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Salt diapirs as an architect of Neoproterozoic stromatolite platform reefs
No full textDuring the Precambrian, stromatolite reefs played an essential role in the evolution of Earth’s climate and life systems. Many Precambrian basins contain salt-influenced stratigraphy, yet the potential for salt diapirism to create depositional environments that allow carbonate reefs and platforms to develop has not previously been described. Our study presents outcrop evidence that Neoproterozoic diapirism enabled the formation of a carbonate platform within the Cryogenian Umberatana Group of the Adelaide Rift Complex in South Australia, where a series of stromatolite reefs were deposited across 6 km above the Enorama Diapir. Deposition occurred primarily in a mixed siliciclastic-carbonate shallow marine system characterized by eight lithofacies and four facies associations that are unconformably bound by one sequence stratigraphic lowstand systems tract, transgressive surface, and an overlying transgressive systems tract. The sequence stratigraphy is interpreted to represent parasequence hook and wedge halokinetic sequences that stack to form higher-order tabular and tapered composite halokinetic sequences bound by halokinetic sequence boundaries. The halokinetic sequence boundaries are overlain by diapiric-derived detritus in the form of slump and debris flow deposits containing dolerite conglomerate clasts derived from the Enorama Diapir, recording the syntectonic growth of the carbonate platform and providing the necessary topographic relief to subsequently form a stromatolite reef system in an otherwise uninhabitable depositional system.Rachelle Kernen, Kathryn J. Amos, Georgie Virgo, Jarred Lloyd, Darwinaji Subarka
An Exploration of Sexual and Reproductive Health of Australian Women Living with Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Mixed Methods Study
No full textOnlinePublInflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is an unpredictable condition that is more prevalent in females (57%) and commonly presents during reproductive years. This study explored the sexual and reproductive health of women who live with IBD in Australia using an online survey and interviews (March–November 2024). Survey responses from 64 women and qualitative data from 14 interviews highlighted menstrual changes, misinformation received regarding fertility, and the impact of IBD on women’s sexuality. Findings from this study highlight the need to ensure discussions about sexuality are more actively incorporated into clinical care for women with IBD.Kate O'Reilly, Eleanor Holryod, Wenpeng Youa and Kath Peter
Protein structure-informed bacteriophage genome annotation with Phold
No full textBacteriophage (phage) genome annotation is essential for understanding their functional potential and suitability for use as therapeutic agents. Here, we introduce Phold, an annotation framework utilizing protein structural information that combines the ProstT5 protein language model and structural alignment tool Foldseek. Phold assigns annotations using a database of over 1.36 million predicted phage protein structures with high-quality functional labels. Benchmarking reveals that Phold outperforms existing sequence-based homology approaches in functional annotation sensitivity whilst maintaining speed, consistency, and scalability. Applying Phold to diverse cultured and metagenomic phage genomes shows it consistently annotates over 50% of genes on an average phage and 40% on an average archaeal virus. Comparisons of phage protein structures to other protein structures across the tree of life reveal that phage proteins commonly have structural homology to proteins shared across the tree of life, particularly those that have nucleic acid metabolism and enzymatic functions. Phold is available as free and open-source software at https://github.com/gbouras13/phold.George Bouras, Susanna R Grigson, Milot Mirdita, Michael Heinzinger, Bhavya Papudeshi, Vijini Mallawaarachchi, Renee Green, Rachel Seongeun Kim, Victor Mihalia, Alkis James Psaltis, Peter-John Wormald, Sarah Vreugde, Martin Steinegger, Robert A Edward
Failure analysis of utility poles: a review of material deficiencies, environmental effects, structural performance, assessment techniques, and design considerations
No full textUtility poles are the backbone of the electricity grid and a key enabler of a carbon–neutral economy, as they connect renewable sources like solar energy to homes and businesses. The number of such utility poles in each country is huge, and so is a significant infrastructure value. In Australia, for example, the current network consists of approximately 7 million utility poles made from wood, concrete, steel, steel–concrete composite, or fibre-reinforced polymer (FRP). While the current grid plans normally do not aim to increase this number of poles, as underground grids are more effective, replacing the current poles with underground assets is cost-prohibitive. So, there is a need to hold these poles in use and continuously replace the aged ones with new, durable poles. This study presents a comprehensive review of failure analysis for different types of poles. The failures can be grouped into three main categories: material-related problems, environmental degradation, and structural response, including cyclic load effects. Understanding these failure categories is important for explaining how poles behave over time and for planning proper maintenance or replacement strategies. It is concluded that future research should prioritise accelerated ageing studies (e.g., the relation between observed degradation and remaining structural capacity). Furthermore, the optimum pole type varies depending on factors such as capital investment, workforce experience, material availability, structural loads, environmental exposure, maintenance demands and associated costs. Lastly, assessment techniques, selection criteria, design considerations and future research directions are outlined.Ahmed I. Elmetwally, El-Sayed Abd-Elaal, Xing Ma, Raufdeen Rameezdeen, Raju Upadhyay
Bridging Teacher and Student Success: Investigating Job Satisfaction and Self-Efficacy in Islamic and Non-Islamic Schools in Indonesia
No full textAlthough teacher job satisfaction and self-efficacy are widely recognised as important for student learning and well-being, little is known about how their effects diff er across educational contexts. This study examines how these factors shape student outcomes in Indonesian Islamic (IS) and non-Islamic/general (NS) secondary schools. Using a two-stage stratified sampling method, data were collected from 1,319 students in 64 classrooms, and multigroup and multilevel path analysis (Mplus 8.10) was conducted to assess cross-level relationships. The findings show clear differences between school types. In NS, teacher job satisfaction (TCJOBS) directly predicted student achievement, whereas in IS, its effect operated indirectly through student motivation. Teacher self-efficacy (TCEFF) directly improved achievement in IS, but in NS, it influenced achievement indirectly through TCJOBS. Job status strongly predicted TCJOBS, with permanent teachers reporting higher satisfaction, and gender diffrences showed higher self-efficacy among female teachers. While TCJOBS and TCEFF were not directly linked to student well-being or anxiety, higher student well-being consistently enhanced achievement and reduced anxiety in both school systems. This study demonstrates how teacher-related factors operate differently across educational frameworks, offering important insights for targeted policy and professional development.Abu Nawas, I Gusti Ngurah Darmawan, Nina Maada
Quantifying drone propeller-induced flow for optimal aerosol sensor placement
No full textMultirotor drones are increasingly used for measuring aerosols and gases. However, propeller-induced airflow can alter particle concentrations and gas distributions, potentially biasing observations. We derive a theoretical solution for the airflow generated above multirotor drones in hover, providing a general framework to estimate propeller-induced velocities using only known parameters, such as drone weight, propeller number, and propeller size. To validate this model, we combined computational fluid dynamics simulations with in situ outdoor measurements on three consumer drones: the Da-Jiang Innovations (DJI) Matrice 300 real-time kinematic (RTK), Matrice 600 Pro, and Agras T30. Simulations incorporated recorded motor rotational speeds during actual hover flights, and the results were compared with measurements from hot-wire anemometers at multiple probe points. This combined theoretical, numerical, and experimental approach provides a foundation for more informed drone-based aerosol and gas sampling. Considering these results can help guide the design of mounting systems for aerosol and gas inlets on multirotor drones.Christian Eckert, Feifei Tong, Daniel P. Harrison, Brendan P. Kelahe
Availability and desorption kinetics of correlative cadmium and manganese in soils from karst areas
No full textData source: supplementary data, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jes.2025.04.018Cadmium (Cd) contamination in soils poses substantial environmental and health risks globally, with manganese (Mn) playing a crucial role in regulating Cd mobility through soil adsorption processes and shared crop uptake pathways. While the importance of understanding Cd-Mn dynamics in soils is widely recognized, quantitative assessments of their correlated desorption processes remain limited. This study employed diffusive gradients in thin-films (DGT) technique combined with DGT-induced fluxes in soils (DIFS) modeling to investigate Cd and Mn availability and desorption dynamics in karst soils from Guangxi, southwestern China. The soil solution concentrations ranged from 0.23–1.82 µg/L for Cd and 1.29–8.41 mg/L for Mn. DGT measurements demonstrated nonlinear accumulation patterns for both metals over 48 h duration. DIFS modeling yielded distribution coefficients (Kdl) ranging from 2.50 to 807 mL/g and response time (Tc) between 1.27 and 425 s for both metals. Solid phase resupply was limited by desorption rates of 5.38–229 × 10−5/s, providing unprecedented insight into the kinetics of metal release in these soils. Analysis of metal desorption rate ratios (k−1-Mn/k−1-Cd) indicated that soil organic matter content, clay content, pH, and metal contents collectively control Cd and Mn desorption kinetics, leading to distinct desorption patterns across soils with varying physicochemical properties. These findings demonstrate rapid equilibrium reestablishment and desorption-limited resupply characteristics of Cd and Mn in karst soils, advancing understanding of correlative metal behaviors in these unique geological settings
Retrofitting damaged subway station columns with CFRP grid-reinforced ECC jackets for improved seismic performance
No full textIn seismically active regions, many reinforced concrete (RC) columns are vulnerable to damage, reducing their seismic performance and requiring necessary repairs. Meanwhile, the seismic vulnerability of underground structures has become a critical concern, but research on the seismic performance of central columns in underground structures remains relatively limited. Therefore, this study introduced a retrofit method using an engineered cementitious composite (ECC) with a carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) grid to improve the seismic performance of pre-damaged central columns. Cyclic loading tests were performed on an intact RC column and two retrofitted columns subjected to different pre-damage levels. The failure modes, load-bearing capacity, deformation capacity, energy dissipation and ductility of retrofitted columns were evaluated.
Finite element (FE) models of CFRP-ECC retrofitting columns subjected to cyclic loading were developed and verified against the experimental results, and the effects of the pre-damage level and number of CFRP grid layers on the seismic performance of central columns were further investigated. The results showed that CFRP-ECC retrofitting shifted the seismic failure mode of RC columns from brittle to ductile. The bearing capacity of both moderately and severely damaged columns was fully restored, with variations within ±2 %. Compared with the control column, the ultimate displacement of moderately and severely damaged columns increased by 26.4 % and 53.6 %, while their ductility coefficients improved by 30.6 % and 15.6 %, respectively. Furthermore, two layers of CFRP grids achieved an optimal balance between improved performance and material efficiency. These findings provide practical guidelines for the seismic retrofitting of underground structures
Uncovering plasma protein biomarkers linked to depression: A differential abundance analysis and Mendelian randomization using large-scale data
No full textBackground: Plasma proteins are potential biomarkers and drug targets that offer insights into the biological underpinnings of depression; yet, evidence linking them to depression is scarce. Methods: To identify depression-linked proteins, we conducted differential protein abundance analysis (DPAA) on 2920 plasma proteins among 48,378 UK Biobank participants. Among DPAA-identified proteins, we conducted network and enrichment analyses to reveal possible biological mechanisms, and Mendelian randomization (MR) to explore causal links with depression using summary GWAS data for proteins (N = 34,557) and depression (166,773 cases, 507,679 controls). The druggability assessment was also done to identify potential drug targets. Results: Through DPAA, we identified 22 proteins associated with depression (Padjusted < 1.71 × 10‾⁵), with each SD in protein levels corresponding to an 11 %–27 % difference in depression risk. Most proteins were positively associated, whereas LRRN1, CNTN5, and ADAMTS8 showed inverse relationships. These proteins were enriched in carbohydrate binding, PI3K/AKT and NF-κB signalling, and cytokine–receptor interactions. Although MR suggested causal evidence for BTN3A2(Padjusted < 2.27 × 10‾³), colocalization indicated likely confounding by linkage disequilibrium (PPH3 = 73.5 %). Other proteins (LGALS4, ADAMTS8, TNFRSF10B, CXADR, IGFBP4, and PRSS8) showed weak causal associations (P < 0.05) with little colocalization support (PPH4 ≤ 6.3 %). ADAMTS8 and TNFRSF10B were not replicated in non-Europeans. Many of these proteins were known druggable targets in diverse diseases. Conclusion: Several plasma proteins were associated with depression and enriched in immune-inflammatory pathways, though causal evidence was limited. Their druggability underscores the repurposing opportunities for immune dysregulations related to depression.Endeshaw Abebe, Anwar Mulugeta, Iqbal Madakkattel, David Stacey, Elina Hyppone
Strongly regulated transcription factors exert an outsized influence in microRNA-regulated networks
No full textIdentifying the most biologically meaningful microRNA (miRNA) targets remains challenging, as predictive and biochemical methods yield many weak or non-productive interactions. Transcription factors (TFs) are enriched among miRNA targets and amplify miRNA effects through their broad regulatory influence. Frequently, these same TFs also regulate the miRNA, forming double negative feedback loops that enforce bistable gene expression and cell-fate decisions. We investigated this regulatory motif by focusing on reciprocal repression between the miR-200 family and ZEB1/2, which governs epithelial–mesenchymal plasticity. Employing a system isolating ZEB-dependent effects of miR-200c and combining Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis (WGCNA) with Exon-Intron Split Analysis (EISA), as well as functional cell biology assays, we show this circuit reinforces mutually exclusive epithelial and mesenchymal states through complex networks of intertwined direct and indirect, transcriptional and post-transcriptional, ZEB-dependent and independent mechanisms. Our findings highlight how miRNATF feedback loops can act as bistable switches to lock cell identity and emphasize the pivotal role of strongly regulated TFs within miRNA target networks.Laura Sourdin, Julie M. Bracken, Philip A. Gregory, Nora Feldker, Thomas Brabletz, Simone Brabletz, Yeesim Khew-Goodall, Gregory J. Goodall, Katherine A. Pillman and Cameron P. Bracke