The coevolution of fungus-ant agriculture.

Fungus-farming ants cultivate multiple lineages of fungi for food, but, because fungal cultivar relationships are largely unresolved, the history of fungus-ant coevolution remains poorly known. We designed probes targeting >2000 gene regions to generate a dated evolutionary tree for 475 fungi and combined it with a similarly generated tree for 276 ants. We found that fungus-ant agriculture originated ~66 million years ago when the end-of-Cretaceous asteroid impact temporarily interrupted photosynthesis, causing global mass extinctions but favoring the proliferation of fungi.

DRMY1 promotes robust morphogenesis in Arabidopsis by sustaining the translation of cytokinin-signaling inhibitor proteins.

Robustness is the invariant development of phenotype despite environmental changes and genetic perturbations. In the Arabidopsis flower bud, four sepals robustly initiate and grow to a constant size to enclose and protect the inner floral organs. We previously characterized the mutant development-related myb-like 1 (drmy1), where 3-5 sepals initiate variably and grow to different sizes, compromising their protective function.

Long Period Voltage Oscillations Associated with Reaction Changes between CO Reduction and H Formation in Zero-Gap-Type CO Electrochemical Reactor.

Zero-gap-type reactors with gas diffusion electrodes (GDE) that facilitate the CO reduction reaction (CORR) are attractive due to their high current density and low applied voltage. These reactors, however, suffer from salt precipitation and anolyte flooding of the cathode, leading to a short lifetime. Here, using a zero-gap reactor with a transparent cathode end plate, we report periodic voltage oscillations under constant current operation.

Altered Cell Clusters and Upregulated Aqp1 in Connexin 50 Knockout Lens Epithelium.

Purpose: To characterize the heterogeneity and cell clusters of postnatal lens epithelial cells (LECs) and to investigate the downstream targets of connexin 50 (Cx50) in the regulation of lens homeostasis and lens growth. To determine differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the connexin 50 knockout (Cx50KO) lens epithelial cells that shed light on novel mechanism underlying the cataract and small size of the Cx50KO lenses.

Methods: Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) of lens epithelial cells isolated from one-month-old Cx50KO and wild-type (WT) mice were performed.

Is the Social Safety Net a Long-Term Investment? Large-Scale Evidence From the Food Stamps Program.

We use novel, large-scale data on 17.5 million Americans to study how a policy-driven increase in economic resources affects children's long-term outcomes. Using the 2000 Census and 2001-13 American Community Survey linked to the Social Security Administration's NUMIDENT, we leverage the county-level rollout of the Food Stamps program between 1961 and 1975.

Heterolytic C-H Activation Routes in Catalytic Dehydrogenation of Light Alkanes on Lewis Acid-Base Pairs at ZrO Surfaces.

Alkane dehydrogenation is an enabling route to make alkenes useful as chemical intermediates. This study demonstrates the high reactivity of Lewis acid-base (LAB) site pairs at ZrO powders for dehydrogenation of C-C alkanes and the essential requirement for chemical treatments to remove strongly bound HO and CO titrants to avoid the high temperatures required for their desorption and the concomitant loss of active sites through sintering and annealing of ZrO crystallites. The energies and free energies of bound intermediates and transition states from density functional theory (DFT), taken together with kinetic analysis and isotopic methods, demonstrated the kinetic relevance and heterolytic character of the first C-H activation at terminal C-atoms for all alkanes with a modest activation barrier (84 kJ mol) at essentially bare Zr-O LAB site pairs.

Residential mobility for young adults in extended foster care.

Background: Placement stability is tied to well-being among children living in foster care, yet residential mobility remains largely unexplored for transition-age youth residing in extended foster care (EFC) between ages 18 and 21. During the time young adults in EFC can remain in foster homes, child welfare agencies offer living arrangements tailored to the transition into adulthood. In supervised independent living placements (SILPs), residents receive monthly stipends to cover their housing expenses and are responsible for covering food, utilities, and other basic needs-related costs.

Earth's ambipolar electrostatic field and its role in ion escape to space.

Cold plasma of ionospheric origin has recently been found to be a much larger contributor to the magnetosphere of Earth than expected. Numerous competing mechanisms have been postulated to drive ion escape to space, including heating and acceleration by wave-particle interactions and a global electrostatic field between the ionosphere and space (called the ambipolar or polarization field). Observations of heated O ions in the magnetosphere are consistent with resonant wave-particle interactions.

Nanoplasmonic biosensors for environmental sustainability and human health.

Monitoring the health conditions of the environment and humans is essential for ensuring human well-being, promoting global health, and achieving sustainability. Innovative biosensors are crucial in accurately monitoring health conditions, uncovering the hidden connections between the environment and human well-being, and understanding how environmental factors trigger autoimmune diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, and infectious diseases. This review evaluates the use of nanoplasmonic biosensors that can monitor environmental health and human diseases according to target analytes of different sizes and scales, providing valuable insights for preventive medicine.

Decoding the Biomimetic Mineralization of Metal-Organic Frameworks in Water.

This study unveils the "green" metal-organic framework (MOF) structuring mechanism by decoding proton transfer in water during ZIF-8 synthesis. Combining small- to wide-angle X-ray scattering, multiscale simulations, and quantum calculations, we reveal that the ZIF-8 early-stage nucleation and crystallization process in aqueous solution unfolds in three distinct stages. In stage I, imidazole ligands replace water in zinc-water cages, triggering an "acidity flip" that promotes proton transfer.

Psychedelic public health: State of the field and implications for equity.

Background: Psychedelic Public Health is an emerging discipline uniting the practices of public health with the potential benefits of psychedelics to reduce harm and promote health, wellness, and equity at community and population levels. Little is known regarding the current state of psychedelic public health despite rising psychedelic usage, evidence of its health efficacy, opening policy environments, and concerns regarding equity and potential harms.

Methods: To characterize the current state of psychedelic public health, this survey reviewed relevant webpages from 228 universities housing accredited Schools and Programs in Public Health (SPPHs) and 59 Psychedelic Research Centers (PRCs) in the US and globally.

Gate-Switchable Molecular Diffusion on a Graphene Field-Effect Transistor.

Controlling the surface diffusion of particles on 2D devices creates opportunities for advancing microscopic processes such as nanoassembly, thin-film growth, and catalysis. Here, we demonstrate the ability to control the diffusion of FTCNQ molecules at the surface of clean graphene field-effect transistors (FETs) via electrostatic gating. Tuning the back-gate voltage () of a graphene FET switches molecular adsorbates between negative and neutral charge states, leading to dramatic changes in their diffusion properties.

Network analyses of ecological momentary emotion and avoidance assessments before and after cognitive behavioral therapy for anxiety disorders.

Negative emotions and associated avoidance behaviors are core symptoms of anxiety. Current treatments aim to resolve dysfunctional coupling between them. However, precise interactions between emotions and avoidance in patients' everyday lives and changes from pre- to post-treatment remain unclear.

Development of an in-situ forming collagen-based hydrogel as a regenerative bioadhesive for corneal perforations.

Corneal injuries play a significant role in global visual impairment, underscoring the demand for innovative biomaterials with specific attributes such as adhesion, cohesion, and regenerative potential. In this study, we have developed a biocompatible bioadhesive for corneal reconstruction. Derived from Collagen type I, naturally present in human corneal stromal tissue, the bioadhesive was cross-linked with modified polyethylene glycol diacrylate (PEGDA-DOPA), rendering it curable through visible light exposure and exhibiting superior adhesion to biological tissues even in wet conditions.

Manipulation of Exchange Bias in Two-Dimensional van der Waals Ferromagnet Near Room Temperature.

As a host for exchange bias (EB), van der Waals (vdW) magnetic materials have exhibited intriguing and distinct functionalities from conventional magnetic materials. The EB in most vdW systems is far below room temperature, which poses a challenge for practical applications. Here, by using Kerr microscopy, we demonstrate a record-high blocking temperature that approaches room temperature and a huge positive EB field that nears 2 kOe at 100 K in naturally oxidized two-dimensional (2D) vdW ferromagnetic FeGaTe nanoflakes.

The moderating effect of altruism on the relationship between occupational stress and turnover intentions: a cross-sectional study of community rehabilitation workers in China.

Background: In China, community rehabilitation workers are facing a growing challenge related to heavy occupational stress, which is having an impact on employment turnover. Previous studies have explored the effect of the public service motivation of workers in "helping" jobs on occupational stress or turnover intention, but there is a lack of clarification of the impact of altruism on turnover intention in the case of complex pathways involving various factors.

Methods: A stratified sampling method was used, and a total of 82 community rehabilitation workers who assist disabled people from 34 community health centres in Jiangmen city were included in the study from August to October 2022.

Understanding the Mechanisms of Methylammonium-Induced Thermal Instability in Mixed-FAMA Perovskites.

Despite a recent shift toward methylammonium (MA)-free lead-halide perovskites for perovskite solar cells, high-efficiency formamidinium lead iodide (FAPbI) devices still often require methylammonium chloride (MACl) as an additive, which evaporates away during the annealing process. In this article, it is shown that the residual MA, however, triggers thermal instability. To investigate the possibility of an optimal concentration of MA that may improve thermal stability, the intrinsic thermal stability of pure FA, FA-rich, MA-rich, and pure MA perovskite films (FAMAPbI, FAMA) is studied.

Stepping dynamics of dynein characterized by MINFLUX.

Cytoplasmic dynein is a dimeric motor that drives minus-end directed transport on microtubules (MTs). To couple ATP hydrolysis to a mechanical step, a dynein monomer must be released from the MT before undergoing a conformational change that generates a bias towards the minus end. However, the dynamics of dynein stepping have been poorly characterized by tracking flexible regions of the motor with limited resolution.

Dynamics of Elementary Steps on Metal Surfaces at High Coverages: The Prevalence and Kinetic Competence of Contiguous Bare-Atom Ensembles.

The rate of elementary steps on densely-covered surfaces depends sensitively on repulsive interactions within dense adlayers, situations ubiquitous in practice and with kinetic consequences seldom captured by Langmuirian treatments of surface catalysis. This study develops an ensemble-based method that assesses how such repulsion influences the prevalence and kinetic competence of bare-atom ensembles of different size. Chemisorbed CO (CO*) is used as an example because it forms dense adlayers on metal nanoparticles during CO hydrogenation (CO-H) and other reactions, leading to significant repulsion that weakens the binding of CO* and kinetically-relevant transition states (TS).

A Wireless, Multicolor Fluorescence Image Sensor Implant for Real-Time Monitoring in Cancer Therapy.

Real-time monitoring of dynamic biological processes in the body is critical to understanding disease progression and treatment response. This data, for instance, can help address the lower than 50% response rates to cancer immunotherapy. However, current clinical imaging modalities lack the molecular contrast, resolution, and chronic usability for rapid and accurate response assessments.

Wigner molecular crystals from multielectron moiré artificial atoms.

Semiconductor moiré superlattices provide a versatile platform to engineer quantum solids composed of artificial atoms on moiré sites. Previous studies have mostly focused on the simplest correlated quantum solid-the Fermi-Hubbard model-in which intra-atom interactions are simplified to a single onsite repulsion energy . Here we report the experimental observation of Wigner molecular crystals emerging from multielectron artificial atoms in twisted bilayer tungsten disulfide moiré superlattices.