Browse Articles

Assessing flood susceptibility in a Triyuga watershed, Nepal using statistical models

Functional roles of purified yapsins from Candida glabrata (Nakaseomyces glabratus) in immune modulation and cross-species biofilm formation

Abstract Candida glabrata (currently classified as Nakaseomyces glabratus) is an opportunistic yeast-like fungus that causes infections in humans, with limited treatment options due to resistance to antifungal drugs. In contrast to C. albicans, which produces secreted aspartic proteases (Saps) involved in pathogenicity, C. glabrata expresses a distinct group of cell surface-associated aspartic proteases known as yapsins (Yps). While YPS gene deletion mutants have proposed roles in cellular homeostasis, their precise contribution to fungal virulence and host interactions remains unclear. Herein, we present the first detailed biochemical and functional characterization of two native Yps proteins, Yps3 and Yps9, purified from C. glabrata cultures. Both proteases displayed robust activity in a mildly acidic to neutral pH range (5.5–7.0), resistance to the classical aspartic protease inhibitor pepstatin A, and selectively degraded key host antimicrobial peptides, including LL-37 cathelicidin, histatin 5 (Hst5), and kininogen-derived peptide NAT26, by hydrolyzing lysine residues. Additionally, Yps9 promoted C. albicans biofilm dispersal. In a Galleria mellonella infection model, a pre-treatment with each protease enhanced larval survival and increased phenol oxidase activity, implying a role of yapsins in immune priming. Collectively, these findings reveal multifunctional roles for Yps3 and Yps9 in fungal virulence, biofilm modulation, and host immune interactions.

Pine fruit activated carbon modified with CuCo2Se4 for the application in high-performance battery-type supercapacitor

Household adoption of domestic water filtration for combating waterborne diseases in developing countries

Robust fault diagnosis of fractional order Takagi–Sugeno systems with uncertainties in premise variables

The mechanism of academic self-efficacy in the relationship between professional identity and learning engagement among university students

Investigation of mechanical properties and performance of automotive brake pads

Abstract This study evaluates the performance of three powder metallurgy-based brake pad formulations (BP1, BP2, and BP3) by examining mass loss, hardness, braking force, coefficient of friction (COF), noise, and vibration under 5 and 8 bar pressures. BP1 exhibited the highest braking force (640.99 N) and COF (0.3873) at 8 bars, with improvements of 7.7–13.6% and 4.4–6.8% over BP2 and BP3, respectively. However, this came with the highest mass loss (1.2 g/h), noise (17.5 dB), and vibration (0.743 m/s²), attributed to three-body abrasive wear from SiC and ZrO₂ particles.BP3 demonstrated the lowest mass loss (1.07 g/h, ~ 20% lower than BP1), noise (14.8 dB), and vibration (0.571 m/s²), making it suitable for quiet, long-life applications. BP2 showed balanced behavior across all parameters. Hardness values were 46 HRC (BP1), 38 HRC (BP2), and 44 HRC (BP3), aligning with observed braking forces and structural compactness.

A comprehensive study on drug-related Raynaud’s phenomenon based on the FDA adverse event reporting system

A field experiment to improve initial patient engagement for hypertension prevention in South Korea

Alkali Metal Cations Impact the Selectivity of Radical‐Mediated Electrochemical C─H Chlorination

Abstract Electrochemistry offers a promising route toward facilitating organic transformation reactions in a sustainable manner. However, there are often a multitude of factors at play; hence, it can be unclear how operating conditions can be rationally tuned to optimize selectivity. Here, we demonstrate how the identity of alkali metal cations in the electrolyte can control the selectivity of electrochemical C─H chlorination. Specifically, we obtained a 90.3% Faradaic efficiency with KCl as compared to 78.4% with LiCl for the conversion of cyclohexane to chlorocyclohexane at 1000 mA using an IrO x electrode. Electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy experiments indicate a greater propensity for Cl − oxidation to generate Cl radicals in the order: K +  > Na +  > Li + . This leads to an increase in the selectivity toward the chlorination of cyclohexane and a concomitant decrease in competitive Cl 2 formation. Density functional theory calculations and in situ Raman spectroscopy experiments indicate that this is likely due to a decrease in *Cl binding energy on IrO x in the presence of K + . These findings highlight the important role of alkali metal cations, which can be a key consideration for designing electrochemical organic synthesis systems.

Peptidoglycan-reshuffling proteins SCO0954, SCO1758, SCO4439, and SCO4440 modulate the formation of wall-deficient cells in Streptomyces coelicolor under hyperosmotic sucrose stress

Abstract Streptomycetes are biotechnologically valuable bacteria with complex cell division that produce extracellular vesicles (EVs), typically nanometre-sized but can reach 2.5 μm in diameter. Streptomyces also produce dividing wall-deficient L-forms (0.5–7 μm diameter) and, under hyperosmotic stress, non-dividing wall-deficient S-cells (3–4 μm diameter). The boundaries between EVs, L-forms and S-cells are not always clear, as large DNA-containing EVs can resemble small L-forms and S-cells in size. Both EVs and wall-deficient cells offer competitive advantages, such as inter-bacterial signalling, antibiotic transport, resistance and phage defence. However, their formation mechanisms remain poorly understood. We identified sco1758 (engA GTPase), sco0954 (methionine N-acetyltransferase), sco4439 (D-Ala-D-Ala carboxypeptidase), and sco4440 (GOLPH3-like) as important for wall-deficient cell formation in Streptomyces coelicolor under hyperosmotic sucrose conditions. Mutations in sco4439 and sco4440 increased tetra–tetra(Gly) and tetra(Gly)–penta(Gly) (4–3) peptidoglycan (PG) dimers, while sco1758 affected only the former. Complementation reversed these changes. sco0954 overexpression enhanced PG-associated methionine acetylation and oxidation. Our findings suggest that PG dimerisation and methionine modification may contribute to the formation of wall-deficient cells under hyperosmotic sucrose stress. Further research is required to elucidate how SCO1758, SCO0954 and SCO4439/40 modulate PG architecture and to evaluate their potential to promote EV production for biotechnological applications.

Benchmarking of dimensionality reduction methods to capture drug response in transcriptome data

Knowledge attitudes and practices regarding the use of prebiotics and probiotics for respiratory infections among Saudi healthcare students

Generative AI: a generation-defining shift for biopharma regulatory affairs

A Deep Learning and Explainable Artificial Intelligence based Scheme for Breast Cancer Detection

Experimental study on improving the durability of underground/underwater structures by mixing impregnating agents into unhardened concrete

Abstract Components exposed to soil and water are difficult to maintain during their service life, and have traditionally been designed to ensure greater durability than components exposed to air. However, in recent years, severe damage caused by aging has also been observed in components exposed to soil and water, prompting the development of methods to achieve higher durability. To address this issue, the authors developed a method (mixing method) that enhances the durability of concrete components by mixing sodium silicate-based impregnation materials with fresh concrete. In this study, the flowability, deterioration inhibition effects, and mechanical properties of concrete prepared using the mixing method were experimentally confirmed. The results demonstrated that by controlling the addition of the impregnation material, it is possible to achieve deterioration suppression effects equivalent to or superior to those of conventional methods without significantly reducing the workability or mechanical properties. In addition, an equation for estimating the mechanical properties expressed from the amount of admixture was proposed. Based on the results of this study, it is considered that the mixing method can be applied as a method for maintaining and improving the durability of concrete structures. In order to put this into practical use, it is necessary to conduct experiments under a wider range of conditions to improve the accuracy of estimating the deterioration suppression effect and the characteristics that appear, and to expand the range of applications.

Design of Tough 3D Printable Elastomers with Human‐in‐the‐Loop Reinforcement Learning

Abstract The development of high‐performance elastomers for additive manufacturing requires overcoming complex property trade‐offs that challenge conventional material discovery pipelines. Here, a human‐in‐the‐loop reinforcement learning (RL) approach is used to discover polyurethane elastomers that overcome pervasive stress–strain property tradeoffs. Starting with a diverse training set of 92 formulations, a coupled multi‐component reward system was identified that guides RL agents toward materials with both high strength and extensibility. Through three rounds of iterative optimization combining RL predictions with human chemical intuition, we identified elastomers with more than double the average toughness compared to the initial training set. The final exploitation round, aided by solubility prescreening, predicted twelve materials exhibiting both high strength (>10 MPa) and high strain at break (>200%). Analysis of the high‐performing materials revealed structure‐property insights, including the benefits of high molar mass urethane oligomers, a high density of urethane functional groups, and incorporation of rigid low molecular weight diols and unsymmetric diisocyanates. These findings demonstrate that machine‐guided, human‐augmented design is a powerful strategy for accelerating polymer discovery in applications where data is scarce and expensive to acquire, with broad applicability to multi‐objective materials optimization.

A disproportionality analysis of real-world adverse events associated with tirofiban from the FAERS database

Heterogeneity-optimized method for predicting immune checkpoint blockade response

Pregnancy outcomes following fluoroscopy-guided tubal recanalization: a comparison of spontaneous conception and intrauterine insemination—a retrospective cohort study

Abstract To evaluate and compare pregnancy outcomes following successful fluoroscopy-guided tubal recanalization (FGTR), focusing on spontaneous conception versus intrauterine insemination (IUI). This retrospective cohort study included 139 women aged 21–40 years who underwent FGTR for tubal occlusion between January 2021 and May 2024. After exclusions, 80 women attempted natural conception, and 59 underwent IUI with ovarian stimulation. Groups were compared in terms of clinical pregnancy rates, time to conception, and post-procedure tubal patency. Clinical pregnancy rates were similar between spontaneous conception (51.2%) and IUI (57.6%) groups (p = 0.976). Mean time to conception did not differ significantly (6.4 ± 2.8 vs. 5.9 ± 2 months, p = 0.360). No pregnancies occurred in women with bilateral distal obstruction, whereas proximal occlusions (unilateral or bilateral) were associated with higher pregnancy rates. Six-month follow up HSG demonstrated that bilateral tubal patency correlated with greater conception likelihood. In women with tubal factor infertility who achieve patency after FGTR, spontaneous conception and IUI yield comparable pregnancy outcomes and similar time to conception. Expectant management may be a cost-effective first-line approach, reserving IUI or IVF for cases without conception within a reasonable timeframe. The site of tubal obstruction and patency status should guide individualized post-FGTR fertility planning.