Pronounced early differentiation underlies zebra finch gonadal germ cell development.

The diversity of germ cell developmental strategies has been well documented across many vertebrate clades. However, much of our understanding of avian primordial germ cell (PGC) specification and differentiation has derived from only one species, the chicken (Gallus gallus). Of the three major classes of birds, chickens belong to Galloanserae, representing less than 4% of species, while nearly 95% of extant bird species belong to Neoaves.

Accessing Mg-Ion Storage in VPS via Combined Cationic-Anionic Redox with Selective Bond Cleavage.

Magnesium batteries attract interest as alternative energy-storage devices because of elemental abundance and potential for high energy density. Development is limited by the absence of suitable cathodes, associated with poor diffusion kinetics resulting from strong interactions between Mg and the host structure. VPS is reported as a positive electrode material for rechargeable magnesium batteries.

Dementia in care homes: increasing the diagnosis rate among undiagnosed residents.

It has been estimated that 70% of care home residents have dementia on admission or develop it after admission, but that many do not have or receive a formal diagnosis of dementia. People with dementia often have significant care needs and it is important that the condition is diagnosed even at an advanced stage. This will enable nurses to predict the person's care needs, develop appropriate care plans and arrange pre-emptive decisions.

Counting the Acid Sites in a Commercial ZSM-5 Zeolite Catalyst.

This work investigates the acid sites in a commercial ZSM-5 zeolite catalyst by a combination of spectroscopic and physical methods. The Brønsted acid sites in such catalysts are associated with the aluminum substituted into the zeolite lattice, which may not be identical to the total aluminum content of the zeolite. Inelastic neutron scattering spectroscopy (INS) directly quantifies the concentrations of Brønsted acid protons, silanol groups, and hydroxyl groups associated with extra-framework aluminum species.

Combining quasielastic neutron scattering and molecular dynamics to study methane motions in ZSM-5.

Quasi-elastic neutron scattering (QENS) and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations are applied in combination to investigate the dynamics of methane in H-ZSM-5 zeolite catalysts used for methanol-to-hydrocarbons reactions. Methane is employed as an inert model for the methanol reaction feedstock, and studies are made of the fresh catalyst and used catalysts with varying levels of coke buildup to investigate the effect of coking on reactant mobility. Measurements are made in the temperature range from 5 to 373 K.

Enhanced Photoacoustic Visualisation of Clinical Needles by Combining Interstitial and Extracorporeal Illumination of Elastomeric Nanocomposite Coatings.

Ultrasound (US) image guidance is widely used for minimally invasive procedures, but the invasive medical devices (such as metallic needles), especially their tips, can be poorly visualised in US images, leading to significant complications. Photoacoustic (PA) imaging is promising for visualising invasive devices and peripheral tissue targets. Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) acting as PA excitation sources facilitate the clinical translation of PA imaging, but the image quality is degraded due to the low pulse energy leading to insufficient contrast with needles at deep locations.

Induction of an immortalized songbird cell line allows for gene characterization and knockout by CRISPR-Cas9.

The zebra finch is one of the most commonly studied songbirds in biology, particularly in genomics, neuroscience and vocal communication. However, this species lacks a robust cell line for molecular biology research and reagent optimization. We generated a cell line, designated CFS414, from zebra finch embryonic fibroblasts using the SV40 large and small T antigens.

Single-nuclei isoform RNA sequencing unlocks barcoded exon connectivity in frozen brain tissue.

Single-nuclei RNA sequencing characterizes cell types at the gene level. However, compared to single-cell approaches, many single-nuclei cDNAs are purely intronic, lack barcodes and hinder the study of isoforms. Here we present single-nuclei isoform RNA sequencing (SnISOr-Seq).

Patient-derived gene and protein expression signatures of NGLY1 deficiency.

N-Glycanase 1 (NGLY1) deficiency is a rare and complex genetic disorder. Although recent studies have shed light on the molecular underpinnings of NGLY1 deficiency, a systematic characterization of gene and protein expression changes in patient-derived cells has been lacking. Here, we performed RNA-sequencing and mass spectrometry to determine the transcriptomes and proteomes of 66 cell lines representing four different cell types derived from 14 NGLY1 deficient patients and 17 controls.

Schizophrenia is defined by cell-specific neuropathology and multiple neurodevelopmental mechanisms in patient-derived cerebral organoids.

Due to an inability to ethically access developing human brain tissue as well as identify prospective cases, early-arising neurodevelopmental and cell-specific signatures of Schizophrenia (Scz) have remained unknown and thus undefined. To overcome these challenges, we utilized patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) to generate 3D cerebral organoids to model neuropathology of Scz during this critical period. We discovered that Scz organoids exhibited ventricular neuropathology resulting in altered progenitor survival and disrupted neurogenesis.

CuInS Quantum Dot and Polydimethylsiloxane Nanocomposites for All-Optical Ultrasound and Photoacoustic Imaging.

Dual-modality imaging employing complementary modalities, such as all-optical ultrasound and photoacoustic imaging, is emerging as a well-suited technique for guiding minimally invasive surgical procedures. Quantum dots are a promising material for use in these dual-modality imaging devices as they can provide wavelength-selective optical absorption. The first quantum dot nanocomposite engineered for co-registered laser-generated ultrasound and photoacoustic imaging is presented.

Operando XAFS investigation on the effect of ash deposition on three-way catalyst used in gasoline particulate filters and the effect of the manufacturing process on the catalytic activity.

Platinum group metals such as palladium and rhodium based catalysts are currently being implemented in gasoline particulate filter (GPF) autoexhaust after treatment systems. However, little is known about how the trapped particulate matter, such as the incombustible ash, interacts with the catalyst and so may affect its performance. Thisstudy follows the evolution of the Pd found in two different model GPF systems: one containing ash components extracted from a GPF and another from a catalyst washcoat prior to adhesion onto the GPF.

Multimodal Imaging of Autofluorescent Sites Reveals Varied Chemical Speciation in SSZ-13 Crystals.

A multimodal imaging study of chabazite is used to show the distribution of and discriminate between different emissive deposits arising as a result of the detemplation process. Confocal imaging, 3D fluorescence lifetime imaging, 3D multispectral fluorescence imaging, and Raman mapping are used to show three different types of emissive behaviours each characterised by different spatial distributions, trends in lifetime, spectral signals, and Raman signatures. A notable difference is seen in the morphology of agglomerated surface deposits and larger subsurface deposits, which experience lifetime augmentation due to spatial confinement.

Understanding the Deactivation Phenomena of Small-Pore Mo/H-SSZ-13 during Methane Dehydroaromatisation.

Small pore zeolites have shown great potential in a number of catalytic reactions. While Mo-containing medium pore zeolites have been widely studied for methane dehydroaromatisation (MDA), the use of small pore supports has drawn limited attention due to the fast deactivation of the catalyst. This work investigates the structure of the small pore Mo/H-SSZ-13 during catalyst preparation and reaction by operando X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), in situ synchrotron powder diffraction (SPD), and electron microscopy; then, the results are compared with the medium pore Mo/H-ZSM-5.

The electronic structure, surface properties, and NO decomposition of mechanochemically synthesised LaMnO.

The use of mechanochemistry to prepare catalytic materials is of significant interest; it offers an environmentally beneficial, solvent-free, route and produces highly complex structures of mixed amorphous and crystalline phases. This study reports on the effect of milling atmosphere, either air or argon, on mechanochemically prepared LaMnO3 and the catalytic performance towards N2O decomposition (deN2O). In this work, high energy resolution fluorescence detection (HERFD), X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES), X-ray emission, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) have been used to probe the electronic structural properties of the mechanochemically prepared materials.

Effect of steam de-alumination on the interactions of propene with H-ZSM-5 zeolites.

Steam de-alumination is used to prepare a H-ZSM-5 material representative of industrial acid zeolite catalysts. Characterisation shows extensive loss of zeolite acidity but minimal loss of framework crystallinity in the treated material. The material's interaction with propene is probed by means of inelastic and quasielastic neutron scattering, providing information on the reactivity and mobility of the propene respectively.

Parsaclisib Is a Next-Generation Phosphoinositide 3-Kinase Inhibitor with Reduced Hepatotoxicity and Potent Antitumor and Immunomodulatory Activities in Models of B-Cell Malignancy.

The clinical use of first-generation phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) inhibitors in B-cell malignancies is hampered by hepatotoxicity, requiring dose reduction, treatment interruption, and/or discontinuation of therapy. In addition, potential molecular mechanisms by which resistance to this class of drugs occurs have not been investigated. Parsaclisib (INCB050465) is a potent and selective next-generation PI3K inhibitor that differs in structure from first-generation PI3K inhibitors and has shown encouraging anti-B-cell tumor activity and reduced hepatotoxicity in phase 1/2 clinical studies.

Temperature reversible synergistic formation of cerium oxyhydride and Au hydride: a combined XAS and XPDF study.

In situ studies on the physical and chemical properties of Au in inverse ceria alumina supported catalysts have been conducted between 295 and 623 K using high energy resolved fluorescence detection X-ray absorption near edge spectroscopy and X-ray total scattering. Precise structural information is extracted on the metallic Au phase present in a 0.85 wt% Au containing inverse ceria alumina catalyst (ceria/Au/alumina).

INCB054828 (pemigatinib), a potent and selective inhibitor of fibroblast growth factor receptors 1, 2, and 3, displays activity against genetically defined tumor models.

Alterations in fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) genes have been identified as potential driver oncogenes. Pharmacological targeting of FGFRs may therefore provide therapeutic benefit to selected cancer patients, and proof-of-concept has been established in early clinical trials of FGFR inhibitors. Here, we present the molecular structure and preclinical characterization of INCB054828 (pemigatinib), a novel, selective inhibitor of FGFR 1, 2, and 3, currently in phase 2 clinical trials.

Onset of Propene Oligomerization Reactivity in ZSM-5 Studied by Inelastic Neutron Scattering Spectroscopy.

The techniques of quasi-elastic and inelastic neutron scattering (QENS and INS) are applied to investigate the oligomerization of propene over a ZSM-5 zeolite. Investigations are performed at low temperatures, allowing identification of the onset of the oligomerization reaction and observation of the low-energy spectral changes due to intermediate formation that are difficult to observe by optical methods. Oligomerization proceeds via formation of a hydrogen-bonded precursor by an interaction of the propene with an internal acid site followed by protonation and chain growth with protonation being the rate-limiting step.

Loss of N-Glycanase 1 Alters Transcriptional and Translational Regulation in K562 Cell Lines.

N-Glycanase 1 (NGLY1) deficiency is an ultra-rare, complex and devastating neuromuscular disease. Patients display multi-organ symptoms including developmental delays, movement disorders, seizures, constipation and lack of tear production. NGLY1 is a deglycosylating protein involved in the degradation of misfolded proteins retrotranslocated from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER).

The Methyl Torsion in Unsaturated Compounds.

How the methyl torsion transition energy in unsaturated systems is affected by its environment is investigated. It is strongly influenced by both its immediate neighborhood, (the number of methyl groups present in the molecule) and the intermolecular interactions. It is clear that the intermolecular interactions have a major influence on the torsion transition energy, as demonstrated unambiguously previously for mesitylene and also seen here for other systems.

Understanding the mechanochemical synthesis of the perovskite LaMnO and its catalytic behaviour.

Mechanochemistry offers a solventless, 'waste free' route to preparing metal oxide catalysts, however, there is limited information on the chemical steps involved. In this work, the perovskite LaMnO has been successfully synthesized via mechanochemistry from metal oxide powders, LaO and MnO, at room temperature, using a planetary ball mill. Separate ex situ'time slices' were taken during the milling procedure to provide insights into the underlying chemistry.