Membrane modulatory effects of omega-3 fatty acids: Analysis of molecular level interactions.

Bioactive omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids have been shown to reduce the risk of death in patients with cardiovascular disease and alleviate the symptoms of other inflammatory diseases. However, the mechanisms of action of these effects remain unclear. It has been postulated that omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids modify cell membranes by incorporation into the membrane and altering the signaling properties of cellular receptors.

Improving the quality of XAFS data.

Following the Q2XAFS Workshop and Satellite to IUCr Congress 2017 on `Data Acquisition, Treatment, Storage - quality assurance in XAFS spectroscopy', a summary is given of the discussion on different aspects of a XAFS experiment that affect data quality. Some pertinent problems ranging from sources and minimization of noise to harmonic contamination and uncompensated monochromator glitches were addressed. Also, an overview is given of the major limitations and pitfalls of a selection of related methods, such as photon-out spectroscopies and energy-dispersive XAFS, and of increasingly common applications, namely studies at high pressure, and time-resolved investigations of catalysts in operando.

A call for a round robin study of XAFS stability and platform dependence at synchrotron beamlines on well defined samples.

Round robin studies have been used across fields of science for quality control testing and to investigate laboratory dependencies and cross-platform inconsistencies as well as to drive forward the improvement of understanding of experimental systems, systematic effects and theoretical limitations. Here, following the Q2XAFS Workshop and Satellite to IUCr Congress 2017 on `Data Acquisition, Treatment, Storage - quality assurance in XAFS spectroscopy', a mechanism is suggested for a suitable study across XAFS (X-ray absorption fine-structure) beamlines and facilities, to enable each beamline to cross-calibrate, provide representative test data, and to enable collaborative cross-facility activities to be more productive.

An X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy study of metal sorption to graphene oxide.

Remediation and prevention of environmental contamination by toxic metals is an ongoing issue. Additionally, improving water filtration systems is necessary to prevent toxic metals from circulating through the water supply. Graphene oxide (GO) is a highly sorptive material for a variety of heavy metals under different ionic strength conditions over a wide pH range, making it a promising candidate for use in metal adsorption from contaminated sites or in filtration systems.

Molybdenum Carbamate Nanosheets as a New Class of Potential Phase Change Materials.

We report for the first time the synthesis of large, free-standing, MoO(μ-S)(Etdtc) (MoDTC) nanosheets (NSs), which exhibit an electron-beam induced crystalline-to-amorphous phase transition. Both electron beam ionization and femtosecond (fs) optical excitation induce the phase transition, which is size-, morphology-, and composition-preserving. Resulting NSs are the largest, free-standing regularly shaped two-dimensional amorphous nanostructures made to date.

Peptide-Directed PdAu Nanoscale Surface Segregation: Toward Controlled Bimetallic Architecture for Catalytic Materials.

Bimetallic nanoparticles are of immense scientific and technological interest given the synergistic properties observed when two different metallic species are mixed at the nanoscale. This is particularly prevalent in catalysis, where bimetallic nanoparticles often exhibit improved catalytic activity and durability over their monometallic counterparts. Yet despite intense research efforts, little is understood regarding how to optimize bimetallic surface composition and structure synthetically using rational design principles.

The transcriptional response to tumorigenic polarity loss in Drosophila.

Loss of polarity correlates with progression of epithelial cancers, but how plasma membrane misorganization drives oncogenic transcriptional events remains unclear. The polarity regulators of the Drosophila Scribble (Scrib) module are potent tumor suppressors and provide a model for mechanistic investigation. RNA profiling of Scrib mutant tumors reveals multiple signatures of neoplasia, including altered metabolism and dedifferentiation.

Metal and ligand effects on bonding in group 6 complexes of redox-active amidodiphenoxides.

Group 6 complexes M(ONO)2 (M = Cr, Mo, W; ONO = bis(2-oxy-3,5-di-tert-butylphenyl)amide) are prepared by the reaction of divalent metal halide precursors with Pb(ONO(Q))2. Analogous complexes containing the 2,4,6,8-tetra-tert-butyl-1,9-dioxophenoxazinate ligand (DOPO) are prepared by protonolysis of chromocene with H(DOPO(Q)) or by reaction of Pb(DOPO(Q))2 with M2Br4(CO)8 (M = Mo, W). The molybdenum and tungsten complexes are symmetrical, octahedral compounds for which spectroscopic data are consistent with M(VI) complexes with fully reduced [L(Cat)](3-) ligands.

How Does a SILAR CdSe Film Grow? Tuning the Deposition Steps to Suppress Interfacial Charge Recombination in Solar Cells.

Successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) is a popular method of depositing the metal chalcogenide semiconductor layer on the mesoscopic metal oxide films for designing quantum-dot-sensitized solar cells (QDSSCs) or extremely thin absorber (ETA) solar cells. While this deposition method exhibits higher loading of the light-absorbing semiconductor layer than direct adsorption of presynthesized colloidal quantum dots, the chemical identity of these nanostructures and the evolution of interfacial structure are poorly understood. We have now analyzed step-by-step SILAR deposition of CdSe films on mesoscopic TiO2 nanoparticle films using X-ray absorption near-edge structure analysis and probed the interfacial structure of these films.

Comparison of creatinine and specific gravity for hydration corrections on measurement of the tobacco-specific nitrosamine 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanol (NNAL) in urine.

Background: Tobacco-specific carcinogen 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanol (NNAL) was measured in all participants aged 6 years and older from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2007-2008. The suitability of using creatinine or specific gravity for urinary NNAL correction in exposure assessment is examined in this study.

Methods: Effects of both specific gravity and creatinine correction on urinary NNAL among smokers were investigated with multiple linear regression models using either normalization or the fitting of creatinine and specific gravity in the model as covariates.

Bioreduction of hydrogen uranyl phosphate: mechanisms and U(IV) products.

The mobility of uranium (U) in subsurface environments is controlled by interrelated adsorption, redox, and precipitation reactions. Previous work demonstrated the formation of nanometer-sized hydrogen uranyl phosphate (abbreviated as HUP) crystals on the cell walls of Bacillus subtilis, a non-U(VI)-reducing, Gram-positive bacterium. The current study examined the reduction of this biogenic, cell-associated HUP mineral by three dissimilatory metal-reducing bacteria, Anaeromyxobacter dehalogenans strain K, Geobacter sulfurreducens strain PCA, and Shewanella putrefaciens strain CN-32, and compared it to the bioreduction of abiotically formed and freely suspended HUP of larger particle size.

Templated nanocrystal assembly on biodynamic artificial microtubule asters.

Microtubules (MTs) and the MT-associated proteins (MAPs) are critical cooperative agents involved in complex nanoassembly processes in biological systems. These biological materials and processes serve as important inspiration in developing new strategies for the assembly of synthetic nanomaterials in emerging techologies. Here, we explore a dynamic biofabrication process, modeled after the form and function of natural aster-like MT assemblies such as centrosomes.

Macroparasite population dynamics among geographical localities and host life cycle stages: eugregarines in Ischnura verticalis.

Populations of several species of gregarine parasites within a single host species, the damselfly Ischnura verticalis , were examined over the course of 1 season at 4 geographic localities separated by a maximum distance of 9.7 km. Gregarines, having a life cycle with both exogenous and endogenous stages, are subject to a wide variety of selective pressures that may drive adaptation.

Thermally programmable pH buffers.

Many reactions in both chemistry and biology rely on the ability to precisely control and fix the solution concentrations of either protons or hydroxide ions. In this report, we describe the behavior of thermally programmable pH buffer systems based on the copolymerization of varying amounts of acrylic acid (AA) groups into N-isopropylacrylamide polymers. Because the copolymers undergo phase transitions upon heating and cooling, the local environment around the AA groups can be reversibly switched between hydrophobic and hydrophilic states affecting the ionization behavior of the acids.

Reversible control of electrochemical properties using thermally-responsive polymer electrolytes.

A thermally responsive copolymer is designed to modulate the properties of an electrolyte solution. The copolymer is prepared using pNIPAM, which governs the thermal properties, and acrylic acid, which provides the electrolyte ions. As the polymer undergoes a thermally activated phase transition, the local environment around the acid groups is reversibly switched, decreasing ion concentration and conductivity.

Substrate effects on interactions of lipid bilayer assemblies with bound nanoparticles.

Understanding the interactions of nanoparticles with lipid membranes is crucial in establishing the mechanisms that govern assembly of membrane-based nanocomposites, nanotoxicology, and biomimetic inspired self-assembly. In this study, we explore binding of charged nanoparticles to lipid bilayers, both as liposomes and substrate supported assemblies. We find that the presence of a solid-support, regardless of curvature, eliminates the ability of zwitterionic fluid phase lipids to bind charged nanoparticles.

Lipid bilayer reorganization under extreme pH conditions.

Supported lipid bilayers containing phosphatidylcholine headgroups are observed to undergo reorganization from a 2D fluid, lipid bilayer assembly into an array of complex 3D structures upon exposure to extreme pH environments. These conditions induce a combination of molecular packing and electrostatic interactions that can create dynamic morphologies of highly curved lipid membrane structures. This work demonstrates that fluid, single-component lipid bilayer assemblies can create complex morphologies, a phenomenon typically only associated with lipid bilayers of mixed composition.

Targeting proteins to liquid-ordered domains in lipid membranes.

We demonstrate the construction of novel protein-lipid assemblies through the design of a lipid-like molecule, DPIDA, endowed with tail-driven affinity for specific lipid membrane phases and head-driven affinity for specific proteins. In studies performed on giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs) with varying mole fractions of dipalymitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC), cholesterol, and diphytanoylphosphatidyl choline (DPhPC), DPIDA selectively partitioned into the more ordered phases, either solid or liquid-ordered (L(o)) depending on membrane composition. Fluorescence imaging established the phase behavior of the resulting quaternary lipid system.

Increased mass transport at lithographically defined 3-D porous carbon electrodes.

Increased mass transport due to hemispherical diffusion is observed to occur in 3D porous carbon electrodes defined by interferometric lithography. Enhanced catalytic methanol oxidation, after modifying the porous carbon with palladium nanoparticles, and uncharacteristically uniform conducting polymer deposition into the structures are demonstrated. Both examples result in two regions of hierarchical porosity that can be created to maximize surface area, via nanostructuring, within the extended porous network, while taking advantage of hemispherical diffusion through the open pores.

Nanostructured ruthenium oxide electrodes via high-temperature molecular templating for use in electrochemical capacitors.

Ruthenium oxide is a model pseudocapacitive materials exhibiting good electronic and protonic conduction and has been shown to achieve very high gravimetric capacitances. However, the capacitance of thermally prepared ruthenium oxide is generally low because of low protonic conductivity resulting from dehydration of the oxide upon annealing. High-temperature processing, however also produces the electrically conducting ruthenium oxide rutile phase, which is of great interest for electrochemical capacitors.

A tumor suppressor activity of Drosophila Polycomb genes mediated by JAK-STAT signaling.

A prevailing paradigm posits that Polycomb Group (PcG) proteins maintain stem cell identity by repressing differentiation genes, and abundant evidence points to an oncogenic role for PcG proteins in human cancer. Here we show using Drosophila melanogaster that a conventional PcG complex can also have a potent tumor suppressor activity. Mutations in any core PRC1 component cause pronounced hyperproliferation of eye imaginal tissue, accompanied by deregulation of epithelial architecture.

Phospholipid-gold nanorod composites.

Phospholipids comprise an enormous range of chemical structures that provide much of the functionality associated with cellular membranes. We have developed a simple method for incorporating phospholipids onto the surfaces of anisotropic gold nanorods as a stepping-stone for creating responsive and multifunctional nanocomposites. In this report, we demonstrate how phospholipids can be used to control the self-assembly of gold nanorods into agglomerate architectures ranging from open "end-to-end" networks to densely packed "side-to-side" arrays.

Effects of the microbial siderophore DFO-B on Pb and Cd speciation in aqueous solution.

This study investigates the complexation environments of aqueous Pb and Cd in the presence of the trihydroxamate microbial siderophore, desferrioxamine-B (DFO-B) as a function of pH. Complexation of aqueous Pb and Cd with DFO-B was predicted using equilibrium speciation calculation. Synchrotron-based X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) spectroscopy at Pb L(III) edge and Cd K edge was used to characterize Pb and Cd-DFO-B complexes at pH values predicted to best represent each of the metal-siderophore complexes.

Cdt1 and Cdc6 are destabilized by rereplication-induced DNA damage.

The replication factors Cdt1 and Cdc6 are essential for origin licensing, a prerequisite for DNA replication initiation. Mechanisms to ensure that metazoan origins initiate once per cell cycle include degradation of Cdt1 during S phase and inhibition of Cdt1 by the geminin protein. Geminin depletion or overexpression of Cdt1 or Cdc6 in human cells causes rereplication, a form of endogenous DNA damage.