Nonionic Water-Soluble Oligo(ethylene glycol)-Modified Polypeptides with a β-Sheet Conformation.

The secondary structures of polypeptides, such as an α-helix and a β-sheet, often impart specific properties and functions, making the regulation of their secondary structures of great significance. Particularly, water-soluble polypeptides bearing a β-sheet conformation are rare and challenging to achieve. Here, a series of oligo(ethylene glycol)-modified lysine -carboxylic anhydrides (K-NCA, where = 1-3) and the corresponding polymers K are synthesized, with urethane bonds as the linker between the side-chain EG and lysine.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and Streptomyces: brothers in arms to shape the structure and function of the hyphosphere microbiome in the early stage of interaction.

Background: Fungi and bacteria coexist in a wide variety of environments, and their interactions are now recognized as the norm in most agroecosystems. These microbial communities harbor keystone taxa, which facilitate connectivity between fungal and bacterial communities, influencing their composition and functions. The roots of most plants are associated with arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi, which develop dense networks of hyphae in the soil.

Value of the monocyte-to-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio in refining the detection of prevalent heart failure: Insights from the NHANES 1999-2018.

The monocyte-to-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio (MHR) is a novel marker that can help estimate the degree of atherosclerosis by considering inflammation and lipid abnormalities. This study aimed to assess the association between the MHR and prevalent heart failure (HF) and to explore the value of the MHR in detecting prevalent HF in the general US population. Our study included 25,374 participants from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1999-2018).

Porous InO Hollow Tube Infused with g-CN for CO Photocatalytic Reduction.

Converting CO into energy-rich fuels by using solar energy is a sustainable solution that promotes a carbon-neutral economy and mitigates our reliance on fossil fuels. However, affordable and efficient CO conversion remains an ongoing challenge. Here, we introduce polymeric g-CN into the pores of a hollow InO microtube.

Concepts and consequences of the hyphosphere core microbiome for arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal fitness and function.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi-associated hyphosphere microbiomes can be considered as the second genome of the mycorrhizal phosphorus uptake pathway. Their composition can be thought of as a stably recurring component of a holobiont, defined by the hyphosphere core microbiome, which is thought to benefit AM fungal fitness. Here, we review evidence indicating the existence of the hyphosphere core microbiome, highlight its functions linked to those functions lacking in AM fungi, and further explore the mechanisms by which different core members ensure their stable coexistence.

Fabrication of Highly Conductive Porous FeO@RGO/PEDOT:PSS Composite Films via Acid Post-Treatment and Their Applications as Electrochemical Supercapacitor and Thermoelectric Material.

As a remarkable multifunctional material, ferroferric oxide (FeO) exhibits considerable potential for applications in many fields, such as energy storage and conversion technologies. However, the poor electronic and ionic conductivities of classical FeO restricts its application. To address this challenge, FeO nanoparticles are combined with graphene oxide (GO) via a typical hydrothermal method, followed by a conductive wrapping using poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonic sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) for the fabrication of composite films.

Identifying subgroups of patients with type 2 diabetes based on real-world traditional chinese medicine electronic medical records.

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a multifactorial complex chronic disease with a high prevalence worldwide, and Type 2 diabetes patients with different comorbidities often present multiple phenotypes in the clinic. Thus, there is a pressing need to improve understanding of the complexity of the clinical Type 2 diabetes population to help identify more accurate disease subtypes for personalized treatment. Here, utilizing the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) clinical electronic medical records (EMRs) of 2137 Type 2 diabetes inpatients, we followed a heterogeneous medical record network (HEMnet) framework to construct heterogeneous medical record networks by integrating the clinical features from the electronic medical records, molecular interaction networks and domain knowledge.

Effects of quercetin on the gel properties of pork myofibrillar proteins and related changes in protein conformation.

Background: To study the effects of quercetin on the functionality of myofibrillar proteins (MPs), various levels of quercetin (0, 10, 50, 100 and 200 μmol g protein) were added to MP solution and the structure and gel properties of MPs were determined.

Results: Compared with the control MPs not treated with quercetin, adding 10, 50 and 100 μmol g quercetin caused a significant (P < 0.05) loss of sulfhydryls; 10 and 50 μmol g quercetin enhanced the surface hydrophobicity significantly (P < 0.

A core microbiome in the hyphosphere of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi has functional significance in organic phosphorus mineralization.

The mycorrhizal pathway is an important phosphorus (P) uptake pathway for more than two-thirds of land plants. The arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi-associated hyphosphere microbiome has been considered as the second genome of mycorrhizal P uptake pathway and functionality in mobilizing soil organic P (Po). However, whether there is a core microbiome in the hyphosphere and how this is implicated in mining soil Po are less understood.

Artificial intelligence using deep neural network learning for automatic location of the interscalene brachial plexus in ultrasound images.

Background: Identifying the interscalene brachial plexus can be challenging during ultrasound-guided interscalene block.

Objective: We hypothesised that an algorithm based on deep learning could locate the interscalene brachial plexus in ultrasound images better than a nonexpert anaesthesiologist, thus possessing the potential to aid anaesthesiologists.

Design: Observational study.

CO Activation and Hydrogenation on Cu-ZnO/AlO Nanorod Catalysts: An In Situ FTIR Study.

CuZnO/AlO is the industrial catalyst used for methanol synthesis from syngas (CO + H) and is also promising for the hydrogenation of CO to methanol. In this work, we synthesized AlO nanorods (n-AlO) and impregnated them with the CuZnO component. The catalysts were evaluated for the hydrogenation of CO to methanol in a fixed-bed reactor.

Discovery of triterpenoids as potent dual inhibitors of pancreatic lipase and human carboxylesterase 1.

Pancreatic lipase (PL) is a well-known key target for the prevention and treatment of obesity. Human carboxylesterase 1A (hCES1A) has become an important target for the treatment of hyperlipidaemia. Thus, the discovery of potent dual-target inhibitors based on PL and hCES1A hold great potential for the development of remedies for treating related metabolic diseases.

Breeding Practice Improves the Mycorrhizal Responsiveness of Cotton ( spp. L.).

Maximizing the function of indigenous arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi by choosing specific crop genotypes offers one of the few untapped opportunities to improve the sustainability of agriculture. In this study, the differences in mycorrhizal responsiveness (MR) in plant growth and shoot phosphorus (P) content among cotton ( spp. L.

Early dynamics of cavitation bubbles generated during ns laser ablation of submerged targets.

In this study, we observe and study the early evolution of cavitation bubbles generated during pulsed laser ablation of titanium targets in different liquid environments utilizing a high-resolution stroboscopic shadowgraphy system. A hydrodynamic model is proposed to calculate the early pressure changes within the bubble and in the surrounding fluid. Our results show that the cavitation bubble is a low-pressure region that is bounded by a high-pressure fluid lamina after the incipient stage, and its evolution is primarily affected by the liquid density.

Fabrication of flexible transparent Ag square-shaped mesh electrode by top-flat nanosecond laser ablation.

We report a facile top-flat square nanosecond (ns) laser direct writing ablation technique in a thin silver film substrate to fabricate the silver square-shaped cell structure of flexible transparent electrodes. Square silver cell structures feature smooth surface morphology, excellent edge definition, mechanical stability, strong adhesion to the substrate, and favorable resistance and transparency. In particular, this strategy enables fabrication of a high square-shaped cell areal density (ablated square cell to the total area) Ag mesh, substantially improving transparency ($ {\gt} {85}\% $>85%) without considerably sacrificing conductivity ($ {\lt} {5}\;\Omega \;{{\rm sq}^{ - 1}}$<5Ωsq unit of resistance).

Design and validation of a ten nanosecond resolved resistive thermometer for Gaussian laser beam heating.

Pulsed laser processing plays a crucial role in additive manufacturing and nanomaterial processing. However, probing the transient temperature field during the pulsed laser interaction with the processed materials is challenging as it requires both high spatial and temporal resolution. Previous transient thermometry studies have measured neither sub-100 µm spatial resolution nor sub-10 ns temporal resolution.

Bimodal Molecule as NIR-CT Contrast Agent for Hepatoma Specific Imaging.

With currently available molecular imaging techniques, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), a liver cancer with high mortality rates and poor treatment responses, is mostly diagnosed at its late stage. This is largely due to the lack of highly sensitive contrast agents with high liver specificity. Herein, we report a novel bimodal contrast agent molecule CNCI-1 for the effective detection of HCC at its early stage both in vitro and in vivo.

High-Speed Photothermal Patterning of Doped Polymer Films.

Organic semiconductors (OSCs) offer a new avenue to the next-generation electronics, but the lack of a scalable and inexpensive nanoscale patterning/deposition technique still limits their use in electronic applications. Recently, a new lithographic etching technique has been introduced that uses molecular dopants to reduce semiconducting polymer solubility in solvents and a direct-write laser to remove dopants locally, enabling rapid OSC etching with diffraction limited resolution. Previous publications postulated that the reaction that enables patterning is a photochemical reaction between photoexcited dopants with neutral solvent molecules.

Site-Selective Atomic Layer Precision Thinning of MoS via Laser-Assisted Anisotropic Chemical Etching.

Various exotic optoelectronic properties of two-dimensional (2D) transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) strongly depend on their number of layers, and typically manifest in ultrathin few-layer or monolayer formats. Thus, precise manipulation of thickness and shape is essential to fully access their potential in optoelectronic applications. Here, we demonstrate site-selective atomic layer precision thinning of exfoliated MoS flake by laser.

Feasibility Study of Single-Crystal Si Island Manufacturing by Microscale Printing of Nanoparticles and Laser Crystallization.

Nonvacuum printing of single crystals would be ideal for high-performance functional device (such as electronics) fabrication yet challenging for most materials, especially for inorganic semiconductors. Currently, the printed films are dominant in amorphous, polycrystalline, or nanoparticle films. In this article, manufacturing of single-crystal silicon micro/nano-islands is attempted.

The beneficial effects of rutin on myofibrillar protein gel properties and related changes in protein conformation.

Effects of different levels of rutin (0, 10, 50, 100 and 200 μmol/g protein) on the conformational changes and gel properties of myofibrillar protein (MP) were investigated. Rutin at 200 μmol/g caused the greatest carbonyl content. The incorporation of rutin caused the losses of thiol, free amine and α-helix contents, reduction in tryptophan intrinsic fluorescence intensity, and enhanced exposure of hydrophobic groups and protein cross-linking.

Synthesis of water soluble and multi-responsive selenopolypeptides via ring-opening polymerization of N-carboxyanhydrides.

We report here the synthesis of water soluble selenopolypeptides via the ring-opening polymerization of N-carboxyanhydrides. The oligoethylene glycol-bearing selenopolypeptides are thermally responsive in aqueous solutions with tunable lower critical solution temperatures. The polymers can also undergo rapid and reversible helix-coil transitions upon responding to the added redox cycle.

In situ and ex-situ physical scenario of the femtosecond laser-induced periodic surface structures.

Laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS) are a universal phenomenon that can allow tailoring nanoelectronics and nanophotonics devices. However, there is an issue about the formation mechanism of LIPSS, and the current research mainly focuses on the formation process of the individual structures, such as the low spatial frequency LIPSS (LSFL), sub-wavelength structures, and laser-induced periodic annular surface structures (LIPASS). A whole process formation picture of the series of these periodic structures is still missing.

Effects of Al₂O₃ Nanoparticles on the Crystallization of Calcium Carbonate in Aqueous Solution.

The effects of Al₂O₃ nanoparticles on the precipitation behavior of CaCO₃ and on the anti-scale performance of 2-phosphonobutane-1,2,4-tricarboxylic acid (PBTCA) in CaCO₃ growth solution were studied by means of solution analysis, gravimetric methods, scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction. The results illustrate that Al₂O₃ nanoparticles had little effect on the concentration of calcium ions in the test solution without PBTCA, but significantly changed the form and morphology of calcium carbonate crystals, which were transformed from calcite to aragonite. As a commonly used and effective scale inhibitor, PBTCA showed good Ca retention ability in the test solution, distorting the calcite crystal lattice and promoting the formation of vaterite.

Effect of Carbon Nanoparticles on the Crystallization of Calcium Carbonate in Aqueous Solution.

Nanofluids have great application prospects in industrial heat exchange systems because they can significantly improve the heat and mass transfer efficiency. However, the presence of nanoparticles in the fluid might also affect the formation and attachment of inorganic scales, such as calcium carbonate, on the heat exchange surface. The effects of carbon nanoparticles on the crystallization of calcium carbonate in aqueous solution were studied by the scale inhibition test, solution analysis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR).