Browse Articles

Assessment of a 40-year-old induction motor using hybrid diagnostic and AI-based predictive techniques

Abstract Electric motors represent critical assets in industrial systems, where reliability and longevity directly influence operational continuity. Although the nominal service life of induction motors is typically 20–25 years, many units remain in operation beyond this threshold under effective maintenance. This study evaluates the continued performance and insulation health of a 40-year-old, 150 kW low-tension induction motor deployed in a water transfer pump system. A comprehensive diagnostic protocol was applied, including insulation resistance, polarization index, dielectric absorption ratio, leakage current, and DC winding resistance measurements. Results indicated insulation resistance values between 2.39 GΩ and 10.3 GΩ, an R-phase polarization index of 1.87, and marginal performance in Y and B phases. Infrared thermography identified localized temperature gradients associated with incipient faults. AI-assisted analytics using a Random Forest classifier achieved an overall accuracy of 86.7% and ROC-AUC of 0.81, demonstrating moderate predictive capability. The framework illustrates the potential for integrating conventional diagnostics with data-driven decision support in condition-based maintenance applications. The motor maintained an availability of 99.94%, confirming its extended viability under structured monitoring. The combined framework merging conventional electrical diagnostics, thermal imaging, and machine-learning inference provides a scalable approach for condition-based maintenance and life-extension assessment of aged assets.

Unravelling the Ru-promoted dynamic evolution of Cobalt hydroxide during nitrate reduction towards ammonia production

Structural innovation in the evolution of plant chemical defense

Chemical defenses are fundamental in organismal biology and widely used in medicine and agriculture. Plant defense chemistry evolves in response to various selective pressures, particularly herbivory, and theory has emphasized predicting toxin abundance and diversity. Here we test hypotheses about the evolution of structural innovation in chemical defense by combining molecular complexity metrics, metabolomics, molecular docking, and phylogenetic analyses, using milkweed cardenolides, steroidal glycosides that inhibit animal Na + /K + -ATPases. We identify the addition of a nitrogen–sulfur (N,S) heterocycle in highly substituted cardenolides as a major structural innovation that restores toxicity against coevolved natural enemies, such as the monarch butterfly. This toxicity is likely achieved by rigidifying the cardenolide scaffold and creating additional nonelectrostatic interactions within the Na + /K + -ATPase binding pocket, thereby enhancing binding affinity despite target-site resistance. Two biosynthetically distinct N,S-cardenolides, uscharin and labriformin, rank among the most complex structures in this chemical class and show divergent macroevolutionary histories: uscharin represents an ancestral character state with repeated losses, whereas labriformin has independently evolved multiple times in later-diverging lineages. This pattern across Asclepiadoideae indicates that the structural innovation evolved repeatedly, apparently limited by lineage-specific biosynthetic constraints among precursor pathways. N,S-cardenolides occur in over 75% of the 59 Asclepias species examined here, and species producing N,S-cardenolides exhibit greater cardenolide abundance, richness, metabolomic space, and toxicity against adapted organisms. More generally, structural innovation defines a distinct evolutionary axis in plant chemistry, enabling defense diversification and adaptive recovery of toxicity. Such innovations are predicted to build on existing molecular scaffolds in response to ecological challenges, here driven by coevolving specialist herbivores.

Cognitive and motor inhibition in balance-related tasks: task-specific associations with executive and physical functions in young and older adults

Abstract This study investigates age-related differences in relations between inhibitory control in balance-related tasks (BRTs) and executive and physical functions. Correlations between effects of cognitive and motor inhibition in two BRTs and performance on general tests assessing inhibition and other executive functions, as well as associations between performance of the BRTs were explored in 26 young and 46 older adults (YA: 26 ± 4, OA: 70 ± 4 years). Multiple linear regression evaluated BRT-performance using predictors from general tests of executive and physical functions. Significant age-related differences were observed in most general tests. In YA, cognitive inhibition in the BRT correlated with reaction-time and failure-rate in Go/no-go and Stop-signal-tests, while motor inhibition showed a low non-significant correlation with stop-signal reaction-time in Stop-signal-test. These patterns were not observed in OA. In YA and OA, correlations between the BRTs were low and non-significant, and, executive functions, rather than physical functions, partly associated with BRT-performance. The differential associations of cognitive and motor inhibition in the BRTs with general inhibition tests and the lack of correlations between the BRTs supports the notion that the BRTs comprise different aspects of inhibitory control. The absence of similar results in OA may reflect compensatory processes and age-related changes in cognitive functions.

Isomer design unlocks rainbow phosphorescence

Abstract Achieving predictable color-tunable organic room-temperature phosphorescence (RTP) remains challenging due to limited understanding of triplet-state regulation in heteroaromatic systems. Carbazole and benzindole isomers provide an ideal platform to clarify how nitrogen positional isomerism governs triplet exciton behavior and emission energetics. Here, we establish a unified comparative framework to systematically investigate carbazole together with Bd[f], Bd[e], and Bd[g]. Nitrogen-site modulation within the fused tricyclic skeleton generates distinct red, yellow, green, and blue phosphorescence, while mechanochemical solvent-free synthesis enables scalable preparation of previously inaccessible benzindole isomers. Photophysical measurements combined with DFT/TD-DFT calculations, single-crystal analysis, and interaction region indicator theory reveal that positional isomerism controls exciton localization, triplet stabilization, and nonradiative decay independent of the host matrix. Here, we show that isomer-regulated triplet dynamics enable full-spectrum RTP, ultralong lifetimes up to 4.23 s, TSFRET behavior, and matrix-universal multifunctionality, establishing a general molecular design principle for rainbow-like organic phosphorescent materials.

Switching of the c-Myc protein degradation pathway depending on the PP2A-B55α complex levels

The transcription factor c-Myc is a master oncoprotein that regulates over 15% of all genes. Protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A), a crucial tumor suppressor, destabilizes c-Myc protein. Classically, PP2A-mediated dephosphorylation of Ser62 followed by Thr58 phosphorylation was thought to promote ubiquitination of c-Myc by the E3 ligase F-box and WD repeat domain containing 7 (FBXW7). However, recent evidence indicates that FBXW7 preferentially recognizes c-Myc when both Thr58 and Ser62 are phosphorylated, leaving the mechanism underlying PP2A-induced c-Myc degradation unsolved. Here, we demonstrate that the PP2A-B55α complex, which directly dephosphorylates c-Myc at Thr58, regulates two distinct degradation pathways in a biphasic manner: B55α suppression increases Thr58 phosphorylation and enhances FBXW7-dependent degradation, whereas B55α overexpression promotes Thr58-independent, ubiquitin-protein ligase E3 component N-recognin 5 (UBR5)-mediated degradation. We further show that the PP2A-B55α complex binds and dephosphorylates UBR5. In contrast, B55δ, which belongs to the same B55 family and shares a common core structure, exhibits weaker UBR5 binding affinity and fails to induce c-Myc degradation. Our findings identify PP2A-B55α as a context-dependent molecular switch for c-Myc degradation and provide a unified framework that resolves the paradox linking PP2A activation to c-Myc destabilization.

Novel soluble bazedoxifene formulation gains antiproliferative and migrastatic effect in squamous cell carcinoma cells

High-fidelity single-frame computational super-resolution using signal-preserving denoising-enabled deconvolution

Abstract Computational super-resolution (SR) methods enable nanoscale imaging from single-frame wide-field or spinning-disk confocal images without hardware modifications, yet face limitations: statistical restoration suffers from noise and artifacts, while deep learning methods typically lack generalizability. We introduce 3Snet-CLID, a computational SR method which integrates a hybrid supervised/self-supervised deep learning network for signal-preserving denoising with direct Richardson–Lucy deconvolution. 3Snet-CLID’s per-pixel denoising strategy suppresses noise while maintaining signal distribution, mitigating artifacts, and enhancing robustness. The method achieves more than 5-fold resolution improvement on conventional microscopes, revealing diverse structures such as the mitochondrial outer membrane, endoplasmic reticulum, and nuclear pores in live and fixed cells under standard labeling. By overcoming key computational SR bottlenecks, 3Snet-CLID offers denoising capability and an accessible platform for high-fidelity nanoscale live-cell imaging.

Generating a stratocumulus-like cloud top in a convection-cloud chamber

Stratocumulus-topped boundary layers play a crucial role in influencing daily weather and earth energy balance. Entrainment at the stratocumulus cloud top affects the cloud’s lifetime, precipitation, and radiative properties, but our understanding remains limited due to the lack of resolution in both field observations and numerical simulations. A recently proposed convection-cloud chamber with detailed control of sidewall temperatures can provide a unique opportunity to explore this mechanism in a laboratory setting. In this work, we use numerical simulations to demonstrate that this design can produce a cloud top that mimics the entrainment interfacial layer in a stratocumulus cloud. Our results show that a steady-state cloud can be formed by cooling the lower portions of the sidewalls and warming the bottom surface, while a temperature inversion at the cloud top can be generated by keeping the upper sidewalls and top surface warmer than the bottom. The turbulent kinetic energy profile and budget are similar to those found in a convective boundary layer, and inhomogeneous mixing near the cloud top can be observed. These findings significantly enhance the scientific value of constructing the tall convection-cloud chamber.

Impacts of industrial emissions on rock art at Murujuga, Western Australia

Mapping the heritability of disease: a nationwide study

Abstract Heritability estimates are essential for understanding genetic and environmental contributions to disease, yet large-scale studies remain scarce. In this study, we leverage the Danish national health registers, including medical records for more than 10 million individuals, to estimate heritability for more than 1000 health outcomes. We estimate heritability using both twins and siblings born in Denmark between 1955-2021, providing insight into the influence of shared sibling environment with estimates that show strong concordance with published twin studies and meta-analyses. We consider the impact of left-truncation by conducting analyses in both the full cohort and in individuals born after 1977. In a nested genotype case-cohort sample, we contrasted twin- and sibling-based heritabilities for psychiatric and neurological disorders with single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-heritability, revealing disorder-specific “missing heritability” gaps. Together, these results map disease heritability in a single population, providing comprehensive insights for future genetic studies and preventive strategies using population health registers.

Cultural evolution accelerated human range expansion by more than two orders of magnitude

Humans occupy a geographic and ecological range wider than that of any other extant vertebrates, having rapidly expanded into nearly every habitat on the planet. This expansion was driven not only by biological adaptations but, crucially, by cultural evolution—a process that enabled the rapid and cumulative acquisition of adaptive behaviors and technologies. Here, I quantify the unique contribution of cultural evolution by comparing the global human range to mammalian ranges aggregated at various taxonomic ranks. I show that achieving the human range would require about 88 My of lineage divergence, over 2,200 species, and a nearly four-order-of-magnitude range in body mass. Yet, cultural evolution also allows humans to adapt at finer spatial scales, as evidenced by ethnolinguistic groups occupying smaller, more ecologically specialized territories than species. These findings highlight the unique role of cultural evolution in accelerating human ecological adaptation.

Sexual function among controlled and uncontrolled hypertensive females receiving beta-blockers or ACEI/ARB and thiazides: a prospective randomized controlled study

Abstract Background Female sexual dysfunction (FSD) among females with hypertension (HTN) is frequently overlooked, with a reported prevalence of 42.1%. Objectives We aimed to determine the impact of beta-blockers (BBs), angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors/angiotensin receptor blockers (ACEIs/ARBs), and thiazides on sexual function in hypertensive females. Methods A prospective randomized controlled trial enrolled 125 female participants. Group (1) included 25 normotensive females serving as the controls. Groups (2) and (3) consisted of 50 controlled and uncontrolled hypertensive patients who received BBs, respectively. Groups (4) and (5) consisted of 50 patients with controlled and uncontrolled HTN who received ACIs/ARBs, respectively. Each group consisted of patients who received one tablet daily of ramipril 2.5 mg for one month, while the other half received one tablet daily of valsartan (VAL) 80 mg for the same duration. After one month, the subjects were transitioned to a daily regimen of one tablet of ramipril 2.5 mg combined with hydrochlorothiazide 12.5 mg, as well as one tablet of VAL 80 mg with hydrochlorothiazide 12.5 mg for two months, respectively. Results Controlled and uncontrolled hypertensive patients receiving ACEIs/ARBs, as well as controlled hypertensive patients receiving BBs, demonstrated a significant decrease in serum total testosterone and free testosterone levels, accompanied by a significant increase in estradiol after 3 months. Furthermore, controlled and uncontrolled hypertensive patients receiving ACEI/ARBs showed significant increases in all female sexual function (FSF) domains and total FSF scores after 3 months. Consistently, controlled hypertensive patients receiving BBs showed significant improvements across all domains of the validated Arabic version of the female sexual function index (ArFSFI) and the total score, comparable to the ACEI/ARB groups, except for pain. Conversely, uncontrolled hypertensive patients receiving BBs demonstrated significant increases in scores for desire and arousal and orgasm and satisfaction after 3 months. After three months, there was a significant reduction in the GAD-7 scores among all hypertensive patients. Conclusion ACEIs/ARBs demonstrated a favorable effect on FSF. Future large-scale cohort studies are warranted to validate these findings as this study was a single center and of small sample size.

Common and distinct neurofunctional signatures of dynamic naturalistic emotion regulation strategies

Abstract Adaptive emotion regulation is essential for mental health. Reappraisal and acceptance are effective yet cognitively distinct emotion regulation strategies. A key unanswered question is whether their neural implementations are supported by common overarching or distinct neurofunctional processes, especially under dynamic, naturalistic conditions that mirror real-life scenarios. Here, we combined naturalistic fMRI with multivariate predictive modeling to develop neurofunctional signatures that accurately and comprehensively characterize negative affect and its regulation via acceptance and reappraisal in dynamic, immersive contexts ( n  = 59). These signatures demonstrated process-specificity and generalizability across cohorts, cultures, and modalities ( n  = 33, 358, 45, and 33, respectively). Emotion regulation strategies were encoded in distributed, distinguishable neural representations, with shared contributions from the default mode network and strategy-specific contributions from the amygdala, somatomotor and attention (acceptance), and the frontoparietal control (reappraisal) networks. The neuromarkers precisely identified strategy-specific ER impairments in male cannabis users (n healthy_controls  = 48, n cannabis_users  = 49), underscoring their potential clinical translational relevance. Collectively, these findings demonstrate shared and distinct neural signatures of reappraisal and acceptance, highlight the critical role of whole-brain integration in emotion regulation, and provide comprehensive, clinically relevant brain models of emotion regulation and dysregulation in naturalistic contexts.

Hypothalamic endoplasmic reticulum stress drives pubertal precocity due to early-onset obesity in female rodents

Early-onset obesity, especially in girls, is frequently associated with advanced puberty; a phenomenon bound to increased risk of long-term complications. Hypothalamic endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress has been implicated in the pathophysiology of obesity and its comorbidities. However, its contribution to pubertal disorders associated with obesity remains unexplored. We report herein that central ER stress drives obesity-induced precocious female puberty. Hypothalamic expression of key ER stress markers was blunted during normal pubertal transition and altered in female rats with early-onset obesity and advanced puberty, which displayed increased levels of p-PERK and p-eIF2α, and reduced ATF6α content. Central stimulation of hypothalamic ER stress with Thapsigargin in prepuberal lean female rats mimicked advanced puberty onset caused by obesity, without changes in body weight. This phenomenon seemingly involves a circuit including the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus (ARC), since obesity-induced precocious puberty was largely prevented by alleviation of ER stress via virogenetic overexpression of the ER chaperone, GRP78, in the ARC, but not in the paraventricular nucleus, in female rats. In addition, expression analyses of ER stress markers in mouse Kiss1 neurons isolated from juvenile and pubertal female mice revealed increased expression of Perk and Ire1α mRNAs in Kiss1 ARC neurons in early-overfed mice at the juvenile stage, while Xbp1s/u expression ratio was significantly increased during juvenile–pubertal transition in overweighed mice. Collectively, our data uncover a relevant role of hypothalamic ER stress in the control of female puberty and the pathogenesis of obesity-induced pubertal alterations.

SynTrackThinking improves multimodal multi-object tracking for autonomous driving through frequency-aware fusion and temporal contrastive learning

Synthesis of high-entropy hydride from the cantor alloy (fcc–CoCrFeNiMn) at extreme conditions

Abstract Studies of high-entropy materials contribute to various fields of science and reveal ever more exciting properties of applied interest. Here, we perform a study of the resistance of a Cantor alloy (CoCrFeNiMn) to hydrogen through high-pressure experiments at elevated temperatures by X-ray and neutron time-of-flight experiments and ab initio calculations. We report formation of an fcc hydride based on the Cantor alloy composition. We also provide its characterization, including an estimate of hydrogen content. These findings contribute to the growing body of knowledge on the complex chemistry of high-entropy alloys and high-entropy hydrides.

Acoustic Pancharatnam–Berry geometric phase for structured sound manipulation

Phase control is fundamental to acoustic wave manipulation. The propagation and resonant phases have been widely used to modulate acoustic waves. However, the real-space geometric phase, also known as the Pancharatnam–Berry (PB) phase, has remained elusive in acoustics, owing to the fact that airborne sounds are curl-free longitudinal waves lacking intrinsic polarization degrees of freedom. Here, we theoretically and experimentally demonstrate that the PB phase can emerge in inhomogeneous sound waves with polarization evolution of velocity field. Using surface sound waves as an example, we uncover the intriguing Janus property of the PB phase arising from spin-momentum locking, and experimentally demonstrate acoustic PB metasurfaces for versatile wavefront manipulation. We further extend the mechanism to free-space structured sound and realize acoustic q -plates for converting vortex topological charge through spin–orbit interaction. Our work uncovers a type of acoustic phase and provides a simple yet effective mechanism for structured sound manipulation, with promising applications in acoustic communications, imaging, and on-chip devices.

Deep learning based 3D brain metastasis synthesis with configurable parameters for 3D data augmentation

Heat-assisted hot-hole transfer increases the surface-enhanced Raman activity of Au-TiO2 nanoarrays

Abstract Monitoring the evolution of molecules during photo and thermal synergistically induced physical and chemical processes is of paramount interest in fields including chemical, material, and energy research. Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is a highly promising technology in this regard, offering advantages of sensitivity, real-time, and label-free detection. However, the application of conventional SERS in high-temperature environments has faced challenges due to the inevitable loss of activity and decline in sensitivity. Herein, we synthesize Au-TiO 2 nanoarrays as SERS substrates, and an anomalous enhancement of Raman signal with increasing temperature is observed. The signal intensity increases by 11.41 times at 180 °C compared to that at 22 °C. This high-temperature enhancement in Raman activity is attributed to an underlying mechanism: heat-assisted hot-hole transfer, which enables 785 nm photon-induced hot-hole transfer from Au to TiO 2 . Our work expands the application of the SERS technique for high-temperature chemical analysis and molecular diagnostics.