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Subadult macaws (Ara glaucogularis) copy better than adults but are less likely to imitate in problem-solving tasks
No full textDampened inflammation and reduced risk of osteoarthritis among non-industrialized societies
No full textObjectives: Anthropological research suggests that people in non-industrialized societies (hunter-gatherers, subsistence farmers, pastoralists) are at lower risk of osteoarthritis than people in industrialized societies. Here, we propose that this may be due to people in non-industrialized societies having dampened inflammatory activity, a key factor in osteoarthritis pathogenesis. Design: This narrative review focuses on evidence that four environmental variables common among non-industrialized societies contribute to dampening inflammatory activity and thus potentially lowering OA risk: low levels of adiposity, high physical activity levels, diets consisting of minimally processed foods, and infections from helminths. Results: Although people in non-industrialized societies experience intermittent, pathogen-induced spikes in inflammation, they do not typically experience the chronic, low-grade pattern of inflammation implicated in osteoarthritis pathogenesis. Excess adipose tissue is well documented to be a potent source of pro-inflammatory mediators involved in osteoarthritis pathogenesis; thus, the rarity of obesity among non-industrialized societies is likely a major reason for any reduced osteoarthritis risk. Physical activity and diet among non-industrialized societies have the potential to curb inflammation and osteoarthritis through several mechanistic pathways, yet the relative importance of each pathway has yet to be fully resolved. A role for helminths in dampening inflammation and lowering OA risk is theoretically plausible but speculative based on current evidence. Conclusions: More research among non-industrialized societies will be required to rigorously investigate the links proposed here between industrialization, inflammation, and risk of osteoarthritis. Opportunities to do so are disappearing, as lifestyles among such societies are rapidly changing. © 2025 Osteoarthritis Research Society Internationa
Artificial Refractory Neuron Based on Cs2AgBiBr6 Nanoionic Memristor for Efficient Motion Information Processing
No full textBehavior change and infection induced immunity led to the decline of the 2022 Mpox outbreak in Berlin
No full textBackground: Mpox denotes a viral zoonosis caused by the Orthopoxvirus monkeypox (MPXV), which is endemic in West and Central Africa. In spring 2022, notable outbreaks of MPXV clade IIb were recorded in several high-income countries, predominantly affecting men who have sex with men (MSM). At the peak of the outbreak, over 200 new mpox cases per week were reported in Berlin, which constitutes one of the largest MSM population in Europe. Within the same year, the outbreak significantly declined, and it is unclear which factors contributed to this rapid decrease.Methods: To investigate the concomitant effects of sexual contact networks, transient contact reductions and the effect of infection- vs. vaccine-derived immunity on the 2022 mpox outbreak, we calibrated an agent-based model with epidemic, vaccination, contact- and behavioral data.Results: Our results indicate that vaccination has a marginal effect on the epidemic decline. Rather, a combination of infection-induced immunity of high-contact individuals, as well as transient behavior changes reduce the number of susceptible individuals below the epidemic threshold. However, the 2022 mpox vaccination campaign, together with infection-derived immunity may contribute to herd-immunity in the Berlin MSM population against ongoing clade I mpox outbreaks. Demographic changes and immune waning may deteriorate this herd immunity over time.Conclusions: These findings highlight that, in addition to vaccination, timely and clear communication of transmission routes may trigger spontaneous protective behavior within key populations; underscoring the importance of targeted sexual health education as a core component of outbreak response.<br
Bro1-Mediated Trafficking Couples TOR Signalling to Cellular Metabolism and Longevity
No full textAdaptation to nutrient availability requires coordination between growth control, metabolism, and intracellular trafficking. In eukaryotes, inhibition of Target of Rapamycin (TOR) signalling robustly promotes stress resistance and longevity, yet how reduced growth signalling is coupled to organelle dynamics and proteome remodelling remains unclear. Here, we identify the conserved ESCRT-associated protein Bro1 as a central integrator of TOR signalling, vacuolar trafficking, and metabolic adaptation. Using fission yeast, we show that Bro1 is required for normal lifespan and for the global proteomic reprogramming that accompanies TOR inhibition. In Bro1 mutant cells, repression of ribosome biogenesis is uncoupled from activation of catabolic, vacuolar, and metabolic pathways, resulting in an altered metabolic state characterised by elevated lipid metabolism and increased abundance of nutrient transporters.Mechanistically, Bro1 promotes TOR-dependent cargo deubiquitination, vacuolar trafficking, and turnover of plasma membrane hexose transporters and enables appropriate nuclear relocalisation of the transcriptional repressor Scr1. In the absence of Bro1, nutrient transporters persist at the cell surface despite TOR inhibition, conferring resistance to TOR inhibitors while impairing stress responses and reducing lifespan. Together, our findings establish Bro1 as a key coordinator linking ESCRT-mediated endosomal-vacuolar trafficking to TOR-dependent metabolic control. By coupling growth suppression to enhanced recycling and cellular maintenance, Bro1 enables the transition from growth to longevity-promoting states, revealing a mechanism connecting intracellular trafficking, metabolism, and ageing
Single-Cell RNA Sequencing Reveals Impaired Regulatory T Cell Function and a Pro-inflammatory Th17 Profile in Systemic Sclerosis
No full textAbstractObjective: Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a complex autoimmune diseasecharacterized by immune dysregulation, fibrosis, and vascular abnormalities. Thisstudy introduces a novel single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) approach tocomprehensively profile the CD4+ T cell subpopulations in SSc patients, offeringunprecedented insights into the cellular and molecular underpinnings of the disease.Methods: We employed scRNA-seq to analyze over 80,000 CD4+ T cells from 8SSc patients and 8 healthy controls, identifying significant alterations in thecomposition and gene expression profiles of several T CD4+ cell subsets.Results: Key findings include the overexpression of FCRL3 in regulatory T cells(Tregs), which suggests a reduced suppressive function in SSc, contributing to thedisease’s immune imbalance. Additionally, we identified a pro-inflammatory andglucocorticoid-resistant profile in Th17 lymphocytes, marked by the overexpressionof MDR1, reinforcing the chronic inflammatory state in SSc. A marked reduction inAREG+ naive T cells, crucial for Treg function, further indicates compromisedimmune regulation. We also observed an increased population of highly activatedTh2 cells highlighting the pro-inflammatory environment in SSc. Moreover, significantclonal expansion in central memory T cells was noted, but no significant biases inV(D)J gene usage or epitope recognition were detected between SSc patients andcontrols.Conclusion: Our findings advance the understanding of SSc pathogenesis byrevealing specific immune dysregulations at a single-cell level, particularly impairedTreg function and a skewed Th17 and Th2 response. These insights could pave theway for targeted therapeutic strategies, representing a significant step forward inautoimmune disease research
A model-independent measurement of the CKM angle γ in the decays B<sup>±</sup> → [K<sup>+</sup>K<sup>−</sup>π<sup>+</sup>π<sup>−</sup>]Dh<sup>±</sup> and B<sup>±</sup> → [π<sup>+</sup>π<sup>−</sup>π<sup>+</sup>π<sup>−</sup>]Dh<sup>±</sup> (h = K, π)
No full textA model-independent determination of the CKM angle γ is presented, using the B± → [K+K−π+π−]Dh± and B± → [π+π−π+π−]Dh± decays, with h = K, π. This measurement is the first phase-space binned study of these decay modes, and uses a sample of proton-proton collision data collected by the LHCb experiment, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 9 fb−1. The phase-space bins are optimised for sensitivity to γ, and in each bin external inputs from the BESIII experiment are used to constrain the charm strong-phase parameters. The result of this binned analysis is γ = (53.9−8.9+9.5)°, where the uncertainty includes both statistical and systematic contributions. Furthermore, when combining with existing phase-space integrated measurements of the same decay modes, a value of γ = (52.6−6.4+8.5)° is obtained, which is one of the most precise determinations of γ to date
Journal of Bacteriology
No full textFree-living soil bacteria can exist in two main states: planktonic, as motile single cells, or sessile, within biofilms. In biofilms, bacterial cells are embedded in an extracellular matrix that provides protection from environmental stresses and enhances long-term survival. The transition from planktonic to biofilm states sometimes involves surface sensing and attachment, processes commonly mediated by flagella and pili. In this study, we investigated the role of Type IVc Tad pili in surface sensing, adhesion, and biofilm formation in Bradyrhizobium diazoefficiens, a nitrogen-fixing symbiont of soybean. Bioinformatic analyses revealed that Tad pili are widely distributed and highly conserved within the Bradyrhizobium genus. While pili deletion in other model organisms typically reduces biofilm formation, we found that deletion of the most conserved genomic cluster encoding Tad pili in B. diazoefficiens led to increased adhesion to abiotic surfaces and impaired motility—indicative of a physiological shift toward a biofilm-associated state. These findings suggest that Tad pili may play a sensory or regulatory role, potentially influencing cell-cell or cell-matrix interactions. Furthermore, we identified a link between Tad pili and intracellular c-di-GMP levels. Together, these results highlight the critical role of Tad pili in the physiology of B. diazoefficiens and offer new insights into bacterial surface adaptation, with potential applications in agriculture and biotechnology. Understanding these mechanisms is essential for improving biofilm management strategies and developing new approaches to enhance bacterial survival in soil and inoculant formulations, ultimately optimizing legume symbiosis.IMPORTANCEBiofilm formation is essential for bacterial survival in soil environments. In this study, we investigated the role of Tad pili in the biofilm-forming capacity of Bradyrhizobium diazoefficiens and their connection to the second messenger c-di-GMP, a key regulator of the transition between planktonic and sessile states. Bacteria used in agricultural inoculants are typically in the planktonic state, yet survival and persistence are optimized in the sessile state. Our findings may contribute to the development of strategies that promote the transition to the biofilm lifestyle in inoculant formulations, thereby enhancing bacterial viability in storage and soil and improving symbiotic performance with host plants
Effects of speech periodicity and speech rate on auditory-motor coupling during speech comprehension
No full textAccording to neural oscillatory accounts, periodicity at the syllabic scale enhances speech comprehension through theta brain rhythms. Natural speech, however, is not strictly periodic and stronger periodicity, such as under conditions of fast speech, may hinder comprehension. Using magnetoencephalography, we investigate how natural variation in syllabic-level periodicity affects comprehension and auditory-motor coupling in brain areas related to temporal speech processing. We model speech periodicity and rate independently. Theta-band phase coupling between the posterior superior temporal gyrus (pSTG) and speech motor areas is assessed using Gaussian-Copula Mutual Information (GCMI). We find that faster syllabic rates and lower periodicity are associated with stronger coupling between the pSTG and inferior precentral gyrus, but also inferior frontal gyrus and supplementary motor areas. Comprehension improves with lower periodicity and declines at faster rates. The syllabic rate and periodicity moderate the coupling-comprehension relationship, possibly reflecting a complex interplay of lower-level auditory processing and higher-level prediction from the speech motor cortices. These findings suggest a sweet spot for natural, less periodic speech rhythms that support optimal processing and emphasize the necessity to investigate natural speech