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Evaluating the strength of industrial wastesbased concrete reinforced with steel fiber using advanced machine learning
Computational insights into the allosteric behavior of mini proinsulin driven by C peptide mobility
Larval spongy moth transcriptomic response to ingestion of broad-versus narrow-spectrum insecticidal Chromobacterium species
Abstract The PRAA4-1T strain of Chromobacterium subtsugae was the first insecticidal bacterium to be registered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for use in crop protection applications since approval for Bacillus thuringiensis was granted in 1961. C. subtsugae, a Gram-negative betaproteobacterium, exhibits oral toxicity against a broad range of important insects, including dipteran, coleopteran, lepidopteran, and at least some hemipteran and tetranychidan pests. Chromobacterium sphagni is a closely related bacterium exhibiting a distinctly narrower activity spectrum than that of C. subtsugae: it is toxic to lepidopteran, but not dipteran or coleopteran pest insects. The molecular mode of activity for either species is not well characterized at present, and it remains unclear whether these bacterial species affect insects similarly, notwithstanding their close evolutionary relatedness. In this study, synchronized third-instar larvae of the destructive lepidopteran forest pest, Lymantria dispar dispar (European spongy moth), were separately fed with cultures of C. subtsugae strain PRAA4-1T or C. sphagni strain 14B-1T and sampled after 24 h post infection. Gene expression levels in healthy reference versus treated insects were independently compared at the whole-insect and midgut-only tissue levels to characterize host-specific transcriptional responses to intoxication. Treatment induced up-regulation of such antimicrobial peptides as attacin and cecropin, of two cytochrome P450-encoding genes, and of gelsolin, a molecule involved in actin organization. Some differentially expressed genes were novel or uncharacterized, hence future work with lepidopteran species will be necessary to understand insect physiological responses to Chromobacterium infection.
Network pharmacology and metabolomics analysis of Tinospora cordifolia reveals BACE1 and MAOB as potential therapeutic targets for neuroprotection in Alzheimer’s disease
Poor sleep quality and associated factors among community-dwelling older adult at Gondar town
Printed circuit board substrates derived from lignocellulose nanofibrils for sustainable electronics applications
Abstract This study investigates lignocellulose nanofibrils (LCNF) as a sustainable alternative material for printed circuit board (PCB) substrates, demonstrating an application through the development of an eco-friendly computer mouse demonstrator. LCNF is derived from lignin-rich cellulose pulp, a side stream product of biorefinery processes, combining the natural strength of cellulose fibrils with lignin to enhance mechanical and electrochemical properties. The research outlines the process of fibrillating lignin-rich cellulose pulp at 10 kW/h per kg into LCNF, followed by thermal and pressure treatment (at Δp = 50 – 1500 kN, ΔT = 30 – 120 °C) to achieve a rigid PCB substrate. Comprehensive characterization of the LCNF substrate included assessments of its mechanical properties (flexural and tensile testing), dimensional stability, electrical properties, surface uniformity and thermal conductivity. The LCNF PCB was integrated in a computer mouse demonstrator featuring inkjet printing of circuit layouts and electronic component assembly, while the mouse housing was designed and 3D-printed using eco-friendly Wood-PLA filament. Electrical properties characterization of the printed circuit and resulting functionality of the computer mouse showcases a sustainable approach to eco-electronics using wood-derived materials. This study underscores the potential of wood-derived nanomaterials like LCNF to reduce electronic waste (e-waste) associated with conventional PCB materials and promote the development of a more eco-friendly electronics, contributing to sustainable, high-performance ecoPCBs and advancing green technology.
Novel transfer learning based acoustic feature engineering for scene fake audio detection
Tunable magneto-optical Faraday and polar Kerr rotations in a plasma-ferrite metamaterial
Sustainable communities: we are the world
A comparison of conventional intervention and home-based approach with head-mounted device for cervical spondylotic myelopathy after surgery
Investigation of fractional order model for glucose-insulin monitoring with PID and controllability
Supramolecular polyrotaxane-based nano-theranostics enable cancer-cell stiffening for enhanced T-cell-mediated anticancer immunotherapy
Maternal behavior promotes resilience to adolescent stress in mice through a microglia-neuron axis
Photoelectrocatalytic Cl-mediated C(sp3)–H aminomethylation of hydrocarbons by BiVO4 photoanodes
Observed different impacts of potential tree restoration on local surface and air temperature
Abstract Tree restoration can cool or warm the local climate through biophysical processes. However, the magnitude of these effects remains unconstrained at large scales, as most previous observational studies rely on land surface temperature (Ts) rather than the more policy-relevant air temperature (Ta). Using satellite observations, we show that Ta responds to tree cover change at only 15–30% of the magnitude observed in Ts. This difference is supported by independent evidence from site observations, and can be attributed to the reduced aerodynamic resistance and the resultant flatter near-surface temperature profiles in forests compared to non-forests. At mid- or high-latitudes, the maximum seasonal biophysical Ta warming or cooling only accounts for approximately 10% of the equivalent climate effect of carbon sequestration in terms of magnitude, whereas the biophysical Ts effect can reach 40%. These findings highlight the importance of selecting the appropriate temperature metric in different applications to avoid exaggerating or underestimating the biophysical impacts of forestation.
Evaluating socio-economic and subjective well-being impacts of coal power phaseout in China
Self-assembled polyelectrolytes with ion-separation accelerating channels for highly stable Zn-ion batteries
Abstract Aqueous zinc-ion batteries offer a sustainable alternative to lithium-ion batteries due to their abundance, safety, and eco-friendliness. However, challenges like hydrogen evolution and uncontrolled diffusion of H⁺, Zn²⁺, and SO₄²⁻ in the electrolyte lead to the dendrite formation, side reactions, and reduced Coulombic efficiency for Zn nucleation. Here, to simultaneously regulate the diffusion of cations and anions in the electrolyte, an ion-separation accelerating channel is constructed by introducing layer-by-layer self-assembly of a flocculant poly(allylamine hydrochloride) and its tautomer poly(acrylic acid). The dual-ion channels, created by strong electrostatic interactions between carboxylate anions and ammonia cations, block SO 4 2 − and promote the uniform Zn deposition along the Zn(002) plane, exhibiting a CE of 99.8% after 1600 cycles in the Cu||Zn cell. With the facile fabrication of the layer-by-layer self-assembled Zn anode, an Ah-level pouch cell (17.36 Ah) with a high mass loading (> 8 mg cm⁻²) demonstrates the practical viability for large-scale applications, retaining a capacity of 93.6% for 250 cycles at 1.7 C (35.3 min). This work enables more uniform Zn deposition and enhances the cycling stability in larger pouch cells, paving the way for the commercialisation of zinc-ion batteries.
Uncovering the rewired IAP-JAK regulatory axis as an immune-dependent vulnerability of LKB1-mutant lung cancer
Abstract Harnessing the power of immune system to treat cancer has become a core clinical approach. However, rewiring of intrinsic circuitry by genomic alterations enables tumor cells to escape immune surveillance, leading to therapeutic failure. Uncovering the molecular basis of how tumor mutations induce therapeutic resistance may guide the development of intervention approaches to advance precision immunotherapy. Here we report the identification of the Liver Kinase B1 (LKB1)-Inhibitor of Apoptosis Protein (IAP)- Janus Kinase 1 (JAK1) dynamic complex as a molecular determinant for immune response of LKB1-mut lung cancer cells. LKB1 alteration exposes a critical dependency of lung cancer cells on IAP for their immune resistance. Indeed, pharmacological inhibition of IAP re-establishes JAK1-regulated Stimulator of interferon genes (STING) expression and DNA sensing signaling, enhances cytotoxic immune cell infiltration, and augmentes immune-dependent anti-tumor activity in an LKB1-mutant immune-competent mouse model. Thus, IAP-JAK1-targeted strategies, like IAP inhibitors, may offer a promising therapeutic approach to restore the responsiveness of immunologically-cold LKB1-mutant tumors to immune checkpoint inhibitors or STING-directed therapies.