The Science of Nature最新文献

This article explores the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in medicine and biology. Special attention is given to areas of biology such as genomics, proteomics, biotechnology, cell, and synthetic biology. In the field of medicine, the emphasis is on diagnosis, vaccine development, and treatment of various diseases, including COVID-19. The future of AI is explored, including explainable AI and biologically inspired models, as well as the synergy of AI with other advanced technologies, such as robotics and nanotechnology. The limitations and challenges facing AI are also analysed, including ethical and legal aspects, data quality issues, and the need for standardisation. The article emphasises that the potential of AI can both improve the quality of life and accelerate scientific discovery, and increase the occurrence of risks associated with its introduction into the scientific process. It concludes by emphasising the need for responsible use of AI to preserve scientific diversity and innovation.

Azhdarchidae was a diverse group of toothless pterosaurs and one of the few lineages of flying reptiles to survive to the end of the Cretaceous. Despite including medium-sized forms, the group is notable for their gigantic representatives, which correspond to the largest known flying animals. Azhdarchids had a nearly global distribution during the Late Cretaceous, including the Arabian Plate, with records in Lebanon and Jordan, such as the iconic Arambourgiana philadelphiae. Here, we report the first azhdarchid, and indeed the first pterosaur, from Syria, recovered from early Maastrichtian phosphate deposits of the Palmyrides mountain chain, near Palmyra (Tadmur). It corresponds to a fragmentary left humerus, missing both its proximal and distal ends, with a preserved length of 289 mm. The Syrian pterosaur was exceptionally large, with extrapolations suggesting that, if complete, its humerus would be only about 10% smaller than the holotype humerus of Quetzalcoatlus northropi, the largest known pterosaur. The new pterosaur fossil also represents the uncommon record of a giant azhdarchid in marine deposits, confirming that these gigantic animals, though classically considered continental, could also inhabit nearshore environments. The find also underscores the widespread occurrence of gigantic azhdarchids until the latest Cretaceous, just prior to their Cretaceous/Paleogene extinction, and highlights the potential for fossil discoveries in understudied regions such as the Middle East.

The diverse morphology of leaf teeth, including the presence or absence of glands, is a taxonomic attribute. However, the adaptive advantages of these projections remain unclear, and the nature of the glands associated with the margins is commonly disregarded. We selected two species of Violaceae (Pombalia atropurpurea and Anchietea pyrifolia) to describe the morphoanatomy and micromorphology of the leaf teeth and to unravel the nature of the associated glands. Leaves at different developmental stages were collected, fixed, and processed according to standard light and scanning electron microscopy techniques (including SEM–EDS). The guttation process was conducted on young plants of P. atropurpurea. Both species show vascularized teeth bearing a colleter in the apical portion and a hydathode with evident modified stomata, with guttation observed. The colleters are of the standard type and secrete mucilage and proteins in the initial stages of leaf development. In expanded leaves, the colleters are completely collapsed and the hydathodes are active. Crystals occurred along the veins, including the vasculature that irrigates the teeth. These crystals were extravasated through the modified stomata and colleters, a function previously unknown to this gland. We suggest that the leaf teeth of Violaceae perform multiple functions in the plant body, such as (i) protection against desiccation, through the sticky secretion of colleters; (ii) guttation, through modified stomata, and (iii) elimination of excess calcium in the form of crystals.

Artificial light at night (ALAN) is a growing threat to biodiversity and ecosystems globally. However, a limited number of studies have focused on the effect of ALAN in the tropical or subtropical regions, and the impact of ALAN on species interactions and ecological processes is particularly understudied. We introduced ALAN into light-naïve forest plots to examine whether ALAN affects herbivory rate and alters the growth and abundance of Nephila pilipes, a common orb-weaver spider. We found illuminated plots had a higher herbivory rate than control plots in the early wet season. The growth rate and abundance of the spider species, however, were not affected by ALAN. Our results indicate that ecological processes in tropical ecosystems, such as herbivory, are potentially sensitive to ALAN. Additionally, this study highlights the importance of a more mechanistic understanding of the sensitivities of tropical species interactions to ALAN and the possible complications caused by environmental variation.

Drought stress poses a significant threat to rice productivity, particularly when rice is cultivated through the direct seeded system (DSR). This paper aimed to isolate and characterize drought-tolerant plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) from rice rhizospheric soils in arid and semi-arid areas of Pakistan and assess their efficacy in improving rice growth under drought conditions. Six isolates exhibited PGPR traits such as phosphate solubilization, indole 3-acetic acid production, ACC deaminase activity, siderophore production, and osmolyte accumulation. Pot experiments under drought stress (60% field capacity) demonstrated that inoculation with PGPR enhanced the germination rate, chlorophyll level, water status, membrane stability, and biochemical parameters in rice exceptionally. Among these, isolate NRC13, identified as Bacillus velezensis, showed the greatest efficacy in enhancing physiological, biochemical, and yield characteristics, including grain yield and 1000-grain weight under drought stress. This study provides the first evidence of Bacillus velezensis NRC13’s application in direct-seeded rice under drought conditions in Pakistan, demonstrating the potential of this novel bio-inoculant to increase rice productivity and resilience in water-deficient settings.

An efficient and eco-friendly method was developed for synthesizing coumarin–thiazolidinone hybrids using choline hydroxide as a green catalyst. A series of arylidene derivatives (3a–i, 5) were prepared and characterized. Antimicrobial screening against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, yeast, and fungi demonstrated significant activity, particularly for compound 3c, which produced inhibition zones of up to 30.8 mm against Staphylococcus aureus, and compound 3i, which showed a MIC of 6.25 µg/mL against Escherichia coli, comparable to standard antibiotics. Structure–activity relationship analysis revealed that electron-donating substituents (–OCH₃, indolyl) markedly enhanced potency, while halogen and nitro substituents reduced activity. DFT calculations supported these findings, with 3i showing a low HOMO–LUMO gap (3.183 eV) indicating high reactivity. Molecular docking against Staphylococcus aureus dihydrofolate reductase (PDB: 2XCT) confirmed strong binding, with compound 3c achieving a docking score of –8.6 kcal/mol. These results establish coumarin–thiazolidinone hybrids as promising scaffolds for antimicrobial drug development.

Group living in gregarious caterpillars provides several benefits, including enhanced anti-predator defense and improved thermoregulation. Melanism affects both thermoregulation, with melanic forms warming up faster, and anti-predator protection, through its link to aposematic coloration and cuticle thickening. Due to the macroevolutionary association between larval gregariousness and aposematic coloration in Lepidoptera, it has been hypothesized that gregariousness could have evolved to maximize the warning coloration signal. We evaluated melanism patterns in caterpillars from the gregarious swallowtail Battus polydamas archidamas reared singly and in groups of ten individuals. We compared melanism in caterpillars from two populations differing in climate and predation risk, testing for an association between melanism and thermoregulation and/or anti-predator protection. We expected to find darker caterpillars in the colder population, which also showed a higher predation risk from ants. Considering that the group of caterpillars may maximize the warning signal, we hypothesized that solitary caterpillars would be darker (more aposematic). The degree of larval melanism was similar in both populations. Caterpillars in groups showed decreased levels of melanism compared to solitary caterpillars in both populations. Concerning performance costs of melanism, darker caterpillars were slightly—yet not significantly—smaller. Results suggest that the patterns of larval melanism in solitary vs gregarious caterpillars might be rather fixed, less related to current ecological conditions than to the evolutionary importance of aposematic coloration. If the general pattern for gregarious caterpillars results to be that larval melanism has negligible costs, then decreased melanism could be considered another benefit of gregariousness in Lepidoptera.

Interactions among gall inducers and ferns, particularly in epiphytic Polypodiaceae, remain poorly understood. In this study, we investigated lenticular Cecidomyiidae galls induced on the leaves of the epiphyte Microgramma vacciniifolia and compared their developmental cycle, interactions, and anatomical, histochemical, and histometrical profiles with those of ungalled leaves. These galls, covered by a silky film produced by the larva, exhibit a multivoltine life cycle, with induction occurring on expanded leaves throughout both dry and rainy seasons. Interactions with Holopothrips (Thysanoptera) were observed during the rainy season, suggesting potential predation and kleptoparasitism. Anatomical and histometric changes in galls are minimal, but the cell layer in contact with the gall inducer strongly accumulates reducing sugars, proteins, lipids, and phenolics, likely supporting larval nutrition and the plant’s antioxidant response. Comparing these galls to those on other epiphytic Polypodiaceae, such as Niphidium crassifolium, and investigating the phylogeny of the galling Cecidomyiidae could reveal whether these relationships coevolved and whether gall simplicity represents an ancestral trait or a derived adaptation in ferns. This study highlights the need for further research to understand the evolutionary and ecological dynamics of plant–insect interactions in epiphytic systems.

Head and neck squamous carcinoma (HNSCC) is one of the most common malignant tumors in the upper gastrointestinal tract. Inherited genes are non-modifiable risk factors for HNSCC. This study aims to determine the association between LINC-PINT polymorphism and the risk of HNSCC risk in a Chinese Han population. Genomic DNA was extracted from the whole blood samples of 524 HNSCC patients and 517 healthy controls. The associations of LINC-PINT polymorphisms and HNSCC susceptibility were evaluated through logistic regression analysis. Our study showed that rs157916, rs16873842, and rs7781295 were related to an increased susceptibility to HNSCC. Stratification analyses demonstrated that rs157916 and rs7781295 were associated with an increased risk of HNSCC in age ≤ 46 years, men, and thyroid SCC. Rs16873842 and rs7801029 showed an enhanced risk of HNSCC in men. Additionally, rs16873842 and rs7781295 may increase the risk of Nasopharyngeal SCC. Moreover, the combination of rs7801029 and rs7781295 could serve as a predictive model for HNSCC. This study suggests that LINC-PINT polymorphisms may be correlated with an increased risk of HNSCC.

Drought stress is the most vulnerable abiotic factor affecting plant growth and yield. The use of silicic acid as seed priming treatment is emerging as an effective approach to regulate maize plants susceptibility to water stress. The study was formulated for investigating the effect of silicic acid seed priming treatment in modulating the oxidative defense and key physio-biochemical attributes of maize plants under drought stress conditions. Silicic acid (control, 0.3, 0.5, 0.7, and 1 mM) primed seeds of maize cultivars Gohar-19 and Pak Afghoi were sown in soil filled pots at 100% and 60% field capacity. At 60% field capacity, a marked decline in fresh (1.23, 1.03 g) and dry (0.45, 0.38 g) biomass was observed as compared to 100% field capacity (1.34, 1.13 g; 0.53, 0.50 g) in Gohar-19, which exhibited better performance as compared to Pak Afghoi under control and drought stress conditions. Notably, seed priming with 1 mM silicic acid markedly enhanced antioxidant enzyme activities including peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, and catalase, thereby strengthening the antioxidant defense system. Additionally, primed seeds exhibited improved accumulation of primary and secondary metabolites critical for stress adaptation. Principal component analysis confirmed a distinct separation of attributes with respect to silicic acid pretreatment under water stress in maize plants. These findings demonstrate that silicic acid seed priming effectively enhances maize growth and biochemical resilience under drought stress by activating antioxidant defenses and modulating key metabolic pathways. This approach holds a significant potential as a sustainable agronomic practice to mitigate drought effects and to improve crop productivity through nutri-priming.