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Formation of high-aspect-ratio nanocavity in LiF crystal using a femtosecond X-ray free-electron laser pulse
Abstract Recent research and development into the formation of nanoscale channels as a central component of nanofluidic biochip systems revolutionized the biological and chemical fields. Exploration of new pathways to form nanochannels is increasingly necessary to provide a new generation of analytical tools with accurate control of liquid fluid flow, high selectivity and increased mass flow rate. Here, we demonstrate that a single 9-keV pulse from X-ray free-electron-laser can form a nanoscale mm-long cavity in LiF. The laser-generated shock pressure results in channel formation with >1,000 length-to-diameter aspect ratio. The development of void is analyzed via continuum and atomistic simulations revealing a sequence of processes leading to the final long cavity structure. This work presents the study of mm-long nanochannel formation by a single high-brilliance X-ray free-electron laser pulse. With MHz repetition rate X-ray free electron laser opens a new avenue for the development of lab-on-chip applications in any material, including those non-transparent to optical lasers.
RETRACTED ARTICLE: Hydrogen-induced microstructural evolution in a nickel-based alloy under high-temperature and high-pressure conditions
AI-powered SPOT imaging for enhanced myocardial scar detection and quantification
Quality comparison of Gastrodia elata grown using artificial mushroom cultivation kits and traditional wood-based cultivation
A universal flu vaccine has proved challenging — could it finally be possible?
Enhancing vehicle-mountable multiple object tracking systems with embeddable Ising machines
Neural representation of the musical beat is facilitated but not contingent on the repetition of rhythmic patterns
Abstract Music often entails perception of periodic beats which serve as internal temporal references to coordinate movements to music. Crucially, beat perception arises even in syncopated musical rhythms, which only weakly cue the beat periodicity. However, syncopated rhythms are often looped in music, suggesting that repetition of rhythmic patterns may facilitate beat perception by providing a periodic structure at a supra-second timescale. Here, we tested this hypothesis by recording separately electroencephalographic (EEG) and behavioral responses (finger tapping) while participants listened to different syncopated rhythmic sequences. These sequences either consisted of a repeated pattern (repetition of 4.8 and 9.6-s-long patterns) or were generated without repetition. Despite the degradation of pattern repetition, neural activity showed a periodized representation of the rhythmic input across conditions, at periodicities corresponding to those expressed in behavioral responses. However, this neural activity was further enhanced in the condition with shorter repeated patterns. Thus, pattern repetition was not necessary but strengthened the neural representation of the beat, demonstrating that supra-second periodicities in the rhythmic input further enhance sub-second periodicities in neural activity. These findings highlight the multiscale temporal processing of musical rhythm, and, more generally, complex rhythmic inputs involved in interpersonal interaction and communication.
Loss of ALK4 promotes cancer progression through regulating TGF-β receptor N-glycosylation
Abstract The transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) pathway typically inhibits tumorigenesis but can promote metastasis during cancer progression. Activin receptor-like kinase 4 (ALK4), a type I TGF-β family receptor, is frequently downregulated or mutated in cancers, and reduced ALK4 expression correlates with poorer outcomes. However, its role and mechanism of action in cancer progression remains unclear. We demonstrate that ALK4 loss enhances anchorage-independent growth, migration, invasion, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition in vitro, as well as cancer progression in breast and pancreatic cancer models in vivo. Importantly, ALK4 loss promotes canonical TGF-β signaling by increasing TGF-β receptor N-linked glycosylation and stabilizing these receptors at the cell surface. Mechanistically, ALK4 loss upregulates β1,6 N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase V (MGAT5) and galectin-3, which binds MGAT5-modified glycoproteins to stabilize surface receptors. Consistent with prior observations that galectin-3 preferentially binds to MGAT5-modified glycoproteins to stabilize cell surface receptors like TGF-β receptors, we demonstrate that ALK4 loss enhances MGAT5-mediated glycosylation of TGF-β receptors, promoting their stabilization and signal transduction. Depleting MGAT5 or inhibiting N-glycosylation effectively suppresses ALK4-loss-induced TGF-β signaling and cancer progression.
Muscle synergy-driven ensemble learning framework for individualized stroke gait rehabilitation
Flu’s link to cardiovascular disease shows why vaccination is essential
Isolation and reactivity of sodium benzyl cations
Soil and river water salinity dynamics in coastal Bangladesh
Abstract Changes in soil and water salinity pose critical challenges to agriculture, water management, and livelihoods in deltaic environments globally, and particularly in the densely populated Asian mega-deltas. Using observations from 24 stations over nearly two decades (2004–2022) in the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna delta of Bangladesh, our scientific study examined the influences of seasonal weather and climate conditions, tropical cyclones, and hydrology on the seasonal variability in soil and river water salinity. We applied statistical analyses including cross-correlation, seasonal-trend decomposition, and wavelet analysis to explore the spatiotemporal dynamics of soil and river water salinity. We developed statistical models to assess how hydrological, meteorological, and climatic factors explain the variability of salinity. Pronounced seasonal fluctuations in soil and river water salinity are observed, with levels rising during the dry season and declining sharply during the monsoon season (June‒October). We also observed how tropical cyclones contribute to short-term spikes in both soil and river water salinity, with stronger impacts observed for those making a landfall during early monsoon period (April‒May). Storm-surge-driven polder breaches further exacerbate salinisation, compounded by land subsidence and rising sea levels. Statistical models reveal a significant positive association between soil and river water salinity and sea-surface salinity during the pre-to-early monsoon season. In contrast, the seasonal rise in sea levels during the monsoon coincides with reduced soil and river water salinity due to monsoon rainfall and freshwater discharges to the sea.
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Observation of wave amplification and temporal topological state in a non-synthetic photonic time crystal
Conserved accessory genes link a phylogenetically distinct Bacillus subtilis strain from Indian bekang to the Japanese natto clade
Spatially heterogeneous acetylcholine dynamics in the striatum promote behavioral flexibility
Abstract Being able to switch from established choices to new alternatives when conditions change – behavioral flexibility – is essential for survival. Cholinergic signaling in the striatum contributes to such flexible behavior, yet the timing and spatial organization of acetylcholine release during contingency changes remain unclear, limiting conceptual understanding of its role in behavioral flexibility. Using a genetically encoded acetylcholine sensor and 2-photon imaging in the dorsal striatum of behaving mice, we visualized acetylcholine dynamics during acquisition and reversal learning in a virtual reality Y-maze. Rewarded outcomes evoked phasic decreases in acetylcholine, whereas unexpected non-reward following reversal triggered widespread increases that predicted lose-shift behavior. Targeted inhibition of cholinergic interneurons reduced this adaptive response. Spatial analysis revealed heterogeneous, temporally distinct signals forming functionally diverse microdomains. These findings suggest that widespread and focal acetylcholine release during unexpected outcomes promotes adaptive response shifts, offering a mechanistic framework for understanding disorders such as addiction and obsessive-compulsive rituals.