Monatomic glass formation through competing order balance.

The phase transformation of single-element systems is a fundamental natural process with broad implications, yet many aspects remain puzzling despite their simplicity. For instance, transition metals, Tantalum (Ta) and Zirconium (Zr), commonly form body-centred cubic crystals when supercooled. However, according to large-scale computer simulations, their crystallisation rates can differ by over 100 times.

Late fluid flow in a primitive asteroid revealed by Lu-Hf isotopes in Ryugu.

Carbonaceous asteroids are the source of the most primitive meteorites and represent leftover planetesimals that formed from ice and dust in the outer Solar System and may have delivered volatiles to the terrestrial planets. Understanding the aqueous activity of asteroids is key to deciphering their thermal, chemical and orbital evolution, with implications for the origin of water on the terrestrial planets. Analyses of the objects, in particular pristine samples returned from asteroid Ryugu, have provided detailed information on fluid-rock interactions within a few million years after parent-body formation.

Space-Time Optical Hopfion Crystals.

Hopfions-higher-dimensional topological quasiparticles with sophisticated 3D knotted spin textures discovered in condensed matter and photonic systems-show promise in high-density data storage and transfer. Here, we present crystalline structures of hopfions lying in space-time constructed by spatiotemporally structured light. Practical methodologies using bichromatic structured light beams or dipole arrays to assemble 1D and higher dimensional hopfion lattices are proposed, and a technique for tailoring topological orders is elucidated.

Germline pathogenic variants detected by GenMineTOP: insight from a nationwide tumor/normal paired comprehensive genomic profiling test, in Japan.

Comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) expands treatment options for solid tumor patients and identifies hereditary cancers. However, in Japan, confirmatory tests have been conducted in only 31.6% of patients with presumed germline pathogenic variants (GPVs) detected through tumor-only testing.

Unveiling the biological methylation of 2,4,6-trichlorophenol and the formation of 2,4,6-trichloroanisole in a municipal wastewater treatment plant.

Odor problems in treated municipal wastewater are a concern, yet the sources and formation dynamics of these compounds within sewerage systems remain unclear. 2,4,6-trichloroanisole (2,4,6-TCA) is a key odorant in the effluents of municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). This study investigates the formation of 2,4,6-TCA through the conversion of its precursor, 2,4,6-trichlorophenol (2,4,6-TCP).

Monitoring the effect of alcohol intake via facial temperature variations using thermography synchronized with heartbeat.

Accurate assessment of alcohol-induced physiological effects is critical for preventing overconsumption and ensuring safe activities such as driving. While breath alcohol concentration (BrAC) measurement is widely used due to its simplicity, it can be confounded by mouth alcohol effects and provides only momentary data. Building on our previously developed Synchro-thermography technique, which synchronizes infrared thermal imaging with heart rate variability to detect vascular-related skin temperature fluctuations, we applied it to monitor physiological changes induced by alcohol.

[Microglia-mediated cognitive impairment induced by methamphetamine].

More than half of chronic methamphetamine (METH) users exhibit multi-domain cognitive deficits, including impaired attention, executive function, and memory. MRI studies consistently demonstrate hippocampal atrophy and frontotemporal cortical thinning; these structural changes spatially overlap with glial activation, indicating the coexistence of morphological damage and ongoing neuroinflammation. To clarify causality, we developed a mouse model in which low-dose METH is micro-infused into the nucleus accumbens.

Current perspectives on proton and electron transfer pathways in photosystem II water oxidation.

Photosystem II (PSII) catalyzes the light-driven oxidation of water, progressing via sequential oxidation states (S-states) of the Mn4CaO5 cluster. Among structural snapshots of intermediate S-states obtained using X-ray free-electron laser (XFEL) crystallography, two-flash XFEL structures assigned to the S3 state reveal an additional oxygen atom (O6) near the O5 site of the cluster, leading to proposals that O6 is incorporated as a new substrate water molecule during the S2 to S3 transition. However, recent re-analyses of the XFEL data highlight potential complications, including conformational heterogeneity, refinement bias, and possible radiation-induced artifacts.

RcsB and H-NS Both Contribute to the Repression the Expression of the Operon.

Curli fimbriae are a major component of biofilm formation in , and their expression is regulated by numerous transcription factors and small regulatory RNAs (sRNAs). The RcsD-RcsC-RcsB phosphorelay system, which is involved in the envelope stress response, plays a role in this regulation. In this study, we report that DNase-I footprinting analysis revealed that the response regulator RcsB interacts with the -31 to +53 region of the promoter region of , which encodes a major regulator of biofilm formation, and thus contributes to its transcriptional repression.

Rats can spontaneously discriminate different rhythms: An investigation using an automated habituation-dishabituation paradigm.

Vocal production learning has been thought to be necessary for rhythmic cognition. However, recent studies have shown that rats, a non-vocal production learning species, are capable of discriminating rhythms and synchronizing to rhythm. Here, we investigated whether rats can spontaneously discriminate between different rhythms by using three types of rhythmic sound stimuli that differ only in the ratio of time intervals.

Functional Raman Probes for Detecting Enzyme Activities Based on Aggregation Control.

Visualizing specific enzyme activities in living systems is important in biomedical research, and Raman imaging probes are particularly suitable for simultaneous multiplexed detection of plural enzyme activities due to their narrow signal peak widths. Here, we present a molecular design strategy for enzyme-activity-detecting Raman probes based on control of aggregation. The probe itself is soluble and diffusive in aqueous solution due to its hydrophilic substrate moiety, but hydrolysis by the target enzyme affords a hydrophobic product that forms aggregates, thereby increasing the local dye concentration, which in turn results in a stronger Raman signal that enables visualization of the enzyme activity.

Construction of Shati/Nat8l Plasmid Vectors, and Analysis of Mitochondrial Function Mediated by Shati/Nat8l Against Amyloid β Toxicity.

In Alzheimer's disease (AD), the accumulation of senile plaques composed of neurotoxic amyloid β (Aβ) is known to be one of the causes. Shati/Nat8l, a gene related to neuropsychiatric disorders, encodes an enzyme that biosynthesizes N-acetyl aspartate (NAA) from aspartate and acetyl CoA. Studies on AD patients and model mice show that NAA and Shati/Nat8l are associated with AD pathology.

Predicting organoid morphology through a phase field model: Insights into cell division and lumenal pressure.

Organoids are ideal systems to predict the phenotypes of organs. However, there is currently a lack of understanding regarding the generalized rules that enable use of simple cellular principles to make morphological predictions of entire organoids. Therefore, we employed a phase field model with the following basic components: the minimum conditions for the timing and volume of cell division, lumen nucleation rules, and lumenal pressure.

Mechanistic insights into glycosylation-driven structural rearrangements in human aquaporin 1.

The asparagine-linked glycosylation site of the extended extracellular loop connecting transmembrane helices 1 and 2 has been identified in human aquaporin 1 (AQP1), though its functional significance remains unclear. Here, we investigate AQP1 glycosylated at Asn42 and Asn205, using molecular dynamics simulations. In glycosylated AQP1, fluctuation of the protein backbone groups surrounding the linker Asn42 in the extended extracellular loop 1-2 is significantly suppressed compared to non-glycosylated AQP1.

Consumer preferences regarding product acquisition, repair, and discharge towards a circular economy: A segment-specific market simulation based on conjoint analysis.

Consumer preferences for a circular economy are known to be heterogeneous; however, most existing studies focus exclusively on the product acquisition phase and assume homogeneous utilities. This study aims to understand consumer segments for circular business models in terms of consumer preferences and market shares, and to investigate the commonalities across the three phases of consumer engagement in the circular economy: acquisition, repair, and discharge. We combined choice-based conjoint analysis, ensemble clustering, and market simulation, and applied them to three typical products (refrigerators, laptops, and children's goods) in the Japanese market.

Membrane-domain compartmentalization of active GPCRs by β-arrestins through PtdIns(4,5)P binding.

Upon ligand-induced activation, G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) recruit β-arrestins (βarrs) to the plasma membrane, where phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PtdIns(4,5)P) stabilizes the GPCR-βarr complex. Although PtdIns(4,5)P is reported to form nanoscale clusters, the spatiotemporal dynamics of how the GPCR-βarr-PtdIns(4,5)P complex assembles and organizes in living cells remain unexplored. Here we demonstrate that multiple PtdIns(4,5)P-binding sites on βarrs cooperatively promote GPCR-βarr assembly in membrane domains.

Enhanced biomethanation in anaerobic membrane bioreactor: decarbonization efficiency, carbon mass flow, and microbial dynamics.

Methanation of carbon dioxide (CO) is a key process for improving carbon utilization technology. In this study, we investigated a novel approach to biomethanation from hydrogen (H) and CO using an anaerobic membrane bioreactor under mesophilic conditions. System performance was evaluated by varying carbon loading rates, with a focus on decarbonization efficiency, carbon mass flow, and microbial dynamics.

Lung Adenocarcinoma Expressing an EML4-ALK Fusion Transcript With Premature Stop Codons and Response to Alectinib: A Case Report.

ALK fusions are well-established oncogenic drivers in lung cancer, typically resulting in ALK activation through dimerization mediated by partner proteins. However, alternative mechanisms of ALK activation have also been reported. We herein report an 80-year-old man with metastatic lung adenocarcinoma, who initially tested negative for ALK rearrangement using a polymerase chain reaction-based assay.

Purcell-Enhanced Emissions from Diamond Color Centers in Slow Light Photonic Crystal Waveguides.

Diamond color centers are promising candidates for optically addressable quantum memories, which motivates the development of efficient photonic interfaces, often using nanophotonic cavities with narrow spectral line widths and small mode volumes. However, they require perfect spectral and spatial overlap between the cavity mode and quantum emitter, which is challenging. This is especially true for solid-state quantum emitters that are often randomly positioned and suffer from inhomogeneous broadening.

Neoantigen mRNA vaccines induce progenitor-exhausted T cells that support anti-PD-1 therapy in gastric cancer with peritoneal metastasis.

Background: Gastric cancer with peritoneal metastasis is associated with a poor prognosis. Current treatments, including the first-line therapy of combination chemotherapy with nivolumab for advanced recurrent gastric cancer, have shown limited efficacy against peritoneal dissemination. In this study, we evaluated neoantigen (neoAg)-mRNA lipid nanoparticle (LNP) as a potential agent in combination with anti-PD-1 therapy, focusing on its effects on neoAg-specific CD8 T cell responses and antitumor efficacy in a murine gastric cancer model.

The Anti-Nucleocapsid IgG Antibody as a Marker of SARS-CoV-2 Infection for Hemodialysis Patients.

Hemodialysis patients, due to impaired kidney function and compromised immune responses, face increased risks from SARS-CoV-2. Anti-nucleocapsid IgG (anti-IgG N) antibodies are a commonly used marker to assess prior infection in the general population; however, their efficacy for hemodialysis patients remains unclear. A retrospective study of 361 hemodialysis patients evaluated anti-IgG N antibodies for detecting prior SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Senescence-associated lysosomal dysfunction impairs cystine deprivation-induced lipid peroxidation and ferroptosis.

Senescent cells, characterized by irreversible cell cycle arrest and inflammatory factor secretion, promote various age-related pathologies. Senescent cells exhibit resistance to ferroptosis, a form of iron-dependent cell death; however, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Here, we discovered that lysosomal acidity was crucial for lipid peroxidation and ferroptosis induction by cystine deprivation.

Glucose-activated JMJD1A drives visceral adipogenesis via α-ketoglutarate-dependent chromatin remodeling.

Adipose tissue remodels via hypertrophy or hyperplasia in response to nutrient status, but the mechanisms governing these expansion modes remain unclear. Here, we identify a nutrient-sensitive epigenetic circuit linking glucose metabolism to chromatin remodeling during adipogenesis. Upon glucose stimulation, α-ketoglutarate (α-KG) accumulates in the nucleus and activates the histone demethylase JMJD1A to remove repressive histone H3 lysine 9 dimethylation (H3K9me2) marks at glycolytic and adipogenic gene loci, including Pparg.

Bottom Passivation of Sn-Pb Perovskites Using Ethylenediamine-Phosphonic Acids for Efficient HTL-Free Solar Cells.

Tin-lead (Sn-Pb) perovskite solar cells are promising for tandem applications but face challenges with Sn oxidation and defect-induced recombination, particularly with conventional hole transport layers (HTLs). We introduce ethylenediamine tetramethylphosphonic acid (EDTMP) as a novel interfacial modifier for Sn-Pb PSCs. EDTMP offers dual passivation capabilities through phosphonic acid anchoring to FTO and diamine interaction with perovskite defects.

Longitudinal Analysis of Somatic Mosaicism and Clonal Hematopoiesis in Cryopyrin-Associated Periodic Syndrome.

Objective: Cryopyrin-associated periodic syndrome (CAPS) is an autoinflammatory disease caused by gain-of-function mutations in NLRP3. Although somatic NLRP3 mosaicism is increasingly recognized, it remains unclear how variant allele frequency (VAF) changes over time and whether disease onset age reflects differences in somatic mutation dynamics. This study aimed to analyze the longitudinal VAF trends and their correlation with clonal hematopoiesis (CH) in patients with CAPS mosaicism.