Verticillium dahliae, a soil-borne fungal pathogen, causes wilt symptoms in dicots but not in monocots. The precise sequence when V. dahliae infects monocots and the underlying mechanisms by which these plants fend off V. dahliae remain unclear. In this study, we confirmed that V. dahliae can cause typical Verticillium wilt symptoms on dicots but not monocots. Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and Transmission electron microscope (TEM) studies indicate that V. dahliae conidia germinate, expand and penetrate into both dicot cotton and monocot maize roots initially but fail to survive in maize roots at later stages of infection. A large number of conidia and mycelia collapse in the maize root. The secretome of cotton isolate Vd991, induced in cotton and maize root about two days post-inoculation, indicate that the V. dahliae secretome likely contributes to the differential infection of the two hosts. CAZymes, oxidoreductases, and peptidases were differentially expressed in V. dahliae during infection of cotton versus maize, and a few of these have been identified as virulence factors during infecting cotton. The V. dahliae secretome likely contributes to the differences in the early infections between cotton and maize, and its inability to survive in maize root during later stages of infection.

Objective: To explore the feasibility and surgical outcomes of robot-assisted vaginal natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (RA-vNOTES) for women suffering from gynecologic disease. Design: Large retrospective case series. Setting: Single academic tertiary care hospital in Houston, Texas, USA. Population: 298 adult women with gynecologic disease who underwent RA-vNOTES. Methods: We performed an observational study reporting and analyzing perioperative outcomes of 298 patients with gynecologic disease who underwent RA-vNOTES in a single institution from June 2019 and August 2024. Main Outcome Measures: Surgical outcomes and complications. Results: 298 patients with a median age of 41 years and median BMI of 29 kg/m 2, underwent RA-vNOTES. The primary indications for surgery were endometriosis (43.62%), chronic pelvic pain (11.07%), abnormal uterine bleeding (20.81%), and uterine fibroid (14.77%). 286 of 298 (95.97%) patients had a hysterectomy. The median total operative time was 138 minutes, with port placement time of 5 minutes, dock time of 3 minutes and robot console time of 63 minutes. Median estimated blood loss was 50 mL. Endometriosis resection of all stages was performed in 192 of 298 (64.43%) patients. Three cases (1.01%) were converted to laparoscopic surgery. One case was converted to robot-assisted single incision plus one port laparoscopic surgery (SILS plus one) and two cases were converted to robot-assisted multi-port surgery. The total complication rate was 17.45% (52 cases), of which 2.1% (6 cases) were intraoperative complications and 15.44% (46 cases) were postoperative complications. Conclusion: Our findings indicate that RA-vNOTES is a feasible and less invasive option for gynecologic diseases.

Objective:To evaluate and compare the effectiveness of traditional teaching methods versus simulation-based learning in clinical ultrasound internships in obstetrics and gynecology Design:A randomized controlled study comparing two teaching methods: traditional patient-based learning and simulation-based teaching . Setting:The study was conducted at the Department of Medical Ultrasonics, Longgang District Maternity & Child Healthcare Hospital of Shenzhen City from January to June 2023. Population or Sample:Twenty-four ultrasound students were selected and randomly divided into two groups (12 in each): the experimental group (simulation-based learning) and the control group (traditional teaching). Methods:Both groups underwent theoretical and practical ultrasound training, followed by assessments. The experimental group used simulation models, while the control group practiced on real patients. Performance was evaluated based on teaching time, daily practice opportunities, content mastery, stress levels, and error rates in clinical assessments. Main Outcome Measures:Teaching time, number of daily practice opportunities, stress levels, content mastery, and error rates during practical exams. Results:Students in the simulation group required less time to complete tasks, had more opportunities for daily practice, reported lower stress levels, and had fewer errors in practical exams compared to the control group. However, the control group acquired a broader range of knowledge beyond the core tasks. Conclusions:Simulation-based learning is effective in reducing stress and errors while increasing hands-on practice opportunities. However, traditional teaching methods offer broader knowledge exposure. A combination of both approaches may provide the best learning outcomes.

Nitrogen (N) application can improve drought tolerance and water use efficiency (WUE) in crops. Previous studies have shown that aerated irrigation improves crop N absorption and utilization. However, the mechanisms behind the interaction of water and N under aerated drip irrigation and its impact on crop WUE remain unclear. This study conducted a two-year greenhouse experiment with spring-summer and autumn-winter tomato crops to investigate the effects of water and nitrogen coupling on leaf carbon (C) and N content, photosynthetic characteristics, dry matter accumulation, yield, and WUE. The experiment included three irrigation levels (W1, 50% ET c; W2, 75% ET c; W3, 100% ET c) and three N application rates (N1, 0 kg ha –1; N2, 150 kg ha –1; N3, 250 kg ha –1). The results showed that increased N application and irrigation levels significantly increased leaf C and N content, net photosynthetic rate (P n), and stomatal conductance (G s) ( P < 0.05). Under deficit irrigation, N application increased leaf C content by 2.17% and N content by 9.34%, improving leaf photosynthetic capacity and increasing P n by 15.57% and G s by 19.32%. The W2 treatment demonstrated the most pronounced improvements compared to W1. The W3N3 treatment produced the highest dry matter accumulation for both tomato types, with no significant difference from W2N3 ( P > 0.05). The W2N3 treatment produced the highest yield, 8.67–9.13% higher than W3N3. The highest WUE occurred in W2N3 for spring–summer tomato and W1N3 for autumn–winter tomato. Although W1N3 had 1.02% higher WUE than W2N3, it had a 15.25% lower yield. Thus, W2N3 is recommended as the optimal water–nitrogen management strategy for greenhouse tomato production. Correlation analysis revealed that leaf C and N contents positively correlated with P n, dry matter accumulation, and yield, while the leaf ratio of C and N (C/N) negatively correlated with WUE, suggesting that leaf C and N contents regulate tomato WUE. N application under deficit irrigation enhanced leaf C and N contents, improving photosynthetic capacity (P n, G s), dry matter accumulation, yield, and WUE. Regression models suggest that the optimal water and N application rates for greenhouse tomatoes are 192.30–225.67 mm and 205.93–243.43 kg ha -1 for spring-summer tomato, and 162.00–181.18 mm and 194.98–237.73 kg ha -1 and for autumn-winter tomato crops. These findings provide a theoretical basis for water-efficient agricultural practices and sustainable greenhouse tomato production.

Genetic data, including environmental DNA (eDNA), are regularly used to monitor escalating biodiversity concerns globally. In Aotearoa New Zealand, biodiversity is unique and cherished – many species are taonga (treasured) and cared for by kaitiaki (guardians with customary responsibilities), specifically mana whenua with custodial rights (Māori; the Indigenous people of New Zealand). Discussions are currently underway regarding the development of a reference DNA barcode database for biodiversity in Aotearoa New Zealand to improve outcomes for biosecurity surveillance and taking stock of biodiversity. A priority of these discussions is that the database development and eventual implementation accords with Te Tiriti o Waitangi (The Treaty of Waitangi). Here, we evaluate current practices for storing genetic data from samples collected in Aotearoa New Zealand by examining two major public data repositories – the National Centre for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) GenBank and the Barcode of Life Data System (BOLD). We find that current database practices limit opportunities for Māori sovereignty, with DNA (itself considered taonga) from many taonga species uploaded to public repositories with no associated restrictions or guidelines over use. This is an important finding that will help shape the development of a future reference DNA database for Aotearoa New Zealand that prioritises the rights and interests of Indigenous communities.

This study introduces a novel privacy-preserving sleep quality assessment algorithm leveraging millimeter-wave radar technology, designed to enhance the accuracy of sleep stage classification through non-contact monitoring of heart rate, respiratory rate, and body movement signals. While traditional contact-based monitoring methods, such as polysomnography (PSG), deliver reliable results in clinical settings, their application in long-term use is limited due to discomfort and complexity, particularly when monitoring special populations in home environments. The innovation of this study lies in the application of a dual sliding window algorithm to detect the stability of physiological signals, combined with real-time privacy-enhancing mechanisms to ensure data security. By dynamically adjusting sliding window sizes and stability thresholds, the algorithm optimizes feature extraction, achieving high accuracy in identifying periods of significant heart rate fluctuations and steady states. Although this research focuses primarily on heart rate stability monitoring, the algorithm demonstrates extensibility to respiratory and other physiological signals. Experimental results indicate that the proposed privacy-aware non-contact monitoring system achieves high accuracy, with practical applications in real-time home monitoring and elderly care, while ensuring user data protection.

Background: Alterations in brain cortical structures have been observed in patients with immune diseases, but the causal relationship remains unclear. This study employs Mendelian randomization (MR) to investigate the causal effects of immune diseases on brain cortical structures. Methods: Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) summary data for immune diseases were utilized. Additionally, data from 51,665 participants in the ENIGMA Consortium were analyzed to assess the link between genetic predisposition to immune diseases and changes in cortical thickness (TH) and surface area (SA). Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measured SA and TH globally and in 34 functional brain regions. Inverse-variance weighted (IVW) analysis was the primary method, with MR Pleiotropy RESidual Sum and Outlier (MR-PRESSO), MR-Egger, and weighted median methods used to detect heterogeneity and pleiotropy. Findings: Globally, there was no significant causal relationship between immune diseases and overall brain cortex structure. However, at the regional level, many immune diseases were found to affect cortical areas linked to cognitive impairment, particularly osteoarthritis and gout. No pleiotropy was detected. Interpretation: Immune diseases have a causal influence on cortical structure, suggesting the existence of an immune-brain axis.

Future-oriented concepts have been shown to link to various mental illnesses. Given the tendency for mental illnesses to co-occur, and enhancing future-oriented mental process and functions are adopted as intervention strategies, there is a necessity to better understand the specific links between the dimensions of future-oriented mental process and general versus specific mental illnesses. This study was among the first to examine the transdiagnostic and disorder-specific associations between future self-connectedness/self-valence and mental illnesses. Bifactor analysis was utilised in z-proso wave 8 data (N=1180, age=20), the two core dimensions of future mental process. Bifactor analysis was based on the mental illness structure identified via a calibration and validation approach, which was suggested as the optimal operation. Symmetry bifactor analysis yielded insufficient support for a p-factor, therefore, further analyses were explored and an S-1 bifactor analysis achieved the best model fit. In a structural equation model, S-1 bifactor model yielded evidence that future self-valence and self-connectedness both negatively correlated with internalising, ADHD, psychosis-like symptoms, and substance use. These findings supported transdiagnostic process and potential intervention strategies of these future-oriented dimensions. However, they were associated via separate paths with ADHD, internalising symptoms, psychosis and substance use, rather than via a shared psychopathological process.

Major ongoing declines in global biodiversity necessitate biomonitoring strategies that enable precise estimates of community diversity on a fine spatial and temporal scale. While environmental DNA (eDNA) has been established as a powerful tool for biodiversity assessment, studies investigating the comparative performance of environmental RNA (eRNA) are limited. Here, we performed eDNA/eRNA metabarcoding of zooplankton communities in outdoor freshwater mesocosms subject to a dynamic range of pH conditions. We comparatively assessed i) the sensitivity of eRNA metabarcoding relative to eDNA and traditional survey methods in capturing zooplankton diversity, ii) the influence of pH on eDNA/eRNA detectability, and iii) the propensity of eRNA to capture contemporary biological assemblages (i.e., rapid species turnover) with high spatial and temporal acuity. Zooplankton richness was similar amongst eDNA/eRNA metabarcoding and traditional survey methods; however, the composition of zooplankton communities detected was more analogous between eDNA and eRNA metabarcoding than with traditional methods. Both eDNA and eRNA captured similar ZOTU richness and frequency of false negative detections (irrespective of site-specific pH); however, eRNA captured species turnover more rapidly than eDNA. Collectively, our findings suggest that i) relative to traditional methods, eDNA and eRNA metabarcoding may provide users with complementary rather than congruent estimates of biodiversity, ii) eDNA and eRNA provide comparable estimates of species richness irrespective of site-specific pH conditions, and iii) eRNA is able to capture short-term community responses with higher spatial and temporal acuity than eDNA. Overall, our findings support the use of eRNA for characterizing contemporary biodiversity in complex and dynamic aquatic environments.

Traditional RFID systems rely on dedicated readers, often expensive and bulky, hindering their widespread deployment. This paper proposes an alternative RFID system that leverages ubiquitous radio sources – Wi-Fi, 5G, Bluetooth, and Zigbee – to replace dedicated readers. Our system employs backscatter communication, where RFID tags modulate reflected signals from these readily available sources to transmit data. We investigate the feasibility and performance of this approach through Matlab simulator. Our results show that 802.11ax at 2.45 GHz exhibits the best Symbol Error Rate (SER), followed by 802.11n at the same frequency. However, 5G, Bluetooth, and Zigbee signals demonstrate lower performance even at high Signal-to-Noise Ratios (SNRs). To address this, we introduce error correction coding techniques (BCH and RS) that significantly improve communication reliability. Utilizing these codes, our system achieves a communication range of up to 1 meter. This finding highlights the potential of ubiquitous radio sources as a viable alternative to dedicated RFID readers, opening doors for various applications.

Triclosan (TCS) is a broad-spectrum antimicrobial disinfectant widely used in pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs). Due to the extensive usage of PPCPs, TCS inevitably entered the environment and posed harmful effects on the ecosystem. Phytoremediation is an attractive approach to remove TCS from the environment. Genetic engineering of plants can be employed to strengthen phytoremediation capacity. In this study, a gene of a nanobody specific to TCS was transformed into Arabidopsis thaliana ( A. thaliana) to enhance the plant absorption of TCS. Two transgenic lines, the T-S-C line with nanobody expression throughout the plant and the T-S-P line with nanobody expression dominant in the roots, were constructed. The expression of nanobody in A. thaliana alleviated the phytotoxicity of TCS. T-S-C and T-S-P exhibited obviously stronger tolerance to TCS toxicity than the wild type (WT), in either a solid medium system or a hydroponics system. Under the stress of TCS, the seedlings of both transgenic plants exhibited an increase of root length and fresh weight compared to those of WT. Moreover, in the presence of TCS, the activities of superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, catalase, and glutathione in transgenic plants were higher than those in WT. The concentration of TCS absorbed by T-S-C and T-S-P from the solid medium system increased by 50.0% and 24.1%, and from the hydroponics system increased by 55.6% and 38.0%, respectively, compared to those absorbed by WT. This study provides a proof of principle that transforming nanobodies into plants represents a novel technology to improve the efficiency of phytoremediation for environmental pollutants.

Objectives Hematological toxicities are a common sequela of radiation therapy (RT), and pelvic RT is of particular concern as the pelvic marrow contributes nearly 50% of total body hematopoiesis. This study aims to evaluate the impact of pelvic RT on hematological toxicities in pediatric patients with pelvic genitourinary rhabdomyosarcoma (GU-RMS). Methods A secondary analysis was conducted on 488 pediatric patients with intermediate-risk rhabdomyosarcoma enrolled in the ARST0531 trial. Of these, 65 had pelvic GU-RMS and received pelvic RT. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to assess the odds of developing cytopenias (anemia, leukopenia, neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, and lymphopenia) during the study period (weeks 1-43). The analysis adjusted for variables such as age, race, tumor size, and chemotherapy regimen. Outcomes were compared between pelvic GU-RMS patients and non-GU RMS patients. Results GU-RMS patients did not have a significantly higher risk of developing cytopenias compared to non-GU RMS patients. Neutropenia was the most prevalent cytopenia, affecting 79.4% of subjects, with no significant difference between the GU (73.8%) and non-GU (80.4%) groups (OR 0.64,p=0.16). Thrombocytopenia was significantly more common in GU-RMS patients during the first 15 weeks (OR 2.79,p=0.01) of treatment. Febrile neutropenia and infectious complications were comparable between both groups across the study periods. Conclusion Comparable rates of hematological toxicities were observed in pediatric GU and non-GU RMS subjects. Pelvic RT for GU-RMS was associated with an early increase in thrombocytopenia risk, though this difference diminished over time. Further understanding these hematological toxicities is essential for improving the management of pediatric RMS patients.

Background : Acute leukemia is typically identified through clinical signs of cytopenia and/or a tumor syndrome, with paraneoplastic syndromes being much rarer. Procedure : We describe a case of galactorrhea and amenorrhea as first symptoms in a child with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). We reviewed the literature and explored potential mechanisms of prolactin (PRL) production. Results : We present a case of a 10-year-old girl who initially presented with inflammatory joint pain, night sweats, weight loss, amenorrhea, along with breast swelling and galactorrhea. At diagnosis, her PRL level was elevated (260.5 μg/L-reference:< 25 μg/L), and she exhibited biological hypogonadism. Blood counts revealed anemia, thrombocytopenia, and 11% circulating blasts. Bone marrow aspiration confirmed AML, classified as FAB M5, with a KAT6A::CREBBP fusion transcript. Cerebrospinal fluid analysis was negative for blasts, and brain magnetic resonance imaging showed no leukemic infiltration of the pituitary gland or concomitant pituitary tumor. Notably, PRL level normalized following chemotherapy. In the absence of central nervous system involvement, ectopic PRL secretion by leukemic blasts is the most plausible explanation for the elevated PRL levels in this case. Conclusion: Acute leukemia is a rare cause of hyperprolactinemia, which can result from various mechanisms including ectopic synthesis by blasts, hypothalamic-pituitary infiltration, stress, or iatrogenic factors. It is crucial to perform hypothalamic-pituitary magnetic resonance imaging and lumbar punction are essential to rule out central nervous system involvement and suprasellar region infiltration. PRL levels might serve as potential markers for monitoring treatment response and detecting relapse in cases presenting with initial hyperprolactinemia.

Layered double hydroxides (LDHs) are ionic layered compounds characterized by anion-containing intermediate regions within positively charged brucite-like layers. LDHs have shown high electrochemical activity in energy conversion systems such as batteries and fuel cells. In this study, we developed a hierarchically porous nanostructure derived from zeolitic imidazolate framework-67, which was subsequently transformed into an LDH structure with varying Ni concentrations. We precisely controlled the Ni-to-Co ratio within the LDH structure and investigated how different mole fractions of Co and Ni influence catalytic activity and selectivity for the electrochemical urea oxidation reaction (UOR). LDH structures with low Ni content (up to 40%) demonstrated high activity and selectivity for O 2 due to their structural instability and the predominant oxygen evolution reaction (OER) originating from ZIF-67. In contrast, LDHs with high Ni content (over 60%) supressed OER and exhibited enhanced activity for UOR. The resulting hollow structure with an expanded electrochemically active surface in LDHs with high Ni content could improve mass transport and diffusion at the electrode interface, leading to better reaction kinetics and higher current densities. These findings provide a foundational design guideline for metal–organic framework-derived nanostructure in UOR.

Models designed to process human language often struggle with complex reasoning tasks, particularly when the input context is presented in a misordered or fragmented format. Token-level multi-hop reasoning presents a novel approach to addressing this challenge, focusing on individual tokens rather than entire sentences or paragraphs, thus allowing for more precise realignment of disordered sequences. Experiments conducted with the Mistal model demonstrate substantial improvements in both accuracy and coherence when the token-level framework is applied, even in highly misordered contexts. Through iterative refinement and token dependency analysis, the model adapts more effectively to fragmented input, outperforming baseline configurations in tasks that require multi-step reasoning. While the implementation of this framework introduces additional computational complexity, the gains in accuracy and logical consistency make it a promising strategy for enhancing the capabilities of language models in scenarios with non-linear or disrupted context. The research highlights the importance of granular token-level processing in overcoming limitations associated with disordered inputs, establishing a pathway for more robust and adaptable reasoning systems.

Sergei V. Jargin

Stand structure affects tree efficiency for a competitive use of resources and largely determines stand productivity and carbon stocks. Consequently, research on individual size and differentiation of stand structures is critical for improving monoculture-stand productivity and carbon stock. Here, we studied the effects of four thinning intensities (control: 0%, LIT: 20%, MIT: 30% and HIT: 40%) in an experimental plantation of Cryptomeria japonica var. sinensis, and assessed the individual differentiation characteristics, diameter class-frequency distribution, stand productivity and carbon stocks over 6 years. The results showed that the Gini coefficient decreased with increasing thinning intensity and stand age. Self-thinning of the C. japonica stands occurred even after thinning, it was relatively high when stand were 10-13 years old but did not occur in the 6th year after thinning in treatments T2 and T3. The mean diameter of each treatment increased with increasing stand age, and the normal distribution curve of diameter class frequency gradually shifted to the right, with small changes in the control treatment and the larger one in treatment T3. Thinning increased the large-diameter (DBH ≥ 26 cm) timber, especially in T2, T3 treatments. Stand volume and productivity varied with stand age, with the greatest change in stand volume observed in T3 followed by that in the control treatment. Stand productivity at different thinning intensities generally decreased and then increased with increasing stand age. Although the carbon stock of individual trees and stand increased with time, the individual trees appear the obviously increased trendy with increasing thinning intensity. The results provided important insights into the implications of designing thinning intensity and timing, and determining the tree-size class removal to meet specific management objectives.

Conflicts between individuals of the same species are common in nature and are mostly resolved with limited aggression. Several theoretical studies, such as the Hawk-Dove game model, investigate the evolution of limited aggression expressed during conflicts between individuals. These studies mainly focus on the individuals involved in the conflict and their genes. Recently accumulating evidence indicates that microbes are associated with diverse functions of their host, and can affect host behavior. Here we extend the classic Hawk-Dove game model to include both the hosts and their microbes. We find that non-aggressive host behavior is more likely to evolve and spread in population when induced by the microbes residing in the host, compared to non-aggressive behavior induced by host genes. Our results suggest that microbes may help explain the ubiquity of non-violent conflict resolution. Consequently, factors that alter the microbial composition within hosts may affect the aggressiveness level in host populations.

The paper presents a study on the development and application of zirconium-based metal-organic frameworks (Zr-MOFs) supported titanium (Ti) single-atom catalysts (SACs). The research focuses on how the phase of Zr-MOFs influences the properties and catalytic performance of the Ti SACs. For the first time, it effectively outlines the significance of phase engineering in enhancing the performance of SACs. A new hexagonal close-packed (hcp) phase-engineered Zr-MOF designed to support and stabilize Ti single atoms. The resulting Ti-hcp Zr-MOF bipyridyl (bpy) SAC is effectively stabilized by organic linkers via robust nitrogen-metal interactions, preventing aggregation. Notably, Ti-hcp Zr-MOF(bpy) demonstrates superior catalytic performance compared to the conventional face-centered cubic (fcc) Zr-MOF(bpy)-supported Ti SAC in (trans)esterification reactions and biodiesel synthesis. Ti-hcp Zr-MOF(bpy) exhibits higher surface energy and a larger surface area than Ti-fcc Zr-MOF(bpy), which can improve the distribution and maximize the number of active sites. Moreover, DFT calculations reveal optimized adsorption free energies for intermediates and a reduced energy barrier for the transesterification of benzyl alcohol and ethyl acetate catalyzed by Ti-hcp Zr-MOF(bpy). This work provides valuable insights for the precise construction of highly active SACs.

Visual communication in fish is often shaped by the light environment they inhabit, which influences both sensory (e.g., eye size, opsin gene expression) and signaling traits (e.g., body reflectance). This study explores the phenotypic variation in the visual communication traits of six species of centrarchids (Centrarchidae) inhabiting two contrasting light environments. We measured morphological, molecular, and signaling traits to determine their variation across photic conditions. Our findings reveal significant interspecific variation in sensory traits but no consistent phenotypic variation between light environments. Centrarchids showed robust visual systems with red-green dichromatic vision, which was largely unaffected by different light habitats. We also found significant molecular evolution in the visual opsin genes, although these changes were not associated with environmental conditions. However, body reflectance displayed species-specific responses to environmental conditions, suggesting that signaling traits may be more flexible than sensory traits. Overall, our results challenge the generality of the current paradigm in visual ecology, which portrays visual systems in fish as highly tunable owing to photic conditions. Our study highlights the potential evolutionary or developmental constraints on centrarchid visual systems and their implications for adaptability to various habitats and novel environmental threats.

Note: Silicon wafer substrates can be used for sample substrates, micro artificial substrates, nanowire substrates or biological substrates . A useful flat base of  silicon wafer particles linked with nanowires  and  for biological applications, Si (silicon wafer) has properties similar to glass and can be used to mount or grow nanowire particles.  It can be easily wiped off or used as a whole wafer for the propagation of nanowires. Silicon nanowire arrays or SiNWs are vertical arrays of silicon nanowires on a flat crystalline silicon wafer substrate.  These nanowires are made by a catalytic oxidation and dissolution of Si in the presence of metal catalyst nanoparticles - a self-organized process commonly  known as silicon wafer-  assisted metal-chemical enhanced process. 

The rapid synthesis of natural-product-like polycycles presents significant synthetic challenges, often necessitating elaborate efforts or the use of noble-metal catalysts. This communication presents a highly chemo−and regio-selective tandem Michael sequence, thereby enabling the divergent synthesis of polycyclic γ-lactams. The highly functionalized acyclic precursors constructed via the Ugi four-component reaction, undergo two distinct pathways involving the double Michael reaction. Importantly, the newly synthesized polycyclic spiro-γ-lactams can be readily converted to valuable tetracyclic γ-lactams under mild conditions. Furthermore, all synthesized compounds are evaluated by MTT assay, exhibiting potent anticancer activities. Notably, compound (±) 7h demonstrates displayed the highest cytotoxicity against PANC-1 cell (IC 50 = 90 nM).

A document by Eduardo Villablanca . Click on the document to view its contents.

Ransomware has rapidly become one of the most prevalent cybersecurity threats, often causing significant operational and financial disruptions by encrypting critical data and demanding ransom payments for decryption. Detecting ransomware early, particularly in network traffic, presents a unique challenge as many existing solutions rely on predefined malware signatures, which fail to detect new or evolving ransomware strains. A hybrid detection model combining Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) for feature extraction and Isolation Forest for anomaly detection offers a novel and adaptive approach that does not depend on static signatures. The CNN component excels at identifying intricate traffic patterns, while the Isolation Forest algorithm efficiently isolates outliers, which correspond to ransomware activities. Extensive experimental evaluations demonstrate the model's superior performance in detecting unknown ransomware variants with high accuracy and low false-positive rates. The adaptability of the proposed solution makes it well-suited for real-time applications in dynamic network environments, offering a more effective defense mechanism against the fast-evolving landscape of ransomware threats.