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Magnaporthe oryzae is the causal agent of rice blast disease, a major threat to global food security. Although M. oryzae infects a broad range of monocotyledonous plants, it fails to colonize dicot species such as Nicotiana benthamiana, offering a useful system to investigate nonhost resistance (NHR). In this study, we characterized the immune responses of N. benthamiana to M. oryzae by profiling defense-related gene expression, analyzing fungal invasion, and functionally dissecting key immune components. Time-course expression analyses revealed sustained upregulation of NbBAK1, NbEAS, NbWRKY22, and NbPR1, alongside dynamic regulation of NbCYP71D20 and NbSGT1. Virus-induced gene silencing demonstrated that silencing of NbSGT1, but not NbEAS or NbBAK1, significantly enhanced fungal colonization. Furthermore, salicylic acid (SA)-deficient NahG plants exhibited increased susceptibility, suggesting that SA and SGT1-dependent immunity synergistically contribute to NHR. Visualization of infection using a GFP-expressing fungal strain confirmed that suppression of SGT1 and SA signaling facilitated hyphal expansion into adjacent host cells. High-throughput screening of 179 M. oryzae candidate effectors revealed that 70 induced hypersensitive response-like cell death in N. benthamiana, a response that was abrogated by NbSGT1 silencing. These findings collectively demonstrate that SA signaling and SGT1-dependent effector-triggered immunity are critical barriers against M. oryzae invasion and highlight the potential of nonhost immune components as resources for engineering durable resistance in crops. 

Lateral Schottky or heterojunction rectifiers were irradiated with 10 MeV protons and neutrons. For proton irradiation, the forward current of both types of rectifiers decreased by approximately an order of magnitude, with a corresponding increase in on-state resistance. The resultant on/off ratio improved after irradiation because of the larger decrease in reverse current compared to forward current. Both types of rectifiers displayed a shift in forward current and RON curves to lower voltages after irradiation. This could be due to defects created by neutron irradiation introducing deep energy levels within the bandgap of AlN. These deep levels can trap charge carriers, reducing their mobility and increasing the on-state resistance. Transmission electron microscopy showed disorder created at the AlN/NiO interface by neutron irradiation. TCAD simulation was used to study the effects of irradiation with both protons and neutrons. The results confirmed that the irradiation caused a significant reduction in electron concentration and a small increase in the recombination rate. Neutron irradiation can also introduce interface states at the metal or oxide-semiconductor junction of the rectifier. These interface states can modify the effective Schottky barrier height, affecting the forward voltage drop and on-state resistance. 

Abstract 17 MeV proton irradiation at fluences from 3–7 × 10¹³cm⁻²of vertical geometry NiO/β-Ga₂O₃heterojunction rectifiers produced carrier removal rates in the range 120–150 cm⁻¹in the drift region. The forward current density decreased by up to 2 orders of magnitude for the highest fluence, while the reverse leakage current increased by a factor of ∼20. Low-temperature annealing methods are of interest for mitigating radiation damage in such devices where thermal annealing is not feasible at the temperatures needed to remove defects. While thermal annealing has previously been shown to produce a limited recovery of the damage under these conditions, athermal annealing by minority carrier injection from NiO into the Ga₂O₃has not previously been attempted. Forward bias annealing produced an increase in forward current and a partial recovery of the proton-induced damage. Since the minority carrier diffusion length is 150–200 nm in proton irradiated Ga₂O₃, recombination-enhanced annealing of point defects cannot be the mechanism for this recovery, and we suggest that electron wind force annealing occurs. 

Strain plays an important role in the performance and reliability of AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs). However, the impact of strain on the performance of proton irradiated GaN HEMTs is yet unknown. In this study, we investigated the effects of strain relaxation on the properties of proton irradiated AlGaN/GaN HEMTs. Controlled strain relief is achieved locally using the substrate micro-trench technique. The strain relieved devices experienced a relatively smaller increase of strain after 5 MeV proton irradiation at a fluence of 5 × 1014 cm−2 compared to the non-strain relieved devices, i.e., the pristine devices. After proton irradiation, both pristine and strain relieved devices demonstrate a reduction of drain saturation current (Ids,sat), maximum transconductance (Gm), carrier density (ns), and mobility (μn). Depending on the bias conditions the pristine devices exhibit up to 32% reduction of Ids,sat, 38% reduction of Gm, 15% reduction of ns, and 48% reduction of μn values. In contrast, the strain relieved devices show only up to 13% reduction of Ids,sat, 11% reduction of Gm, 9% reduction of ns, and 30% reduction of μn values. In addition, the locally strain relieved devices show smaller positive shift of threshold voltage compared to the pristine devices after proton irradiation. The less detrimental impact of proton irradiation on the transport properties of strain relieved devices could be attributed to reduced point defect density producing lower trap center densities, and evolution of lower operation related stresses due to lower initial residual strain. 

Abstract BackgroundBasic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) is one of the critical components accelerating angiogenesis and tissue regeneration by promoting the migration of dermal fibroblasts and endothelial cells associated with matrix formation and remodeling in wound healing process. However, clinical applications of bFGF are substantially limited by its unstable nature due to rapid decomposition under physiological microenvironment. ResultsIn this study, we present the bFGF-loaded human serum albumin nanoparticles (HSA-bFGF NPs) as a means of enhanced stability and sustained release platform during tissue regeneration. Spherical shape of the HSA-bFGF NPs with uniform size distribution (polydispersity index < 0.2) is obtainedviaa simple desolvation and crosslinking process. The HSA-bFGF NPs securely load and release the intact soluble bFGF proteins, thereby significantly enhancing the proliferation and migration activity of human dermal fibroblasts. Myofibroblast-related genes and proteins were also significantly down-regulated, indicating decrease in risk of scar formation. Furthermore, wound healing is accelerated while achieving a highly organized extracellular matrix and enhanced angiogenesis in vivo. ConclusionConsequently, the HSA-bFGF NPs are suggested not only as a delivery vehicle but also as a protein stabilizer for effective wound healing and tissue regeneration. 

Neutrons generated through charge-exchange⁹Be (p; nⁱ)⁹Be reactions, with energies ranging from 0–33 MeV and an average energy of ∼9.8 MeV were used to irradiate conventional Schottky Ga₂O₃rectifiers and NiO/Ga₂O₃p-n heterojunction rectifiers to fluences of 1.1–2.2 × 10¹⁴cm⁻². The breakdown voltage was improved after irradiation for the Schottky rectifiers but was highly degraded for their NiO/Ga₂O₃counterparts. This may be a result of extended defect zones within the NiO. After irradiation, the switching characteristics were degraded and irradiated samples of both types could not survive switching above 0.7 A or 400 V, whereas reference samples were robust to 1 A and 1 kV. The carrier removal rate in both types of devices was ∼45 cm⁻¹. The forward currents and on-state resistances were only slightly degraded by neutron irradiation. 

The Telescope Array and the Pierre Auger Observatory estimate the composition of ultra-high-energy cosmic rays by observing the distribution of depths of air-shower maxima, X max . Both experiments directly observe the longitudinal development of air showers using fluorescence telescopes with surface particle detectors used in conjunction to provide precision in determining air-shower geometry. The two experiments differ in the details of the analysis of events, so a direct comparison of X max distributions is not possible. The Auger – Telescope Array Composition Working Group presents their results from a technique to compare X max measurements from Auger with those of Telescope Array. In particular, the compatibility of the first two moments of the X max distributions of Auger with the data from the Black Rock Mesa and Long Ridge detectors of the Telescope Array is tested for energies above 10 18.2 eV. Quantitative comparisons are obtained using air-shower simulations of four representative species made using the Sibyll 2.3d high-energy interaction model. These are weighted to fit the fractional composition seen in Auger data and reconstructed using the Telescope Array detector response and analysis methods. 

Abstract Conventional drug delivery methods often face challenges in terms of patient adherence and drug administration. Microneedles (MNs) patches have emerged as a promising alternative, offering a minimally invasive transdermal route for medications. However, their drug‐loading capacity remains limited, particularly for hydrophobic active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs). Herein, microneedles are designed based on eutectic solvent gels (eutectogels) as transdermal carriers for hydrophobic APIs. A natural deep eutectic solvent (NADES) is combined to enhance the solubility of the hydrophobic APIs within the GelMA/PEGDA matrix for mechanical strength and sustained release from the resulting eutectogels microneedles (EU‐MNs). Using docetaxel, 5‐fluorouracil, and curcumin as hydrophobic APIs models, the superior drug‐loading capacity of the EU‐MNs is demonstrated. In vitro experiments revealed that the EU‐MNs provided a sustained release of distinct hydrophobic APIs over 4 days. Additionally, by properly adjusting the concentration and type of APIs, these microneedle patches do not exhibit cytotoxic effects on fibroblasts cell line (NIH/3T3), underscoring their potential for safe and effective transdermal drug delivery. These findings highlight the potential of EU‐MNs as versatile, eco‐friendly transdermal vehicles for large amounts of hydrophobic APIs, leading to more effective treatments for these drugs.