Visual Congruency of Performers' Movements Enhances Vocal Music Reward through Mu Entrainment.

There is emerging evidence that a performer's body movements may enhance music-induced pleasure. However, the neural mechanism underlying such modulation remains largely unexplored. This study utilized behavioral, psychophysiological and electroencephalographic data collected from 32 listeners (analyzed sample = 31) as they watched and listened to vocal (Mandarin lyrics) and violin performances of pop music videos.

An Integrated Monolithic Synaptic Device for C-Tactile Afferent Perception and Robot Emotional Interaction.

C-tactile afferents are low-threshold mechanoreceptors that innervate the hairy skin of mammals, essential for emotional interactions. Replication of such a mechanism could facilitate emotional interactions between humans and embodied intelligence robotic systems. Herein, we demonstrate a monolithic synaptic device that replicates and integrates tactile sensing and neuromorphic processing functions for in-sensor computing.

Gut microbiota in rheumatoid arthritis: Mechanistic insights, clinical biomarkers, and translational perspectives.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic autoimmune disease shaped by complex interactions between genetics and environmental factors, among which gut microbiota has emerged as a critical modulator. Recent advances have implicated gut microbiota dysbiosis in RA pathophysiology, with evidence spanning mechanistic, diagnostic, and therapeutic dimensions. This review summarizes current knowledge of the gut-joint axis and outlines microbiota-based strategies for RA management.

PTK6 mediated immune signatures revealed by single cell transcriptomic and multi omics big data analysis in cervical cancer.

Background: Cervical cancer exhibits heterogeneous clinical outcomes, requiring improved prognostic tools. Single-cell RNA sequencing enables high-resolution analysis of tumor microenvironment cellular heterogeneity. This study developed a prognostic model for cervical cancer through single-cell transcriptomic analysis and immune infiltration characterization, focusing on PTK6 as a key biomarker.

Accurately Defining the Location and Dimension of the Bony Lid Under the Guidance of Dynamic Navigation: Report on Three Cases.

The bony lid technique can be a highly valuable procedure when facing surgical challenges, such as the presence of a thick, intact cortical plate, associated with large periapical lesions in posterior teeth. The critical task of accurately defining the location and dimension of the bony lid is a clinical concern that demands careful consideration. This case report, through three cases, illustrates the application of dynamic navigation in guiding the determination of point positions and osteotomy angles on the buccal bone plate.

Albanol B inhibits glioblastoma progression by inducing senescence and apoptosis via the RNF6/p27 signaling axis.

Background: Glioblastoma, the most devastating type of glioma, is notorious for rapid proliferation, aggressive infiltration, angiogenesis, and treatment resistance. Identifying effective medicines or adjuvants for clinical therapy is imperative. Albanol B (ABN-B), a prenylated arylbenzofuran isolated from the mulberry tree, demonstrates neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer properties.

Progranulin (PGRN) Facilitates Anti-Inflammation and Pulpitis Repair In Vivo and In Vitro Through TNFR2/14-3-3ε Signalling Complex.

Aim: To investigate the role and mechanism of progranulin (PGRN) in reparative dentinogenesis and inflammation control for rat pulpitis and inflammatory human dental pulp stem cells (hDPSCs).

Methodology: Eight-week-old male Wistar rats with irreversible pulpitis were treated with pulpotomy and divided into five groups: No treatment; Control; iRoot BP plus (BP); GelMA and recombinant human PGRN (rhPGRN) + GelMA (rhPGRN). Micro-computed tomography (Micro-CT) scans and histological and immunohistochemical staining were conducted to evaluate rhPGRN' anti-inflammation and pro-healing properties.

Characteristics of multifrequency vestibular evoked myogenic potentials tuning in ménière's disease and vestibular migraine.

Objective: Diagnostic criteria for Vestibular Migraine (VM) and Ménière's Disease (MD) overlap considerably, complicating accurate diagnoses in patients with headaches, vertigo, hearing loss, aural fullness, and tinnitus. This study assesses the utility of multifrequency vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (VEMPs) in differentiating MD from VM.

Study Sample: The research included 49 MD and 32 VM patients from April to June 2024.

Impact of seasonal changes on root-associated microbial communities among phreatophytes of three basins in desert ecosystem.

Seasons often alter climate conditions and affect nutrient cycling by altering plant physiology and microbial dynamics. Plant growth and health depend on a symbiotic relationship with root microbes, however, the root-associated microbiota is key to plant evolution and ecosystem function. Seasonal changes in root-associated microbiome diversity and composition of desert plants are vital for understanding plant adaptation in desert ecosystems.

Diatom-Inspired 3D Hierarchical Liquid Metal Sponge for Flexible Photoelectrochemical Photodetectors.

Inspired by the hierarchical micro/nanoscale architecture of diatoms which are renown for capturing and utilizing dim light in oceanic environments, a three-dimensional (3D) hierarchical liquid metal (LM) sponge was proposed for advancing flexible photoelectrochemical (PEC) photodetectors. A room-temperature LM nanodroplet (ND)-bridging strategy by deformable welding LM NDs on polymer fibers was developed to controllably fabricate 3D architectures consisting of LM integrations in the form of interconnected either one-dimensional (1D) liquid-bridges or two-dimensional (2D) liquid-films. Optical characterization reveals that the 3D hierarchical architecture with radian 2D liquid-films (3D-HA-R2DLF) exhibits moderate absorption (0.

Long-term musical training can protect against age-related upregulation of neural activity in speech-in-noise perception.

During cognitive tasks, older adults often show increased frontoparietal neural activity and functional connectivity. Cognitive reserve accrued from positive life choices like long-term musical training can provide additional neural resources to help cope with the effect of aging. However, the relationship between cognitive reserve and upregulated neural activity in older adults remains poorly understood.

Efficient Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer by Overcoming Both Pre- and Post-Implantation Epigenetic Barriers.

Mammalian cloning through somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) involves reprogramming terminally differentiated cells into totipotent embryos. Epigenetic barriers inherited from somatic cells impede reprogramming efficiency and lead to low SCNT embryo development rates. Recent studies have identified two primary types of epigenetic barriers in mouse SCNT embryos, defective pre-implantation development due to abnormal gene expression around zygotic genome activation, associated with aberrant H3K9me3, H3K4me3, and histone acetylation, and defective post-implantation development due to loss of H3K27me3-mediated non-canonical imprinting.

Strain-Induced Robust Skyrmion Lattice at Room Temperature in van der Waals Ferromagnet.

Manipulating topological magnetic orders of 2D magnets by strain, once achieved, offers enormous potential for future low-power flexible spintronic applications. In this work, by placing FeGaTe (FGaT), a room-temperature 2D ferromagnet, on flexible substrate, a field-free and robust formation of skyrmion lattice induced by strain is demonstrated. By applying a minimal strain of ≈0.

The Role of Long-Range Non-Specific Electrostatic Interactions in Inhibiting the Pre-Fusion Proteolytic Processing of the SARS-CoV-2 S Glycoprotein by Heparin.

The proteolytic processing of the SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein by host cell membrane-associated proteases is a key step in both the entry of the invading virus into the cell and the release of the newly generated viral particles from the infected cell. Because of the critical importance of this step for the viral infectivity cycle, it has been a target of extensive efforts aimed at identifying highly specific protease inhibitors as potential antiviral agents. An alternative strategy to disrupt the pre-fusioviden processing of the SARS-CoV-2 S glycoprotein aims to protect the substrate rather than directly inhibit the proteases.

Expert consensus on management of instrument separation in root canal therapy.

Instrument separation is a critical complication during root canal therapy, impacting treatment success and long-term tooth preservation. The etiology of instrument separation is multifactorial, involving the intricate anatomy of the root canal system, instrument-related factors, and instrumentation techniques. Instrument separation can hinder thorough cleaning, shaping, and obturation of the root canal, posing challenges to successful treatment outcomes.

3-Hydroxybenzeneboronic Acid Enables Stable and Sensitive Dopamine Detection by Inhibiting Target Self-Polymerization.

Resorcinol (Res) and Res-motif-containing molecules have been explored for the design and construction of fluorometric probes toward dopamine (DA) detection. However, the self-polymerization of DA under alkaline conditions competes with the probe-DA reaction, reducing the stability and sensitivity of detection. In this study, a target-triggered cascade reaction strategy has been explored for the development of DA detection probe based on the formation of borate ester intermediates.

Divergent combinations of enhancers encode spatial gene expression.

Spatial transcriptomics and epigenomics have enabled mapping gene regulation in the tissue context. However, it remains poorly understood how spatial gene expression patterns are orchestrated by enhancers. Here we build eSpatial, a computational framework that deciphers spatially resolved enhancer regulation of gene expression by integrating spatial profiles of gene expression and chromatin accessibility.

Prior Image Guided Ring Artifact Correction for Photon-Counting Detector Data in Hybrid Spectral CT.

Objective: Photon-counting detector (PCD) is an advanced and innovative X-ray detector, that offers significant advantages such as improved spatial resolution and higher dose efficiency. However, as a new X-ray detection device, PCD faces technical challenges, particularly the non-uniformity among detector units, which can lead to ring artifacts in reconstructed CT images. To address this challenge, we propose a novel image-domain post-processing method to effectively correct ring artifacts in PCD-reconstructed images.

A Monolithic Neuromorphic Device for In-Sensor Tactile Computing.

To emulate the tactile perception of human skin, the integration of tactile sensors with neuromorphic devices has emerged as a promising approach to achieve near-sensor information processing. Here, we present a monolithic electronic device that seamlessly integrates tactile perception and neuromorphic computing functionalities within a single architecture, with synaptic plasticity directly tunable by tactile inputs. This unique capability stems from our engineered device structure employing SnO nanowires as the conductive channel coupled with a pressure-sensitive chitosan layer ionic gating layer.

Excess Neprilysin in Placental EVs Impairs CNP-NPRB-Mediated Vasodilation to Trigger Preeclamptic Hypertension.

Background: Preeclampsia is a placenta-origin pregnancy complication. Although its development has long been divided into 2 stages: abnormal placentation (stage I) and the release of factors from the hypoperfused placenta into circulation, triggering preeclampsia due to endothelial dysfunction (stage II), the placenta-derived substances coupling the 2 stages remain unclear.

Methods: Extracellular vesicles (EVs) from normal and preeclampsia-complicated placentas were intravenously administered to pregnant mice, and blood pressure was recorded throughout pregnancy.

All-electrical perpendicular switching of chiral antiferromagnetic order.

Antiferromagnets as active components in devices have been attracting attention due to their negligible stray field and ultrafast magnetic dynamics, which are promising for high-density and fast memory devices. Although the switching of antiferromagnetic (AFM) order by current-induced spin-orbit torque (SOT) has already been realized, field-free SOT-induced bidirectional switching of AFM order in perpendicular geometry has been elusive. Here we experimentally demonstrate field-free perpendicular switching of the magnetic octupole m in chiral AFM MnSn by combining in-plane and out-of-plane SOTs generated by two-dimensional van der Vaals WTe.

Multidimensional Feature Analysis of Meniere's Disease and Vestibular Migraine: Insights from Machine Learning and Vestibular Testing.

Objective: Differentiating between Meniere's disease (MD) and vestibular migraine (VM) is challenging due to overlapping symptoms and limited diagnostic tools. Traditional statistical methods often rely on physician judgment and struggle with complex, high-dimensional data. This study applies the random forest (RF) machine learning algorithm to enhance the clinical differentiation between MD and VM.

Effect of hydraulic residence time on nitrogen removal from a synthetic mariculture wastewater using a bench-scale recirculating bioreactor embedded with aerobic denitrifying bacteria Marinobacter alkaliphilus strain JY28.

Beads loaded with tea dregs powder and immobilized aerobic denitrifying bacteria (Marinobacter alkaliphilus strain JY28) were prepared by cross-linking sodium alginate and polyvinyl alcohol. The beads were subsequently utilized for nitrogen removal in treatment of wastewater from a marine recirculating aquaculture system (MRAS). The effects of hydraulic residence time (HRT) on nitrogen removal efficiency, microbial community succession, and the physicochemical properties and kinetic behaviors of the immobilized bacterial beads were investigated.

Combating desertification: comprehensive strategies, challenges, and future directions for sustainable solutions.

Desertification, a process through which once fertile and productive land is degraded into barren, arid desert, represents a significant environmental challenge with widespread consequences for ecosystems and human populations globally. This review explores the fundamental causes of desertification, its profound environmental and socio-economic impacts, and the strategies employed to combat it. We address the diverse range of approaches aimed at mitigating the effects of desertification, in particular the importance of sustainable land management practices, such as reforestation and soil conservation.