Reply to 'Experimental measurement of assembly indices are required to determine the threshold for life'.

We clarify misunderstandings of Walker et al. (Walker 2024 21, 20240367 (doi:10.1098/rsif.

Dehydration kinetics of nanoconfined water in beryl probed by high temperature single crystal synchrotron X-ray diffraction.

Understanding changes in material properties through external stimuli plays a key role in validating the expected performance of materials and engineering material properties in a controlled manner. Here, we introduce a fundamental protocol to deduce dehydration reactions kinetics of water confined in nanopore channels, with the cyclosilicate beryl as the scaffold of interest, using time-resolved synchrotron X-ray diffraction (SXRD), in the temperature interval of 298-1038 K. The temperature-dependent intensity of the strongest reflection (112) was used as the crystallite variable.

Molecular assembly indices of mineral heteropolyanions: some abiotic molecules are as complex as large biomolecules.

Molecular assembly indices, which measure the number of unique sequential steps theoretically required to construct a three-dimensional molecule from its constituent atomic bonds, have been proposed as potential biosignatures. A central hypothesis of assembly theory is that any molecule with an assembly index ≥15 found in significant local concentrations represents an unambiguous sign of life. We show that abiotic molecule-like heteropolyanions, which assemble in aqueous solution as precursors to some mineral crystals, range in molecular assembly indices from 2 for HCO or Si(OH) groups to as large as 21 for the most complex known molecule-like subunits in the rare minerals ewingite and ilmajokite.

Predicting new mineral occurrences and planetary analog environments via mineral association analysis.

The locations of minerals and mineral-forming environments, despite being of great scientific importance and economic interest, are often difficult to predict due to the complex nature of natural systems. In this work, we embrace the complexity and inherent "messiness" of our planet's intertwined geological, chemical, and biological systems by employing machine learning to characterize patterns embedded in the multidimensionality of mineral occurrence and associations. These patterns are a product of, and therefore offer insight into, the Earth's dynamic evolutionary history.

Sonic boom measurements: Practical implications considering ground effects, microphone installation, and weather hardening.

Sonic boom measurements from recent flight tests have provided an opportunity to investigate effects of microphone installation on sonic boom waveforms, spectra, and metric levels in support of NASA X-59 flight test planning. While those flight tests used N-wave aircraft (F-18s), modeling studies were also conducted using source characteristics for a shaped low-boom aircraft. Of particular interest were the effects of receiver height on boom waveforms and metrics at elevated receiver positions, microphone installation, and local ground cover type.

Evidence for the oxidation of Earth's crust from the evolution of manganese minerals.

Analysis of manganese mineral occurrences and valence states demonstrate oxidation of Earth's crust through time. Changes in crustal redox state are critical to Earth's evolution, but few methods exist for evaluating spatially averaged crustal redox state through time. Manganese (Mn) is a redox-sensitive metal whose variable oxidation states and abundance in crustal minerals make it a useful tracer of crustal oxidation.

Brine-driven destruction of clay minerals in Gale crater, Mars.

Mars' sedimentary rock record preserves information on geological (and potential astrobiological) processes that occurred on the planet billions of years ago. The rover is exploring the lower reaches of Mount Sharp, in Gale crater on Mars. A traverse from Vera Rubin ridge to Glen Torridon has allowed to examine a lateral transect of rock strata laid down in a martian lake ~3.

Global earth mineral inventory: A data legacy.

Minerals contain important clues to understanding the complex geologic history of Earth and other planetary bodies. Therefore, geologists have been collecting mineral samples and compiling data about these samples for centuries. These data have been used to better understand the movement of continental plates, the oxidation of Earth's atmosphere and the water regime of ancient martian landscapes.

Design and development of FGF-23 antagonists: Definition of the pharmacophore and initial structure-activity relationships probed by synthetic analogues.

Hereditary hypophosphatemic disorders, TIO, and CKD conditions are believed to be influenced by an excess of Fibroblast Growth Factor-23 (FGF-23) which activates a binary renal FGFRs / α-Klotho complex to regulate homeostatic metabolism of phosphate and vitamin D. Adaptive FGF-23 responses from CKD patients with excess FGF-23 frequently lead to increased mortality from cardiovascular disease. A reversibly binding small molecule therapeutic has yet to emerge from research and development in this area.

Improving the management of acutely agitated patients in the emergency department through implementation of Project BETA (Best Practices in the Evaluation and Treatment of Agitation).

Agitated patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) can escalate to aggressive and violent behaviors with the potential for injury to themselves, ED staff, and others. Agitation is a nonspecific symptom that may be caused by or result in a life-threatening condition. Project BETA (Best Practices in the Evaluation and Treatment of Agitation) is a compilation of the best evidence and consensus recommendations developed by emergency medicine and psychiatry experts in behavioral emergencies to improve our approach to the acutely agitated patient.

Evidence for Multiple Diagenetic Episodes in Ancient Fluvial-Lacustrine Sedimentary Rocks in Gale Crater, Mars.

The rover's exploration of rocks and soils in Gale crater has provided diverse geochemical and mineralogical data sets, underscoring the complex geological history of the region. We report the crystalline, clay mineral, and amorphous phase distributions of four Gale crater rocks from an 80-m stratigraphic interval. The mineralogy of the four samples is strongly influenced by aqueous alteration processes, including variations in water chemistries, redox, pH, and temperature.

The TRUST Principles for digital repositories.

As information and communication technology has become pervasive in our society, we are increasingly dependent on both digital data and repositories that provide access to and enable the use of such resources. Repositories must earn the trust of the communities they intend to serve and demonstrate that they are reliable and capable of appropriately managing the data they hold.

Semiquantitative Proteomics Enables Mapping of Murine Neutrophil Dynamics following Lethal Influenza Virus Infection.

Neutrophils are rapidly deployed innate immune cells, and excessive recruitment is causally associated with influenza-induced pathologic conditions. Despite this, the complete set of influenza lethality-associated neutrophil effector proteins is currently unknown. Whether the expression of these proteins is predetermined during bone marrow (BM) neutrophil maturation or further modulated by tissue compartment transitions has also not been comprehensively characterized at a proteome-wide scale.

Developing undergraduate community psychology pedagogy and research practice.

In this study two community psychology students describe their experiences in participating in different types of "green" volunteer sustainable programs. In the first scenario, Anthonie Collins describes his experiences in working with young men in a youth detention facility and how the participants discovered the intrinsic value of maintaining a vegetable community garden. In the second scenario, Jordan Seitz describes her experiences in organizing a community apple harvest at a local fruit tree orchard in Wyoming, MN.

Endoscopic Endonasal Surgery for the Resection of a Cavernous Hemangioma with a Sellar Extension.

Cavernous hemangiomas with an intrasellar extension are very rare, generally benign lesions that manifest by the compression of nearby structures. The presenting symptoms usually range from visual disturbances to an endocrine imbalance. Occasional extension into the cavernous sinus has been reported, which can cause cranial nerve compression.

Republished: MRI SPACE sequence confirmation of occluded MCA M2 dissection stump masquerading as a ruptured MCA aneurysm.

Intracranial vascular pathologies often have overlapping clinical presentations. Dissected vessel occlusions and bifurcation aneurysms can appear similar on pretherapeutic imaging. The medical management of these two entities is drastically different.

MRI SPACE sequence confirmation of occluded MCA M2 dissection stump masquerading as a ruptured MCA aneurysm.

Intracranial vascular pathologies often have overlapping clinical presentations. Dissected vessel occlusions and bifurcation aneurysms can appear similar on pretherapeutic imaging. The medical management of these two entities is drastically different.

An elderly patient presenting with a primary spinal multifocal intradural extramedullary pilocytic astrocytoma: a case report and review of the literature.

Background: Pilocytic astrocytoma is a low-grade central nervous system tumor most commonly seen in children. Dissemination from a primary intracranial tumor along the neuroaxis has been described at both presentation and disease progression. However, the development of an intradural extramedullary pilocytic astrocytoma independent of a primary intraparenchymal tumor in an adult patient with no history of pilocytic astrocytoma has rarely been reported.

Clay mineral diversity and abundance in sedimentary rocks of Gale crater, Mars.

Clay minerals provide indicators of the evolution of aqueous conditions and possible habitats for life on ancient Mars. Analyses by the Mars Science Laboratory rover Curiosity show that ~3.5-billion year (Ga) fluvio-lacustrine mudstones in Gale crater contain up to ~28 weight % (wt %) clay minerals.

Proteomic identification of galectin-11 and 14 ligands from .

is the most pathogenic nematode of small ruminants. Infection in sheep and goats results in anaemia that decreases animal productivity and can ultimately cause death. The involvement of ruminant-specific galectin-11 (LGALS-11) and galectin-14 (LGALS-14) has been postulated to play important roles in protective immune responses against parasitic infection; however, their ligands are unknown.

Chemistry, mineralogy, and grain properties at Namib and High dunes, Bagnold dune field, Gale crater, Mars: A synthesis of Curiosity rover observations.

The Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover performed coordinated measurements to examine the textures and compositions of aeolian sands in the active Bagnold dune field. The Bagnold sands are rounded to subrounded, very fine to medium sized (~45-500 μm) with ≥6 distinct grain colors. In contrast to sands examined by Curiosity in a dust-covered, inactive bedform called Rocknest and soils at other landing sites, Bagnold sands are darker, less red, better sorted, have fewer silt-sized or smaller grains, and show no evidence for cohesion.

The retina/RPE proteome in chick myopia and hyperopia models: Commonalities with inherited and age-related ocular pathologies.

Purpose: Microarray and RNA sequencing studies in the chick model of early optically induced refractive error have implicated thousands of genes, many of which have also been linked to ocular pathologies in humans, including age-related macular degeneration (AMD), choroidal neovascularization, glaucoma, and cataract. These findings highlight the potential relevance of the chick model to understanding both refractive error development and the progression to secondary pathological complications. The present study aimed to determine whether proteomic responses to early optical defocus in the chick share similarities with these transcriptome-level changes, particularly in terms of dysregulation of pathology-related molecular processes.

Acute high-caffeine exposure increases autophagic flux and reduces protein synthesis in C2C12 skeletal myotubes.

Caffeine is a highly catabolic dietary stimulant. High caffeine concentrations (1-10 mM) have previously been shown to inhibit protein synthesis and increase protein degradation in various mammalian cell lines. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of short-term caffeine exposure on cell signaling pathways that regulate protein metabolism in mammalian skeletal muscle cells.