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Two-dimensional hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) is attractive for several emerging applications. Ion bombardment can be used to modify the hBN properties. However, the understanding of radiation damage buildup in hBN remains limited. Here, we investigate the effects of the dose rate and ion mass on radiation damage buildup by studying 40 nm-thick hBN films bombarded at room temperature with 500 keV 4He, 15N, 40Ar, and 129Xe ions and comparing with results for ion bombardment of polycrystalline hBN ceramics. Raman spectroscopy is used to quantify damage buildup, and transmission electron microscopy is used for microstructural analysis. Experiments are complemented by molecular dynamics simulations of the formation and evolution of point defects. Lighter ions are found to be more efficient at disordering hBN than heavier ions. This observation points to a critical role of intracascade defect processes. In contrast, a negligible dose rate effect observed suggests limited intercascade defect dynamic annealing processes for these irradiation conditions. These findings provide a fundamental basis for hBN defect engineering.

In daily life, we are constantly bombarded with sensory information from multiple sources. Our ability to combine these cues into a single perceptual experience is known as multisensory integration. Research is starting to show that multisensory integration may be altered in individuals with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). However, most studies have focused on clinical populations, leaving little known about how multisensory integration related to ADHD traits along a dimensional spectrum, consistent with the Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) approach. The present study examined associations between ADHD traits and multisensory integration in university students using three different behavioural tasks (i.e., Sound-Induced Flash Illusion [SIFI], McGurk, and speech-in-noise). ADHD traits were assessed dimensionally, including overall ADHD traits, as well as inattentive and hyperactive-impulsive trait dimensions. Participants were also divided into High ADHD and Low ADHD trait groups for categorical comparisons. Results indicated no significant associations between overall, inattentive, or hyperactive-impulsive ADHD traits and performance on any of the multisensory tasks. Similarly, no group differences were observed between High and Low ADHD trait groups. These findings suggest that multisensory integration differences reported in previous research may emerge only when ADHD traits reach clinical severity, rather than existing across the broader continuum of traits. This study highlights the importance of considering both dimensional and categorical approaches when examining cognitive mechanisms in ADHD. Future work should explore developmental and contextual factors that may shape multisensory integration in clinically significant ADHD.

Manganese Mercury Thiocyanate (MMTC) and Manganese Mercury Thiocyanate Di Methyl Sulfoxide (MMTD) crystals were prepared from aqueous solution using a slow evaporation process. The pure MMTC and MMTD were bombarded with electrons of 8 MeV energy in the free air environment. The samples were kept at a distance of 30 cm from the beam exit point, where an almost uniform electron beam distribution exists for an area of 8 cm x 8 cm. The dose rate was adjusted with a current of 20 mA, and the accelerator was operated in pulsed mode at a repetition frequency of 50 Hz. The samples were exposed to a graded electron beam dose of 6 kGy and 8 kGy. Electron beam irradiation is an efficient process whereby high-energy electrons are embedded into a pristine crystal lattice to induce changes in its microscopic structural and electronic environment. The changes after electron beam irradiation are compared with those of pure crystals for Bandgap energy, Urbach energy, Photoconductivity and AC conductivity, and the graphs and tables of comparison are added.

This qualitative study examines death anxiety among pregnant women in Gaza during genocide. Drawing on in-depth interviews with thirty internally displaced pregnant women, the findings reveal that fear of maternal and fetal death is not a pathological exaggeration but a rational response to bombardment, starvation, displacement, and medical infrastructure collapse. Death anxiety emerges as structurally produced, sensory, and continuous, extending from pregnancy into the postpartum period. By integrating reproductive justice theory with conflict-health scholarship, the study argues that gestation under genocide transforms reproduction into a condition of sustained mortality proximity, demanding political-not merely clinical-interpretation and response.

Commercially available two extraction chromatographic resins TK-101 and TK-200 were evaluated for the development of radiochemical separation of no-carrier added (NCA) 204,206Bi produced from 36 MeV alpha-particle induced reaction on Tl2CO3 target. Excellent one step separation was achieved by TK-101 at 1M HNO3 with a separation factor of S(Tl/Bi) = 4.85 × 105 employing solid liquid extraction method. Tl was completely extracted by TK-101 leaving NCA 204,206Bi in aqueous phase. TK-200 was found to be selective for Bi radioisotopes and maximum extraction was seen at 1M HNO3 with co-extraction of some amount of bulk Tl.

Comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) is a meaningful advancement in the field of oncology, enabling critical clinical decision-making regarding precision treatments that have biological rationale. In June 2025, the Colorectal Cancer Resource & Action Network (CCRAN) hosted their annual pan-tumour Biomarkers Conference, a virtual meeting of clinicians, scientists, and patients, to discuss recent progress in overcoming barriers to CGP access for patients in Canada with metastatic cancer. The meeting's cornerstone was the presentation of the first national costs and benefits analysis of universal CGP for five metastatic tumour types; findings demonstrated this diagnostic's potential, with the model estimating a gain of 3440 life years while generating $87M-134M of potential healthcare system savings, over a six-year time horizon. Additionally, conference sessions focused on the clinical value of CGP, strategies to leverage the economic analysis results and learn from international experiences, as well as mechanisms to prepare the Canadian healthcare system for future adoption. The conference led to calls to action for a national strategy to reduce disparities in equitable access to CGP, funding allocation for CGP as a standard of care for all patients with metastatic cancer, and pathways to enhance current infrastructure to expedite CGP across the country.

This study investigates the feasibility of obtaining high-temperature (2000-2200 °C) measurements using thermionic emission from a W-La2O3 cathode in a low-pressure argon glow discharge environment. Compared to a vacuum environment, the cathode emission characteristics and temperature variation patterns in a plasma environment exhibit significant differences. These differences arise primarily from the competitive interplay between the thermionic emission cooling (TEC) effect and the ion bombardment heating (IBH) effect. Among the discharge parameters (temperature, applied bias voltage, and background pressure), the applied bias voltage is the key factor influencing this competitive interplay. Consequently, the cathode surface temperature exhibits three distinct regions as a function of bias voltage: the TEC-dominated region (10-20 V), the transition region (20-40 V), where TEC and IBH are nearly in equilibrium, and the IBH-dominated region (40-60 V). The results indicate that by adjusting the discharge parameters to place thermionic emission in the transition region, the TEC and IBH effects can be mutually offset. Under these conditions, the cathode temperature can be unambiguously determined from the measured emission current using the modified Schottky equation. This approach simplifies the functional relationship between emission current and temperature (J-T), thereby enabling high-temperature measurements to be obtained.

In the research and development of advanced metallic materials at the micro- and nano-scale, in-situ mechanical characterization plays a critical role in evaluating material mechanical behavior. The Bruker Push-to-Pull (PTP) chip-based in-situ mechanical testing technique offers broad experimental flexibility, enabling an extended range of mechanical responses in such studies. However, owing to its ultrahigh displacement resolution-on the order of several nanometers-the welding process between the sample and the chip must meet extremely stringent requirements. To address this, preliminary work including fabrication of contacts on sample slice and deposition of platinum pads on PTP were completed by focus ion beam. A large ion beam current was selected to bombard and co-mingle contacts and pads together. Results demonstrate that this method not only achieves robust bonding between the specimen and the PTP chip, but also ensures that the load transfer from the actuator to the PTP structure maintains a well-controlled uniaxial tensile condition throughout the process. The combination of pads and contacts also provide a sufficient thinning angle for thinning to satisfy the stringent thickness requirements of transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observation. The present work provides a precise, efficient, and controllable preparation strategy for in situ mechanical testing at the micro/nano scale.

Understanding and engineering atomic defects in hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) provides a powerful platform for realizing solid-state quantum emitters and spin qubits, advancing the field of quantum information science and technologies. However, the full potential of such quantum defects remains locked by the critical lack of a deterministic structure-property relationship at the atomic scale. Here, we demonstrate a strategy to atomically engineer and decipher quantum defects in hBN by integrating scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy (STM/STS) and noncontact atomic force-microscopy with a CO-functionalized tip. We implemented controllable argon ion bombardment to create both boron vacancies (VB) and nitrogen vacancies (VN) in submonolayer hBN grown on Cu(111). Simultaneously, encapsulated Ar species trapped between hBN and Cu(111) locally lift the hBN to form nanobubbles, thereby decoupling atomic vacancies from the metal substrate and enabling direct probing of their electronic states. For the on-bubble VN, STS measurement reveals a prominent in-gap state with a phonon replica. Furthermore, with aid of STM tip-assisted manipulation, we demonstrate that the tuning of nanobubble sizes modulates their strain profile, thereby modulating the energetic positions of electronic states in on-bubble defects, corroborated by density functional calculations. Our studies offer insight into the intrinsic defect structures in hBN and quantum defect engineering via local strain engineering.

Film optimization using high power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) currently faces challenges in process control, primarily due to its reliance on empirical trial-and-error adjustment of the macroscopic parameters as well as the insufficient understanding of the underlying mechanisms. To address these issues, this study adopts concentration ratios of monovalent ions over divalent ions of the same metallic element (i.e., Me+/Me2+) in plasma as a function of key controlled discharge parameters. A mass spectrometer was employed for the in situ diagnostics of ionic species in HiPIMS discharges of Cr, Ti, and Al targets. The influence of discharge parameters on Me+/Me2+ ratios was systematically investigated. Combined with film characterization, the correlations of discharge parameters, ion concentrations, microstructure evolution, and mechanical properties were established. Results demonstrated that Me+/Me2+ ratios could be tuned significantly by varying discharge parameters. Decreasing the Me+/Me2+ ratio suppressed growth of columnar grains and promoted film densification due to enhanced high-energy bombardment. This study reveals the dominant role of the charge state distribution of metallic ions in HiPIMS on the microstructure and properties of nitride films, thereby providing a novel approach to deposition-process optimization, which can also be used as guidance for studies on ternary as well as high-entropy nitride films.

Pirin (PRN) is subfamily protein of the Cupin superfamily and have been implicated in flavonol accumulation and developmental signaling in plants, but whether they regulate ROS-flavonol homeostasis during pollen tube growth remains unknown. To test this hypothesis, we investigated PRN genes in Rosaceae, focusing on pear pollen tubes. We identified 25 PRN genes in Arabidopsis and seven Rosaceae species. The PbrPRN genes were grouped into three clades based on phylogenetic topology and gene structure characteristics. As candidate regulators, we found that PbrPRN2 and PbrPRN3 are highly expressed in pear pollen tubes by transcriptome data and qRT-PCR. Following particle bombardment, both PbrPRN2 and PbrPRN3 were localized to the nucleus and cytoplasm. Separate overexpression of PbrPRN2 or PbrPRN3 in pollen grains significantly inhibited pollen tube growth, whereas individual knockdown of PbrPRN2 and PbrPRN3 markedly promoted pollen tube growth, increased ROS production, and decreased flavonol content. These results reveal that PbrPRN2 and PbrPRN3 regulate pollen tube growth by controlling flavonol and ROS levels, establishing a basis for understanding the roles of PRN family genes in pollen tubes across Rosaceae.

Data-driven approaches have accelerated materials discovery, yet they often remain "black boxes" that prioritize performance over physical understanding. To bridge the gap between statistical correlation and physical causality, this study establishes an interpretable machine learning (IML) framework applied to the sputter deposition of Mo-doped In2O3 thin films. Unlike conventional predictive models, our approach uses XGBoost regression combined with feature-importance analysis to quantitatively decouple the entangled effects of deposition parameters. Crucially, the model autonomously discovered─without explicit prior knowledge─that the carrier density is governed by oxygen partial pressure (PO2), while electron mobility is driven by crystallinity depending on the trade-off effects between adatom diffusion and high-energy particle bombardment. We experimentally validated these ML-derived hypotheses, identifying that the PO2 dependence stems from defect compensation by interstitial oxygen rather than simple oxygen vacancies and that the mobility peak corresponds to optimal crystallinity. This work demonstrates that IML can effectively "rediscover" governing physical laws from small experimental data sets, offering a scalable strategy to elucidate growth mechanisms in functional materials.

Drought and salinity are major constraints to wheat productivity worldwide. Heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) is a conserved molecular chaperone implicated in plant stress responses, but its role in cellular stability and structural adaptation in wheat remains poorly understood. To investigate its function, the sorghum-derived SbHsp70 gene was constitutively overexpressed in durum wheat (cv. Kofa) and bread wheat (cv. Bobwhite) via particle bombardment. Transgenic lines were evaluated under controlled drought and salinity stress conditions using physiological, cellular, molecular, and agronomic analyses. SbHsp70 overexpression enhanced drought and salinity tolerance in both wheat backgrounds. Transgenic plants maintained higher membrane stability, relative water content, and photosynthetic activity under stress. Enhanced interlocking marginal lobe formation, altered actin organization, and modulation of stress-responsive gene expression were also observed. Importantly, transgenic lines maintained agronomic performance under drought without yield penalties under well-watered conditions. These findings suggest that SbHsp70 contributes to abiotic stress tolerance through improved cellular stability and stress-associated structural adaptations. While the observed cytoskeletal and transcriptional changes indicate a coordinated stress response, further studies are required to elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms.

Choosing the right target material for a 3 MeV (10 mA, 30 kW beam power) proton-driven accelerator-based boron neutron capture therapy (AB-BNCT) system is far from straightforward a material that produces the most neutrons under proton bombardment does not necessarily deliver the best therapeutic beam. This paper addresses that gap through a systematic two-phase PHITS (version 3.28) study of four candidate targets: lithium (Li), beryllium (Be), beryllium oxide (BeO), and iron (Fe), simulated over target thicknesses of 0.01-1.4 cm. In Phase 1 (proton-driven), lithium produced the highest raw thermal neutron flux - 7.69 × 1010 n/cm2·s at 1.4 cm - but beryllium's fast neutron dose per unit thermal flux was roughly 50% lower, indicating a considerably cleaner radiation field. Phase 2 (neutron-driven transport) told a very different story: beryllium developed the highest internal thermal neutron flux, 5.17 × 1014 n/cm2·s, driven by its neutron multiplication and moderation properties. Clinical dosimetry using three point detectors (F75, F85, F95) at z = 150, 155, and 160 cm along the BSA beam axis yielded, for the neutron-driven beryllium configuration: thermal flux of 6.03 × 109, 5.65 × 109, and 5.30 × 109 n/cm2·s (Phase 2) and 5.34 × 109, 5.00 × 109, and 4.69 × 109 n/cm2·s (Phase 1); average dose delivery rates (ADDR) of 7.29, 6.82, and 6.40 RBE-cGy/min (Phase 2) and 6.45, 6.04, and 5.67 RBE-cGy/min (Phase 1); and treatment times of 4.12, 4.40, and 4.69 min (Phase 2) and 4.65, 4.97, and 5.29 min (Phase 1) for a 30 Gy-eq prescription - a 6.6-fold improvement over the best published compact AB-BNCT design at comparable proton energy. Taken together, these results make a compelling case for beryllium as the optimal target material for compact 3 MeV AB-BNCT systems.

Monoamine oxidase B (MAO-B), upregulated in reactive astrogliosis, represents a promising positron emission tomography (PET) target for neurodegenerative disorders. In this study, 37 fluorinated indazole carboxamide derivatives were designed and synthesized as MAO-B inhibitors. Among them, compound 32 showed outstanding MAO-B inhibitory activity (IC50 = 0.07 nM) and excellent selectivity over MAO-A. Automated radiosynthesis offered [18F]32 with high molar activity (135.8 GBq/μmol) and radiochemical yield (36.5%, decay-corrected to end-of-bombardment). Dynamic PET imaging revealed efficient blood-brain barrier penetration of [18F]32 (SUV1 min = 1.40 in rat), with specific binding confirmed by selegiline blocking. Ex vivo autoradiography revealed region-specific binding of [18F]32 to MAO-B in rat brain. Metabolism studies showed that 62 ± 4% of brain radioactivity remained as the parent fraction at 30 min post-injection. Altogether, this work provides a novel MAO-B PET tracer based on an indazole carboxamide scaffold, potentially providing inspiration for future tracer development.

Defect functionalization is a promising route to enhance spin-orbit coupling (SOC) in graphene, but achieving controllable fluorination while suppressing irreversible lattice damage remains challenging. Here we demonstrate low-damage fluorination of monolayer graphene using a remote CF4 plasma process that suppresses ion-bombardment-induced lattice damage. Raman spectroscopy with defect-activation analysis and an annealing-reversibility test identifies a processing window where fluorination predominantly yields reversible sp3 C-F functionalization while minimizing vacancy formation. Nonlocal transport measurements show that the nonlocal resistance increases in fluorinated graphene and decays exponentially with channel length, consistent with spin diffusion and yielding a spin relaxation length of ∼0.4 μm. Within the Elliott-Yafet framework, we estimate an effective SOC energy scale of 4-9 meV. These results provide a Raman-validated, tunable process route for enhancing SOC in graphene while suppressing vacancy damage.

The integration of genomic sequencing into newborn screening (genomic newborn screening; gNBS) has the potential to identify more presymptomatic babies who could benefit from early intervention compared to traditional universal newborn screening (NBS). Realizing these benefits requires careful navigation of ethical, legal, and social implications (ELSI) to minimize harms, promote equity, and maintain trust in NBS programs. The primary objective of this scoping review is to synthesize the ELSI discussed in the gNBS literature, to support implementation and identify knowledge gaps. A secondary objective is to characterize the landscape and contours of the gNBS field. This review, conducted in July 2025, includes academic literature addressing genomic sequencing as a first‑line NBS screen. ELSI were identified within each publication, and these informed the development of a set of decision points with ELSI dimensions within gNBS. A total of 485 publications met inclusion criteria, with the first published in 1987. The volume of publications increased over time, with growing proportions of empirical studies and work associated with gNBS projects, alongside a decreasing proportion of publications from North America. In total, 3781 ELSI considerations were charted using AI-assisted methods, relevant to 59 decision points organized into nine areas. Current scholarship is concentrated on early implementation questions, while long‑term operational needs-such as data stewardship, clinical follow‑up, and sustainable governance-remain underexplored. These gaps, together with limited contributions from many regions due to a multitude of factors, highlight the need for more diverse, empirically grounded, and forward‑looking research to support responsible decisions around gNBS.

Helicobacter pylori infection causes peptic ulcer disease that affects a huge population of the world. The resistance to antibiotics is increasing so fast that the efficacy of the traditional eradication therapies is declining, as the bacterium can develop protective biofilms, and mutations in the genes 23SrRNA (responding to clarithromycin), and rdxA (responding to metronidazole) are emerging. This review discusses how polysaccharide- coated nanoemulsions (PCNs) can be a promising new way of drug delivery to address these major problems. In this review, the preclinical information on PCN development and application is gathered. Colloidal mixtures of oil and water (so-called nanoemulsions (NEs)) could be produced by high-energy processes (high-pressure homogenization and ultrasonication) or by low-energy processes (phase inversion temperature). NEs enhance the bioavailability and solubility of poorly soluble antibiotics or natural bioactive compounds (curcumin). The polysaccharide coating is advantageous in two aspects: Mucoadhesion, the association to the gastric negative mucosa, which increases gastroretention, thereby prolonging the period of contact of the drug where the infection is occurring. Increased penetration, through which the small size and polymer properties of the nanocarrier enable its penetration through bacterial biofilms, which is a major cause of therapy failure. This breach and bombardment strategy can attain high local levels of drugs, overcoming resistance mechanisms such as efflux pumps and getting rid of persisting bacteria by co-encapsulating antibiotics with biofilm-disrupting agents. PCNs come out as an alternative that can help enhance the eradication rates of H. pylori. This nanoformulation can be an effective answer to improve clinical outcomes in the management of peptic ulcers by improving drug stability, targeting the gastric mucosa, and overcoming the issue of antibiotic resistance, as well as biofilm challenges.

The interfacial chemistry of octadecyltrimethoxysilane (OTMS) self-assembled monolayers (SAMs), approximately 2 nm thick, formed on silicon oxide surfaces reflects contributions from both the interfacial siloxane network and the underlying SiO2 substrate. Time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) enables molecular-level probing of this interface through silicon oxide cluster ions generated during primary ion bombardment. However, interpretation is hindered by the lack of unambiguous diagnostic ions that uniquely distinguish between contributions from the siloxane network and the underlying SiO2 substrate. Here, we demonstrate that this limitation can be overcome by analyzing the relative intensities of commonly observed cluster ions, rather than relying on uniquely identifiable species. In particular, the ion pairs Si2O4H-/Si2O5H- and Si3O6H-/Si3O7H- are identified as sensitive probes of the siloxane network, with the relative intensities of the oxygen-deficient and fully oxygenated ions reflecting the degree of oxygen-deficient (undercoordinated) silicon environments. By leveraging these inter-ion relationships, this approach provides a robust and generalizable framework for elucidating interfacial chemistry in organosilane SAM systems. Principal component analysis (PCA) of the ToF-SIMS data independently corroborates these findings, confirming that chemically meaningful information is embedded in variations in silicon oxide cluster ion emission and enables clear discrimination between siloxane-derived and substrate-derived contributions.