Browse Articles
Discover research articles across all indexed journals
Organophosphinidene in a T-Shaped Environment
Reevaluating the role of geographical regional factors in subjective well-being
Evolutionary diversity of cell-type-specific expression and stress response in Brassicaceae roots
Fluorinated Biradicals for <sup>19</sup> F Magic-Angle Spinning Dynamic Nuclear Polarization-Enhanced NMR Spectroscopy
Comparative effects of intracapsular corticosteroid injection on pain control after total hip arthroplasty: a prospective, randomized controlled trial
Click-like Aldol Polycondensation in air for plastic electronics and beyond
Fast Single-Nucleus Growth of Subcentimeter Monolayer MoS <sub>2</sub> Single Crystals via an All-in-One Precursor
A blockchain-based traceability system for AI-driven engine blade inspection
Pan-genome analysis uncovers extensive structural variations in Africa’s indigenous legume crop cowpea
Fe–Ni Conformational Self-Optimization Driven by Covalent Organic Polyemers for Superior Oxygen Electrocatalyts under Industrial-Level Current Densities
BactProNET: a structural-mechanistic platform for interpreting target-mediated antimicrobial resistance
Polyadenylation of insulin mRNA by Tent5a regulates pancreatic beta cells
Abstract Pancreatic beta cells can compensate for increased metabolic demand by increasing their function. While many studies have investigated mechanisms of beta cell decompensation during persistent metabolic stress, less is known how beta cells increase insulin synthesis and secretion. Here we identify the non-canonical cytoplasmic terminal nucleotidyltransferase Tent5a in a functional RNAi screen of RNA binding proteins as a positive regulator of insulin production. Tent5a expression positively correlates with obese and normoglycemic mouse models exhibiting compensated beta cell function, while its levels negatively correlate with beta cell failure. Increased Tent5a expression can be triggered by ribosome collisions and is repressed by ER stress and lipotoxic inflammation. Tent5a overexpression extended the poly(A) tails of insulin transcripts, enhanced mRNA stability and increased insulin content in INS-1E cells and human islets microtissues, while Tent5a knockout cells showed shortened Insulin mRNA half-life and reduced insulin content. Cytosolic polyadenylation activity is dependent on Tent5a tethering to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) via Fndc3 proteins, leading to increased ER function. Our data identify a role of Tent5a in enhancing insulin production, which may be involved in boosting insulin synthesis and maintaining euglycemia in obesity.
Photoactive Iminobismuthanes for Catalytic C–H Amination
Comparison of accuracy between Navbit Sprint and AR-CT-based navigation in total hip arthroplasty
Evidence for Eocene aridification of the Atacama Desert’s hyperarid core
Abstract The Atacama Desert is the most arid non-polar region on Earth, yet the timing and drivers of its hyperaridity remain debated. The earliest record of extreme aridification is preserved in the Coastal Cordillera of Northern Chile at the Oligocene-Miocene boundary. However, clast exposure ages on low-relief surfaces and supergene mineralisation ages suggest that low precipitation, and thus limited surface activity and weathering, may have been established earlier. To test the Miocene hyperaridity hypothesis, we have established a record of surface activity based on cosmogenic 21 Ne concentrations in 135 locally-derived quartz clasts from low-relief surfaces in the desert’s core. Thirty-two clasts have modelled exposure durations of Oligocene age or older. Their long-term surface preservation suggests exceptionally low landscape evolution rates and implies that aridification initiated earlier than the development of the Humboldt Current and major Andean uplift. We hypothesize that global cooling following the Early Eocene Climatic Optimum was likely a key driver of regional aridification.
Validation of an MLV-based SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus neutralization assay substantiates L455S-mediated antibody escape
Abstract The ongoing evolution of SARS-CoV-2 has generated variants with increased transmissibility and immune evasion, primarily driven by mutations in the receptor-binding domain (RBD). Recent Omicron sublineages, including JN.1, have multiple spike substitutions, including L455S, which is associated with antibody evasion and persists in descendant and currently circulating lineages. While live virus neutralization assays (VNTs) remain the gold standard for evaluating immune responses, their biosafety requirements and technical complexity limit large scale application, prompting an increased reliance on pseudovirus-based systems. In this study, we compared murine leukemia virus (MLV)-based pseudovirus neutralization assays (pVNTs) with VNTs across multiple SARS-CoV-2 variants. We also assessed the contribution of the L455S substitution to immune escape, a mutation consistently implicated as a key determinant of JN.1-associated immune evasion. NT titers obtained with the MLV system showed strong correlation with those of live virus assays, supporting its reliability for variant-specific neutralization studies. Introduction of the L455S mutation into two Omicron variants resulted in substantial reductions in neutralization titers, supporting its immune-evasive properties. Together, these findings validate the MLV-based pseudovirus system as a robust NT surrogate and demonstrate its suitability for evaluating emerging mutations linked to variant evolution, such as the L455S mutation, which played a key role in enabling JN.1 to become dominant.
Physics-informed multi-encoder adaptive optics enables rapid aberration correction for intravital microscopy of deep complex tissue
Potential of Zero Charge as a Kinetic Descriptor for CO <sub>2</sub> Electroreduction
Impact of sleep and psychological flexibility on young adults’ physical and mental well-being
Abstract Young adults frequently report sleep issues, especially insomnia, delayed sleep phase, and sleep debt (Trisleep), with each of these contributing to distinct physical and mental well-being issues. Psychological flexibility (Hexaflex) has likewise been shown to relate to both physical and mental well-being. This study explored the Trisleep and Hexaflex among young adults, analyzing their association with physical and mental well-being. All questionnaire data were collected online from 525 university students in Japan ( M age = 19.96 ± 1.42 years). In a cluster analysis, four Trisleep types (good sleep, sleep–wake rhythm problems, sleep debt, and compound problems) and four Hexaflex types (flexibility, medium-flexibility, mild-flexibility, and inflexibility), differentiated by overall levels rather than distinct features were identified. Trisleep types (Deviance = 75.26, p < 0.0001), especially compound sleep problems, strongly affected physical well-being ( t = − 6.97, p < 0.0001). The interaction between Trisleep and Hexaflex types significantly predicted mental well-being (Deviance = 20.81, p = 0.033). Across all sleep types, the Inflexibility type consistently had a stronger negative effect on mental well-being than the Flexibility type ( p s < 0.05). The findings underscore the importance of addressing both biological and psychological factors to enhance physical and mental well-being, with targeted interventions for sleep and psychological flexibility, potentially yielding effective outcomes for young adults.