Browse Articles

Numerical optimization of natural hybrid fiber reinforced composite overwrapped pressure vessel

Modeling the impact of aerial water spray on the dynamics of anthropogenic pollutants to sustain industrialization

Land-use controls on soil organic carbon dynamics across Amazonian ecosystems, Brazil

In vivo evaluation of a soft optical sensor for bleeding detection in colonoscopy

Risk factors for postextubation pneumonia using diagnosis procedure combination and claims data in Japan

Prevalence, severity and associated risk factors of symptomatic dry eye among breast cancer patients receiving systemic therapy in Palestine

Carboxy-terminal 24-amino-acid peptide of integral membrane protein 2A is produced in the heart and stimulates atrial natriuretic peptide release

Performance enhancement of fluorescence molecular tomography imaging based on maximally weighted iteration strategy

Fluorescence molecular tomography (FMT) reconstruction represents an ill-posed inverse problem, and the existing solution methods often serve as estimators that tend to introduce reconstruction errors. In this study, we present a maximally weighted iteration (MWI) based FMT imaging framework designed to mitigate the ill-posedness of the inverse problems by strategically controlling the ill-conditioned weighting matrix through iterative weighted decomposition and a weighted correction term. Furthermore, four types of weighting matrices incorporating L1, L2, Frobenius, and L-inf norms are introduced and quantitatively compared with the conventional Tikhonov regularization method through numerical simulations, phantom and in vivo experiments for both single- and double-target scenarios. These results demonstrate that the MWI-based algorithms, particularly the one using the L2-norm, exhibit superior performance in terms of noise robustness, reconstruction accuracy, and spatial resolution. This study provides an effective strategy to enhance the FMT imaging quality.

Genetic basis of immunity in Indian cattle as revealed by comparative analysis of Bos genome

Room-temperature calcium intercalation into graphite catalyzed by sodium

Calcium (Ca) intercalation into graphite (C) has been considered to require elevated temperatures, and its occurrence at room temperature (RT) has long been regarded as highly unlikely. Here, we demonstrate that sodium (Na) catalysis enables the formation of superconducting CaC6 even at RT. In mixtures of Ca, Na, and graphite, the gradual development of superconducting diamagnetism and the emergence of x-ray diffraction peaks confirm the formation of CaC6 during storage at RT. The superconducting transition temperature increases with storage time, and the volume fraction of the formed CaC6 scales proportionally to the square root of time, indicating that CaC6 formation proceeds via a diffusion-controlled reaction. These findings provide new insights into both the superconducting mechanism of CaC6 and the intercalation chemistry of graphite. Finally, we propose a possible scenario explaining the Na-catalyzed Ca intercalation process.

Independent association of indirect self-destructiveness with suicidal behaviors in young adults

Significant recrystallization suppression in a nickel-based single crystal superalloy during solution treatment via alternating magnetic field

Recrystallization during heat treatment deteriorates nickel-based single crystal superalloys. This study demonstrates that alternating magnetic field (AMF) significantly suppresses recrystallization in grit-blasted nickel-based single crystal superalloy DD98M. Under 1300 °C/4 h heat treatment, the recrystallization thickness increased from 28.3 to 71.2 μm with grit-blasting pressure (0.1–0.7 MPa), but AMF (0.05–0.1 T) reduced it by 47.5% and 65.7%, respectively. The effect was attributed to the decrease in dislocation density gradient and residual stress via dislocation depinning induced by AMF. This approach offers a promising strategy for controlling recrystallization in superalloys.

Dyad practice facilitates motor learning in music

Enhanced performance of inverted CsPbI3 perovskite solar cells by using carbohydrazide interface modification

Inorganic perovskite CsPbI3, with its suitable bandgap and excellent thermal stability, is a promising light-absorbing material for perovskite solar cells (PSCs). However, the detrimental defects in CsPbI3 not only act as recombination centers but also accelerate film degradation, resulting in poor power conversion efficiency (PCE) and reduced stability. Herein, carbohydrazide (CBZ) was employed as an upper surface passivator for CsPbI3 films. The amino and carbonyl functional groups of CBZ can strongly anchor to undercoordinated Pb2+ via tight coordination bonds, effectively passivating surface and grain boundary defects of CsPbI3. Additionally, CBZ modification can ameliorate film morphology, optimize interfacial energy level alignment, enhance charge extraction, and suppress non-radiative recombination. Consequently, CBZ-modified inverted PSCs yield a champion PCE of 19.76% with an outstanding fill factor (FF) of 85.26%, which is one of the highest FF reported for CsPbI3 PSCs so far. Moreover, CBZ-modified devices exhibit significantly enhanced long-term storage stability in air. This work highlights the use of molecularly engineered modifiers as a promising approach to boost the efficiency and stability of inverted PSCs, providing a valuable interface design reference.

Spatial transcriptomic map of the mouse urinary bladder

Lattice thermal conductivity origin of Mg3Sb2: A study via self-consistent phonon theory with bubble correction

Zintl-phase Mg3Sb2-based thermoelectric materials exhibit remarkable performance; however, pronounced inconsistencies remain in the reported lattice thermal conductivity (κl) and its temperature dependence. In this work, we conduct a systematic first-principles investigation of the intrinsic κl of Mg3Sb2 within the harmonic approximation, self-consistent phonon (SCP) theory, and bubble-corrected SCP framework. Our results demonstrate that κl of Mg3Sb2 is nearly isotropic. The inclusion of different higher-order corrections markedly modifies the value of κl and reshapes its temperature dependence. Most notably, bubble corrections substantially enhance the off diagonal contributions to κl, leading to pronounced deviations from conventional SCP predictions. These findings reconcile the long-standing discrepancies among different computational schemes and provide deeper microscopic insight into the lattice thermal transport behavior of Mg3Sb2.

Autoantibodies against nephrin and podocin are associated with disease severity and steroid dependence in adult-onset nephrotic syndrome

Abstract Nephrotic syndrome is a glomerular disorder characterized by heavy proteinuria and hypoalbuminemia. Autoantibodies against slit diaphragm proteins such as nephrin and podocin have been identified in subsets of patients, but their prevalence and clinical significance in adult-onset disease are not fully understood. We retrospectively studied 114 adults with biopsy-proven nephrotic syndrome, including minimal change nephrotic syndrome, focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, and phospholipase A2 receptor- and neural epidermal growth factor-like 1-associated membranous nephropathy. Serum anti-nephrin and anti-podocin autoantibodies were quantified using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Anti-nephrin autoantibodies were detected predominantly in minimal change nephrotic syndrome (38.2%) and less frequently in focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (14.3%), but were rare in membranous nephropathy. In contrast, anti-podocin autoantibodies were observed across disease types and were most frequent in neural epidermal growth factor-like 1-associated membranous nephropathy (30.8%). Autoantibody-positive patients presented with more severe nephrotic syndrome, and antibody positivity was associated with a higher incidence of steroid-dependent nephrotic syndrome in exploratory multivariable analyses. In patients with paired samples, autoantibody titers decreased or disappeared in remission. Notably, anti-nephrin antibodies were preferentially associated with MCNS, whereas anti-podocin antibodies were detected across disease entities and may reflect the extent of podocyte injury rather than disease specificity. Moreover, combined assessment of anti-nephrin and anti-podocin antibody status provided improved stratification of baseline disease severity and relapse-prone disease compared with anti-nephrin antibody status alone.

High density two-dimensional Dirac fermion gas in HgTe quantum wells of critical width

We report on magnetotransport and cyclotron resonance studies of 2D Dirac fermions in HgTe quantum wells with a near-critical thickness of 6.2 nm. By investigating carrier densities up to Ns = 5.6 × 1012 cm−2—nearly an order of magnitude higher than previously explored—we demonstrate that the energy spectrum remains strictly linear even at these elevated concentrations. Our findings reveal anomalous Shubnikov–de Haas oscillations at Ns = 2.9 × 1012 cm−2, likely stemming from scattering on remote impurities. Furthermore, we identify Ns≈ 5.6 × 1012 cm−2 as a fundamental density limit, which remains stable despite further doping increases up to (1–3) × 1013 cm−2.

Evaluating the 2024 dog oral rabies vaccination campaign in the Zambezi region, Namibia using GIS and household surveys

Abstract The 2024 oral rabies vaccination (ORV) campaign in Namibia’s Zambezi region aimed to address persistent rabies transmission through a large-scale effort combining direct dog vaccination and owner-assisted distribution. A total of 9,393 baits were distributed, and the campaign demonstrated feasibility and operational efficiency, achieving an estimated vaccination coverage of 47.9% of dogs in just four days, increasing to 56.8% when accounting for prior parenteral vaccination efforts. Spatial analysis revealed an average vaccination coverage of 60% across 10 × 10 km grid cells, and encompassed 81% of the human population of the Zambezi region within the vaccination coverage area. Post-vaccination surveys indicated a rise in vaccination rates (54.5% of dogs vaccinated, up from 18.9%) and lower presence of rabies. Improved education and awareness campaigns, targeted interventions in low-coverage areas, and enhanced surveillance are recommended to further reduce rabies incidence. The findings highlight the promise and proficiency of ORV campaigns in resource-constrained settings and demonstrate that its application can be key for sustained rabies control efforts in Namibia.

Structural distortion-induced acoustic velocities and elasticity softening in compressed (TiZrNbTaW)C high-entropy carbide

Unraveling pressure-induced elastic weakening mechanisms is crucial for understanding and exploring the structure–property–pressure relationships of high-entropy carbides (HECs). Using in situ synchrotron x-ray diffraction and ultrasonic interferometry, we investigate the microstress-promoted structural evolution, sound velocities, and elastic properties of (TiZrNbTaW)C at high pressure. Interestingly, an anomalous softening behavior in both sound velocities and elastic moduli of (TiZrNbTaW)C is observed upon nonhydrostatic compression, which is an unexpected phenomenon that is absent after annealing of the cold-compressed specimen at a high temperature of ∼1300 K. The underlying mechanism is attributed to microstress-enhanced lattice distortion at high pressure, which drives the elastic softening. These findings provide a mechanistic framework for the lattice distortion–elasticity interaction in HECs at high pressure, and offer actionable guidance for their applications at extreme environments.