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Biocatalytic- and Chemoproteomic-Guided Discovery of a PHGDH Inhibitor from Chemoenzymatic-Promoted DNA-Encoded Libraries Selection Platform

Government policy attention to aging and mental health among middle aged and older adults: A text-based analysis of chinese municipal reports

Objective Population aging has intensified mental health challenges among middle-aged and older adults. This study examines how government attention to aging issues affects mental health outcomes in this demographic. Methods Using data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) and municipal government work reports collected between 2011 and 2020, we constructed a government attention index. We employed fixed effects models to analyze the impact on depressive symptoms among middle-aged and older adults, exploring underlying mechanisms and population heterogeneity. Results Higher government attention significantly reduces depressive symptoms among middle-aged and older adults, with stronger effects observed in men and rural populations. Four key mechanisms drive these improvements: environmental enhancement, expanded social welfare, increased adult children visitation, and improved family financial status. Government attention also promotes participation in social and cultural activities but shows no significant impact on adult children’s economic support or sleep duration. Conclusion Government attention to aging issues substantially improves mental health outcomes among middle-aged and older adults. Policymakers should strengthen responses to create more supportive social environments for this growing demographic.

Role of a Modulator in the Synthesis of an MIL-53 Metal–Organic Framework Revealed by <i>In Situ</i> Time-Resolved MAS NMR Spectroscopy

Amino acid metabolism of the thermophilic acetogen Thermacetogenium phaeum

Anaerobic microbial degradation of the amino acids glycine and serine either occurs through enzymes of the so-called Stickland reaction or alternatively through the glycine cleavage system (GCS). In the mesophilic anaerobe Peptoclostridium acidaminophilum , initial glycine degradation proceeds through disproportionation to methylene tetrahydrofolate (THF) and acetyl-phosphate by GCS and glycine reductase. The thermophilic acetogen Thermacetogenium phaeum is able to utilize glycine, serine or threonine as sole carbon source, although it lacks genes for glycine reductase. In contrast, T. phaeum possesses genes for the GCS as well as for serine-converting enzymes, and the corresponding enzymes were specifically overabundant in the proteome and active. Among these enzymes, serine dehydratase was most active in serine-grown cells, even though its abundance in the proteome was comparably low. We suggest that two serine-converting enzyme systems (serine dehydratase, and the combination of glycine hydroxymethyltransferase and GCS) are used under different growth conditions: for breakdown of serine, T. phaeum most likely converts serine to pyruvate and ammonia by serine dehydratase, followed by acetate and ATP production via pyruvate dehydrogenase, phosphate acetyltransferase and acetate kinase. Electron carriers are then re-oxidized through CO 2 -fixation via the Wood-Ljungdahl pathway (WLP) of acetogenesis. When grown with glycine, the GCS most likely converts glycine to methylene-THF, which is then disproportionated to methenyl-THF and methyl-THF in the WLP. Glycine and serine both are excellent substrates for T. phaeum , yet in syntrophic cocultures with Methanothermobacter thermautotrophicus , acetate from glycine or serine degradation cannot be degraded further, as in syntrophic cultures with acetate as sole carbon source. This indicates an inhibitory or regulatory effect of glycine or serine degradation on acetate-degrading enzymes, resulting in the inability of T. phaeum to transition directly to syntrophic acetate oxidation after amino acid degradation.

Periodic Structure Formed by Atomic-Disordered Lamellar Building Blocks Enables Two-Dimensional Superconductivity in SiP ₂

Preconception care services in Northern Ethiopia: A qualitative exploration of awareness, experiences, challenges, opportunities, and prospects

Introduction Preconception care (PCC) has emerged as a key component of the maternal continuum of care worldwide, focusing on reducing poor pregnancy outcomes. Improving services requires addressing opportunities and challenges within the health system, but in Ethiopia, it is often neglected. Hence, this study explores the awareness, experiences, challenges, and opportunities related to PCC services in Tigray, Northern Ethiopia. Methods We conducted an exploratory qualitative study involving 21 in-depth interviews with mothers who experienced adverse pregnancy outcomes and health care providers (HCPs), who work in maternal, neonatal, and child health, and health extension workers. Additionally, we held six focus group discussions with women with a history of pregnancy. We also conducted key informant interviews with 10 maternal, newborn and child health experts from the regional health bureau, district health offices, and professional associations. The study was conducted from January 26, 2024, to April 4, 2024, across four rural districts and two urban areas in Tigray, Northern Ethiopia. Discussions and interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed into the local language “Tigrigna”, then translated into English and thematically coded using ATLAS-ti v.7.5.4 software. Results Some women, particularly those belonging to high-risk groups, are aware of PCC services. Majority of HCPs, especially gynecologists and physicians, have some knowledge of PCC, recognize its importance, and provide specific components of PCC interventions. However, these services are often delivered in a fragmented manner, primarily targeting high-risk women. Identified challenges include traditional beliefs and misconceptions, insufficient counseling on contraceptive services, social influences, service costs, high workloads, lack of medicines and medical equipment, and the fragment-based services . Conversely, opportunities include utilizing existing community platforms and an expressed desire for PCC services. Moreover, diverse communication strategies, linking communities with health facilities, involving high-risk mothers as educational role models, and integrating package-based PCC services into the healthcare system were explored as perceived suggestions. Conclusion Apart from high-risk women, most women have little to no awareness about PCC services. Furthermore, although many HCPs possess some understanding of PCC, they deliver only a limited range of interventions, primarily catering to self-initiated high-risk mothers. Challenges identified include traditional beliefs and misconceptions, inadequate counseling on contraceptive services, social influences, high service costs, and fragmented service delivery. Existing community platforms and the perceived desire for PCC services were highlighted as opportunities to enhance PCC services. Strategies such as utilizing diverse communication methods, involving high-risk mothers as role models, strengthening community engagement activities, and improving linkages between communities and health facilities were proposed. Additionally, promoting home-based self-care was explored as a suggestion for improving PCC services. Integrating package-based PCC services into the healthcare system to routinely serve all eligible women of reproductive age was recommended to improve both awareness and uptake of PCC. Finally, tailored interventions were deemed essential for improving PCC awareness and utilization both at the community and facility levels.

Biocatalytic Synthesis of N-Protected α-Amino Acids through 1,3-Nitrogen Migration by Nonheme Iron Enzymes

An exploration of the costs of family and group conferencing pathways in adult social care and mental health: A scenario-based cost analysis

Context Family and Group Conferencing (FGC) is a strengths-based approach to social work, originating from New Zealand and now used internationally. Previous research on FGC has focused largely on the context of children’s services but, FGC also aligns with the principle of the Care Act in England to prevent, reduce or delay the need for long-term (and potentially costly) adult care services. Limited previous research has tended to explore potential cost savings associated with FGC, without accounting for the cost of the intervention itself, risking biased results. Objective This paper aims to identify resource use and associated monetary costs associated with FGC services in English adult social care and mental health settings. Methods Framework development was informed by previously published work establishing programme theory for FGC, extended by expert opinion and published sources of monetary costs. The framework used scenario-based analysis and a bottom-up costing approach, with sensitivity analysis. Results Estimated costs of conducting a standard full FGC (excluding referral) range from £1,455 to £2,043 (adjusted from 2022–2023–2025 prices) from a local authority and National Health Service (NHS) perspective. Costs can vary depending on the involvement of an advocate or interpreter, network size and the complexity of issues being addressed. We report overall costs with and without resource use specifically related to referral. Discussion Higher staff costs account for slightly higher intervention costs in an NHS mental health setting, compared to adult social care settings. Conclusion Reallocating scarce public resources with the intention of preventing, reducing or delaying use of costly future care must be evidence-based as pressures build to meet acute needs. Accurate per-case costing of FGC is a necessary preliminary step towards exploring the cost-effectiveness of FGC. A full economic evaluation will account for costs, outcomes, and alternative options (uses of limited resources).

Role of the Metal Cation on the Amplified Spontaneous Emission Properties of Two-Dimensional Perovskites

Moringa oleifera potential for the treatment and prevention of COVID-19 involving molecular interaction, antioxidant properties and kinetic mechanism

The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the emergence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in 2019, has led to a global state of emergency declared by the World Health Organization (WHO). The search for effective therapies against the virus is ongoing, and traditional medicine is emerging as a promising alternative, as many plants with known antiviral potential have been utilized during the pandemic. In this study, we investigated the inhibition of cysteine proteases (Mpro, PLpro, and papain) by bioactive compounds from Moringa oleifera leaves, with the ultimate goal of developing a novel treatment. We conducted a virtual screening based on the structure of the Mpro and PLpro enzymatic targets of SARS-CoV-2, for the selection of compounds with higher inhibitory potential. We then identified 14 bioactive compounds with high binding energy against Mpro and PLpro using AutoDock. Gamma-sitosterol was particularly promising since it showed higher interaction energy with Mpro (−8.6Kcal/mol) and PLpro (−7.4Kcal/mol). Phytochemicals in Moringa oleifera leaves were extracted using aqueous and hydromethanolic solvent system. It was found that polyphenols (4.20–5.01 mg GAE/g DM) and flavonoids (95.86–135.41 mg QE/ g DM) were the major constituents in the extracts. Antioxidant activity in the extracts, particularly DPPH scavenging activity (63.46–123.58 mg TE/g DM) and FRAP activity (48.14–49.66 mg TE/g DM), was high suggesting a potential for the prevention of oxidation and inflammation. Global and multiple alignment were conducted between Mpro, PLpro and papain, and results showed high conservation of the amino acid residues in the active site of the enzymes, suggesting a similar molecular catalysis mechanism. The extracts showed inhibitory activity against papain with the IC 50 of 7.5 mg/mL for the hydromethanolic extract and 12.5 mg/mL for the aqueous extract. It was found in kinetic studies that hydromethanolic extract was a competitive inhibitor of papain, while aqueous extract was a hyperbolic non-competitive inhibitor, suggesting the presence of compounds with different interaction profiles to the enzymes. This study demonstrates that Moringa oleifera leaf extracts have substantial antioxidant activity and inhibit the model cysteine protease papain in vitro . These data, together with in silico docking against Mpro and PLpro, identify candidate phytochemicals that merit further evaluation; however, papain inhibition is a preliminary biochemical filter and does not by itself establish antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2.

A Modular T7 RNA Polymerase Toolbox Linking Selective miRNA Detection to Signal Amplification and Protein Expression

Deep spatial attention networks for vision-based pavement distress perception in autonomous driving

Ensuring the safety and comfort of autonomous driving relies heavily on accurately perceiving the quality of the road pavement surface. However, current research has primarily focused on perceiving traffic participants such as surrounding vehicles and pedestrians, with relatively limited investigation into road surface quality perception. This paper addresses this gap by proposing a high-performance semantic segmentation method that utilizes real-time road images captured by an onboard camera to monitor the category and position of road defects ahead of the ego vehicle. Our approach introduces a novel multi-scale spatial attention module to enhance the accuracy of detecting road surface damage within the traditional semantic segmentation framework. To evaluate the proposed approach, we curated and utilized a dataset comprising 2,400 annotated images for model training and validating. Experimental results demonstrate that our method achieves a superior balance between detection precision and computational efficiency, outperforming existing semantic segmentation models in terms of mean IoU while maintaining low computational cost and high inference speed. This approach holds great potential for application in vision-based autonomous driving as it can be seamlessly integrated with appropriate control strategies, thereby offering passengers a smooth and reliable driving experience.

Layer Number Dependence of Chirality and Spin Polarized Lifetime in Chiral 2D Halide Perovskites

Colony defence in bumblebees (Bombus terrestris)

Bumblebees are key pollinators of both wild plants and agricultural crops, hence understanding their biology is critical for conservation efforts as well as for managing domesticated colonies. While their foraging and reproductive ecology have received a lot of attention, we know little about another crucial part of their behavioural repertoire: colony defence. In this study, we examine the defensive responses of individuals in whole colonies, maintained in the laboratory, after disturbing them with a mechanical jolt. As a result, we present a detailed ethogram of the defensive behaviour of Bombus terrestris in response to mechanical disturbances, as could be induced by vertebrate attacks or handling. In addition to identifying and describing the different responses elicited by this disturbance, we provide information about their temporal sequence, their location and the proportion of bees involved. We also determined whether individual bees produce specific combinations of behaviours, which revealed that a core set of responses is exhibited by all bees, with other behaviours being randomly performed. Finally, we show how colony defence varies depending on disturbance type (mechanical jolt, intruder breath or foreign object). Overall, we demonstrate that colony defence includes measures preparing members for a response, searching for the source of the disturbance, warning intruders to maintain distance, potentially signalling the threat to other colony members and finally recovering from the disturbance. This comprehensive overview provides a valuable starting point to further understand how defensive behaviour is regulated such that bumblebee colonies can survive predator attacks and thrive.

Polyrotaxanes Send Shuttling Signals

Single replica spin-glass phase detection using field variation and machine learning

The Sherrington-Kirkpatrick (SK) spin-glass model exhibits well-studied phase transitions that are mostly established using replica-based methods. Regardless of the method used for detection, the intrinsic phase of a system exists whether or not replicas are considered. Therefore, in this study, we propose a novel method for phase detection based on the variation of the local field experienced by each spin in a configuration of a single replica. The mean and the variance of these local fields are powerful indicators that effectively distinguish different phases, including ferromagnetic, paramagnetic, and spin-glass phases. By analyzing the mean and variance of these local fields, we develop a machine learning algorithm to generate the phase diagram, which shows strong agreement with the theoretical solutions for the SK model. This algorithm offers a more computationally efficient approach for phase detection in spin-glass systems.

On-Surface Synthesis of Nonbenzenoid PAHs Using Intermolecular π-Radical C–C Coupling

Immune transcriptomic changes in Australian Gulf War veterans

Background Gulf War Illness (GWI) is a chronic multisystemic illness found in one-third of Gulf War Veterans. The aetiology of GWI is elusive; however, is strongly associated with exposure to multiple toxic agents, environmental exposures, and prophylactic medications or vaccinations. In the literature, disruption of the immune system and the presence of inflammation have been reported in GWI. In this novel study, we report gene expression-based analysis of a panel of 785 immune function related gene markers in GWI. Method Ribonucleic acid (RNA) was extracted from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) isolated from n = 20 Australian GWI (CDC Case Definition and Kansas Criteria, 54.4 ± 0.74 years), and n = 15 healthy control (HC, 47.47 ± 2.91 years) participants. All participants were sex-matched (100% male). RNA gene expression was quantified using the NanoString ® nCounter Immune Exhaustion panel and analysed using Rosalind Bio and IPA. Results Thirty-three differentially expressed genes were identified, of which 21 were upregulated and 12 were downregulated in the GWI cohort. Upregulated genes included SIGLEC1, BPI, MMP9, RSAD2, IFIT1/2, CEACAM1/3 and were associated with metabolic and cellular stress responses, while downregulated genes were associated with T cell receptor regions and humoral immune responses. Downregulated genes included TRDV3, IGHG1, TRGV4, TRDV1/4, and IL7 . Gene set analysis revealed associations between gene expression and type I interferon signalling, natural killer receptors, T cell receptors, and tumour necrosis factor signalling. Pathway analysis revealed the role of differentially expressed genes in neutrophil signalling and degranulation, toll-like receptor cascades, and the role of lipids/lipid rafts in infection. Conclusion This investigation elucidates the potential role of immune dysregulation underlying GWI, emphasising the importance of immune exhaustion pathways in disease progression. Further investigations in a larger cohort may further elucidate or confirm these identified markers for potential screening or therapeutic applications in GWI.

Achieving a Simultaneous Charge- and Energy-Involved Dual-Channel Mechanism in Spirobifluorene-Based Conjugated Organic Polymers for Enhanced H ₂ O ₂ Photosynthesis

Morphotypes, preservation, and taphonomy of dinosaur footprints, tail traces, and swim tracks in the largest tracksite in the world: Carreras Pampa (Upper Cretaceous), Torotoro National Park, Bolivia

The Carreras Pampa tracksite in the Torotoro National Park, Bolivia, records a wealth of dinosaur tracks, tail traces, and swim tracks. In this study, we report 1321 trackways and 289 solitary tracks, totaling 16,600 theropod tracks, 280 swim trackways, totaling 1,378 swim tracks, and several trackways with tail traces. Numerous avian tracks occur locally and are associated with the theropod tracks. These tracks and trackways are located within nine study sites of the same exposed tracking surface with a total area of approximately 7485 m 2 . We describe eight preservation styles and 11 morphotypes for walking tracks, and three morphotypes for swim tracks. Tracks range in size from miniature to large. The range of track sizes and the diversity of morphotypes suggest that the Carreras Pampa tracksite represents a diverse group of trackmakers. Track depths vary from very shallow to very deep both within and among trackways, suggesting that the rheological conditions of the sites changed in time and space. We present estimates of the speeds, gaits, and sizes of trackmakers and propose diverse behaviors indicated by the trackways. Notably, trackways at the Carreras Pampa tracksite indicate that a significantly higher proportion of trackmakers had relative stride lengths above 2.0 compared to other sites. The trackways show a strong, bimodal orientation, probably moving along the paleocoastline. Other forms of bioturbation and fossils were found in association with the tracks. We compare our findings at the Carreras Pampa track site to those from other sites in various locations. The quality of preservation, the exceptionally high number of tracks, and the diversity of behaviors recorded make the Carreras Pampa tracksite one of the premier dinosaur track sites in the world.