Browse Articles

Snow drought to hydrologic drought progression using machine learning and probabilistic analysis

Dielectric characterization of sugar mill wastewater and its impact on soil properties in the khadar and bangar regions

Benefit from huCAR19-IL18 cells in patients with CD19+ lymphomas after CAR T cells

Radical-constructed intergrown titanosilicalite interfaces for efficient direct propene epoxidation with H2 and O2

Abstract The development of titianosilicates is considered a major milestone in oxidative catalysis due to the ability of framework Ti sites to co-ordinate hydrogen peroxide/peroxy species. Herein, we demonstrate that interfacial Ti sites can be constructed through the vertical intergrowth of two MFI-type zeolite surfaces along [100] and [010] projections, with the assistance of UV-induced hydroxyl radicals. The application of these intergrown titanosilicalites as supports for Au species are observed to simultaneously offer a 2.1-fold and 3.0-fold increase in propene oxide (PO) formation rate and Au efficiency, respectively, when compared to standard Au/TS-1 catalysts. Mechanistic studies reveal that the intergrown interface Ti sites allow for lower-energy epoxidation pathways with more efficient activation of key oxygen-transfer intermediates. These results provide insights into the development of zeolite intergrown interface sites (e.g., titanosilicalite/silicalite-1/ZSM-5) and may allow for further advancements in the epoxidation of a range of key feedstocks.

Lipoic acid functions in Paneth cells to prevent human intestinal stem cell aging

Study on the triaxial compressive properties of alkali activated concrete after freeze-thaw cycles

Machine learning developed LKB1-AMPK signaling related signature for prognosis and drug sensitivity in hepatocellular carcinoma

The dominant synoptic patterns and basic characteristics of regional snowstorms in Northern Xinjiang over the past 70 years

Sex-based differences in the predictive significance of the waist circumference glucose index for future diabetes risk

Abstract Diabetes is a chronic metabolic disorder that has become a growing global health concern. Waist circumference-glucose index (WyG) is an effective predictor of diabetes; however, its predictive performance in the Japanese population and potential sex-specific differences remain unexplored. This study evaluated the dynamic prediction capability of WyG for diabetes in Japanese individuals, focusing on the differences between sexes. We analyzed data from 15,464 Japanese adults initially without diabetes (7,034 women and 8,430 men). Multivariate Cox regression analysis was used to evaluate the association between WyG and diabetes. Sex-based subgroup analyses were conducted to assess the impact of potential confounders. Sensitivity analysis was conducted to exclude specific populations to test for robustness, and E-values were calculated to evaluate the impact of unmeasured cofounders. Predictive performance was assessed using time-dependent receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. WyG was significantly associated with diabetes in both sexes. This association remained consistent across female subgroups, whereas in males, it was influenced by age and the presence of fatty liver. The area under the curve values ranged from 0.73 to 0.78 in women and 0.73 to 0.77 in men. Sex-specific thresholds (WyG > 8.19 for women, > 8.32 for men) were identified, with greater relative risk elevation for individuals above the threshold. WyG is a reliable predictor of diabetes, with its predictive performance varying across sexes.

High-intensity light disrupts intracellular organelle dynamics via microtubule depolymerization

Temperature and CO2 concentration in honey bee hives exhibit circadian rhythms

Abstract Worker honey bees exhibit circadian rhythms with respect to locomotor activity but circadian analyses have seldom been applied to colony-level behavior. Circadian rhythms have been defined as having three main characteristics: a period of approximately 24 h maintained in the absence of external cues; a period maintained over a range of temperatures; and a phase fixed by external cues from the environment. In this study honey bee colonies were subjected to two kinds of light regimes at 5 °C in a cold storage unit (CSU): (1) constant darkness; and (2) after 6–12 d constant darkness, 12 h light exposure from 6PM to 6AM (i.e. a phase approximately 12 h offset from ambient conditions). Periodogram analyses of data from the 1st light regime showed that temperature and CO2 concentration had stable 24 h periods after 20 d, as was observed for colonies in warmer temperatures in outside conditions. Period strength of temperature decreased over time in the CSU but not CO2. Cosinor analyses of data from the 2nd light regime showed a temperature phase change of about 9 h 37 min between the end of the CSU period, after 28–33 d in light regime, and after 7–12 d in outdoor conditions in the post-CSU period. The same comparison for CO2 concentration showed a phase change of about 11 h 55 min. These data indicated honey bee colonies produced circadian rhythms in hive temperature and CO2 concentration with periods both present in the absence of external cues, and with phases that can be driven by light. Rhythms associated with CO2 concentration changed with respect to light treatment more than rhythms associated with hive temperature. Based on data from longer-term (60 d) experiments, daily rhythm phases and day lengths differed significantly between hive temperature and CO2 after 15 d in the 12 l:12D light regime, and remained so in outdoor conditions.

Human burials indicate climate-mediated shifts in South African agriculturalist demography after 2000 years ago

Abstract South Africa’s Iron Age (c. 250 CE – 1850 CE) was a period of socio-economic transitions. With the spread of Bantu-speaking peoples from western Africa, the region saw the development of settled agriculturalist societies, the rise of complex chiefdoms, and the development of early states such as Mapungubwe. Questions about how settlements and demographics were influenced by environmental factors are central to the study of this period. Climatic conditions directly impact carrying capacity and agricultural productivity. It is therefore likely that climate variability was an important factor in the success of farming communities, determining food security, population movements, and settlement expansions or abandonments. In this paper we focus on northeastern South Africa and employ the frequency of archaeological human burials and highly resolved palaeoclimate records to assess the relationship between population dynamics and climate change. This reveals significant subregional variability in both human burial frequency and climate change across the subcontinent. Within the subregions, burial frequency shows a positive correlation with humidity, indicating that climatic factors played a pivotal role in shaping the pattern and size of settlements during this period.

Deep learning based predictive models for real time accident prevention in autonomous vehicle networks

Tumour and microenvironment crosstalk in NSCLC progression and response to therapy

Correction for Smith et al., A twist grain boundary phase in aqueous solutions of the nucleic acid tetramer GTAC

Transcripts with high distal heritability mediate genetic effects on complex metabolic traits

Abstract Although many genes are subject to local regulation, recent evidence suggests that complex distal regulation may be more important in mediating phenotypic variability. To assess the role of distal gene regulation in complex traits, we combine multi-tissue transcriptomes with physiological outcomes to model diet-induced obesity and metabolic disease in a population of Diversity Outbred mice. Using a novel high-dimensional mediation analysis, we identify a composite transcriptome signature that summarizes genetic effects on gene expression and explains 30% of the variation across all metabolic traits. The signature is heritable, interpretable in biological terms, and predicts obesity status from gene expression in an independently derived mouse cohort and multiple human studies. Transcripts contributing most strongly to this composite mediator frequently have complex, distal regulation distributed throughout the genome. These results suggest that trait-relevant variation in transcription is largely distally regulated, but is nonetheless identifiable, interpretable, and translatable across species.

Millennial pulses of African dust and ITCZ shifts in the Eastern Equatorial Pacific

Giant Birefringence Enabled by the Highly Anisotropic Linear IX ₂ ⁻ (X = Cl, Br) Building Blocks

Abstract Birefringent crystals are essential for polarized optical devices, yet achieving large birefringence through rational design remains challenging. The key lies in constructing birefringence‐active groups (BAGs) with giant polarization anisotropy and optimal spatial arrangements. Here, we report the successful construction of linear interhalogen BAGs, IX 2 − (X = Cl, Br), enabling giant polarization anisotropy. This was accomplished by simple halogenation of IO 3 − groups in an aqueous solution. Four novel birefringent crystals were synthesized: [H‐4AP][ICl 2 ] ( 1 , 4AP = 4‐aminopyridine), [HDMA] 2 [ICl 2 ]·Cl ( 2 , DMA = dimethylamine), [H‐4AP][IBr 2 ] ( 3 ), and [HDMA] 2 [IBr 2 ]·Br ( 4 ). In all these compounds, the linear IX 2 − BAG adopts parallel arrangements, effectively maximizing synergistic polarization anisotropy. As a result, compounds 1 – 4 exhibit giant birefringence values in both the visible (0.647, 0.585, 0.836, and 0.782 at 546 nm) and near‐infrared (NIR) regions (0.510, 0.356, 0.762, and 0.509 at 1064 nm), surpassing commercial birefringent crystals and many state‐of‐the‐art materials. Furthermore, these compounds achieve an optimal balance between giant birefringence and moderate bandgap among linear BAG‐based materials. Detailed theoretical calculations confirm that the IX 2 − BAGs play a dominant role in this exceptional birefringence. This study demonstrates the remarkable potential of linear interhalogen anions for developing high‐performance birefringent crystals.

Metagenomics reveals functional profiles of gut microbiota during the recovery phase of acute pancreatitis

Unravelling the luminescence spectrum of novel ceramic nucleus cultured pearl and the cause of its strong luster