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Four lessons COVID taught us about the immune system

The development of Anthropocene Awareness Scale

The political influence of the Anthropocene concept stems from its analytic potential to encompass various disciplines and capture public attention. However, there is a lack of research examining the extent to which the public has adopted the views embodied in the Anthropocene. We developed a scale to measure awareness of the Anthropocene. Based on a thorough review of Anthropocene studies, an initial set of fifteen items was generated to develop the scale. These items were then subjected to an empirical test, using a sample in South Korea (N = 1,668; aged 19 to 90). After a series of reliability and factor analyses, the Anthropocene Awareness Scale was optimized into a unidimensional scale comprising eight items (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.88). Designed to explore individual attitudes, the scale could provide quantitative researchers with an entry point into the Anthropocene discourse and facilitate empirical studies that generate evidence for environmental policies and education in the Anthropocene.

Age-related thinning of orbicularis oculi muscle inside upper eyelid and its possible association with sunken upper eyelids

Representations of changing weather conditions and outdoor work in the Swedish media: Legitimization of a risk discourse

Accelerating climate change has been associated with, among other things, rising temperatures, rising sea levels, extensive periods of precipitation, and difficult wind conditions. These are said to affect large segments of society, not least outdoor workers, whose working conditions are negatively affected. Much media attention has been paid to the situation of outdoor workers, and the media presents tips on what to consider when working in conditions such as high temperatures. The aim of this paper is to explore how the Swedish media reports on outdoor workers and their working conditions in relation to climate change and difficult weather conditions, especially high temperatures. The aim is also to describe and analyze how an identified risk discourse is legitimized in media representations of extreme weather and outdoor work. The study is based on a qualitative analysis of 72 articles in the Swedish media, available in the digital archive retriever.com (Mediearkivet). A social constructionist perspective is used to explore how weather, climate, and risks are “constructed” in the material, and a focus on storytelling techniques and legitimization strategies makes it possible to investigate how certain views of weather, climate, and risks are justified. According to the results, climate change and changing weather conditions are related to risks at both a structural level and an everyday level in working life. Two overall categories of risk are identified, on one side physiological and mental risks, and on the other economic and technological risks. Together, these categories underpin a general risk discourse that is legitimized using strategies such as scientification, dramatization, and personification. The conclusion is that the media representations are characterized by a de-politization of climate change and changing weather conditions, and by a focus on individual adaptation to these changes.

Remnant cholesterol and its variability independent of low density lipoprotein cholesterol predict metabolic dysfunction associated steatotic liver disease

Even at one month, a baby’s brain shows an aptitude for smell

Insight into the mechanical properties and the sustainable application of recycled permeable concrete: Green low-carbon concrete technology

The performance optimization of reclaimed permeable concrete helps to reduce the energy consumption of building materials preparation and promotes green and sustainable development. To further adjust the ratio of reclaimed permeable concrete and optimize the mechanical properties of reclaimed permeable concrete, the influence of aggregate particle size distribution on the mechanical properties of reclaimed permeable concrete is analyzed. In the analysis of the effect of particle size distribution on the mechanical properties of recycled aggregate permeable concrete, the design experiment was examined. The experiment showed that when the water-cement ratio was 0.28/0.30/0.32 and the porosity was 10%, the increase in permeability coefficient was 28.1%/50.9%/29.0%. When the recycled permeable concrete had a water-cement ratio of 0.30 and a particle grading of 8:2 at a target porosity of 10%, the average permeability coefficient was the lowest, only 1.23mm/s. The circulating permeable concrete of the study design met the requirement of the permeability coefficient under the CJJ/T1352009 standard, which was not less than 1 mm/s. The extant research on the influence of aggregate grading and other parameters on the performance of recycled permeable concrete indicates that the ratio of recycled aggregate permeable concrete can be optimized. Furthermore, the customization of concrete ratio according to the needs of different buildings can effectively reduce the manufacturing cost of building materials.

Analysis of a mouse germ cell tumor model establishes pluripotency-associated miRNAs as conserved serum biomarkers for germ cell cancer detection

Association between serum albumin levels and erectile dysfunction in American Adults: A cross-sectional study from NHANES 2001–2004

Background The aim of this study is to investigate the association between Serum Albumin Levels (ALB) and erectile dysfunction (ED) within the U.S. general population. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional analysis using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2001–2004 cycles. Serum albumin was analyzed both as a continuous variable and categorized into quartiles. Erectile dysfunction (ED) was assessed via self-reported questionnaires. The association between serum albumin and erectile dysfunction was evaluated using weighted logistic regression models across four models: (1) Crude model (unadjusted); (2) Model 1: Adjusted for age, race, poverty-to-income ratio (PIR), marital status, education level, and body mass index (BMI); (3) Model 2: Adjusted for factors in Model 1 plus physical activity, smoking status, drinking status, and Healthy Eating Index (HEI-2015); (4) Model 3: Adjusted for factors in Model 2 plus remaining potential covariates. A generalized additive model (GAM) was employed to examine non-linear associations, followed by subgroup analyses and interaction tests. Results A total of 2925 participants were included in the study, of which 747 were diagnosed with ED. After adjusting for all covariates, a significant negative association was found between ALB and ED (OR: 0.53, 95% CI: 0.29–0.97, P = 0.04). Higher ALB quartiles were significantly correlated with a decreased risk of ED [Q4 vs. Q1: OR: 0.56 (0.35–0.90), P =  0.02; P for trend =  0.03]. The GAM and smoothed curve fit indicated a linear relationship between ALB and the risk of ED. Stratified and interaction tests further substantiated the inverse relationship between ALB and ED prevalence. Conclusions This study revealed an inverse association between ALB and ED. Therefore, it is important for clinicians to recognize the assessment of ALB in patients.

Unique composition and evolutionary histories of large low velocity provinces

Abstract The two “large low velocity provinces” (LLVPs) are broad, low seismic wave speed anomalies in Earth’s lower mantle beneath Africa and the Pacific Ocean. Recent research suggests they contain relatively dense subducted oceanic crust (SOC), but the relative concentration of this recycled material within them is an open question. Using simulations of 3-D global mantle circulation over the past 1 Gyr, we find that two antipodal LLVPs develop naturally as a consequence of Earth’s recent subduction history and the gravitational settling and stirring of SOC. Shear-wave velocity reductions in the two LLVPs are similar due to the dominating influence of temperature over composition. However, the formation histories are distinct. Circum-Pacific subduction of oceanic lithosphere has continuously replenished the Pacific LLVP with relatively young SOC since 300 Ma, while the African LLVP comprises older, well-mixed material. Our models suggest the Pacific LLVP stores up to 53% more SOC produced in the last 1.2 Gyr than the African LLVP, potentially making the Pacific domain denser and less buoyant.

Unveiling microbial succession dynamics on different plastic surfaces using WGCNA

Over recent decades, marine microorganisms have increasingly adapted to plastic debris, forming distinct plastic-attached microbial communities. Despite this, the colonization and succession processes on plastic surfaces in marine environments remain poorly understood. To address this knowledge gap, we conducted a microbiome succession experiment using four common plastic polymers (PE, PP, PS, and PET), as well as glass and wood, in a temperature-controlled seawater system over a 2- to 90-day period. We employed long-read 16S rRNA metabarcoding to profile the prokaryotic microbiome’s taxonomic composition at five time points throughout the experiment. By applying Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis (WGCNA) to our 16S metabarcoding data, we identified unique succession signatures for 77 bacterial genera and observed polymer-specific enrichment in 39 genera. Our findings also revealed that the most significant variations in microbiome composition across surfaces occurred during the initial succession stages, with potential intra-genus relationships that are linked to surface preferences. This research advances our understanding of microbial succession dynamics on marine plastic debris and introduces a robust statistical approach for identifying succession signatures of specific bacterial taxa.

Three new species of Mesobiotus (Eutardigrada: Macrobiotidae) from Sweden with an updated phylogeny of the genus

Abstract Three new species of Mesobiotus (Tardigrada: Eutardigrada: Macrobiotidae) are described from Skåne County in the southernmost region of Sweden. All three species are distinguished morphologically and through differences in DNA sequences as supported by PTP and mPTP analyses. With the addition of Mesobiotus bockebodicus sp. nov., M. skanensis sp. nov., and M. zelmae sp. nov., the number of nominal species of Macrobiotidae in Sweden has increased to 26, 73% of which have been documented from Skåne. Finally, new morphological details and DNA sequences are presented for Mesobiotus emiliae , a new record is presented of M. mandalori from Sweden, and the phylogenetic relationships within the genus is reconstructed using previously published and new 18S and COI gene sequences.

Extreme heat will kill millions of people in Europe without rapid action

Morphological evidence supports splitting of species in the North Atlantic Sebastes spp. complex

The redfishes (genus Sebastes) are long-lived, commercial species in the North Atlantic. Excessive harvest through decades has led to a decline in the mature population of golden redfish (Sebastes norvegicus) in Norwegian waters, which is currently considered severely depleted. Accumulating genetic evidence suggests a more complex structure within this genus in the North Atlantic, which has recently inspired the hypotheses of cryptic species within S. norvegicus. Despite apparent genetic divergence between two types, they have yet to be verified morphologically. The morphology of genetically assigned fishes from Norwegian and Greenland waters was investigated using traditional morphometric methods, applying Linear Discriminant Analysis and Random Forest classification procedures to identify and evaluate the performance of descriptive characters. Combined with non-parametric meristic analysis, the results show that features such as beak length and eye diameter provide sufficient discrimination between the proposed cryptic species as well as separating them from the sympatric species S. mentella and S. viviparus. These findings support the presence of an additional redfish species in the North Atlantic, distinguishable both by morphological and genetic characters. This needs to be taken into consideration in future monitoring and management strategies for North Atlantic redfish.

Sustainable synthesis and advanced optimization of Prosopis juliflora biomass catalyst for efficient biodiesel production and environmental impact assessment

Abstract The present research focuses on developing an innovative biochar-based heterogeneous catalyst from Prosopis Juliflora biomass waste using response surface methodology and genetic algorithm (GA) to optimize pyrolysis parameters, achieving a 46.31% PJBC yield from 60 mg of biomass at 790 °C for 60 min. The pyrolyzed PJBC is characterized using SEM, FTIR, XRD, EDX, BET, XPS analyses, and physico-chemical measurements to confirm its catalytic activity. Now, the newly synthesized PJBC serves as an efficient catalyst for waste Trichosanthes cucumerina seed biodiesel (WTSB) production from waste Trichosanthes cucumerina seed bio-oil through trans-esterification, achieving a maximum yield of 97.42%. Also, the WTSB exhibits excellent physico-chemical properties that meet most of the ASTM D6751 standards for biodiesel and closely align with the characteristics of conventional diesel fuel. Therefore, this research utilized neat WTSB and WTSB/diesel blends (WTSB25, WTSB50, and WTSB75) in a direct injection (DI) diesel engine at variable load settings. Among all WTSB blends, the WTSB25 blend showed closer variations of 1.65% lower BTE and 9.29% higher BSEC when compared to conventional diesel fuel readings. Its peak in-cylinder pressure and heat release rate were similar to those of diesel fuel at 100% engine load. Emission analysis indicated that the WTSB25 reduced specific HC, CO, and smoke opacity emissions by 8.39%, 13.97%, and 4.18%, respectively. However, specific NO emissions increased slightly by 3.05% compared to diesel fuel. Thus, WTSB25 is validated as a viable diesel alternative requiring no significant engine modifications. The environmental impact, lifecycle and economic feasibility are also discussed.

Editorial Note: Cardiac Fibroblast-Dependent Extracellular Matrix Accumulation Is Associated with Diastolic Stiffness in Type 2 Diabetes

The association of HIV status and depressive symptoms in the Ndlovu Cohort study

Expression of Concern: Role of Ubiquitination in IGF-1 Receptor Signaling and Degradation

Author Correction: Reducing the effective dose of doxycycline using chitosan silver nanocomposite as a carriers on gram positive and gram-negative bacteria

High-frequency PCR-testing as a powerful approach for SARS-CoV-2 surveillance in the field of critical infrastructure: A longitudinal, retrospective study in a German tertiary care hospital

A high number of SARS-CoV-2 infections are mild, often even asymptomatic. Because of high specificity and sensitivity, RT-PCR is considered the gold-standard for COVID-19 testing. The technology played a key role in detecting sources of infection at an early stage and therefore preventing larger outbreaks. This was especially important in case of critical infrastructure, such as hospitals. Until now, comprehensive studies concerning the impact of high-frequency PCR-testing in German tertiary care hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic are lacking. We therefore analyzed about 285.000 oral swab probes of 3.421 healthcare-workers concerning SARS-CoV-2 RNA positivity between November 2020 and February 2023. Our data show that frequent PCR-testing is a useful tool concerning SARS-CoV-2 surveillance. Due to the longitudinal character of the study, we were able to observe SARS-CoV-2 variant-specific differences. For example, the omicron-variant led to high reinfection-rates as well as lower Ct-values. Nevertheless, reinfection rates in our hospital are much lower compared to other analyzed healthcare-worker cohorts described in the literature, which is again attributable to the frequent testing-regime implemented in the early phase of the pandemic. Our data further reveal a longer infection-duration in elderly compared to younger individuals.