Ultrafast Luminescence Detection with Selective Adsorption of Carbon Disulfide in a Gold(I) Metal-Organic Framework.

Although a widely used and important industrial chemical, carbon disulfide (CS) poses a number of hazards due to its volatility and toxicity. As such, the development of multifunctional materials for the selective capture and easy recognition of CS is one of the crucial issues. Herein, we demonstrate completely selective CS adsorption among trials involving HO, alcohols, volatile organic compounds (including thiol derivatives), N, H, O, CH, CO, NO, and CO.

Development of a 3-dimensional organotypic model with characteristics of peripheral sensory nerves.

We developed a rat dorsal root ganglion (DRG)-derived sensory nerve organotypic model by culturing DRG explants on an organoid culture device. With this method, a large number of organotypic cultures can be produced simultaneously with high reproducibility simply by seeding DRG explants derived from rat embryos. Unlike previous DRG explant models, this organotypic model consists of a ganglion and an axon bundle with myelinated A fibers, unmyelinated C fibers, and stereo-myelin-forming nodes of Ranvier.

Room-temperature quantum coherence of entangled multiexcitons in a metal-organic framework.

Singlet fission can generate an exchange-coupled quintet triplet pair state TT, which could lead to the realization of quantum computing and quantum sensing using entangled multiple qubits even at room temperature. However, the observation of the quantum coherence of TT has been limited to cryogenic temperatures, and the fundamental question is what kind of material design will enable its room-temperature quantum coherence. Here, we show that the quantum coherence of singlet fission-derived TT in a chromophore-integrated metal-organic framework can be over hundred nanoseconds at room temperature.

Luminescence mechanism analysis of a TADF molecule showing peculiar thermal behavior.

In recent years, much attention has been paid to the development of thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) materials with short delayed-fluorescence lifetimes to improve the device performances of OLEDs. In principle, by reducing the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO)-lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) overlap, while the energy difference between S-T (Δ) and activation energy () can be reduced, and the reverse intersystem crossing rate constant () can be accelerated, a decrease in the radiative rate constant happens, necessitating an advanced molecular design. Furthermore, a molecule based on heptazine as a parent skeleton has recently been found to have a peculiar temperature dependence of luminescence decay, suggesting a negative gap (NG) material.

Differential metabolic reprogramming in developing soybean embryos in response to nutritional conditions and abscisic acid.

Seed storage compound deposition is influenced by both maternal and filial tissues. Within this framework, we analyzed strategies that operate during the development and filling of soybean embryos, using in vitro culture systems combined with metabolomics and proteomics approaches. The carbon:nitrogen ratio (C:N) of the maternal supply and the hormone abscisic acid (ABA) are specific and interacting signals inducing differential metabolic reprogrammings linked to changes in the accumulation of storage macromolecules like proteins or oils.

Unprecedented highly efficient photoluminescence in a phosphorescent Ag(I) coordination polymer.

A luminescent three-dimensional coordination polymer (CP) of [Cd(pmd){Ag(CN)}] (1; pmd = pyrimidine) comprising two different coordination modes of Ag ions was synthesised herein. 1 exhibited thermochromic luminescence, accompanied by positive thermal elongation of the Ag⋯Ag distance. Moreover, 1 showed a bright phosphorescence with the highest photoluminescence quantum yield (), approximately 60% at room temperature, among previously reported phosphorescent Ag-based CPs or metal-organic frameworks.

Singlet fission as a polarized spin generator for dynamic nuclear polarization.

Singlet fission (SF), converting a singlet excited state into a spin-correlated triplet-pair state, is an effective way to generate a spin quintet state in organic materials. Although its application to photovoltaics as an exciton multiplier has been extensively studied, the use of its unique spin degree of freedom has been largely unexplored. Here, we demonstrate that the spin polarization of the quintet multiexcitons generated by SF improves the sensitivity of magnetic resonance of water molecules through dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP).

The C4 cycle and beyond: diverse metabolic adaptations accompany dual-cell photosynthetic functions in Setaria.

C4 photosynthesis is typically characterized by the spatial compartmentalization of the photosynthetic reactions into mesophyll (M) and bundle sheath (BS) cells. Initial carbon fixation within M cells gives rise to C4 acids, which are transported to the BS cells. There, C4 acids are decarboxylated so that the resulting CO2 is incorporated into the Calvin cycle.

Guest-Tunable Excited States in a Cyanide-Bridged Luminescent Coordination Polymer.

The excited-state energy was tuned successfully by guest molecules in a cyanide-bridged luminescent coordination polymer (CP). Methanol or ethanol vapor reversibly and significantly changed the luminescent color of the CP between green and yellow (Δλ = 32 nm). These vapors did not significantly affect the environment around the luminophore in the ground state of the CP, whereas they modulated the excited states for the resulting bathochromic shift.

Cilostazol is an effective causal therapy for preventing paclitaxel-induced peripheral neuropathy by suppression of Schwann cell dedifferentiation.

Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) can lead to discontinuation of chemotherapy and is consequently a serious impediment to effective cancer treatment. Due to our limited understanding of mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of CIPN, no causal therapy has been approved for relief of this condition. We previously demonstrated that taxanes (paclitaxel and docetaxel) induce Schwann cell dedifferentiation, characterized by increased expression of p75 and galectin-3, ultimately leading to demyelination.

Pronociceptive Roles of Schwann Cell-Derived Galectin-3 in Taxane-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy.

Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a severe dose-limiting side effect of taxanes such as paclitaxel and docetaxel. Despite the high medical needs, insufficient understanding of the complex mechanism underlying CIPN pathogenesis precludes any endorsed causal therapy to prevent or relieve CIPN. In this study, we report that elevation of plasma galectin-3 level is a pathologic change common to both patients with taxane-treated breast cancer with CIPN and a mouse model of taxane-related CIPN.

Smad4 regulates the nuclear translocation of Nkx2-5 in cardiac differentiation.

Bmp plays an important role in cardiomyocyte differentiation, but the function of Smad4 in Bmp signaling remains elusive. Here, we show that disruption of the Smad4 gene in cardiac progenitors expressing Sfrp5 led to embryonic lethality with hypoplastic heart formation. Although the expression of Nkx2-5 is regulated by Bmp signaling, expression of Nkx2-5 was weakly detected in the mutant heart.

Intramolecular-rotation driven triplet-to-singlet upconversion and fluctuation induced fluorescence activation in linearly connected donor-acceptor molecules.

Thermally activated triplet-to-singlet upconversion is attractive from both fundamental science and exciton engineering, but controlling the process from molecular configuration is still unrevealed. In particular, the flexibility of the freedom of molecular geometry is of major importance to understand the kinetics of the phonon-induced upconversion. Here, we focus on two linearly connected donor-acceptor molecules, 9,9-dimethyl-9,10-dihydroacridine-2,4,6-triphenyl-1,3,5-triazine (DMAC-TRZ) and hexamethylazatriangulene-2,4,6-triphenyl-1,3,5-triazine (HMAT-TRZ), as the model system.

Responses of stream zooplankton diversity metrics to eutrophication and temporal environmental variability in agricultural catchments.

Eutrophication of rivers and streams in agricultural lands is one of the main threats for biodiversity and ecosystem functions. This study was focused on seven subtropical streams where agriculture is the predominant land use. We tested the hypothesis that (i) eutrophication causes a decrease in taxonomic and functional diversity of zooplankton, leading to potential consequences for the ecosystem integrity.

Loss of function of Arabidopsis NADP-malic enzyme 1 results in enhanced tolerance to aluminum stress.

In acidic soils, aluminum (Al) toxicity is a significant limitation to crop production worldwide. Given its Al-binding capacity, malate allows internal as well as external detoxification strategies to cope with Al stress, but little is known about the metabolic processes involved in this response. Here, we analyzed the relevance of NADP-dependent malic enzyme (NADP-ME), which catalyzes the oxidative decarboxylation of malate, in Al tolerance.

Molecular adaptations of NADP-malic enzyme for its function in C photosynthesis in grasses.

In C grasses of agronomical interest, malate shuttled into the bundle sheath cells is decarboxylated mainly by nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADP)-malic enzyme (C-NADP-ME). The activity of C-NADP-ME was optimized by natural selection to efficiently deliver CO to Rubisco. During its evolution from a plastidic non-photosynthetic NADP-ME, C-NADP-ME acquired increased catalytic efficiency, tetrameric structure and pH-dependent inhibition by its substrate malate.

Suppression of Structural Change upon S-T Conversion Assists the Thermally Activated Delayed Fluorescence Process in Carbazole-Benzonitrile Derivatives.

Thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) molecules are gathering attention for their potential to boost the efficiency of organic light-emitting diodes without precious metals. Minimizing the energy difference between the S and T states (Δ E) is a fundamental strategy to accelerate reverse intersystem crossing (RISC). However, the lack of microscopic understanding of the process prevents adequate design strategies for efficient TADF materials.

NADP-Dependent Malic Enzyme 1 Participates in the Abscisic Acid Response in .

possesses three cytosolic (NADP-ME1-3) and one plastidic (NADP-ME4) NADP-dependent malic enzymes. NADP-ME2 and -ME4 show constitutive expression, in contrast to NADP-ME1 and -ME3, which are restricted to particular tissues. Here, we show that NADP-ME1 transcript and protein were almost undetectable during normal vegetative growth, but gradually increased and reached levels higher than those of the other isoforms in the latest stages of seed development.

Investigation of excited state, reductive quenching, and intramolecular electron transfer of Ru(ii)-Re(i) supramolecular photocatalysts for CO reduction using time-resolved IR measurements.

Supramolecular photocatalysts in which Ru(ii) photosensitizer and Re(i) catalyst units are connected to each other by an ethylene linker are among the best known, most effective and durable photocatalytic systems for CO reduction. In this paper we report, for the first time, time-resolved infrared (TRIR) spectra of three of these binuclear complexes to uncover why the catalysts function so efficiently. Selective excitation of the Ru unit with a 532 nm laser pulse induces slow intramolecular electron transfer from the MLCT excited state of the Ru unit to the Re unit, with rate constants of (1.

Whole-Genome Analysis of an Extensively Drug-Resistance Empedobacter falsenii Strain Reveals Distinct Features and the Presence of a Novel Metallo-ß-Lactamase (EBR-2).

The spread of antibiotic resistance is rapidly threatening the effectiveness of antibiotics in the clinical setting. Many infections are being caused by known and unknown pathogenic bacteria that are resistant to many or all antibiotics currently available. Empedobacter falsenii is a nosocomial pathogen that can cause human infections.

The crystal structure of the malic enzyme from Candidatus Phytoplasma reveals the minimal structural determinants for a malic enzyme.

Phytoplasmas are wall-less phytopathogenic bacteria that produce devastating effects in a wide variety of plants. Reductive evolution has shaped their genome, with the loss of many genes, limiting their metabolic capacities. Owing to the high concentration of C compounds in plants, and the presence of malic enzyme (ME) in all phytoplasma genomes so far sequenced, the oxidative decarboxylation of L-malate might represent an adaptation to generate energy.

Differential Contribution of Malic Enzymes during Soybean and Castor Seeds Maturation.

Malic enzymes (ME) catalyze the decarboxylation of malate generating pyruvate, CO2 and NADH or NADPH. In some organisms it has been established that ME is involved in lipids biosynthesis supplying carbon skeletons and reducing power. In this work we studied the MEs of soybean and castor, metabolically different oilseeds.

Metabolic regulation of phytoplasma malic enzyme and phosphotransacetylase supports the use of malate as an energy source in these plant pathogens.

Phytoplasmas ('Candidatus Phytoplasma') are insect-vectored plant pathogens. The genomes of these bacteria are small with limited metabolic capacities making them dependent on their plant and insect hosts for survival. In contrast to mycoplasmas and other relatives in the class Mollicutes, phytoplasmas encode genes for malate transporters and malic enzyme (ME) for conversion of malate into pyruvate.

Biochemical approaches to C4 photosynthesis evolution studies: the case of malic enzymes decarboxylases.

C4 photosynthesis enables the capture of atmospheric CO2 and its concentration at the site of RuBisCO, thus counteracting the negative effects of low atmospheric levels of CO2 and high atmospheric levels of O2 (21 %) on photosynthesis. The evolution of this complex syndrome was a multistep process. It did not occur by simply recruiting pre-exiting components of the pathway from C3 ancestors which were already optimized for C4 function.

Kinetics and functional diversity among the five members of the NADP-malic enzyme family from Zea mays, a C4 species.

NADP-malic enzyme (NADP-ME) is involved in different metabolic pathways in several organisms due to the relevant physiological functions of the substrates and products of its reaction. In plants, it is one of the most important proteins that were recruited to fulfil key roles in C4 photosynthesis. Recent advances in genomics allowed the characterization of the complete set of NADP-ME genes from some C3 species, as Arabidopsis thaliana and Oryza sativa; however, the characterization of the complete NADP-ME family from a C4 species has not been performed yet.