Browse Articles

Piezoelectrostatic Catalysis of the Azide–Alkyne Huisgen Cycloaddition

Residual effect of vermicompost and preceding groundnut on soil fertility and associated Striga density under sorghum cropping in Eastern Ethiopia

Depletion of soil organic matter was found to be the primary biophysical factor causing declining per capita food production in sub-Saharan Africa. The magnitude of this problem was exacerbated by moisture-stress and imbalanced fertilizer application that caused Striga weed infestation. To address such confounded issues, two-year field experiments were conducted to evaluate the effect of residual vermicompost and preceding groundnut on soil fertility, sorghum yield, and Striga density. The first-year treatments contained two sowing methods (single and intercropped sorghum), two seedbed types (open-furrow and tied-ridge), and four vermicompost rates (0, 1.5, 3.0, and 4.5 t/ha) combined factorially in a randomized block design. In the second-year experiment, only monocropped sorghum with seedbed types was sown exactly on the same plot as the previous year’s treatment combinations without fertilizer. The results disclosed that residual vermicompost at 4.5 t/ha in intercropped sorghum/groundnut significantly reduced soil pH (0.76%), bulk density (8.61%), electrical conductivity (38.78%), and Striga density (85.71%). In contrast, compared to unamended soil, the aforementioned treatment combined with tied-ridging increased soil moisture, organic matter, and sorghum yield by 16.67, 2.34, and 58%, respectively. Moreover, this treatment combination markedly increased post-harvest soil organic carbon (7.69%), total N (0.247%), available P (38.46%), exchangeable-Fe (27%), and exchangeable-Zn (40%) in the second year over control. Treatments previously amended with 4.5 t/ha of vermicompost under the sorghum-groundnut intercrop system resulted in the highest total N (0.242%) and available P (9.822 mg/Kg). Thus, the vermicompost and groundnut successfully improve soil fertility and sorghum yield for two cropping seasons.

Factors underlying migratory timing of a seasonally migrating bird

Policy decisions matter: Cessation of logging benefits 34 threatened species in Victoria, Australia

In January 2024, the Australian state of Victoria committed to ending native forest logging six years ahead of schedule, a decision that has been advocated for by scientists and conservationists for decades. However, the direct benefits for threatened species from this policy change has not been quantified. This study assesses the spatial overlap between areas approved for logging and the habitats of nationally listed threatened species, to estimate the potential impacts of continued logging and the likely benefits of its cessation. We found that 99% of the areas approved for logging overlapped with the habitats of nationally threatened species. On average, each logging cutblock contained habitat for eight listed species. Areas approved for logging had considerable overlap with the habitat of several threatened species, particularly the Baw Baw frog (Philoria frosti, Critically Endangered, 6.2% of habitat approved for logging), Leadbeater’s possum (Gymnobelideus leadbeateri, Critically Endangered, 6.1%), barred galaxias (Galaxias fuscus, Endangered, 5.6%), Tall astelia (Astelia australiana, Vulnerable, 5.4%), and Colquhoun grevillea (Grevillea celata, Vulnerable, 5%). Notably, these five species are found only in Victoria, thus these values represent the proportion of their entire mapped habitat slated for logging over a short time period. Our findings underscore the need for urgent, nationwide forest protection policies, alongside restoration efforts, to support species recovery and meet global climate and biodiversity commitments.

Child psychological maltreatment, depression, psychological inflexibility and difficulty in identifying feelings, a moderated mediation model

Engineering Photoswitching Dynamics in 3D Photochromic Metal–Organic Frameworks through a Metal–Organic Polyhedron Design

Effects of energy drinks on mental health and academic performance of university students: A systematic review and meta-analysis protocol

Objectives Energy drink (ED) consumption is frequently observed among higher education students and is often associated with increased concentration and academic performance. However, the purported benefits are not fully supported by scientific evidence. This protocol details methods for a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the effects of ED on university students’ mental health and academic performance. Methods The PECO framework will guide the search strategy, and the protocol will follow the PRISMA-P 2015, PRESS 2015, and PRISMA-S guidelines. The searches will be conducted in the following databases: Web of Science, Scopus, Ovid, PubMed, Embase, FSTA, CINAHL, and SPORTDiscus. The GRADE recommendations and the Downs and Black scale will assess study quality and bias. All statistical analyses will be conducted using Comprehensive Meta-analysis software. We will use Cochran’s Q with p < 0.05 to indicate significant heterogeneity and I² to quantify heterogeneity between studies. The Trim and Fill technique and Egger’s regression test will be applied to evaluate the funnel plot that will be generated. Results Carrying out the systematic review proposed by this protocol will provide evidence on the short-, medium-, and long-term effects of ED use on academic performance and mental health among higher education students. Conclusion A deeper understanding of ED consumption among higher education students can inform the development of evidence-based educational and public health policies to promote student well-being and mitigate associated health risks. Register on PROSPERO CRD42024580044

Microstructural and statistical analysis on mechanical performance of novel flattened end nylon fibre reinforced concrete

Bespoke Activity-Based Probes Reveal that the <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i> Endoglycosidase, PslG, Is an Endo-β-glucanase

Research and analysis of differential gene expression in CD34 hematopoietic stem cells in myelodysplastic syndromes

Objective This study aims to investigate and analyze the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in CD34 + hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) from patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) through bioinformatics analysis, with the ultimate goal of uncovering the potential molecular mechanisms underlying pathogenesis of MDS. The findings of this study are expected to provide novel insights into clinical treatment strategies for MDS. Methods Initially, we downloaded three datasets, GSE81173, GSE4619, and GSE58831, from the public Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database as our training sets, and selected the GSE19429 dataset as the validation set. To ensure data consistency and comparability, we standardized the training sets and removed batch effects using the ComBat algorithm, thereby integrating them into a unified gene expression dataset. Subsequently, we conducted differential expression analysis to identify genes with significant changes in expression levels across different disease states. In order to enhance prediction accuracy, we incorporated six common predictive models and trained them based on the filtered differential gene expression dataset. After comprehensive evaluation, we ultimately selected three algorithms—Lasso regression, random forest, and support vector machine (SVM)—as our core predictive models. To more precisely pinpoint genes closely related to disease characteristics, we utilized the aforementioned three machine learning methods for prediction and took the intersection of these prediction results, yielding a more robust list of genes associated with disease features. Following this, we conducted in-depth analysis of these key genes in the training set and validated the results independently using the GSE19429 dataset. Furthermore, we performed differential analysis of gene groups, co-expression analysis, and enrichment analysis to delve deeper into the mechanisms underlying the roles of these genes in disease initiation and progression. Through these analyses, we aim to provide new insights and foundations for disease diagnosis and treatment. Figure illustrates the data preprocessing and analysis workflow of this study. Results Our analysis of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in CD34+ hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) from patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) revealed significant differences in gene expression patterns compared to the control group (individuals without MDS). Specifically, the expression levels of two key genes, IRF4 and ELANE, were notably downregulated in CD34+ HSCs of MDS patients, indicating their downregulatory roles in the pathological process of MDS Conclusion This study sheds light on the potential molecular mechanisms underlying MDS, with a particular focus on the pivotal roles of IRF4 and ELANE as key pathogenic genes. Our findings provide a novel perspective for understanding the complexity of MDS and exploring therapeutic strategies. They may also guide the development of precise and effective treatments, such as targeted interventions directed against these genes

Female reproductive health trends and autism spectrum disorder prevalence between 2000 and 2024

Precision Synthesis and Antiliver Fibrosis Activity of a Highly Branched Acidic 63-Mer Pectin Polysaccharide

Virulence profile of pathogenic yeasts from snakes: Alternative ways for antifungal strategies

Reptiles may act as reservoirs or spreaders of potential pathogenic microorganisms including Candida yeasts. While the epidemiology of yeast species has been thoroughly studied, the virulence profile of isolated species is not well investigated. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the haemolytic, phospholipase, lipase activities and biofilm formation of yeasts isolated from the cloacal swabs of venomous snakes from Marrakech, Morocco (Group I, n = 40) and from non-venomous snakes from Cocullo, Italy (Group II, n = 32). All the isolated yeasts from Group 1 showed low production of lipase (Lz ≥  0.90) and haemolysin (Hz ≥ 0.90), and only 35% of them were low phospholipase (Pz) producers (Pz &gt; 0.90). In contrast, all the yeasts from Group 2 produced enzymes and more than 62% produced high amounts of enzymes (Pz ≤  0.64; Lz ≤  0.69; Hz ≤ 0.69). Data show that yeasts from snakes were able to produce virulence factors, which vary according to the yeast species and the hosts or their origin, thus suggesting the potential role of snakes in harboring and spreading pathogenic yeasts in the environment. Since the virulence profile was lower in venomous snakes than that in non-venomous ones, we discussed that it may be affected by the venom composition. This will pave the way for fungal infection control, alternative to antifungal drugs in order to overcome resistance phenomena.

Association between oxidative balance score and risk of postpartum depression in Iranian women: a prospective cohort study

Nickel-Catalyzed Branched Hydroalkylation of Alkenes with Diazo Compounds

Stable isotopes as a predictor for organic or conventional classification of berries and vegetables

Organic agriculture is expanding worldwide, driven by expectations of improving food quality and soil health. However, while organic certification by regulatory bodies such as the United States Department of Agriculture and the European Union confirms compliance with organic standards that prohibit synthetic chemical inputs, there is limited oversight to verify that organic practices, such as the use of authentic organic fertilizer sources, are consistently applied at the field level. This study investigated the elemental content of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) and their stable isotopes (δ13C and δ15N) in seven different crops grown under organic or conventional practices to assess their applicability as a screening tool to verify the authenticity of organic labeled produce. Holm corrected Welch t-tests and a generalized linear mixed model (GLMM) were used to assess the potential of stable isotope or crop elemental content to differentiate organic vs. conventional production systems. Total C and N content or C/N ratio was not significantly different between production systems or among geographic origins for most crops. However, the average N stable isotope (δ15N) content differed, with conventional crops at 1.8 ±  2.2‰ and organic at 6.0 ±  3.4‰. A mixed model incorporating elemental contents and stable isotopes identified δ15N as the primary predictor in discriminating organic and conventional production systems. A δ15N threshold is suggested to differentiate conventional from organic grown raspberries (δ15N &lt;  2.17‰) and strawberries (δ15N &lt;  3.22‰), for an estimated false negative rate of 1%. Although further evaluation is needed, our extensive dataset (n = 791) captures key predictors of agricultural production systems and holds potential as a benchmark for future organic production verification.

Adaptive digital twin integration with multilevel inverter control for energy efficient smart rehabilitation systems

Comparative analysis of protein expression between oesophageal adenocarcinoma and normal adjacent tissue

Oesophageal adenocarcinoma (OAC) is the 7th most common cancer in the United Kingdom (UK) and remains a significant health challenge. This study presents a proteomic analysis of seven OAC donors complementing our previous neoantigen identification study of their human leukocyte antigen (HLA) immunopeptidomes. Our small UK cohort were selected from donors undergoing treatment for OAC. We used label-free mass spectrometry proteomics to compare OAC tumour tissue to matched normal adjacent tissue (NAT) to quantify expression of 3552 proteins. We identified differential expression of a number of proteins previously linked to OAC and other cancers including common markers of tumourigenesis and immunohistological markers, as well as enrichment of processes and pathways relating to RNA processing and the immune system. Our findings also offer insight into the role of the protein stability in the generation of an OAC neoantigen we previously identified. These results provide independent corroboration of existing oesophageal adenocarcinoma biomarker studies that may inform future diagnostic and therapeutic research.

Discovery and validation of SSR marker-based QTL governing fresh pod yield in dolichos bean (Lablab purpureus L. Sweet)

What is the value of testing for tick-borne diseases in cattle in endemic areas? A case study of bovine anaplasmosis

Anaplasmosis is a tick-borne disease (TBDs) caused by Anaplasma spp. In areas where TBDs are endemic, it is crucial to consider the animals’ immunological status in relation to these diseases. The true prevalence of bovine anaplasmosis, the percentage of animals with protective antibodies against this TBD, and the diagnostic characteristics of three tests (multiplex polymerase chain reaction (mPCR), competitive-inhibition enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (cELISA), and blood smear (BS)) were estimated using a Bayesian approach. A total of 620 samples were collected in two subtropical areas of Ecuador. A significant finding of this study is that approximately 70% of cattle in those endemic areas harbored protective antibodies against Anaplasma marginale. This elevated percentage may stem from persistent exposure with a high pathogen prevalence in ticks. The decline in cELISA specificity must be attributed to cross-reactivity with protective antibodies against Anaplasma spp. It is crucial to interpret this test outcome alongside exposure history and clinical manifestations. The elevated apparent prevalence detected by cELISA and BS should be contextualized with mPCR results. The high seroprevalence and infrequent clinical outbreaks suggest that the pathogen has achieved endemic stability. This study provides valuable insights into the dynamics of anaplasmosis in endemic areas and may serve as a foundation for devising TBDs control strategies in these areas.