Browse Articles

Small non-coding RNAs have predicted roles in reproductive biology and transposable element regulation in the parasitic worm Strongyloides venezuelensis

Effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and soil substrate on invasive plant Alternanthera philoxeroides

Corneal epithelium is altered in keratoconus and forme fruste keratoconus

Stability and practical feasibility of the 3D nonlinear guidance law

CytoBead ANA 2 assay - a novel method for the detection of antinuclear antibodies

In vitro activity of phages against periprosthetic joint infection-associated staphylococcal biofilms

Abstract Lytic phages are potential therapeutic options, based on their ability to lyse bacteria in vitro. Although many infection-types for which phage therapy is being considered involve biofilms, in vitro anti-biofilm activity of phage is poorly defined, in part due to a lack of standardized methods for assessment. Here, phages SaMD07phi1 and SaRBI05030phi5 were evaluated against Staphylococcus aureus SaMD07 and SaRBI05030, respectively, in biofilms formed in 96-well plates and on glass beads, and planktonically, in TSB and PBS, with endpoints including by CFUs and Biolog Omnilog hold times. The bead biofilm assay in TSB using the Omnilog (BBTO) was employed to test eight staphylococcal phages against S. aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, and Staphylococcus lugdunensis from periprosthetic joint infection. Biofilms on beads in TSB showed better eradication than in microtiter wells, with no significant changes with PBS in either format. CFU counts and Omnilog units correlated linearly through 8 h of testing. In the bead assay, CFU counts showed that phage SaMD07phi1 eliminated growth at 4 h, while SaRBI05030phi5 achieved a ~ 3-log reduction at 8 h; with Omnilog hold times of 37 and 28 h, respectively. Diverse activity and good reproducibility of the BBTO was observed among 8 phages, with SaMD07phi1 showing the highest activity. In conclusion the BBTO is a promising potential method for biofilm susceptibility testing.

Leveraging federated learning and edge computing for pandemic-resilient healthcare

Optimized placement and sizing of solar photovoltaic distributed generation using jellyfish search algorithm for enhanced power system performance

Abstract The strategic integration of distributed generation (DG) units into distribution power networks (DPNs) is pivotal for augmenting system efficiency and stability. This study introduces an advanced metaheuristic optimization framework leveraging the Jellyfish Search Algorithm (JSA) for the optimal placement and sizing of solar photovoltaic (PV) DG units. The formulated multi-objective function incorporates real power loss (RPL) minimization, voltage deviation index (VDI) reduction, and voltage stability index (VSI) enhancement, employing a weighted sum approach (WSA) to ensure computational rigor. The efficacy of the proposed methodology is rigorously validated on the IEEE 33-bus radial DPN under single and multiple PV system deployment scenarios. For single PV system optimized inclusion, RPL of the DPN is cut down from 210.98 kW to 102.89 kW, total VDI is reduced from 1.8047 p.u to 0.5331 p.u, and minimum VSI is increased from 0.6671 to 0.7559. For two PV DG units inclusion, RPL is reduced to 82.99 kW, total VDI is reduced to 0.6518 p.u with a least VSI improved to 0.8848. However, better result is obtained with three units of DG placement with RPL reduced to 69.59 kW, total VDI decreased to 0.3293 p.u with a least VSI of the test system increased to 0.8916. Comparative analyses against state-of-the-art metaheuristic algorithms underscore the superior convergence efficiency and optimality of JSA in addressing nonlinearity and high-dimensionality constraints. Empirical results substantiate substantial RPL reduction, bus voltage enhancement, and system stability reinforcement, establishing JSA as an avant-garde paradigm in DG optimization.

Phylogenetic analysis of the Critically Endangered Aquilaria khasiana (Thymelaeaceae) using barcode markers and chloroplast genome, with updated conservation status

Analyzing mental stress in Indian students through advanced machine learning and wearable technologies

Optimization of teaching quality of college physical education by using decision making technique under complex interval valued fermatean fuzzy model

Impact of proton-beam irradiation on the electrical reliability and performance of LTPS and a-IGZO thin-film transistors

Abstract We investigate the impact of 5 MeV proton beam irradiation on the electrical reliability of low-temperature polycrystalline silicon (LTPS) and amorphous In–Ga–Zn–O (a-IGZO) thin-film transistors (TFTs). After irradiation, the threshold voltage (V th) of a-IGZO TFTs shifted from 0.31 to − 7.87 V, while field-effect mobility (μ FE) increased from 8.4 to 11.7 cm2/V∙s due to oxygen vacancy (Vo) formation, enhancing channel conductivity. In contrast, LTPS TFTs exhibited severe degradation, with V th shifting from − 3.18 to − 33.51 V and μ FE dropping from 78.9 to 0.01 cm2/V s. Bias temperature instability tests showed significant deterioration in irradiated LTPS TFTs, whereas a-IGZO TFTs remained stable. This is attributed to the metastable a-IGZO lattice, which suppresses radiation-induced defect formation, whereas the LTPS lattice undergoes amorphization. X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), and density of states (DOS) confirmed these mechanisms. Finally, we confirmed electrical performance recovery of irradiated TFTs through rapid thermal annealing (RTA) process. These findings provide insights into TFT degradation under radiation exposure and highlight the potential of a-IGZO and LTPS TFTs for radiation-hardened applications in radiography, military, aviation, and aerospace industries.

BSCL2 and CDK5 are two genes associated with circadian rhythm disturbance in Parkinson’s disease

Ensemble learning for prediction of inorganic scale formation: A case study in Oman

Deep crustal magnetotelluric imaging of continental accretion and intracontinental deformation in central Australia

Abstract Central Australia preserves a record of micro-continent and craton accretion during assembly of the Paleoproterozoic Nuna supercontinent 2500 − 1600 Ma, followed by Mesoproterozoic magmatic and orogenic events that formed the Musgrave Province. The Petermann Orogeny (630 − 520 Ma) and Alice Springs Orogeny (450 − 300 Ma) resulted in north-south crustal shortening and Moho offsets up to 20 km that yield gravity variations of ~ 160 mGals. Three-dimensional inversion of 614 long-period (10–10000 s) AusLAMP MT and 36 geomagnetic depth sounding (GDS) sites spaced ~ 55 km produced resistivity estimates to 250 km depth, covering 1500 km west-east, 1300 km north-south. From 0 to 5 km, resistivity maps the extent and thickness of Neoproterozoic Officer, Amadeus, Ngalia and Georgina Basins, and Mesozoic Eromanga basin. At all crustal depths the Arunta Province and northern Musgrave Province are resistive (> 10000 Ω.m), bounded by lower crustal conductive zones (< 10 Ω.m) to the north, east and south that align with suture zones associated with Paleoproterozoic accretion of ribbon continents. Lithospheric scale faults active in the Petermann Orogen (Woodroffe Thrust) and Alice Springs Orogen (Redbank Shear Zone) align with these low-resistivity zones, and we argue that graphite from carbon burial in Paleoproterozoic sediments reduces frictional strength and enable compressive deformation to localise strain.

Using structural equation modelling to reassess bias in judging the vault event in men’s artistic gymnastics

Potential role of avibactam in restoring susceptibility in Escherichia coli with two copies of blaKPC-3 and PBP3 mutations

Light-driven phenotypic plasticity in the depth-generalist coral, Pavona varians

Climate change is causing shifts in the spatial distribution of species and a reshuffling of the composition of multiple community types. On coral reefs, deep water can act as both refuges and refugia for corals from the combined negative effects of heat and light stress. Phenotypically plastic generalists that can tolerate both low and high light environments could be disproportionately important on future reefs, persisting in refugia and colonizing vacant shallow reefs. We performed a common garden experiment to investigate the effect of light on three different wild-collected genotypes of the abundant, depth-generalist coral Pavona varians. We measured the growth response and reaction norms of six other morphological and functional traits in full sunlight, 75%, and 90% shade. We also modeled the combined effects of light and temperature on growth. P. varians had positive growth in all three treatments, but increased both skeletal mass and 2-D colony footprint most in 90% shade, with a higher density of corallites, and a less rugose skeleton that may enhance light capture. Areas of the colony corresponding to new growth had greater fluorescence of Symbiodiniaceae communities in the darkest treatment. Light did not alter the functional lipid ratio, nor did communities of Symbiodiniaceae vary with light treatments. The model revealed additively negative, but not synergistic, effects of light and temperature on growth. This additively negative relationship in the model is consistent with the hypothesis that reductions in bleaching at depth could be the product of reduced light stress at depth rather than reduced temperature stress. Light-associated plasticity likely allows P.varians to live in a wide variety of habitats and across a broad depth gradient. In reduced light conditions, this species may mitigate some of the negative effects of bleaching temperatures on growth. We predict that P. varians is likely one of a minority of species that may benefit from deep reef refugia.

Efficacy and safety of a novel multivalent mRNA vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 in experimental animals

Potential role of TNFRSF12A in linking glioblastoma and alzheimer’s disease via shared tumour suppressor pathways

Abstract Tumor suppressor genes (TSGs) are critical regulators of cellular homeostasis and are extensively studied in cancer biology. However, their roles in neurodegenerative diseases, particularly Alzheimer’s disease (AD), remain poorly understood. Recent evidence of an inverse association between cancer and AD suggests the existence of shared molecular mechanisms. We conducted an integrative analysis to identify TSGs with potential involvement in both AD and glioblastoma (GBM), using Mendelian randomization, transcriptomic profiling (bulk and single-cell RNA-seq), cell–cell communication inference, and in vitro validation. Among 1,217 TSGs screened, TNFRSF12A was consistently dysregulated in both GBM and AD datasets. Further analysis revealed its association with immune-related pathways and transcriptional programs relevant to both diseases. Knockdown of TNFRSF12A in glioma cells altered the expression of genes associated with amyloid precursor protein (APP) processing and Wnt signaling pathways. This study identifies TNFRSF12A as a cross-disease candidate gene in GBM and AD, based on transcriptomic convergence and partial functional validation. Our findings suggest that TSGs may contribute to shared molecular programs in neurodegeneration and cancer, and warrant further mechanistic investigation.