A fusion protein of polyphosphate kinase 1 (PPK1) and a Nudix hydrolase is involved in inorganic polyphosphate accumulation in the unicellular red alga Cyanidioschyzon merolae.

Inorganic polyphosphate (polyP) is a linear polymer of phosphate that plays various roles in cells, including in phosphate and metal homeostasis. Homologs of the vacuolar transporter chaperone 4 (VTC4), catalyzing polyP synthesis in many eukaryotes, are absent in red algae, which are among the earliest divergent plant lineages. We identified homologs of polyphosphate kinase 1 (PPK1), a conserved polyP synthase in bacteria, in 42 eukaryotic genomes, including 31 species detected in this study and 12 species of red algae.

A simple method for estimating time-irreversible nucleotide substitution rates in the SARS-CoV-2 genome.

SARS-CoV-2 is the cause of the current worldwide pandemic of severe acute respiratory syndrome. The change of nucleotide composition of the SARS-CoV-2 genome is crucial for understanding the spread and transmission dynamics of the virus because viral nucleotide sequences are essential in identifying viral strains. Recent studies have shown that cytosine (C) to uracil (U) substitutions are overrepresented in SARS-CoV-2 genome sequences.

Drastic mycorrhizal community shifts in Sceptridium ferns during the generation transition from fully mycoheterotrophic gametophytes to photosynthetic sporophytes.

Many plant species experience a prolonged subterranean phase during which they rely entirely on mycorrhizal fungi for carbon. While this mycoheterotrophic strategy spans liverworts, lycophytes, and ferns, most empirical research has centered on angiosperms. This study explores the fungal associations of Sceptridium (Ophioglossaceae), an early-diverging fern with mycoheterotrophic gametophytes.

Carotenoid productivity in human intestinal bacteria and with functional analysis of their carotenoid biosynthesis genes.

The human intestinal microbiota that comprise over 1,000 species thrive in dark and anaerobic environments. They are recognized for the production of diverse low-molecular-weight metabolites crucial to human health and diseases. Carotenoids, low-molecular-weight pigments known for their antioxidative activity, are delivered to humans through oral intake.

Visual discomfort and chromatic flickers.

Flickering patterns that shift in chromaticity can be uncomfortable and may trigger epileptic seizures, though the underlying factors are not fully understood. In the spatial domain, chromatic contrast in images is a potential predictor of visual discomfort, with higher contrast generally leading to increased discomfort. This study investigated whether chromatic contrast between two flickering colors in a uniform field influences discomfort.

High Blood Glucose After Starch Loading in Young Women With Small Increase in Salivary Amylase: Another Crucial Role of Postprandial Salivary Amylase.

Background: Salivary α-amylase plays a crucial role in the glucose metabolism. However, postprandial salivary α-amylase activity (SAA) and its relationship with blood glucose (BG) are poorly understood. Therefore, we investigated SAA and BG after starch loading in healthy young women.

Generation of Bis(pentafluorophenyl)boron Enolates from Alkynes and Their Catalyst-Free Alkyne Coupling.

Carbon-carbon bond forming reactions are powerful synthetic tools for constructing organic molecular frameworks. In this study, strongly Lewis acidic bis(pentafluorophenyl)boron enolates were generated from alkynes through oxygen transfer from 2,6-dibromopyridine N-oxide using tris(pentafluorophenyl)borane [B(CF)]. Boron enolates were highly reactive owing to the strong Lewis acidity of the boron centers, and thus immediately coupled with alkynes.

Language Development of Japanese Children Raised in Institutional Care.

Background: Nurturing environments have a critical influence on children's language development. It is unclear to what extent nurturing environments in institutions influence children's language development.

Methods: The present study investigated the early lexical development in Japanese children raised in institutional care (IC) (N = 86; 10-33 months; 37 boys) and compared their lexical skills to a large sample of age peers being raised in biological family care (BFC) (N = 1897; 937 boys) using vocabulary checklists.

Na + -driven pH regulation by Na+/H+ antiporters promotes photosynthetic efficiency in cyanobacteria.

Photosynthetic organisms have developed mechanisms to regulate light reactions in response to varying light conditions. Photosynthetic electron transport leads to the formation of a ΔpH across the thylakoid membrane (TM), which is crucial for regulating electron transport. However, other pH modulators remain to be identified, particularly in cyanobacteria.

Low microbial abundance and community diversity in the egg capsule of the oviparous cloudy catshark (Scyliorhinus torazame) during oviposition.

Vertebrate embryos are protected from bacterial infection by various maternally derived factors, yet little is known about the defence mechanisms in elasmobranchs. This study aimed to characterize the intracapsular environment of freshly laid eggs of the oviparous catshark (Scyliorhinus torazame) by investigating the microbial abundance and microbiota to understand its potential contribution to embryonic defence. The egg capsule of oviparous elasmobranchs is tightly sealed until pre-hatching, after which seawater flows into the capsule, exposing the embryos to the surrounding seawater.

Ten-year trajectories of postpartum depression of Japanese mothers and fathers.

Background: Perinatal depression is a significant concern affecting both women and men during pregnancy and postpartum periods. While maternal postpartum depression has been extensively studied, paternal depression remains under-researched despite its prevalence and impact on family well-being. This study aimed to estimate the trajectories of perinatal and postpartum depression in Japanese parents over ten years and to determine the details of the symptoms of postpartum depression for each trajectory group, considering reciprocal effects between maternal and paternal depression.

The association between milk and dairy products intake and insomnia symptoms among Japanese adults in community-based cohort.

To examine the association between habitual intake of milk and dairy products and insomnia. Cross-sectional study by using cohort study data among 60,633 participants (22,721 men and 37,912 women) aged 20-74 years in eastern Japan. The data of milk and dairy products intake, sleep status and other lifestyle habits were collected by self-administered questionnaires.

Near-infrared imaging system for dynamic visualization of lung-colonizing bacteria in mouse pneumonia.

Unlabelled: imaging of bacterial infection models enables noninvasive and temporal analysis of individuals, enhancing our understanding of infectious disease pathogenesis. Conventional imaging methods for bacterial infection models involve the insertion of the bacterial luciferase LuxCDABE into the bacterial genome, followed by imaging using an expensive ultrasensitive charge-coupled device (CCD) camera. However, issues such as limited light penetration into the body and lack of versatility have been encountered.

Complex Formation of Ag and Li with Host Molecules Modeled on Intercalation of Graphite.

Pi-stacked and box-shaped host molecules with xanthene as the basis and pyrene as the π-plane were synthesized to verify cation-π interactions between graphene and metal cations. Since crystal structure analysis was not available, DFT calculations were performed to determine the optimized structure, and the π-planes were found to have a slipped parallel structure, with average distances of 456.2-581.

Light promotes asexual reproduction and mediates transcriptomic changes in Pediastrum duplex.

The green alga Pediastrum duplex forms colonies through asexual reproduction and has a unique life cycle. To elucidate the mechanisms that regulate the asexual reproductive cycle in P. duplex, we analyzed the effects of light on the processes and gene expression involved in each step of the asexual reproductive cycle, revealing light irradiation to be essential for increasing the number of colonies.

Fission yeast Bgs1 glucan synthase participates in the control of growth polarity and membrane traffic.

Rod-shaped fission yeast grows through cell wall expansion at poles and septum, synthesized by essential glucan synthases. Bgs1 synthesizes the linear β(1,3)glucan of primary septum at cytokinesis. Linear β(1,3)glucan is also present in the wall poles, suggesting additional Bgs1 roles in growth polarity.

Direction-selective adaptation from implied motion in infancy.

We investigated whether adaptation from implied motion (IM) is transferred to real motion using optokinetic nystagmus (OKN) in infants. Specifically, we examined whether viewing a series of images depicting motion shifted infants' OKN responses to the opposite direction of random dot kinematograms (RDKs). Each RDK was presented 10 times in a pre-test, followed by 10 trials of IM adaptation and test.

Application of ATR-FTIR for Green Arabica Bean Shelf-Life Determination in Accelerated Storage.

Coffee bean oxidation is associated with enzymatic and non-enzymatic browning, the degradation of desirable aromatic compounds, the development of undesirable flavors, increased susceptibility to microbial spoilage, and volatile compound losses. This study investigated natural dry process (DP) and honey process (HP) green coffee beans stored in GrainPro bags for 0, 5, 10, and 20 days under accelerated storage conditions at 30 °C, 40 °C, and 50 °C with relative humidity of 50%. A kinetic model was used to estimate the shelf life of the green coffee beans.

Possible pitfalls in the prediction of weight gain in middle-aged normal-weight individuals: Results from the NDB-K7Ps-study-2.

Background: The prevalence of obesity has not decreased worldwide and obesity-related morbidities have been increasing steadily. However, few studies have investigated factors contributing to weight gain in normal-weight individuals. Thus, in this community-based cohort study, we aimed to investigate factors contributing to weight gain in normal-weight participants.

General ADP-Ribosylation Mechanism Based on the Structure of ADP-Ribosyltransferase-Substrate Complexes.

ADP-ribosylation is a ubiquitous modification of proteins and other targets, such as nucleic acids, that regulates various cellular functions in all kingdoms of life. Furthermore, these ADP-ribosyltransferases (ARTs) modify a variety of substrates and atoms. It has been almost 60 years since ADP-ribosylation was discovered.