Browse Articles

Temporally gated offline engram ensemble reverberation in the lateral amygdala is required for fear memory consolidation

Memories are encoded by sparsely distributed neuronal ensembles, or engrams, yet how newly allocated engram neurons are consolidated to support subsequent memory retrieval remains unclear. While offline reactivation has been extensively studied in hippocampal circuits, whether similar ensemble-level dynamics support consolidation of emotional memories in the amygdala is unknown. Here we combine longitudinal in vivo calcium imaging, temporally precise activity-dependent neuronal tagging, and optogenetic manipulations to examine postlearning dynamics of fear engram ensembles in the lateral amygdala (LA) of mice. We find that neurons allocated to a fear engram exhibit a transient, temporally gated increase in spontaneous activity and functional coordination immediately after learning, which decay within hours. Disrupting LA activity during this early posttraining window, but not at later time points, produces persistent amnesia. Selective inhibition of neurons active immediately after training is sufficient to impair memory, whereas inhibition of neurons active 12 h posttraining or neurons responsive to an unrelated sensory stimulus has no effect. Critically, memories disrupted by posttraining engram inhibition cannot be rescued by direct optogenetic reactivation of the engram ensemble, indicating a failure of engram consolidation rather than a retrieval deficit. We further show that engram ensemble activity is similarly required following memory retrieval, implicating a shared circuit-level mechanism for consolidation and reconsolidation. Together, these findings identify offline engram ensemble reverberation in the LA as a causal mechanism for transforming a transient, cellularly allocated trace into a stable, retrievable emotional memory.

Effects of hydrated lime and quarry dust dosage and aging on the relaxation modulus of bituminous mastics

Selective targeting of kinesin on lipid droplets in the liver reduces plasma lipids

The liver controls plasma lipids by secreting lipid-rich very low density lipoproteins (VLDL) into blood. Inside hepatocytes in the liver, Lipid Droplets (LDs) are transported to the Smooth Endoplasmic Reticulum by kinesin-1 motors, where they are catabolized to supply lipids for VLDL assembly. Here we find that kinesin-1 uses its tail domain to bind the monolayer phospholipid membrane of LDs, but alternative mechanisms to bind cellular organelles with bilayer membranes. A peptide corresponding to the tail domain of kinesin-1 therefore competes with and removes kinesin-1 selectively from LDs with minimal effect on other organelles. Delivery of lipids for VLDL assembly is consequently reduced, causing a remarkable reduction of ~50% of secreted lipids (triglycerides and cholesterol) in cell culture. Strikingly, the peptide causes no unwanted accumulation of lipids inside cells because it redistributes LDs across the cell, enhancing LD-to-mitochondria lipid trafficking for mitochondrial lipid utilization. Further, we show that egg-liposomes can be used to orally deliver the kinesin tail domain peptide to zebrafish. The peptide accumulates in the zebrafish liver, and reverses diet-induced hyperlipidemia to bring zebrafish back to a normolipidemic state. Reflecting its effects in cell culture, the peptide causes no unwanted hepatic accumulation of lipids, no toxicity, and no developmental or behavioral defects in zebrafish. Using a peptide to displace proteins (e.g., kinesin) selectively from LDs provides a radically different approach against lipid disorders. This monolayer-vs.-bilayer strategy can potentially be extended to target other LD-bound proteins that function as key regulators of Lipid metabolism.

AI-driven quality classification of concrete after high-temperature exposure: a hybrid framework for structural integrity assessment

Abstract Accurately assessing the residual performance of fire-damaged concrete is crucial for structural safety but challenging due to non-linear degradation. Traditional methods often suffer from data scarcity and lack objective quality criteria, creating a prediction-decision gap. This study introduces a novel AI-driven quality classification framework, shifting from numerical prediction to actionable decision-making. We established a comprehensive database (334 data points) integrating compressive strength and ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV). To address data scarcity, the SMOTE algorithm expanded the dataset to 3,006 points. Our key innovation is a hybrid AI approach: K-means clustering identified inherent data patterns, followed by a Decision Tree (DT) to establish objective, rule-based criteria for four quality grades (Safety, Caution, Warning, Danger). Six machine learning models were rigorously evaluated using an independent test set (80/20 split). While Gradient Boosting achieved the highest accuracy (97.6%), the DT model was optimal, balancing high accuracy (96.1%) with superior interpretability (white-box model) and computational efficiency. UPV and temperature were confirmed as the dominant factors. This framework provides a reliable and practical tool for the immediate assessment of fire-damaged concrete structures.

Temporally consistent longitudinal brain tumor segmentation using a temporal spatial transformer network

Abstract Proper monitoring of tumor progression and evaluation of treatment responses highly depend on longitudinal brain tumor segmentation from MRI data. Current deep learning methodologies have mainly concentrated on analyzing single-time-point images, which restricts the ability to incorporate temporal dynamics during the segmentation process. The study proposes a new approach called Temporal-Spatial Transformer Network (TST-Net), which can be used for longitudinal brain tumor segmentation. The proposed methodology involves a temporal attention module to integrate the progression-aware information across temporally successive MRI images and a spatial attention module to improve tumor detection. Preprocessing of BraTS longitudinal MRI data and subsequent training of TST-Net on pre-aligned datasets were done in an end-to-end fashion. Evaluation was done by Dice similarity coefficients and compared with current methods. TST-Net proved to be more effective than previous solutions, obtaining 86.0%, 88.0%, and 91.0% Dice scores for improving tumor segmentation, tumor core, and overall tumor segmentation, respectively. This study reveals that incorporating the temporal dimension along with spatial attention leads to increased accuracy of brain tumor segmentation. Incorporating temporal information and applying spatial attention can effectively decrease inconsistencies between follow-up images and contribute to improved tumor area detection. TST-Net can serve as an important tool for clinical applications. TST-Net presents an efficient solution to brain tumor segmentation due to its ability to combine both spatial and temporal attention.

Ancestral splice variation is a key substrate for rapid diversification in African cichlids

Adaptive radiation is a major driver of biodiversity. In some of the largest radiations, increasing evidence suggests that explosive morphological diversification is often fueled by standing genetic variation and admixture, rather than de novo mutations. The rapid translation of this genetic variation into novel phenotypes through gene regulation remains poorly understood. Analyzing 200 transcriptomes from three independent but phylogenetically nested African cichlid adaptive radiations, we show that alternative splicing (AS) evolved faster than gene expression (GE), playing a pivotal role in shaping novel trophic adaptations in the youngest and most species rich radiations in Lakes Victoria and Malawi. This divergence was largely driven by ancestral alternative isoforms, which, though present at low levels in related lineages that did not form radiations, increased in frequency during adaptive radiation. In addition, novel isoforms of craniofacial genes—some evolving within just a few thousand years—contributed further to adaptation. The rapid turnover of AS is consistent with periods of relaxed selection followed by directional selection on alternative isoforms and splice sites, a dynamic that may have preserved a rich cache of isoform variation in these radiations and enabled ecological diversification as adaptive zones became available. We argue that the interplay between splicing and different forms of selection facilitates the generation and maintenance of protein-coding diversity, promoting evolutionary innovation into many ecologically different species at extremely short timescales.

Vertical distribution characteristics of rare earth elements in sediments of the Sanjiang Plain

Modular genetic architecture underlies human hand and foot evolution

The functional divergence of the hand and foot for prehension and locomotion, respectively, has long been recognized as a critical event in human evolution, and involved substantial changes to the skeleton. Hominins evolved a more muscular and opposable thumb while the other fingers are relatively shorter, enhancing manipulative capacity. The feet evolved robust first toes and short lateral toes to meet the challenges of bipedal walking and running. While adaptations in the hand and foot have often been considered separately, the fore- and hind limbs of primates are morphologically integrated, serially homologous structures, raising the possibility that natural selection on either autopod may have driven corresponding changes in the other. To explore the genetic architecture underlying human autopod evolution, we used functional genomics methods to identify regulatory elements and gene expression in the developing phalanges and metacarpals of the human hand and foot. We identified genetic modules based on patterns of gene expression or regulatory activity, which strongly distinguish the metapodials from the phalanges and separate tissues to a lesser extent along the anterior–posterior axis or between limb types. We show that some of these genetic modules are enriched for human-specific genomic features, which potentially underlie anatomical differences in the autopod skeleton between humans and other apes. We find stronger enrichments for human-specific genomic features related to the foot than the hand, consistent with models hypothesizing stronger selective pressure on the human foot during the transition to bipedalism. Our results highlight the modular genetic architecture underlying human autopod evolution.

Role of suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid and dapagliflozin on Cx43 gene expression in diabetic cardiomyopathy rat’s model

Abstract Diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a major cause of death in diabetic patients. Recent studies suggest that diabetic cardiomyopathy suppresses electrical cell-to-cell coupling mediated by connexin-43 (Cx43) channels deterioration. However, there remains a clear gap in understating of pathophysiology of diabetic cardiomyopathy. This study aims to understand DCM’s mechanisms, and the protective role of histone deacetylase inhibitors (Suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid, SAHA) and sodium glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (Dapagliflozin) in DCM development. An experimental study conducted on type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) rats (induced by high fat diet and once Streptozotocin injection; 35 mg/kg), involving 40 rats divided into four groups, control, T2DM, T2DM+SAHA (SAHA: 5 mg/kg/day), and T2DM+Dapa (Dapa:1 mg/kg/day). Experiment duration was 8 weeks. Blood samples were drawn for measurement of cardiac enzymes. Heart was dissected and used for measuring oxidative stress markers; Cx43 expression; and histological analysis. The results show that SAHA and Dapa significantly decreased malondialdehyde, creatine kinase-MB and lactate dehydrogenase levels, while significantly elevating levels of superoxide dismutase compared with T2DM group. Cardiac Cx43 mRNA and protein expression were significantly higher in T2DM+Dapa group versus T2DM group; and higher in T2DM+SAHA group versus all other groups. Histopathological lesion scoring significantly decreased in T2DM+SAHA and T2DM+Dapa versus T2DM; and in T2DM+SAHA versus T2DM+Dapa. In conclusion, this study revealed potential benefits of SAHA and Dapa in protecting against DCM. SAHA demonstrated comparatively greater effects than dapagliflozin in preserving gap junction integrity and attenuating diabetic cardiomyopathy development, potentially through both antioxidant and epigenetics mechanisms, while Dapa enhances glycemic control although these findings are limited to a single-dose experimental model.

SFTSV NSs protein is a tick antiviral RNAi response suppressor

Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV) is an emerging tick-borne phenuivirus causing high mortality in humans. While the nonstructural protein NSs is dispensable for replication in interferon-deficient mammalian cells, we demonstrate that NSs is essential for viral replication in tick cells. SFTSV infection triggers canonical Dicer-2-mediated antiviral RNA interference (RNAi) in tick cells, producing virus-derived small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) that target viral transcripts for degradation. We show that NSs functions as a viral suppressor of RNAi by selectively engaging and depleting single-stranded RNAs derived from 22-nucleotide siRNAs, likely limiting their incorporation into RNA-induced silencing complexes (RISC). Complementation with a heterologous RNAi suppressor (p19 protein) partially rescues replication of NSs-deficient virus, validating the RNAi-suppressive function of NSs. These findings reveal that successful tick-borne viral replication requires host-specific immune evasion strategies and establish NSs-mediated RNAi suppression as essential for SFTSV persistence in arthropod vectors.

Aerobic capacity at age 34 predicts arterial stiffness in age 63, independent of classical and advanced lipid-related cardiovascular risk factors: a longitudinal cohort study

Abstract Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of mortality worldwide, with arterial stiffness being an important predictor of cardiovascular mortality. This study aimed to examine in the Swedish longitudinal cohort of males and females (SPAF-1958) whether aerobic capacity measured at early- (34 years) and mid-adulthood (52 years) can predict arterial stiffness assessed by pulse wave velocity later in life (63 years). Further, we determined whether this association is modified by traditional cardiovascular risk factors such as obesity, smoking, blood pressure, advanced lipoprotein profiles and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) function determined as cholesterol efflux capacity. Multiple regression analysis revealed that a higher aerobic capacity at ages 34 (B = − 0.04, P = 0.002) and 52 (B = − 0.04, P = 0.005) significantly predicted lower arterial stiffness at age 63, independent of obesity, smoking, blood pressure, HDL, and HDL-cholesterol efflux capacity. In contrast, lipoprotein profiles and HDL-mediated cholesterol efflux at age 52 were not associated with arterial stiffness at age 63 (P > 0.05). These findings suggest that maintaining aerobic capacity from early adulthood can reduce arterial stiffness and cardiovascular risk in later life, independently of traditional and contemporary cardiovascular factors. This study emphasizes the need for further research on lifestyle modifications to enhance cardiovascular health.

Correlating surface adsorbate configuration and electrochemical performance of IrO ₂ during seawater-relevant electrolysis

Seawater electrolysis alleviates freshwater demand to produce clean hydrogen while eliminating the need for water purification steps. The anodic process, seawater oxidation, typically requires high overpotentials and yields low selectivity to oxygen via the oxygen evolution reaction (OER), primarily due to the competing chlorine evolution reaction (CER) and hypochlorite evolution reaction (HCER) in pH-neutral conditions. Here, combining in situ surface-enhanced Raman characterization, grand canonical density functional theory-based calculations, and kinetic Monte Carlo simulations, we report the evolution of surface adsorbate configurations driven by applied potential and pH during seawater-relevant OER over IrO 2 , a highly OER-active and chloride-corrosion-resistant catalyst. As a result, the chemical properties of active sites, and thereby the kinetics of OER and CER/HCER, are effectively tuned. However, it is revealed that there is no optimal combination of potential and pH to achieve both high activity and high selectivity for seawater-relevant OER. To address this limitation, we establish a correlation between activity/selectivity and surface adsorbate configurations, enabling the optimization of highly active and OER-selective IrO 2 -based catalysts in seawater-relevant oxidation by modulating the local adsorbate environment of active sites.

Validation of photoplethysmography-derived short-term heart rate variability using a wearable device

The impact of integrative neuromuscular training on the physical fitness of elite male martial arts Sanda Athletes

Objective Integrative Neuromuscular Training (INT) is recognized not only for its potential in preventing sports injuries but also for enhancing athletic performance. Understanding the relationship between INT and the physical qualities of elite Sanda athletes is important for addressing performance limitations in elite Sanda athletes. While INT has been applied in various sports, there is a lack of research in the context of Sanda. This empirical study aims to investigate the effects of INT on the physical qualities of elite Sanda athletes. Methods A randomized controlled trial design was employed, with 26 elite male Sanda athletes randomly assigned to either the Integrative Neuromuscular Training group (INT, n = 13) or the control group (CON, n = 13). The INT group engaged in three sessions of INT training per week, lasting 45 minutes each for 12 weeks, while the CON group completed a conventional conditioning program. Pre- and post-intervention assessments included one-repetition maximum tests (1RM), 30-meter sprint tests (30MST), counter movement jump tests (CMJ), reaction agility tests (RAT), and Y balance tests (YBT). Results Post-intervention, the INT group showed significant improvements in these physical fitness measures: [1RM bench press (p < 0.001, d = 2.599), 1RM squat (p < 0.001, d = 2.610), T-5m (p = 0.011, d = −1.000), T-10m (p = 0.011, d = −0.833), T-30m (p < 0.001, d = −6.120), CMJ (p < 0.001, d = 4.236), RAT (p < 0.001, d = −3.312), YBT-L (p < 0.001, d = 3.075), YBT-R (p < 0.001, d = 2.722)]. In the CON group, there were no significant changes in physical quality test scores post-intervention. Relative changes from pre- to post-intervention indicated no significant differences in △-T-5m between INT and CON groups, while significant differences were found in other physical quality assessments [△-1RM bench press (3.376 vs 0.220 kg, p < 0.001), △-1RM squat (3.665 vs −0.533 kg, p < 0.001), △-T-10m (−0.005 vs 0.005 s, p = 0.004), △-T-30m (−0.153 vs −0.017 s, p < 0.001), △-CMJ (4.846 vs 0.615 cm, p < 0.001), △-RAT (−0.048 vs −0.002 s, p < 0.001), △-YBT-L (5.154 vs −0.615, p < 0.001), △-YBT-R (5.615 vs −0.308, p < 0.001)]. Conclusion A 12-week INT intervention significantly enhances the physical qualities of Sanda athletes. The overall improvements in the INT group across 1RM, 30MST, CMJ, RAT, and YBT tests demonstrate that the INT program may serve as an effective conditioning strategy for improving selected physical fitness outcomes in elite Sanda athletes.

Introgression of the Glu-A1t allele encoding high molecular weight glutenin subunits A1x21* and A1y21* into winter bread wheat varieties

Network toxicology and bioinformatics analysis predict potential molecular targets and mechanisms by which sevoflurane and propofol influence type 2 diabetes mellitus

Background Sevoflurane and propofol are commonly used anesthetics that may exert pronounced effects on glucose metabolism and cardiovascular function in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). This study aimed to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying the association of sevoflurane and propofol with T2DM progression. Methods Targets associated with sevoflurane, propofol, and T2DM were predicted using public databases. Core targets were identified and validated through differential expression analysis, machine learning algorithms, and expression level verification. Functional enrichment analysis was conducted to characterize related biological processes. Immune cell infiltration was assessed using the CIBERSORT algorithm, and regulatory networks involving microRNAs and transcription factors were constructed. Molecular docking was performed to evaluate the binding affinities between the anesthetics and the core targets. Results Two core targets, MMP9 (Matrix Metallopeptidase 9) and HPSE (Heparanase), were identified as significantly associated with sevoflurane and propofol in T2DM. Supplementary sensitivity analyses across multiple fold-change thresholds and permutation tests demonstrated that MMP9 and HPSE were retained as candidate targets across a range of analytical choices, supporting the robustness of their identification. These targets were enriched in pathways related to receptor catabolic processes, cellular responses to abiotic stimuli, and autophagy. Immune infiltration analysis indicated increased neutrophil abundance and decreased levels of activated natural killer (NK) cells. In addition, 16 microRNAs and 12 transcription factors were associated with the core targets. Molecular docking demonstrated potential interactions of sevoflurane and propofol with MMP9 and HPSE. Conclusion These findings provide novel insights into the potential association between exposure to sevoflurane and propofol and the progression of T2DM, and identify candidate therapeutic targets. Further experimental and clinical validation is required to support evidence-based selection of personalized anesthetic strategies for patients with T2DM.

Broadband dispersion-engineered Bragg grating mirrors for integrated side-coupled Fabry–Pérot resonators

Abstract We present the design and demonstration of silicon nitride side-coupled Fabry–Pérot resonators employing both uniform and apodised distributed Bragg reflectors, for broadband dispersion engineering. By implementing air-gap Bragg gratings, we achieve a broad stopband exceeding 70 nm. Apodised gratings enable enhanced dispersion control, allowing transitions from normal to anomalous integrated dispersion. Furthermore, high-Q resonant modes and enhanced peak reflectivity are demonstrated through co-optimisation of cavity length and waveguide-to-cavity gap. The compact footprint, the enhanced mode selectivity and the spectral bandwidth control, make side-coupled Fabry-Pérot resonators a promising platform for resonant mirrors in hybrid on-chip lasers, as well as for sensing and non-linear photonic systems.

I2I - From illusion to illumination: A neoteric deep learning model for recognizing medical situation actions using depth sensors data

Among many issues, Robot vision experiences illumination challenges very frequently. Existing Human Action Recognition techniques perform excellently in state of the art, instead of scarce consideration on the vital issue of illumination. The illumination concern becomes highly sensitive when the Robot observes a medical-related action. The illumination severely affects the correct recognition of the action. Resultantly, misclassification of a medical action may lead to irreparable loss. To gauge the sensitivity of the concern, the current study proposes a deep learning-based model I2I (Illusion to Illumination). The model effectually identifies medical actions even in dark environments with sufficient accuracy. I2I model depth data has been selected from the NTU RGB+D dataset to judge the efficacy. The features are extracted from depth data using the Histogram of Depth (HoD) and provided to the I2I model to recognize actions. A threshold mechanism is applied to select depth data’s most prominent and valuable features. The efficacy and superiority of the I2I model are proven by comparing its performance with state-of-the-art research and provides 91.15% recognition accuracy.

Effect of obesity and endocrine therapy on the prognosis of premenopausal women with HR+HER2-breast cancer: a multi-center retrospective study

The effect of tempi and mode on the rating of the perceived emotion in music

In this study, we investigated the impact of tempi variations (60, 100, 120, and 150 beats per minute) and major and minor modes on the perceived emotional content of music. To explore this, we created eight versions of five original compositions, resulting in 40 musical stimuli. Control stimuli included variants of white, brown, and pink noise, as well as six human voice recordings. A total of 1280 participants took part in an online survey. Participants were diverse, comprising 262 musicians (defined as individuals with over six years of instrument-playing experience who identified as amateur, semi-professional, or professional). Participants were asked to rate the perceived emotional content of the stimuli, using the second-order factors of the GEMS-9 framework: ‘sublimity’, ‘unease’, and ‘vitality’. We employed a mixed between-within-subjects analysis of variance to analyse the data. Specifically examining the influence of the four tempi, the two modes, while controlling for musicianship, gender, age, and education level. Results showed that as tempi increased, compositions were consistently rated as less sublimity and more vitality, in both major and minor modes. A higher tempi in the major mode resulted in lower ratings of uneasiness. There were also several significant findings for musicianship, gender, and education level, although these mostly had small effect sizes. For age groups, there were two substantial differences between the groups with larger effect sizes. Overall, our findings suggest that tempi and mode significantly influence how compositions are rated for sublimity, unease, and vitality, as they interact.