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Extreme barocaloric effect at dissolution
A hybrid CNN and reinforcement learning framework for speaker identification using Mel-Spectrogram and continuous wavelet transform features
Choice of lipid supplementation for in vitro erythroid cell culture impacts reticulocyte yield and characteristics
Abstract Lipids, particularly cholesterol, are critical components of red blood cell (RBC) membranes, influencing protein function, cell stability, and deformability. Reticulocytes (young RBC) derived from in vitro erythroid cultures have been reported to possess less cholesterol than their native counterparts, compromising their functional integrity and lifespan. However, variability in starting materials and culture protocols between studies has hindered definitive conclusions regarding the nature and consequences of this lipid deficiency. Here, we evaluated the influence of lipid sources on reticulocyte quality using a well-established CD34⁺ erythroid culture system. We compared the use of human AB serum and Octaplas (solvent/detergent (S/D)-extracted pooled plasma) as lipid sources. Our results reveal that S/D-extracted plasma leads to cholesterol-deficient reticulocytes with impaired characteristics, including reduced filtration yield, heightened osmotic fragility, and altered PIEZO1 activity. In contrast, AB serum supported the generation of functionally stable reticulocytes, with cholesterol supplementation required to rescue the majority of defects observed with culturing erythroid cells with plasma alone. Importantly, this study provides the first integrated lipidomic, metabolomic, and proteomic characterisation of in vitro -derived reticulocytes cultured under distinct lipid conditions. These multi-omic datasets offer new insights into the consequences of reduced lipid availability during erythroid culture and offer new insights into how culture media affects the development and functionality of lab grown blood.
Bacterial genome reconstruction and community profiling in Neotropical Drosophila
Abstract Drosophila species serve as key models for microbiota research due to their relatively simple microbial communities. However, microbial diversity and dynamics in Neotropical Andean Drosophila remain underexplored. Here we applied shotgun metagenomics to characterize the microbiota of 24 Neotropical Drosophila species from Ecuador, reconstructing 64 high-quality bacterial genomes predominantly from Acetobacteraceae and Enterobacterales. Microbial communities were consistently dominated by yeasts, lactic acid bacteria, acetic acid bacteria, and Wolbachia . Comparative analyses revealed no strong correlation between host phylogeny and microbial community composition, suggesting environmental factors and microbial interactions shape these communities. Notably, shifts in relative abundances indicate dynamic ecological succession and metabolic cooperation among microbes. These findings expand genomic resources for Drosophila -associated bacteria and highlight the complex ecological processes influencing host–microbiota relationships in natural populations.
A lightweight hybrid perception enhancement network for infrared image super-resolution
Transcriptome analysis of perforated small cocoon from Bombyx mori mutants
Real time identification of phishing attacks through machine learning enhanced browser extensions
Cell formation in real manufacturing systems with complex flow and technological constraints
Palaeometabolomes yield biological and ecological profiles at early human sites
Type I interferon signaling defines a novel disease signature in xeroderma pigmentosum C human keratinocytes
Atmospheric microplastic emissions from land and ocean
Abstract Microplastics (MPs) are global pollutants 1 , yet their atmospheric distribution is poorly understood 2 . Although atmospheric MP measurements have become more abundant, estimates of emissions into the atmosphere vary by orders of magnitude 3,4 . Here we compile a global atmospheric MPs dataset and compare it with size-aligned MP model simulations. Our model simulations show two to four orders of magnitude overestimation of the measured global median atmospheric MP concentrations. Measured median concentrations over the ocean are 27 times lower than over the land (0.003 and 0.08 particles m −3 , respectively). Applying a simple scaling method, we estimate that oceanic emissions are lower in number than land-based emissions. The total global land-based and oceanic emissions are 6.1 × 10 17 (1.3 × 10 17 to 1.1 × 10 18 ) particles year −1 and 2.6 × 10 16 (2.7 × 10 15 to 5.0 × 10 16 ) particles year −1 , respectively. Our results indicate that fewer MP particles are emitted into the atmosphere than previously thought. Land sources dominate the number but not the mass emissions, indicating that MPs emission size distributions should be investigated further.
Extreme temperature events and their relationship with excess all-cause mortality in Chandigarh, India
Abstract Climate change has increased the frequency and intensity of extreme temperature events, adversely impacting human health and mortality. This study examines daily all-cause mortality concerning daily maximum and minimum temperature over a six-year period (2010–2015) in Chandigarh, India. Using an over-dispersed Poisson Generalized Additive Model (GAM), with visibility as a surrogate for other meteorological factors, we found a strong model fit (R 2 = 0.996; P < 0.05). Our results show a significant increase in all-cause mortality during heatwave conditions. A moderately positive association between temperature and mortality was observed in summer (R 2 0.014 in May; R 2 = 0.133 in June; p < 0.05), while a negative association was found in winter (r = −0.155 in December; r = − 0.141 in January; p < 0.05). A critical temperature threshold of 33.8 °C ( p = 0.0007) was identified, above which mortality significantly increases, although the effect size remains modest. Mortality risk was found to be elevated during heatwaves, with similar risk levels observed for both males and females. These findings highlight the need for targeted interventions and adaptation strategies to reduce temperature-related mortality, particularly in vulnerable populations exposed to extreme weather conditions.
SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein forms complexes with soluble complement regulatory proteins that can bind to the virion
Abstract The SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein has been detected in the plasma of COVID-19 patients, and its levels in the plasma correlate with the severity of the disease. It is also an immunomodulatory protein, triggering the release of proinflammatory cytokines. Complement system dysregulation in COVID-19 patients led us to hypothesize that either nucleocapsid protein or spike protein might interact with the proteins of the complement system, mainly complement regulatory proteins (CRPs). We demonstrate that the nucleocapsid protein, but not the spike protein, binds to multiple CRPs, including C1-inhibitor, C4-binding protein, factor H, and vitronectin. The nucleocapsid protein binds to both the recombinant spike protein and the SARS-CoV-2 virions. We further demonstrated that the virion-nucleocapsid-CRP complex could be formed. Recruitment of the CRPs on SARS-CoV-2 virion mediated by nucleocapsid protein deserves further investigation to reveal complement modulation strategies of SARS-CoV-2.
Culturally aware mentoring interventions create enduring changes among graduate biomedical faculty
DFT calculation of Ac3+ and Bi3+ complexation with hybrid chelator 3p-C-DEPA for targeted alpha therapy
Abstract The stability constant (logK 1 ) and reactivity are ultimately the most crucial components to consider during the evaluation and selection of chelators to match with a specific radiometal ion for usage in radiopharmaceutical applications. These components evaluate the thermodynamic stability of the radiometal-chelator complex. Additionally, the effectiveness of chelator in binding with radiometal ions with relatively large atomic radii (e.g., 213 Bi 3+ and 225 Ac 3+ ) coupled with charge-diffuse properties result in weaker metal-ligand interactions, and this poses challenges in chelator development. The (2-[(carboxymethyl)]5-(4-nitrophenyl-1-[4,7,10-tris(carboxymethyl)-1,4,7,10-tPentan-2-yl) amino] acetic acid (3p- C -DEPA) is a new hybrid chelator designed for potential radio-complexation applications in radio-theranostics and preclinical data has shown great promise for this chelating ligand. Hence, this study investigates the stability constant and chemical reactivity descriptors of the complex generated between 3p- C -DEPA and the α-emitting radioisotopes 213 Bi 3+ and 225 Ac 3+ as well as the β-emitting particle 177 Lu 3+ for the first-time using density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The method employs two functional densities, MO6-HF and B3LYP, using the basis set 6-311G(d)/SDD, alongside the continuous solvation models SMD (solvation model density) and COSMO (conductor-like screening model). The interactions of all radiometals with the hybrid chelator 3p- C -DEPA are compared to the benchmark chelator, 1,4,7,10-tetrazacyclodecane-1,4,7,10-tetraacetic acid (DOTA), yielding comprehensive data on the stability constants and based structural features of radiometal-chelator complexes. DFT analysis has shown that the stability of the 3p- C -DEPA chelator complex formation is influenced by the atomic radius of the radiometal and the number of nitrogen and oxygen donors, proving to be effective for Ac 3+ and Bi 3+ , in contrast to Lu 3+ , which shows lower stability constant values.
PhysEmbedFormer: a physics-guided interpretable architecture for days-ahead forecasting of PV power
Modeling and experimental verification of polycaprolactone nanoparticle precipitation
Abstract A numerical model based on the diffusion equation was developed to predict the size of polycaprolactone (PCL) nanoparticles produced via nanoprecipitation. The model requires minimal input data, making it cost-effective and experimentally efficient. It accounts for both diffusion-driven growth and the finite coalescence time of particles, a factor often overlooked in nanoparticle formation. Nanoparticles were synthesized under controlled variation of polymer concentration, surfactant amount, and mixing method, including microfluidics. The model demonstrated strong agreement with experimental data, yielding higher predictive accuracy than prior diffusion-limited models. It also enabled optimization of process parameters, improving control over size distribution and reducing aggregation. The proposed framework enhances nanoprecipitation scalability and reproducibility while lowering resource consumption. Its modular structure allows adaptation to other polymers and formulation conditions. This approach offers a practical and computationally efficient tool for the rational design of polymeric nanoparticles, with broad relevance to biomedical applications, including targeted drug delivery and nanomedicine.
Effect of type of farming practices on the soil carbon sequestration and yield of some crops
Abstract Soil carbon sequestration is a long-time storage of carbon in soil which represents 70% of the carbon in land. Therefore, the main aim of this study is to investigate the effect of the agricultural practice systems on the soil carbon sequestration and properties, productivity, water consumption, soil carbon sequestration, CO 2 emission and cost of some agricultural crops. To achieve that, different farming systems (conventional, organic and biodynamic) and four crops (maize, tomato, faba bean and potato) were used during 5 agricultural years. The obtained results indicated that, the agricultural practices for different farming systems enhanced the soil properties. Biodynamic practice farming causes reduction in bulk density, which it increase the water holding capacity of the soil which in turn decreased the water consumption by plants. Regarding the chemical properties of the soil, biodynamic and organic farming improved the chemical characteristics such as pH, EC, N, P and K compared to the conventional practice farming. Yield values of both biodynamic and organic farming system were higher than that of the traditional farming system. The amount of soil carbon sequestration ranged from 1980.17 to 4782.82, 2505.89 to 6132.38 and 1581.07 to 5986.25 kg ha − 1 for conventional, organic and biodynamic systems, respectively. The amount of CO 2 emission reduction for organic and biodynamic systems was higher than those of conventional system during experimental period. The highest value of carbon profit (13,071.60 Egyptian pound per hectare (EGP ha − 1 ), $=48.48EGP) was found with the biodynamic system. The highest values of total net profit were 25,046.64, 67,463.04, 44175.84 and 94,674.24 EGP ha − 1 for maize, tomato, faba bean and potato crops, respectively, were found with the organic farming system after 5 agricultural years.