Increasing the versatility of the biphenyl-fused-dioxacyclodecyne class of strained alkynes.

Biphenyl-fused-dioxacyclodecynes are a promising class of strained alkyne for use in Cu-free 'click' reactions. In this paper, a series of functionalised derivatives of this class of reagent, containing fluorescent groups, are described. Studies aimed at understanding and increasing the reactivity of the alkynes are also presented, together with an investigation of the bioconjugation of the reagents with an azide-labelled protein.

Structural basis for the activation of a compact CRISPR-Cas13 nuclease.

The CRISPR-Cas13 ribonucleases have been widely applied for RNA knockdown and transcriptional modulation owing to their high programmability and specificity. However, the large size of Cas13 effectors and their non-specific RNA cleavage upon target activation limit the adeno-associated virus based delivery of Cas13 systems for therapeutic applications. Herein, we report detailed biochemical and structural characterizations of a compact Cas13 (Cas13bt3) suitable for adeno-associated virus delivery.

A cross-sectional study on the prevalence of HIV and hepatitis B virus co-infection among students of a tertiary institution in Ekiti State, Southwest Nigeria.

Nigeria aims to eradicate public-health threats such as HIV/AIDS and hepatitis B virus (HBV) by 2030. However, to achieve the short- and medium-term response target, and end the epidemic by 2030, there is the need to monitor and estimate the population level of HIV and HBV epidemic trends to boost the country's strategic framework's chances of success. Hence, we uncovered the prevalence of HIV and HBV among full-time, newly admitted undergraduate university students in Southwestern Nigeria between 2015 and 2017.

The development and optimisation of gastro-retentive floating tablets using fused deposition modelling 3D printing.

Objectives: To develop a robust tablet design for the manufacture of gastro-retentive tablets using fused deposition modelling three-dimensional printing (FDM-3DP) that can provide prolonged gastric residence time with instant floating and minimum influence of process and/or formulation variables.

Methods: Three different polymers, such as polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC) and Soluplus were used, separately, for the manufacture of tablets using FDM-3DP. Tablets were designed in a sandwich model that included voids in the internal structure to support buoyancy.

Improved enzyme production on corncob hydrolysate by a xylose-evolved cell factory.

The global shift from the usage of crude oil in bio-production is receiving much attention owing to environmental concern associated with fossil fuel. Lignocellulosic biomass (LB) is a good carbon candidate for bio-production because it is environmental-friendly. Corncob being one of such LB is rich in glucose and xylose, which can be utilized for bio-production.