Anthocyanins, naturally occurring flavonoid pigments, have attracted substantial interest for intelligent food packaging due to their pronounced halochromic behavior, antioxidant activity, and biocompatibility. This review critically evaluates recent advances in green extraction technologies, including ultrasound-, microwave-, enzyme-, pulsed electric field-, and supercritical fluid-assisted extraction, with emphasis on their effects on anthocyanin yield, structural integrity, and pH-responsive performance. Furthermore, the influence of polymer matrices and fabrication techniques (e.g., solvent casting, layer-by-layer assembly, and electrospinning) on film microstructure, physicochemical properties, and sensing behavior is systematically discussed. Material engineering strategies, including copigmentation, inclusion complexation, nanoencapsulation, and metal-organic framework immobilization, are systematically evaluated for their roles in enhancing color stability, pH and volatile amine sensitivity, controlled release, and multifunctionality. Environmental and safety aspects, including migration behavior, biocompatibility, biodegradability, and regulatory considerations, are also critically assessed to facilitate industrial implementation. Overall, this review establishes a comprehensive structure-property-performance framework linking anthocyanin chemistry, extraction processes, material engineering, and sensing functionality, thereby providing strategic insights for the rational design and commercialization of next-generation intelligent packaging systems for real-time food freshness monitoring.

Bamboo, as a renewable biomass resource, presents significant potential for sustainable food packaging applications. In this study, cellulose nanofibrils were extracted from bamboo powder via sequential acid/alkali purification, TEMPO oxidation, and high-intensity ultrasonication. The resulting bamboo oxidized nanocellulose (BONC) was fabricated into aerogels via ice-templating and into films via casting to systematically investigate their fundamental properties. Purification effectively increased cellulose content from 56.29% to 95.71% by removing lignin and hemicellulose, while preserving the cellulose I crystalline structure. Oxidation enhanced dispersion and reduced the average fibril diameter from 13.45 nm (BNC) to 7.38 nm (BONC). For aerogels, increasing suspension concentration elevated density and compressive strength while reducing porosity. Lower freezing temperatures (-196 °C) yielded finer, more uniform pores, enhancing thermal insulation and structural integrity; conversely, directional freezing (DF) induced anisotropic architectures with superior axial mechanical strength but inferior thermal insulation. Notably, the high porosity (> 99%) and interconnected channels of aerogels resulted in excessive gas permeability and water absorption, precluding their standalone use as modified atmosphere layers. In contrast, BONC films exhibited concentration-dependent barrier properties, with the 1.0 wt% film reducing O2 to 18.9% and increasing CO2 to 3.67%. Therefore, the two forms of packaging materials can serve different purposes. These results establish a fundamental understanding of processing-structure-property relationships in bamboo-derived nanocellulose materials and lay an experimental foundation for the development of high-performance food packaging materials.

We elucidate the boundary between classical and quantum computation by constructing qubit Clifford circuits with nonstabilizer inputs that can be efficiently simulated classically. We do so by casting the quantum circuits realizable by defect braiding in the surface code in terms of a Kirkwood-Dirac (KD) quasiprobability distribution, a generalization of a joint probability distribution. If this distribution remains a proper (positive) probability distribution throughout a circuit, then a classical algorithm can simulate the circuit efficiently. By leveraging recent results on the geometry of KD-positive states, we construct bound-magic states. Classical computers can efficiently simulate these bound-magic states' evolutions under the circuits, although other magic states enable universal quantum computation when inputted. Furthermore, we show that KD nonpositivity is a resource monotone in this model. Thus, we establish KD nonpositivity as a necessary resource for quantum-computational advantages.

In this study, we report the development of high-performance electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding composites incorporating directionally aligned non-oxidatively exfoliated graphene flakes (NOGF) within a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) matrix. The NOGF was synthesized via exfoliation of graphite intercalation compounds without oxidative treatment, thereby preserving their intrinsic graphitic structure with minimal defect formation. A unidirectional freeze-casting process was employed to fabricate anisotropically aligned NOGF aerogels, which were subsequently infiltrated with PDMS. The resulting NOGF/PDMS composites with a loading of 1.9 wt % exhibited significantly enhanced EMI shielding effectiveness (SE) compared to reduced graphene oxide (rGO)/PDMS counterparts with a loading of 1.7 wt %, achieving a mean SE of 67.2 dB at 2.3 mm thickness, while th rGO/PDMS composites reached 31.1 dB at 2.5 mm. Directional alignment was also found to play a critical role, as longitudinally cut samples consistently outperformed those in the transverse direction. This work highlights the potential of low-filler-content graphene composites for multifunctional EMI shielding applications.

CRISPR-associated transposons (CASTs) enable programmable DNA integration, yet how the TnsC regulator forms processive filaments on DNA to coordinate RNA-guided transposition in type V-K CAST systems remains unknown. Here, we integrate large-scale molecular simulations, interpretable deep learning using graph attention networks (GATs), and causal inference analyses to define the molecular determinants of TnsC filament nucleation and elongation. We show that TnsC nucleates by inducing localized DNA deformation that propagates along extended filaments, with Granger causality revealing that TnsC motions precede and predict DNA deformation. Interpretable GAT models demonstrate that elongation is determined during early recognition between incoming and DNA-bound subunits, followed by structural reorganization that regenerates the recruitment interface and enables processive assembly. These results elucidate the molecular mechanism of processive TnsC filament assembly and explain why isolated TnsC filaments preferentially elongate in the 5' → 3' direction, while accessory transposition factors can reshape the interaction landscape and alter filament growth polarity. Together, these findings advance our understanding of CAST function and inform the engineering of programmable DNA integration platforms. Beyond CAST systems, this work introduces an interpretable GAT approach as a general and transferable deep learning strategy for uncovering molecular mechanisms in biological systems, while demonstrating the power of causal inference for dissecting directional relationships in molecular dynamics.

Metal casting naturally produces a fine-grained chill layer at the mold interface, although this surface layer is commonly removed during machining. Inspired by archeological observations of ancient Cu-Sn bronzes, we investigated the effects of preserving this naturally formed metallic "skin" in modern A356 aluminum alloys. In bronzes, retaining the chill layer reduced corrosion current densities in neutral, alkaline, and acidic environments. In A356 alloys, preserving the chill layer increased ultimate tensile strength by up to 10%, improved elongation from 4.1% to 5.8%, enhanced fatigue endurance by 14%, and increased surface hardness by 20%. These improvements are associated with a naturally formed hierarchical grain structure, in which a fine-grained surface and a coarser interior promote Hall-Petch strengthening and hetero-deformation-induced hardening. These results highlight the functional significance of the chill layer and suggest its preservation as a design consideration for improving cast aluminum alloys without alloy redesign or additional surface processing.

Among non-scaphoid carpal fractures, trapezium fractures are uncommon but rank as the third or fourth most frequent. A few international studies suggest that these fractures represent 1.5-3% of fractures of the hand. There are very few reports on the conservative treatment of patients with this type of injury owing to various complications. Herein, we present two cases of trapezial tubercle fractures managed conservatively with thumb spica casting. In Case 1, a 52-year-old male lost control and fell from his motorcycle, resulting in an injury to his right hand. On the following day, he presented to the Kamiaoki Clinic of Orthopedic Surgery, SBC Tokyo Medical University, where computed tomography (CT) revealed a non-displaced fracture of the trapezial tubercle. The patient was fitted with a thumb spica cast and discharged. A follow-up CT obtained six weeks after the injury revealed callus formation without displacement, and the patient's clinical course was uneventful. In Case 2, an 88-year-old woman experienced a fall and injury to the right hand. On the following day, she presented to the Kamiaoki Clinic of Orthopedic Surgery, SBC Tokyo Medical University. Plain radiographs demonstrated a fracture line suggestive of a trapezial injury, and CT confirmed a non-displaced fracture of the trapezial tubercle. The patient was fitted with a thumb spica cast and discharged. Although a CT scan obtained four weeks after the injury showed no obvious callus formation, there was no exacerbation of the fracture; therefore, the spica cast was removed. At the final follow-up, nine weeks after the initial injury, the patient had no difficulty performing activities of daily living. Although previous studies have generally reported satisfactory outcomes following conservative treatment of trapezial tubercle fractures, non-union has also been described and is sometimes considered an indication for surgical intervention. In Case 2, although bony union was not radiographically confirmed, a satisfactory functional outcome was achieved. Given the patient's advanced age and the higher risk of joint stiffness, the clinical decision to prioritize early mobilization over radiographic union may have facilitated the preservation of her activities of daily living. While Case 1 and Case 2 differ in age and fracture type, Case 2 illustrates that in certain elderly patients with minimally displaced trapezial tubercle fractures, acceptable function can be maintained even without definitive bony union.

Cultured meat, as an emerging method for obtaining protein, is receiving widespread attention. Developing biocompatible, edible scaffolding materials is a critical bottleneck for the industrialization of cultured meat. In this study, we developed a series of microbia-derived, biomass-based composite disk carriers by integrating bacterial cellulose (BC) with mycelium (Myc) from Morchella sextelata via a facile and minimally-processed blend-casting method. This composite is a potential, low-cost alternative to traditional BC-mushroom chitosan (BCMC) carriers in our previous work. Results indicated that mycelial integration enriched the surface with nitrogen-containing functional groups and optimized wettability to a range of 68°-76°. The resulting micro-nano topology provided robust mechanical interlocking, which correlated with reduced cell sheet detachment compared to BCMC benchmarks. Biological assays demonstrated that BC-Myc disks significantly accelerated the proliferation of C2C12 and DF-1 cells, achieving near 100% confluence within 5 days. Immunofluorescence revealed that the carriers supported mature C2C12 myogenic differentiation with continuous, multi-nucleated fibers and promoted DF-1 adipogenic transdifferentiation with high fatty acid synthase expression. Overall, BC-Myc disks outperformed BCMC in supporting tissue maturation and interfacial stability. This work establishes a scalable, low-cost, and circular economy strategy for fabricating scaffolding biomaterials, providing a promising proof-of-concept platform for cultured meat production.