Browse Articles

Individual-specific strategies inform category learning

A remote monitoring approach for coastal engineering projects

Determining interaction directionality in complex biochemical networks from stationary measurements

Abstract Revealing interactions in complex systems from observed collective dynamics constitutes a fundamental inverse problem in science. Some methods may reveal undirected network topology, e.g., using node-node correlation. Yet, the direction of the interaction, thus a causal inference, remains to be determined - especially in steady-state observations. We introduce a method to infer the directionality within this network only from a “snapshot” of the abundances of the relevant molecules. We examine the validity of the approach for different properties of the system and the data recorded, such as the molecule’s level variability, the effect of sampling and measurement errors. Simulations suggest that the given approach successfully infer the reaction rates in various cases.

Jinbei oral liquid for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: a randomized placebo-controlled trial

Dynamic analysis and optimal control of a hybrid fractional monkeypox disease model in terms of external factors

Bidirectional histone monoaminylation dynamics regulate neural rhythmicity

Abstract Histone H3 monoaminylations at Gln5 represent an important family of epigenetic marks in brain that have critical roles in permissive gene expression1–3. We previously demonstrated that serotonylation4–10 and dopaminylation9,11–13 of Gln5 of histone H3 (H3Q5ser and H3Q5dop, respectively) are catalysed by transglutaminase 2 (TG2), and alter both local and global chromatin states. Here we found that TG2 additionally functions as an eraser and exchanger of H3 monoaminylations, including H3Q5 histaminylation (H3Q5his), which displays diurnally rhythmic expression in brain and contributes to circadian gene expression and behaviour. We found that H3Q5his, in contrast to H3Q5ser, inhibits the binding of WDR5, a core member of histone H3 Lys4 (H3K4) methyltransferase complexes, thereby antagonizing methyltransferase activities on H3K4. Taken together, these data elucidate a mechanism through which a single chromatin regulatory enzyme has the ability to sense chemical microenvironments to affect the epigenetic states of cells, the dynamics of which have critical roles in the regulation of neural rhythmicity.

Topographic and morphometric characterization of the humerii nutrient foramina and their implications for fracture repair and healing

Boosting the mechanical performance and fire resistivity of white ordinary portland cement pastes via biogenic mesoporous silica nanoparticles

Abstract This study investigates how biogenic mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MS-NPs) extracted from rice straw residues, a sustainable and economical bio-source, affect White Ordinary Portland Cement (WOPC) paste performance. A comprehensive investigation using varied fractions of 0.25, 0.50, 0.75, and 1.0% MS-NPs as an additive to WOPC was conducted to analyze the physicomechanical characteristics of WOPC-MS hardened composites, including compressive strength, fire resistance, and water demand. The beneficial impact of biogenic MS-NPS was verified by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), and differential thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA/DTG) methods, revealing several hydration products such as calcium silicate hydrates (CSHs), calcium ferrosilicate hydrates (CFSHs), and calcium aluminosilicate hydrates (CASHs). These products enhance the overall physical and mechanical properties and the thermal stability of hardened WOPC-MS. The composite comprising WOPC-0.75 MS provides numerous advantages from both an economic and environmental perspective.

A foundation model of transcription across human cell types

Tick-borne encephalitis vaccine uptake, effectiveness, and impact in Sweden from 2018 to 2022

Altered olfactory responses in Fmr1 KO mice

Abstract Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is a neurodevelopmental disorder oftentimes associated with abnormal social behaviors and altered sensory responsiveness. It is hypothesized that the inappropriate filtering of sensory stimuli, including olfaction, can lead to aberrant social behavior in FXS. However, previous studies investigating olfaction in animal models of FXS have shown inconsistent results. Here, we found that Fmr1 knock-out (KO) mice, a mouse model of FXS, showed increased sniffing duration for non-social odors during their first exposure. Additionally, while wild-type (WT) males demonstrated differences in behavioral patterns between non-social odors while Fmr1 KO males did not show such distinction. We also showed that Fmr1 KO males spent significantly less time sniffing female urine odor compared to WT males. Moreover, we found an increased volume of the olfactory bulb in Fmr1 KO males. Overall, our findings suggest that the Fmr1 KO mice demonstrate atypical olfactory behaviors as well as structural changes in the olfactory bulb.

QbD-Driven preparation, characterization, and pharmacokinetic investigation of daidzein-l oaded nano-cargos of hydroxyapatite

Influence of surfactant type on the microstructure, mechanical and thermal properties of phenolic foams

Trends, global comparisons, and projections of early onset colorectal cancer burden in China based on GBD study 2021

Electrochemical insights into the direct dissolution of impure sphalerites and their partial oxidation in an acidic environment

Photon-counting-detector CT outperforms state-of-the-art cone-beam and energy-integrated-detector CT in delineation of dental root canals

Abstract This experimental phantom study investigates current standard of care protocols in cone beam computed tomography (CBCT), energy-integrating-detector (EID) CT, and photon-counting-detector (PCD) CT regarding their potential in delineation of dental root canals. Artificial accessory canals (diameters: 1000, 600, 400, 300 and 200 μm) were drilled into three bovine teeth mounted on a bovine rib as a jaw substitute. The phantom was scanned in two dental CBCTs, two EID-CTs and a PCD-CT using standard clinical protocols. Scans from a micro-CT served as reference standard. Spatial resolution was evaluated via line profiles through the canals, whereby visibility compared to surrounding noise and compared to the ground truth were assessed. PCD-CT was able to delineate all artificial canals down to 200 μm diameter. In CBCT and EID-CT canals could only be reliably detected down to 300 μm. Also, PCD-CT showed a considerably smaller width-divergence from the ground trough with 4.4% at 1000 μm and 35.1% at 300 μm compared to CBCT (13.5 and 72.9%) and EID-CT (10.1 and 115.7%). PCD-CT provided superior resolution, accurate size measurement, and enhanced detection of small dental root canals, thereby offering improvements in diagnostic capabilities compared to CBCT and EID-CT systems.

Long-term effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection and vaccination in a population-based pediatric cohort

Abstract During the omicron wave of the COVID-19 pandemic and with SARS-CoV-2 vaccines becoming available, seroprevalence rates rose in children and adolescents. This study investigated the impact of both SARS-CoV-2 infections and vaccinations on the incidence of acute and prolonged symptoms in real-world conditions during the transition from the pandemic to the endemic phase. Participants from a pediatric population based seroprevalence study (CorKID study) were followed up at least two and for almost four years by survey of health status features and symptoms suggestive of post-COVID syndrome (PCS). In a subgroup (n = 259) SARS-CoV-2 antibody serology was further investigated. 789 participants of the original CorKID study cohort (n = 2.121; 37.2%) were included. 67.9% reported at least one SARS-CoV2 infection. 46.6% had received one or more SARS-CoV-2 vaccinations. In the vast majority of serologically tested participants antibodies again SARS-CoV-2 spike (98.9%) or nucleocapsid (93.3%) antigen were detected following infection and/or vaccination. At least 30% experienced one unrecognized SARS-CoV-2 infection. The overall health status was comparable between children, irrespective of SARS-CoV-2 infections and similar to pre-pandemic assessment. However, a subset of young adolescents exhibited a decline in physical performance compared to pre-pandemic conditions. After infection, PCS-like symptoms persisted in 7% of the respondents for more than three months and up to four years. SARS-CoV-2 vaccinated participants (47%) reported 12% less acute flu-like infections other than SARS-CoV-2. Nearly all participants developed SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in this longitudinal study through either vaccination or infection during the Omicron wave. About 7% of participants suffered from PCS symptoms, predominately fatigue and exhaustion. Furthermore, participants who received vaccinations against SARS-CoV-2 reported a lower frequency of acute infections during follow-up.

Circadian rhythms are set by epigenetic marks in neurons

Microbiome analysis in individuals with human papillomavirus oral infection

Optimal network sizes for most robust Turing patterns

Abstract Many cellular patterns exhibit a reaction-diffusion component, suggesting that Turing instability may contribute to pattern formation. However, biological gene-regulatory pathways are more complex than simple Turing activator-inhibitor models and generally do not require fine-tuning of parameters as dictated by the Turing conditions. To address these issues, we employ random matrix theory to analyze the Jacobian matrices of larger networks with robust statistical properties. Our analysis reveals that Turing patterns are more likely to occur by chance than previously thought and that the most robust Turing networks have an optimal size, consisting of only a handful of molecular species, thus significantly increasing their identifiability in biological systems. Broadly speaking, this optimal size emerges from a trade-off between the highest stability in small networks and the greatest instability with diffusion in large networks. Furthermore, we find that with multiple immobile nodes, differential diffusion ceases to be important for Turing patterns. Our findings may inform future synthetic biology approaches and provide insights into bridging the gap to complex developmental pathways.