Mesopolyploidy as a taxonomic clade marker for Brassica and relatives (tribe Brassiceae).

Background And Aims: Whole Genome Duplications (WGD) are rampant in flowering plant genomes. Within Brassicaceae, the genus Brassica (including crop mustards) and relatives (tribe Brassiceae) are hypothesized to share an ancient mesohexaploidy, or whole genome triplication (WGT), resulting from two WGD events (Br-⍺ WGT). However, the phylogenetic boundaries of the Br-α WGT remain unknown.

Maturation of Hippocampal Subfields in Young Adulthood and Its Relationship With Cognition.

The hippocampus is a key brain region for memory and cognitive functions, which consists of distinct subregions with different developmental trajectories throughout adolescence. However, trajectories of hippocampal subfield change in young adulthood remain uncharacterized, as is their potential relationship with cortical brain aging and cognitive ability during this time. We conducted two magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) follow-ups of a prenatal birth cohort in young adulthood and studied the effects of chronological age and cortical brain age on the volume of hippocampal subfields in the early 20s (n = 109; 51% men) and late 20s (n = 251; 53% men) and how these age-related volumetric changes might relate to full-scale IQ (FSIQ).

Molecular arrangements in the first monolayer of Cu-phthalocyanine on InO(111).

Well-ordered organic molecular layers on oxide surfaces are key for organic electronics. Using a combination of scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and non-contact atomic force microscopy (nc-AFM) we probe the structures of copper phthalocyanine (CuPc) on InO, a model for a prototypical transparent conductive oxide (TCO). These scanning-probe images allow the direct determination of the adsorption site and distortions of the molecules, which are corroborated by DFT calculations.

Monitoring morphometric drift in lifelong learning segmentation of the spinal cord.

Morphometric measures derived from spinal cord segmentations can serve as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers in neurological diseases and injuries affecting the spinal cord. For instance, the spinal cord cross-sectional area can be used to monitor cord atrophy in multiple sclerosis and to characterize compression in degenerative cervical myelopathy. While robust, automatic segmentation methods to a wide variety of contrasts and pathologies have been developed over the past few years, whether their predictions are stable as the model is updated using new datasets has not been assessed.

Biodegradable Polymers: Properties, Applications, and Environmental Impact.

The accelerating global demand for sustainable materials has brought biodegradable polymers to the forefront of scientific and industrial innovation. These polymers, capable of decomposing through biological processes into environmentally benign byproducts, are increasingly seen as viable alternatives to conventional plastics in sectors such as packaging, agriculture, and biomedicine. However, despite significant advancements, the field remains fragmented due to the diversity of raw materials, synthesis methods, degradation mechanisms, and application requirements.

CRISPR-Cas10-Assisted Structural Modification of Staphylococcal for Imaging and Biosensing Applications.

Recent advances in genome editing techniques based on CRISPR-Cas have opened up new possibilities in bacteriophage engineering and, thus, enabled key developments in medicine, nanotechnology, and synthetic biology. Although staphylococcal phage genomes have already been edited, the modification of their structural proteins has not yet been reported. Here, the structure of phage 812h1 of the genus was modified by inserting a poly histidine tag into an exposed loop of the tail sheath protein.

Structural covariance of early visual cortex is negatively associated with PTSD symptoms: A Mega-Analysis from the ENIGMA PTSD workgroup.

Background: Identifying robust neural signatures of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms is important to facilitate precision psychiatry and help in understanding and treatment of the disorder. Emergent research suggests structural covariance of early visual regions is associated with later PTSD development. However, large-scale analyses are needed - in heterogeneous samples of trauma-exposed and trauma naive individuals - to determine if such a neural signature is a robust marker of vulnerability.

Magnetically Driven Living Microrobot Swarms for Aquatic Micro- and Nanoplastic Cleanup.

Micro- and nanoplastic pollution is pervasive worldwide, infiltrating drinking water and food chains, accumulating in the human body, and posing serious threats to public health and ecosystems. Despite these urgent challenges, effective strategies to curb the widespread presence of micro- and nanoplastics have not yet been sufficiently developed. Here, we present magnetically driven living bacterial microrobots that exhibit a nature-inspired three-dimensional (3D) swarming motion, allowing the dynamic capture and retrieval of aquatic micro- and nanoplastics originating from various commercial products.

Genotype imputation from low-coverage data for medical and population genetic analyses.

Genotype imputation from low-pass sequencing data presents unique opportunities for genomic analyses but comes with specific challenges. In this study, we explore the impact of quality filters on genetic ancestry and Polygenic Score (PGS) estimation after imputing 32,769 low-pass genome-wide sequences (LPS) from noninvasive prenatal screening (NIPS) with an average autosomal sequence depth of ∼0.15×.

Secondary target organs exhibit differential ability to clear cadmium after cadmium oxide nanoparticle inhalation.

Inhaled cadmium oxide nanoparticles (CdONPs) represent an underrecognized environmental and occupational hazard because of their potential for systemic bioaccumulation and organ-specific toxicity. In this study, mice were exposed to subchronic inhalation of CdONPs, and cadmium distribution, clearance, and tissue responses were assessed over a 21-day recovery period using atomic absorption spectrometry, laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, histopathology, and gene expression analysis. Cadmium accumulated predominantly in the lungs, where clearance was slow and accompanied by persistent inflammation and foam cell formation.

Offensive and Defensive Exploitation of Ants by Termitophagous Spiders (Araneae: Zodariidae).

Myrmecophagy is one of the most common types of dietary specialization among predators. It can include exploitation of ants, termites, or both. Although ants and termites share a few traits, they are distantly related and possess different defensive mechanisms.

Dual role of pectin methyl esterase activity in the regulation of plant cell wall biophysical properties.

Introduction: Acid-growth theory has been postulated in the 70s to explain the rapid elongation of plant cells in response to the hormone auxin. More recently, it has been demonstrated that activation of the proton ATPs pump (H-ATPs) promoting acidification of the apoplast is the principal mechanism by which auxin and other hormones such as brassinosteroids (BR) induce cell elongation. Despite these advances, the impact of this acidification on the mechanical properties of the cell wall remained largely unexplored.

Glycerol-Enhanced Gum Karaya Hydrogel Films with a Sandwich-like Structure Enriched with Octenidine for Antibacterial Action against Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria.

This study explores the innovative approach in the development of freeze-dried hydrogel films, leveraging the unique properties of gum Karaya (GK), poly-(vinyl alcohol) (PVA), poly-(ethylene glycol) (PEG), and glycerol with a coating of octenidine dihydrochloride (OCT). These innovative hydrogel films exhibit at a certain glycerol concentration a sandwich-like structure, achieved through a tailored freeze-drying process, which enhances transparency and mechanical stability. OCT provides superior antibacterial performance, effectively combating multidrug-resistant bacteria with a controlled and gradual release mechanism, surpassing conventional OCT solutions that require frequent reapplication for infected wound treatment without the creation of bacterial resistance.

Two new psychrotolerant Massilia species inhibit plant pathogens Clavibacter and Curtobacterium.

Three bacterial strains producing blue-violet pigmented colonies on R2A agar were isolated from a wet rock wall and lakes in the deglaciated northern part of James Ross Island, Antarctica. The isolated strains inhibited phytopathogenic Gram-positive bacteria Clavibacter spp., Curtobacterium flacumfaciens, and Paenarthrobacter ilicis.

A biotin-HaloTag ligand enables efficient affinity capture of protein variants from live cells.

HaloTag technology represents a versatile tool for studying proteins. Fluorescent HaloTag ligands employed in sequential labeling led to the discovery of distinct protein variants for histones, cohesins, and MCM complexes. However, an efficient biochemical approach to separate these distinct protein variants to study their biological functions is missing.

Image-Based Meta- and Mega-Analysis (IBMMA): A Unified Framework for Large-Scale, Multi-Site, Neuroimaging Data Analysis.

The increasing scale and complexity of neuroimaging datasets aggregated from multiple study sites present substantial analytic challenges, as existing statistical analysis tools struggle to handle missing voxel-data, suffer from limited computational speed and inefficient memory allocation, and are restricted in the types of statistical designs they are able to model. We introduce Image-Based Meta- & Mega-Analysis (IBMMA), a novel software package implemented in R and Python that provides a unified framework for analyzing diverse neuroimaging features, efficiently handles large-scale datasets through parallel processing, offers flexible statistical modeling options, and properly manages missing voxel-data commonly encountered in multi-site studies. IBMMA produced stronger effect sizes and revealed findings in brain regions that traditional software overlooked due to missing voxel-data resulting in gaps in brain coverage.

miRBench: novel benchmark datasets for microRNA binding site prediction that mitigate against prevalent microRNA frequency class bias.

Motivation: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are crucial regulators of gene expression, but the precise mechanisms governing their binding to target sites remain unclear. A major contributing factor to this is the lack of unbiased experimental datasets for training accurate prediction models. While recent experimental advances have provided numerous miRNA-target interactions, these are solely positive interactions.

Unraveling the Transcription Factor Code of Odontoblast Differentiation.

The molecular mechanisms controlling the differentiation of stem cells into specialized cells and tissues are enormously complex. Deciphering the mechanisms behind this precisely regulated process is essential not only for understanding ontogenesis but also for interpretations of evolutionary dynamics. A deep understanding of differentiation processes in various cell types would open the way for safe and targeted tissue engineering.

Single Atom Engineering for Electrocatalysis: Fundamentals and Applications.

The global transition to sustainable energy production revolves around innovations in electrocatalysis, the cornerstone of energy conversion technologies. Over the years, catalysts have evolved from bulk materials to nanoparticles (NPs) and nanoclusters (NCs), culminating in single-atom catalysts (SACs), which represent the peak of catalyst engineering. SACs have revolutionized electrocatalytic processes by maximizing atom efficiency and offering tunable electronic properties, lowering the energy barrier associated with the absorption and desorption of key reaction intermediates, thus promoting specific reaction pathways.

Comprehensive profiling of lncRNAs and mRNAs enriched in small extracellular vesicles for early noninvasive detection of colorectal cancer: diagnostic panel assembly and extensive validation.

Early diagnosis of colorectal cancer (CRC) is crucial for successful treatment and mortality reduction. In this regard, blood-based tests play an indispensable role. Current research is focused on molecules actively secreted by tumor cells into small extracellular vesicles (EVs).

Topological Insulator BiTe Anode for Aqueous Aluminum-Ion Batteries: Unveiling the Role of Hydronium Ions.

The primary scientific challenge in advancing aqueous aluminum-ion batteries (AAIBs) is achieving reversible plating/stripping of the Al metal anode, limited by its low deposition potential (-1.667 V vs SHE) and surface passivation in the aqueous electrolyte. To address this issue, polypyrrole (PPy) decorated topological quantum insulator (BiTe@PPy) is introduced as a novel anode in AAIBs.

Toward a Tailored Acoustic-Based Approach in Music Neuromodulation in Epilepsy.

Background: Music-based neuromodulation has garnered interest as a potential therapeutic approach for drug-resistant epilepsy. This study expands on prior research by examining the effects of different musical features on interictal epileptiform discharges (IEDs) within intracerebral EEG (iEEG).

Methods: Twenty-five patients with drug-resistant epilepsy undergoing presurgical iEEG evaluation participated in the study.

Surface-Engineered 2D Nanomaterials in Gas Sensors: Advancement and Challenges.

2D nanomaterials like transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), MXene, nitrides, and black phosphorus-based gas sensors have garnered extensive attention in recent decades. The extra ordinary physicochemical and electrical properties of 2D nanomaterials make them highly sensitive toward gas molecules at room temperature. However, despite their potential, the current gas sensing technology suffers from inadequate selectivity, inaccurate detection and environmental instability.

Validated low-cost standardized VICON configuration as a practical approach to estimating the minimal accuracy of a specific setup.

Motion Capture (MoCap) is rapidly growing in the sports, biomechanics, healthcare, and medicine segments, where accuracy is crucial. Current research studies are concurrently confirming that the accuracy can be determined only for the specific analyzed configuration and thus recommending performing your own accuracy verification on your specific setup. However, it is often hard to perform since it requires significant effort, time, knowledge of statistical data analysis and often equipment and tools that are not commonly available.