A number of carboligases, which catalyze condensation of C1- and/or C2-aldehydes into multi-carbon products, have been reported. However, their catalytic activities and/or regioselectivities remained rather low. Thereby, this study has focused on engineering of C1 and C2 carboligases for the regioselective condensation of C1-formaldehyde into C4-erythrulose via C2-glycolaldehyde.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFChronic liver injury due to various hepatotoxic stimuli commonly leads to fibrosis, which is a crucial factor contributing to liver disease-related mortality. Despite the potential benefits of () as a natural product, its biological and therapeutic effects are barely known. This study investigated the effects of extract (SGE), obtained from a smart farming system utilizing LED lamps, on the activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) and the development of liver fibrosis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn membrane-based separation, molecular size differences relative to membrane pore sizes govern mass flux and separation efficiency. In applications requiring complex molecular differentiation, such as in natural gas processing, cascaded pore size distributions in membranes allow different permeate molecules to be separated without a reduction in throughput. Here, we report the decoration of microporous polymer membrane surfaces with molecular fluorine.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHepatocyte death is critical for the pathogenesis of liver disease progression, which is closely associated with endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress responses. However, the molecular basis for ER stress-mediated hepatocyte injury remains largely unknown. This study investigated the effect of ER stress on dual-specificity phosphatase 5 (DUSP5) expression and its role in hepatocyte death.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe glycogen branching enzyme from Vibrio vulnificus (VvGBE) transfers short side chains (DP 3-5) significantly greater than any other bacterial glycogen branching enzyme (GBE). To elucidate the role of the N-domain of VvGBE in the unique branching pattern, domain-truncated (N1 and N) and N1-domain-swapped (with VvGBE N1 replacing the counter part of Escherichia coli GBE) mutants were constructed. The truncation mutants synthesized branched products with a greatly reduced proportion of short chains.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMicrochannels are fabricated using a photosensitive polymer to which microporosity is tuned with different X-ray doses. Using hard X-ray irradiation, the micropattern is positioned with various geometries in a multi-level, three-dimensional structure, while controlling the pore size and transport properties of small molecules. This highly reliable fabrication process has potential for use in microfluidic devices with enhanced transport properties through microchannels.
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