Browse Articles

Structure and substrate promiscuity of Campylobacter jejuni periplasmic nitrate reductase (Nap) and phylogenetic analysis of Nap homologs

Microscopic pore controls on seepage behavior in varied coal structures based on dual-scale digital core analysis

Redox‐Active Planar Ge(IV)O ₄ Linkers in Covalent Organic Frameworks for Enhanced Anodic Na ⁺ Storage

Abstract Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) for ion storage usually suffer from the employment of inactive linking units and intrinsically lower conductivity than 10 −6  S cm −1 , resulting in significant specific capacity loss. Developing COFs with redox‐active linkers in addition to the functional building blocks and highly intra‐layer conjugated electronic structure for enhanced conductivity is therefore crucial toward enhancing ion storage capacity. Herein, two dimensional (2D) phthalocyanine‐based (Pc‐based) COFs, GeO 4 ‐MPc‐COFs (M = Co, Ni, and Zn), with redox‐active Ge(IV)O 4 linkers and multiple active sites in the functional Pc building blocks were fabricated from octahydroxylphthalocyaninato metal complexes MPc(OH) 8 and GeO 2 . The planar arrangement of Ge(IV)O 4 moieties induces significantly p–π interaction between Ge(IV)O 4 moieties and Pc macrocycles, facilitating the delocalization of π electrons throughout the 2D networks of GeO 4 ‐MPc‐COFs and resulting in an impressive conductivity of 0.14–0.36 × 10 −2  S cm −1 . This, in combination with the reversible redox activity of Ge(IV)O 4 linkers and N‐rich Pc building blocks in the GeO 4 ‐MPc‐COFs, leads to outstanding anodic Na + storage performance with a high reversible specific capacity (607 mA h g −1 at 100 mA g −1 ) and excellent cycling stability (only 0.00057% capacity decay per cycle during 4,000 charge–discharge cycles at 5 A g −1 ), representing the thus far reported best performance.

Evolutions of partner-ruled surfaces with simultaneous inextensibility conditions

Ruled surfaces are a class of surfaces generated by a moving straight line and are used in various design and modeling applications, including kinematics, robotics, and computer-aided geometric design. On the other hand, the inextensibility condition, which preserves the intrinsic geometry of a surface during evolution, is significant for motions of surfaces where stretching is not allowed. Nevertheless, comprehensive characterizations of the evolutions of partner-ruled surfaces generated by the canonical vector pair of a space curve and the preservation of their intrinsic properties under evolutions remain open for investigation. This study aims to provide systematic research on the inextensible evolutions of partner-ruled surfaces simultaneously generated by a pair from the set of Darboux and Frenet vectors of a unit-speed space curve. For this purpose, the intrinsic and extrinsic invariants of the partner-ruled surfaces are derived, and their inextensibility conditions are determined. The structural classifications of the parameter curves of these types of surfaces are explored. The main contributions are the necessary and sufficient conditions on the curvature and torsion of the generator curve, which state the simultaneous inextensibility of these partner surfaces. Additionally, characterizations for the simultaneous developability and minimality of these partner surfaces are provided, based on Gauss and mean curvatures calculated using partial differential equations. This work provides a classification for this family of surfaces, supported by clear visual examples.

The proton-sensing OGR1 receptor and hypoxia-inducible factors promote metal ion–induced inflammatory responses in coronary artery smooth muscle cells

Ocular choroidal thickness reflects systemic recovery after acute heart failure: a pilot observational study

Integrated single-cell RNA-seq and bulk RNA-seq analysis to investigate key adipogenesis genes in adipose-derived stem cells

Adipogenic differentiation of adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) is fundamental to both adipose tissue homeostasis and clinical applications, particularly fat grafting. However, the global and stage-specific transcriptional regulatory networks underlying ADSC adipogenesis remain incompletely elucidated. In this study, we integrated bulk and single-cell RNA-seq datasets across multiple time points of ADSC adipogenesis to identify core regulators of differentiation and maturation. A total of 41 genes were consistently upregulated during early differentiation, among which eight hub genes (FABP4, FASN, FABP5, ADIPOQ, PLIN1, LPL, CIDEC, and ACSL1) formed a tightly connected protein–protein interaction (PPI) module associated with lipid metabolism, lipid droplet formation, and adipocyte maturation. Further integration of differentially expressed lncRNAs and miRNAs led to the construction of a ceRNA network involving 7 mRNAs, 9 miRNAs, and 4 lncRNAs, comprising 34 predicted lncRNA–miRNA–mRNA regulatory axes. To identify temporal transcriptional regulators, we defined five genes (TTC14, MBNL2, UBR3, ABCD2, and SORT1) as early-stage inducers of adipogenesis, and four genes (UQCR11, NDUFB4, S100A10, and PRDX3) as late-stage regulators involved in maintaining the mature phenotype. These stage-specific regulators showed distinct temporal expression patterns and were validated by qPCR. GeneMANIA network analysis further revealed that early-stage regulators were enriched in lipid transport and lipase activity regulation, while late-stage regulators were associated with mitochondrial electron transport and energy metabolism. These findings highlight the stage-dependent transcriptional landscape of ADSC adipogenesis and provide candidate regulatory targets for modulating adipocyte differentiation and stability.

Farnesyl pyrophosphate synthase promotes restenosis after vascular injury by activating small G proteins

Flagellin recognition triggers zinc mobilization in Arabidopsis thaliana as a response to Salmonella Typhimurium invasion

Retraction: Machine vision model for drip leakage detection of pipeline

Simultaneous ligand binding to intact and partially formed ATP-binding sites in the hexameric termination factor Rho

Correction: Atomistic and data-driven modeling of laser-induced graphene formation on sustainable polymer substrates

Linkage Multi‐functionalization in Covalent Organic Frameworks via Criss–Cross 1,3‐Dipolar Cycloaddition

Abstract Introducing functional groups to skeletons of covalent organic frameworks (COFs) is fundamentally important to create specific properties and functions for this class of crystalline porous polymers. The strategy of multi‐functionalization could introduce multiple functional groups in one‐step but has rarely been developed for polymers. Herein, we report a novel linkage conversion strategy which could simultaneously install multiple functional groups into a single site of azine‐linked COFs. This strategy is based on criss–cross 1,3‐dipolar cycloaddition reaction between azine linkages in COFs and multifarious alkynes carrying different functional groups. Its general applicability and high efficiency have been demonstrated by the successful construction of more than 10 COFs with widespread functional groups, for which homo‐type and hetero‐type functional groups could be introduced. This study provides a general and powerful tool to introduce highly dense functional groups into nanopores of COFs, enabling the further exploration of their applications bestowed by the functional groups.

The effect of ergometer cycling and visual foraging on brain function: A pilot study

Dual-task training comprising cognitive and physical components may enhance cognitive function, and increased prefrontal cortex activation may underpin these improvements. The aim of this pilot study was to examine the effects of cycling and visual foraging on executive function (EF). Twenty-seven participants (mean age 25.44 ± 4.31 years) completed four lab-based sessions, one in which their aerobic capacity ( V ˙ O 2max ) and baseline EF scores assessed were determined, and three randomized experimental conditions: ergometer cycling (EC), visual foraging (VF) and both combined (EC + VF). Participants’ EF performance was assessed at baseline, and pre-and post- intervention using the 2-Back task (working memory), the Flanker Task (inhibitory control), and the Wisconsin Card Sorting Task (WCST; task switching). Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) and eye-tracking data were collected throughout each condition. Affective state was assessed via the Affect Grid. Repeated measures ANCOVAs, incorporating baseline EF task scores as covariates, revealed condition x time x covariate interactions for the Flanker task only; task performance of participants with poorer baseline scores improved more profoundly in the EC condition. Subjective arousal and prefrontal cortex (PFC) activation were higher in both cycling conditions relative to VF; hence, ergometer cycling, rather than visual foraging, might be the more impactful intervention in these regards. However, these elevations were not associated with EF enhancements; near-ceiling effects in EF task performance may explain this. The EC condition elicited greater energetic investment than the EC + VF condition; possibly because the secondary VF task distracted from the cycling exercise. PFC activation was only correlated with gaze fixations during the EC + VF condition, potentially reflecting concurrent increases in supply of, and demand for, oxygen during the combined condition.

Structures of a lipin/Pah phosphatidic acid phosphatase in distinct catalytic states reveal a signature motif for substrate recognition

Failed induction of human labour is associated with an altered myometrial phosphoproteome

Abstract Induction of labour (IOL) is increasingly recommended for a variety of maternal and fetal indications. Approximately 30% of labours that are induced result in an emergency caesarean section (failed induction of labour). We have previously reported that the feto-placental metabolome of spontaneous labour is not reproduced by current methods of IOL. Here, we have investigated the myometrial phosphoproteome and found an altered phenotype associated with failed IOL. We conducted global phosphoproteomics analysis of human myometrium obtained at the time of term elective caesarean section from women who had previously had a vaginal birth and compared with myometrium obtained at the time of emergency caesarean from women with a failed IOL. The myometrium was cut into strips and placed in an organ bath under different experimental conditions: pre-contracting; spontaneously contracting at peak contraction and peak relaxation; and oxytocin-induced contracting state at peak contraction and peak relaxation. Human myometrial proteins and phosphorylation events were differentially expressed in myometrium from women with failed IOL compared with myometrium from women with previous vaginal birth. This included changes within key pathways of cytoskeletal remodelling, extracellular matrix dysregulation, and defective metabolic adaptation; such differences may reflect an altered myometrial phenotype in failed IOL and open new areas of research to improve the clinical induction of labour.

Total Biocatalytic Synthesis of Capsaicinoids Using Ferulic Acid: A Versatile Two‐Step Strategy for Natural Product Diversification

Abstract The wide‐ranging application of capsaicinoids, the active compounds in chili peppers, has driven increasing interest in the development of sustainable production strategies. However, capsaicinoid synthesis remains a challenge. The objective of this pioneering study is to report the total biocatalytic synthesis of structurally diverse capsaicinoids from bio‐based ferulic acids. An X‐ray crystallographic study elucidated the structural basis for the exceptional potential of a novel transaminase from Phaeobacter porticola (PPTA) to transform the highest ever reported concentration of vanillin (100–200 mM) to vanillylamine, with >99% conversion and modest conversion ranging from 48% to 79% for 300 to 500 mM substrate. Using PPTA in tandem with phenolic acid decarboxylase (PAD) and aromatic dioxygenase (ADO) further enabled the direct synthesis of vanillylamine from ferulic acid with >99% conversion. Furthermore, the integration of a multi‐enzymatic cascade with carboxylic acid reductases (CARs) successfully synthesized structurally diverse capsaicinoids via amide bond formation between vanillylamine and free fatty acids, with excellent conversions ranging from 72% to >88%. A 50‐mM enzymatic reaction afforded 95% and 80% conversion of vanillylamine and capsaicin, respectively.

Psychometric network analysis reveals how sensory processing relates to self-reflection traits in adolescence

While recent research links sensory processing to mental traits, this has scarcely been explored in adolescence, a period characterized by changes in self-reflection and onset of mental disorders. This study aims to fill this gap using psychometric network analyses to examine how sensory processing characteristics (somatosensation and interoception) relate to self-reflection traits (tendency to examine one’s body, thoughts, and one’s relation to others) in youths aged 10–25 (N = 816) and whether these associations change with sex and age. Results revealed an interconnected network of sensory and self-reflection variables, organized around three main communities. A first showed that elevated social anxiety is associated with heightened sensitivity to somatosensation; a second that positive reflection towards body appearance positively relate to confidence in interoceptive sensations; a third that reflection towards one’s thoughts (private self-consciousness) linked interoceptive awareness with reflection related to others’ thoughts. Some of these associations between sensory and self-reflection traits are stronger in girls and late adolescence, but results regarding age effects were inconsistent. These findings highlight the need to integrate sensorial aspects into our understanding of adolescents’ psychology.

Dissecting stress-activated protein kinase (SAPK)–signaling pathways using multiplex gene knockout HeLa cells

Meshing performance analysis of helical face gear drives with integrated non-orthogonal, offset, and profile-shifted