Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
B. Huber, S. Hammann, C. E. Loeben, D. K. Jha, D. G. Vassao, T. Larsen, R. N. Spengler, D. Q. Fuller, P. Roberts, T. Deviese, N. Boivin
Summary: This study analyzed mummification balms excavated from Tomb KV42 in the Valley of the Kings using various analytical techniques. The results revealed complex compositions of the balms and provided insights into the ingredients used in ancient Egyptian mummification. The study also demonstrated the excellent preservation of organic remains even when they are removed from their original archaeological context.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Review
Virology
Victor Bastos, Vinicius Pacheco, Erika D. L. Rodrigues, Cassia N. S. Moraes, Adriel L. Nobile, Dennyson Leandro M. Fonseca, Kamilla B. S. Souza, Fernando Y. N. do Vale, Igor S. Filgueiras, Lena F. Schimke, Lasse M. Giil, Guido Moll, Gustavo Cabral-Miranda, Hans D. Ochs, Pedro F. da Costa Vasconcelos, Guilherme D. de Melo, Herve Bourhy, Livia M. N. Casseb, Otavio Cabral-Marques
Summary: Rabies is a neuroinvasive viral disease with a high fatality rate, mainly affecting developing countries in Africa and Asia. It can be prevented through vaccination, but cases still occur in European countries and the United States. Factors such as population growth, increasing income levels, and the COVID-19 pandemic have led to a rise in the animal population, calling for preventive measures, postexposure prophylaxis, and a better understanding of the disease's pathophysiology.
JOURNAL OF MEDICAL VIROLOGY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Wen-Hao Xu, Lin Chen, Shun Zhang, Rong-Cheng Du, Xuehui Liu, Shimei Xu, Yu-Zhong Wang
Summary: Accumulation and mishandling of post-consumer polymers have caused environmental concerns globally. Chemical recycling is a promising strategy to convert waste polymers into valuable substances. The study shows that the presence of spandex has a significant impact on the chemical recycling of polyester, resulting in decreased recovery rate and non-compliance with color standards. The main depolymerization reaction of spandex is urethane alcoholysis. It is also discovered for the first time that amide-esterification reaction occurs during urethane alcoholysis, challenging the previous understanding of the process.
Review
Immunology
Gaspard Kerner, Etienne Patin, Lluis Quintana-Murci
Summary: Population genetic studies have shown that immunity and host defense are important functions subject to natural selection, with recent research focusing on human adaptation to infectious agents through hybridization with extinct hominins and admixture between modern human populations. Advances in ancient DNA sequencing have provided insights into the sources of immune response variation in contemporary humans, including the link between Neanderthal heritage and susceptibility to severe COVID-19 disease. Ancient DNA analyses in humans and pathogens allow for understanding the action of natural selection on immune genes over time and the impact of past epidemics on human immunity evolution.
CURRENT OPINION IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yasushi Kondo, Joseph W. Paul, Sriram Subramaniam, John Kuriyan
Summary: BRAF is a crucial protein kinase that regulates cell fate in animal cells. Recent studies have shown how active and inactive forms of BRAF interact with the protein 14-3-3, revealing new insights into its regulatory mechanisms. Changes in the phosphorylation state of BRAF alter its complex composition, stabilizing the active dimeric form of the kinase.
CURRENT OPINION IN STRUCTURAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Yong Shao, Long Zhou, Fang Li, Lan Zhao, Bao-Lin Zhang, Feng Shao, Jia-Wei Chen, Chun-Yan Chen, Xupeng Bi, Xiao-Lin Zhuang, Hong-Liang Zhu, Jiang Hu, Zongyi Sun, Xin Li, Depeng Wang, Iker Rivas-Gonzalez, Sheng Wang, Yun-Mei Wang, Wu Chen, Gang Li, Hui-Meng Lu, Yang Liu, Lukas F. K. Kuderna, Kyle Kai-How Farh, Peng-Fei Fan, Li Yu, Ming Li, Zhi-Jin Liu, George P. Tiley, Anne D. Yoder, Christian Roos, Takashi Hayakawa, Tomas Marques-Bonet, Jeffrey Rogers, Peter D. Stenson, David N. Cooper, Mikkel Heide Schierup, Yong-Gang Yao, Ya-Ping Zhang, Wen Wang, Xiao-Guang Qi, Guojie Zhang, Dong-Dong Wu
Summary: Comparative analysis of primate genomes is crucial for understanding human genetic architecture and primate evolution. This study analyzed the genomes of 50 primate species, including previously underrepresented groups. The results revealed varying rates of genomic rearrangement and gene evolution across primate lineages, with many genes under positive selection playing important roles in primate adaptations.
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Maria Angela Diroma, Alessandra Modi, Martina Lari, Luca Sineo, David Caramelli, Stefania Vai
Summary: The study successfully reconstructed almost complete mtDNA genomes for most analyzed samples, and provided guidelines for dealing with potential artifact sources. Through data simulations, it was demonstrated that new sequencing technologies and software are sensitive enough to detect partially mutated sites in ancient genomes and discriminate true variants from artifacts.
FRONTIERS IN GENETICS
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Maite Rivollat, Aline Thomas, Emmanuel Ghesquiere, Adam Benjamin Rohrlach, Ellen Spaeth, Marie-Helene Pemonge, Wolfgang Haak, Philippe Chambon, Marie-France Deguilloux
Summary: This study analyzes the genomic data from the fifth-millennium BCE site of Fleury-sur-Orne in Normandy, France, which is famous for its monumental burial structures. The results reveal that the burials at the site include 19 individuals, with two pairs identified as father and son. The analysis also suggests that each monument represents a genetically independent lineage. Furthermore, the genetic diversity of the site aligns with western European Neolithic populations, and a new genetic group is detected after 4,000 BCE. Interestingly, the presence of a female burial challenges the assumption of a strictly male-focused burial rite.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Paolo Cascio
Summary: PA28 is a family of proteasome regulators with three paralogs in jawed vertebrates - PA28 alpha, PA28 beta, and PA28 gamma. PA28 gamma is involved in supporting adaptive immune responses and regulating essential cellular processes in the nucleus. Its ability to enhance degradation rates of regulatory proteins by the 20S proteasome is a key factor in its diverse and complex biological functions.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Qi Li, Yang Liu, Xiaoming Zhang
Summary: Biomolecular condensates are dynamic structures formed through various mechanisms and play crucial regulatory roles in cellular processes. RNA silencing, mediated by small RNAs, is an important gene regulatory mechanism, in which biomolecular condensates are key players. They provide spatial compartmentation for small RNA biogenesis and function, as well as modulate RNA silencing activity during stress responses.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Linda M. Seymour, Janille Maragh, Paolo Sabatini, Michel Di Tommaso, James C. Weaver, Admir Masic
Summary: This study investigates the durability of ancient Roman concretes using a multiscale correlative elemental and chemical mapping approach. The analysis reveals that the Romans employed hot mixing with quicklime in conjunction with or instead of slaked lime, resulting in the retention of large surface area lime clasts within the mortar matrix. Inspired by these findings, modern lime clast-containing cementitious mixtures were developed and tested, demonstrating their self-healing potential and paving the way for more durable and sustainable concrete formulations.
Review
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Yichen Liu, Xiaowei Mao, Johannes Krause, Qiaomei Fu
Summary: Advancements in DNA sequencing technologies and laboratory preparation protocols have expanded ancient DNA research, revealing interactions between ancient and modern humans and human population dynamics, deepening our understanding of human evolutionary history.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Changjun Peng, Dong-Dong Wu, Jin-Long Ren, Zhong-Liang Peng, Zhifei Ma, Wei Wu, Yunyun Lv, Zeng Wang, Cao Deng, Ke Jiang, Christopher L. Parkinson, Yin Qi, Zhi-Yi Zhang, Jia-Tang Li
Summary: By analyzing 14 newly assembled genomes, we investigated the genetic basis of snake phenotypes and conducted functional experiments to understand their morphological characteristics. We identified genes, regulatory elements, and structural variations that have potentially contributed to the evolution of snakes, such as limb loss, elongated body plan, asymmetrical lungs, sensory systems, and digestive adaptations. We also found genes and regulatory elements that might have shaped the evolution of vision, skeletal system and diet in blind snakes, and thermoreception in infrared-sensitive snakes. Our study provides new insights into the evolution and development of snakes and vertebrates.
Article
Horticulture
Xiaochang Dong, Haixia Tang, Qiong Zhang, Chunmei Zhang, Zhongtang Wang
Summary: The study revealed that under mild drought conditions, protein and sugar contents in jujube fruits increased, while the average fruit weight decreased. Water deficit stress affected sugar and amino acid metabolism pathways, as well as phenylpropanoid biosynthesis in the fruits.
SCIENTIA HORTICULTURAE
(2022)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Linying Wang, Guilian Sheng, Michaela Preick, Songmei Hu, Tao Deng, Ulrike H. Taron, Axel Barlow, Jiaming Hu, Bo Xiao, Guojiang Sun, Shiwen Song, Xindong Hou, Xulong Lai, Michael Hofreiter, Junxia Yuan
Summary: Both molecular data and archaeological evidence support an African origin for domestic donkeys, with recent genetic studies suggesting two distinct maternal lineages involved in their initial domestication. The introduction of these lineages into ancient China is dated to at least the opening of the Silk Road in the first century BC. Analysis of mitochondrial genomes indicates population size changes in domestic donkeys over the past 5,000 years.
FRONTIERS IN GENETICS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Didjour Albert Kambire, Acafou Thierry Yapi, Jean Brice Boti, Zana Adama Ouattara, Zanahi Felix Tonzibo, Jean-Jacques Filippi, Ange Bighelli, Felix Tomi
NATURAL PRODUCT RESEARCH
(2020)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ashley Scott, Robert C. Power, Victoria Altmann-Wendling, Michel Artzy, Mario A. S. Martin, Stefanie Eisenmann, Richard Hagan, Domingo C. Salazar-Garcia, Yossi Salmon, Dmitry Yegorov, Ianir Milevski, Israel Finkelstein, Philipp W. Stockhammer, Christina Warinner
Summary: By analyzing microremains and proteins preserved in dental calculus from individuals in the Southern Levant during the second millennium BCE, it has been found that people in the Eastern Mediterranean had access to food from distant locations such as South Asia, including soybean, banana, and turmeric, pushing back the earliest evidence of these foods in the Mediterranean by centuries or even millennia. This challenges previous perceptions of the complexity and intensity of Indo-Mediterranean trade during the Bronze Age and the degree of globalization in early Eastern Mediterranean cuisine.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Anthropology
Maxime Rageot, Cedric Lepere, Aureade Henry, Didier Binder, Gourguen Davtian, Jean-Jacques Filippi, Xavier Fernandez, Jean Guilaine, Frederic Jallet, Giovanna Radi, Eric Thirault, Xavier Terradas, Martine Regert
Summary: This study examines the use of plant resins, tars, and organic fossil substances in ancient societies, focusing on the Neolithic period in the North-West Mediterranean. It reveals insights into production systems, procurement strategies, and the transportation of materials such as birch bark tar over long distances. The research highlights the variability and complexity of adhesive production systems and supply networks at different spatial scales during the Neolithic era.
JOURNAL OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Archaeology
Bine Kramberger, Christoph Berthold, Cynthianne Spiteri
Summary: Miniature ceramic bottles with perforated handles, believed to be personal items for storing cosmetics or for ritual purposes, were found in Late Neolithic and Chalcolithic communities in the south-eastern Prealps, south-western Transdanubia, and the Balkans in the 5th millennium BC. This study applied a multi-method approach to analyze the function of 14 of these bottles from the Lasinja and Vinca cultures, pushing back the date for the use of lead-based cosmetic/medicinal products in North Africa, the Near East, and Europe.
JOURNAL OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL SCIENCE-REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Stephen Buckley, Robert C. Power, Maria Andreadaki-Vlazaki, Murat Akar, Julia Becher, Matthias Belser, Sara Cafisso, Stefanie Eisenmann, Joann Fletcher, Michael Francken, Birgitta Hallager, Katerina Harvati, Tara Ingman, Efthymia Kataki, Joseph Maran, Mario A. S. Martin, Photini J. P. McGeorge, Ianir Milevski, Alkestis Papadimitriou, Eftychia Protopapadaki, Domingo C. Salazar-Garcia, Tyede Schmidt-Schultz, Verena J. Schuenemann, Rula Shafiq, Ingelise Stuijts, Dmitry Yegorov, K. Aslihan Yener, Michael Schultz, Cynthianne Spiteri, Philipp W. Stockhammer
Summary: This paper presents the earliest evidence for the exploitation of lignite in Europe and sheds new light on the use of combustion fuel sources in the 2nd millennium BCE Eastern Mediterranean. The analysis of dental calculus from 67 individuals revealed clear evidence of combustion markers embedded within.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Guillaume Leseigneur, Jean-Jacques Filippi, Nicolas Baldovini, Uwe Meierhenrich
Summary: Gas chromatography was used to separate acyclic saturated hydrocarbon enantiomers, and the absolute stereochemical configuration was determined through the synthesis of single enantiomers. The study highlights the significance of chiral hydrocarbons and their potential use as biosignatures in geological and astrobiology studies. Additionally, the findings have implications for the search for life on Mars by the ESA's ExoMars rover in 2023.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Rivka Chasan, Danny Rosenberg, Florian Klimscha, Ron Beeri, Dor Golan, Ayelet Dayan, Ehud Galili, Cynthianne Spiteri
Summary: Organic residue analysis of pottery from prehistoric sites in the southern Levant suggests that beehive products from wild bees were used during the Chalcolithic period, despite debate over the true frequency of beeswax use. Wild resources were seemingly preferred over beehive products due to the socio-economic system's focus on domesticated resources, controlled production, and standardization, with bee products only becoming economically important in the southern Levant several millennia later.
ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Anthropology
Rivka Chasan, Cynthianne Spiteri, Danny Rosenberg
Summary: This paper presents a comprehensive study of culinary practices in the southern Levant from the Pottery Neolithic to the Late Chalcolithic period. The results suggest that there was a fairly uniform diet during this time, with a preference for meat from domestic ruminants and cultivated vegetal resources. Some variation was noted in the use of dairy products. Overall, the research shows that social and economic developments did not significantly influence what people ate and how they used vessels for food preparation and consumption.
ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND ANTHROPOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Archaeology
Rivka Chasan, Florian Klimscha, Cynthianne Spiteri, Danny Rosenberg
Summary: Tel Tsaf is a Middle Chalcolithic site in the central Jordan Valley, Israel. Organic residue analysis of pottery vessels and stone vessels suggests the use of various combinations of domestic and wild plant and animal products. The study also provides evidence for milk exploitation, offering insights into the dietary patterns and culinary traditions of the Middle Chalcolithic period in the southern Levant.
JOURNAL OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL SCIENCE-REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Stephen Buckley, Karen Hardy, Fredrik Hallgren, Lucy Kubiak-Martens, Zydrune Miliauskiene, Alison Sheridan, Iwona Sobkowiak-Tabaka, Maria Eulalia Subira
Summary: Research shows that there was widespread consumption of seaweed, submerged aquatic plants, and freshwater plants in prehistoric Europe, which continued into the farming period and early Middle Ages. This discovery is crucial for understanding the past and recognizing forgotten resources in the present.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Archaeology
Cynthianne Spiteri, Matthias Belser, Anita Crispino
JOURNAL OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL SCIENCE-REPORTS
(2020)