Browse Articles

RNA methyltransferase SPOUT1/CENP-32 links mitotic spindle organization with the neurodevelopmental disorder SpADMiSS

Abstract SPOUT1/CENP-32 encodes a putative SPOUT RNA methyltransferase previously identified as a mitotic chromosome associated protein. SPOUT1/CENP-32 depletion leads to centrosome detachment from the spindle poles and chromosome misalignment. Aided by gene matching platforms, here we identify 28 individuals with neurodevelopmental delays from 21 families with bi-allelic variants in SPOUT1/CENP-32 detected by exome/genome sequencing. Zebrafish spout1/cenp-32 mutants show reduction in larval head size with concomitant apoptosis likely associated with altered cell cycle progression. In vivo complementation assays in zebrafish indicate that SPOUT1/CENP-32 missense variants identified in humans are pathogenic. Crystal structure analysis of SPOUT1/CENP-32 reveals that most disease-associated missense variants are located within the catalytic domain. Additionally, SPOUT1/CENP-32 recurrent missense variants show reduced methyltransferase activity in vitro and compromised centrosome tethering to the spindle poles in human cells. Thus, SPOUT1/CENP-32 pathogenic variants cause an autosomal recessive neurodevelopmental disorder: SpADMiSS ( SPOUT1 Associated Development delay Microcephaly Seizures Short stature) underpinned by mitotic spindle organization defects and consequent chromosome segregation errors.

Exploring rural middle school music teachers’ classroom interaction decision-making levels: A student’s perspective

Abstract This study explores students’ perceptions of rural middle school music teachers’ decision-making levels in the context of classroom interactions. Using a questionnaire survey of 246 students from a rural public middle school and follow-up interviews, we investigate students’ overall perceptions and examine differences among students of different genders, grades, and music study experiences. The results indicate that students generally perceive teachers’ decision-making levels to be slightly above average, with no significant differences between male and female students or among different grade levels in their perceptions of teacher decision-making levels. However, students with and without music study experience differ significantly in their perceptions of teacher decision-making levels. The qualitative insights gathered from the student interviews complement the quantitative findings, providing a deeper understanding of students’ perspectives on teacher decision-making in rural music education. Overall, this study provides valuable insights for enhancing the educational practices of teachers and explores effective teaching strategies in rural environments.

Supramolecular rosette intermediated homochiral double helix

Tomato yields and quality declines due to elevated soil CO2

Copy number variants and the tangential expansion of the cerebral cortex

Suture obliteration patterns in wolves and a comparison to dogs

Adaptative two-phase thermal circulation system for complex-shaped electronic device cooling

Rare earth trace element doping of extrinsic multiferroics for an energy efficient remote control of magnetic properties

The CXCL8/MAPK/hnRNP-K axis enables susceptibility to infection by EV-D68, rhinovirus, and influenza virus in vitro

Abstract Respiratory viruses pose an ongoing threat to human health with excessive cytokine secretion contributing to severe illness and mortality. However, the relationship between cytokine secretion and viral infection remains poorly understood. Here we elucidate the role of CXCL8 as an early response gene to EV-D68 infection. Silencing CXCL8 or its receptors, CXCR1/2, impedes EV-D68 replication in vitro. Upon recognition of CXCL8 by CXCR1/2, the MAPK pathway is activated, facilitating the translocation of nuclear hnRNP-K to the cytoplasm. This translocation increases the recognition of viral RNA by hnRNP-K in the cytoplasm, promoting the function of the 5′ untranslated region in the viral genome. Moreover, our investigations also reveal the importance of the CXCL8 signaling pathway in the replication of both influenza virus and rhinovirus. In summary, our findings hint that these viruses exploit the CXCL8/MAPK/hnRNP-K axis to enhance viral replication in respiratory cells in vitro.

Losing half the crown hardly affects the stem growth of a xeric southern beech population

Abstract Globally, forest ecosystems face increasing climate warming-driven stress. Crown dieback is commonly used as an indicator of declining tree vitality and is closely related to reduced stem radial growth rates. In a xeric northern Patagonian Nothofagus pumilio population, in which the majority of trees possess damaged crowns, we explored the relationship between percent crown damage and growth trends (basal area increment, BAI), interannual growth variability, and the climate sensitivity of growth. The majority of trees show stable BAI since about 1940 despite 5 to > 50% crown damage, which ranges from dieback of small branches to the presence of decades-old snagged branches. A minority of trees with more severe crown damage (> 50 to 95%) show continued growth decline during the last 80 years, but have not yet died. Crown damage was the best predictor of the BAI trend which turned negative at about 50% damage. Stronger damaged trees showed a higher growth sensitivity to summer heat and drought. Thus, the health of this population is apparently not threatened by crown damage up to 50%. Rather, trees might profit from the reduced foliage area, allowing them to stabilize their water relations and maintain stable but fairly slow growth in a drying climate.

Theory of correlated insulators and superconductor at ν = 1 in twisted WSe2

Influence of wetting-drying cycles on the shear strength behavior of electroosmotically treated soft clay

Multicenter study on predicting postoperative upper limb muscle strength improvement in cervical spinal cord injury patients using radiomics and deep learning

Altered angular gyrus activation during the digit symbol substitution test in people living with HIV: beyond information processing speed deficits

Efficacy and safety of brolucizumab every 6 weeks induction therapy for neovascular age-related macular degeneration

Multimodal surface-based transformer model for early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease

3D computed tomography-dacryocystography (3D CT-DCG) and the contrast agents: direct comparison of Lipiodol and barium sulfate

Accuracy of blood heparin-binding protein (HBP) for diagnosis bacteremia in patients with sepsis

An enhanced walrus optimization algorithm for flexible job shop scheduling with parallel batch processing operation

Circularly-polarized 28-GHz antenna for next generations of communication systems

Abstract A circularly-polarized (CP) printed antenna is proposed for millimeter-wave mobile communications. The antenna has a defected ground structure (DGS), and it operates at 28 GHz. The geometries of the antenna on the upper surface and the DGS are symmetric about a $$45^\circ$$ -diagonal to produce perfect circular polarization. The antenna is fed through a three-stage microstrip line that acts as an impedance transformer for perfect matching of the antenna impedance to $$50\,{\Omega\:}$$ at $$28\:\text{G}\text{H}\text{z}$$ . The development of the antenna design is described in detail, starting with a square patch that is subjected to progressive geometrical modifications in the design stages to reach the final design of the patch antenna. The simulation results show that the antenna has a reflection coefficient magnitude of less than $$-35\:\text{d}\text{B}$$ at an axial ratio of less than 0.5 dB at 28 GHz. The technique used to generate the radiated circular polarized waves is demonstrated by investigating the surface current on the printed patch at the resonant frequency. The primary objective of the proposed design is not to produce a high-gain antenna, but rather to produce a low-profile planar antenna to serve as a building block for CP antenna systems such as multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) antennas, beam steering, and beamforming antenna arrays operating at 28 GHz. The designed antenna is fabricated and subjected to experimental evaluation. The numerical simulation results and the practical measurements came in good consent from the impedance matching and axial ratio (AR) of the radiated circular polarized wave perspectives. The input impedance is matched to the feeding line over a 1-GHz band, from 27.5 GHz to 28.5 GHz. The radiated wave is circularly polarized with AR less than 3 dB over about 0.4 GHz band starting from 27.8 GHz to 28.2 GHz. The peak gain of the designed antenna is 7 dBi and the radiation efficiency exceeds 90% all over the band of impedance matching. The performance of the antenna is compared with those of other antenna designs presented in some recent publications.