The generation of RNA-DNA hybrid G-quadruplexes (RDQs) through heteromeric association between individual DNA and RNA G-rich strands has been proposed as an important mechanism in the regulation of genome transcription, replication, and telomere capping. Based on low-global-structure-resolution circular dichroism spectra, numerous RDQs have been routinely detected almost exclusively in a parallel topology because of the inherent preference of riboguanosine (rG) to adopt an anti glycosidic torsion angle. However, high atomic-resolution structures of RDQs resolved using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, X-ray crystallography, or cryogenic electron microscopy (CryoEM) remain unavailable in the PDB database at present. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to present an NMR structure of a human telomeric RDQ (Htel-RDQ) assembled between a three-repeat human telomeric DNA strand of d(GGGTTAGGGTTAGGG) and a single-repeat TERRA RNA strand of r(UAGGGU). Interestingly, this Htel-RDQ uncommonly adopts a (3 + 1) hybrid topology featuring three parallel and one antiparallel strand orientations, with one rG atypically in the syn glycosidic torsion angle and a C2'-endo sugar pucker conformation. The findings of this study confirm that the inherent anti rG preference in RNA G-quadruplexes can be adaptively unrestricted in an RDQ assembly and disclose a latent structural complexity previously unanticipated in RDQs.
The fundamental operational range of cyborg insects, which are hybrid robots that combine a living insect with an electronic controller, is inherently restricted to the host's natural environment. To extend their operational range, we developed a wearable diving suit for terrestrial insects. The suit integrates a miniaturised oxygen generation module with a flexible waterproof shell, enabling continuous oxygen supply and isolation from surrounding water. By fitting a cockroach, which is a terrestrial species, into this diving suit, we allowed it to survive and operate in oxygen-deprived environments such as underwater, transforming it into an amphibious cyborg robot capable of operation across land and water. The suit sustained respiration and locomotion for up to 3 h underwater, establishing amphibious cyborg insects that combine biological adaptability with engineered protection for prolonged exploration in extreme, confined environments.
A unique dataset of GNSS observations from the SE Spain covering 28-years of campaign-style observations from 1997 to 2024 is presented. The data are compiled for the geologic study of Eastern Betic Tectonic Arc, where the calculated present-day crustal deformation field shows significant motions ranging from 0 to 2 mm/yr with a dominant NNW-SSE orientation with respect to stable Eurasia. The presented dataset is subdivided into 3 subsets, depending on the authorship. All the data are presented in a standard RINEX: The Receiver Independent Exchange Format, version 2.11. The data interpretation is provided in the accompanying research paper and the data are deposited in Zenodo repository.
Standard cryptocurrency transaction cost models assume flat geometry and assign execution cost as a proportional fee. This paper proposes GEODEX, a framework that models execution slippage as the geodesic arc length on the Fisher information manifold of a Markov-switching GARCH maximum-entropy model, augmented by a joint curvature-topological fragmentation alarm. The Curvature-Fragmentation Law (Proposition 2) is an analytically derived heuristic. Its empirical validity is confirmed across four crisis episodes. Ablation confirms that each geometric component contributes uniquely: removing the geodesic increases mean squared prediction error by 2.9%, removing topological data analysis by 2.1%, and removing curvature by 1.5%. On five cryptocurrency markets (BTC, ETH, XRP, LTC, and BCH), over 2253 daily observations, the framework achieves competitive prediction error and is the only single-signal model retained in the Model Confidence Set at α=0.10 against eight benchmarks. A joint curvature-topological alarm fires a median of two days before price-based circuit breaker thresholds across four crisis episodes, including the Terra collapse (May 2022) and FTX bankruptcy (November 2022). Online inference requires under one second; full offline calibration requires approximately 28 h. The framework requires no additional data beyond the upstream estimation pipeline and supports SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities) and SDG 16 (Strong Institutions) by enabling accessible geometric liquidity intelligence for regulators and smaller market participants.
Semi-automated plant community mapping bridges the gap between traditional ecological surveys and modern AI-assisted ecosystem monitoring, enabling site survey and monitoring at scales and speeds previously unattainable. Coastal wetlands, dominated by low-growing herbaceous plants, require a drone-based (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, UAV) photogrammetric survey to achieve higher spatial resolution and greater flexibility in timing. This protocol consists of four phases, namely UAV-based aerial survey, ground-truth data collection and georeferencing, vegetation index calculation, and supervised classification using the random forest (RF) algorithm in R (i.e., AI‑assisted, semi‑automated mapping of plant community distributions using machine‑learning classification). Key R packages used include terra, sp, sf, rgdal, raster, rsample, MLmetrics, randomForest. The emphasis in the second phase is on a traditional ecological survey method-stratified quadrat ground sampling. Ground sampling serves as ground truthing, providing empirical evidence to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the final map product. Two widely used UAV-mounted sensor types were tested: a multispectral sensor and an RGB camera, yielding 19 multispectral and 27 RGB-based indices, along with an RGB-derived digital surface model (DSM). Plant communities were mapped at a Baltic coastal wetland case study site, and the following algorithm performance results were obtained: using the multispectral dataset, the model achieved an overall accuracy of 92.3% with an out-of-bag (OOB) error of 7.75%; in comparison, the RGB dataset achieved an accuracy exceeding 98% with an OOB error of 1.14%. These results reinforce the suitability of both sensor types. Each phase of the protocol produces georeferenced datasets. These can be compiled into a layered geographical information system (GIS) Project with embedded biophysical field observations, serving as a foundation for complex ecosystem research, such as ecological modeling to forecast impacts and changes. In practice, this GIS Project can serve as a historical record of land cover and support management, environmental restoration planning, and monitoring.
Ecological pressures can drive adaptation, enabling the exploitation of divergent niches and thus promoting biological diversification. In ants, the nest is central to natural history, and morphological variability often reflects nesting microhabitat adaptations. Carpenter ants (genus Camponotus) are well suited to explore this relationship, given their diverse nesting strategies, from subterranean to canopy. Accordingly, we investigate the morphological variability of the worker caste in South American Camponotus to quantify its range and assess how nesting sites influence morphological diversification within the genus. We studied 44 species using multivariate analyses of geomorphometric data (head and mesosoma) and linear measurements (procoxa and metafemur length/width), treating nesting site as a factor. We found that morphological variation, while showing a moderate phylogenetic signal, is non-randomly organized in shape space and structured into four distinct patterns. Each pattern showed a significant association with a specific nesting site, thus establishing well-defined 'ecomorphic nesting syndromes'. Together with prior morphoanatomical work on ants, our results establish a robust framework for inferring nesting ecology from a functional morphology perspective, thereby enriching our understanding of evolutionary patterns in both the genus Camponotus and formicids as a whole.
Soil microbiomes are critical for ecosystem functioning, yet the global influences of climate and agricultural practices on their diversity and structure remain incompletely characterized. Here we analyzed 1921 soil samples from 33 countries worldwide across diverse biomes to assess how climate gradients and agricultural inputs, including pesticides and fertilizers, shape prokaryotic and fungal communities. We found that microbial diversity peaks at intermediate temperatures and differs markedly between natural and agricultural soils, with agriculture increasing microbial diversity while altering community composition and ecological guilds. Pesticide use selectively reduced bacterial diversity and shifted fungal guilds, decreasing ectomycorrhizal fungi while increasing saprotrophs, whereas fertilization reduced microbial network cohesion, with organic and inorganic fertilizers eliciting distinct community responses. These findings reveal that climatic factors and agricultural management jointly influence soil microbial diversity, community structure, and network connectivity, with implications for soil health and ecosystem resilience in managed landscapes. Overall, our results demonstrate that agricultural practices, including the use of pesticides and both organic and inorganic fertilizers, act as strong ecological filters that reshape soil microbiomes worldwide-enhancing apparent diversity but driving a functional shift toward less mutualistic, more fragmented, and potentially less resilient communities.
Background/Objectives: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disease with both clinical and genetic heterogeneity. Several loss-of-function variants in the chromodomain helicase DNA-binding protein 8 (CHD8) gene have been identified in individuals with ASD and/or developmental delay/intellectual disability. These are associated with specific clinical manifestations, including overgrowth, macrocephaly, sleep disturbance, and gastrointestinal problems. Methods: We performed clinical exome sequencing in a female patient with ASD and macrocephaly. RNA analysis from peripheral blood was carried out to investigate the functional effect of the identified variants. Results: We identified a novel maternally inherited CHD8 variant (c.5390+2T>C). Transcript analysis demonstrated that this variant disrupts the canonical splice donor in intron 30, causing splicing anomalies in the CHD7-binding domain of the CHD8 protein, resulting in a truncated inactive protein. Conclusions: In conclusion, this study identified a novel splice-site variant in the CHD8 gene with experimentally confirmed pathogenic effects on RNA splicing, expanding the mutational spectrum of CHD8-related neurodevelopmental disorders. The considerable intrafamilial phenotypic variability associated with CHD8 haploinsufficiency supports the presence of reduced penetrance and highlights the influence of modifying factors on the clinical expression of CHD8-related disorders.
The family Lithodidae Samouelle, 1819 is composed of deep-sea crabs that inhabit continental and insular slopes, cold seeps, hydrothermal vents and abyssal plains. In the Atlantic Ocean, five species of the genus Neolithodes A. Milne-Edwards & Bouvier, 1894 have been reported, of which only two species were recorded from Brazilian waters, with all occurrences restricted to northeastern and southeastern regions. Herein we report a new occurrence of the lithodid Neolithodesasperrimus Barnard, 1947, from the Brazilian Amazon continental slope, highlighting the morphological comparisons with the closely related species, Neolithodes agassizii (Smith, 1882), based on data available in the literature. The male specimen of N.asperrimus was collected during surveys conducted under the ReviZEE Program [Assessment of the Sustainable Potential of Living Resources of the Exclusive Economic Zone (Northern Brazil)], using a commercial fishing net at depths of up to 1100 m, between 1996 and 2001. Our specimen of N.asperrimus was morphologically compared to N. agassizii from the literature, and we observed that both species share several morphological characters. We consider only the proportion of merus length relative to carapace length and the spinulation of the walking legs to be useful in separating these two species. Additionally, the presence of N. asperrimus in the Amazon continental slope increases its geographic distribution, corresponding to the second observation of this species in Brazilian deep waters. This new record is an important contribution to the understanding of distributional patterns of lithodid species in Brazil and to the increase in biodiversity data of crustaceans from the Brazilian Amazon region.
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Nanofluidic memristors exhibit conductance memory effects that can be used in neuromorphic computing, an emerging technology reminiscent of the brain synapses that change their connection strength in response to electrical signals. We describe different options allowing the modulation of the nanofluidic conductance by programming series of rectangular voltage pulses of different characteristics: amplitude, duration, and frequency. The resulting history-dependent conductance allows short-term memory states and learning procedures through potentiation (connection strengthening) and depression (connection weakening) effects. In addition, electrochemical networks of nanofluidic memristors provide operational procedures to implement both logical responses and reservoir computing algorithms using different series of voltage pulses as inputs. As a proof of concept, the supervised learning of a nanofluidic memristive array allows playing a tic-tac-toe game.
The Portfolio Diet has demonstrated clinically meaningful reductions in LDL-C concentrations. Variations in ABCA1, ABCG8, APOA5, ANGPTL3, and APOC1 have also been associated with LDL-C and other blood lipid concentrations. The interaction between these genetic variations and the Portfolio Diet on LDL-C is unclear. Therefore, we examined whether variations in genes involved in lipid metabolism modify the association between the Portfolio Diet Score (PDS) and its components and LDL-C concentrations. This cross-sectional analysis included 1490 young adults (mean age, 23±2years) from the Toronto Nutrigenomics and Health Study. Adherence to the Portfolio Diet was measured by the PDS and its individual components. Using a candidate gene approach, participants were genotyped for SNPs in ABCA1 (rs1883025), ABCG8 (rs6544713), APOA5 (rs662799), ANGPTL3 (rs10889353) and APOC1 (rs4420638). Multiple linear regressions examined gene-diet interactions with LDL-C. Higher PDS, intake of plant protein, nuts, and phytosterols and lower intake of saturated fat and cholesterol sources were associated with lower LDL-C (p < 0.05). ABCA1 rs1883025 genotype modified the association between the PDS and LDL-C (p < 0.01). A 1-point higher PDS was associated with lower LDL-C among those with the ABCA1 rs1883025 CC (β: -0.017 mmol/L [95% CI: -0.027, -0.007], p < 0.01) and TT (-0.034 mmol/L [-0.065, -0.003], p = 0.03) genotypes. ABCG8 rs6544713 T allele was associated with higher LDL-C (p = 0.002). ABCG8 rs6544713 genotype modified the association between plant protein (p = 0.02) and phytosterols (p = 0.01) with LDL-C. A 1-serving higher intake of plant protein (-0.314 mmol/L [-0.601, -0.028], p = 0.03) and phytosterol (-0.051 mmol/L [-0.101, -0.002], p = 0.04) sources was associated with lower LDL-C among those with the ABCG8 rs6544713 TT genotype. In young adults, higher PDS and intake of its components showed favourable associations with LDL-C. Our findings suggest that ABCA1 rs1883025 and ABCG8 rs6544713 genotypes modify the association of the PDS, plant protein and phytosterols with LDL-C.
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The distribution of global biomes has changed during Earth history in response to changes in the climate conditions. We aimed to study how climate change during the Quaternary, a period characterized by periodic transitions between glacials and interglacials and a cooling trend, influenced the expansion of biomes and biome stability. We further studied the hypothesis that biome stability can explain current patterns of plant species richness. We used machine learning and correlative models, current bioclimatic conditions, and an observation-based biome map to model the current global biome distribution. Then, we drove the model with bioclimatic conditions for the last 2.6 million years at a 1000 year temporal resolution to obtain global climate-driven biome suitability maps for this period. Our results indicate that during the study period, biomes were stable in large parts of tropical forests, deserts, boreal and temperate forests, while northern Europe, northern and central America were core areas of biome change. Biome shifts in the far North were caused by regular transitions between boreal vegetation and ice. We analyzed the relation between biome stability and current plant species richness. In tropical rainforests, species richness was positively related to biome stability, but globally the overlap between stable biomes and centers of high species richness was weak. Our modeling framework provides important insights into the stability of biomes during the Quaternary. We suggest that biome stability cannot fully explain species richness, indicating that other factors such as fire or spatial heterogeneity are important. Even though our approach is based on climate only, it is appropriate for further studies due to its general applicability to and spatial and temporal resolution and high computational performance.
Fluid-rich (cloudy/fibrous) diamonds host millions of micrometric fluid inclusions that can reveal the nature of diamond-forming media. Mineral inclusions in fluid-rich diamonds are nano to micrometric making structural and chemical characterization of the different phases difficult. Consequently, limited work has been done determining the pressures, temperatures and depths at which such inclusions form. The relationship between such conditions and those of fluid-rich diamond formation remains unclear. We report the use of micro-electron diffractometry to identify and anisotropically refine the structure of a nanometric åkermanite inclusion in a fluid-rich diamond from South Africa. Additional nanometric Ba/Sr-carbonate inclusions were detected. FTIR analyses revealed a highly aggregated, gem-quality core surrounded by a rim rich in high-density fluid (HDF) inclusions from which åkermanite crystallized. Åkermanite formed during HDF depressurization due to kimberlite eruption or exhumation. In the latter scenario, åkermanite constrained diamond formation to a minimum temperature of 1000 °C at ∼140 km depth (~4.6 GPa). Analysis of the HDFs reveal low-Mg carbonatitic to silicic compositions. The high BaO and Cl and the δ13C values of the diamond (-5.72 to -7.84 ‰) are attributed to formation via penetration of saline fluid into an eclogite, related to subduction of carbonated altered oceanic crust.
Mastitis remains one of the most important causes of economic loss in dairy farms. However, few studies have quantified the herd-level costs of both clinical (CM) and subclinical (SM) mastitis. The objectives of this study were to estimate the annual economic impact of CM and SM in dairy farms located in Northwest Spain, to disaggregate costs into their principal direct and indirect components, and to assess the relative contribution of both presentations of mastitis to total economic losses. A retrospective observational herd-level economic analysis was conducted using production, health, reproductive, and economic data collected during 2023 from 63 commercial dairy farms enrolled in a milk recording and quality control program. A deterministic economic model integrating farm-specific data with coefficients derived from the literature was used to estimate direct and indirect costs. Parameter uncertainty was evaluated through a Monte Carlo simulation with 10,000 iterations and a dominance analysis. Average mastitis total cost was €31,643.48 per farm per year (€261.23/cow). Subclinical mastitis accounted for €18,480.56 (58.4%) and CM for €13,162.99 (41.6%). In the deterministic analysis, milk production losses were the largest contributor to both CM (€3679.60 ± 5954.92) and SM (€15,643.70 ± 14,797.20) costs. However, under uncertainty, culling-related costs were the most frequent primary driver of total economic losses (72.2% of simulations), followed by increased days open (21.9%) and milk-related losses (5.9%). Mastitis represents a substantial economic burden in Atlantic dairy systems. Although milk losses are consistently important, culling and reproductive inefficiency may dominate total costs under plausible biological and economic conditions.
Oral cancer is a significant global public health issue, with high morbidity and mortality often linked to late diagnosis. This study evaluated a 12-year oral cancer screening program in northern Portugal to characterize its implementation and outcomes, identifying predictors of lesion detection. The program's outcomes were analyzed to assess its feasibility and contribution to early detection. A retrospective analysis of screening program data from 2012 to 2024 was conducted. Participants were recruited through community outreach and selection of high-risk groups in primary care settings. A standardized oral/oropharyngeal examination protocol was used to classify lesions as benign, suspicious, or malignant based on clinical examination. Demographic data and risk factors were recorded, and individuals with suspicious or malignant lesions were referred for specialized evaluation. A total of 10 433 participants were screened (median age 63 years; 64% female). Oral lesions were detected in 16.7%, with 6.1% classified as suspicious and 0.2% malignant. Current smoking (OR = 1.65; p < 0.001), former smoking (OR = 1.27; p = 0.010), and previous oncological disease (OR = 1.74; p < 0.001) were associated with lesion detection on multivariable logistic regression. Overall, 16.4% of participants were referred for specialized consultation. This large-scale screening program successfully reached a broad population, identifying a substantial number of potentially malignant lesions. The association with known risk factors supports the need for targeted screening strategies. Further research should integrate diagnostic confirmation, evaluate long-term patient outcomes, and assess cost-effectiveness to refine oral cancer screening policies and healthcare resource allocation.
Recently, the problem of food waste management has attracted the attention of producers, processors, retailers, and consumers due to economic, environmental, food safety, and sustainability consequences, affecting the entire food supply chain. This article reviews data on food waste of animal origin at different stages along the production and transformation systems, from an environmental, economic, or social perspective. Results show differences between developed and developing countries. While in developed countries, most waste occurs at the end of the food chain, in developing countries, most waste occurs in primary production and transportation. Food waste is very expressive in production and retail, but also in final consumption in households and food services. Mitigating measures include upcycling, i.e., recovering valuable food components for industrial use with economic and environmental benefits, and alternatives for food waste reutilization. The role of the consumer is unquestionable, particularly when shopping for food for the household or when consuming food in restaurants or canteens. Hence, it is crucial to understand the behaviours leading to food waste as a way to reduce it and implement strategies to effectively reduce food waste at various levels. The role of education, regulation, and policies is pivotal in achieving minimal food waste.
The identity of the type species of Castianeira Keyserling, 1879 is clarified, enabling a diagnosis of Castianeirasensustricto, which comprises four species from northern South America and Panama. The type species, C. rubicunda Keyserling, 1879, is recorded from Venezuela, Colombia, and Panama, with the specimens from Barro Colorado Island (Panama) having previously been misidentified as C. memnonia (C. L. Koch, 1841). Based on photographs of the holotype of the later species, it is transferred to Mazax O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1898 and recognized as the senior synonym of M. mokana Silva-Junior, Martínez, Villarreal & Bonaldo, 2024 syn. nov.. Since M. memnonia comb.nov. is the type species of Thargalia Karsch, 1880, Thargalia is removed from the synonymy of Castianeira and treated as a synonym of Mazax, as a nomenoblitum, while Mazax is declared a nomenprotectum under the provisions of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature. Three new species are described: Castianeira ledasp. nov. (♂) and C. polluxsp. nov. (♂♀), both from Colombia, Peru, and Brazil, and C. castorsp. nov. (♂♀) from Venezuela and Brazil.
Although yogurt is an excellent vehicle for incorporating functional ingredients, its production still faces technical challenges, including syneresis, rheological instability, and reduced microbial stability during prolonged storage. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of galactomannan from Cassia grandis seeds (0.2% w/v), combined with fructooligosaccharides (FOS) (1% w/v), on the physicochemical and functional properties of whole and skimmed milk yogurts. Galactomannan and FOS concentrations were selected based on preliminary studies as their synergism stabilized the yogurts´ casein network, thus resulting in lower whey separation. Samples were monitored for pH, acidity, color, syneresis, water holding capacity (WHC), texture profile, and rheological behavior. Data were subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA), and means were compared by Tukey's test (p < 0.05). The incorporation of additives significantly reduced syneresis by 14.68% and increased WHC by 14% compared to the control. Firmness increased by 1.45 g in supplemented yogurts when compared to the control, providing a more robust matrix without compromising sensory acceptance or microbiological safety (p > 0.05). These findings demonstrate that the synergistic effect of GCg and FOS favors a denser network and a more cohesive gel, thus validating the potential of the C. grandis galactomannan as a stabilizing agent. Finally, the use of GCg and FOS can be promoted at the industrial level to improve shelf life and functional appeal in dairy products. However, further studies are required to optimize protein content, ensure probiotic viability during storage, and estimate large-scale production costs.