From cross-helix knowledge to societal impact: The role of network diversity, innovation capabilities, and policy dynamism

Tissue type and cultivar-by-isolate interactions govern walnut (Juglans regia) resistance to Diaporthe eres in Türkiye.

Advancements in sequencing technology enable the investigation of genomic information within its three-dimensional (3D) spatial structure, offering new insights into genome organization and function. However, the role of higher-order chromatin architecture in species divergence and speciation remains largely unexplored. Here we constructed 3D genome maps and performed comparative analyses across 11 phylogenetically diverse Populus species, revealing that evolutionary changes in 3D chromosomal architecture are closely associated with genomic differentiation. While chromatin compartments (A/B) are generally conserved across species, topologically associated domains exhibit substantial divergence. Integrating multi-omics data, we observed that genes located in dynamic 3D chromatin regions display distinct patterns of sequence conservation, gene expression and epigenetic modifications, emphasizing the interplay among spatial chromatin reorganization, transcriptional regulation and epigenetics during genome evolution. Structural variants are shown to play a key role in shaping interspecific 3D genome diversity. Notably, a ~76-bp insertion/deletion in HSFA2 3' UTR within divergent topologically associated domain boundaries modulates divergent heat-stress responses across species, underscoring the potential functional significance of 3D genome changes in adaptive evolution. Together, this study highlights the necessity of integrating 3D chromatin organization with genomic and epigenomic variation to dissect the molecular mechanisms underlying species divergence and ecological adaptation.

Corporate tax avoidance has become a major governance and fiscal sustainability concern, particularly in developing economies where corporate tax revenues constitute a critical source of public financing. While prior research suggests that board gender diversity (BGD) enhances ethical oversight and monitoring, its effectiveness in constraining aggressive tax planning may depend on firms’ informational and technological environments. This study examines whether artificial intelligence (AI) capability strengthens the governance role of BGD in reducing corporate tax avoidance. Using a balanced panel of 1586 non-financial firms from developing economies over the period 2009–2023, the analysis employs firm FE models and dynamic two-step System GMM estimations to address unobserved heterogeneity, endogeneity, and the persistence of corporate tax behavior. The results indicate that BGD is positively associated with effective tax rates, implying lower levels of corporate tax avoidance. Furthermore, AI capability—measured using a lagged specification—significantly strengthens this relationship, suggesting that firms with higher AI adoption exhibit a stronger governance effect of gender-diverse boards on tax compliance. Additional robustness tests—including alternative tax avoidance measures, alternative BGD specifications, heterogeneity analysis, and selection-bias corrections using Heckman, propensity score matching (PSM), and instrumental variable (2SLS) approaches—confirm the stability of the findings. Overall, the results highlight the complementary role of technological capability and board diversity in strengthening corporate governance (CG) and fiscal discipline in developing economies.

ABSTRACT Proteoformics by pan‐modifications offers a critical framework for understanding the proteomic diversity through nongenetic factor‐induced structural and functional variations. This paradigm expands the view beyond traditional proteomics to encompass a broader spectrum of protein variations from post‐translational modifications (PTMs) to nongenetic factors such as nonstandard amino acid incorporation, RNA editing, metabolism, and environmentally induced alterations. Deciphering the pan‐modification landscape requires advanced technologies, particularly bottom–up proteomics workflows integrated with sophisticated open‐search algorithms and biological validation. This review provides a comprehensive overview of how this approach delivers functional and structural insights into critical biological processes and their dysregulation in human diseases, including cancer, neurodegenerative disorders, and metabolic syndromes. We highlight the key technological advances that enables proteoform identification and functional annotation, and discuss their translational potential for discovering diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets. Collectively, proteoformics by pan‐modifications underscores the pivotal role of nongenetic protein diversity in physiology and disease, paving the way for next‐generation diagnostics and therapeutics.

High-resolution maps of plant functional traits are crucial for understanding terrestrial ecosystem processes; however, their integration into ecosystem models has been hindered by uncertainties and a lack of spatially detailed data. Here we combine optical remote sensing, global crowd-sourced biodiversity records and plant trait databases to map community trait distributions worldwide at 1-km resolution, estimating community-weighted means (CWMs) and higher-order moments (standard deviation, skewness, and kurtosis) for specific leaf area (SLA), leaf nitrogen (LNC) and leaf phosphorus (LPC) concentrations. Benchmarking against sPlotOpen plot-level CWMs shows low explained variance (R2=0.10-0.27 across traits), indicating limited plot-scale predictive skill under current limited open global benchmarks and scale mismatches. Agreement increases when using a canopy-weighted comparator (TWM; R2=0.22-0.38; relative RMSE ≈12-18%), consistent with the top-of-canopy sensitivity of optical sensors. By providing spatially explicit trait distributions and their higher-order moments, our findings deliver improved detail for understanding biodiversity patterns and ecosystem functioning and provide landscape-scale insights into trait-mediated coexistence. This work enhances ecological modeling and offers a foundation for assessing the impacts of global environmental changes, advancing our understanding of plant functional diversity's role in ecosystem resilience and sustainability.

Stacking, a pivotal step in the preparation of composted organic manures, plays a crucial role in organic matter decomposition, nutrient availability, and soil microbial diversity, with effects dependent on the stacking duration. However, the mechanisms through which organic manures with different stacking times influence crop growth and development via alterations in the soil environment remain poorly understood. This study employed a pot experiment with tobacco plants, applying conventional fertilizers alongside organic cottonseed meal manures subjected to various stacking times (0, 10, 20, and 30 days). The primary aim was to examine the impact of cottonseed meal organic manures on the microbial community structure, function, and chemical properties of tobacco-growing soil, as well as to assess dry matter accumulation in tobacco plants. Results revealed that, compared to conventional fertilizers alone, the addition of cottonseed meal organic manures significantly enhanced soil organic matter content, with the 20d-stacked manure showing the highest increase (68.94%). Additionally, the composition of the soil microbial community was modified, which has increased the relative abundance of carbon and nitrogen metabolic functions. Dry matter accumulation in tobacco plants increased by 13.66%, 25.83%, 31.65%, and 9.69% across the different stacking times. In conclusion, composted organic manures regulate the soil-microbe system, promoting tobacco growth by enhancing the microbial structure of rhizosphere soil and improving nutrient availability. Cottonseed meal organic manures subjected to 20d of composting exhibited the most comprehensive benefits. The enrichment of beneficial microbes like Chryseobacterium and Humicola (potential antagonists of soil pathogens) might contribute to the observed enhancement in soil organic matter and available nutrients. This improvement in soil quality led to a balanced nutrient environment, ultimately promoting dry matter accumulation in tobacco plants. These findings offer robust theoretical support for the application of composted organic manures.IMPORTANCEThis study is important because it elucidates the crucial mechanisms by which composted organic manures, specifically through the regulation of the soil-microbe system, promote crop growth. It provides key evidence that the stacking duration is a critical factor, identifying a 20-day (d) composting period for cottonseed meal manure as optimal for delivering comprehensive benefits: (i) Enhanced soil health: significantly increasing soil organic matter and improving nutrient availability. (ii) Improved microbial community: shifting the soil microbial structure to favor beneficial bacteria and suppress pathogens, thereby enhancing metabolic functions related to carbon and nitrogen cycling. (iii) Direct crop promotion: leading to a substantial increase in dry matter accumulation in tobacco plants.

ABSTRACT This study examines the relationship between corporate governance mechanisms and financial stability in non-financial firms listed on African stock markets, with a specific focus on the moderating role of religious diversity. A quantitative research design was employed, using data from 281 non-financial listed firms across 23 African countries over the 2012–2022 period. A two-step system dynamic generalized method of moments (GMM) was implemented to analyze the data. Corporate governance mechanisms, including board independence, board size, board effectiveness, and chairman duality, positively influence financial stability. Furthermore, religious diversity moderates these relationships, amplifying the positive effects of governance mechanisms on financial stability. Managers should prioritize religious diversity in board composition to strengthen governance and financial stability. Inclusive recruitment practices, cultural competency training, and policies that support diverse representation can enhance board effectiveness. This study extends the understanding of corporate governance by highlighting the significant role of religious diversity. It also provides new insights into how religious diversity can influence the effectiveness of governance mechanisms in enhancing financial stability, particularly in African markets.

Forest restoration has primarily been evaluated through changes in aboveground communities, while belowground microbial communities-critical drivers of ecosystem functions-remain less understood. Moreover, studies of soil microbes have focused largely on community structure, which does not necessarily reflect the recovery of functional capacity and stability. To determine how forest restoration affects microbial community structure and function and how microbial diversity relates to ecosystem multifunctional potential and stability, we analysed soil microbial communities from 79 urban forest restoration sites across New Zealand, spanning 0-63years since initial plantings. Shotgun metagenomic sequencing was used to characterize taxonomic composition and functional potential, with diversity quantified using alpha and beta metrics. To evaluate links between diversity and ecosystem function, we assessed ecosystem multifunctional potential (EMF) which describes the ecosystem's capacity to simultaneously provide multiple functions, and we developed a novel functional insurance (FI) index grounded in ecological theory as an indicator of functional stability and resilience. To calculate FI in microbial systems from sequencing data, we quantified functional overlap by estimating over 250 million species-function correlations per sample. Contrary to our expectations, only beta diversity, not alpha diversity, was positively associated with EMF and FI, indicating that community composition and dissimilarity rather than species richness underpins microbial functional capacity and stability. EMF and FI were positively correlated, showing that high functional diversity and functional overlap can co-occur in microbial systems. In addition, archaeal turnover increased with closing forest canopies, contributing to higher EMF and FI, while bacterial turnover was only weakly associated with restoration parameters. Notably, restoration time did not play a role in shaping microbial diversity, EMF and FI. Our findings demonstrate that microbial compositional turnover, rather than increases in species richness, are critical for restoring soil ecosystem functions. Incorporating microbial functional metrics like the FI index into restoration frameworks that recognise both above and belowground dynamics could promote resilient and multifunctional urban forests.

Fresh edible mushrooms have gained popularity as valuable dietary components, with global consumption steadily increasing due to their high nutritional and functional benefits. However, their constitutional characteristics make them especially vulnerable to microbial spoilage, potentially harming the fruiting bodies during cultivation and creating major challenges in harvesting, handling, and storage after harvest. This review highlights the types, sources, and impacts of microbial contamination in fresh edible mushrooms, with a focus on spoilage organisms. It explores the emerging field of mushroom microbiome research, highlighting the composition, diversity, and functional roles of microbial communities associated with 4 edible mushroom species ( Agaricus sp., Pleurotus sp., Lentinula sp., and Flammulina sp). Studies employing high-throughput sequencing technologies to explore the microbial associations of edible mushrooms are discussed, providing deeper insights into these complex microbial ecosystems and their impacts on mushroom quality, shelf life, and safety. Bibliometric studies using VOSviewer over a 10-year period have uncovered global research trends, emerging focus areas, and identified gaps in the field. This review also discusses post-harvest control strategies and microbiome-targeted interventions to enhance microbial safety and extend shelf life. Edible mushrooms also contribute to the circular bioeconomy by converting agricultural residues into nutritious food. However, microbial contamination can compromise product quality and safety within this sustainable production system. Persistent knowledge gaps in understanding microbial dynamics and mushroom–microbiota interactions must be addressed to develop innovative, sustainable approaches to mushroom preservation and food safety management.

The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) relies on specialized progenitor cells for tissue maintenance and repair. We characterized TMJ-derived progenitor cells in mice and investigated the role of Evc2-mediated Hedgehog signaling. Progenitor cells from the anterior TMJ exhibited greater colony-forming capacity and an elongated morphology, while posterior cells were cuboidal, highlighting regional heterogeneity. TMJ-derived progenitors demonstrated multipotency, differentiating into osteogenic and chondrogenic lineages. Gli1-expressing, slow-cycling cells localized to the ligament attachment regions, initially accumulating there and not overlapping with specialized cells (Col1+ cells). Conditional Evc2 disruption in Gli1-expressing cells paradoxically augmented expression of Gli1 and mechanosensors (Yap, Wwtr1, Piezo1), and produced more confluent, rapidly expanding colonies. We hypothesize that these colonies are primarily composed of transit amplifying cells (TACs), which may proliferate robustly but face challenges in terminal differentiation. These results reveal critical roles for EVC2 and regional progenitor cell diversity in TMJ regenerative biology and suggest that targeting cell signaling and mechanical factors may inform novel strategies for TMJ disorder therapies.

Order Orthoptera consists of medium to large sized land insects including grasshoppers, locusts, crickets and wetas. These insects are globally distributed with the highest diversity found in tropical regions. Order Orthoptera is categorized into two suborders: Caelifera and Ensifera. Suborder Caelifera which include short horned grasshoppers and suborder Ensifera which comprises long horned grasshoppers, crickets, katydids and wetas. Suborder Ensifera is notable for species that communicate via sound and members typically feature long and multi segmented antennae. Ensiferans species serve significant ecological roles in food webs and as indicators of ecosystem health. This suborder contains two infraorders; Gryllidea and Tettigoniidea. The Gryllidae family classified under the infraorder Gryllidea and is known for its diverse species including field crickets that produce sound through stridulation. In contrast, the Tettigoniidae family belonging to the infraorder Tettigoniidea and consists of katydids which are recognized for their leaf like appearance and intricate mating behaviors. Both families have a global distribution with significant biodiversity in India and Himachal Pradesh where numerous species have been identified. This is a detailed review covering the diversity, ecological significance, molecular work and distribution of species of family Gryllidae and Tettigoniidae. Cytochrome c Oxidase Subunit 1 (COI) and 16S rRNA are the most common mitochondrial genes used for species identification. The COI gene is commonly used in DNA barcoding because its variation within and between species allows for precise taxonomic identification. This review explores the diversity and ecological role of order Orthoptera highlighting the molecular tools of studying their taxonomy and evolution.

Stability control of metastable states as a unified mechanism for flexible temporal modulation in cognitive processing.

In recent decades, genetic research in cattle has largely prioritised cosmopolitan breeds and production traits, often overlooking functional and fitness-related characteristics such as longevity, fertility, and udder health. These fitness traits, although critical for animal welfare and sustainable farming, are challenging to improve due to their low heritability and complex genetic background. This study investigates the genomic architecture of three key fitness traits: longevity (LONG), fertility (measured as days open, DO), and udder health (somatic cell score, SCS)-in two local dual-purpose breeds, Alpine Grey (AG) and Rendena (RE), using a genome-wide association study (GWAS). For AG breed, 2745 genotyped animals were considered and 2251 from the RE breed. For LONG, 37053 and 9782 phenotypic records were, in AG and RE, respectively, while 30316 (AG) and 19822 (RE) for DO; and 113297 (RE) and 792921 (AG) for both SCS and milk yield. In GWAS, pseudophenotypes were utilised to address data imbalance. A total of 744 quantitative trait loci (QTLs) associated with the three traits were identified, which were associated with 26 annotated genes explaining more than 1% of the additive genetic variance. Candidate genes significantly associated with target traits include CPEB4 (LONG in RE, SCS in both breeds), DSC2 (DO in AG, SCS in RE), LCORL (LONG and SCS in RE), PRMT8 (LONG in both breeds, MY in RE), RAPGEF6 (LONG in AG), TEAD4 (MY in RE), TSPAN9 (LONG in both), and XKR4 (DO and SCS in RE). These genes participate in vital biological functions such as spermatogenesis, mitochondrial regulation, cellular signalling, and tissue integrity, underlining their relevance in fertility, animal health, and productivity. Notably, several genes identified as significant in our study have previously been associated with both milk and beef production traits in the literature, suggesting that key functional traits related to dual-purpose performance remain detectable despite ongoing selection primarily focused on milk yield. This versatility is essential for their continued adaptability to diverse farming systems and market needs. Overall, the findings provide insights into genomic regions associated with fitness traits in local cattle breeds, emphasizing the value of integrating these traits into breeding programmes. The identification of genetic markers offers valuable opportunities to improve selection strategies that promote animal welfare and sustainable production, reinforcing the role of genetic diversity in dual-purpose local breeds within modern agriculture.

Multifold increase in spinal inhibitory cell types with emergence of limb movement.

ABSTRACT The increasing human population growth raises water demand, while global change brings additional challenges, such as higher temperatures, nutrient enrichment and altered precipitation patterns. These shifts can lead to stream flow interruptions and eutrophication, which can affect biodiversity and disrupt stream ecosystem functioning. Aquatic fungi are key players in freshwater ecosystems, mainly due to their role in organic matter decomposition, nutrient cycling and energy transfer to higher trophic levels. Despite their importance, little is known about how aquatic fungal communities recover from environmental stress. This study aims to investigate the role of fungal diversity (species richness and identity) in the recovery of aquatic fungal communities following drying events, both alone and in combination with other abiotic stressors. We used a microcosm approach to simulate drying events and assess the recovery of aquatic fungal communities under four stress scenarios. Microcosms were exposed to increased temperature and/or nutrient levels throughout the entire experiment, including colonisation, drying and recovery phases. This resulted in four treatments: drying alone, drying with increased temperature, drying with increased nutrient levels and drying with both increased temperatures and nutrients. We also tested whether the presence of other fungal species affected recovery dynamics. Fungal species exhibited different recovery capabilities, suggesting species‐specific tolerance to a range of stress conditions. Across all treatments, overall recovery measured by their reproductive ability was delayed under abiotic stress. This delay indicates potential shifts in community composition, which could impair ecosystem functioning and reduce the potential for natural recovery. Our results showed that abiotic stress not only slows fungal recovery but also alters community dynamics, potentially reducing ecological stability. Moreover, the presence of certain fungal species facilitated the recovery of others, emphasising the role of fungal interactions in enhancing community resilience. This study is among the first to highlight the importance of aquatic fungal biodiversity and species complementarity in buffering freshwater ecosystems against abiotic stress. By demonstrating that higher fungal diversity enhances recovery and supports ecosystem functioning under stress, it reinforces the importance of biodiversity conservation and the management of freshwater ecosystems in a changing world.

Tree community composition modulates early-stage decomposition of standard litter through chemical and physical engineering

Abstract Arthropod communities, comprising diverse trophic groups such as herbivores, predators and parasitoids, are intricately linked to plant traits that provide food and habitat. While it is well‐established that changes in plant functional diversity (e.g. trait identity and diversity) can significantly alter arthropod diversity across trophic levels, the cascading effects on ecosystem functions remain less understood. Particularly, the role of multitrophic arthropod diversity in mediating the relationship between plant functional diversity and grassland productivity presents a critical knowledge gap in ecosystem ecology. We employed a long‐term plant removal experiment in the Inner Mongolian grassland to systematically investigate how variations in the community‐weighted mean and diversity of multiple plant traits influence the diversity (measured by taxon richness and abundance) of herbivores and their natural enemies. Furthermore, we explored how trophic interactions between herbivores and their natural enemies influence plant community productivity. Our findings indicate that high diversity in plant nutritional traits (e.g. nitrogen, phosphorus and sodium contents) negatively impacts plant productivity through both direct and indirect pathways. The adverse effect was mediated by an increase in the richness of sucking and chewing herbivores, which exploited high resource complementarity yet collectively suppressed plant productivity. In contrast, higher community‐weighted means of plant structural traits (e.g. vegetative height and leaf lateral spread) were associated with greater plant productivity. This positive effect appears to arise from enhanced top‐down control, whereby predators—particularly spiders—reduced both the richness and abundance of herbivores. Synthesis . Our study reveals that herbivores and their natural enemies respond distinctly to the variation in the composition and diversity of plant nutritional and structural traits. We show that cross‐trophic interactions—specifically, diversity within herbivore and predator guilds—constitute a primary pathway through which plant functional diversity influences grassland productivity. By disentangling the links between plant trait spectra, arthropod community structure and ecosystem functioning, our findings provide key insights for biodiversity conservation and the design of ecosystem management strategies in grasslands.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13205-026-04743-w.

Discovery and pleiotropic effects of a "Feeding Circuit-Activating Peptide"-type neuropeptide in the mollusk Lymnaea stagnalis.