Browse Articles

Abrupt structural transition in exotic molybdenum isotopes unveils an isospin-symmetric island of inversion

Abstract Like electrons in atoms, protons and neutrons in nuclei occupy orbitals in a shell structure with energy gaps at magic numbers. Radioactive-beam experiments revealed the disappearance of magic numbers in some neutron-rich isotopes. In these nuclei, configurations involving particles excited across the shell gap gain correlation energy, becoming the ground state. Neutron-rich regions of the nuclear chart that exhibit this property are known as “Islands of Inversion”. Here we present the lifetime measurement of the first 2 + states in 84 Mo ( N  =  Z ) and 86 Mo ( N  =  Z  + 2) revealing an unexpected sharp structural change between them defining the edge of the region of deformation around 80 Zr. Similarly to the neutron-rich N  = 40 Island of Inversion near 64 Cr where cross-shell excitations dominate, we identify this region as an Island of Inversion with symmetrical proton and neutron excitations that we term “Isospin-Symmetric Island of Inversion”. Three-nucleon forces are suggested to drive Mo isotope structural changes.

Integrating inflammatory biomarkers and demographic variables with machine learning to predict endometriosis risk

Long-term trends in juvenile American lobster populations across nine lobster fishing areas in Nova Scotia, Canada

Abstract Analyzing juvenile American lobster populations using fishery-independent data enhances understanding of population dynamics and supports fishery sustainability. This repeated cross-sectional study investigated trends in juvenile lobster populations by analyzing size distributions from nine Lobster Fishing Areas (LFAs) in Nova Scotia, Canada. Data were collected in season from lobsters sampled using ventless research traps between 2003 and 2023. Mixed effect linear and logistic regression models assessed spatial and temporal influences on mean carapace length (CL) and proportions of juvenile lobster. This study provides a 20-year overview of mean CL and juvenile probability, accounting for factors including water depth, sampling month, and lobster sex. Results showed significant variation in temporal effects on mean CL and proportion of juvenile lobster between LFAs. Decreasing trends in sampling juvenile lobsters were observed along the Northeastern coast of Cape Breton and in a highly productive area on the South Shore of Nova Scotia. In contrast, other LFAs showed more resilience, with the southwestern area displaying a relatively stable trend. The findings highlight variability in juvenile lobster trends across LFAs, which reflect the relative effectiveness of local management measures and provide insights to inform management decisions in Nova Scotia.

Dysregulation of homeostatic cytokine receptors drives prolonged T cell activation following acute SARS-CoV-2 infection in humans

Abstract Acute viral infections are usually cleared by an efficient anti-pathogen immune response, following which immune homeostasis is restored. Occasionally, such pathogen-induced immune response fails to abate despite clinical recovery, but how this occurs in humans has not been thoroughly investigated. Here, we perform a detailed analysis of T cell homeostasis following severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, which reveals persistent activation and dyshomeostasis of CD4 + and CD8 + T cells for 6–12 months after acute infection. Compared to steady-state and unlike T cell responses following vaccination, interleukin (IL)−2 receptor and IL-7 receptor expression remains altered on both SARS-CoV-2-specific and bystander T cells for 6–12 months after acute infection. These alterations correlate with increased IL-7 and IL-15 serum levels and are reproduced by in vitro stimulation by IL-7 and IL-15, but surprisingly not by IL-2. Collectively, our study demonstrates prolonged T cell dyshomeostasis driven by dysregulated homeostatic cytokine signals following acute viral infection.

The influence mechanisms of living environment on the physical and mental health of Chinese older adults: a cross-sectional exploration based on CLASS 2023

Effect of simulated microgravity via head-down tilt on intracranial compliance, brain oscillations and cardiovascular autonomic modulation

Deleterious variants in the autophagy-related gene RB1CC1/FIP200 impair immunity to SARS-CoV-2

Application of Krylov–Bogoliubov–Mitropolski method to asymmetric gyrostatic 3D motion in multi-fields

Abstract The 3D rotary movement of an asymmetric rigid body (RB) in space around a fixed point is investigated. A gyrostatic torque (GT), a magnetic field (MF), and a Newtonian force field (NFF) all have an impact on the RB’s ability to rotate. Around its minor axis of inertia, the body is thought to begin moving rapidly. The Krylov–Bogoliubov–Mitropolski (KBM) method is used to solve the governing equations of motion (EOMs) analytically once they are created using Euler–Poisson equations. Additionally, Euler angles approximate analytical solutions (AS) are examined. A graphical simulated viewpoint of the obtained results and the equations of Euler angles, which show how the body is orientated at each given moment, are used to debate the interpretation of the motion. Maintaining control over the body’s rotation and position during motion can be achieved by researching the effects of different values of the acting forces and toques, such as the GT, MF, and NFF. To illustrate how the stability of the RB is affected, phase graphs of various solutions have been created. Periodicity behavior is demonstrated by the closed-phase curves’ symmetry around any of their axes. Together with the beneficial impacts of these forces and torques, the movement behavior of the RB is evaluated and simulated. The results obtained are widely relevant to gyroscopic equipment, especially those that incorporate inertial systems like aircraft and satellites. Technologies that guarantee the motion stability of applications are also included.

Nonlinear kinematic impacts on nanofluid flow across rough surface with numerical simulation

Flexible time-restricted eating combined with exercise in a free-living setting for middle-aged women with overweight/obesity: a randomized controlled trial

Abstract Obesity poses a significant public health challenge among middle-aged women, driven by physiological changes associated with aging and menopause. This parallel-group, assessor-blinded, four-arm randomized controlled trial investigated the effects of 12-week 8-hour flexible time-restricted eating (flexTRE) and aerobic exercise (EX), alone or in combination (flexTRE+EX), on body composition and metabolic health in a free-living setting. Participant enrolment began on September 1 st 2023 and data collection was completed on July 1 st 2024. Conducted at a single research site in Hong Kong, the trial enrolled women aged 40–60 years with overweight/obesity. Participants were randomized in a 1:1:1:1 ratio to a flexTRE, EX, flexTRE+EX, or control (CON) group (n = 26 per group), with all 104 participants included in the final intention-to-treat analysis. Outcomes were assessed at baseline, and week 12. The primary outcome was fat mass. The flexTRE+EX group achieved the greatest fat mass reduction compared to the CON group (adjusted mean difference [99% Confidence Interval] −2.85 kg [−4.01 to −1.69]), and additional benefit over the flexTRE group alone (−1.56 kg [−2.74 to −0.38]), and the EX group alone (−2.01 kg [−3.21 to −0.81]). Secondary outcomes were reported in the main text. No serious adverse events were reported, and adherence was high (83%-87%) across intervention groups. These findings suggest that the combined approach effectively reduces fat mass and enhances related metabolic parameters, providing a feasible and effective strategy in middle-aged women facing overweight/obesity. Trial registration: ChiCTR2300074846.

A hybrid analytical and data driven framework for optimizing radially grooved wet clutch geometry

Abstract In wet clutch systems, the drag torque is generated by the relative motion between rotating disks in the presence of the oil film. This study aims to optimize the geometry of radially grooved wet clutches to minimize drag torque. A recently developed analytical model was used to efficiently generate the required dataset in both the single- and multiphase flow conditions, as numerical simulations are computationally expensive. The accuracy of the model was first validated with CFD, showing strong agreement with a maximum deviation of 8%. Two artificial neural networks were then trained on the generated dataset and exhibited reliable performance. In the following, these data-driven models were used in an optimization study across four distinct design cases using the genetic algorithm. Numerical simulation of the fluid flow in optimized geometries confirmed significant drag torque reductions of at least 70% across all cases, with the most substantial improvement observed in Case 3 where peak drag torque decreased from 0.92 to 0.022, representing a 97% reduction. Ultimately, a parametric study was conducted to interpret the optimization results. The results showed that changing the distance between the two disks had the most significant impact on drag torque, reducing the peak value by 86%, while the groove angle had the smallest effect, with only a 2% reduction.

Feasibility study of an integrated earthquake and tsunami early warning system

Entropy-driven toughening and closed-loop recycling of polymers via divergent metal-pyrazole interactions

Decarbonization pathways in medical waste management through circular economy strategies to advance UN-SDGs

High-resolution chronologies of anthropogenic soil substrates based on portable luminescence reader data

Abstract Anthropogenic soil erosion and plaggen agriculture have shaped European agricultural landscapes for millennia. The anthropogenic soil substrates from these practices, such as colluvium and plaggen layers, are valuable geoarchives for reconstructing phases and rates of human activity. However, reconstructions on the landscape scale are limited by the small number of high-resolution chronologies of these substrates. We demonstrate how high-resolution chronologies can be developed for a plaggen soil and a colluvium in western Germany, using a portable optically stimulated luminescence (pOSL) reader, combined with conventional OSL dating and Bayesian age depth modeling. While the centimetre-scale pOSL chronologies provide no significant new insights for the uniformly developed plaggen soil, they reveal dynamic deposition processes in the colluvium that conventional OSL dating missed. Deposition rates in the colluvium varied by orders of magnitude over the last 3500 years, from near-zero deposition during the Migration period to brief episodes or even single events with accelerated deposition during Roman times and Late Middle Ages. These easily obtainable pOSL measurements promise scaling from local to regional contexts, offering new opportunities to reconstruct not just high-resolution chronologies but also spatial patterns of human-induced landscape change – currently beyond the reach of conventional methods.

Oxygen nanoclustering evades inverse Hall-Petch softening

Abstract Grain refinement can drastically increase the strength of metals. However, this approach tends to become less effective or even inverses once grain sizes are reduced to very small scales, generally below 10 ~ 20 nanometers. This softening effect emerges from grain boundary instability and the limited ability of dislocations to form and move within such nanosized grains. However, grain boundary stability can be tuned by solute decoration or grain boundary relaxation. In this context, we present a strategy to achieve superior strength and plasticity in nanograined metals simultaneously. The formation of oxygen (O)-rich clusters at grain boundaries can significantly improve grain boundary stability, even at the 3 nm grain size model (CoCrNi) 87 O 13 (at.%) alloy investigated in this study. Furthermore, the presence of O-rich clusters in grain interiors promotes the accumulation and multiplication of dislocations, which facilitates strain hardening during deformation. Consequently, despite being situated in the inverse Hall-Petch regime, this (CoCrNi) 87 O 13 alloy exhibits a remarkable yield strength of ~3.6 GPa and retains a uniform plastic strain of over 50% under micropillar compression. These findings therefore provide a universal design strategy for nanograined metals aimed at utilizing O clusters to achieve the highly desired combination of high strength and large deformability.

Systemic analysis of rural teacher attrition in china: a hybrid DEMATEL-ISM approach to multidimensional drivers and policy implications

Combined magnetic resonance imaging with serum CA125 for dysmenorrhea in adenomyosis

The CIP2A-TOPBP1 axis facilitates mitotic DNA repair via MiDAS and MMEJ

Abstract Mitotic DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) accumulate in response to replication stress or BRCA1/2 deficiency posing a significant threat to genome stability as repair by non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) and homologous recombination (HR) is largely inactivated in mitosis. Instead, mitotic cells rely on alternative repair processes such as microhomology-mediated end-joining (MMEJ) and mitotic DNA synthesis (MiDAS). How these mitotic DNA repair pathways are functionally regulated remains unclear. Here we reveal that the CIP2A-TOPBP1 complex plays an essential regulatory role by facilitating the mitotic recruitment of both SMX complex components and Polθ to mitotic chromatin. Recruitment of the SMX complex components is driven by CDK1-dependent phosphorylation of SLX4 at Thr1260, enabling its interaction with TOPBP1 BRCT domains 1/2, thereby promoting MiDAS. Concurrently, CIP2A promotes efficient mitotic localisation of Polθ to facilitate MMEJ. The simultaneous functional disruption of both MiDAS and MMEJ pathways upon CIP2A loss provides rationale for the synthetic lethality observed in BRCA1 or 2-deficient cells. These findings position the CIP2A-TOPBP1 axis as a central regulatory hub for mitotic DNA repair, highlighting therapeutic opportunities in tumours characterised by HR deficiency or elevated replication stress.

Promoting Chinese medical equipment enterprises’ environmentally friendly production through digital transformation and net zero strategic consensus

Abstract The rapid growth of China’s medical industry has raised concerns about environmental sustainability, particularly regarding waste pollution from medical product production. This has led to calls for environmentally friendly production (EFP) practices in the sector. Drawing on the Resource-Based View (RBV) and Dynamic Managerial Capabilities (DMC) perspectives, this study explores the effects of digital transformation (DT) on EFP, with survey data from 316 medical equipment manufacturing companies in China. The findings depict a positive relationship between DT and EFP, mediated by net-zero strategic consensus (NZSC). Furthermore, sustainability orientation (SO) positively moderates the linkage between DT and NZSC. This study developed and validated a series of novel measurement indicators for NZSC and SO. Specifically, we measure NZSC from three dimensions: long term consensus, short term consensus, and strategic optimality; Measuring SO through knowledge, practice, and commitment to sustainability. Therefore, this study contributes to the existing literature, expanding the theoretical application of DT and RBV in the net-zero production field, and providing managerial implications for policymakers promoting EFP practices.