Advancing Open Science

Activation of microglia and resulting neuroinflammation are central processes that significantly contribute to neurodegenerative disease progression. Treatments capable of attenuating neuroinflammation are therefore an urgent medical need. Vitis vinifera L., cultivated since ancient times for its fruits, is known for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. However, polyphenols, the main bioactive molecules in V. vinifera extracts, exhibit considerable variability due to numerous hard-to-control factors, which complicates the production of standardized extracts with consistent biological activity. To address this issue, plant cell culture biotechnology was used to produce a highly standardized V. vinifera phytocomplex (VP), and its anti-neuroinflammatory profile was investigated in LPS-stimulated microglial cells, an in vitro model of neuroinflammation. VP reduced the LPS-induced pro-inflammatory phenotype, improved cell viability and cell number, attenuated NF-κB activation and ERK1/2 phosphorylation, and increased SIRT1 levels. To overcome VP’s poor water solubility, water-soluble cellulose nanocrystal (CNC)-based formulations were developed and tested. VP-CNC formulations markedly reduced the BV2 pro-inflammatory phenotype and increased cell viability under both basal and LPS-stimulated conditions. The nanoformulations also decreased pERK1/2 levels and increased SIRT1 expression, exhibiting biological activities comparable to VP alone. V. vinifera phytocomplex derived from plant cell cultures represents an innovative and standardized product with promising anti-neuroinflammatory properties.

Background/Objectives: Forensic DNA phenotyping (FDP) enables the prediction of externally visible characteristics (EVCs) such as eye, hair, and skin color, ancestry, and age from biological traces. However, low template DNA (LT-DNA), often derived from degraded or trace samples, poses significant challenges due to allelic dropout, contamination, and incomplete profiles. This review evaluates recent advances in FDP from LT-DNA, focusing on the integration of machine learning (ML) models to improve predictive accuracy and operational readiness, while addressing ethical and population-related considerations. Methods: A comprehensive literature review was conducted on FDP and ML applications in forensic genomics. Key areas examined include SNP-based trait modeling, genotype imputation, epigenetic age estimation, and probabilistic inference. Comparative performance of ML algorithms (Random Forests, Support Vector Machines, Gradient Boosting, and deep learning) was assessed using datasets such as the 1000 Genomes Project, UK Biobank, and forensic casework samples. Ethical frameworks and validation standards were also analyzed. Results: ML approaches significantly enhance phenotype prediction from LT-DNA, achieving AUC > 0.9 for eye color and improving SNP recovery by up to 15% through imputation. Tools like HIrisPlex-S and VISAGE panels remain robust for eye and hair color, with moderate accuracy for skin tone and emerging capabilities for age and facial morphology. Limitations persist in admixed populations and traits with polygenic complexity. Interpretability and bias mitigation remain critical for forensic admissibility. Conclusions: L integration strengthens FDP from LT-DNA, offering valuable investigative leads in challenging scenarios. Future directions include multi-omics integration, portable sequencing platforms, inclusive reference datasets, and explainable AI to ensure accuracy, transparency, and ethical compliance in forensic applications.

Large-scale disasters such as earthquakes and floods often cause the collapse of terrestrial communication networks, isolating affected communities and disrupting rescue coordination. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) can serve as rapid-deployment aerial relays to restore connectivity in such emergencies. This work presents a decentralized Q-learning framework in which each UAV operates as an independent agent that learns to maintain reliable two-hop links between mobile ground users. The framework integrates user mobility, UAV–user assignment, multi-UAV coordination, and failure tracking to enhance adaptability under dynamic conditions. The system is implemented and evaluated on the Robotarium platform, with propagation modeled using the Al-Hourani air-to-ground path loss formulation. Experiments conducted across Suburban, Dense Urban, and Highrise Urban environments show throughput gains of up to 20% compared with random placement baselines while maintaining failure rates below 5%. These results demonstrate that decentralized learning offers a scalable and resilient foundation for UAV-assisted emergency communication in environments where conventional infrastructure is unavailable.

The Na⁺/K⁺/2Cl⁻ cotransporter (NKCC) gene encodes a critical membrane transporter involved in cellular ion homeostasis and plays a pivotal role in osmoregulation and salinity adaptation in aquatic organisms. This study identified and validated SNP markers in the NKCC gene associated with low-salinity tolerance in Scylla paramamosain. Four SNPs (g.196C>A, g.8374T>A, g.8385T>A and g.91143T>A) were screened and genotyped in low-salinity tolerant and intolerant groups. Association analysis revealed that mutant genotypes at all four sites were significantly enriched in the tolerant group (p <0.05), with the values of odds ratios (OR) greater than 1. The tolerant group exhibited significantly higher genetic diversity than the intolerant group. Haplotype analysis showed the wild CTTT haplotype dominated in the intolerant group, while mutant-containing haplotypes were significantly elevated in the tolerant group. A positive correlation was observed between the mutant and NKCC expression. Functional validation by qRT-PCR demonstrated that mutant allele carriers exhibited significantly higher NKCC mRNA expression levels than the wild-type carriers. Moreover, the expression level of homozygous mutations is significantly higher than that of heterozygous mutations. These validated SNPs could provide effective molecular markers for marker-assisted selection breeding of low-salinity tolerant S. paramamosain strains, offering important theoretical and practical implications for sustainable aquaculture development.

Background: Neck and shoulder pain are prevalent occupational health issues among school teachers globally, impacting work performance and quality of life. This study aimed to assess the prevalence and factors associated with neck and shoulder pain among school teachers in Oman. Methods: A cross-sectional study using chi-square and logistic regression analyses was conducted in March–April 2025 among 419 full-time school teachers in three Omani governorates. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data on socio-demographic, behavioral, physical, psychosocial, and health-related factors. Results: A high prevalence of neck and shoulder pain among participants was observed, with 98.3% reporting pain in the past 12 months. Chronic pain lasting over a year was reported by 59.7%, with 37.0% experiencing severe pain. Psychological job demands were high, with 62.8% reporting high levels of stress. Conclusions: The study did not find significant associations with physical risk factors, but highlighted the importance of broader determinants such as low physical activity, obesity, and lack of supervisory support in relation to chronic neck and shoulder pain among teachers.

This study develops a conjunctive-use framework that couples a surface water allocation model with the MODFLOW groundwater model to evaluate the interactions between surface water operations and groundwater recharge and pumping. The framework enables coordinated surface–groundwater management through iterative feedback between allocation decisions and groundwater responses. Three representative managed aquifer recharge cases in Taiwan are examined, each reflecting a distinct operational logic: (1) a space-for-time strategy that extends wet-season benefits through distributed recharge using irrigation surplus; (2) a centralized support–distributed feedback approach in subsidence-prone areas, where concentrated surface water is delivered to targeted zones while maintaining flexibility for upstream allocation; and (3) a time-for-volume mechanism that converts short-duration flood events into stable, long-term baseflow supply. The simulation results show that these strategies reduce downstream irrigation deficit ratios (e.g., from 0.58 to 0.22), raise groundwater levels by up to approximately 3.5 m in subsidence-sensitive zones, and substantially enhance drought resilience by reducing extreme reservoir depletion during prolonged dry periods. Overall, the proposed framework provides quantitative evidence and a practical planning tool for surface water-oriented conjunctive use, supporting more sustainable and resilient multi-source water management.

The genus Lygodactylus includes a highly diverse and morphologically cryptic radiation of African dwarf geckos. Within the poorly known L. angularis group, the taxonomic distinction between L. heeneni and L. paurospilus has long been uncertain and controversial. Using newly available material from multiple localities of these taxa, combined with morphological and mitochondrial (16S rRNA) data, this study reveals that both taxa form a single, well-supported genetic lineage. Genetic divergence values between these taxa fall below the 6% interspecific threshold noted in previous studies for Lygodactylus, and previously proposed diagnostic morphological traits completely overlap with each other. These findings indicate that L. paurospilus represents a junior synonym of L. heeneni, which is now recognized as a widespread and morphologically variable species inhabiting diverse environments in southeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo and northern Zambia. This study highlights the importance of integrative approaches for resolving species boundaries in cryptic reptile groups.

In Japan, the flowering of the red spider lily (Lycoris radiata) marks the autumn equinox. To evaluate the effect of climate change on Japanese people’s sense of seasons and this cultural ecosystem service, we examined the spatiotemporal variability of the flowering day (FD) of red spider lily at 9 sites (Maebashi, Choshi, Nagano, Kanazawa, Shizuoka, Tsu, Nara, Wakayama, and Okayama) over the past 60 to 70 years through its relationship with the autumn equinox. (1) Delaying trends were statistically significant (0.12–0.16 days per year) at 4 sites (Nagano, Tsu, Nara, and Wakayama). (2) Bayesian inference analysis with a beta distribution showed that the probability of FD being later than the autumn equinox has increased in the 2010s at all sites. (3) The year-to-year variability of FD was positively correlated with average temperature during the period of flower stalk elongation (late August to mid-September) at 7 sites (except Nagano and Shizuoka). These results suggest that the probability of FD being later than the autumn equinox will increase under further warming during the period of flower stalk elongation, thus affecting people’s sense of seasons and this cultural ecosystem service.