Structural Diversity Research Articles

Herbal Therapies for Cancer Treatment: A Review of Phytotherapeutic Efficacy.

Natural products have proven to be promising anti-cancer agents due to their diverse chemical structures and bioactivity. This review examines their central role in cancer treatment, focusing on their mechanisms of action and therapeutic benefits. Medicinal plants contain bioactive compounds, such as flavonoids, alkaloids, terpenoids and polyphenols, which exhibit various anticancer properties. These compounds induce apoptosis, inhibit cell proliferation and cell cycle progression, interfere with microtubule formation, act on topoisomerase targets, inhibit angiogenesis, modulate key signaling pathways, improve the tumor microenvironment, reverse drug resistance and activate immune cells. Herbal anti-cancer drugs offer therapeutic advantages, particularly selective toxicity against cancer cells, reducing the adverse side effects associated with conventional chemotherapy. Recent studies and clinical trials highlight the benefits of herbal medicines in alleviating side effects, improving tolerance to chemotherapy and the occurrence of synergistic effects with conventional treatments. For example, the herbal medicine SH003 was found to be safe and potentially effective in the treatment of solid cancers, while Fucoidan showed anti-inflammatory properties that are beneficial for patients with advanced cancer. The current research landscape on herbal anticancer agents is extensive. Numerous studies and clinical trials are investigating their efficacy, safety and mechanisms of action in various cancers such as lung, prostate, breast and hepatocellular carcinoma. Promising developments include the polypharmacological approach, combination therapies, immunomodulation and the improvement of quality of life. However, there are still challenges in the development and use of natural products as anti-cancer drugs, such as the need for further research into their mechanisms of action, possible drug interactions and optimal dosage. Standardizing herbal extracts, improving bioavailability and delivery, and overcoming regulatory and acceptance hurdles are critical issues that need to be addressed. Nonetheless, the promising anticancer effects and therapeutic benefits of natural products warrant further investigation and development. Multidisciplinary collaboration is essential to advance herbal cancer therapy and integrate these agents into mainstream cancer treatment.

A two-stage strategy for brain-inspired unsupervised learning in spiking neural networks

Spiking Neural Networks (SNNs) are emerging as a promising model in the field of neuromorphic computing, offering possibilities for efficient bio-inspired computing. Unsupervised learning in SNNs plays a crucial role in exploring neural network dynamics and achieving efficient artificial intelligence systems. However, current unsupervised learning in SNNs mostly relies on single-stage learning strategies, which limits the possibility of combining diverse learning mechanisms and network structures, resulting in networks that lack flexibility and adaptability for low-power task processing. Inspired by the multi-stage and multi-strategy learning in the human brain, this paper proposes a two-stage learning strategy from coarse to fine to enhance the efficiency of unsupervised learning in SNNs. To quickly extract structural features from spike data in the first stage, we propose the Spiking-SOM algorithm, which effectively learns patterns in spike data and achieves clustering effects. Additionally, we integrate Rate encoding and Temporal encoding through a visual attention mechanism, where this hybrid encoding helps meet the need for rapid information processing in the first stage, while also aiding in detailed feature representation in the second stage. Compared to the traditional single-stage learning framework, this work maintains high accuracy in unsupervised classification while significantly reducing computational costs and speeding up training. This exploration offers a new direction for future learning frameworks in SNNs, helping to further improve the energy efficiency of the network.

초기 고구려의 기층문화 연구 ④ - 桓仁 지역 돌무덤

This article analyzes the Dalishugou site, Dadianzi site, Guangfucun site, Fengjiapuzi site, and Wangjianglou site in Huanren County. Through the analysis of tombs, the location and distribution of tombs, their structure, burial method and funerary objects were examined from a tentative perspective. The structures of the tombs are diverse, and include stone cists, stone-lined tombs, pit-type and stone-mound-type dolmens, stone-mound tombs with capstones, and stone-lined tombs with non-stepped stone cairns. The stone-mound tombs with capstones have only been excavated at the Fengjiapuzi site. These tombs appear to be of a transitional aspect as they have a complex structure of a dolmen and a stone-mound tomb. Cremation customs were investigated at the Dadianzi site, Guangfucun site, Fengjiapuzi site, and Wangjianglou site. In particular, traces of the transformation of funerary objects due to cremation in the tomb were investigated. The bones in Wangjianglou tomb No. 1 were grayish-white in color, indicating cremation at high temperatures. Few artifacts were excavated from the tombs. A narrow-bladed bronze dagger and bronze arrowhead were excavated from the Dadianzi tomb, and a bronze bracelet was excavated in the Guangfucun tomb. Although several tombs with relatively diverse structures were excavated at the Fengjiapuzi site, the artifacts were simple, such as a mounted cup and a polished stone dagger imitating a narrow-bladed bronze dagger. In the Wangjianglou tomb, earthenware such as a Long-necked jar with four-ears, a jar-like plate, various ironware, jade bracelets, glass rings and ear plug, earring made of braided gold thread, and various ball-shaped beads were found. Among these, the Long-necked jar with four-ears is compared to a jar excavated from the Longtoushan dolmen in Xinbin and has many similarities with the earthenware of early Goguryeo. The tombs from the Bronze Age to the early Goguryeo period in the Huanren County are helpful in understanding the process of change and development in terms of their structure and funerary objects. The Dalishugou tombs was built around the 10th century BC. With the advance of the Yan Dynasty in the early 4th century BC, ironware from the Eastern Zhou was introduced, bringing about significant cultural changes in Northeast Asia. The stone cist tombs at the Dadianzi site and the dolmen at Guangfucun site date from around the mid-3rd century BC, although there is no significant difference in time. Also, around this time the stone-mound-type dolmens at the Fengjiapuzi site were built, as well as. The stone-mound tombs with capstones (No. 3 and No. 5) at the Fengjiapuzi site constructed at the end of the 3rd century BC. Meanwhile changes occurred as stone mounds played an important role in the tomb structure of this period, which became the stone-lined tombs with non-stepped stone cairns, representing the early Goguryeo tombs. Tombs No. 1 and No. 4 at the Wangjianglou site and tomb No. 4 at the Fengjiapuzi site are inferred to have been built around the 2nd century BC at the latest.

Evaluation of [68Ga]Ga-DOTA-AeK as a Potential Imaging Tool for PET Imaging of Cell Wall Synthesis in Bacterial Infections.

The ability of bacteria to recycle exogenous amino acid-based peptides and amino sugars for peptidoglycan biosynthesis was extensively investigated using optical imaging. In particular, fluorescent AeK-NBD was effectively utilized to study the peptidoglycan recycling pathway in Gram-negative bacteria. Based on these promising results, we were inspired to develop the radioactive AeK conjugate [68Ga]Ga-DOTA-AeK for the in vivo localization of bacterial infection using PET/CT. An easy-to-implement radiolabeling procedure for DOTA-AeK with [68Ga]GaCI3 followed by solid-phase purification was successfully established to obtain [68Ga]Ga-DOTA-AeK with a radiochemical purity of ≥95%. [68Ga]Ga-DOTA-AeK showed good stability over time with less protein binding under physiological conditions. The bacterial incorporation of [68Ga]Ga-DOTA-AeK and its fluorescent Aek-NBD analog were investigated in live and heat-killed Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus). Unfortunately, no conclusive in vitro intracellular uptake of [68Ga]Ga-DOTA-AeK was observed for E. coli or S. aureus live and heat-killed bacterial strains (p > 0.05). In contrast, AeK-NBD showed significantly higher intracellular incorporation in live bacteria compared to the heat-killed control (p < 0.05). Preliminary biodistribution studies of [68Ga]Ga-DOTA-AeK in a dual-model of chronic infection and inflammation revealed limited localization at the infection site with non-specific accumulation in response to inflammatory markers. Finally, our study demonstrates proof that the intracellular incorporation of AeK is necessary for successful bacteria-specific imaging using PET/CT. Therefore, Ga-68 was not a suitable radioisotope for tracing the bacterial uptake of AeK tripeptide, as it required chelation with a bulky metal chelator such as DOTA, which may have limited its active membrane transportation. An alternative for optimization is to explore diverse chemical structures of AeK that would allow for radiolabeling with 18F or 11C.

Understanding the spatial pattern and structural characteristics of cities in late feudal China: evidence from the local chronicle maps of the qing dynasty (1644–1911)

ABSTRACT Our study analyzes the spatial pattern and structural characteristics of cities in late feudal China based on multiple correlation and geographic information system spatial analysis, using 58 local Chinese chronicle maps of Jiangsu in the Qing Dynasty as research material. The elements in the city map were dominated by the types of official buildings, transportation facilities, and religious buildings. The urban spatial pattern can be classified into four types, such as extraverted and introverted, with each type having an aggregated spatial distribution and a gradual introverted orientation in time. The urban spatial structure can also be divided into four types: traditional, axial, random, and composite. Spatial distribution of each type is relatively stable, with little change over time. The geographic environment and the traditional concept of city building are the basic reasons for the formation of the spatial pattern and structure. The flood disaster, commercial and military factors contribute to the diverse structures. Our study demonstrates the feasibility of quantifying the ancient Chinese chronicles’ city maps. The findings have important value for contemporary ancient city restoration and shaping urban characteristics.

Організаційно-економічні засади диверсифікації структури капіталу підприємств аграрного виробництва

Diversification and changes in the capital structure play an essential role in the agricultural industry’s reform, affecting the country’s productivity, competitiveness, and food security. Optimizing the equity and debt capital ratio helps increase enterprises’ investment attractiveness and financial stability. In this regard, the research aims to define and justify the organizational and economic principles of diversification of the capital structure of agricultural enterprises. The main principles of the transformational processes of the agro-industrial industry, caused by the diversification of the structure of capital forms, have been formed. The advantages of directing the diversification of the capital of enterprises in the direction of the growth of part of the equity capital are substantiated, which include increasing the financial stability of the enterprises of the industry, improving the productivity of production activities, reducing the risks associated with the credit load, increasing the investment attractiveness of enterprises, increasing competitiveness, improving long-term development prospects agricultural industry. The main directions of activating the growth of the equity capital of agro-industrial enterprises are proposed, which include expansion of equity financing, use of financial instruments, implementation of enterprise restructuring, optimization of costs in the direction of reduction, improvement of the productivity of the enterprise’s production activities, introduction of leasing and crowdfunding into financial activities. It is substantiated that the strategy for the development of enterprises in the agro-industrial sector of Ukraine during the crisis should focus on technological restructuring, long-term investments, and capitalization. Improving infrastructure that supports economic growth, job creation, and food security while considering environmental and health concerns plays an important role. Keywords: diversification, equity capital, loan capital, optimization, competitiveness, agricultural production enterprises.

Experimental study of coal fines migration characteristics in reservoirs with diverse coal structures: Influence on reservoir behavior

The challenge of coal fines production within tectonic coal reservoirs during coalbed methane (CBM) development in China presents a significant concern. In this study, coal samples with distinct coal structures from Hancheng mining area were selected for experiments on coal fines migration. Our analysis focused on the distinctive characteristics of coal fines generated by various coal structures, the subsequent alterations in sample permeability, and the changes in pore and fracture structures before and after the experiments. By examining the reservoir properties across different structures, we aimed to uncover the migration characteristics of coal fines in these diverse coal reservoirs and understand their influence on reservoir behavior. The results revealed distinct characteristics of coal fines among reservoirs with different structures. Under the same conditions, the average mass concentration of coal fines produced by cataclastic coal (CC) and granulated coal (GC) was observed to be 1.15–35.33 and 2.27–51.74 times higher than that of primary structure coal (PC), respectively. Coal fines generated by reservoirs with varying structures exerted different effects on pore-fracture structure and permeability. The average permeability ranges of the PC, CC and GC samples during the experiment were 0.27–0.66 mD, 0.33–1.58 mD and 8.96–19.38 mD, respectively. The PC and CC being less affected by tectonic deformation and possessing higher strength, exhibited minimal impact on their permeability. Conversely, the GC displayed the highest degree of structural deformation, lower strength, and unstable pore structure, significantly affecting its permeability. These findings offer valuable insights into coal fines production and reservoir behavior in CBM development, particularly in reservoirs featuring diverse coal structures.

Extrusion bioprinting from a fluid mechanics perspective

Bioprinting is an emerging technology for fabricating intricate and diverse structures that closely mimic natural tissues and organs for such applications as tissue engineering, drug delivery, and cancer research as well. Among the various bioprinting techniques, extrusion-based bioprinting stands out due to its capability to apply a wide range of biomaterials and living cells and its controllability over printed structures. In bioprinting, the bioink stored in a syringe is forced to flow through the nozzle connected to the syringe, and then to exit and deposit onto the printing stage to form three-dimensional (3D) structures. The bioprinting process involves the flow of bioink in both syringe and nozzle and then its flow or spreading on a printing stage. As a result, fluid mechanics plays a crucial role in extrusion bioprinting. Notably, the biomaterials used in bioprinting are typically non-Newtonian fluids, which have complex viscoelastic and thixotropic behaviors; and the influence of these behaviors on the bioprinting process has been drawn considerable attention by employing various methods, including the numerical simulations via computational fluid dynamics (CFD). This paper reviews the latest development in the fluid mechanics aspects of extrusion-based bioprinting to shed light on the challenges and key considerations involved. It covers the topics of extrusion bioprinting (including driving mechanisms, printability, cell viability), biomaterial rheology and its effect on bioprinting, multi-material bioprinting and numerical simulation of bioprinting. Key issues and challenges are also discussed along with the recommendations for future research.

Genomic insights into cpb2-positive Clostridium perfringens and the potential biological function of cpb2 gene

Clostridium perfringens, capable of causing intestinal infections in both animals and humans, represents a significant public health concern. This study aimed to assess the occurrence of the beta2 toxin-coding gene cpb2 in C. perfringens from various host species and to explore the genetic contexts of this gene. The results showed an enrichment of cpb2 in pig-derived C. perfringens. A comparative analysis of the detection rates of cpb2 and pCP13-like plasmids revealed that the cpb2 gene itself, rather than the pCP13-like plasmids, caused the enrichment. Sequence comparison of cpb2-positive pCP13-like plasmids showed that cpb2 was located on the cpb2-hp-transcriptional regulator (PadR family) segment. Despite the diverse plasmid structures of pCP13-like plasmids, the cpb2-hp-transcriptional regulator (PadR family) segment was consistently observed in all cpb2-positive C. perfringens strains, suggesting the potential transmission of the cpb2 gene on this specific genetic segment. Additionally, phylogenetic analysis of the C. perfringens strains harboring pCP13-like plasmids, as well as 31 pCP13-like plasmids, indicated that cpb2 did not affect the evolutionary relationship of either pCP13-like plasmids or C. perfringens. Genetic markers, particularly those located on mobile genetic elements (MGEs), that can help bacteria survive in external environments are more readily enriched in the population. The high prevalence of cpb2 in pig-derived strains indicated that it might confer a selective advantage, enhancing the survival and persistence of C. perfringens in the pig intestine. In conclusion, our study elucidated the genetic context, host tropism and potential biological functions of cpb2, which can provide references for further research.

DDX RNA helicases: key players in cellular homeostasis and innate antiviral immunity.

RNA helicases are integral in RNA metabolism, performing important roles in cellular homeostasis and stress responses. In particular, the DExD/H-box (DDX) helicase family possesses a conserved catalytic core that binds structural features rather than specific sequences in RNA targets. DDXs have critical roles in all aspects of RNA metabolism including ribosome biogenesis, translation, RNA export, and RNA stability. Importantly, functional specialization within this family arises from divergent N and C termini and is driven at least in part by gene duplications with 18 of the 42 human helicases having paralogs. In addition to their key roles in the homeostatic control of cellular RNA, these factors have critical roles in RNA virus infection. The canonical RIG-I-like receptors (RLRs) play pivotal roles in cytoplasmic sensing of viral RNA structures, inducing antiviral gene expression. Additional RNA helicases function as viral sensors or regulators, further diversifying the innate immune defense arsenal. Moreover, some of these helicases have been coopted by viruses to facilitate their replication. Altogether, DDX helicases exhibit functional specificity, playing intricate roles in RNA metabolism and host defense. This review will discuss the mechanisms by which these RNA helicases recognize diverse RNA structures in cellular and viral RNAs, and how this impacts RNA processing and innate immune responses.

Evaluation of soil erosion rate using geospatial techniques for enhancing soil conservation efforts

According to reports, Ethiopia is one of the countries in sub-Saharan Africa with the worst affected by soil erosion. It has both on-site and off-site consequences on biophysical and socioeconomic settings in an area. The study area is heavily affected by soil erosion forming diverse erosion structures, particularly in the upper course of the watershed. Hence, this work seeks to estimate the geographically distributed annual soil loss rate and mapping of soil erosion hazard hotspot areas in the watershed using the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) adapted to Ethiopian conditions. The RUSLE parameters, such as rainfall erosion factor (R-factor), soil erodibility factor (K-factor), slope steepness and slope length factor (LS-factor), land cover factor (C-factor), and conservation practice factor (P-factor) were considered as data input for the analysis to quantify the soil loss rate in the study area. A digital elevation model (DEM) with a 12.5 × 12.5-meter resolution was employed for catchment delineation and determination of the LS factor.The mean yearly rainfall data from the surrounding rain gauge stations was used to analyze the R-factor. The results of the current conditions showed that the average typical soil loss rate from the entire watershed is 23.8 t ha-1 yr-1, and the quantity of soil loss from the study area ranged from 0 to 776.71tan /ha-1 yr-1. Nonetheless, Tiro Afeta experiences mean soil erosion at a rate of roughly 50.2 t ha-1 yr-1, exceeding the acceptable threshold of 11 t ha-1 yr-1. Determining the sustainability of soil production requires assessment, particularly in cases where significant yearly soil erosion occurs. Due to intensive agricultural activities in the Xiro Afeta watershed, significant soil erosion is predominantly occurring in thissteep upper region. Consequently, this area urgently requires appropriate soil protection measures.

Diverse RNA Structures Induce PRC2 Dimerization and Inhibit Histone Methyltransferase Activity.

Methyltransferase PRC2 (Polycomb Repressive Complex 2) introduces histone H3K27 trimethylation, a repressive chromatin mark, to tune the differential expression of genes. PRC2 is precisely regulated by accessory proteins, histone post-translational modifications and, notably, RNA. Research on PRC2-associated RNA has mostly focused on the tight-binding G-quadruplex (G4) RNAs, which inhibit PRC2 enzymatic activity in vitro and in cells. Our recent cryo-EM structure provided a molecular mechanism for G4 RNA inactivating PRC2 via dimerization, but it remained unclear how diverse RNAs associate with and regulate PRC2. Here, we show that a single-stranded G-rich RNA and an atypical G4 structure called pUG-fold unexpectedly also mediate near-identical PRC2 dimerization resulting in inhibition of PRC2 methyltransferase activity. The conformational flexibility of arginine-rich loops within subunits EZH2 and AEBP2 of PRC2 can accommodate diverse RNA secondary structures, resulting in protein-RNA and protein-protein interfaces similar to those observed previously with G4 RNA. Furthermore, we address a recent report that failed to detect PRC2-associated RNAs in living cells by demonstrating the insensitivity of PRC2-RNA interaction to photochemical crosslinking. Our results support the significance of RNA-mediated PRC2 regulation by showing that this interaction is not limited to a single RNA secondary structure, consistent with the broad PRC2 transcriptome containing many G-tract RNAs incapable of folding into G4 structures.

Facile incorporation of non-canonical heme ligands in myoglobin through chemical protein synthesis

The incorporation of non-canonical amino acids (ncAAs) into the metal coordination environments of proteins has endowed metalloproteins with enhanced properties and novel activities, particularly in hemoproteins. In this work, we disclose a scalable synthetic strategy that enables the production of myoglobin (Mb) variants with non-canonical heme ligands, i.e., HoCys and f4Tyr. The ncAA-containing Mb* variants (with H64V/V68A mutations) were obtained through two consecutive native chemical ligations and a subsequent desulfurization step, with overall isolated yield up to 28.6 % in over 10-milligram scales. After refolding and heme b cofactor reconstitution, the synthetic Mb* variants showed typical electronic absorption bands. When subjected to the catalysis of the cyclopropanation of styrene, both synthetic variants, however, were not as competent as the His-ligated Mb*. We envisioned that the synthetic method reported herein would be useful for incorporating a variety of ncAAs with diverse structures and properties into Mb for varied purposes.

Multimaterial additive manufacturing of poly-L-lactic acid– hydroxylapatite/graphene oxide scaffold fabricated via vat photopolymerization: experimental investigation, analysis and cell study

Purpose This study aims to design and implement a multimaterial system for printing multifunctional specimens suitable for various sectors, with a particular focus on biomedical applications such as addressing mandibular bone loss. Design/methodology/approach To enhance both the mechanical and biological properties of scaffolds, an automatic multimaterial setup using vat photopolymerization was developed. This setup features a linear system with two resin vats and one ultrasonic cleaning tank, facilitating the integration of diverse materials and structures to optimize scaffold composition. Such versatility allows for the simultaneous achievement of various characteristics in scaffold design. Findings The printed multimaterial scaffolds, featuring 20 Wt.% hydroxylapatite (HA) on the interior and poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA) with 1 Wt.% graphene oxide (GO) on the exterior, exhibited favorable mechanical and biological properties at the optimum postcuring and heat-treatment time. Using an edited triply periodic minimal surface (TPMS) lattice structure further enhanced these properties. Various multimaterial specimens were successfully printed and evaluated, showcasing the capability of the setup to ensure functionality, cleanliness and adequate interface bonding. Additionally, a novel Gyroid TPMS scaffold with a nominal porosity of 50% was developed and experimentally validated. Originality/value This study demonstrates the successful fabrication of multimaterial components with minimal contaminations and suitable mechanical and biological properties. By combining PLLA-HA and PLLA-GO, this innovative technique holds significant promise for enhancing the effectiveness of regenerative procedures, particularly in the realm of dentistry.

Towards automatic urban tree inventory: Enhancing tree instance segmentation via moving object removal and a chord length-based DBH estimation approach

To enhance urban forestry efficacy in Hong Kong, implementing a paradigm shift towards an automated urban tree inventory that utilizes advanced sensing technologies and artificial intelligence is essential for streamlined data collection and analysis. This study advances this objective by creating a comprehensive framework for estimating diameter at breast height (DBH) and extracting tree images. This framework encompasses five key stages: (1) data acquisition utilizing StructXray, a mobile mapping system equipped with a 360° camera and a multi-beam flash LiDAR sensor; (2) vegetation point clouds extraction using deep learning techniques; (3) individual tree segmentation through machine learning algorithms; (4) DBH estimation; and (5) tree image extraction. Six datasets were collected, yielding tree detection precision, recall and F1 score of 0.88, 0.95 and 0.91 respectively. The presence of moving objects within the 3D point cloud map, exhibiting diverse geometric structures, hinders precise vegetation point cloud segmentation by the pointwise neural network. To tackle this challenge, SalsaNext was employed to rectify the predictions of a pointwise neural network, specifically RandLA-Net in this study, eliminating 91 % of misclassified moving object point clouds and completely removing them from 47 % of affected individual tree point clouds. Additionally, a chord length-based method was proposed to enhance DBH estimation accuracy by dividing the point cloud slice into sectors and summing the chord lengths to estimate the tree trunk perimeter. Compared to the ellipse least squares fitting method, this approach reduced the root-mean-square error of the estimated DBH by 1.31 cm.

MFS Transporter as the Molecular Switch Unlocking the Production of Cage-Like Acresorbicillinol C.

Sorbicillinoids are a class of fungal polyketides with diverse structures and distinguished bioactivities. Although remarkable progress has been achieved in their chemistry and biosynthesis, the efflux of sorbicillinoids is poorly understood. Here, we found MFS transporter AcsorT was responsible for the biosynthesis of sorbicillinoids in Acremonium chrysogenum. Combinatorial knockout and subcellular location demonstrated that the plasma membrane-associated AcsorT was responsible for the transportation of sorbicillinol and subsequent formation of oxosorbicillinol and acresorbicillinol C via the berberine bridge enzyme-like oxidase AcsorD in the periplasm. Homology modeling and site-directed mutation revealed that Tyr303 and Arg436 were the key residues of AcsorT, which was further explained by molecular dynamics simulation. Based on our study, it was suggested that AcsorT modulates sorbicillinoid production by coordinating its biosynthesis and export, and a transport model of sorbicillinoids was proposed in A. chrysogenum.

Structural damage detection and localization via an unsupervised anomaly detection method

This study introduces an unsupervised machine learning framework for damage detection and localization in Structural Health Monitoring (SHM), leveraging dynamic graph convolutional neural networks and Transformer networks. This approach is specifically tailored to overcome the challenge of limited labeled data in SHM, enabling precise analysis and feature synthesis from sensor-derived time series data for accurate damage identification. Incorporating a novel ‘localization score’ enhances the framework’s precision in pinpointing structural damages by integrating data-driven insights with a physics-informed understanding of structural dynamics. Extensive validations on diverse structures, including a benchmark steel structure and a real-world cable-stayed bridge, underscore the framework’s effectiveness in anomaly detection and damage localization, showcasing its potential to safeguard critical infrastructure through advanced data-effective machine learning techniques.

Phytofabrication of Selenium-Silver Bimetallic Nanoparticles Using Echinacea purpurea Extract: Characterization and Antioxidant Activity

The phytofabrication of selenium-silver bimetallic nanoparticles (Se-Ag BNPs) utilizing Echinacea purpurea aqueous extract is investigated in this study. The synthesis process is characterized by a visible color change to dark reddish brown, a sign indicating successful nanoparticle formation. UV-visible spectrum analysis confirms the presence of SeNPs and AgNPs with absorption maxima at 268 nm and 325 nm, respectively. X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns reveal the crystalline structure of the synthesized Se-Ag BNPs, exhibiting characteristic peaks consistent with metallic silver and selenium nanoparticles. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis showcases the diverse morphological structures of the Se-Ag BNPs, predominantly spherical but also featuring hexagonal and oval shapes. The average particle size is determined to be 33.38 nm, indicating uniformity and stability. Furthermore, the antioxidant properties of Se-Ag BNPs are evaluated through DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging assays, demonstrating dose-dependent scavenging capabilities with IC50 values of 264.78 µg/mL and 344.19 µg/mL, respectively. These findings underscore the potential of Se-Ag BNPs as effective antioxidants, offering promising applications in various fields such as biomedicine and environmental remediation. Comparisons with previous studies highlight the efficacy of the biosynthesis method using Echinacea purpurea extract in producing Se-Ag BNPs with superior antioxidant activity.

Hinokiflavone resists HFD-induced obesity by promoting apoptosis in an IGF2BP2-mediated Bim m6A modification dependent manner

Obesity has emerged as a major health risk on a global scale. Hinokiflavone (HF), a natural small molecule, extracted from plants like cypress, exhibits diverse chemical structures and low synthesis costs. Using high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obese mice models, we found that HF suppresses obesity by inducing apoptosis in adipose tissue. Adipocyte apoptosis helps maintain tissue health by removing aging, damaged, or excess cells in adipose tissue, which is crucial in preventing obesity and metabolic diseases. We found that HF can specifically bind to insulin-like growth factor 2 mRNA binding protein 2 (IGF2BP2) to promote the stability of N6-methyladenosine (m6A) -modified Bim, inducing mitochondrial outer membrane permeabilization (MOMP). MOMP leads to Caspase9/3-mediated adipocyte mitochondrial apoptosis, alleviating obesity induced by a high-fat diet. The pro-apoptotic effect of HF offers a controlled means for weight loss. This study reveals the potential of small molecule HF in developing new therapeutic approaches in drug development and biomedical research.

Galactosylation of glycoconjugates using Pacific oyster β-1,3-galactosyltransferases

The Pacific oyster (Magallana gigas) exhibits an extensive diversity of N- and O-linked glycoconjugates, offering significant potential for biotechnological applications. Through genomic data mining, we have identified and characterized a suite of β-1,3-galactosyltransferase enzymes, pivotal for the synthesis of glycan structures. Out of ten cloned gene candidates, six enzymes were successfully expressed recombinantly in Escherichia coli. Four of these enzymes exhibited measurable catalytic activity in the transfer of galactose to various acceptor substrates. Notably, MgB3GalT1 demonstrated the highest efficiency, achieving a 91.2 % conversion rate. This enzyme was proficient in glycosylating diverse glycan structures, including Core 2 O-glycans and several di-, tri-, and tetra-antennary complex N-glycan standards. Mass spectrometric analysis confirmed the successful modification of N-glycans. These findings open new approaches for utilizing oyster-derived enzymes in glycan-based therapeutics and molecular glycoengineering, highlighting their utility in synthetic applications and biotechnological advancements.