Browse Articles

Integrated machine learning and multi-omics analysis identifies ALOX5 as a potential therapeutic target for tubulointerstitial inflammation in diabetic kidney disease

Regional variability in the Acheulian to Middle Stone Age transition in southern Africa

Abstract Homo sapiens emerged in Africa around 300 − 200 thousand years ago (ka). Although the earliest H. sapiens fossils are associated with the Middle Stone Age (MSA), lithic technologies considered diagnostic of the MSA have been found alongside Acheulian technology in eastern Africa and the interior of southern Africa by ~ 500 − 400 ka, suggesting a deep evolutionary history of our species in these regions. The southern coastal plain of South Africa, geographically separated from the interior by the Cape Fold Belt and Great Escarpment, has one of the best documented records of the MSA in Africa; however, only a single site is older than 125 ka and little is known about the origins of the MSA in this region. Here, we report a stratified sequence of Acheulian to MSA lithic assemblages from the open-air site of Amanzi Springs covering the period between ~ 379 to 95 ka. We show that the MSA emerged around 230 ± 18 ka, significantly earlier than previously documented along the southern coast. The pattern of technological change also differs to the interior, with no diagnostic MSA elements found in the late Acheulian, although persistent methods of flake production indicate a gradual transition and continuity into the MSA. The relatively late emergence of the MSA along the southern coast highlights the variable and complex nature of demographic and behavioural change during this period, with regionally distinct technological trajectories extending into the Middle Pleistocene in southern Africa.

Rising temperatures pose a threat to tropical insects

Geospatial assessment of activity concentrations of natural radionuclides and absorbed dose rates in gidan-kwano, minna, nigeria using airborne radiometric data

Mental imagery modulates bistable perception in a modality-specific manner

Abstract Multimodal approaches are essential for understanding the mechanisms and constraints of mental imagery, yet few studies have directly compared its perceptual effects across sensory systems. This study explored how mental imagery influences bistable perception in vision and audition by comparing imagery-based and sensory-based priming in binocular rivalry and auditory streaming. In auditory streaming, an acoustic bias promoting segregation increased the likelihood of an early segregated percept, whereas an imagery priming did not. Binocular rivalry exhibited robust and asymmetric priming effects within the first few seconds, with both imagery and physical cues biasing perceptual onset. While both physical and imagery priming significantly influenced the initial percept in binocular rivalry, only physical priming affected perceptual reports in auditory streaming. Notably, the strength of imagery priming in vision correlated with self-reported imagery vividness, supporting the functional relevance of individual differences in mental imagery. These findings indicate that imagery can bias visual perception but may have limited influence in audition under current task constraints, likely due to modality-specific dynamics and early integration biases. This study provides behavioural evidence for the modality-specific impact of mental imagery and underscores the value of cross-modal designs in understanding how internal representations shape conscious perception.

Organizational psychological ownership drives employee-AI collaboration via AI crafting under paternalistic leadership

Transferable enantioselectivity models from sparse data

Abstract Identifying a catalyst class to optimize the enantioselectivity of a new reaction, either involving a different combination of known substrate types or an entirely unfamiliar class of compounds, is a formidable challenge. Statistical models trained on a reported set of reactions can help predict out-of-sample transformations 1–5 but often face two challenges: (1) only sparse data that offer limited information on catalyst–substrate interactions are available; and (2) simple stereoelectronic parameters may fail to describe mechanistically complex transformations 6,7 . Here we report a descriptor generation strategy that accounts for changes in the enantiodetermining step with catalyst or substrate identity, allowing us to model reactions involving distinct ligand and substrate types. As validating case studies, we collected data on enantioselective nickel-catalysed C( sp 3 ) couplings 8 and trained statistical models with features extracted from the transition states and intermediates proposed to be involved in asymmetric induction. These models allow the optimization of poorly performing examples reported in a substrate scope and are applicable to unseen ligands and reaction partners. This approach offers the opportunity to streamline catalyst and reaction development, quantitatively transferring knowledge learned on sparse data to chemical spaces.

Complementary and substitution effects of digital finance and green finance on corporate green innovation

Evaluation of cutting speed and surface roughness in WEDM of functionally graded A356-10 wt% Si3N4 composite

Wide-swath altimetry maps bank shapes and storage changes in global rivers

Abstract Rivers are Earth’s most renewable and accessible freshwater resource 1 , yet global estimates of the magnitude and variability in river water storage have remained few and inconsistent 1–9 . Previous estimates of variability have relied either on sparse and asynchronous remote-sensing observations 10 or on hydrological models constrained by incomplete understanding of surface-water balance and poorly known river channel characteristics 2,3 . The insufficient knowledge of temporal variations in river water storage across space hinders effective management of this critical freshwater resource 11,12 . Here we present near-global-scale observations of active river channel geometry and associated monthly changes in water storage at the reach scale derived from the first water year (October 2023 to September 2024) of the Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) mission at 126,674 reaches worldwide. Clear patterns of riverbed shape and storage variability expectedly emerge across major basins. SWOT reveals a range of 313.1 ± 129.5 km³ in global annual river storage variability, approximately 28% lower than the lowest previously modelled estimates for the same wide reaches. Although the Amazon’s 2024 record drought, the observational challenges in the Arctic and the revisit frequency of SWOT almost certainly contribute to the discrepancy, the observations point to distinct knowledge limitations in surface-water science. These findings highlight key opportunities to improve the fundamental representation of surface-water dynamics in global models and to better inform water resource management and disaster mitigation at scale.

A novel fractional-order coupled model integrating a damped oscillator equation with a non-Fickian heat conduction equation

SiaCon-DetNet with HySHO: a cutting-edge transformer-based deep learning framework for emotion-aware facial recognition

Impact of γ-aminobutyric acid and 1-methylcyclopropene on qualitative attributes of apples (Malus domestica Borkh. cv. Fuji) during cold storage

Effects of combined blood flow restriction and neuromuscular electrical stimulation on skeletal muscle hypertrophy in adults: a systematic review and meta analysis

Effects of different types of microplastics in soil on nitrogen absorption and metabolism of quinoa

Entropy and seasonal isotopic duality reveal the sustainability paradox of the upper Ganga River

Rapid neurological recovery in Guillain-Barré syndrome treated with efgartigimod

Abstract Efgartigimod, a neonatal Fc receptor inhibitor that accelerates IgG degradation, remains understudied in treatment of Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS). This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of efgartigimod in GBS patients. A retrospective analysis included 17 GBS patients (5 patients treated by efgartigimod, 8 patients treated by IVIg, 4 patients treated by PE). Primary outcome is time to a one-point improvement in GBS-DS and time to regain unaided walking ability. GBS-DS score, Inflammatory Neuropathy Cause and Treatment (INCAT) disability score, Medical Research Council (MRC) scores, the proportions of patients with INCAT score ≤ 2 and those achieving full MRC score were recorded at baseline and at 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months post-treatment. Adverse reactions were monitored throughout the treatment period. The patients treated by efgartigimod demonstrated significantly faster improvement of 1-point on the GBS-DS (4.00 days vs. IVIg: 7.00 days, PE: 11.50 days; p  = 0.033) and higher proportions of patients with INCAT scores ≤ 2 (80% vs. 12.5% [IVIg], 25% [PE]; p  = 0.039) and full MRC scores (80% vs. 12.5% [IVIg]; p  = 0.045) at 1 week. Adverse events were mild (20% vs.50% PE). Efgartigimod offers rapid symptom relief and functional recovery in GBS compared to IVIg and PE. These findings highlight its potential as a novel therapeutic option.

Limited thermal tolerance in tropical insects and its genomic signature

Abstract Insects make up the majority of all animal species, with 70% occurring in the tropics 1 , yet the impacts of warming on tropical insects remain highly uncertain 2 . This stems from sparse, taxonomically biased data on thermal tolerance of tropical insects and an incomplete understanding of the underlying physiological mechanisms 3 . Here we compared environmental temperatures with field-measured upper and lower thermal tolerance limits of around 2,300 insect species along Afrotropical and Neotropical elevational gradients and identified genomic signatures of thermal tolerance across the insect tree of life. We show that thermal tolerances do not proportionally track environmental temperatures but approach an asymptote in tropical lowlands. Insects at high elevations utilize plasticity to cope with rising temperatures, whereas lowland species have limited plastic abilities. Heat tolerance showed strong differences among insect orders and families, reflected in the thermal stability of proteins, suggesting that variation in thermal tolerance is founded in the fundamental protein architecture. Up to 52% of future surface temperatures and 38% of air temperatures in the Amazonian lowlands can cause heat mortality in half of the studied community. Our data suggest a limited capacity of insects in the Earth’s most biodiverse regions to buffer future warming.

Restricting facial mimicry does not impair emotion recognition or influence the evaluation of human affect vocalizations and instrumental sounds

Changes in the proteomic profile of athletes’ plasma associated with exercise intensity

Abstract High physical activity often results in complex and ambiguous proteomic changes. This study aimed to analyze possible changes in the composition and content of proteins in plasma samples of elite athletes from sports with various activity levels and intensity. We performed proteomic profiling of blood plasma from 93 elite athletes with over eight years of continuous professional experience. High-resolution tandem mass spectra obtained in the data-independent acquisition mode were analyzed using the PLGS algorithm against a library of known protein sequences, and the PowerNovo algorithm for de novo protein sequencing. Combining the two protein identification strategies improved the completeness of the analysis and expanded the number of identified proteins. We identified changes in levels of circulating proteins that distinguish the high-intensity group from other groups by proteins involved in immune response, lipid transport and metabolism, and oxygen and iron transport. Changes in protein levels in biological samples of professional athletes may be associated with the training load intensity and type of sport.