Search Results (300)

Quantum-enhanced machine learning, encompassing both quantum algorithms and quantum-inspired classical methods such as tensor networks, offers promising tools for extracting structure from complex, high-dimensional data. In this work, we study the training dynamics of Matrix Product State (MPS) classifiers applied to three-class problems, using both fashion MNIST and hyperspectral satellite imagery as representative datasets. We investigate the phenomenon of grokking, where generalization emerges suddenly after memorization, by tracking entanglement entropy, local magnetization, and model performance across training sweeps. Additionally, we employ information-theory tools to gain deeper insights: transfer entropy is used to reveal causal dependencies between label-specific quantum masks, while O-information captures the shift from synergistic to redundant correlations among class outputs. Our results show that grokking in the fashion MNIST task coincides with a sharp entanglement transition and a peak in redundant information, whereas the overfitted hyperspectral model retains synergistic, disordered behavior. These findings highlight the relevance of high-order information dynamics in quantum-inspired learning and emphasize the distinct learning behaviors that emerge in multi-class classification, offering a principled framework to interpret generalization in quantum machine learning architectures. Full article

While having or raising a child with a neurodivergence can be rewarding and life-enhancing, a diagnosis may trigger stress as people adapt to and navigate a new “assumptive world”. The purpose of this paper is to draw on the Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) literature and explore it using grief theory as a conceptual framework, so as to understand parents’ and adults’ potential reactions to a diagnosis of ADHD. A narrative review of the ADHD literature suggests that adapting to a diagnosis can be understood as a process, which can occur in decisions to seek, and in reactions to, a diagnosis. For some, diagnostic work can be abrupt and unexpected, a life-changing moment when one receives an initial diagnosis. For others, diagnostic work begins pre-diagnosis. Either way, the diagnostic process requires an adjustment. This adaptation, like grief, can be ongoing and can involve a psychosocial transition. Rather than traditional models of grief (e.g., Freud and Kübler-Ross), contemporary views of grief such as the Dual Process Model and Meaning Making enable us to understand the meaning-making that is central to diagnostics work. Pre-diagnostically, people must become aware that something is different than previous expectations, in order to seek a diagnosis. Exposure to ADHD knowledge and stigma is influential pre-diagnostically. Post-diagnostically, people encounter a range of emotions which they need to process, such as grief for the past, making decisions (e.g., treatment), worries for the future, and reconstructing identity. The neurodiversity paradigm poses opportunities and challenges for people within this meaning-making process. This paper identifies implications for practice, particularly around pre- and post-diagnostic support, and directions for future research. Full article

A fine-grained nepheline sample from Egan Chutes, Ontario, with the chemical composition (K_1.32▯_0.68)(Na_6.05Ca_0.22)[Al_7.77Si_8.21O₃₂], where ▯ represents vacancies, was studied through in situ synchrotron powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) data and Rietveld structure refinement from 26 to 900 °C on heating and cooling. The average structure was refined in the space group P6₃. The satellite reflections in nepheline give rise to order–disorder transitions. The average <Al,Si-O>{4} distances in nepheline indicate a partially ordered Al-Si distribution, especially in the Al2 and Si2 sites at room T before heating. The nepheline structure shows that except for the positional disorder of the O1 oxygen atom, the other atoms are well defined and contain no unusual features. Vacancies, ▯, occur at the K site. Different satellite (s) reflections arise from (1) positional order of the O1 atoms to 299 °C (s1 disappears), (2) K-▯ order to 486 °C (s2 and s3 disappear), and (3) some Al-Si order 900 °C, where some satellite reflections are present. Complete Al-Si order is obtained at room T on cooling. Full article

Cellular organization relies on both membrane-bound organelles and membraneless biomolecular condensates formed through liquid–liquid phase separation. Recent discoveries reveal intricate coupling between lipid membrane organization and condensate assembly, reshaping our understanding of cellular compartmentalization. This review synthesizes multidisciplinary research using advanced techniques including super-resolution microscopy, fluorescence recovery after photobleaching, and in vitro reconstitution to examine lipid-condensate interactions. Lipid membranes serve as nucleation platforms that reduce critical concentrations for condensate formation by orders of magnitude through membrane anchoring and thermodynamic coupling, creating specialized microenvironments that substantially enhance enzymatic activities. Key regulatory mechanisms include phosphorylation-driven assembly and disassembly, membrane composition effects from cholesterol content and fatty acid saturation, and environmental factors such as calcium and pH. These interactions drive signal transduction through receptor clustering, membrane trafficking via organized domains, and stress responses through protective condensate formation. Dysregulation of lipid-condensate coupling, including aberrant phase transitions and membrane dysfunction, underlies metabolic disorders and neurodegenerative diseases. This coupling represents a fundamental organizing principle with significant therapeutic potential. Current challenges include developing quantitative methods for characterizing condensate dynamics in complex cellular environments and translating molecular mechanisms into clinical applications. Future progress requires interdisciplinary approaches combining advanced experimental techniques, computational modeling, and standardized protocols to advance both fundamental understanding and therapeutic innovations. Full article

We consider domain-type patterns in biological membranes that possess an in-plane membrane order. Domains are inseparably linked to topological defects, and many features related to them can be guessed based on universal topological arguments. However, much more complex membrane patterns are typically observed. As possible generators of such configurations, we analyze two relatively simple and universal phenomena. Both are based on continuous symmetry breaking (CSB), which manifests ubiquitously in all branches of physics. We present the Imry–Ma argument which, in addition to CSB, requests the presence of uncorrelated random-field-type disorder. Next, we discuss the Kibble–Zurek mechanism. In addition to CSB it considers dynamical slowing when a relevant phase transition is approached. These approaches were originally introduced in magnetism and cosmology, respectively. We adapt them to effectively two-dimensional membranes and discuss their potential role in membrane structure formation. Full article

Ice crystallization in supercooled water is a complex phenomenon with far-reaching implications across scientific disciplines, including cloud formation physics and cryopreservation. Experimentally studying such complexity can be a highly data-driven and data-hungry endeavor because of the need to record rare events that cannot be triggered on demand. Here, we describe such an experiment comprising 561 million images of X-ray free-electron laser (XFEL) diffraction patterns (2.3 $\mathrm{PB}$ raw data) spanning the disorder-to-order transition in micrometer-sized supercooled water droplets. To effectively analyze these patterns, we propose a data reduction (i.e., coarse-graining) and dimensionality reduction (i.e., principal component analysis) strategy. We show that a simple set of criteria on this reduced dataset can efficiently classify these patterns in the absence of reference diffraction signatures, which we validated using more precise but computationally expensive unsupervised machine learning techniques. For hit-finding, our strategy attained 98% agreement with our cross-validation. We speculate that these strategies may be generalized to other types of large high-dimensional datasets generated at high-throughput XFEL facilities. Full article

In this paper, the molecular dynamics simulation method was adopted to systematically study the microstructure evolution behavior of TiAl alloys under impact compression under three typical crystal orientations ([001], [110], [111]). By analyzing the characteristics of structural phase transition, defect type evolution, dislocation expansion, and radial distribution function, the anisotropic response mechanism under the joint regulation of crystal orientation and impact velocity was revealed. The results show that the [111] crystal orientation is most prone to local amorphous transformation at high strain rates, and its structural collapse is due to the rapid accumulation and limited reconstruction of dislocations/faults. The [001] crystal orientation is prone to forming staggered stacking of layers and local HCP phase transformation, presenting as a medium-strength structural disorder. Under the strain regulation mechanism dominated by twinning, the [110] orientation exhibits superior structural stability and anti-disorder ability. With increases in the impact velocity, the defect type gradually changes from isolated dislocations to large-scale HCP regions and amorphous bands, and there are significant differences in the critical velocities of amorphous transformation corresponding to different crystal orientations. Further analysis indicates that the HCP structure and the formation of layering faults are important precursor states of amorphous transformation. The evolution of the g(r) function verifies the stepwise disintegration process of medium and long-range ordered structures under shock induction. It provides a new theoretical basis and microscopic perspective for the microstructure regulation, damage tolerance improvement, and impact resistance design of TiAl alloys under extreme stress conditions. Full article

Laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSSs) produced via ultrafast laser-induced oxidation offer a promising route for high-quality nanostructuring, with reduced thermal damage compared to conventional ablation-based methods. However, the influence of laser repetition frequency on the formation and morphology of oxidized LIPSSs remains insufficiently explored. In this study, we systematically investigate the effects of varying the femtosecond laser repetition frequency from 1 kHz to 100 kHz while keeping the total pulse number constant on the oxidation-induced LIPSSs formed on amorphous silicon films. Scanning electron microscopy and Fourier analysis reveal a transition between two morphological regimes with increasing repetition frequency: at low frequencies, the long inter-pulse intervals result in irregular, disordered oxidation patterns; at high frequencies, closely spaced pulses promote the formation of highly ordered, periodic surface structures. Statistical measurements show that the laser-modified area decreases with frequency, while the LIPSS period remains relatively stable and the ridge width exhibits a peak at 10 kHz. Finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) and finite-element simulations suggest that the observed patterns result from a dynamic balance between light-field modulation and oxidation kinetics, rather than thermal accumulation. These findings advance the understanding of oxidation-driven LIPSS formation dynamics and provide guidance for optimizing femtosecond laser parameters for precise surface nanopatterning. Full article

This study systematically investigates the magnetic ordering and magnetocaloric properties of a series of polycrystalline compounds, Gd_1-xDy_xScO₃ (x = 0, 0.1, 0.2 and 1). X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) analysis confirms that all samples exhibit an orthorhombic perovskite structure with a space group of Pbnm. The zero-field cooling and field cooling magnetization curves demonstrate a transition from antiferromagnetic to paramagnetic phases, with Néel temperatures of about 3 K for GdScO₃ and 4 K for DyScO₃. The doping of Dy³⁺ weakened long-range antiferromagnetic order and enhanced short-range magnetic disorder in GdScO₃, leading to vanished antiferromagnetic transition between 2 and 100 K for the sample of x = 0.2. Using the Arrott–Noakes equation, we constructed Arrott plots to analyze the system’s critical behavior. Both the compounds with x = 0.1 and x = 0.2 conform to the 3D-Heisenberg model. These results indicate the weakened long-range antiferromagnetic order induced by Dy³⁺ doping. Significant maximal magnetic entropy change (−Δ$S_{\mathrm{M}}^{\mathrm{M}\mathrm{a}\mathrm{x}}$) of 36.03 J/kg K at 3 K for the sample Gd_0.9Dy_0.1ScO₃ is achieved as the magnetic field changes from 0 to 50 kOe, which is higher than that of GdScO₃ (−Δ$S_{\mathrm{M}}^{\mathrm{M}\mathrm{a}\mathrm{x}}$ = 34.32 J/kg K) and DyScO₃ (−Δ$S_{\mathrm{M}}^{\mathrm{M}\mathrm{a}\mathrm{x}}$ = 15.63 J/kg K). The considerable magnetocaloric effects (MCEs) suggest that these compounds can be used in the development of low-temperature magnetic refrigeration materials. Full article

Experimental and theoretical design on thermal and structural properties of Cu-Zn-Al alloys are established. As such, from an experimental point of view, differential thermal analysis has been performed with the help of a DSC Netzsch STA 449 F1 Jupiter calorimeter with high levels of sensitivity, and the structural analysis has been accomplished through X-ray diffraction and SEM analysis. An unusual specific property for a metallic material has been discovered, which is known as “rubber-type behavior”, a characteristic determined by micro-structural changes. From the theoretical point of view, the thermal transfer in Cu-Zn-Al is presented by assimilating this alloy, both structurally and functionally, with a multifractal, situation in which the order–disorder transitions assimilated with thermal “dynamics” of Cu-Zn-Al, are mimed through transitions from non-multifractal to multifractal curves. In such a context, the thermal expansion velocity contains both the propagation speed of the phase transformation (be it a direct one: austenitic–martensitic transformation, or an indirect one: martensitic–austenitic transformation) and the thermal diffusion speed. Then, through self-modulations of the thermal field, the Cu-Zn-Al alloy will self-structure in channel-type or cellular-type thermal patterns, which can be linked to obtained experimental data. Consequently, since the thermal conductivity becomes a function of the observation scale, and heat transfer is modified to reflect the multifractal, non-differentiable paths in the material, it leads to anomalous diffusion and complex thermal behaviors. Full article

By developing and making use of the multi-scale theoretical approach, we identify the main factors that affect the conductivity of a composite composed of a diblock copolymer (DBC) system and conductive particles. This approach relies on the consistent phase-field model of DBC, Monte-Carlo simulations of the filler localization in DBC, and the resistor network model that mimics the conductive filler network formed in DBC. Based on the described approach, we thoroughly explore the relation among the morphological state of the microphase-separated DBC, localization of fillers in DBC, and the electrical response of the composite. Good agreement with experimental results confirms the accuracy of our theoretical predictions regarding the localization of fillers in the DBC microphases. The main factors affecting the composite conductivity are found to be: (i) affinities of fillers for copolymer blocks; (ii) degree of the segregation of a host DBC system, driven by external stimuli; (iii) geometry of the microphases formed in the microphase-separated DBC; and (iv) interactions between fillers. The conductor-insulator transition in the filler network is found to be caused by the order-disorder transition in the symmetric DBC. The order-order transition between the ordered lamellae and cylindrical microphases of asymmetric DBC causes a spike in the composite conductivity. Full article

Dynamic criticality—the balance between order and chaos—is fundamental to genome regulation and cellular transitions. In this study, we investigate the distinct behaviors of gene expression dynamics in MCF-7 breast cancer cells under two stimuli: heregulin (HRG), which promotes cell fate transitions, and epidermal growth factor (EGF), which binds to the same receptor but fails to induce cell-fate changes. We model the system as an open, nonequilibrium thermodynamic system and introduce a convergence-based approach for the robust estimation of information-thermodynamic metrics. Our analysis reveals that the Shannon entropy of the critical point (CP) dynamically synchronizes with the entropy of the rest of the whole expression system (WES), reflecting coordinated transitions between ordered and disordered phases. This phase synchronization is driven by net mutual information scaling with CP entropy dynamics, demonstrating how the CP governs genome-wide coherence. Furthermore, higher-order mutual information emerges as a defining feature of the nonlinear gene expression network, capturing collective effects beyond simple pairwise interactions. By achieving thermodynamic phase synchronization, the CP orchestrates the entire expression system. Under HRG stimulation, the CP becomes active, functioning as a Maxwell’s demon with dynamic, rewritable chromatin memory to guide a critical transition in cell fate. In contrast, under EGF stimulation, the CP remains inactive in this strategic role, passively facilitating a non-critical transition. These findings establish a biophysical framework for cell fate determination, paving the way for innovative approaches in cancer research and stem cell therapy. Full article

Bullous pemphigoid (BP) is a rare autoimmune disease, primarily affecting elderly individuals, that significantly impacts the patient’s quality of life. In contrast, psoriasis vulgaris (PV) is a common, chronic, immune-mediated skin condition recognized as a systemic T-cell-mediated disorder. We aim to present the case of a patient suffering from a dermatologic association of BP and PV, which unveiled hepatitis C viral infection as a potential trigger and led to complex therapeutic challenges. A literature review is also included, exploring previous cases of overlapping BP and PV, along with a discussion of the unique pathogenic mechanisms and an analysis of the available therapeutic options. The patient, a 53-year-old male with a seven-year history of PV, presented with tense bullae overlying the psoriatic papules and plaques, with a generalized distribution. The presence of hepatitis C infection was considered a potential trigger for the concurrent presentation of BP and PV. Recent GWASs have demonstrated a potential causal relationship between PV and the subsequent development of BP, suggesting shared genetic susceptibility and immune pathways. However, the exact mechanisms driving this transition remain incompletely understood. Our case is particularly relevant as it exemplifies how environmental triggers—such as chronic hepatitis C infection—together with chronic cutaneous inflammation may act as cofactors in this process, possibly through the ‘epitope spreading’ phenomenon. This case underlines the importance of identifying triggering factors in patients with overlapping autoimmune diseases and reinforces the need for future research to further elucidate the pathogenic link between genotype and phenotype, in order to improve personalized therapeutic strategies. Full article

Multiband and nodal-like superconductivity (SC) with s- + d-wave pairing symmetry have implied that tetragonal iron sulphide (FeS) is a distinctive testbed for exploring unexpected electronic correlations. In particular, the low-moment disordered static magnetism originating from the Fe moment leads to the possibility of the coexistence of magnetic orders (MOs) in the superconducting ground state via the tuning of electronic configurations. Here, guided by density functional theory (DFT) calculations, we found that slightly substitutionally doped chromium (Cr) atoms in tetragonal FeS single crystals can induce both considerable d-orbital reconstruction around the Fermi surface and a local magnetic moment of 2.4 µ_B at each doping site, which could highly modulate the SC ground states of the host. On this basis, a clear magnetic transition and reduced anisotropy of SC were experimentally observed. In particular, SC can survive with a doping content below 0.05. This coexistence of SC and MOs suggests strong spin correlations between Cr dopants and the host through exchange coupling. Further, an electronic temperature-related phase diagram of FeS with Cr doping contents from 0 to 0.07 is also provided. These results demonstrate that the continuous injection of local moments can be a controllable method to use to tune collective orders in unconventional iron-based superconductors. Full article

Proteins and polyphenols are important components in barley malt. During the roasting process of barley malt, proteins and polyphenols interact and influence each other, ultimately altering the nutritional profile and functional properties of barley malt. In this research, polyphenol-free proteins and protein–polyphenol complexes were extracted from barley malt subjected to varying degrees of roasting. The antioxidant activity of protein–polyphenol complexes was assessed by ABTS, FRAP, and ORAC assays. The structural characteristics of the proteins were examined through UV, FL, CD, FTIR, and SEM. We found that roasting enhances the solubility of globulin, prolamin, and glutenin and facilitates the binding of these proteins with polyphenols. Conversely, the impact of roasting on albumin exhibits a trend opposite to that observed in the other three proteins. The antioxidant activity of protein–polyphenol complexes was significantly higher than that of polyphenol-free proteins. Additionally, the microenvironment of the amino acid residues of the four proteins exhibited increased polarity following the roasting process, and the structural conformation of albumin, globulin, and glutelin transitioned from an ordered to a disordered state. Our results indicate that roasting enhances the antioxidant activity of protein–polyphenol complexes by altering the secondary and tertiary structures of these proteins, thereby exposing more hydrophobic side-chain groups inside the proteins and offering more binding sites for polyphenols. Full article