Search Results (17)

Gliadin is one of the most important fractions of gluten, a glycoprotein closely linked to the development of negative effects on physiological functions and the development of gastrointestinal diseases, such as celiac disease (CD). Research suggests that inadequate stress responses and anxiety states may trigger or at least contribute to the development of these pathological conditions. Peritoneal leukocytes from Prematurely Aging Mice (PAM), which are chronologically adult mice with compromised responses to stress and anxiety, exhibit functional changes when exposed in vitro to gliadin peptides, resembling some immune alterations found also in CD patients. This observation prompted us to investigate the effects of a gliadin-rich diet on immune function and redox state in PAM. In this study, adult female PAM were fed either a gluten-enriched diet (PAMD, 120 g/kg) or a standard diet (PAMC) for four weeks. Immune function parameters in peritoneal, splenic, and thymic leukocytes (phagocytosis, chemotaxis, Natural Killer activity, lymphoproliferation) and redox markers (glutathione reductase, glutathione peroxidase, reduced/oxidized glutathione, xanthine oxidase activity, lipid peroxidation) were evaluated. The results showed that PAMD exhibited more impaired immune function, lower antioxidant enzyme activities, and reduced glutathione concentrations, as well as higher oxidized glutathione and increased xanthine oxidase activity compared to PAMC. These findings suggest that a gliadin-rich diet worsens immune and redox impairments in PAM, resembling some of the alterations previously described in CD, and indicating the potential of this animal for studying gluten-induced immune dysregulation. Full article

Polymerized aluminum magnesium chloride (PAMC) flocculant was prepared from gangue as a raw material, and the effects of pH, the polymerization time, and the polymerization temperature on the performance of the PAMC were investigated by a one-factor test, based on which, orthogonal experiments (three-factor and two-level) were conducted to optimize the relevant parameters. Meanwhile, FTIR and SEM were used to characterize the polymerized aluminum magnesium chloride, and the sample was applied in printing and dyeing wastewater treatment. The results showed that a pH value of 2.2 and a reaction at 60 °C for 4.5 h were the optimal preparation conditions; the characterization analysis showed that the synthesized product was polymerized aluminum magnesium chloride; the turbidity removal rate of the PAMC for printing and dyeing wastewater was increased by 2.1%, the COD removal rate was increased by 3.1%, the ammonia nitrogen removal rate was increased by 2.1%, and the chromaticity removal rate was increased by 9.2% compared with that of PAC. Full article

Land cover and its changes over time are significant for better understanding the Earth’s fundamental characteristics and processes, such as global climate change, hydrology, and the carbon cycle. A number of land cover-geoprocessing models have been proposed for land cover-data production with different spatial and temporal resolutions. With the massive growth in land cover data and the increasing demand for efficient model utilization, developing efficient and convenient land cover-geoprocessing models has become a formidable challenge. Although some model-migration methods have been proposed for handling the massive data, the intricacy of land cover-data and -heterogeneity models frequently prevent current strategies from directly meeting demand. In this paper, we propose the PAMC-LC-containerization approach to overcome the difficulties associated with moving existing land cover models in the open web environment. Based on the idea of model migration, we design a standardized model description and hierarchical encapsulation strategy for land cover models, and develop migration and deployment methods. Furthermore, we assess the viability and efficacy of the proposed approach by using coupled workflows for model migration and the introduction of visualization on the Mts-WH dataset and the Google dataset. The experimental results show that the PAMC-LC approach can simplify and streamline the model migration process, with important ramifications for increasing productivity, reusing models, and lowering additional data-transmission costs. Full article

In this study, Mesorhizobium sp. PAMC28654 was isolated from a soil sample collected from the polar region of Uganda. Whole-genome sequencing and comparative genomics were performed to better understand the genomic features necessary for Mesorhizobium sp. PAMC28654 to survive and thrive in extreme conditions and stresses. Additionally, diverse sequence analysis tools were employed for genomic investigation. The results of the analysis were then validated using wet-lab experiments. Genome analysis showed trace elements’ resistant proteins (CopC, CopD, CzcD, and Acr3), exopolysaccharide (EPS)-producing proteins (ExoF and ExoQ), and nitrogen metabolic proteins (NarG, NarH, and NarI). The strain was positive for nitrate reduction. It was tolerant to 100 mM NaCl at 15 °C and 25 °C temperatures and resistant to multiple trace elements (up to 1 mM CuSO₄·5H₂O, 2 mM CoCl₂·6H₂O, 1 mM ZnSO₄·7H₂O, 0.05 mM Cd(NO₃)₂·4H₂O, and 100 mM Na₂HAsO₄·7H₂O at 15 °C and 0.25 mM CuSO₄·5H₂O, 2 mM CoCl₂·6H₂O, 0.5 mM ZnSO₄·7H₂O, 0.01 mM Cd(NO₃)₂·4H₂O, and 100 mM Na₂HAsO₄·7H₂O at 25 °C). This research contributes to our understanding of bacteria’s ability to survive abiotic stresses. The isolated strain can be a potential candidate for implementation for environmental and agricultural purposes. Full article

The utilization of plasmonic nanomaterials in catalytic technologies is an emerging research field with foreseeable applications in energy-catalytic technologies. On this front, the coupling of plasmonic nanomaterials with molecular catalysts is a newly approached, thus far unexploited field, that we discuss herein. In the present mini review, we contrast the case where the plasmonic particle itself is the catalytic center against the case where the plasmonic particle acts as a co-catalyst for an operational catalytic system. In the first part, we present an outline of the key phenomena in nanoplasmonics, and their potential implications in catalytic processes. The concepts of hot electrons, hot holes, and the dynamics of their generation and transfer are reviewed, as are the contribution of near-field and photothermal effects to catalytic processes. All these plasmonic-phenomena are then discussed in conjunction with representative catalytic systems from the literature. Full article

The members of Microbacterium isolated from different environments are known to form peptidoglycan. In this study, we compared the biofilm-forming abilities of Microbacterium sp. PAMC22086 (PAMC22086), which was isolated from the soil in the South Shetland Islands and Microbacterium sp. PAMC21962 (PAMC21962), which was isolated from algae in the South Shetland Islands. The analysis of average nucleotide identity and phylogeny of PAMC22086 revealed a 97% similarity to Microbacterium oxydans VIU2A, while PAMC21962 showed a 99.1% similarity to Microbacterium hominis SGAir0570. For the comparative genomic analysis of PAMC22086 and PAMC21962, the genes related to biofilm formation were identified using EggNOG and KEGG pathway databases. The genes possessed by both PAMC22086 and PAMC21962 are cpdA, phnB, rhlC, and glgC, which regulate virulence, biofilm formation, and multicellular structure. Among the genes indirectly involved in biofilm formation, unlike PAMC21962, PAMC22086 possessed csrA, glgC, and glgB, which are responsible for attachment and glycogen biosynthesis. Additionally, in PAMC22086, additional functional genes rsmA, which is involved in mobility and polysaccharide production, and dksA, GTPase, and oxyR, which play roles in cell cycle and stress response, were identified. In addition, the biofilm-forming ability of the two isolates was examined in vivo using the standard crystal violet staining technique, and morphological differences in the biofilm were investigated. It is evident from the different distribution of biofilm-associated genes between the two strains that the bacteria can survive in different niches by employing distinct strategies. Both strains exhibit distinct morphologies. PAMC22086 forms a biofilm that attaches to the side, while PAMC21962 indicates growth starting from the center. The biofilm formation-related genes in Microbacterium are not well understood. However, it has been observed that Microbacterium species form biofilm regardless of the number of genes they possess. Through comparison between different Microbacterium species, it was revealed that specific core genes are involved in cell adhesion, which plays a crucial role in biofilm formation. This study provides a comprehensive profile of the Microbacterium genus’s genomic features and a preliminary understanding of biofilm in this genus, laying the foundation for further research. Full article

This study reports the complete genome sequence of Subtercola sp. PAMC28395, a strain isolated from cryoconite in Uganda. This strain possesses several active carbohydrate-active enzyme (CAZyme) genes involved in glycogen and trehalose metabolism. Additionally, two specific genes associated with α-galactosidase (GH36) and bacterial alpha-1,2-mannosidase (GH92) were identified in this strain. The presence of these genes indicates the likelihood that they can be expressed, enabling the strain to break down specific polysaccharides derived from plants or the shells of nearby crabs. The authors performed a comparative analysis of CAZyme patterns and biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) in several Subtercola strains and provided annotations describing the unique characteristics of these strains. The comparative analysis of BGCs revealed that four strains, including PAMC28395, have oligosaccharide BGCs, and we confirmed that the pentose phosphate pathway was configured perfectly in the genome of PAMC28395, which may be associated with adaptation to low temperatures. Additionally, all strains contained antibiotic resistance genes, indicating a complex self-resistance system. These results suggest that PAMC28395 can adapt quickly to the cold environment and produce energy autonomously. This study provides valuable information on novel functional enzymes, particularly CAZymes, that operate at low temperatures and can be used for biotechnological applications and fundamental research purposes. Full article

Oil and gas extraction frequently produces substantial volumes of produced water, leading to several mechanical and environmental issues. Several methods have been applied over decades, including chemical processes such as in-situ crosslinked polymer gel and preformed particle gel, which are the most effective nowadays. This study developed a green and biodegradable PPG made of PAM and chitosan as a blocking agent for water shutoff, which will contribute to combating the toxicity of several commercially used PPGs. The applicability of chitosan to act as a crosslinker has been confirmed by FTIR spectroscopy and observed by scanning electron microscopy. Extensive swelling capacity measurements and rheological experiments were performed to examine the optimal formulation of PAM/Cs based on several PAM and chitosan concentrations and the effects of typical reservoir conditions, such as salinity, temperature, and pH. The optimum concentrations of PAM with 0.5 wt% chitosan were between 5–9 wt%, while the optimum chitosan amount with 6.5 wt% PAM was in the 0.25–0.5 wt% range, as these concentrations can produce PPGs with high swellability and sufficient strength. The swelling capacity of PAM/Cs is lower in high saline water (HSW) with a TDS of 67.2976 g/L compared with fresh water, which is related to the osmotic pressure gradient between the swelling medium and the PPG. The swelling capacity in freshwater was up to 80.37 g/g, while it is 18.73 g/g in HSW. The storage moduli were higher in HSW than freshwater, with ranges of 1695–5000 Pa and 2053–5989 Pa, respectively. The storage modulus of PAM/Cs samples was higher in a neutral medium (pH = 6), where the fluctuation behavior in different pH conditions is related to electrostatic repulsions and hydrogen bond formation. The increase in swelling capacity caused by the progressive increment in temperature is associated with the amide group’s hydrolysis to carboxylate groups. The sizes of the swollen particles are controllable since they are designed to be 0.63–1.62 mm in DIW and 0.86–1.00 mm in HSW. PAM/Cs showed promising swelling and rheological characteristics while demonstrating long-term thermal and hydrolytic stability in high-temperature and high-salinity conditions. Full article

A Gram-negative, aerobic, rod-shaped, motile bacterium designated KMM 9957^T was isolated from a bottom sediment sample obtained from the Okhotsk Sea, Russia. Phylogenetic analyses based on the 16S rRNA gene and concatenated conserved protein-coding sequences positioned the novel strain KMM 9957^T in the genus Marinobacterium as a distinct line adjacent to Marinobacterium rhizophilum CL-YJ9^T, Marinobacterium profundum PAMC 27536^T, and Marinobacterium aestuarii KCTC 52193^T with 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities of 99%, 98.3%, and 98.2%, respectively. The average nucleotide identity and digital DNA–DNA hybridization values between strain KMM 9957^T and M. aestuarii KCTC 52193^T, M. profundum PAMC 27536^T, and M. rhizophilum DSM 18822^T were 89.4%, 87.9%, and 84.7% and 38.6%, 34.8%, and 28.4%, respectively. The genomic DNA G+C content of strain KMM 9957^T was 58.4 mol%. The dominant respiratory quinone was ubiquinone Q-8, and the major fatty acids were C_18:1, C_10:0 3-OH, C_16:0, and C_16:1ω7c. The polar lipids of strain KMM 9957^T consisted of phosphatidylethanolamine, diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylcholine, an unidentified aminophospholipid, two unidentified aminolipids, eight unidentified phospholipids, and three unidentified lipids. Based on the combination of phylogenetic and phenotypic characteristics, strain KMM 9957^T represents a novel species of the genus Marinobacterium, for which the name Marinobacterium sedimentorum sp. nov. is proposed. Full article

Chloride ions in the seaside environment can corrode the steel reinforcement in concrete, which greatly endangers the safety of seaside structures. As an excellent adsorption material, hydrogel is widely used in the field of water treatment but is rarely used in cementitious materials. In this study, a polyacrylamide–chitosan hydrogel (PAMC) was prepared with N,N-methylenebisacrylamide as the cross-linking agent and acrylamide as the monomer. The prepared PAMC gel could effectively adsorb chloride ions in simulated seawater and simulated sea sand environments, and the maximum adsorption capacity of chloride ions by PAMC-1 (prepared from 2.5 g acrylamide and 1% content of N,N-methylenebisacrylamide relative to acrylamide) gels in simulated seawater was 55.53 mg/g. The adsorption behavior of the PAMC gels in solution fit the Langmuir isotherm model. The composition and morphology of the PAMC gel were characterized, and the responsiveness of the PAMC gel to the environment was studied. The results showed that the PAMC gels adsorbed better in alkaline environments and thus could be used in alkaline cement-based environments. The mortar sample containing the PAMC-1 gel had higher resistance to chloride ion penetration, and the chloride ion content at 7.5–10mm from the surface of the sample cured for 28 days was reduced by 41.4% compared to the samples without the gel. Full article

Single-stranded DNA-binding proteins (SSBs) are essential for DNA metabolism, including repair and replication, in all organisms. SSBs have potential applications in molecular biology and in analytical methods. In this study, for the first time, we purified, structurally characterized, and analyzed psychrophilic SSB (LjSSB) from Lacinutrix jangbogonensis PAMC 27137 isolated from the Antarctic region. LjSSB has a relatively short amino acid sequence, consisting of 111 residues, with a molecular mass of 12.6 kDa. LjSSB protein was overexpressed in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3) and analyzed for binding affinity using 20- and 35-mer deoxythymidine oligonucleotides (dT). In addition, the crystal structure of LjSSB at a resolution 2.6 Å was obtained. The LjSSB protein crystal belongs to the space group C222 with the unit cell parameters of a = 106.58 Å, b = 234.14 Å, c = 66.14 Å. The crystal structure was solved using molecular replacement, and subsequent iterative structure refinements and model building are currently under progress. Further, the complete structural information of LjSSB will provide a novel strategy for protein engineering and for the application on molecular biological techniques. Full article

Endo-β-1,4-xylanase is a key enzyme in the degradation of β-1,4-d-xylan polysaccharides through hydrolysis. A glycoside hydrolase family 10 (GH10) endo-β-1,4-xylanase (XylR) from Duganella sp. PAMC 27433, an Antarctic soil bacterium, was identified and functionally characterized. The XylR gene (1122-bp) encoded an acidic protein containing a single catalytic GH10 domain that was 86% identical to that of an uncultured bacterium BLR13 endo-β-1,4-xylanase (ACN58881). The recombinant enzyme (rXylR: 42.0 kDa) showed the highest beechwood xylan-degrading activity at pH 5.5 and 40 °C, and displayed 12% of its maximum activity even at 4 °C. rXylR was not only almost completely inhibited by 5 mM N-bromosuccinimide or metal ions (each 1 mM) including Hg²⁺, Ca²⁺, or Cu²⁺ but also significantly suppressed by 1 mM Ni²⁺, Zn²⁺, or Fe²⁺. However, its enzyme activity was upregulated (>1.4-fold) in the presence of 0.5% Triton X-100 or Tween 80. The specific activities of rXylR toward beechwood xylan, birchwood xylan, oat spelts xylan, and p-nitrophenyl-β-d-cellobioside were 274.7, 103.2, 35.6, and 365.1 U/mg, respectively. Enzymatic hydrolysis of birchwood xylan and d-xylooligosaccharides yielded d-xylose and d-xylobiose as the end products. The results of the present study suggest that rXylR is a novel cold-adapted d-xylobiose- and d-xylose-releasing endo-β-1,4-xylanase. Full article

This study presents a novel Janthinobacterium strain, SNU WT3, isolated from the kidney of rainbow trout. A phylogenetic study using 16S rRNA sequences indicated that the strain is closely related to Janthinobacterium svalbardensis JA-1^T. However, biochemical analysis found differences in D-xylose adonitol, N-acetylglucosamine, arbutin, and cellobiose. As for genome-to-genome distance and average nucleotide identity values calculated between strain SNU WT3 and other related strains such as J. lividum EIF1, J. svalbardensis PAMC 27463, and J. agaricidamnosum BHSEK were all below the cutoff value between species. DNA-DNA hybridization between strain SNU WT3 and other close relatives indicated the results of J. lividum DSM 1522^T (47.11%) and J. svalbardensis JA-1^T (38.88%) individually. The major fatty acid compositions of strain SNU WT3 were cylco-C_17:0 (41.45%), C_16:0 (33.86%) and C_12:0 (5.87%). The major polar lipids were phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylglycerol, and diphosphatidylglycerol. The quinone system was composed mainly of ubiquinone Q-8. The genome of strain SNU WT3 consists of 6,314,370 bp with a G + C content of 62.35%. Here, we describe a novel species of the genus Janthinobacterium, and the name Janthinobacterium tructae has been proposed with SNU WT3^T (=KCTC 72518 = JCM 33613) as the type strain. Full article

The fundamental motion model of the conventional block-based motion compensation in High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) is a translational motion model. However, in the real world, the motion of an object exists in the form of combining many kinds of motions. In Versatile Video Coding (VVC), a block-based 4-parameter and 6-parameter affine motion compensation (AMC) is being applied. In natural videos, in the majority of cases, a rigid object moves without any regularity rather than maintains the shape or transform with a certain rate. For this reason, the AMC still has a limit to compute complex motions. Therefore, more flexible motion model is desired for new video coding tool. In this paper, we design a perspective affine motion compensation (PAMC) method which can cope with more complex motions such as shear and shape distortion. The proposed PAMC utilizes perspective and affine motion model. The perspective motion model-based method uses four control point motion vectors (CPMVs) to give degree of freedom to all four corner vertices. Besides, the proposed algorithm is integrated into the AMC structure so that the existing affine mode and the proposed perspective mode can be executed adaptively. Because the block with the perspective motion model is a rectangle without specific feature, the proposed PAMC shows effective encoding performance for the test sequence containing irregular object distortions or dynamic rapid motions in particular. Our proposed algorithm is implemented on VTM 2.0. The experimental results show that the BD-rate reduction of the proposed technique can be achieved up to 0.45% and 0.30% on Y component for random access (RA) and low delay P (LDP) configurations, respectively. Full article

Glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) (EC 1.1.1.363) is a crucial regulatory enzyme in the oxidative pentose phosphate pathway that provides reductive potential in the form of NADPH, as well as carbon skeletons for the synthesis of macromolecules. In this study, we report the cloning, expression, and characterization of G6PD (SpG6PD1) from a lichen-associated psychrophilic bacterium Sphingomonas sp. PAMC 26621. SpG6PD1 was expressed in Escherichia coli as a soluble protein, having optimum activity at pH 7.5–8.5 and 30 °C for NADP⁺ and 20 °C for NAD⁺. SpG6PD1 utilized both NADP⁺ and NAD⁺, with the preferential utilization of NADP⁺. A high K_m value for glucose 6-phosphate and low activation enthalpy (ΔH^‡) compared with the values of mesophilic counterparts indicate the psychrophilic nature of SpG6PD1. Despite the secondary structure of SpG6PD1 being maintained between 4–40 °C, its activity and tertiary structure were better preserved between 4–20 °C. The results of this study indicate that the SpG6PD1 that has a flexible structure is most suited to a psychrophilic bacterium that is adapted to a permanently cold habitat. Full article