Search Results (107)

This article reads the recent Chinese sci-fi blockbuster franchise The Wandering Earth (2019) and The Wandering Earth II (2023) as linked thought experiments about planetary survival as governance. It argues that the franchise operationalizes survival through administrative techniques that allocate life chances and format subjects for compliance, including selection policy, evaluative procedures, and computational judgment. Drawing on feminist social reproduction theory, affective and emotional labor scholarship, and critical posthumanism, the article shows how the films redistribute life-making work under catastrophe by routing care, sacrifice, and intergenerational continuity through gendered paternal figures. Fathers become the privileged conduits through which attachment is rendered socially legible as authorized labor, while other forms of care remain structurally secondary unless crisis forces their instrumental uptake. At the same time, the franchise is preoccupied with the limits of procedural governance. Across both installments, paternal attachment repeatedly appears as a governance problem: it cannot be fully stabilized as procedure yet becomes actionable at system stress points. The survival regime thus depends on a recurrent sequence of emergency recruitment followed by retroactive legitimation, whether through official affect, selective recognition, containment, or memorialization. Full article

Reintroduction is increasingly used to support declining plant species, particularly epi-phytic orchids that display complex ecological requirements. We evaluated the seven-year performance of 123 asymbiotically propagated ghost orchid (Dendrophylax lindenii) seedlings that were reintroduced into a natural pond-apple/pop ash slough on the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge. Annual monitoring of this leafless epiphytic species assessed survival, root attachment, and reproduction, with respect to host tree bark texture, host tree species, and neighboring epiphytes. Eighteen individuals (15%) persisted after 83 months, and median survival time was 47 months. Reintroduced orchids near ferns experienced 2–4-fold higher mortality compared with those near mosses, lichens, or other ghost orchids, while survival exceeded 36% at 71 months for individuals placed adjacent to bryophytes. Despite flowering in up to 19% of surviving individuals, no seed capsule reached maturity, indicating that sexual reproduction remains a major bottleneck for population persistence. However, low reproductive output and gradual attrition suggest that reintroduction alone is unlikely to produce self-sustaining populations without addressing the likely genetic constraints, the possible pollinator service constraints, and microsite drivers of persistence. This study highlights the importance of extended monitoring and microsite selection strategies for leafless epiphytic orchid conservation. Full article

Metapneumoviruses comprise a genus of negative-sense RNA viruses that cause significant respiratory disease across human and avian hosts. Human metapneumovirus (hMPV) is a globally prevalent pathogen associated with acute lower respiratory tract infections in infants, older adults, and immunocompromised individuals. Avian metapneumovirus (aMPV) imposes substantial economic losses on the poultry industry through respiratory disease, reproductive impairment, and high mortality in the presence of secondary infections. Despite their distinctive host ranges, hMPV and aMPV share a conserved genomic architecture and encode homologous structural and non-structural proteins that mediate viral entry, replication, assembly, and evasion of host innate immunity. Comparative analysis highlights that both have deeply conserved polymerase and nucleocapsid functions, and yet have a wide range of diversity in the attachment glycoprotein (G) and small hydrophobic protein (SH), reflecting divergent evolutionary pressures in human versus avian hosts that have led to such distinctive differences. The recent emergence and detection of aMPV/A and aMPV/B across the previously aMPV-free United States beginning in late 2023, combined with rising cases globally of hMPV post-SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, underscore the continued challenges of metapneumovirus surveillance and control in humans and animals. This review aims to highlight the current knowledge on the history, molecular virology, pathogenesis, epidemiology, diagnostics, and control strategies for aMPV while drawing mechanistic parallels to hMPV. By contextualizing shared biology and structure alongside host-specific adaptations, we aim to identify key gaps that shape vaccine design, antiviral development, and future research priorities aimed at mitigating the health and economic burden posed by metapneumoviruses found in both birds and humans. Full article

Embryo implantation presents a cell biological paradox: contact formation between the trophoblast of the blastocyst and the epithelial lining of the endometrium contradicts typical epithelial cell behaviour, as does the subsequent invasion needed for placenta formation in most species (including the human). Explaining this conundrum became a challenge for investigation since its recognition about 40 years ago and it receives increasing interest because implantation failure appears to be a major cause for low success in assisted reproduction. The present article reviews the main findings that have directed attention of researchers on epithelial cell polarity and on the theoretical concept of epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT). Apart from trophoblast attachment competence, a special focus is on endometrial receptivity. Comparison with epithelial fusion processes (EFPs) in development and with tumour cell invasion has been and is still considered helpful in order to take advantage of the progress made in those fields. Concerning the mechanisms involved, it must be emphasized that trophoblast and uterine luminal epithelium (ULE) do not undergo a complete switch to a mesenchymal programme (do not undergo a complete EMT) but make use of partial changes in the epithelial programme. The large number of data accumulated recently should allow us to now make progress in identifying what these partial programme changes are exactly and how they are regulated; also, they may offer chances for obtaining deeper insights into the regulation of implantation. Full article

Osteopontin (OPN) is a phosphorylated acidic glycoprotein that serves various purposes across various systems. Principally, it aids in adhesion and signaling. It is an important protein related to reproduction, which has been discovered in several species, among which is the dromedary camel, where it has been detected in the endometrium and conceptuses at the time of implantation. The objective of this research is to investigate and examine the expression patterns of OPN mRNA and protein in both endometrial uterine horns with their associated fetal membranes during the first trimester of camel pregnancy. Endometrial and fetal membranes were collected from eight pregnant female camels during the first trimester of pregnancy (Days 70–110 of pregnancy). The temporospatial expression of OPN was studied in endometrial tissues and their conceptuses from the left uterine horn (LUH) and right uterine horn (RUH) using quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) and immunohistochemistry (IHC) techniques. The results showed a gradual increase in OPN mRNA expression with advancing pregnancy in both LUH and RUH of endometrial and fetal membranes tissue. OPN protein was predominantly found in the uterine luminal epithelium (LE) and fetal trophectoderm (Tr), stroma, and uterine glands. In conclusion, our findings demonstrate that OPN is consistently present in both the endometrium and fetal membranes throughout the first trimester of pregnancy. This observation advances previous knowledge by confirming OPN expression even during the early first trimester, suggesting its crucial role in supporting embryo attachment, implantation, and placentation processes in the dromedary camel. Full article

Although scholarship has long called for attention to the intersection of race and gender in workplace harassment, the experiences of Black Americans remain insufficiently theorized. Existing frameworks often assume harassment to be gender-based in ways that center White women’s victimization, leaving limited conceptual space to understand how Black women and Black men are targeted. In this essay, we synthesize research on racialized sex-based harassment (RSBH) to illustrate how harassment directed at Black Americans is shaped by cultural narratives that simultaneously sexualize, criminalize, and devalue them. Specifically, we introduce sociohistorical archetypes (e.g., Jezebel, Mammy, Sapphire, Mandingo, Brute, Uncle Tom) as cultural mechanisms through which RSBH is enacted, rationalized, and normalized within organizational contexts. We argue that RSBH functions as a mechanism for enforcing racialized gender hierarchy: it draws on sociohistorical meanings attached to Black femininity and masculinity to mark certain identities as inherently available, threatening, or subordinate. We further review evidence linking RSBH to psychological distress, social identity threat, physiological strain, and career stagnation, as well as factors that shape vulnerability and adaptation. By conceptualizing RSBH as a patterned and predictable form of identity-based harm, grounded in the lasting impact of sociohistorical archetypes, rather than a variation of generalized sexual harassment, this work advances theories of harassment and race in organizations. We conclude by outlining implications for measurement, organizational policy, and intervention efforts aimed at disrupting the reproduction of racialized gender inequality at work. Full article

This study characterizes the chemical defense system of the invasive longhorn beetle Aromia bungii, a destructive pest of Prunus trees, addressing the limited understanding of chemical defensive mechanisms in Cerambycidae. High-speed cameras, environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM), dissection, and micro-CT imaging were used to investigate defensive behavior, and the structure of the defense system, in this beetle. Both sexes of A. bungii possess a pair of triangular, sac-like defensive glands symmetrically located in the metathorax, attached to the metasternum. Upon mechanical stimulation, white liquid defensive substances are rapidly ejected through a pair of slit-shaped openings (~200 µm) at the metasternum corners, without gland eversion, reaching over 50 cm. The average weight of substances ejected in first sprays was 7.95 ± 0.79 mg for females and 8.62 ± 2.13 mg for males (mean ± se), with no significant difference between sexes. However, the weight in second sprays after 10 days was significantly lower, at 2.93 ± 0.54 mg for females and 2.22 ± 0.40 mg for males (mean ± se), suggesting that the beetles cannot re-synthesize the substances soon after spray. The weight of ejected substances had no correlation with beetle body weight. Our findings represent the first detailed morphological and functional description of a chemical defense system in Cerambycidae, revealing a specialized metasternal gland and spray mechanism. The substantial but likely non-renewable defensive substances reflect an adaptive trade-off in energy allocation between reproduction and defense in this species that exhibits high fecundity but a short lifespan at the adult stage. Full article

The process of bacterial reproduction on surfaces conducive to growth forms colonies, which are defined as physical bodies with functional and environmental effects. This phenomenon can be conceptualized as transforming biological processes into physical phenomena. Large bacterial multicellular aggregates can be conceptualized as physical entities, produced by “colonial organisms”, thereby transforming physics into biology. The formation of colonies requires surfaces, typically hydrogels or liquid–air interfaces, but also hard solid surfaces. Bacterial cell layers also contribute to the production of surfaces. Within a typical 3D-shaped, frequently domed colony, a variety of microcompartments form at the intersections of gradients that diffuse from its aerial and surface limits, leading to cellular functional diversity. This heterogeneity can lead to physical changes and fractures in the colony material, leading to the formation of fluid microchannels. The second primary type of colony is the 2D-shaped form that spreads over larger surfaces and is known as a biofilm. These physical structures possess significant water content, which is retained by a bacterial-excreted exopolymer. Biofilms are structurally organized as multilayer structures that can expand in the space through the lateral slippage of a more fluid overlayer on top of the surface-attached layer. The dissemination of biofilms may entail the integration of additional bacterial colonies, thereby giving rise to complex biofilms. The physical occupancy of microenvironments by colonies created on surfaces of higher organisms or on environmental surfaces exerts a significant influence on fluid mechanics and the functioning of organisms and ecosystems. In addition, colonies also contribute to the pathology of industrial constructions and devices, often leading to microbiologically influenced electrochemical corrosion, which results in material degradation. Full article

Observations of the processes of oogenesis, fertilization, and the earliest embryonic development have given us the opportunity to estimate the importance of chromosomal distribution errors for the success of mammalian reproduction. It is now known that in the large volume of oocytes, zygotes and the first embryonic cells, the rearrangement of chromatin is associated with a complex rearrangement of cytoskeletal structures, which creates specific problems. This review discusses two main issues critical to the success of early embryos: Why oocyte meiosis is too frequently wrong in chromosomal segregation? Why the first zygotic mitoses are too frequently wrong in chromosomal segregation? We concluded the following: (1) The main cytoskeletal defects that disturb oocyte meiosis are a problematic connection between cytoskeleton and nucleoskeleton, unsuccessful movement of the spindle to the oocyte periphery, unstable anchoring of the spindle to oolemma, and deviations in meiotic spindle morphology; (2) The main cytoskeletal defects that disturb pronuclear unification are nonfunctional male centriole, unsuccessful forming of microtubule aster around the sperm centrosome, problematic movement of the two pronuclei towards each other and inappropriate contacts between centrosomes, microtubules and nuclear pore complexes; (3) Cytoskeletal defects that disturb zygote mitosis are unsuccessful forming of bipolar mitotic spindle, non-synchronized congression of maternal and paternal chromosomes, and unsuccessful attachment of kinetochores to microtubules. Full article

Surrogacy involves a surrogate carrying a baby to transfer to the intended parents after birth. This study examines how surrogacy impacts attachment patterns compared to traditional pregnancies or assisted reproductive technologies. Using PRISMA guidelines, a systematic review of databases like Scopus and PubMed identified nine relevant studies from 806 initial records, involving 1317 participants (115 pregnant women and 118 children). Key variables included maternal–fetal attachment, depression, anxiety, and somatization in surrogates, alongside intended parents’ support and children’s exploration of their origins. Findings reveal the complexity of attachment dynamics in surrogacy, emphasizing the need for psychological support and preparation to foster secure attachments among surrogates, children, and intended parents. Full article

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) infection inflicts enormous economic losses on the global swine industry and imposes significant pressure on agricultural production. However, there are currently no clinically approved effective therapeutics specifically targeting PRRSV. Accordingly, the development of novel antiviral agents against PRRSV is urgently needed. Notably, the structural glycoprotein 4 (GP4) of PRRSV—which plays a crucial role in viral entry into host cells—represents a promising target for antiviral development. Nanobodies, characterized by their small size, structural stability, high affinity, and excellent solubility, have emerged as attractive candidates for next-generation therapeutic development. Yet, to date, no specific nanobodies targeting PRRSV GP4 have been reported. In this study, we isolated GP4-specific nanobodies using phage display technology and investigated their mechanisms underlying viral suppression through a series of in vitro functional assays. Our results demonstrate that Nb6, Nb31, and Nb85 significantly inhibit PRRSV infection by disrupting both viral attachment to host cells and subsequent internalization processes. Collectively, these findings indicate that Nb6, Nb31, and Nb85 hold substantial potential for development as antiviral agents against PRRSV infection. Full article

A comprehensive analysis of key findings derived from density functional theory (DFT) studies reveals that current theoretical data on curcumin remain incomplete, underscoring the need for further computational investigation to achieve a more thorough understanding of its chemical and biological reactivity. This study addresses these gaps through four primary objectives: (i) determination of a complete set of thermodynamic descriptors and elucidation of the multi-step anti-radical mechanisms of the neutral, radical, anionic, and radical–anionic forms of curcumin; (ii) calculation of global chemical reactivity descriptors of curcumin in various solvent environments; (iii) theoretical reproduction of experimentally determined pK_a values for all active sites within the molecule; and (iv) examination of the effects of dispersion interactions and solvent polarity on the reactivity descriptors of keto–enol forms of curcumin. The results obtained provide enhanced insight into the molecular behavior of curcumin, facilitating improved predictions of its reactivity under diverse conditions. Moreover, the findings indicate a potential structural modification of the keto form of curcumin, involving the attachment of two 4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl-prop-1-en-2-one moieties to the methylene group. The resulting modeled compound, referred to as di-curcumin, exhibits enhanced chemical reactivity and increased anti-radical potential. Full article

This in vitro study aimed to quantitatively evaluate the accuracy of reproducing attachments for clear aligner therapy (CAT) using a standardized in-house fabrication protocol and to analyze discrepancies across maxillary tooth types. A custom attachment was designed on a symmetrical master model, and 30 experimental models were fabricated by three-dimensional (3D) printing, template construction, and bonding. Following scanning and superimposition, dimensional, angular, and positional deviations were quantified and statistically analyzed (p < 0.05). Results showed minor mean discrepancies but a consistent pattern of under-reproduction, most evident in the mesial and distal wall angles, as well as in the gingival bevel angle and attachment height. A significant trend was observed in the occlusal bevel, demonstrating marked extrusion in the anterior region that decreased posteriorly. Positional errors were minimal mesiodistally but substantial in the lingual and occlusal directions, with magnitudes varying by tooth type. In conclusion, this study identified consistent, predictable inaccuracies in a simulated in-house attachment reproduction protocol. These findings indicate that similar deviations may occur clinically, potentially affecting the predictability of CAT. Full article

Endocrine-disrupting chemicals such as benzophenone-3 (BP-3) can have severe consequences for human reproduction by affecting critical processes during pregnancy. To shed further light on potential harmful BP-3 actions, our current study addressed the impact of BP-3 on decidualization and trophoblast invasion. Decidualization was initiated in human endometrial stromal cells (THESC) upon treatment with a mixture of cAMP, progesterone, and estradiol. In parallel to hormonal treatment, the cells were exposed to different BP-3 concentrations ranging from 0.001 µM to 10 µM. The expression of decidualization and invasion markers was determined. Moreover, trophoblastic spheroids derived from JEG-3 cells were transferred to decidualized THESC after BP-3 exposure, and spheroid attachment and invasion were analyzed. Hormonal treatment successfully initiated decidualization in THESC, which was confirmed by increased prolactin levels and IGFBP1 and NCOA-3 mRNA expression. Notably, BP-3 exposure did not affect these markers. Furthermore, BP-3 changed neither THESC proliferation nor viability nor the frequency of cells expressing MMP2/9 or TIMP1/3. Trophoblastic spheroid attachment and outgrowth into THESC were not altered through any of the BP-3 concentrations applied. Our results do not provide evidence for an influence of BP-3 on the decidualization process and the capability of trophoblast cells to adhere and invade into endometrial stromal cells. Full article

To systematically elucidate the chronological patterns of embryonic development and morphological changes in the larval and juvenile stages of Silurus glanis, and provide fundamental biological insights into this species, in this study, fertilized eggs were obtained through artificial spawning induction technology. After removing adhesiveness from fertilized eggs using trypsin, a detailed developmental study was conducted. The study systematically analyzed the chronological sequence of embryonic development and the morphological change patterns of larval and juvenile fish. The results showed the following: The fertilized eggs of S. glanis are yellow, spherical, and sticky, and the stickiness allows eggs to attach to spawning substrates, enhancing hatching success. The egg diameter after water absorption was (2.88 ± 0.13) mm. The embryonic development took 47 h and 55 min, with a total accumulated temperature of 1245.56 h degrees Celsius, the developmental process includes seven stages and twenty-six periods, namely the zygophase stage, cleavage stage, blastula stage, gastrula stage, neurula stage, organogenesis stage, and hatching stage. At a temperature of (26.0 ± 0.9) °C, the hatched individuals went through the pre-yolk sac larval stage, late larval stage, juvenile fry stage, and juvenile stage. In the pre-yolk sac larval stage, otoliths appeared in the bilateral otic vesicles, a pair of barbel primordia emerged under the mandible, a short and thin straight intestine formed in the abdominal cavity, and the oral fissure first appeared. In the late larval stage, the fin rays were initially formed, the intestine became thicker and longer, the oral fissure, anus, and cloaca were formed, and the larvae could float and start feeding on exogenous food. In the juvenile fry stage, the differentiation of various organs was basically complete, the nostrils became larger, and both the anal fin and caudal fin had dark black markings. In the juvenile stage, the maxillary barbels elongated, the mucus layer thickened on the body and back, the abdomen is light white, and it had the external morphological characteristics of an adult fish. By measuring and calculating the total length, body length, body height, and head length of S. glanis larvae and juveniles (0–40 days), the results showed that the growth characteristics conformed to the following fish growth formula: TL = 0.0141x² + 0.8096x + 8.2421 (R² = 0.9916), where x denotes days after hatching. This study has preliminarily mastered the chronological patterns of the embryonic development, growth, and formation of the morphological characteristics in larval and juvenile S. glanis, providing scientific data and laying a theoretical foundation for the division of early developmental stages, reproduction, hatching, and fry cultivation. Full article