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Locusts employ neuronal sensory prioritization to reconcile two conflicting olfactory signals while aggregating
Migratory locusts ( Locusta migratoria ) emit two key odorants during aggregation: 4-vinylanisole (4VA), which serves as an aggregation pheromone attracting conspecifics to form swarms, and phenylacetonitrile (PAN), which acts as an aposematic signal and a precursor of a defense toxin, deterring conspecifics from cannibalism and protecting against predators. However, how locusts reconcile these two conflicting olfactory signals while aggregating is not yet understood. Our study addresses this by examining the release dynamics of the two signals, their behavioral effects, and the neural mechanisms underlying their perception. 4VA is released earlier and at lower locust densities than PAN, with PAN’s release increasing as aggregation progresses. Although PAN’s emission levels eventually exceed those of 4VA, locusts consistently exhibit a preference for the emitted blend, regardless of variations in proportions and concentrations. Notably, increasing amounts of 4VA added to PAN can counteract PAN’s repellent effects, but this is not the case when PAN is added to 4VA. Mechanistically, we found that antennal neurons responsive to 4VA suppress the activity of neurons responsive to PAN. In the antennal lobe, it is the conduction velocities of projection neurons, rather than other neural properties, that are responsible for the observed behavioral pattern, leading to an overall attractive response. Collectively, our findings imply that insects are capable of harmonizing the effects of two distinct pheromones to optimize both social cohesion and chemical defense.
Convolutional autoencoder network lithology recognition based on scratch tests
Flushing peripheral intravenous catheters: A scoping review
Background Peripheral intravascular catheters (PIVCs) are indispensable vascular access devices in healthcare, facilitating the administration of intravenous therapies. Despite their vital role, PIVCs are frequently associated with complications such as occlusion, infection, and thrombosis, which contribute to catheter failure. Flushing catheters is one of the most common practices during PIVC maintenance, as it cleans the internal catheter lumen, ensuring patency and reducing the risk of complications. However, inconsistencies in flushing practices such as flushing technique, volume to use, frequency, and methods highlight a lack of consensus in the literature and clinical guidelines. Methods Following JBI scoping review methodology, a comprehensive search was conducted across PubMed, Embase, Scopus, CINAHL, and grey literature sources. Studies were included if they focused on PIVC flushing techniques, flushing methods (speed, volume, frequencies, interval), or their impact on catheter-related outcomes. Data were charted using the PAGER (Patterns, Advances, Gaps, Evidence, Research recommendations) framework. Results Of the 4539 initial studies retrieved, 39 met the inclusion criteria. Key findings reveal significant variability in flushing practices, with no consensus on optimal technique (continuous, intermittent, or pulsatile), volume (commonly 5–10 mL), or frequency (ranging from every 6 hours to every 24 hours). Pulsatile flushing showed promise in laboratory studies for reducing bacterial colonization and maintaining catheter patency but lacked consistent clinical evidence. Fluid dynamics studies on the flushing process suggested potential endothelial injury from high flushing velocities and the need for standardized practices. Conclusion While some studies have investigated PIVC flushing, the existing research remains inconsistent, with a lack of clinical trials and mechanistic evidence on how flushing affects catheter patency, endothelial damage, and complication prevention.
Mechanistic insights into the small-molecule inhibition of influenza A virus entry
Influenza A virus (IAV) is a zoonotic pathogen responsible for seasonal and pandemic flu. The extensive genetic and antigenic diversity within and between IAV phylogenetic groups presents major challenges for developing universal vaccines and broad-spectrum antiviral therapies. Current interventions provide limited protection due to the virus’s high mutation rate and capacity for immune evasion. Recent advancements in viral hemagglutinin (HA)-targeting small-molecule entry inhibitors offer a promising avenue to overcome these limitations. Here, we present structural and functional analyses of two group 2 HA-specific small-molecule inhibitors recently identified by our team. Cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) structures revealed that these inhibitors bind a conserved pocket within the HA stalk, likely interfering with the conformational rearrangements necessary for membrane fusion and viral entry. Structure-guided mutagenesis confirmed the critical roles of key interacting residues and uncovered distinct resistance profiles between the two compounds, as well as in comparison to Arbidol, a previously reported HA inhibitor. Notably, our structural analysis highlights intrinsic barriers to achieving cross-group inhibition with current small-molecule designs. To address this, we propose an alternative strategy for broadening antiviral coverage. Together, these findings provide mechanistic insights into IAV entry inhibition and a foundation for the rational design of next-generation anti-influenza therapeutics.
Protective and therapeutic potentials of Trichinella spiralis larval antigen in murine induced colitis
Abstract The intolerable side effects and clinical limitations of current conventional therapies for inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs), there is a pressing need for alternative treatment options. Helminthes adapt immune responses of their hosts to reduce immune-mediated IBDs. The identification of the mechanism responsible for this beneficial effect on IBDs will provide another feasible approach to treating these diseases. The study was designed to investigate the possible protective and therapeutic role of Trichinella spiralis (T. spiralis) crude larval antigen extract in mice challenged with 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS) to induce colitis. Colitis was induced by intra-colonic instillation of TNBS (5 mg/ml in 50% ethanol), preceded or followed by intra-peritoneal (i.p.) administration of a single dose of T. spiralis crude larval antigen extract (100 µg/mouse). Colonic damage was assessed macroscopically and microscopically, and the expression of myeloperoxidase (MPO) was evaluated by immunohistochemistry. Colonic interleukin-10 (IL-10) and serum nitric oxide (NO) levels were also measured. Administration of T. spiralis crude larval antigen extract before induction of colitis reduced colitis severity as demonstrated by reduced colon weight-to-length ratio, improved macroscopic and microscopic scores, increased colonic IL-10 expression, and diminished colonic MPO protein expression. Moreover, there was a significant negative correlation between serum NO and colonic IL-10 levels. In addition, the preventive potential of T. spiralis crude larval antigen extract against TNBS-induced colitis was more prominent than its therapeutic effect. These findings support the hypothesis that T. spiralis has both prophylactic and therapeutic potential in inflammatory bowel diseases, which may be via an increase in IL-10 with predominance of its prophylactic role.
Factors influencing mobile learning technology adoption and learning outcomes in online piano education: A comparative study of Chinese and Russian students
Mobile learning technologies (MLTs) have opened new opportunities for enhancing piano education, yet factors influencing their adoption and impact on learning outcomes remain largely unexplored. This study investigates how prior domain-specific knowledge, prior experience with technology-mediated learning, and self-efficacy influence piano learners’ adoption of MLTs and examines the relationship between MLT adoption and learning outcomes. A cross-sectional survey design was employed with university music students from China and Russia (N = 240; 120 in China, 120 in Russia). Data were collected using a 5-point Likert questionnaire of 20 items measuring the study constructs. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) was used to analyze the data. All hypothesized relationships were supported across both cultural contexts. Prior domain-specific knowledge (β = 0.547, p < 0.001), prior experience with technology-mediated learning (β = 0.638, p < 0.001), and self-efficacy (β = 0.639, p < 0.001) significantly influenced MLT adoption. MLT adoption positively impacted learning outcomes (β = 0.541, p < 0.001). Effect sizes ranged from medium to large (f² = 0.26–0.35). No significant differences were found between Chinese and Russian students, suggesting cross-cultural applicability. The findings demonstrate MLTs’ potential to support piano education globally by providing flexible, accessible, and interactive learning experiences. Results highlight the importance of considering learners’ prior knowledge, technology experience, and self-efficacy when implementing mobile learning solutions. This represents the first cross-cultural PLS-SEM study of piano MLT adoption, providing empirical evidence for technology integration in music pedagogy.
Our current climate already merits serious research and policy attention
Impact of CAR T cell therapy on thymus size in children and young adults with acute lymphoblastic leukemia
Triple-band highly sensitive terahertz metamaterial absorber for biomedical sensing applications
Due to the growing interest in metamaterials for biomedical applications, this study presents the design and analysis of a novel, compact, triple-band metamaterial absorber for biological sensing in the terahertz range. The structure, with dimensions of 41 × 41 μm2, exhibits exceptionally high absorption rates above 99% at three distinct resonance frequencies of 1.85, 3.62, and 5.63 THz. To validate the design, an equivalent circuit model was created and evaluated alongside electric field, magnetic field, and surface current distributions. A key focus of this work is the sensor’s performance, evaluated by introducing a sensing layer with varying refractive indices. The absorber demonstrates outstanding sensitivity values of 1.5 THz/RIU, 1 THz/RIU, and 0.66 THz/RIU at the third, second, and first resonances, respectively, indicating highly reliable sensing performance across multiple frequency bands. Furthermore, its suitability for biochemical applications was evaluated by testing its ability to detect different samples, such as glucose, malaria, and cervical cancer cells. The absorber also demonstrates strong performance metrics, with a maximum quality factor of 39.13 and a figure of merit (FoM) of 6.95, supporting its reliability. Additionally, its suitability for microwave imaging (MWI) technology is also examined. The combination of near-perfect absorption and high sensitivity makes this compact metamaterial absorber a promising candidate for advanced biomedical sensing and diagnostic technologies.
DNA polymerase β suppresses somatic indels at CpG dinucleotides in developing cortical neurons
Somatic mutations in cortical neurons have been implicated in psychiatric disorders. While endogenous DNA damage and repair errors are potential contributors to these mutations during development, the underlying mutagenic mechanism remains unclear. Here, we investigated somatic mutations in immature cortical neurons using mouse somatic cell nuclear transfer-derived embryonic stem cells and whole-genome sequencing. Insertions and deletions (indels) were commonly observed in both repeat and nonrepeat sequences in wild-type cells. The loss of DNA polymerase β (Polβ), an enzyme involved in gap-filling during base excision repair and Ten-Eleven Translocation (TET)-mediated active DNA demethylation, in neural progenitor cells increased indel frequency by ~ninefold at cytosine-phosphate-guanine (CpG) dinucleotides and raised the frequency of structural variants by ~fivefold. These mutations were enriched in neuronal genes, leading to frameshift mutations, amino acid insertions/deletions, and the gain and loss of CpG sites in regulatory regions. Our findings suggest that Polβ preferentially repairs DNA lesions generated at CpG sites by TET-mediated active demethylation, thereby suppressing the mutagenesis that accompanies neuronal gene activation during cortical development.
Changes in citizens’ anxiety, depression, and PTSD after the Seoul Halloween crowd crush in 2022
Maize-bean intercropping mediates reduction in arthropod intraguild predation better than low-intensity farming—Stable isotope evidence
Crop-field structural management for boosting arthropod pest bio-control is increasingly recognized as an environmentally sustainable alternative to chemical pesticides. However, how natural pest regulation outcomes may be undermined by intraguild predation among pest natural enemies is seldom investigated in cereal crops-fields. Here we use δ13C and δ15N stable isotope analyses to assess intraguild predation amongst five arthropod taxa, comparing this to their consumption of three pest taxa, and test how such patterns relate to farming system (low-intensity/conventional) or cropping method (monoculture/intercropping) across 15 small non-transgenic maize fields. Overall, consumption of pests exceeded intraguild predation, especially Lepidoptera contribution to wasp, predatory beetle and predatory bug diets. However, every predatory taxon integrated diet carbon from all the others, particularly from predatory bugs. Predatory beetles showed the strongest connection to pest consumption while predatory bugs had the strongest connection to intraguild diet carbon. In general, wasps, predatory beetles and spiders exhibited more significant orientation towards pest consumption while predatory bugs were more of intraguild predators, but ants incorporated both food-sources nearly proportionately. Regarding influence of cropping options, pest consumption exceeded intraguild predation in intercropped compared to monoculture farms while for farming system, low-intensity rather than conventional systems promoted higher consumption of Lepidoptera pests. Low-intensity farming also enhanced intraguild consumption of predatory bugs. By contrast, while conventional farming boosted beetle and bug pest consumption, it was also associated with enhanced intraguild predation overall. Generally, therefore, field-level maize-field structural complexity through intercropping may be more impactful than chemical-free farming for mediating intraguild predation and hence boosting natural pest suppression. These findings, the first to quantitatively compare multiple-taxa pest consumption to intraguild predation in maize-fields, are important in informing appropriate agronomic management interventions within cereal-crop farming landscapes to maximize top-down pest biocontrol.
Correction for Jeong et al., Tumor-promoting UBR4 coordinates impaired mitophagy–associated senescence and lung adenocarcinoma pathogenesis
Hybrid harbor seal and jellyfish optimization technique for selecting the optimal location of hybrid renewable energy system
Does community pressure matter in cesarean deliveries in Bangladesh? An analysis of nationally representative surveys
Cesarean delivery plays a significant role in reducing maternal and child mortality. However, unjustified cesarean section (C-section) delivery is rising worldwide, including in Bangladesh. C-section delivery rates in Bangladesh have increased from 2.9% in 1999 to 45% in 2022, which is particularly high for first-order births (51%). This study aims to describe the prevalence and determinants of births by C-section for institutional deliveries in Bangladesh’s private and public health facilities. Data from the Bangladesh Demographic and Health Surveys (BDHS) for 2011, 2014, 2017−18, and 2022 are used in this study. Besides the common socio-economic determinants of C-sections, adequate antenatal care (ANC) visits, place of delivery (public/private), and community-level factors including level of illiteracy and prevalence of C-sections in the community were found to have a significant association. After controlling the effect of other variables, women from a community with a high prevalence of C-sections were found to be 11.68 times more likely to have a C-section in their last birth compared to women from a community with a low prevalence of C-sections. Also, the women who had their last birth in private facilities were 8.16 times more likely to have C-sections than women who delivered in public facilities. These findings suggest that the increased rate of C-sections in Bangladesh may be driven by both individual-level and provider-level factors where community pressure plays a vital role. Close monitoring, particularly in private hospitals, and community-level awareness programs about the adversity of C-sections are the proposed policy strategies to avoid unnecessary cesarean deliveries in Bangladesh.
Étienne-Émile Baulieu (1926–2025): Scientist of steroids and champion of women’s reproductive rights
Having trained as a physician, Étienne-Émile Baulieu soon turned his focus to research, as early as his medical internship. He went on to make major contributions on ketosteroids and other steroids, such as estrogen, and how they act on target organs through receptors to which the hormones bind and activate physiological responses. Later, he consulted with a French pharmaceutical company, encouraging them to pursue his concept for an antigestational agent, which became the iconic RU-486 (Mifepristone). For this, he was applauded by many and criticized by others. He died at his home in a suburb of Paris on May 30, 2025, at the age of 98. To his last days, he vigorously maintained his support for women’s reproductive rights.
Reduced serum iron levels predict poor prognosis in pulmonary mucormycosis patients: a prospective, case‒control study
Acute effect of transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation on cardiac vagal activity in men living with HIV: A proof-of-concept clinical trial
This proof-of-concept study evaluated the acute effects of transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) on cardiac vagal activity in people living with HIV. Twenty-one men living with HIV on antiretroviral therapy participated in a single-blind, crossover clinical trial. Participants underwent two counterbalanced stimulation conditions (taVNS and sham) with a 48-hour washout period. Cardiac vagal activity was assessed using vagally-mediated heart rate variability (vmHRV) indices, including the root mean square of successive differences (rMSSD) and the percentage of differences between adjacent normal intervals greater than 50 ms (pNN50), recorded before, during, and after stimulation. No significant changes in vmHRV parameters were observed over time or between conditions. These findings suggest that an acute taVNS session does not modulate cardiac vagal activity in people living with HIV. We discuss potential explanations for these results and highlight considerations for future research on taVNS as a non-pharmacological approach to autonomic modulation. Brazilian registry of clinical trials RBR-8k54cz.
Plant-specific mitochondrial fission machinery connects mitochondrial dynamics and mitophagosome formation for piecemeal mitophagy
As the energy center of the cell, mitochondria display enormous metabolic plasticity to meet the cellular demand for plant growth and development, which is tightly linked to their structural and dynamic plasticity. Mitochondrial number and morphology are coordinated through the actions of the mitochondrial division and fusion. Meanwhile, damaged mitochondrial contents are removed to avoid excess toxicity to the plant cells. Mitophagy, a selective degradation pathway of mitochondria through a double-membrane sac named autophagosome (also known as mitophagosome), plays a crucial role in maintaining mitochondrial homeostasis. Typically, wholesale mitophagy requires the elongation of a cup-shaped phagophore along the entire mitochondrion, which finally seals and closes as a mitophagosome. How plant mitophagosome formation and mitochondria sequestration are coordinated remains incompletely understood. In this work, we report an unappreciated role of the plant-specific mitochondrial fission regulator ELM1, together with the dynamin-related protein family DRP3 and the autophagic regulator SH3P2, to coordinate mitochondria segregation for piecemeal mitophagy under heat stress conditions. Dysfunction in mitochondrial fission activity impairs heat-induced mitophagy, leading to an accumulation of interconnected megamitochondria which are partially sequestered by the ATG8-positive phagophore. Furthermore, we show that the ELM1-mediated piecemeal mitophagy also engages the plant archetypal selective autophagic receptor NBR1. Using 3D tomography analysis, we illustrate the morphological features and spatial relationship of the megamitochondria and phagophore intermediates in connection with the mitochondrial fission sites. Collectively, our study provides an updated model of mitophagosome formation for piecemeal mitophagy mediated by the plant-unique mitochondrial fission machinery.