(S)-2-Carb-oxy-ethyl l-cysteinyl sulfone.

The title compound {systematic name: (2S)-2-aza-niumyl-3-[(2-carb-oxy-ethane)-sulfon-yl]propano-ate}, C6H11NO6S, forms enanti-opure crystals in the monoclinic space group P21 and exists as a zwitterion, with a protonated α-amino group and a deprotonated α-carboxyl group. Both the carboxyl groups and the amino group are involved in an extensive multicentered inter-molecular hydrogen-bonding scheme. In the crystal, the diperiodic network of hydrogen bonds propagates parallel to (101) and involves inter-connected heterodromic R 4 3(10) rings. Electrostatic forces are major contributors to the structure energy, which was estimated by DFT calculations as E total = -333.5 kJ mol-1.

Insights on Pseudomonas aeruginosa Carbohydrate Binding from Profiles of Cystic Fibrosis Isolates Using Multivalent Fluorescent Glycopolymers Bearing Pendant Monosaccharides.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa contributes to frequent, persistent, and, often, polymicrobial respiratory tract infections for individuals with cystic fibrosis (CF). Chronic CF infections lead to bronchiectasis and a shortened lifespan. P. aeruginosa expresses numerous adhesins, including lectins known to bind the epithelial cell and mucin glycoconjugates. Blocking carbohydrate-mediated host-pathogen and intra-biofilm interactions critical to the initiation and perpetuation of colonization offer promise as anti-infective treatment strategies. To inform anti-adhesion therapies, we profiled the monosaccharide binding of P. aeruginosa from CF and non-CF sources, and assessed whether specific bacterial phenotypic characteristics affected carbohydrate-binding patterns. Focusing at the cellular level, microscopic and spectrofluorometric tools permitted the solution-phase analysis of P. aeruginosa binding to a panel of fluorescent glycopolymers possessing distinct pendant monosaccharides. All P. aeruginosa demonstrated significant binding to glycopolymers specific for α-D-galactose, ß-D-N-acetylgalactosamine, and ß-D-galactose-3-sulfate. In each culture, a small subpopulation accounted for the binding. The carbohydrate anomeric configuration and sulfate ester presence markedly influenced binding. While this opportunistic pathogen from CF hosts presented with various colony morphologies and physiological activities, no phenotypic, physiological, or structural feature predicted enhanced or diminished monosaccharide binding. Important to anti-adhesive therapeutic strategies, these findings suggest that, regardless of phenotype or clinical source, P. aeruginosa maintain a small subpopulation that may readily associate with specific configurations of specific monosaccharides. This report provides insights into whole-cell P. aeruginosa carbohydrate-binding profiles and into the context within which successful anti-adhesive and/or anti-virulence anti-infective agents for CF must contend.

Parosteal lipoma of the left femur: A case report.

Multidisciplinary team collaboration in the diagnosis of rare tumors such as parosteal lipoma is highly important, especially when suspicious of malignancy. The use of radiological and physical examinations is imperative to monitor recurrence and quality of life.

Achieving controllable and reversible snap-through in pre-strained strips of liquid crystalline elastomers.

Deformable, elastic materials that buckle in response to external stimuli can display "snap-through", which involves a transition between different, stable buckled states. Snap-through produces a quick release of stored potential energy, and thus can provide fast actuation for soft robots and other flexible devices. Liquid crystalline elastomers (LCEs) exposed to light undergo a phase transition and a concomitant mechanical deformation, allowing control of snap-through for rapid, large amplitude actuation. Using both a semi-analytical model and finite element simulations, we focus on a thin LCE strip that is clamped at both ends and buckles due to an initially imposed strain. We show that when this clamped, strained sample is exposed to light, it produces controllable snap-through behavior, which can be regulated by varying the light intensity and the area of the sample targeted by light. In particular, this snap-through can be triggered in different directions, allowing the system to be reset and triggered multiple times. Removing the light source will cause the system to settle into one of two stable states, enabling the encoding and storage of information in the system. We also highlight a specific case where removing the light source removes the induced buckling and returns the material to an initially flat state. In this case, the system can be reset and form a new shape, allowing it to function as a rewriteable haptic interface.

Microglia Signaling Pathway Reporters Unveiled Manganese Activation of the Interferon/STAT1 Pathway and Its Mitigation by Flavonoids.

Neuroinflammatory responses to neurotoxic manganese (Mn) in CNS have been associated with the Mn-induced Parkinson-like syndromes. However, the framework of molecular mechanisms contributing to manganism is still unclear. Using an in vitro neuroinflammation model based on the insulated signaling pathway reporter transposon constructs stably transfected into a murine BV-2 microglia line, we tested effects of manganese (II) together with a set of 12 metal salts on the transcriptional activities of the NF-κB, activator protein-1 (AP-1), signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1), STAT1/STAT2, STAT3, Nrf2, and metal-responsive transcription factor-1 (MTF-1) via luciferase assay, while concatenated destabilized green fluorescent protein expression provided for simultaneous evaluation of cellular viability. This experiment revealed specific and strong responses to manganese (II) in reporters of the type I and type II interferon-induced signaling pathways, while weaker activation of the NF-κB in the microglia was detected upon treatment of cells with Mn(II) and Ba(II). There was a similarity between Mn(II) and interferon-γ in the temporal STAT1 activation profile and in their antagonism to bacterial LPS. Sixty-four natural and synthetic flavonoids differentially affected both cytotoxicity and the pro-inflammatory activity of Mn (II) in the microglia. Whereas flavan-3-ols, flavanones, flavones, and flavonols were cytoprotective, isoflavones enhanced the cytotoxicity of Mn(II). Furthermore, about half of the tested flavonoids at 10-50 µM could attenuate both basal and 100-200 µM Mn(II)-induced activity at the gamma-interferon activated DNA sequence (GAS) in the cells, suggesting no critical roles for the metal chelation or antioxidant activity in the protective potential of flavonoids against manganese in microglia. In summary, results of the study identified Mn as a specific elicitor of the interferon-dependent pathways that can be mitigated by dietary polyphenols.

Structural and Functional Studies of S-(2-Carboxyethyl)-L-Cysteine and S-(2-Carboxyethyl)-l-Cysteine Sulfoxide.

Insecticidal non-proteinogenic amino acid S-(2-carboxyethyl)-L-cysteine (ß-CEC) and its assumed metabolite, S-(2-carboxyethyl)-l-cysteine sulfoxide (ß-CECO), are present abundantly in a number of plants of the legume family. In humans, these amino acids may occur as a result of exposure to environmental acrylonitrile or acrylamide, and due to consumption of the legumes. The ß-CEC molecule is a homolog of S-carboxymethyl-l-cysteine (carbocisteine, CMC), a clinically employed antioxidant and mucolytic drug. We report here detailed structural data for ß-CEC and ß-CECO, as well as results of in vitro studies evaluating cytotoxicity and the protective potential of the amino acids in renal tubular epithelial cells (RTECs) equipped with reporters for activity of seven stress-responsive transcription factors. In RTECs, ß-CEC and the sulfoxide were not acutely cytotoxic, but activated the antioxidant Nrf2 pathway. ß-CEC, but not the sulfoxide, induced the amino acid stress signaling, which could be moderated by cysteine, methionine, histidine, and tryptophan. ß-CEC enhanced the cytotoxic effects of arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury, but inhibited the cytotoxic stress induced by cisplatin, oxaliplatin, and CuO nanoparticles and acted as an antioxidant in a copper-dependent oxidative DNA degradation assay. In these experiments, the structure and activities of ß-CEC closely resembled those of CMC. Our data suggest that ß-CEC may act as a mild activator of the cytoprotective pathways and as a protector from platinum drugs and environmental copper cytotoxicity.

Self-regulated non-reciprocal motions in single-material microstructures.

Living cilia stir, sweep and steer via swirling strokes of complex bending and twisting, paired with distinct reverse arcs1,2. Efforts to mimic such dynamics synthetically rely on multimaterial designs but face limits to programming arbitrary motions or diverse behaviours in one structure3-8. Here we show how diverse, complex, non-reciprocal, stroke-like trajectories emerge in a single-material system through self-regulation. When a micropost composed of photoresponsive liquid crystal elastomer with mesogens aligned oblique to the structure axis is exposed to a static light source, dynamic dances evolve as light initiates a travelling order-to-disorder transition front, transiently turning the structure into a complex evolving bimorph that twists and bends via multilevel opto-chemo-mechanical feedback. As captured by our theoretical model, the travelling front continuously reorients the molecular, geometric and illumination axes relative to each other, yielding pathways composed from series of twisting, bending, photophobic and phototropic motions. Guided by the model, here we choreograph a wide range of trajectories by tailoring parameters, including illumination angle, light intensity, molecular anisotropy, microstructure geometry, temperature and irradiation intervals and duration. We further show how this opto-chemo-mechanical self-regulation serves as a foundation for creating self-organizing deformation patterns in closely spaced microstructure arrays via light-mediated interpost communication, as well as complex motions of jointed microstructures, with broad implications for autonomous multimodal actuators in areas such as soft robotics7,9,10, biomedical devices11,12 and energy transduction materials13, and for fundamental understanding of self-regulated systems14,15.

Metabolic scaling of fire ants (Solenopsis invicta) engaged in collective behaviors.

During flash floods, fire ants (Solenopsis invicta Buren) link their bodies together to build rafts to stay afloat, and towers to anchor onto floating vegetation. Can such challenging conditions facilitate synchronization and coordination, resulting in energy savings per capita? To understand how stress affects metabolic rate, we used constant-volume respirometry to measure the metabolism of fire ant workers. Group metabolic rates were measured in a series of conditions: at normal state, at three elevated temperatures, during rafting, and during tower-building. We hypothesized that the metabolic rate of ants at various temperatures would scale isometrically (proportionally with the group mass). Indeed, we found metabolic rates scaled isometrically under all temperature conditions, giving evidence that groups of ants differ from entire colonies, which scale allometrically. We then hypothesized that the metabolism of ants engaged in rafting and tower-building would scale allometrically. We found partial evidence for this hypothesis: ants rafting for short times had allometric metabolic rates, but this effect vanished after 30 min. Rafting for long times and tower-building both scaled isometrically. Tower-building consumed the same energy per capita as ants in their normal state. Rafting ants consumed almost 43% more energy than ants in their normal state, with smaller rafts consuming more energy per capita. Together, our results suggest that stressful conditions requiring coordination can influence metabolic demand. This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper.

Bidirectional Responses of Eight Neuroinflammation-Related Transcriptional Factors to 64 Flavonoids in Astrocytes with Transposable Insulated Signaling Pathway Reporters.

Neuroinflammation is implicated in a variety of pathologies and is mechanistically linked to hyperactivation of glial cells in the central nervous system (CNS), predominantly in response to external stimuli. Multiple dietary factors were reported to alter neuroinflammation, but their actions on the relevant transcription factors in glia are not sufficiently understood. Here, an in vitro protocol employing cultured astroglial cells, which carry reporters of multiple signaling pathways associated with inflammation, was developed for screening environmental factors and synthetic drugs. Immortalized rat astrocyte line DI TNC1 was stably transfected with piggyBac transposon vectors containing a series of insulated reporters for the transcriptional activity of NF-κB, AP-1, signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1), signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), aromatic hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), Nrf2, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ), and HIF-1α, which is quantified via luciferase assay. Concatenated green fluorescent protein (GFP) expression was employed for simultaneous evaluation of cellular viability. Responses to a set of 64 natural and synthetic monomeric flavonoids representing six main structural classes (flavan-3-ols, flavanones, flavones, flavonols, isoflavones, and anthocyan(id)ins) were obtained at 10 and 50 µM concentrations. Except for HIF-1α, the activity of NF-κB and other transcription factors (TFs) in astrocytes was predominantly inhibited by flavan-3-ols and anthocyan(id)ins, while flavones and isoflavones generally activated these TFs. In addition, we obtained dose-response profiles for 11 flavonoids (apigenin, baicalein, catechin, cyanidin, epigallocatechin gallate, genistein, hesperetin, kaempferol, luteolin, naringenin, and quercetin) within the 1-100 µM range and in the presence of immune-stimulants and immune-suppressors. The flavonoid concentration profiles for TF-activation reveal biphasic response curves from the astrocytes. Apart from epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), flavonoids failed to inhibit the NF-κB activation by proinflammatory agents [lipopolysaccharide (LPS), cytokines], but most of the tested polyphenols synergized with STAT3 inhibitors (stattic, ruxolitinib) against the activation of this TF in the astrocytes. We conclude that transposable insulated reporters of transcriptional activation represent a convenient neurochemistry tool in screening for activators/inhibitors of signaling pathways.

Exploring the sentiment of entrepreneurs on Twitter.

Sentiment analysis is an evolving field of study that employs artificial intelligence techniques to identify the emotions and opinions expressed in a given text. Applying sentiment analysis to study the billions of messages that circulate in popular online social media platforms has raised numerous opportunities for exploring the emotional expressions of their users. In this paper we combine sentiment analysis with natural language processing and topic analysis techniques and conduct two different studies to examine whether engagement in entrepreneurship is associated with more positive emotions expressed on Twitter. In study 1, we investigate three samples with 6.717.308, 13.253.244, and 62.067.509 tweets respectively. We find that entrepreneurs express more positive emotions than non-entrepreneurs for most topics. We also find that social entrepreneurs express more positive emotions, and that serial entrepreneurs express less positive emotions than other entrepreneurs. In study 2, we use 21.491.962 tweets to explore 37.225 job-status changes by individuals who entered or quit entrepreneurship. We find that a job change to entrepreneurship is associated with a shift in the expression of emotions to more positive ones.

Pedal to the metal: Cities power evolutionary divergence by accelerating metabolic rate and locomotor performance.

Metabolic rates of ectotherms are expected to increase with global trends of climatic warming. But the potential for rapid, compensatory evolution of lower metabolic rate in response to rising temperatures is only starting to be explored. Here, we explored rapid evolution of metabolic rate and locomotor performance in acorn-dwelling ants (Temnothorax curvispinosus) in response to urban heat island effects. We reared ant colonies within a laboratory common garden (25°C) to generate a laboratory-born cohort of workers and tested their acute plastic responses to temperature. Contrary to expectations, urban ants exhibited a higher metabolic rate compared with rural ants when tested at 25°C, suggesting a potentially maladaptive evolutionary response to urbanization. Urban and rural ants had similar metabolic rates when tested at 38°C, as a consequence of a diminished plastic response of the urban ants. Locomotor performance also evolved such that the running speed of urban ants was faster than rural ants under warmer test temperatures (32°C and 42°C) but slower under a cooler test temperature (22°C). The resulting specialist-generalist trade-off and higher thermal optimum for locomotor performance might compensate for evolved increases in metabolic rate by allowing workers to more quickly scout and retrieve resources.

Nitrogen Assimilation and Transport by Ex Planta Nitrogen-Fixing Bradyrhizobium diazoefficiens Bacteroids Is Modulated by Oxygen, Bacteroid Density and l-Malate.

Symbiotic nitrogen fixation requires the transfer of fixed organic nitrogen compounds from the symbiotic bacteria to a host plant, yet the chemical nature of the compounds is in question. Bradyrhizobium diazoefficiens bacteroids were isolated anaerobically from soybean nodules and assayed at varying densities, varying partial pressures of oxygen, and varying levels of l-malate. Ammonium was released at low bacteroid densities and high partial pressures of oxygen, but was apparently taken up at high bacteroid densities and low partial pressures of oxygen in the presence of l-malate; these later conditions were optimal for amino acid excretion. The ratio of partial pressure of oxygen/bacteroid density of apparent ammonium uptake and of alanine excretion displayed an inverse relationship. Ammonium uptake, alanine and branch chain amino acid release were all dependent on the concentration of l-malate displaying similar K0.5 values of 0.5 mM demonstrating concerted regulation. The hyperbolic kinetics of ammonium uptake and amino acid excretion suggests transport via a membrane carrier and also suggested that transport was rate limiting. Glutamate uptake displayed exponential kinetics implying transport via a channel. The chemical nature of the compounds released were dependent upon bacteroid density, partial pressure of oxygen and concentration of l-malate demonstrating an integrated metabolism.

Structure, Antioxidant and Anti-inflammatory Activities of the (4R)- and (4S)-epimers of S-Carboxymethyl-L-cysteine Sulfoxide.

S-Carboxymethyl-L-cysteine (CMC) is an antioxidant and mucolytic commonly prescribed to patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. In humans, CMC is rapidly metabolized to S-carboxymethyl-L-cysteine sulfoxide (CMCO). In this study, we assessed structural and functional similarities between CMC and CMCO. X-Ray diffraction analysis provided detailed structural information about CMCO, which exists as a 1:1 mixture of epimers, due to the emergence of a new chiral center at the sulfur atom. Both CMC and CMCO epimers protected model DNA from copper-mediated hydroxyl free radical damage. Using an insulated transposable construct for reporting activity of the cellular stress-responsive transcription factors Nrf2, p53, NF-κB, and AP-1, we demonstrate that CMCO, especially its (4R)-epimer, is comparable to CMC in their ability to mitigate the effects of oxidative stress and pro-inflammatory stimuli in human alveolar (A549) and bronchial epithelial (BEAS-2B) cells. The results of these in vitro studies suggest that CMCO retains, at least partially, the antioxidant potential of CMC and may inform pharmacodynamics considerations of CMC use in clinics.

Integrating GWAS and Transcriptomics to Identify the Molecular Underpinnings of Thermal Stress Responses in Drosophila melanogaster.

Thermal tolerance of an organism depends on both the ability to dynamically adjust to a thermal stress and preparatory developmental processes that enhance thermal resistance. However, the extent to which standing genetic variation in thermal tolerance alleles influence dynamic stress responses vs. preparatory processes is unknown. Here, using the model species Drosophila melanogaster, we used a combination of Genome Wide Association mapping (GWAS) and transcriptomic profiling to characterize whether genes associated with thermal tolerance are primarily involved in dynamic stress responses or preparatory processes that influence physiological condition at the time of thermal stress. To test our hypotheses, we measured the critical thermal minimum (CTmin) and critical thermal maximum (CTmax) of 100 lines of the Drosophila Genetic Reference Panel (DGRP) and used GWAS to identify loci that explain variation in thermal limits. We observed greater variation in lower thermal limits, with CTmin ranging from 1.81 to 8.60°C, while CTmax ranged from 38.74 to 40.64°C. We identified 151 and 99 distinct genes associated with CTmin and CTmax, respectively, and there was strong support that these genes are involved in both dynamic responses to thermal stress and preparatory processes that increase thermal resistance. Many of the genes identified by GWAS were involved in the direct transcriptional response to thermal stress (72/151 for cold; 59/99 for heat), and overall GWAS candidates were more likely to be differentially expressed than other genes. Further, several GWAS candidates were regulatory genes that may participate in the regulation of stress responses, and gene ontologies related to development and morphogenesis were enriched, suggesting many of these genes influence thermal tolerance through effects on development and physiological status. Overall, our results suggest that thermal tolerance alleles can influence both dynamic plastic responses to thermal stress and preparatory processes that improve thermal resistance. These results also have utility for directly comparing GWAS and transcriptomic approaches for identifying candidate genes associated with thermal tolerance.

Twist again: Dynamically and reversibly controllable chirality in liquid crystalline elastomer microposts.

Photoresponsive liquid crystalline elastomers (LCEs) constitute ideal actuators for soft robots because their light-induced macroscopic shape changes can be harnessed to perform specific articulated motions. Conventional LCEs, however, do not typically exhibit complex modes of bending and twisting necessary to perform sophisticated maneuvers. Here, we model LCE microposts encompassing side-chain mesogens oriented along a magnetically programmed nematic director, and azobenzene cross-linkers, which determine the deformations of illuminated posts. On altering the nematic director orientation from vertical to horizontal, the post's bending respectively changes from light-seeking to light-avoiding. Moreover, both modeling and subsequent experiments show that with the director tilted at 45°, the initially achiral post reversibly twists into a right- or left-handed chiral structure, controlled by the angle of incident light. We exploit this photoinduced chirality to design "chimera" posts (encompassing two regions with distinct director orientations) that exhibit simultaneous bending and twisting, mimicking motions exhibited by the human musculoskeletal system.

Patterns of Tracheal Compression in the Thorax of the Ground Beetle, Platynus decentis.

Insects breathe using a system of tracheal tubes that ramify throughout the body. Rhythmic tracheal compression (RTC), the periodic collapse and reinflation of parts of the system, has been identified in multiple taxa, but little is known about the precise dynamics of tube deformation cycles. It has been hypothesized that during RTC, compression occurs synchronously throughout the body, but specific kinematic patterns along the length of individual tracheae may vary. Tube collapse or reinflation that proceeds unidirectionally along the length of a tube may function as a pump to transport air, augmenting gas exchange. This study aims to characterize patterns of tracheal compression in one species of carabid beetle, Platynus decentis, to test the hypothesis of directional compression. The internal tracheae of living beetles were visualized using synchrotron x-ray phase contrast imaging at the Advanced Photon Source, Argonne National Laboratory. X-ray video results show that tracheal compression is characterized by the formation of discrete, buckled regions in the tube wall, giving the appearance of "dimpling." Dimple formation in the main dorsal tracheal trunks of the prothorax occurred as two semi-circular fronts that spread symmetrically or directionally along the longitudinal tube axis. In the transverse axis, the main ventral trunks collapsed in the lateral direction, whereas the dorsal trunks collapsed dorsoventrally. Along the length of the ventral thoracic tracheal trunks, collapse and reinflation occurred synchronously in the majority of cycles (75 percent), not sequentially. Synchronous longitudinal compression and consistent dimple formation kinematics within an animal suggest that Platynus decentis employs a stereotyped mechanism to produce cycles of tracheal collapse and reinflation, but such compression does not function as a unidirectional pump, at least along the length of the local trachea. Further data on spiracle opening and closing patterns and internal pressures within the tracheal system are required to determine actual airflow patterns within the body.

Multiresponsive polymeric microstructures with encoded predetermined and self-regulated deformability.

Dynamic functions of biological organisms often rely on arrays of actively deformable microstructures undergoing a nearly unlimited repertoire of predetermined and self-regulated reconfigurations and motions, most of which are difficult or not yet possible to achieve in synthetic systems. Here, we introduce stimuli-responsive microstructures based on liquid-crystalline elastomers (LCEs) that display a broad range of hierarchical, even mechanically unfavored deformation behaviors. By polymerizing molded prepolymer in patterned magnetic fields, we encode any desired uniform mesogen orientation into the resulting LCE microstructures, which is then read out upon heating above the nematic-isotropic transition temperature (TN-I) as a specific prescribed deformation, such as twisting, in- and out-of-plane tilting, stretching, or contraction. By further introducing light-responsive moieties, we demonstrate unique multifunctionality of the LCEs capable of three actuation modes: self-regulated bending toward the light source at T < TN-I, magnetic-field-encoded predetermined deformation at T > TN-I, and direction-dependent self-regulated motion toward the light at T > TN-I We develop approaches to create patterned arrays of microstructures with encoded multiple area-specific deformation modes and show their functions in responsive release of cargo, image concealment, and light-controlled reflectivity. We foresee that this platform can be widely applied in switchable adhesion, information encryption, autonomous antennae, energy harvesting, soft robotics, and smart buildings.

Exploring nest structures of acorn dwelling ants with X-ray microtomography and surface-based three-dimensional visibility graph analysis.

The physical spaces within which organisms live affect their biology and in many cases can be considered part of their extended phenotype. The nests of social insect societies have a fundamental impact on their ability to function as complex superorganisms. Ants in many species excavate elaborate subterranean nests, but others inhabit relatively small pre-formed cavities within rock crevices and hollow seeds. Temnothorax ants, which often nest within acorns, have become a model system for studying collective decision making. While these ants have demonstrated remarkable degrees of rationality and consistent precision with regard to their nest choices, never before has the fine scale internal architecture and spatial organization of their nests been investigated. We used X-ray microtomography to record high-resolution three-dimensional (3D) scans of Temnothorax colonies within their acorns. These data were then quantified using image segmentation and surface-based 3D visibility graph analysis, a new computational methodology for analysing spatial structures. The visibility graph analysis method integrates knowledge from the field of architecture with the empirical study of animal-built structures, thus providing the first methodological cross-disciplinary synergy of these two research areas. We found a surprisingly high surface area and degree of spatial heterogeneity within the acorn nests. Specific regions, such as those associated with the locations of queens and brood, were significantly more conducive to connectivity than others. From an architect's point of view, spatial analysis research has never focused on all-surface 3D movement, as we describe within ant nests. Therefore, we believe our approach will provide new methods for understanding both human design and the comparative biology of habitat spaces.This article is part of the theme issue 'Interdisciplinary approaches for uncovering the impacts of architecture on collective behaviour'.