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This issue has a total of three research articles. The authors and titles of these articles are as follows:

The newest issue of Academia Economic Papers has just been published by the Institute of Economics. Articles in this issue (Vol. 51, No. 3) include:

As a group of sessile crustaceans, barnacles establish permanent attachment through initial cement secretion at the larval phase followed by continuous cement secretion in juveniles and adults. However, the origins and evolution of barnacle larval and adult cement proteins remain poorly understood. The research team of Benny K.K. Chan, Research Fellow of Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica performed microdissection of larval cement glands, transcriptome and shotgun proteomics and immunohistochemistry validation, successfully identified 30 larval and 27 adult cement proteins of the epibiotic turtle barnacle Chelonibia testudinaria, of which the majority are stage-and barnacle-specific. While only two proteins, SIPC and CP100K, were expressed in both larvae and adults, detection of protease inhibitors and the cross-linking enzyme lysyl oxidase paralogs in larvae and adult cement. Different CP52k cement protein paralogues could be detected in larval and adult cement, suggesting stage-specific cement proteins may arise from duplication followed by changes in expression timing of the duplicates. Interestingly, the biochemical properties of larval-and adult-specific CP52k paralogues exhibited remarkable differences. We conclude that barnacle larval and adult cement systems evolved independently, and both emerged from co-option of existing genes and de novo formation, duplication and functional divergence of lineage-specific cement protein genes. This study has been published in in the journal Molecular Ecology.

The transcription factor TATA-box binding protein (TBP) modulates gene expression in nuclei. This process requires the involvement of nuclear transport receptors, collectively termed karyopherin- (Kap-) in yeast, and various regulatory factors. Previous studies showed that Kap114p, a Kap- that mediates nuclear import of yeast TBP (yTBP), modulates yTBP-dependent transcription. However, how Kap114p associates with yTBP to exert its multifaceted functions has remained elusive. The team led by Dr. Kuo-Chiang Hsia (Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica) and Dr. Wei-Yi Chen (Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Life Sciences, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University) presents a cryo-EM structure of Kap114p, one of the Kap-βs, in complex with TATA box binding protein and reveals a non-canonical function beyond nuclear transport that modulates TBP-dependent transcription. This study has been published in in the journal Nature Communications.

A research team led by Dr. Yi-Ping Hsueh, Distinguished Research Fellow at the Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinca used high-end optical microscopy and biochemical approaches to demonstrate that KLHL17 and SYNPO, two autism-linked proteins, act in concert to regulate the organization and distribution of the spine apparatus, a specialized endoplasmic reticulum structure at excitatory synapses. KLHL17 and SYNPO promote clustering of the spine apparatus in the excitatory synapse to regulate calcium dynamics and consequently influence neuronal plasticity and activation. Furthermore, via collaboration with Dr. Bi-Chang Chen, Associate Research Fellow at the Research Center of Applied Sciences, they applied an improved expansion microscopy technology to successfully observe the three-dimensional ultrastructure and organization of the spine apparatus, as well as of the KLHL17 and SYNPO proteins, with an ultra-resolution of nearly 30 nanometers. Their research clearly links the function of the spine apparatus to ASD via control of synaptic plasticity. This study has been published in the journal PLOS Biology (August 2023).

A study has unraveled a mystery that persisted for fifty years in plant science – the elusive role of Pathogenesis-Related Protein 1 (PR1) in plant immunity. Led by Dr. Yet-Ran Chen at the Agricultural Biotechnology Research Center, Academia Sinica, this research casts a revealing light on the pivotal mechanism governing the enzymatic transformation of canonical immune biomarker PR1 into a potent CAPE cytokine. This transformation initiates plant systemic acquired resistance (SAR), a critical defense function against pathogenic infection. Remarkably, even plants incapable of synthesizing or perceiving salicylic acid, a central hormone for activating SAR, can activate systemic immunity when exposed to trace amounts of CAPE. This achievement serves as a foundation for enhancing crops' resilience against diseases and introduces novel perspectives for mitigating the adverse effects of global warming on plant immunity. This study has been published in the journal Nature Communications (August 2023).

Unlocking the potential of protein activation has historically posed challenges, necessitating extensive screening and biochemical assays. Dr. Kuen-Phon Wu at the Institute of Biological Chemistry has led a team to demonstrate a paradigm shift. By integrating the advanced deep learning tool, ProteinMPNN, they have engineered ubiquitin into a potent allosteric activator tailored for Rsp5 E3 ligase. The entire process was fully automated from protein designs to sample preparation to functional assays took only three months. This milestone heralds a new era, where AI-driven protein design obviates the need for exhaustive experimental screening and validation. This study has been published in in the journal ACS Synthetic Biology (August 2023).

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The newest issue of the Journal of Social Sciences and Philosophy has just been published by the Research Center for Humanities and Social Sciences. Articles in this issue (Vol.35, No.2) include:

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Using well-preserved fossil fish otoliths from the Solomon Sea in the southwest edge of equatorial Pacific Ocean, Dr. Chien-Hsiang Lin’s research team reconstructed deep-sea fish communities over the past 460,000 years. Combining ancient seawater temperature records with fish diversity and abundance, they discovered a close relationship between tropical deep-sea fish communities and fluctuating seawater temperatures. These insights shed light on the intricate dynamics of fish structures in response to temperature changes. This study has been published in in the journal Science Advances in July 2023

The "IceCube" Neutrino Observatory, consisting of over 350 scientists worldwide, has made a breakthrough in astronomy by generating an image of the Milky Way galaxy using high-energy neutrinos for the first time. This confirms the long-standing speculation about the Milky Way being a source of high-energy neutrinos. Accumulating ten years of data on over 60,000 neutrinos, scientists rely on models and machine learning.