Sepsis is a complex clinical syndrome marked by dysregulated immune responses, systemic inflammation, and subsequent organ dysfunction. Sepsis involves the interplay of multiple signaling pathways. Traditional sepsis treatment mainly depends on antibiotics and early directed therapy, with limited effectiveness. This article reviews major signaling pathways in sepsis, such as those related to nuclear factor κB (NF-κB), Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription (JAK/STAT), Toll-like receptors (TLRs), mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α), and nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2/Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (Nrf2/Keap1). These molecules are pivotal in regulating immune activation, inflammation, and immune cell metabolism. Moreover, mitochondrial dysfunction and metabolic reprogramming substantially contribute to sepsis development, as they greatly affect energy production and immune cell function. Selectively inhibiting these pathways shows potential for effectively reducing hyperinflammation and preventing organ failure. We discussed how future research on these signaling pathways can translate into clinical applications and how personalized treatment strategies can handle the complexity and variability of sepsis. Given the dynamic nature of sepsis, treatment strategies should not solely rely on traditional single-target interventions. Instead, a dynamic and personalized multi-target modulatory approach is needed. While reducing side effects of single-target inhibition, inflammatory responses, immune balance, and metabolic disorders can be more precisely regulated. By precisely monitoring multiple sepsis-related signaling pathways and adjusting treatment regimens in real time, we aim to identify more effective intervention points in the complex dynamics of diseases, thus providing new hope for improving prognosis of septic patients.

Several instruments, including LHAASO, have measured γ-ray emission from the direction of V4641 Sgr, a well known microquasar. The emission measured with LHAASO is best described as a power-law spectrum extending into the ultra-high-energy regime with no indication of a cutoff up to the energy of 0.8\mathrm{PeV}. Thus, this source represents a perfect candidate of a super-PeVatron, which accelerates cosmic-ray particles beyond 10\mathrm{PeV}. To prove this exciting hypothesis, a deeper investigation of this source is required. An important progress can be achieved using an array of Cherenkov telescopes, such as Large Array of imaging atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes (LACT), observing the source at large zenith angles. In this paper, we show that already with the first 4 telescopes of LACT one will be able to constraint the key morphological features and the corresponding spectral variations in this source. This will provide the essential observational information for studying the acceleration of cosmic rays in this prominent source.

Metamaterials with stiffness tunability have demonstrated great potential in mechanical systems that operate in variable environments. However, most existing stiffness-tunable metamaterials exhibit high-dimensional and nonlinear structure–property relationships, which hinder precise on-demand tuning and real-time stiffness visualization. Here, we present a reconfigurable hierarchical metamaterial that integrates stiffness tunability, linear structure–property relationship, and real-time self-sensing stiffness visualization into a unified platform. Kinematic analysis shows that the hierarchical metamaterial can be reconfigured through kinematic bifurcations into various single- and multi-level configurations with different numbers of active hinges, and maintain a single degree of freedom in each deformation path. Subsequently, a linear relationship between the number of active hinges and the stiffness of the metamaterial is established through theoretical modelling and verified by experiments, allowing a wide range of tunable stiffness. Furthermore, mechanical logic circuits are embedded into the metamaterial to map transitions between units at different levels to electrical outputs, achieving real-time stiffness visualization via light-emitting diode (LED) states without external sensors. This proposed metamaterial, and more generally, the structure–property–information integration design framework, will greatly advance the development of intelligent adaptive systems.

Industrial microorganisms often struggle to utilize renewable substrates such as methanol, formate, and xylose. Here, we introduce AdaptUC, a computational framework that demonstrates how the fraction of biomass precursors synthesized from unadapted carbon sources governs both the evolutionary driving force and the minimal substrate requirement. AdaptUC predicts gene knockout strategies for constructing the starting strain for adaptive laboratory evolution by selectively blocking metabolic pathways, thereby rendering specific precursor pools dependent on the unadapted substrate. We show that smaller dependency fractions correspond to higher driving forces for evolution of the starting strain. Case studies in Escherichia coli and Corynebacterium glutamicum, validated against experimental records and literature, confirm AdaptUC’s ability to identify knockout combinations that fine-tune precursor dependency and accelerate adaptation. By leveraging genome-scale metabolic models, AdaptUC navigates vast candidate pools without combinatorial explosion, reducing experimental screening and prioritizing strains with stronger evolutionary drives.

Low-frequency microwave absorption poses an important challenge due to the excessive thickness of absorbers, which inherently correlates with wavelength. Herein, Bi₂Te₃ nanosheets were synthesized via a solvothermal method to achieve high permittivity, aiming to address the issue of low-frequency microwave absorption. The as-prepared nanosheets demonstrate a tunable ultra-high permittivity (up to 282) at 2 GHz, accompanied by a loss tangent below 0.81 and pronounced frequency dispersion characteristics. The nanosheet material demonstrates a synergistic balance of ultrahigh permittivity and appropriate dielectric loss, attributed to its surface-state-conducting and bulk-insulating character. At 2.4 GHz, the composite material composed of Bi₂Te₃ nanosheet achieves an effective absorption with an electrical thickness of 0.032, which is significantly thinner than those reported for state-of-the-art microwave absorbing materials. By leveraging the high permittivity and pronounced frequency dispersion characteristics of Bi₂Te₃ nanosheet composites, broadband microwave absorption is achieved across both 2- to 6-GHz and 6- to 18-GHz ranges through multilayered architectures. This work provides a strategic approach to overcome the longstanding challenge of broadband low-frequency microwave absorption.

In this Research Perspective, we briefly review the diffusion wake, a distinctive consequence of the Mach-cone wake induced by the supersonic jets in ultrarelativistic heavy-ion collisions. The diffusion wake depletes soft hadrons in the direction opposite to the propagating jet. According to coupled transport and hydrodynamic simulations, a valley in the 2-dimensional jet–hadron correlation in azimuthal angle and rapidity arises on the top of the multiple-parton interaction ridge as an unambiguous signal of the diffusion wake induced by \gamma-jets in heavy-ion collisions. In dijet events with a finite rapidity gap, the rapidity asymmetry of the jet–hadron correlation has been shown to be a robust signal of the diffusion wake. The same rapidity asymmetry can also be applied to \gamma-jet events, and both are background-free. Experimental measurements of these signals can provide valuable insights into the properties of the quark–gluon plasma formed in high-energy heavy-ion collisions.

Redox imbalance resulting from NAD⁺ [nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (oxidized form)] depletion and NADH (reduced form of NAD⁺) accumulation is a conserved hallmark of both aging and myocardial infarction (MI), promoting cellular senescence and limiting the efficacy of regenerative therapies. Despite several NADH oxidase (NOX)-mimetic nanozymes having been reported, their therapeutic utility in aging and cardiovascular repair remains largely unexplored. Here, we present a vanadium-based nanozyme (MXene-TA) that mimics bacterial NOX activity, catalytically oxidizing NADH to restore NAD⁺ and directly fixing redox imbalance. In aged (24-month-old) mice, systemic MXene-TA administration restored NAD⁺/NADH homeostasis and reduced senescence markers (p16, p21, γH2AX, and SASP) in the heart, liver, and spleen, yet this effect was not observed in the lungs or kidneys, indicating organ-specific redox susceptibility. In a rat MI model, local injection of MXene-TA into the infarcted myocardium reprogrammed metabolism, activated NAD⁺-dependent pathways, attenuated oxidative damage in cardiomyocytes, decreased infarct area, and enhanced myocardial function. To further enhance stem cell retention and function, we embedded MXene-TA and adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) into a pH-responsive, conductive hydrogel that mimics cardiac mechanical and electrical properties. This platform extended ADSC survival beyond 4 weeks (versus 1 week in controls) and further improved cardiac repair. Together, these findings uncover the therapeutic potential of NOX-mimetic nanozymes in aging and ischemic heart disease and introduce a redox-regulating hydrogel system that addresses both oxidative stress and stem cell integration for effective myocardial repair.

Panvascular medicine underscores the integration of vascular networks across organs such as the heart, brain, kidneys, and limbs into a unified system. In this system, metabolic aberrations, endothelial dysfunction, and hemodynamic disturbances in one organ can drive synergistic pathologies elsewhere. However, current interventional device development has largely overlooked richly vascularized, high-perfusion organs like the liver and kidneys. Furthermore, the pervasive challenge of “low suitcordance”—a term we introduce to describe suboptimal device performance over its entire life cycle—confronting interventional devices for panvascular full-watershed organs remains unresolved. (Here, the term “full-watershed” metaphorically denotes organs that, like geographical watersheds, receive marked perfusion from the systemic circulation, emphasizing their collective role in panvascular health.) This article introduces “suitcordance” (short-term suitability and long-term concordance) as a novel framework for evaluating device performance that transcends traditional metrics like biocompatibility. We propose that interdisciplinary innovation, fusing materials science, biomechanics, mechanobiology, and artificial intelligence can address this gap. The Xinsorb bioresorbable scaffold illustrates a path toward “high suitcordance” devices, offering a paradigmatic reference for interventions in cerebral, peripheral, hepatic, and renal vasculatures. This approach provides a new paradigm for advancing interventional devices from isolated vascular repair to the synergistic management of multivascular bed lesions and the restoration of systemic functional equilibria.

Abiotic and historical factors are major determinants of large-scale patterns of species richness, yet facilitative interactions can strongly influence diversity in low-productivity habitats such as alpine ecosystems. Cushion plants often promote the establishment of other species, but the relative roles of climate, species pools, and facilitation remain largely unknown. We analyzed 454 plots (4 × 4 m each) of vascular plants from the subnival belts of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau, using generalized linear mixed models and structural equation modeling. Community species richness was shaped by climate, regional species pools, and cushion presence, with cushions exerting the strongest positive effect in the Hengduan Mountains and Tibetan Plateau. In the structural equation model, cushion presence exerted the strongest positive effect on species richness, whereas climate affected species richness mainly through indirect pathways: wetter conditions enlarged species pools, whereas colder conditions increased cushion presence, which in turn enhanced local species richness. Cushions also buffered the negative effects of aridity. In contrast, species richness variation in the relatively wetter regions of the Himalaya was primarily determined by abiotic factors but not by cushion presence, consistent with the dominant assumption that facilitation is not frequent under favorable climatic conditions. Our findings demonstrate that alpine species richness emerges from the combined effects of species pools and facilitation rather than direct climate effects alone, highlighting the need to integrate biotic and abiotic drivers when explaining biodiversity patterns in extreme environments.