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Cells have used compartmentalization to implement complex biological processes involving thousands of enzyme cascade reactions. Enzymes are spatially organized into the cellular compartments to carry out specific and efficient reactions in a spatiotemporally controlled manner. These compartments are divided into membrane-bound and membraneless organelles. Mimicking such cellular compartment systems has been a challenge for years. A variety of artificial scaffolds, including liposomes, polymersomes, proteins, nucleic acids, or hybrid materials have been used to construct artificial membrane-bound or membraneless compartments. These artificial compartments may have great potential for applications in biosynthesis, drug delivery, diagnosis and therapeutics, among others. This review first summarizes the typical examples of cellular compartments. In particular, the recent studies on cellular membraneless organelles (biomolecular condensates) are reviewed. We then summarize the recent advances in the construction of artificial compartments using engineered platforms. Finally, we provide our insights into the construction of biomimetic systems and the applications of these systems. This review article provides a timely summary of the relevant perspectives for the future development of artificial compartments, the building blocks for the construction of artificial organelles or cells., (© 2024 The Author(s). ChemPlusChem published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Protein cages that readily encapsulate active enzymes of interest present useful nanotools for delivery and catalysis, wherein those with programmable disassembly characteristics serve as particularly attractive platforms. Here, a general guest packaging system based on an artificial protein cage, TRAP-cage, the disassembly of which can be induced by the addition of reducing agents, is established. In this system, TRAP-cage with SpyCatcher moieties in the lumen is prepared using genetic modification of the protein building block and assembled into a cage structure with either monovalent gold ions or molecular crosslinkers. The resulting protein cage can efficiently capture guest proteins equipped with a SpyTag by simply mixing them in an aqueous solution. This post-assembly loading system, which circumvents the exposure of guests to thiol-reactive crosslinkers, enables the packaging of enzymes possessing a catalytic cysteine or a metal cofactor while retaining their catalytic activity., (© 2024 The Authors. Small published by Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Naturally derived alkaloids belong to a class of quite significant organic compounds. Coptisine, a benzyl tetrahydroisoquinoline alkaloid, is one of the major bioactive constituents in Coptis chinensis Franch., which is a famous traditional Chinese medicine. C. chinensis possesses many kinds of functions, including the ability to eliminate heat, expel dampness, purge fire, and remove noxious substances. In Asian countries, C. chinensis is traditionally employed to treat carbuncle and furuncle, diabetes, jaundice, stomach and intestinal disorders, red eyes, toothache, and skin disorders. Up to now, there has been plenty of research of coptisine with respect to its pharmacology. Nevertheless, a comprehensive review of coptisine-associated research is urgently needed. This paper was designed to summarize in detail the progress in the research of the pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, safety, and formulation of coptisine. The related studies included in this paper were retrieved from the following academic databases: The Web of Science, PubMed, Google scholar, Elsevier, and CNKI. The cutoff date was January 2023. Coptisine manifests various pharmacological actions, including anticancer, antimetabolic disease, anti-inflammatory disease, and antigastrointestinal disease effects, among others. Based on its pharmacokinetics, the primary metabolic site of coptisine is the liver. Coptisine is poorly absorbed in the gastrointestinal system, and most of it is expelled in the form of its prototype through feces. Regarding safety, coptisine displayed potential hepatotoxicity. Some novel formulations, including the β -cyclodextrin-based inclusion complex and nanocarriers, could effectively enhance the bioavailability of coptisine. The traditional use of C. chinensis is closely connected with the pharmacological actions of coptisine. Although there are some disadvantages, including poor solubility, low bioavailability, and possible hepatotoxicity, coptisine is still a prospective naturally derived drug candidate, especially in the treatment of tumors as well as metabolic and inflammatory diseases. Further investigation of coptisine is necessary to facilitate the application of coptisine-based drugs in clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The vertical flow constructed wetlands (VFCW) for the treatment of domestic wastewater has become a conventional and cost effective treatment system with one of the major disadvantage of elevated nitrate concentrations. The present study makes an effort in providing a new design of anaerobic denitrification unit termed as anaerobic chamber (AC) which was introduced after two-stage VFCW to remove nitrates from the treated wastewater (WW). The AC provided all the essential conditions of effective denitrification such as anaerobic environment with enough carbon and nitrogen source. To understand the pollutant removal mechanism in AC, microbial diversity and functional annotation was studied by metagenomic analysis of sequences obtained from biofilm formed in AC. The efficiency of AC was measured with respect to physicochemical wastewater quality parameters. The removal efficiencies were 88, 65, 43 and 27% for total nitrogen, nitrate (NO3), ammoniacal-nitrogen (NH4) and ortho-phosphate respectively. The microbial flora was much more diverse and unique pertaining to anaerobic microbes in AC compared to WW with total of 954 and 1191 genuses respectively with minimum abundance of 10 hits. The metagenomes exhibited 188% more Archaea in the AC than WW where Crenarchaeota, Euryarchaeota, Korarchaeota, Nanoarchaeota and Thaumarchaeota were major phyla with 60 genuses. The nitrogen metabolism was reported in terms of assimilatory nitrate reductase. As the class, Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria were prominent in WW, whereas Proteobacteria, Chloroflexi in AC were abundant. From functional annotation of sequences, the microbial flora in AC has the potential of removal of pollutants present in the form of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ongoing climate changes have resulted from high levels of anthropogenic CO2 being released into the atmosphere in the past decades. Carbon-cutting measures have been proposed to reduce global warming by 2 °C, bringing it back to preindustrial levels. There are several options on hand to meet the need for carbon reduction on a global basis, and one such option refers to CO2 sequestration via the photosynthesis of macroalgae. Species of the green seaweed Ulva are ubiquitous throughout the world oceans; they can maintain fast growth during most seasons thanks to their unique photosynthetic capacity combined with high nitrogen and phosphorous uptake rates. High commodity productions of seaweeds, such as green species of Ulva, can also deliver important additional benefits and ecosystem services, including human food, animal feed, proteins, minerals, or active natural molecules, therefore alleviating human needs shortly. Still, whether seaweeds, in general, can trap CO2 for long periods (100 years) is controversial. Technical and biological gaps need to be resolved before an effective and sustainable seaweed-based mass production intended for the sequestration of CO2 is established. This study elaborates on the potential global use of seaweeds in sequestering carbon and addresses the efficient inorganic carbon uptake and fixation traits of Ulva species. This study also overviews the photosynthetic traits and growth of seaweeds in offshore, semi-controlled, and land-based cultivation settings, focusing on total carbon budgets and footprints for Ulva sp. from the Israeli Mediterranean Sea. Altogether this work addresses the potential use of Ulva sp. as a valuable tool to moderate climate changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A mechanistic understanding of factors that structure spatiotemporal community composition is a major challenge in microbial ecology. Our study of microbial communities in the headwaters of three freshwater stream networks showed significant community changes at the small spatial scale of benthic habitats when compared to changes at mid‐ and large‐spatial scales associated with stream order and catchment. Catchment (which included temperate and tropical catchments) had the strongest influence on community composition followed by habitat type (epipsammon or epilithon) and stream orders. Alpha diversity of benthic microbiomes resulted from interactions between catchment, habitat, and canopy. Epilithon contained relatively more Cyanobacteria and algae while Acidobacteria and Actinobacteria proportions were higher in epipsammic habitats. Turnover from replacement created ~60%–95% of beta diversity differences among habitats, stream orders, and catchments. Turnover within a habitat type generally decreased downstream indicating longitudinal linkages in stream networks while between habitat turnover also shaped benthic microbial community assembly. Our study suggests that factors influencing microbial community composition shift in dominance across spatial scales, with habitat dominating locally and catchment dominating globally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a growing groundswell of opinion in commentary on the political economy of the Global North that the neoliberal era has seen the forceful (re)emergence of rentier capitalism. This article analyses the case of the UK. Identifying and delineating the predominant forms of contemporary rentierism operating in the UK, and using a range of datasets pertaining to the shape of the national economy, it shows that rentierism in its various guises is today a significant, even dominant, dynamic, in contrast to during the period preceding the neoliberal turn. The article further seeks to account for the ascendancy of the rentier in the UK under neoliberalism, highlighting key developments in the realms of monetary and fiscal policy and policies relating to asset ownership and property rights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multicell constructed wetlands (MCWs) on lakeshores are a prospective treatment technique. However, the factors affecting the nutrient removal performance of lakeshore MCWs at the field scale are unclear. This study chose a field-scale lakeshore MCW with the highest mass removal efficiency (approximately 49,175.12 mg m−2 day−1) for total nitrogen removal in the wet season to investigate the response of nitrogen removal and microbial distribution to seasonal shock nutrients load. The mass loading rates in the wet season were as high as 43~72 times over those in the dry season. Hence, a storage pond (SP), as a forebay retention cell, was necessary to mitigate the shock loads of the influent, which is beneficial to nitrogen removal of the MCW system. The two major genera in the sediments are heterotrophic nitrification–aerobic denitrification bacteria, and the abundance and species of the nitrogen-related functional genera were higher in the wet season than the dry season. According to the results of redundancy analysis, the hydraulic residence time (29.4%, F = 2.2, p < 0.1) and hydraulic loading rate (85.9, F = 36.5, p < 0.05) were the major factors explaining microbial community variation, instead of environmental factors (temperature, pH, and dissolved oxygen). The shock loads of influent and the periodic saturation in sediments contributed to a complicated oxygen and nitrogen nutrient exchange environment resulting in higher abundance and species of nitrogen-related microbes, which is beneficial to nitrogen removal in lakeshore MCWs. The results provided a scientific basis for the optimal design of constructed wetlands on lakeshores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bacteria affiliated with the Candidate Phyla Radiation (CPR) are a hyper-diverse group of ultra-small bacteria with versatile yet sparse metabolisms. However, most insights into this group come from a surprisingly small number of environments, and recovery of CPR bacteria from soils has been hindered due to their extremely low abundance within complex microbial assemblages. In this study we enriched soil samples from 14 different soil fertility treatments for ultra-small (<0.45 μm) bacteria in order to study rare soil CPR. 42 samples were sequenced, enabling the reconstruction of 27 quality CPR metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) further classified as Parcubacteria/Paceibacteria, Saccharibacteria/ Saccharimonadia and ABY1, in addition to representative genomes from Gemmatimonadetes, Dependentiae and Chlamydae phyla. These genomes were fully annotated and used to reconstruct the CPR community across all 14 plots. Additionally, for five of these plots, the entire microbiota was reconstructed using 16S amplification, showing that specific soil CPR may form symbiotic relationships with a varied and circumstantial range of hosts. Cullars CPR had a prevalence of enzymes predicted to degrade plant-derived carbohydrates, which suggests they have a role in plant biomass degradation. Parcubacteria appear to be more apt at microfauna necromass degradation. Cullars Saccharibacteria and a Parcubacteria group were shown to carry a possible aerotolerance mechanism coupled with potential for aerobic respiration, which appear to be a unique adaptation to the oxic soil environment. Reconstruction of CPR communities across treatment plots showed that they were not impacted by changes in nutrient levels or microbiota composition, being only impacted by extreme conditions, causing some CPR to dominate the community. These findings corroborate the understanding that soil-dwelling CPR bacteria have a very broad symbiont range and have metabolic capabilities associated to soil environments which allows them to scavenge resources and form resilient communities. The contributions of these microbial dark matter species to soil ecology and plant interactions will be of significant interest in future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We experimentally characterize the ionic emission, including the individual charge states Snz+ (z = 1 , ... , 8), from laser-produced tin plasma as a function of the intensity of the employed ns-pulsed laser. The plasma is generated in a vacuum from tin microdroplets (diameter ranging from 17 to 35 μm) using pulsed Nd:YAG laser light (laser wavelength λ = 1.064 μm) over a range of intensities (0.4– 40 × 10 10 W/cm2). We measure charge-state-resolved and integrated ion energy distributions at seven angular positions around the plasma using seven retarding field analyzers. We highlight peak features in both types of spectra and describe the dependence of their energies on laser intensity with power-law functions. The resulting power laws match those derived from plasma radiation hydrodynamics theory. The analytical scaling laws exhibit strong isotropy, while the ion energy spectra are highly anisotropic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The whitespotted eagle ray (Aetobatus narinari) is a highly mobile, predatory batoid distributed throughout shallow, warm–temperate to tropical Atlantic Basin waters from North Carolina to Brazil. The species' strong, plate-like dentition facilitates the consumption of hard-shelled prey, and due to effective winnowing behavior, it is a significant challenge to identify prey based on soft tissues alone. Here, we report on the first analysis of whitespotted eagle ray diet in Florida waters using visual-based gut content analysis complemented with DNA barcoding. Gut contents were obtained via gastric lavage from 50 individuals collected in the Indian River Lagoon and off Sarasota, Florida. Of the 211 unique prey samples collected, 167 were deemed suitable for sequencing. Approximately 56.3% of samples yielded positive species matches in genetic databases. Results from the sequenced data indicate that the whitespotted eagle ray diet in Florida is mainly comprised of bivalves and gastropods, with variable inclusion of crustaceans. Despite positive identification of venerid clams, there was no evidence for the consumption of hard clams (Mercenaria spp.), a major shellfish aquaculture and restoration species in Florida. Such wide-ranging prey species from various trophic guilds and locations highlight the whitespotted eagle ray's diverse role in the top-down regulation of coastal benthic communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antimicrobial susceptibility testing plays a pivotal role in the discovery of new antibiotics. However, the development of simple, sensitive, and rapid assessment approaches remains challenging. Herein, we report an activated alkyne- based cascade signal ampli- fication strategy for ultrafast and high- throughput antibiotic screening. First of all, a novel water- soluble aggregation- induced emission (AIE) luminogen is synthesized, which contains an activated alkyne group to enable fluorescence turn- on and metal- free click bioconjugation under physiological conditions. Taking advantage of the in- house established method for bacterial lysis, a number of clickable biological substances (i.e., bacterial solutes and debris) are released from the bacterial bodies, which remarkably increases the quantity of analytes. By means of the activated alkyne- mediated turn- on click bioconjugation, the system fluorescence signal is significantly amplified due to the increased labeling sites as well as the AIE effect. Such a cascade signal amplification strategy efficiently improves the detection sensitivity and thus enables ultrafast antimicrobial susceptibility assessment. By integration with a microplate reader, this approach is further applied to high- throughput antibiotic screening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Blueberry (Vaccinium spp.) rhizosphere microorganisms can significantly increase the absorption area and improve the efficiency of rhizospheric nutrient uptake. However, there has been little research on blueberry rhizosphere microorganisms, especially those that can complement root function deficiency. In this study, we analyzed the rhizosphere fungi of 'O'Neal,' 'Sharpblue,' and 'Premier' blueberry cultivars and found that 'Premier' blueberries showed strong growth potential and relatively high root regulation ability. The dominant symbiotic fungus Sistotrema was correlated with the strong growth of 'Premier' and was directionally screened and isolated based on conserved gene structures and COG function analysis. This fungus was reinoculated onto the roots of 'Gulfcoast' and 'Star' blueberry cultivars. Sistotrema promoted the growth of blueberries and improved their ability to resist stress and grow under adverse conditions, as indicated by maintained or increased chlorophyll content under such conditions. Further analyses showed that Sistotrema has certain functional characteristics such as the ability to dissolve iron in its insoluble form and then release it, to fix nitrogen, and to inhibit nitrification in soil. Thus, it effectively doubled the soil nitrogen content and increased the soluble iron content in soil by 50%. This investigation indicates sistotrema inoculation as an approach to increase blueberry stress tolerance and complete their root nutrition deficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On Jupiter's largest moon Ganymede, we focus on the southern region of Nippur Sulcus, including the Epigeus palimpsest crater. This region displays geologically recent terrains and has good coverage of optical and near infrared remote sensing data, primarily returned by the NASA Galileo mission. We first use high‐resolution optical imagery to carry out a detailed geological mapping. We combine hyperspectral data to infer the surface composition of this area. We then apply two theoretical models. The first is a self‐similar clustering that uses the mapping of the grooves present in this region to infer the thickness of the ice shell. A second model is used to estimate the radar clutter noise induced by the estimated local topography, which is key for constraining future radar measurements. Based on all findings, we provide a possible evolutionary history of the Nippur Sulcus and Epigeus areas. This exercise shows the potential of an interdisciplinary data analysis combining wide‐ranging scientific objectives such as geology, surface composition, and geophysics in view of the future close exploration that will be conducted on Ganymede by the JUICE spacecraft. Our work combines multiple analysis techniques that could be applied to other regions of interest and will prove crucial when JUICE data become available. Plain Language Summary: On Jupiter's largest moon Ganymede, we focus on the region of Nippur Sulcus, including the Epigeus palimpsest crater covered by optical and near infrared remote sensing data acquired in the past by the NASA Galileo mission, to carry out a detailed geological and compositional analysis of this region. We then apply two theoretical models focusing on the estimation of the grooves' depth and on the radar clutter noise induced by the local topography to show how an in‐depth analysis combining geology, surface composition, and geophysics could achieve a broader understanding of a given region of interest. For high‐priority regions of interest to be studied by JUICE in detail, such a multidisciplinary analysis could ultimately reveal connections between the surface and fluid subsurface. Key Points: We focus on the Nippur Sulcus region on Ganymede to perform a detailed geological and compositional analysis of this regionNippur's grooves have a composition similar to that of small fresh craters and may penetrate 125–135 km into the icy crustTo reveal potential links between the surface and subsurface liquid pockets, clutter‐induced noise must be treated adequately in radar data [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recurrent scandals in business ethics demonstrate that work is, on occasion, unambiguously unethical. It is not clear, however, exactly how the concept of 'meaningful work' can be applied to such work, and whether, for example, work can be both unethical and meaningful. This article explores three different conceptualisations of meaningful work: where meaningful work is considered to be subjective, primarily subjective but with objective constraints or primarily objective (adopting Alasdair MacIntyre's neo‐Aristotelian framework). These competing conceptualisations are examined in relation to the ethical failures in the Australian financial advice industry. From 2009, a range of parliamentary inquiries, including a Royal Commission, documented significant ethical failures at both individual and institutional levels across the industry, which caused substantial hardship to tens of thousands of clients. Among the subsequent reforms was a drive towards the professionalisation of financial advice through enhanced educational standards, a code of ethics and the development of a professional identity. This case demonstrates the different ways in which the conceptualisations of meaningful work can be applied. However, Alasdair MacIntyre's scheme of practices, institutions, internal and external goods is presented as a preferred conceptualisation of the case, accommodating considerations of both ethics and meaningful work and contributing towards a theory of good work in general. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores relationships between media power and older people in Western and non-Western settings, utilising the examples of Australia and Malaysia. Drawing on Fairclough's three-dimensional critical discourse analysis and a dataset of articles from Australian and Malaysian newspapers, it reveals that despite differences in journalistic practices in the two countries there is a common thread of disparate representation of voices of older people and elites in news about older people. This demonstrates the exercise of power by journalists – and the influence of broader media and socio-political environments – in sustaining and reproducing social inequalities, including opportunities for people to have their stories and issues portrayed fairly and accurately. While the lack of critical engagement by Malaysian journalists can be linked to social norms and ideas of Asian-based development journalism, the absence of critical engagement from the Australian news media can be seen as conflicting with their Fourth Estate watchdog role. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electrolysis of dilute CO2 streams suffers from low concentrations of dissolved substrate and its rapid depletion at the electrolyte‐electrocatalyst interface. These limitations require first energy‐intensive CO2 capture and concentration, before electrolyzers can achieve acceptable performances. For direct electrocatalytic CO2 reduction from low‐concentration sources, we introduce a strategy that mimics the carboxysome in cyanobacteria by utilizing microcompartments with nanoconfined enzymes in a porous electrode. A carbonic anhydrase accelerates CO2 hydration kinetics and minimizes substrate depletion by making all dissolved carbon available for utilization, while a highly efficient formate dehydrogenase reduces CO2 cleanly to formate; down to even atmospheric concentrations of CO2. This bio‐inspired concept demonstrates that the carboxysome provides a viable blueprint for the reduction of low‐concentration CO2 streams to chemicals by using all forms of dissolved carbon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bacterial microcompartments (BMCs) are sophisticated all-protein bionanoreactors widely spread in bacterial phyla. BMCs facilitate diverse metabolic reactions, which assist bacterial survivability in normal (by fixing carbon dioxide) and energy dearth conditions. The past seven decades have uncovered numerous intrinsic features of BMCs, which have attracted researchers to tailor them for customised applications, including synthetic nanoreactors, scaffold nano-materials for catalysis or electron conduction, and delivery vehicles for drug molecules or RNA/DNA. In addition, BMCs provide a competitive advantage to pathogenic bacteria and this can pave a new path for antimicrobial drug design. In this review, we discuss different structural and functional aspects of BMCs. We also highlight the potential employment of BMCs for novel applications in bio-material science. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cell cycle depends on a sequence of steps that are triggered and terminated via the synthesis and degradation of phase-specific transcripts and proteins. Although much is known about how stagespecific transcription is activated, less is understood about how inappropriate gene expression is suppressed. Here, we demonstrate that Groucho, the Drosophila orthologue of TLE1 and other related human transcriptional corepressors, regulates normal cell cycle progression in vivo. We show that, although Groucho is expressed throughout the cell cycle, its activity is selectively inactivated by phosphorylation, except in S phase when it negatively regulates E2F1. Constitutive Groucho activity, as well as its depletion and the consequent derepression of e2f1, cause cell cycle phenotypes. Our results suggest that Cdk1 contributes to phase-specific phosphorylation of Groucho in vivo. We propose that Groucho and its orthologues play a role in the metazoan cell cycle that may explain the links between TLE corepressors and several types of human cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mesoporous honeycomb iron titanate using a sol-gel, evaporation-induced self-assembly method is synthesized. A triblock copolymer, F127, serves as a structure-directing agents, with iron chloride and titanium (IV) isopropoxide as inorganic precursors. The strong intermolecular force of attraction among urea, metal precursors, and polymer led to the formation of the mesoporous honeycomb structure. The study of physicochemical properties using different techniques reveals the formation of microstructures with a remarkable degree of porosity. The amorphous iron titanate outperforms the photochemical generation of H 2 due to its disorderly structural arrangement and incomplete crystal formation. The randomness on the structure provides more area for catalytic reaction by providing more contact with the reactant and superior light absorption capability. The high amount of hydrogen gas, 40.66 mmolg -1 h -1 , is observed in the investigation over 3 h of activity for the iron titanate honeycomb sample. This yield is a more significant amount compared to the obtained for the commercially available TiO 2 (23.78 mmolg -1 h -1 ). The iron titanate materials synthesized with low-cost materials and methods are very effective and have the potential for hydrogen generation., (© 2024 The Authors. Small published by Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Microbial CO 2 electroreduction (mCO2ER) offers a promising approach for producing high-value multicarbon reductants from CO 2 by combining CO 2 fixing microorganisms with conducting materials (i. e., cathodes). However, the solubility and availability of CO 2 in an aqueous electrolyte pose significant limitations in this system. This study demonstrates the efficient production of long-chain multicarbon reductants, specifically carotenoids (~C 40 ), within a wet amine-based catholyte medium during mCO2ER. Optimizing the concentration of the biocompatible CO 2 absorbent, monoethanolamine (MEA), led to enhanced CO 2 fixation in the electroautotroph bacteria. Molecular biological analyses revealed that MEA in the catholyte medium redirected the carbon flux towards carotenoid biosynthesis during mCO2ER. The faradaic efficiency of mCO2ER with MEA for carotenoid production was 4.5-fold higher than that of the control condition. These results suggest the mass transport bottleneck in bioelectrochemical systems could be effectively addressed by MEA-assissted mCO2ER, enabling highly efficient production of valuable products from CO 2 ., (© 2024 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

The advantages of efficient and flexible digital printing are tempered by the serious environmental impact of many synthetic dyes and chemicals. In response to this problem, we prepared cyan, magenta, yellow, and black (CMYK) inks using biodegradable natural dyes for inkjet printing, including gardenia blue, amaranth, gardenia yellow, logwood, and lac. We monitored the prepared inks for 60 days for storage stability evaluation. In addition, we evaluated the printing quality by measuring color strength (K/S), ink penetration, printing sharpness, and color fastness in cotton and silk fabrics. The unique color of each prepared ink was printed well, with good storage stability and excellent printing sharpness. The printing sharpness of cotton fabrics was better than that of silk fabrics. On the other hand, the penetration factor value of silk printing was significantly greater than that of cotton printing. The rubbing fastness and washing fastness were very good for both cotton and silk fabrics. The light fastness of magenta and black ink on silk fabrics was excellent at rating 4/5, but that of cyan ink on cotton and silk was low at rating 2. In addition to CMYK's unique colors, various colors and line images such as flowers, cherries, and leaves could be printed clearly and delicately on the fabric. This study provides a useful model in the textile printing ink field to assess natural dye inks, which are rarely produced. Fabrics using biodegradable natural dyes inks are less destructive to the environment than synthetic dye inks. Another benefit is that the fabrics are harmless to humans and unlikely cause allergies in people with sensitive skin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last years, independent central banks were often criticized. Many critics felt that the fatal flaw of the current system lied in its independent nature. Some critics argued that the remedy to such problems was to replace independence with interdependence. Such a drastic measure is completely unnecessary. No more time should be lost discussing further the merits or the weaknesses of central bank independence. But taking central bank independence as a given, one should simply try to equip central bankers with the mandates, the tools, and the values best fitted to help them face future shocks. Deeper checks and balances with other institutions and the fair financing of investment by all economic agents, including startups and SMEs, are urgently necessary to head off financial crises that will inevitably arise in this era of growing wealth inequality, disruptive technologies and climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rice (Oryza sativa) is a staple food consumed by the majority of the world's population. Climate change, however, has created a significant threat to our food security as it posed severe effects on rice production. The emergence of genome editing technology has opened a new era in crop improvement. Hence, this study aims to develop the CRISPR/Cas9 construct of drought tolerance for O. sativa subsp. indica cv. IR64 using Golden Gate cloning method. For this purpose, the generation of CRISPR/Cas9 constructs involved several stages, i.e., characterization of SUMO E2-Conjugating Enzyme (OsSCE1) gene, single-guide RNA (sgRNA) design and vector construction. FGENESH, GeneMarkS, InterProScan, and Blast2GO programmes -- were used for the OsSCE1 gene characterisation. The putative OsSCE1 gene isolated from IR64 was then verified by sequencing, and the gene was 585 bp long and showed 99% identity with O. sativa on chromosome 10. In silico analysis concluded the gene is involved in abiotic stress regulation. The 20 bp sgRNA was designed manually with the aid of gRNA prediction programmes including CCTop, and Benchling. The virtual vector was validated using the Golden Gate Cloning approach and later confirmed through sequencing. The assembly involved separate vectors containing the OsSCE1 sgRNA sequence, plant selectable marker, and Cas9 cassette to construct standardised elements for hierarchical modular cloning (MoClo). This study demonstrated that our format, as the gene insertion are achievable, resulting in a speedier and more efficient assembly process which may contribute to improve drought tolerance in indica rice. Further study on the Agrobacterium-mediated transformation using the developed construct may be conducted to determine the efficacy of knocking out candidate genes in improving drought tolerance ability O. sativa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kelvin–Helmholtz (K-H) instability is a fundamental boundary instability between two fluids with different speeds, exchanging the mass, momentum, and energy across the boundary. Although the K-H instability has been suggested to play a critical role in atmospheric ion loss on Mars, the knowledge about its formation and evolution is still poor, due to the limitation of spacecraft missions and a dearth of dedicated simulation codes. In this study, we combine observations from the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN mission and global 3D kinetic simulations to investigate the solar wind–Mars interaction. For the first time, it is found that K-H waves prominently appear in the −E hemisphere, which is attributed to the stronger proton velocity shear therein associated with the asymmetric diamagnetic drift motion of protons. The K-H instability is mainly excited in the −E hemisphere and propagates downstream along the boundary, with the waves also able to be generated near the subsolar point. The K-H waves produce plasma clouds with a net oxygen ion escape rate of about 1.5 × 1024 s−1, contributing to almost half of the global loss on present-day Mars. This heavy ion escape pattern associated with K-H instability is cyclic and could occur on other nonmagnetized planets, potentially influencing planetary atmosphere evolution and habitability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this systematic review was to investigate the association between polymorphisms in the progesterone receptor gene (PGR) and breast cancer risk. A search of PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases was performed in November 2021. Study characteristics, minor allele frequencies, genotype frequencies, and odds ratios were extracted. Forty studies met the eligibility criteria and included 75 032 cases and 89 425 controls. Of the 84 PGR polymorphisms reported, 7 variants were associated with breast cancer risk in at least 1 study. These polymorphisms included an Alu insertion (intron 7) and rs1042838 (Val660Leu), also known as PROGINS. Other variants found to be associated with breast cancer risk included rs3740753 (Ser344Thr), rs10895068 (+331G/A), rs590688 (intron 2), rs1824128 (intron 3), and rs10895054 (intron 6). Increased risk of breast cancer was associated with rs1042838 (Val660Leu) in 2 studies, rs1824128 (intron 3) in 1 study, and rs10895054 (intron 6) in 1 study. The variant rs3740753 (Ser344Thr) was associated with decreased risk of breast cancer in 1 study. Mixed results were reported for rs590688 (intron 2), rs10895068 (+331G/A), and the Alu insertion. In a pooled analysis, the Alu insertion, rs1042838 (Val660Leu), rs3740753 (Ser344Thr), and rs10895068 (+331G/A) were not associated with breast cancer risk. Factors reported to contribute to differences in breast cancer risk associated with PGR polymorphisms included age, ethnicity, obesity, and postmenopausal hormone therapy use. PGR polymorphisms may have a small contribution to breast cancer risk in certain populations, but this is not conclusive with studies finding no association in larger, mixed populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Redistribution is one of the most central functions of modern government. Against the backdrop of rising income inequality in many countries, policymakers and economists call for redistributive policies to address the rising inequality directly. Yet, there has been little systematic analysis of whether and how inequality influences redistribution and of the role of economic, political and institutional factors of redistribution. Our paper fills this important gap in the literature. To our knowledge, this is the first paper that systematically analyzes and presents evidence from a large panel of countries over 1967–2014 that high-income inequality is consistently associated with greater redistribution. Making it richer, evidence shows the role of economic factors such as trade openness, old age dependency, and financial development, and suggests that political institutions are important factors in understanding a cross-country variation in the size of redistribution. Extensive robustness checks confirm the results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Buy now, pay later (BNPL) is a new, increasingly popular form of short-term credit used for everyday items. While critics are concerned that these typically unregulated products pose risks for financially vulnerable people, many BNPL companies argue their app-based products are more responsible than other forms of credit. In this study, I use Davis' (2020) mechanisms and conditions framework of affordances and Light et al.'s (2018) walkthrough method to analyse how three popular BNPL products (Afterpay, Klarna and Zip) define responsible lending and spending. I argue these BNPL companies claim they are more responsible than credit cards because they are more inclusive and have fairer loan terms, and that these claims are made possible by the platformed nature of BNPL products. At the same time, these BNPL companies define responsible consumers as those who make their repayments on time. This redefinition of responsible consumption encourages increased spending and normalises the use of BNPL credit for that consumption. These products, which challenge traditional regulatory responses to consumer credit, are disproportionately used by lower-income families, who are increasingly reliant on credit for everyday purchases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Management of water resources in the Murray-Darling Basin has historically focussed on water security and the allocation of water for users with competing needs. This focus was reflected in the seminal paper on multiple risks to shared water across the basin by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation 15 years ago. That paper captured key concerns that were at the forefront for decision-makers, managers and policy-makers who were, at that time, experiencing the early impacts of the Millennium Drought. Water quality, then, was secondary to the issues of water security. Across the following years, new water quality risks have emerged along with a more nuanced understanding of the complex interplay between climate, floodplain/catchment vegetation, hydrology, and water quality. Critically, this improved understanding applies to the systemic shocks of extreme events, such as the 2020 bushfires and hypoxic blackwater events, as well as the variability, duration and volumes of natural and regulated river flows. In this paper, we explore the key water quality issues that currently face the Basin, and reframe water quality as an integral rather than incidental component of the risks to shared water in the Basin, with the associated implications for policy development that this implies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marine sediments are complex ecosystems where structures and functions constantly change due to natural and anthropogenic influences. In this investigation, a comprehensive and comparative analysis of the bacterial communities and their functional potential of the pristine and polluted marine sediments were carried out using MiSeq. The phylum Proteobacteria was dominant in all study sites. Other phyla were Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Planctomycetes, Acidobacteria, Chloroflexi, Nitrospirae, Cyanobacteria, Verrucomicrobia, Tenericutes, and Chlorobi. Interestingly, about 50% of genera belong to the unclassified categories. The key genera were identified as Acinetobacter, Bacillus, Pseudomona, Idiomarina, Thalassospira, and Marinobacter, Halomonas, Planctomyces, Psychrobacter, and Vogesella. PICRUSt analysis revealed that major functions are associated with the metabolism category. Additionally, metabolism related to amino acids, carbohydrates, energy generation, xenobiotics degradation, nitrogen, sulfate, and methane were prominent. Similarly, the predicted metabolisms by COG and KEGG were observed in the microbial communities of the marine sediments. To date, a comprehensive description of the microbial life with metabolic potential in these study sites has not been investigated. This study therefore significantly adds to our understanding of the microbiome and its functional attributes of marine sediments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Following a range of supporting roles in the late 1980s, Hugh Grant's breakthrough performance in Four Weddings and A Funeral (1994) established him as Britain's 'go-to' romantic lead. And yet, a potentially career-ending sex scandal while on the verge of Hollywood stardom could be considered the making of the man. By analysing press coverage using analytical approaches and frameworks from celebrity studies, this article shows how several flashpoints in Grant's personal life and subsequent 'celebrity confessionals' have been central to Grant's enduring popularity and evolving star persona. As I argue, scandals across three decades, and subsequent confessionals are mirrored in Grant's maturing onscreen persona – from commitment-phobic characters, to experimentation with satire and comedy for the American market, to his triumphant return in British biography/dramedies. This article considers Grant's evolving and unique engagement with the media as a type of 'reverse confessional' – where Grant's confessions subsequently expose the shifting nature of celebrity engagement with the media, and less desirable aspects of the (British) tabloid press. In sum, I contend the reverse narrative mode employed by Grant as an 'image restoration strategy' has allowed him to reclaim his own narrative and expose key truths about privacy, press coverage, and contemporary celebrity culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent decades, and in particular since the shift towards independent central banks, there has been no explicit coordination of fiscal and monetary policy. In the Eurozone, this lack of coordination represents an important flaw, especially since the Eurozone is not an optimal currency area. Complementing monetary union with a transfer union represents one possible solution. This paper argues that the negative impact of post-2008 and post-Covid-19 unconventional monetary policy on income inequalities provides a second reason to coordinate fiscal and monetary policy. Among various institutional arrangements to implement such coordination, the paper defends the idea that the European Central Bank should be sensitive to distributive considerations when formulating its monetary policy. Such an arrangement would help both to contain the distributive side-effects of monetary policy and to at least partially remedy the flaw at the heart of the Eurozone as long as an outright transfer union remains unfeasible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Memnoniella is a fungal genus from which a wide range of diverse biologically active compounds have been isolated. A Memnoniella dichroa CF-080171 extract was identified to exhibit potent activity against Plasmodium falciparum 3D7 and Trypanosoma cruzi Tulahuen whole parasites in a high-throughput screening (HTS) campaign of microbial extracts from the Fundación MEDINA's collection. Bioassay-guided isolation of the active metabolites from this extract afforded eight new meroterpenoids of varying potencies, namely, memnobotrins C-E (1–3), a glycosylated isobenzofuranone (4), a tricyclic isobenzofuranone (5), a tetracyclic benzopyrane (6), a tetracyclic isobenzofuranone (7), and a pentacyclic isobenzofuranone (8). The structures of the isolated compounds were established by (+)-ESI-TOF high-resolution mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Compounds 1, 2, and 4 exhibited potent antiparasitic activity against P. falciparum 3D7 (EC50 0.04–0.243 μM) and T. cruzi Tulahuen (EC50 0.266–1.37 μM) parasites, as well as cytotoxic activity against HepG2 tumoral liver cells (EC50 1.20–4.84 μM). The remaining compounds (3, 5–8) showed moderate or no activity against the above-mentioned parasites and cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comprehensive Summary: This report discloses a distinctive palladium‐catalyzed sequential tandem cyclization reaction of two molecular haloalkynes and one molecular N‐alkylanilines, leading to the efficient assembly of various 3‐halo‐1,2,5‐triarylpyrrole derivatives. Two carbon‐carbon triple bonds and one carbon‐halogen bond in two molecular haloalkynes are transformed conveniently in one single step, which may involve the aminoalkynylation of haloalkyne and cyclization of the newly formed enyne intermediate. The high chemo‐ and regioselectivities, good functional group tolerance and late‐stage modification of the halopyrrole products further illustrate the synthetic value of this strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Breast cancer heterogeneity determines cancer progression, treatment effects, and prognosis. However, the precise mechanism for this heterogeneity remains unknown owing to its complexity. Here, we summarize the origins of breast cancer heterogeneity and its influence on disease progression, recurrence, and therapeutic resistance. We review the possible mechanisms of heterogeneity and the research methods used to analyze it. We also highlight the importance of cell interactions for the origins of breast cancer heterogeneity, which can be further categorized into cooperative and competitive interactions. Finally, we provide new insights into precise individual treatments based on heterogeneity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Malaria cases and deaths keep being excessively high every year. Some inroads gained in the last two decades have been eroded especially due to the surge of resistance to most antimalarials. The search for new molecules that can replace the ones currently in use cannot stop. In this report, the synthesis of benzimidazole derivatives guided by structure–activity parameters is presented. Thirty-six molecules obtained are analyzed according to their activity against P. falciparum HB3 strain based on the type of substituent on rings A and B, their electron donor/withdrawing, as well as their dimension/spatial properties. There is a preference for electron donating groups on ring A, such as Me in position 5, or better, 5, 6-diMe. Ring B must be of the pyridine type such as picolinamide, other modifications are generally not favorable. Two molecules, 1 and 33 displayed antiplasmodial activity in the high nanomolar range against the chloroquine sensitive strain, with selectivity indexes above 10. Activity results of 1, 12 and 16 on a chloroquine resistance strain indicated an activity close to chloroquine for compound 1. Analysis of some of their effect on the parasites seem to suggest that 1 and 33 affect only the parasite and use a route other than interference with hemozoin biocrystallization, the route used by chloroquine and most antimalarials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China has a large and rapidly growing older population. Loneliness is associated with a range of negative health outcomes in older adults. However, to date, there is still a lack of comprehensive and systematic evidence on the factors influencing loneliness among older adults in China. Nine Chinese and English databases were searched by computer from inception to March 2022: China Knowledge Network, WanFang Data, Chinese Scientific Journal Database, SinoMed, PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, PsycINFO, and Cochrane Library. Studies on factors influencing loneliness among older adults in China were included. Two reviewers independently completed the literature screening, quality evaluation, and data extraction, and statistical analyses were performed using Review Manager 5.4 software. A total of 15 studies were included in the review, with 47 066 participants in total. Fifty‐nine influencing factors of loneliness in older Chinese were involved. Twenty factors with a total of 30 subfactors that were involved in two or more studies and with extractable data were included in the data synthesis. Eleven subfactors were not statistically significantly associated with loneliness, namely, male, female, lower age, higher education level, health status—fair, health status—poor, social support—none/low, no health insurance, smoking, alcohol consumption, and body mass index—overweight and above (all P > 0.05), while the remaining 19 subfactors (concerning 15 factors) were significantly associated with loneliness in older adults in China (all P < 0.05). This study suggested that age, education level, marital status, living arrangement, having (no) children, receiving family support, relationship with family members, being with or without chronic diseases, health status, activities of daily living, social support, social activities, financial status, satisfaction with housing conditions, and the decision‐making right for major household expenditures were the main influencing factors of loneliness among older adults in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(1) Background: Pandemic-imposed lockdowns have heightened our awareness of the value of (work)place and made apparent the role it plays in establishing our sense of belonging and professional identity. The opportunity to work remotely during the pandemic has given us an appreciation of the benefits from access to increased flexibility, but there is consistent evidence emerging showing how much workers miss in-office social and learning interactions. This paper focuses on results about (i) reported perceived effectiveness and performance, (ii) sense of adjustment to remote working, and (iii) sense of belonging during the first two COVID-19-induced lockdowns, as reported by managers and workers in Australia in 2020. Findings shed light onto (i) how remote working experience affected our connection to, and the importance of, (work)place and (ii) how to harness insights towards creating spaces responsive to the activities we prefer to undertake in the workplace, permitting employees to choose the workstyle and pattern that suits their professional role and personal circumstances. (2) Methods: Correlational and thematic analyses were conducted on findings from 1579 online surveys focusing on remote working experiences during the first and second rounds of COVID-19-imposed lockdowns. A total of 668 managers and 911 workers from 12 different industry sectors participated in two rounds of the Bates Smart remote work survey (BSRWS). Surveys targeted knowledge workers of all career stages, age, and experience. (3) Results: Employees felt (i) technologically supported and productive whilst working from home, but (ii) aspects of connection, collaboration, and sense of belonging suffered; (iii) collaboration and togetherness are main motivators for returning to the office. Managers' experiences were significantly different with (i) perceived productivity, collaboration, knowledge sharing, sense of belonging, and performance dropping; (ii) face-to-face interaction and business development were key priorities for returning to the office with (iii) challenges of mentoring and managing emotional wellbeing of teams evident. (4) Conclusions: From these surveys we conclude space is an enabler of organisational culture and professional identity, playing a critical role in establishing psychologically safe and equitable workplaces. This paper reports snapshot data showing knowledge workers' experiences and effects of WFH under strict lockdown circumstances on wellbeing, productivity, and culture over time. It proposes two lenses (togetherness and place), through which the future workplace should be considered by industry and researchers alike. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work aims to describe the spatial distribution of flow from characteristics of the underlying pore structure in heterogeneous porous media. Thousands of two-dimensional samples of polydispersed granular media are used to (1) obtain the velocity field via direct numerical simulations, and (2) conceptualize the pore network as a graph in each sample. Analysis of the flow field allows us to distinguish preferential from stagnant flow regions and to quantify how channelized the flow is. Then, the graph's edges are weighted by geometric attributes of their corresponding pores to find the path of minimum resistance of each sample. Overlap between the preferential flow paths and the predicted minimum resistance path determines the accuracy in individual samples. An evolutionary algorithm is employed to determine the "fittest" weighting scheme (here, the channel's arc length to pore throat ratio) that maximizes accuracy across the entire dataset while minimizing over-parameterization. Finally, the structural similarity of neighboring edges is analyzed to explain the spatial arrangement of preferential flow within the pore network. We find that connected edges within the preferential flow subnetwork are highly similar, while those within the stagnant flow subnetwork are dissimilar. The contrast in similarity between these regions increases with flow channelization, explaining the structural constraints to local flow. The proposed framework may be used for fast characterization of porous media heterogeneity relative to computationally expensive direct numerical simulations. Article Highlights: A quantitative assessment of flow channeling is proposed that distinguishes pore-scale flow fields into preferential and stagnant flow regions. Geometry and topology of the pore network are used to predict the spatial distribution of fast flow paths from structural data alone. Local disorder of pore networks provides structural constraints for flow separation into preferential v stagnant regions and informs on their velocity contrast. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]