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Deep Learning Assisted Proton Pure Shift NMR Spectroscopy

Advanced mirror shapes for mode enhancement in plano-concave cavities

Abstract Optical cavities are frequently used in quantum technologies to enhance light matter interactions, with applications including single photon generation and entanglement of distant emitters. The Fabry–Pérot resonator is a popular choice for its high optical access and large emitter-mirror separation. A typical configuration, particularly for emitters that should not be placed close to the mirror surface like trapped ions and Rydberg atoms, features two spherical mirrors placed around a central emitter, but this arrangement can put demanding requirements on the mirror alignment. In contrast, plano-concave cavities are tolerant to mirror misalignment and only require the manufacture of one curved mirror, but have limited ability to focus light in the centre of the cavity. Here we show how mirror shaping can overcome this limitation of plano-concave cavities while preserving the key advantages. We demonstrate through numerical simulations that simple mirror shaping can increase coupling between a plano-concave cavity and a central emitter by an order of magnitude, even rivalling misalignment-sensitive concave-concave counterparts for achievable interaction strength. We use these observations to establish the conditions under which plano-concave cavities with shaped mirrors could improve the performance and practicality of emitter-cavity systems.

Bat guano fertilizer as a source of Betacoronavirus: First molecular evidence linking Rhinolophus coelophyllus to viral reservoirs in Thailand

Commercial bat guano fertilizers distributed in Thailand were screened for the presence of coronavirus genomes to assess potential public health risks. A total of 41 samples were analyzed for Alphacoronavirus (AlphaCoV) and Betacoronavirus (BetaCoV) using partial Spike (S) gene sequences. Two samples (4.88%) tested positive for AlphaCoV, showing 97.08–99.27% sequence similarity, while one sample (2.44%) was positive for BetaCoV with 98.91% similarity. Due to the greater relevance of BetaCoVs to human health, the BetaCoV-positive sample underwent host identification via partial cytochrome oxidase I (COI) gene analysis and next-generation sequencing. The results revealed Rhinolophus coelophyllus as the likely natural reservoir. This study provides the first evidence of bat-derived BetaCoV genome in a commercial fertilizer in Thailand and highlights the importance of monitoring wildlife-derived products for emerging zoonotic viruses.

Pyridoxal 5′-Phosphate-Dependent Enzymatic Decarboxylative Annulation

Ecological and human health risks of metal contamination in sediments along Egypt Western Mediterranean coast

Abstract The distribution of 24 potentially hazardous elements (PHEs) was examined in sediments gathered from several Mediterranean coastal regions in Egypt. Inductively coupled plasma-mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS) was used to analyze the samples. The lowest concentration of PHEs was recorded at 2492.95 µg/g at Salloum Station (Ia), whereas Sedi Krrir Station (X) recorded the maximum concentration at 5890.61 µg/g dry weight. The PHEs under investigation can be grouped as follows based on the highest average concentration: Ti > Fe > Al > Cu > Zn > Pb > Co > Mn > Ni > Cd > Cr. Several indicators were used to evaluate the contamination level for PHEs. Pollution indices, such as the enrichment factor (EF), geoaccumulation index ( I geo ), pollution load index (PLI), and contamination degree (C d ), are determined for the recorded PHE. Principal component analysis (PCA) was employed to analyze all sediment constituents and determine their sources. To assess the degree of PHE contamination in sediments and identify the overall and specific pollution levels of different components in the sediment, PCA was utilized in conjunction with other pollution indices. According to the human risk assessment results for the PHEs found in the sediments, some of the investigated metals may pose a danger. According to the USEPA’s SQGs (sediment quality guidelines), sediments were categorized as either non-contaminated, moderately polluted, or highly polluted. Furthermore, the studied sediment samples are not contaminated with Cu, Zn, or Ni; nonetheless, C d levels exceeded the thresholds of both probable effective level (PEL) and effective range medium (ERM). According to the Hazard Quotient (HQ) for cutaneous exposure route data, children’s HQ is 3–4 times that of adults.

The multimodal display of rattlesnakes is a deterring signal that works best with sympatric species

The rattlesnake rattle is one of the most iconic communication signals in nature, yet its evolutionary function remains poorly understood. To test the long-standing hypothesis that the defensive display of rattlesnakes acts as a deterrent, we developed a 3D-printed robotic rattlesnake capable of displaying the multimodal sensory stimulus produced by a rattlesnake. This robot was presented to 38 species of zoo-housed animals in a series of behavioral trials. Animals displayed aversive response to the signal, suggesting that this multimodal display functions as a deimatic signal by triggering reflexive avoidance response. Sympatric species exhibited even stronger fear response to the display, suggesting an evolved, innate fear to the signal. These results offer insights into how complex antipredator signals can originate and diversify in the animal kingdom.

Electron-Pump Driven Redox Design for Boosting the Reactivity of Ceria

Cardiorespiratory fitness is differentially associated with motor cortex laterality in middle-aged and older adults

Line-of-sight stability in unmanned aerial vehicle relays for hybrid free-space optical and visible light communication links under atmospheric effects

Optical links supported by an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) must sustain gigabit-class throughput despite atmospheric attenuation, turbulence, and platform-induced pointing errors. Single-technology designs based on free-space optical (FSO) or visible light communication (VLC) often lack robustness under changing altitude and weather conditions. This paper proposes a hybrid FSO/VLC UAV relay and a unified analytical model that combines Beer–Lambert path loss, turbulence-induced scintillation, and pointing jitter, coupling an FSO backhaul to a Lambertian V1LC access channel with a finite receiver field of view (FOV). MATLAB-based results show that, under light desert dust (extinction κ ≈ 0.35   k m − 1 ), the FSO branch retains ≈ 70.5 % of the transmitted power at 1 km and ≈ 49.7 % at 2 km, compared to ≈ 81.9 % and ≈ 67.0 % in clear visibility ( κ = 0.2   k m − 1 ) and ≈ 49.7 % and ≈ 24.7 % in haze ( κ = 0.7   k m − 1 ). The VLC branch maintains a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of at least 30 dB when F O V ≤ 20 ∘ for altitudes below 150 m. For line-of-sight stability, with a receiver capture half-angle of 20   μ r a d , the alignment probability is ≈ 99.97 % at a root-mean-square (RMS) pointing jitter of 5   μ r a d (stabilized) versus ≈ 58.9 % at 15   μ r a d (weak/no-stabilization control). These results provide practical thresholds for robust hybrid relays, including visibility-aware switching between FSO and VLC and sub- 10   μ r a d stabilization to maintain high alignment probability for smart-city and emergency scenarios.

Cavity-Enhanced Giant Magneto-Optical Linear Dichroism in van der Waals CrSBr

Application of ILO ergonomic checkpoints for workplace health and safety assessment in post-conflict small and medium-sized enterprises in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq

Abstract Workplace health and safety (WHS) in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) is especially challenging in post-conflict regions with limited regulation. This study applies the ILO ergonomic checkpoints framework to assess WHS across five industrial sectors in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. A cross-sectional study was performed among 70 SMEs, spanning food, metal, construction, furniture, and chemical industries. Ergonomic compliance data were collected using a structured observational checklist. Sectoral differences in safety performance were examined through ANOVA and ANCOVA, while correlation analysis explored the associations between WHS outcomes and organizational characteristics. Assumption checks confirmed statistical validity through Shapiro–Wilk tests, Q-Q plots, Levene’s test, and Variance Inflation Factors (VIF). The results demonstrated substantial disparities in ergonomic safety compliance across sectors, with food and construction enterprises exhibiting the lowest total safety scores. Among enterprise-level factors, managerial experience and workforce size were significantly associated with WHS performance, whereas average wage and company age showed weaker links. A conceptual predictive model is proposed to guide future research, positioning the total safety score as a function of key organizational variables. This study provides a validated ergonomics-based methodology and a conceptual model to guide WHS improvements in post-conflict SMEs. Findings support targeted interventions such as WHS training and participatory risk assessments. The model offers a scalable foundation for future predictive analytics and policy design in resource-limited settings.

Development and validation of the BASE-66 inventory for comprehensive academic stress measurement

Academic stress (AS) is a multidimensional process expressed through emotional, cognitive, physiological, and behavioral responses to academic demands. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the digitalization of higher education and restricted in-person social interaction, increasing the salience of socioeconomic constraints, home-based learning conditions, and interactional disruptions. These changes exposed measurement gaps in widely used AS instruments, particularly in their coverage of contextual stressors and in the psychometric consistency of coping-related content. To address this gap, we developed and provided initial psychometric validation for the BASE-66 (Broad Academic Stress Evaluation), an inventory designed to assess AS through an integrated framework that includes both academic and non-academic sources of strain. We used an instrumental psychometric design implemented in three phases: item development, main administration, and post-test evaluation. BASE-66 was adapted from the SISCO-II-AS framework through qualitative focus groups conducted during emergency remote teaching, followed by pilot testing and iterative item refinement. The main administration included 501 university students (71.7% women; mean age 22.19 years, SD=3.13) recruited from three universities in Concepción, Chile. Factor structure was examined with exploratory factor analyses (EFA) based on polychoric correlations using WLSMV estimation in a stratified split sample (EFA n=254; CFA n=247). Confirmatory factor analysis tested the full retained solution. Reliability was assessed with Cronbach’s alpha and McDonald’s omega in the full sample, and temporal stability was evaluated via test–retest correlations in a follow-up subsample (n=85). Stressor items supported a five-factor structure: Academic Workload Stressors, Academic Performance Stressors, Stressors associated with General Social Interaction, Socioeconomic Stressors, and Stressors associated with Classroom Interaction. Reaction items were best represented by a bifactor model with a dominant General Reaction factor and three specific domains capturing residual variance: Emotional–Cognitive Reactions, Physical Exhaustion Reactions, and Social Conflict Reactions. Coping items suggested two factors (Restorative Coping and Distraction–Reappraisal Coping), but their loadings and reliability were comparatively weaker, supporting a cautious interpretation. The confirmatory model showed acceptable fit (χ²/df=1.28; RMSEA=0.037; SRMR=0.077; CFI=0.93). Internal consistency was adequate to excellent across stressor and reaction domains, and test–retest correlations indicated solid stability for several scales, with lower stability for social and classroom interaction stressors consistent with higher contextual sensitivity. Women scored higher on multiple stressor and reaction domains, whereas classroom interaction stressors and several coping indices did not show gender differences. In conclusion, BASE-66 provides a context-sensitive instrument for comprehensive AS assessment in Chilean university students, capturing academic, socioeconomic, and interactional stressor domains alongside differentiated reaction profiles. Future work should evaluate measurement invariance, strengthen coping measurement, and incorporate longitudinal and multi-method validation designs.

Smart decision framework for financial planning and investment optimization

Regulating π-Stacked Micelle-Like Assembly via Anion Coordination to Achieve Frank–Kasper C15 Phases

Development and preliminary validation of the Inadequate Child Care Scale in China

Background Socio-economic changes and evolving family structures have created unique caregiving challenges in China, highlighting the need for tools to systematically measure child care deficits. This study aims to develop and preliminarily validate the Inadequate Child Care Scale (ICCS), a culturally relevant instrument designed to measure deficits in child care specific to the Chinese context. Methods The development and validation of the Inadequate Child Care Scale (ICCS) were conducted through a three-phase process. Phase One involved the generation of an initial item pool informed by a prior grounded theory study. Phase Two included nationwide data collection via a structured survey administered to participants across diverse regions in China. Phase Three focused on evaluating the psychometric properties of the ICCS using Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA; n = 468) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA; n = 702), with an emphasis on assessing convergent validity, discriminant validity, and composite reliability. Results The initial item pool comprised 32 items, 30 of which were retained following expert evaluation for content validity. EFA revealed a four-factor structure underlying the scale: Inadequate Daily Life Care, Inadequate Psychological and Emotional Care, Inadequate Safety Care, and Inadequate Educational Care, encompassing 30 items in total. CFA supported the factorial validity of the ICCS, yielding favorable model fit indices (GFI = 0.929, CFI = 0.977, TLI = 0.975, RMSEA = 0.038, χ²/df = 2.025). The scale demonstrated strong internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha > 0.80) and acceptable test-retest reliability. Conclusion The ICCS is a psychometrically sound tool for assessing child care deficits in China. Its development fills a critical gap in child care research and provides a foundation for targeted interventions and policy reforms. Future studies should refine the scale further and explore its applications in broader caregiving contexts.

Defect-Engineered Perovskites: Atomic Scale Nature of A-Site Vacancy-Stabilized Catalytically Active Phase

AI driven interactive extraction of tomographic ultrasound imaging sequences for anal sphincter defects

Remnant hollowed out dead coral skeleton branches defer coral community recovery

Through repeated impacts of ecosystem disturbances, most coral reefs have transitioned to a degraded state with low living coral cover. Until recently, the reefs of Moorea, French Polynesia, have provided an exception to this trend as their coral communities have recovered from sequential disturbances over the last 50 years. Early in 2019, the north shore fore reef at 10-m depth had ~ 75% live coral cover, but was decimated by bleaching to leave 17% coral cover by August 2020 and many kilometers of reef dominated by dead-in-place colonies of Pocillopora spp. By 2025, coral recovery had not begun because of the chronology of decay affecting dead Pocillopora skeletons. We combine ecological analyses of dead Pocillopora colonies with high-resolution microscopy of aragonite skeletal structure to better understand the fate of these dead branching corals. Bleaching in 2019 created a reef dominated by dead Pocillopora colonies that initially were resilient to breakage and removal. Dead corals were colonized by macroalgae, occupied by a unique assemblage of invertebrates, and deterred coral recruitment as evidenced by coral settlers on settlement tiles but not on dead skeletons. In 2022–2023, three years after Pocillopora colonies were killed, their remnant hollowed-out branches were first detected. High-resolution microscopy indicates hollowing occurred through bioerosion of dead branches that were scaffolded by encrusting taxa and entrapped sediments. Over 2011–2019, coral communities in Moorea rapidly recovered from devastation, but recovery from the 2019 bleaching has been deferred by the retention of dead corals on reef surfaces, creating the opportunity for erosion to further hollow out and weaken dead coral branches. This study shows how the synergy of well-studied disturbances can create ecological surprises that at best defer community recovery, but at worst portend a different outcome of major disturbance events, preventing recovery of the original coral community.

Avenanthramide C and chondroitin sulphate promote chondrogenic differentiation of adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells

Long non-coding RNA PSMB8-AS1 as a potential biomarker for postoperative recurrence in patients with Fuhrman grades 1–3 clear cell renal cell carcinoma

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are important regulators of oncogenesis. In this study, we investigated the tumor-promoting role and prognostic value of the lncRNA PSMB8-AS1 in renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Using lncRNA microarray analysis, we identified PSMB8-AS1 as a candidate gene associated with disease progression and immune checkpoint inhibitor resistance. We examined PSMB8-AS1 expression in tumors and adjacent normal renal tissues from 192 patients with RCC. In vitro functional assays were performed to assess their role in cell proliferation and invasion. We also conducted bioinformatics and luciferase reporter assays to clarify the interaction between miR-204-5p/miR-211 and the transcription factor TFAP2A. PSMB8-AS1 was significantly overexpressed in clear cell RCC (ccRCC) tissues and correlated with poor prognosis. Knockdown experiments revealed that PSMB8-AS1 promoted proliferation and invasion. Mechanistically, PSMB8-AS1 functions as a competing endogenous RNA, sponging miR-204-5p/miR-211 and enhancing TFAP2A expression. These findings suggest that PSMB8-AS1 represents a promising biomarker for postoperative ccRCC recurrence.