Search Results (1,730)

Phlox (Phlox spp., Polemoniaceae) are herbaceous ornamental plants that are cultivated around the world for their fascinating flowering. P. paniculata cultivar collections at the Tsitsin Main Botanical Garden and the Botanical Garden of Lomonosov Moscow State University (both in Moscow, Russia) were surveyed for virus diseases using high-throughput sequencing and RT-PCR. Twenty-seven plants with virus-like symptoms on the leaves were selected for analysis. Alfalfa mosaic virus (AMV), Arabis mosaic virus (ArMV), ArMV satellite RNA (satRNA), beet ringspot nepovirus (BRSV), BRSV satRNA, cucumber mosaic virus (CMV), Spiranthes mosaic virus 3 (SpiMV3), tobacco streak virus (TSV), and tobacco rattle virus (TRV) were identified. AMV and TSV were the most common viruses found in 22 and 25 out of the 27 samples tested, respectively. ArMV satRNA was detected in phlox for the first time, adding to the list of viruses infecting this crop. The nearly complete genomes of the detected viruses and satRNAs were assembled and characterized. The CMV and TRV genome sequences from phlox were first deposited in GenBank. Only RNA1 was detected in the TRV-infected ‘Fligelleutenant Bolke’ cultivar plant, suggesting that the so-called non-multiplying infection has been found for the first time in a plant species other than solanaceae. Full article

The microtubule-associated protein tau, encoded by the MAPT gene, serves as a major component of the neuronal cytoskeleton, facilitating the assembly, stabilization, and spatial organization of microtubules. Much of the work on tau has focused on the low-molecular-weight (LMW) isoforms abundantly expressed in the central nervous system (CNS) and their pathological aggregation in tauopathies. However, a different variant known as “Big tau”, present in the peripheral nervous system (PNS) and selective CNS regions has distinct structural and functional properties and offers a unique perspective on protein evolution. Big tau is characterized by the inclusion of a large, alternatively spliced insert termed exon 4a, which expands the protein’s projection domain by approximately 250 amino acids and increases the molecular weight to 90–110 kDa. The evolutionary trajectory of exon 4a presents a fascinating enigma that challenges conventional models of protein conservation. Across the vertebrate phylogeny, spanning from fishes, amphibians and birds to mammals, the primary amino acid sequence of exon 4a exhibits extreme divergence, often reaching background levels of identity when comparing distant classes. In contrast, the physical length of this domain remains remarkably stable, hovering around the 250-amino acid mark regardless of the species. This pattern suggests that the selective pressure acting on Big tau is not directed toward specific sequence motifs or functional domains, but rather toward the biophysical properties and physical dimensions of the domain. Here, we posit that exon 4a evolved as an essential molecular spacer optimized for the structural demands of long-projection neurons and high-caliber axons as well as a protective structure for the pathologic aggregation of tau. The paper examines the genomic architecture and biophysical identity underlying the stable-size and low sequence identity of exon 4a, presenting two evolutionary mechanisms as working hypotheses: a Prototype Model of neutral drift of an ancient insert, and an Independent Exonization of convergent recruitment of non-coding DNA by transposable elements or intron retention. Finally, we emphasize the need for additional experimental work in vitro and in vivo to resolve unanswered questions about the structure of the 4a exon, the physiological role Big tau and its potential insight into tauopathies therapeutics. Full article

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is a systemic metabolic disorder associated with male reproductive dysfunction. Given the pivotal role of actin cytoskeleton remodeling in spermatogenesis and sperm function, this study investigated the effects of T1D on actin-regulating pathways in rat testis and spermatozoa (SPZ). Adult Wistar rats were rendered diabetic by streptozotocin administration (65 mg/kg, i.p.). Testicular analysis revealed a reduced F-/G-actin ratio together with marked F-actin disorganization, consistent with altered actin cytoskeleton remodeling. To investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying these alterations, key regulators of actin dynamics were examined. Diabetic animals displayed impaired expression of EPS8, Fascin, N-WASP, and the ARP2/3 complex, suggesting altered regulation of actin assembly, bundling, and branching. Further analyses demonstrated dysregulation of signaling pathways governing cytoskeletal organization. Reduced levels of phosphorylated Disheveled-2, DAAM1, RhoA-GTP, and ROCK1 indicated impairment of the planar cell polarity pathway. In parallel, changes in LIMK1/cofilin phosphorylation supported abnormal regulation of actin filament turnover. Alterations in the RICTOR/PKC/MARCKS signaling pathway further highlighted defects in cytoskeletal control. Similar abnormalities were observed in mature SPZ, where altered F-actin distribution and DAAM1 localization suggested persistent cytoskeletal defects. Moreover, diabetic SPZ exhibited a reduced ability to undergo acrosome reaction, accompanied by altered MARCKS phosphorylation, highlighting defects in actin-dependent processes essential for sperm function and fertilizing capacity. These findings indicate that disruption of actin cytoskeleton dynamics may represent a major mechanism contributing to testicular and sperm abnormalities in T1D, providing new insights into the mechanisms underlying diabetes-associated male reproductive dysfunction. Full article

Britain’s historical spectacles of animal performance, from Victorian circuses and travelling menageries to early visual media, did more than entertain, they shaped how humans imagined, controlled, and valued nonhuman life. Animals were transformed into objects of fascination and domination, while hunting and poaching practices reinforced imperial authority over wildlife. These performances codified visual and moral frameworks that positioned Britain as arbiter of “wildness,” embedding hierarchies of power and ethical order into the cultural imagination. This paper draws on performance studies, postcolonial ecocriticism, and visual anthropology to trace how circus rings, menageries, and early animal films laid aesthetic and ideological foundations that resonate in contemporary British environmental art and regeneration discourse. By historicising these visual legacies, it reveals how dominion, spectacle, and exploitation persist as underlying structures in Britain’s engagement with nature. Yet contemporary environmental arts are not merely reactive, they reinterpret these histories, transforming frameworks of control into imaginative possibilities for ethical, regenerative, and multispecies representation. By linking past and present, this study demonstrates that understanding the visual politics of historical animal performance is essential to imagining sustainable and inclusive futures for human and nonhuman life in Britain. Full article

As the integration between urban public spaces and aquatic environments continues to deepen, waterside sports venues have gradually become important public spaces that combine sports, leisure, and nature-based experiential value. Existing studies have mainly focused on the functional configuration and spatial performance of sports venues, or on the restorative benefits of natural environments. However, relatively limited attention has been paid to the psychological pathway through which residents develop blue space connectedness and restorative experiences in waterside sports venues, and how these experiences are further associated with well-being. This study surveyed 1064 residents who had used waterside sports venues and constructed a chain mediation model linking perceived waterside sports venue design, blue space connectedness, perceived restorativeness, and residents’ well-being. Perceived waterside sports venue design was conceptualized as a second-order construct composed of water visibility, water accessibility, water harmony, and water interactivity, while perceived restorativeness was conceptualized as a second-order construct composed of being-away, fascination, extent, and compatibility. Questionnaire data were collected from residents, and structural equation modeling was employed to test the theoretical model. The results indicate that: (1) perceived waterside sports venue design is significantly and positively associated with residents’ well-being; (2) blue space connectedness and perceived restorativeness play independent mediating roles in the above relationship; (3) blue space connectedness and perceived restorativeness form a chain mediation pathway between perceived waterside sports venue design and residents’ well-being. The findings extend blue space and sport venue research by conceptualizing waterside sports venues as hybrid public environments that combine water-based spatial experience, sport participation, and restorative potential. By identifying the sequential roles of blue space connectedness and perceived restorativeness, this study provides a psychological explanation of how perceived waterside venue design is associated with residents’ well-being, and offers practical implications for health-oriented waterfront sport venue planning and evaluation. Full article

Endometriosis is a chronic, oestrogen-responsive inflammatory disease characterised by endometrial-like tissue outside the uterine cavity. Because retrograde menstruation is common, lesion establishment probably requires cellular competence and a permissive ectopic microenvironment. This hypothesis-driven narrative review evaluates fascin (FSCN1) as a candidate cytoskeletal effector and considers antecedent eutopic priming versus induction after ectopic adhesion. Functional evidence was integrated with a targeted public-data screen. Donor-level reanalysis of GSE179640 found no conclusive overall eutopic case–control difference and predominantly non-epithelial expression. Exploratory analysis of GSE203191 suggested higher FSCN1 expression within a HSPA6+ stromal subcluster in diagnosed cases, without a comparable epithelial signal or detectable increase in subcluster abundance. This small post hoc analysis remains hypothesis-generating. FSCN1 was absent from the published HECA stromal/macrophage differential-expression lists and was not prioritised by the 2023 endometriosis GWAS. The current evidence therefore argues against uniform epithelial or whole-eutopic overexpression but permits a lineage-restricted stromal state. Fascin participates in autophagy- and miR-145-sensitive invasion networks, although these pathways are pleiotropic. Validation requires cycle- and lineage-resolved tissue mapping, compositional controls, matched lesions, and direct FSCN1 perturbation. Fascin should currently be regarded as a candidate multi-marker component and preclinical target, not a validated biomarker or systemic therapeutic target. Full article

Understanding adaptive evolution has long fascinated evolutionary biologists. Adaptive phenotypic divergence is often driven by modifications to protein-coding sequences. The Rhinolophus macrotis group exhibits relatively lower echolocation frequencies relative to body size compared with other rhinolophids, implying distinct evolutionary trajectories. Transcriptomes bridge genotypes and phenotypes. Here, we sequenced brain, liver and cochlea transcriptomes from one individual per species representing five taxa of the macrotis group. We performed comparative transcriptomic analyses and detected signals of positive selection. Seven hearing-related genes (CRYM, FOXM1, MAP6, PYCARD, SLC35A2, WRB and SPRY2) were under positive selection. Unexpectedly, we also identified five vision-associated positively selected genes (ARRDC3, LZTFL1, RAB8A, IGFBPL1 and TRNT1) in taxa with relatively lower echolocation frequencies within the macrotis group, indicating selection on sensory genes. Furthermore, candidate positively selected genes were significantly enriched in metabolism-related GO terms such as catalytic and oxidoreductase activity. Our study offers valuable transcriptomic resources for unraveling adaptive genetic mechanisms in horseshoe bats. Full article

Dark tourism (travel to sites of death, disaster and collective trauma) is increasingly mediated by AI-driven content systems, but the conditions under which visitors accept AI interpretation tools in emotionally sensitive heritage contexts remain empirically unexplored. Our study examines the cultural, experiential and affective predictors of AI/immersive technology acceptance among Romanian dark tourism consumers. A quantitative cross-sectional survey (n = 232, predominantly urban respondents, January–March 2026) measured cultural belonging, prior visit experience, dominant emotional response, perceived educational value and technology acceptance; data were analyzed using non-parametric inference and bootstrapped mediation. The results are organized within a descriptive framework we term the Interpretive Legitimation Mechanism (ILM): perceived educational value fully mediates the effect of prior experience on AI acceptance (95.5% of total effect) and partially mediates the effect of cultural belonging (36.4%), while emotional state and gender conditionally moderate receptivity (fascination-dominant visitors show the highest openness and sadness-dominant visitors the lowest). These findings characterize the conditions of receptivity to AI mediation, a necessary precondition for any subsequent influence, and indicate that acceptance in dark tourism is primarily an interpretive and cultural phenomenon rather than a technological one. Full article

Antelopes are a crucial part of Western fascination with African ecosystems but are generally well behind other charismatic species. The Nile lechwe Kobus megaceros is a threatened antelope endemic to the Sudd Swamps in Southern Sudan and to neighbouring Ethiopia. It is currently managed as an ex-situ population by both the AZA (Association of Zoos and Aquaria) and the EAZA (European Association of Zoos and Aquaria). Currently, more than thirty European institutions keep the species, while in the 1990s only a handful of European zoos kept it. The foundations of this success story lay partially on the initiatives carried out in the last decades of the 20th century by the staff of the Giardino Zoologico di Roma (now Bioparco), where the species had been kept since 1959 and where in the 1990s one of the then largest European breeding groups of this species was formed. This paper aims to gather all the data, both from published and unpublished sources, on the management and development of this species in the Giardino Zoologico di Roma in the second half of the twentieth century, and to highlight the research, education, and conservation initiatives started by ungulate curator Elisabetta Falchetti. The history of post-World War II Nile lechwe populations in zoos is also discussed. The ex-situ initiatives on the Nile lechwe are also discussed in light of its potential role as a flagship species for the conservation of the wetland ecosystems of South Sudan, which are often overlooked in the education messages conveyed by zoos. This case study illustrates how ex-situ populations may integrate a scientific perspective with a broader cultural and environmental vision so that zoological gardens enhance their conservation message behind the usual flagship species. Full article

Polymer/Silica aerogel (SA) composites improve mechanical properties strategically, but the mixing process disrupts the aerogel’s structure, reducing its efficiency due to polymer chains filling the pores. Pre-vulcanized natural rubber latex (PVNRL) with a higher crosslink density can strain the moving chains, thereby preserving the SA-porous structure in the bulk composite for thermal insulation materials. This study aimed to investigate the effects of PVNRL pre-vulcanization time and SA-immersion time in PVNRL. For PVNRL/SA composite preparation, various PVNRL, from 0 days to 8 days of pre-vulcanization time, were mixed with a fixed SA content of 20 parts per hundred of rubber (phr) using a latex compounding method. Subsequently, the PVNRL/SA slurries were cast on glass plates with 0, 3, and 6 days to obtain the PVNRL/SA composite. Considering the effect of pre-vulcanization time, the crosslink density of the composite increased and revealed a peak at PVNRL/SA with 8-day PVNRL by 7.277 ± 0.881 μmol ${\mathrm{g}}^{-1}$, corresponding to the closest percentage of pore area in the SA’s structure to the pristine SA, and eventually a 42.41% lower thermal conductivity than the PVNRL/SA with 0-day PVNRL exhibited. In addition, the thermal conductivity increased more slowly over immersion time with the presence of 8-day PVNRL. The proposed correlation states that increasing the pre-vulcanization improves the thermal insulation performance of PVNRL/SA composites, emphasizing the reduction of filled SA’s pore with unvulcanized NR chains. Furthermore, the PVNRL/SA composite with 8-day PVNRL maintains thermal stability at 387.3 °C, and can be flexed at room temperature. These fascinating discoveries may be advantageous for further applications related to thin-film and flexible thermal insulation materials. Full article

The fascinating features of nanomaterials have attracted immense interest across various fields, including nanoelectronics, magnetite-aided nanocatalysis, and nanomedicine. Herein, a 10% SiO₂/g-C₃N₄/Bi₂SiO₅@Bi₂O₃ triple nanohybrid was formulated via a simple protocol employing acacia powder as a capping/fuel agent. The XRD confirmed the presence of g-C₃N₄, Bi₂SiO₅, Bi₂O₃, and SiO₅ phases, and the TEM image shows densely packed, almost spherical nanoparticles of an average size of 9.2 nm. There was activity of the SiO₂/g-C₃N₄/Bi₂SiO₅@Bi₂O₃ in the field of hydrogen generation via NaBH₄ hydrolysis, and antitumor antiproliferation activity against HepG-2 and MCF-7 cells. The graphitized Bi₂O₃/SiO₂ exhibited HGRs of 303, 615, 785, and 1740 mL min⁻¹ g⁻¹ at 20, 30, 40, and 50 °C, respectively. Hydrolyzing NaBH₄ doses of 0.3, 0.5, 0.7, and 1.0 at 40 °C resulted in a dramatic evolution at HGRs of 526, 785, 1786, and 4000 mL min⁻¹ g⁻¹, respectively. Furthermore, the g-C₃N₄/Bi₂O₃/SiO₂ antiproliferative effect against HepG-2 and MCF-7 cells showed a positive impact at 3.9 and 7.9 µg/mL, with IC₅₀ values of 82.4 and 59.6 µg/mL, respectively. Moreover, the maximum dose of 500 μg/mL of SiO₂/g-C₃N₄/Bi₂SiO₅@Bi₂O₃ resulted in 93.8% inhibition of MCF-7 cells, whereas the same dose yielded 91.7% inhibition of HepG-2 cells. It is significant to note that, given the lower cost of SiO₂/g-C₃N₄/Bi₂SiO₅@Bi₂O₃ relative to currently prescribed antitumor medications, these outcomes can be considered ideal for practical use as antitumor agents. Full article

This study examines how aquarium visitors’ perceived restorative environmental attributes influence leisure life satisfaction, positive emotional experience, and visit intention. Drawing on Attention Restoration Theory, aquariums are conceptualized not merely as indoor exhibition facilities but as restorative indoor blue space leisure settings. Using survey data from 452 Korean adults who had visited major aquariums within the previous 12 months, this study employed structural equation modeling and multi-group analysis. The results show that being away, fascination, and compatibility positively affected leisure life satisfaction, while fascination and compatibility significantly enhanced positive emotional experience. Both leisure life satisfaction and positive emotional experience were found to increase visit intention. Multi-group analysis revealed a significant difference only in the relationship between compatibility and positive emotional experience. Specifically, compatibility had a stronger effect on positive emotional experience among repeat visitors. In this study, Attention Restoration Theory is extended to aquarium-based indoor blue space settings, and restorative environmental perceptions are shown to influence and shape visitor responses through both cognitive and affective pathways. Although the outcome variable primarily captures visitors’ intention to revisit and recommend aquariums rather than direct pro-environmental behavior, the findings offer implications for sustainable marine leisure by showing how restorative and emotionally meaningful aquarium experiences can support conservation-oriented communication and longer-term visitor engagement. Practically, the findings suggest that aquarium managers should move beyond short-term price-oriented strategies and design restorative experiences that enhance fascination and compatibility, thereby strengthening emotionally meaningful and longer-term visitor engagement in sustainability-relevant leisure contexts. Full article

Introduction: The Atlantic bluefin tuna Thunnus thynnus (ABFT) is a large pelagic apex predator with adaptations for a life of ceaseless swimming during long-distance oceanic migrations. The environmental physiology and energetics of tunas have interested researchers for many decades, but they are notoriously challenging to study because they are so difficult to keep in captivity. Adult ABFT are, however, now fattened in cages at various sites in the Mediterranean, while juveniles are reared from hatching every year at the Unique Scientific and Technological Infrastructure for ABFT aquaculture (ICAR-IEO), near Cartagena in Spain. These facilities provide access to animals, but the fish remain very problematic to study because of their highly active but physiologically delicate nature and, for adults, their very large sizes. Objective: To study the in vivo physiology and behaviour of ABFT. Methodology: We used heart rate biologging and high residency acoustic tracking to follow cardiac and swimming activity over a year in n = 24 adult ABFT (mass range 25 to 200 kg) held in a cage off the coast of Malta (Malta Fish Farming). We then performed swim tunnel respirometry on young of the year juveniles (500g) at ICRA-IEO, but subsequently took a ‘hands-off’ approach, using video analyses and group respirometry on free-swimming animals. Results: The descriptive approach on the caged adults provided understanding of how seasonal water temperatures (15 to 28 °C) affect tuna physiology and behaviour. The swimming respirometry on juveniles revealed that their performance was constrained by confinement in the tunnel, compared to when they were swimming at their spontaneous preferred speed in their rearing tank. Video analyses provided insights into the effects of size (25 to 200 cm bodylength) on spontaneous swimming speeds and coupled with tank respirometry, revealed how progressive hypoxia affects the metabolic rate and schooling behaviour of juveniles. Conclusions: These opportunistic and disparate pieces of information are nonetheless valuable for such a fascinating but data-deficient species, and can be useful in mechanistic models for management of an extremely valuable fishery in a context of global change. Full article

The German author Hans Erich Nossack (1901–1977) wrote the novel “On Call: A Report on the Epidemic” four years before his death. This fascinating novel has yet to be translated into English. It depicts a bleak future in which a mysterious global epidemic erupts. The focus is on an unnamed first-person narrator, a chemist in a so-called on-call unit. His task is to recover the numerous bodies left behind by the epidemic. In a matter-of-fact, almost emotionless tone, he reconstructs the course of the catastrophe in retrospect. The disease is an anomaly: it is a kind of ‘suicide epidemic’ in which people apparently die or take their own lives for no apparent reason. The reasons for this remain unclear, intensifying uncertainty and a sense of helplessness within society. The novel describes in great detail fundamental changes in individual psychology and global society, revealing striking parallels nearly 50 years later during the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic. This paper seeks to compare the suicide pandemic described in the novel with today’s COVID-19 pandemic. To the best of my knowledge, this association has not been previously described. Similarities between the novel and the pandemic will be analysed. Nevertheless, there are also fundamental differences between the novel’s plot and the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, some basic information about the author Nossack (a rather complex personality), likely not well-known to non-German-speaking readers, will be provided. The goal of this contribution is to familiarise non-German-speaking readers with this novel and its author. Finally, I will briefly mention Aaron Antonovsky’s concept of salutogenesis, which focuses on building resilience, resources, and supportive environments to manage disease. Nossack’s “Bereitschaftsdienst” anticipates key questions in salutogenesis—particularly the importance of finding meaning, comprehensibility, and coping strategies in the face of existential threats—but explores them within a far darker and more sceptical framework. Full article