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2025
Introduction COVID-19, caused by SARS-CoV-2, has raised concerns about its potential to trigger autoimmune phenomena and post-infection autoimmune diseases. This study aimed to assess the prevalence and patterns of antinuclear antibodies (ANA) in post COVID-19 patients. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted from August to October 2021, involving 108 adult post COVID-19 patients with articular and musculoskeletal symptoms. ANA screening was performed using the Indirect Immunofluorescent Test (IIFT) with HEp-2 cell substrate, and positive samples were further analyzed using Line ImmunoAssay (LIA) for specific ANA detection. Demographic data and disease severity information were collected. Results Among the participants, 29% tested positive for ANA by IIFT, and 17% of those with 3 months post COVID-19 and 37% with >6 months post COVID-19 were ANA-positive. LIA confirmed ANA positivity in 18 patients. The most common ANA pattern was nuclear speckled (52%), followed by homogenous (21%), DFS 70, and Nucleolar (10% each), and Cytoplasmic (7%). The prevalence of ANA increased significantly with longer post COVID-19 duration (>6 months vs. 3 months, p = 0.017) U1 snRNP-related speckled pattern was most frequent. However, the study found no correlation between ANA patterns and post COVID-19 duration. Conclusion The findings suggest that COVID-19 may trigger the development of ANA autoantibodies, especially in patients with a longer post-infection duration. Long-term follow-up studies are essential to understand the role of ANA in infection-triggered autoimmune conditions, enabling early diagnosis and treatment.- Book : 10(1)
- Pub. Date : 2025
- Page : pp.58-65
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2025
Abstract. The direct interactions of atmospheric aerosols with radiation significantly impact the Earth's climate and weather and are important to represent accurately in simulations of the atmosphere. This work introduces two contributions to enable a more accurate representation of aerosol optics in atmosphere models: (1) NeuralMie, a neural network Mie scattering emulator that can directly compute the bulk optical properties of a diverse range of aerosol populations and is appropriate for use in atmosphere simulations where aerosol optical properties are parameterized, and (2) TAMie, a fast Python-based Mie scattering code based on the Toon and Ackerman (1981) Mie scattering algorithm that can represent both homogeneous and coated particles. TAMie achieves speed and accuracy comparable to established Fortran Mie codes and is used to produce training data for NeuralMie. NeuralMie is highly flexible and can be used for a wide range of particle types, wavelengths, and mixing assumptions. It can represent core-shell scattering and, by directly estimating bulk optical properties, is more efficient than existing Mie code and Mie code emulators while incurring negligible error compared to existing aerosol optics parameterization schemes (0.08 % mean absolute percentage error).
- Book : 18(5)
- Pub. Date : 2025
- Page : pp.1809-1827
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2025
Medulloblastoma (MB) is one of the most common malignant pediatric brain tumors. Current therapy results in a poor prognosis for high-risk SHH/p53-mutated MB, emphasizing the importance of more effective therapeutic strategies. Here, we investigated the potential radiosensitizing effects of the checkpoint kinase inhibitors (Chk-is) prexasertib (Chk1/2) and SAR-020106 (Chk1) in human SHH/p53-mutated MB in vitro and in vivo. UW228 and DAOY cells were treated with Chk-is and irradiation (RT). Metabolic activity, proliferation, and apoptosis were determined at d3, and long-term clonogenicity was determined at d14. DNA damage was assessed after 1, 24, and 72 h. Patient-derived SHH/p53-mutated, luciferase-transfected MB cells were implanted orthotopically into NSG mice (d0). Fractionated therapy (daily, d7–11) was applied. Body weight (BW) was documented daily, tumor growth weekly, and proliferation at d42. In vitro, Chk-is exhibited a dose-dependent reduction in metabolic activity, proliferation, and clonogenicity and increased apoptosis. A combination of Chk-is with RT enhanced these antitumor effects, including proliferation, apoptosis, and clonogenicity, and increased residual DNA damage compared to RT alone. In vivo, tumor growth was delayed by Chk-is alone. Low-dose prexasertib enhanced RT-induced tumor growth inhibition. High-dose prexasertib and SAR-020106 showed opposite effects, at least at later time points (n = 3). BW assessments revealed that the treatment was well tolerated. Our data indicate a potential benefit of Chk-is in combination with RT in SHH/p53-mutated MB. However, high-dose Chk-is may compromise the RT effect, possibly through anti-proliferative activity. Furthermore, we demonstrate, for the first time, the intracranial antitumor activity of the Chk1-specific inhibitor SAR-020106.- Book : 26(6)
- Pub. Date : 2025
- Page : pp.2577-2577
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2025
In this study, we analyze the energetic neutral atom (ENA) observations measured in the lowest energy channel (10–21 eV) of the IBEX-Lo instrument on Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) during two spring seasons, day of year (DOY) 101–146, 2009, and DOY 88–178, 2013, confirming the existence of outward hydrogen (H) fluxes at 15 eV. The outward H flux decreases slightly with distance, showing an intensity of approximately 106 cm−2 s−1 sr−1 keV−1. Results also suggest that the outward H fluxes are not influenced by solar radio flux. We compute the expected H ENA fluxes at 15 eV using ion flux measurements from the Helium, Oxygen, Proton, and Electron (HOPE) mass spectrometer aboard the Radiation Belt Storm Probes (RBSP) during the corresponding period of the 2013 spring season, combined with a simple exospheric density model (nH=nH0r0/r3, where r0=10 RE). The expected ENA fluxes similarly show a decrease in the intensity with increasing geocentric distance, which is on the order of 105–106 cm-2 s−1 sr−1 keV−1. These consistent features suggest that the outward H fluxes observed by IBEX-Lo are closely related to escaping H ENAs produced within the inner exosphere (<4 RE).- Book : ()
- Pub. Date : 2025
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2025
The study examines the relationship between emotional nurturance and cognitive development in preschool-aged children in Western Tarai, Nepal. The research involved 391 preschoolers from diverse socio-economic backgrounds, analyzing factors such as health-caregiver education, occupation, caste/ethnicity, and family structure. Results showed that age and certain socio-economic factors significantly influenced cognitive outcomes. Children aged 36-48 months had higher cognitive scores, and children from joint families scored higher than those from nuclear families. Children from disadvantaged caste backgrounds showed lower cognitive outcomes compared to those from advantaged castes. Emotional nurturance was positive but not significantly associated with cognitive development after adjustments. Socio-economic disparities, particularly caste and family structure, significantly influence cognitive outcomes among young children. Policies targeting socio-economic inequities are needed to promote equitable cognitive development, preventive public health, especially in pre-school children. Supportive interventions focusing on joint family systems and educational opportunities for mothers may further enhance cognitive outcomes in rural settings.- Book : 22(3)
- Pub. Date : 2025
- Page : pp.em643-em643
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2025
With the significant advancements in nuclear technology, countries have invested considerable research into radiation shielding and protection materials. Neutrons and gamma photons have strong penetrating abilities, which can directly jeopardize human health or lead to the failure of electronic components. Therefore, developing high-performance materials for neutron and gamma photon radiation shielding has become a critical priority. Gadolinium (Gd), a rare earth element with the largest neutron absorption cross-section among natural elements, performs excellently as a neutron absorber. Gd-containing radiation composite shielding materials are typically classified into four main categories based on their matrix: metal-based, glass-based, ceramic-based, and polymer-based. This paper reviews the current research status of these four types of radiation shielding materials. It provides a comprehensive summary and evaluation of each material’s preparation processes, microstructures, mechanical properties, and shielding performance. Additionally, the paper discusses the role of Gd in each type of matrix material and addresses the current challenges in the field.- Book : ()
- Pub. Date : 2025
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2025
ABSTRACTIncomplete mapping of gene expression within human (epiphyseal) growth plates contributes to the challenges of diagnosing and treating patients with skeletal growth disorders. To address this issue, we applied spatially resolved transcriptomics to rare growth plate biopsies obtained from healthy adolescents. In addition to identifying novel markers of each zone of the human growth plate, spatial profiling revealed that the expression of genes associated with poorly understood growth disorders, including NKX3-2, SGMS2 and WNK4, is restricted to specific human growth plate zones. By elaborating on the low transcriptional activity of resting zone chondrocytes, we found that a subset of these cells exists in a functionally quiescent statein vivo, as determined by their predominantly nuclear mRNA, abundant heterochromatin, and ability to exit the G0 phase under specific conditions - features shared with skeletal stem cells in mouse growth plates. Additionally, we identified distinct and overlapping sub-populations of human resting zone chondrocytes; an exploration of their hierarchy determined that CHRDL2 and/or SFRP5-positive sub-populations are among the least quiescent resting zone cells. In summary, we generated the most comprehensive gene expression characterization of the human growth plate, which revealed novel zone-specific markers, new primary growth disorders, candidate pharmacological targets, and led us to uncover sub-populations of resting zone chondrocytes with features of quiescent stem cells. These results contribute to a better understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanisms governing human height and can facilitate improved diagnosis and treatment strategies of patients with skeletal growth disorders.- Book : ()
- Pub. Date : 2025
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2025
ABSTRACTBackground and AimsTropical plants are assumed to be especially vulnerable to global warming because their physiologies are adapted to relatively constant temperatures throughout the year. Furthermore, it has been found that woody plants in colder high elevation environments are less tolerant to high temperatures than plants in the warmer lowlands. Here, we examined heat tolerance in a group of herbaceous plants with a wide elevational distribution in the tropics.MethodsThis study focused on 61 species from the order Zingiberales (ginger and banana-like plants) distributed from the lowlands (50 m asl) to lower montane forests (2000 m asl) along the Barva elevational gradient in Costa Rica.This study addressed the following questions:a)Does heat tolerance of Zingiberales species differ along the elevational gradient?b)Does heat tolerance vary along the elevational gradient within families of Zingiberales?c)Does heat tolerance vary along the elevational gradient within species for those with broad elevational distributions? To test if the temperature that causes damage to the function of photosystem II (PSII) in Zingiberales is associated with the temperatures prevalent at their elevation, we estimated heat tolerance (T50) of PSII using chlorophyll fluorescence techniques.Key ResultsIn contrast to the results found in tropical trees, our results showed that T50is higher at higher elevations than in the lowlands for herbaceous plants species. This trend was observed across plant communities and families, and within most species with wide distributions along the elevational gradient.ConclusionsOur study suggests that herbs differ from trees in their elevational patterns in heat tolerance. We hypothesize that maximum and minimum leaf temperatures, and UV radiation may play a role in the observed pattern.- Book : ()
- Pub. Date : 2025
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2025
- Book : ()
- Pub. Date : 2025
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2025
Abstract
Characterizing quantum states of the electromagnetic field at microwave frequencies requires fast and sensitive detectors that can simultaneously probe the field’s time-dependent amplitude and its quantum fluctuations. So far, this has been achieved by using either homodyne detection or fast digitizers. Both methods rely on the extraction of microwave radiation through an amplification chain towards the detector placed at room temperature, thereby limiting the time resolution to the ~10-GHz bandwidth of the measurement chain. Additionally, the coupling of high-impedance samples to the 50-Ω measurement chain is very weak, setting strong limitations on the detection sensitivity. In this work, we demonstrate an on-chip quantum sensor that exploits the phase of a single-electron wavefunction, measured in an electronic Fabry–Pérot interferometer, to detect the amplitude of a classical time-dependent electric field. The interferometer is implemented in a GaAs/AlGaAs quantum Hall conductor. The time resolution, limited by the temporal width of the electronic wavepacket, is ~35 ps. The interferometry technique provides a voltage resolution of ~50 μV, corresponding to a few microwave photons. Importantly, our detector measures both phase and contrast of the interference pattern. The latter opens the way to the detection of non-classical electromagnetic fields, such as squeezed or Fock states.- Book : ()
- Pub. Date : 2025
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