Pollinators: Honey bees shift tolerance to attacks with seasonal decline in flower availability.

A new study shows that, as floral resources decline over the season, honey bees gradually increase their tolerance to attacks when foraging, a shift that may enable them to exploit other colonies' honey stores during robbing season.

Genomic and stress resistance characterization of GX17, a potential probiotic for animal feed applications.

Unlabelled: Lactobacilli, recognized as beneficial bacteria within the human body, are celebrated for their multifaceted probiotic functions, including the regulation of intestinal flora, enhancement of body immunity, and promotion of nutrient absorption. This study comprehensively analyzed the genotypic and phenotypic characteristics of () strains isolated from the intestines of healthy chicks and assessed their potential as probiotics. The assembled genome consists of 29,521,986 bp, and a total of 1,771 coding sequences (CDSs) were predicted.

 subsp. (Lygodiaceae), a new subspecies from the eastern USA.

Lygodium palmatum (Bernh.) Sw. subsp.

Neurons sequester the cholesterol-inhibiting TFEB in oligodendrocyte cytoplasm to safeguard myelination and neural function.

Myelination is essential for normal brain function, yet the mechanisms governing neuron-oligodendrocyte interactions that ensure proper myelination levels remain poorly understood. Here, we identify transcription factor EB (TFEB) as a molecular link that connects extrinsic neuronal cues to intrinsic oligodendrocyte transcriptional programs, regulating central nervous system myelination. Using a TFEB epitope-tagged knock-in mouse model, we find that neurons sequester most of the TFEB protein in the cytoplasm of myelinating oligodendrocytes.

Tackling microbial resistance with 4H-chromen-4-one derivatives as a novel class of penicillin binding protein 2a inhibitors.

With the continued upsurge of antibiotic resistance and reduced susceptibility to almost all frontline antibiotics, there is a pressing need for the development of new, effective, and safe alternatives. In this study, a scaffold-hopping strategy was utilized to develop a novel class of penicillin-binding protein 2a (PBP2a) inhibitors, centered around a 4H-chromen-4-one core structure. These newly designed compounds demonstrated strong antibacterial efficacy against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and other drug-resistant gram-positive pathogens.

Differential impacts of advanced age and sex in age-related trace fear memory impairment in rats.

While cognitive function remains stable for majority of the lifespan, many functions sharply decline in later life. Women have higher rates of neurodegenerative diseases that involve memory loss, including Alzheimer's disease. This sex disparity may be due to longer life expectancies when compared to men; women outlive men by roughly 5 years globally.

Investigating the Impact of Elevated CO on Biomass Accumulation and Mineral Concentration in Foliar and Edible Tissues in Soybeans.

Rising atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO₂) levels are expected to enhance biomass and yield in C crops. However, these benefits are accompanied by significant reductions in the concentrations of essential nutrients in both foliar and edible tissues, posing potential global nutritional challenges. In this study, we grew three soybean cultivars (Clark, Flyer, and Loda) in ambient ( ~ 438 ppm) and elevated CO₂ ( ~ 650 ppm) conditions using open top chambers and measured changes in leaf-level physiological responses, biomass accumulation, and nutrient concentrations across developmental stages.

Biological Control of Postharvest Diseases: The Evolution of New Concepts and Perspectives.

Postharvest biological control based on the use of microbial antagonists has been the subject of research and development for more than three decades. Several formulated products have been developed; however, their widespread use has not been realized, which has led to the development of new concepts and paradigms to better describe, understand, and employ biocontrol systems under commercial conditions. In the first part of this review, the evolution of postharvest biocontrol and its current status are briefly discussed.

Mitochondrial fission controls astrocyte morphogenesis and organization in the cortex.

Dysfunctional mitochondrial dynamics are a hallmark of devastating neurodevelopmental disorders such as childhood refractory epilepsy. However, the role of glial mitochondria in proper brain development is not well understood. We show that astrocyte mitochondria undergo extensive fission while populating astrocyte distal branches during postnatal cortical development.

Observation of competing magnetic phases, mechanical stability, electronic structure, magnetism, and remarkable thermoelectric aspects of BaGdRuO.

The BaGdRuO double perovskite oxide demonstrates intriguing behavior, arising from competing antiferromagnetic (AFM) and ferrimagnetic (FiM) phases. Under the GGA++SOC scheme, the system exhibits an AFM ground state with a very small energy difference of -11.39 meV compared to the FiM one.

Rapid Redox Hopping Charge Transfer and Electrochromism in a Multivariate Metal-Organic Framework.

Electrochromic materials exploit a change in molecular absorbance after an electrochemical redox event for applications, such as smart glass and segmented displays. Current applications use metal oxides; however, these materials are plagued by slow response times to potential changes. Herein, we investigate a metal-organic framework (MOF) film loaded with a molecular ruthenium redox carrier for its electrochromic capabilities.

Thermodynamics-inspired high-entropy oxide synthesis.

High-entropy oxide (HEO) thermodynamics transcend temperature-centric approaches, spanning a multidimensional landscape where oxygen chemical potential plays a decisive role. Here, we experimentally demonstrate how controlling the oxygen chemical potential coerces multivalent cations into divalent states in rock salt HEOs. We construct a preferred valence phase diagram based on thermodynamic stability and equilibrium analysis, alongside a high throughput enthalpic stability map derived from atomistic calculations leveraging machine learning interatomic potentials.

Narrative simulation of financial scarcity: Effects on delay discounting, cigarette craving, and cigarette demand in adults who smoke cigarettes.

Financial scarcity is associated with greater delay discounting and cigarette smoking. In experimental research, narrative simulation of scarcity increases delay discounting, but the effects of simulated scarcity on smoking behaviors have not yet been examined. In an online survey study, we examined the effects of scarcity narratives on delay discounting, cigarette craving, and behavioral economic demand for cigarettes.

Solvable constraints and unsolvable limits to global climate adaptation in coastal Indigenous food security.

Coastal systems are a major source of food for Indigenous communities. Climate change poses a high risk to coastal communities' food security. Successful climate change adaptation practices are essential to ensure food security among Indigenous peoples.

Intracerebroventricular injection of taurine affords thermotolerance and regulates mitochondrial thermogenic gene expression in pectoralis muscle in neonatal chicks exposed to high ambient temperature.

Intracerebroventricular (ICV) injection of taurine can induce hypothermia and attenuate stress behaviors in neonatal chicks under control thermoneutral temperature (CT) conditions. While, its ability to withstand heat stress (thermotolerance) has not identified yet. Thus, the objective of this study was to examine the effects of ICV taurine effects on thermoregulation, mitochondrial thermogenic gene expression, and amino acid metabolism in 5-day-old Julia male chick exposed to either high ambient temperature (HT) or CT conditions.

The Bat Signal: An Ultraviolet Light Lure to Increase Acoustic Detection of Bats.

Bats are a taxa of high conservation concern and are facing numerous threats including widespread mortality due to White-Nose Syndrome (WNS) in North America. With this decline comes increasing difficulty in monitoring imperiled bat species due to lower detection probabilities of both mist-netting and acoustic surveys. Lure technology shows promise to increase detection while decreasing sampling effort; however, to date research has primarily focused on increasing physical captures during mist-net surveys using sound lures.

UnCOT-AD: Unpaired Cross-Omics Translation Enables Multi-Omics Integration for Alzheimer's Disease Prediction.

Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder, posing a growing public health challenge. Traditional machine learning models for AD prediction have relied on single omics data or phenotypic assessments, limiting their ability to capture the disease's molecular complexity and resulting in poor performance. Recent advances in high-throughput multi-omics have provided deeper biological insights.

Hit-to-Lead Optimization of Acetazolamide-Based Bacterial Carbonic Anhydrase Inhibitors with Efficacy In Vivo for Treatment of Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci Septicemia.

As one of the leading causes of hospital-acquired infections reported by the National Healthcare Safety Network, vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) continue to afflict patients in healthcare facilities, with limited FDA-approved drugs available for treating systemic infections. Our group previously showed the 1,3,4-thiadiazole acetazolamide human carbonic anhydrase inhibitor scaffold can be repositioned with potent efficacy against enterococcal pathogens. However, only acetazolamide has been explored for efficacy in murine septicemia models.

Prospective Relations between Cortical Thickness and Change in Internalizing Symptoms are Moderated by Chronic Stress Exposure in Adolescents with Depression and Anxiety.

Brain structural alterations have been associated with internalizing symptoms concurrently. Less is known about whether these alterations relate to change in internalizing psychopathology during adolescence, a sensitive period for the effects of stress on neurodevelopment and internalizing symptoms. We examined whether cortical thickness (CT) was prospectively related to change in an internalizing factor in 203 adolescents (aged 14-17) with depression and/or anxiety diagnoses or no diagnosis from the Boston Adolescent Neuroimaging of Depression and Anxiety study.

Longitudinal relations between early prosocial behaviors toward parents and later prosocial and aggressive behaviors in Turkish early adolescents.

Because Turkish early adolescents learn and practice many essential prosocial behaviors (i.e., helping, sharing) within the family context, it is important to examine whether early adolescents' prosocial behaviors toward parents at age 10 (Time 1) were related to their later prosocial and aggressive behaviors at age 13 (Time 3) via perceived parental psychological control at age 12 (Time 2).

A Cross-Sectional Study Conducted in the USA Examining Associations Between Religious Engagement and Inpatient Hospital Experience and 30-Day Readmission.

Associations between the Duke University Religion Index (DUREL) and patients' perceptions of care, requesting to see a chaplain, and 30-day readmissions were examined in this cross-sectional study. Participants were recruited from an inpatient setting in Memphis, TN and asked the DUREL, three patient experience questions, and if they would like to see a chaplain. The electronic medical record was monitored for readmissions within 30 days of discharge.

Forward Weight Prediction among Small for Gestational Age, Average for Gestational Age, and Large for Gestational Age Neonates.

This study was aimed to evaluate the accuracy of the gestation-adjusted projection (GAP) forward projection model among neonates classified as small (SGA), appropriate (AGA), or large for gestational age (LGA), and to assess the impact of elevated maternal body mass index (BMI) on prediction accuracy. The GAP model uses percentile-based extrapolation to predict birth weight from remote ultrasounds, maintaining fetal weight percentile from scan to delivery, unlike traditional methods relying on static weight estimates near delivery.We conducted a retrospective review (2016-2023) of singleton, liveborn, nonanomalous pregnancies delivered after 28 weeks.

Pyrethroids demonstrate effective insecticidal activity against ambrosia beetles (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae) within tree fruit, nut, and ornamental production systems.

The ambrosia beetles Xylosandrus crassiusculus (Motschulsky) and Xylosandrus germanus (Blandford) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) are major pests in fruit, nut, and ornamental tree nurseries. Adult females tunnel into stressed trees, creating galleries in the sapwood and heartwood to cultivate their nutritional fungal mutualists, which are associated with branch dieback and tree death. The current management approach relies on trunk applications of permethrin and bifenthrin to decrease infestation risk in the United States.

Inter-epidemic seroprevalence of Rift Valley fever virus and associated risk factors in humans in Eastern Rwanda.

Background: Rift Valley fever (RVF) is a mosquito-borne zoonosis that causes periodic and explosive epizootics/epidemics in Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. In Rwanda, RVF virus (RVFV) circulation has resulted into two major outbreaks in 2018 and 2022, both of which involving humans. Information on the magnitude of human exposure to RVFV in the country is scarce.