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The microstructure of the Ti-Al binary system is an area of great interest, as it affects material properties and plasticity. Phase transformations induce microstructural changes; therefore, accurately modeling the phase transformations of the Ti-Al system is necessary to describe plasticity. Interatomic potentials can be a powerful tool to model how materials behave; however, existing potentials lack accuracy in certain aspects. While classical potentials like the Modified Embedded Atom Method (MEAM) perform adequately for modeling a dilute Al solute within Ti’s $\alpha$ phase, they struggle with accurately predicting plasticity. In particular, they struggle with stacking fault energies in intermetallics and to some extent elastic properties. This hinders their effectiveness in investigating the plastic behavior of formed intermetallics in Ti-Al alloys. Classical potentials also fail to predict the $\alpha$-to-$\beta$ phase boundary. Existing machine learning (ML) potentials reproduce the properties of formed intermetallics with density functional theory (DFT) but do not accurately capture the $\alpha$-to-$\beta$ or $\alpha$-to-D0₁₉ phase boundaries. This work uses a rapid artificial neural network (RANN) framework to produce a neural network potential for the Ti-Al binary system. This potential is capable of reproducing the Ti-Al binary phase diagram up to 30% Al concentration. The present interatomic potential ensures stability and allows results near the accuracy of DFT. Using Monte Carlo simulations, the RANN potential accurately predicts the $\alpha$-to-$\beta$ and $\alpha$-to-D0₁₉ phase transitions. The current potential also exhibits accurate elastic constants and stacking fault energies for the L1₀ and D0₁₉ phases. Full article

Identifying probiotics that modulate the gut–brain axis is vital for non-pharmacological Alzheimer’s disease (AD) therapy. Through a staged screening from transgenic Drosophila to a D-galactose/AlCl₃-induced murine model, Lactobacillus acidophilus LA4 and Lacticaseibacillus paracasei F5 were prioritized for their ability to improve climbing indices and reduce Aβ deposition and AChE activity. In AD mice, LA4 and F5 significantly ameliorated cognitive deficits and anxiety-like behaviors. Mechanistically, both strains reduced hippocampal Aβ_1–42 and p-Tau levels, inhibited AChE, suppressed pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β), and enhanced antioxidant enzymes (SOD, GSH-Px). 16S rRNA analysis revealed restored Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratios and enrichment of SCFA-producers (Muribaculaceae, Dubosiella). Metabolomics highlighted remodeled purine and arginine pathways, with strain-specific effects on primary bile acid biosynthesis/sphingolipid metabolism (LA4) and butanoate metabolism/nicotinate and nicotinamide metabolism (F5). Consequently, LA4 and F5 alleviate AD pathology by restructuring microbial and metabolic profiles, thereby mitigating neuroinflammation and oxidative stress. These findings confirm the potential of specific probiotics as functional food ingredients for the prevention and adjuvant treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. Full article

Magmatic activity is crucial for identification of the tectonic framework of the ancient oceanic crust. In this study, systematic investigation, including a field survey, zircon LA-ICP-MS U-Pb dating, and whole-rock geochemical analysis, has been carried out on the intrusive quartz- and granodiorites within the Meso-Tethyan Shiquanhe Ophiolitic Mélange (SQM), Tibet. Zircon U-Pb dating yields the weighted mean ages of 174.7 ± 1.4 Ma (quartz diorite) and 178.9 ± 1.2 Ma (granodiorite), respectively, demonstrating the Early Jurassic formation age. The quartz diorite samples are metaluminous (A/NKC = 0.77–0.95) (molar/Al₂O₃/(CaO + Na₂O + K₂O)), while the granodiorite samples are weakly peraluminous (A/NKC = 0.95–1.21), and both of them exhibit tholeiitic to calc-alkaline geochemical characteristics and can be classified as I-type granites. The right-dipping rare-earth element (REE) patterns, enrichment in large ion lithophile elements (LILEs: Rb, Ba, Th), and depletion in high-field-strength elements (HFSEs: Nb, Ta, Ti), as well as relatively high (La/Yb)_N ratios, are features compatible with an island arc setting. Combined with previous works, we suggest that the Shiquanhe ophiolitic mélange not only preserves records of mid-late Jurassic island arc magmatic activity but also contains evidence of island arc magmatism from the late Early Jurassic. Full article

Glass wool waste constitutes a rapidly increasing fraction of construction and demolition residues, yet it remains one of the most challenging insulation materials to recycle. Its non-combustible nature, extremely low bulk density, and high fibre elasticity preclude energy recovery and severely limit conventional mechanical recycling routes, resulting in long-term landfilling and loss of mineral resources. Converting glass wool waste into a fine mineral powder represents a potentially viable pathway for its integration into low-carbon construction materials, provided that industrial scalability, particle-size control, and chemical compatibility with cementitious binders are ensured. This study investigates the industrial-scale milling of end-of-life glass wool waste in a ventilated horizontal ball mill. It compares two grinding routes: a corundum-free route (BK) and an abrasive-assisted route (ZK) employing α-Al₂O₃ corundum to intensify fibre fragmentation. Particle size distribution was quantified by laser diffraction using cumulative and differential analyses, as well as characteristic diameters. The results confirm that abrasive-assisted milling significantly enhances fragmentation efficiency and reduces the coarse fibre fraction. However, the study demonstrates that this gain in fineness is inherently coupled with the incorporation of α-Al₂O₃ into the milled powder, introducing a chemically foreign crystalline phase that cannot be removed by post-processing. From a cement-oriented perspective, this contamination represents a critical limitation, as α-Al₂O₃ may interfere with hydration reactions, aluminate–sulfate equilibria, and microstructural development in Portland and calcium sulfoaluminate binders. In contrast, the corundum-free milling route yields a slightly coarser, chemically unmodified powder, offering improved process robustness, lower operational complexity, and greater compatibility with circular economy objectives. The study establishes that, for the circular reuse of fibrous insulation waste in cementitious systems, particle fineness alone is insufficient as an optimization criterion. Instead, the combined consideration of fineness, chemical purity, and binder compatibility governs the realistic and sustainable reuse potential of recycled glass wool powders. Full article

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are persistent environmental contaminants associated with neurotoxicity and increased risk of neurodegenerative diseases. PCB 153, a highly abundant non-coplanar congener, bioaccumulates in human tissues and impairs homeostasis. This study investigated the transcriptomic effects of PCB 153 (2,2′,4,4′,5,5′-Hexachlorobiphenyl) in retinoic acid (RA)-differentiated SH-SY5Y neuronal cells to identify early, sub-cytotoxic molecular alterations. Cell viability was assessed by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay after 24 h exposure to increasing PCB 153 concentrations. RNA-Seq was performed on cells treated with 5 μM PCB 153, the highest non-cytotoxic dose. Sequencing reads were quality-filtered, aligned to the human genome, and analyzed with DESeq2. Functional enrichment was conducted using Gene Ontologies and KEGG pathways. Western blot analyses were performed to assess protein level changes in selected targets. RNA-Seq identified 1882 significantly altered genes (q-value < 0.05). Gene Ontology analysis revealed strong enrichment of proteasome-related terms, with most proteasomal subunits displaying coordinated upregulation. KEGG analysis further showed significant enrichment of Alzheimer’s (AD), Parkinson’s (PD), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and other neurodegenerative disease pathways. These findings indicate that PCB 153 triggers a pronounced proteostatic response in neuron-like cells, suggesting early disruption of protein homeostasis that may contribute to mechanisms associated with neurodegeneration. Full article

Background: Comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) is a tool used in precision oncology to identify genomic alterations and match them with targeted therapies across several tumor types. However, real-world data on its clinical utility and impact remains limited. The FRONTAL study (Foundation Medicine Real wOrld evideNce in porTugAL) is a multicenter academic initiative that established a national registry of Portuguese patients with solid tumors who underwent CGP with FoundationOne CDx, Liquid CDx or FoundationOne Heme assays. Methods: Eligible patients had advanced solid tumors not suitable for curative treatment at the time of recruitment. Prior CGP testing was permitted if taken within 12 months before study initiation. Genomic profiling data were extracted from FoundationOne Medicine reports, and clinical information was extracted from medical records. Actionable alterations were defined as those associated with approved treatments or with clinical evidence of benefit in other cancers, per NCCN guidelines. Variant interpretation was also reviewed according to ESMO Scale for Clinical Actionability of Molecular Targets (ESCAT) guidelines. The primary outcome was disease control at 16 weeks, defined by the absence of progression. Results: The study included 205 patients between 2020 and 2025 across 10 sites, with colorectal (40, 19.5%), sarcomas (28, 13.7%), and other gastrointestinal tumors (22, 10.7%) being the most common pathologies. Actionable alterations were identified in 104 cases (50.7%). Genomic findings guided therapy decisions in 50 patients (24.4%), of whom 30 achieved disease control at 16 weeks (14.6%). Conclusions: The FRONTAL study highlighted the clinical relevance of CGP in advanced solid tumors. Over half of the patients had actionable alterations, a quarter had therapy changes based on CGP results, and improved disease outcome was observed in approximately 15% of the cohort. Full article

Oxide transistors have attracted significant interest in the field of integrated circuits (ICs). Among various oxide semiconductors, InAlZnO (IAZO) stands out as a promising candidate due to its potential for high mobility and excellent stability. In this work, we fabricate high-performance IAZO transistors with a field-effect mobility of 56.60 cm²/V·s, a subthreshold swing of 82.59 mV/decade, an on-to-off current ratio over 10⁷, and a small threshold voltage shift of 0.09 V and −0.03 V under positive and negative bias stress, respectively. Based on these transistors, Pseudo-Enhancement-Load (PEL) inverters were constructed. An adjustable bias voltage (V_BIAS) was also introduced as an additional control parameter, which allows for flexible control of the trade-off between circuit performance and power consumption. The resulting inverters achieve a balance between static and dynamic performance, exhibiting a voltage gain of 1.83 V/V and a relatively low power consumption of 2.58 × 10⁻⁶ W (V_BIAS = 1.0 V). Our work demonstrates the potential of IAZO transistor-based PEL inverters for high-performance, low-power oxide IC applications. Full article

This report describes the development and deployment of the Public Health Quality Tool (PHQTool), an online resource designed to help mobile health clinics (MHCs) assess and improve the quality of their public health services. MHCs provide essential clinical and public health services to underserved populations but have historically lacked tools to assess and improve the quality of their work. To address this gap, the PHQTool was developed as an online, evidence-based, self-assessment resource for MHCs, hosted on the Mobile Health Map (MHMap) platform. This report documents the collaborative development process of the PHQTool and presents preliminary evaluation findings related to usability and relevance among mobile health clinics. Drawing from national public health frameworks and Honore et al.’s established public health quality aims, the PHQTool focuses on six aims most relevant to mobile care: Equitable, Health Promoting, Proactive, Transparent, Effective, and Efficient. Selection of the six quality aims was guided by explicit criteria developed through pilot testing and stakeholder feedback. The six aims were those that could be directly implemented through mobile clinic practices and were feasible to assess within diverse mobile clinic contexts. The remaining three aims (“population-centered,” “risk-reducing,” and “vigilant”) were determined to be less directly actionable at the program level or required system-wide or data infrastructure beyond the scope of individual mobile clinics. Development included expert consultation, pilot testing, and iterative refinement informed by user feedback. The tool allows clinics to evaluate practices, identify improvement goals, and track progress over time. Since implementation, 82 MHCs representing diverse organizational types have used the PHQTool, reporting high usability and identifying common improvement areas such as outreach, efficiency, and equity-driven service delivery. Across pilot and post-pilot implementation phases, a majority of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that the tool was user-friendly, relevant to their work, and appropriately scoped for mobile clinic practice. Usability and acceptance were assessed using descriptive statistics, including percentage agreement across Likert-scale items as well as qualitative feedback collected during structured debriefs. Reported findings reflect self-reported perceptions of feasibility, clarity, and relevance rather than inferential statistical comparisons. The PHQTool facilitates systematic quality assessment within the mobile clinic sector and supports consistent documentation of public health efforts. By providing a standardized, accessible framework for evaluation, it contributes to broader efforts to strengthen evidence-based quality improvement and promote accountability in MHCs. Full article

The recent review by Veron et al. (2025) posits that quantitative genomic evidence used to understand coral evolution should be secondary to species hypotheses derived from expert opinion based on field experience. The authors argue that morphological “biological entities” should take precedence over molecular evidence when conflicts arise. This perspective required the rejection of extensive, independent molecular datasets that have progressively converged on a robust evolutionary framework for reef corals. Here, we reaffirm how prioritising subjective visual assessments over quantitative genetic and genomic data is methodologically unsound and scientifically regressive. We reject the framing of this perspective as “morphology versus molecules”. Rather, it is a fundamental divergence between two opposing philosophies: a static system anchored in non-reproducible expert judgement, and an integrative framework where genetic data provide the necessary independent test of morphological hypotheses. We show how a reliance on “field entities” obscures true morphological patterns by failing to distinguish between phenotypic plasticity, convergence, and evolutionary divergence. Effective taxonomy requires species hypotheses to be testable, and to stand or fall on the strength of reproducible evidence. Such a framework does not replace morphology; it validates it by providing an explicit, testable basis for evaluating morphological hypotheses. The integration of testable, reproducible molecular analysis with other lines of evidence including morphology is the benchmark of modern taxonomy across all Kingdoms of Life. We address the logical inconsistencies in the general arguments put forward by Veron et al. (2025) and refute their specific rejection of recent Acropora species-level revision with reproducible data. Full article

This study employs a multi-objective particle swarm optimization (MOPSO) algorithm to address the dual-objective challenge in the robotic polishing of Ti-6Al-4V. The aim is to determine optimal parameters that minimize surface roughness while maximizing the material removal rate (MRR), thereby improving both surface quality and processing efficiency. First, a material removal depth model for end-face polishing is established based on Preston’s equation and theoretical analysis, from which the MRR model is derived. Subsequently, orthogonal experiments are conducted to investigate the influence of process parameters and their interactions on surface roughness, followed by the development of a quadratic polynomial roughness prediction model. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) and model validation confirm the model’s reliability. Finally, the MOPSO algorithm is applied to obtain the Pareto optimal solution set, yielding the optimal parameter combination. Experimental results demonstrate that at a normal contact force of 7.58 N, a feed rate of 4.52 mm/s, and a spindle speed of 5851 rpm, the achieved MRR and Ra values are 0.2197 mm³/s and 0.291 μm, respectively. These results exhibit errors of only 5.64% and 2.65% compared to model predictions, validating the proposed method’s effectiveness. Full article

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) are devastating neurodegenerative diseases that, despite the availability of symptomatic and modestly beneficial treatments, still lack therapies capable of halting disease progression. A histopathological hallmark of both diseases is the cytoplasmic deposition of TDP-43 in neurons, which is attributed to both intrinsic (e.g., mutations, aberrant cleavage) and extrinsic factors (e.g., prolonged oxidative stress, impaired clearance pathways). Mutations and certain PTMs (e.g., cysteine oxidation) destabilize RNA binding, promoting monomer misfolding and increasing its half-life. Disruptions to core ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) subunits impede efficient processing, contributing to the clearance failure of misfolded TDP-43 monomers. The accumulation of monomers drives phase separation within stress granules, creating nucleation hotspots that eventually bypass the thermodynamic barrier, resulting in exponential growth. This rapid growth then culminates in the failure of the autophagy-lysosome pathway (ALP) to contain the aggregation, resulting in a self-sustaining feed-forward loop. Here, we organize these factors into a conceptual kinetic cascade that links TDP-43 misfolding, phase separation, and clearance failure. Therapeutic strategies must therefore move beyond simple clearance and focus on targeting these kinetic inflection points (e.g., oligomer seeding, PTM modulation). Full article