Distinct Effects Research Articles

Healthy aging does not alter centre surround orientation effects in foveal intraocular and interocular contrast suppression

Aims/Purpose: Healthy aging alters how the perceived contrast of a pattern is influenced by its surround. Neural mechanisms underlying this aging effect can be disentangled by manipulating stimulus orientation, duration, and by using dichoptic viewing. Here, we tested whether intraocular and interocular center surround contrast suppression demonstrate distinct effects of surround orientation, and if so, whether they are altered by healthy aging.Methods: We measured the perceived contrast of a circular, vertically oriented sine grating (0.67° diameter, 20% contrast) alone and in the presence of annular sinusoidal surround (6° diameter, 40% contrast) in 18 younger (19–32 years) and 18 older adults (61–78 years). Factors explored were: intraocular versus interocular viewing, parallel versus orthogonal surround orientation, and 40 ms versus 200 ms stimulus duration. Surround orientation effect (SOE) was calculated as 1‐ (contrast suppression by orthogonal surround/ contrast suppression by parallel surround). SOE was 0 if contrast suppression was equal between both surround orientations, and the value increased if parallel surround produced stronger suppression than orthogonal surround.Results: The interocular SOE was not influenced by stimulus duration, whereas, intraocular SOE was stronger at 40 ms compared to 200 ms (viewing condition x stimulus duration: F(1,34) = 24.38, p < 0.01). Older and younger adults showed similar SOE under all test conditions (main effect of age: F(1,34) = 0.02, p = 0.89). Age did not affect how stimulus duration influenced intraocular and interocular SOE (age x viewing condition x stimulus duration: F(1,34) = 0.41, p = 0.52).Conclusions: Our results suggest that centre surround orientation effects on intraocular and interocular contrast suppression is dependent on stimulus duration and this relationship is unaltered by healthy aging.

Low concentration of nitrate increases germination velocity of intact seeds of Nepeta micrantha in the first few days of germination

Nitrate promotes seed germination at low concentrations in many plant species. Meanwhile, mucilage plays a crucial role in germination by regulating seed responses to different environmental factors. This study investigated the effect of nitrate and mucilage on seed germination of the ephemeral plant Nepeta micrantha. Nitrate had distinct effects on intact and demucilaged seeds. Specifically, low nitrate concentration significantly increased the germination velocity of intact seeds, but decreased that of demucilaged seeds in the first few days. The addition of nitrate did not significantly affect the final germination percentage and germination index of intact and demucilaged seeds within the 20-day germination period, except for the demucilaged seeds treated with 0.01 mmol L-1 KNO3. This study suggests that nitrate and mucilage have a positive impact on germination of N. micrantha seeds in harsh environments.

Modeling User Participation in Facebook Live by Applying the Mediating Role of Social Presence

The rapid development of mobile Internet technology has brought about the flourishing growth of social media live streaming. This study employs social presence theory as the primary framework to investigate the impact of Facebook Live’s features of sociality, immediacy, and entertainment on users’ sense of presence. These features were then considered within the dimensions of awareness, emotion, and cognition. The influence of social presence on user engagement behaviors was divided into browsing behavior, interactive behavior, and creative behavior. Using snowball sampling, an online survey was administered to Facebook Live users, and 416 valid responses were collected. The research team used software to analyze the data, primarily encompassing descriptive statistics, reliability and validity analyses, structural equation modeling, and mediation effects testing. The research findings are as follows. First, the media characteristics of Facebook Live significantly influence the sense of presence. Specifically, sociality, immediacy, and entertainment on Facebook Live have a notable impact on users’ awareness, emotion, and cognition. Second, different dimensions of social presence have distinct effects on various user engagement behaviors. Notably, the dimensions of awareness, emotion, and cognition of social presence positively affect users’ browsing and interactive behaviors, while emotion influences users’ creative behavior. The third finding was that awareness, emotion, and cognition act as intermediates between Facebook Live’s media characteristics and user engagement behaviors. Implications are discussed.

Effects of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents on systemic hemostasis during the most acute period of cold injury in rats

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) have recently been considered promising agents for the prevention and treatment of cold injuries. The results of previous studies demonstrate a distinct frigoprotective effect of diclofenac sodium and etoricoxib.
 The aim of the study: to assess the impact of diclofenac sodium and etoricoxib, as the most effective frigoprotectors among NSAIDs, on coagulation indicators during the most acute phase of cold injuries using an acute model of general cooling in rats.
 Materials and Methods: The experiment was carried out using 41 outbreed male rats weighing 310±10 g. Cold injury was induced by acute general cooling (exposure to –18 °C for 2 hours). Diclofenac sodium (7 mg/kg) and etoricoxib (5 mg/kg) were administered intragastrically 30 minutes before the onset of cold exposure. Rectal temperature was measured before and after cold exposure. Immediately after exposure, plasma was used to determine prothrombin time (PT), thrombin time (TT), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), fibrinogen levels, and in blood serum – the residual amount of prothrombin, thrombin, fibrinogen, as well as D-dimer using species-specific immunoenzymatic analysis kits.
 Results: Etoricoxib and especially diclofenac sodium significantly reduced the degree of hypothermia (rectal temperature decreased by 1.3 % and 1.9 %, respectively, compared to a 5.4 % decrease in the control group, p < 0.05). In the acute phase of cold injury in the untreated control group, there was a significant increase in D-dimer (by 2.7 times) and fibrinogen content (by 1.9 times) in blood serum, alongside a 21.7 % increase in thrombin time, indicating a heightened risk of thrombus formation and DIC syndrome development. The other coagulation indicators did not show significant changes. Both diclofenac sodium and etoricoxib significantly reduced elevated D-dimer and serum fibrinogen, normalizing thrombin time and indicating an antithrombotic effect. There was no significant difference in the effect of both NSAIDs on blood coagulation status.
 Conclusions: The acute phase of cold injury demonstrates a dangerous shift in blood coagulation towards thrombus formation and DIC syndrome development. Prophylactic use of diclofenac sodium and, to a lesser extent, etoricoxib displays an anti-hypothermic effect, reducing the risk of thrombosis and DIC syndrome. This proves the expediency of using these NSAIDs for acute cold injury

The use of a complex tetra-culture alveolar model to study the biological effects induced by gold nanoparticles with different physicochemical properties

A substantial increase in engineered nanoparticles in consumer products has been observed, heightening human and environmental exposure. Inhalation represents the primary route of human exposure, necessitating a focus on lung toxicity studies. However, to avoid ethical concerns the use of in vitro models is an efficient alternative to in vivo models. This study utilized an in vitro human alveolar barrier model at air-liquid-interface with four cell lines, for evaluating the biological effects of different gold nanoparticles. Exposure to PEGylated gold nanospheres, nanorods, and nanostars did not significantly impact viability after 24 h, yet all AuNPs induced cytotoxicity in the form of membrane integrity impairment. Gold quantification revealed cellular uptake and transport. Transcriptomic analysis identified gene expression changes, particularly related to the enhancement of immune cells. Despite limited impact, distinct effects were observed, emphasizing the influence of nanoparticles physicochemical parameters while demonstrating the model’s efficacy in investigating particle biological effects.

Experimental characterization of defect-induced Raman spectroscopy in graphene with BN, ZnO, Al2O3, and TiO2 dopants

The introduction of boron nitride (BN), zinc oxide (ZnO), aluminum oxide (Al2O3), and titanium oxide (TiO2) as dopants in pristine graphene leads to the modification of its transport properties, resulting in the production of graphene semiconductors and alteration of its semiconductive characteristics. The achievement of high-quality electronic devices necessitates considering doping and producing a broader energy bandgap in graphene. The optical determination of charge density in intrinsic graphene may be achieved by utilizing the D Raman peak, where an increased charge density is associated with a decreasing peak split. Strong connections have been seen between the energy bandgap (Eg) and the locations of the G and D peaks. Various doping materials exhibit distinct variations and effects on the doping process of graphene. The determination of doping levels in graphene may be achieved with far greater accuracy by observing the ID/IG ratios, compared to the traditional method of measuring the G-band shift with charge. The determination of average crystallite size, as well as the observation of the parameter La, is crucial in comprehending the doping and flaws present in graphene materials that have been manufactured.

Teletechnologies of Death and Mourning in Don DeLillo’s The Body Artist and Nicholas Royle’s Quilt

Teletechnologies are changing the way we cope with loss and grief. Apart from their romanticized relationship with death in the history of literature, teletechnologies also figure prominently as productive metaphors in critical theories. Psychoanalysis and deconstruction view telecommunication in its various forms as intricately connected to notions of telepathy and the unconscious, a point shared by Don DeLillo’s The Body Artist and Nicholas Royle’s Quilt. Both novels attach great importance to how the process of individual mourning, in the presence of different forms of technologies, is inscribed with a distinctive telepathic effect. Specifically, DeLillo’s text portrays the radio as an uncanny harbinger of death, and Quilt forges a link between the faltered telephone communication and the spectral moments when the dead is calling. The article proposes to conceive, from a psychoanalytical perspective, the subject of teletechnologies as a critical starting point to address related issues of telepathy and telecommunication and to understand death as loss in the contemporary age.

Effect of the sonic shock wave on void evolution in materials under irradiation

Understanding the void-cascade interaction is of great importance for clarifying the irradiation damage as a major challenge in nuclear industry, since it typically causes void annihilation or shrinkage, which greatly affects the swelling of irradiated materials. But the current understanding of it is extremely limited due to the neglect of the sonic shock wave. Herein, we take γ-U as the representative model due to the emergence of a violent sonic shock wave there. Molecular dynamics simulations are performed to explore the underlying mechanism of the sonic shock wave interacting with voids. It is firstly revealed that the sonic shock wave is essentially focusons along <111> crystal orientation family, attributed to the highest energy transfer efficiency along <111> in γ-U. These focusons can cause void annihilation or shrinkage via sliding, while thermal spikes only cause annihilation by covering voids. Combining these two factors, we propose a model to qualitatively epitomize the void-cascade interaction, in which the influence scope exhibits an intriguing anisotropic feature, overturning a long-accepted view that the void-cascade interaction is isotropic. This model is further generalized to other nuclear materials owing to the similar mechanism of the sonic shock wave. Moreover, we find distinct size effect of voids on void-cascade interaction. Thermal spikes hardly affect voids that are too large to be covered, while the sonic shock wave also causes visible shrinkage in large voids. The present work proves that the sonic shock wave has a non-negligible effect on void evolution, improving the fundamental understanding of void-cascade interaction in irradiated materials.

Large Eddy Simulation of Low Reynolds Number Flow Around a NACA0015 Airfoil with Modified Trailing Edges

The flow field of a low Reynolds number regime is three-dimensional and exceedingly complicated due to numerous forms of vortical phenomena, which has triggered the interest of many researchers. This study aims to investigate the influence of various trailing edge configurations on the aerodynamic characteristics and flow structure of airfoils. Specifically, five different configurations, namely baseline, serration, comb, and comb-serration are analyzed in detail. The study seeks to identify the configuration that provides optimal aerodynamic performance, which can then inform the design of more efficient airfoils for a range of applications, including unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), wind energy, and automotive design. A Large-eddy simulation numerical model was developed to effectively evaluate unsteady pressure fluctuations and turbulence parameters at the source. The pressure coefficient and skin friction coefficient figures reveal that modifications result in an early negative pressure zone and uneven flow along the airfoil surfaces. This study presents numerical findings on the NACA0015 airfoil at a zero angle of attack. The pressure coefficient distribution along the airfoil surface exhibits a symmetrical pattern, with the highest pressure observed at the leading edge due to flow deceleration. Analysis of the skin friction coefficient confirms the absence of separation zones on the airfoil surface, except for the tip of the trailing edge. The velocity profile demonstrates a consistent and smooth flow, indicating stable and symmetrical conditions across the airfoil. Moreover, the velocity profiles of the baseline airfoil at zero angle of attack do not indicate any signs of flow separation. Notably, the serrated, combed and comb-serrated trailing edge configurations each yield distinctive effects on fluid flow. The serrated trailing edge promotes increased fluid velocity and pressure drop, while the combed configuration induces separation at the root. Meanwhile, the comb-serrated design sustains a continuous fluid flow over the airfoil surface. Overall, these results contribute to a comprehensive understanding of the aerodynamic behavior and flow characteristics influenced by various trailing edge configurations.

Relaxation effects on the structural and piezoelectric properties of wurtzite ZnS and CdS thin films under in-plane strain

Through first-principles investigations, we examine variations in the atomic crystal structure, thermal stability, electronic structure, and piezoelectric properties of wurtzite ZnS and CdS under in-plane strain. We specifically aim to elucidate the distinct effects arising from two relaxation modes: elastic and non-elastic. Our analyses reveal that the in-plane strain-induced deformation behaviors and performance changes in these sulfides are remarkably similar, attributable to the similar atomic arrangements, anionic sulfur elements, and analogous cation electronic configurations. However, following non-elastic relaxation, enhanced robustness emerges in the lattice volume and chemical bonding, alongside stronger thermal stability and attenuated modifications in the piezoelectric coefficient. We posit that these marked discrepancies from elastic relaxation may originate from subtle differences in the electronegativities and d-orbital electron configurations between the Zn2+ and Cd2+ cations. By offering fundamental new insights into the atomic-scale relaxation phenomena in wurtzite binaries, this work significantly furthers the fundamental understanding of structure-property relationships in these materials. Moreover, delineating the precise impacts of elastic versus non-elastic relaxation serves as an effective tuning methodology to engineer the piezoelectric and electronic traits of sulfide compounds for cutting-edge applications.

The Transcription Factor StuA Regulates the Glyoxylate Cycle in the Dermatophyte Trichophyton rubrum under Carbon Starvation.

Trichophyton rubrum is the primary causative agent of dermatophytosis worldwide. This fungus colonizes keratinized tissues and uses keratin as a nutritional source during infection. In T. rubrum-host interactions, sensing a hostile environment triggers the adaptation of its metabolic machinery to ensure its survival. The glyoxylate cycle has emerged as an alternative metabolic pathway when glucose availability is limited; this enables the conversion of simple carbon compounds into glucose via gluconeogenesis. In this study, we investigated the impact of stuA deletion on the response of glyoxylate cycle enzymes during fungal growth under varying culture conditions in conjunction with post-transcriptional regulation through alternative splicing of the genes encoding these enzymes. We revealed that the ΔstuA mutant downregulated the malate synthase and isocitrate lyase genes in a keratin-containing medium or when co-cultured with human keratinocytes. Alternative splicing of an isocitrate lyase gene yielded a new isoform. Enzymatic activity assays showed specific instances where isocitrate lyase and malate synthase activities were affected in the mutant strain compared to the wild type strain. Taken together, our results indicate a relevant balance in transcriptional regulation that has distinct effects on the enzymatic activities of malate synthase and isocitrate lyase.

Chemopreventive Effect of an In Vitro Digested and Fermented Plant Sterol-Enriched Wholemeal Rye Bread in Colon Cancer Cells.

Diet is crucial for the prevention of colorectal cancer. Whole grains are the source of beneficial compounds for this, such as fiber. The enrichment of wholemeal rye bread with plant sterols (PSs) could increase its beneficial effects. This study aimed to assess the potential antiproliferative effect of this enriched food on colon adenocarcinoma cells (Caco-2) compared with a non-enriched one. After a human oral chewing, simulated semi-dynamic gastrointestinal digestion and colonic fermentation in a simgi® system, fermentation liquids (FLs) obtained were used as treatment for cells. Cytotoxicity assay showed that samples diluted 1/5 (v/v) with DMEM are not toxic for non-tumoral cells, whereas they damage tumoral cells. Samples with PS (FLPS) produced a higher chemopreventive effect (vs. blank) in MTT and apoptosis assays, as well as higher gene expression of TP53 and Casp8. Nevertheless, FL0 (without PS) produced a higher chemopreventive effect in a cell cycle and reduced glutathione and calcium assays, besides producing higher gene expression of Casp3 and lower CCND1. The distinct antiproliferative effect of both FLs is attributed to differences in PSs, short chain fatty acids (lower concentration in FLPS vs. FL0) and antioxidant compounds. These results may support wholemeal rye bread consumption as a way of reducing the risk of colorectal cancer development, although further research would be needed.

Elucidating solvent effects on the stability of phenoxyl radicals in monohydric alcohols via electron paramagnetic resonance

Research on solvent effects is an important and long-standing topic, but there still is some room, especially for the special solvent effect of fluoroalcohols. In this work, we investigated the stability of phenoxyl radical in monohydric alcohol solvents through in-situ electron paramagnetic resonance detections. The decay behavior of phenoxyl radical showed a reasonable relationship with the mesoscopic structure of alcohols, characterized by small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering. Moreover, the distinct solvent effects of fluoroalcohols were emphasized, and the significant influence of van der Waals distance in the solvents was suggested. Overall, the stability of phenoxyl radical in alcohols was quantified and correlated with the solvent structures. We believe that the established method for stability study on radicals will encourage solvent effect studies on various organic reactions, and the proposed solvent effects in fluoroalcohols may inspire the development of green solvents in both industrial conversions and organic synthesis.

Binge ethanol exposure in advanced age elevates neuroinflammation and early indicators of neurodegeneration and cognitive impairment in female mice

Binge drinking is rising among aged adults (>65 years of age), however the contribution of alcohol misuse to neurodegenerative disease development is not well understood. Both advanced age and repeated binge ethanol exposure increase neuroinflammation, which is an important component of neurodegeneration and cognitive dysfunction. Surprisingly, the distinct effects of binge ethanol exposure on neuroinflammation and associated degeneration in the aged brain have not been well characterized. Here, we establish a model of intermittent binge ethanol exposure in young and aged female mice to investigate the effects of advanced age and binge ethanol on these outcomes. Following intermittent binge ethanol exposure, expression of pro-inflammatory mediators (tnf-α, il-1β, ccl2) was distinctly increased in isolated hippocampal tissue by the combination of advanced age and ethanol. Binge ethanol exposure also increased measures of senescence, the nod like receptor pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome, and microglia reactivity in the brains of aged mice compared to young. Binge ethanol exposure also promoted neuropathology in the hippocampus of aged mice, including tau hyperphosphorylation and neuronal death. We further identified advanced age-related deficits in contextual memory that were further negatively impacted by ethanol exposure. These data suggest binge drinking superimposed with advanced age promotes early markers of neurodegenerative disease development and cognitive decline, which may be driven by heightened neuroinflammatory responses to ethanol. Taken together, we propose this novel exposure model of intermittent binge ethanol can be used to identify therapeutic targets to prevent advanced age- and ethanol-related neurodegeneration.

Acute stress influences the emotional foundations of executive control: Distinct effects on control-related affective and cognitive processes

Acute stress is known to influence performance on various task outcomes indicative of executive functioning (i.e., the top-down, goal-directed control of cognition and behavior). The most common interpretation of these effects is that stress influences control processes themselves. Another possibility, though, is that stress does not impair control per se, but instead alters the affective dynamics underlying the recruitment of control (e.g., reducing the extent to which making an error is aversive), resulting in less recruitment of control and thus poor performance. To date, however, no work has examined whether stress effects on executive function outcomes are driven by affective dynamics related to the recruitment of control. In the current study, we found that acute stress influenced—and cortisol responses related to—both executive control-related performance outcomes (e.g., post-error slowing) and control-related affective dynamics (e.g., negative affect following recruitment of control) in a modified Stroop task, but that these effects appeared to be independent of each other: The effects of stress on, and associations of cortisol with, control-related cognitive outcomes were not statistically mediated by task- or control-related affective dynamics. These results thus suggest that although stress influences affective dynamics underlying executive function, the effects of stress on executive function outcomes appear to be at least partially dependent on nonaffective processes, such as control processes themselves.

Scattering characteristics of various nodular defects in a dichroic beam splitter.

Dichroic beam splitters are widely used in multi wavelength laser systems, and their scattering loss affects the signal-to-noise ratio and performance of the system. In this study, we investigate forward and backward scattering induced by nodular defects in a dichroic beam splitter. The seed size, seed position, and geometric constants of nodules exhibited distinct effects on the scattering characteristics. The modeling and simulation provide valuable insights into the relationship between the structural parameters of nodules and their scattering characteristics, offering practical guidance for various high-performance optical multilayer coatings and systems.

Response of Vegetation Phenology to Climate Change on the Tibetan Plateau Considering Time-Lag and Cumulative Effects

The study of the response of vegetation phenology in the Qinghai Tibet Plateau to various climatic variables is paramount to unveiling the reaction of alpine ecosystems to worldwide climate alterations. Nonetheless, the lagged and cumulative effects of various climatic variables on vegetation phenology in the Qinghai Tibet Plateau remain unclear. Therefore, based on MODIS NDVI data, we extracted vegetation phenological parameters from 2001 to 2020, including the start of the vegetation growing season (SOS) and the end of the vegetation growing season (EOS), and then analyzed the response mechanisms of vegetation phenology to pre-seasonal air temperature (T), precipitation (P), and daytime and nighttime land surface temperatures (DLST, NLST) in the Qinghai Tibet Plateau on the basis of an investigation of the lag and cumulative effects. The results showed that: (1) the multiyear mean values of the SOS mainly occurred from 120 to 160 days, accounting for 86.17% of the study area, while the multiyear mean values of the EOS were mainly concentrated between 260 and 280 days, accounting for 77.05% of the study area; (2) air temperature (T), precipitation (P), and daytime and nighttime land surface temperatures (DLST, NLST) had different degrees of lagging effects on the SOS and the EOS. Among them, the time lag effect of precipitation on vegetation phenology was more pronounced; (3) different climatic variables had distinct cumulative effects on vegetation phenology. In contrast to the insignificant cumulative effects of temperature and nighttime surface temperature on the SOS and the EOS, the cumulative effects of precipitation and daytime land surface temperature on the SOS were more pronounced than those on the EOS; (4) the SOS and air temperature, precipitation, and NLST were mainly negatively correlated, in which the proportion of the negative correlation between SOS and NLST was up to 68.80%, and SOS and DLST were mainly positively correlated with a positive correlation proportion of 73.27%, EOS and air temperature, precipitation, and NLST were positively correlated with a positive correlation proportion of EOS and precipitation of up to 71.52%, and EOS and DLST were mainly negatively correlated with a negative correlation ratio of 55.87%.

Influence of water color and catchment lake cover on stream macroinvertebrate communities: Ecological insights into browning effects

Browning of streams due to increased export of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and iron has been observed in vast areas of the northern hemisphere with likely adverse ecological effects. Lake basins in stream catchments can moderate DOC export and influence stream communities, which complicates understanding of the effects of DOC. In this study, we explored the independent and interactive effects of water color (proxy for DOC and iron) and catchment lake cover on benthic macroinvertebrate communities in 94 medium-sized boreal forest streams. We first investigated the role of lake basins and other catchment characteristics in controlling water color. We then studied the effects of water color and catchment lake cover on macroinvertebrate community composition, biodiversity, and functional feeding traits. Water color correlated negatively with catchment lake cover, whereas the correlation with peatland cover and drainage intensity was positive. PERMANOVA and GLS analyses indicated that both color and catchment lake cover had a distinct independent effect on invertebrate community composition and community attributes, without significant interactions. Color had an independent negative effect on EPT (Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, Trichoptera) taxa richness irrespective of lake cover. Increasing water color had negative effect on relative abundance of grazer, but no significant effect on shredder trait, while lake cover had a negative effect on both of the traits. Lake cover exhibited a negative influence on collector-gatherers, and a positive effect on filter feeders, while the predators were positively affected by both factors. The results highlight that water color influences the community structure of boreal stream ecosystems, and the effects are similar regardless of catchment lake cover. Mitigation measures should be emphasized, aimed at reducing DOC and iron runoff, in land use planning and river basin management.

Unraveling the relationship between plant species and physicochemical properties on rhizosphere and rhizoplane fungal communities in alpine wet meadows

BackgroundWet meadows, a type of wetland, are impacted by significant climate fluctuation and human activity, impacting soil microorganisms that play an essential role in ecosystem processes. Understanding the underlying ecological mechanisms and processes of wet meadows depends on the fungal communities associated with the plant roots. We used Illumina MiSeq profiling for amplicon sequencing to determine how environmental factors and elevation affect the fungal communities of the rhizosphere and rhizoplane related to three plant species, Cremanthodium ellisii, Cremanthodium lineare, and Caltha scaposa, in alpine wet meadows.ResultsThe phyla Ascomycota and Basidiomycota dominated the rhizosphere (54.5% and 20.9%) and rhizoplane (51.6% and 36.4%), while the predominant fungal genera in the rhizosphere and rhizoplane were Unclassified fungi, Unclassified Ascomycota, Pseudeurotium, Tetracladium, Vishniacozyma, Rhodotorula, Cadophora, and Penicillium. Mantel test and network analysis revealed that the soil water content (SWC), soil organic carbon (SOC), and total nitrogen (TN) were the primary drivers of fungal communities. However, the influence of microbial biomass C (MBC), pH, microbial biomass N (MBN), and elevation varied. Stochastic assembly processes were dominant in both rhizosphere and rhizoplane fungal communities. FUNGuild functional prediction revealed site-specific variation in the trophic level and guild of plant-root-associated fungal communities. The rhizosphere contained 58.5% saprotrophs, 11.7% pathotrophs, and 12.6% symbiotrophs. In addition, 60.4% of the observed OTUs were arbuscular mycorrhizae, 13.2% were endophytes, 20.9% were ectomycorrhizae, and 1.09% were orchid mycorrhizae. The rhizoplane comprised 51.3% of OTUs linked with saprotrophs, 13.9% with pathotrophs, and 7.92% with symbiotrophs. Moreover, 36.1% of OTUs represented arbuscular mycorrhizae, 25.0% were endophytes, 30.6% were ectomycorrhizae, and 2.77% were ascribed to orchid mycorrhizae in the rhizoplane. The abundance of saprotrophs and pathotrophs in the rhizosphere was highest in C. ellisii at SI and SIII, while symbiotrophs were highest in C. lineare at SIII. Similar variations among the plant species and sites were observed in the fungal functional groups (guilds).ConclusionsIt was concluded that although root compartments significantly influenced the fungal communities in the rhizosphere and rhizoplane, environmental factors and plant types exhibited distinct effects. This study explains how physicochemical properties, plant species, and sites can alter the overall structure and functional repertoire of fungal communities in alpine wet meadows.Graphical

9S1R nullomer peptide induces mitochondrial pathology, metabolic suppression, and enhanced immune cell infiltration, in triple-negative breast cancer mouse model

Nullomers are the shortest strings of absent amino acid (aa) sequences in a species or group of species. Primes are those nullomers that have not been detected in the genome of any species. 9S1R is a 5-aa peptide prime sequence attached to 5-arginine aa, used to treat triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) in an in vivo mouse model. This unique peptide, administered with a trehalose carrier (9S1R-NulloPT), offers enhanced solubility and exhibits distinct anti-cancer effects against TNBC. In our study, we investigated the effect of 9S1R-NulloPT on tumor growth, metabolism, metastatic burden, tumor immune-microenvironment (TME), and transcriptome of aggressive mouse TNBC tumors. Notably, treated mice had smaller tumors in the initial phase of the treatment, as compared to untreated control, and diminished in vivo and ex vivo bioluminescence at later-stages - indicative of metabolically quiescent, dying tumors. The treatment also caused changes in TME with increased infiltration of immune cells and altered tumor transcriptome, with 365 upregulated genes and 710 downregulated genes. Consistent with in vitro data, downregulated genes were enriched in cellular metabolic processes (179), specifically mitochondrial TCA cycle/oxidative phosphorylation (44), and translation machinery/ribosome biogenesis (45). The upregulated genes were associated with the developmental (13), ECM organization (12) and focal adhesion pathways (7). In conclusion, our study demonstrates that 9S1R-NulloPT effectively reduced tumor growth during its initial phase, altering the TME and tumor transcriptome. The treatment induced mitochondrial pathology which led to a metabolic deceleration in tumors, aligning with in vitro observations.