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Carbon gain in upper but loss in deeper cropland soils across China over the last four decades

Increasing soil organic carbon (SOC) in agricultural systems is a primary nature-based option for mitigating climate change, improving soil fertility, and ensuring food security. However, the consequences of global warming and increases in carbon inputs on cropland SOC stocks over the last few decades remain largely unknown, particularly in deeper soil layers. Here, by using repeated measurements, we reassess variations in SOC stocks across a 0 to 100 cm soil profile at the same locations in China’s upland croplands in 1980 and 2023. We observe an overall net accumulation of 0.74 Pg SOC (7%) with a mean sequestration rate of 13.7 g SOC m −2 y −1 . This accumulation results from 0.86 Pg SOC gains at upper soil depths (0 to 60 cm) induced by carbon inputs, alongside 0.12 Pg SOC losses at deeper soil layers (60 to 100 cm) prompted by warming-enhanced decomposition. While our findings indicate a successful, though lower than expected, increase in overall net SOC stocks, the loss of more recalcitrant deeper SOC warrants further consideration of its effects on enhancing cropland SOC accumulation to achieve carbon neutrality over the long term.

Accurate multi-behavior sequence-aware recommendation via graph convolution networks

How can we recommend items to users utilizing multiple types of user behavior data? Multi-behavior recommender systems leverage various types of user behavior data to enhance recommendation performance for the target behavior. These systems aim to provide personalized recommendations, thereby improving user experience, engagement, and satisfaction across different applications such as e-commerce platforms, streaming services, news websites, and content platforms. While previous approaches in multi-behavior recommendation have focused on incorporating behavioral order and dependencies into embedding learning, they often overlook the nuanced importance of individual behaviors in shaping user preferences during model training. We propose MBA (Multi-Behavior sequence-Aware recommendation via graph convolution networks), an accurate framework for multi-behavior recommendations. MBA adopts a novel approach by learning embeddings that capture both the dependencies between behaviors and their relative importance in influencing user preferences. Additionally, MBA employs sophisticated sampling strategies that consider the sequential nature of behaviors during model training, ensuring that the model effectively learns from the entire behavioral sequence. Through extensive experiments on real-world datasets, we demonstrate the superior performance of MBA compared to existing methods. MBA outperforms the best competitor, achieving improvements of up to 11.2% and 11.4% in terms of HR@10 and nDCG@10, respectively. These findings underscore the effectiveness of MBA in providing accurate and personalized recommendations tailored to individual user preferences.

Environment friendly pesticide formulation by adding certain adjuvants and their biological performance against Sitophilus oryzae (L.)

Abstract Formulation and adjuvant technologies can facilitate the use of insecticides that have higher biological efficiency application features. Safety, physicochemical properties by increasing consumer demand for safe food and enhancing operator safety. The aim of this current work was to develop a green efficient, and stable pesticide formulation. Therefore, certain nano emulsions with and without Adjuvants Calcium Alkyl Benzene Sulphonate (Atlox 4838B), and non-ionic surfactant based on trisiloxane ethoxylate (ARGAL), were testing against Sitophilus oryzae (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). Certain analytical techniques were used for determining the characterization of the nano emulsions (Sesame, Clove, and Cinnamon). Results showed that all formulations were penal, achieving nanometric size for all compounds. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) micrographs revealed spherical or quasi-spherical morphologies for the tested nanoemulsion formulation nanodroplets. Furthermore, dynamic light scattering (DLS) showed that the particle size of the formulation with the adjuvants showed a slight increase in the droplet size compared to the formulations without adjuvants. In comparison to the tested nanoemulsions with adjuvants, the viscosity of the nanoemulsions without adjuvants was lower. All studied formulations, both with and without adjuvant, showed an acidic to slightly acidic pH, except for sesame (NE) with AtloxTM 4838B, which showed a neutral pH, and they were kinetically stable with no phase separation, creaming, or crystallization. Furthermore, supporting the stability of these nanoemulsion particles was the absence of a separation phase following centrifugation, freeze–thaw cycles, and heating–cooling cycles. Findings proved that ARGAL and Atlox 4838B adjuvant stabilized NE by increasing Brownian motion, weakening the attractive forces with smaller droplets, increasing the value of zeta potential and polydispersive index (< 0.6), and decreasing surface tension. The bioassay technique using film residue to estimate LC50 values on S. oryzae adults indicate that Clove, Sesame, and Cinnamon nano emulsions with Atolx adjuvants were the most effective against S. oryzae adults under laboratory conditions, where the LC50 Values are 0.022, 0.032 and 0.035 µL/cm2 respectively after 27 h, or exposure time. Clove, Cinnamon, and Sesame nanoemulsion (NE) with 0.01% (w/w) adjuvant exhibited remarkable insecticidal activity against S. oryzae L., of 100, 100 and 97.5% respectively by in vitro assay.

Memory control deficits in the sleep-deprived human brain

Sleep disturbances are associated with intrusive memories, but the neurocognitive mechanisms underpinning this relationship are poorly understood. Here, we show that sleep deprivation disrupts prefrontal inhibition of memory retrieval, and that the overnight restoration of this inhibitory mechanism is associated with time spent in rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. The functional impairments arising from sleep deprivation are linked to a behavioral deficit in the ability to downregulate unwanted memories, and coincide with a deterioration of deliberate patterns of self-generated thought. We conclude that sleep deprivation gives rise to intrusive memories via the disruption of neural circuits governing mnemonic inhibitory control, which may rely on REM sleep.

Label-free determination of diffusion coefficients at the nanoscale through modelling of the Surface Plasmon Resonance signal

Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) is normally used to measure the kinetic parameters of biomolecular interactions between a molecule immobilized on a gold surface and another one flowing in a microfluidic channel above the surface. During the SPR measurements, convection-diffusion phenomena occur inside the microfluidic channels, but they are generally minimized by appropriate experimental setup in order to obtain diffusion free kinetic parameters of the molecular interactions. In this work, for the first time, a commercial SPR apparatus has been used to obtain non canonical scientific parameters. Indeed, a specifically designed SPR experimental setup is described for carrying out measurements of the diffusion coefficient (D) of molecules in solutions. The high precision and reproducibility of the approach, as well as the wide applicability of the newly proposed SPR based method for the measurement of D of many different molecules and biomolecules, are here demonstrated and illustrated in detail.

Patchiness of plankton ecosystem structure due to nutrient mixing along the shelf edge in the North Sea

Abstract Mid-water column turbulence has been shown to cause elevated vertical nutrient flux at the shelf edge in the northeastern North Sea. Here, we demonstrate that phytoplankton communities in this region tend to be dominated by larger cells (estimated from percentage of chlorophyll captured on a 10 μm filter) than beyond the shelf edge. F v /F m (PSII electron transport capacity) corrected for photoinhibition in the surface layer correlated in this study with the percentage of chlorophyll captured on a 10 µm filter (assumed to be large cells), suggesting that the phytoplankton community was responding to increased nutrients in the euphotic zone by increasing photosynthetic efficiency and altering community composition. The greatest abundances of larger copepods and the highest rates of Centropages typicus egg production were also generally found at the shelf edge. These results suggested that impact from increased nutrient fluxes cascaded up the planktonic food web. As these regions of nutrient flux were very localised, this led to sub-mesoscale heterogeneity in plankton ecosystem structure. Reports of higher abundances of fish and mammals at the shelf edge are common and we hypothesise that their distributions are a response to the impact of mid-water column nutrient upwelling on the plankton food web in the region.

The unexplored potential of exosomes in the muscle–brain axis

Mobile clinics routing and scheduling in the Witzenberg region of South Africa

Despite much literature on operations research applied to various healthcare problems, impactful implementation in public healthcare is limited, which often results in allocative inefficiency. This article uses a mobile clinic routing and scheduling problem in the Witzenberg region of South Africa as a case study to demonstrate the improvement of implementation success through cross-disciplinary collaboration, and also to propose a new three-stage approach for modelling a mobile clinic problem that incorporates continuity of care, fairness, and minimisation of distance travelled. Mobile clinics are used in many countries to improve access to healthcare for rural communities. Decision makers must assign farms or villages to mobile clinics, and determine their monthly visit schedules. To improve implementation success, we follow a collaborative three-phased mixed-methods approach with healthcare professionals to improve workload balance, fairness, and transportation cost. During phase 1, qualitative and quantitative data are gathered through qualitative research methods. In phase 2, fairly distributed optimal routes and schedules are designed using a three-stage model that incorporates a multi-vehicle routing problem to determine daily routes, a knapsack problem to establish a fair allocation of these daily routes between different clinics, and another variation on the vehicle routing problem to determine the monthly visit schedule that minimises the distance between the last farm visited on each consecutive day in the case of having to return to a farm the next day. Different input parameter estimations result in different routes and schedules. In phase 3, AHP is performed with main decision makers to determine their preferred solution. Final routes and schedules are designed based on model results, AHP results, and contextual input from decision makers. In our case study, an improved workload balance, a 23% reduction in total distance travelled, and buy-in to implement the changes, were obtained.

Comparison of Gensini score and SYNTAX score for predicting in-stent restenosis in patients with coronary artery disease and drug-eluting stent implantation

Molecular mechanism governing the plasticity of use-dependent spike broadening in dorsal root ganglion neurons

Use-dependent spike broadening (UDSB) results from inactivation of the voltage-gated K + (Kv) channels that regulate the repolarization of the action potential. However, the specific signaling and molecular processes that modulate UDSB have remained elusive. Here, we applied an adeno-associated viral vector approach and dynamic clamping to conclusively demonstrate how multisite phosphorylation of the N-terminal inactivation domain (NTID) of the Kv3.4 channel modulates UDSB in rat dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons. The Kv3.4 phosphonull variant promotes slow recovery from inactivation, cumulative inactivation, and UDSB. In contrast, the Kv3.4 phosphomimic variant promotes fast recovery from inactivation and robust resistance to cumulative inactivation and UDSB. Furthermore, knocking down Kv3.4 maximizes AP width and eliminates UDSB modulation. Together with the evidence from previous work, the results concretely suggest how dynamic UDSB modulation governed by multisite phosphorylation of the NTID of Kv3.4 in DRG neurons may play a significant role in mechanosensory transduction and pain modulation.

ChatGPT-4o can serve as the second rater for data extraction in systematic reviews

Background Systematic reviews provide clarity of a bulk of evidence and support the transfer of knowledge from clinical trials to guidelines. Yet, they are time-consuming. Artificial intelligence (AI), like ChatGPT-4o, may streamline processes of data extraction, but its efficacy requires validation. Objective This study aims to (1) evaluate the validity of ChatGPT-4o for data extraction compared to human reviewers, and (2) test the reproducibility of ChatGPT-4o’s data extraction. Methods We conducted a comparative study using papers from an ongoing systematic review on exercise to reduce fall risk. Data extracted by ChatGPT-4o were compared to a reference standard: data extracted by two independent human reviewers. The validity was assessed by categorizing the extracted data into five categories ranging from completely correct to false data. Reproducibility was evaluated by comparing data extracted in two separate sessions using different ChatGPT-4o accounts. Results ChatGPT-4o extracted a total of 484 data points across 11 papers. The AI’s data extraction was 92.4% accurate (95% CI: 89.5% to 94.5%) and produced false data in 5.2% of cases (95% CI: 3.4% to 7.4%). The reproducibility between the two sessions was high, with an overall agreement of 94.1%. Reproducibility decreased when information was not reported in the papers, with an agreement of 77.2%. Conclusion Validity and reproducibility of ChatGPT-4o was high for data extraction for systematic reviews. ChatGPT-4o was qualified as a second reviewer for systematic reviews and showed potential for future advancements when summarizing data.

Characterization and in vitro anticancer study of PEGylated liposome dually loaded with ferulic acid and doxorubicin

A mechanosensitive circuit of FAK, ROCK, and ERK controls biomineral growth and morphology in the sea urchin embryo

Biomineralization is the utilization of different minerals by a vast array of organisms to form hard tissues and shape them in various forms. Within this diversity, a common feature of all mineralized tissues is their high stiffness, implying that mechanosensing could be commonly used in biomineralization. Yet, the role of mechanosensing in biomineralization is far from clear. Here, we use the sea urchin larval skeletogenesis to investigate the role of substrate stiffness and focal adhesion kinase (FAK) in biomineralization. We demonstrate that substrate stiffness alters spicule morphology and growth, indicating a mechanosensitive response during skeletogenesis. We show that active FAK, F-actin, and vinculin are enriched around the spicules, indicating the formation of focal adhesion complexes and suggesting that the cells sense the mechanical properties of the biomineral. Furthermore, we find that FAK activity is regulated by Rho-associated protein kinase (ROCK) and is crucial for skeletal growth and normal branching. FAK and ROCK activate extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), which regulates skeletogenic gene expression at the tips of the spicules. Thus, the FAK-ROCK-ERK circuit seems to provide essential mechanical feedback on spicule elongation to the skeletogenic gene regulatory network, enabling skeletal growth. Remarkably, the same factors govern mammalian osteoblast differentiation in vitro and pathological calcification in vivo. Thus, this study highlights a common mechanotransduction pathway in biomineralization that was probably independently co-opted across different organisms to shape mineralized structures in metazoans.

Comparison of cellular-based therapies following a long-segmental peripheral nerve defect in a rat model

Peripheral nerve injury (PNI) is characterized by a loss of cellular and axonal integrity, often leading to limited functional recovery and pain. Many PNIs are not amenable to repair with traditional techniques; however, cell therapies, particularly Schwann cells (SCs), offer the promise of neural tissue replacement and functional improvement. Exosomes, which carry cellular signaling molecules, can be secreted by SCs and have shown promise in PNI. Our laboratory has had success using SCs in preclinical and clinical treatment settings. Transplanted cells have several known limitations, which exosomes mitigate. To that end, the current study investigated if implanted SC-derived exosomes in conduits, conduits with SCs, reverse autograft, or empty conduits comparably improve axonal regeneration and pain outcomes 16-weeks after repair of a long gap PNI in adult rats. Results show that there were no differences between groups in the von Frey filament testing or in the Hargreaves test. Electrophysiological testing showed a significant difference between the injured (ipsilateral) and uninjured (contralateral) limbs while histological assessment showed a significant difference between axonal counts in different areas of the conduit. Based on the results of the current study, more research is needed to understand the therapeutic role of exosomes in PNI.

Efficient coupling of dual beam combined laser into micro water jet for deep processing

In situ architecture of a nucleoid-associated biomolecular co-condensate that regulates bacterial cell division

In most bacteria, cell division depends on the tubulin-homolog FtsZ that polymerizes in a GTP-dependent manner to form the cytokinetic Z-ring at the future division site. Subsequently, the Z-ring recruits, directly or indirectly, all other proteins of the divisome complex that executes cytokinesis. A critical step in this process is the precise positioning of the Z-ring at the future division site. While the divisome proteins are generally conserved, the regulatory systems that position the Z-ring are more diverse. However, these systems have in common that they modulate FtsZ polymerization. In Myxococcus, PomX, PomY, and PomZ form precisely one MDa-sized, nonstoichiometric, nucleoid-associated assembly that spatiotemporally guides Z-ring formation. Here, using cryo-correlative light and electron microscopy together with in situ cryoelectron tomography, we determine the PomXYZ assembly’s architecture at close-to-live conditions. PomX forms a porous meshwork of randomly intertwined filaments. Templated by this meshwork, the phase-separating PomY protein forms a biomolecular condensate that compacts and bends the PomX filaments, resulting in the formation of a selective PomXYZ co-condensate that is associated to the nucleoid by PomZ. These studies reveal a hitherto undescribed supramolecular structure and provide a framework for understanding how a nonstoichiometric co-condensate forms, maintains number control, and nucleates GTP-dependent FtsZ polymerization to precisely regulate cell division.

Multivariate description of gait changes in a mouse model of peripheral nerve injury and trauma

Objective Animal models of nerve injury are important for studying nerve injury and repair, particularly for interventions that cannot be studied in humans. However, the vast majority of gait analysis in animals has been limited to univariate analysis even though gait data is highly multi-dimensional. As a result, little is known about how various spatiotemporal components of the gait relate to each other in the context of peripheral nerve injury and trauma. We hypothesize that a multivariate characterization of gait will reveal relationships among spatiotemporal components of gait with biological relevance to peripheral nerve injury and trauma. We further hypothesize that legitimate relationships among said components will allow for more accurate classification among distinct gait phenotypes than if attempted with univariate analysis alone. Methods DigiGait data was collected of mice across groups representing increasing degrees of damage to the neuromusculoskeletal sequence of gait; that is (a) healthy controls, (b) nerve damage only via total nerve transection + reconnection of the femoral and sciatic nerves, and (c) nerve, muscle, and bone damage via total hind-limb transplantation. Multivariate relationships among the 30+ spatiotemporal measures were evaluated using exploratory factor analysis and forward feature selection to identify the features and latent factors that best described gait phenotypes. The identified features were then used to train classifier models and compared to a model trained with features identified using only univariate analysis. Results 10–15 features relevant to describing gait in the context of increasing degrees of traumatic peripheral nerve injury were identified. Factor analysis uncovered relationships among the identified features and enabled the extrapolation of a set of latent factors that further described the distinct gait phenotypes. The latent factors tied to biological differences among the groups (e.g. alterations to the anatomical configuration of the limb due to transplantation or aberrant fine motor function due to peripheral nerve injury). Models trained using the identified features generated values that could be used to distinguish among pathophysiological states with high statistical significance (p < .001) and accuracy (>80%) as compared to univariate analysis alone. Conclusion This is the first performance evaluation of a multivariate approach to gait analysis and the first demonstration of superior performance as compared to univariate gait analysis in animals. It is also the first study to use multivariate statistics to characterize and distinguish among different gradations of gait deficit in animals. This study contributes a comprehensive, multivariate characterization pipeline for application in the study of any pathologies in which gait is a quantitative translational outcome metric.

Prediction model establishment of prognosis factors for acute myeloid leukemia based on the SEER database

X*Y females exhibit steeper reproductive senescence in the African pygmy mouse

A wave of studies has recently emphasized the influence of sex chromosomes on both lifespan and actuarial senescence patterns across vertebrates and invertebrates. Basically, the heterogametic sex (XY males in XX/XY systems or ZW females in ZW/ZZ systems) typically displays a lower lifespan and a steeper rate of actuarial senescence than the homogametic sex. However, whether these effects extend to the senescence patterns of other phenotypic traits or physiological functions is yet to be determined. Here, we investigated whether sex chromosomes modulate reproductive senescence using females from the African pygmy mouse ( Mus minutoides ). This biological model exhibits an odd sex determining system with a third, feminizing sex chromosome, X*, resulting in three distinct female genotypes (XX, X*X, or X*Y) that coexist in natural populations. We found that the rate of senescence in litter size at birth is much more pronounced in heterogametic X*Y females than in homogametic XX or X*X females that may support the unguarded X or toxic Y hypotheses and can be directly linked to the complex and unique X*Y phenotype. A decrease in neonatal survival with mother’s age has also been found, but this decline is not different between the three female genotypes.

Development and validation of a Malay version questionnaire for assessing risk perception of type 2 diabetes (RPDM)

Background The burden of type 2 diabetes is increasing globally. Risk perception of type 2 diabetes plays an important role in motivating adoption of healthy lifestyle and preventive health interventions. To address the increasing burden of type 2 diabetes in Malaysia, a better understanding on its risk perception is needed as a guide for preventive interventions. This study was aimed at developing and validating a Malay-language questionnaire to assess the risk perception of type 2 diabetes (RPDM) among Malaysians. Methods The questionnaire (RPDM) was developed based on the Health Belief Model and previous literature. A 59-item question pool was initially developed, reviewed by experts for content validity and pretested on five respondents. Different samples were used for pilot study (n = 100) and subsequent validation study (n = 158). Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were used to evaluate construct validity and construct reliability of the questionnaire. Results The EFA yielded five-factors model, including 48 items with good factor loadings of > 0.40. CFA was carried out using item parceling. The final model shows acceptable model fit and had sufficient convergent and discriminant validity. The value of construct reliability ranged between 0.76 and 0.90. Conclusion This newly developed and validated Malay-language RPDM questionnaire is valid and reliable for measuring the five constructs (perceived self-efficacy, perceived severity, perceived benefit, perceived susceptibility and perceived barrier) of risk perception of type 2 diabetes among Malaysians. This Malay-language questionnaire may contribute to a better understanding of risk perception of type 2 diabetes among Malaysians, as well as enhancement of diabetes prevention communication between healthcare providers and their clients.