Browse Articles
Discover research articles across all indexed journals
Fractional magnetic charges and channeling of Faraday lines by disclinations in artificial spin ice
We have studied the magnetic moments of artificial spin ice arrays of nanomagnets in both undistorted square arrays and in arrays with a topological defect induced by a single disclination. We confirm that the disclination induces global, macroscopic changes in the low-energy collective states of the nanomagnet moment configuration. Specifically, the disclination leads to Faraday lines of effective magnetic flux that run from the center all the way to the edge of the arrays. Moreover, the geometric deformation, induced by the topological defect, curves the geometry such that these Faraday lines are channeled preferentially by the arrays’ curved geometry. Our results demonstrate how the intentional combination of topology and geometry can be designed to control magnetic charges and the flow of local magnetization and thus manipulate associated collective excitations.
Diversity and pathogenicity of Fusarium species associated with Fusarium head blight in wheat and maize cropping systems in Sichuan Province
Abstract Fusarium head blight (FHB) is a severe disease worldwide that leads to substantial economic losses. Wheat‒maize cropping is the dominant system in Sichuan Province, China. However, FHB has become increasingly severe in this system, and Fusarium rot disease is also becoming a severe threat to maize. To understand the composition and pathogenicity of the Fusarium species associated with FHB, samples of typical symptomatic wheat spikes were collected from wheat‒maize cropping fields in 16 administrative districts of Sichuan Province, and Fusarium perithecia were obtained from both wheat straw and maize stubble. Based on morphological and molecular identification, 175 isolates from symptomatic wheat spikes were identified as five Fusarium species: F. asiaticum , F. avenaceum , F. graminearum , F. meridionale , and F. proliferatum . Among them, F. asiaticum and F. graminearum were the dominant pathogenic species, with isolation frequencies of 75.43% and 20.57%, respectively. Additionally, 136 single-ascospore isolates from wheat straw or maize stubble were identified as F. asiaticum , F. equiseti , F. graminearum , F. meridionale , F. proliferatum , and F. temperatum . Pathogenicity assays revealed that the Fusarium strains from all sources could successfully infect wheat and maize. F. graminearum exhibited a high degree of pathogenicity towards both crops under investigation, while F. asiaticum demonstrated significantly greater pathogenicity towards wheat than maize. This work will help understand the cyclic infection caused by Fusarium species in wheat‒maize cropping systems and provide valuable data for the effectively controlling Fusarium rot disease in both wheat and maize.
To enhance sustainable development goal research, open up commercial satellite image archives
Comparing the effectiveness of virtual reality vs 2D display-based cue reactivity paradigms to induce nicotine-craving: a behavioral and psychophysiological study
Structural characterization of influenza group 1 chimeric hemagglutinins as broad vaccine immunogens
Chimeric hemagglutinins (cHA) appear to be promising for the design and development of universal influenza vaccines. Influenza A group 1 cHAs, cH5/1, cH8/1, and cH11/1, comprising an H1 stem attached to either an H5, H8, or H11 globular head, have been used sequentially as vaccine immunogens in human clinical trials and induced high levels of broadly protective antibodies. Using X-ray crystallography and negative-stain electron microscopy, we determined structures of cH5/1, cH8/1, and cH11/1 HAs in their apo (unliganded) and antibody Fab-bound states. Stem-reactive antibodies 3E1 and 31.b.09 recognize their cognate epitopes in cH5/1, cH8/1, and cH11/1 HAs. However, with cH5/1, the head domains are rotated by 35 to 45° around the threefold axis of the HA trimer compared to native HA with a more splayed-open conformation at the stem base. cH11/1 with 3E1 is structurally more native-like but resembles cH5/1 with 31.b.09, whereas cH8/1 with 31.b.09 exhibited a range of closed-to-open stem configurations with some separation of head and stem domains. Furthermore, all of these group 1 cHAs effectively bound a broad head trimer interface antibody and other broad stem antibodies. Thus, the cHAs exhibit structural plasticity without compromising the stem and head trimer interface epitopes for elicitation of influenza A group 1 cross-reactive antibodies.
Global, regional, and national trends in the burden of melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer: insights from the global burden of disease study 1990–2021
Flake production: A universal by-product of primate stone percussion
The evolution of stone tool technology marks a significant milestone in hominin development, enabling early humans to manipulate their environments. The oldest known evidence, dating to 3.3 Ma, indicates a combination of percussive and flake production activities. Studying the archaeological signature of percussive stone tool use in living primate provides a potential analog to the origin of stone flake technology in the hominin lineage. Here, we present a yellow-breasted capuchin ( Sapajus xanthosternos ) stone tool assemblage from Fazenda Matos, Brazil, to explore the variability of the material signatures associated with percussive tool use. Our analysis of this record demonstrates many archaeological features previously associated with intentional flake production. This includes hammerstones with substantial percussive damage and a range of flaked and detached pieces. Comparative analyses with other flaked primate and hominin assemblages reveals that, unintentional flake production is a universal component of stone hammer and anvil percussive behaviors, suggesting that similar behaviors by early hominins may have led to stone flake technology and that this record may have been highly variable. To fully understand the origins of hominin stone technology, a broad spectrum of material records including both hominin and primate must be considered.
Design and application of human-computer interaction visual communication platform for Guandong culture by integrating RF and light GBM algorithm
Computational and in vitro evaluation of probiotic treatments for nasal <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> decolonization
Despite the rising challenge of antibiotic resistance, current approaches to eradicate nasal pathobionts Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pneumoniae rely on antibacterials. An alternative is the artificial inoculation of commensal bacteria, i.e., probiotic treatment, supported by the increasing evidence for commensal-mediated inhibition of pathogens. To systematically investigate the potential of this approach, we developed a quantitative framework simulating the nasal microbiome dynamics by combining mathematical modeling with longitudinal microbiota data. By inferring community parameters using 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) amplicon sequencing data and simulating the nasal microbial dynamics of patients colonized with S. aureus , we compared the decolonization performance of probiotic and antibiotic treatments under different assumptions on patients’ community composition and susceptibility profile. To further compare the robustness of these treatments, we simulated an S. aureus challenge and quantified the recolonization probability. Through in vitro experiments using nasal swabs of adults colonized with S. aureus , we confirmed that after antibiotic treatment, recolonization of S. aureus was inhibited in samples treated with a probiotic mixture compared to the nontreated control. Our results suggest that probiotic treatment outperforms antibiotics in terms of decolonization performance, recolonization robustness, and leads to less collateral reduction in the microbiome diversity. Thus, probiotic treatment may provide a promising alternative to combat antibiotic resistance, with the additional advantage of personalized treatment options via using the patient’s own metagenomic data. The combination of an in silico framework with in vitro experiments using clinical samples reported in this work is an important step forward to further investigate this alternative in clinical trials.
Impact of upper tract urothelial carcinoma history on patients with non-muscle invasive bladder cancer undergoing intravesical chemotherapy
Geometric modeling of knitted fabrics
Knitting can turn a one-dimensional yarn into a highly ramified three-dimensional structure. As a method of additive manufacturing, it holds promise for a class of lightweight, ultrastrong materials. Here, we present a purely geometric model to predict the three-dimensional self-folding of knitted fabrics made only of the two traditional stitches, knit and purl.
Comprehensive analysis of CLEC family genes in gastric cancer prognosis immune response and treatment
Allosteric genetically encoded biosensor for spatiotemporal monitoring of endogenous RNA dynamics in living cells
Functions of RNAs are associated with their abundance and unique subcellular localizations. RNA imaging methods for spatiotemporal monitoring of RNA dynamics would facilitate the discovery of unknown functions of RNA, yet improving RNA imaging is challenging because of limitations in methods for directly monitoring native RNA, especially the dynamics of RNA transport and concentration fluctuation. Herein, a label-free and conformation switching–based genetically encoded sensor, termed the Dual-locked RNAtracker (Ducker), that realizes spatiotemporal monitoring of endogenous RNA dynamics in living cells is developed. In this Ducker system, a distinctive strategy is developed by employing one RNA target to initiate an allosteric event that triggers the two locked fluorogenic RNA aptamer (M18 Pepper) to restore the active structure and transmit adequate fluorescence signals. The intracellular circular Ducker (circDucker) realizes high-contrast and unbiased imaging of native mRNA abundance and monitors the fluctuations in RNA concentration. Importantly, it also enables spatiotemporal dynamic tracking of RNA translocation by directly visualizing the process of the mitochondrial lncCyt b undergoing bidirectional nucleocytoplasmic transport, indicating the bidirectional regulatory events in mitochondria and nucleus. Therefore, this highly accessible sensor affords a universal and robust platform for spatiotemporal monitoring of RNA abundance and translocation in complicated dynamic reaction networks in live systems, including mRNA, lncRNA, and microRNA, expanding the current toolbox of RNA research and shedding light on the unknown functions of RNA.
Enhancing the stability and efficiency of dye-sensitized solar cells with MIL-125 metal-organic framework as an electrolyte additive
A deep learning–enabled smart garment for accurate and versatile monitoring of sleep conditions in daily life
In wearable smart systems, continuous monitoring and accurate classification of different sleep-related conditions are critical for enhancing sleep quality and preventing sleep-related chronic conditions. However, the requirements for device–skin coupling quality in electrophysiological sleep monitoring systems hinder the comfort and reliability of night wearing. Here, we report a washable, skin-compatible smart garment sleep monitoring system that captures local skin strain signals under weak device–skin coupling conditions without positioning or skin preparation requirements. A printed textile-based strain sensor array responds to strain from 0.1 to 10% with a gauge factor as high as 100 and shows independence to extrinsic motion artifacts via strain-isolating printed pattern design. Through reversible starching treatment, ink penetration depth during direct printing on garments is controlled to achieve batch-to-batch performance variation <10%. Coupled with deep learning, explainable AI, and transfer learning data processing, the smart garment is capable of classifying six sleep states with an accuracy of 98.6%, maintaining excellent explainability (classification with low bias) and generalization (95% accuracy on new users with few-shot learning less than 15 samples per class) in practical applications, paving the way for next-generation daily sleep healthcare management.
Effect of ultrasonic burst microbubbles on microwave coagulation hemostasis in a pig model of hepatic hemorrhage
Bacterial polysaccharide lyase family 33: Specificity from an evolutionarily conserved binding tunnel
Acidic glycans are essential for the biology of multicellular eukaryotes. To utilize them, microbial life including symbionts and pathogens has evolved polysaccharide lyases (PL) that cleave their 1,4 glycosidic linkages via a β-elimination mechanism. PL family 33 (PL33) enzymes have the unusual ability to target a diverse range of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), as well as the bacterial polymer, gellan gum. In order to gain more detailed insight into PL33 activities we recombinantly expressed 10 PL33 members derived from all major environments and further elucidated the detailed biochemical and biophysical properties of five, showing that their substrate specificity is conferred by variations in tunnel length and topography. The key amino acids involved in catalysis and substrate interactions were identified, and employing a combination of complementary biochemical, structural, and modeling approaches, we show that the tunnel topography is induced by substrate binding to the glycan. Structural and bioinformatic analyses revealed that these features are conserved across several lyase families as well as in mammalian GAG epimerases.
Comprehensive genomic insights into a highly pathogenic clone ST656 of mcr8.1 containing multidrug-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae from Bangladesh
Substrate and climate determine terrestrial litter decomposition
Litter decomposition is a fundamental biogeochemical process for carbon flux and nutrient cycling in terrestrial ecosystems, yet the global variation in decomposition rates and their covariations with climate and substrate are not fully understood. Here, we synthesized a global dataset of 6,733 independent observations across six continents to illustrate the climatic and substrate controls over litter decomposition. The average decomposition rates of various litter types ranged from 0.74 to 4.01 y −1 across polar to tropics, showing a large geographical span. Litter substrate and climate directly explained 36 and 30% of the variations in decomposition rates, with the carbon-to-nitrogen ratio identified as the best predictor. In the absence of climate variables, litter substrate can effectively explain the variation, while the model’s predictive capacity decreased significantly after litter substrate was excluded. Our synthesis highlights that a fundamental constraint on litter substrate leads to predictable global-scale patterns of terrestrial litter decomposition rates. Integrating litter chemistry parameters should be prioritized for parameter optimization in Earth system models.