Browse Articles
Discover research articles across all indexed journals
Development and theoretical investigation of antimony-based halide perovskite solar cell using kesterite as hole transport material
Abstract Cesium antimony iodide (Cs₃Sb₂I₉) is a lead-free halide perovskite attracting significant attention due to its tunable bandgap, unique optoelectronic properties, and potential as a light-absorbing material in perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Kesterite CZTSe, a stable, non-toxic, and cost-effective material that facilitates efficient hole extraction, reduces recombination, and is compatible with lead-free perovskites, is employed in this study as a novel hole transport layer (HTL) for high-performance, sustainable solar cells. The influence of various parameters on the device’s performance with the general architecture of FTO/WS 2 /Cs 3 Sb 2 I 9 /CZTSe/Ag was investigated theoretically using SCAPS-1D numerical software. Optimization of the device yielded a notable power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 21.02% and a high fill factor (FF) of 81.94%, underpinned by a type-II band alignment that promotes efficient charge transport. The simulated quantum efficiency exceeded 95% across 300–650 nm, demonstrating excellent visible-light absorption. Temperature-dependent analysis indicated stable operation within 240–320 K, while open-circuit voltage (V oc ) increased sharply with acceptor density above 10²⁰ cm⁻³, reflecting enhanced built-in potential and reduced recombination. The results contained in this study are projected to advance knowledge towards the understanding of complex phenomena in emerging materials and technologies that could be beneficial for performance optimization in solar devices, thus, their future commercialization.
Factors impacting a patient’s selection of an otolaryngologist
Objective How a patient chooses a physician has not been evaluated in otolaryngology. Our purpose was to determine which factors are important for people in the selection of an otolaryngologist. Methods This study is a cross-sectional survey study using Amazon Mturk. Demographic data was collected. Participants rated 24 factors related to choosing an otolaryngologist on a 10-point scale. Multiple choice questions queried preferences on a physician’s social media, clothing, gender, and personality. Results Out of 287 participants, 105 (36.6%) were female, 209 (72.8%) were between the ages of 25–40, and 252 (87.7%) identified as white. The majority of participants had primary residence in the southern US (N = 115, 38.3%) and were native-English speakers (N = 286, 99.7%). 254 (88.5%) had completed a Bachelor’s degree, 232 (80.8%) were employed in healthcare, 237 (82.6%) had prior experience being treated by an otolaryngologist, and 275 (95.8%) rated their health status as good or better. The most important factors for respondents in choosing an otolaryngologist were “surgeon’s explanation of their diagnosis and treatment”, “the quality of their surgeon’s office”, “favorable office location”, “the surgeon’s ability to grasp their problem”, “the surgeon’s professionalism”, and “the surgeon’s physical examination”. Regarding attire and personality, formal or business casual with a white coat was preferred (N = 124, 43.2%). Participants preferred surgeons with a combination of a professional and lighthearted personality (N = 145, 50.5%). Conclusion The way in which an otolaryngologist engages with and examines a patient is most important to the lay public, although reputation carries some importance in choosing a doctor.
pH-dependent mechanism of oxygen evolution in highly disordered RuO2 nanosheets
Some parasites like it hot, some don’t
SFARP: a multi-layered real-time security framework for hybrid ARP and DDoS attack defense in SD-IoT networks
Abstract The rapid expansion of Software-Defined Internet of Things (SD-IoT) networks has amplified both scalability and vulnerability, exposing them to increasingly sophisticated multi-vector attacks such as flooding-based Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS), Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) spoofing, DNS spoofing, and MAC flooding. These threats exploit static control planes and centralized architectures, overwhelming controllers and bypassing threshold-based defenses through adaptive, sequential, and hybrid behaviors. To address these challenges, we propose SFARP, a multi-layered real-time security framework tailored for SD-IoT environments. SFARP integrates three coordinated modules: (1) the Dynamic Flow Analysis Module (DFAM), which leverages P4-programmed switches to extract fine-grained traffic and ARP-level features; (2) the Adaptive Dynamic Flow Detection System (ADFDS), which employs an ensemble of machine learning classifiers to detect anomalies across hybrid and multi-vector attack scenarios; and (3) the Distributed Adaptive Mitigation System (DAMS), which deploys adaptive countermeasures across a multi-controller SDN topology. In addition, we extend the evaluation to multi-vector attacks (ARP + MAC + DDoS), DNS spoofing, and ultra-dense IoT deployments, and introduce a comprehensive hardware feasibility study and ablation analysis. Extensive testing across five real-world IoT datasets (CICIoMT2024, CICIoT2023, IoTID20, Edge-IIoTset, and TON_IoT) and twelve complex attack scenarios—including hybrid, adaptive, mimicry, and sequential attacks—demonstrates SFARP’s superior performance. On the CICIoMT2024 dataset, ADFDS achieved 98.3% accuracy, 97.6% precision, 98.9% recall, and a False Alarm Rate (FAR) of just 2.3%. On CICIoT2023, it maintained 96.0% accuracy and a 2.9% FAR, outperforming state-of-the-art models such as XGBoost and LightGBM across all key metrics. SFARP also demonstrated system-level advantages by reducing controller CPU usage by over 70%, minimizing packet loss by 90%, and maintaining end-to-end detection latency under 50 ms, even under high-volume attacks. Hardware evaluations on NetFPGA and Tofino ASIC confirm carrier-grade scalability, sustaining over 250 k concurrent flows with minimal memory overhead. By integrating programmable data-plane telemetry, adaptive ML-driven detection, and distributed mitigation, SFARP provides a scalable and hardware-feasible solution for real-time defense of SD-IoT infrastructures. It represents a practical step toward securing heterogeneous IoT deployments against evolving hybrid and multi-layer attacks.
Multi-order hyperbolic graph convolution and aggregated attention for social event detection
Social event detection (SED) aims to identify real-world events from large-scale social media streams and has become essential for applications in public safety, marketing analytics, and crisis management. However, the heterogeneous, hierarchical, and dynamic nature of social data poses fundamental challenges for conventional models built in Euclidean space, that struggle to capture non-Euclidean relational dependencies and higher-order event structures. To address these limitations, this study proposes the M ulti- O rder H yperbolic G raph C onvolution and A ggregated A ttention ( MOHGCAA ) framework, which performs multi-order graph convolution in hyperbolic space while jointly modeling curvature-aware attention to capture both local and global dependencies. Extensive experiments conducted under both supervised and unsupervised settings show that MOHGCAA consistently outperforms existing state-of-the-art baselines across multiple datasets. The results highlight the model’s robustness, scalability, and effectiveness in representing hierarchical and heterogeneous structures, providing a foundation for social event detection in non-Euclidean domains.
Geometric Features of Ventricular Tachycardia Corridors in Patients With Ischemic Cardiomyopathy
BACKGROUND: A 3-dimensional hyperboloid model has been proposed to characterize ventricular tachycardia (VT) circuitry. We sought to characterize the geometric features of viable corridors, derived from late gadolinium enhanced cardiovascular magnetic resonance, that participate in VT circuitry in ischemic cardiomyopathy. METHODS: In this retrospective cohort study, we analyzed patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy who underwent cardiovascular magnetic resonance before their first VT ablation between November 2018 and May 2024. Viable corridors traversing infarct tissue on late gadolinium enhanced images were coregistered with VT corridor entrance and exit site coordinates, identified by entrainment/pace mapping. The prevalence of VT corridor geometry (hyperboloid, funnel, or cylinder) and corridor ostium angle, width, length, thickness, volume, and accessibility from chambers accessed during the procedure were measured. RESULTS: The cohort included 46 patients (95.4% male; 68±8 years of age). Of 125 VT exit sites that registered to a corridor ostium among 45 patients, central corridors predominantly exhibited hyperbola geometry (93.6%), with 4.8% exhibiting funnel and 1.6% exhibiting cylinder geometry. Of 11 VT entrance sites that registered to a corridor ostium among 5 patients, all central corridors exhibited hyperbola geometry. The mean angle of corridor ostium at VT exit was significantly larger than the angle of the opposite ostium (mean±SD, 102.8°±34.1° versus 83.2°±29.5°; P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Most VT corridors in patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy, derived from late gadolinium enhanced magnetic resonance images and validated by mapping, were hyperboloid, but funnel and cylinder shapes were also seen. The central hyperbola exhibits a larger opening angle at the exit ostium than the entrance.
The rise and global spread of IMP carbapenemases (1996-2023): a genomic epidemiology study
Abstract Infections caused by carbapenemase-producing organisms are a global health threat. IMP carbapenemases are one of the key drivers of these infections but little is known regarding their global epidemiology. We analyse three decades of bla IMP gene spread using sequence data from 4556 genomes collected between 1996–2023. A total of 52 bla IMP variants were identified across 93 bacterial species. We reconstruct the historical emergence and variant-specific epidemiologies of bla IMP genes and showed how key variants ( bla IMP-1 , bla IMP-4 , bla IMP-7 , bla IMP-8 and bla IMP-13 ) achieved global endemicity, while bla IMP-26 and bla IMP-27 became regionally endemic in Southeast Asia and North America, respectively. Dissemination was driven predominantly by horizontal gene transfer facilitated by mobile genetic elements such as class 1 integrons and insertion sequences. These elements mobilised bla IMP genes into 52 distinct plasmid clusters (predominantly IncHI2A, IncN, IncL/M, and IncC), enabling broad inter-species transmission. Despite limited overall cross-source transmission, spillover primarily occurred between human and environmental reservoirs. Structural analysis revealed conserved IMP carbapenemase structure (mean lDDT 0.977) with convergent missense mutations at seven catalytically relevant sites. Our analysis provides a framework for understanding bla IMP dissemination, highlighting their emergence as an important, yet under-recognised, public health threat.
Dynamic control of phase for tunable structural colors
Structural coloration offers many advantages over conventionally used pigment-based colors due to their nontoxic, fade-resistant, and environmentally friendly nature. These colors arise from the structural arrangements of colorless materials at the nanoscale, which create optical resonances and vibrant hues. Over the last decade, dynamic color generation has been the subject of extensive research across various scientific disciplines. However, commercial adoption has been limited by the absence of effective tuning mechanisms, structural complexities, and fabrication challenges. In this work, we demonstrate active color tuning based on phase modulation of a multilayer stack composed of a phase-changing material (PCM) and a high-index material on a reflective surface. We elucidate the underlying interfacial and cavity phase modulation mechanisms responsible for the dynamic color changes, highlighting the potential for tailoring the optical properties of this thin-film stack for a wide range of practical applications. Furthermore, we showcase the lithography-free implementation of this concept for large-area, color-tunable textiles, complex surfaces, and temperature-sensitive consumer product labeling, highlighting its efficacy in tunable, scalable, and sustainable coloration. Leveraging dynamic phase modulation, this concept holds immense promise for applications in thermal sensing, advanced textile engineering, camouflage, and reconfigurable displays.
Influence of farm composition and management on the microbiome of the camel tick (Hyalomma dromedarii)
“If it’s necessary, it has to be done. And that’s for the physician to decide, not me.” Imaging techniques in monitoring routines in coronary heart disease and post-stroke patients: A qualitative interview study from the patients’ perspective
Background Chronic conditions such as coronary heart disease and stroke impose a significant burden on individuals and healthcare systems. Regular monitoring, including imaging techniques such as echocardiography and carotid duplex sonography, is used in follow-up care to detect disease progression and guide treatment decisions. Although these procedures are thought to provide clinical benefit, evidence-based guidelines provide limited recommendations for their routine use. This raises concerns about potential overdiagnosis, unnecessary healthcare costs and the psychological impact of frequent medical examinations. This study explores how patients with coronary heart disease and post-stroke experience and perceive these monitoring practices, focusing on their expectations, emotional responses and perceived benefits. Methods A qualitative study was conducted using semi-structured interviews with patients who had undergone echocardiography or carotid duplex sonography within the past three years. Participants were recruited in two regions in Germany. Interviews were transcribed and analysed following Braun and Clarke’s reflexive thematic analysis approach. Results Fourteen patients were interviewed. Participants generally found monitoring to be beneficial and reassuring. They expressed confidence in their physicians’ recommendations and felt that the frequency of monitoring was appropriate. Patients left decisions about their regular monitoring entirely to their physicians. A hypothetical reduction raised concerns about the rationing of care. In addition, monitoring was perceived as influencing therapeutic decisions, reinforcing the perceived need for monitoring. Conclusions Patients’ positive attitudes towards monitoring are shaped by their perception of medical necessity, which is primarily influenced by their physicians. Given patients’ reliance on physician advice, the responsibility for refining monitoring strategies lies primarily with physicians, who should critically assess indications to avoid unnecessary investigations.
Why We Must Rethink Kidney Transplantation as a Cardiovascular Risk–Reducing Intervention in Kidney Failure
Intrinsically flexible multimode reconfigurable transistors for polymorphic circuits and neuromorphic devices
Abstract Reconfigurable transistors hold considerable significance for both integrated circuits and neuromorphic electronics. At the same time, flexible electronics is developing rapidly, promoted by various emerging applications, such as wearable electronics and smart robots. Therefore, flexible reconfigurable transistors are highly expected to create emerging application scenarios while they are seldom reported. Here, intrinsically flexible multimode reconfigurable transistors (IFMRTs) with dual-gate structure are proposed and realized. Either top or bottom gate can serve as the modulation terminal to switch the transistor among p-type, n-type, and ambipolar modes. The threshold voltage of the reconfigurable transistor is modulable. Based on IFMRTs, we have demonstrated inverters and polymorphic logic circuits with key bit-selectable NAND or NOR logic functions, which provides solutions for hardware security. We have also demonstrated artificial heterosynapse and dendrite, achieving reconfigurable synaptic responses and dendrite integration. Taking the simulation of automatic obstacle avoidance and coordination control of hand movement by low-level and high-level neural centers as examples, we illustrate the potential intelligence of IFMRTs in robotic decision-making and arm control. IFMRTs maintain their reconfigurability even after 5000 bending cycles at 4 mm radius. The design and demonstration of IFMRTs open up possibilities for flexible wearable electronics and soft intelligent robots.
A theory of ecological invasions and its implications for eco-evolutionary dynamics
Predicting the outcomes of species invasions is a central goal of ecology, a task made especially challenging due to ecological feedbacks. To address this, we develop a general theory of ecological invasions applicable to a wide variety of ecological models: including Lotka–Volterra models, consumer resource models, and models with cross feeding. Importantly, our framework remains valid even when invading evolved (nonrandom) communities and accounts for invasion-driven species extinctions. We derive analytical expressions relating invasion fitness to invader abundance, shifts in the community, and extinction conditions. These results can be understood through a quantity we term “dressed invasion fitness,” which augments the traditional notion of invasion fitness by incorporating ecological feedbacks. We apply our theory to analyze short-term evolutionary dynamics through a series of invasions by mutants whose traits are correlated with an existing parent. We demonstrate that, generically, mutants and parents can coexist, often by driving the extinction of low-abundance species. We validate theoretical predictions against experimental datasets spanning ecosystems from plants to microbial protists. Our work highlights the central role of ecological feedbacks in shaping community responses to invasions and mutations, suggesting that parent-mutant coexistence is widespread in eco-evolutionary dynamics.
METTL3-mediated m6A modification regulates OSCC progression via the HNRNPA2B1/FOXQ1 axis
Correction: Assessing the emergence time of SARS-CoV-2 zoonotic spillover
Heart Stress and Blood Pressure Management in Older Adults: Post Hoc Analysis of the ASPREE Trial
BACKGROUND: Blood pressure (BP) management in older adults is complex because of age-related physiological changes and uncertainty around ideal systolic BP (SBP) targets. Heart stress (HS), defined by age-adjusted elevation in NT-proBNP (N-terminal pro–B-type natriuretic peptide) levels, may improve cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk stratification and support more individualized BP management. METHODS: We conducted a post hoc analysis of ASPREE (Aspirin in Reducing Events in the Elderly) involving 11 941 community-dwelling older adults without CVD at enrollment (mean age, 75.1 years; 53.5% women). HS was defined by NT-proBNP ≥150 pg/mL for participants 65 to 74 years of age and ≥300 pg/mL for participants ≥75 years of age. Participants were categorized into 4 groups by hypertension and HS status. The primary outcome was total CVD events (a composite of nonfatal myocardial infarction, fatal or nonfatal stroke, coronary heart disease death, or hospitalization for heart failure). Associations between hypertension and SBP with total CVD events were examined by HS status using Cox proportional-hazards models and restricted cubic spline. SBP was evaluated categorically (<120, 120–129, 130–139, 140–159, or ≥160 mm Hg) and continuously. A landmark sensitivity analysis excluded participants with CVD events or censoring in the first 2 years, with follow-up starting at year 3. RESULTS: HS was present in 25.8% of participants. Compared with the reference group (no hypertension or HS), adjusted hazard ratios (95% CI) for total CVD events were 1.41 (1.18–1.70) for hypertension + no HS, 1.79 (1.34–2.39) for no hypertension + HS, and 2.32 (1.89–2.84) for hypertension + HS ( P trend <0.001). Among participants without HS, the lowest incidence of total CVD events occurred at SBP 130 to 139 mm Hg, showing a U-shaped association across SBP levels ( P non linearity =0.011). Among participants with HS, risk increased linearly with SBP ( P linear trend =0.85) and was lowest at SBP <120 mm Hg. Landmark analyses yielded generally consistent findings. CONCLUSIONS: HS is common in older adults and jointly associated with hypertension and increased CVD risk. The SBP–CVD relationship differs by HS status, suggesting a potential value of HS for guiding individualized BP management. Prospective studies are warranted to determine whether HS-guided strategies improve BP control and reduce CVD risk in older adults.
Cancer-associated USP28 missense mutations disrupt 53BP1 interaction and p53 stabilization
Abstract Cellular stress response pathways are essential for genome stability and are frequently dysregulated in cancer. Following mitotic stress, the ubiquitin-specific protease 28 (USP28) and the p53-binding protein 1 (53BP1) form a stable, heritable complex to stabilize the tumor suppressor p53, triggering cell cycle arrest or apoptosis. Here, we demonstrate that USP28 stabilizes p53 through deubiquitination. We further show that USP28 is required not only for an efficient stress response but also for maintaining basal p53 levels in some cancer cells. Loss of functional USP28 allows cells to evade mitotic stress and DNA damage responses in a manner that is specific to cell type and cancer context. We identify a prevalent, shorter USP28 isoform critical for p53 stabilization. Its C-terminal domain mediates PLK1-dependent binding to 53BP1, a dimerization-driven interaction necessary for mitotic stress memory, p53 stabilization, and cell cycle arrest. Cancer-associated missense mutations in this domain disrupt 53BP1 binding, impair nuclear localization, and destabilize USP28, compromising p53 stabilization. Notably, mutations in the 53BP1-binding domain occur more frequently in tumors than those in the catalytic domain, suggesting a potential role in cancer progression and implications for therapeutic strategies.
L-type calcium channel modulation reveals the relationship between neuronal synchrony and hyperactivity in the inferior colliculus following noise-induced hearing loss
Abstract Previous studies have established the protective effects of calcium channel inhibition on the peripheral auditory system in response to noise exposure. While these studies implicate L-type calcium channels (LTCCs) in noise-generated dysfunction in the auditory periphery, contributions of LTCCs to noise-induced central dysfunction remains unclear. To begin to elucidate the roles of LTCCs in hearing, peripheral and central auditory function were assessed longitudinally after LTCC inhibition. Neuronal synchrony and activity were assessed by analyzing wave I (peripheral) and wave V (central) auditory brainstem responses (ABRs). Just prior to a noise exposure resulting in a temporary shift in hearing thresholds, rats were administered verapamil (LTCC blocker) or saline. Verapamil administration prevented the noise-induced decrease in ABR wave I and V amplitudes. Interestingly, when non-noise exposed animals were administered verapamil, wave V amplitude decreased, suggesting that LTCCs are critical for neuronal synchrony in the inferior colliculus. The inferior colliculus mediates gap inhibition of the acoustic startle reflex (giASR). Following noise exposure, giASR was enhanced, but the enhancement was not prevented by LTCC antagonism. These results suggest that while LTCCs are necessary for auditory-related synchronous activity, these channels do not directly contribute to noise-induced hyperactivity in the inferior colliculus.