inorganic materials because of their high thermochemical stabilities. Here, we support Pd catalysts on a thermochemically stable but “soft” engineering plastic, polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), for acetylene partial hydrogenation. Near the glass transition temperature (~353 K), the mobile PPS chains cover the entire surface of Pd particles via strong metal-polymer

Inefficient injection of microparticles through conventional hypodermic needles can impose serious challenges on clinical translation of biopharmaceutical drugs and microparticle-based drug formulations. This study aims to determine the important factors affecting microparticle injectability and establish a predictive framework using computational fluid dynamics, design of experiments, and machine

Electronic applications are continuously developing and taking new forms. Foldable, rollable, and wearable displays are applicable for human health care monitoring or robotics, and their operation relies on organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). Yet, the development of semiconducting materials with high mechanical flexibility has remained a challenge and restricted their use in unusual format electronics

High refractive index polymers (HRIPs) have recently emerged as an important class of materials for use in a variety of optoelectronic devices including image sensors, lithography, and light-emitting diodes. However, achieving polymers having refractive index exceeding 1.8 while maintaining full transparency in the visible range still remains formidably challenging. Here, we present a unique one-step

We explore a disruptive approach to nanoscale sensing by performing electron energy loss spectroscopy through the use of low-energy ballistic electrons that propagate on a two-dimensional semiconductor. In analogy to free-space electron microscopy, we show that the presence of analyte molecules in the vicinity of the semiconductor produces substantial energy losses in the electrons, which can be resolved

Despite their simplicity, water droplets manifest a wide spectrum of forms and dynamics, which can be actuated using special texture at solid surfaces to achieve desired functions. Along this vein, natural or synthetic materials can be rendered water repellent, oleophobic, antifogging, anisotropic, etc.—all properties arising from an original design of the substrate and/or from the use of special materials

To investigate whether the classic bystander effect is unique to humans, the effect of bystanders on rat helping was studied. In the presence of rats rendered incompetent to help through pharmacological treatment, rats were less likely to help due to a reduction in reinforcement rather than to a lack of initial interest. Only incompetent helpers of a strain familiar to the helper rat exerted a detrimental

Despite various approaches to immunoassay and chromatography for monitoring cortisol concentrations, conventional methods require bulky external equipment, which limits their use as mobile health care systems. Here, we describe a human pilot trial of a soft, smart contact lens for real-time detection of the cortisol concentration in tears using a smartphone. A cortisol sensor formed using a graphene

In the minutes immediately preceding the rupture of a soap bubble, distinctive and repeatable patterns can be observed. These quasistable transient structures are associated with the instabilities of the complex Marangoni flows on the curved thin film in the presence of a surfactant solution. Here, we report a generalized Cahn-Hilliard-Swift-Hohenberg model derived using asymptotic theory that describes

Buoyancy anomalies within Earth’s mantle create large convective currents that are thought to control the evolution of the lithosphere. While tectonic plate motions provide evidence for this relation, the mechanism by which mantle processes influence near-surface tectonics remains elusive. Here, we present an azimuthal anisotropy model for the Pacific Northwest crust that strongly correlates with high-velocity

The biological utilization of dissolved silicon (DSi) influences ocean ecology and biogeochemistry. In the deep sea, hexactinellid sponges are major DSi consumers that remain poorly understood. Their DSi consumption departs from the Michaelis-Menten kinetics of shallow-water demosponges and appears particularly maladapted to incorporating DSi from the modest concentrations typical of the modern ocean

Aromatic rearrangement reactions are useful tools in the organic chemist’s toolbox when generating uncommon substitution patterns. However, it is difficult to precisely translocate a functional group in (hetero) arene systems, with the exception of halogen atoms in a halogen dance reaction. Here, we describe an unprecedented “ester dance” reaction: a predictable translocation of an ester group from

Mouse photoreceptors are electrically coupled via gap junctions, but the relative importance of rod/rod, cone/cone, or rod/cone coupling is unknown. Furthermore, while connexin36 (Cx36) is expressed by cones, the identity of the rod connexin has been controversial. We report that FACS-sorted rods and cones both express Cx36 but no other connexins. We created rod- and cone-specific Cx36 knockout mice

We develop biohybrid magnetic microrobots by electrostatic self-assembly of nonmotile sperm cells and magnetic nanoparticles. Incorporating a biological entity into microrobots entails many functional advantages beyond shape templating, such as the facile uptake of chemotherapeutic agents to achieve targeted drug delivery. We present a single-step electrostatic self-assembly technique to fabricate

User-interactive electronic skin is capable of spatially mapping touch via electric readout and providing visual output as a human-readable response. However, the high power consumption, complex structure, and high cost of user-interactive electronic skin are notable obstacles for practical application. Here, we report a self-powered, user-interactive electronic skin (SUE-skin), which is simple in

We provide a single-cell atlas of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a fatal interstitial lung disease, by profiling 312,928 cells from 32 IPF, 28 smoker and nonsmoker controls, and 18 chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) lungs. Among epithelial cells enriched in IPF, we identify a previously unidentified population of aberrant basaloid cells that coexpress basal epithelial, mesenchymal,

Pulmonary fibrosis (PF) is a form of chronic lung disease characterized by pathologic epithelial remodeling and accumulation of extracellular matrix (ECM). To comprehensively define the cell types, mechanisms, and mediators driving fibrotic remodeling in lungs with PF, we performed single-cell RNA sequencing of single-cell suspensions from 10 nonfibrotic control and 20 PF lungs. Analysis of 114,396

Invar-behavior occurring in many magnetic materials has long been of interest to materials science. Here, we show not only invar behavior of a continuous film of FePt but also even negative thermal expansion of FePt nanograins upon equilibrium heating. Yet, both samples exhibit pronounced transient expansion upon laser heating in femtosecond x-ray diffraction experiments. We show that the granular

Age-progressive volcanism is generally accepted as the surface expression of deep-rooted mantle plumes, which are enigmatically linked with the African and Pacific large low–shear velocity provinces (LLSVPs). We present geochemical and geochronological data collected from the oldest portions of the age-progressive enriched mantle one (EMI)-type Tristan-Gough track. They are part of a 30- to 40-million

Biologically active ligands (e.g., RGDS from fibronectin) play critical roles in the development of chemically defined biomaterials. However, recent decades have shown only limited progress in discovering novel extracellular matrix–protein–derived ligands for translational applications. Through motif analysis of evolutionarily conserved RGD-containing regions in laminin (LM) and peptide-functionalized

Twinning is a critically important deformation mode in hexagonal close-packed metals. Twins are three-dimensional (3D) domains, whose growth is mediated by the motion of facets bounding the 3D twin domains and influences work hardening in metals. An understanding of twin transformations therefore necessitates that the atomic-scale structure and intrinsic mobilities of facets be known and characterized

In behavioral studies, observer effects can be substantial, even for habituated animals, but few studies account for potential observer-related phenomenon empirically. We used wild, habituated chacma baboons to explore two key assumptions of behavioral ecology (i) that observers become a “neutral” stimulus and (ii) that habituation is “equal” across group members. Using flight initiation distance (FID)

β-Lactam–resistant (BLR) Gram-negative bacteria that are difficult or impossible to treat are causing a global health threat. However, the development of effective nanoantibiotics is limited by the poor understanding of changes in the physical nature of BLR Gram-negative bacteria. Here, we systematically explored the nanomechanical properties of a range of Gram-negative bacteria (Salmonella, Escherichia

Laser technology has developed and accelerated photo-induced nonequilibrium physics, from both the scientific and engineering viewpoints. Floquet engineering, i.e., controlling material properties and functionalities by time-periodic drives, is at the forefront of quantum physics of light-matter interaction. However, it is limited to ideal dissipationless systems. Extending Floquet engineering to various

Rectifying electrical synapses (RESs) exist across animal species, but their rectification mechanism is largely unknown. We investigated why RESs between AVA premotor interneurons and A-type cholinergic motoneurons (A-MNs) in Caenorhabditis elegans escape circuit conduct junctional currents (Ij) only in the antidromic direction. These RESs consist of UNC-7 innexin in AVA and UNC-9 innexin in A-MNs

Devices with tunable resistance are highly sought after for neuromorphic computing. Conventional resistive memories, however, suffer from nonlinear and asymmetric resistance tuning and excessive write noise, degrading artificial neural network (ANN) accelerator performance. Emerging electrochemical random-access memories (ECRAMs) display write linearity, which enables substantially faster ANN training

The NMDA receptor (NMDAR) is inhibited by synaptically released zinc. This inhibition is thought to be the result of zinc diffusion across the synaptic cleft and subsequent binding to the extracellular domain of the NMDAR. However, this model fails to incorporate the observed association of the highly zinc-sensitive NMDAR subunit GluN2A with the postsynaptic zinc transporter ZnT1, which moves intracellular

Comparative planetology studies are key for understanding the main processes driving planetary formation and evolution. None have been yet applied to pristine asteroids formed in the solar protoplanetary disk, mainly because of their comminution during their 4.5-billion-year collisional lifetime. From remarkable textural, mineralogical, chemical, and thermodynamic similarities, we show that the high-temperature

Activation of the innate immune system and natural killer (NK) cells has been a key effort in cancer immunotherapy research. Here, we report a nanoparticle-based trispecific NK cell engager (nano-TriNKE) platform that can target epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)–overexpressing tumors and promote the recruitment and activation of NK cells to eradicate these cancer cells. Moreover, the nanoengagers

The quantum coherence and gate fidelity of electron spin qubits in semiconductors are often limited by nuclear spin fluctuations. Enrichment of spin-zero isotopes in silicon markedly improves the dephasing time T2*, which, unexpectedly, can extend two orders of magnitude beyond theoretical expectations. Using a single-atom 31P qubit in enriched 28Si, we show that the abnormally long T2* is due to the

Melanoma is an aggressive cancer with rapid progression, relapse, and metastasis. Systemic therapies for melanoma exhibit limited anticancer potential and high toxicity. Here, we developed the outer membrane vesicles derived from transgenic Escherichia coli, modified with αvβ3 integrin peptide targeting ligand and indocyanine green (named as I-P-OMVs), to induce the transdermal photo-TRAIL-programmed

Subretinal injections of viral vectors provide great benefits but have limited cargo capacity; they induce innate and adaptive immune responses, which may cause damage and preclude repeated injections; and they pose administration risks. As a new biotechnology, suprachoroidal injections of biodegradable nanoparticles (NPs) containing a reporter plasmid induce reporter expression in rat photoreceptors

Investigations in the now-submerged cave systems on the Yucatán Peninsula continue to yield evidence for human presence during the Pleistocene-Holocene transition. Skeletal remains are scattered throughout the caves of Quintana Roo, most representing individuals who died in situ. The reasons why they explored these underground environments have remained unclear. Here, we announce the discovery of the

RNA 3′ end processing provides a source of transcriptome diversification which affects various (patho)-physiological processes. A prime example is the transcript isoform switch that leads to the read-through expression of the long non-coding RNA NEAT1_2, at the expense of the shorter polyadenylated transcript NEAT1_1. NEAT1_2 is required for assembly of paraspeckles (PS), nuclear bodies that protect

The stringent expression of the hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) is critical to a variety of pathophysiological conditions. We reveal that, in normoxia, enzymatic action of cystathionine β-synthase (CBS) produces H2S, which persulfidates prolyl hydroxylase 2 (PHD2) at residues Cys21 and Cys33 (zinc finger motif), augmenting prolyl hydroxylase activity. Depleting endogenous H2S either by hypoxia

Transgenic coexpression of a class I–restricted tumor antigen–specific T cell receptor (TCR) and CD8αβ (TCR8) redirects antigen specificity of CD4+ T cells. Reinforcement of biophysical properties and early TCR signaling explain how redirected CD4+ T cells recognize target cells, but the transcriptional basis for their acquired antitumor function remains elusive. We, therefore, interrogated redirected

Expanded CAG/CTG repeats underlie 13 neurological disorders, including myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) and Huntington’s disease (HD). Upon expansion, disease loci acquire heterochromatic characteristics, which may provoke changes to chromatin conformation and thereby affect both gene expression and repeat instability. Here, we tested this hypothesis by performing 4C sequencing at the DMPK and HTT loci

Chiral interactions in magnetic systems can give rise to rich physics manifested, for example, as nontrivial spin textures. The foremost interaction responsible for chiral magnetism is the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI), resulting from inversion symmetry breaking in the presence of strong spin-orbit coupling. However, the atomistic origin of DMIs and their relationship to emergent electrodynamic

Bacterial biomineralization is a widespread process that affects cycling of metals in the environment. Functionalized bacterial cell surfaces and exopolymers are thought to initiate mineral formation, however, direct evidences are hampered by technical challenges. Here, we present a breakthrough in the use of liquid-cell scanning transmission electron microscopy to observe mineral growth on bacteria

Optical emission lines are used to categorize galaxies into three groups according to their dominant central radiation source: active galactic nuclei, star formation, or low-ionization (nuclear) emission regions [LI(N)ERs] that may trace ionizing radiation from older stellar populations. Using the Wisconsin H-Alpha Mapper, we detect optical line emission in low-extinction windows within eight degrees

COVID-19 has become a global pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. Understanding the origins of SARS-CoV-2 is critical for deterring future zoonosis, discovering new drugs, and developing a vaccine. We show evidence of strong purifying selection around the receptor binding motif (RBM) in the spike and other genes among bat, pangolin, and human coronaviruses, suggesting similar evolutionary

Catalytic dehydrogenation and hydrogenation of amines and alcohols are important in the synthesis of fine chemicals. Despite several efficient homogeneous catalysts having been identified, highly active heterogeneous catalysts remain elusive, although they would meet an unmet need. Here, we show that bimetallic Pd-Au nanoparticles with Pd-to-Au molar ratios of 3:1 immobilized on multiwall carbon nanotubes

When a medium is rapidly heated and cooled, heat transfers to its surroundings as sound. A controllable source of this sound is realized through joule heating of thin, conductive films by an alternating current. Here, we show that arrays of these sources generate sound unique to this mechanism. From the sound alone, we spatially resolve current flow by varying the film geometry and electrical phase

Bright, iridescent colors observed in nature are often caused by light interference within nanoscale periodic lattices, inspiring numerous strategies for coloration devoid of inorganic pigments. Here, we describe and characterize the septum of the Lunaria annua plant that generates large (multicentimeter), freestanding iridescent sheets, with distinctive silvery-white reflective appearance. This originates

How naturally arising human CD4+ T helper subsets affect cancer immunotherapy is unclear. We reported that human CD4+CD26high T cells elicit potent immunity against solid tumors. As CD26high T cells are often categorized as TH17 cells for their IL-17 production and high CD26 expression, we posited these populations would have similar molecular properties. Here, we reveal that CD26high T cells are epigenetically

Repeated concussion represents a serious health problem as it can result in various brain pathologies, ranging from minor focal tissue injury to severe chronic traumatic encephalopathy. The calcium-dependent protease, calpain, participates in the development of neurodegeneration following concussion, but there is no information regarding the relative contribution of calpain-1 and calpain-2, the major

Around 40% of humans and Tasmanian devils (Sarcophilus harrisii) develop cancer in their lifetime, compared to less than 10% for most species. In addition, devils are affected by two of the three known transmissible cancers in mammals. Immune checkpoint immunotherapy has transformed human medicine, but a lack of species-specific reagents has limited checkpoint immunology in most species. We developed

When we make economic choices, the brain first evaluates available options and then decides whether to choose them. Midbrain dopamine neurons are known to reinforce economic choices through their signal evoked by outcomes after decisions are made. However, although critical internal processing is executed while decisions are being made, little is known about the role of dopamine neurons during this

Chronic inflammatory gastric reflux alters the esophageal microenvironment and induces metaplastic transformation of the epithelium, a precancerous condition termed Barrett’s esophagus (BE). The microenvironmental niche, which includes the extracellular matrix (ECM), substantially influences cell phenotype. ECM harvested from normal porcine esophageal mucosa (eECM) was formulated as a mucoadhesive

Plant economics run on carbon and nutrients instead of money. Leaf strategies aboveground span an economic spectrum from “live fast and die young” to “slow and steady,” but the economy defined by root strategies belowground remains unclear. Here, we take a holistic view of the belowground economy and show that root-mycorrhizal collaboration can short circuit a one-dimensional economic spectrum, providing

Regulator of calcineurin 1 (RCAN1) is an endogenous inhibitor of the Ser/Thr phosphatase calcineurin (CN). It has been shown that excessive inhibition of CN is a critical factor for Down syndrome and Alzheimer’s disease. Here, we determined RCAN1’s mode of action. Using a combination of structural, biophysical, and biochemical studies, we show that RCAN1 inhibits CN via multiple routes: first, by blocking

Nonviral mRNA delivery is an attractive therapeutic gene delivery strategy, as it achieves efficient protein overexpression in vivo and has a desirable safety profile. However, mRNA’s short cytoplasmic half-life limits its utility to therapeutic applications amenable to repeated dosing or short-term overexpression. Here, we describe a biomaterial that enables a durable in vivo response to a single

Cell lines are commonly used as cancer models. The tissue of origin provides context for understanding biological mechanisms and predicting therapy response. We therefore systematically examined whether cancer cell lines exhibit features matching the presumed cancer type of origin. Gene expression and DNA methylation classifiers trained on ~9000 tumors identified 35 (of 614 examined) cell lines that

Increased appreciation of 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC) as a stable epigenetic mark, which defines cell identity and disease progress, has engendered a need for cost-effective, but high-resolution, 5hmC mapping technology. Current enrichment-based technologies provide cheap but low-resolution and relative enrichment of 5hmC levels, while single-base resolution methods can be prohibitively expensive

Kv2.1 channels mediate cell death–enabling loss of cytosolic potassium in neurons following plasma membrane insertion at somatodendritic clusters. Overexpression of the carboxyl terminus (CT) of the cognate channel Kv2.2 is neuroprotective by disrupting Kv2.1 surface clusters. Here, we define a seven–amino acid declustering domain within Kv2.2 CT (DP-2) and demonstrate its neuroprotective efficacy

Slow earthquakes, like regular earthquakes, result from unstable frictional slip. They produce little slip and can therefore repeat frequently. We assess their predictability using the slip history of the Cascadia subduction between 2007 and 2017, during which slow earthquakes have repeatedly ruptured multiple segments. We characterize the system dynamics using embedding theory and extreme value theory

In thermal and nuclear power plants, 70% of the generated thermal energy is lost as waste heat. The temperature of the waste heat is below the boiling temperature of water. Here, we show a long-term heat-storage material that absorbs heat energy at warm temperatures from 38°C (311 K) to 67°C (340 K). This unique series of material is composed of scandium-substituted lambda-trititanium-pentoxide (λ-ScxTi3−xO5)

Chromatin conformation regulates gene expression and thus, constant remodeling of chromatin structure is essential to guarantee proper cell function. To gain insight into the spatiotemporal organization of the genome, we use high-density photoactivated localization microscopy and deep learning to obtain temporally resolved super-resolution images of chromatin in living cells. In combination with high-resolution

Many cancer patients not responding to current immunotherapies fail to produce tumor-specific T cells for various reasons, such as a lack of recognition of cancer cells as foreign. Here, we suggest a previously unidentified method for xenogenizing (turning self to non-self) tumors by using fusogenic exosomes to introduce fusogenic viral antigens (VSV-G) onto the tumor cell surface. We found that xenogenized

Every day, we do things that cause effects in the outside world with little doubt about who caused what. To some, this sense of agency derives from a post hoc reconstruction of a likely causal relationship between an event and our preceding movements; others propose that the sense of agency originates from prospective comparisons of motor programs and their effects. Using functional magnetic resonance