The β cell proliferation capacity determines its mass and islet function, thus playing a pivotal role in maintaining glucose homeostasis. A study published in Science Bulletin Journal reported a pancreatic endogenous ribonuclease 4 (Rnase4), which governs β cell number and islet size under both physiological and pathological conditions. This factor is selectively expressed in β cells and acts in a cell-autonomous manner to drive β cell proliferation through the Axl-PI3K/Akt/FoxO1/Pdx1 signaling pathway. Absence of Rnase4 diminished β cell population, leading to systemic insulin deficiency; exogenous supplementation of this factor could rescue β cell loss and islet dysfunction induced by genetic, chemical, or inflammatory challenges. The findings highlight a key β-cell self-derived factor in regulating its proliferation and body glucose metabolism.

This study establishes a significant enhancement in the spin coherence properties of shallow nitrogen-vacancy centers through graphene-diamond heterostructure integration, proposing a novel methodology to improve sensitivity in solid-state quantum sensing platforms.

Based on the theory of coherent inverse Compton scattering, researchers have proposed a novel scheme for generating high-intensity extreme ultraviolet (EUV) and soft X-ray light beams. In this scheme, specially designed structured light fields, featuring periodic patterns in both space and time, are used to interact with high-energy electron beams. This interaction leads to inverse Compton scattering, where the scattered photons possess higher energy than the incident ones. Due to the periodic structure of the structured light fields, the scattering process becomes coherent rather than incoherent, resulting in significantly enhanced efficiency. This approach holds great potential as a powerful and efficient solution for advanced applications requiring intense EUV and soft X-ray radiation.

Every year, millions of newborns undergo routine heel-prick screening, a simple test that can mean the difference between a healthy life and catastrophic disability. Now, breakthroughs in high-throughput sequencing are supercharging this process. It detects rare genetic disorders before symptoms appear and transforms pediatric medicine from damage control to prevention.