Browse Articles
Discover research articles across all indexed journals
Unusual topological polar texture in moiré ferroelectrics
Abstract Topological polar textures in ferroelectrics have attracted significant interest for their potential applications in energy-efficient and high-density data storage and processing. Among these, polar merons and antimerons are predicted in strained and twisted bilayers of inversion symmetry broken systems. However, experimental observation of these polar textures within twisted two-dimensional van der Waals materials remains elusive. Here, we utilize vector piezoresponse force microscopy to reconstruct the polarization fields in R-type marginally twisted hexagonal boron nitride. We observe alternating out-of-plane polarizations at domain regions and in-plane vortex-like polarization patterns along domain walls, indicative of a network of polar merons and antimerons. Notably, the out-of-plane polarization exhibits three polarity reversals across a domain wall. Similar polar textures are identified in marginally twisted WSe2 and MoSe2 homobilayers. Our theoretical simulations attribute these unusual polarization reversals near the domain walls to the competition between moiré ferroelectricity and piezoelectricity. These results provide the experimental evidence of complex polar textures in moiré ferroelectrics, which may offer additional insights into the electronic band topology in twisted transition metal dichalcogenides.
In-host evolution of Yersinia enterocolitica during a chronic human infection
Fluoxetine and agomelatine mitigate anhedonic and hepatic changes in chronic restraint stress rat model
Association between community-based services, psychological resilience, and cognitive impairment among older adults in China
Abstract Cognitive impairment (CI) has emerged as a critical global public health concern, particularly among older adults. Community-based services (CBSs) and psychological resilience (PR) are potential protective factors, yet their interrelationships remain underexplored. This study examines how CBSs influence CI among older adults and whether PR mediates this association. Based on data from 7,565 individuals aged ≥ 65 in the China Longitudinal Health Longevity Survey (CLHLS), the structural equation modeling was used to test direct and indirect pathways between CBSs, PR, and CI, adjusting for eighteen basic demographic covariates. Mediation effects were validated via the Bootstrap 2000 method. The findings highlight that CBSs are positively associated with both lower CI (β = 0.049, P < 0.001) and higher PR (β = 0.071, P < 0.001), while PR associates with CI risk positively (β = 0.260, P < 0.001). PR mediated 26.87% of the total CBSs-CI association (indirect effect = 0.018, 95%CI: 0.012–0.026). Specific CBSs, including doctors or sending medicine to home (χ 2 = 7.05, P = 0.008) and health care education (χ 2 = 7.89, P = 0.005), showed a strong protective effect against CI. These results underscore the importance of enhancing CBSs and fostering PR to mitigate CI and promote healthy aging. A collaborative effort between communities and society is essential to empower older adults, strengthen their PR and facilitate active aging.
Analysis of medium-term impact of multifunctional living mulches on soil biological fertility of an organic apple orchard
Protection and parameter optimization of one-way surge tower for water conveyance pipelines under complex terrain conditions
AI-driven analysis by identifying risk factors of VL relapse in HIV co-infected patients
Abstract Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL), also known as Kala-Azar, poses a significant global public health challenge and is a neglected disease, with relapses and treatment failures leading to increased morbidity and mortality. This study introduces an explainable machine learning approach to predict VL relapse and identify critical risk factors, thereby aiding patient monitoring and treatment strategies. Leveraging data from a follow-up study of 571 patients, the survival machine learning models are applied, including Random Survival Forest (RSF), Survival Support Vector Machine (SSVM), and eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost), for relapse prediction. The results demonstrated that RSF, with a C-index of 0.85, outperformed the conventional Cox Proportional Hazard (CPH) model (C-index 0.8), offering improved prediction capabilities by capturing non-linear relationships and variable interactions. To address the lack of transparency (in terms of feature importance) in Machine Learning (ML) models, the SHapley Additive exPlanation (SHAP) method is employed, which enhances model interpretability (feature importance) through visual insights. SHAP dependence plots allowed the healthcare professionals to evaluate which factors encourage the occurrence of the relapse. A statistically significant relationship between HIV co-infection (HR=3.92, 95% CI=2.03–7.58) and VL relapse was identified through -2 log-likelihood ratio and chi-square tests. These results indicate the promise of explainable artificial intelligence (XAI) for making clinical decisions and remedying recurrences in VL.
Social and demographic determinants of Nordic Walking practice models
Computational investigation of Belzutifan drug delivery mechanisms using SiC nanocrystals via combined DFT and molecular dynamics approaches
Clinical significance of blood viscosity in patients with acute ischemic stroke
Vestibular rehabilitation training on balance among individuals with neck pain
Introduction: Vestibular function plays a crucial role in maintaining normal balance throughout day-to-day life. The neck muscles also play a role in maintaining the body's equilibrium. The study aims to assess the effect of vestibular rehabilitation on balance among the individuals with neck pain and to improve it through vestibular adaptive exercises. Through this study, individuals will be more aware and focused on balancing problems associated with neck pain while performing activities of daily living. Methodology: In total, 50 individuals who have neck pain will be participating in this study. Dynamic balance ability is evaluated by the time up and go (TUG) test and the star excursion balance test (SEBT). Static balance ability is tested using a one-leg stance test (OLST) and Romberg test. Baseline and one week post vestibular intervention will be collected. Result: The result shows that after conducting pre-test and post-test, there is an improvement among the individuals. The mean value for participants’ age is 20.8, and BMI =23.5. The SEBT (all directions) is significant at p-value≤ 0.05. Conclusion: By Vestibular Rehabilitation, Balance with neck pain and Vestibular function could be treated among individuals with neck pain.
The RRM domain–containing protein Rbp3 interacts with ribosomes and the 3’ ends of mRNAs encoding photosynthesis proteins
RNA recognition motif (RRM) domain proteins are crucial RNA-binding proteins across all domains of life. In cyanobacteria, single RRM domain proteins are involved in mRNA targeting to the thylakoid membrane and acclimation to certain stress conditions, but many details of their physiological functions and molecular targets have remained unknown. The model cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 has a family of three genes encoding the RRM domain–containing proteins Rbp1, Rbp2, and Rbp3. Here, we verified the RNA-binding activity of Rbp3 in vivo and show that cells of a Δ rbp3 deletion strain had a lower photosystem (PS) I:PSII ratio and decreased pigment content and were significantly smaller than wild-type cells. To identify the set of interacting molecules, coimmunoprecipitation experiments were performed with a strain expressing a C-terminally FLAG-tagged Rbp3. Mass spectrometry of the elution fraction suggested physical proximity between Rbp3, ribosomes, and a very small number of other proteins. The most highly enriched transcript in the coeluting RNA fraction was the psaAB mRNA. This was corroborated by fluorescent in situ hybridization analyses showing decreased psaA mRNA signals in Δ rbp3 , and colocalization with Rbp3 fusions to the green fluorescent protein (GFP) in the wild type. Other mRNAs coenriched with Rbp3 encode thylakoid, plasma membrane, and carboxysome proteins. Binding assays using Bio-layer Interferometry validated the Rbp3- psaAB mRNA interaction, indicating a preference for folded RNA segments near or overlapping the respective stop codons.
Viruses hijack FPN1 to disrupt iron withholding and suppress host defense
Abstract Viruses rely on intracellular materials, including iron, to complete their life cycles and iron withholding may limit viral infections. However, the mechanisms through which viruses disrupt host iron homeostasis and the impact of intracellular iron on the host’s antiviral defense aren’t well studied. Here we show that viral infections facilitate the polyubiquitination and degradation of ferroportin (FPN1, the only cellular iron exporter) by upregulating the host E3 ubiquitin ligase DTX3L, leading to an elevation in cellular iron levels. Excessive ferrous iron suppresses type I IFN responses and autophagy by promoting TBK1 hydroxylation and STING carbonylation in macrophages. FPN1 deficiency suppresses host antiviral defense and facilitates viral replication in vitro and in vivo, while DTX3L deficiency has the opposite effect. These results reveal that viruses hijack host FPN1 to disrupt iron withholding and achieve immune escape, and suggest that iron homeostasis maintained by FPN1 is required for the optimal activation of TBK1- and STING-dependent antiviral responses.
Variable and interactive effects of Sex, APOE ε4 and TREM2 on the deposition of tau in entorhinal and neocortical regions
Abstract The canonical Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) pathological cascade posits that the accumulation of amyloid beta (Aβ) is the initiating event, accelerating the accumulation of tau in the entorhinal cortex (EC), which subsequently spreads into the neocortex. Here in a multi-cohort study (ADNI, A4, HABS-HD) of 1354 participants with multimodal imaging and genetic information we queried how genetic variation affects these stages of the AD cascade. We observed that females and APOE -ε4 homozygotes are more susceptible to the effects of Aβ on the primary accumulation of tau, with greater EC tau for a given level of Aβ. Furthermore, we observed for individuals who have rare risk variants in TREM2 and/or APOE -ε4 homozygotes there was a greater spread of primary tau from the EC into the neocortex. These findings offer insights into the function of sex, APOE and microglia in AD progression and have implications for determining personalised treatment with drugs targeting Aβ and tau.
Atmospheric source of mercury to the ocean constrained by isotopic model
Interfacial Atom Rearrangement Drives Potential‐Adaptive Electrocatalytic Olefin Hydrogenation
Abstract Dynamic rearrangement of metal atoms at heterointerfaces by chemical bond conversion drives high efficiency electrocatalytic processes, which is a new concept in the field of electrocatalysis and a new discovery to directly improve catalytic activity. It is of great significance to explore transformative catalytic systems that directly control the interfacial structure and function of atomic composition. As an emerging 2D carbon allotrope featuring unique sp ‐ sp 2 co‐hybridization, graphdiyne (GDY) offers unprecedented advantages for heterointerface engineering. In particular, the uneven surface charge distribution of GDY, high distribution of active sites and customizable electronic structures provide unprecedented opportunities for the development of a new generation of catalytic systems. Here, we report a new idea to directly control the cooperative growth and drive metal atomic rearrangement on the interface of GDY/NiPd/GDY. The results of atomic‐resolution electron microscopy characterization revealed two unique interfacial phenomena: i) GDY‐induced massive dislocation formation within NiPd nanoalloys and ii) rearrangement of surface metal atoms from (111) to (200) facets. Detailed spectroscopic analysis further demonstrated the composition‐dependent evolution of elemental valence states and stoichiometric ratios. This atomic‐level restructuring establishes a charge‐redistribution network featuring non‐integer charge transfer, which improves the overall conductivity and intrinsic activity. What is even more encouraging is that this electrocatalytic olefin hydrogenation is carried out in an aqueous solution. The GDY/NiPd/GDY heterostructure achieves exceptional activity (turnover frequency: 6.8 s −1 ), stability (>5 cycles), and chemo‐selectivity (−100%), which is superior to traditional catalysts.