Search Results (580)

Humans, and most other late Homo species, are characterized by large brains and bodies. However, the discovery of two small-brained Homo species—H. floresiensis and Homo naledi—has cast doubts on large brain size as a defining feature of our genus. We reevaluated brain and body size scaling using data for 225 extant primates and 16 fossil hominid taxa, including one of the most diminutive species in genus Homo, H. floresiensis. Brain and body size are tightly correlated in genus Homo, varying along a positively allometric slope (R² = 0.84, F(1,5) = 33, p < 0.01) that is significantly different from the slope characterizing extant primates (R² = 0.94, F(1,222) = 3294, p < 0.001). Both small-bodied Homo floresiensis and Homo naledi have endocranial volumes (ECVs) that are consistent with their body size given the scaling relationship that characterizes genus Homo. Paired ECV and body mass estimates demonstrate considerable overlap of brain:body size proportions across fossil hominid taxa. Earlier hominids, Ardipithecus ramidus and Australopithecus anamensis, are characterized by ancestral brain:body size scaling; we discuss the hypothesis that a fundamental biological shift ca. 3 Ma altered the trajectory of encephalization—potentially linked to changes in fetal growth and gestation in Pleistocene fossil hominids—and may be directly implicated in the evolution of complex symbolic behavior in our lineage. Full article

This study utilized the gaze-contingent boundary paradigm to examine age-related changes in parafoveal processing during Chinese sentence reading. A community sample of 65 older readers and 68 younger readers from Hong Kong read 130 sentences while their eye movements were recorded. In each sentence, an invisible boundary was placed just before a critical target word. Before the readers’ eye gaze crossed the boundary, a parafoveal preview was presented in the position of the target word. The preview could be identical, orthographically related, phonologically related, semantically related, or unrelated to the first character of the target word. Once the eye gaze passed the boundary, the preview characters changed to the target. For the younger readers, the related parafoveal previews facilitated the subsequent foveal processing of the target compared to the unrelated previews across early and late eye movement measures. In contrast, the older readers demonstrated a reduced identical preview benefit in early eye movement measures. They also showed benefits in other preview conditions only in later measures. These results suggest that older Chinese readers can extract linguistic information from parafoveal vision despite reduced visual acuity. However, the efficiency of parafoveal processing is reduced, potentially due to slower processing speed and less efficient spreading activation within the lexical network. Full article

Background/Objectives: The processing and evaluation of behavior, actions or events that go against social (moral) norms can be assumed to operate on mental representations of the world and of how people typically behave. These mechanisms and representations may therefore be shared by the processing of meaning in general. The current study investigated whether the processing of deviations of morality can be distinguished from processing of semantic inconsistencies. Methods: Event-related brain potentials (ERPs) were recorded from English speakers while they read short written texts in English for comprehension. Texts contained words that constituted moral violations, semantic violations and neutral controls depending on the context, allowing for a direct comparison. Results: Using trial-based analyses, we found different ERP responses to semantic and moral violations: the moral violation elicited a long-lasting, posterior Late Positive Component (LPC) starting at around 300 ms, whereas the semantic violation elicited a positivity that started later and was descriptively more frontally distributed. Furthermore, the LPC amplitudes could be explained by the moral acceptance scores over and above plausibility scores, but not vice versa. Conclusions: The outcomes are compatible with the view that the processing of moral deviations engages at least some mechanisms that are different from the processing of semantic deviations. Full article

Background: Electroencephalography (EEG) provides millisecond-resolution measurements of neural activity, offering a unique potential to identify biomarkers of cognition, emotion, and mental health. However, the proliferation of methodologically diverse studies necessitates systematic synthesis to establish the reliability and clinical utility of proposed EEG biomarkers. Methods: Following PRISMA 2020 guidelines, we systematically searched PubMed, PsycINFO, Web of Science, and Scopus for studies published 2015–2025 examining EEG correlates of cognitive control, learning, emotion regulation, and mental health. From 3847 initial records, k = 210 unique studies (estimated n ≈ 9935 participants across 38 countries; see Methods for sample size derivation) met the inclusion criteria. Random-effects meta-analyses estimated pooled effect sizes for primary EEG markers across five research domains. Results: Frontal-midline theta demonstrated robust effects for cognitive control (k = 12; d = 0.89, 95% CI [0.72, 1.07]; I² = 0.0%) and learning/memory (k = 10; d = 0.70, 95% CI [0.50, 0.89]). The late positive potential indexed emotional processing (k = 18; d = 0.87, 95% CI [0.75, 1.00]) and regulation success (k = 14; d = −0.65, 95% CI [−0.79, −0.51]). Neurofeedback showed very large effects for PTSD (k = 2; d = −1.98, 95% CI [−2.50, −1.47]) and moderate effects for anxiety (d = −0.62), ADHD (d = −0.60), and depression (d = −0.42). Alpha event-related desynchronization marked cognitive engagement (k = 18; d = −0.70, 95% CI [−0.85, −0.55]). Heterogeneity was negligible (I² = 0.0%) in most analyses, except for clinical interventions, which showed condition-explained heterogeneity (I² = 75.4%). Conclusions: EEG biomarkers demonstrate substantial effect sizes and a notable consistency across cognitive and clinical domains, supporting their potential as candidate neurophysiological indicators for diagnostic research, the investigation of treatment response, and intervention monitoring. Causal claims are not warranted from this evidence base alone. A four-phase implementation framework is proposed to facilitate clinical translation. Future research should prioritize methodological standardization, diverse samples, and real-world validation. Full article

The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of seasonal changes in the chemical and structural composition of giant miscanthus (Miscanthus × giganteus) biomass on the performance, kinetics, and efficiency of anaerobic digestion (AD), as well as on the overall energy and techno-economic balance of the conversion chain. The AD performance was assessed using batch biochemical methane potential (BMP) assays conducted for eight harvest dates (June–January). Comprehensive characterization included fundamental physicochemical properties of the biomass, lignocellulosic fraction composition, AD kinetics, and methane production yield. A statistically significant (p < 0.05) increase in structural fiber fractions was observed with advancing plant maturity, accompanied by a progressive decline in specific methane yield from 281 ± 32 mL CH₄/g VS in June to 170 ± 11–172 ± 13 mL CH₄/g VS in winter harvests. Despite a relatively stable theoretical biochemical methane potential (TBMP) ranging from 425 to 443 mL CH₄/g VS, the conversion efficiency (BMP/TBMP) decreased from approximately 66% to below 40%, indicating increasing structural and kinetic limitations to substrate biodegradability. Kinetic parameters deteriorated systematically in late harvests, as reflected by a reduction in the first-order rate constant k_CH₄ from 0.115 to approximately 0.072 1/d and an extension of the lag phase λ from 2.19 to over 4 days. Regression analysis revealed strong negative correlations between lignocellulosic complex content and both BMP and k_CH₄, whereas the C/N ratio exhibited a positive association with process performance under the experimental conditions applied. The highest methane production per hectare (3904 ± 720 m³CH₄/ha) and the most favorable economic outcome (1979 ± 465 EUR/ha) were achieved for the September harvest. The results demonstrate that harvest timing constitutes a critical optimization parameter in lignocellulosic biogas systems, governing not only methane yield and process kinetics but also the overall energy output and economic viability of the bioenergy production chain. Full article

The Jiaodong gold-mineralized area is one of the most significant gold districts in China. The newly discovered Moshan gold deposit is hosted in the Late Jurassic Queshan granite, previously considered a prospecting blind zone. In this study, pyrite from the Moshan gold deposit is examined as the primary research subject. To elucidate the ore-forming processes and genetic mechanisms of this deposit, we conducted a comprehensive mineralogical and geochemical study on pyrite, the principal gold-bearing mineral. EPMA and LA-MC-ICP-MS analyses reveal that the pyrite is slightly sulfur-deficient (average S/Fe ratio of 1.976) and exhibits trace element variations (As, Co, and Ni) strongly correlated with distinct metallogenic stages. Gold occurs in various forms, including visible inclusion gold, fracture gold, and invisible nano-particulate gold (Au⁰). The in situ sulfur isotope δ³⁴S values range from 7.11‰ to 9.40‰ (average 8.00‰), displaying high homogeneity and a positive deviation from the troilite in the Canyon Diablo iron meteorite. By integrating pyrite S-Fe relationships, Co-Ni-As systematics, and sulfur isotope characteristics, the study indicates that the Moshan gold deposit originates from a magmatic-hydrothermal source. The ore-forming materials predominantly derive from Mesozoic granite-derived magmatic-hydrothermal fluids, with a minor contribution from crustal basement materials. The depth of mineralization is interpreted as mid-shallow. These findings not only highlight the metallogenic potential of the Queshan granite and clarify the genetic relationship between the Moshan gold deposit and other regional gold deposits but also provide a novel theoretical foundation and technical support for deep gold exploration in the Jiaodong region. Full article

Large-scale forest ecological restoration is commonly expected to improve habitat quality and promote population growth of forest-dependent herbivores. Yet, whether vegetation recovery facilitates or constrains herbivore growth and habitat use at local scales within nature reserves remains unclear, as vegetation recovery and canopy closure might alter forage availability and lead to ecological mismatch between vegetation features and population dynamic. Here, we used the endangered species South China sika deer as the study species, and its dominant distribution region—Qingliangfeng Biosphere Reserve—as the study area. Using decadal camera-trapping data (2015–2024) and extracted vegetation and other environmental variables, we quantified decadal trends in sika deer activity intensity and interannual variation in vegetation (leaf area index, LAI, and normalized difference vegetation index, NDVI). We incorporated topographic and anthropogenic disturbance variables and applied generalized linear mixed models and generalized linear models to analyze its habitat use. We found that: (1) Numbers of independent photographs and the relative abundance index of sika deer increased significantly and consistently from 2015 to 2024. (2) LAI exhibited substantial interannual variability without a stable trend. In contrast, segmented regression identified a clear temporal breakpoint in NDVI, with a significant increasing trend before 2021 followed by a pronounced decline thereafter. (3) In all years, distance to settlement had a significant and negative effect on activity intensity, whereas distance to road, elevation, and year had significant positive effects. LAI and NDVI showed negative and weak effects on sika deer activity intensity. In specific years, LAI had a significantly negative effect in early periods whereas NDVI became significantly negative in mid and late periods. Other environmental variables exhibited interannual heterogeneity. Our findings demonstrate that vegetation recovery within the reserve does not automatically improve habitats for forest-dependent herbivores and could lead to a potential ecological mismatch. Full article

Potential evapotranspiration (PET) and water balance (WB) are key indicators of hydroclimatic conditions and water availability, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions. This study investigates the interannual variability, long-term trends, and abrupt regime shifts in annual PET and WB across Saudi Arabia using multi-station observational data spanning 1985–2022. PET was estimated using a temperature-based approach suitable for data-scarce arid environments, and WB was calculated as the difference between precipitation and PET. Non-parametric statistical methods were applied to assess trend magnitude and significance, while Pettitt’s change-point test was used to identify abrupt shifts at both regional and station scales. The main findings show a widespread and spatially coherent increase in atmospheric evaporative demand, with predominantly positive PET trends at both regional and station scales, accompanied by persistently negative and increasingly declining WB values, indicating a long-term intensification of water deficit across much of the country. Spatial patterns of PET and WB closely follow gradients in energy availability and temperature, confirming the dominant influence of warming-driven processes on hydroclimatic conditions in this arid environment. Change-point analysis identifies a statistically significant regional hydroclimatic regime shift during the late 1990s, characterized by an abrupt increase in PET and a concurrent deterioration of WB, marking the onset of a more water-limited climatic regime. At the station scale, the timing and significance of detected change points display pronounced spatial heterogeneity, reflecting the modulation of regional climatic forcing by local climatic and geographic factors. Overall, the results demonstrate that increasing evaporative demand, rather than precipitation variability alone, has become a primary control on water availability across Saudi Arabia, highlighting the importance of explicitly accounting for hydroclimatic non-stationarity in water resource assessment and long-term planning under continued warming conditions. Full article

Tendon-derived stem cells (TDSCs) are a unique cell population found in tendons, exhibiting both mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-like phenotypes and tendon-specific markers. They have emerged as a promising research tool in tendon-related tissue engineering studies. However, there is currently no well-characterized TDSC line with MSC-related phenotypes for investigating tendon biology or developing therapeutics. Here, we established an immortalized monoclonal TDSC, named iTDSC#6, from the Achilles tendon of an adult male Sprague-Dawley rat. Cell clones were characterized for MSC-associated cell surface markers, colony formation capacity, and trilineage differentiation potentials, tenogenic potential and SV40LT expression at both early (passage < 10) and late (passage > 30) stages. iTDSC#6 showed stable expression of Simian virus 40 large T antigen (SV40LT) and demonstrated similar MSC-like phenotypes as its wild-type counterpart at both early and late passages, including colony formation capability and multi-lineage differentiation potentials. iTDSC#6 was positive for the MSC markers CD90, CD44, CD29 and CD73 (≥95%) and negative for the hematopoietic markers CD34 and CD45 (<1%). Regarding its utility for basic research and therapeutic development, iTDSC#6 showed potential for modelling cells with increased levels of senescence-associated beta-galactosidase activity in response to hydrogen peroxide and for bioengineering scaffold-free, tendon-like 3D constructs as evidenced by its upregulation of tendon-related markers, high nuclear aspect ratio, and aligned collagen organization. In conclusion, an immortalized TDSC line was successfully established that shows promise as a useful research tool to study tendon biology and aid the development of therapeutics for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Full article

Air pollution has been associated with dysregulated metabolism. However, evidence linking prenatal air pollution exposure to gestational weight gain (GWG) pattern remains limited. This retrospective cohort study of 47,793 pregnant women in Guiyang (2013–2022) assessed associations between air pollutants and GWG pattern. Positive associations were observed between excessive GWG and CO (per 1 μg/m³ increase), NO₂, O₃, PM₁₀, PM_2.5, and SO₂ (per 10 μg/m³ increase) throughout the whole pregnancy period. Specifically, early-pregnancy exposure to CO (OR = 1.377, 95% CI: 1.201, 1.578) and NO₂ (OR = 1.098, 95% CI: 1.068, 1.130), along with exposure to PM₁₀ (OR = 1.058, 95% CI: 1.043, 1.073), PM_2.5 (OR = 1.095, 95% CI: 1.073, 1.118), and SO₂ (OR = 1.135, 95% CI: 1.102, 1.169) during late pregnancy significantly increased excessive GWG risk. Conversely, O₃ exposure was inversely associated with excessive GWG. For insufficient GWG, only early-pregnancy exposures to PM₁₀ (OR = 1.016, 95% CI: 1.001, 1.032), PM_2.5 (OR = 1.022, 95% CI: 1.001, 1.043), and SO₂ (OR = 1.031, 95% CI: 1.004, 1.058) showed significant positive associations. Furthermore, the restricted cubic spline (RCS) model revealed a nonlinear relationship between pollutant exposure and the risk of excessive GWG. Stratified analyses revealed that the air pollution and GWG (continuous) association was stronger among women with pre-pregnancy BMI ≥ 24 kg/m² and aged ≥ 30 years. This study confirms that, even at lower concentrations, exposure to air pollutants during pregnancy is significantly associated with an increased risk of abnormal GWG. Compared to previous studies focusing on high-concentration areas, this finding provides additional evidence for assessing the health risks of air pollution exposure during pregnancy, suggesting that the potential metabolic effects of low-level, long-term exposure should be considered when developing maternal health strategies. Full article

Background: Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a severe psychiatric disorder marked by restrictive eating, distorted body image, and high relapse rates. While cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is a widely used treatment, its mechanisms of action in AN remain incompletely understood, particularly beyond self-reported symptom change. This study investigated the effects of a 12-week CBT intervention on both clinical and multimodal laboratory-based outcomes in women with restrictive-type AN. Methods: In a two-arm, pre–post randomized controlled trial (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT07037017), 59 women with restrictive-type AN were randomized to a CBT intervention (n = 30) or no-treatment control (n = 29). A total of 50 participants (CBT: 26; control: 24) completed baseline and post-intervention assessments and were included in analyses. Outcomes included psychometric measures (eating disorder symptoms, depression, anxiety, body image-related obsessive–compulsive symptoms, and cognitive emotion regulation) and laboratory-based indices: electroencephalography (EEG), galvanic skin response (GSR), and eye-tracking during exposure to food- and body-related stimuli. Group × Time effects were analyzed using repeated-measures mixed-effects models, and statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS (Version 31; IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA). Results: Significant Group × Time interactions indicated greater improvements in the CBT group across all psychometric outcomes, including reduced eating disorder symptom severity (p < 0.001, η_p² = 0.28) and increased adaptive emotion regulation. CBT participants also showed significant reductions in EEG P300 and late positive potential (LPP) amplitudes to body-related stimuli, increased frontal alpha asymmetry, decreased visual fixation on salient body and food cues, and attenuated GSR reactivity (all p < 0.05). Exploratory correlations revealed that symptom improvements were associated with reductions in neurophysiological and attentional reactivity. Conclusions: To our knowledge, this is the first RCT in AN to demonstrate that CBT not only improves self-reported outcomes but also modulates neurophysiological and attentional processes implicated in the maintenance of the disorder. Multimodal laboratory assessments provided mechanistic insight into treatment effects and may inform personalized intervention strategies. CBT appears to facilitate recovery through both cognitive–emotional and physiological recalibration. Full article

This review examines the renewed strategic relevance of uranium within the evolving global energy system, emphasizing uranium market dynamics, emerging nuclear technologies, and geopolitical realignments. Moving beyond traditional perspectives that treat uranium primarily as a cyclical commodity or focus narrowly on reactor design, the article frames uranium as a critical strategic resource at the intersection of energy security, decarbonization, and industrial transformation. The analysis integrates market fundamentals with technological developments, particularly small modular reactors (SMRs) and advanced high-temperature reactor systems, and regional policy strategies to provide a holistic perspective largely absent from the existing literature. Quantitative evidence indicates a structurally tightening uranium market, with global reactor demand of approximately 67,500 tU per year and mine production historically meeting only 74–90% of annual requirements. Uranium prices have rebounded from below $20 lb⁻¹ U₃O₈ in 2016 to above $80 lb⁻¹ by late 2023, reflecting supply concentration, long development timelines for new mines, and renewed political commitments to nuclear energy. Demand projections suggest an increase of around 28% by 2030 and the potential for a doubling by mid-century under high-nuclear deployment scenarios. From a technological perspective, while SMRs and advanced reactors may increase uranium consumption per unit of electricity, they substantially expand nuclear energy deployment into new domains, including remote power systems, industrial heat applications, and large-scale low-carbon hydrogen production. Overall, the study highlights a qualitative shift in uranium’s role, positioning it as both a foundational component and a key enabler of integrated low-carbon energy systems spanning electricity, heat, and hydrogen production. Full article

Background: Alzheimer’s disease (AD) remains a major public health challenge. Observational associations between dietary patterns and reduced dementia risk have prompted investigations of dietary bioactives (DBs) as cognitive nutraceuticals. Methods: This critical narrative review examines interventional trials for nine prominent DBs relevant to AD: docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), curcumin, resveratrol, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), nicotinamide riboside (NR), tricaprilin, vitamin E (α-tocopherol), cannabinoids, and NIC5-15 (D-pinitol). Trials were identified through ClinicalTrials.gov (search date: December 2024) and supplemented by PubMed searches for published results. Data were extracted on trial phase, design, cognitive/functional endpoints, biomarker outcomes, and development status. Findings are synthesized qualitatively; no formal meta-analysis or risk of bias assessment was conducted. Results: None of the nine bioactives demonstrated consistent cognitive efficacy in AD. Phase III trials of DHA, curcumin, and tricaprilin did not meet primary cognitive endpoints. Resveratrol reduced CSF Aβ40 without cognitive benefit. Cannabinoids improved behavioral symptoms but showed no measurable cognitive effects. High-dose vitamin E slowed functional decline, while cognition remained unchanged. In contrast, trials in preclinical or at-risk populations reported preliminary cognitive signals for EGCG and biomarker engagement for NR, suggesting potential for early intervention. Conclusions: Current clinical evidence does not support high-dose DBs supplementation as an effective treatment for AD. Predominantly negative late-phase findings highlight limitations, with potential contributors including limited bioavailability, late intervention, insufficient target engagement, and biological heterogeneity. Future research may benefit from early biomarker-defined populations, optimized formulations, multi-nutrient or dietary approaches, and precision nutrition strategies considering genetic risk and baseline nutrient status. DBs may be better positioned for prevention or early-stage intervention rather than late-stage therapy. Full article

Persistent urban–rural disparities remain a major challenge to inclusive and sustainable development in many developing economies. The digital economy is widely viewed as a potential mechanism for alleviating such inequalities, yet empirical evidence for its effectiveness across heterogeneous regional conditions remains limited. Using panel data from 30 Chinese provinces over the period 2013–2022, this study constructs composite indices of digital economy development and urban–rural integration based on the entropy weight method. Fixed-effects models, panel threshold regressions, and moderation analyses are employed to examine average and nonlinear effects, while instrumental variable approaches, including a Bartik-type instrument, are used to address potential endogeneity. The results indicate that the digital economy significantly promotes urban–rural integration, but the effect is highly conditional rather than uniform. Specifically, the positive impact becomes substantially stronger only after rationalization of industrial structure and education levels exceed critical threshold values. Government support and financial development further amplify this effect, and pronounced regional heterogeneity is observed, with stronger effects in eastern regions and clear late-mover advantages in western regions. These findings highlight the conditions under which digital transformation can effectively support inclusive urban–rural integration and offer policy-relevant insights for developing economies. Full article

Late-life Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is increasingly defined by biomarkers, yet in adults aged ≥65 years the relationship between amyloid positivity and near-term cognitive decline is often discordant. Amyloid PET robustly detects fibrillar plaque burden, but it incompletely captures dynamic and potentially neurotoxic amyloid processes, particularly soluble assemblies and oligomer-related “activity.” This review rethinks the late-life AD spectrum by integrating four clinical lenses that frequently drive real-world interpretive uncertainty: (1) amyloid PET positivity as a measure of fibrillar plaque presence and magnitude; (2) plasma amyloid-β oligomerization tendency measured by the multimer detection system (MDS-OAβ) as an activity-oriented (i.e., a dynamic readout hypothesized to reflect ongoing processes rather than cumulative lesion burden), process-linked readout that may decouple from plaque burden; (3) postoperative delirium (POD) as a time-anchored stress-test phenotype revealing vulnerability and reduced resilience under systemic insults; and (4) drug-linked biomarker trajectories, contrasting rapid plaque removal by anti-amyloid monoclonal antibodies with observational signals raising the hypothesis that Ginkgo biloba may be associated with oligomer-related biology and, in some contexts, differences in longitudinal amyloid accumulation trajectories in the absence of observed immediate plaque reduction. We propose a pragmatic multi-axis framework—plaque burden, amyloid activity, downstream engagement, and vulnerability/resilience—to contextualize late-life discordances such as PET positivity without decline, PET negativity with elevated MDS-OAβ, delirium-associated decompensation, and clinical change without rapid PET decline. This synthesis highlights testable predictions and prioritizes longitudinal, multi-marker studies to determine whether activity-oriented biomarkers and stress phenotypes can refine late-life risk stratification beyond plaque-centered models. Full article