Browse Articles

Synthesis and microwave absorption property of polyaniline incorporated with different weight ratios of MoSe2/MMT/rGO

Seasonal transport, retention, and river-to-ocean transfer dynamics of floating macro-debris in the Umgeni River and estuarine lagoon, South Africa

Abstract Riverine floating macroplastics are considered to contribute a substantial portion of marine plastic pollution, yet the spatiotemporal, geomorphological and hydrological factors that influence river debris passage are poorly understood. To address this, we conducted three field campaigns in the Umgeni River, South Africa, during hydrologically distinct periods (dry season, wet season and recessive season). We deployed GPS drifters ( n  = 66 + 4 pilot), each with a density of 0.94 g/cm 3 to mimic floating macroplastics (>5 cm) across five tributaries and the main river. We analysed the drifter trajectories during each campaign to investigate seasonal daily transport rates, retention zones and episodes, and river-to-ocean emission rates. Observed drifter trajectories showed modest seasonal differences in mean daily transport and retention counts. Our pilot drifters captured the 1:50–100 year return period flood occurring in April 2022 showing substantial flushing downstream (0.58 km day − 1 ) to the Indian Ocean. Mean retention durations showed a notable decrease from the dry period (mean = 508 h) towards both the wet and recessive periods (mean = 230 h and mean = 40 h; respectively), indicating increased debris mobility during the wet season. Drifters were retained frequently in upstream river sections along meanders and vegetated banks, which accounted for 48% of all retention events but the estuary emerged as the dominant sink with long-term retention (with mean retention >10 days) thus limiting drifter exports into the ocean. Our study presents quantitative insights of floating macroplastic transport across interconnected riverine domains over three seasons. The results provide novel empirical data on seasonal plastic mobility, retention zones and highlight episodic nature of debris flushing during floods. These findings support river plastic transport modelling and targeted debris cleanup and mitigation policy frameworks.

An interpretable machine learning model for chronic kidney disease identification among obese adults: a nationwide population-based study

Gut microbiome composition differs between aortic stenosis and aortic regurgitation patients

Abstract The gut microbiome has emerged as an important modulator of cardiovascular diseases, yet data on aortic valve disorders, particularly aortic stenosis (AS), remain limited. This study aimed to characterize gut microbiome differences in patients with bicuspid (BS) and tricuspid aortic stenosis (TS) using aortic regurgitation (AR) patients as a clinically comparable control group with similar age distribution, comorbidities, and metabolic profiles. A total of 122 patients were included in this prospective cross-sectional study: 33 AR, 22 BS, and 67 TS patients. Microbiome profiling was conducted from anal swabs using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Beta diversity was assessed via UniFrac distances, and computed redundancy analysis was performed using linear discriminant analysis effect size. The groups were largely homogeneous regarding most clinical characteristics; AR patients showed only marginally worse renal function, while BS patients were slightly younger with fewer cases of diabetes. In beta diversity analyses, both TS and BS patients exhibited clearly distinct microbiome compositions compared with AR controls, independent of clinical parameters used as potential confounders. TS and BS patients differed only minimally from each other. AR patients showed higher abundances of Bacteroides, Faecalibacterium, Lachnoclostridium, and Alistipes, whereas AS patients exhibited increased levels of Corynebacterium, Anaerococcus, Peptoniphilus, and Finegoldia. Co-abundance network analysis revealed that AS patients displayed an extensive and highly interconnected bacterial network, characterized by strong correlations among taxa such as Bacteroides, Alistipes, Parabacteroides, and Faecalibacterium, rather than isolated changes in individual taxa. AR patients provide a clinically suitable control group for AS. AS patients show a distinct microbiome composition and a highly interconnected microbial network with three major hubs, warranting further mechanistic investigation.

RNA molecules with different destinies are processed through overlapping pathways

Decoupling geometry-dependent dimensional errors in FDM assembly elements via a learning-based inverse design approach

Heat tolerance in lactating Holstein dairy cows is associated with oxygen transport and mammary aerobic glucose metabolism under heat stress

Confirmation mechanisms shape order-picking performance in pick-by-light and pick-by-point systems

Abstract Order picking remains one of the most labor-intensive warehouse processes, and the design of human–system interaction may substantially affect both operational efficiency and process stability. This study compares six confirmation mechanisms embedded in Pick-by-Light and Pick-by-Point order-picking systems under controlled experimental conditions. Seventy participants completed standardized manual picking tasks using all tested variants across five repeated trials, resulting in 2,100 observations. The main performance measure was task completion time, while process stability was assessed using standard deviation and the coefficient of variation. The results showed significant differences between confirmation mechanisms, a significant short-term familiarization effect across repeated trials, and a significant confirmation mechanism-by-trial interaction. Pick-by-Light with infrared confirmation achieved the shortest mean completion time (20.74 s) and the lowest coefficient of variation (13.75%), whereas radar-based Pick-by-Point produced the slowest mean completion time (28.20 s) and the highest variability (CV = 27.91%). These findings indicate that performance differences are not determined solely by the general technology family, but also by the specific confirmation logic and interaction design. The study contributes to human-centered warehouse design by showing that low-friction confirmation mechanisms can improve order-picking speed, repeatability, and short-term user adaptation in manual picker-to-parts environments.

Anxiety emotional reactivity social camouflaging and burnout mediate the relationship between autistic traits and mental well-being in medical students

Field-like spin-orbit torque associated with out-of-plane spin polarization in Py/van der Waals heterostructures

Abstract Low-symmetry van der Waals (vdW) materials have recently emerged as a fertile platform for generating unconventional spin-orbit torques (SOTs) beyond the conventional spin Hall effect (SHE) framework. Here, we report the experimental observation of a field-like torque ( $$\:{\tau\:}_{FLT}$$ ) associated with out-of-plane ( z -polarized) spin polarization in Py/WTe 2 and Py/MoTe 2 heterostructures using angle-resolved spin-torque ferromagnetic resonance. Angular symmetry analysis enables the unambiguous separation of vector torque components, revealing that the z -polarized $$\:{\tau\:}_{FLT}$$ reaches a magnitude comparable to that of the conventional in-plane damping-like torque ( $$\:{\tau\:}_{DLT}$$ ) associated with the SHE. Complementary macrospin simulations demonstrate that the inclusion of z -polarized $$\:{\tau\:}_{FLT}$$ enables fast switching of in-plane magnetization, in contrast to conventional heavy-metal-based systems. Our experimental and simulation results establish low-symmetry vdW-based heterostructures as a viable platform for generating sizable out-of-plane SOTs and achieving efficient control of in-plane magnetization.

Party pooper: grandparents’ COVID risk rose after grandchildren’s birthdays

Deciphering the neurohistiocytosis spectrum

Structural effects of alcohols on H₂S solubility and thermodynamic modeling of binary mixtures with benzyl alcohol, phenol, and ethanol

The ASH HematOmics Program supports integrative analysis of genomic and clinical data in hematologic diseases

Abstract The increasing availability of genomic and transcriptomic sequencing has uncovered diverse genomic alterations and distinct gene expression profiles driving hematologic diseases, yet a data integration and sharing platform dedicated to hematology remains lacking. We developed the American Society of Hematology (ASH) HematOmics Program (ASHOP; ashop.hematology.org), a resource for exploring somatic alterations and gene fusions, transcriptomic results, and clinical data from 5960 patients spanning B-cell precursor and T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia, acute myeloid leukemia, myelodysplastic syndromes, and chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Users can explore genomic alteration landscapes and comutation patterns via lollipop and matrix plots and analyze significantly altered genes in user-defined subcohorts. Transcriptomes can be explored through interactive uniform manifold approximation and projections, clustering, differential expression, and pathway enrichment. Genomic, transcriptomic features, and clinical outcomes can be correlated in a user-driven manner or combined to precisely define study cohorts. We illustrate the following 4 use cases of ASHOP: (1) stratification of DUX4-rearranged B-cell leukemias into Early/Multipotent and Committed subgroups with distinct outcomes, (2) characterization of HOXA/HOXB expression patterns in acute myeloid leukemias, (3) correlating mutational burden with mismatch repair deficiency and mutational signatures, and (4) investigation of TP53 alteration landscape. ASHOP is an open-access resource to inform genomic and transcriptomic data interpretation for hematologic malignancies and will expand to support additional diseases and data modalities from the ASH community.

The effect of green waste as an organic amendment on soil characteristics and the growth performance of sage (Salvia japonica Thunb)

A case of vitreoretinal PTLD after HSCT for aplastic anemia

Anatomically constrained hierarchical post-processing for pediatric brain tumor segmentation

Abstract Automated segmentation of pediatric brain tumors from multi-parametric MRI is an intermediate step for clinical workflows such as treatment planning and longitudinal volumetric monitoring, yet remains challenging due to the heterogeneous appearance and complex nested anatomy of tumor sub-regions. Our evaluation of several architectural modifications—class-decoupled networks (CDHNet) and hierarchical region-aware networks (HiRA-Net)—reveals that none consistently outperform the standard nnU-Net on the BraTS-PEDs dataset. We propose Hierarchical Post-Processing (HPP), a model-agnostic pipeline that enforces anatomical constraints specific to pediatric brain tumors through: (1) connected component analysis, (2) anatomical hierarchy enforcement, (3) volume-ratio-based label correction, and (4) morphological boundary smoothing. Applied to nnU-Net, HPP improves the macro-average Dice score from 0.634 to 0.724 (+ 9.0% points), with substantial improvements for cystic component (+ 17.8 pp) and peritumoral edema (+ 13.4 pp); the same gain is reproduced across all five default cross-validation folds (raw 0.617 ± 0.021 → HPP 0.706 ± 0.023 macro Dice; ΔMacro = + 0.089 ± 0.002 per fold; pooled n  = 260 paired Wilcoxon p  < 10⁻⁶), confirming that the improvement is not specific to a particular data split. HPP improves all five tested backbones, demonstrating its applicability across the convolutional backbones we evaluated. We also show that region-based training, successful for adult gliomas, underperforms on pediatric tumors due to differences in label hierarchy and class distribution.

Modulation of the E3-ubiquitin ligase RNF217 alters ferroportin levels in enterocytes and iron loading in murine hemochromatosis

Abstract Excess iron induces tissue toxicity in various conditions, including hereditary hemochromatosis (HH). Hepcidin, a liver-derived hormone encoded by the HAMP gene, plays a pivotal role in regulating systemic iron by mediating the degradation of ferroportin (FPN), the sole cellular iron exporter. Previous research found that the E3 ubiquitin ligase RNF217 is a key regulator of iron homeostasis by directly affecting FPN degradation; however, the role of RNF217 overexpression in iron-overload disorders such as HH is poorly understood. To address this question, we generated both global and intestine-specific Rnf217-overexpressing mice and then crossed these mice with hemojuvelin knockout (Hjv−/−) mice, a model for studying hemochromatosis. We found that both global and intestine-specific Rnf217 overexpression caused an identical rescue of the HH phenotype, implicating duodenal enterocytes as the main site where RNF217 overexpression exerts its beneficial effects. Moreover, we found that intestinal Rnf217 overexpression significantly reduced iron accumulation in the serum and in vital organs; importantly, these effects were not correlated with hepcidin levels. In summary, our findings demonstrate that intestinal RNF217 overexpression can directly suppress iron absorption by modulating FPN protein levels, bypassing hepcidin. This suggests a possible therapeutic strategy for iron-overload disorders, warranting further study to establish its clinical potential.

Childhood trauma, specifically emotional abuse, is associated with psychiatric symptom severity in drug‑naïve first‑episode patients with schizophrenia

Abstract Schizophrenia (SCZ) is a highly heterogeneous disorder. Childhood trauma (CT) is a well‑established risk factor, although the contribution of specific CT dimensions remains incompletely understood. This study systematically investigated which CT dimensions were most strongly associated with symptom severity in drug‑naïve first‑episode SCZ patients. In a cross‑sectional design, 284 patients were classified into a SCZ‑ct group ( n  = 234) and a SCZ‑nct group ( n  = 50) based on Childhood Trauma Questionnaire. Symptom severity was assessed using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale. Hierarchical regression analyses adjusted for demographic and clinical covariates were performed, with rater effects examined via a linear mixed‑effects model. The SCZ‑ct group exhibited significantly higher total and positive symptom scores, whereas negative symptom scores did not differ. Higher total CTQ scores were associated with greater overall symptom severity. Emotional abuse was independently associated with total PANSS scores after adjustment for other CT dimensions and covariates, and this association remained robust after additionally accounting for rater effects. These findings support the potential value of addressing childhood trauma, particularly emotional abuse, in both clinical practice and public health strategies.

Platelet Drp1 phosphorylation provides a platform for immune-based platelet function testing

Abstract Dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp1) is an abundant platelet protein best known for its function in mitochondrial fission. However, little is known about how Drp1 is controlled during platelet activation. While evaluating signaling pathways leading to phosphorylation of Drp1 in platelets, we identified a phosphorylation network wherein activation of G protein–coupled receptors or immunoreceptor tyrosine-based activation motif (ITAM)/hemITAM receptors resulted in phosphorylation of Ser616-Drp1 via p38. These signaling mechanisms were reinforced by ADP- and thromboxane A2 (TxA2)-mediated amplification pathways. In contrast, exposure of platelets to pacifying agents such as prostaglandin E1 or nitric oxide resulted in Ser637-Drp1 phosphorylation by cyclic nucleotide-dependent protein kinases. This unique circuitry was leveraged to develop immune-based platelet function assays, enabling enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and lateral flow assay formats. Compared with standard platelet function assays, Drp1 phosphorylation remained robust in whole blood samples following agitation or extended incubation, and samples could be frozen for batching. As proof of principle for antiplatelet testing, phospho-Drp1 measurements were obtained at baseline, during a week of aspirin or clopidogrel exposure, and during a week of washout. Arachidonic acid–induced Ser616-Drp1 phosphorylation following aspirin ingestion demonstrated an enhanced dynamic range with improved linearity relative to light transmission aggregometry and an improved signal-to-noise ratio relative to the VerifyNow aspirin test. Ser637-Drp1 phosphorylation enabled sensitive detection of clopidogrel ingestion. These studies elucidate the unique signaling circuit controlling Drp1 phosphorylation in platelets and validate the approach of using detailed knowledge of platelet signaling pathways to develop high-fidelity immune-based assays to monitor platelet function.