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Screening of SGLT2 inhibitors based on virtual screening and cellular experiments
Cognitive bridge between geometric and numerical learning in monkeys
Educational research highlights strong developmental links between numerical and spatial cognition in humans, often shaped by cultural tools like the number line. However, emerging evidence suggests that these number–space connections may reflect our evolutionary history and emerge even in the absence of cultural tools. We examined how task-naïve monkeys learn spatial and numerical concepts over time. Monkeys’ learning trajectories revealed successful learning of both numerical and geometric concepts. Discriminability effects showed that abstract quantitative features were stronger predictors of accuracy on both tasks than low-level visual similarity, reflecting abstract processing of both tasks. Cross-lagged analyses revealed that learning in the geometry task significantly predicted future gains in numerosity performance, even after controlling session-level trends, within-task stability, and general performance factors. Together, these findings provide evidence that spatial and numerical learning in primates rely on mutual cognitive processes. Such representations could form the evolutionary foundation for the well-documented “cognitive bridge” between numerical and spatial reasoning in human development.
Distribution characteristics of microplastics in wastewater treatment plants in mega cities–the case study of Chengdu City
Liquid water might not be the only answer: Evaluating pore-filling materials in the Martian crust
Melatonin suppresses the plasma calcium level in female goldfish during the late and post-reproductive stages
Rediscovering fire
Research on mechanical properties of a new type of composite floor slab with split joint
Abstract At present, the commonly used composite floor of steel bar truss in prefabricated buildings has the problem that the overhanging bent steel bars in the prefabricated floor collide with the reserved steel bars in other prefabricated components, which reduces the subsequent construction efficiency. In order to solve this problem, a new type of composite floor slab with split joints was designed. The bent steel bars are distributed centrally in the middle of the stitching edge of the prefabricated bottom plate, while the ends of the bottom plate are not reinforced, which reduces the contact with the reserved steel bars of other structures.This paper presents the mechanical properties of a new type of composite floor slab with split joint. Based on the loading test of full-scale specimens, finite element numerical simulation and theoretical calculation, the ultimate bearing capacity, elastoplastic properties, mechanical properties of reinforcement at the joints and other basic mechanical properties were investigated. The experiment results shown that the new type of composite floor slab with split joint exhibit better mechanical properties, and the structure of the laminated slabs can better guarantee the force transfer between the precast slabs. The theoretical, experimental, and finite element method (FEM) results are in good agreement, validating the reliability of the proposed composite floor slab design.The research content of this paper provides theoretical support for the application of the new composite floor slab in engineering practice, while its practical applications include improved construction efficiency, enhanced structural integrity, and crack resistance, making it a valuable solution for modern construction.
Reply to Xiao et al.: A wet or dry Martian mid-crust, that is only part of the question
Application of Brucella type IV secretion proteins VirB1, VirB5, and VirB6 in the serological diagnosis of brucellosis
Solstice, selection, and synchrony of seed masting
Tumour immune infiltration is independent of peripheral circulation of white blood cells in glioblastoma
Abstract Glioblastomas are the most prevalent and malignant primary cancers in the brain. Given the promising prospects of immunotherapeutic approaches, there is increasing interest in obtaining precise knowledge of the immunologic status of the tumour microenvironment for each individual. We explored the feasibility of inferring this tumour immune component in a minimally invasive manner prior to any clinical intervention, taking advantage of the preoperative immune cell counts that can be easily obtained from the clinical records of the patients. The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is the most extensive measure calculated from complete counts of peripheral blood. Despite there was an increase in the NLR in high grade tumours of our cohorts of study, we did not find evidence of any correlation between the NLR and different degrees of tumour immune infiltration in glioblastoma. The same negative result was obtained with the monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio (MLR). In addition, glioblastomas associated with extreme values of peripheral NLR did not exhibit substantial gene expression differences that could be linked to distinct tumourigenic properties. Overall, these results suggest that peripheral immune cell ratios cannot be used to reliably infer the immune microenvironment within the tumour, underscoring the complexity of using peripheral markers to assess local tumour immunity.
Landscape changes elevate the risk of avian influenza virus diversification and emergence in the East Asian–Australasian Flyway
Highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses (HPAIV) persistently threaten wild waterfowl, domestic poultry, and public health. The East Asian–Australasian Flyway plays a crucial role in HPAIV dynamics due to its large populations of migratory waterfowl and poultry. Over recent decades, this flyway has undergone substantial landscape changes, including both losses and gains of waterfowl habitats. These changes can affect waterfowl distributions, increase contact with poultry, and consequently alter ecological conditions that favor avian influenza virus (AIV) evolution. However, limited research has assessed these likely impacts. Here, we integrated empirical data and an individual-based model to simulate AIV transmission in migratory waterfowl and domestic poultry, including wild-to-poultry spillover and reassortment dynamics in poultry, across landscapes representing the years 2000 and 2015. We used the reassortment incidence as a proxy for ecological and transmission conditions that support viral diversification and the emergence of novel subtypes. Our simulations show that landscape change reshaped the waterfowl distribution, facilitated bird aggregation at improved habitats, increased coinfection, and raised reassortment rate by 1,593%, indicating a substantially higher potential for viral diversification and emergence. Model-generated risk maps show expanded and increased reassortment risk in southeastern China, the Yellow River Basin, and northeastern China. These findings suggest the importance of landscape change as a driver of potential AIV diversification and subtype emergence. This underscores the need for interdisciplinary approaches that integrate landscape dynamics, host movement, and viral evolution to better assess and mitigate future risk.
Phylogeographic evidence reveals multiple colonization events and a secondary contact zone in the Balkans for the Anthriscus sylvestris complex (Apiaceae)
Abstract The Anthriscus sylvestris complex (Apiaceae) exhibits a wide ecological and geographical diversity around the Mediterranean and in Central Europe. This study aims to explore its historical biogeography. Network and phylogenetic analyses were performed using the variation in two nuclear markers (nrDNA ITS and waxy intron) and three plastid markers (rpoB–trnC, trnS–trnG, and psbA–trnH intergenic spacers) assessed for 296 accessions. Nuclear and plastid markers disagreed with each other and with the current taxonomy of the complex. Two ribogroups, Nit and Syl, were apparent, with the former encompassing mountainous taxa from the Balkan Peninsula and Central Europe and the latter uniting remaining accessions. Plastid data suggested a Middle Eastern origin of the complex, with migration to Europe around the Mediterranean through the Iberian Peninsula, and a secondary contact with another migration wave in the Balkans. However, a scenario with two migration waves to Europe through the Balkans cannot be excluded. Waxy data distinguished a more detailed geographical and ecological pattern. The estimated age of the A. sylvestris complex based on the plastid data was 1.72 Ma, whereas the divergence within the European group began approximately 0.44 Ma.
Inbreeding reduces fitness in spatially structured populations of a threatened rattlesnake
Small and fragmented populations are at high risk of local extinction, in part because of elevated inbreeding and subsequent inbreeding depression. A major conservation priority is to identify the mechanisms and extent of inbreeding depression in small populations. The eastern massasauga ( Sistrurus catenatus ) rattlesnake is listed as Federally Threatened in the United States, having experienced significant habitat fragmentation and concomitant population declines over the past 200 years. Here, we use long-term monitoring of two wild populations of eastern massasaugas in Michigan to estimate the extent of inbreeding in each population, identify mechanisms that generate inbreeding, and test for the impact of inbreeding on fitness. Using targeted genomic data and spatial coordinates of capture locations from over 1000 individuals, we find evidence of inbreeding and link inbreeding to spatial kinship structure within populations, possibly driven by limited dispersal. We reconstruct multigenerational pedigrees for each population to measure reproductive output and use long-term capture–recapture data to estimate individual survival (i.e., the two major components of fitness). We find evidence of inbreeding depression in both fitness metrics. The 5% most inbred individuals are 13.5% less likely to have any surviving offspring and have 11.6% lower annual survival compared to all less inbred individuals. By combining genomics and long-term monitoring data, we are able to link the life history of eastern massasaugas to inbreeding and detect relationships between fitness and inbreeding. These insights provide important conservation context for future management and for understanding how spatial structure can generate inbreeding depression even at fine spatial scales.
Palatal donor site management using tissue adhesives with adjunctive coconut oil in a randomized clinical trial
Abstract Management of the complications occurring in the donor area after epithelialized gingival graft (EGG) harvesting still poses a challenge for clinicians. This study aimed to evaluate the influence of gelatin sponge (GS), cyanoacrylate (CY), and coconut oil (CO) combination in comparison with GS + CY in donor site management. Fifty EGG were harvested from the lateral palate in 50 patients, who were subsequently randomized to receive the GS + CY (control) or GS + CY + CO combination (test). Postoperative pain perception (PP), quantity of analgesics (QA), epithelization level (EL), color match (CM), sensation loss (SL), postoperative discomfort (PD), and delayed bleeding (DB) were evaluated. The GS + CY + CO group showed lower PP scores compared to the GS + CY (p < 0.05). The QA intake was similar in both groups. On day 14, the GS + CY + CO group achieved 80% full EL rate, which was higher than the GS + CY group (32%) (p = 0.002). CM scores were higher in the GS + CY + CO group at all follow-up periods (p < 0.001). Both groups reported similar SL, PD, and DB values (p > 0.05). GS + CY + CO combination is more effective in reducing pain compared to GS + CO in donor site management after EGG harvesting. Additionally, GS + CY + CO combination may accelerate epithelialization and improve color match compared to GS + CY alone. Clinical Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT06583226.
Ensemble deep learning with image captioning for visual pollution detection, classification, and reporting
Valuation of science and technology innovation enterprises based on XGBoost-GA-BP neural network model
TLR7/8 ligands R848 and imiquimod induce differentiation of bone marrow cells from patients with myelodysplastic syndrome towards mature neutrophils
Abstract Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) arise as a consequence of acquisition and progressive accumulation of genetic and epigenetic modifications by haematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPC) which result in an impaired cell differentiation and the clonal expansion of myeloid progenitors leading to blast-cell accumulation in bone marrow (BM) and myelodysplasia. TLRs are expressed on HSPC and play a role in modulating haematopoiesis by instructing commitment to the myeloid lineage, and therefore may have potential therapeutic application. We have determined the in vitro effect of R848 (TLR7/TLR8 agonist) and Imiquimod (TLR7 agonist), on differentiation, apoptosis and cell viability in primary cultures of bone marrow samples from MDS (n = 6) and AML patients (n = 13). Differentiation was determined by a combined approach of conventional flow cytometry and t-SNE (t-distributed stochastic neighbour embedding) analysis based on the expression of cell markers (CD34, CD11b, CD13, CD117 and CD45). Cell viability and apoptosis were determined according to standard procedures. Statistical analyses were performed according to the two-tailed Student’s t test for dual comparison (treated versus control samples). All major cell populations of the differentiation path from blasts towards neutrophils were found. Treatment with R848 or with Imiquimod did not induce significant changes in cell differentiation in AML samples. However, both R848 and, to a lesser extent, Imiquimod were able to induce differentiation of bone marrow cells from MDS patients from myelocytes to mature neutrophils in five out of six samples. Results also showed absence of toxic effects of both ligands on cells from MDS patients, as both apoptosis and cell viability were not altered by treatments. As for the differentiation assays, the effect of both ligands on apoptosis and cell viability in primary cultures from AML patients was not significant. Treatment with TLR7/8 ligands can revert the blockade of myeloid differentiation in most MDS samples and increase the amount of neutrophils, and therefore could represent a potential alternative treatment for MDS patients.