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Double-front plasma produced from high-intensity nanosecond laser ablation of aluminum: Time-resolved imaging and hydrodynamic modeling
An interesting phenomenon of dual fronts was observed experimentally for plasma produced through high-intensity nanosecond (ns) laser ablation of aluminum in a gas environment with a small laser spot, and the underlying mechanisms were revealed using an experimentally validated hydrodynamic model. Time-resolved imaging experiments show that the plasma has two fronts with different shapes and propagation behaviors. Front A propagates rapidly in the early stage with a cone-like shape but becomes almost stationary after the laser pulse ends, and afterward, it resumes obvious propagation with its shape mostly in the form of a small tip. Unlike Front A, Front B propagates much more slowly in the early stage but continues propagating even after the laser pulse ends. Front B maintains a near-hemispherical shape. With the help of the hydrodynamic model, it has been found that Front A is a laser-supported detonation wave, and the dominant propagation-driving mechanism is energy advection followed by laser absorption in the early stage. Front B is found to originate from the shock front in the gas generated due to the expansion of the ablated aluminum vapor. The model simulations reveal that the early-stage high pressure at Front A causes a gas jet moving backward toward the aluminum target and deeply penetrating into the aluminum vapor. Laser conditions required to generate the double-front plasma have been discussed.
ROS produced in mitochondria entrapped by self-assembly peptide fibers for target therapy of glioma
Brain glioma is a highly energy-dependent malignant tumor. Sonodynamic therapy (SDT) provides a noninvasive and effective approach for brain glioma therapy. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) from sonosensitizers in the treatment of SDT play a key role. Inspired by spider webs, a self-assembling “spider peptide” (P1) bearing porphyrin moieties was constructed to generate ROS under ultrasound. In glioma cells, P1 forms web-like nanofibers that weave around mitochondria and enables ROS to release in situ. This efficiently disrupts the energy metabolism of mitochondria leading to the inhibition of glioma cells growth. Glioma-derived exosomes loaded with peptide P1 (Evs@P1) exhibit enhanced blood–brain barrier permeability and homotypic targeting to glioma cells. After endocytic uptake, Evs@P1 complexes undergo hydrolysis in the acidic lysosomal environment exposing the mitochondrial-targeting peptide. Ultrasound enhances the rate of peptide self-assembly into nanofibers, which are extruded from the exosomes and weave around the mitochondrial surface. Such an assembly of P1 nanofibers accelerates the ROS generation, which is 3.7 times higher than that in the monomeric state. It indicates an effective method to prevent glioma growth in mice brains in vivo.
Highly sensitive refractive index sensor based on asymmetric spectral response of TiO2 high-contrast grating under LED illumination
A highly sensitive intensity-interrogation refractive index (RI) sensor with a light-emitting diode (LED) was experimentally implemented via spectrally asymmetric resonance of a high-contrast grating (HCG). Our novel design concept realizes high sensitivity to RI variations by leveraging the asymmetry of the HCG’s resonant spectrum to control its overlap with the light-source spectrum; in contrast, most conventional designs only focus on shifting the resonant spectrum. Electromagnetic field numerical simulations clarified that an optimized HCG exhibited spectrally asymmetric resonant reflection. The measured reflection spectra showed good agreement with the calculation results, and the reflected light intensity from the sample varied dramatically with a minuscule RI variation under 490 nm LED illumination owing to a significant change in the overlap. An RI sensitivity of 481% per refractive index unit (RIU) and an RI limit of detection of 9.98 × 10 −4 RIU were experimentally achieved. Our sensor can be used in a wide range of applications owing to its high RI sensitivity and simple LED-based system without complex equipment, such as a spectrometer or angle-resolved setup.
Multi-effects of tunneling and excavation on pile group in clay
Super-Darcy flow behavior in fracture-confined porous media
Particle deposition and migration within fractures can reorganize open void space into heterogeneous fracture-confined porous media (FCPM), yet the macroscopic flow behavior of these emergent systems remains unresolved. Here, Computational Fluid Dynamics–Discrete Element Method (CFD–DEM) simulations were used to resolve particle migration and deposition, whereas a coupled free-flow and seepage-flow model was employed to characterize fluid flow in FCPM. We find that at a fixed Reynolds number, modest particle deposition can lower the overall pressure drop relative to that of the initially open fracture. At high Reynolds numbers, the pressure drops across FCPM not only exceed Darcy’s law predictions (non-Darcy behavior) but, intriguingly, can also fall below them, which is a phenomenon we term super-Darcy behavior. This counterintuitive effect arises from flow exchange between the deposited porous region and the adjacent open region, which modifies eddy formation and growth, thereby broadening the main flow channel. This effect is pronounced when the permeability of the deposited porous region lies from 1 × 10 −12 to 1 × 10 −7 m 2 , identifying a permeability window in which deposition–migration most strongly couples pore-scale structure to fracture-scale hydraulics. This study reveals how particle deposition and transport govern macroscopic flow behavior in fractured channels, offering critical insights for fluid flow control and prediction from microfluidic devices to subsurface energy reservoirs.
Qualitative investigation of skills and knowledge required for job readiness in newly graduated speech-language pathologists
This study explores the critical skills and knowledge that new speech and language pathologists (SLPs) must acquire to transition successfully into the workforce. While university programs aim to prepare students adequately, gaps remain in identifying the specific competencies essential for job readiness. This study employed a qualitative research approach, conducting focus group interviews with key stakeholders, including alumni, faculty, clinicians, and employers. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. A total of 15 participants took part in five focus groups. The analysis identified four main themes: essential personal characteristics, exhibiting independence in managing work, foundational academic knowledge, and general clinical skills for SLPs . The findings emphasize the importance of traits such as a positive attitude, flexibility, and the ability to analyze situations and make informed decisions. Additionally, the study highlights the need to expand clinical training and integrate a more specialized curriculum. While some advanced topics require further exploration, they may be too complex for entry-level professionals without additional experience. Providing students with exposure to diverse clinical settings and work environments during training is also crucial. To better prepare newly graduated SLPs, university curricula must evolve to equip graduates with the necessary skills and knowledge for varied clinical settings and to meet the profession’s growing demands.
Structure–activity relationship studies of febuxostat derivatives identify potent anti-lung cancer agents that induce DNA damage and autophagy
Contributions of intra- and extracellular antibiotic degradation to collective β-lactam survival
Collective antibiotic resistance occurs when populations of bacteria survive antibiotic treatments that are lethal to individual bacteria, which affects the efficacy of drug therapies. An important mechanism of collective resistance against widely used β -lactams is the production of drug-degrading β -lactamases. Here, we integrate experiments with mathematical modeling to understand the collective survival of Escherichia coli challenged with cefotaxime (CTX). At near-lethal CTX concentrations, we observe complex dynamics, involving initial biomass growth due to filamentation, followed by death, and subsequently growth recovery. We show that production of AmpC, a chromosomal β -lactamase, is responsible for CTX degradation, allowing the resumption of cell division in surviving filaments. The detoxification of the environment proceeds through CTX hydrolysis by AmpC in the periplasm of intact cells, as well as extracellularly after cell lysis. Our model predicts the recovery time from molecular parameters, and quantifies the relative roles of periplasmic and extracellular degradation for two strains of E. coli that differ in the degree of privatization of AmpC hydrolysis. Our findings suggest that β -lactam survival of bacterial infections depends on a combination of intra- and extracellular β -lactamase activity, which will likely vary among isolates.
Retraction: A novel method based on clustering and decision-making for construction project portfolio selection
A systematic review and meta-analysis of Gustafson’s six dental variables for age estimation in adults
Abstract Dental age estimation (DAE) by means of direct visualisation remains a fundamental tool in forensic odontology, particularly for Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) in resource-limited settings. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to calculate the pooled correlation coefficient between chronological age (CA) and six Gustafson-derived dental variables in modern adults. Following PRISMA guidelines, five databases were searched until June 2025, resulting in 27 included studies, with 19 utilized in a three-level random-effects meta-analysis. The overall weighted correlation between CA and Gustafson-derived variables was moderate ( r = 0.67, $$\:{I}_{b}^{2}$$ = 0.93), though significant heterogeneity was observed with low certainty due to method variability. Subgroup analyses indicated that the six variables do not contribute equally to age prediction; transparency of the root gives the highest correlation ( r = 0.75), while root resorption showed the lowest correlation ( r = 0.28). Additionally, sectioned teeth showed a higher correlation than intact teeth, although this difference was not statistically significant. In conclusion, while direct visualisation of Gustafson-derived variables shows utility for DAE, high between-study heterogeneity and low certainty of evidence dictate cautious application and interpretation of the current results. Furthermore, although tooth sectioning may improve correlation, using destructive methods requires balancing potential analytical benefits against ethical and legal constraints.
Hydrodynamic dispersion drives viral–cellular contact for gene delivery in porous media
Reactive biological processes often hinge on rare collisions between particles whose transport is governed by disparate advective, diffusive, and sedimentary mechanisms. Biological cell–virus encounters offer a uniquely quantifiable instance of this general problem: collisions between particles whose transport is governed by entirely different physical mechanisms, yet whose interactions determine system-level function. In stagnant liquids, nanoscale viral vectors explore space only via slow Brownian diffusion, whereas microscale cells rapidly sediment, producing species separation that suppresses virus-cell interfacial interactions. Here we show that liquid absorption into a dry, macroporous sponge enhances viral–cellular interactions by shifting the system into an advection-dispersion regime that circumvents this sedimentation-diffusion limit. By integrating experimental results with a multiscale simulation model, we demonstrate that the tortuous sponge porosity converts capillary-driven flow into convective mixing, driving orders-of-magnitude increases in viral–cellular collision rates. Coupling these dispersive transport dynamics with a probabilistic capture model reveals that hydrodynamic dispersion accounts for the multifold enhancement in viral–cellular transduction efficiency observed in porous sponges. These results provide a quantitative framework for emergent collision dynamics in complex porous media and establish a generalizable strategy to optimize active transport in spatiotemporally heterogeneous biological systems.
Edge-intelligent vision-based robotic manipulation for real-time pick-and-place in dynamic industrial environments
Correction for Chang et al., Plant pathogenic nematode exosomes remodel vector tracheae to enhance pathogen transmission
Development and validation of a nomogram for predicting the prognosis of lung cancer patients with brain metastases harboring EGFR or ALK mutations: a multicenter retrospective study
Mitofusin-2 in ventral striatal D1 neurons regulates effort-based motivation through sex-specific mitochondrial–synaptic reprogramming
Effort-based motivation varies widely across individuals and affects well-being, yet the molecular and neuronal mechanisms that set motivational capacity remain incompletely understood. Mitochondrial function is emerging as a critical regulator of behavior, and mitofusin-2 (MFN2) is a key mediator of mitochondrial fusion and endoplasmic reticulum–mitochondria coupling. Here, we asked how downregulation of Mfn2 in dopamine receptor type-1-expressing medium spiny neurons (D1-MSNs) contributes to effort-based motivation and stress coping in male and female mice by integrating electrophysiology, neuronal and synaptic morphology, immunohistochemistry, mitochondrial readouts, RNA in situ hybridization, RiboTag, and behavioral analyses. MFN2 deficiency resulted in fragmented dendritic mitochondria and remodeled synaptic inputs in ventral striatal D1-MSNs, with no cellular impact in dorsomedial striatal D1-MSNs. Although MFN2 deficiency elicited sex-dependent synaptic and structural alterations, both sexes showed reduced recruitment of accumbal D1-MSNs during motivated behavior and impaired effort-based motivation and stress coping. Translatome profiling revealed shared depletion of mitochondrial pathways in both sexes, with more pronounced suppression of oxidative phosphorylation and TCA cycle programs in males. Strikingly, only males also exhibited coordinated downregulation of ribosomal programs together with enrichment of synaptic pathways, with high representation of genes regulating glutamate receptor cycling and PSD remodeling, providing a mechanistic framework for the observed synaptic alterations. Pathway-level network inference further supported coupling among mitochondrial, translational, and synaptic programs in males. These findings identify MFN2-dependent mitochondrial integrity in ventral striatal D1-MSNs as a critical determinant of motivational capacity and reveal sex-specific molecular and cellular responses through which mitochondrial dysfunction converges on similar motivational deficits.
Performance evaluation and optimization of powder mixed EDM of Inconel 718 using composite electrodes and the VIKOR method
A population of primary afferent sensory neurons mediates pain relief through nocifensive coping behavior in mice
When exposed to noxious cutaneous stimuli, animals exhibit nocifensive behaviors, including rapid defensive reflexes that limit tissue damage and subsequent coping behaviors—most commonly licking of the affected area—that alleviate pain. Despite its ubiquity, the neural mechanism underlying pain relief through licking remains poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate that Npy2r-Cre + primary sensory neurons in the dorsal root ganglion (DRG), a population of Aβ fibers that includes touch-sensitive, rapidly adapting low-threshold mechanoreceptors, are critical for this process. Mice lacking Npy2r-Cre + neurons exhibited a significant prolongation of coping behavior duration, but not bout frequency, following intraplantar injection of capsaicin or formalin. Conversely, optogenetic activation of Npy2r-Cre + neurons produced attenuating effects on irritant-induced pain. Electrophysiological analyses revealed that Npy2r-Cre + neurons form functional synaptic connections with neurons in the substantia gelatinosa of the spinal dorsal horn (SDH) and that their activation suppressed C fiber-evoked excitation of neurons in lamina I of the SDH, a region implicated in nociceptive transmission to the brain. Together, these findings identify Npy2r-Cre + DRG neurons as a key neural substrate for gating nociceptive transmission in the SDH and mediating pain relief through coping behaviors.