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Light-adaptive interfacial solar steam evaporation enhanced by dynamic water gating

A novel channel reduction concept to enhance the classification of motor imagery tasks in brain-computer interface systems

Electroencephalogram (EEG) signals play a critical role in advancing brain-computer interface (BCI) systems, particularly for detecting motor imagery (MI) movements. However, analysing large volume of EEG datasets faces some challenges due to redundant information, and performance degradation. Irrelevant channels introduce noise, which reduces accuracy and slows system performance. To address these issues, this study aims to develop a novel channel selection method to enhance EEG-based MI task performance in BCI applications. Our proposed hybrid approach combines statistical t-tests with a Bonferroni correction-based channel reduction technique, followed by the application of a Deep Learning Regularized Common Spatial Pattern with Neural Network (DLRCSPNN) framework. This framework employs DLRCSP for feature extraction and neural network (NN) algorithm for classification. Our developed method excluded channels with correlation coefficients below 0.5, retaining only significant, non-redundant channels and tested on three real-time EEG-based BCI datasets. This study produces the highest accuracy score in the case of every subjects above 90% for all the applied datasets. In the first dataset, our method achieved the highest accuracy, improving by 3.27% to 42.53% in terms of individual subject compared to seven existing machine learning algorithms. In the second and third dataset, it outperformed existing approaches, with accuracy gains of 5% to 45% and 1% to 17.47% respectively. Comparisons with a CSP and NN framework confirmed DLRCSPNN’s algorithms superior performance. These results demonstrate the effectiveness of the approach, offering a new perspective on the identification of MI task performance in EEG based BCI technology. This proposed technique will enable rapid identification of motor-disabled individuals’ intentions, supporting patient rehabilitation and improving daily living.

Hidden network preserved in Slide-tags data allows reference-free spatial reconstruction

Abstract Spatial transcriptomics technologies aim to spatially map gene expression in tissues and typically use oligonucleotide array surfaces that have undergone spatial indexing. These arrays are used to capture nucleic acids diffusing from adjacently placed tissues, allowing subsequent sequencing to reveal both gene and position. Slide-tags is a recently developed method by Russell et al. that inverts this principle. Instead of capturing molecules released from the tissue, probes are detached from a pre-decoded bead array and diffused into tissues, tagging nuclei with spatial barcodes. In this work we reanalyze this data and discover a latent, spatially informative cell-bead network formed incidentally from barcode diffusion and the biophysical properties of the tissue. This allows us to treat Slide-tags as a network-based imaging-by-sequencing approach. By optimizing spatial constraints encoded in the cell-bead network structure, we can achieve unassisted tissue reconstruction, a fundamental shift from classical spatial technologies based on pre-indexed arrays.

PhysioFormer: Integrating multimodal physiological signals and symbolic regression for explainable affective state prediction

As affective computing becomes increasingly crucial in health monitoring and psychological intervention, accurately identifying affective states is a key challenge. While traditional machine learning models have achieved some success in affective computation, their ability to handle complex, multimodal physiological signals is limited. Most affective computing tasks still rely heavily on traditional methods, with few deep learning models applied, particularly in multimodal signal processing. Given the importance of stress monitoring for mental health, developing a highly reliable and accurate affective computing model is essential. In this context, we propose a novel model—PhysioFormer, for affective state prediction using physiological signals. PhysioFormer model integrates individual attributes and multimodal physiological data to address inter-individual variability, enhancing its reliability and generalization across different individuals. By incorporating feature embedding and affective representation modules, PhysioFormer model captures dynamic changes in time-series data and multimodal signal features, significantly improving accuracy. The model also includes an explainability model that uses symbolic regression to extract laws linking physiological signals to affective states, increasing transparency and explainability. Experiments conducted on the Wrist and Chest subsets of the WESAD dataset confirmed the model’s superior performance, achieving over 99% accuracy, outperforming existing SOTA models. Sensitivity and ablation experiments further demonstrated PhysioFormer’s reliability, validating the contribution of its individual components. The integration of symbolic regression not only enhanced model explainability but also highlighted the complex relationships between physiological signals and affective states. Future work will focus on optimizing the model for larger datasets and real-time applications, particularly in more complex environments. Additionally, further exploration of physiological signals and environmental factors will help build a more comprehensive affective computing system, advancing its use in health monitoring and psychological intervention.

Engineering polar nanoclusters for enhanced microwave tunability in ferroelectric thin films

Abstract Microwave tunable thin films that can dynamically adjust dielectric properties are essential for next-generation communication and sensing technologies. However, achieving high-tunability often comes at the cost of increased dielectric loss or the need for large bias electric fields. In this study, we address this challenge by engineering nanoclusters in a tin doped barium titanate thin film and systematically investigate their polarization behaviour across the ferroelectric–paraelectric transition. The optimized film exhibits outstanding microwave tunability (~74% at 6 GHz under a low DC bias of 15 V), which are attributed to the presence of polar nanoclusters embedded within a macroscopically non-polar cubic matrix, stabilized by subtle structural features such as twin boundaries, local lattice distortions, and compositional variations. Structural and dielectric analyses confirm that these nanoclusters remain active, enabling strong field-induced permittivity modulation near room temperature. This work demonstrates a promising strategy to achieve high tunability with minimal losses in ferroelectric thin films, thereby addressing a key performance trade-off in the design of advanced microwave tunable devices.

Ambient air pollutant mixture and lung function among children in Fresno, California

Background Ambient air pollutants such as particulate matter (PM), ozone (O 3 ), and nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ) have been associated with lower lung function among children. However, the reported associations could be due to correlation with other pollutants. Objective We investigate the relationships between exposures to eight ambient air pollutants and children’s lung function and apply mixture analysis to identify key contributors to health effects. Methods The Children’s Health and Air Pollution Study (CHAPS) in Fresno, California, is a prospective cohort study that recruited 299 children and assessed their lung function at two visits, at approximately 7 and 9 years of age. The children’s forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV 1 ), forced vital capacity (FVC), and FEV 1 /FVC ratio were standardized using the Global Lung Function Initiative (GLI) race-neutral calculators. We assessed the children’s average daily residential exposures to PM 2.5 , PM 10 , nitrogen oxides (NO x ), NO 2 , O 3 , carbon monoxide (CO), elemental carbon (EC), and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), during the 1-week, 1-month, 3-month, 6-month, and 12-month periods before each visit, and the 2 years between visits. We applied linear mixed-effect models and quantile-based g-computation (q-gcomp) for statistical analysis. Results The children’s exposures to the eight ambient air pollutants exhibited high intercorrelation: Seven air pollutants were positively correlated, while O 3 exposures were negatively correlated with the other pollutants. Higher PM 10 was associated with lower FEV 1 and FEV 1 /FVC ratio, and the associations were strongest for the 3-month exposure timeframe. Q-gcomp also identified PM 10 as the key pollutant associated with lower FEV 1 and FEV 1 /FVC ratio. Conclusion Among the eight ambient air pollutants, PM 10 was the strongest risk factor for impaired lung function among children in Fresno. Ambient air pollution levels in this community exceed regulatory standards and are harmful to children’s lung function.

Coupled strontium-calcium isotopes in Archean anorthosites reveal a late start for mantle depletion

Abstract Voluminous felsic continental crust is, as far as we know, unique to Earth, yet the timescales of its earliest growth remain debated. Archean mantle evolution is complementary to crustal growth but is largely unconstrained for strontium isotopes due widespread Rb-Sr disturbance. Here, we perform high spatial resolution radiogenic Sr and Ca isotope measurements in magmatic plagioclase megacrysts from 3.7–2.8 Ga Archean anorthosites and leucogabbros. We report mantle-like Ca isotope signatures and the most unradiogenic terrestrial 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratio yet measured on Earth, in plagioclase ( 87 Sr/ 86 Sr initial  = 0.700050 ± 0.000017, 95% confidence interval) from the 3.73 Ga Manfred Complex of the Narryer Terrane, Western Australia. These data are consistent with 87 Sr/ 86 Sr homogenisation between the Earth and Moon ( 87 Sr/ 86 Sr initial  ≈ 0.699061) at ca. 4.515 Ga during the Moon-forming giant impact. The appearance of a depleted mantle signature in the terrestrial strontium record post-3.5 Ga suggests that extensive continental growth began relatively late.

The influence of titanium particles on the functionality of osteocytes in bone remodeling: An In-vitro study

Bone remodeling is a tightly controlled process coordinated by osteocytes, which regulate both bone formation by osteoblasts and bone resorption by osteoclasts. Titanium dioxide (TiO₂) implants are widely used in orthopedic and dental prosthetic rehabilitation, with likelihood of leaching titanium particles, raising concerns about their potential impact on bone cell functions. This study aimed to investigate the influence of TiO₂ microparticles (TiO2-MPs) and nanoparticles (TiO2-NPs) on the functionality of osteocytes. MLO-Y4 cells were treated with varying concentrations of TiO2-MPs or TiO2-NPs for viability studies. Cells were treated with 100 µg/mL TiO2-MPs and TiO2-NPs for 21 days, and conditioned media (CM) was obtained for quantifying sclerostin release using ELISA. Indirect osteocyte-osteoblast co-culture was developed by treating MC3T3-E1cells with CM from cells treated with 100 µg/mL TiO2-MPs and TiO2-NPs. Indirect osteocyte-osteoclast co-culture was developed by treating RAW 264.7 cells with CM and RANKL. Osteocyte-osteoblast co-culture was assayed colometrically for Alkaline Phosphatase, RANKL and OPG using ELISA; and TNF- α, IL − 1ß, OC and Runx2 by qPCR. Mineralization was evaluated using Alizarin and calcium quantification. Osteocyte-osteoclast co-culture was assayed for TRAP and Cat K expression. Viability studies demonstrated 100 µg/ml MPs and NPs as a favorable concentration. Sclerostin release was particle size and time-dependent: TiO₂-MPs group, levels measured were 31.13, 14.86, 13.7, and 23.06 pg/ml over time, indicating a pronounced and sustained release compared to the TiO₂-NPs group, showing 24.3, 10.94, 10.55, and 13.71 pg/ml. Osteocyte-osteoblast co-culture showed high RANKL (1709.88 vs 155.06 pg/ml), TNF- α (16.17 vs 1.07-fold), and IL − 1ß (2.08 vs 0.92-fold) in TiO₂-MPs. ALP (12.64 U/ml) and OPG (471.45 pg/ml) were decreased with less amount of nodules in MPs CM compared to control (ALP: 19.46 U/ml; OPG: 1065 pg/ml) and NPs CM (ALP: 17.95 U/ml; OPG: 645.46 pg/ml). Osteocyte-osteoclast co-culture showed upregulation of TRAP (25.24-fold) and Cat K (10-fold) in MPs CM compared to both control and NPs CM. In conclusion, TiO₂ particles disrupt osteocytes functionality through release of sclerostin and RANKL that inhibit osteoblastogenesis and promote osteoclastogenesis in in-vitro osteocyte-osteoblast and osteocyte-osteoclast co-cultures, with microparticles behaving more harmful than nanoparticles.

Surface mechanics and compressive stress impact mammalian follicle development

New formulation and valid inequalities for a periodic capacitated vehicle routing problem with multiple depots, heterogeneous fleet, and hard time-windows

This paper presents a new formulation and valid constraints for a periodic capacitated vehicle routing problem with multiple depots, heterogeneous fleet, and hard time-windows (MDHFPCVRP-TW). The problem raises from a real-world application in the vending machine industry in Medellín, Colombia. Our main contribution is a novel formulation that replaces binary depot-client assignment variables with continuous auxiliary variables and implements depot replication, achieving both model simplicity and computational efficiency. We introduce preprocessing techniques and valid constraints, particularly focusing on capacity-based constraints with client combinations, which significantly strengthen the formulation’s linear relaxation. Computational experiments demonstrate that our formulation consistently outperforms previous approaches across different instance sizes, achieving optimality for small instances and maintaining single-digit optimality gaps for medium-sized instances where earlier formulations showed gaps above 12%. The formulation shows particularly strong performance in solution time, often requiring less time to find feasible solutions. While limitations persist for very large instances, our results suggest promising directions for developing hybrid exact-heuristic methods for industrial-scale problems.

Bow shock oscillations of Mars under weakly disturbed solar wind conditions

Abstract Bow shock, where the solar wind first encounters the Martian environment, reflects the complex interplay between the solar wind and Martian upper atmosphere and crustal fields. However, a comprehensive understanding of Martian bow shock dynamics remains elusive due to limited multi-spacecraft observations. Here, leveraging the joint observations from China’s Tianwen-1 and NASA’s Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN), we reveal Martian bow shock oscillations with a temporal scale of minutes and spatial extents of hundreds of kilometers during weakly disturbed solar wind. Our analysis of the observations along with three-dimensional simulations suggests that magnetosonic Mach number is the most sensitive parameter influencing the bow shock, and a slow solar wind stream that favors low Mach numbers may lead to the large-scale bow shock oscillations and the whole Martian space environment. This finding advances our understanding of the interactions between the solar wind and non-magnetized planets.

Metagenomic analysis reveals the abundance changes of bacterial communities and antibiotic resistance genes in the influent and effluent of hospital wastewater

The presence of substantial quantities of antibiotics and their metabolites in hospital wastewater can lead to the accumulation of antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). Research on the influent and effluent sewage of hospitals is crucial for understanding the effectiveness of wastewater treatment systems in inactivating ARB and ARGs. Key features of microbial communities and ARGs in influent and effluent wastewater – including taxonomic diversity and relative abundance – were assessed via metagenomic sequencing. The treatment process resulted in a reduction of the overall bacterial count in hospital wastewater. However, a notable increase in relative abundance was observed for three phyla, 16 genera, and 21 species post-treatment. Bacteria harboring ARGs were predominantly identified as belonging to Pseudomonadota and Bacillota . A total of 354 ARGs were detected in the influent, while 331 were identified in the effluent samples, with a general decrease in absolute abundance. Nevertheless, the relative abundance of certain ARGs, such as mphG , fosA8 , and soxR , was found to increase in the effluent across all samples. Seasonal fluctuations also played a role in the distribution of microbial communities and ARGs. These findings underscore the role of hospital wastewater treatment systems in reducing the discharge of ARB and ARGs into the environment, while also revealing potential shortcomings in the wastewater treatment process that necessitate further improvement for more effective removal of these ARGs.

Astrocytes distress triggers brain pathology through induction of δ secretase in a murine model of Alzheimer’s disease

Abstract The importance of astrocytes for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) pathology is increasingly appreciated, yet the mechanisms whereby this cell type impacts neurodegenerative processes remain elusive. Here we show that, in a genetic mouse model with diminished astrocyte stress response, even low levels of amyloid-β trigger astrocyte reactivity, resulting in brain inflammation and massive amyloid and tau pathologies. This dysfunctional response of astrocytes to amyloid-β acts through activation of δ secretase, a stress-induced protease implicated in both amyloid and tau-related proteolytic processing. Our findings identify a failed astrocyte stress response to amyloid-β as an early inducer of amyloid and tau co-morbidity, a noxious process in AD acting through a non-canonical secretase pathway.

The health costs of losing political representation: Evidence from U.S. Presidential Elections

We investigate whether a change in political leadership affects health outcomes. To do so, we exploit turnover elections that move partisan individuals into and out of alignment with the party of the President. We document that the lack of political alignment has a negative, immediate, and long-lasting effect on health. We do not find any evidence that our results can be explained by other confounding trends or by changes in economic outcomes or other economic policies. Further results suggest that political sentiments and social isolation are important potential mechanisms in this setting and that lack of political representation affects the mental health of individuals.

A special latch in yeast mitofusin guarantees mitochondrial fusion by stabilizing self-assembly

Formulation and validation of a regional household wealth index for sub-Saharan Africa

A new era in global health assistance requires a focus on efficiently using limited and declining donor funds. This shift requires better evaluation methods to allocate resources effectively. Most evaluations in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) examine health disparities within countries, but it is also crucial to assess health outcomes at an inter-country level based on national wealth. Cross-country studies support resource reallocation to the neediest nations and help transition programs like HIV responses within countries with better health infrastructure. This paper presents an unsupervised machine learning method, Principal Component Analysis (PCA), applied to household surveys from 15 African countries to create a universal wealth index that allows multiple countries to be compared on a common scale. Our method places households on a regional wealth scale, enabling cross-country comparisons of health indicators. We used a pooled dataset of 136,086 households from 15- Population-based HIV Impact Assessment (PHIA) countries and validated our universal ranking approach against a local wealth indicator adjusted for macroeconomic differences. The results showed coherence between the macroeconomic-adjusted multinational scale and the PCA-created regional scale, supporting the method’s usability for regional household rankings. The proposed method relocates households, as citizens of the world, on a regional wealth scale compared to most surveys that rank them by income placements in their local states. The validation results suggest that the direction and magnitude of mobility of households from national to regional scale in both methods were adequately coherent, ensuring the usability of our approach in ranking households regionally. The PCA-created border-agnostic wealth quintiles enable policymakers to optimize their efficiency improvement efforts, which promises superior efficiency gains over the siloed localized efficiency improvements. Our approach, tested on PHIA-participating countries, can be replicated for similar surveys to study utilization patterns and health outcomes globally.

Finerenone versus spironolactone in patients with chronic kidney disease and type 2 diabetes: a target trial emulation

DNA barcoding for elasmobranch diversity assessment in Thailand: Its advantages and limitations

The assessment of elasmobranch biodiversity in Thailand benefits greatly from the application of DNA barcoding, which helps mitigate the challenge posed by a shortage of expert taxonomists. Fragments of COI and ND2 mitochondrial DNA were examined, and the strengths and weaknesses of these two markers were compared. In this study, DNA products from 153 elasmobranch samples were amplifiable and revealed a total of 28 shark species and 32 batoid species. Many species could be confidently identified as their morphological characteristics aligned with DNA barcodes. However, several exceptions were recognized. The absence of reference sequences for rare species presented a challenge for species verification, and the misidentification of reference sequences, as well as changes in species names due to taxonomic revisions, added complexity when comparing DNA barcoding sequences. Conflicts between morphology and genetics were also observed. While intraspecific genetic variation based on both DNA barcodes generally indicated 0–2% variation, this metric could not always be used for species delimitation. This was particularly true for species displaying low genetic variation among closely related species and species where cryptic diversity remained hidden and yet to be uncovered. In such cases, the morphological characteristics of the samples served as the primary means of species identification. Despite these challenges, DNA barcoding remains an invaluable tool for biodiversity assessment, especially in light of the shortage of skilled experts, and for identification of products made from vulnerable species. However, it is essential to exercise caution and be aware of these complexities in its application.

Optimal flock formation induced by agent heterogeneity

More than half a century of evolutionary studies in Rhodnius prolixus Stål, 1859 (Hemiptera, Triatominae): revisiting and discussing old and new data on intra- and interspecific reproductive barriers

Rhodnius represents a paraphyletic group, being R. prolixus one of the most important domestic vectors of the Chagas disease. Several phenotypic identification problems, as well as divergences between classical and molecular taxonomy, have been reported. Furthermore, phylogenetic and phylogenomic studies demonstrated possible introgression events between R. prolixus and R. robustus . Based on the above, we revisited all the literature on hybridization involving R. prolixus and performed interspecific crosses between R. prolixus and other species of the R. prolixus group ( R. nasutus , R. neivai , and R. robustus ) to evaluate potential reproductive barriers and discuss taxonomic and evolutionary issues related to intra- and interspecific reproductive isolation. With the exception of the cross between R. prolixus females and R. neivai males, all other combinations resulted in hybrid offspring. Moreover, except for the cross between R. prolixus females and R. robustus males, all other combinations exhibited postzygotic barriers, including inviability, sterility and/or hybrid collapse. These results indicate that, in at least one direction, R. nasutus , R. neivai , and R. robustus are reproductively isolated from R. prolixus , confirming the specific status of the four taxa. Furthermore, based on the observed barriers, we suggest that introgression is unlikely between R. prolixus and R. nasutus , unlike R. neivai and R. robustus , which could exchange genetic material with R. prolixus through introgression, under natural conditions. Finally, we discuss all available literature on intra- and interspecific crosses of R. prolixus , demonstrating that R. pictipes and R. neglectus are also reproductively isolated from R. prolixus . Additionally, we highlight reproductive barriers observed between allopatric populations of R. prolixus , emphasizing the need for a phylogenomic study – including field-collected specimens sampled across the entire distribution of R. prolixus – to clarify evolutionary and taxonomic questions.