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Transcriptional profiling identification of inflammatory signaling pathways in ulcerative colitis

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). This study identified core genes and pathways involved in UC by performing transcriptional profiling of colon biopsies from UC patients and healthy controls using data from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. A total of 202 samples, including 129 UC patients and 73 healthy controls, were analyzed, measuring the expression of 40,991 genes using a 44K formatted microarray. Differential gene expression (DGE) analysis and gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) identified several biomarkers potentially involved in UC development. PLCB3 was significantly downregulated, which suggested its role in maintaining intestinal homeostasis. In contrast, DUOX2 was upregulated, which indicated its involvement in the inflammatory response and oxidative stress. Pathway analysis revealed that PLCB3 is associated with lipid metabolism, NOD-like receptor signaling, and NF-κB signaling pathways, while DUOX2 is linked to reactive oxygen species production and chemokine signaling. The interplay between PLCB3 and DUOX2 suggests their combined impact on inflammatory processes in UC. These insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying UC identify key genes and pathways that could serve as potential targets for diagnostic and therapeutic interventions.

Patterns of fear of crime: A mixed-methods exploration of the model of experiential and expressive fear of crime

Hundreds of studies have been published on fear of crime, but few models offer a unified framework for this social phenomenon. This is the ambition of the model of experiential and expressive fear of crime (EEF) developed in the mid-2000s by a team of British researchers. However, despite its numerous contributions, this original model faces two limitations. First, the different versions of the model present certain discrepancies. Second, the statistical methods used consistently rely on hypothetico-deductive reasoning, which may overlook the existence of certain combinations of variables. The objective of this article, based on a French piece of research, is to revisit this model by combining two different families of statistical methods: multivariate configuration analysis and logistic regression analysis. The first analysis attempts to overcome these two limitations by adopting an inductive approach, which involves studying the multidimensional structure of the data without imposing predefined structures on them. It identifies four classes of respondents, each associated with a specific relationship to experiential fear and expressive fear. If the ‘unworried’ and the ‘worried-dysfunctional’ associate these two dimensions of fear of crime, the ‘anxious’ and the ‘worried-functional’ clearly separate them. By adopting an inferential approach, the second analysis aims to determine the sociodemographic factors of these different groups. It shows that the predictors vary significantly from one group to another and that no variable (not even gender) is a predictor for all groups. These results encourage moving beyond the dichotomous conceptualization (‘worried’/ ‘unworried’), which is still widely used in the study of fear of crime. Systematically identifying these different groups could also help combat fear of crime more effectively by implementing targeted and adapted public policies.

How career adaptability affects entrepreneurial intention: The chain-mediated roles of entrepreneurial passion and self-efficacy

This study examined how entrepreneurial passion and entrepreneurial self-efficacy jointly mediate the relationship between career adaptability and entrepreneurial intention. A survey was conducted with 1013 Chinese university students to assess career adaptability, entrepreneurial passion, entrepreneurial self-efficacy, and entrepreneurial intention. The findings indicated that: (1) Career adaptability, entrepreneurial passion, entrepreneurial self-efficacy, and entrepreneurial intention are interconnected in ways that suggest meaningful pathways for enhancing entrepreneurial outcomes; (2) While career adaptability does not directly influence entrepreneurial intention, it has an indirect effect through entrepreneurial self-efficacy and entrepreneurial passion, highlighting the significance of these mediators; (3) Three specific mediation pathways were identified: one through entrepreneurial passion, one through entrepreneurial self-efficacy, and a third involving both factors in a chain-mediated process—where career adaptability enhances entrepreneurial passion, which then fuels entrepreneurial self-efficacy, ultimately boosting entrepreneurial intention. These findings provided deeper insight into how career adaptability shapes entrepreneurial intention and emphasized the importance of nurturing both entrepreneurial passion and entrepreneurial self-efficacy in university entrepreneurship programs. By implementing educational strategies that enhance these factors, educators can better prepare students for entrepreneurial intentions. Although focused on Chinese university students, the findings have global relevance. They offer actionable guidance for government-led entrepreneurship-education systems in higher-education institutions, particularly those in East Asia and Southeast Asia, aimed at fostering adaptive and confident future entrepreneurs.

Job satisfaction as a moderator between organizational culture and turnover intention among Malaysian police officers

Turnover among police officers poses a serious challenge to law enforcement agencies by affecting operational stability and public trust. While organizational culture and job satisfaction are key factors influencing turnover intention, their combined effects have not been widely studied in policing contexts. This study explores whether job satisfaction moderates the relationship between organizational culture and turnover intention among Malaysian police officers. Although both variables were significantly related to turnover intention, the moderation effect of job satisfaction was not statistically significant. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 373 officers from various departments of the Royal Malaysia Police. Participants completed validated instruments measuring organizational culture, job satisfaction, and turnover intention. Data were analysed using Hayes’ PROCESS Macro (Model 1) in SPSS to test for moderation effects through hierarchical regression. The analysis revealed that both organizational culture and job satisfaction were significantly and negatively associated with turnover intention, indicating that higher levels of these variables correspond to lower intentions to leave the organization. Officers who perceived stronger organizational culture and reported higher job satisfaction were less likely to express intent to leave. However, job satisfaction did not significantly moderate the relationship between organizational culture and turnover intention (p = .117), indicating that the influence of organizational culture on turnover intention remained stable regardless of satisfaction levels. The findings highlight the importance of fostering a supportive organizational culture to reduce turnover intention among police officers. While job satisfaction independently contributes to retention, it does not significantly alter the impact of organizational culture. These results suggest that efforts to improve retention in policing should focus on structural and cultural reforms in addition to enhancing job satisfaction.

Application of a SODOSM-based MCDM method for evaluating comprehensive fruit quality: A case study of pineapple

This study constructs an evaluation index system and model by integrating objective evaluation methods such as the entropy weight method and TOPSIS with subjective evaluation methods like Delphi and AHP. By analyzed the scatter plots of the comprehensive quality evaluation values of commodity quality before and after weighting, it was found that the quality evaluation values before and after weighting are highly correlated, with correlation coefficients of 0.908 respectively. The weighting method employed in this study only weights the quality evaluation values within a certain range to reflect the subjective preference of consumers, without destructively altering the quality evaluation. This study aims to construct an evaluation index system and model that not only satisfies subjective preferences but also objectively reflects the true quality of pineapples from multiple indicators and dimensions.

The capacity and influencing factors of primary health care services in China

Objective To analyze the capacity and influencing factors of primary health care services and to provide a scientific basis for promoting the development of primary health care services in China. Methods The entropy weight technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) and rank‒sum ratio (RSR) methods, which are based on the health resource density index (HRDI), were used to analyze the capacity of primary health care services, and multiple stepwise regression analysis was used to analyze the influencing factors. Results Taking the HRDI of primary health care service capacity in 2021 as a reference, the six evaluation indicators of 14 regions, including Hebei, Liaoning, and Shanghai, were higher than the Chinese average. According to the entropy weight TOPSIS method, the average C-values of primary health care service capacity in China from 2017–2021 were 0.303, 0.313, 0.324, 0.331, and 0.326, respectively, with the C-values of regions such as Shanghai, Beijing, and Henan ranking in the top ten, whereas those of regions such as Xinjiang, Qinghai, and Tibet ranked in the bottom five. According to grade divisions by the RSR method, Tianjin, Shandong, Jiangsu, Shanghai, and Beijing were ranked at the good grade level; Xinjiang, Qinghai, Inner Mongolia, and Tibet at the poor grade level; and the remaining 22 regions at the medium grade level. According to the multivariate stepwise regression, population density, health technicians, and the number of beds per 1,000 people were the main factors affecting the capacity of primary health care services in China. Conclusion The overall capacity of primary health care services in China is not high, and regional disparities are substantial. The capacity of primary health care services is better in Tianjin, Shandong, Jiangsu, Shanghai and Beijing and worse in Xinjiang, Qinghai, Inner Mongolia and Tibet. The population density and number of health technicians per 1,000 people are the main factors affecting the capacity of primary health care services in China.

Comparison of intra-session reliability of force-velocity-power variables between a horizontal dynamic leg press device and vertical jump tests

This study aimed to compare the intra-session reliability of force-velocity-power variables obtained from a horizontal dynamic leg press device (HDLPD) and vertical jump tests. Nineteen male field hockey players performed maximal leg extension movements in HDLPD under a wide range of available load conditions (100, 120, 140, 160, 180, and 200% body weight [BW]), followed by squat jumps (SJ) and countermovement jumps (CMJ) under unloaded (0 kg), moderate- (22.0 ± 4.6 kg), and high-loaded (43.9 ± 9.2 kg) conditions. The peak and mean values of force, velocity, and power derived from the HDLPD, SJ, and CMJ were calculated. The HDLPD showed acceptable intrasession reliability for all experimental outcomes (intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC] = 0.845 to 0.974, coefficient of variation [CV] = 0.43% to 4.52%). The outcome variables during SJ and CMJ had acceptable intra-session reliability, except for the relative reliability of some variables (ICC = 0.588–0.973, CV = 1.19%–8.38%). The results of this study showed that the HDLPD has high intrasession reliability in measuring force-velocity-power variables for maximal leg extension performance. In addition, for some force-velocity-power variables, HDLPD can provide more reliable measurements than vertical jumps. Therefore, the HDLPD can be useful for practitioners who want to reliably measure leg extension strength, speed, and power outcomes.

TIGER: A tdTomato in vivo genome-editing reporter mouse for investigating precision-editor delivery approaches

In vivo genome editing has the potential to address many inherited and environmental disorders. However, a major hurdle for the clinical translation of genome editing is safe, efficient delivery to disease-relevant tissues. A modality-agnostic reporter animal model that facilitates rapid, precise, and quantifiable assessment of functional delivery and editing could greatly enhance the evaluation and translation of delivery technologies. Here, we present the development of the tdTomato in vivo genome-editing reporter (TIGER) mouse, a reporter strain that harbors an integrated and constitutively expressed mutated tdTomato gene in the Polr2a locus. The mutations (Q115X, Q357X) abolish fluorescence, but successful adenine base editing (ABE) or prime editing (PE) restores tdTomato fluorescence. This mouse model facilitates the tissue- and cell type–specific assessment of genome editing agent delivery. We describe several editing strategies validated in vitro and demonstrate efficient ABE and PE in vivo using viral and nonviral delivery vectors targeting four cell types within the mouse eye: the retinal pigment epithelium, photoreceptors, Müller glia, and the trabecular meshwork. We show direct editing characterization in the ocular tissues via in vivo and ex vivo two-photon confocal microscopy and verify the spectral and fluorescence lifetime properties of tdTomato reporter in other mouse tissues. Additionally, we demonstrate successful adeno-associated virus (AAV)-mediated PE of extraocular tissues, including hepatocytes, skeletal muscle, and brain neurons by intravenous injection. Thus, the TIGER mouse facilitates the direct development, comparison, and optimization of delivery platforms for efficient and productive ABE or PE broadly applicable in vivo across multiple tissues tested in this study.

Phenolic-rich extracts of Teucrium oliverianum confer protection against thioacetamide-induced liver fibrosis in rats: Insights from metabolomics, biochemical and histopathological analysis

Background Hepatic fibrosis unfolds as a pathological buildup of extracellular matrix triggered by liver injury. Thioacetamide (TAA) plays a versatile role across various fields—from industrial processes and laboratory research to chemical stabilization. Teucrium plants, widely traditional plants, owing to its myriads of pharmacological activities. Methods and findings T. oliverianum ethanolic (TO-EtOH) and ethyl acetate (TO-EtOAc) extracts were explored for their bioactive metabolites via UHPLC-ESI-qTOF-MS/MS that yielded 48 compounds, mainly flavonoids and phenylethanoid glycosides, alongside phenolic acids, iridoid glycosides, and limonoids. Both extracts showed notable hepatoprotective effects in a thioacetamide (TAA)-induced liver injury model, supporting their therapeutic potential. The TAA group showed a significant increase in AST, ALT, ALP, MDA and TNF-α levels concurrent with a significant decrease of GSH level versus normal control group. In contrast, TO-EtOAC and TO-EtOH administered rats showed a decrease in liver enzymes, including ALT, AST, ALP, total bilirubin, and MDA, and an increase in GSH as compared to the TAA model group. Furthermore, both extracts considerably decreased the overall liver TNF-α content inferring anti-inflammatory action. The histo- and immunohistochemical assays of liver tissue of rats in TAA revealed prominent pathological alterations with bridging fibroplasia in multiple hepatic lobules. A restorative effect that improved hepatic morphology with apparent normal hepatic cells and nominal fibroplasia was evident in the administration of both extracts. Among both extracts, TO-EtOH appeared more effective than TO-EtOAC as manifested by a significant improvement in liver’s biochemical parameters and structural organization. Conclusion This study provides robust evidence supporting the antifibrotic effects of T. oliverianum in a TAA-induced liver injury model. The anti-proliferative activity and hepatoprotective effects are likely to be mediated by its richness in phenolic acids, flavonoids and phenylethanoids.

Nucleotide- and metalloid-driven conformational changes in the arsenite efflux ATPase ArsA

Arsenite (As III ) is toxic to all organisms due to its ability to tightly bind exposed thiols within cells. An important As III resistance mechanism in prokaryotes involves proteins encoded by the ars operon. A central component of the ars operon in many bacteria is the cytoplasmic ATPase, ArsA, which orchestrates a series of nucleotide-dependent handoffs, starting with the capture of As III by the ArsD metallochaperone and culminating in its removal from the cell by the ArsB efflux pump. Although the mechanism of ArsA has been widely studied, the molecular details of how nucleotide hydrolysis modulates these events remain unclear. ArsA is an archetypal member of the intradimeric Walker A (IWA) family of ATPases, implicated in a diversity of complex biological functions. Conformational changes typical of IWA ATPases have been postulated to drive these molecular events but have not been demonstrated. We report cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) structures of ArsA in MgADP-bound and MgATP-bound open states, as well as a distinct closed MgATP-bound state liganded to As III . X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) confirmed three-coordinate binding of As III to the conserved cysteines at the metalloid-binding site of the closed state. Coupled with biochemical characterization, our cryo-EM structures reveal key conformational changes in the ArsA catalytic cycle consistent with other IWA ATPases and provide the structural basis for allosteric activation of nucleotide hydrolysis by As III . This work establishes how the nucleotide state of ArsA transiently creates a high-affinity binding site that can sequester metalloid within the cell, followed by a nucleotide-driven handoff to ArsB for efflux.

Idiopathic epiretinal membrane area changes in eyes with good vision and the association with visual function

Purpose To evaluate idiopathic epiretinal membrane (iERM) area changes and the association with visual function in patients with good vision, using confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscopy (cSLO). Methods The medical records of patients with iERM with best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) ≥ 20/25 and a follow-up period ≥ 2 years were reviewed retrospectively. BCVA, metamorphopsia, fundus images using cSLO, and optical coherence tomography images were obtained at baseline and every 6 months. The ERM area and diagonal lengths of the long and short axes were determined. The progression group was defined as eyes with ≥2 lines of loss, and the stable group was defined as eyes with less change. Results This study included 46 eyes, with 23 eyes in each group. Participants in the progression group were younger (60.7 vs. 65.7 years, P = 0.015) and showed a larger BCVA change (0.20 vs. 0.04, P < 0.001) and greater ERM area decrease (34.2% vs. 11.7%, P < 0.001) during the follow-up period. In the progression group, BCVA reduction was correlated with area decrease (β = 0.571, P = 0.010). No factors were associated with metamorphopsia. In the univariate analysis, ERM area reduction at 6 months was a significant predictor of vision loss (odds ratio, 1.632; P = 0.002). Receiver operating characteristic analysis identified a 7.66% ERM area reduction at 6 months as the optimal cutoff for predicting vision loss (81.8% sensitivity, 82.6% specificity). Conclusions ERM area reduction significantly correlates with vision loss in patients with iERM with good vision. Monitoring ERM area changes can help predict disease progression and visual outcomes.

Universal vortex formation time of flapping flight

Biological flyers periodically flap their appendages to generate aerodynamic forces. Extensive studies have made significant progress in explaining the physics behind their propulsion in cruising by developing scaling laws of their flight kinematics. Notably Strouhal number ( St ; ratio of flapping frequency times stroke amplitude to cruising speed) has been found to fall in a narrow range for animal cruising flights. However, St exhibits strong correlation to flight conditions; as such, its universality has been confined to preferred flight conditions. Since the leading-edge vortices (LEV) on flapping appendages generate the majority of propulsive forces, here we take the perspective of LEV circulation maximization, which generalizes the dimensionless vortex formation time to flapping flight. The generalized vortex formation time scales the duration of vorticity injection with the rate of total vorticity growth inside the LEV and the maximum vorticity allowed inside it. By comparing the new scaling with St of previously reported animal cruising flights of 28 species, we show that the generalized vortex formation time is consistent across different animals and cruising locomotion, independent of flight conditions. This finding advances the fundamental principles underlying the complex wing kinematics of biological flyers and highlights a unifying framework for understanding biolocomotion.

Marked gender inequity in the invited speakers at the European College of Veterinary Surgeons annual scientific congress 2012–2022

The objective of this retrospective study was to explore gendered equity for invited speakers at the European College of Veterinary Surgery (ECVS) Annual Scientific Meeting between 2012–2022 when compared to speciality demographics for ECVS membership. Our sample populations included the European College of Veterinary Surgeons (ECVS) Diplomate membership, and all invited speakers at their Annual Scientific Meetings between 2012–2022. Data was extracted from Meeting Programs including year, speaker name, session type, and frequency of invitation. Authors were assigned a binary gender using a web-based algorithm to determine gender by a first name. The number and gender of new Diplomates each year between 1993–2023 was obtained from the ECVS Office and used as a comparison group to assess proportional representation amongst invited speakers. We found that women comprised 27% (249/924) of ECVS Diplomates in 2012 and 33.82% (312/924) in 2022. In this decade, there were 913 invited lectures delivered at ECVS Annual Scientific Meetings, 21% (188/913) were delivered by women. Women were particularly under-represented for higher prestige lectures including State of the Art (0%), Pre-Congress wet labs (0%) and Pre-Congress expert-led sessions (15.8%, 15/95). In conclusion, the proportion of invited speakers that were women at ECVS Scientific Meetings between 2012–2022 was 21%, despite women comprising >25% of ECVS Diplomate membership since 2012. Higher prestige sessions were heavily biased towards speakers being men. We suggest proactive commitment is needed to achieve gender equity in speaker invitations across all session types at ECVS Annual Scientific Meetings.

Correction for Ma et al., Setdb1 ablation in macrophages attenuates fibrosis in heart allografts

Effect of repeated intratracheal instillation of incense smoke condensate in mice

Incense smoke condensate (ISC) can have harmful mutagenic and genotoxic effects. Epidemiological and experimental studies have reported the negative effects of incense use on humans. We investigated the toxicological effects of the incense smoke condensate ISC in a 2-week repeated intratracheal instillation model in mice. Twenty-five male mice were divided into four treatment groups and one control group (n = 5 per group). The treatment groups received daily intratracheal instillations of ISC at doses of 2.5, 5, 10, and 20 mg/kg/day, and the control group received a vehicle control for the duration of the study. Mortality and body weight were recorded during the study period. At the end of the study, all mice were sacrificed and terminal body weight, organ weight, gross findings, total and differential cell counts in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), and histopathological findings were obtained. Lung inflammatory markers were measured using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. The results showed that ISC exposure led to dose-dependent increases in both absolute and relative left lung weights, as well as in the number of total cells, macrophages, and neutrophils in BALF. Furthermore, the ISC significantly elevated the mRNA expression levels of inflammatory markers such as IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, and MMP-12 in the lung tissues in a dose-dependent manner. Histopathological analysis revealed significant changes in the lungs, including epithelial hyperplasia, inflammatory cell infiltration, and macrophage aggregation. These findings indicate that ISC induces lung inflammation. The no-observed-adverse-effect level of ISC was determined to be less than 2.5 mg/kg/day in this mouse model.

A unified model of transient poration induced by antimicrobial peptides

Membrane active peptides (MAPs) represent a diverse group of agents that disrupt the integrity of lipid membranes. One class of MAPs, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), destroy bacteria by transiently porating the bacterial membrane causing leakage of cellular contents. Transient leakage is classified as “graded,” where all vesicles in a population leak partially, or “all-or-none,” where some vesicles leak completely. However, the molecular interactions underlying transient leakage have eluded experimental determination. Here, dye leakage experiments with the AMP piscidin 1 (P1) show that graded leakage can be converted to all-or-none by simply adding a defect-promoting lysophospholipid. Molecular dynamics simulations demonstrate that area stress arising from membrane asymmetry decreases the energy of pore formation and is highly lipid dependent. Furthermore, lipids and peptides translocate the bilayer through these pores, leading to area-relaxed states where poration is highly unfavorable. Even pores too small to leak dye relieve area stress; they are the “none” component of all-or-none release. These observations lead to development of a quantitative model where graded and all-or-none leakage are treated as a continuum explained by a single mechanism that accounts for the local peptide concentration and probabilities of different pore sizes. This unified model accurately reproduces the P1 dye leakage data and provides an explanation for varying pore energy, size, and probability within the framework of asymmetry-driven poration. This model is expected to be applicable to other MAPs, including cell-penetrating peptides, and could provide a framework for designing peptides with greater cellular specificity, a long-sought outcome.

Unveiling hidden connections: How social networks impact diversion in hospital emergency departments: An exploratory social network analysis

Due to a lack of safeguards, controlled substances (CS) can be diverted (stolen) from healthcare facilities. While it is known that healthcare workers (HCWs) can use their social networks within the medication use process (MUP) to facilitate diversion, the specific connections between HCWs and the MUP tasks most vulnerable to diversion remain poorly understood. Social network analysis (SNA) was used to analyze social connections to identify influential relationships between HCWs and tasks susceptible to diversion.To map the social network structures of MUP tasks vulnerable to CS diversion in two Emergency Departments (EDs), identify influential tasks and HCWs, and report HCW perceptions of in-hospital diversion.This study used a mixed methods approach in the ED of two large hospitals in Toronto, Canada. Previously collected clinical observation data was used to identify tasks at risk of diversion, and cross-sectional surveys were conducted to assess HCW’s involvement in the identified vulnerable tasks. A two-mode SNA was conducted to identify connections between HCWs and tasks susceptible to drug diversion.SNA identified a circular structure across both sites, highlighting the network’s redundancy and capacity to efficiently disseminate information. Nurses were central to tasks with a higher risk of diversion. Physicians and Pharmacists had limited direct involvement in these tasks. Tasks with frequent interprofessional interactions, such as creating, following, or reviewing orders for non-admitted patients, are vulnerable to diversion due to HCWs acting on decisions made by other professionals without closely scrutinizing the details. No significant differences were observed between sites, suggesting a shared perception of diversion. The SNA results highlight the critical role of network structure in shaping vulnerability to diversion. The similarities across both sites suggest a systemic challenge across ED settings that require targeted interventions. By uncovering critical points of influence, we can better understand how diversion occurs and develop targeted interventions to prevent it.

Activation of WNK1 signaling through Piezo1

With No lysine (K) 1 (WNK1) is essential for ion and volume homeostasis, sensing osmotic stress and activating pathways that regulate ion transport. Its response to osmotic stress shares similarities with the function of the mechanosensitive ion channel Piezo1. In this study, we show that Yoda1, a Piezo1 agonist, activates WNK1 downstream kinase targets oxidative stress-responsive 1 (OSR1) and STE20/SPS1-related serine, proline-, and alanine-rich kinase (SPAK) in endothelial cells within minutes. Ionophore-induced Ca 2+ influx similarly triggers their activation. Comparable responses were observed in HDMEC, HUVEC, A549, MDA-MB-231, and HeLa cells. Hypotonic stress also enhances SPAK and OSR1 phosphorylation, which is attenuated by WNK1 inhibition or Piezo1 knockdown, whereas hypertonic stress-induced phosphorylation is not affected by Piezo1 knockdown. Chelating Ca 2+ or depleting intracellular stores prevents their activation, while increasing intracellular Ca 2+ via the Na + /Ca 2+ exchanger or thapsigargin enhances it. ER-released Ca 2+ is sufficient to activate SPAK and OSR1 even in the absence of extracellular Ca 2+ , and this effect is diminished by Piezo1 knockdown. Both Yoda1 and ionomycin promote phosphorylation of WNK1 at serine 382, a modification that increases its catalytic activity. These findings identify Piezo1 as an activator of WNK1, linking Ca 2+ dynamics to WNK1-OSR1/SPAK signaling.

Development of a survey tool to assess emotional and social behavioral competencies of science technology engineering math and medicine (STEMM) graduate students

The underrepresentation of women and minority students in STEMM graduate programs remain a significant challenge, compounded by biases in traditional admissions processes and barriers to effective mentoring and retention. This study develops and validates the Quinn Miller Competency Assessment (QMCA), a tool designed to assess emotional and social intelligence (ESI) competencies crucial for STEMM graduate student success. The QMCA was created through an iterative process involving literature review, expert consultations, and empirical studies. It evaluates five key competencies: self-awareness, self-control, adaptability, achievement orientation, and teamwork. The tool’s validity and reliability were tested using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses on diverse samples of STEMM graduate students and applicants. Results demonstrated strong construct validity and reliability and invariance across gender and race/ethnicity supporting the QMCA’s use in both admissions and student development contexts, in conjunction with other measures. By enabling a more holistic evaluation of applicants’ competencies through an assessment that fairly and consistently evaluates individuals across demographic groups, the QMCA aims to improve access and retention for underrepresented groups in STEMM fields, fostering a more inclusive and diverse scientific community. Future research will specifically explore how the QMCA can enhance holistic evaluation processes and contribute to student retention and success efforts. Additionally, we will test its applicability across broader disciplines.

Sociohydrodynamics: Data-driven modeling of social behavior

Living systems display complex behaviors driven by physical forces as well as decision-making. Hydrodynamic theories hold promise for simplified universal descriptions of socially generated collective behaviors. However, the construction of such theories is often divorced from the data they should describe. Here, we develop and apply a data-driven pipeline that links micromotives to macrobehavior by augmenting hydrodynamics with individual preferences that guide motion. We illustrate this pipeline on a case study of residential dynamics in the United States, for which census and sociological data are available. Guided by Census data, sociological surveys, and neural network analysis, we systematically assess standard hydrodynamic assumptions to construct a sociohydrodynamic model. Solving our minimal hydrodynamic model, calibrated using statistical inference, qualitatively captures key features of residential dynamics at the level of individual US counties. We highlight that a social memory, akin to hysteresis in magnets, emerges in the segregation–integration transition even with memory-less agents. While residential segregation is a multifactorial phenomenon, this physics analogy suggests a simple mechanistic explanation for the phenomenon of neighborhood tipping, whereby a small change in a neighborhood’s population leads to a rapid demographic shift. Beyond residential segregation, our work paves the way for systematic investigations of decision-guided motility in real space, from micro-organisms to humans, as well as fitness-mediated motion in more abstract spaces.