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“Sun brings all things”: Sun and moon lore as biocultural knowledge on Aneityum island, Vanuatu
Across the Pacific, traditional myths and contemporary narratives describe the origins, animacy, and importance to daily human activities of the Sun and Moon. In Vanuatu, Indigenous local knowledge systems interpret ways that the Sun and Moon interact with humans and plants to achieve productive and sustainable lifeways. In this ethnographic study, we explore how residents of Aneityum Island perceive and narrate the Sun and Moon’s interactions with animals, humans, and plants. We consider the influence of the Sun and Moon on domains of daily life on Aneityum, including agriculture, architecture, fishing, health care, navigation, time-reckoning, and diverse ritual activities. Aneityum islanders possess generationally accumulated understandings of their relationship to the environment, framed within the local cosmology and communicated orally. Sun and Moon lore—as expressed through myths and stories—directly informs Aneityumese people’s actions and efforts at sustainable living, survival technologies, and biodiversity conservation on land and sea. This body of knowledge reveals the causes and manifestations of natural phenomena, and strategies for responding to their impacts. Due to the influences of globalization, many biocultural tools that focus on Sun and Moon lore are at risk of being forgotten. The Aneityumese people—aided by outside experts—are undertaking efforts to document and revitalize this knowledge to ensure the continuity of their resilient and sustainable lifeways.
Dual-payload ADCs move into first oncology clinical trials
A key loop in the catalytic pocket of the PL17 family of alginate lyases determines minimal substrate recognition
Cognitive impairment in Sjogren’s syndrome: Interplay between BACE1 activity, inflammatory blood biomarkers and neurocognitive testing
Background Sjogren’s syndrome (SS) is considered as a chronic, autoimmune disorder, that can present with various manifestations both intra and extra-glandular. Cognitive dysfunction is pivotal in recognizing neurological complications in SS. Methods A study involving 44 SS cases and 37 controls was conducted to evaluate cognitive dysfunction further. Participants underwent multiple cognitive tests and blood tests for evaluation. Also, the β-site amyloid precursor protein cleaving enzyme 1 (BACE1), Interleukin 6 (IL-6), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), nitric oxide (NO), and malondialdehyde (MDA) serum levels were measured. Multiple analyses were done by PRISM 10 and SPSS 22. Results The MoCA and SDLT scores were lower in Sjogren patients (P < 0.001). Serum BACE1, IL-6, NO, TAC, and MDA did not statistically vary in the SS patients. The only variables varied by medication therapy with methotrexate (MTX), hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), and prednisone were WBC count (P = 0.03) and triglyceride levels (in MTX and HCQ, P = 0.04), with no effect on neurocognitive factors. IL-6 was strongly correlated with the duration of symptoms (r = 0.99, P-value < 0.001). BACE1 had a positive correlation with IL-6 level (r = 0.4, P-value = 0.027). Conclusion SS patients demonstrated significantly lower performance in neurocognitive tests, while BACE1 and inflammatory markers were not altered. This indicates that cognitive decline in SS is present but the mechanism still requires further evaluation. MTX, HCQ, and Prednisone use did not alter neurocognitive factors. Important correlations were found between hematological and cognitive tests in this study which provides new insights in the field of SS.
Subcellular determinants of orthoflavivirus protease activity
Effects of a non-standard information leaflet on patient recruitment in acute care: Embedded cluster-randomised controlled trial
Background Recruiting study participants is a key component and major challenge in clinical research. Evidence shows that the design of written study information can influence recruitment success. However, there is a lack of research on the effectiveness and acceptability of different written study information. Objective We aimed to investigate the effectiveness and acceptability of an information leaflet including an information video compared to a formal information letter in patient recruitment in acute care. Design We conducted a cluster-randomised controlled trial embedded in a cross-sectional study (“Sleep Acute host study”) addressing patients’ sleep in hospitals. Methods In a stratified random sample of hospitals, we allocated selected wards either to the intervention group (information leaflet including a link to an information video) or the control group (formal information letter) using external concealed randomisation. Adult patients hospitalised for at least 48 hours were eligible for participation. Our primary endpoint was recruitment success measured by the participation rate in the Sleep Acute host study. The secondary endpoint was acceptability of the written study information. Persons involved in the analyses were blinded concerning group allocation. Results In total, 53 wards with 498 patients were cluster-randomised, 28 wards with 262 patients were allocated to the intervention group and 25 wards with 236 patients to the control group. The participation rate in the Sleep Acute host study was 51.1% (134 of 262) for the intervention and 47.5% (112 of 236) for the control group (OR 1.186 (0.698 to 2.013), p = 0.528). There were no significant differences concerning the acceptability of the written study information between both groups. Conclusions More patients who received an information leaflet including a link to an information video participated in the host study, although the difference is not statistically significant. Study registration DRKS-ID: DRKS00029707. Registered on 30. August 2022
Stealthy polymer attacks Gram-negative bacteria
Functional investigation of the RNA helicase MOV10 with respect to its interplay with factors involved in nonsense-mediated mRNA decay
Static strengths of circular hollow section stub column strengthened with carbon fiber reinforced polymer
In previous studies, the strengthening effectiveness and feasibility of carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) were mainly evaluated through experimental research or numerical analysis. Although these methods can accurately provide estimates, both experimental and numerical assessment processes are costly in terms of time and cost. There is a need for reliable calculation formulae that can predict the static strengths of circular hollow section (CHS) stub columns in a more convenient and cost-saving manner. Therefore, this paper mainly conducted theoretical analysis and derived the calculation formulae. Furthermore, finite element (FE) analysis of CHS stub columns strengthened with CFRP was also conducted, and FE simulations were obtained. The accuracy of these formulae was validated by comparing the theoretical predictions with both FE simulations conducted by the authors and experimental results derived from previous studies. The maximum error was found to be no more than 10%. The cost-effective number of CFRP laminates bonded on the steel tube surface can be determined using the CFRP confinement coefficient λ, where λ balances the construction cost and the strengthening efficiency. A parametric study was also conducted to investigate the impact of steel strength, the number of CFRP laminates, and the bonding configuration of CFRP on the strengthening efficiency.
Improvement in the potency of a N1-methylpseudouridine-modified self-amplifying RNA through mutations in the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase
Analysis and comparison of the bacterial σ54 regulon: Evidence of phylogenetic trends in gene regulation
While the role of σ54 in regulating genes involved in nitrogen metabolism, flagellar biosynthesis, and stress responses in Pseudomonadota is well established, its involvement in regulating alternative metabolic pathways and cellular processes in other phyla has been less explored. By employing position-specific scoring matrices (PSSMs) to identify promoter sequences regulated by the σ54 factor, we successfully predicted genes under its control across 33 taxonomic classes spanning 16 distinct phyla. For the first time, we conducted a comprehensive statistical assessment of σ54 regulation across major bacterial phylogenetic groups. Our findings provide an extensive perspective on the regulatory role of σ54 beyond nitrogen metabolism and reveal the different trends in which metabolic and biological processes can be regulated by this sigma factor depending on the phylogenetic group. The main findings of our study are available on the aRpoNDB webpage (https://biocomputo.ibt.unam.mx/arpondb/).
FDA approves first factor XIIa inhibitor, for hereditary angioedema
Ultrasensitive bioluminescent reporters of protein kinase A based on luciferase activity modulated by phosphorylation (PKA LAMP)
Knowledge transfer, knowledge gaps, and knowledge silos in citation networks
The advancement of science relies on the exchange of ideas across disciplines and the integration of diverse knowledge domains. However, tracking knowledge flows and interdisciplinary integration in rapidly evolving, multidisciplinary fields remains a significant challenge. This work introduces a novel network analysis framework to study the dynamics of knowledge transfer directly from citation data. By applying dynamic community detection to cumulative, time-evolving citation networks, we can identify research areas as groups of papers sharing knowledge sources and outputs. Our analysis characterises the life-cycles and knowledge transfer patterns of these dynamic communities over time. We demonstrate our approach through a case study of eXplainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI) research, an emerging interdisciplinary field at the intersection of machine learning, statistics, and psychology. Key findings include: (i) knowledge transfer between these important foundational topics and the contemporary topics in XAI research is limited, and the extent of knowledge transfer varies across different contemporary research topics; (ii) certain application domains exist as isolated “knowledge silos”; (iii) significant “knowledge gaps” are identified between related XAI research areas, suggesting opportunities for cross-pollination and improved knowledge integration. By mapping interdisciplinary integration and bridging knowledge gaps, this work can inform strategies to synthesise ideas from disparate sources and drive innovation. More broadly, our proposed framework enables new insights into the evolution of knowledge ecosystems directly from citation data, with applications spanning literature review, research planning, and science policy.
Enhancing CAR-T cell efficacy through IFN ablation
‘Congress has your back’: US senators tell scientists they want to protect NIH budget
Sal is a proteobacterial bile acid aldolase that repurposes key thiolase catalytic residues for retroaldol cleavage of C5 steroid side chains
Burden of gram-positive bacteria from urinary tract infection: A four-year retrospective study in a tertiary health setting in southern Saudi Arabia
Background Antibiotic resistance is a worldwide problem causing significant health-related and economic losses. Gram-positive causes of urinary tract infections (UTIs) are usually underestimated or overlooked by physicians. Aim To examine the prevalence of antibiotic resistance among major gram-positive bacteria from UTIs in a tertiary care health hospital in southern Saudi Arabia. Method A cross-sectional retrospective study was done in a tertiary health setting in southern Saudi Arabia between 2019 and 2022, to identify the major gram-positive bacteria and antibiotic resistance. Data were collected from the hospital records and was analyzed using the SPSS statistical package. Results The most common gram-positive species were Enterococcus faecalis (44.7%), Staphylococcus aureus (15.1%), and Enterococcus faecium (12.9%), beta-hemolytic streptococci (8.4%), and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) (1.8%). The 1540 isolates showed an overall susceptibility of 71.0%, compared to a resistance of 29.0%. The most resistance was among Enterococcus faecium (54.5%), Enterococcus gallinarum (42.4%), Enterococcus faecalis (34.3%), and MRSA (27.2%). The most common resistance was to erythromycin (75.7%), followed by cefotaxime (73.9%), tetracycline (70.5%), ciprofloxacin (54.3%), and Synercid (53.6%). The prediction model indicates an increase in the prevalence of resistance in MRSA and, to a lesser extent, with E. faecalis, E. faecium, and beta-hemolytic streptococci. Conclusions Enterococcus faecalis was the predominant gram-positive species, surpassing Staphylococcus aureus. Almost remarkable resistance was observed to most of the antibiotics that are frequently used in the study area, mainly erythromycin, cefotaxime, and tetracycline. Performing continuous monitoring of drug susceptibility may help with the empirical treatment of bacterial agents in the region.