The discovery of mechanisms for the synthesis of homo-polymeric oligopeptides, such as polyglycine under conditions relevant to the astrophysical environment as well as in scenarios resembling primordial conditions that prevailed soon after Earth was formed, raises hopes in the search of extraterrestrial life. It also raises the possibility of extraterrestrial contribution to origin of life on Earth in the form of simple polypeptides. Bioinformatics analyses strongly predict such homo-polymeric peptides to be intrinsically disordered underscoring the potential involvement of IDPs in the origin of life which, even in its simplest form, could emerge spontaneously by autocatalysis of the primordial IDPs in self-organizing systems that evolved over time following natural selection.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/07391102.2022.2088619 | DOI Listing |
Environ Monit Assess
December 2024
Central Department of Geology, Tribhuvan University, Kirtipur, Kathmandu, 44600, Nepal.
Freshwater ecosystems, including high-altitude lakes, can be affected by trace metal pollution derived from a mix of natural sources and anthropogenic activities. These pollutants often collect in surface sediments, with notable concentrations in the deeper areas of lakes. To evaluate the environmental risk associated with metal contaminated sediment in Rara Lake, southern Himalaya, surface sediment samples were systematically collected in November 2018, with a subsequent specific emphasis on determinations of trace element concentrations.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPsychiatr Danub
December 2024
School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia.
A global culture of empathy appears crucial for the survival of humankind and life on our planet. There is no health without mental health and no mental health without a culture of empathy at all levels: individual, family, national, and global. Similarly, there is no global security without peace, and no peace without a culture of empathy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEnviron Sci Technol
December 2024
The Swire Institute of Marine Science and School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, Hong Kong, China.
Global changes can profoundly affect the sex determination and reproductive output of marine organisms, disrupting the population structure and ecosystems. High COdriven low pH in the context of ocean acidification (OA) has been shown to severely affect various calcifiers, but less is known about the extent to which low pH influences sex determination and reproduction of marine organisms, particularly mollusks. This study is the first to report a biased sex ratio over multiple generations toward females, driven by exposure to high CO-induced low pH environments, using the ecologically and economically important Portuguese oyster () as a model.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Archaeol Method Theory
December 2024
Austrian Archaeological Institute, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Dominikanerbastei 16, 1010 Vienna, Austria.
Unlabelled: The expansion of the Neolithic way of life triggered the most profound changes in peoples' socioeconomic behaviors, including how critical resources for everyday life were managed. Recent research spearheaded by ancient DNA analysis has greatly contributed to our understanding of the main direction of Neolithisation spreading from western Anatolia into central Europe. Due to the diverse processes involved in Neolithisation, which resulted in a high diversity of regional and local phenomena, the underlying mechanisms of these developments are still largely unexplored.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFACS Catal
December 2024
Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZB, U.K.
Synthetic photobiocatalysts are promising catalysts for valuable chemical transformations by harnessing solar energy inspired by natural photosynthesis. However, the synergistic integration of all of the components for efficient light harvesting, cascade electron transfer, and efficient biocatalytic reactions presents a formidable challenge. In particular, replicating intricate multiscale hierarchical assembly and functional segregation involved in natural photosystems, such as photosystems I and II, remains particularly demanding within artificial structures.
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