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Dual rare earth-doped Pt–Sn/Al2O3 catalysts with synergistic Ce and Sm effects on high-efficiency aromatization and coke suppression in naphtha reforming
The ratio of chloride to bicarbonate is a predictor of advanced metabolic acidosis in CKD stages G4 and G5
Identification and functional study of a novel FOXC1 missense mutation in a Chinese family with Axenfeld–Rieger syndrome
Abstract Axenfeld–Rieger syndrome (ARS) is an uncommon manifestation of anterior segment development dysregulation. We recruited a two-generation Chinese family with hereditary ARS, which manifested as posterior embryotoxon, corneal leucoplakia, ectopic pupil, and extensive iris stromal atrophy with iridocorneal adhesion. Whole-exome sequencing (WES) was utilized for the initial screening, followed by Sanger sequencing to identify pathogenic gene mutations. A novel missense variant in FOXC1 (c.382C > T, p.H128Y) was identified. The FOXC1 protein is highly evolutionarily conserved. The potential effects of this mutation on protein structure were studied using 3D modelling and molecular dynamics (MD) simulation techniques. 3D modelling revealed that the mutation altered the conformation of the FOXC1 protein. The MD results suggested that the mutation could reduce the stability of the protein structure. Western blotting revealed that the expression of the mutant FOXC1 (c.382C > T, p.H128Y) was lower than that of the wild type. In summary, a novel FOXC1 variant was discovered within a Chinese family with ARS, broadening the spectrum of ARS mutations. This study also elucidated the underlying mechanisms by which FOXC1 gene deficiency causes ARS.
Analysis and risk assessment of nitrosamines in sartans using GC-MS and Monte Carlo simulation
Lunar cycle and moonlight intensity influence nocturnal migration patterns in a small songbird
Abstract Lunar cycle and moonlight exposure have significant impacts on animal behaviour and physiology. The presence or absence of moonlight, along with predictable changes in brightness throughout the lunar cycle, can shape reproduction, foraging, communication, and other aspects of an animal’s world. While it has been shown that invertebrates use the moonlight for orientation, little is known on the effect of the lunar cycle on migratory birds. We found that the lunar cycle affected the nocturnal migration activity of a diurnal songbird species, the Eurasian Skylark Alauda arvensis. The occurrence of birds increased with moon fraction, moonlight intensity and duration, while abundance correlated positively with increasing moonlight intensity. Our findings of increased migration activity in bright nights around full moon contradict previous assumptions that small bird migrants would avoid such nights due to increased predation pressure and decreased visibility of stars for orientation. We argue that migrants relying on visual cues for orientation might favour moonlit nights, while future studies should also test whether the position of the moon can be used for navigation by birds.
Refining centromedian nucleus stimulation for generalized epilepsy with targeting and mechanistic insights from intraoperative electrophysiology
Identification of immune-associated genes and single-cell sequencing analysis in diagnosing Behçet’s disease
Distinct neural population code and causal roles of primate caudate nucleus in multimodal decision-making
Music informer as an efficient model for music generation
Abstract Music Transformer has been extensively employed in music generation, however, the self-attention mechanism consumes significant memory due to its complexity. To address this issue, Music Informer is proposed, drawing inspiration from the widely-used Informer model in fields like time series forecasting, weather prediction, etc. Music Informer primarily utilizes the ProbSparse self-attention mechanism, relative local attention mechanism, and LSTM structure. Objective results indicate that Music Informer conserves 21.73%, 31.87%, and 41.33% of computational resources compared to Music Transformer, Performance RNN, and Multi-Track Music Transformer under identical experimental conditions. Additionally, music samples generated by Music Informer outperform those from the three baselines in the metrics of Pitch Class Entropy, Number of Pitch Classes, Pitch Entropy, Number of Pitches, Average Inter-Onset Interval. Furthermore, Music Informer demonstrates higher Overlap Area values in the features Number of Pitches, Pitch Class Entropy, Average Inter-Onset Interval, Groove Consistency, and Pitch Entropy, as well as lower Kullback–Leibler Divergence in Average Inter-Onset Interval and Groove Consistency, highlighting a strong alignment with the feature distribution of the real dataset for these specific characteristics. Subjective results suggest that listeners prefer music generated by Music Informer over the baselines due to its improved coherence and overall quality.
Pd/C promotes C–H bond activation and oxidation of p-hydroxybenzoate during hydrogenolysis of poplar
Fitness exercise evaluation system based on improved DTW algorithm
Low-force pulse switching of ferroelectric polarization enabled by imprint field
Abstract Beyond conventional electrical modulation, flexoelectricity enables mechanical control of ferroelectric polarizations, offering a pathway for tactile-responsive ferroelectric systems. However, mechanical polarization switching typically requires substantial static threshold forces to overcome the significant energy barrier, resulting in material fatigue and slow response that compromises reliability and hinders practical applications. In this work, we address these challenges by introducing an imprint field through asymmetric electrostatic boundary design with distinct work functions. This built-in electric field stabilizes the energy landscape, effectively lowering the polarization switching barrier. Subsequently, nonvolatile polarization switching with a low threshold force of 12 nN·nm−1 is achieved in CuInP2S6 without material damage. Surpassing the limitations of slow static force controls, our work marks the first experimental demonstration of fast mechanical control of polarization switching with 4 millisecond-long low force pulses. To further highlight the potential of this rapid, low-force mechanical control, we propose a van der Waals heterostructured mechanically gated transistor with asymmetric electrostatic boundary, which exhibits gate force pulses-controlled multi-level, nonvolatile conductance states. Our findings establish a paradigm for next-generation ferroelectric electronics that integrate responsiveness to mechanical stimuli.
Fabrication of industrial grade F/g-C3N4 reinforced banana natural Fiber sustainable PCB substrates
Aging and diet alter the protein ubiquitylation landscape in the mouse brain
Abstract Post-translational modifications (PTMs) regulate protein homeostasis, but how aging impacts PTMs remains unclear. Here, we used mass spectrometry to reveal changes in hundreds of protein ubiquitylation, acetylation, and phosphorylation sites in the mouse aging brain. We show that aging has a major impact on protein ubiquitylation. 29% of the quantified ubiquitylation sites were affected independently of protein abundance, indicating altered PTM stoichiometry. Using iPSC-derived neurons, we estimated that 35% of ubiquitylation changes observed in the aged brain can be attributed to reduced proteasome activity. Finally, we tested whether protein ubiquitylation in the brain can be influenced by dietary intervention. We found that one cycle of dietary restriction and re-feeding modifies the brain ubiquitylome, rescuing some but exacerbating other ubiquitylation changes observed in old brains. Our findings reveal an age-dependent ubiquitylation signature modifiable by dietary intervention, providing insights into mechanisms of protein homeostasis impairment and highlighting potential biomarkers of brain aging.
Identification of water deficit stress tolerant genotypes of common bean using adaptive root and shoot traits under different screening systems
Quantum control of an oscillator with a Kerr-cat qubit
Investigation of genomic island 2 deciphers the evolution of a genus Brucella
Cholangiocytes contribute to hepatocyte regeneration after partial liver injury during growth spurt in zebrafish
Abstract The liver’s regenerative ability depends on injury extent. Minor injuries are repaired by hepatocyte self-duplication, while severe damage triggers cholangiocyte involvement in hepatocyte recovery. This paradigm is well-documented for adult animals but is less explored during rapid growth. We design two partial liver injury models in zebrafish, which were investigated during growth spurts: 1) partial ablation, killing half the hepatocytes; and 2) partial hepatectomy, removing half a liver lobe. In both injuries, de novo hepatocytes emerged alongside existing ones. Single-cell transcriptomics and lineage tracing with Cre-driver lines generated by genome editing identified cholangiocytes as the source of de novo hepatocytes. We further identify active mTORC1 signalling in the uninjured liver of growing animal to be a regulator of the enhanced plasticity of cholangiocytes. Our study suggests cholangiocyte-to-hepatocyte transdifferentiation as the primary mechanism of liver regeneration during periods of rapid growth.