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Labor pain is a multidimensional experience associated with physiological, cultural, psychological, and contextual factors. This study aimed to examine the association of personality-related characteristics, cultural beliefs, obstetric characteristics, and proxy indicators of post-disaster context with labor pain perception among women giving birth in Hatay after the 2023 T&#xfc;rkiye earthquakes. This prospective observational study was conducted with 314 women admitted to Hatay Training and Research Hospital between February and June 2025. Participants were between 38 and 42 gestational weeks, had a singleton healthy fetus, were admitted in active labor, and were expected to give birth vaginally. Data were collected using a researcher-developed questionnaire, the Ten-Item Personality Inventory, and the Visual Analog Scale. Labor pain was assessed at 6 cm, 8 cm, and full cervical dilatation (10 cm). VAS scores increased significantly across cervical dilatation points, from 5.04 &#xb1; 0.81 at 6 cm to 7.01 &#xb1; 0.82 at 8 cm and 8.06 &#xb1; 0.93 at full cervical dilatation (10 cm). Repeated-measures ANOVA showed a significant within-person increase in pain intensity across the three assessment points, F(2, 626) = 996.444, p < 0.001, partial &#x3b7;2 = 0.761. Age was not significantly correlated with VAS pain score at full cervical dilatation. In exploratory unadjusted comparisons, VAS scores at full cervical dilatation differed according to education level, official marriage status, previous birth history and mode, attendance at antenatal education, and praying to relieve labor pain. In the multivariable regression model, higher Extraversion and higher education level were associated with lower VAS scores, whereas attendance at antenatal education, greater importance given to traditional rules, previous assisted vaginal/cesarean birth, and current place of residence were independently associated with VAS scores. Conscientiousness was not significantly associated with VAS scores in the adjusted model. Earthquake experience was not significantly associated with VAS scores. Labor pain perception was associated with selected sociodemographic, obstetric, and cultural characteristics. The findings support the importance of individualized, culturally sensitive, and trauma-informed midwifery care in disaster-affected regions. Personality-related findings should be interpreted cautiously because the corrected reliability analysis showed low internal consistency for Agreeableness, Emotional Stability, and Openness to Experience, although Extraversion showed high internal consistency and Conscientiousness showed relatively better but still limited internal consistency. Disaster-related findings should also be interpreted cautiously because post-disaster context was assessed using only limited proxy indicators; current place of residence was independently associated with VAS scores in the adjusted model, whereas earthquake experience was not. Because of the observational design, causal interpretations cannot be made.

Most insect pollinator species use floral resources exploited by many conspecifics and heterospecifics. In systems where floral resources limit pollinator populations and give rise to competition, understanding whether competition varies across the growing season is a fundamental question in explaining how species co-exist and how communities are structured. Recent work on nectar depletion rates in plant-pollinator communities has demonstrated the value of measuring nectar depletion rates as a proxy for competition among pollinators. One hypothesis on pollinator competition, hereafter, "equilibrium hypothesis," predicts that nectar depletion rates should be constant across the growing season within a given community. In contrast, an alternative hypothesis, hereafter, "dynamic hypothesis" suggests the opposite. To test these hypotheses, we sampled nectar depletion and floral abundance across an early successional plant community over the bulk of a growing season in central Kentucky, USA in spring/summer, 2023. We predicted that a dynamic ecosystem such as that studied here would most likely be characterized by dynamic depletion rates. Initially in the growing season, nectar depletion rates within this early successional vegetation community were moderate (e.g., 50%-70%) but steadily climbed to 85% as the growing season advanced. Plant species varied widely in depletion rate: invasive Lamium purpureum being the least depleted (48% depleted) and native Asclepias syriaca the most (95% depleted). After correcting for species-specific abundance, Vicia sativa and Lonicera japonica produced the greatest volume of nectar over the first 7&#x2009;weeks, after which time Asclepias syriaca and Monarda fistulosa yielded a 2-3&#xd7; increase in available nectar for pollinators. These data add to a growing body of literature suggesting that the dynamic hypothesis explains patterns of competition in early successional plant-pollinator communities. Importantly, future work should aim to examine nectar depletion dynamics within more stable ecological communities and those with few exotic species.

This article contributes to the growing debate on algorithms in digital health, which has expanded alongside the integration of algorithmic technologies into diverse healthcare practices and contexts. Although much of the existing literature adopts a deterministic perspective, focusing on the impact of algorithms on society, we propose a different approach. Drawing on the concept of algorithmic choreography, we show how humans and algorithmic technologies "gear together" in shared performances. Based on an ethnographic study in a nursing home for people with dementia, we examine a telemonitoring algorithmic system designed to prevent adverse events and how it enters into relations with the humans inhabiting this healthcare organization. The system gives rise to two distinct choreographies: night monitoring, in which staff use it for real-time observation of residents' movements and quantified decision-making, where algorithmically generated indexes support longitudinal assessments of residents' health status. We argue that in both choreographies, humans remain central rather than passive recipients of innovation. Care professionals give or withhold agency from algorithms, sustain their functioning and engage in collective improvisations through which human-nonhuman interactions are continually reshaped.

Isonicotinic acid (Py-4-COOH) acts as a bifunctional ligand, which was previously used to react with the precursor complex (Re(CO)4)3(C3N3S3) (C3N3S3 = trithiocyanurate trianion), leading to a versatile building block of trinuclear [(Re(CO)3)3(C3N3S3)(Py-4-COOH)3] (1). Indeed, complex 1 was capable of further reacting with Cu(II) ions upon deprotonation to give nonanuclear [(Re(CO)3)3(C3N3S3)(Py-4-COO)3]2Cu3(H2O)9 (1-Cu), composed of two trinuclear [(Re(CO)3)3(C3N3S3)(Py-4-COO)3] units connected by three Cu(II) ions through carboxylate coordination, resulting in a trigonal-prismatic cage. In continuation of our previous work, we used other first- and second-row transition metal ions, i.e., Fe(II), Co(II), Ni(II), Cd(II), and Zn(II), instead of the Cu(II) ion to react with deprotonated complex 1 to give a series of various structural architectures. To this end, nonanuclear 1-Fe, 1-Co, and 1-Ni, octadecanuclear 1-Cd, and icosanuclear 1-Zn cages have been isolated and structurally characterized by X-ray diffraction studies. In fact, complexes 1-Fe, 1-Co, and 1-Ni all show a similar trigonal-prismatic structure. However, complex 1-Fe is composed of a non-equilateral triangle with Fe&#x22ef;Fe distances of 3.284(2)-3.376(2) &#xc5; as well as a &#x3bc;3-O atom inside the Fe3 triangle with mixed valences of +2 and +3, whereas complexes 1-Co and 1-Ni involve symmetrical and unsymmetrical linear M(II)&#x22ef;M(II)&#x22ef;M(II) arrangements with angles of 180.0 and 172.7&#xb0; as well as M(II)&#x22ef;M(II) distances of 3.089(2) and 3.026(3)/3.035(3) &#xc5;, respectively. Consequently, octadecanuclear 1-Cd and icosanuclear 1-Zn cages were constructed using Cd(II) or Zn(II) ions in a similar reaction process. Actually, complex 1-Cd contains two slightly distorted trigonal-prismatic units connected by Cd(II)&#x22ef;O bonds (carboxylate units) with bond distances of 2.336(6) and 2.471(6) &#xc5;. Surprisingly, complex 1-Zn exhibits a complicated and rare icosanuclear structural architecture. It is noted that various structural architectures can be built up through a complex-as-a-ligand strategy depending on different metal ions used in this study. Moreover, complexes 1-Cd and 1-Zn exhibit room-temperature luminescence at 541 and 535 nm, respectively. Finally, magnetic studies of complexes 1-Fe and 1-Ni reveal distinct exchange behaviors. In addition, complex 1-Fe exhibits strong antiferromagnetic coupling with exchange constants of -110.8 and -109.6 cm-1 for the Fe(II)&#x22ef;Fe(III) interactions and -44.7 cm-1 for the Fe(III)&#x22ef;Fe(III) interaction, whereas in contrast, complex 1-Ni shows ferromagnetic coupling with exchange constants of 3.33 and 0.14 cm-1 for the Ni(II)&#x22ef;Ni(II) interaction.

The food enzyme &#x3b1;-amylase (4-&#x3b1;-d-glucan glucanohydrolase; EC 3.2.1.1.) is produced with the non-genetically modified Bacillus amyloliquefaciens strain LMG-S 32676 by Kerry Ingredients & Flavours Ltd. The safety of this food enzyme was evaluated previously, and it did not give rise to safety concerns when used in six food manufacturing processes. Subsequently, the applicant has requested to extend its use to include three additional processes. In this assessment, EFSA updated the safety evaluation of this food enzyme when used in a total of nine food manufacturing processes. As the food enzyme-Total Organic Solids (TOS) are removed in two processes, the dietary exposure to the food enzyme-TOS was estimated for the remaining seven food manufacturing processes. It was calculated to be up to 2.566 mg TOS/kg body weight per day in European populations. Based on the revised dietary exposure and the previous evaluation, the Panel concluded that this food enzyme does not give rise to safety concerns under the revised intended conditions of use.

Wild primates spend a significant portion of their lives in resting sites that are critical for survival, providing protection from predators and against weather extremes. The small-bodied and heterothermic dwarf lemurs (Cheirogaleus spp.) inhabit diverse environments in Madagascar, where they face high predation risk and thermoregulatory constraints. These lemurs variably use nests and tree holes as resting sites, and tree holes and underground locations as hibernacula, depending on the species and habitat. Here, we compare resting-site ecology in the sympatric Sibree's (C. sibreei) and furry-eared (C. crossleyi) dwarf lemurs at Tsinjoarivo forest. Whereas C. sibreei is an ecological specialist restricted to the cold rainforests of eastern Madagascar above 1500&#xa0;m, C. crossleyi is an ecological generalist widely distributed across the eastern rainforests and forest fragments of the central highlands. We collate data collected between 2007 and 2019 on a total of 62 radio-collared dwarf lemurs tracked at different times of the year. We demonstrate that C. sibreei exclusively used tree holes as resting sites, showed greater resting-site fidelity, began hibernating earlier in the season, and only showed evidence of torpor once underground. In contrast, C. crossleyi occupied more and diverse resting sites in the active season, including tree holes, nests, and even exposed branches, and entered hibernation later, with many individuals expressing torpor while in nests, i.e., before switching to underground hibernacula. Adapted to cold rainforests, C. sibreei prioritizes resting sites with greater thermal insulation and a long, stable hibernation season of up to seven months. C. crossleyi opts for greater flexibility in both resting-site ecology and torpor expression. Although Tsinjoarivo is likely the coldest habitat occupied by C. crossleyi, perhaps pushing this species to the limits of their thermal tolerance, their ecological flexibility may give them a competitive edge over C. sibreei given ongoing habitat degradation at this site.

The food enzyme pectin lyase (1,4-6-O-methyl-&#x3b1;-d-galacturonan lyase, EC 4.2.2.10) is produced with the genetically modified Aspergillus niger strain CCTCC M 2023341 by Suntaq International Limited. The genetic modifications do not give rise to safety concerns. The food enzyme was considered free from viable cells of the production organism and its DNA. It is intended to be used in two food manufacturing processes. The dietary exposure was estimated to be up to 1.926&#x2009;mg Total Organic Solids (TOS)/kg body weight (bw) per day in European populations. Genotoxicity tests did not indicate a safety concern. The systemic toxicity was assessed by means of a repeated dose 90-day oral toxicity study in rats. The Panel identified a no observed adverse effect level of 2000&#x2009;mg TOS/kg bw per day, the highest dose tested, which when compared with the estimated dietary exposure, resulted in a margin of exposure of at least 1038. A search for the homology of the amino acid sequence of the pectin lyase to known allergens was made and no match was found. The Panel considered that a risk of allergic reactions upon dietary exposure cannot be excluded, but that the likelihood is low. Based on the data provided, the Panel concluded that this food enzyme does not give rise to safety concerns, under the intended conditions of use.

The results from qualitative studies have revealed that some African migrants subject their young girls to female genital cutting (FGC) before or after migrating to high-income countries, such as the USA and the UK. This raises important questions as to why some African migrants continue to adhere to FGC after migration, given that the practice is socially rejected in destination countries and, in some cases, already criminalised in countries of origin. Little has been documented on the motivational factors for African migrants to continue promoting the practices even after migrating to Europe and North America. Consequently, we investigated the strategies used by Ghanaian families in motivating commitment to FGC norms and practices among their relatives in Europe and North America. Using a narrative qualitative research approach, we interviewed 13 family members in rural Ghana who strongly supported FGC and have family members who have migrated to Europe and North America. The interviews were analysed in NVivo using the narrative thematic analysis strategy. The interviews revealed both targeted and non-deliberate strategies, such as pressure from family members, building confidant relationships, and encouraging participation in African community associations. Family members became confidants and a source of connection for their relatives who felt isolated or experienced racism. However, they capitalised on the bonds and trusting relationships to influence their relatives to support FGC through daily conversations. The findings give important insights into how norms are promoted across borders, highlighting the need to strengthen existing transnational collaborative efforts to address FGC, including cross-border legislation.

We propose that anti-migrant sentiments (AMS) are a stressor to which psychiatrists and psychiatric trainees in Australia are particularly susceptible, given the significant proportion of specialist international medical graduates that comprises the Australian psychiatric workforce. We conceptualise this stressor as a potential contributor to allostatic load (AL) - a term used to describe multi-system physiological dysregulation in individuals exposed to chronic stress. We illustrate how the AL concept can be utilised to understand and address how AMS can have tangible biological impacts on psychiatric doctors in Australia and also give rise to broader workforce implications.

Metacognition, the capacity to monitor and evaluate one's own decisions, has become a central topic in psychological and neuroscientific research. While research has largely focused on metacognitive sensitivity, defined as the ability to discriminate between correct and incorrect decisions, considerably less attention has been devoted to metacognitive bias, defined as the systematic tendency to report higher or lower confidence irrespective of objective accuracy. Here, we argue that this imbalance has limited current theories of metacognition. Instead, greater focus on metacognitive bias can deepen our understanding of internal models of confidence, revealing how inter-individual differences give rise to distinct internal representations of the world, even when external information is processed in comparable ways. This perspective reframes metacognitive bias as a regulatory mechanism that balances flexibility and stability in self-evaluation, rather than a failure of calibration. Given its theoretical and empirical relevance, we emphasize the importance of estimating this construct within a Signal Detection Theory (SDT) framework. We propose the meta-criterion (meta-c), derived from the model introduced by Maniscalco and Lau, as a principled and quantitative index of metacognitive bias. Unlike purely descriptive measures, meta-c captures fine-grained individual differences along a continuous scale, opening to the possibility of defining more conservative versus more liberal confidence policies. We foresee metacognitive bias as one of the central axes along which the next generation of metacognitive research will develop.

The clustering ensemble technique that combines multiple clustering results is an effective strategy to improve the accuracy and robustness of the final clustering. Most of the clustering ensemble methods are developed based on the co-association matrix (CA) that is formed by the frequency that two samples belonging to the same cluster. The CA is directly constructed based on the observed cluster set and is unable to reveal hidden relationships. Then, many methods have been proposed to enrich the CA matrix. Although the improvement of the enrichment methods on the ensemble performance has been witnessed, the mechanism of the improvement is not well studied. In this paper, we explore how relation enrichment strategy improves clustering ensemble performance from the view of a second order induced relation. Firstly, we design a second order induced co-association relation (SoCo), which realizes the idea that two samples may be in the same potential unobserved cluster if they have common neighbors that simultaneously belong to multiple clusters. We then analyze SoCo from three aspects. We study the computational equations of SoCo and CA to reveal the relations they respectively consider to answer what are their differences. We define cluster &#x3b5;-Conflict and cluster &#x3b5;-Harmony to answer whether SoCo is more beneficial for clustering than CA. We give the expectation and variance of SoCo and CA to answer how SoCo improves CA. Finally, based on SoCo, a clustering ensemble method (CE-SoCo) is developed. Experimental analyses on sixteen data sets including five types of data show that the CE-SoCo obtains excellent clustering ensemble performance compared with the other seventeen representative clustering ensemble methods.

This article is about how melioidosis, a historically little-known infectious disease, came to be constructed as an object of evidence and rendered visible within global health. I consider the production of knowledge on melioidosis in Thailand, focusing particularly on spaces of scientific research and policy, and examining the social relations required to make the disease visible at both a national and international scale. My research demonstrates how barami, a social capital distinct to Thai culture, is cultivated alongside scientific knowledge in ways that give prominence to the researchers involved while magnifying the disease and its research sites.

Glioblastoma (GBM) is a highly heterogeneous tumor, with some cell populations overexpressing genes that give them a survival advantage. One such gene is NAD(P)H quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1), which protects cells from oxidative stress. Although NQO1 overexpression shields cells from endogenous oxidants, the enzyme can also bioactivate certain compounds, including the naphthoquinone &#x3b2; lapachone (&#x3b2; lap). This activation triggers repeated cycles of oxidative stress that ultimately drive cell death. Here, we investigated whether NQO1 overexpression could be exploited as a selective vulnerability to induce toxicity in GBM cells. NQO1-expression status in the U87 GBM cell line, multiple patient-derived GBM cell lines, and normal human astrocytes (NHA) were evaluated. Dose-response studies, NAD+ quantification, and immunoblot were utilized to evaluate the link between NAD+ synthesis and &#x3b2;-lap toxicity. We demonstrate NQO1 is highly expressed in multiple GBM cell lines, and &#x3b2;-lap induces selective cytotoxicity in these cells while sparing low NQO1-expressing cells including NHA. &#x3b2;-lap induces acute NAD+ depletion and DNA damage. However high NQO1-expressing GBM cells may regenerate NAD+ and evade &#x3b2;-lap toxicity. We identified the NAD+ salvage pathway to be the primary pathway responsible for maintaining NAD+ levels in GBM. We demonstrate that targeting this pathway with the nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (NAMPT) inhibitor FK866 prevents NAD+ regeneration after &#x3b2;-lap exposure and enhances &#x3b2;-lap cytotoxicity in NQO1-expressing GBM. Altered NAD+ metabolism in GBM represents a potential metabolic vulnerability. Our results suggest targeting NQO1-expressing GBM with NQO1 bioactivatable compounds in combination with NAMPT-inhibitors, is a promising therapeutic strategy for the treatment of GBM.

Music plays a central role in identity, emotion regulation, and everyday functioning, yet in the context of substance use disorders, it may also become conditioned through repeated pairing with intoxication and later function as a cue for craving, urges to use, or emotional destabilization. Existing literature has recognized both the risks and therapeutic potential of music in recovery but has offered limited stage-sensitive guidance for clinical decision-making. This article introduces the Musical Reassociation Model (MRM), a stage-based conceptual framework that maps how the relationship between music and substance use evolves across addiction and recovery. The model describes five distinct phases: (1) the synergy phase, characterized by mutual enhancement between music and substance use; (2) acoustic erasure, marking the collapse or distortion of music's aesthetic and self-regulatory function; (3) stabilization through avoidance or substitution; (4) active tolerance through graded exposure, musical agency, and reassociation; and finally (5) integration, in which music is reclaimed as a recovery resource. Across these stages, the MRM reframes music not only as a trigger to be managed but as a dynamic domain of identity, self-regulation, and agency. The model highlights a key clinical distinction between short-term stabilization strategies based on environmental control and later-stage interventions aimed at building durable agency in the presence of problematic music cues. It also introduces the construct of Aesthetic Recovery Capital to describe the musical, social, and interpretive resources that support reintegration in the aesthetic domain. By integrating cue reactivity, identity reconstruction, recovery-oriented theory, and recovery capital, the MRM provides a theoretically grounded account of how music shifts from a substance-linked vulnerability to an integrated recovery resource. The article concludes by discussing clinical implications and illustrative vignettes, while outlining directions for future research, such as validating stage boundaries, examining digital listening environments, and developing stage-matched therapeutic interventions. Music is a powerful part of our daily lives, often helping us manage our emotions and connect with our identity. However, for people struggling with substance use disorders, music can sometimes become a &#x201c;trigger&#x201d;. Because certain songs or styles of music were often present during periods of substance use, hearing them later can cause intense cravings or emotional distress. We developed the Musical Reassociation Model (MRM) to help clinicians navigate this challenge. Currently, many people in recovery avoid music that reminds them of their past use, or they switch to a different style of music. While this helps in the short term, it can also lead to a sense of loss, disconnection, or difficulty using music as a positive resource in recovery. Our model provides a five-stage roadmap to move beyond mere avoidance. The process begins by stabilizing the individual&#x2019;s environment and then gradually helping them rebuild their relationship with music. We describe how a person can move from feeling overwhelmed by musical triggers to regaining &#x201c;musical agency&#x201d;, which is the ability to choose, regulate, and reinterpret musical experiences, whether through listening, music-making, or other forms of musical participation. By using this model, therapists can help people in recovery transform music from a source of risk into a lasting tool for resilience and self-expression, identity, and social connection. This approach ensures that individuals do not have to give up the art form they love, but can instead learn to use it safely to support their long-term recovery and personal growth.

Male germline development is characterized by a unique perinatal phase in which primordial germ cells (PGCs) differentiate into gonocytes (prospermatogonia) and subsequently give rise to spermatogonia. This chapter outlines the cellular, molecular, and epigenetic programs that orchestrate this transition, establishing the foundation of the lifelong spermatogenic lineage. Gonocytes undergo a transient G0/G1 arrest tightly regulated by retinoic acid (RA) metabolism, CDK inhibition, TGF family signaling, and the RNA-binding protein NANOS2, which integrates somatic cues to suppress meiosis and enforce male fate. Concurrently, gonocytes experience genome-wide de novo DNA methylation driven by NSD1-mediated H3K36me2 deposition and the DNMT3A/DNMT3L/DNMT3C machinery, accompanied by piRNA-directed transposon silencing and paternal imprint establishment. These processes collectively reshape the chromatin landscape and stabilize the male germline epigenome. The subsequent gonocyte-to-spermatogonia transition (GST) involves FGF, GDNF, and RA signaling, as well as dynamic histone demethylation, to generate spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs). Aberrant regulation of these pathways can arrest differentiation and predispose germ cells to transformation, as seen in testicular germ cell tumors (TGCTs), whose precursor cells retain gonocyte-like features. We further discuss the interplay between transposon control, imprinting, and chromatin architecture that underpins gonocyte identity. Emerging single-cell and small-input omics approaches are now redefining this transient developmental state, providing new insight into how epigenetic reprogramming and signaling convergence establish the male germline.

The Zona Pellucida (ZP) and its structural analogs are evolutionarily ancient extracellular matrix components. These are essential for oocyte protection, species-specific gamete recognition, and prevention of polyspermy across Metazoa. Defined by the conserved ZP-domain-comprising ZP-N and ZP-C subdomains-these glycoproteins self-assemble into fibrillar matrices through tightly regulated polymerization. Mechanisms of the regulated polymerization involve furin cleavage, disulfide bonding, and hydrophobic interactions. Once considered a vertebrate innovation, the canonical ZP-domain-defined by its bipartite ZP-N/ZP-C architecture, eight conserved cysteine residues, and capacity for matrix polymerization-is now recognized as an ancient metazoan extracellular module, with homologs identified in basal lineages including Porifera, Cnidaria, and Placozoa. While ZP-like sequences have been reported in choanoflagellates such as Salpingoeca rosetta, these lack the complete canonical features and are considered distant structural relatives rather than true ZP-modules. There they function in cell adhesion and tissue integrity, suggesting an origin predating the evolution of specialized reproductive coats. Previous phylogenetic analyses across 97 metazoan species have revealed that vertebrate ZP genes arose from ancestral duplications of the canonical ZP-module. Accordingly, they give rise to eight subfamilies (ZP1-ZP4, ZPD, ZPAX, ZPX, ZPY), with lineage-specific expansions, losses, and pseudogenization reflecting adaptations to diverse reproductive strategies. Positive selection in sperm-binding regions of ZP2 and ZP3 drives a rapid adaptive evolution. It underscores coevolutionary arms races with sperm ligands, contributing to reproductive isolation and speciation. In invertebrates such as abalone and insects, ZP-domain proteins mediate analogous functions through lineage-specific elaborations, including tandem repeats and domain shuffling. Post-translational modifications, particularly glycosylation, fine-tune sperm receptor specificity and matrix stability. The functional transition from a general protective barrier in early metazoans to a sophisticated gamete recognition interface in vertebrates exemplifies modular evolution. This synthesis highlights the domain-level deep homology of ZP-domain proteins as a foundational element of metazoan extracellular matrices, repurposed through gene duplication, neofunctionalization, and selection to meet the demands of evolving reproductive modes. These insights bridge evolutionary biology, reproductive medicine, and developmental genetics. However, major gaps remain, including unresolved orthology between vertebrate and invertebrate ZP genes, the relative contribution of glycans versus protein backbone in sperm recognition, and the lack of functional evidence for canonical ZP-domain proteins in insects. Future studies integrating glycoproteomics, single-cell transcriptomics, and CRISPR-based models are needed to resolve these questions.

Chirality-induced spin selectivity (CISS) was recently observed in photoexcited donor-chiral bridge-acceptor molecules, but a predictive theory able to explain available experiments is still lacking. Here, we show that torsional modes modulating hopping and spin-orbit coupling give rise to a Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction between the transferred electron and the one sitting on the donor, producing high spin polarization for realistic parameters. Our model introduces a low-energy scale in the spin dynamics that explains the magnetic field dependence observed in EPR measurements and predicts a nontrivial temperature dependence, as demonstrated by numerical simulations. The present theory lays the foundations for future test bed experiments and for the design of applications in spintronics and quantum technologies.

The bulky xanthene-bridged diamido-barium complex, [(EtNONTCHP)Ba(&#x3b7;6-toluene)] 1-Ba (EtNONTCHP = 4,5-bis{(TCHP)N}-2,7-diethyl-9,9-dimethyl-xanthene, TCHP = 2,4,6-tricyclohexylphenyl), has been prepared and exists as a weakly associated polymer in the solid-state. While this is unreactive toward tetramethylsilane (TMS), its lighter analogues [(EtNONTCHP)M(&#x3b7;6-toluene)] 1-M (M = Ca and Sr) coordinate to TMS giving the 1:1 complexes [(EtNONTCHP)M(&#x3b7;6-toluene)(&#x3ba;2-H,H-TMS)] 2-M (M = Ca or Sr). In the solid-state, the TMS ligands in these species appear to ligate the metal centers in a &#x3ba;2-H,H-mode. NMR spectroscopic studies imply that the TMS ligands of 2-M dissociate from the metal center, even in noncoordinating solvents. A theoretical analysis of the strength and nature of the metal-TMS bonding in 2-M has been carried out. First, precursor complexes 1-M were computed to be strong Lewis acids, which coordinate the poorly nucleophilic TMS ligand, to give 2-M. DFT analyses revealed the strength of bonding between TMS and the 1-M fragments to be weak (&#x394;G298&#xa0;K&#xb0; = -6.6 and -6.9 kcal mol-1 for 2-Ca and 2-Sr, respectively). ETS-NOCV and NBO analyses of the bonding in 2-Ca indicated that, while electrostatic interactions between the TMS and 1-Ca units dominate (ca. 68%), both dispersion (ca. 20%) and orbital (ca. 12%) interactions make significant contributions to the total attractive energy.

Antibiotics are among pollutants detected in aquatic environments including effluents of wastewater treatment plants, surface and groundwater and also drinking water. Long term exposure to these compounds pose a threat not only to the health of human but also for aquatic organisms. In this work the removal of amoxicillin from aqueous environments using O3 and O3/H2O2 was investigated on lab scale and kinetic studies along with cost analysis was conducted. Operational parameters including pH, amoxicillin concentration, reaction time and applied O3 concentration in gas phase were systematically varied to determine optimal conditions. Results indicate favorable amoxicillin apparent removal efficacy under optimal conditions: a reaction time of 30 minutes, pH of 10, amoxicillin concentration of 50 ppm, and gas phase O3 concentration of 833.3 mg/L, yielding an 89% apparent removal efficiency alongside reductions of 21.93% in COD and 43.03% in TOC during ozonation. Additionally, the O3/H2O2 process was explored to enhance antibiotic removal efficiency. The H2O2 dose used was 0-0.3 g/L and maximum apparent removal efficiency of approximately 97% for amoxicillin with H2O2 volume of 4 mL (0.2 g/L) was achieved under optimal conditions of ozonation. Application of tert-butanol as radical scavenger confirmed the vital role of hydroxyl radicals in amoxicillin decomposition. Kinetic analysis revealed that both processes adhere to first-order kinetics. A cost analysis for these processes was performed to give an insight into the costs associated with these processes in large scale.