Search Results (259)

Background: Drought tolerance in wheat is a complex trait controlled by multiple regulatory networks, among which calcium-dependent protein kinases (CDPKs) act as important components linking stress perception with downstream cellular responses. However, the functional contribution of individual CDPK members to drought adaptation in wheat remains largely unclear. This study aimed to identify and functionally characterize drought-responsive CDPK genes associated with differential drought responses in wheat. Methods: Two wheat lines derived from the same breeding background exhibiting contrasting drought adaption, 23B1 and 23B39, were subjected to PEG6000-induced osmotic stress. Growth traits, osmotic adjustment-related metabolites, membrane damage indicators, and antioxidant enzyme activity were evaluated. Transcriptomic analysis was performed at early drought-response stages, followed by differential expression analysis, functional enrichment, CDPK family screening, and qRT-PCR validation. The role of TaCDPK22-5A was further investigated using barley stripe mosaic virus (BSMV)-mediated virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS). Results: The drought-responsive line 23B1 maintained stronger growth, accumulated higher levels of proline and soluble sugars, exhibited enhanced peroxidase activity, and showed reduced membrane lipid peroxidation compared with 23B39. Transcriptome analysis revealed extensive transcriptional reprogramming under drought stress, with differentially expressed genes mainly associated with metabolic adjustment, transport regulation, secondary metabolism, and stress-responsive pathways. Among the identified CDPK members, TaCDPK22-5A showed a strong drought-responsive expression pattern in the line exhibiting stronger drought tolerance (23B1). Virus-induced gene silencing of TaCDPK22-5A significantly impaired drought tolerance, resulting in reduced growth, biomass accumulation, and chlorophyll retention under drought conditions. Conclusions: These findings demonstrate that TaCDPK22-5A contributes positively to drought adaptation in wheat and highlight CDPK-mediated calcium signaling as an important regulatory component of drought responses. The identified gene provides a potential target for improving drought resilience in wheat breeding. Full article

Maternal uniparental disomy of chromosome 15 [UPD(15)mat] and imprinting defects account for about 30% of cases of Prader–Willi syndrome (PWS). Mosaic UPD(15)mat is rare and may escape routine testing. We describe a 45-year-old male patient in whom persistent clinical suspicion of PWS was not genetically confirmed by repeated methylation-based analyses. Clinical manifestations included neonatal hypotonia with low birth weight, early hyperphagia, severe obesity, short stature, growth hormone deficiency, type 2 diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, and MASLD/MASH with compensated cirrhosis. He presented with very mild neurodevelopmental impairment. Following the detection of proteinuria and microalbuminuria from age 22 years, focal segmental glomerulosclerosis was diagnosed upon renal biopsy. A family history of cerebrovascular events was recorded. Combined SNP-array and MS-MLPA analyses across tissues established a diagnosis of PWS due to mosaic UPD(15)mat. The mosaic fraction, estimated by SNP-array, was approximately 10% in peripheral blood and 40% in buccal cells; MS-MLPA detected abnormal methylation only in buccal cells, explaining the previous negative blood-based results. Exome sequencing identified the paternally inherited pathogenic NOTCH3 variant NM_000435.2:c.3016C>T, p.(Arg1006Cys). Subsequent brain MRI showed chronic vascular-type leukoencephalopathy consistent with CADASIL, despite the absence of overt ischemic events in the proband. Collectively, these investigations established a dual molecular diagnosis of PWS due to mosaic UPD(15)mat and NOTCH3-related CADASIL. This report highlights the pivotal role of clinical genetics in assessing the precise diagnosis in rare diseases. With respect to PWS, it demonstrates that mosaicism can lead to a missed diagnosis when the genetic investigation is limited to peripheral blood. In addition, following the diagnosis of CADASIL, and based on the available evidence linking NOTCH3 to renal physiology and disease, we discuss whether NOTCH3-related renal microangiopathy may have contributed to the renal phenotype. However, given the patient’s multiple renal risk factors, FSGS was considered most likely multifactorial, and a causal association with CADASIL cannot be established from this single case. Full article

Enterococcus faecalis is an important opportunistic pathogen associated with persistent oral infections, biofilm formation, and antimicrobial tolerance, which makes phages targeting this species of both therapeutic and evolutionary interest. Here, we describe the isolation and characterization of Abitsa, a novel lytic Enterococcus phage representing a new species within the genus Efquatrovirus. Abitsa formed small plaques and displayed siphovirus-like morphology. It showed an optimal multiplicity of infection of 0.01, a short latent period of 10 min and a burst size of 28 ± 5 virions per infected cell. The phage efficiently suppressed planktonic growth of E. faecalis over a broad multiplicity of infection (MOI) range and significantly disrupted pre-formed biofilms, with the strongest effect observed at MOI 0.1, resulting in an 82.14% reduction in biofilm biomass. Abitsa remained stable at pH 4–8, at 5–50 °C for 1 h, and in up to 75% chloroform, but exhibited a narrow host range, lysing only one additional clinical E. faecalis isolate among 34 tested enterococcal isolates. Genome analysis showed that Abitsa has a 41,581-bp linear genome lacking lysogeny-associated genes and represents a novel Efquatrovirus species. Comparative structural and phylogenetic analyses additionally supported mosaic evolution and extensive domain shuffling in receptor-binding and lysis-related proteins of Efquatrovirus-like phages. Together, these results identify Abitsa as a biologically unusual and evolutionarily informative lytic phage with antibiofilm activity. Full article

Single-crystal diamond is regarded as one of the most promising semiconductor materials for next-generation high-power electronic devices, quantum technologies, and extreme environmental applications, owing to its ultra-wide bandgap, exceptionally high carrier mobility, ultra-high breakdown electric field, and excellent thermal conductivity. However, the lateral dimensions of both natural and synthetic single-crystal diamond are limited, which severely restricts their large-scale industrial application. Mosaic growth, in which multiple small single-crystal seeds are laterally arranged and fused at the interfaces through homoepitaxial growth, offers a promising approach to overcoming the size limitation of seed crystals and producing inch-scale single-crystal wafers. This review systematically covers the entire mosaic growth process, including seed crystal preparation, geometric design, growth parameter optimization, and innovative processing methods. Particular emphasis is placed on the mechanisms of interfacial stress generation, along with characterization techniques and stress control strategies. Finally, future perspectives on the fabrication of large-size, low-stress single-crystal diamond wafers are outlined. Full article

To address yield uncertainties from contrasting hydrothermal events in black soil regions, this study developed a universal estimation framework integrating multi-dimensional features. The universal yield estimation framework leveraged data from contrasting flood (2024) and drought (2025) scenarios in Youyi Farm in the Northeast Black Soil Region. And we fused multi-dimensional environmental features, including remote sensing, soil, and micro-topography factors, to identify “Regime Shifts” in yield-driving mechanisms across contrasting years. We evaluated four ML algorithms (RF, XGBoost, MLP, and TabNet) using Recursive Feature Elimination with Cross-Validation (RFECV) for variable optimization. Results showed the following: (1) The Universal RF model achieved superior robustness (R² = 0.80), overcoming inter-annual fluctuations. (2) Mechanistic analysis identified a “Regime Shift” in yield drivers, transitioning from micro-topography-governed “drainage limitation” during flooding to soil-texture-dominant (SAND) “linear limitation” during drought. (3) Dynamic growth-stage differential features successfully corrected asymmetric spectral responses, resolving slope inversion and overestimation driven by “non-productive greenness” during flooding. (4) Spatio-temporal yield mapping revealed a transition from topography-constrained linear distributions (2024) to soil-moisture-driven “patchy mosaic” structures (2025). Moran’s I increased from 0.21 to 0.45, reflecting intensified yield clustering and intensified spatial clustering under drought. This study provides a robust tool for food security monitoring and site-specific management in climate-vulnerable intensive agricultural zones. Full article

The article proposes a methodology for the valuation of ecosystem services rendered by benthic vegetation. The methodology is based on the integration of biotope mapping and characterization, quantitative assessment of macrophyte phytomass stocks, and aggregated unit values of ecosystem services. The coastal zone of the natural monument “Coastal Aquatic Complex (CAC) near the Dzhangul landslide coast” was selected as a model water area. The study area is distinguished by high species diversity of benthic vegetation, the occurrence of species with conservation status, and low anthropogenic pressure. Five biotopes were identified and described, their macrophyte phytomass stocks were quantified, and their spatial distribution within the natural monument was analyzed. According to the calculated data, the total value of ecosystem services provided by macrophytobenthos within the boundaries of the natural monument “CAC near the Dzhangul landslide coast” amounted to USD 2,805,430.32. The largest contribution to this value is made by biotopes of block-boulder deposits dominated by Ericaria crinita and Gongolaria barbata (USD 2,319,641.52), followed by biotopes with a mosaic growth of these species together with Nereia filiformis and the attached form of Phyllophora crispa (USD 397,884.16). The quantitative results obtained may be applied to substantiate compensation payments, assess the effectiveness of investments in environmental protection frameworks, and support integrated coastal zone management. Full article

The rapid development of high-density cities has triggered severe ecological challenges, including habitat fragmentation, urban heat island (UHI) effects, and conflicting demands for public recreation. Traditional ecological networks (ENs) often focus only on “source” landscapes while neglecting degraded “sink” areas. This bias limits the ability of planners to resolve complex spatial conflicts. Therefore, the primary aim of this study is to develop a robust spatial planning framework that mitigates urban ecological conflicts and enhances regional resilience. To achieve this, we constructed a composite ecological network (CEN) for the high-density city of Guangzhou that harmonizes bird habitat conservation, thermal regulation, and cultural recreation. We combined the MaxEnt model, morphological spatial pattern analysis (MSPA), and circuit theory to identify functional “sources” and “sinks” across these three dimensions. Next, using complex network theory, we optimized the CEN and evaluated its structural robustness using low degree addition (LDA) and low betweenness addition (LBA) strategies. The results indicate the following: (1) The CEN effectively captured the complex mosaic landscape of the city. (2) Single-objective networks displayed distinct spatial differences—the recreational network formed a dispersed web of 242 corridors, while habitat and climate networks remained highly clustered. (3) The integrated CEN generated 1137 multi-layered corridors, creating a vital green skeleton to support species dispersal, mitigate UHI effects, and improve cultural access. (4) Optimization simulations verified that the LBA strategy provided the highest stability against targeted attacks by balancing network connectivity with local aggregation. Ultimately, this framework offers a highly adaptable planning tool for dense cities, providing precise spatial guidance to overcome ecological bottlenecks and harmonize urban growth with ecosystem resilience. Full article

Global food production systems are increasingly challenged by population growth, climate change, water scarcity, and environmental degradation, necessitating the adoption of sustainable, resource-efficient food production strategies. Aquaponic systems integrate recirculating aquaculture with hydroponic crop cultivation, enabling nutrient recycling and improved water-use efficiency. Simultaneously, CRISPR/Cas9 genome-editing technology has emerged as a powerful tool for precise genetic improvement of economically important aquaculture traits. This review critically evaluates current progress in CRISPR/Cas9 applications in aquaculture, with emphasis on Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). Evidence from peer-reviewed studies indicates that targeted modification of genes associated with growth regulation, disease resistance, nutrient metabolism, feed efficiency, and stress tolerance can significantly enhance fish productivity and physiological resilience. Genes involved in hypoxia adaptation and nitrogen metabolism may further improve environmental performance in intensive recirculating systems by reducing ammonia accumulation and enhancing nutrient utilization. However, most genome-editing studies have been conducted under laboratory or conventional aquaculture conditions, with limited information available regarding the long-term performance, ecological interactions, microbial dynamics, and biosafety of genome-edited fish in aquaponic environments. Technical limitations including off-target effects, mosaicism, delivery efficiency, regulatory uncertainty, and public acceptance continue to constrain large-scale implementation. In the short term, CRISPR/Cas9 applications are likely to focus on practical trait enhancement under controlled aquaculture systems, whereas longer-term research may explore fish lines specifically optimized for nutrient cycling, environmental resilience, and integrated aquaponic sustainability. Overall, CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing represents a promising but still emerging strategy for improving sustainable aquaculture and aquaponic food production systems. Full article

FDO’s wide boiling range and complex composition hinder controlled synthesis of high-performance mesophase pitch. Here, FDO was separated into light, middle, and heavy narrow fractions by vacuum distillation. Multi-scale characterization traced molecular evolution and mesophase development. The light fraction consists of three-ring aromatics with short alkyl side chains and shows the lowest reactivity, yielding limited condensation and poor stacking with isotropic regions and dispersed spheres. The middle fraction contains four-ring aromatics with moderately extended chains, exhibiting enhanced reactivity and undergoing nucleation, growth, coalescence, and disintegration of mesophase spheres. However, insufficient volatiles restrict shear orientation, forming a mosaic texture. The heavy fraction has four-ring aromatics with the longest alkyl chains and the lowest substitution degree, giving the highest reactivity. During thermal cracking, long chains release abundant radicals and volatiles; directional escape generates shear, promoting rapid growth and ordered alignment of aromatic lamellae. At 440 °C for 12 h, this fraction yields high-quality mesophase pitch with small-domain texture, a low softening point (295 °C), and high anisotropic content (98.8%). The pitch shows excellent spinnability, and derived carbon fibers (tensile strength ~1.45 GPa, modulus ~151 GPa) outperform a commercial reference processed under identical conditions. This study reveals molecular-level regulation of mesophase evolution by narrow fraction structures. Full article

Background: Vasculogenic mimicry (VM) is a tumor-driven vascularization strategy in which aggressive cancer cells form perfusable, endothelium-independent channels that support tumor growth, metastasis, and therapy resistance. VM is prevalent in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), but within this group of tumors, VM heterogeneity is underexplored. Likewise, VM competence and its relationship to classical endothelial angiogenesis (EA) remain incompletely understood. Methods: Here, as a proof of concept, we combine functional analysis of three molecularly distinct TNBC cell lines with a panel-wide DepMap transcriptomic survey to characterize VM heterogeneity. Results: Using an in vitro tube formation assay, we show that the VM-competent TNBC cell lines MDA-MB-231 and MDA-MB-231-4175 form robust 3D vessel-like networks in a matrigel matrix, whereas the VM-incompetent line MDA-MB-468 does not. As a control, we use an immortalized endothelial cell line, 3B-11, that forms classical EA vessel-like networks. Moreover, we visualize VM (Laminin-5⁺) and EA (CD31⁺) markers in vessel-like networks of VM-competent TNBC xenografts using immunohistochemical staining and show that while they are distinctly labeled, they can also coexist to form mosaic-like vessels. Then, we use DepMap-based transcription profiles and reveal that VM competence is associated with a distinct signature. Interestingly, VM and EA transcription profiles partially overlap, yet they also remain transcriptionally distinct, with inferred mechanistic divergence, with VM being more associated with cancer cell stemness (CSC), epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling programs and EA being more associated with vessel strength. In addition, VM-competent TNBC cells display migration patterns and transcriptomic features consistent with endothelial-like mechanosensitivity. Conclusions: Together, these findings indicate that VM is a distinct, heterogeneous, and therapy-relevant state in TNBC that complements classical angiogenesis. Finally, the mechanistic distinction between VM and EA programs made here will motivate future studies on dual-targeting strategies that inhibit both vascularization processes while also motivating future studies on VM for precision treatment in TNBC. Full article

The crystallinity of cubic silicon carbide (3C-SiC) epilayers is improved through the use of a novel wafer bonding and regrowth technique resulting in a reduction in planar defects. The process involves the epitaxial growth of a 3–6 µm thick 3C-SiC seed on silicon (Si), which is polished and bonded to a new handle wafer before the original substrate and defective interface region of the 3C-SiC epilayer are removed. Further epitaxial growth on this Bonded Switchback template results in higher quality 3C-SiC epilayers through the reduction in crystal mosaicity, stacking fault defects, and elimination of interface voids. The process could be applied to 3C-SiC grown on both on- and off-axis substrates, and the form of the new handle has no impact on the growth process, enabling this technology to be applied to sapphire or hexagonal 4H-SiC substrates. The use of such substrates would overcome the thermal budget limitations of Si substrates for 3C-SiC heteroepitaxy and ion implantation. Bonded Switchback can improve material quality for applications in power electronics, as well as see the heterogeneous integration of 3C-SiC into other device structures, potentially leading to a new range of hybrid 3C-SiC/Si devices without the high density of defects observed at the interface between these two materials. Full article

Global land use is changing rapidly, particularly in the tropics, where human populations have had relatively high growth rates in recent decades. This has resulted in wildlife increasingly living in or using anthropogenic environments, which often have different thermal properties in comparison to natural habitats. For example, materials used for buildings, such as concrete and brick, typically absorb, retain and radiate more heat than vegetated surfaces. The mosaic of man-made and natural areas formed when anthropogenic environments expand is therefore likely to generate microhabitats with different thermal properties. Here, we investigated the association between microhabitats and the body surface temperature of wild banded mongooses (Mungos mungo), a social mammal living in equatorial Uganda. After controlling for the significant effects of air temperature, humidity, time of day and body contact, we found that mongooses had the highest body surface temperatures when present on anthropogenic substrates, such as discarded roofing straw and refuse, while mongooses present on building materials, dead vegetation and bare soil had intermediate body surface temperatures. In contrast, mongooses had the lowest body surface temperatures when present in more natural, vegetated habitats. Although our study is relatively small scale and limited in scope, our results indicate that anthropogenic modifications to natural environments may result in hotter microhabitats, which may in turn impact space use, movement and thermoregulation in wildlife. We hope that our study encourages further research into this understudied but emerging topic. Full article

Socio-environmental conflicts in mining regions are often examined through political, economic, or social lenses, while the role of land-system transformation remains less integrated into quantitative analysis. This study examines the co-evolution of socio-environmental conflict and territorial change in Las Bambas (Apurímac, Peru) as a socio-territorial process. Annual conflict records from the Peruvian Ombudsman’s Office (2007–2024) were combined with annual land-cover data from MapBiomas. Yearly conflict influence zones were reconstructed from reported affected communities and geographic features using buffered spatial entities and concave hull polygons. Clustering methods (K-medoids, DBSCAN, and agglomerative hierarchical clustering) and FP-Growth association rule mining were applied to 23 unique conflicts consolidated from the original records and encoded with 10 root causes. The most intense conflict phases were accompanied by measurable landscape transformations, including the emergence of mining-related land cover from 2012 onward, sustained loss of high-Andean natural vegetation, expansion of agricultural mosaics, urban growth along the Apurímac–Cusco corridor, and hydrological alterations in wetlands and headwaters. Three conflict typologies were identified, with unfulfilled company commitments emerging as the most recurrent co-occurring grievance. The dynamic polygon approach offers a replicable framework for linking conflict records with land-system change in extractive regions. Full article

Foodborne pathogens of Enterobacteriaceae are becoming an increasing global concern, with multidrug-resistant strains posing significant risks to food safety and public health, especially in high-risk products like dairy. This research focused on isolating, biologically characterizing, and genomically profiling new bacteriophages that target key Enterobacteriaceae members as potential biocontrol agents. Eight phages were isolated from wastewater using four bacterial hosts and analyzed through transmission electron microscopy, one-step growth analysis, adsorption kinetics, host range evaluation, whole-genome sequencing, comparative genomics, phylogenetic analysis, proteomic profiling, and virion assembly pathway characterization. All eight isolates exhibited icosahedral heads with contractile tails typical of Myoviridae morphology, demonstrated broad-spectrum lytic activity against 21 bacterial strains (infectivity: 47.6–95.2%), showed high adsorption efficiencies (84.75–99.98%), and had burst sizes ranging from 11 to 166 particles per cell. Genome sizes varied from 103 to 170 kb with coding densities between 92–96%. Importantly, none contained antimicrobial resistance genes, virulence factors, or lysogeny-associated elements, confirming their strictly lytic lifestyles and favorable biosafety profiles. Phylogenetic and comparative analyses indicated mosaic genomic structures influenced by horizontal gene transfer rather than host phylogeny. These findings provide a robust biological and genomic basis for evaluating these phages as potentially safe and effective alternatives to antibiotics in controlling foodborne Enterobacteriaceae, pending further in situ validation. Full article

This study offers a comparative analysis of the symbolism of the soul’s ascent in Gregory of Nyssa’s De vita Moysis and Giovanni Pico della Mirandola’s Oratio. Rather than attempting to establish a linear or exclusive dependence, it focuses on a series of Mosaic themes that articulate a dynamic conception of perfection in both authors. Beginning with Moses as a paradigm of virtuous life, the paper examines the shared anthropology of desire underlying Nyssen’s notion of unending progress and Pico’s sacra ambitio. It then traces the ordered sequence of symbols as it develops in Gregory’s treatise: light and darkness, the mountain of the knowledge of God, Jacob’s ladder, the tabernacle, the eagle, death as consummation, and divine friendship. Through the interplay of these symbols both thinkers configure spiritual growth as an ever-deepening participation in divine unity and truth. Particular attention is given to integration of the classical disciplines of the ancient philosophical curriculum within the Mosaic itinerary, as well as to the conception of truth as gradually apprehensible but ultimately inexhaustible. The paper concludes by pondering the results of the comparative study and reflecting on Pico’s way of assimilating the wide variety of sources in his project of philosophical concord. Full article