Natural Ability Research Articles

Using AI Prompt Engineering to Improve Gifted Students’ Questioning

As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes more integrated into education, the ability to craft precise prompts, or “prompt engineering,” takes on new importance. Gifted students, with their natural creativity, analytical skills, and ability to connect ideas across disciplines, are well-positioned to excel in prompt engineering. Through specific questioning and follow-up prompts, gifted learners can deepen their engagement with AI, improving the quality and relevance of AI-generated responses. The introduction of models like CRAFT and strategies such as prompt chaining and flipped interaction patterns empower students to optimize their AI interactions, thus enhancing both their learning and problem-solving capabilities.

Engineering a vanillate-producing strain of Pseudomonas sp. NGC7 corresponding to aromatic compounds derived from the continuous catalytic alkaline oxidation of sulfite lignin

IntroductionLignin is a promising resource for obtaining aromatic materials, however, its heterogeneous structure poses a challenge for effective utilization. One approach to produce homogeneous aromatic materials from lignin involves the application of microbial catabolism, which is gaining attention. This current study focused on constructing a catabolic pathway in Pseudomonas sp. NGC7 to produce vanillate (VA) from aromatic compounds derived from the chemical depolymerization of sulfite lignin.ResultsAlkaline oxidation of sulfite lignin was performed using a hydroxide nanorod copper foam [Cu(OH)2/CF]-equipped flow reactor. The flow reactor operated continuously for 50 h without clogging and it yielded a sulfite lignin stream containing acetovanillone (AV), vanillin (VN), and VA as the major aromatic monomers. The catabolic pathway of Pseudomonas sp. NGC7 was optimized to maximize VA production from aromatic monomers in the sulfite lignin stream derived from this oxidation process. Pseudomonas sp. NGC7 possesses four gene sets for vanillate O-demethylase, comprising the oxygenase component (vanA) and its oxidoreductase component (vanB). Among these, the vanA4B4 gene set was identified as the key contributor to VA catabolism. To facilitate the conversion of AV to VA, AV-converting enzyme genes from Sphingobium lignivorans SYK-6 were introduced. The ΔvanA4B4 strain, harboring these AV-converting genes, produced VA from the sulfite lignin stream with 91 mol%. Further disruption of vanA1B1, vanA2B2, vanA3B3, and a vanillin reductase gene, in addition to vanA4B4, and introduction of a 5-carboxyvanillate decarboxylase gene from S. lignivorans SYK-6 to utilize 5-carboxyvanillin and 5-carboxyvanillate from the sulfite lignin stream for VA production achieved a VA yield of 103 mol%.ConclusionDeveloping methods to overcome lignin heterogeneity is essential for its use as a raw material. Consolidating continuous alkaline oxidation of lignin in a Cu(OH)2/CF-packed flow reactor and biological funneling using an engineered catabolic pathway of Pseudomonas sp. NGC7 is a promising approach to produce VA for aromatic materials synthesis. NGC7 possesses a higher adaptability to various aromatic compounds generated from the alkaline oxidation of lignin and its natural ability to grow on p-hydroxyphenyl, guaiacyl, and syringyl compounds underscores its potential as a bacterial chassis for VA production from a wide range of lignin-derived aromatic compounds.Graphical

Death detector: Using vultures as sentinels to detect carcasses by combining bio‐logging and machine learning

Abstract Bio‐logging technologies allow scientists to remotely monitor animal behaviour and the environment. In this study, we used the combination of natural abilities of African white‐backed vultures Gyps africanus and state‐of‐the‐art bio‐logging technology for detecting and locating carcasses in a vast landscape. We used data from two captive and 27 wild vultures to create a reference data set for the training of a support vector machine to distinguish between six behaviour classes based on acceleration data. Next, we combined the classified behaviour of the initial 27 and 7 additional vultures with GPS data and used the ‘Density‐Based Spatial Clustering of Applications with Noise’ algorithm to cluster all GPS data to get a position of potential feeding locations. Finally, we used the clustered data set to train a Random Forest algorithm to distinguish between clusters with and without a carcass. The behaviour classifier was trained on 14,682 samples for all behaviour classes, which were classified with a high performance (overall precision: 0.95, recall: 0.89). This enabled a ground team to examine 1900 clusters between May 2022 and March 2023 in the field, 580 linked to a carcass and 1320 without a carcass. The cluster classifier trained on this data set was able to correctly distinguish between carcass and no carcass clusters with high performance (overall precision: 0.92, recall: 0.89). Synthesis and applications. We showed that a carcass detection system using vultures, loggers and artificial intelligence (AI) can be used to monitor the mortality of numerous species in a vast landscape. This method has broad applications, such as studying the feeding ecology of vultures, detecting and monitoring of disease outbreaks, environmental poisoning or illegal killing of wildlife. Similar to vultures and carcasses, our methodological framework can be applied to other species to locate their respective food resources. It could also be applied to other types of resources like temporary water sources, roosting sites and to other behaviours such as marking to locate marking sites.

The use of spent mushroom substrate as biologically pretreated wood and its fibrillation

Utilization of biomass and reuse of industrial by-products and their sustainable and resource-efficient development into products that are inherently non-toxic is important to reduce the use of hazardous substances in the design, manufacture and application of biomaterials. The hypothesis in this study is that spent mushroom substrate (SMS), a by-product from mushroom production, has already undergone a biological pretreatment and thus, can be used directly as a starting material for fibrillation into value-added and functional biomaterial, without the use of toxic substances. The study show that SMS can be effectively fibrillated at a very high concentration of 6.5 wt % into fibrils using an energy demand of only 1.7 kWh kg−1, compared to commercial and chemically pretreated wood pulp at 8 kWh kg−1, under same processing conditions. SMS is a promising resource for fibrillation with natural antioxidant activity and network formation ability, which are of interest to explore further in applications such as packaging. The study shows that biological pretreatment can offer lower environmental impact related to toxic substances emitted to the environment and thus contribute to reduced impacts on categories such as water organisms, human health, terrestrial organisms, and terrestrial plants compared to chemical pretreatments.

Nanoparticles Combining Host‐Directed Therapeutics and Antibiotics to Boost Bacterial Killing and Overall Survival of Zebrafish Embryos Infected with Mycobacterium Marinum

AbstractThe bacterial pathogen, Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), remains a leading cause of global morbidity and mortality. Due to the complexity of the infection, the limited efficacy of antibiotics, and the increasing incidence of multi‐drug resistant strains, novel therapeutics are urgently needed. An interesting new approach is to combine antibiotics with treatments that boost the natural ability of host cells to kill the bacteria, so‐called host‐directed therapeutics (HDT). Until now, this approach has not been explored in the context of nanoparticle drug delivery, which may offer several advantages. Here, the HDT drug everolimus and the antibiotic ((S)‐2‐nitro‐6‐((5‐((4‐(trifluoromethoxy)phenyl)ethynyl)pyridin‐2‐yl)methoxy)‐6,7‐dihydro‐5H‐imidazo[2,1‐b][1,3]oxazine, drug D) are focused on. Both of these agents, drug D and everolimus, are encapsulated into one single micelle (PeptoMicelles), resulting in formulation C, and compared with micelles containing only drug D (formulation A) or everolimus (formulation B). They are tested in Mtb‐infected primary macrophages and THP‐1 cells, and in the zebrafish model for TB (Mm infection) using embryo survival analysis. The results show that formulation C, containing drug D and everolimus in one micelle, is significantly more efficient in protecting cells and zebrafish embryos against infection than all other formulations, indicating an improved therapeutic efficacy of HDTs and antibiotics in a single polymeric micelle.

LGSur‐Net: A Local Gaussian Surface Representation Network for Upsampling Highly Sparse Point Cloud

AbstractWe introduce LGSur‐Net, an end‐to‐end deep learning architecture, engineered for the upsampling of sparse point clouds. LGSur‐Net harnesses a trainable Gaussian local representation by positioning a series of Gaussian functions on an oriented plane, complemented by the optimization of individual covariance matrices. The integration of parametric factors allows for the encoding of the plane's rotational dynamics and Gaussian weightings into a linear transformation matrix. Then we extract the feature maps from the point cloud and its adjoining edges and learn the local Gaussian depictions to accurately model the shape's local geometry through an attention‐based network. The Gaussian representation's inherent high‐order continuity endows LGSur‐Net with the natural ability to predict surface normals and support upsampling to any specified resolution. Comprehensive experiments validate that LGSur‐Net efficiently learns from sparse data inputs, surpassing the performance of existing state‐of‐the‐art upsampling methods. Our code is publicly available at https://github.com/Rangiant5b72/LGSur-Net.

Unraveling Whole-Genome Sequence and Functional Characterization of P. megaterium PH3.

Priestia megaterium (P. megaterium PH3) is an endophytic bacterium isolated from peanuts. It has natural resveratrol production ability and shows potential application value. This study analyzed its genetic function and metabolic mechanism through whole-genome sequencing and found that the genome size is 5,960,365 bp, the GC content is 37.62%, and 6132 genes are annotated. Functional analysis showed that this strain contained 149 carbohydrate active enzyme genes, 7 secondary metabolite synthesis gene clusters, 509 virulence genes, and 273 drug-resistance genes. At the same time, this strain has the ability to regulate salt stress, low temperature, and hypoxia. Genomic analysis reveals a stilbene-synthase-containing type III polyketide synthase gene cluster that contributes to resveratrol synthesis. A safety assessment showed that the strain is non-hemolytic, does not produce amino acid decarboxylase, and is not resistant to multiple antibiotics. In the mouse model, P. megaterium PH3 did not have significant effects on body weight, behavior, or physiological indicators. These results provide important basic data and theoretical support for its industrial application and the research and development of plant protection agents.

Camel milk-derived exosomes as novel nanocarriers for curcumin delivery in lung cancer

Cancer remains a leading cause of mortality, with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) being a primary contributor to cancer-related deaths. Traditional treatment strategies such as chemotherapy, radiation, and hormone therapy often present challenges, including severe side effects, drug resistance, and toxicity. Recent advancements in nanotechnology aim to enhance the effectiveness of cancer therapies by targeting drugs selectively and specifically to tumor cells. Among these innovations, exosomes, or small extracellular vesicles (EVs), have emerged as promising carriers for drug delivery due to their natural origin and ability to encapsulate both small molecules and biologics. This study explores the use of exosomes derived from camel milk in Hail, Saudi Arabia, as a vehicle for delivering curcumin (CUR), a polyphenol with known chemopreventive properties but limited bioavailability. Camel milk was processed to isolate exosomes through differential centrifugation, followed by characterization using dynamic light scattering, zeta potential measurements, and Western blot analysis to confirm exosomal markers. The encapsulation of CUR into camel milk-derived exosomes demonstrated a 20% loading efficiency as analyzed by UPLC. In vitro antiproliferative assays revealed that the exosomal formulation of CUR (ExoCUR) significantly enhanced cytotoxicity against drug -sensitive (A549) and taxol-resistant (A549TR) lung cancer cells compared to free CUR. Molecular docking studies and molecular dynamics simulations indicated that CUR has a strong binding affinity for the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), comparable to the established drug gefitinib. Furthermore, CUR effectively downregulated EGFR and STAT3 expression in cancer cells, suggesting its potential to disrupt key signaling pathways involved in tumor progression. Our findings highlight the potential of camel milk-derived exosomes as an effective and biocompatible delivery system for CUR, offering a promising strategy to overcome the limitations of current cancer therapies and enhance the therapeutic efficacy of chemopreventive agents.

Automated and closed clinical-grade manufacturing protocol produces potent NK cells against neuroblastoma cells and AML blasts

Natural killer (NK) cells are a promising allogeneic immunotherapy option due to their natural ability to kill tumor cells, and due to their apparent safety. This study describes the development of a GMP-compliant manufacturing protocol for the local production of functionally potent NK cells tailored for high-risk acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and neuroblastoma (NBL) patients. Moreover, the quality control strategy and considerations for product batch specifications in early clinical development are described. The protocol is based on the CliniMACS Prodigy platform and Natural Killer Cell Transduction (NKCT) (Miltenyi Biotec). NK cells are isolated from leukapheresis through CD3 depletion and CD56 enrichment, followed by a 12-hour activation with IL-2 and IL-15 cytokines. Three CliniMACS Prodigy processes demonstrated the feasibility and consistency of the modified NKCT process. A three-step process without expansion, however, compromised the NK cell yield. T cells were depleted effectively, indicating excellent safety of the product. Characterization of the NK cells before and after cytokine activation revealed a notable increase in the expression of activation markers, particularly CD69, consistent with enhanced functionality. Intriguingly, the NK cells exhibited increased killing efficacy against patient-derived CD33 + AML blasts and NBL cells in vitro, suggesting a potential therapeutic benefit in AML and NBL.

Production, Optimization, and Characterization of Bio-cellulose Produced from Komagataeibacter (Acetobacter aceti MTCC 3347) Usage of Food Sources as Media.

Bio-cellulose is a type of cellulose that is produced by some particular group of bacteria, for example, Komagataeibacter (previously known as Acetobacter), due to their natural ability to synthesize exopolysaccharide as a byproduct. Gluconacetobacter xylinus is mostly employed for the production of bio-cellulose throughout the world. Therefore, exploring other commonly available strains, such as Komagataeibacter aceti (Acetobacter aceti), is needed for cellulose production. Bio-cellulose is one of the most reliable biomaterials in the limelight because it is highly pure, crystalline, and biocompatible. Hence, it is necessary to enhance the industrial manufacturing of bio-cellulose with low costs. Different media such as fruit waste, milk whey, coconut water, sugarcane juice, mannitol broth, and H&S (Hestrin and Schramm's) broth were utilized as a medium for culture growth. Other factors like temperature, pH, and time were also optimized to achieve the highest yield of bio-cellulose. Moreover, after the synthesis of biocellulose, its physicochemical and structural properties were evaluated. The results depicted that the highest yield of bio-cellulose (45.735 mg/mL) was found at 30 °C, pH 5, and on the 7th day of incubation. Though every culture media experimented with synthesized bio-cellulose, the maximum production (90.25 mg/mL) was reported in fruit waste media. The results also indicated that bio-cellulose has high water-holding capacity and moisture content. XRD results showed that bio-cellulose is highly crystalline in nature (54.825% crystallinity). SEM micrograph demonstrated that bio-cellulose exhibited rod-shaped, highly porous fibers. The FTIR results demonstrated characteristic and broad peaks for O-H at 3336.25 cm-1, which indicated strong O-H bonding. The thermal tests, such as DSC and TGA, indicated that bio-cellulose is a thermally stable material that can withstand temperatures even beyond 500 °C. The findings demonstrated that the peel of fruits could be utilized as a substrate for synthesizing bio-cellulose by a rather cheap and easily available strain, Komagataeibacter (Acetobacter aceti MTCC 3347). This alternative culture media reduces environmental pollution, promotes economic advantages, and initiates research on sustainable science.

Menjadi Sahabat Sejati Teladan Kemartiran dari Santo Maximiliam Kolbe

Modern human life is characterized by the centrality of the individual. The negative effect is that human attitudes tend to be individualistic or egoistic, which can erode the solidarity and altruist spirit of people who want to be friends for others. Thus, the challenge to become a true friend is self-sacrifice. This paper aims to show as an example that there are still people who dare to sacrifice for others. From his spirit people can learn and take inspiration. This research intends to answer the question of whether there are still people in this modern world who can be used as examples of true friends. The author uses a historical approach and theological reflection, as well as a qualitative method of literature study. The results of this study show that being a friend is not a gift from birth, but a natural ability that can be cultivated and learned, as well as a supernatural power that can be invoked in commitment and spiritual fervor.

Natural Self-Purification of Creek Ecosystems: The Role of Foam Formation in Pollutant Absorption and Microbial Decomposition

<p style="text-align:justify;text-indent:36.0pt;"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;" lang="EN">This study investigates the natural self-purification ability of a creek through the process of froth formation. The research focuses on the creek's capacity to clean itself by capturing and removing pollutants naturally. The problem addressed is the accumulation of organic and inorganic contaminants in the water, which poses a threat to the aquatic ecosystem. The proposed solution explores how naturally formed froth can act as an effective mechanism for trapping and eliminating a wide range of pollutants. The froth formation is driven by biological processes, including the decomposition of organic matter by fungi, bacteria, Archaea, Algae, Virsus, Protozoa and animal parasites. These processes release biological surfactants and biogas microbubbles, which, combined with dissolved air and pollutants, lead to the creation of froth enriched with contaminants. The findings confirm that the creek has a natural ability to purify itself, as the froth effectively absorbs and collects dissolved pollutants. This process reduces the organic load in the water, thereby improving water quality. The study demonstrates that froth formation is a vital subprocess in the self-purification of river ecosystems, particularly through microbial decomposition of organic material. This natural mechanism supports water treatment by enhancing the removal of contaminants. The research validates the hypothesis that the creek's froth formation plays a significant role in its self-cleaning process, offering insights into the potential for natural water purification methods.</span></p>

Preparation and Characterization of Hydrophobin 4-Coated Liposomes for Doxorubicin Delivery to Cancer Cells.

Background: The properties of nanoparticle surfaces are crucial in influencing their interaction with biological environments, as well as their stability, biocompatibility, targeting abilities, and cellular uptake. Hydrophobin 4 (HFB4) is a class II HFB protein produced by filamentous fungi that has a natural ability to self-assemble at hydrophobic-hydrophilic interfaces. The biocompatible, non-toxic, biodegradable, and amphipathic properties of HFB4 render it valuable for improving the solubility and bioavailability of hydrophobic drugs. We have investigated the physicochemical properties, cellular uptake, and anticancer effects of empty and Doxorubicin (Dox)-loaded HFB4 liposomes (HFB4L) and compared them to those of PEGylated liposomes (PPL). Methods: The Pichia pastoris KM71H strain was used for HFB4 purification. Liposomes were prepared through the thin film hydration method and characterized. The cytotoxic effects of free Dox, Dox-HFB4, and Dox-PPL were assessed in MCF7 cells using the SRB Assay. Results: All formulations showed good size homogeneity and a spherical shape. The HFB4 coating enhanced the physicochemical stability of Dox-HFB4L over 60 days at 4 °C without significantly affecting Dox release from HFB4L. It increased Dox release at pH 5.4 compared to pH 7.4, indicating higher delivery of drugs into acidic tumor environments, similar to Dox-PPL. While both formulations showed increased cellular uptake compared to free Dox, they exhibited a lower anticancer effect due to the sustained release of Dox. Notably, Dox-HFB4L displayed greater cytotoxicity than Dox-PPL in MCF7 cells. Conclusions: HFB4L may offer superior benefits in terms of delivering drugs to an acidic tumor environment in a stable, non-toxic, and sustained manner.

Inflammation-Targeted Biomimetic Nano-Decoys via Inhibiting the Infiltration of Immune Cells and Effectively Delivering Glucocorticoids for Enhanced Multiple Sclerosis Treatment.

Excessive infiltration of neutrophil and inflammatory cytokines accumulation as well as the inadequate delivery of drugs to the targeted site are key pathological cascades in multiple sclerosis (MS). Herein, inflammation-targeting biomimetic nano-decoys (TFMN) is developed that inhibit the infiltration of immune cells and effectively deliver glucocorticoids to lesions for enhanced MS treatment. Nano-decoys encapsulated with the glucocorticoid methylprednisolone (MPS) are prepared by coating neutrophil membrane (NM) on nanoparticles formed by the self-assembly of tannic acid and poloxamer188/pluronic68. Benefiting from the natural inflammation-targeting ability of activated neutrophil membranes, TFMN can target the lesion site and prevent neutrophils infiltration by adsorbing and neutralizing elevated neutrophil-related cytokines, subsequently modulating the inflammatory microenvironment in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis mice. TFMN exhibits a strong antioxidant capacity and scavenged excessive reactive oxygen species to enhance neuronal protection. Furthermore, at the inflammation site, perforin, discharged by cytotoxic T-lymphocytes, triggered the controlled release of MPS within the TFMN through perforin-formed pores in the NM. Simultaneously, this mechanism protected neurons from perforin-induced toxicity. The MPS liberated at the targeted site achieves optimal drug accumulation, thereby enhancing therapeutic efficacy. In conclusion, the innovative system shows potential for integrating various therapeutic agents, offering a novel strategy for CNS disorders.

Myricetin inhibits CYP3A4, GST, and MRP1 in hepatic cancer cells

AbstractHerbal and nutritional supplements are widely used to prevent and treat many diseases, including cancer. Tumor cells modify metabolic enzyme systems like CYP3A4 and GST. They also overexpress MRP1, an ATP-binding cassette transporter subfamily G (ABCG2) member. Drug efflux may increase, reducing tumor cell drug accumulation and developing drug resistance that leads to significant obstacles in cancer care. Natural products' ability to overcome cancer's multidrug resistance is interesting. Their ability to affect several targets makes them valuable in addressing drug resistance from diverse approaches. The potential of natural flavonoid; Myricetin (MYR) to modulate CYP3A4, GST, and MRP1 activity and expression in hepatic cancer cells was evaluated to prove its targeting and preventing these pathways of multidrug resistance. The cell proliferation of MYR was determined using an MTT assay. Specific enzyme assays, efflux assay, and gene expression using RT-PCR were used to evaluate MYR effect in hepatic cell lines HepG-2 and Huh-7. MYR has a noteworthy cytotoxic effect compared to doxorubicin (DOX) with IC50 > 100 μM in HepG-2 and Huh-7 cells. MYR showed potent inhibition of CYP3A4 and GST enzyme activity and MRP1 efflux function and downregulated their gene expression in a dose-dependent manner in both cells. MYR100 dose was the most significant effective dose. MRY100 decreased CYP3A4 activity by 67.5% (P < 0.05) and 55% (P < 0.01) and downregulated the gene by 0.2-fold (P < 0.001) and 0.3-fold (P < 0.001) in HepG-2 and Hub-7 cells, respectively. After treatment with MRY100, GST activity decreased significantly in both cells, reaching 47.6% (P < 0.001) and 33.2% and GST gene downregulation was 0.12 and 0.21-fold (P < 0.001). MRY100 inhibited MRP1 efflux pump 2.3 times (P < 0.001) and 1.9 times (P < 0.001) more effectively than PC, resulting in a 0.23-fold and 0.12-fold downregulation of MRP1 genes in HepG-2 and Hub-7 cells. The result will validate the use of MYR to interact with the metabolism phases and could be used as adjuvant therapy in cancer prevention and treatment approaches.

Bacterial outer membrane vesicles-clothed nanoparticles delivered by live macrophages for potentiating antitumor photoimmunotherapy

Tumor-associated macrophage (TAM) plays an important role in tumor immune regulation. Reprogramming TAMs to reshape immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) is a promising antitumor strategy. Herein, imiquimod (R837) and black phosphorus quantum dots (BPQDs) are encapsulated in bacterial outer membrane vesicles (OMVs)-clothed liposomes to obtain RB@OL nanoparticles, which are further delivered by M1-type macrophages through phagocytic loading (RB-OL@M). Owing to the natural homing ability of macrophages to tumor sites, RB-OL@M actively targets cancerous region after intravenous injection. Meanwhile, upon laser irradiation, RB@OL is released from macrophages to exert combinational photoimmunotherapy due to the excellent phototherapeutic property of BPQDs and TAM regulating potential of R837. Benefiting from this versatile strategy, RB-OL@M effectively delays the growth of 4 T1 breast tumors and prevents the occurrence of their dreadful lung metastasis, largely prolonging the survival of 4 T1 tumor-bearing mice. Overall, this work offers a promising antitumor approach based on live cell-mediated multirole nanoplatform.

Molecular characterization of a novel putative pathogen, Streptococcus nakanoensis sp. nov., isolated from sputum culture.

The genus Streptococcus encompasses a wide range of bacteria with more than 60 species. Recently, there has been a notable increase in reports of novel species of α-Streptococcus based on genomic analysis data. However, limited information exists regarding the pathogenicity of these species. In this study, a quinolone-resistant α-hemolytic Streptococcus strain, MTG105, was isolated from a patient with pneumonia. Genetic analysis revealed that this species was a novel species closely related to S. pseudopneumoniae. In an infection assay using organotypic lung tissue models, MTG105 induced epithelial damage comparable to that caused by S. pneumoniae and S. pseudopneumoniae, strongly suggesting its potential as a pathogenic α-Streptococcus. The natural transformation abilities of Streptococcus species facilitate gene exchange within the same genus, leading to the emergence of species with increasingly diverse genome structures. Therefore, the identification of this species underscores the importance of monitoring the emergence of novel species exhibiting virulence and/or multidrug resistance.

Dense vegetation hinders sediment transport toward saltmarsh interiors

AbstractTo save saltmarshes and their valuable ecosystem services from sea level rise, it is crucial to understand their natural ability to gain elevation by sediment accretion. In that context, a widely accepted paradigm is that dense vegetation favors sediment accretion and hence saltmarsh resilience to sea level rise. Here, however, we reveal how dense vegetation can inhibit sediment accretion on saltmarsh platforms. Using a process‐based modeling approach to simulate biogeomorphic development of typical saltmarsh landscapes, we identify two key mechanisms by which vegetation hinders sediment transport from tidal channels toward saltmarsh interiors. First, vegetation concentrates tidal flow and sediment transport inside channels, reducing sediment supply to platforms. Second, vegetation enhances sediment deposition near channels, limiting sediment availability for platform interiors. Our findings suggest that the resilience of saltmarshes to sea level rise may be more limited than previously thought.

Current application of ChatGPT in undergraduate nuclear medicine education: Taking Chongqing Medical University as an example

Background Nuclear Medicine(NM), as an inherently interdisciplinary field, integrates diverse scientific principles and advanced imaging techniques. The advent of ChatGPT, a large language model, opens new avenues for medical educational innovation. With its advanced natural language processing abilities and complex algorithms, ChatGPT holds the potential to substantially enrich medical education, particularly in NM. Objective To investigate the current application of ChatGPT in undergraduate Nuclear Medicine Education(NME). Methods Employing a mixed-methods sequential explanatory design, the research investigates the current status of NME, the use of ChatGPT and the attitude towards ChatGPT among teachers and students in the Second Clinical College of Chongqing Medical University. Results The investigation yields several salient findings: (1) Students and educators in NM face numerous challenges in the learning process; (2) ChatGPT is found to possess significant applicability and potential benefits in NME; (3) There is a pronounced inclination among respondents to adopt ChatGPT, with a keen interest in its diverse applications within the educational sphere. Conclusion ChatGPT has been utilized to address the difficulties faced by undergraduates at Chongqing Medical University in NME, and has been applied in various aspects to assist learning. The findings of this survey may offer some insights into how ChatGPT can be integrated into practical medical education.

A Survey on Reinforcement Learning for Recommender Systems.

Recommender systems have been widely applied in different real-life scenarios to help us find useful information. In particular, reinforcement learning (RL)-based recommender systems have become an emerging research topic in recent years, owing to the interactive nature and autonomous learning ability. Empirical results show that RL-based recommendation methods often surpass supervised learning methods. Nevertheless, there are various challenges in applying RL in recommender systems. To understand the challenges and relevant solutions, there should be a reference for researchers and practitioners working on RL-based recommender systems. To this end, we first provide a thorough overview, comparisons, and summarization of RL approaches applied in four typical recommendation scenarios, including interactive recommendation, conversational recommendation, sequential recommendation, and explainable recommendation. Furthermore, we systematically analyze the challenges and relevant solutions on the basis of existing literature. Finally, under discussion for open issues of RL and its limitations of recommender systems, we highlight some potential research directions in this field.