Utilization of chitosan nanocomposites loaded with quantum dots enables efficient and traceable DNA delivery.

Chitosan is widely employed in gene carriers due to its excellent gene loading capacity, ease of modification, and exceptional biodegradability. However, low gene delivery efficiency, high cytotoxicity, and lack of tracer biomimetic properties limit its clinical use. To address these issues, a novel biomimetic tracking gene delivery carrier, RBCm-C50kQT, was constructed by using the design scheme of cell membrane coated carbon quantum dots/chitosan.

Construction of intelligent response gene vector based on MOF/FeO/AuNRs for tumor-targeted gene delivery.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have the potential to efficiently carry cargo due to their excellent porosity and high surface area. Nevertheless, conventional MOFs and their derivatives exhibit low efficiency in transporting nucleic acids and other small molecules, as well as having poor colloidal stability. In this study, a ZIF-90 loaded with iron oxide nanoparticles and Au nanorods was prepared, and then surface-functionalized with polyethyleneimine (PEI) to create a multifunctional nanocomposite (AFZP25k) with pH, photothermal, and magnetic responsiveness.

Controllable Synthesis of Cadmium-Free Blue-Emitting Cu-Ga-Zn-S-Based Nanocrystals for Solution-Processed Quantum-Dot Light-Emitting Diodes.

The utility of semiconductor nanocrystals (NCs) in light-emitting diodes (LED) has shown great potential in the field of display, whereas the challenge remains in developing efficient and stable cadmium-free blue-emitting LED devices due to the poor photophysical properties of blue-emitting NCs. Herein, we develop a controllable synthesis of Cu-Ga-Zn-S (CGZS) semiconductor NCs that show blue light emission with a relative photoluminescence quantum yield exceeding 90%. Furthermore, we have successfully fabricated a solution-processed quantum-dot LED (QLED) using CGZS NCs, achieving a notable maximum external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 1.

Physiological Functions of the Cello-Oligosaccharides Binding CebE in the Pathogenic sp. AMCC400023.

Potato common scab, an economically important disease worldwide, is caused by pathogenic strains mainly through the effects of thaxtomin. The cello-oligosaccharides binding protein CebE is proposed as a gateway to the pathogenic development of . In this study, two functional CebE encoding genes, and , were identified in pathogenic sp.

Narrow-Band Solar-Blind Ultraviolet Detectors Based on AlSnO Films with Tunable Band Gap.

Semiconductor materials with sufficiently wide band gaps are urgently desired for use in solar-blind ultraviolet detectors. In this work, the growth of AlSnO films was achieved through the magnetron sputtering technique. AlSnO films with band gaps in the range of 4.

Structural basis for the arsenite binding and translocation of Acr3 antiporter with NhaA folding pattern.

The arsenical resistance-3 (ACR3) family constitutes the most common pathway that confers high-level resistance to toxic metalloids in various microorganisms and lower plants. Based on the structural model constructed by AlphaFold2, the Acr3 antiporter from Bacillus subtilis (Acr3 ) exhibits a typical NhaA structure fold, with two discontinuous helices of transmembrane (TM) segments, TM4 and TM9, interacting with each other and forming an X-shaped structure. As the structural information available for these important arsenite-efflux pumps is limited, we investigated the evolutionary conservation among 300 homolog sequences and identified three conserved motifs in both the discontinuous helices and TM5.

The pH sensor and ion binding of NhaD Na /H antiporter from IT superfamily.

Sodium-proton (Na /H ) antiporters from the ion transporter (IT) superfamily play a vital role in controlling the pH and electrolyte homeostasis. However, very limited information regarding their structural functions is available to date. In this study, the structural model of the NhaD antiporter was proposed as a typical hairpin structure of IT proteins, with two symmetrically conserved scaffold domains that frame the core substrate-binding sites, and four motifs were identified.

Electroluminescent white light-emitting diodes with cadimum-free Cu-In-Zn-S nanocrystals sandwiched between two TFB layers.

A high color rendering index (CRI) and stable spectra under different voltages are important parameters for large-area planar light sources. However, the spectrum of most electroluminescent white light-emitting diodes (el-WLEDs) with a single emissive layer (EML) varies with a changing voltage. Herein, an el-WLED is fabricated based on Cd-free Cu-In-Zn-S (CIZS)/ZnS nanocrystals (NCs) and poly [(9,9-dioctylfluorenyl-2,7-diyl)-co-(4,4'-(N-(p-butylphenyl))diphenylamine)] (TFB) as double EMLs, which exhibit white-light emission with a high CRI value of 91 and commission internationale de l'éclairage (CIE) color coordinates of (0.

Structural Engineering toward High Monochromaticity of Carbon Dots-Based Light-Emitting Diodes.

Monochromaticity for light-emitting diodes (LEDs) is an important parameter. However, carbon dots-based light-emitting diodes (CDs-LEDs) usually suffer from broad emission, which limits the development of this material. In this work, high-quality carbon dots (CDs) with a quantum yield of 16.

Evolutionary conservative analysis revealed novel functional sites in the efflux pump NorA of Staphylococcus aureus.

Objectives: The NorA antiporter of Staphylococcus aureus belongs to the major facilitator superfamily (MFS) and extrudes various kinds of drugs. With no structure available for this drug efflux pump, the aim of this study was to explore its important structural elements that contribute to substrate binding and drug transport.

Methods: Evolutionary conservative analyses were conducted on different compilations of NorA homologues to identify conservative motifs and residues.

Construction of Robust Cadmium-Free Cu-In-Zn-S Nanocrystals and Polyfluorene Derivatives Hybrid Emissive Layer for Stable Electroluminescent White Light-Emitting Devices.

Combination of the merit of inorganic nanocrystals (NCs) and solution-processed conjugated polymer is a convenient strategy to obtain stable and efficient electroluminescent white-light-emitting diodes (el-WLEDs). In this work, an el-WLED was fabricated on the basis of Cd-free Cu-In-Zn-S (CIZS)/ZnS NCs blending with polyfluorene derivative poly[4-(octyloxy)-9,9-diphenylfluoren-2,7-diyl]--[5-(octyloxy)-9,9-diphenylfluoren-2,7-diyl] (PODPF), which exhibited a stable white light emission with a color rendering index value of 85. Meanwhile, it had a stable spectrum under high voltage due to the extremely weak energy transfer between PODPF and CIZS/ZnS NCs.

Thermoacidophilic Superoxide Dismutase: Good Candidate as Additives in Food and Medicine.

Thermoacidophilic strains attract great interests as the resource of thermostable or acidic enzymes. In this study, a putative gene encoding superoxide dismutase (SOD) was identified in a thermoacidophilic strain. With a 16-fold activity observed, the SOD activity expressing in the medium of manganese enrichment was much higher than that in the iron medium.

Allele-based analysis revealed the critical functions of region 277-297 in the NorA efflux pump of Staphylococcus aureus.

Objectives: The NorA efflux pump in Staphylococcus aureus mediates resistance to many fluoroquinolone (FQ) antibiotics. Three norA alleles with high sequence similarity are found in various S. aureus strains exhibiting different FQ resistance profiles.

Design of a Silicon Photocatalyst for High-Efficiency Photocatalytic Water Splitting.

Metallurgical silicon was studied for photocatalytic H evolution activity. It has been found that metallurgical silicon with large particle size (above 800 nm) possesses poor photocatalytic activity because of the deteriorating photoelectric performance of the low-purity silicon. After size reduction (around 400 nm) and metal nanoparticle decoration, the photocatalytic performance was significantly enhanced to 1003.

High ectoine production by an engineered Halomonas hydrothermalis Y2 in a reduced salinity medium.

Background: As an attracted compatible solute, 1,4,5,6-tetrahydro-2-methyl-4-pyrimidinecarboxylic acid (ectoine) showed great potentials in various field. However, lower productivity and high saline medium seriously hinder its wide applications.

Results: The entire ectoine metabolism, including pathways for ectoine synthesis and catabolism, was identified in the genome of an ectoine-excreting strain Halomonas hydrothermalis Y2.

Gamma-BiVO - a layered oxide material for ion exchange in aqueous media.

Layered perovskite oxides have attracted considerable attention due to their potential application in photoelectricity and catalysis. The unique character of layered perovskites as ion-exchange materials provides the possibility of creating structural diversity. A new ion-exchange reaction in aqueous solution was observed in layered oxide gamma-BiVO.

Potassium resistance of halotolerant and alkaliphilic Halomonas sp. Y2 by a Na-induced K extrusion mechanism.

In most halophiles, K generally acts as a major osmotic solute for osmotic adjustment and pH homeostasis. However, strains also need to extrude excessive intracellular K to avoid its toxicity. In the halotolerant and alkaliphilic Halomonas sp.

Lower Limb Nonhealing Ulcers Associated With Chronic Diabetes: A Case Series.

Introduction: Chronic, nonhealing skin ulcers of the lower limbs associated with diabetes pose a clinical challenge as their treatment requires more sophisticated and delicate approaches than in patients without diabetes.

Objective: Herein, the authors demonstrate and discuss the implementation of their use of topical traditional Chinese medicines in several sample cases of lower limb nonhealing ulcers in patients with diabetes.

Materials And Methods: A series of diabetic ulcer cases were treated with various approaches.

Genome sequence of Halomonas hydrothermalis Y2, an efficient ectoine-producer isolated from pulp mill wastewater.

Halophilic microorganisms have great potentials towards biotechnological applications. Halomonas hydrothermalis Y2 is a halotolerant and alkaliphilic strain that isolated from the Na-rich pulp mill wastewater. The strain is dominant in the bacterial community of pulp mill wastewater and exhibits metabolic diversity in utilizing various substrates.

Detection of Skeletonema costatum based on loop-mediated isothermal amplification combined with lateral flow dipstick.

We developed a new assay method, which combines loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) with a chromatographic lateral flow dipstick (LFD) for the rapid and special detection of the diatom Skeletonema costatum. Four groups of LAMP primers were derived from a conserved DNA sequence unique to S. costatum.