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The article announces the winners of Development's Outstanding Paper Prize for papers published in 2023. The winning papers focus on developmental and stem cell biology. One paper demonstrates the potential of genome engineering techniques and pharmacological upregulation of the Wnt signaling pathway in treating frizzled 2-associated congenital malformations in mouse models. Another paper explores how Frizzled2 receives WntA signaling during butterfly wing pattern formation, providing insights into the complexity and evolution of signaling pathways. The article also mentions a study on the development of primordial germ cell-like cells using stem cell technologies. Additionally, the article discusses a study on the molecular functioning of WntA in butterfly wing color patterning, which involved collaboration between international teams and faced challenges in rearing and injecting butterflies in the lab. The researchers plan to further investigate butterfly color patterns. [Extracted from the article]

The journal 'Life' has released a Special Issue that showcases a range of studies in the field of biological research. The articles in this issue cover topics such as genetics, disease biomarkers, musculoskeletal health, and therapeutic interventions. One study focuses on the link between genetic variations in the heat shock factor 1 gene and an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, particularly in overweight and obese females. Another study explores the use of biomarkers for diagnosing and treating osteoarthritis, with the goal of improving patient outcomes. The issue also addresses the impact of obesity on musculoskeletal health and the role of exercise in mitigating chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy. Additionally, the intersection of autoimmune diseases and parasitic infections is examined, revealing potential therapeutic insights. The issue also highlights research on sepsis-induced coagulopathy, platelet-derived extracellular vesicles, chondrocyte biology, and innovative treatments for dermatitis associated with immunoglobulin G4-related disease. The articles emphasize the need for interdisciplinary collaboration in addressing complex health and disease challenges. Overall, this Special Issue contributes to our understanding of human health and offers potential strategies for improvement. [Extracted from the article]

[Display omitted] • Designing materials using rice-leaf-mimetic paper as a substrate. • Engineering rice-leaf-mimetic paper with hydrochromic dyes or biolubricants. • Processes based on mass-producible papermaking unit operations. Biomimetics has revolutionized materials innovation by drawing inspiration from biological systems. Cellulosic paper, a sustainable biomaterial, offers immense potential for biomimetic research. Paper-based biomimetic materials, which replicate the structures and functionalities of natural materials by utilizing the cellulosic fiber network as a substrate or skeleton, provide customizable functional properties, thereby enabling advanced applications. Here, we introduce rice-leaf-mimetic paper, inspired by the leaf's microstructure and biowax-based cuticle. This paper exhibits self-cleaning superhydrophobicity and showcases possibilities for additional functionalities, including antibacterial properties and food preservation, as evidenced in our prior research. We propose its utilization as a substrate for rewritable and biolubricant-infused surfaces. These somehow distinct surfaces draw inspiration from the chemistry and microstructure of the rice leaf. Although incorporating hydrochromic dyes enables rewritability, controlling the retention time of colors remains challenging. The biowaxy structure of the paper prolongs color maintenance by inhibiting water evaporation. Moreover, the hierarchically rough microstructure of rice-leaf-mimetic paper effectively stores biolubricant molecules, reducing friction and enhancing slipperiness. Surface microcavity ratio analysis provides insights into the paper's biolubricant-storability. The surface engineering of rice-leaf-mimetic paper using hydrochromic dyes or biolubricants holds potential for designing novel materials. Unveiling the vast potential of easily scalable papermaking processes alongside biomimetics and surface engineering opens new avenues for materials innovation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adverse Outcome Pathways (AOPs) have been proposed to facilitate mechanistic understanding of interactions of chemicals/materials with biological systems. Each AOP starts with a molecular initiating event (MIE) and possibly ends with adverse outcome(s) (AOs) via a series of key events (KEs). So far, the interaction of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) with biomolecules, biomembranes, cells, and biological structures, in general, is not yet fully elucidated. There is also a huge lack of information on which AOPs are ENMs-relevant or -specific, despite numerous published data on toxicological endpoints they trigger, such as oxidative stress and inflammation. We propose to integrate related data and knowledge recently collected. Our approach combines the annotation of nanomaterials and their MIEs with ontology annotation to demonstrate how we can then query AOPs and biological pathway information for these materials. We conclude that a FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) representation of the ENM-MIE knowledge simplifies integration with other knowledge. Scientific contribution: This study introduces a new database linking nanomaterial stressors to the first known MIE or KE. Second, it presents a reproducible workflow to analyze and summarize this knowledge. Third, this work extends the use of semantic web technologies to the field of nanoinformatics and nanosafety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antipredator behavior is a self-preservation strategy present in many biological systems, where individuals join the effort in a collective reaction to avoid being caught by an approaching predator. We study a nonhierarchical tritrophic system, whose predator–prey interactions are described by the rock–paper–scissors game rules. We perform a set of spatial stochastic simulations where organisms of one out of the species can resist predation in a collective strategy. The drop in predation capacity is local, which means that each predator faces a particular opposition depending on the prey group size surrounding it. Considering that the interference in a predator action depends on the prey's physical and cognitive ability, we explore the role of a conditioning factor that indicates the fraction of the species apt to perform the antipredator strategy. Because of the local unbalancing of the cyclic predator–prey interactions, departed spatial domains mainly occupied by a single species emerge. Unlike the rock–paper–scissors model with a weak species because of a nonlocal reason, our findings show that if the predation probability of one species is reduced because individuals face local antipredator response, the species does not predominate. Instead, the local unbalancing of the rock–paper–scissors model results in the prevalence of the weak species' prey. Finally, the outcomes show that local unevenness may jeopardize biodiversity, with the coexistence being more threatened for high mobility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Allergic diseases and asthma are heterogenous chronic inflammatory conditions with several distinct complex endotypes. Both environmental and genetic factors can influence the development and progression of allergy. Complex pathogenetic pathways observed in allergic disorders present a challenge in patient management and successful targeted treatment strategies. The increasing availability of high‐throughput omics technologies, such as genomics, epigenomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics allows studying biochemical systems and pathophysiological processes underlying allergic responses. Additionally, omics techniques present clinical applicability by functional identification and validation of biomarkers. Therefore, finding molecules or patterns characteristic for distinct immune‐inflammatory endotypes, can subsequently influence its development, progression, and treatment. There is a great potential to further increase the effectiveness of single omics approaches by integrating them with other omics, and nonomics data. Systems biology aims to simultaneously and longitudinally understand multiple layers of a complex and multifactorial disease, such as allergy, or asthma by integrating several, separated data sets and generating a complete molecular profile of the condition. With the use of sophisticated biostatistics and machine learning techniques, these approaches provide in‐depth insight into individual biological systems and will allow efficient and customized healthcare approaches, called precision medicine. In this EAACI Position Paper, the Task Force "Omics technologies in allergic research" broadly reviewed current advances and applicability of omics techniques in allergic diseases and asthma research, with a focus on methodology and data analysis, aiming to provide researchers (basic and clinical) with a desk reference in the field. The potential of omics strategies in understanding disease pathophysiology and key tools to reach unmet needs in allergy precision medicine, such as successful patients' stratification, accurate disease prognosis, and prediction of treatment efficacy and successful prevention measures are highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanoplastics (NPs, <1 µm) pose greater risks due to their increased absorption rates in biological systems. In this study, we investigated the release of NPs from paper cups and microwavable food containers coated with low-density polyethylene (LDPE) and polylactic acid (PLA). For disposable paper cups, we found that LDPE-coated cups released up to 26-fold more NPs (maximum 1.9 × 107 per cup) than PLA-coated ones. The NPs release from LDPE-coated cups was increased at high temperatures above 80 °C, and further increased by physical agitation. However, negligible NP release was observed when the inner coating thickness exceeded 1 mm. For microwavable food containers, those with PLA coatings were more susceptible to the effects of microwave. Depending on the cooking time, we noticed a significant difference (up to 40000 times) in the number of released NPs between LDPE and PLA coatings. Additionally, higher microwave power level led to an increase of NPs, even with constant total energy input. Considering the release of NP, PLA coatings for disposable paper cups and LDPE coatings for microwavable food containers seem more suitable. Furthermore, our results suggest that multi-use cups significantly reduce NPs release due to their material thickness, making them a safer alternative to disposable ones. [Display omitted] • Generation of up to 1.9 × 107 nanoplastics in LDPE-coated cup. • Vulnerability to nanoplastics for PLA-coated microwavable food containers. • Negligible nanoplastics detected in reusable products (thickness > 1 mm). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Behavioral diversity seen in biological systems is, at the most basic level, driven by interactions between physical materials and their environment. In this context we are interested in falling paper systems, specifically the V-shaped falling paper (VSFP) system that exhibits a set of discrete falling behaviors across the morphological parameter space. Our previous work has investigated how morphology influences dominant falling behaviors in the VSFP system. In this article we build on this analysis to investigate the nature of behavioral transitions in the same system. First, we investigate stochastic behavior transitions. We demonstrate how morphology influences the likelihood of different transitions, with certain morphologies leading to a wide range of possible paths through the behavior-space. Second, we investigate deterministic transitions. To investigate behaviors over longer time periods than available in falling experiments we introduce a new experimental platform. We demonstrate how we can induce behavior transitions by modulating the energy input to the system. Certain behavior transitions are found to be irreversible, exhibiting a form of hysteresis, while others are fully reversible. Certain morphologies are shown to behave like simplistic sequential logic circuits, indicating that the system has a form of memory encoded into the morphology–environment interactions. Investigating the limits of how morphology–environment interactions induce non-trivial behaviors is a key step for the design of embodied artificial life-forms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The simplest example of non-transitive competition is the game rock-paper-scissors (RPS), which exhibits characteristic cyclic strategy replacement: paper beats rock, which in turn beats scissors, which in turn beats paper. In addition to its familiar use in understanding human decision-making, rock-paper-scissors is also played in many biological systems. Among other reasons, this is important because it potentially provides a mechanism whereby species- or strain coexistence can occur in the face of intense competition. Kerr et al. (2002, Nature 418: 171-174) use complementary experiments and simulations to show that RPS-playing toxic, resistant, and susceptible E. coli bacteria can coexist when interactions between the strains are spatially explicit. This raises the question of whether limited interactions associated with space are sufficient to allow strain coexistence, or whether space per se is crucial. I approach this question by extending the Kerr et al. model to include different (aspatial) population network structures with the same degree distributions as corresponding spatial lattice models. I show that the coexistence that occurs for some parameter combinations when simulated bacterial strains compete on lattices is absent when they compete on random regular graphs. Further, considering small-world networks of intermediate 'quenched randomness' between lattices and random regular graphs, I show that only small deviations from pure spatial interactions are sufficient to prevent strain coexistence. These results emphasize the explicit role of space, rather than merely limited interactions, as being decisive in allowing the coexistence of toxic, resistant, and susceptible strains in this model system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the field of ecology evolves, analyses synthesizing trends in key topics addressed over the decades can provide historical context for the development of novel theories and methods, identify "hot topics" over time, and guide future research directions. Such syntheses in a field that aims to diversify can also help quantify efforts to increase representation and authorship by underrepresented groups in STEM. To identify hot topics in ecology, we analyzed key themes in the top‐cited ecology papers in three two‐decade timeframes spanning 1960–2019. We also analyzed authorship trends (gender identity and nationality) in the top‐cited papers. We documented a shift from descriptive studies in single biological systems in the 1960–1970, to more synthesis‐based papers and studies discussing human impacts on the environment in the 1980–1990, while the 2000s were dominated by novel quantitative and macroecological approaches. The top‐cited papers were overwhelmingly from the United States and Europe, highlighting the need to make studies from across the globe more visible and accessible in the ecological literature. Finally, we detected a trend for more papers led by women authors, but a decline in papers with women last authors, indicating a need to retain women in leadership positions. Overall, our hot topics analysis highlights the expanding breadth and quantitative nature of ecology, but illustrates barriers to diversity in the perspectives represented in the top‐cited papers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ), an important reactive oxygen species (ROS), is related to the oxidative stress in organisms, and plays important roles in a variety of cellular activities as well. So it is of crucial importance to develop sensitive and accurate sensing strategies to detect H 2 O 2 in biological systems. Herein, by taking advantage of the unique emission characteristics of aggregation induced emission (AIE) fluorogens, we proposed a non-enzymatic fluorescence platform for facile and sensitive detection of H 2 O 2 , both in solution state using fluorescence spectrometer and on paper-based sensor via visual inspection. Through the reaction between L -cysteine and H 2 O 2 , the fluorescence of TPE-M-L, an AIE fluorogen formed between maleimide-functionalized tetraphenylethene (TPE-M) and L -cysteine, is quenched, and highly sensitive non-enzymatic H 2 O 2 assay is readily carried out. The limit of detection (LOD) of 10 nM in solution state and 2.5 μM on paper-based sensor were obtained for H 2 O 2 detection, which were superior or comparable to those previously reported in literature. Moreover, by integrating glucose oxidase with the AIE fluorogen of TPE-M-L, highly sensitive and selective glucose detection was also conveniently achieved both in solution state and on paper-based sensor by the as-proposed strategy, with the LODs of 50 nM in solution state and 10 μM via visual observation, much better than those obtained by other fluorescence methods. The as-proposed sensing strategy was also successfully applied to assay glucose in human serum samples. Therefore, the paper-based fluorescence sensor exhibits the advantages of simple fabrication, high sensitivity and portability, and has great potential to be applied in on-site assay of H 2 O 2 and glucose in real samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An intertwined supply network (ISN) is an entirety of interconnected supply chains (SC) which, in their integrity secure the provision of society and markets with goods and services. The ISNs are open systems with structural dynamics since the firms may exhibit multiple behaviours by changing the buyer-supplier roles in interconnected or even competing SCs. From the positions of resilience, the ISNs as a whole provide services to society (e.g. food service, mobility service or communication service) which are required to ensure a long-term survival. The analysis of survivability at the level of ISN requires a consideration at a large scale as resilience of individual SCs. The recent example of coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak clearly shows the necessity of this new perspective. Our study introduces a new angle in SC resilience research when a resistance to extraordinary disruptions needs to be considered at the scale of viability. We elaborate on the integrity of the ISN and viability. The contribution of our position study lies in a conceptualisation of a novel decision-making environment of ISN viability. We illustrate the viability formation through a dynamic game-theoretic modelling of a biological system that resembles the ISN. We discuss some future research areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Integrated water treatment plants in recycled paper and board mills produce significant amounts of excess biological sludge. Disposing of it is becoming increasingly expensive, as land filling is no longer an option. One possible solution is to reuse it internally for manufacturing paper. Recycling it in the process would reduce both the cost associated with sludge treatment and the amount of recovered paper to be purchased. However, this strategy deteriorates the mechanical properties of the paper to some extent. This detrimental effect can be compensated for by surface sizing. This paper examines the conditions in which it may be profitable for a mill to replace a proportion of recovered paper with biological sludge, depending on the cost of sludge disposal, surface sizing and the recovered paper itself. The effect of biological sludge reuse on the drainability of the papermaking suspension is studied as well. The consequences in terms of microbiological contamination of the paper and board are also reported. In the present situation, bio-sludge reuse is not cost-efficient. However that may change in the near future, as the cost of sludge disposal and the price of starch increase. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This document is a summary of a special issue of the journal Applied Sciences titled "Biomechanics and Human Motion Analysis." The special issue includes twenty papers that cover a wide range of topics related to the analysis of human motion and biomechanics. The studies involve both healthy subjects and patients with joint diseases, and they utilize musculoskeletal modeling to support their investigations. The papers were contributed by researchers from different countries and continents, highlighting the global nature of this field of study. The special issue aims to promote the integration of biomechanical analysis and instruments into motion analysis and to demonstrate the potential of modern techniques in addressing complex biomechanical problems in human body dynamics. The contributions cover a range of topics related to biomechanics and motion analysis, including the assessment of patellofemoral pain, shoulder kinematics in overhead sporting motions, tibiofemoral kinematics, military crawl locomotion, instability during stepping, upper body posture recognition, optimal control strategies during obstacle crossing, scoring of human body-balance ability, center of mass motion during gait, kinematic analysis of basketball shots, hidden Markov models in movement pattern identification, smart phone-based motion capture, gait analysis in personalized high tibial osteotomy, walking without an anterior cruciate ligament, crouch gait analysis, spine, pelvis, and hip kinematics, hamstring torque measurements, modeling musculoskeletal dynamics during gait, comparison of joint axis estimation approaches, and balanced foot dorsiflex [Extracted from the article]

Brucellosis, as an infectious disease that affects both humans and livestock, poses a serious threat to human health and has a severe impact on economic development. Essentially, brucellosis transmission is a kind of study in biological systems, and the epistemic uncertainty existing in the data of confirmed brucellosis cases in China is realized as significant uncertainty that needs to be addressed. Therefore, this paper proposes an uncertain time series model to explore the confirmed brucellosis cases in China. Then, some methods based on uncertain statistics and symmetry of the biological system are applied, including order estimation, parameter estimation, residual analysis, uncertain hypothesis test, and forecast. The proposed model is practically applied to the data of confirmed brucellosis cases in China from January 2017 to December 2020, and the results show that the uncertain model fits the observed data better than the probabilistic model due to the frequency instability inherent in the data of confirmed brucellosis cases. Based on the proposed model and statistical method, this paper develops an approach to rapidly forecast the number of confirmed brucellosis cases in small sample scenarios, which can contribute to epidemic control in real application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explores policy papers on healthy aging presented at the 2020 Better Future of Healthy Ageing (BFHA) Conference held in Croatia. Topics discussed include issues of ageing of biological systems, impact of smart technologies for age friendly ecosystems, and issues of ageing and healthcare system sustainability at various level.

PHOTO (COLOR) I Culturing cut i (since 2013) is a biological art project that deals with different modes of representation in scientific and artistic practices by materially staging live interactions between human and non-human agencies: paper cut-outs from one of my own research articles describing the behaviour of photosynthetic cyanobacteria serve as a base for materially growing cultures of these bacteria with complex patterns onto the remaining scientific paper, thus "hacking" the scientific authority that analysed them. Then, in order to grow bacteria onto the cut-out sections, the paper snippets first need to be sterilized before being transferred onto solid culture media in rectangular Petri dishes, and further being inoculated with cyanobacteria collected from a neighbouring pond. [Extracted from the article]

Lab on a Chip is a journal published by the Royal Society of Chemistry that focuses on devices and applications at the micro- and nanoscale. The current issue includes various articles and papers on topics such as membrane-based microfluidic systems, modelling the innate immune system, sample preparation and detection methods in point-of-care devices, and more. The journal aims to connect the world with the chemical sciences and reinvests its profits back into the chemistry community. [Extracted from the article]

Computational biological models have proven to be an invaluable tool for understanding and predicting the behaviour of many biological systems. While it may not be too challenging for experienced researchers to construct such models from scratch, it is not a straightforward task for early stage researchers. Design patterns are well-known techniques widely applied in software engineering as they provide a set of typical solutions to common problems in software design. In this paper, we collect and discuss common patterns that are usually used during the construction and execution of computational biological models. We adopt Petri nets as a modelling language to provide a visual illustration of each pattern; however, the ideas presented in this paper can also be implemented using other modelling formalisms. We provide two case studies for illustration purposes and show how these models can be built up from the presented smaller modules. We hope that the ideas discussed in this paper will help many researchers in building their own future models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For more cost-effective and/or value-added utilization of cellulosic fibers in pulp and paper industry, fiber engineering is an important concept. Essentially, fibers can be engineered via various mechanical, chemical, and biological processes. In the current study, the combined use of laccase and TEMPO was applied to introduce carboxyl and aldehyde groups to softwood-derived cellulosic fibers (bleached softwood kraft pulp). The process conditions in preparation of the engineered fibers were optimized. Under the conditions studied, the maximum increases in carboxyl and aldehyde contents were 360 % and 225 %, respectively. The effectiveness of the laccase/TEMPO system could be well explained by the reaction cycles in catalytic oxidation pathways. The findings of the current work may provide useful insights into the enzymatic modification of cellulosic fibers for papermaking applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mercury (Hg2+) and silver (Ag+) ions possess the harmful effects on public health and environment that makes it essential to develop the sensing techniques with great sensitivity for the ions. Metal ions commonly coexist in the different biological and environmental systems. Hence, it is an urgent demand to design a simple method for the simultaneous detection of metal ions, peculiarly in the case of coexisting Hg2+ and Ag+. This study introduces a low-cost paper-based aptasensor to monitor Hg2+ and Ag+, simultaneously. The strategy of the sensing array is according to the conformational changes of Hg2+- and Ag+-specific aptamers and their release from the GO surface after the injection of the target sample on the sensing platform. Through monitoring the fluorescence recovery changes against the concentrations of the ions, Hg2+ and Ag+ can be determined as low as 1.33 and 1.01 pM. The paper-based aptasensor can simultaneously detect the ions within about 10 min. The aptasensor is applied prosperously to monitor Hg2+ and Ag+ in human serum, water, and milk. The designed aptasensor with the main advantages of simplicity and feasibility holds the supreme potential to develop a cost-effective sensing method for environmental monitoring, food control, and human diagnostics. Image 1 • An aptasensor was developed for the simultaneous detection of Hg2+ and Ag+. • Hg2+ and Ag+ were detected with the LODs of 1.33 and 1.01 pM, respectively. • The target detection was done within about 10 min. • The simple aptasensor was applied in the real samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Games are a significant and defining part of human culture, and their utility beyond pure entertainment has been demonstrated with so-called ‘serious games’. Biotechnology – despite its recent advancements – has had no impact on gaming yet. Here we propose the concept of ‘biotic games’, i.e., games that operate on biological processes. Utilizing a variety of biological processes we designed and tested a collection of games: ‘Enlightenment’, ‘Ciliaball’, ‘PAC-mecium’, ‘Microbash’, ‘Biotic Pinball’, ‘POND PONG’, ‘PolymerRace’, and ‘The Prisoner's Smellemma’. We found that biotic games exhibit unique features compared to existing game modalities, such as utilizing biological noise, providing a real-life experience rather than virtual reality, and integrating the chemical senses into play. Analogous to video games, biotic games could have significant conceptual and cost-reducing effects on biotechnology and eventually healthcare; enable volunteers to participate in crowd-sourcing to support medical research; and educate society at large to support personal medical decisions and the public discourse on bio-related issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is an editorial published in Frontiers in Endocrinology titled "Endocrine disrupting chemicals in reproductive health, fertility, and early development." The editorial discusses the impact of environmental chemical exposure, specifically endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), on reproductive disorders in both men and women. It highlights the need for a better understanding of how EDCs disrupt reproductive development and contribute to disease. The editorial also presents four research papers that explore the effects of EDCs on testicular toxicity, granulosa cell apoptosis, Sertoli cell function, and reproductive outcomes in in vitro fertilization. These papers demonstrate the complex nature of EDCs and their interactions with biological systems, emphasizing the importance of further research in this field. [Extracted from the article]

Exposure to early adverse experiences induces persistent changes in physiological, emotional and behavioural functions predisposing the individual to an enhanced vulnerability to develop different disorders during lifespan. The adverse outcomes depend upon the timing of the stressful experiences, and in this contest, adolescence represents a key sensitive period for brain development. Among the biological systems involved, gut microbiota has recently been proposed to act on the interplay between the stress response, brain functions and immune system, through the gut-brain axis communication. In the current study we aimed to evaluate, in a preclinical model, changes over time in the microbiota community structure in physiological condition and in response to stress during adolescence. We also aimed to correlate the microbiota composition to the inflammatory status in brain. We used the preclinical model of social deprivation in rats during adolescence, based on the lack of all social contacts, for four weeks after weaning, followed by re-socialization until adulthood. We collected fecal samples at different post-natal days to investigate the short- and long-lasting effects of social isolation on gut microbiota composition and we collected brain areas (dorsal and ventral hippocampus) samples at killing to measure a panel of inflammatory and microglia activation markers. 16 S metataxonomic sequencing analysis revealed that microbial changes were influenced by age in both isolated and controls rats, regardless of sex, whereas social isolation impacted the microbial composition in a sex-dependent manner. A multivariate analysis showed that social isolation induced short-term gut microbiota alterations in females but not in males. We also identified several stress-related genera associated with social isolation condition. In brain areas we found a specific inflammatory pattern, in dorsal and ventral hippocampus, that significantly correlated with gut microbiota composition. Overall, in this study we reported a novel sex-specific association between gut microbiota composition and inflammatory response related to social isolation paradigm during adolescence, suggesting that stressful experiences during this sensitive period could have a long-lasting impact on the development of different biological systems that could in turn influence the vulnerability to develop mental disorders later in life. • Early life stress (ELS) enhances vulnerability to develop disorders during lifespan. • ELS in rats during adolescence induces microbiota changes and neuroinflammation. • The degree of microbiota and inflammatory alterations differs according to sex. • Stress-related gut microbial genera were associated with brain inflammation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The biological system is not a perfect system, but it is a relatively complete system. It is difficult to realize the lower power consumption and high parallelism that characterize biological systems if lower-level information pathways are ignored. In this paper, we focus on the K, M and P pathways of visual signal processing from the retina to the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN). We model the visual system at a fine-grained level to ensure efficient information transmission while minimizing energy use. We also implement a circuit-level distributed parallel computing model on FPGAs. The results show that we are able to transfer information with low energy consumption and high parallelism. The Artix-7 family of xc7a200tsbv484-1 FPGAs can reach a maximum frequency of 200 MHz and a maximum parallelism of 600, and a single receptive field model consumes only 0.142 W of power. This can be useful for building assistive vision systems for small and light devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nonstandard finite-difference (NSFD) methods, pioneered by R. E. Mickens, offer accurate and efficient solutions to various differential equation models in science and engineering. NSFD methods avoid numerical instabilities for large time steps, while numerically preserving important properties of exact solutions. However, most NSFD methods are only first-order accurate. This paper introduces two new classes of explicit second-order modified NSFD methods for solving n-dimensional autonomous dynamical systems. These explicit methods extend previous work by incorporating novel denominator functions to ensure both elementary stability and second-order accuracy. This paper also provides a detailed mathematical analysis and validates the methods through numerical simulations on various biological systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Fluctuations of physiological characteristics play an important role in a living organisms' normal existence and adaptation to environmental conditions. An important feature of oscillations in living systems is their ability to form (synchronization) or break links (desynchronization) with each other. For example, synchronization/desynchronization in the brain's electrical activity plays a role in memory and learning; synchronization changes cause epilepsy and other diseases. The task of quantifying the synchronization of signaling events in cells is currently unsolved. No universal, informative and accurate method has been found for assessing the synchronization of large cell groups. For the first time, we have tested the possibility of applying a mathematical method called bispectral analysis (applied earlier on the whole organism) to assess the coupling of signaling molecules and the level of fluctuations in cells. This method allows for a highly accurate estimation of the connection of oscillations between all pairs of cells in a studied population, the magnitude and frequency of these coupled oscillations, and which cells create and receive a "signal to form a connection of oscillations". We have shown that stress (overheating and excessive glucose concentration) changes the synchronization of oscillations of signaling molecules in cells. The obtained data can be applied in medicine and human economic activity. The oscillation synchronization analysis in biological systems will expand our knowledge about the response of living systems to changes in environmental conditions. This knowledge can be used in medicine (diagnosis, therapy, monitoring) and agriculture (increasing productivity, resistance to adverse effects). Currently, the search is underway for an informative, accurate and sensitive method for analyzing the synchronization of oscillatory processes in cell biology. It is especially pronounced in analyzing the concentration oscillations of intracellular signaling molecules in electrically nonexcitable cells. The bispectral analysis method could be applied to assess the characteristics of synchronized oscillations of intracellular mediators. We chose endothelial cells from mouse microvessels as model cells. Concentrations of well-studied calcium and nitric oxide (NO) were selected for study in control conditions and well-described stress: heating to 40 °C and hyperglycemia. The bispectral analysis allows us to accurately evaluate the proportion of synchronized cells, their synchronization degree, and the amplitude and frequency of synchronized calcium and NO oscillations. Heating to 40 °C increased cell synchronization for calcium but decreased for NO oscillations. Hyperglycemia abolished this effect. Heating to 40 °C changed the frequencies and increased the amplitudes of synchronized oscillations of calcium concentration and the NO synthesis rate. The first part of this paper describes the principles of the bispectral analysis method and equations and modifications of the method we propose. In the second part of this paper, specific examples of the application of bispectral analysis to assess the synchronization of living cells in vitro are presented. The discussion compares the capabilities of bispectral analysis with other analytical methods in this field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New discoveries and knowledge are summarized in thousands of published papers per year per scientific domain, making it incomprehensible for scientists to account for all available knowledge relevant for their studies. In this paper, we present ACCORDION (ACCelerating and Optimizing model RecommenDatIONs), a novel methodology and an expert system that retrieves and selects relevant knowledge from literature and databases to recommend models with correct structure and accurate behavior, enabling mechanistic explanations and predictions, and advancing understanding. ACCORDION introduces an approach that integrates knowledge retrieval, graph algorithms, clustering, simulation, and formal analysis. Here, we focus on biological systems, although the proposed methodology is applicable in other domains. We used ACCORDION in nine benchmark case studies and compared its performance with other previously published tools. We show that ACCORDION is: comprehensive, retrieving relevant knowledge from a range of literature sources through machine reading engines; very effective, reducing the error of the initial baseline model by more than 80%, recommending models that closely recapitulate desired behavior, and outperforming previously published tools; selective, recommending only the most relevant, contextspecific, and useful subset (15%-20%) of candidate knowledge in literature; diverse, accounting for several distinct criteria to recommend more than one solution, thus enabling alternative explanations or intervention directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new bio-inspired flapping wing rotor (FWR) configuration combining the high lift of a flapping wing (FW) with the vertical take-off and landing characteristics of a rotor has proved its concept feasibility in the last decade and can be used for reconnaissance and aerial photography missions in complex and confined environments. During high-frequency flapping motion, the leading and trailing edge vortices of the flapping wing rotor alternately shed and form vortex sheets in the wake, resulting in periodic lift and a highly unsteady flow field. In the past, unsteady potential flow aerodynamic methods were derived based on a two-dimensional (2D) airfoil and extended to three dimensions by the blade element theory, neglecting the spanwise evolution effect of the vortices. In this paper, an unsteady vortex ring method (UVRM) model was developed based on two-dimensional (3D) potential flow theory for the aerodynamic calculation of a flapping wing rotor, which takes into account the spanwise evolution of shedding vortices at the leading and trailing edges of the flapping wing. The calculation results of the UVRM for several typical cases were compared with those of the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method to verify the reliability of the UVRM. Then, fluid–structure interaction analysis for the flapping wing rotor was conducted based on the UVRM model, and the phase difference between twist deformation and flapping angle was found to be approximately 90°. In addition, the effects of wing chordwise and spanwise deformation on the aerodynamic performance of the flapping rotor were investigated based on the UVRM. The results show that the wing chordwise deformation has a positive effect on the mean lift coefficient of the flapping rotor. The wing spanwise deformation has a negative effect on the mean lift coefficient of the flapping rotor. The unsteady vortex ring method model proposed in this paper provides a solution to obtain the aerodynamic force of the flapping wing rotor in an efficient and accurate way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Circadian rhythms are important for all aspects of biology; virtually every aspect of biological function varies according to time of day. Although this is well known, variation across the day is also often ignored in the design and reporting of research. For this review, we analyzed the top 50 cited papers across 10 major domains of the biological sciences in the calendar year 2015. We repeated this analysis for the year 2019, hypothesizing that the awarding of a Nobel Prize in 2017 for achievements in the field of circadian biology would highlight the importance of circadian rhythms for scientists across many disciplines, and improve time-of-day reporting. Results: Our analyses of these 1000 empirical papers, however, revealed that most failed to include sufficient temporal details when describing experimental methods and that few systematic differences in time-of-day reporting existed between 2015 and 2019. Overall, only 6.1% of reports included time-of-day information about experimental measures and manipulations sufficient to permit replication. Conclusions: Circadian rhythms are a defining feature of biological systems, and knowing when in the circadian day these systems are evaluated is fundamentally important information. Failing to account for time of day hampers reproducibility across laboratories, complicates interpretation of results, and reduces the value of data based predominantly on nocturnal animals when extrapolating to diurnal humans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soft robots present resilient and adaptable systems characterized by deformable bodies inspired by biological systems. In this paper, we comprehensively review existing design methods for soft robots. One unique feature of our review is that we first formulate criteria, which enables us to derive knowledge gaps and suggest future research directions to close these gaps and go further. Another distinctive feature of our review is that we pivot on the general engineering design process for soft robots. As such, we consider three criteria: (1) the availability of design requirements to start with the design of soft robots, (2) the availability of the so-called concept design or architecture design for soft robots, and (3) the systematic process that leads to the final design of soft robots. The review is conducted systematically, especially when searching for and selecting relevant publications in the literature. The main contribution of this review includes (i) identifying knowledge gaps and (ii) suggesting future research directions to close these gaps and go further. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an in-depth analysis of an excitable membrane of a biological system by proposing a novel approach that the cells of the excitable membrane can be modeled as the networks of memristors. We provide compelling evidence from the Chay neuron model that the state-independent mixed ion channel is a nonlinear resistor, while the state-dependent voltage-sensitive potassium ion channel and calcium-sensitive potassium ion channel function as generic memristors from the perspective of electrical circuit theory. The mechanisms that give rise to periodic oscillation, aperiodic (chaotic) oscillation, spikes, and bursting in an excitable cell are also analyzed via a small-signal model, a pole-zero diagram of admittance functions, local activity, the edge of chaos, and the Hopf bifurcation theorem. It is also proved that the zeros of the admittance functions are equivalent to the eigen values of the Jacobian matrix, and the presence of the positive real parts of the eigen values between the two bifurcation points lead to the generation of complicated electrical signals in an excitable membrane. The innovative concepts outlined in this paper pave the way for a deeper understanding of the dynamic behavior of excitable cells, offering potent tools for simulating and exploring the fundamental characteristics of biological neurons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For orthopedic implants, biocompatibility is essential to ensure that they integrate with biological systems without causing negative reactions or impairing tissue function. Orthopedic implants must be cellularly acceptable to interact with neighboring tissues, including muscle, cartilage, and bone. Implant materials should not cause cytotoxic reactions or inflammatory responses that might hinder healing or result in long-term inflammation. Progress in surface engineering and biomaterials science is discovering implants that work well with the body, benefiting patients in the long run. The biocompatibility of orthopedic implants, their interaction with surrounding tissues, and the potential for biological problems are all important aspects of their design and operation. Orthopedic implants must be successful and long-lasting to ensure biocompatibility, promote osseointegration (osteointegration), avoid biofilm development, and consider the patient's biological environment. This paper discusses biocompatibility in orthopedic implants, its advancements, and challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When students think of evolution, they might imagine T. rex, or perhaps an abiotic scene of sizzling electrical storms and harsh reducing atmospheres, an Earth that looks like a lunar landscape. Natural selection automatically elicits responses that include "survival of the fittest," and "descent with modification," and with these historical biological catch phrases, one conjures up images of large animals battling it out on the Mesozoic plane. Rarely do teachers or students apply these same ideas to cancer and the evolution of somatic cells, which have accrued mutations and epigenetic imprinting and relentlessly survive and proliferate. Our questions in this paper include the following: Can cancer become an important teaching model for students to explore fundamental hypotheses about evolutionary process? Can the multi- step somatic cancer model encourage visualizations that enable students to revisit and reenter previous primary concepts in general biology such as the cell, mitosis, chromosomes, genetic diversity, ecological diversity, immune function, and of course evolution, continually integrating their biology knowledge into process and pattern knowledge? Can the somatic cancer model expose similar patterns and protagonists, linking Darwinian observations of the natural world to our body? And, can the cancer clone model excite critical thinking and student hypotheses about what cancer is as a biological process? Does this visually simple model assist students in recognizing patterns, connecting their biological curriculum dots into a more coherent learning experience? These biological dynamics and intercepting aptitudes of cells are amplified through the cancer model and can help shape the way biology students begin to appreciate the interrelatedness of all biological systems while they continue to explore pivotal points of biological fuzziness, such as the microbiome, limitations of models, and the complex coordination of genomic networks required for the function of even a single cell and the realization of phenotypes. In this paper we use clonal evolution of cancer as a model experience for students to recreate how a single, non-germline cell appears to shadow the classic pattern of natural selection in body cells that have gone awry. With authentic STEAM activities students can easily crossover and revisit previous biological topics and the ubiquitous nature of natural selection as seen in the example of somatic cells that result in a metastasizing tumor, giving students insight into natural selection's accommodating and tractable patterns throughout the planet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With 500+ papers and 20+ books spanning many scientific disciplines, Mark Burgin has left an indelible mark and legacy for future explorers of human thought and information technology professionals. In this paper, I discuss his contribution to the evolution of machine intelligence using his general theory of information (GTI) based on my discussions with him and various papers I co-authored during the past eight years. His construction of a new class of digital automata to overcome the barrier posed by the Church–Turing Thesis, and his contribution to super-symbolic computing with knowledge structures, cognizing oracles, and structural machines are leading to practical applications changing the future landscape of information systems. GTI provides a model for the operational knowledge of biological systems to build, operate, and manage life processes using 30+ trillion cells capable of replication and metabolism. The schema and associated operations derived from GTI are also used to model a digital genome specifying the operational knowledge of algorithms executing the software life processes with specific purposes using replication and metabolism. The result is a digital software system with a super-symbolic computing structure exhibiting autopoietic and cognitive behaviors that biological systems also exhibit. We discuss here one of these applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]