Expression and Characterization of Alkaline Phosphatase from KMM 296 in Transiently Transformed Tobacco Leaves and Transgenic Calli.

Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) of the PhoA family is an important enzyme in mammals, microalgae, and certain marine bacteria. It plays a crucial role in the dephosphorylation of lipopolysaccharides (LPS) and nucleotides, which overstimulate cell signaling pathways and cause tissue inflammation in animals and humans. Insufficient ALP activity and expression levels have been linked to various disorders.

Heterogeneity in Mechanical Properties of Plant Cell Walls.

The acquisition and utilization of cell walls have fundamentally shaped the plant lifestyle. While the walls provide mechanical strength and enable plants to grow and occupy a three-dimensional space, successful sessile life also requires the walls to undergo dynamic modifications to accommodate size and shape changes accurately. Plant cell walls exhibit substantial mechanical heterogeneity due to the diverse polysaccharide composition and different development stages.

An Integrated Testing Strategy and Online Tool for Assessing Skin Sensitization of Agrochemical Formulations.

Non-animal assessment of skin sensitization is a global trend. Recently, scientific efforts have been focused on the integration of multiple evidence for decision making with the publication of OECD Guideline No. 497 for defined approaches to skin sensitization.

Characterization and Molecular Insights of a Chromium-Reducing Bacterium .

Environmental pollution from metal toxicity is a widespread concern. Certain bacteria hold promise for bioremediation via the conversion of toxic chromium compounds into less harmful forms, promoting environmental cleanup. In this study, we report the isolation and detailed characterization of a highly chromium-tolerant bacterium, CRB14.

Effects of Distiller's Grains Biochar and on the Remediation of Cd-Pb-Zn-Contaminated Soil and Growth of Sorghum-Sudangrass.

Soil contamination with heavy metals is a significant environmental issue that adversely affects plant growth and agricultural productivity. Biochar and microbial inoculants have emerged as a promising approach to solving this problem, and previous studies have focused more on the remediation effects of single types of materials on heavy metal soil pollution. This study examined the impact of both standalone and combined applications of distiller's grains biochar, thallus, and the bacterial supernatant on the availability of cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn) in soil, its physicochemical features, and its enzyme activities; this study also examined the growth, physiological and biochemical characteristics, and heavy metal accumulation of Sorghum-sudangrass.

Respiratory Pathogen Coinfection During Intersecting COVID-19 and Influenza Epidemics.

Respiratory pathogen coinfections pose significant challenges to global public health, particularly regarding the intersecting epidemics of COVID-19 and influenza. This study investigated the incidences of respiratory infectious pathogens in this unique context. We collected throat swab samples from 308 patients with a fever from outpatient and emergency departments at sentinel surveillance hospitals in Xiamen, southeast of China, between April and May 2023, testing for SARS-CoV-2 and 26 other respiratory pathogens.

Identification and Genome Sequencing of Novel Virulent Strains of pv. Causing Rice Bacterial Blight in Zhejiang, China.

pv. () is the causative agent of rice bacterial blight (RBB), resulting in substantial harvest losses and posing a challenge to maintaining a stable global supply. In this study, strains isolated from Shaoxing, Quzhou, and Taizhou, where RBB occurred most frequently in Zhejiang Province in 2019, were selected as the subjects of research.

Detection and Molecular Diversity of in Pastoral Livestock in North-Eastern Ethiopia.

Brucellosis is a neglected zoonotic disease affecting livestock and humans that remains endemic in Ethiopia. Despite its prevalence, only a few studies have identified species circulating in livestock in the country. This study aimed to determine the species responsible for infections in livestock in the Afar region of Ethiopia and characterize the isolates using whole-genome single nucleotide polymorphism (wgSNP) analysis and in silico multi-locus sequence typing (MLST).

The Species of the -Group of (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae), with Descriptions of Three New Species, DNA Sequence Data and One Newly-Recorded Species from China.

Seventeen species of the -group of (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae) are reviewed worldwide, including three new species, and five previously described species in China. The -group was defined by a combination of characters: head and body dark with parts of metasoma pale; fore wing with a complete row of setae inside the linea calva, or also only with a few setae in the angle between the linea and marginal vein; legs with mesocoxae, metacoxae and metatibia dark, metafemur pale. In this paper, three new species, Wang & Huang, , Wang & Huang, and Wang & Huang, , are described and illustrated, with notes on one species, Hopper & Woolley, new to China.

Multi-Objective Optimization Accelerates the De Novo Design of Antimicrobial Peptide for .

Humans have long used antibiotics to fight bacteria, but increasing drug resistance has reduced their effectiveness. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are a promising alternative with natural broad-spectrum activity against bacteria and viruses. However, their instability and hemolysis limit their medical use, making the design and improvement of AMPs a key research focus.

The In Vitro Enhancement of Retinal Cell Viability via mA and mC RNA Methylation-Mediated Changes in the Levels of Heme Oxygenase (HO-1) and DNA Damage Repair Molecules Using a 50 Hz Sinusoidal Electromagnetic Field (EMF).

Degenerative retinal diseases can lead to blindness if left untreated. At present, there are no curative therapies for retinal diseases. Therefore, effective treatment strategies for slowing the progression of retinal diseases and thus improving patients' life standards are urgently needed.

Pathogenomic Insights into pv. 's Resistome, Virulome, and Diversity for Improved Rice Blight Management.

(rice) is a major staple food targeted for increased production to achieve food security. However, increased production is threatened by several biotic and abiotic factors, of which bacterial blight disease caused by pathovar is severe. Developing effective control strategies requires an up-to-date understanding of its pathogenomics.

TCF12 and LncRNA MALAT1 Cooperatively Harness High Cyclin D1 but Low β-Catenin Gene Expression to Exacerbate Colorectal Cancer Prognosis Independently of Metastasis.

Metastasis is a well-known factor worsening colorectal cancer (CRC) prognosis, but mortality mechanisms in non-metastatic patients with poor outcomes are less understood. TCF12 is a transcription factor that can be physically associated with the long non-coding RNA MALAT1, creating an alliance with correlated expression levels in CRC patients. This TCF12-MALAT1 alliance is linked to poorer prognosis independently of age and metastasis.

Optimization of Culture Conditions for High Cell Productivity and Astaxanthin Accumulation in Vietnam's Green Microalgae HB and a Neuroprotective Activity of Its Astaxanthin.

Background: , a green microalga, is a rich source of natural astaxanthin and a potent antioxidant with high commercial value. This study investigates the biological characteristics and potential of HB isolated from Hoa Binh, Vietnam, for growth and astaxanthin accumulation using a two-phase culture method.

Methods: HB was cultured in a C/RM medium at 25 °C, and morphological characteristics were examined.

Genome-Wide Association Study of Body Weight Traits in Texel and Kazakh Crossbred Sheep.

Originating from the cold and arid regions of northwestern China, Kazakh sheep are dual-purpose breeds optimized for both meat and fat production. In contrast, Texel sheep are internationally recognized for their high-quality meat and exceptional flavor. Previous studies have indicated that the hybrids of Texel and Kazakh sheep exhibit significant quality advantages.

Potential Antimicrobial and Cytotoxic Activity of Seed Extract.

Plant-derived phytochemicals are crucial in fighting bacterial infections and in cancer therapy. This study investigates the phytochemical composition of the ethanolic extract obtained from () seeds and assesses its antimicrobial, anticancer, and antioxidant activities. GC-MS analysis found 30 phytochemicals in seeds, including 5 bioactive compounds that have been shown to have antioxidant, antimicrobial, and cytotoxicity properties, through in silico evaluation.

Serum T2-High Inflammation Mediators in Eosinophilic COPD.

Eosinophils are central inflammatory cells in asthma; however, a portion of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have blood or sputum eosinophilia, a condition termed eosinophilic COPD (eCOPD), which may contribute to the progression of the disease. We hypothesize that eosinophilic inflammation in eCOPD patients is related to Type 2 (T2)-high inflammation seen in asthma and that serum mediators might help us to identify T2-high inflammation in patients and choose an appropriate personalized treatment strategy. Thus, we aimed to investigate ten serum levels of T2-high inflammation mediators in eCOPD patients and compare them to severe non-allergic eosinophilic asthma (SNEA) patients.

Novel Antimicrobial and Antitumor Agents Bearing Pyridine-1,2,4-triazole-3-thione-hydrazone Scaffold: Synthesis, Biological Evaluation, and Molecular Docking Investigation.

A series of target 4-substituted-5-(2-(pyridine-2-ylamino)ethyl)-2,4-dihydro-3-1,2,4-triazole-3-thiones and their chloro analogs - were synthesized in a reaction of the selected aldehydes with the corresponding 4-amino-1,2,4-triazole-3-thiones and , which were obtained from 3-(pyridin-2-ylamino)propanoic acid () or 3-((5-chloropyridin-2-yl)amino)propanoic acid (), respectively, with thioacetohydrazide. The antibacterial and antifungal activities of the synthesized hydrazones were screened against the bacteria , , and and the fungi and by agar diffusion and serial dilution methods. 4-Amino-5-(2-((5-chloropyridin-2-yl)amino)ethyl)-2,4-dihydro-3-1,2,4-triazole-3-thione () and 4-(benzylideneamino)-5-(2-(pyridin-2-ylamino)ethyl)-2,4-dihydro-3-1,2,4-triazole-3-thione () were identified as exceptionally active (MIC 0.

Exploration of magnetic zeolite thin film derived from coal fly ash an efficient sorbent: Application to water treatment.

Fly ash, produced during coal combustion for energy making, which is recognized as an industrial by-product, could lead to environmental health hazards. Subsequently, fly ash found that an exceptional adsorption performance for the removal of various toxic pollutants, the adsorption capacity of fly ash might be altered by introducing physical/chemical stimulation. Successfully converting fly ash into zeolites not only recovers their disposal difficulties but also transforms unwanted materials into merchandisable products for various industrial applications.

The Effect of Accessibility of Insoluble Substrate on the Overall Kinetics of Enzymatic Degradation.

The enzymatic reaction kinetics on cellulose and other solid substrates is limited by the access of the enzyme to the reactive substrate sites. We introduce a general model in which the reaction rate is determined by the active surface area, and the resulting kinetics consequently reflects the evolving relationship between the exposed substrate surface and the remaining substrate volume. Two factors influencing the overall surface-to-volume ratio are considered: the shape of the substrate particles, characterized by a single numerical parameter related to its dimensionality, and the distribution of the particle sizes.

Algae- and bacteria-based biodegradation of phthalic acid esters towards the sustainable green solution.

Phthalic acid esters are widely used worldwide as plasticizers. The high consumption of phthalates in China makes it the world's largest plasticizer market. The lack of phthalic acid ester's chemical bonding with the polymer matrix facilitates their detachment from plastic products and subsequent release into the environment and causes serious threats to the health of living organisms.

The introduction of the SARS-CoV-2 BA.4 lineage into Pakistan.

Pakistan has experienced a total of six COVID-19 waves throughout the pandemic, each driven by distinct SARS-CoV-2 lineages. This study explores the introduction of Omicron lineage BA.4 into Pakistan, which contributed to the sixth wave between June and September 2022.

Mucosal-adapted bacteriophages as a preventive strategy for a lethal Pseudomonas aeruginosa challenge in mice.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an emergent threat due to the antimicrobial resistance crisis. Bacteriophages (phages) are promising agents for phage therapy approaches against P. aeruginosa.

Connecting genotype and phenotype in minor spliceosome diseases.

Minor spliceosome is responsible for recognizing and excising a specific subset of divergent introns during the pre-mRNA splicing process. Mutations in the unique snRNA and protein components of the minor spliceosome are increasingly being associated with a variety of germline and somatic human disorders, collectively termed as minor spliceosomopathies. Understanding the mechanistic basis of these diseases has been challenging due to limited functional information on many minor spliceosome components.

The NAC transcription factor LpNAC48 promotes trichome formation in Lilium pumilum.

Trichomes play a crucial role in plant resistance to abiotic and biotic stresses, and their development and characteristics vary across different species. This study demonstrates that trichomes of Lilium pumilum exhibit synchronized growth during flower bud differentiation and enhance the plant's adaptability to UV-B radiation and aphid infection. We identified LpNAC48, a NAC family transcription factor (TF), that interacted with the B-box (BBX) family TF LpBBX28, during trichome formation in L.