Search Results (2,884)

Stress has been prevalent and has become an epidemic health burden, loaded with chronic disorders. The stress response is an adaptive mechanism that prepares an individual to respond to threats or other stressors in a fight-or-flight situation. The stress response involves the induction of neurological and hormonal networks and is usually resolved when stress subsides; however, persistent stress leads to permanent and detrimental impacts on health. With the rise of advanced single-cell analysis technologies, a wave of basic and translational research aimed at elucidating stress has shed light on the underlying mechanisms. Among 80 studies in this review, stressors are classified into acute/chronic physical, physiological, and psychological groups, whereas some studies have more than one stress source. Single-cell RNA-seq was the dominant technology utilized in these studies. This advanced technique systematically reveals cellular heterogeneity in gene expression patterns and the differential transcriptomic landscape of stress response in a wide array of tissues and organ systems, e.g., the nervous system, the endocrine system, the immune system, and others. Bioinformatics identified a single-cell atlas of stress-specific cell subtypes, cell-to-cell interactions, and enriched pathways, showing promise for stress syndrome biomarkers, attenuation, and targeted therapy. The limits of these stress studies were mainly focused on transcriptomics, so future studies using multi-omics approaches across multiple organ systems will yield insights into stress disorders and novel therapeutic strategies. Full article

Background: Translational regulation constitutes a critical layer of gene expression control in plants, yet the contribution of endogenous 5′ untranslated regions (5′ UTRs) to translational efficiency remains incompletely defined. While viral and synthetic leader sequences have been widely used to enhance protein production, comparatively few native plant 5′ UTRs have been systematically characterised. The objective of this study was to identify and functionally evaluate endogenous plant 5′ UTR elements that promote translation through post-transcriptional mechanisms. Methods: A 79-nucleotide fragment (CYSTM α) derived from the 5′ UTR of Arabidopsis thaliana CYSTM1 (AT1G05340) was cloned upstream of reporter genes and assessed using dual-luciferase assays in transient expression systems (Nicotiana benthamiana and A. thaliana) and in stable transgenic Arabidopsis lines. Translational activity was further evaluated in monocot wheat germ extract and in Escherichia coli. Transcript abundance was quantified by qRT-PCR. Publicly available ribosome profiling and m⁶A datasets were analysed to assess translational efficiency and RNA modification status. Results: In N. benthamiana and A. thaliana, CYSTM α increases reporter protein production 3–7 fold relative to the control and 30–130% above the benchmark Tobacco Mosaic Virus (TMV) Ω leader, without altering mRNA abundance. The CYSTM α sequence also enhances luciferase translation in monocot wheat germ extract and elevates translation 5-fold in E. coli. CYSTM α contains three motifs that may promote translation, namely three CAA repeats that are associated with translation initiation, an AMAYAA motif that is associated with eIF3 binding, and two N6-adenosine DRACH sites that are associated with cap-independent translation. Additionally, ribosome profiling revealed high translational efficiency (TE = 3.25) of native CYSTM1. Conclusions: CYSTM α represents a compact endogenous 5′ UTR element that enhances translation across multiple experimental systems. These findings expand the repertoire of plant-derived translational enhancers and provide insight into sequence features associated with efficient mRNA translation in plants. Full article

Wheat streak mosaic (WSM), historically attributed to wheat streak mosaic virus (WSMV) and transmitted by the wheat curl mite (WCM; Aceria tosichella), remains a major cause of yield loss in the Texas High Plains. In recent years, Triticum mosaic virus (TriMV), also transmitted by WCM, has emerged as an increasingly important component of the WSM disease complex. Under field conditions, TriMV is most frequently detected in mixed infections with WSMV. Management of WSM relies primarily on resistant cultivars carrying genes such as Wsm1 or Wsm2. Although synergistic interactions between WSMV and TriMV have been documented under controlled conditions, their dynamics during natural field infections—particularly during the latent phase between initial infection and symptom development—remain poorly understood. Moreover, the extent to which host genotype influences virus–virus interactions and vector acquisition dynamics in the field has not been fully resolved. Replicated field trials conducted over two growing seasons were used to quantify temporal accumulation patterns and relative ratios of WSMV and TriMV in susceptible (TAM 304) and resistant cultivars differing in resistance source (BT [Wsm1] and Joe [Wsm2]) under natural disease spread. WSMV remained the predominant virus in mixed infections across cultivars, sampling times, and disease stages. However, as plants aged and entered senescence, WSMV titers declined more rapidly than TriMV titers, resulting in a progressive reduction in the WSMV-to-TriMV ratio. From early infection through disease development, the Wsm1 cultivar (BT) consistently supported significantly lower TriMV accumulation than the Wsm2 cultivar (Joe), providing a mechanistic explanation for the comparatively stronger disease suppression associated with WSM. Mites feeding on BT also acquired lower TriMV titers. Although viral concentrations in wheat tissue were strongly correlated with those detected in feeding mites, substantial differences in plant-level WSMV-to-TriMV ratios among cultivars were not mirrored within the vector. These findings indicate that while host resistance regulates absolute virus accumulation, vector-associated factors may influence the relative proportions of viruses detected following acquisition, with important implications for WSM epidemiology and resistance deployment in field systems. Full article

Cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL), primarily mycosis fungoides (MF) and Sézary syndrome (SS), has long been characterized as a neoplasm of mature memory T cells, based on monoclonal T-cell receptor (TCR) rearrangements and tissue-resident memory (TRM)/central memory (TCM) T-cell phenotypes. This review synthesizes converging population-genetic, multi-omic, and single-cell evidence to argue that this characterization is incomplete and that a progenitor-based model better accounts for the full spectrum of disease biology. We present evidence that initiating mutations arise in hematopoietic stem or early lymphoid progenitor survive thymic selection, and diversify after TCR assembly, resulting in branched evolution across both blood and skin. In SS, paired analyses reveal > 200 shared variants between CD34⁺ progenitors and Sézary cells, as well as signal-joint T-cell receptor excision circle (sjTREC) positivity, providing direct progenitor-level evidence. In MF, convergent signals, multiple malignant clonotypes per lesion, greater blood–skin than skin–skin clonotype overlap, and compartment-specific CNV subclones, implicate hematogenous seeding and reseeding. Population-scale lymphoid clonal hematopoiesis and lymphoid-pattern mosaic chromosomal alterations define a compatible antecedent state. Spatial single-cell atlases and trajectory analyses map site-conditioned programs in skin, including Th2-skewed cytokines, microbial responses, and UV signatures, that select and expand subclones and explain inter- and intra-patient heterogeneity. This framework reconciles mature immunophenotypes with upstream initiation and clarifies why compartment-focused therapies often reshape rather than eradicate disease. It yields testable predictions and actionable implications: trials should pair multicompartment cytoreduction with strategies that attenuate progenitor-derived reservoirs, restore immune balance, and repair skin barrier dysfunction. A progenitor-initiated, niche-adapted model provides a coherent scaffold for more durable control in CTCL. Full article

Misiones, Argentina, holds one of the largest remnants of the Atlantic Forest, with almost 1.4 million hectares of native forest, representing a critical landscape for sustainable biodiversity conservation. However, connectivity across this ecoregion is increasingly threatened by habitat conversion, landscape fragmentation, and poaching pressures that extend beyond protected area boundaries, undermining long-term sustainability of wildlife populations. Using conservation detection dogs, we located, collected, and genetically confirmed 198 scats belonging to four game species: 20 lowland tapir (Tapirus terrestris), 72 white-lipped peccary (Tayassu pecari), 55 collared peccary (Pecari tajacu), and 51 Azara’s agouti (Dasyprocta azarae). Analyses examining species-specific habitat associations emphasized the importance of extending inference beyond point locations to encompass species’ home ranges, with native forest consistently identified as a key component of habitat use. The high prevalence of scats in mosaics of human-modified habitats outside protected areas, especially along their borders, underscores the importance of managing these areas as part of a broader sustainable landscape matrix. While native forest fragments outside of protected areas may serve as important refugia supporting species persistence, their contribution to sustainable management depends on reducing poaching pressure across these landscapes. There is an urgent need to expand antipoaching efforts beyond protected areas and across the Atlantic Forest in the Green Corridor of Misiones while preventing ongoing deforestation and the expansion of monoculture plantations. Achieving sustainable wildlife management in this region will require integrated strategies that promote sustainable land use, conservation planning, and rural development. Full article

Vanilla planifolia, a high-value tropical orchid, is significantly impacted by viral pathogens that threaten its cultivation and productivity. This study employs metagenomic techniques to detect and characterize the viral communities associated with V. planifolia in South Florida. Using high-throughput RNA sequencing, the Cymbidium mosaic virus (CymMV) and Vanilla latent virus (VLV) were prevalent in the plant system, with CymMV being the dominant viral species. Phylogenetic analysis of the CymMV coat protein gene revealed notable genetic divergence in the Homestead isolate, forming a distinct clade from global reference strains, suggesting local adaptation or host-specific evolution. Viral distribution across the plant system revealed higher viral loads in stem tissue, consistent with their role in systemic transport, whereas leaves exhibited greater viral richness, likely due to increased environmental exposure. The low abundance of other viral species, including Garlic viruses and Senna severe yellow mosaic virus, suggests that V. planifolia may harbor a broader range of viral taxa than previously characterized, though these findings represent a preliminary survey of symptomatic plants rather than a comprehensive regional assessment. This study underscores the value of metagenomic approaches for uncovering both well-characterized and novel viruses in plant systems and highlights the need for expanded sampling and continuous viral surveillance to guide disease management strategies in economically important crops such as vanilla. Full article

Background: PIK3CA-related overgrowth spectrum (PROS) comprises a heterogeneous group of mosaic disorders caused by activating variants in the PIK3CA gene, resulting in dysregulation of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway and abnormal tissue overgrowth. Targeted inhibition of this pathway has recently emerged as a promising therapeutic strategy. Methods: We conducted a literature review to identify published reports describing patients with PROS treated with alpelisib, a selective inhibitor of the p110α catalytic subunit of PI3K. Data regarding patient characteristics, genetic variants, treatment regimens, clinical outcomes, radiological response, and adverse events were extracted and analyzed. Results: Seventeen publications met the inclusion criteria, comprising a total of 114 patients treated with alpelisib. The majority of patients were pediatric (68.4%), with a median age at treatment initiation of 12 years. Clinical manifestations were heterogeneous and included segmental overgrowth, vascular malformations, and soft-tissue hypertrophy. Clinical improvement in at least one disease manifestation was reported in 111 patients (97.3%). Radiological response, defined as reduction ≥20% in lesion volume, was documented in 26 of 60 evaluable cases (47.3%). Adverse events were reported in 64 patients (56.1%) and were generally mild and manageable, with hyperglycemia and diarrhea being the most common. Conclusions: Available real-world evidence suggests that alpelisib provides meaningful clinical benefit across multiple PROS phenotypes, with an acceptable safety profile. However, current data remain limited by small cohort sizes, heterogeneous outcome reporting, and variable follow-up duration. Prospective studies with standardized outcome measures are needed to better define long-term efficacy and safety of PI3K inhibition in PROS. Full article

Background/Objectives: Bainbridge–Ropers syndrome (BRPS) is a rare neurodevelopmental disorder caused by truncating and splicing pathogenic variants in the additional sex combs-like 3 (ASXL3) gene. It is primarily characterized by neurodevelopmental delay and craniofacial dysmorphism. Most reported cases involve de novo mutations in the ASXL3 gene, whereas inherited mutations have been rarely described. The present report aims to describe the clinical and molecular presentation of a familial case of BRPS and to highlight the potential role of parental mosaicism. Methods: We describe the clinical and molecular presentation of a 12-year-old boy and his 20-month-old half-brother, both affected by Bainbridge–Ropers syndrome. Trio-exome sequencing (ES) was performed in the family to identify variants in the ASXL3 gene, and targeted Sanger sequencing was also performed for segregation analysis. Results: Genetic analysis identified a previously unreported heterozygous frameshift variant in the ASXL3 gene (c.1648_1649del; p.Met550Aspfs*5) shared by both siblings. The variant was inherited from their clinically unaffected mother, who carries the mutation in the mosaic state with a variant allele fraction of approximately 15% in peripheral blood DNA. Conclusions: This observation highlights parental mosaicism as a potential mechanism underlying the familial recurrence of BRPS and emphasizes the importance of considering mosaic variants during the genetic evaluation and counseling of affected families. Full article

Infrared thermography provides key information for a wide range of diagnostic applications within built and natural environments. As thermal states are changing with ambient conditions, it is important to deploy thermal imaging systems and operators opportunistically. It is therefore an attractive proposition to make these systems more affordable and accessible. Low-cost thermal sensors generally produce low-resolution outputs. To increase data density across large subjects, diagnosticians may create image mosaics from multiple overlapping thermographs. The registration of individual inputs into large mosaics is aided by the acquisition of additional sensor data (photographs and depthmaps), which can provide critical spatial references. In many cases, the materials inherent to the modern built environment present challenges to traditional data registration workflows between multiple sensor streams. Mobile devices offer an opportunity to innovate in the creation of these mosaics, integrating rapid geospatial mapping functionality with radiometric thermography within a 3D context. In this paper the authors evaluate the FLIR One Pro thermal camera module along with iOS/iPhone specific rapid mapping capabilities, and present a methodology: (1) introducing a workflow for the integration of short-range (within 0.3–5 m capture distance) iPhone mobile sensor data into modeling pipelines; (2) introducing a calibration model enabling effective registration and fusion of multi-modal inputs from the iPhone mobile sensor stack and FLIR One thermographic module; and (3) detailing an alternative open-source methodology for the evaluation and translation of thermographic imagery for multi-sensor fusion. The end product of this pipeline is a 3D radiometric thermographic mosaic: a spatially continuous, textured surface model in which hundreds of individual low-resolution thermographs are fused into a single queryable output retaining full 16-bit temperature values at every point. All datasets have been made openly available and the two case studies used in this paper have been made accessible at full resolution for interactive 3D online viewing. Full article

Plant defences are assumed to evolve in response to the negative effects of virus infection on plant fitness (virulence), and to drive plant–virus coevolution. However, viruses are not always antagonistic symbionts of plants, and the expression of defence traits is environment-dependent. Thus, understanding plant–virus interactions requires analysing the expression of defence traits in the host’s native habitat. Here we analyse the effect of cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) infection, and the expression of resistance and tolerance in the native habitat of a wild Arabidopsis thaliana population. Plants from ten genotypes from that population, which have been shown to differ in resistance and tolerance to CMV in a greenhouse, were inoculated with an Arabidopsis isolate of CMV and transplanted to their habitat. Resistance was rated based on virus accumulation in leaves, and tolerance was rated based on the effect of infection on plant fecundity relative to virus accumulation. Consistent with the greenhouse assays, virulence depended on the host genotype, and polymorphisms for resistance and tolerance were expressed in the field, supporting the validity of the conclusions from the greenhouse assays. Our results also support theoretical predictions on the relationships between pathogen multiplication and virulence and between resistance and tolerance. 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

Deep-sea mining operations demand continuous, drift-free positioning over multi-day missions—a requirement that traditional acoustic dead-reckoning systems struggle to meet due to cumulative error accumulation and frequent DVL bottom-lock loss in sediment plume environments. Inspired by Google Cartographer’s 2D grid mapping paradigm, we present a prior map-based visual localization framework that decouples offline mapping from real-time localization, fundamentally eliminating drift through absolute image registration against pre-built seabed mosaics. By integrating adaptive keyframe selection, Multi-Scale Retinex (MSR) enhancement, and the AD-LG deep feature matching architecture, our system constructs globally consistent seabed maps for absolute positioning. The framework leverages deformable convolutions and LightGlue to effectively mitigate challenges such as low texture and non-rigid distortion. Quantitative validation on tank simulation datasets demonstrates significant superiority over IMU-only and standard fusion schemes; qualitative deployment on real Pacific CCZ imagery confirms near-real-time operational feasibility on an embedded Jetson Orin NX platform. This system establishes visual navigation as a viable backup to acoustic systems, addressing a critical gap in deep-sea mining vehicle autonomy. Full article

The performance of remote sensing-based mineral alteration extraction is significantly restricted in the vegetation area. Spectral unmixing is one of the effective methods to address the vegetation problem during mineral alteration extraction. However, the spectral curves of different tree species vary a lot; if multiple tree species are regarded as a whole during the spectral unmixing stage, the proportions of vegetation would be estimated with more errors. The purpose of this study was to verify the effects of dominant tree species classification on spectral unmixing and reconstruction, and to apply the proposed method to the mineral alteration extraction practice. To accomplish this, the Shabaosi gold deposit region in Mohe City, China, with an area of 650 km², was selected as the study area. Firstly, reference spectral curves, GaoFen-1/6 (GF-1/6) satellite imageries, ZiYuan-1F (ZY-1F) satellite imageries, Sentinel-1B satellite synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data, the ALOS digital elevation model (DEM), and sub-compartment dominant tree species data were collected; subsequently, simulated mixed-pixel reflectance images of ZY-1F, reflectance images of GF-1/6, ZY-1F, backscattering data of Sentinel-1B, slope, aspect, and 5484 tree species samples were derived from the collected data. Secondly, to verify the effect of dominant tree species classification on mineral alteration extraction, the reference spectra of pine, oak, goethite, and kaolinite were used to construct a simulated ZY-1F mixed-pixel image, and spectral unmixing and reconstruction experiments were conducted. Thirdly, fourteen independent variables were selected from the derived data, five dominant tree species classification models were trained and tested using tree species samples via the ResNet50 algorithm, and the pine- and birch-dominated parts were segmented from the ZY-1F images. Fourthly, minimum noise fraction (MNF), pixel purity index (PPI), n-dimensional visualizer auto-clustering, and spectral angle mapper (SAM) methods were separately applied to the pine- and birch-dominated parts of ZY-1F images to extract and identify endmembers; subsequently, the fully constrained least squares (FCLS) and linear spectral unmixing (LSU) methods were separately applied to the pine- and birch-dominated parts to estimate endmember proportions and generate spectrally reconstructed ZY-1F images. Fifthly, the pine- and birch-dominated parts of spectrally reconstructed ZY-1F images were mosaiced, and the SAM was utilized to extract mineral alteration in the study area. The result showed that in the spectral unmixing and reconstruction experiment, the spectral reconstruction error declined from 0.0594 (simulated ZY-1F image without segmentation) to 0.0292 and 0.0388 (simulated ZY-1F image that was segmented by pine- and oak-dominated parts), suggesting that dominant tree species classification could improve the accuracy of spectral unmixing and reconstruction and help obtain a more reliable mineral alteration extraction result. In the study area, the tested overall accuracies (OA) and Kappa coefficients of the five dominant tree species classification models were 0.75 ± 0.03 and 0.50 ± 0.05, respectively, suggesting that conducting dominant tree species classification was feasible in dense vegetation areas and could facilitate mineral alteration extraction. After segmenting the ZY-1F image by pine- and birch-dominated parts and spectral reconstruction, eight main types of alteration, including kaolinite, vesuvianite, montmorillonite, rutile, limonite, mica, sphalerite, and quartz, were identified, and nine mineral alteration areas (MA) were delineated accordingly. Full article

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of potassium (K) on disease severity and the chemical composition of Megathyrsus maximus cultivars. The experiment was conducted in a randomized block design in a 6 × 4 factorial arrangement, consisting of six Megathyrsus maximus cultivars (Massai, Mombaça, Tamani, Tanzânia, Quênia, and Zuri) and four K doses (0, 205, 410, and 820 mg dm⁻³). The severity of the leaf spot complex, caused by Bipolaris maydis and B. yamadae, was assessed using a diagrammatic scale. A significant interaction between K doses and cultivars was observed for all evaluated diseases. At K doses of 0 and 205 mg dm⁻³, the Tanzânia cultivar showed lower leaf spot severity compared with the other cultivars, whereas at higher doses, no disease symptoms were observed in any cultivar. The area under the disease progress curve (AUDPC) for mosaic followed a linear model only for the Tanzânia cultivar, whereas quadratic regression models best described the response for the remaining cultivars, with maximum mosaic severity values of 67.74% for Quênia, 72.34% for Mombaça, 76.99% for Zuri, 74.88% for Massai, and 68.93% for Tamani. Increasing K doses reduced the severity of both the leaf spot complex and mosaic. However, the leaf spot complex did not affect the nutritional value of the evaluated cultivars. Full article