Recent ucr_postprints items

Capitalizing on change: Habitus transformation and cancer mitigation in the field of firefighting

Sat, 29 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

While cancer remains the leading cause of occupational death among firefighters, cancer mitigation efforts are not always successful. This study examines how health practices become durable behavioral changes within the professional field of California firefighters. Drawing on 48 in-depth interviews, we examine how health uptake has been successful in a field where resistance would be expected based on the entrenched tradition and masculine culture. Integrating Bourdieu's framework with Fundamental Cause Theory, we show that cultural, symbolic, and social capital must be reconfigured concurrently to transform the entrenched habitus and enhance cancer mitigation. Specifically, acquiring new knowledge on cancer risks, reclassifying clean gear as a new symbol of professionalism, and solidifying the new knowledge and symbol through cohesive social networks can facilitate habitus transformation and produce sustained behavioral changes in cancer mitigation. Our research enriches both...

CISAT, a CoPP-Induced lncRNA, Improves Cardiac Mesenchymal Progenitor Cell Survival and Myocardial Repair via SFPQ/NRF2/p38 Redox Regulation

Fri, 28 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Cellular therapy using human cardiac mesenchymal progenitor cells (hMPCs) for regenerative medicine is hindered by poor cell survival and senescence. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are critical regulators of cellular processes, yet their role in cardiac aging remains underexplored. Here, lncRNA microarray profiling identified a novel lncRNA, XLOC_002543, upregulated in hMPCs preconditioned with cobalt protoporphyrin (CoPP), which was named CoPP-Induced and SFPQ-Associated RNA Transcript (CISAT) due to its interaction with splicing factor proline and glutamine rich (SFPQ), confirmed via RNA pull-down and immunoprecipitation. CISAT was the only highly expressed transcript among seven lnc-ANKMY1-5 variants in hMPCs, as shown by RT-PCR. Notably, CISAT expression decreased in aging/senescent hMPCs, correlating with elevated p16^INK4A, a senescence marker. Overexpression of CISAT reduced p16^INK4A levels; enhanced hMPC survival, proliferation, and migration; and...

Combined effective field theory interpretation of Higgs boson, electroweak vector boson, top quark, and multijet measurements

Fri, 28 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Constraints on Wilson coefficients (WCs) corresponding to dimension-6 operators of the standard model effective field theory (SMEFT) are determined from a simultaneous fit to seven sets of CMS measurements probing Higgs boson, electroweak vector boson, top quark, and multijet production. Measurements of electroweak precision observables are also included and provide complementary constraints to those from the CMS experiment. The CMS measurements, using LHC proton-proton collision data at s=13Te$$\sqrt{s}=13\,\text {Te}\text {V} $$, corresponding to integrated luminosities of 36.3 or 138fb-1$$\,\text {fb}^{-1}$$, are chosen to provide sensitivity to a broad set of operators, for which consistent SMEFT predictions can be derived. These are primarily measurements of differential cross sections which are parameterized as functions of the WCs. In measurements targeting t(t¯)X$${\text {t}} (\bar{\textrm{t}})\text {X} $$ production, SMEFT effects are modelled at the detector level. Individual...

Assessing the Impact of Varying HSO Cross Sections on Photochemical Models: Implications for the Spectral Characterization of Terrestrial Exoplanets

Fri, 28 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Abstract: Characterization of exoplanet atmospheres requires a close interplay between observations, modelling, and experimental data. The accuracy of input data used in atmospheric models is essential because it impacts our interpretation of planetary spectra with retrieval codes. Molecular absorption cross sections in the UV–visible range are fundamental input parameters, determining chemical kinetics, particularly on temperate terrestrial planets. However, several atmospheric species remain poorly, or even entirely, uncharacterized. This is the case for HSO, a radical with unconstrained photolysis cross sections, often approximated by hydroperoxyl (HO 2 ). Sulphur chemistry can strongly influence the composition of rocky exoplanets, particularly in anoxic environments where volcanic SO 2 —the main source of HSO—is more efficiently photolyzed, and sulphur...

False discovery rate control for grouped hypotheses: application to miRNAome data

Thu, 27 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Bioinformatics studies often involve numerous simultaneous statistical tests, increasing the risk of false discoveries. To control the false discovery rate (FDR), these studies typically apply a statistical method called the Benjamini-Hochberg (BH) method. However, BH can be overly conservative, particularly in small-sample studies, and it does not take advantage of relevant structural information among the hypotheses, such as groupings. Group structures can arise, for example, when genomic features located in close proximity are co-regulated. Recent statistical developments have yielded group-adaptive BH methods that can leverage pre-existing group information to improve statistical power while maintaining FDR control. However, these methods remain underutilized in bioinformatics practice. In this study, we illustrate the practical application of group-adaptive BH methods using a previously published, moderately scaled microRNA (miRNA) dataset. Even under simple groupings based...

Changes in Outpatient and Telehealth Visits Among Undocumented Patients.

Thu, 27 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Importance

Anti-immigration policies in 2025 may influence outpatient care and telehealth among immigrant communities. Understanding visit patterns is essential for health systems leaders to prepare for shifts in health care use and ensure preventive care.

Objective

To compare outpatient in-person and telehealth visit completion rates among patients classified as likely undocumented and those likely with legal status, before and after 2025 federal immigration policy changes.

Design, setting, and participants

This cross-sectional study analyzed electronic health record data from outpatient encounters in a public safety-net system. Documentation status was approximated using non-English primary language without a Social Security number (SSN) to classify patients with likely undocumented status and using English primary language with SSN for patients likely with legal status. Analyses compared visits from January to June 2024 and January to June 2025.

Main...

Rapid Wintertime Formation of Phenolic Secondary Organic Aerosol from Brown Carbon Photochemistry

Thu, 27 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Abstract: Biomass burning (BB) is a major organic aerosol source during urban winter pollution events. BB particles are rich in brown carbon (BrC) and absorb light to produce photooxidants such as oxidizing triplet excited states of organic chromophores (3C*). In midlatitudes, semivolatile phenols (ArOH) from BB are oxidized to form phenolic secondary organic aerosol (SOA) under moderate temperatures and sunlight. Here, we explore whether phenolic SOA is also formed in a cold, relatively dark, high-latitude city during winter. We use measurements from the 2022 ALPACA field campaign in Fairbanks, Alaska, incorporated into the PACT-1D model with added emissions, partitioning, and chemistry for 34 semivolatile BB phenols. The model includes phenol oxidation in the gas phase and in two populations of particles─aqueous and organic. Despite short pollutant residence times within the polluted surface layer, simulated phenolic SOA formation is fast, generating up to...

Mycorrhizal strategy of non-native plants varies with biome and disturbance.

Thu, 27 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Predicting which non-native plant species will become established and where is critical for conserving and managing biodiversity. Theory suggests that the mycorrhizal strategy of non-native plants may predict their establishment success. Here we combine a global dataset of 440,788 vegetation plots with data on plant native status and mycorrhizal type to assess mycorrhizal strategy of non-native plants. The mycorrhizal strategy of non-native plants varies strongly across biomes. Across grassland and desert biomes, non-native species are more frequently non-mycorrhizal than native species, whereas in other biomes non-native species are more likely to be mycorrhizal, most commonly arbuscular-mycorrhizal. Disturbance type and intensity are key predictors of mycorrhizal strategy of non-native species, as mycorrhizal species are favoured by landscape modification and non-mycorrhizal species by natural and human-caused disturbance events. Facultatively mycorrhizal species are consistently...

Body position classification using wearable sensors in infants with cerebral palsy

Thu, 27 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Infants learn through everyday interactions with the physical and social environment. For infants with cerebral palsy (CP), motor impairments may disrupt everyday learning opportunities. How can we measure real-world motor behavior and learning opportunities in infants with CP? Machine learning models have been developed to quantify body position throughout a day in infants with typical development (TD) using wearable sensor data. However, these models have not been validated in infants with motor impairments. This study assessed the validity of body position classification using machine learning and sensors in infants with CP. Ten infants with CP (7-18 months; one session each) and 19 infants with TD (4-12 months; 45 sessions) wore four inertial sensors on their legs throughout a day. Ninety minutes were video recorded and manually scored for body position in five categories: supine, prone, sitting, standing, and held. Random forest classifiers were trained to predict body position...

Investigation of STEEP Using Phase-Shift-Keying Signaling for Secure Communications

Thu, 27 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Secret-message transmission by echoing encrypted probes (STEEP) using phase-shift-keying (PSK) constellation of asymmetric sizes is investigated, and compared with a prior scheme which is limited to binary signaling. While both schemes can yield positive secrecy rates over a wiretap channel with eavesdropping channel being stronger than user’s, PSK-STEEP is more general and results in higher secrecy rates than the prior scheme. The secrecy rate of PSK-STEEP is shown to be increasing with the size of PSK constellation in phase 1 but is maximized by a binary PSK constellation in phase 2.

Natural Snow Accumulation Gradients Mediate Environmental and Plant Trait Responses to Earlier Snowmelt in Alpine Tundra.

Thu, 27 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Mountain ecosystems are experiencing rapid climate changes, with implications for biodiversity and ecosystem function. Changing snow dynamics, especially earlier melt, are influencing the timing and length of growing seasons, species phenology, and plant abundance. Because mountains are characterized by high topographical and microclimatic variation, effects of changing snow dynamics may depend on small-scale variation in topographically mediated snow accumulation. Wind-scoured areas frequently lack snow cover and thus may be less vulnerable to earlier snowmelt than areas of deep snow accumulation. Here, we test this expectation by applying black sand to accelerate snowmelt in five 400 m² plots arranged along hillslope gradients. We followed the effects of experimentally accelerated snowmelt on snow-off timing, growing season length, soil moisture, and plant community composition for 6 years. The largest changes in snow-off timing (average of 15 days earlier) and growing...

Simultaneous Transcriptomic Analysis of Both Host and Symbiont in Insect–Fungus Interactions

Thu, 27 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Simultaneous Transcriptomic Analysis of Both Host and Symbiont in Insect–Fungus Interactions

Binding of Acetate in the S2 State of the Oxygen-Evolving Complex in Photosystem II

Thu, 27 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Photosynthetic water oxidation is catalyzed by the Mn4CaO5 oxygen-evolving complex (OEC) of photosystem II (PSII), where hydrogen-bonding and ion-binding networks regulate proton transfer, substrate-water delivery, and S-state advancement. Acetate binding inhibits oxygen evolution, competes with chloride, and stabilizes the S=5/2 spin isomer of the S2 state, but its donor-side binding site remains unresolved. Here, we combine EPR spectroscopy, pH-dependent oxygen-evolution measurements, mutagenesis, and QM/MM calculations to support a donor-side acetate-binding model and determine how acetate perturbs the OEC environment. Acetate increases the ratio of the g=4.1 to g=2 S2-state EPR signals in spinach PSII membranes and cyanobacterial PSII core complexes, with stronger stabilization persisting to higher pH in spinach PSII. The D1-N87A Synechocystis PSII variant exhibits spinach-like acetate sensitivity and pH-dependent oxygen-evolution behavior, with an effective acidic pKa of...

Climate variability introduces uncertainty into future emissions pathways

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Uncertainty in long-term climate outcomes arises not only from physical processes but also from societal responses to climate variability and change. Here we embed a range of temperature anomalies into an empirically-informed, coupled climate–social model to investigate how natural temperature variability, through its influence on societal decision-making, shapes global emissions trajectories. Using Monte Carlo ensembles spanning social, political, and technological parameters, we find that anomalous mid-century warmth strengthens public support for mitigation and accelerates the timing of net-zero emissions by several years, whereas anomalous cooling delays net-zero achievement. The response scales with the magnitude and persistence of variability with stronger and longer-lasting temperature anomalies producing larger shifts in mitigation timing. Across ensembles, high-variability climates are associated with higher emissions pathways and a greater likelihood of failing to reach...

Hemi-methylated DNA opens a closed conformation of UHRF1 to facilitate its histone recognition.

Mon, 24 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

UHRF1 is an important epigenetic regulator for maintenance DNA methylation. UHRF1 recognizes hemi-methylated DNA (hm-DNA) and trimethylation of histone H3K9 (H3K9me3), but the regulatory mechanism remains unknown. Here we show that UHRF1 adopts a closed conformation, in which a C-terminal region (Spacer) binds to the tandem Tudor domain (TTD) and inhibits H3K9me3 recognition, whereas the SET-and-RING-associated (SRA) domain binds to the plant homeodomain (PHD) and inhibits H3R2 recognition. Hm-DNA impairs the intramolecular interactions and promotes H3K9me3 recognition by TTD-PHD. The Spacer also facilitates UHRF1-DNMT1 interaction and enhances hm-DNA-binding affinity of the SRA. When TTD-PHD binds to H3K9me3, SRA-Spacer may exist in a dynamic equilibrium: either recognizes hm-DNA or recruits DNMT1 to chromatin. Our study reveals the mechanism for regulation of H3K9me3 and hm-DNA recognition by URHF1.

Chapter 4 Is Lasting Change Possible? Lessons from the Hedonic Adaptation Prevention Model

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Happiness seekers tend to focus on changing their life circumstances, such as buying a new house, switching jobs, or getting married. However, people have been found to adapt to both positive and negative life changes, such as marriage, job promotion, disability, and widowhood. This process—known as hedonic adaptation—can serve as a formidable barrier to achieving lasting happiness. The Hedonic Adaptation Prevention model outlines why people adapt to life changes and sheds light on how adaptation to favorable events can be forestalled and how adaptation to unfavorable events can be hastened. In this chapter, we focus on a positive change as the model’s starting point, which is associated with an immediate boost in well-being and a gradual decline back to baseline. Individuals adapt to positive life changes due to increasing aspirations and declines in the number of positive events and emotions associated with the change. Fortunately, lasting happiness change is indeed possible,...

Staying Happier

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

As many happiness seekers inevitably discover, human beings are remarkably susceptible to hedonic adaptation—the process of becoming accustomed to positive life changes. Even if individuals observe short-term increases in happiness, how can they avoid the natural erosion of happiness over time? Can anyone ever stay happier? In the present chapter, we review the mechanisms underlying hedonic adaptation to positive experiences and present evidence that sheds light on how people can deliberately prevent or slow it down. We argue that the intentional, effortful use of positive activities can produce and sustain significant increases in happiness.

Making Happiness Last Using the Hedonic Adaptation Prevention Model to Extend the Success of Positive Interventions

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Making Happiness Last Using the Hedonic Adaptation Prevention Model to Extend the Success of Positive Interventions

Dominant Controls on Preferential Flow and Their Implications for Future Soil Water Fluxes

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Abstract Soil water flow, particularly preferential flow (PF), is a critical control on hydrological and biogeochemical processes, including groundwater recharge, contaminant transport, and carbon cycling. However, it remains challenging to predict PF occurrence across large environmental gradients. Here, we developed a deep learning (DL) model to estimate event‐scale soil water flow velocity and the probability of PF occurrence using high‐frequency soil moisture and precipitation data from 33 sites across the National Ecological Observatory Network. The model demonstrated high skill in predicting the binary occurrence of PF (91% F1‐score; 85% accuracy) but the performance was limited in predicting soil water velocity ( R 2 = 0.31). We found that precipitation characteristics (duration, volume, and intensity) were the most important predictors for soil water velocity. Among the non‐precipitation event variables, sand content showed relatively high predictive skill,...

Mental health economics: A prospective study on psychological flourishing and associations with healthcare costs and sickness benefit transfers in Denmark

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Background Escalating healthcare expenditures highlight the need to identify modifiable predictors of the use and costs of healthcare and sickness benefit transfers. We conducted a prospective analysis on Danish data to determine the costs associated with flourishing as compared to the below threshold level of flourishing. Methods We used data from a 2016 Danish survey of 3508 adults, which was linked to Danish register data. Flourishing was assessed with a validated psychological well-being scale. A two-part regression model was used to predict 2017 costs while adjusting for 2016 costs, demographic variables, and health status, including psychiatric morbidity and health behaviours. Costs are expressed in USD PPP. Results Applying criteria from prior literature, the prevalence of flourishing in Denmark (measured in 2016) was 34.7%. Flourishing was associated with significantly lower healthcare costs ($-687.7, 95% CI = $-1295.0, $-80.4) and sickness benefit transfers...

Identified charged hadron production in Au plus Au collisions at √s_NN=54.4GeV with the STAR detector

Wed, 19 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Identified charged hadron production in Au plus Au collisions at √s_NN=54.4GeV with the STAR detector

Compactness of Commutators of Smoothing Pseudodifferential Operators and Pointwise Multiplication with Functions in the Space XMO

Wed, 19 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The space CMO is a proper subspace of BMO typically employed in harmonic analysis to prove compactness results for commutators. It has been shown, however, that there exists another space XMO, which is also a proper subspace of BMO but larger than CMO, so that the commutators of pointwise multiplications by its members with certain pseudodifferential operators of order zero (associated with singular integral operator of Calderón-Zygmund type) still produce compact operators on Lebesgue spaces. The purpose of this article is to proved the analogous result for smoothing pseudodifferential operators of finite order (associated with fractional integral operators).

First Observation of Deuteron-Λ Correlations at RHIC

Mon, 17 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Precise experimental information on hyperon-nucleon interactions is scarce but of paramount importance to our understanding of the inner structure of compact stars. In this Letter, we report the first experimental results of correlation functions between deuterons (d) and Λ hyperons in Au+Au collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=3.0 GeV measured by the STAR experiment at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider. A clear enhancement at small relative momenta has been observed in the correlation function. Through a Bayesian inference analysis, the source size parameters as a function of collision centrality and the spin-dependent strong interaction parameters (scattering length f_{0} and effective range d_{0}) are extracted using the Lednický-Lyuboshitz formalism. The derived doublet spin state parameters (f_{0}, d_{0}) lead to a novel method to precisely determine Λ separation energy for the weakly bounded hypertriton _{Λ}^{3}H.

Reproductive incompatibility and fitness components in Neoleucinodes elegantalis races (Lepidoptera, Crambidae) from three Solanaceae hosts

Sun, 16 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

ABSTRACT Neoleucinodes elegantalis (Lepidoptera, Crambidae) is a Neotropical Solanaceae pest that has evolved into four host races due to host plant association. In this study, prezygotic and postzygotic isolation were evaluated in parental and F1 generations collected from Solanum lycopersicum (S. 1), S. quitoense (S. q) and S. betaceum (S. b), representing medium size (S. 1, S. q) and large size genitalia races (S. b). 617 adults were obtained in the laboratory and 106 copulated. One spermatophore per female was found in the bursa copulatrix, suggesting monoandry. Crosses between adults mostly occurred assortatively. A third of the female's eggs laid occurred, but females from ♀. b x ♂ S. 1, ♀. 1 x ♂S. b and S. 1 x S. 1 did not. In the cross, ♀. 1 x ♂ S. q and its reciprocal F1 progeny developed into larvae. Reproductive success only occurred in three crosses: S. q x S. q, ♀. q x ♂ S. b and its reciprocal progeny. All the progeny from these crosses reached adulthood. The parental...

Taxonomic identification accuracy from BOLD and GenBank databases using over a thousand insect DNA barcodes from Colombia

Sun, 16 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Recent declines of insect populations at high rates have resulted in the need to develop a quick method to determine their diversity and to process massive data for the identification of species of highly diverse groups. A short sequence of DNA from COI is widely used for insect identification by comparing it against sequences of known species. Repositories of sequences are available online with tools that facilitate matching of the sequences of interest to a known individual. However, the performance of these tools can differ. Here we aim to assess the accuracy in identification of insect taxonomic categories from two repositories, BOLD Systems and GenBank. This was done by comparing the sequence matches between the taxonomist identification and the suggested identification from the platforms. We used 1,160 COI sequences representing eight orders of insects from Colombia. After the comparison, we reanalyzed the results from a representative subset of the data from the subfamily...

Biogeography of tropical dry forest soils

Sun, 16 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Tropical dry forest is a biome characterized by prolonged dry seasons which harbors an exceptionally rich floristic biodiversity. Yet it is among the most threatened biomes and its belowground diversity remains poorly documented. Here, we analyzed the soil environmental DNA with metabarcoding to quantify the belowground diversity and composition of 11 tropical dry forest sites across four biogeographic regions in Colombia, and we provide a comparative analysis of the biogeographic drivers of soil biodiversity, including soil properties, climate, and spatial factors. We found that the soil microbial communities of tropical dry forests had high proportions of taxa associated with dry conditions, such as Actinomycetota, Glomeromycetes, and Amoebozoa, compared to other tropical forests. Soil mesofauna consisted mainly of ants, termites, and earthworms, with few enchytraeids. The soil microbial alpha and beta diversity were primarily driven by soil physicochemical and climatic drivers,...

Three new species of the genus Ripipteryx from Colombia (Orthoptera, Ripipterygidae)

Sun, 16 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Three new species of Ripipteryx Newman (Orthoptera: Tridactyloidea: Ripipterygidae) are described from Colombia; namely Ripipteryxdiegoi sp. n. (Forceps Group) and Ripipteryxguacharoensis sp. n. (Marginipennis Group) from Parque Nacional Natural Cueva de los Guacharos in Huila, and Ripipteryxgorgonaensis sp. n. (Crassicornis Group) from Parque Nacional Natural Gorgona in Cauca. Ripipteryxdiegoi sp. n. is characterized by the antennae black with white spots on flagellomeres 3-7, male subgenital plate with median ridge forming a bilobed setose process, epiproct produced laterally near its base and phallic complex with virga thickened distally and not reaching beyond the membrane. Ripipteryxguacharoensis sp. n. is characterized by the antennae thick with white spots present dorsally on flagellomeres 1-4 and 8, epiproct narrow and triangular, uncus reduced and lacking a distal hook, phallic complex with a concave ventral plate and a dorsal elevation in the middle extended to the virga,...

Taxonomic identification accuracy from BOLD and GenBank databases using over a thousand insect barcodes from Colombia

Sun, 16 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Abstract Recent declines of insect populations at high rates have resulted in the need to develop a quick method to determine their diversity and to process massive data for the identification of species of highly diverse groups. A short sequence of DNA from COI is widely used for insect identification by comparing it against sequences of known species. Repositories of sequences are available online with tools that facilitate matching of the sequences of interest to a known individual. However, the performance of these tools can differ. Here we aim to assess the accuracy in identification of insect taxonomic categories from two repositories, BOLD Systems, and GenBank. This was done by comparing the sequence matches between taxonomist identification and the suggested identification from the platforms. We used 1160 sequences in eight orders of insects from Colombia. After the comparison, we reanalyzed the results from a representative subset of the data from the subfamily Scarabaeinae...

Biogeography of tropical dry forest soils

Sun, 16 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The tropical dry forest is a tropical biome characterized by prolonged dry seasons, and harbors an exceptionally rich floristic biodiversity. Yet it is among the most threatened biomes and its belowground diversity remains poorly documented. Here, we analyzed the soil environmental DNA with metabarcoding to quantify the belowground diversity and composition of 11 tropical dry forest sites across four biogeographic regions in Colombia, and we provide a comparative analysis of the biogeographic drivers of soil biodiversity, including soil properties, climate, and spatial factors. We found that the soil microbial communities of tropical dry forests had high proportions of taxa associated with dry conditions, such as Actinomycetota, Glomeromycetes, and Amoebozoa, compared to other tropical forests. Soil mesofauna consisted mainly of ants, termites, and earthworms, with few enchytraeids. The soil microbial alpha and beta diversity were primarily driven by soil physicochemical and climatic...

Composición temporal de dípteros en un relicto de bosque seco tropical en Huila

Sun, 16 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

El Bosque seco tropical (BST) es uno de los ecosistemas más amenazado a nivel mundial. La mayoría de estudios de artropofauna en BST se han enfocado en órdenes de insectos como Coleoptera, Lepidoptera e Hymenoptera, pero pocos han trabajado Diptera, a pesar de ser un grupo hiperdiverso y con varios roles tróficos. Este trabajo aporta una revisión exhaustiva de este orden para un relicto de BST en Colombia, localizado en la Ecoreserva La Tribuna, Neiva, Huila. Se buscó identificar los dípteros de la Ecoreserva, estimar riqueza y abundancia, y analizar índices de recambio de familias. Para esto, se ubicaron trampas Malaise en tres comunidades vegetales (Bosque interno, Chaparral y Lote 2) por cinco meses. Se recolectaron 16 997 individuos en 54 familias, de estas 19 familias se registran por primera vez con distribución en el Huila. Las familias que dominaron la riqueza y abundancia en las tres comunidades vegetales fueron Phoridae, Sciaridae, Cecidomyiidae, Ceratopogonidae, Sarcophagidae...

Facilitation influences when trees grow, but not growth rate in a dry temperate forest

Fri, 14 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Abstract: Accurately predicting the role of forests in the global carbon cycle requires a detailed understanding of the factors mediating the timing and magnitude of radial stem growth. While weather conditions and topo‐edaphic factors play a critical role in mediating short‐term woody growth, biotic factors can also drive radial growth dynamics, yet their importance is often overlooked. To better understand how weather and neighbouring trees drive patterns of intra‐annual stem growth, we installed automated dendrometer bands on two tree species ( Pinus ponderosa , Quercus kelloggii ) in a dryland ecosystem for 2 years. We evaluated differences in radial growth dynamics between the two species...

Integrating experimental and observational approaches facilitates scaling species interactions to biodiversity patterns

Fri, 14 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Abstract: To investigate how niche and fitness differences determine the outcome of species interactions and shape local biodiversity patterns, research has typically focused on either simplified experimental systems that test specific mechanisms or observational studies where processes are inferred from functional trait or phylogenetic patterns. While each approach has yielded valuable insights, both have drawbacks, and few studies have integrated these approaches to connect mechanistic processes with observed biodiversity patterns. To this end, we paired a 3‐year neighbour removal experiment involving 22 species pairs with spatial point pattern analyses conducted in 8 spatially explicit 2 m × 2 m plots arrayed across a stress‐resource gradient in the alpine tundra of Colorado. By employing this dual approach of experiment...

Tree diversity–soil organic carbon relationships strengthen under colder and more arid conditions

Fri, 14 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Soil organic carbon (SOC) plays an essential role in carbon sequestration and climate change mitigation in forest ecosystems. While experimental studies have shown that plant diversity usually increases SOC, it remains unclear whether this positive relationship holds in natural ecosystems across varying climatic conditions. Using a global dataset of 15 large and long-term monitored natural forest sites spanning a wide latitudinal range, we assess the relationship between tree diversity and SOC within and across sites in temperate, subtropical, and tropical regions. We found an overall positive relationship between tree taxonomic diversity and SOC. The relationships between tree taxonomic or functional diversity and SOC became stronger under colder and more arid conditions. Additionally, tree functional composition was linked to SOC only within a subset of sites in more arid climates. These findings suggest that warmer and more humid conditions increase decomposition, offsetting...

ASSEMBLY AND FUNCTION OF NEMATODE COMMUNITIES IN AN EARLY SUCCESSIONAL ALPINE LANDSCAPE

Fri, 14 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

ASSEMBLY AND FUNCTION OF NEMATODE COMMUNITIES IN AN EARLY SUCCESSIONAL ALPINE LANDSCAPE

Habitat-specific trends in taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic diversity in European plant communities over a century

Fri, 14 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Despite widespread concern over global biodiversity loss, the balance between gains and losses within local plant communities remains contentious, largely due to a scarcity of integrative, long-term and large-scale analyses across different habitats and multiple facets of biodiversity. Here, we analyse 57,390 vegetation-plot time series of vascular plants across Europe to quantify the average and habitat-specific trends in taxonomic, functional, phylogenetic, and gamma diversity, alongside with changes in threatened Red List, non-native, and specialist versus generalist species. We find that, over the last 100 years, plant communities gained on average 0.7% in vegetation cover and 0.2% in species number per year, associated with gains in functional and phylogenetic diversity, non-native, Red List, and generalist species. Diversity changes are most pronounced in mire and wetland communities. Differences among habitat types and habitat-change trajectory (stable, successional,...

Isolation and characterization of the aconitate hydratase 4 (Aco4) gene from soybean

Fri, 14 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Aconitase catalyzes the reversible isomerization of two tricarboxylic acids, citrate and isocitrate, during the Krebs cycle. Five aconitase genes, namely, Aco1, Aco2, Aco3, Aco4, and Aco5, have been identified in soybean. Previously, Aco4 was mapped on chromosome 11. The purpose of this investigation was to isolate and sequence the candidate gene for Aco4. We mapped the Aco4 gene to a 148 kb region on chromosome 11 that contained 19 predicted genes. One of these, Glyma.11G080600, codes for aconitate hydratase. Sequencing of two isozyme variants (A-line and B-line) for Glyma.11G080600 revealed three synonymous and two non-synonymous substitutions. Perhaps, the two non-synonymous substitutions resulted in a variable isozyme pattern between the variants. Glyma.11G080600 contains a catalytic domain and a swivel domain that are known to catalyze isomerization of citrate to isocitrate and swiveling conformational change in the enzyme mechanism, respectively. Conservation of both the...

Precipitation legacy effects on gross N mineralization and nitrification rates in a Pinyon-Juniper dryland under altered precipitation

Fri, 14 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Changes in precipitation patterns can influence soil nitrogen (N) cycling by altering the timing and extent of moisture availability. Arid conditions, associated with more frequent and severe droughts, can increase soil inorganic N concentrations when diffusion constraints decouple N sources and sinks, making this N susceptible to loss. Further, shifts in precipitation patterns in one season can “carry over” N into subsequent seasons, known as precipitation legacies. However, how these legacies increase soil N availability through changes in inorganic N production (i.e., gross N mineralization and nitrification) remain unclear. We manipulated the amount and timing of precipitation in a pinyon–juniper dryland by either adding or excluding precipitation during the winter or summer months and then measured the effects on inorganic N production using isotope pool dilutions. Excluding precipitation in the winter wet season—the most severe drought imposed—reduced average (± std. error)...

Postfire recovery trajectories of bulldozed versus burned chaparral eight years postfire

Fri, 14 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

BackgroundWe examined vegetation diversity, structure, and composition on and off fuel breaks established during a 2013 wildfire in California chaparral shrublands. Vegetation was sampled 8 years following the fire to identify any persistent changes in structure or composition caused by this fire management activity, with implications for postfire vegetation recovery.ResultsWhile species diversity and cover of lifeforms did not differ on and off fuel breaks, species composition and regeneration strategy of dominant shrubs differed significantly. Sites in fuel breaks were dominated by fast-growing subshrubs that regenerate from seeds and are more readily dispersed into sites—species that are typical indicators of the coastal sage scrub community. Sites off fuel breaks were characterized by a mix of resprouting and seeding shrubs typically associated with the chaparral community.ConclusionsFuel breaks established by bulldozers during wildland firefighting have impacts on chaparral...

An extraverted behavior intervention improves immune gene expression

Thu, 13 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

BACKGROUND: Social connection is critical to both psychological well-being and optimal immune function. The present study tested whether a behavioral intervention to increase social connection (promoting extraverted behavior) might reduce a threat-related immunoregulatory gene expression program known as the Conserved Transcriptional Response to Adversity (CTRA). The CTRA is characterized by elevated inflammatory gene expression and reduced innate antiviral gene expression in response to beta adrenergic signaling and has been associated with adverse social conditions such as loneliness and ostracism. METHODS: In an 8-week intervention (with 6-week behavior change protocol), participants from a campus community (N = 119; 87 % undergraduate; 9 % graduate; 4 % staff) were randomized to act more extraverted (sociable; Extraversion condition) or track routine daily activities (Control condition). Participants reported on psychological outcomes and provided...

Genome-wide CRISPR screen reveals PEX11B as a host restriction factor against ORFV through membrane fluidity regulation.

Thu, 13 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Host-pathogen interactions are shaped by cellular restriction factors that direct antiviral defenses. We built the first ovine genome-wide CRISPR knockout library in sheep testis (OA3.Ts) cells, targeting all protein-coding genes. Using this platform, we identified PEX11B, a peroxisomal membrane regulatory protein, as a strong restriction factor against orf virus (ORFV) infection. Removing PEX11B increased viral susceptibility and triggered severe cytopathic effects with membrane fusion and syncytia formation. Mechanistic studies showed that PEX11B knockout harmed peroxisomal integrity and disrupted lipid metabolism. This led to greater plasma membrane fluidity, creating a proviral environment that allowed more viral entry and replication. These results reveal a new antiviral function for PEX11B in blocking viral infection and underscore the importance of peroxisomal regulation in host-virus interactions.

Human 2.0? AI and the Future of Well-Being, Connection, and Personal Growth: A Narrative Review

Thu, 13 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This narrative review examines research on artificial intelligence (AI), including rule-based systems, natural language processing models, and large language models, in relation to well-being, social connection, and personal growth. After briefly tracing the history of AI, we review evidence from AI-facilitated well-being interventions, educational applications, interpersonal skill development, AI-mediated communication, and AI companionship. In clinical and nonclinical settings, structured AI applications show some short-term benefits for anxiety, stress, loneliness, self-esteem, learning, and social confidence, while emerging evidence suggests that AI companions may provide temporary emotional support and a sense of connection. However, findings across these domains are not consistent and appear to depend on how AI is used, the structure of the interaction, the type of feedback provided, and the broader context. Important risks include emotional dependence, overreliance, reduced...

Individual Differences in the Affective Experience of Writing a Gratitude Letter: Who Benefits Most?

Thu, 13 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This study merged archival data from three separate experiments to investigate the typology of individuals who benefit most and least from gratitude letter writing interventions (N = 487). First, k-means clustering of pre- to post-intervention changes in affect revealed three distinct groups: Buffered, Mixed Feelings, and Backfired. The Buffered cluster comprised individuals who, on average, experienced decreases in negative affect (e.g., less frustration) but no changes in positive emotions (e.g., joyful). The Mixed Feelings cluster experienced increases in positive affect, alongside self-conscious emotions, particularly indebtedness, which became more closely aligned with uplifting emotional states following the intervention. The Backfired cluster experienced decreases in positive feelings and increases in negative affect. Next, differences in individual characteristics across clusters indicated that those in the Buffered cluster were relatively more neurotic, had higher...

Quantitative Cerebrovascular Analysis for Improved Prediction of Post-Stroke Complications

Thu, 13 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) has transformed the treatment of acute ischemic stroke (AIS). However, a substantial proportion of AIS patients experience poor outcomes despite successful recanalization, often due to severe neurological deterioration or life-threatening complications. Early identification of these high-risk patients remains a major unmet need. In this study, we developed and validated machine-learning (ML) models that integrate automated quantitative brain arterial morphology and collateral grading with demographic, clinical, laboratory, and imaging variables to predict major post-EVT complications and early neurological outcomes. Using a prospectively collected database of 727 AIS patients that underwent EVT, we developed ML models to incorporate patient-specific vascular morphometry with conventional clinical, laboratory, and imaging data to predict emergence of early neurological deterioration (END), symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH), malignant brain...

Bridging the Art and Science: A Symposium Honoring Prof. Luis M. Liz-Marzán for the Dong Qin ACS Award in Nanochemistry.

Thu, 13 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This Nano Focus article summarizes the symposium honoring the inaugural Dong Qin ACS Award in Nanochemistry at the ACS Spring 2026 meeting. The event celebrated the first recipient, Prof. Luis M. Liz-Marzán, and honored the legacy of Prof. Dong Qin. Key themes included data-driven and machine-learning-assisted synthesis, the engineering of chiral and asymmetric nanostructures for biomedical sensing, therapeutic delivery at the nano-bio interface, and high-throughput single-particle characterization techniques. Ultimately, the symposium showcased a future in which nanochemistry is increasingly automated, predictive, and biologically integrated.

How Chanting Enhances Well-Being: The Roles of Vocalization, Repetition, and Concentration

Thu, 13 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

How Chanting Enhances Well-Being: The Roles of Vocalization, Repetition, and Concentration

Online Change-Point Detection for Functional Data

Thu, 13 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

In this article, we propose a CUSUM-type online change-point detection procedure for monitoring a change in the mean function of dependent functional data. Our method is fully nonparametric and does not require dimension reduction for the functional observations. For the proposed sequential monitoring scheme, we provide the limiting distribution of the CUSUM monitoring statistic under the null hypothesis of no change, which yields the threshold to control the global false alarm rate asymptotically. Furthermore, we show that the proposed sequential test has an asymptotic power one. The method is illustrated by means of Monte Carlo simulation studies and an application to a real dataset. Supplementary materials for this article are available online.

Subtype-specific neutralizing antibodies promote antigenic shift during influenza virus co-infection

Thu, 13 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Reassortment between different influenza strains occurs when they co-infect the same host cell. The emergence of a reassortant virus depends on both its intrinsic fitness and extrinsic factors, including preexisting humoral immunity. The generation of pandemic strains, such as H2N2 and H3N2, and zoonotic influenza A viruses, such as H5N6, H5N8, and H7N9, in birds is suggested to be the result of extensive selection by preexisting antibodies. To further explore the role of humoral immunity in reassortment, we generated two divergent fluorescent protein-expressing viruses and used strain-specific and cross-reactive monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) to assess the impact of cross-immunity on reassortment. Our results indicate that all mAbs altered the genotypic diversity and significantly reduced the release of progeny virions in co-infected cells both in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, antibody transfer studies in mice revealed protection from challenge with divergent pathogenicity...

Pathways to Self-Compassion: The Effects of Self-Kind Behaviors and Self-Kind Thoughts on Self-Compassion and Well-Being

Thu, 13 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Pathways to Self-Compassion: The Effects of Self-Kind Behaviors and Self-Kind Thoughts on Self-Compassion and Well-Being

Size and oxidation state tracking of dynamic Rh catalysts on rutile TiO 2 by ambient-pressure XPS

Mon, 10 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Rhodium supported on titania (Rh/TiO 2 ) is an active catalyst for the reverse water gas shift reaction, yet the nature of the active sites for this reaction and others remain under debate due to the dynamic nature of the Rh coordination. Rhodium supported on titania (Rh/TiO 2 ) is an active catalyst for the reverse water gas shift reaction, yet the nature of the active sites for this reaction and others remain under debate. Single atom Rh sites have frequently been proposed as key sites, making it essential to monitor size changes of Rh species under in situ conditions to establish the structure–function relationship. However, surface-sensitive in situ measurements of nanosized particles remain experimentally challenging and have focused on metal oxide single crystal model systems. Here, we apply ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (APXPS) to Rh/TiO 2 powdered catalysts under oxidizing and reducing environments. We find size-dependent binding energy shifts in...

Solidarity and Social Justice in the midst of covid-19

Sat, 8 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Solidarity and Social Justice in the midst of covid-19

Conversions of Tungsten(IV) Cycloalkene Complexes to Metathesis‐Active Cycloalkylidene Complexes Are Catalyzed by Cycloalkene and Can be Inhibited by Cycloalkene

Tue, 4 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Olefin metathesis reactions catalyzed by molybdenum or tungsten alkylidene (M═CRR') complexes are robust methods of forming carbon-carbon double bonds, but how catalytically active alkylidene complexes are formed from olefins alone has not been determined. Here we show that two electron reductions of W(NR)(OR')₂Cl₂ complexes in the presence of cyclopentene, cyclohexene, cycloheptene, or cyclooctene yield W(NR)(OR')₂(cycloalkene) and/or W(NR)(OR')₂(cycloalkylidene) complexes (R = 2,6-diisopropylphenyl (Ar), 2,6-dichlorophenyl (Ar_Cl); OR' = OSiPh₃, OCMe₂(CF₃) (OR_F3), OCMe(CF₃)₂ (OR_F6), OC(CF₃)₃ (OR_F9)). Mechanistic studies suggest that alkylidenes are formed from unobserved bis-alkene complexes through the transfer of an allylic proton from one bound olefin to the second to give an alkyl/allyl intermediate followed by...

Energy Independence of the Collins Asymmetry in p↑p Collisions

Tue, 4 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The STAR experiment reports new, high-precision measurements of the transverse single-spin asymmetries for π^{±} within jets, namely the Collins asymmetries, from transversely polarized p^{↑}p collisions at sqrt[s]=510 GeV. The energy-scaled distribution of jet transverse momentum, x_{T}=2p_{T,jet}/sqrt[s], shows a remarkable consistency for Collins asymmetries of π^{±} in jets between sqrt[s]=200 GeV and 510 GeV. This indicates that the Collins asymmetries are nearly energy independent, with, at most, a very weak scale dependence in p^{↑}p collisions. These results extend to high-momentum scales (Q^{2}≤3400 GeV^{2}) and enable unique tests of evolution and universality in the transverse-momentum-dependent formalism, thus providing important constraints for the Collins fragmentation functions.

Beam-energy dependence of correlations between mean transverse momentum and anisotropic flow of charged particles in Au+Au collisions at RHIC

Tue, 4 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The correlation between the mean transverse momentum, [p T], and the squared anisotropic flow, v n 2 , on an event-by-event basis has been suggested to be influenced by the initial conditions in heavy-ion collisions. We present measurements of the variances and covariance of [p T] and v n 2 , along with their dimensionless ratio, for Au+Au collisions at various beam energies: s N N = 14.6, 19.6, 27, 54.4, and 200 GeV. Our measurements reveal a distinct energy-dependent behavior in the variances and covariances. In addition, the dimensionless ratio displays a similar behavior across different beam energies. We compare our measurements with hydrodynamic models and similar measurements from Pb+Pb collisions at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). These findings provide valuable insights into the beam energy dependence of the specific shear viscosity (η/s) and initial-state effects, allowing for differentiating between different initial-state models.

A U.S. Scientific Community Vision for Sustained Earth Observations of Greenhouse Gases to Support Local to Global Action

Thu, 30 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Abstract Managing carbon stocks in the land, ocean, and atmosphere under changing climate requires a globally‐integrated view of carbon cycle processes at local and regional scales. The growing Earth Observation (EO) record is the backbone of this multi‐scale system, providing local information with discrete coverage from surface measurements and regional information at global scale from satellites. Carbon flux information, anchored by inverse estimates from spaceborne Greenhouse Gas (GHG) concentrations, provides an important top‐down view of carbon emissions and sinks, but currently lacks global continuity at assessment and management scales (<100 km). Partial‐column data can help separate signals in the boundary layer from the overlying atmosphere, providing an opportunity to enhance surface sensitivity and bring flux resolution down from that of column‐integrated data (100–500 km). Based on a workshop held in September 2024, the carbon cycle community envisions...

ENVnet provides a global molecular resource of dissolved organic matter

Thu, 30 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Dissolved organic matter (DOM) is a central component of Earth’s carbon cycle and one of the planet’s most chemically diverse pools, yet the molecular structures of its constituents remain largely unresolved. This limitation has hindered our ability to link DOM composition to microbial processes and ecosystem function. Here we present ENVnet, a global molecular repository built from tandem mass spectrometry data collected across 13 terrestrial and aquatic environment types, including 419 newly generated samples that expand publicly available DOM metabolomics data and cover previously underrepresented environments. By computationally deconvolving chimeric mass spectra, a longstanding challenge in environmental metabolomics, we recover high-quality fragmentation data for >22,000 distinct molecular features (defined by a specific precursor mass and fragmentation pattern). Using ENVnet, we uncover conserved and environment-specific molecular patterns in DOM composition and underlying...

A U.S. scientific community review of carbon cycle science gaps and opportunities to better support earth system science and carbon management

Thu, 30 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions continue to grow, while natural carbon reservoirs are becoming increasingly vulnerable to anthropogenic pressures, climate extremes, and disturbance. These changes are impacting humans, ecosystems, and natural resources worldwide. Tracking and mitigating GHG emissions require a pivot to operational monitoring of regional carbon flux and stock changes. The current GHG observing system is addressing needs at two distinct scales: 1) Local scale (< 1 km), related to anthropogenic point source emissions, and 2) global scales (> 1000 km), related to land and ocean carbon sinks. More focus on intermediate (10–1000 km) scales is needed to more effectively monitor progress in reducing carbon emissions, enhancing removals, and maintaining sinks.Representatives from carbon cycle biomass and flux communities across United States government agencies and academic institutions met in September 2024 to discuss the rationale and scientific context...

Reference-Superimposed Reconstruction (RS-Recon) for Arterial Spin Labeling.

Thu, 30 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

PURPOSE: Conventional arterial spin labeling (ASL) reconstruction suffers from sign-flipping errors and/or noise bias under strong background suppression (BS), limiting SNR optimization. We propose reference-superimposed reconstruction (RS-recon) to enable ideal BS and robust signal recovery. METHODS: RS-recon superimposes high-SNR M0 k-space data onto ASL k-space before reconstruction, with subsequent reference subtraction. Four volunteers underwent 3T scanning with pulsed ASL, pseudo-continuous ASL, and dual-module velocity-selective ASL across varying BS levels. RS-recon integrated reconstruction pipelines were compared to standard magnitude (Mag), complex subtraction (ComplexSub), and complex (Complex) reconstruction pipelines. The performance was evaluated by metrics including ASL signal, temporal SNR (tSNR), artifacts, misalignment robustness, and generalized auto-calibrating partially parallel acquisitions (GRAPPA) compatibility. RESULTS: RS-recon eliminated subtraction...

Exposure to Cigarette Smoke Impedes Human Osteoblast Differentiation Independently of Nicotine

Wed, 29 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

INTRODUCTION: Tobacco smoking has been implicated in an array of adverse health outcomes, including those that affect adult bone. However, little is known about the impact of tobacco products on developing bone tissue as it develops in the embryo. AIMS AND METHODS: Here, human embryonic stem cells were differentiated into osteoblasts in vitro and concomitantly exposed to various concentrations of smoke solutions from two conventional, one additive-free and two harm-reduction brands of cigarettes. Differentiation inhibition was determined by calcium assays that quantified matrix mineralization and compared to the cytotoxicity of the tobacco product. RESULTS: Exposure to mainstream smoke from conventional and additive-free cigarettes caused no inhibition of cell viability or mineralization, while sidestream smoke (SS) concentration-dependently produced cell death. In contrast, mineralization was inhibited only by the highest mainstream concentration of harm-reduction smoke solution....

Tyrosine-sulfated peptide-induced flavonol biosynthesis controls elongation and differentiation in Arabidopsis primary root

Wed, 29 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

In Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) roots, growth initiation and cessation are organized into distinct zones. How regulatory mechanisms are integrated to coordinate these processes and maintain proper growth progression over time remains poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate that the peptide hormone PLANT PEPTIDE CONTAINING SULFATED TYROSINE 1 (PSY1) promotes root growth by controlling cell elongation. Higher levels of PSY1 lead to longer differentiated cells with a shootward displacement of characteristics common to mature cells. PSY1 activates genes involved in the biosynthesis of flavonols, a group of plant-specific specialized metabolites. Consistent with these transcriptional changes, metabolomic analysis reveals an enrichment of diverse flavonol glycosides upon PSY1 treatment. Using genetic and chemical approaches, we show that PSY1-mediated flavonol accumulation is localized to the differentiation zone and is required for PSY1 function. PSY1 signaling in this zone is...

MicroRNA network regulation of developmental bone toxicity in a human embryonic stem cell osteogenic model

Wed, 29 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Developmental exposure to environmental toxicants is a cause of skeletal abnormalities. Yet the molecular mechanisms linking early exposure to impaired bone formation remain undefined. Skeletal tissues arise from both neural crest- and mesoderm-derived lineages that rely on shared osteogenic differentiation programs, suggesting that disruption of common regulatory processes may contribute to diverse skeletal outcomes. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are key post-transcriptional regulators of gene networks and have appeared as indicators of toxicant-induced perturbation. In this study, we examined whether developmentally relevant toxicants are associated with miRNA regulatory networks during osteogenic differentiation. Using a human embryonic stem cell (hESC)-based osteogenic differentiation model, we assessed the effects of nine toxicants spanning distinct primary mechanisms. Toxicant exposure impaired osteogenic differentiation at their IC50, as reflected by altered expression of osteogenic...

Pluripotent Stem Cells as Tools to Assess Developmental Toxicity: Diversity Instead of Consolidation

Wed, 29 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

As pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries develop more potentially toxic compounds, traditional methods of toxicity screening cannot keep up. A conventional approach of screening compounds for their toxic and teratogenic potential heavily relies on multitudes of animal models, which have proven to be timely and expensive and bring forth ethical challenges. These limitations of animal testing have created an eagerness among researchers to develop more predictive in vitro alternative screening assays. The most promising in vitro approach at modernizing toxicity tests is the embryonic stem cell test (EST). The EST assesses toxicity on the naive embryonic cell and also the effect of the putative toxicant on the genesis of a specific tissue endpoint. Importantly, unlike other in vitro models, the EST obviates the need to sacrifice pregnant animals. Although determined suitable for regulatory standards, the classic EST, which is based on mouse cells, is limited in its endpoint...

MAGAZ3NE: Confirming Dust Deficiency and Quiescent Nature of Ultramassive Galaxies at 3 < z < 4 with ALMA Observations

Wed, 29 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

A major challenge in identifying massive quiescent galaxies at z > 3 is distinguishing truly passive systems from dust-obscured star-forming galaxies, as both populations exhibit similar red ultraviolet-to-near-infrared colors. In this work, we present Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) Band 7 continuum observations of five ultramassive galaxies (UMGs; log(M⋆/M⊙)>11 ) from the Massive Ancient Galaxies At z > 3 NEar-infrared survey, spectroscopically confirmed at zspec > 3. One UMG is weakly detected at 872 μm while the remaining four UMGs are undetected down to the 3σ depth. By incorporating ALMA constraints and far-infrared-to-radio photometry into the spectral energy distribution (SED) analysis, we demonstrate that all five UMGs are quiescent, lying significantly 1 dex below the star-forming main sequence. We estimate dust masses using both SED modeling and modified blackbody fitting, with consistent results between the two methods. Our results reveal...

Review of “Cultural Mavericks: The Business and Politics of Independent Bookselling in China”

Fri, 17 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Review of “Cultural Mavericks: The Business and Politics of Independent Bookselling in China”

Linking Interseismic Locking to Coseismic Rupture: The 2025 M _w 8.8 Kamchatka Earthquake

Thu, 16 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Abstract: We investigate interseismic locking on the Kamchatka megathrust, source of the 2025 M w 8.8 earthquake, using a data‐driven probabilistic framework. Horizontal GNSS velocities constrain a boundary element model on a triangulated megathrust geometry, while an algorithmic sampling strategy estimates the locking probability for fault elements without prescribing asperity locations a priori. The resulting probability distribution reveals a locked region whose cumulative slip deficit since the previous megathrust earthquake (M w 9.0, 1952) yields a moment deficit comparable to the 2025 release. Hierarchical clustering of the locking models identifies smaller asperities that coincide with the 2025 rupture initiation zone. Slip in the 1952 and 2025 events shows strong spatial correspondence with high locking probabilities, indicating that persistent asperities...

Expanding Heliophysics to Engage in Interdisciplinary Star-Planet Interactions Studies

Thu, 16 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Expanding Heliophysics to Engage in Interdisciplinary Star-Planet Interactions Studies

X-Ray Emission and Stellar Ages of Sun-like Stars

Thu, 16 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Abstract: We present an analysis of XMM-Newton and Chandra observations of 85 nearby main-sequence FGK stars with age estimates ranging from 0.2 to 12 Gyr. We measure quiescent 0.3–10 keV luminosities, variability metrics, and multitemperature thermal plasma spectral parameters. Quiescent spectra are typically described by three characteristic plasma components ( kT ≈ 0.1, 0.4, 0.8 keV); the fraction of flux from T ≥ 7 MK rises with X-ray surface flux, reaching ∼50% for F X ≳ 10 6 erg cm −2 s −1 . We derive relations between emission measure-weighted coronal temperature and both L X and ...

The "Kantian roots" of the original position

Tue, 7 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The "Kantian roots" of the original position

What Emerged Autonomy and Heteronomy in the Groundwork and Second Critique

Tue, 7 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

What Emerged Autonomy and Heteronomy in the Groundwork and Second Critique

SARS-CoV-2 pseudoparticles preferentially infect ectoderm in human embryonic tissues

Fri, 3 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Introduction: The early stages of human embryonic development are challenging to study in pregnant women. Methods: A "disease-in-a-dish" model was utilized to investigate SARS-CoV-2 infection of human embryonic stem cells and the three germ layers (ectoderm, endoderm, and mesoderm). Results: Ectodermal cells showed significantly higher infection rates compared to the other cell types. This increased susceptibility was attributed to three key factors characteristic of the ectoderm: dual viral entry pathways (membrane fusion and endocytosis), elevated TMPRSS2 activity, and a markedly reduced glycocalyx, which facilitated viral access to host cell receptors. Discussion: Our findings provide strong evidence that cells in early post-implantation human embryos are susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection. The high level of infection in the ectodermal cells raises concern for potential teratogenic effects, particularly involving the nervous system. Future clinical studies should investigate...

Synergistic Effects of Ocean Salinity and Planetary Obliquity Enhance Habitability of Cold Exo-Earths

Thu, 18 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Past work has shown that ocean salinity and planetary obliquity both influence the climates of Earth-like exoplanets throughout the habitable zone of Sun-like stars. The effects of salinity and obliquity can be profound, with low versus high salinity or obliquity resulting in distinct climate states in some scenarios. However, past work has considered salinity or obliquity in isolation and has not explored how each may modulate the effects of the other. We investigate how ocean salinity and planetary obliquity jointly impact climate and habitability using the ROCKE-3D coupled ocean–atmosphere general circulation model. We find that salinity and obliquity have a greater combined impact on planetary climate than the sum of their effects in isolation. This synergy between salinity and obliquity arises due to the ice-albedo feedback, producing distinct climate states that range from ice-free to globally glaciated while having the same initial atmospheric conditions and receiving the...

How Research–Practice Partnerships Can Strengthen Experiments Designed to Build Trust in American Elections

Thu, 18 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

To address the challenge of declining trust in American democracy in the wake of the 2020 presidential contest, election officials across the nation have undertaken innovative public information campaigns. Academic studies demonstrate that exposure to these messages can increase public confidence but do not show which types of messages are most effective. We report a set of three experimental studies that harness research–practice partnerships with these officials to vary one key aspect of an informational message while holding other features constant. The pre-registered experiments (accessible at: https://osf.io/y38sp; https://osf.io/fya69): (a) compare the impact of messages conveyed through earned versus paid media; (b) ask whether Americans are more responsive to messages from federal or from state election officials; (c) explore the impact of videos and static visuals. Taken together, this set of collaborative experiments demonstrates the unique opportunity that research–practice...

EFFECTS OF A LARGE M DWARF FLARE IN THE ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY OF A POTENTIALLY HABITABLE PLANET

Thu, 18 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

We investigated the potential for a single large (≈10³⁴ erg) stellar flare to generate a detectable O2 or O3 signature via UV-mediated photolysis of CO2 in the atmosphere of an otherwise anoxic terrestrial exoplanet orbiting a main-sequence M star (M dwarf). A detectable quantity of O2 or O3 would constitute a false positive biosignature and potentially challenge the interpretation of future exoplanetary spectral observations.

Toward Inferring the Surface Fluxes of Biosignature Gases on Rocky Exoplanets from Telescope Spectra

Thu, 18 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Abstract: The James Webb Space Telescope and the future Habitable Worlds Observatory aim to discover exoplanet atmospheric spectra that detect life. Currently, most existing spectral “retrieval” algorithms focus on inferring the abundances of biogenic gases from these spectra. However, abundances are hard to interpret as signatures of life because they are modified by photochemistry, climate, and atmospheric escape. To address this problem, we develop a method for inferring the fluxes of gases at a planetary surface by inverting a coupled photochemical-climate model. As a proof of concept, we apply the approach to a synthetic 10-transit JWST NIRSpec Prism spectrum of TRAPPIST-1 e, assuming it hosts a biosphere similar to that of the Archean Earth. The retrieval confidently detects CO 2 and CH 4 and can constrain the flux of CH 4 ...

The Large Interferometer For Exoplanets (LIFE): a space mission for mid-infrared nulling interferometry

Thu, 18 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The Large Interferometer For Exoplanets (LIFE) is a proposed space mission that enables the spectral characterization of the thermal emission of exoplanets in the solar neighborhood. The mission is designed to search for global atmospheric biosignatures on dozens of temperate terrestrial exoplanets and it will naturally investigate the diversity of other worlds. Here, we review the status of the mission concept, discuss the key mission parameters, and outline the trade-offs related to the mission’s architecture. In preparation for an upcoming concept study, we define a mission baseline based on a free-formation flying constellation of a double Bracewell nulling interferometer that consists of 4 collectors and a central beam-combiner spacecraft. The interferometric baselines are between 10–600m, and the estimated diameters of the collectors are at least 2m (but will depend on the total achievable instrument throughput). The spectral required wavelength range is 6–16m (with a goal...

The long reach of childhood income inequality: a multinational twin study of gene–environment interplay on adult depressive symptoms

Wed, 17 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

BACKGROUND: Living in a country with a large gap between high and low earners has been linked to poor health, including depression. Less studied is gene-by-environment interplay with income inequality as the environmental exposure. Here, we examine the association between childhood exposure to inequality and individual differences in adult depressive symptoms, testing for moderation of genetic influences by inequality using polygenic indices for major depressive disorder, as well as twin models. METHODS: The research participants were 69,924 members of twin studies from four developed countries, born between 1893 and 1979, aged 22-103 years at depressive symptom assessment. Genotyping was available for 6,256 participants. Income inequality was operationalized as share of income accruing to the top 1% for each country when the participants were between age 5 and 15 years. RESULTS: Childhood income inequality was associated with depressive symptom scores in adulthood, adjusting...

KitBase Expanded: An Integrated Genomic and Phenotypic Resource for 3,268 Fast-Neutron-Irradiated Rice Mutants

Wed, 17 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Fast-neutron mutagenesis creates diverse genome-wide mutations, providing a powerful tool for crop functional genomics. Here, we present an expanded genomic and phenotypic analysis of 3268 fast-neutron (FN)-induced mutant rice lines (Oryza sativa L. cv. Kitaake). All FN lines were whole-genome sequenced, and mutations were identified by alignment in the Nipponbare and KitaakeX reference genomes. We cataloged over 428,000 mutations affecting 78.49% of Nipponbare genes and 70.38% of KitaakeX genes. In silico expression analysis indicates that 575 non-mutated Nipponbare genes are highly expressed and likely essential for viability. Each mutant carries, on average, 68.5 mutations in the Nipponbare alignments or 63.2 mutations for KitaakeX alignments, distributed randomly across all 12 chromosomes with no evident hotspots. FN lines have approximately 8.5% fewer mutations when using the KitaakeX alignment, underscoring the unique contributions of each reference genome and the importance...

Contributions of Gray Matter Microstructure to Differences in Fluid Cognition and Episodic Memory Across the Healthy Adult Lifespan