Publications by authors named "PengWei Li"

The structural groups of 2-oxindole and tricyclic 3a-hydroxy-hexahydropyrrolo-[2,3-]indole (HO-HPI) are important pharmacophores. Chemical synthesis of complex alkaloids containing a 2-oxindole or HO-HPI moiety, especially the latter one, has been a long-standing challenge. Herein, we characterized the P450 enzyme AfnD, and its homologue proteins, HmtT, ClpD, KtzM, and LtzR, as cyclopeptide 2-oxindole and HO-HPI monooxygenases (cpOPMOs) that could introduce a 2-oxindole or HO-HPI moiety into the tryptophan-containing cyclopeptides in a pH-dependent manner.

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Non-antibiotic pollutants have been identified as contributors to the development of antibiotic resistance across various environments. Wastewater treatment plants, recognized as hotspots for antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), have received extensive attention regarding the mechanisms driving resistance changes in activated sludge. However, the specific impacts of heavy metals and aromatic organics-common pollutants in industrial wastewater-on the resistome of activated sludge, as well as the underlying mechanisms driving these effects, remain underexplored.

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The genus is renowned for its remarkably diverse floral morphology, exhibiting a high level of disparity compared to most genera within Gesneriaceae. In this study, we present a detailed description and illustration of T. Ding & B.

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Background: Lour., a genus in the subfamily Cercidoideae of the family Leguminosae, is characterized by woody liana habit, tendrils, and distinctive bilobate or bifoliolate leaves. The genus holds important medicinal value and constitutes a complex group characterized by morphological diversity and unstable taxonomic boundaries.

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The recycling of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) has been dogged by air pollutants containing fluoride (e.g. HF, PF, POF).

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Chitin, an extracellular polysaccharide, is synthesized by membrane-embedded chitin synthase (CHS) utilizing intracellular substrates. The mechanism of the translocation of synthesized chitin across the membrane to extracellular locations remains unresolved. We prove that the chitin synthase from (CHS) is a processive glycosyltransferase, which can rapidly produce and tightly bind with the highly polymerized chitin.

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Halide perovskite light-emitting diodes (PeLEDs) hold great potential for applications in displays and lighting. To enhance the external quantum efficiency (EQE) of PeLEDs, it is crucial to boost the photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) of the perovskite films. The use of additives has emerged as a powerful chemical strategy to control the crystallization process in solution-processed perovskite films.

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  • This review emphasizes the importance of battery recycling fundamentals to tackle the growing issue of spent lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) generated by electric vehicles and portable electronics.* -
  • It outlines key processes in battery recycling, including battery classification, ultrasonic detection, pretreatment methods, electrolyte recovery, and direct regeneration, all grounded in physical chemistry principles.* -
  • Additionally, the review highlights the role of theoretical calculations and simulations in optimizing recycling processes, aiming to inspire innovation and interest in the field among researchers and manufacturers.*
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  • * The study involved 20 patients, confirming significant improvements in pain and ankle function after AOT, as indicated by various evaluation scores and successful cartilage regeneration on MRI.
  • * Post-surgery recovery was efficient, with patients returning to daily activities in about 7.3 weeks and sports in around 13.4 weeks, with no negative effects noted at the donor knee site.
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Acupoints are the local initial response sites of acupuncture therapeutic effects. As a biomarker, histamine is released into the acupoint region and plays its role concurrently as acupuncture needles are inserted into acupoints. Hence, real-time monitoring of histamine at acupoints is important to elucidate the effectiveness of the acupoint-activation process in acupuncture.

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  • * A conserved protein motif identified in various organisms indicates that certain enzymes can synthesize ADP-heptose, CDP-heptose, and UDP-heptose, with the latter two triggering stronger immune responses.
  • * The study demonstrates that β-d-heptoses are significant, cross-kingdom molecules that activate the ALPK1-dependent immune signaling pathway, highlighting their role as pathogen-associated molecular patterns.
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  • - This study explored using potassium carbonate with ball milling and pyrolysis to create biochar from leftover L. (ABL), resulting in a high surface area biochar (KBC) suitable for removing norfloxacin (NOR) from wastewater.
  • - KBC demonstrated exceptional NOR removal with a maximum capacity of 666.2 mg/g and showed strong resistance to interference from other ions, indicating its effectiveness for water treatment.
  • - Machine learning analysis indicated that factors like initial concentration and pore size significantly influence NOR adsorption on KBC, highlighting the potential of using pharmaceutical waste to develop low-cost adsorbents for environmental cleanup.
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  • Modular polyketide synthases (PKSs) are versatile enzymes that create various natural products with unique biological activities.
  • The study focuses on the deletion of an unusual enoyl-CoA hydratase (ECH) domain in a specific didomain protein, which results in a shift from producing tetracyclic aurantinins (ARTs) to bicyclic auritriacids (ATAs), showing decreased antibacterial effects.
  • The research suggests that the PKS machinery can be manipulated to produce different compounds by altering the associated ECH-TE proteins, highlighting the potential for enhancing polyketide diversity through reprogramming.
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Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), a conventional and alternating-current-(AC)-based technique for impedance measurement, is commonly used in battery diagnosis. However, it requires expensive equipment and demanding operating conditions and is complex and model-dependent in data analysis. Recently, novel direct current (DC) analytics have emerged as an alternative to EIS.

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A diverse set of neutral half-sandwich iminoamido iridium and ruthenium organometallic complexes is synthesized through the utilization of Schiff base pro-ligands with NN donors. Notably, these metal complexes with varying leaving groups (Cl or OAc) are formed by employing different quantities of the deprotonating agent NaOAc, and exhibit promising cytotoxicity against various cancer cell lines such as A549 and cisplatin-resistant A549/DDP lung cancer cells, as well as HeLa cells, with IC values spanning from 9.26 to 15.

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To develop reversible pH-responsive emulsifiers of natural origin, alkali lignin (AL) was used to develop oil-in-water Pickering emulsions. AL was first modified to synthesize quaternized alkali lignin (QAL), which displayed pH-responsive properties and demonstrated solubility in both acidic and alkaline solutions. In contrast, QAL exhibited insolubility and formed particles in neutral solutions, thereby making it a suitable candidate for utilization as an emulsifier in doubly pH-responsive Pickering emulsions.

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Formamidinium-lead triiodide (FAPbI) perovskite holds promise as a prime candidate in the realm of perovskite photovoltaics. However, the photo-active α-FAPbI phase, existing as a metastable state, is observable solely at elevated temperatures and is susceptible to degradation into the δ-phase in ambient air. Therefore, the attainment of phase-stable α-FAPbI in ambient conditions has become a crucial objective in perovskite research.

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Fruit ripening is associated with the degreening process (loss of chlorophyll) that occurs in most fruit species. Kiwifruit is one of the special species whose fruits may maintain green flesh by accumulating a large amount of chlorophyll even after ripening. However, little is known about the genetic variations related to the fruit degreening process.

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One-step carbonization was explored to prepare biochar using the residue of a traditional Chinese herbal medicine, L. (ABL), as the raw material. The resulting biochar, known as ABLB4, was evaluated for its potential as a sustainable material for norfloxacin (NOR) adsorption in water.

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Article Synopsis
  • - Perovskite/organic tandem solar cells (PO-TSCs) are promising for applications like building-integrated photovoltaics, wearables, and greenhouse farming due to their ability to utilize a broader solar spectrum and their favorable chemical properties.
  • - Despite their advantages, PO-TSCs are still behind other perovskite-based solar technologies in development, necessitating an investigation into their essential mechanisms, such as charge generation and material selection, to unlock their full potential.
  • - The study highlights the importance of interconnection layers for improving light transmission and reducing carrier recombination, while also presenting a hopeful outlook on the future efficiency and impact of PO-TSCs in solar energy harvesting.
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Needle-type sensor, characterized by its slender, elongated shape, is a promising sensing method due to its rapid response, high sensitivity, and portability. Recently, the needle-type sensor technology has garnered increasing attention, leading to its accelerated development and extensive use in medical and healthcare, environmental monitoring, and geosciences. However, there remains a need for a comprehensive review of existing research.

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Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) have become the most popular portable secondary energy storage facilities. However, the limited lithium resource results in possible unsustainable development. Potassium-ion batteries (PIBs) are considered promising alternatives to LIBs because of their high resource availability, low cost, and environmentally friendly features.

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This study employed hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) in conjunction with ZnCl activation and pyrolysis to produce biochar from one traditional Chinese medicine astragali radix (AR) residue. The resultant biochar was evaluated as a sustainable adsorbent for tetracycline (TC) elimination from water. The adsorption performance of TC on two micropore-rich AR biochars, AR@ZnCl (1370 m g) and HAR@ZnCl (1896 m g), was comprehensively evaluated using adsorption isotherms, kinetics, and thermodynamics.

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Most platinum group-based cyclometalated neutral and cationic anticancer complexes with the general formula [(C^N)Ir(XY)] (neutral complex: XY = bidentate anionic ligand; cationic complex: XY = bidentate neutral ligand) are notable owing to their intrinsic luminescence properties, good cell permeability, interaction with some biomolecular targets and unique mechanisms of action (MoAs). We herein synthesized a series of neutral and cationic amine-imine cyclometalated iridium(III) complexes using Schiff base ligands with sp-N/sp-N N^NH chelating donors. The cyclometalated iridium(III) complexes were identified by various techniques.

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The transformation and gene editing of the woody species kiwifruit are difficult and time-consuming. The fast and marker-free genetic modification system for kiwifruit has not been developed yet. Here, we establish a rapid and efficient marker-free transformation and gene editing system mediated by Agrobacterium rhizogenes for kiwifruit.

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