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Understanding 3D interfacial strain at the atomic level has been a long-sought challenge in the field of core-shell nanomaterials. Here, the authors address this challenge by revealing the full 3D atomic structures of Pd@Pt core-shell nanoparticles

This study analyses the productive efficiency of dairy farms in Kazakhstan and suggests export implications by the expansion of trade networks and the participation of global value chains. As the world’s largest landlocked country and ninth largest area in the world, Kazakhstan has often been considered to have vast potential to produce and export dairy products. The greater openness of markets and improved geostrategic circumstances with the latest rail link between China and Europe are expected to strengthen Kazakhstan’s trade opportunities with the rest of the world. Despite these positive prospects, few empirical studies have examined the export potential of the country’s dairy products. To bridge this gap, this study surveys 23 dairy farms across nine oblasts in Kazakhstan and performs a data envelopment analysis with milk production as the output variable and feed, labour, and capital as the input variables. The estimation results indicate that Kazakh dairy farms could reduce input use by up to 70% under the most efficient system. A dichotomy of productive efficiency among large and capital-intensive versus small-scale family farms suggests that the country should promote inclusiveness through sharing knowledge and best practices within the industry.

Esophageal duplication (ED) is rarely diagnosed in adults and is usually asymptomatic. Especially, ED that is connected to the esophagus through a tubular communication and combined with bronchoesophageal fistula (BEF) is extremely rare and has never been reported in the English literature. This condition is very difficult to diagnose. Although some combinations of several modalities, such as upper gastrointestinal endoscopy, esophagography, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and endoscopic ultrasonography, can be used for the diagnosis, the results might be inconclusive. Here, we report on a patient with communicating tubular ED that was incidentally diagnosed on the basis of endoscopy and esophagography during the postoperational evaluation of BEF.

PurposeEarly pubertal timing in girls is associated with psychological and behavioral problems. This study aimed to evaluate the psychological features of girls who perceived breast development beginning by analyzing their depression levels and self-concept.MethodsFrom March 2007 to December 2012, 93 girls were enrolled and assigned to a pre-8 (younger than 8 years, n=43) or post-8 (8 years and older, n=50) group according to the age at onset of perceived breast development, and their height, body weight, body mass index, bone age (BA), Tanner stage, and luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone levels were examined. We investigated their psychological state with the Korean Children's Depression Inventory (CDI) and Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale (PHCSC) to evaluate depression levels and self-concept, respectively.ResultsThe pre-8 group had a significantly greater height standard deviation score, (0.5±1.01 vs. 0.11±0.86, P = 0.048) and more advanced BA (2.07±1.02 years vs. 1.40±0.98 years, P = 0.004) compared to the post-8 group. There were no statistically significant intergroup differences for the CDI and PHCSC scores; however, the pre-8 group scored higher than the post-8 group in the physical appearance and attributes domain of the PHCSC (9.93±2.57 vs. 8.52±3.03, P = 0.017).ConclusionThe timing of perceived breast development among girls who thought puberty to begin did not affect depression levels and self-concept. There was no correlation between Tanner stage and depression levels and self-concept despite the perception of pubertal onset. The pre-8 group had a more positive view of their physical appearance than the post-8 group.

Abstract Repurposing the intrinsic properties of natural enzymes can offer a viable solution to current synthetic challenges through the development of novel biocatalytic processes. Although amino acid racemases are ubiquitous in living organisms, an amine racemase (AR) has not yet been discovered despite its synthetic potential for producing chiral amines. Here, we report the creation of an AR based on the serendipitous discovery that amine transaminases (ATAs) can perform stereoinversion of 2-aminobutane. Kinetic modeling revealed that the unexpected off-pathway activity results from stereochemically promiscuous futile cycles due to incomplete stereoselectivity for 2-aminobutane. This finding motivated us to engineer an S-selective ATA through in silico alanine scanning and empirical combinatorial mutations, creating an AR with broad substrate specificity. The resulting AR, carrying double point mutations, enables the racemization of both enantiomers of diverse chiral amines in the presence of a cognate ketone. This strategy may be generally applicable to a wide range of transaminases, paving the way for the development of new-to-nature racemases.

Hybrid receptor models overestimate the contribution of background areas (no specific emission sources), like the Yellow Sea in Korea. This study aimed to improve model performances using Advanced Concentration Emission and Retention Time Weighted Trajectory (ACERWT). ACERWT was combined with a positive matrix factorization (PMF), back trajectory, and Regional Emission Inventory in Asia (REAS). The PMF receptor model used one year of data from Korea’s Central Air Environment Research Center. In the PMF receptor model, eight sources (dust/soil, secondary nitrate, biomass burning, vehicles, secondary sulfate, industry, coal combustion and sea salt) influenced PM2.5 pollution at the receptor site (Daejeon, Korea). Secondary sulfate was the most dominant source, followed by secondary nitrate and vehicle sources. ACERWT results showed high contributions from China, Japan, and Korean regions, while the contribution from the Yellow Sea was significantly lower. Several regions, such as the eastern and south-eastern areas of China, the southern area of Taiwan, the western area of Tokyo, and the central area of Korea, showed high contributions due to large-scale emission facilities and industrial complexes. In this study, the ACERWT model significantly improved its performance regarding regional contributions to PM2.5 pollution at the receptor site.

Ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs) represent a significant potential for novel therapeutic applications because of their bioactive properties, stability, and specificity. RiPPs are synthesized on ribosomes, followed by intricate post-translational modifications (PTMs), crucial for their diverse structures and functions. PTMs, such as cyclization, methylation, and proteolysis, play crucial roles in enhancing RiPP stability and bioactivity. Advances in synthetic biology and bioinformatics have significantly advanced the field, introducing new methods for RiPP production and engineering. These methods encompass strategies for heterologous expression, genetic refactoring, and exploiting the substrate tolerance of tailoring enzymes to create novel RiPP analogs with improved or entirely new functions. Furthermore, the introduction and implementation of cutting-edge screening methods, including mRNA display, surface display, and two-hybrid systems, have expedited the identification of RiPPs with significant pharmaceutical potential. This comprehensive review not only discusses the current advancements in RiPP research but also the promising opportunities that leveraging these bioactive peptides for therapeutic applications presents, illustrating the synergy between traditional biochemistry and contemporary synthetic biology and genetic engineering approaches.

Recently, precursor gases such as ammonia have sparked a growing interest in the secondary formation of particulate matter (PM). Most studies focus on urban areas and scientific data. Studies on precursor gases and PM emitted from agricultural sources are insufficient; thus, this paper presents a field monitoring study conducted from agricultural sources. To estimate the effect of precursor gases for PM2.5 from naturally ventilated dairy barns, correlation analyses were conducted using real-time monitoring data on the mass concentrations of PM2.5, NH3, SO2, NO2, and H2S and meteorological data. In addition to mass concentration, the emission and loading rates were used to closely analyze pollution status. The mass concentrations of PM2.5 and gaseous compounds did not correlate well, whereas the mass emission rates for PM2.5 and gaseous compounds (SO2, NH3, and NO2) correlated well because the unit of the emission rate reflected the ventilation factor. The correlation coefficients between PM2.5 and precursor gas emission rates ranged from 0.72 to 0.89 (R), with the SO2 emission rate exhibiting the highest correlation coefficient (R = 0.89). This correlation implies that SO2 from dairy farms is a dominant species among the gaseous precursors influencing the secondary formation of PM2.5; alternatively, SO2 and PM2.5 are produced from the same sources. The ambient PM2.5 loading rate and barn PM2.5 emission rate—estimated by multivariate linear regression using the gaseous independent variables NH3, SO2, and NO2—revealed high-correlation coefficients (0.60 and 0.92, respectively) with the measured data. At present, most studies investigating the precursor gases of PM in agricultural fields have focused on NH3; however, this study suggests that SO2 is a key factor in PM2.5 pollution. To elucidate the secondary formation of PM from precursor gases in agricultural sources, particulate ammonium, sulfate, nitrate, and chloride, which were not measured in this study, as well as oxidants and intermediates, should be considered in future research.

Aminotransferases (ATs) are an ancient enzyme family that play central roles in core nitrogen metabolism, essential to all organisms. However, many of the AT enzyme functions remain poorly defined, limiting our fundamental understanding of the nitrogen metabolic networks that exist in different organisms. Here, we traced the deep evolutionary history of the AT family by analyzing AT enzymes from 90 species spanning the tree of life (ToL). We found that each organism has maintained a relatively small and constant number of ATs. Mapping the distribution of ATs across the ToL uncovered that many essential AT reactions are carried out by taxon-specific AT enzymes due to wide-spread nonorthologous gene displacements. This complex evolutionary history explains the difficulty of homology-based AT functional prediction. Biochemical characterization of diverse aromatic ATs further revealed their broad substrate specificity, unlike other core metabolic enzymes that evolved to catalyze specific reactions today. Interestingly, however, we found that these AT enzymes that diverged over billion years share common signatures of multisubstrate specificity by employing different nonconserved active site residues. These findings illustrate that AT family enzymes had leveraged their inherent substrate promiscuity to maintain a small yet distinct set of multifunctional AT enzymes in different taxa. This evolutionary history of versatile ATs likely contributed to the establishment of robust and diverse nitrogen metabolic networks that exist throughout the ToL. The study provides a critical foundation to systematically determine diverse AT functions and underlying nitrogen metabolic networks across the ToL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fungal sinusitis is relatively rare, but it has become more common in recent years. When fungal sinusitis invades the orbit, it can cause proptosis, chemosis, ophthalmoplegia, retroorbital pain, and vision impairment. We present a case of an extensive orbital floor defect due to invasive fungal sinusitis. A 62-year-old man with hypertension and a history of lung adenocarcinoma, presented with right-side facial pain and swelling. On admission, the serum glucose level was 347 mg/dL, and hemoglobin A1c was 11.4%. A computed tomography scan and a Waters’ view X-ray showed right maxillary sinusitis with an orbital floor defect. On hospital day 3, functional endoscopic sinus surgery was performed by the otorhinolaryngology team, and an aspergilloma in necrotic inflammatory exudate obtained during exploration. On hospital day 7, orbital floor reconstruction with a Medpor Titan surgical implant was done. In principle, the management of invasive sino-orbital fungal infection often begins with surgical debridement and local irrigation with an antifungal agent. Exceptionally, in this case, debridement and immediate orbital floor reconstruction were performed to prevent enophthalmos caused by the extensive orbital floor defect. The patient underwent orbital floor reconstruction and received intravenous and oral voriconazole. Despite orbital invasion, there were no ophthalmic symptoms or sequelae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An epidermal cyst, also known as an epidermoid cyst or epidermal inclusion cyst, is the most prevalent type of cutaneous cyst. This noncancerous lesion can appear anywhere on the body, typically presenting as an asymptomatic dermal nodule with a visible central punctum. In the case presented herein, an epidermal cyst with uncommon features was misdiagnosed as a lymphatic malformation based on preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). A 61-year-old man came to us with a swollen left cheek that had been present for 11 months. The preoperative MRI revealed a 3× 3.8× 4.6 cm lobulated cystic lesion with thin rim enhancement in the left masticator space. The initial differential diagnosis pointed toward a lymphatic malformation. We proceeded with surgical excision of the lesion via an intraoral approach, and the specimen was sent to the pathology department. The pathological diagnosis revealed a ruptured epidermal cyst, indicating that the initial diagnosis of a lymphatic malformation based on preoperative MRI was incorrect. Epidermal cysts located under the muscle with no visible central punctum are uncommon, but should be considered if a patient presents with facial swelling. Abbreviations: MRI, magnetic resonance imaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]