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A theoretical approach to the remediation of saline streamflow conditions downstream of the Nwanedi catchment reservoir
Optimization of image restoration technology and AI iterative upgrade based on PCNN
The effects of splenectomy, platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and concentrated growth factor (CGF) on liver regeneration following major hepatectomy in rats
Rational design of ligand-free Rh–OsNanotrees for plasmonic tip localization and advanced third-order nonlinear optics
Abstract Ligand-free Rh–Osnanotree nanostructures were designed to show superior third-order nonlinear optical properties and stable tip-localized plasmonic responses. The branched structures were synthesized by a surfactant-free co-reduction approach, and they showed ultrasharp tips (6–10 nm radius), high aspect ratios, and well-distributed Rh/Os, which was verified by HR-TEM, EDS mapping, and XRD analysis. The specific surface area was as high as 127.4 m 2 /g, promoting strong light–matter interactions. UV–Vis-NIR absorption spectra showed dual plasmonic peaks at ~ 432 nm and ~ 691 nm corresponding to dipolar and multipolar localized surface plasmon resonances (LSPRs). FDTD simulations and electron energy-loss spectroscopy revealed localized field enhancements of over 180 × in tip sites. Z-scan measurements with 800 nm femtosecond pulses indicated a large nonlinear refractive index (n₂) of 3.1 × 10⁻ 13 cm 2 /W and third-order susceptibility (χ 3 ) of 8.4 × 10⁻ 1 ⁰ esu—almost an order of magnitude larger than that of conventional gold nanorodsThe optical nonlinearity and stability were seen by a two-photon absorption coefficient of 4.6 cm/GW and optical damage threshold of 2.3 J/cm 2 . These Rhosnabruk- Osnanotrees performed better in the thin-film optical modulators because they confirmed that they can be used in ultrasonic photonic, optoelectronic, and nonlinear sensing.
Research on the temporal and spatial evolution and protection significance of traditional villages in the Wanjiang River Basin of China
gKFA: a geometric framework for kurtosis fractional anisotropy
Regulatory impact of intermittent fasting on autophagy in high fat diet induced structural and cognitive brain deteriorations in rats
Abstract Obesity-induced cognitive decline has been linked to alterations in brain autophagy. However, research concerning the high-fat diet (HFD) impacts on the brain still lacks evidence, and results are controversial. Intermittent fasting (IF) may lead to increased neurogenesis levels in the hippocampus in neurodegenerative diseases; however, the involved molecular mechanisms are not well understood. The current work aimed to evaluate the neuroprotective effect of IF against obese rat model-related cognitive disorders that disrupted brain autophagy. 24 male rats were allocated to control, fasting lean group, obese (HFD-fed), and obese fasting groups; behavioral tests, biochemical assays, and molecular analyses (inflammatory markers, BDNF, and autophagy-related genes) were conducted to assess cognitive function and underlying mechanisms. Our findings suggest that IF intervention significantly attenuated HFD-induced cognitive impairment and neuroinflammation, increased BDNF levels, improved histological alterations, decreased Beclin-1 and p62 immunohistochemical expression, and upregulated LC3 and ATG5 mRNA expression. IF can prevent HFD-induced cognitive disorders that could be mediated by the cerebral cortex and hippocampal autophagy dysfunction, emphasizing the importance of the autophagy pathway to normal neuronal functions. These results suggested that IF protected the neural system from HFD-induced inflammation and oxidative stress in obese rats and is essential for neuronal survival via modulation of autophagy function in rats.
Visualizing pain-processing networks with 7T resting-state functional MRI using pseudo-continuous arterial spin labeling
Meta-LLSTM: meta-learning enhanced learnable LSTM for retail sales forecasting
Physiological indicators associated with drought tolerance and post-drought recovery in tall fescue
Optimal treatment strategies for EGFR mutant advanced lung adenocarcinoma patients with targeted therapy resistance and correlation analysis of PD-L1 expression with ICI efficacy
Fano-resonant hybrid Metasurface for Carbon Dioxide sensing at telecommunication wavelengths
Abstract The development of compact and selective carbon dioxide (CO₂) sensors is in significant demand due to the severe effect of CO₂ on global warming and human health. Introducing a functional smart material for CO 2 adsorption represents an excellent solution for miniaturized selective devices. However, most of these devices operate beyond the telecommunication wavelengths, limiting their applicability for photonic integrated circuits (PICs). In this work, we report a hybrid metasurface – polyhexamethylene biguanide (PHMB) design for a highly selective and sensitive optical sensor. We leverage the Fano-resonant metasurface of coupled nanodisk and nanobar resonators to be integrated with infiltrated polymer (PHMB) as a functional smart material for selective CO 2 adsorption. The design parameters are optimized at an operational wavelength of 1.55 μm to achieve an optimal trade-off between Q-factor and modulation depth. Our proposed design offers an outstanding sensitivity reaching an of 45 pm/ppm (212 nm/RIU) accompanied by an exceptional Q-factor of approximately 8 $$\:{\times\:10}^{4}$$ . Furthermore, we demonstrate that increasing the polymer thickness remarkably enhances the sensitivity up to 312 nm/RIU, while the figure-of-merit (FOM) reaches 12,500. These results hold significant promise for the development of highly selective, sensitive and miniaturized sensors with ease of fabrication and low cost.
Directed mutagenesis of large multi-subunit protein complexes by plasmid sub-fragmentation
Abstract Site-direct mutagenesis provides a basis for functional studies of proteins. Yet, despite many available techniques, mutagenesis of large protein complexes can be tedious and highly challenging, with the replication fidelity and long-range amplification limiting the process. Here, we develop a method for site-directed mutagenesis of large protein complexes based on sub-fragmentation of its coding sequence that generates libraries of shorter sequences, where the DNA polymerase can accurately catalyse long-range elongation. Using the nuo genes encoding for the 0.5 MDa E. coli Complex I, we successfully dissect the 15.1 kb long DNA sequence into fragments of 900 bp with partially overlapping regions and unique primer sequences, creating a plasmid library that can be amplified by regular DNA polymerases. We showcase the method by sub-cloning the E. coli Complex I sequence into 20 fragments from a large pBAD expression vector (21.3 kb). The method shows a high success rate of introduced mutations, and an efficient Gibson assembly of the mutated fragments into the expression vector, enabling the accurate introduction of point-mutations into the large pBAD vector. We suggest that the plasmid sub-fragmentation provides an efficient method for mutagenesis of multi-subunit protein complexes with several homologous subunits, such as the respiratory Complex I, advancing mechanistic studies of large bioenergetics protein complexes.
Deposit characterizations and engineering-geotechical modeling for sustainable urbanisation in the Mila basin (NE Algeria)
Abstract Rapid urban expansion in Mila (Algeria) has increased exposure to geotechnical hazards related to weak clayey deposits, slope instability, and seismic activity. Its southeastern part (Sanaoua) is particularly affected by settlement, landslides… limiting sustainable urban development. This study presents an integrated geotechnical, geophysical, and hydrogeological investigation to assess subsurface conditions and their implications for foundation performance. The investigation program included Fifteen core drillings (CD), Six pressuremeter (Ps), Twenty-five dynamic penetration tests (P), Ten electrical resistivity tomographiy profiles (ERT), and piezometric monitoring at 10 points (Pz), complemented by laboratory testing. CD results indicate variable colluvial deposits (≈ 0.5–3 m) overlying gray clays containing limestone blocks. These clays exhibit high plasticity (Wl ≈ 61–79%, Ip ≈ 23–49%), near-saturated conditions (Sr ≈ 90%), low to moderate undrained shear strength parameters (c ≈ 0.018–0.043 MPa; φ ≈ 9–16°), and low sulfate content. Ps tests reveal very low stiffness and bearing capacity in the upper 2 m (E m ≈ 6 MPa; q ad < 0.15 MPa), with a progressive increase in mechanical competence below 4–6 m and q ad ≈ 0.45 MPa at depths exceeding 6–8 m. Settlement analyses indicate excessive deformations (60 mm) in shallow layers, decreasing to less than 10 mm at depths greater than 6–8 m. P results highlight strong spatial variability and locally very high resistance values related to limestone blocks, with bedrock depths ranging from 4 to 10 m. ERT profiles confirm thick clay-dominated conductive domains (10–40 Ω.m) locally interrupted by resistive limestone bodies (150 Ω m), explaining the pronounced lateral variability in bearing conditions. Pz monitoring indicates the absence of a permanent groundwater within the explored depth during the monitoring period. Based on these findings, a practical engineering-geological model is proposed within a Mohr–Coulomb framework, demonstrating that shallow foundations are generally unsuitable and that deep or improved foundation systems, together with effective surface-water management, are required to support slope stabilization, erosion control, and seismic-resilient urban development. The main limitations are spatial and depth coverage, temporal monitoring constraints, method-specific uncertainties, and simplifications in modeling. Despite these, the study provides a robust framework for guiding foundation design, slope stabilization, and urban development—but local variations and long-term effects should be addressed with further site-specific investigations.
Geo-Sense: a portable distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) system for high-resolution seafloor monitoring
Abstract Distributed fiber-optic sensing remains underutilized in seafloor geomorphic research, in part because global submarine cable networks are typically located far from areas of primary scientific interest. Here we present Geo-Sense, a portable, autonomous Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) system designed for rapid, targeted deployment and high-resolution seafloor monitoring without reliance on permanent telecommunications infrastructure. The system integrates a low-power interrogator, battery power, and a 1 km steel-armored sensing cable. Performance was evaluated during an eight-day deployment at 380 m water depth in Monterey Bay, California, using well-characterized seismic and oceanographic signals as benchmarks. Geo-Sense identified all cataloged earthquakes during the deployment and recorded additional uncataloged seismic and hydroacoustic events. DAS-derived magnitudes show strong agreement with catalog values, and source-receiver distance estimates derived from P-S arrival times are consistent with catalog-reported distances. Beyond seismicity, broadband DAS amplitude (4–30 Hz) exhibits multi-hour modulation correlated with near-bottom current velocities, while lower-frequency wave and microseism bands display coherent tidal modulation. Signal quality is strongly influenced by cable-seafloor coupling and geometry. These results demonstrate that portable DAS systems can provide spatially distributed observations of both microseismicity and tidally driven processes in submarine canyon environments.
Prevalence and determinants of secondary hyperparathyroidism: IMOS-2021
A sustainability framework and application pathway for AI-assisted restoration and iterative interaction of MR digital heritage based on stakeholders
Expression of LIFR in tumor and SHOC2, YAP1 in plasma mRNA as potential biomarkers in KRAS G12C NSCLC
Design Rules for Controlling Connectivity, Topology, and Sorting Using Hydrogen‐Bonded Pairs and Aromatic Components in Palladium(II)‐Based Interlocked and Foldameric Systems
ABSTRACT Nature's exquisite control over structure arises from its use of complex arrays of topologically complicated species capable of forming and functioning orthogonally. Chemists seek the same level of control in synthetic systems, and here we report the design rules for self‐assembly of systems integrating metal‐coordination to Pd(II), complementary geometries, interligand hydrogen bonding, and π─π interactions. This has been achieved by integrating hydrogen‐bonded complementary pairs, AA:DD and DA:AD ( A = acceptor, D = donor), and complementary aromatic regions of high and low electron density into a series of ligands which controllably self‐assemble into defined three‐dimensional structures with Pd(II). These rules have allowed us to elucidate pathways to multiple molecular types with defined connectivity and topology, including metallo‐foldamers, cyclic species, and an interlocked clippane formed under thermodynamic control. We have also established that, despite similarities between their respective components, these diverse structures persist in a combinatorial mixture.