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Neck deep in overdiagnosis: Books in brief
Impact-driven oxidation of organics explains chondrite shock metamorphism dichotomy
Assessing the deployment of solar-driven hydrogen from biomass at scale in the U.S.
Abstract Solar hydrogen from biomass gasification is a promising technology to sustainably produce hydrogen, responsibly dispose biomass waste, and reduce reliance on fossil fuels. However, its large-scale deployment faces challenges due to the geospatial misalignment between biomass resources and solar intensity, which introduces additional supply chain logistics costs. We analyze the logistics cost burden imposed by this misalignment and its impact on successful large-scale deployment of solar-driven hydrogen from biomass in the United States. We also consider associated carbon emissions and explore how the mix of deployed technologies evolves under externally imposed carbon penalties. Our findings show that while economies of scale are known to apply at the processing facility level, the reverse effect occurs at the broader systems-level, driven by logistics. Also, at current technology costs, high carbon penalties would be required to favor deployment of solar based technologies over conventional and hybrid alternatives. We further illustrate strategies and system-level changes to reduce logistics costs and enable sustainable, low-cost hydrogen for decarbonizing different industrial sectors.
GHS-R1a signaling drives anxiety-related behavior by shaping excitability of ventromedial hypothalamic neurons
Using detrital zircon to reconstruct Neoproterozoic crustal thickness variation in the northwestern margin of the Yangtze Block
Abstract Trace element geochemistry and chronology of zircon are reliable tools for reconstructing sediment provenance and crustal evolution, particularly in contexts where early crustal and rock records are sparse. We hereby employ in-situ U-Pb dating of Neoproterozoic detrital zircons to refine our understanding of sediment sources, tectonic settings, and crustal evolution along the northwestern margin of the Yangtze Block. Detrital zircons from the Doushantuo and Dengying formations exhibit similar Neoproterozoic age distributions (700–950 Ma). The lithology of the zircon source rocks correlates with the bimodal volcanic rocks extensively developed in the Micangshan–Hannan region along the Yangtze Block’s northwestern margin. Using Eu/Eu* ratios derived from detrital zircons, we reconstructed crustal thickness variations in the northwestern Yangtze Block during the Neoproterozoic. The crustal thickening from 1000 to 850 Ma, thinning between 850 and 730 Ma, and thickening between 730 and 539 Ma. The U/Yb-Nb/Yb, Nb/Hf-Th/U, U/Yb-Hf, and U/Nd ratios of the Neoproterozoic detrital zircons mainly suggest island arc or orogenic features. The zircons younger than 850 Ma suggest progressively depleted mantle-type characteristics and extensional intra-plate. The fluctuated Th/U ratios exhibit a general trend of increase during 1000–730 Ma, which is followed by a decrease. The U/Yb ratios (mostly > 0.1) show a decrease from 1000 to 820 Ma and an insignificant change from 820 to 730 Ma followed by an increase. The estimated crystallization temperatures of the dated detrital zircons, calculated using the Ti-in-zircon geothermometer equation, reveal a general temperature increase during 1000–730 Ma, followed by a gradual decrease. The Ce/Nd ratios (oxygen fugacity) show a fluctuation but a general increase between 820 and 730 Ma possibly due to heat influx from the subduction slab rollback and sediment melting. All the trace element analyses of detrital zircons indicate that subduction along the northwestern margin of the Yangtze Block persisted until 730 Ma and the slab rollback around 850–730 Ma. It also supports the hypothesis that the South China Plate was situated at the periphery, rather than the interior, of the Rodinia supercontinent. After 730 Ma, the Yangtze Block experienced internal extension and rifting, forming rift basins. However, the northwestern margin of the Yangtze Block continued to collide with multiple microcontinents, resulting in crustal thickening. After ca.625 Ma, crust extension led to a decrease in crustal thickness, which is also consistent with the subduction environment indicated by the cumulative distribution function (CDF) plot of detrital zircon ages.
Carbon majors and the scientific case for climate liability
Potassium-stabilized metastable carbides and chalcogenides via surface chemical potential modulation
Clinical features and perforation predictors of appendicitis in infants and toddlers under 3: A retrospective two-center study
How AI is helping to boost cancer screening
Defective autophagy in CD4 T cells drives liver fibrosis via type 3 inflammation
Effect of gas–liquid separation chamber and reflux hole on the self-priming performance of a self-priming pump
Iron-sensing and redox properties of the hemerythrin-like domains of Arabidopsis BRUTUS and BRUTUS-LIKE2 proteins
Abstract Iron uptake in plants is negatively regulated by highly conserved hemerythrin (Hr) E3 ubiquitin ligases exemplified by Arabidopsis thaliana BRUTUS (BTS). Physiological studies suggest these are the elusive plant iron sensors, but biochemical evidence is lacking. Here we demonstrate that the N-terminal domains of BTS and BTS-LIKE2 (BTSL2) respectively bind three and two diiron centres within three closely packed Hr-like subdomains. The centres can be reversibly oxidized by O 2 and H 2 O 2 , resulting in a di-Fe 3+ form that is non-labile. In the reduced state, a proportion of the iron becomes labile, based on accessibility to Fe 2+ chelators and reconstitution experiments, consistent with dynamic iron binding. Impaired iron binding and altered redox properties in the BTS dgl variant correlate with diminished capacity to suppress the downstream signalling cascade. These data provide the biochemical foundation for a mechanistic model of how BTS/Ls function as iron sensors that are unique to the plant kingdom.
Acute kidney injury in hospitalized patients with real-life analysis of incidence and clinical impact in Italian hospitals (the SIN-AKI study)
Abstract Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) is a common condition with significant impact on morbidity, mortality, and healthcare costs. This study explores the epidemiology of AKI, highlighting key factors and outcomes. In a retrospective study we evaluated patients admitted to hospital from 2016 to 2019, excluding those with pre-existing chronic kidney disease (CKD) stages 4–5. Data were extracted from hospital databases, with AKI defined by changes in serum creatinine (sCr) according to KDIGO criteria. Additionally, AKI was classified as “de novo” or as AKI on CKD in the subgroup of patients with available pre-hospital eGFR. Outcomes included mortality, hospital stay duration (LOS), AKI recovery, and persistent AKI. Of 87,087 patients, 17,946 (20.6%) developed AKI. AKI patients were older, with more comorbidities, and had significantly higher mortality (17.7% vs. 4.3%, p < 0.001). AKI was associated with in-hospital mortality (HR 1.23, 95% CI 1.16–1.30), longer LOS, and ICU admission. Mortality increased with AKI severity. Considering the 34,285 patients (39% of the total cohort) with pre-hospital eGFR, AKI occurred in 17.3% patients without previous CKD and in 31.1% of patients with previous CKD. These patients presented higher incidence of ICU admission and mortality. Additionally, 17.6% of AKI patients had persistent kidney dysfunction at discharge, often requiring extended hospitalization and ICU care. The substantial impact of AKI on both short- and potentially long-term health emphasizes the importance of early detection, personalized management, and structured follow-up to enhance outcomes and reduce CKD progression risk.
Clinical trials by the numbers
Polar regions are critical in achieving global sustainable development goals
Impact of elevated CO2 level and egg quiescence duration on gene expression in the peripheral olfactory system of Aedes aegypti
Abstract Elevation in CO2 can significantly impact the biology of various organisms, affecting life-history traits of both aquatic and terrestrial forms, including disease-vectoring mosquitoes. For mosquitoes, this effect is accentuated by egg quiescence duration, resulting in a change in foraging of adult females. Female mosquitoes rely on their olfactory system for locating resources, such as nectar and blood. This study employs a transcriptomic approach to investigate how a projected elevation in CO2 level, under a worst-case scenario, interacts with extended egg quiescence duration to modulate the molecular machinery of the peripheral olfactory system, the antennae and maxillary palps, of the yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti. The transcriptome analysis demonstrates significant changes in the abundance of genes related to metabolism, xenobiotics degradation and chemosensory function, with the most pronounced effects observed in the CO2 sensing tissue, the maxillary palp. The study provides novel insights into how anthropogenic climate change can modulate the olfactory sensory system of disease vectors, which may have cascading effects on resource-seeking behaviour.
Exchange anisotropies in microwave-driven singlet-triplet qubits
Abstract Hole spin qubits are emerging as the workhorse of semiconducting quantum processors because of their large spin-orbit interaction, enabling fast, low-power, all-electric operations. However, this interaction also causes non-uniformities, resulting in site-dependent qubit energies and anisotropies. Although these anisotropies enable single-spin control, if not properly harnessed, they can hinder scalability. Here, we report on microwave-driven singlet-triplet qubits in planar germanium and use them to investigate spin anisotropies. For in-plane magnetic fields, the spins are largely anisotropic and electrically tunable, allowing access to all transitions and coherence times exceeding 3 μs are extracted. For out-of-plane fields they have an isotropic response. Even in this field direction, where the qubit lifetime is strongly affected by nuclear spins, we find 400 ns coherence times. Our work adds a valuable tool to investigate and harness the spin anisotropies, applicable to two-dimensional devices, facilitating the path towards scalable quantum processors.
Burden of multi-drug resistant bacterial isolates and its associated risk factors among UTI-confirmed geriatrics in Gondar town
Change in iceberg calving behavior preceded North Sea ice shelf disintegration during the last deglaciation
Abstract Understanding how regime shifts in iceberg calving behavior affect ice shelf stability remains a challenge for numerical models. This is an important question as we consider the fate of the ice shelves that currently buttress the Antarctic Ice Sheet and hold back the bulk of its potential upstream sea-level contribution. Using buried landforms, we demonstrate that ice shelves fringed the former British-Irish Ice Sheet (BIIS) and document their disintegration ~18,000 years ago. The ice shelves produced massive (5–10 s km wide, 50–180 m thick) tabular icebergs until widespread ice shelf break-up shifted the calving regime to smaller bergs; a change that coincided with the collapse of marine-based ice across the central North Sea. We propose that the BIIS reached a climatic threshold around 18 ka which caused massive surface melting of its ice shelves, triggering hydrofracturing of crevasses that ultimately led to their disintegration and likely enhanced ice-retreat rates.