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FNDC5 deficiency alters placental development, maternal body weight, and fetal-placental growth in mice
An HDAC4-specific PROTAC degrader achieves radiation sensitization by enhancing ferroptosis in lung cancer
Manipulation of the excitonic emission in few-layer CrSBr by magnetic order, strain, and electrostatic doping
The two-dimensional (2D) magnetic material CrSBr has attracted significant interest for developing spin-based optoelectronic devices due to its unique magneto-optical properties. In this Letter, we report a systematic study on the photoluminescence (PL) of the high-energy excitons in few-layer CrSBr and the associated trions. Besides the broad excitonic emission peak (Xl) at around 1.34 eV, we also observed another strong excitonic emission peak (Xh) at around 1.37 eV in a hBN-encapsulated 2L sample, which splits into two peaks in 3L and more layered samples. The Xh exciton is associated with the transition between the top valence band and the second lowest conduction band, which is forbidden by inversion symmetry in 1L CrSBr. By applying inhomogeneous strain or constructing heterojunction, the Xh exciton can be brightened in 1L samples. In addition, we observed two trions associated with the split Xh excitons in electrostatically doped 3L CrSBr samples. By tuning the CrSBr sample into a ferromagnetic (FM) state, one of the trions shows enhanced intensity, which is more than 40 times that of the original exciton. Our results demonstrate that the excitonic emission in few-layer CrSBr can be effectively manipulated by magnetic order, strain, and electrostatic doping.
ZnO–CuO nanocomposites for sustainable water treatment linking photocatalytic efficiency with ecotoxicological safety
Abstract The development of sustainable water treatment technologies requires a balance between high pollutant removal efficiency and environmental safety across multiple trophic levels. In this study, ZnO–CuO nanocomposites were prepared by mechanical mixing of commercially available ZnO and CuO nanopowders, providing a scalable route. Structural and optical analyses confirmed the formation of p–n heterojunctions, enhancing charge separation and photocatalytic performance. Photocatalytic activity was assessed via Rhodamine B degradation under simulated solar irradiation, with ZnO97%–CuO3% showing the highest efficiency. To assess sustainability beyond contaminant removal, ecotoxicological assays were performed across multiple trophic levels, including a long-term 7-day assay on microalgae ( Scenedesmus obliquus ) and short-term tests involving plants ( Ocimum basilicum ), bacteria ( Aliivibrio fischeri , Microtox®, 30 min), crustaceans ( Daphnia magna , 48 h immobilization), and fish embryos ( Danio rerio , up to 120 h post-fertilization). No adverse plant physiological effects were observed after exposure to the nanocomposite or treated water, unlike untreated dye solutions, which induced significant toxicity. Aquatic bioassays revealed organism-specific responses linked to particle-associated effects. Quantification of metal ion release and nanoparticle dissolution in aqueous matrices enabled differentiation between particulate and ion-mediated toxicity. Overall, the findings demonstrate that efficient photocatalytic water treatment can be achieved while maintaining a favorable ecotoxicological profile.
Pembrolizumab plus high-dose IL-2 in advanced clear cell renal cell carcinoma: six-year survival outcomes and molecular signatures from a phase 2 trial
Stability and performance enhancement of a-IGZO TFTs by H incorporation
We investigated the competing roles of hydrogen incorporation and oxygen vacancy (VO) passivation in amorphous In–Ga–Zn–O (a-IGZO) thin-film transistors by controlling the SiH4 flow rate during gate insulator deposition. While a low flow rate (130 sccm) yielded a superior field effect mobility (μFE) (15.0 cm2/V s) and positive bias temperature stability, a distinct turnover in the threshold voltage (VT) shift from negative to positive is observed under negative bias illumination stress. We propose a model to explain this anomalous transition: the initial negative shift arises from hole trapping and VO ionization, whereas the subsequent positive shift is driven by the transformation of donor-like peroxide states (O22−) into acceptor-like disorder states (O2−). X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy confirms that the magnitude of this instability correlates with the concentration of hydrogen-passivated oxygen vacancies ([VO]+[O–H]). These findings highlight the critical trade-off between defect passivation, hydrogen-induced doping, and bond weakening induced by excess hydrogen in a-IGZO devices.
Repeated tDCS of the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex for acute DoC: a pilot randomized controlled trial
Reconstructing calcium conductance in MCUb illuminates its molecular design for tuning the mitochondrial calcium uniporter
Afterpulsing suppression in 4H-SiC avalanche photodiodes by sub-bandgap photoexcitation
Dark counts in silicon carbide avalanche photodiodes (SiC APDs) significantly limit their signal-to-noise ratio and overall performance, with afterpulsing being a major contributing factor. However, the specific correlation mechanisms between afterpulsing and trap states in SiC remain unclear, posing challenges for effective suppression. This work elucidates the influence mechanisms of shallow-level and deep-level traps on the temporal characteristics of afterpulsing in 4H-SiC APD. Based on these findings, we develop an innovative sub-bandgap optical excitation method that facilitates rapid carrier release from trap states, effectively reducing afterpulsing. This approach achieves a 37% reduction in afterpulsing probability without increasing the primary dark count rate. The proposed technique optimizes overall device performance by reducing dark count rate by 22% while maintaining high photon detection efficiency of 29% at 285 nm, ultimately improving the signal-to-noise ratio of the APDs.
Numerical investigation of geomechanical responses of pillar during sequential stope-and-fill operations in squeezing rock
Abstract Mechanical performance of the intervening pillar critically influences extraction efficiency and operational safety in multiple stope-and-fill mining operations. However, the time-dependent interactions between backfill and creeping rocks and the resulting impact on pillar behavior remain poorly quantified, posing significant challenges in scheduling optimization, designs of pillar and backfill. This study employed FLAC3D to investigate the time-dependent geomechanical responses of pillar during sequential stope-and-fill operations, explicitly incorporating volumetric hardening behavior of consolidated backfill and creep behavior of rock mass. Results indicate that a short stope sequencing interval enables the consolidated backfill in the first stope to provide immediate lateral confinement to the pillar upon excavation of the second stope, improving stability. Conversely, extended intervals allow greater rock creep and enhance backfill densification and swelling pressure that eventually causes a beam-like bending of the pillar after adjacent excavation. It further leads to an asymmetric stress state characterized by tensile minimum principal stress σ ₃ in the outer region (adjacent to the new stope), and high differential stress and elevated brittle shear ratio BSR in the inner part (against the consolidated backfill), marking the most critical state of pillar instability. An explicit dual-indicator framework based on σ ₃ and BSR were proposed to capture this asymmetric mechanical response. Substantial parametric analyses were conducted to analyze the effects of stope geometry, pillar width, mine depth, backfill compression and swelling indexes, and rock viscosity on the results. Notably, pillar stability significantly recovered once the second stope was backfilled. These insights provide a mechanistic basis for optimizing the extraction strategy and the design of backfill and pillar in squeezing ground to minimize dilution and enhance operational safety and efficiency.
Genome-wide meta-analysis identifies genetic drivers of bile acid metabolism in intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy
An optical probe based on forward Brillouin scattering for multidimensional sensing of temperature and concentration in microscale liquid environments
Conventional temperature sensing based on forward Brillouin scattering (FBS) typically relies on the frequency shift of acoustic modes in tens-of-meters-long optical fibers, making it ill-suited for microscale microfluidic or bio-integrated environments due to spatial intrusiveness and limited adaptability. To overcome these limitations, we propose and experimentally validate an innovative FBS optical probe designed for in situ, multidimensional sensing of temperature and an osmotic pressure model in microscale liquid environments. The probe employs a 1-m-long uncoated highly nonlinear fiber as the core sensing element, integrated into a Sagnac interferometer, with the trace liquid placed in a capillary tube for interaction. This configuration enables direct and efficient opto-acoustic coupling with microscale liquid samples, overcoming the spatial limitations of conventional fiber sensors. Experimental results show a frequency shift-temperature coefficient of 38.8 kHz/°C and a superior linewidth-temperature coefficient of 57.0 kHz/°C for the R0,12 mode. A key advancement is the implementation of a dual-dimension temperature validation scheme, which achieves measurement consistency within ±0.09 °C and significantly enhances system reliability in complex media. For concentration sensing, the linewidth of the TR2,23 mode exhibits a sensitivity of 14.38 kHz/% to NaCl concentration, serving as an effective proxy. The uncoated, short-length fiber probe, which can be further tapered, offers a noninvasive, label-free solution for real-time monitoring and may be useful in applications such as organ-on-a-chip systems, single-cell analysis, and microfluidic diagnostics. This work thus establishes a viable pathway toward minimally invasive sensing in confined microenvironments and provides a proof-of-concept platform for future biophysical applications.
AI based prediction of post prostatectomy urinary incontinence and its impact on quality of life: development and validation study
Abstract Urinary incontinence can affect up to 53% of patients after radical prostatectomy, yet prediction tools rely on binary outcomes, missing heterogeneous recovery patterns. We developed machine-learning models that for the first time predict incontinence presence, severity, and quality-of-life impact at 3 and 12 months post-surgery. XGBoost models were trained on 21 perioperative features from 2,586 patients (2018–2021) and validated on 728 patients (2022). For patients incontinent at 3 months (n = 962), 12-month predictions achieved strong performance (AUC 0.82–0.86), with early quality-of-life impact (SHAP 1.4) outperforming symptom severity (SHAP 1.0) as a predictor. Three-month predictions using only baseline features showed moderate performance (AUC 0.52–0.59). Patients with identical total ICIQ-UI scores demonstrated divergent recovery trajectories when symptom severity and quality-of-life components were analyzed separately, with some achieving continence while others remained severely affected. Decomposing outcomes into multidimensional components rather than using aggregate scores enables personalized prediction of continence recovery, facilitating targeted counseling and rehabilitation strategies.
Regional variations in emergency care vulnerability to summer heat
Visualizing dual-surface stress distribution of transparent soft materials by combining fluorescence imaging-based dual-surface DIC and hyperelastic constitutive modeling
Transparent soft materials are critical components in flexible electronics. The inherent material heterogeneity and complex microstructures within these devices often lead to highly non-uniform stress distributions, causing local stress concentrations that precipitate deformation and failure. However, it has so far been challenging to experimentally visualize the full-field stress distribution in transparent soft materials. To address this challenge, a practical and effective stress reconstruction method that combines fluorescence imaging-based dual-surface digital image correlation (DIC) and hyperelastic constitutive modeling is presented. By fully utilizing deformation data from both surfaces together with through-thickness deformation to determine the principal stretches required for hyperelastic stress calculation, this method enables simultaneous dual-surface stress reconstruction. To show the applicability of the proposed method, an adhesive specimen composed of transparent soft materials is prepared and subjected to tensile testing. A comparison of reconstructed dual-surface stress field results with simulated reference values demonstrates the efficacy of the proposed method. The stress reconstruction method combining fluorescence imaging-based dual-surface DIC and hyperelastic constitutive modeling provides a novel approach for evaluating and optimizing the mechanical reliability of transparent soft materials.
Effect of Spirulina platensis enrichment on the physicochemical and sensory properties of pasta
MiTo: tracing the phenotypic evolution of somatic cell lineages via mitochondrial single-cell multi-omics
LiCl doping modulated PbS hole-transport layer for high-efficiency Sb2(S,Se)3 solar cells
The efficiency of Sb2(S,Se)3 solar cells is primarily limited by severe back-interface non-radiative recombination due to unfavorable band alignment and defects, thus making low-cost, stable, and suitably bandgap-matched PbS a promising inorganic HTL to address this issue. Nevertheless, its intrinsically low conductivity, coupled with the tunable surface electronic structure of Sb2(S,Se)3, results in a significant energy level mismatch and thus a high hole transport barrier at the Sb2(S,Se)3/PbS interface. This work presents a facile ion doping strategy (IDS) by doping of lithium ions (Li+) into the PbS lattice. The IDS increases the carrier concentration, enhances the p-type conductivity of PbS, optimizes its energy level position, and simultaneously passivates the interface defects, suppressing non-radiative recombination. The interface level alignment of Sb2(S,Se)3/PbS is optimized, significantly reducing the valence band offset barrier for hole transport from 0.21 to 0.14 eV, greatly promoting the extraction and transport of holes across the interface. Ultimately, the photoelectric conversion efficiency (PCE) of the FTO/CdS/Sb2(S,Se)3/Li-PbS/carbon device reaches 9.36% (Voc = 0.53 V, Jsc = 27.80 mA/cm2, FF = 63.86%), significantly outperforming the champion unmodified device (PCE = 7.41%). This work provides an efficient solution for HTL modification in chalcogenide solar cells.