Computational Study on the Reaction Mechanism of 5-Enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate Synthase from Nicotiana Tabacum.

5-Enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase (EPSPS) catalyzes the conversion of 5-enolpyruvate (PEP) and shikimic acid phosphate (S3P) to 5-enolpyruvylshikimic acid-3-phosphate (EPSP), releasing inorganic phosphate. This reaction is the sixth step of the shikimate pathway, which is a metabolic pathway used by microorganisms and plants for the biosynthesis of aromatic amino acids and folates but not in mammals. In the present study, the detailed reaction mechanism of EPSPS from Nicotiana tabacum (NtEPSPS) is revealed by quantum chemical calculations with the cluster approach.

Irreversible Lattice Expansion Effects in Nanoscale Indium Oxide for CO Hydrogenation Catalysis.

Thermal energy has been considered the exclusive driving force in thermochemical catalysis, yet associated lattice expansion effects have been overlooked. To shed new light on this issue, variable temperature high-resolution (scanning) transmission electron microscopy (HR-(S)TEM) and electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS) were employed to provide detailed information on the structural changes of an archetype nanoscale indium oxide materials and how these effects are manifest in reverse water gas shift heterogeneous catalytic reactivity. It is found that with increasing temperature and vacuum conditions, an irreversible surface lattice expansion is traced to the formation and migration of oxygen vacancies.

The Effects of Exogenous Benzoic Acid on the Physicochemical Properties, Enzyme Activities and Microbial Community Structures of Inter-Root Soil.

This study analyzed the effects of benzoic acid (BA) on the physicochemical properties and microbial community structure of perilla rhizosphere soil. The analysis was based on high-throughput sequencing technology and physiological and biochemical detection. The results showed that with the increase in BA concentration, soil pH significantly decreased, while the contents of total nitrogen (TN), alkaline nitrogen (AN), available phosphorus (AP), and available potassium (AK) significantly increased.

Enhancing bone regeneration and immunomodulation via gelatin methacryloyl hydrogel-encapsulated exosomes from osteogenic pre-differentiated mesenchymal stem cells.

Mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes (MSC-Exos) have emerged as promising candidates for cell-free therapy in tissue regeneration. However, the native osteogenic and angiogenic capacities of MSC-Exos are often insufficient to repair critical-sized bone defects, and the underlying immune mechanisms remain elusive. Furthermore, achieving sustained delivery and stable activity of MSC-Exos at the defect site is essential for optimal therapeutic outcomes.

Robust Superconductivity in Infinite-Layer Nickelates.

The recent discovery of nickelate superconductivity represents an important step toward understanding the four-decade mastery of unconventional high-temperature superconductivity. However, the synthesis of the infinite-layer nickelate superconductors shows great challenges. Particularly, surface capping layers are usually unitized to facilitate the sample synthesis.

Effects of Land Use Type Transformation on the Structure and Diversity of Soil Bacterial Communities.

Soil microbiota are significantly influenced by their microenvironments. Therefore, to understand the impacts of various land use patterns on the diversity and composition of soil bacterial communities, this study focused on three typical land use types-NF (natural forest), AF (artificial forests), and FL (farmland)-in the Heilongjiang Central Station Black-billed Capercaillie National Nature Reserve, located in the southwestern part of Heihe City, Heilongjiang Province, China. Using high-throughput sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene, we examined the soil bacterial community structures in these different land use types and explored their correlation with soil environmental factors.

Enhancing the activity of zearalenone lactone hydrolase toward the more toxic α-zearalanol via a single-point mutation.

Zearalenone (ZEN) and its derivatives are estrogenic mycotoxins known to pose significant health threats to humans and animals. Especially, the derivative α-zearalanol (α-ZAL) is over 10 times more toxic than ZEN. Simultaneous degradation of ZEN and its derivatives, especially α-ZAL, using ZEN lactone hydrolases (ZHDs) is a promising solution to eliminate their potential hazards to food safety.

MiR-431 promotes cardiomyocyte proliferation by targeting FBXO32 expression.

Background: The induction of cardiomyocyte (CM) proliferation is a promising approach for cardiac regeneration following myocardial injury. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been reported to regulate CM proliferation. In particular, miR-431 expression decreases during cardiac development, according to Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) microarray data.

Purification, Structural Characterization, and Antitumor Activity of a Polysaccharide from Seeds.

A previous study found that a crude seed polysaccharide (PFSP) fraction exhibited obviously antitumor activity; however, the structural characterization and antitumor properties of this polysaccharide remain unclear. In this study, the PFSP was extracted and purified via combined column chromatography, and the structure of a single polysaccharide fraction was characterized by methylation, IC, GC-MS, NMR, and AFM. The results demonstrated that the efficient antitumor polysaccharide fraction PFSP-2-1 was screened from PFSP with a relative molecular weight of 8.

Halide-Driven Synthetic Control of InSb Colloidal Quantum Dots Enables Short-Wave Infrared Photodetectors.

In the III-V family of colloidal quantum dot (CQD) semiconductors, InSb promises access to a wider range of infrared wavelengths compared to many light-sensing material candidates. However, achieving the necessary size, size-dispersity, and optical properties has been challenging. Here the synthetic challenges associated with InSb CQDs are investigated and it is found that uncontrolled reduction of the antimony precursor hampers the controlled growth of CQDs.

Effect of elevation on composition and diversity of fungi in the rhizosphere of a population of on Changbai Mountain, northeastern China.

Soil fungi are a key component of terrestrial ecosystems and play a major role in soil biogeochemical cycling. Although the diversity and composition of fungal communities are regulated by many abiotic and biotic factors, the effect of elevation on soil fungal community diversity and composition remains largely unknown. In this study, the soil fungal composition and diversity in populations along an elevational gradient (1,690 m to 2020 m a.

Meta-Analysis of the Effects of Biochar Application on the Diversity of Soil Bacteria and Fungi.

Biochar is increasingly being used for soil improvement, but the effects on microbial diversity in soil are still ambiguous due to contrasting results reported in the literature. We conducted a meta-analysis to clarify the effect of biochar addition on soil bacterial and fungal diversity with an increase in Shannon or Chao1 index as the outcome. Different experimental setups, quantitative levels of biochar addition, various biochar source materials and preparation temperatures, and the effect of natural precipitation in field experiments were the investigated variables.

An efficient metal-organic framework-based drug delivery platform for synergistic antibacterial activity and osteogenesis.

Bone implants for clinical application should be endowed with antibacterial activity, biocompatibility, and even osteogenesis-promoting properties. In this work, metal-organic framework (MOF) based drug delivery platform was used to modify titanium implants for improved clinical applicability. Methyl Vanillate@Zeolitic Imidazolate Framework-8 (MV@ZIF-8) was immobilized on the polydopamine (PDA) modified titanium.

Atomic Origins of Enhanced Ferroelectricity in Nanocolumnar PbTiO /PbO Composite Thin Films.

Nanocomposite films hold great promise for multifunctional devices by integrating different functionalities within a single film. The microstructure of the precipitate/secondary phase is an essential element in designing composites' properties. The interphase strain between the matrix and secondary phase is responsible for strain-mediated functionalities, such as magnetoelectric coupling and ferroelectricity.

Metagenomic Analysis Reveals the Response of Microbial Communities and Their Functions in Lake Sediment to Environmental Factors.

Jingpo Lake is the largest mountain barrier lake in China and plays a key role in breeding, power generation, and providing a source of drinking water. Microbes are important participants in the formation of lake resources and energy cycles. However, the ecological protection of Jingpo Lake has faced serious challenges in recent years.

Composition and diversity of soil bacterial communities under identical vegetation along an elevational gradient in Changbai Mountains, China.

Soil bacteria play important roles in biogeochemical cycling and biodiversity in mountain ecosystems. Past studies have investigated the bacterial community composition and diversity in elevation gradations covered by different vegetation types, but for a better assessment of elevation effects, here we studied bacterial communities in soil under identical vegetation cover. High-throughput amplicon sequencing of the V3-V4 region of bacterial 16S rDNA was used to investigate the diversity and composition bacterial communities in soil from 700 to 1,000 m above sea level collected on the north slope of Changbai Mountains, Northeast China.

The Relationship between Mindfulness and Social Adaptation among Migrant Children in China: The Sequential Mediating Effect of Self-Esteem and Resilience.

Social adaptation of migrant children is not only related to the physical and mental health and development of individuals, but also reflects the level of urban social integration and stable development. Mindfulness has a protective effect on individual social adaptation. Self-esteem and resilience were found to be positively associated with mindfulness and social adaptation.

Climax forest has a higher soil bacterial diversity but lower soil nutrient contents than degraded forests in temperate northern China.

Bacteria are a crucial component of forest soil biodiversity and play an important role in numerous ecosystem processes. Here, we studied the patterns of soil bacterial community diversity and structure in a climax forest (; LG) compared with those in degraded forest ecosystems of four forest vegetation types (BD, ; BP, ; QM, ; and LGQM, a mixed coniferous-broadleaved forest composed of and ) in the Heilongjiang Zhongyangzhan Black-billed Capercaillie Nature Reserve in northern China, using Illumina MiSeq sequencing of 16 S rRNA genes. Soil physicochemical properties (pH, soil organic carbon = SOC, total nitrogen = TN, carbon/nitrogen = C/N, total phosphorous = TP, available nitrogen = AN, available phosphorous = AP) differed significantly ( < .

Microstructure-Dependent Thermal Stability of Super-Tetragonal Nanocomposite Films through TEM/EELS Study.

Smart microstructure design in nanocomposite films allows us to tailor physical properties such as ferroelectricity and thermal stability to broaden applications of next-generation electronic devices. Here, we study the thermal stability of self-assembled PbTiO (PTO)/PbO nanocomposite films with nano-spherical and nanocolumnar microstructures by utilizing an environmental transmission electron microscopy (TEM) combined with electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS). The real-time study reveals that the microstructure-dependent interphase strain has an effect on the stabilization of the tetragonal phase.

LDHA-mediated metabolic reprogramming promoted cardiomyocyte proliferation by alleviating ROS and inducing M2 macrophage polarization.

Aims: Metabolic switching during heart development contributes to postnatal cardiomyocyte (CM) cell cycle exit and loss of regenerative capacity in the mammalian heart. Metabolic control has potential for developing effective CM proliferation strategies. We sought to determine whether lactate dehydrogenase A (LDHA) regulated CM proliferation by inducing metabolic reprogramming.

The Plasmid pEX18Gm Indirectly Increases Fecundity by Accelerating Bacterial Methionine Synthesis.

Plasmids are mostly found in bacteria as extrachromosomal genetic elements and are widely used in genetic engineering. Exploring the mechanisms of plasmid-host interaction can provide crucial information for the application of plasmids in genetic engineering. However, many studies have generally focused on the influence of plasmids on their bacterial hosts, and the effects of plasmids on bacteria-feeding animals have not been explored in detail.

Influence of Different Vegetation Types on Soil Physicochemical Parameters and Fungal Communities.

This study assessed the effects of (BD), (BP), (LG), (QM), and a mixed conifer-broadleaf forest composed of LG and QM (LGQM) on the soil physicochemical parameters and community structure of fungi in the Zhongyangzhan Black-billed Capercaillie Nature Reserve. Fungal community structures were characterized via ITS rRNA sequencing. The effects of soil parameters on the community structure of soil fungi were assessed by Pearson correlation analysis and redundancy analysis (RDA).

An awareness-dependent mapping of saliency in the human visual system.

The allocation of exogenously cued spatial attention is governed by a saliency map. Yet, how salience is mapped when multiple salient stimuli are present simultaneously, and how this mapping interacts with awareness remains unclear. These questions were addressed here using either visible or invisible displays presenting two foreground stimuli (whose bars were oriented differently from the bars in the otherwise uniform background): a high salience target and a distractor of varied, lesser salience.

Quantitative investigation of laser ablation based on real-time temperature variations and OCT images for laser treatment applications.

Background And Objective: Lasers are widely employed in clinical applications. In vivo monitoring of real-time information about different-wavelength laser surgeries would provide important surgical feedback for surgeons or clinical therapy instruments. However, the quantitative effect of laser ablation or vaporization still needs to be further explored and investigated.