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Macrophages are the main target cells for Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection. Previous studies have shown that Mtb actively upregulates phosphorus transport proteins, such as Rv0928 protein (also known as PstS3), to increase inorganic phosphate uptake and promote their survival under low phosphorus culture conditions in vitro. However, it is unclear whether this upregulation of PstS3 affects the intracellular survival of Mtb, as the latter is also largely dependent on the immune response of infected macrophages. By using Rv0928-overexpressing Mycobacterium smegmatis (Ms::Rv0928), we unexpectedly found that Rv0928 not only increased apoptosis, but also augmented the inflammatory response of infected macrophages. These enhanced cellular defense mechanisms ultimately led to a dramatic reduction in intracellular bacterial load. By investigating the underlying mechanisms, we found that Rv0928 interacted with the macrophage mitochondrial phosphate carrier protein SLC25A3, reduced mitochondrial membrane potential and caused mitochondrial cytochrome c release, which ultimately activated caspase-9-mediated intrinsic apoptosis. In addition, Rv0928 amplified macrophage mitochondrial ROS production, further enhancing proinflammatory cytokine production by promoting activation of NF-κB and MAPK pathways. Our study suggested that Mtb Rv0928 up-regulation enhanced the immune defense response of macrophages. These findings may help us to better understand the complex process of mutual adaptation and mutual regulation between Mtb and macrophages during infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Kirkuk University Journal for Scientific Studies is the property of Republic of Iraq Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research (MOHESR) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The triaxial and hexadecapole deformations of the |$K^\pi=0^+$| and |$K^\pi=2^+$| bands of |$^{24}$| Mg have been investigated by the inelastic scatterings of various probes, including electrons, protons, and alpha(⁠|$\alpha$|⁠) particles, for a prolonged time. However, it has been challenging to explain the unique properties of the scatterings observed for the |$4^+_1$| state through reaction calculations. This paper investigates the structure and transition properties of the |$K^\pi=0^+$| and |$K^\pi=2^+$| bands of |$^{24}$| Mg employing the microscopic structure and reaction calculations via inelastic proton and |$\alpha$| scattering. In particular, the |$E4$| transitions to the |$4^+_1$| and |$4^+_2$| states are reexamined. The structure of |$^{24}$| Mg was calculated employing the variation after the parity and total angular momentum projections in the framework of the antisymmetrized molecular dynamics (AMD). The inelastic proton and |$\alpha$| reactions were calculated by the microscopic coupled-channel (MCC) approach by folding the Melbourne |$g$| -matrix |$NN$| interaction with the AMD densities of |$^{24}$| Mg. Reasonable results were obtained on the properties of the structure, including the energy spectra and |$E2$| and |$E4$| transitions of the |$K^\pi=0^+$| and |$K^\pi=2^+$| bands owing to the enhanced collectivity of triaxial deformation. The MCC+AMD calculation successfully reproduced the angular distributions of the |$4^+_1$| and |$4^+_2$| cross sections of proton scattering at incident energies of |$E_p=40$| –100 MeV and |$\alpha$| scattering at |$E_\alpha=100$| –400 MeV. This is the first microscopic calculation to describe the unique properties of the |$0^+_1\to 4^+_1$| transition. In the inelastic scattering to the |$4^+_1$| state, the dominant two-step process of the |$0^+_1\to 2^+_1\to 4^+_1$| transitions and the deconstructive interference in the weak one-step process were essential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Iraqi Journal of Physics is the property of Republic of Iraq Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research (MOHESR) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Filamentous enzymes have been found in all domains of life, but the advantage of filamentation is often elusive 1 . Some anaerobic, autotrophic bacteria have an unusual filamentous enzyme for CO 2 fixation-hydrogen-dependent CO 2 reductase (HDCR) 2,3 -which directly converts H 2 and CO 2 into formic acid. HDCR reduces CO 2 with a higher activity than any other known biological or chemical catalyst 4,5 , and it has therefore gained considerable interest in two areas of global relevance: hydrogen storage and combating climate change by capturing atmospheric CO 2 . However, the mechanistic basis of the high catalytic turnover rate of HDCR has remained unknown. Here we use cryo-electron microscopy to reveal the structure of a short HDCR filament from the acetogenic bacterium Thermoanaerobacter kivui. The minimum repeating unit is a hexamer that consists of a formate dehydrogenase (FdhF) and two hydrogenases (HydA2) bound around a central core of hydrogenase Fe-S subunits, one HycB3 and two HycB4. These small bacterial polyferredoxin-like proteins oligomerize through their C-terminal helices to form the backbone of the filament. By combining structure-directed mutagenesis with enzymatic analysis, we show that filamentation and rapid electron transfer through the filament enhance the activity of HDCR. To investigate the structure of HDCR in situ, we imaged T. kivui cells with cryo-electron tomography and found that HDCR filaments bundle into large ring-shaped superstructures attached to the plasma membrane. This supramolecular organization may further enhance the stability and connectivity of HDCR to form a specialized metabolic subcompartment within the cell., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited.)

Context. Superclusters of galaxies provide dynamical environments for the study of the formation and evolution of structures in the cosmic web from galaxies, to the richest galaxy clusters, and superclusters themselves. Aims. We study galaxy populations and search for possible merging substructures in the rich galaxy cluster A2142 in the collapsing core of the supercluster SCl A2142, which may give rise to radio and X-ray structures in the cluster, and affect galaxy properties of this cluster. Methods. We used normal mixture modelling to select substructure of the cluster A2142. We compared alignments of the cluster, its brightest galaxies (hereafter BCGs), subclusters, and supercluster axes. The projected phase space (PPS) diagram and clustercentric distributions are used to analyse the dynamics of the cluster and study the distribution of various galaxy populations in the cluster and subclusters. Results. We find several infalling galaxy groups and subclusters. The cluster, supercluster, BCGs, and one infalling subcluster are all aligned. Their orientation is correlated with the alignment of the radio and X-ray haloes of the cluster. Galaxy populations in the main cluster and in the outskirts subclusters are different. Galaxies in the centre of the main cluster at the clustercentric distances 0.5 h−1 Mpc (Dc/Rvir < 0.5, Rvir = 0.9 h−1 Mpc) have older stellar populations (with the median age of 10−11 Gyr) than galaxies at larger clustercentric distances. Star-forming and recently quenched galaxies are located mostly at the clustercentric distances Dc ≈ 1.8 h−1 Mpc, where subclusters fall into the cluster and the properties of galaxies change rapidly. In this region the median age of stellar populations of galaxies is about 2 Gyr. Galaxies in A2142 on average have higher stellar masses, lower star formation rates, and redder colours than galaxies in rich groups. The total mass in infalling groups and subclusters is M ≈ 6 × 1014 h −1M⊙, that is approximately half of the mass of the cluster. This mass is sufficient for the mass growth of the cluster from redshift z = 0.5 (half-mass epoch) to the present. Conclusions. Our analysis suggests that the cluster A2142 has formed as a result of past and present mergers and infallen groups, predominantly along the supercluster axis. Mergers cause complex radio and X-ray structure of the cluster and affect the properties of galaxies in the cluster, especially at the boundaries of the cluster in the infall region. Explaining the differences between galaxy populations, mass, and richness of A2142, and other groups and clusters may lead to better insight about the formation and evolution of rich galaxy clusters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. Superclusters of galaxies can be used to test cosmological models of the formation and evolution of the largest structures in the cosmic web, and of galaxy and cluster evolution in superclusters. Aims. We study the distribution, masses, and dynamical properties of galaxy groups in the A2142 supercluster. Methods. We analyse the global luminosity density distribution in the supercluster and divide the supercluster into the high-density core and the low-density outskirts regions. We find galaxy groups and filaments in these regions, calculate their masses and mass-tolight ratios and analyse their dynamical state with 1D and 3D statistics. We use the spherical collapse model to study the dynamical state of the supercluster. Results. In the A2142 supercluster rich groups and clusters lie along an almost straight line forming the 50 h-1 Mpc long main body of the supercluster. The A2142 supercluster has a very high density core surrounded by lower-density outskirts. The total estimated mass of the supercluster is Mest = 6.2 ×1015Mo. More than a half of groups with at least ten member galaxies in the supercluster lie in the high-density core of the supercluster, centred at the X-ray cluster A2142. Most of the groups in the core region are multimodal. In the outskirts of the supercluster, the number of groups is larger than in the core, and groups are poorer. The orientation of the axis of the cluster A2142 follows the orientations of its X-ray substructures and radio halo, and is aligned along the supercluster axis. The high-density core of the supercluster with the global density D8 ≥ 17 and perhaps with D8 ≥ 13 may have started to collapse. Conclusions. A2142 supercluster with collapsing core and straight body, is an unusual object among superclusters. In the course of the future evolution, the supercluster may split into several systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. We present a spectrophotometric analysis of the galaxy population in the area of the merging cluster Abell 2384 at z = 0.094. Aims. We investigate the impact of the complex cluster environment on galaxy properties, such as colour, morphology, and star formation rate. Methods. We combined multi-object spectroscopy from the 2dF and EFOSC2 spectrographs with optical imaging of the inner 30 × 30 arcmin of A2384 taken with the ESO Wide Field Imager. We carried out a kinematical analysis using the EMMIX algorithm and biweight statistics. We address the possible presence of cluster substructures with the Dressler-Shectman test. Cluster galaxies are investigated with respect to [OII] and Hα equivalent width. Galaxies covered by our optical imaging observations are additionally analysed in terms of colour, star formation rate, and morphological descriptors, such as Gini coefficient and M20 index. We study cluster galaxy properties as a function of clustercentric distance and investigate the distribution of various galaxy types in colour-magnitude and physical space. Results. The Dressler-Shectman test reveals a substructure in the east of the 2dF field of view. We determine the mass ratio between the northern and southern subclusters to be ≲1.6:1. In accordance with other cluster studies, we find that a large number of the disk galaxies close to the cluster core show no detectable star formation (SF). Probably these are systems that are quenched by ram-pressure stripping. The sample of quenched disks populates the transition area between the blue cloud and the red sequence in colour-magnitude space. We also find a population of morphologically distorted galaxies in the central cluster region. Conclusions. The substructure east of A2384 might be a group of galaxies falling onto the main cluster. We speculate that our sample of quenched spirals represents an intermediate phase in the ram-pressure-driven transformation of infalling field spirals into cluster S0s. This is justified by their position in colour-magnitude space. The occurrence of morphologically distorted galaxies in the cluster core complies with the hypothesis of Abell 2384 representing a post merger system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present results from a study of 12 X-ray bright clusters at 1.4 GHz with the 100 m Green Bank Telescope. After subtraction of point sources using existing interferometer data, we reach a median (best) 1σ rms sensitivity level of 0.01 (0.006) μJy arcsec–2, and find a significant excess of diffuse, low surface brightness emission in 11 of 12 Abell clusters observed. We also present initial results at 1.4 GHz of A2319 from the Very Large Array. In particular, we find: (1) four new detections of diffuse structures tentatively classified as two halos (A2065, A2069) and two relics (A2067, A2073); (2) the first detection of the radio halo in A2061 at 1.4 GHz, which qualifies this as a possible ultra-steep spectrum halo source with a synchrotron spectral index of α ∼ 1.8 between 327 MHz and 1.4 GHz; (3) a ∼2 Mpc radio halo in the sloshing, minor-merger cluster A2142; (4) a >2× increase of the giant radio halo extent and luminosity in the merging cluster A2319; (5) a ∼7× increase to the integrated radio flux and >4× increase to the observed extent of the peripheral radio relic in A1367 to ∼600 kpc, which we also observe to be polarized on a similar scale; (6) significant excess emission of ambiguous nature in three clusters with embedded tailed radio galaxies (A119, A400, A3744). Our radio halo detections agree with the well-known X-ray/radio luminosity correlation, but they are larger and fainter than current radio power correlation studies would predict. The corresponding volume-averaged synchrotron emissivities are 1-2 orders of magnitude below the characteristic value found in previous studies. Some of the halo-like detections may be some type of previously unseen, low surface brightness radio halo or blend of unresolved shock structures and sub-Mpc-scale turbulent regions associated with their respective cluster merging activity. Four of the five tentative halos contain one or more X-ray cold fronts, suggesting a possible connection between gas sloshing and particle acceleration on large scales in some of these clusters. Additionally, we see evidence for a possible inter-cluster filament between A2061 and A2067. For our faintest detections, we note the possibility of residual contamination from faint radio galaxies not accounted for in our confusion subtraction procedure. We also quantify the sensitivity of the NVSS to extended emission as a function of size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. We present a spectrophotometric analysis of the galaxy population in the area of the merging cluster Abell 3921 at z = 0.093. Aims. We investigate the impact of the complex cluster environment on galaxy properties such as morphology or star formation rate. Methods. We combine multi-object spectroscopy from the two-degree field (2dF) spectrograph with optical imaging taken with the ESO Wide Field Imager. We carried out a redshift analysis and determine cluster velocity dispersions using biweight statistics. Applying a Dressler-Shectman test we sought evidence of cluster substructure. Cluster and field galaxies were investigated with respect to [OII] and Hα equivalent width, star formation rate, and morphological descriptors, such as concentration index and Gini coefficient. We studied these cluster galaxy properties as a function of clustercentric distance and investigated the spatial distribution of various galaxy types. Results. Applying the Dressler-Shectman test, we find a third component (A3921-C) in addition to the two main subclusters (A3921-A and A3921-B) that are already known. The re-determined mass ratio between the main components A and B is ~2:1. Similar to previous studies of galaxy clusters, we find that a large fraction of the disk galaxies close to the cluster core show no detectable star formation. These are likely systems that are quenched due to ram pressure stripping. Interestingly, we also find quenched spirals at rather large distances of 3-4 Mpc from the cluster core. Conclusions. A3921-C might be a group of galaxies falling onto the main cluster components. We speculate that the unexpected population of quenched spirals at large clustercentric radii in A3921-A and A3921-B might be an effect of the ongoing cluster merger: shocks in the ICM might give rise to enhanced ram pressure stripping and at least in part be the cause for the quenching of star formation. These quenched spirals might be an intermediate stage in the morphological transformation of field spirals into cluster S0s. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sequential outbreaks of infection in a neonatal intensive care unit were due to multiple antibiotic-resistant strains of Klebsiella pneumoniaeof different serotypes. In investigations of these outbreaks, the transfer of resistance to gentamicin, ampicillin, cephalothin, carbenicillin, and kanamycin from gentamicin-resistant organisms to standard laboratory recipients and between recipients was observed. Purified plasmid DNA, isolated from all multiple antibiotic-resistant strains, was analyzed by agarose gel electrophoresis, which revealed a common, large plasmid component with a molecular size of 71 megadaltons. Analysis of drug-resistant progeny suggested this plasmid encoded resistance to antibiotics and the information needed for its transmission. The identity of the plasmid from three different sources was established by the use of restrictionenzyme fingerprinting. The dissemination and persistence of this plasmid in environmental and fecal organisms, despite the disappearance of multiple antibiotic-resistant K. pneumoniae, provided a potential source for spread to other bacteria. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Inorganic phosphate (Pi) plays a critical function in many tissues of the body: for example, as part of the hydroxyapatite in the skeleton and as a substrate for ATP synthesis. Pi is the main source of dietary phosphorus. Reduced bioavailability of Pi or excessive losses in the urine causes rickets and osteomalacia. While critical for health in normal amounts, dietary phosphorus is plentiful in the Western diet and is often added to foods as a preservative. This abundance of phosphorus may reduce longevity due to metabolic changes and tissue calcifications. In this review, we examine how dietary phosphorus is absorbed in the gut, current knowledge about Pi sensing, and endocrine regulation of Pi levels. Moreover, we also examine the roles of Pi in different tissues, the consequences of low and high dietary phosphorus in these tissues, and the implications for healthy aging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present an analysis of the diffuse X-ray emission in 19 compact groups (CGs) of galaxies observed with Chandra. The hottest, most X-ray luminous CGs agree well with the galaxy cluster X-ray scaling relations in LX-T and LX-σ, even in CGs where the hot gas is associated with only the brightest galaxy. Using Spitzer photometry, we compute stellar masses and classify Hickson CGs 19, 22, 40, and 42, and RSCGs 32, 44, and 86 as fossil groups using a new definition for fossil systems that includes a broader range of masses. We find that CGs with total stellar and H I masses ≳ 1011.3M☼ are often X-ray luminous, while lower-mass CGs only sometimes exhibit faint, localized X-ray emission. Additionally, we compare the diffuse X-ray luminosity against both the total UV and 24 μm star formation rates of each CG and optical colors of the most massive galaxy in each of the CGs. The most X-ray luminous CGs have the lowest star formation rates, likely because there is no cold gas available for star formation, either because the majority of the baryons in these CGs are in stars or the X-ray halo, or due to gas stripping from the galaxies in CGs with hot halos. Finally, the optical colors that trace recent star formation histories of the most massive group galaxies do not correlate with the X-ray luminosities of the CGs, indicating that perhaps the current state of the X-ray halos is independent of the recent history of stellar mass assembly in the most massive galaxies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a Gemini-GMOS spectroscopic study of Hubble Space Telescope(HST)-selected Hα-emitting regions in Stephan's Quintet (HCG 92), a nearby compact galaxy group, with the aim of disentangling the processes of shock-induced heating and star formation in its intra-group medium. The ≈40 sources are distributed across the system, but most densely concentrated in the ∼kiloparsec-long shock region. Their spectra neatly divide them into narrow- and broad-line emitters, and we decompose the latter into three or more emission peaks corresponding to spatial elements discernible in HST imaging. The emission-line ratios of the two populations of Hα-emitters confirm their nature as H II regions (90% of the sample) or molecular gas heated by a shock front propagating at ≲300 km s–1. Their redshift distribution reveals interesting three-dimensional structure with respect to gas-phase baryons, with no H II regions associated with shocked gas, no shocked regions in the intruder galaxy NGC 7318B, and a sharp boundary between shocks and star formation. We conclude that star formation is inhibited substantially, if not entirely, in the shock region. Attributing those H II regions projected against the shock to the intruder, we find a lopsided distribution of star formation in this galaxy, reminiscent of pileup regions in models of interacting galaxies. The Hα luminosities imply mass outputs, star formation rates, and efficiencies similar to nearby star-forming regions. Two large knots are an exception to this, being comparable in stellar output to the prolific 30 Doradus region. We also examine Stephan's Quintet in the context of compact galaxy group evolution, as a paradigm for intermittent star formation histories in the presence of a rich, X-ray-emitting intra-group medium. All spectra are provided as supplemental materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]