GRAPE-WEB: An automated computational redesign web server for improving protein thermostability.

We have developed the GReedy Accumulated strategy for Protein Engineering (GRAPE) to improve enzyme stability across various applications, combining advanced computational methods with a unique clustering and greedy accumulation approach to efficiently explore epistatic effects with minimal experimental effort. To make this strategy accessible to nonexperts, we introduced GRAPE-WEB, an automated, user-friendly web server that allows the design, inspection, and combination of stabilizing mutations without requiring extensive bioinformatics knowledge. GRAPE-WEB's robust performance and accessibility provide a comprehensive and adaptable approach to protein thermostability design, suitable for both newcomers and experienced practitioners in the field.

Conference 2024: Building an innovative scientific research ecosystem for microbiome and One Health.

The Conference 2024 provides a platform to promote the development of an innovative scientific research ecosystem for microbiome and One Health. The four key components - Technology, Research (Biology), Academic journals, and Social media - form a synergistic ecosystem. Advanced technologies drive biological research, which generates novel insights that are disseminated through academic journals.

Pangenome and genome variation analyses of pigs unveil genomic facets for their adaptation and agronomic characteristics.

The development of a comprehensive pig graph pangenome assembly encompassing 27 genomes represents the most extensive collection of pig genomic data to date. Analysis of this pangenome reveals the critical role of structural variations in driving adaptation and defining breed-specific traits. Notably, the study identifies as a key candidate gene governing intramuscular fat deposition and meat quality in pigs.

Jujube Syrup and Starter YF-L922 Co-Fermentation of Yak Yogurt: Effects of Quality Properties, Antioxidative Activities and Structure.

Different percentages of jujube yrup (0%, 3%, 6% and 9%) were incorporated into yak milk and fermented using the fermenting agent . The quality characteristics and antioxidant activity of the resulting yogurt were evaluated at days 0, 7, 14, 21 and 28. The results indicated that the pH and acidity of the yogurt were not significantly influenced by the varying additions of jujube syrup during storage ( > 0.

Lambs Grazing With Adult Ewes Prefer Forbs With High-Nutrient Content in Native Grasslands Dominated by and .

Grazing livestock in grasslands face the challenge of obtaining sufficient nutrition due to uneven distribution of plant species and fluctuating vegetation productivity and nutrient levels. In northern China, and are the dominant perennial species in native grasslands, but they provide limited nutrition compared to forbs with higher crude protein (CP) content. While dietary ingredients can affect the nutritional intake of grazing livestock, the influence of different grazing strategies on dietary selection remains unclear.

Multitrophic Diversity of the Biotic Community Drives Ecosystem Multifunctionality in Alpine Grasslands.

Biodiversity and ecosystem multifunctionality are currently hot topics in ecological research. However, little is known about the role of multitrophic diversity in regulating various ecosystem functions, which limits our ability to predict the impact of biodiversity loss on human well-being and ecosystem multifunctionality. In this study, multitrophic diversity was divided into three categories: plant, animal, and microbial communities (i.

Freon-CO-assisted purification of single-walled carbon nanotubes.

With the rapidly growing applications, efficient purification of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) has become one of the key problems. This paper proposes Freon-CO-assisted purification of SWCNTs, where CO can oxidize the graphitized carbon layer to expose iron (Fe) impurities, while the chlorine from Freon can react with the Fe impurities to form low-boiling-point metal chlorides that can be eliminated in a gas stream. After an acid washing with a very small amount of hydrochloric acid, the last remaining metal impurities are removed and highly pure SWCNTs are produced.

Integrated taxonomy reveals a new praying mantis species of Wood-Mason, 1876 (Mantodea, Hymenopodidae) from Yunnan, China.

Background: The genus Wood-Mason, 1876 (Mantodea, Hymenopodidae) includes 22 species, with China being a major diversity hotspot, hosting 15 species in four groups.

New Information: A new species of this genus from Malipo, Yunnan, China, is described herein, namely A comprehensive taxonomic description, including geometric morphometric analysis, genetic distance and molecular phylogenetic analysis, were employed to illustrate its distinctiveness. This discovery fills a significant distribution gap for the species group in southern Yunnan and emphasises the need for further exploration in this region.

Four complete mitochondrial genomes of the subgenus (Diptera, Tipulidae, ) and implications for the higher phylogeny of the family Tipulidae.

The complete mitochondrial genomes of Tipula (Pterelachisus) cinereocincta mesacantha Alexander, 1934, T. (P.) legalis Alexander, 1933, T.

 Loew (Diptera, Dolichopodidae) from Inner Mongolia, China, with the description of a new species.

Previously, no records of Loew, 1857 species were known from Inner Mongolia (China). The genus is reported here from Inner Mongolia for the first time, with the description of a new species, , along with two previously described species, Hollis, 1964 and Yang & Saigusa, 2000. and Hollis, 1964 are barcoded for the first time to support the species delimitation.

Re-description of 1 instar larva of (Scopoli, 1763) (Neuroptera, Osmylidae) based on naming system of sclerites.

Background: (Scopoli, 1763), the type species of the Osmylidae, has garnered significant research interest in taxonomy, particularly regarding its larval stages. To date, most studies have focused on the third instar larvae, but ignore the first instar larvae with the rough and incomplete morphological descriptions. This lack of studies has led to an unclear understanding of the morphological differences between larval stages, making it challenging to identify larvae, distinguish different osmylid species or even reconstruct phylogeny.

Evaluation of forest ecosystem resilience to drought considering lagged effects of drought.

Drought can cause significant disruption to forest ecosystems and may have long-term impacts on the structure and function of ecosystems after the end of drought. This is the key to quantifying the ability of ecosystem to respond to disturbance events by comprehensively analyzing the impact of drought on vegetation, the lagged effect, and ecosystem resilience to drought. This article takes broad-leaved forests and coniferous forests in multiple temperature zones of China as the object of study, using distributed lagged nonlinear model (DLNM) to construct a systematic method.

One new species and two new records of Pyrrhocoridae (Hemiptera, Heteroptera) from China.

A new species, Zhao & Cao, , and two newly recorded species, Stehlík, 2005 and Brancucciana (Rubriascopus) orientalis Stehlík & Jindra, 2008, belonging to the family Pyrrhocoridae Amyot & Serville, 1843 (Hemiptera, Heteroptera, Pyrrhocoroidea) from China are described and illustrated.

Smaller microorganisms outcompete larger ones in resistance and functional effects under disturbed agricultural ecosystems.

Body size is a key ecological trait of soil microorganisms related to their adaptation to environmental changes. In this study, we reveal that the smaller microorganisms show stronger community resistance than larger organisms in both maize and rice soil. Compared with larger organisms, smaller microorganisms have higher diversity and broader niche breadth to deploy survival strategies, because of which they are less affected by environmental selection and thus survive in complex and various kinds of environments.

Phage-displayed heptapeptide sequence conjugation significantly improves the specific targeting ability of antimicrobial peptides against .

Broad-spectrum antibacterial drugs often lack specificity, leading to indiscriminate bactericidal activity, which can disrupt the normal microbial balance of the host flora and cause unnecessary cytotoxicity during systemic administration. In this study, we constructed a specifically targeted antimicrobial peptide against by introducing a phage-displayed peptide onto a broad-spectrum antimicrobial peptide and explored its structure-function relationship through one-factor modification. SFK2 obtained by screening based on the selectivity index and the targeting index showed specific killing ability against .

Cofitness network connectivity determines a fuzzy essential zone in open bacterial pangenome.

Most in silico evolutionary studies commonly assumed that core genes are essential for cellular function, while accessory genes are dispensable, particularly in nutrient-rich environments. However, this assumption is seldom tested genetically within the pangenome context. In this study, we conducted a robust pangenomic Tn-seq analysis of fitness genes in a nutrient-rich medium for strains with a canonical open pangenome.

Palladium-catalyzed asymmetric [4 + 3] cycloaddition of methylene-trimethylenemethane: access to seven-membered exocyclic axially chiral allenes.

A palladium-catalyzed asymmetric [4 + 3] cycloaddition of the methylene-trimethylenemethane donor with an azadiene has been developed, affording benzofuro[3,2-]azepine-derived exocyclic chiral allene with control of axial and point chirality. The target compounds were generated in good to excellent yields and with high diastereoselectivities and enantioselectivities (up to >20 : 1 dr, 99% ee). Furthermore, this cycloaddition reaction could be efficiently scaled-up and several synthetic transformations were accomplished for the construction of useful chiral allenol and chiral spirocyclic derivatives.

 He & Burckhardt, sp. nov., a new psylloid species (Hemiptera, Psylloidea, Liviidae) from China developing on sp. (Malvaceae).

He & Burckhardt, , a new psylloid species developing on sp., is described from Hainan, China. It is the first species reported from Asia and China, and the second species from the Old World.

Edible bird's nest alleviates pneumonia caused by tobacco smoke inhalation through the TNFR1/NF-κB/NLRP3 pathway.

Exposure to cigarette smoke directly damages the lungs and causes lung inflammation. The anti-inflammatory properties of edible bird's nest (EBN) have been reported. We aimed to determine the effect of EBN on pneumonia in a mouse model exposed to cigarette smoke.

PHGD: An integrative and user-friendly database for plant hormone-related genes.

Plant Hormone Gene Database (PHGD) database platform construction pipeline. First, we collected all reported hormone-related genes in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, and combined with the existing experimental background, mapped the hormone-gene interaction network to provide a blueprint. Next, we collected 469 high-quality plant genomes.

New species and records of Meigen (Diptera, Empidoidea) from Huaping National Nature Reserve, China.

In this study, 21 species of Meigen, 1803 are reviewed in Huaping National Nature Reserve, China. Among these, three species, i.e.

The genus Macquart (Diptera, Hybotidae, Tachydromiinae) from Inner Mongolia, China, with the description of four new species.

Macquart is reported in Inner Mongolia, China for the first time. Four new species are found: , , and This paper provides a description of the four species and a key to the genus in Inner Mongolia.

Physicochemical, antibacterial and aromatic qualities of herbaceous peony ( pall) tea with different varieties.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of five varieties on the quality of herbaceous peony tea by physicochemical analysis, sensory evaluation, antimicrobial capacity analysis and a combination of gas chromatography with quadruple time of flight mass spectrometry (GC-QTOF). Antibacterial and antioxidant analyses revealed that the ABTS free radical scavenging rate of HPT was high, ranging from 82.20% to 87.