Browse Articles

Phlegmonous appendicitis as a variant of uncomplicated appendicitis

Author Correction: Effect of phycocyanin and phycoerythrin on antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of refrigerated low-fat yogurt and cream cheese

Epidemiological surveys, antibiotic resistance, and related risk factors of Helicobacter pylori in Quanzhou, China: a cross-sectional study

A modified energy management strategy for PV/diesel hybrid system to reduce diesel consumption based on artificial protozoa optimizer

Abstract The photovoltaic (PV)/diesel hybrid system (PV/D-HS) combines solar PV panels with a diesel generator (DG) to meet energy demands, especially in industrial operations. This study introduces an improved energy management strategy designed to optimize the performance of PV/D-HS by reducing diesel consumption, increasing solar energy utilization, and minimizing environmental impact. The strategy dynamically manages power distribution between the PV panels and the DG, adapting to changing solar conditions and energy demands. Doing so reduces the system’s reliance on diesel, improves operational efficiency, and supports the integration of cleaner energy sources. Simulation results show significant improvements over traditional approaches: carbon emissions decreased from 62 kg/day with a standalone diesel generator to 38 kg/day, representing a 38% reduction. The solar energy fraction (SEF) increases from 12 to 35%, a 23% improvement in solar energy utilization. These results demonstrate the potential of the proposed strategy to enhance sustainability by lowering greenhouse gas emissions, reducing dependence on fossil fuels, and advancing global efforts to combat climate change. In addition to environmental benefits, the approach reduces operational costs and improves the system’s reliability, making it a practical solution for industrial energy needs.

Infrared dim tiny-sized target detection based on feature fusion

Author Correction: The heterogeneity of NOTCH1 to tumor immune infiltration in pan-cancer

Author Correction: Exploratory study on the efficacy of topical pan-JAK inhibitor in ocular and skin GVHD in a sclerodermatous GVHD mouse model

Some complex probabilistic hesitant fuzzy aggregation operators and their applications to multi-attribute decision making

Capsule neural network and adapted golden search optimizer based forest fire and smoke detection

Bacterial sensor evolved by decreasing complexity

Bacterial receptors feed into multiple signal transduction pathways that regulate a variety of cellular processes including gene expression, second messenger levels, and motility. Receptors are typically activated by signal binding to ligand-binding domains (LBDs). Cache domains are omnipresent LBDs found in bacteria, archaea, and eukaryotes, including humans. They form the predominant family of extracytosolic bacterial LBDs and were identified in all major receptor types. Cache domains are composed of either a single (sCache) or a double (dCache) structural module. The functional relevance of bimodular LBDs remains poorly understood. Here, we identify the PacF chemoreceptor in the phytopathogen Pectobacterium atrosepticum that recognizes formate at the membrane-distal module of its dCache domain, triggering chemoattraction. We further demonstrate that a family of formate-specific sCache domains has evolved from a dCache domain, exemplified by PacF, by losing the membrane-proximal module. By solving high-resolution structures of two family members in complex with formate, we show that the molecular basis for formate binding at sCache and dCache domains is highly similar, despite their low sequence identity. The apparent loss of the membrane-proximal module may be related to the observation that dCache domains bind ligands typically at the membrane-distal module, whereas studies have failed to find ligands bound in the membrane-proximal module. This work advances our understanding of signal sensing in bacterial receptors and suggests that evolution by reducing complexity may be a route for shaping diversity.

The Sarcoplasmic/Endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase (SERCA) is present in pig sperm and modulates their physiology over liquid preservation

Hsp90, DnaK, and ClpB collaborate in protein reactivation

Hsp70, Hsp90, and ClpB/Hsp100 are molecular chaperones that help regulate proteostasis. Bacterial and yeast Hsp70s and their cochaperones function synergistically with Hsp90s to reactivate inactive and aggregated proteins by a mechanism that requires a direct interaction between Hsp90 and Hsp70 both in vitro and in vivo. Escherichia coli and yeast Hsp70s also collaborate in bichaperone systems with ClpB and Hsp104, respectively, to disaggregate and reactivate aggregated proteins and amyloids such as prions. These collaborations are dependent on direct interactions between ClpB/Hsp104 and Hsp70. We explored the possibility that E. coli homologs of Hsp70, Hsp90, and ClpB, referred to as DnaK, Hsp90 Ec , and ClpB, respectively, in combination with two DnaK cochaperones, DnaJ and GrpE, could promote protein disaggregation and reactivation under conditions where bichaperone systems are ineffective. Our results show that Hsp90 Ec is able to overcome the inhibition of protein disaggregation and reactivation observed when the concentration of DnaK is approaching physiological concentrations. We found that ATP hydrolysis and substrate binding by all three chaperones are essential for the collaborative function. The work further shows that ClpB acts early in protein reactivation with DnaK and its cochaperones; E. coli Hsp90 acts at a later stage after ClpB. The results highlight the collaboration among chaperones to regulate and maintain proteostasis.

Systemic immune-inflammation index mediates the association between abdominal obesity and serum klotho levels

How towns can adapt to fire as bigger burns loom

Ultrabroadband near-infrared emission profiling in multicore optical fibers doped with Er3+ and Yb3+/Tm3+/Ho3+ ions

Abstract This paper presents novel multicore fibers with broadband emission in the 1.4–2.1 μm range. Based on our previous work with barium gallo-germanate glasses and fibers, the 4 and 11-core fiber structures, each containing core glasses doped with Er3+ and Yb3+/Tm3+/Ho3+, were developed. Our efforts have resulted in flat emission in 3 dB and 10 dB bands, achievable under excitation at 796 nm, 808 nm, 940 nm, and 980 nm. The measured emission spectra of these fibers are described as a superposition of emission bands from each individual core, corresponding to the transitions of Er3+, Tm3+, and Ho3+ ions. Our method demonstrates the potential of emission profiling in multicore optical fibers as a new way to construct eye-safe broadband fiber sources.

Strong precursor softening in cubic CaSiO ₃ perovskite

CaSiO 3 perovskite (CaPv) is the last major mineral in the Earth’s lower mantle whose elasticity remains largely unresolved. Here, we investigate the elasticity of CaPv using ab initio machine-learning force fields (MLFF). At room temperature, the elasticity of tetragonal CaPv determined by MLFF molecular dynamics (MD) agrees well with experimental measurements after considering temperature induced variations in the hydrostatic structure, proving the effectiveness of the method. We use the MLFF MD in the NPT ensemble to establish the tetragonal–cubic phase boundary and confirm that in the lower mantle CaPv is in the cubic phase. The elasticity of cubic CaPv shows distinct temperature dependence at different ranges: it is linear at high temperatures, whereas it exhibits anomalous precursor softening near the tetragonal–cubic phase boundary. The temperature interval of precursor softening widens as the pressure increases and overlaps with the temperature profile of subducted cold slabs near the core–mantle boundary. While cubic CaPv is seismically invisible along the average mantle geotherm, it may induce low-velocity zones with negative temperature anomaly, leading to the view that the large low shear velocity provinces (LLSVPs) may be caused by subducted oceanic crust rich in CaPv with temperature lower than ambient mantle. A cool, rigid LLSVP may help explain the preferential formation of mantle plumes at its margins, as well as its weaker seismic anisotropy.

Microclimates growing and watering volumes influences the physiological traits of chili pepper cultivars in combating abiotic stress

Abstract Chili peppers are a staple food for countries worldwide and are loaded with vitamins and antioxidants. One of the world’s largest chili consumers, Indonesia faces climate adversities and cash-crop pest infestations that affect its horticulture market. The present research explores microclimatic and watering for physiological performances in different chili cultivars, useful in suggesting the strategies of cultivation with a climate-resilient perception. The research was done in the Bale Tatanen, Padjadjaran University, using a Factorial Randomized Complete Block Design to analyze chili plant physiology. According to statistical analyses, cultivars did not significantly affect absolute growth rate (AGR), but growing microclimates and watering volumes did significantly affect AGR and water use efficiency (WUE). The rain shelter and screen house had the highest WUE and AGR values. Growing microclimates and cultivars significantly affected transpiration rate, stomatal conductance to water vapor and total conductance to CO 2 , with the screen house exhibiting the highest values. All three factors significantly affected the photosynthetic rate, with the greenhouse showing the highest rate. The photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) was likewise highest in the greenhouse. This study aimed to systematically assess these factors and it tried suggesting practices that might assist in combating the effects of abiotic stress on chili production, for its sustainability. The findings of this research would help in conceptualizing the most efficient microclimate and watering volume for chili cultivation particularly, when considering climate change challenges as well; these results could also be applied to develop guidelines which might serve helpful at resource-poor farming.

The chloroplast RNA–binding protein CP29A supports <i>rbcL</i> expression during cold acclimation

The chloroplast genome encodes key components of the photosynthetic light reaction machinery as well as the large subunit of the enzyme central for carbon fixation, Ribulose-1,5-bisphosphat-carboxylase/-oxygenase (RuBisCo). Its expression is predominantly regulated posttranscriptionally, with nuclear-encoded RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) playing a key role. Mutants of chloroplast gene expression factors often exhibit impaired chloroplast biogenesis, especially in cold conditions. Low temperatures pose a challenge for plants as this leads to electron imbalances and oxidative damage. A well-known response of plants to this problem is to increase the production of RuBisCo and other Calvin Cycle enzymes in the cold, but how this is achieved is unclear. The chloroplast RBP CP29A has been shown to be essential for cold resistance in growing leaf tissue of Arabidopsis thaliana . Here, we examined CP29A–RNA interaction sites at nucleotide resolution. We found that CP29A preferentially binds to the 5′-untranslated region of rbcL , downstream of the binding site of the pentatricopeptide repeat protein MATURATION OF RBCL 1 (MRL1). MRL1 is an RBP known to be necessary for the accumulation of rbcL . In Arabidopsis mutants lacking CP29A, we were unable to observe significant effects on rbcL , possibly due to CP29A’s restricted role in a limited number of cells at the base of leaves. In contrast, CRISPR/Cas9-induced mutants of tobacco NtCP29A exhibit cold-dependent photosynthetic deficiencies throughout the entire leaf blade. This is associated with a parallel reduction in rbcL mRNA and RbcL protein accumulation. Our work indicates that a chloroplast RNA–binding protein contributes to cold acclimation of RbcL production.

Learning under label noise through few-shot human-in-the-loop refinement

<i>Toxoplasma</i> chitinase-like protein orchestrates cyst wall glycosylation to facilitate effector export and cyst turnover

Toxoplasma bradyzoites reside in tissue cysts that undergo cycles of expansion, rupture, and release to foster chronic infection. The glycosylated cyst wall acts as a protective barrier, although the processes responsible for formation, remodeling, and turnover are not understood. Herein, we identify a noncanonical chitinase-like enzyme TgCLP1 that localizes to micronemes and is targeted to the cyst wall after secretion. Genetic deletion of TgCLP1 resulted in a thickened cyst wall that decreased cyst turnover, blocked the export of virulence effectors into host cells, and resulted in failure to persist during chronic infection. Genetic complementation with a series of mutants revealed that the GH19 glycosidase domain was crucial for regulating glycosylation of several glycoproteins in the cyst wall. Overall, our findings reveal that TgCLP1 is a multifunctional survival factor that modifies glycoproteins within the cyst wall to modulate export of virulence effectors and regulate turnover of tissue cysts.