Category: Nevin Manimala

Nature. 2026 Jun 17. doi: 10.1038/s41586-026-10664-8. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Climate-induced permafrost thaw unlocks large stores of organic carbon that are mineralized and emitted as carbon dioxide (CO₂) from rivers to the atmosphere¹. Concurrently, warming and permafrost thaw can increase mineral weathering rates, thus affecting the release and sequestration of inorganic carbon^2-4. Yet how these biological and geological carbon cycles interact and jointly affect CO₂ dynamics (emission compared with drawdown) in permafrost rivers remains unknown⁵. Here we combine CO₂ emissions, organic and inorganic solute concentrations, dual carbon isotopes (δ¹³C-Δ¹⁴C) and geochemical modelling to infer how permafrost thaw may affect river biogeochemistry over decades to centuries across the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Leveraging a gradient of thermal permafrost degradation, we find that river CO₂ emissions decline, whereas solute fluxes from rock weathering increase with decreasing permafrost cover. Across this region, net CO₂ drawdown fluxes from rock weathering are about 35% of river CO₂ emissions, varying from around 15% in catchments with continuous permafrost to more than 100% in catchments with discontinuous or isolated permafrost. Thus, carbon fluxes from chemical weathering may become increasingly important with ongoing permafrost thaw, potentially even outpacing river CO₂ emissions. Our findings disentangle the interplay between biological and geological carbon fluxes that are important for the cryosphere and the global carbon cycle.

PMID:42310459 | DOI:10.1038/s41586-026-10664-8

Sci Rep. 2026 Jun 18. doi: 10.1038/s41598-026-58302-7. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Financial time series forecasting faces significant challenges due to inherent nonlinearity, non-stationarity, and high levels of noise. To address these issues, this study proposes VMD-CSA-BiT, an integrated framework that combines variational mode decomposition (VMD), convolutional self-attention (CSA), and bidirectional transformers (BiT) to enhance prediction robustness. The methodology first decomposes raw price series into interpretable intrinsic mode functions via VMD. It then employs the CSA module to refine pointwise representations at individual time steps and applies the BiT network to model bidirectional long-term temporal dependencies. Evaluated on a range of financial assets using a comprehensive set of market features, the proposed framework demonstrates consistent performance improvements over multiple benchmark models, including traditional statistical methods, machine learning models, and advanced deep learning architectures, achieving significant reductions in key error metrics. The results indicate that VMD-CSA-BiT offers superior forecasting accuracy and stability, with visual analyses showing that its predictions generally align with actual market movements. This study shows that VMD-CSA-BiT is a promising and effective approach for financial time series forecasting. Future research will focus on further architectural optimizations and extending the framework to additional financial applications.

PMID:42310433 | DOI:10.1038/s41598-026-58302-7

Sci Rep. 2026 Jun 17. doi: 10.1038/s41598-026-58460-8. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Non-specific low back pain (NSLBP) represents about 80-95% of all LBP cases, yet the optimal lumbar traction position for effective treatment remains debated. To investigate the effect of different positions during lumbar traction on pain, function, and ROM in adults with NSLBP. Thirty participants were randomly allocated to one of three lumbar traction position groups: supine, side-lying, or prone. Outcome measures included the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), International Physical Activity Questionnaire short form (IPAQ-SF), Finger-to-Floor Test (FFT), and Numerical Pain Rating Scale (NPRS). Measurements were obtained at baseline, after the third session, and after completion of the 3-week intervention. Within-group analysis showed significant improvements in ODI and NPRS scores over time in all three groups (p < 0.001). The supine group demonstrated earlier within-group improvement after the third session (p = 0.012). IPAQ improved significantly only in the side-lying group (p = 0.01), whereas FFT did not show significant changes in any group (p > 0.05). However, between-group analysis revealed no statistically significant differences among the three traction positions at any measurement point for any outcome (p > 0.05). Lumbar traction was associated with improvements in pain and disability regardless of position. However, no traction position demonstrated superiority over the others. The earlier improvement observed in the supine group should be interpreted cautiously because it was based on within-group change rather than between-group superiority. Future studies with larger samples are needed to clarify whether positional differences are clinically meaningful. Also, these findings are limited to male participants and should not be generalized to female populations.Trial registration: The trial was registered on 02/02/2025, clinicaltrials.gov, Identifier: (NCT06812338).

PMID:42310416 | DOI:10.1038/s41598-026-58460-8

Sci Rep. 2026 Jun 17;16(1):18859. doi: 10.1038/s41598-026-57128-7.

ABSTRACT

This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of intracorneal ring segments (Keraring) implantation for the management of high regular astigmatism (> 3.00 D) in eyes with non-ectatic corneas. Twenty eyes of twenty patients with high regular astigmatism and topographically normal corneas. All eyes underwent femtosecond laser-assisted implantation of SI-5 Keraring segments. Comprehensive preoperative and postoperative assessments included uncorrected and best-corrected distant visual acuity, manifest refraction, keratometric measurements, and anterior corneal higher-order aberrations (HOAs). Follow-up examinations were performed at 1 week, 1 month, and 6 months. Statistical analysis incorporated repeated-measures ANOVA and Pearson correlation coefficients. Significant improvement in UDVA was observed at all postoperative visits (p < 0.001). CDVA improved significantly during the early postoperative period but not at 6 months. Mean refractive astigmatism decreased markedly from – 8.19 ± 2.50 D preoperatively to – 3.14 ± 1.55 D at 6 months postoperatively, corresponding to a mean reduction of 61.3% (p < 0.000). Significant reductions were also observed in spherical equivalent, Keratometric indices, total HOAs and coma aberrations. Corneal thickness and spherical aberrations showed no significant changes throughout the follow-up period. No intraoperative or postoperative complications were observed. Keraring implantation may provide meaningful improvements in visual acuity, refractive outcomes, corneal regularity, and selected higher-order aberrations in eyes with high regular astigmatism and non-ectatic corneas. Larger studies with longer follow-up are warranted to confirm these preliminary findings.

PMID:42310410 | DOI:10.1038/s41598-026-57128-7

Nat Aging. 2026 Jun 17. doi: 10.1038/s43587-026-01130-1. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Although senolytics such as dasatinib and quercetin (D+Q) show promise in modulating aging, their tissue-specific efficacy and optimal intervention timing remain poorly understood. Given D+Q’s potential off-target effects, incomplete senescent cell clearance and associated hematologic side effects, we performed an unbiased multitissue single-cell analysis in aged mice across different aging phenotypes and tissue contexts. Here through integrative transcriptomics, single-cell technologies, histopathology and molecular profiling, we investigated the influence of D+Q treatment on aging-related phenotypes at the tissue and cellular levels. Specifically, D+Q remodeled immunity by enhancing immune cell function and maintaining population stability, alleviated tissue inflammation and improved metabolic profiles. Furthermore, intervention initiated during early aging and prolonged treatment showed a greater tendency to mitigate readouts of aging compared to shorter, late-stage treatment. Our findings reveal that D+Q systematically attenuates several aging hallmarks in a tissue- and cell-type-specific manner, and support the possibility that early-initiated, long-term intervention may amplify efficacy.

PMID:42310394 | DOI:10.1038/s43587-026-01130-1

Sci Rep. 2026 Jun 17. doi: 10.1038/s41598-026-57686-w. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

In this paper, a distributed robust adaptive confined fault-tolerant optimal control method based on deep neural networks is proposed, aiming to solve the complexity and uncertainty problems in human height and weight prediction. Note that the term ‘control’ in this work refers to feedback regulation of the iterative learning/optimization dynamics of the predictor (iteration domain), rather than controlling the physical time evolution of human height/weight. In the field of public security technology, accurate prediction of individual physiological characteristics has important application value, especially in crime prevention, individual identification, and behavior analysis. Traditional prediction methods often perform erratically in the face of data noise, environmental changes, and outliers. To this end, this paper combines deep learning and fault-tolerant control theory to propose an efficient and reliable prediction framework by optimizing the robustness and adaptive ability of the predictor. By introducing a limited fault-tolerant mechanism, it can maintain high prediction accuracy and stability under various perturbations and incomplete data conditions. Moreover, we evaluate the proposed framework from three complementary dimensions-statistical similarity, overall predictive performance, and minority-class detection ability-and explicitly acknowledge that these criteria may exhibit trade-offs: improved distributional similarity does not necessarily translate into better decision boundaries, and optimizing overall performance can conflict with minority detection (e.g., recall/F1). Simulation and experimental results show that after 2000 rounds of iterative optimization, the normal and fault-tolerant prediction accuracies of human height for finger length of left and right hands are 98.4% and 97.7%, respectively, and the normal and fault-tolerant prediction accuracies of human body weight are 98.2% and 97.5%, respectively, by combining the 372 sets of data with 30% of data loss caused by human. The accuracy of normal and fault-tolerant prediction of human height was 90.8% and 89.2% for the finger length of the left hand, and the accuracy of normal and fault-tolerant prediction of human weight was 85.6% and 83.3%, respectively. The normal and fault-tolerant prediction accuracies of human height for the finger length of the right hand were 96% and 95.3%, and the normal and fault-tolerant prediction accuracies of human weight were 94.4% and 93.5%, respectively. These findings are most directly applicable to small-to-medium tabular datasets with moderate class imbalance and limited minority samples, which matches the regimes evaluated in this study. This study provides a new idea and technical path for biometric prediction and analysis in the field of public security technology, which has important theoretical significance and practical value.

PMID:42310389 | DOI:10.1038/s41598-026-57686-w

Sci Rep. 2026 Jun 17. doi: 10.1038/s41598-026-57664-2. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

This study proposes a data-driven experimental decision framework to identify the most suitable sustainable supplementary materials for green concrete, aiming to reduce cement usage, industrial waste burden, and environmental impacts in the construction sector. It experimentally evaluates compressive strength, split tensile strength, flexural strength, and ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV) of green concrete incorporating waste materials including silica fume, GGBS, metakaolin, granite dust, rice husk ash, ceramic waste, marble powder, coconut shell powder, plastic waste, and bottom ash. A hybrid methodology integrating Pearson correlation, Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP), and k-means clustering was developed to capture complex interrelationships. Correlation-based dependency analysis was incorporated into AHP to generate objective performance weightages, where compressive strength was ranked highest (37%), followed by flexural strength (25%), UPV (22%), and split tensile strength (16%). K-means clustering then categorized materials into best and worst performance groups. The findings revealed silica fume as the most optimal and balanced material, achieving 48.5 MPa compressive strength, 4.0 MPa split tensile strength, 7.5 MPa flexural strength, and 4400 m/s UPV, indicating superior structural performance and durability potential. ANOVA confirmed strong statistical distinction between clusters (p < 0.0001), validating the robustness of the classification. The main contribution of this work lies in introducing a scalable machine-learning-assisted multi-criteria framework that objectively ranks sustainable cement replacement materials, enabling reliable selection for high-performance green concrete design.

PMID:42310371 | DOI:10.1038/s41598-026-57664-2

Sci Rep. 2026 Jun 17. doi: 10.1038/s41598-026-57887-3. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Recent technology requires materials with unusual combinations of properties to meet specific needs. Composite materials are gaining more importance due to high toughness, stiffness, specific strength, strength to weight ratio etc. Hybrid composite materials are in more demand with varying reinforcement which enhances mechanical properties. The present work is aimed at reinforcing AL6061 alloy with 13% Silicon carbide and varying % of graphite (1%, 2% and 3%). The hybrid composites are fabricated using bottom pouring stir casting machine. The fabrication of specimens is done as per ASTM standards. The wear characteristics of Al-SiC (13%)-Graphite composites, with and without cryogenic treatment, were investigated using a statistical optimization approach based on the Taguchi method. The multiple regression equation obtained using ANOVA correlates the evaluation of the wear of the HYBRID combination of both untreated and cryogenically treated (CT) specimens with a reasonable degree of approximation. Cryogenic treatment resulted in a reduction in wear scar depth and coefficient of friction under the tested conditions. The Al 6061/13%SiC/2%Gr is best among all the combinations studied.

PMID:42310359 | DOI:10.1038/s41598-026-57887-3

Sci Rep. 2026 Jun 17. doi: 10.1038/s41598-026-58204-8. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Intraoperative radiotherapy with low-energy X-rays (IOXRT) is an increasingly utilized modality during breast conserving therapy (BCT). However, the molecular mechanisms by which it affects the postoperative microenvironment have not yet been fully elucidated. Surgical wound fluid (WF) has been shown to modulate cancer cell behavior; however, its metabolomic composition has not previously been characterized in the context of breast cancer. The objective of this study was to evaluate metabolic alterations in postoperative WF and to determine whether IOXRT induces different metabolic signatures compared to mastectomy (AMP). Postoperative WF was collected from 54 breast cancer patients (38 BCT IOXRT; 16 AMP) at two time points: day 1 (A) and day 5 (B) after surgery. The samples were then analyzed by¹H NMR spectroscopy using NOESY, CPMG, and JRES techniques. A total of 114 spectral signals were quantified, and 42 metabolites were identified. Multivariate analyses, such as Principal Component Analysis (PCA), Partial Least Squares Discriminant Analysis (PLS DA), and Orthogonal Partial Least Squares Discriminant Analysis (OPLS DA), as well as the univariate Wilcoxon signed rank tests were applied to assess temporal and intergroup differences. A clear metabolic separation was observed between time points A and B in both treatment groups. However, statistical analysis did not reveal significant differences between BCT IOXRT and AMP. In BCT IOXRT, on the fifth day, WF exhibited a decrease in the branched chain amino acids, asparagine, lysine, methionine, and glutamate, concomitant with an increase in lactate and pyruvate. AMP-specific alterations included a decrease in 2-oxoglutarate and hypoxanthine on the first day, along with an increase in glucose and creatinine on the fifth day. A decline in ketone bodies (3-hydroxybutyrate, acetoacetate, acetone) was observed in both groups. Postoperative WF demonstrates dynamic metabolic changes reflecting early wound healing processes and treatment-related effects. IOXRT has been found to be associated with enhanced glycolytic signatures and reduced amino acid levels, suggesting altered metabolic activity in the irradiated tumor bed. The WF metabolomic profile has the potential to offer a novel source of biomarkers, which could facilitate the evaluation of treatment response and tumor microenvironment characteristics.

PMID:42310356 | DOI:10.1038/s41598-026-58204-8

Sci Rep. 2026 Jun 17. doi: 10.1038/s41598-026-57426-0. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

To investigate the association between recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) therapy and ocular biometric and refractive characteristics in Korean children with idiopathic short stature (ISS). This cross-sectional study compared ocular parameters between children receiving rhGH therapy for ISS (GH group) and age- and sex-matched healthy controls. Comprehensive ophthalmologic assessments were performed, including axial length (AL), spherical equivalent refraction (SER), peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (pRNFL), and ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer (GC-IPL) thickness. The GH group showed significantly more myopic SER than controls (-1.68 ± 1.68 D vs. – 1.15 ± 1.17D, p = 0.048). Although mean AL was slightly longer in the GH group, the difference was not statistically significant (23.65 ± 1.10 mm vs. 23.43 ± 0.98 mm, p = 0.290). Sectoral pRNFL analysis revealed temporal thickening (p < 0.001) in the GH group. In multivariable analyses within the GH group, longer treatment duration was significantly associated with more myopic SER (P = 0.009). Although treatment duration was also associated with longer AL in the primary model (P = 0.041), this association became attenuated after exclusion of age from the model (P = 0.249). Exploratory analyses additionally demonstrated significant associations between thinner GC-IPL thickness and both more myopic SER (P = 0.010) and longer AL (P = 0.029) in the GH group. RhGH therapy in children with ISS was associated with more myopic refraction and distinct ocular structural characteristics in this cross-sectional analysis. The association between longer rhGH treatment duration and more myopic SER may suggest a possible relationship between prolonged rhGH exposure and refractive status. These findings should be interpreted cautiously, and further longitudinal studies are needed to clarify the long-term relationship between rhGH exposure and ocular growth.

PMID:42310355 | DOI:10.1038/s41598-026-57426-0