Browse Articles

A study on the efficiency of supercritical CO2 fracturing in hot dry rocks using coupled finite-discrete element method

How Does Water Dissociation Work in Bipolar Membranes?

A-to-I RNA editing remodels 5′-UTR initiation codons to tune translational output

Abstract A-to-I RNA editing is a prevalent post-transcriptional modification in higher eukaryotes that converts adenosine to inosine within RNA molecules. Because inosine is interpreted as guanosine during translation, editing can alter codon identity and potentially influence translation initiation signals. Here, we examined whether A-to-I editing within the 5′ untranslated region (5′-UTR) can remodel upstream initiation codons and thereby tune downstream translation. Using luciferase-based reporter systems, we show that AUA-to-AUI editing generates an initiation-competent inosine-containing codon, whereas AUG-to-IUG editing markedly attenuates initiation and can relieve uORF-mediated repression. Quantitative in vitro and cellular assays establish the initiation hierarchy AUA < AUI < AUG, with IUG exhibiting strongly reduced initiation efficiency. Importantly, AUI-mediated upstream initiation did not behave like a canonical AUG-initiated uORF in the tested contexts; its effect on downstream ORF translation was modest and context-dependent. Transcriptome-wide bioinformatic analysis identified endogenous human transcripts whose 5′-UTRs harbor editing sites compatible with initiation-codon gain or attenuation. Reporter validation using native 5′-UTR sequences supports the possibility that editing-dependent initiation-codon remodeling can tune translational output in living cells, particularly through AUG-to-IUG-mediated derepression. Together, these findings establish a reporter-based framework in which A-to-I editing can remodel 5′-UTR initiation codons, while highlighting the need for endogenous protein-level and native-locus validation to determine physiological relevance.

Double Rotational Rainbows in Collisions of Homonuclear Diatoms Stemming from Steric Charge Transfer

Formation of nanostructured electrospark-alloyed coatings on the working surfaces of impulse face seals

Catalytic Asymmetric Hydration of Alkenes

Effects of household washing methods and post-ripening on the residue dissipation of the systemic fungicides mandestrobin and metconazole in Persimmons

Calcined oyster shell powder as a lime substitute in earthen building materials

Why Seeding Works When Nucleation Barriers Vanish

Toxicity assessment in preclinical histopathology via class-aware Mahalanobis distance for known and novel anomalies

Unlocking Gd(III) Anisotropy: Determining the Zero-Field Splitting Axes to Enhance Spin-Label Structural Analysis

Toward clinically relevant automated corneal biomanufacturing with human-derived FBS alternatives

Abstract The replacement of animal-derived components from cell culture protocols is essential for the development of human-compatible and clinically translatable systems. Fetal bovine serum (FBS) is still widely used for cell expansion, although its xenogeneic origin and batch variability limit regulatory compliance. In this study, human platelet lysate (hPL) and human serum (HS) were assessed as low-serum (2%) alternatives to FBS during the subculture phase of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (BM-MSC) prior to keratocyte differentiation for corneal tissue engineering. BM-MSC were gradually adapted over four days to 2% FBS, hPL, or HS, maintained for seven days, and then transferred to serum-free keratocyte differentiation medium for 14 days in either two-dimensional (2D) or three-dimensional (3D) cultures in 30 wt% riboflavin-arginine-triggered gelatin methacryloyl (RA-GelMA) hydrogels crosslinked under visible blue light. To demonstrate the applicability of this approach in corneal tissue engineering, differentiation was evaluated by immunofluorescence and quantitative PCR in 2D cultures, and by immunofluorescence in 3D cultures. Both hPL and HS maintained metabolic activity, supported keratocyte-associated marker expression, and suppressed α-SMA, performing comparably to FBS, thereby supporting their use as clinically compliant, human-derived alternatives for xeno-reduced corneal biomanufacturing.

Valence-Shell Electrons and Ionic Radius as Descriptors for Multisite Doping of RuO ₂ for Durable Zn-Air Batteries

Response of maize varieties to soil acidity under field conditions in Western Ethiopia

Electrostatic Confinement of Plasma Electrons by Water Microdroplets Enables Dinitrogen Oxidation

Sex-related neuropsychiatric recovery from maternal perinatal depression and expression of monoamine and amino acid neurotransmitter levels in specific brain regions of adult offspring

Bioinspired Carbon Radical Catalysis

Design of a triplex fluorescence aptasensor for a culture-free diagnosis of peritoneal dialysis-related peritonitis

Enantio- and <i>Z</i> / <i>E</i> -Stereodivergent Ni/Pd Dual Catalysis for Trisubstituted Alkenes Featuring α-Chiral Carbonyls

Ideology and free speech values predict content moderation preferences: cross-national evidence across targets of hate speech

Abstract With over 4 billion people using social media platforms daily, decisions about what content to allow or moderate have profound implications for global public discourse, democratic deliberation, and users’ psychological well-being. This study examines cross-national variation in content moderation preferences by exposing participants in 10 countries to a standardized example of hate speech: a hateful post modeled on text that X (formerly Twitter) had cited in its content moderation guidelines. Across contexts, exposure to such content triggers widespread support for intervention, with minimal differences based on the experimentally varied identity of the target. However, significant variation emerges across countries. The United States stands out for its comparatively lower support for moderation of hate speech, while countries like France, Brazil, and South Africa exhibit much stronger demand. Within most countries, political ideology predicts support: individuals on the right are less likely to endorse removal or suspension than those on the left. Crucially, values around freedom of speech versus harm prevention consistently shape preferences across all contexts. Those who prioritize prevention from harm are markedly more likely to support hard forms of moderation (e.g., account suspension and content take-downs). These findings highlight that moderation preferences are shaped less by the specific target than by individuals’ deeper commitments regarding free expression and harm prevention.