Translation, or the synthesis of proteins, is a complex process orchestrated by the ribosome. However, translation may be stalled by the interaction of the ribosome with ‘ribosome arrest peptides’ (RAPs). While translation arrest helps regulate downstream gene expression, precise mechanisms underlying RAP activity remain poorly understood. Researchers from Japan have now characterized RAPs from Escherichia coli and uncovered a novel mini-hairpin-shaped nascent peptide that induces translation arrest through a unique mechanism.

An international research team led by Mayukh Kumar Ray, Mingxuan Fu, and Satoru Nakatsuji from the University of Tokyo, along with Collin Broholm from Johns Hopkins University, has discovered the anomalous Hall effect in a collinear antiferromagnet. More strikingly, the anomalous Hall effect emerges from a non-Fermi liquid state, in which electrons do not interact according to conventional models. The discovery not only challenges the textbook framework for interpreting the anomalous Hall effect but also widens the range of antiferromagnets useful for information technologies. The findings were published in the journal Nature Communications.

Conventional thinking holds that the metal site in single atom catalysts (SACs) has been a limiting factor to the continued improvement of the design and, therefore, the continued improvement of the capability of these SACs. More specifically, the lack of outside-the-box thinking when it comes to the crucial hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), a half-reaction resulting in the splitting of water, has contributed to a lack of advancement in this field. New

research emphasizes the importance of pushing the limits of the metal site design in SACs to optimize the HER and addressing the poisoning effects of HO* and O* that might affect the reaction. All of these improvements could lead to an improved performance of the reaction, which can make sustainable energy storage or hydrogen production more available.

Kyoto, Japan -- From the Japanese cypress to the ponderosa pine, wood has been used in construction for millennia. Though materials like steel and concrete have largely taken over large building construction, wood is making a comeback, increasingly being used in public and multi-story buildings for its environmental benefits.

Of course, wood has often been passed over in favor of other materials because it is easily damaged by sunlight and moisture when used outdoors. Wood coatings have been designed to protect wood surfaces for this reason, but coating damage often starts before it becomes visible. Once the deterioration can be seen with the naked eye, it is already too late.

To solve this problem, a team of researchers at Kyoto University is working to create a simple but effective method of diagnosing this nearly invisible deterioration before the damage becomes irreparable.

Scientists found Escherichia albertii, an emerging foodborne pathogen, in 64% of retail chicken meat in Bangladesh. The study revealed widespread contamination, cross-contamination during processing and high antimicrobial resistance. The findings highlight urgent public health risks and the need for improved hygiene, antibiotic regulations and global monitoring.