Browse Articles
Discover research articles across all indexed journals
Working across religions, cultures, settings, and development: Protocol for wave 2 data collection with children and parents by the developing belief network
The Developing Belief Network is a global research collaborative studying religious development in diverse social-cultural settings, with a focus on the intersection of cognitive mechanisms and cultural beliefs and practices in early and middle childhood. The current manuscript describes the study protocol for the network’s second wave of data collection, which aims to further explore the development and diversity of religious cognition and behavior using a multi-time point approach. This protocol is designed to investigate three key research questions—how children represent and reason about religious and supernatural agents, how children represent and reason about religion as an aspect of social identity, and how religious and supernatural beliefs are transmitted within and between generations—via a set of eight tasks for children between the ages of 5 and 13 years and a survey completed by their parents/caregivers. This study is being conducted in 41 distinct cultural-religious settings, spanning 16 countries and 12 written languages. In this manuscript, we provide detailed descriptions of all elements of this study protocol, and give a brief overview of the ways in which this protocol has been adapted for use in diverse religious communities. As one example of how this protocol has been implemented outside of the United States, we present Arabic- and English-language study materials for children being raised in one of the following religious traditions in Lebanon: the Druze faith, Maronite Christianity, Orthodox Christianity, Shia Islam, or Sunni Islam. We end with reflections on the challenges of developing and implementing large-scale, multi-site, multi-time point studies of child development; our approach to navigating these challenges; and our suggestions for how future researchers might learn from our experiences and build on the work presented here.
Vascular imbalance in polycystic ovary syndrome: Insights into endothelial dysfunction
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a multifactorial endocrine disorder associated with vascular dysfunction and increased cardiovascular risk. This study aims to investigate the dysregulation of vascular tone in PCOS, focusing on the imbalance between vasodilators (nitric oxide [NO] and apelin) and vasoconstrictors (noradrenaline and reduced prostacyclin). By examining these factors, the study seeks to elucidate their contribution to endothelial dysfunction and cardiovascular complications in PCOS patients. Forty-four patients diagnosed with PCOS according to the 2003 Rotterdam Criteria, along with 44 healthy controls, were included in the study. Ultrasound evaluations were performed on all volunteers. Serum NO, apelin, noradrenaline, and prostacyclin levels were measured using commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits. Additionally, routine biochemical, hormonal, and glycated hemoglobin analyses were conducted on all samples. There was no statistically significant difference between the PCOS and control groups in terms of marital status, age, and body mass index (BMI) (p > 0.05). Compared to the control group (83.85 ± 22.65 µmol/L, 190.88 ± 16.44 ng/L, and 24.63 ± 4.59 ng/L, respectively), NO, apelin, and noradrenaline concentrations were significantly higher in patients with PCOS (104.35 ± 44.96 µmol/L, 379.57 ± 40.11 ng/L, and 27.48 ± 5.36 ng/L, respectively) (p < 0.01). In contrast, prostacyclin concentrations were significantly lower in patients with PCOS (5.85 ± 1.28 ng/L) compared to the control group (6.78 ± 1.99 ng/L) (p = 0.011). Additionally, a statistically significant difference was found between the PCOS and control groups in FSH, LH, testosterone, SHBG, glucose, and HDL levels (p < 0.05). The disrupted balance between vasodilation and vasoconstriction in PCOS, driven by altered levels of NO, apelin, noradrenaline, and prostacyclin, contributes to endothelial dysfunction and increased cardiovascular risk. These molecular disturbances underline the need for targeted therapeutic strategies aimed at restoring vascular homeostasis in PCOS patients.
Destination authenticity as a halo? Enhancing emotional solidarity with residents in rural tourism
Emotional interaction between tourists and hosts is a vital element of rural tourism, and tourists often seek nostalgia and authenticity in rural settings. Based on the cognition-affect-behavior (CAB) framework and the halo effect theory, this study constructs a hypothetical model to explore the antecedents and consequences of emotional solidarity between rural tourists and residents. Online responses were collected from 324 Chinese rural tourists. The data were analyzed using PLS-SEM. The results indicate: (1) Perceived authenticity of rural tourists has a positive impact on nostalgic emotions; (2) Both perceived authenticity and nostalgic emotions promote emotional solidarity between rural tourists and residents; (3) Emotional solidarity is a significant predictor of revisit intention. This study enhances understanding of emotional solidarity in a rural context and provides practical insights for stakeholders to foster host-guest relationships.
Covariant spatio-temporal receptive fields for spiking neural networks
Abstract Biological nervous systems constitute important sources of inspiration towards computers that are faster, cheaper, and more energy efficient. Neuromorphic disciplines view the brain as a coevolved system, simultaneously optimizing the hardware and the algorithms running on it. There are clear efficiency gains when bringing the computations into a physical substrate, but we presently lack theories to guide efficient implementations. Here, we present a principled computational model for neuromorphic systems in terms of spatio-temporal receptive fields, based on affine Gaussian kernels over space and leaky-integrator and leaky integrate-and-fire models over time. Our theory is provably covariant to spatial affine and temporal scaling transformations, with close similarities to visual processing in mammalian brains. We use these spatio-temporal receptive fields as a prior in an event-based vision task, and show that this improves the training of spiking networks, which is otherwise known to be problematic for event-based vision. This work combines efforts within scale-space theory and computational neuroscience to identify theoretically well-founded ways to process spatio-temporal signals in neuromorphic systems. Our contributions are immediately relevant for signal processing and event-based vision, and can be extended to other processing tasks over space and time, such as memory and control.
Atomic resolution structures of the methane-activating enzyme in anaerobic methanotrophy reveal extensive post-translational modifications
Abstract Anaerobic methanotrophic archaea (ANME) are crucial to planetary carbon cycling. They oxidise methane in anoxic niches by transferring electrons to nitrate, metal oxides, or sulfate-reducing bacteria. No ANMEs have been isolated, hampering the biochemical investigation of anaerobic methane oxidation. Here, we obtained the true atomic resolution structure of their methane-capturing system (Methyl-Coenzyme M Reductase, MCR), circumventing the isolation barrier by exploiting microbial enrichments of freshwater nitrate-reducing ANME-2d grown in bioreactors, and marine ANME-2c in syntrophy with bacterial partners. Despite their physiological differences, these ANMEs have extremely conserved MCR structures, similar to homologs from methanogenic Methanosarcinales , rather than the phylogenetically distant MCR of ANME-1 isolated from Black Sea mats. The three studied enzymes have seven post-translational modifications, among them was a novel 3( S )-methylhistidine on the γ-chain of both ANME-2d MCRs. Labelling with gaseous krypton did not reveal any internal channels that would facilitate alkane diffusion to the active site, as observed in the ethane-specialised enzyme. Based on our data, the methanotrophic MCRs should follow the same radical reaction mechanism proposed for the methane-generating homologues. The described pattern of post-translational modifications underscores the importance of native purification as a powerful approach to discovering intrinsic enzymatic features in non-isolated microorganisms existing in nature.
Transient domain boundary drives ultrafast magnetisation reversal
Abstract Light-induced magnetisation switching is one of the most intriguing and promising areas where an ultrafast phenomenon can be utilised in technological applications. So far, experiment and theory have considered the origin of all-optical helicity-independent magnetisation switching (AO-HIS) in individual magnetic films only as a microscopically local, thermally-driven process of angular momentum transfer between different subsystems. Here, we demonstrate that this local picture is insufficient and that AO-HIS must also be regarded as a spatially inhomogeneous process along the depth within a few-nanometre thin magnetic layer. Two regions of opposite magnetisation directions are observed, separated by a highly mobile boundary, which propagates along the depth of a 9.4 nm thin Gd25Co75 alloy. The dynamics of this transient boundary determines the final magnetisation state as well as the speed of AO-HIS throughout the entire magnetic layer. The ability to understand the influence of nanoscale and transient inhomogeneities on ultrafast switching phenomena and more generally on phase transitions will open new routes for material design and excitation scenarios in future devices for transferring and storing information.
Regio- and chemoselective catalytic partial transfer hydrogenation of quinolines by dinuclear aluminum species
Abstract Catalytic reduction of quinolines has gained continuous interest in both academia and industry, providing direct and efficient access to tetrahydroquinolines or 1,2-dihydroquinolines. The catalytic preparation of tetrahydroquinolines has been extensively studied by transition metal complexes. By contrast, the related catalytic synthesis of 1,2-dihydroquinolines remains underdeveloped due to the difficulties in achieving precise control over both chemo- and regioselectivity. Here, we demonstrate a catalytic 1,2-reduction of quinolines using a dinuclear aluminum complex, allowing for the highly selective synthesis of a rich array of 1,2-dihydroquinolines through the combination of bimetallic catalysis and metal-ligand cooperation. These investigations showcase the capacity of main group metal catalysts to achieve reactivities distinct from well-studied transition-metal catalysis.
Retraction Note: O-GlcNAc-mediated interaction between VER2 and TaGRP2 elicits TaVRN1 mRNA accumulation during vernalization in winter wheat
Addendum: Multipeptide vaccines for melanoma in the adjuvant setting: long-term survival outcomes and post-hoc analysis of a randomized phase II trial
Friedel oscillations and chiral superconductivity in monolayer NbSe2
Gut microbial production of imidazole propionate drives Parkinson’s pathologies
Unbroken $${{{\mathscr{P}}}}{{{\mathscr{T}}}}$$-symmetry in the absence of gain or loss
Abstract The concept of parity-time symmetry has firmly established non-Hermiticity as a versatile degree of freedom on a variety of physical platforms. In general, the non-Hermitian dynamics of open systems are perceived to be inextricably linked to complex-valued potentials facilitating the local attenuation and coherent amplification in wave mechanics. Along these lines, time reversal symmetry is associated with a complex conjugation of the potential landscape, in essence swapping gain and loss. Here we leverage nonorthogonal coupled-mode theory to synthesize genuinely non-Hermitian dynamics without either gain or loss, and experimentally demonstrate parity-time symmetry via fluorescence measurements in femtosecond-laser-written arrays. Our projective approach allows features of non-Hermiticity to be utilized in scenarios where actual amplification and/or attenuation may disrupt the desired physics, e.g. in nonlinear systems or quantum optics.
Ultrasound system for precise neuromodulation of human deep brain circuits
Abstract We introduce an advanced transcranial ultrasound stimulation (TUS) system for precise deep brain neuromodulation, featuring a 256-element helmet-shaped transducer array (555 kHz), stereotactic positioning, individualised planning, and real-time fMRI monitoring. Experiments demonstrated selective modulation of the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) and connected visual cortex regions. Participants showed significantly increased visual cortex activity during concurrent TUS and visual stimulation, with high cross-individual reproducibility. A theta-burst TUS protocol produced robust neuromodulatory effects, decreasing visual cortex activity for at least 40 min post-stimulation. Control experiments confirmed these effects were specific to the targeted LGN. Our findings reveal this system’s potential to non-invasively modulate deep brain circuits with unprecedented precision and specificity, offering new avenues for studying brain function and developing targeted therapies for neurological and psychiatric disorders, with transformative potential for both research and clinical applications.
Unraveling the regulative development and molecular mechanisms of identical sea urchin twins
Abstract Since Hans Driesch’s pioneering work in 1891, it has been known that animal embryos can develop into complete individuals even when divided. However, the developmental processes and molecular mechanisms enabling this self-organization remain poorly understood. In this study, we revisit Driesch’s experiments by examining the development of isolated 2-cell stage blastomeres in the sea urchin, Hemicentrotus pulcherrimus. Contrary to intact embryos, these isolated blastomeres initially form a flat, single layer of dividing cells that eventually round up to be a blastula. Live imaging and knockdown experiments reveal that actomyosin activity at the basal side of the cells and septate junctions drives this process. Intriguingly, we observed temporal disorganization of the anterior-posterior (A-P) and dorsal-ventral (D-V) axes, where the original A-P poles come into contact after sphere shape formation. The disrupted A-P axis is subsequently corrected as the embryos employ the Wnt/β-catenin signaling mechanisms assumed to be used in intact embryos to re-establish a normal axis. These findings suggest that axis re-organization through pre-existing developmental mechanisms is essential for the successful regulative development of divided embryos.
Hemispheric asymmetry of tau pathology is related to asymmetric amyloid deposition in Alzheimer’s Disease
Abstract The distribution of tau pathology in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) shows remarkable inter-individual heterogeneity, including hemispheric asymmetry. However, the factors driving this asymmetry remain poorly understood. Here we explore whether tau asymmetry is linked to i) reduced inter-hemispheric brain connectivity (potentially restricting tau spread), or ii) asymmetry in amyloid-beta (Aβ) distribution (indicating greater hemisphere-specific vulnerability to AD pathology). We include 452 participants from the Swedish BioFINDER-2 cohort with evidence of both Aβ pathology (CSF Aβ42/40 or neocortical Aβ-PET) and tau pathology (temporal tau-PET), categorising them as left asymmetric (n = 102), symmetric (n = 306), or right asymmetric (n = 44) based on temporal lobe tau-PET uptake distribution. We assess edge-wise inter-hemispheric functional (RSfMRI; n = 318) and structural connectivity (dMRI; n = 352) but find no association between tau asymmetry and connectivity. In contrast, we observe a strong association between tau and Aβ laterality patterns based on PET uptake (n = 233; β = 0.632, p < 0.001), which we replicate in three independent cohorts (n = 234; β = 0.535, p < 0.001). In a longitudinal Aβ-positive sample, we show that baseline Aβ asymmetry predicts progression of tau laterality over time (n = 289; β = 0.025, p = 0.028). These findings suggest that tau asymmetry is not associated with a weaker inter-hemispheric connectivity but might reflect hemispheric differences in vulnerability to Aβ pathology, underscoring the role of regional vulnerability in determining the distribution of AD pathology.
Many plants naturalized as aliens abroad have also become more common within their native regions
Abstract Due to anthropogenic pressure some species have declined whereas others have increased within their native ranges. Simultaneously, many species introduced by humans have established self-sustaining populations elsewhere (i.e. have become naturalized aliens). Previous studies have shown that particularly plant species that are common within their native range have become naturalized elsewhere. However, how changes in native distributions correlate with naturalization elsewhere is unknown. We compare data on grid-cell occupancy of native vascular plant species over time for 10 European regions (countries or parts thereof). For nine regions, both early occupancy and occupancy change correlate positively with global naturalization success (quantified as naturalization in any administrative region and as the number of such regions). In other words, many plant species spreading globally as naturalized aliens are also expanding within their native regions. This implies that integrating data on native occupancy dynamics in invasion risk assessments might help prevent new invasions.