Single-Electron Catalysis of Reversible Cycloadditions under Nanoconfinement.

Electron transfer (ET) is crucial in many chemical reactions, but its mechanism and role are hardly understood in nanobiotechnology due to the complexity of reaction species and pathways involved. By modulating and monitoring electron behavior at the single-molecule level, we can better understand the fundamental mechanisms and ways to control them for technological use. Here, we unravel a mechanism of single-electron catalysis under positively charged nanoconfinement.

Exceptional Field Effect and Negative Differential Conductance in Spiro-Conjugated Single-Molecule Junctions.

The advancement of molecular electronics endeavors to build miniaturized electronic devices using molecules as the key building blocks by harnessing their internal structures and electronic orbitals. To date, linear planar conjugated or cross-conjugated molecules have been extensively employed in the fabrication of single-molecule devices, benefiting from their good conductivity and compatibility with electrode architectures. However, the development of multifunctional single-molecule devices, particularly those with unique charge transport properties, necessitates a more rigorous selection of molecular materials.

pH sensor based on tilted fiber Bragg grating surface plasmon resonance with a polyaniline reaction deposition film layer.

In this paper, we propose a surface plasmon resonance (SPR) fiber-optic pH sensor combined with a tilted fiber Bragg grating (TFBG) by continuously coating gold and polyaniline (PANI) onto the surface of a TFBG. The micron-scale thickness polyaniline film provides the sensor with good sensitivity, and it achieves accurate measurement of pH values ranging from 2 to 12 by utilizing the pH-responsive mechanism of PANI and the surface plasmon resonance characteristics. Experimental results show that within the 2-12 pH range, the sensitivity of the TFBG surface plasmon resonance pH sensor based on PANI coating is 0.

Regulation of quantum spin conversions in a single molecular radical.

Free radicals, generally formed through the cleavage of covalent electron-pair bonds, play an important role in diverse fields ranging from synthetic chemistry to spintronics and nonlinear optics. However, the characterization and regulation of the radical state at a single-molecule level face formidable challenges. Here we present the detection and sophisticated tuning of the open-shell character of individual diradicals with a donor-acceptor structure via a sensitive single-molecule electrical approach.

The Influence of Laser Process Parameters on the Adhesion Strength between Electroless Copper and Carbon Fiber Composites Determined Using Response Surface Methodology.

Laser process technology provides a feasible method for directly manufacturing surface-metallized carbon fiber composites (CFCs); however, the laser's process parameters strongly influence on the adhesion strength between electroless copper and CFCs. Here, a nanosecond ultraviolet laser was used to fabricate electroless copper on the surface of CFCs. In order to achieve good adhesion strength, four key process parameters, namely, the laser power, scanning line interval, scanning speed, and pulse frequency, were optimized experimentally using response surface methodology, and a central composite design was utilized to design the experiments.

Rice Grain Detection and Counting Method Based on TCLE-YOLO Model.

Thousand-grain weight is the main parameter for accurately estimating rice yields, and it is an important indicator for variety breeding and cultivation management. The accurate detection and counting of rice grains is an important prerequisite for thousand-grain weight measurements. However, because rice grains are small targets with high overall similarity and different degrees of adhesion, there are still considerable challenges preventing the accurate detection and counting of rice grains during thousand-grain weight measurements.

Screening and optimization of phage display cyclic peptides against the WDR5 WBM site.

Of the various WD40 family proteins, WDR5 is a particularly important multifunctional adaptor protein that can bind to several protein complexes to regulate gene activation, so it was considered as a promising epigenetic target in anti-cancer drug development. Despite many inhibitors having been discovered directing against the arginine-binding cavity in WDR5 called the WIN site, the side hydrophobic cavity called the WBM site receives rather scant attention. Herein, we aim to obtain novel WBM-targeted peptidic inhibitors with high potency and selectivity.

Unravelling the Superiority of Nonbenzenoid Acepleiadylene as a Building Block for Organic Semiconducting Materials.

Acepleiadylene (APD), a nonbenzenoid isomer of pyrene, exhibits a unique charge-separated character with a large molecular dipole and a small optical gap. However, APD has never been explored in optoelectronic materials to take advantage of these appealing properties. Here, we employ APD as a building block in organic semiconducting materials for the first time, and unravel the superiority of nonbenzenoid APD in electronic applications.

BsLPMO10A from Bacillus subtilis boosts the depolymerization of diverse polysaccharides linked via β-1,4-glycosidic bonds.

Lytic polysaccharide monooxygenase (LPMO) is known as an oxidatively cleaving enzyme in recalcitrant polysaccharide deconstruction. Herein, we report a novel AA10 LPMO derived from Bacillus subtilis (BsLPMO10A). A substrate specificity study revealed that the enzyme exhibited an extensive active-substrate spectrum, particularly for polysaccharides linked via β-1,4 glycosidic bonds, such as β-(Man1 → 4Man), β-(Glc1 → 4Glc) and β-(Xyl1 → 4Xyl).

The Impact of an Authoritarian Personality on Pro-Environmental Behaviour for Air Pollution Mitigation through Interactions with Social Norms.

This study examines how risk perception and authoritarian personality affect public engagement in mitigating air pollution. Data were collected ( = 2010) from 13 Chinese cities with varying air pollution gradients using questionnaires. The results demonstrated that air pollution was significantly correlated with people's risk perception and concern about air pollution, which significantly affected their pro-environmental behaviour (PEB).

BdPUL12 depolymerizes β-mannan-like glycans into mannooligosaccharides and mannose, which serve as carbon sources for Bacteroides dorei and gut probiotics.

Symbiotic bacteria, including members of the Bacteroides genus, are known to digest dietary fibers in the gastrointestinal tract. The metabolism of complex carbohydrates is restricted to a specified subset of species and is likely orchestrated by polysaccharide utilization loci (PULs) in these microorganisms. β-Mannans are plant cell wall polysaccharides that are commonly found in human nutrients.

Revisiting Acepleiadylene: Two-Step Synthesis and π-Extension toward Nonbenzenoid Nanographene.

Acepleiadylene (), a nonbenzenoid nonalternant isomer of pyrene, exhibits different electronic properties from pyrene, but has been rarely studied since its first synthesis in 1956, probably due to the difficulties in synthesis and further derivatization. In this work, we revisited this long-known compound and developed a new two-step synthetic route to efficiently access on the gram scale. Theoretical and experimental characterizations elucidated the unique properties of as compared with its benzenoid isomer pyrene, particularly revealing its dipolar structure with a narrow optical gap.

Phage-Display Based Discovery and Characterization of Peptide Ligands against WDR5.

WD40 is a ubiquitous domain presented in at least 361 human proteins and acts as scaffold to form protein complexes. Among them, WDR5 protein is an important mediator in several protein complexes to exert its functions in histone modification and chromatin remodeling. Therefore, it was considered as a promising epigenetic target involving in anti-cancer drug development.

A novel bifunctional glucanase exhibiting high production of glucose and cellobiose from rumen bacterium.

Herbivores gastrointestinal microbiota is of tremendous interest for mining novel lignocellulosic enzymes for bioprocessing. We previously reported a set of potential carbohydrate-active enzymes from the metatranscriptome of the Hu sheep rumen microbiome. In this study, we isolated and heterologously expressed two novel glucanase genes, Cel5A-h38 and Cel5A-h49, finding that both recombinant enzymes showed the optimum temperatures of 50 °C.

Hedgehog-like BiS nanostructures: a novel composite soft template route to the synthesis and sensitive electrochemical immunoassay of the liver cancer biomarker.

An effective electrochemical immunosensor for detecting the liver cancer biomarker was developed based on the hedgehog-like BiS nanostructure, which was synthesized using novel CTAB-trimellitic acid as a composite soft template and thiourea as the sulfur source by a simple hydrothermal method with 20-fold sensitivity enhancement and one order of magnitude increase of linear range. The electrochemical immunosensor presented excellent performance, and could be applied to detect the cancer biomarker in clinical serum samples.

Enhanced stability of a rumen-derived xylanase using SpyTag/SpyCatcher cyclization.

Microbiota from herbivore rumen is of great interest for mining glycoside hydrolases for lignocellulosic biomass biorefinement. We previously isolated a highly active but poorly thermostable xylanase (LXY) from a rumen fluid fosmid library of Hu sheep, a local high-reproductive species in China. In this study, we used a universal enzyme-engineering strategy called SpyTag/SpyCatcher molecular cyclization to improve LXY stability via isopeptide-bond-mediated ligation.

Transcriptome Analysis Reveals That Alfalfa Promotes Rumen Development Through Enhanced Metabolic Processes and Calcium Transduction in Hu Lambs.

A healthy gut is very important for young animal development. The rumen of ruminants expands in size with the colonization of microbiota by 2 months of age. This process is promoted by alfalfa intervention.

Metatranscriptomics of the Hu sheep rumen microbiome reveals novel cellulases.

Background: Cellulosic biomass has great potential as a renewable biofuel resource. Robust, high-performance enzymes are needed to effectively utilize this valuable resource. In this study, metatranscriptomics was used to explore the carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes), especially glycoside hydrolases (GHs), present in the rumen microbiome of Hu sheep.

SpyTag/SpyCatcher molecular cyclization confers protein stability and resilience to aggregation.

The capacities for thermal and inhibitor tolerance are critical for industrial enzymes and loss of activity is a major challenge in deploying natural enzymes for commercial applications. Protein engineering approaches, such as site-directed mutagenesis and directed evolution, have been devoted to modifying natural enzymes. Recently, a post-translation protein engineering strategy, the SpyTag/SpyCatcher system, was introduced.

Identification of microRNAs with heat stress responsive and immune properties in Marsupenaeus japonicus based on next-generation sequencing and bioinformatics analysis: Essential regulators in the heat stress-host interactions.

Summer mortality syndrome is one of the most serious issue for Marsupenaeus japonicus aquaculture in China. Since it causes massive economic loss and threatens sustainability of M. japonicus aquaculture industry, thus, there is an urgent desire to reveal the heat stress-host interactions mechanisms that lead to mass mortalities of M.

Reversible Dilation of Cerebral Macrovascular Changes in MELAS Episodes.

Purpose: To investigate the cerebral macrovascular changes as well as the relationship of large vessels and cerebral blood flow (CBF) in mitochondrial encephalomyopathy, lactic acidosis and stroke-like episodes (MELAS) using magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) and arterial spin labeling (ASL) perfusion MR imaging (MRI).

Methods: A total of 20 patients diagnosed with MELAS (12 males, 8 females; mean age, 23.3 years) underwent conventional MRI, time-of-flight (TOF) MRA and three dimensional ASL.

[Progress in lytic polysaccharide monooxygenase].

Lignocellulose is the most abundant renewable biomass resource. Enzymatic breakdown of lignocellulose into oligosaccharides or monosaccharides is the key to exploit lignocellulosic biomass. However, traditional glycoside hydrolases are insufficient to degrade lignocellulose.

Conventional and Diffusional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Features of Mitochondrial Encephalomyopathy, Lactic Acidosis, and Stroke-Like Episodes in Chinese Patients: A Study of 40 Cases.

Purposes: The aims of the study were to analyze the conventional and diffusion-weighted MRI (DWI) of mitochondrial encephalomyopathy, lactic acidosis, and stroke-like episodes (MELAS) and to investigate underlying mechanisms.

Methods: Features of 58 acute and 68 chronic stroke-like lesions as well as global brain abnormalities of 40 Chinese MELAS patients were analyzed.

Results: Gyriform DWI hyperintensity with decreased apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) and patchy DWI hyperintensity with normal ADC were noted in 56 of 58 and 2 of 58 cortical regions of acute lesions, respectively.