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Phosphatic stromatoporoid sponges formed reefs ~480 Mya
Stromatoporoid sponges were important reef-builders during the middle Paleozoic, yet their early history and integration into reef ecosystems remain poorly understood. Here, we report Lophiostroma leizunia Jeon sp. nov., the oldest known stromatoporoid from upper Tremadocian to lower Floian (~480 My-old) strata of South China. L. leizunia formed complex reef structures, playing crucial roles in framework construction and binding other components, including calcimicrobes, lithistid sponges, stalked echinoderms, and Calathium . This discovery pushes back the fossil record of stromatoporoids and the reefs that they formed by approximately 20 My, advancing the onset of the Great Ordovician Biodiversification Event in reef evolution. L. leizunia unusually constructed its skeleton using fluorapatite—a feature previously unknown in sponges. This establishes Porifera as the first metazoan phylum known to have utilized all three principal biominerals: silica, calcium carbonate, and calcium phosphate. The presence of phosphatic skeletons in this early stromatoporoid expands our understanding of biomineralization capabilities in early animals and suggests that the genetic toolkit for diverse biomineralization strategies may have been present in early sponges. The unique combination of the earliest known reef-building stromatoporoids and their phosphatic skeletal composition provides insights into the evolutionary dynamics of biomineralization and the rise of metazoan-dominated reef ecosystems during a critical period of Earth’s history.
Social support as a mediator between masculinity norms and health behaviors among public safety personnel in Kelantan, Malaysia
Effects of long-term mindfulness meditation training on attentional capacity in professional male fencer athletes
Impact of early postoperative ambulation on gait recovery after hip fracture surgery: a multicenter cohort study
Psychometric properties of the Arabic spence children’s anxiety scale parent in a sample of Arabic speaking adults
Definition and risk factors for early recurrence in patients with laryngeal cancer after initial surgery
Enamel–dentine junction morphology reveals population replacement and mobility in the late prehistoric Middle Nile Valley
Transitions from foraging to food-production represent a worldwide turning point in recent human history. In the Middle Nile Valley this cultural shift occurred between the sixth and beginning of the fifth millennium BCE. Significant craniodental morphological differences remain inadequately tested by biometric analyses of ancestry and may reflect population origins or diet change between the last hunter-fisher-gatherers (Mesolithic) and first food-producers (Neolithic). Moreover, with no ancient DNA data for this region and very few morphological studies including large samples of Mesolithic individuals, the late prehistoric population history of the Nile Valley remains unclear. Here, we present enamel–dentine junction (EDJ) morphological analyses (based on X-ray microtomography) and biological affinities for 88 individuals spanning 14,000 y from Sudan and southern Egypt. Significant EDJ morphological differences between the last foragers and first food-producers suggest major biological discontinuity at the Neolithic transition. Nevertheless, the persistence of the earlier forager population in the Sudanese Eastern Sahara indicates settlement and population replacement mainly along the Nile. We also present biological evidence of interaction and mobility between these contemporaneous populations during the middle Holocene in the region. It supports the phylogenetic value of EDJ morphology for investigating population affinities at a microevolutionary scale. These results yield insights into the deep population history of the Nile Valley. They provide firm evidence for population replacement and migration toward the region at the onset of the Neolithic transition, attesting that these key changes were not solely triggered by cultural diffusion and diet change.
Not just the alveolar trill, but all “r-like” sounds are associated with roughness across languages, pointing to a more general link between sound and touch
Association between prognostic nutritional index and diabetic retinopathy among U.S. diabetic adults in NHANES
Abstract Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is characterized by progressive retinal vascular damage that ultimately causes vision loss. The prognostic nutritional index (PNI), which integrates albumin and lymphocytes, serves as an indicator of an individual’s inflammatory response, nutritional condition, and immune system function. This research aimed to explore the possible association between PNI and DR. This was a cross-sectional study utilizing data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) between 2001 and 2018. Weighted logistic regression analyses were employed to assess the relationship between PNI and DR prevalence. A total of 4791 adults aged 20 years and older were included in the analysis. Results indicated a statistically significant negative correlation between PNI and DR prevalence. In the fully adjusted model, a one-unit rise in PNI corresponded to a 7% reduction in the probability of DR prevalence. Quartile analysis consistently indicated that individuals in the highest PNI quartile had notably lower odds of DR prevalence compared to those in the lowest quartile. Additionally, smooth curve fitting suggested a nonlinear relationship between PNI and DR. Subgroup analysis reinforced the strength of the inverse association between PNI and DR (all p for interaction > 0.05). This nationally representative study demonstrated a significant inverse relationship between PNI levels and DR prevalence among diabetic adults in the United States. Our findings emphasize the potential role of maintaining optimal PNI values in preventing the development of DR.
Exploring the interrelationship of intra- and inter-network alteration in motor recovery after stroke
The causal impact of gut microbiota and metabolites on myopia and pathological myopia: a mediation Mendelian randomization study
The non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio as a predictor of NAFLD prevalence and steatosis severity
In situ electrochemical generated metal hydroxides as coagulants for optimization of sulfamethoxazole removal
Effect of simultaneous physical and auditory stressors on cardiorespiratory response
Abstract In occupational medicine, monitoring individual stress-related physiological responses is an effective tool for minimizing health risks at the workplace. From an audiology perspective, this particularly concerns the effects of auditory stress, which leads to increased listening effort with subsequent hearing fatigue. A study was conducted to investigate whether cardio-respiratory responses can detect the effects of a multi-level combination of physical and auditory stressors. To investigate their measurability and determine whether an interaction exists, a selection of cardio-respiratory vital parameters such as heart rate, features in the time and frequency domain of the heart rate variability, breathing rate, respiratory minute volume, and the respiratory quotient were analyzed. The results showed a significant main effect of physical stress on all assessed parameters. Auditory stress demonstrated a significant impact on breathing frequency, root mean square of successive differences of interbeat intervals, and the power components of the low and high frequency bands of the heart rate variability. No interaction between auditory and physical stressors was observed across any of the examined parameters. From these results we conclude that physiological responses to different sources of stress can be recorded within selected vital parameters, independent of external stimuli such as ambient noise. In an occupational context, we see potential in tracking individual auditory stress by monitoring cardio-respiratory parameters, especially breathing patterns. By knowing the individual (auditory) stress level, conclusions could be drawn about the worker’s ability to concentrate and further measures could be taken to combat safety risks in the work environment.
Correction for Kumar et al., Cluster dynamical mean-field study of intra-unit-cell charge nematicity in hole-doped cuprates
Rubidium ions as a novel therapeutic approach for glioblastoma
Design and performance assessment of a pelleting machine for sustainable biomass pellet fuel production from plant residues
Abstract This study designs and develops an energy-efficient pelleting machine for crop residues, integrating the Finite Element Method (FEM) and experimental evaluations. Key performance parameters including machine productivity (M p ), pellet length (Pl), particle density (ρ p ), bulk density (ρ b ), hardness resistance (Hr), shear stress (τ), and pellet durability (Dp) were analyzed under varying conditions of moisture content (MC), molasses content (MLC), particle size (PS), and main shaft rotating speed (RS). Results showed that increasing MC, MLC, PS, and RS significantly improved pellet quality and efficiency. Peak Mp (99.4 kg h−1) was achieved at 20% MC, 0.7 mm PS, and 100 rpm, while 15% MLC yielded the highest ρ p (1147 kg m−3), ρ b (610 kg m−3), Hr (447 N), and τ (3.6 MPa). Pellet durability reached 94%, highlighting the molasses’ superior binding properties. Heatmap analysis confirmed strong correlations between MLC and critical pellet properties. The energy-efficient process consumed 128.45 kW h ton−1, only 2.8% of the energy potential of cotton stalks, ensuring sustainability. This study introduces a novel approach to enhancing pellet quality while minimizing synthetic additives, demonstrating advancements in process efficiency. Future research should investigate advanced binder formulations, process automation, and the long-term stability of biomass pellets under various storage conditions.