Continuous Strain Modulation of Moiré Superlattice Symmetry From Triangle to Rectangle.

Moiré superlattices formed in van der Waals (vdW) bilayers of 2D materials provide an ideal platform for studying previously undescribed physics, including correlated electronic states and moiré excitons, owing to the wide-range tunability of their lattice constants. However, their crystal symmetry is fixed by the monolayer structure, and the lack of a straightforward technique for modulating the symmetry of moiré superlattices has impeded progress in this field. Herein, a simple, room-temperature, ambient method for controlling superlattice symmetry is reported.

Surface sensitivity of atomic resolution secondary electron imaging.

The surface sensitivity of high-resolution secondary electron (SE) imaging is examined using twisted bilayers of MoS2 stacked at an angle of 30-degree. High-resolution SE images of the twisted bilayer MoS2 show a honeycomb structure composed of Mo and S atoms, elucidating the monolayer structure of MoS2. Simultaneously captured annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscope images from the same region show the projected structure of the two layers.

Enzyme systems involved in glucosinolate metabolism in Companilactobacillus farciminis KB1089.

Cruciferous vegetables are rich sources of glucosinolates (GSLs). GSLs are degraded into isothiocyanates, which are potent anticarcinogens, by human gut bacteria. However, the mechanisms and enzymes involved in gut bacteria-mediated GSL metabolism are currently unclear.

Tocotrienols reach the brain and play roles in the attenuation of body weight gain and improvement of cognitive function in high-fat diet-treated mice.

Obesity induces severe disorders such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular events, and the number of people with obesity is increasing all over the world. Furthermore, it is possible that obesity increases the risk of cognitive dysfunction via the acceleration of oxidative damage. Tocotrienols, which are part of the vitamin E family, have antioxidant and anti-obesity effects.

Risk factors for cancellation after dispatch of rapid response cars for prehospital emergency care: a single-center, case-control study.

Aim: The objective of this study is to identify the risk factors for cancellation after dispatch of rapid response cars (RRC) for prehospital emergency care.

Methods: We retrospectively extracted data from all RRC cases dispatched from our hospital between April 2017 and March 2019. A total of 1,440 cases were included in our study and divided into either the "cancelled" group ( = 723) or the "treated" group ( = 717), based on the occurrence of cancellation.

Structural determination of the sheath-forming polysaccharide of Sphaerotilus montanus using thiopeptidoglycan lyase which recognizes the 1,4 linkage between α-d-GalN and β-d-GlcA.

Sphaerotilus natans is a filamentous sheath-forming bacterium commonly found in activated sludge. Its sheath is assembled from a thiolic glycoconjugate called thiopeptidoglycan. S.

sp. nov., a galactomannan-degrading haloarchaeon isolated from commercial salt.

A mannan-degrading halophilic archaeal strain, MD130-1, was isolated from a commercial salt sample. Cells were motile, rod-shaped, and stained Gram-negative. Colonies were pink pigmented.

Aggregability of β(1→4)-linked glucosaminoglucan originating from a sulfur-oxidizing bacterium .

β-1,4-glucosaminoglucan (GG) was prepared from the sheath of a sulfur-oxidizing bacterium . Recently, GG was found to be adsorbed by cellulose (paper) and is therefore potentially applicable as an aminating agent for cellulose. We attempted to increase the yield of GG using a fed-batch cultivation method.

Improvement of Bio-Oil and Nitrogen Recovery from Microalgae Using Two-Stage Hydrothermal Liquefaction with Solid Carbon and HCl Acid Catalysis.

Bio-oil production from microalgae by using hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) has been conducted extensively in the last decade. In this work, we conducted two-stage HTL of a microalga (, JPCC DA0580) in the presence of 5.0 g/L carbon solid acid or a 0.

Dominant formation of disulfidic linkages in the sulfur cross-linking reaction of isoprene rubber by using zinc stearate as an activator.

A linear combination fitting in sulfur K-edge X-ray absorption near edge structure (S-XANES) measurements reveals each fraction of monosulfidic, disulfidic and polysulfidic linkages in solvent extracted sulfur cross-linked isoprene rubbers. The sulfidic linkage of a disulfidic type is found for the first time to be dominant when zinc stearate and -(1,3-benzothiazol-2-ylsulfanyl)cyclohexanamine are used as the activator and accelerator, respectively, for the sulfur cross-linking reaction at 140 °C. The presence of the bridging bidentate zinc/stearate complex as an intermediate for the sulfur cross-linking reaction is supposed to induce the generation of abundant disulfidic linkages in the rubber networks.

Salinarchaeum chitinilyticum sp. nov., a chitin-degrading haloarchaeon isolated from commercial salt.

Two chitin-degrading halophilic archaeal strains, MC-74T and MC-23, were isolated from commercial salt samples. Cells were motile, rod-shaped and stained Gram-negative. Colonies were vermillion-pigmented.

Plasma protein profiling for potential biomarkers in the early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease.

Objectives: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia in elderly persons. Since the pathology of AD develops slowly from a preclinical or early phase into a fully expressed clinical syndrome, at the time of diagnosis the disease has been progressing for many years. To facilitate the early diagnosis of AD, we performed protein profiling of blood in patients with mild AD as defined by the Functional Assessment Staging (FAST) scale.

Haloparvum alkalitolerans sp. nov., alkali-tolerant haloarchaeon isolated from commercial salt.

A Gram-stain-negative, rod-pleomorphic, aerobic, halophilic archaeon, strain MK62-1T, was isolated from commercial salt made from seawater in the Philippines. Strain MK62-1T was able to grow at 2.1-4.

Halopiger thermotolerans sp. nov., a thermo-tolerant haloarchaeon isolated from commercial salt.

Three thermo-tolerant halophilic archaeal strains, SR-441T, SR-412 and SR-188, were isolated from commercial salt samples. Cells were non-motile pleomorphic rod-shaped, and stained Gram-negative. Colonies were pink-pigmented.

A high-molecular-weight, alkaline, and thermostable β-1,4-xylanase of a subseafloor Microcella alkaliphila.

An endo β-1,4-xylanase (XynE15) from a culture broth of a deep subseafloor microorganism, Microcella alkaliphila JAM-AC0309, was purified to homogeneity. The molecular mass of XynE15 was approximately 150 kDa as judged by SDS-PAGE. The optimal pH and temperature for hydrolysis of xylan were pH 8 and 65 °C.

Halarchaeum grantii sp. nov., a moderately acidophilic haloarchaeon isolated from a commercial salt sample.

Three moderately acidophilic, halophilic archaeal strains, MH1-243-3T, MH1-243-5 and MH1-243-6, were isolated from a commercial salt sample made from seawater in Okinawa, Japan. Cells of the three strains were pleomorphic and stained Gram-negative. Colonies of the strains were orange-red-pigmented.

Encouragement of Enzyme Reaction Utilizing Heat Generation from Ferromagnetic Particles Subjected to an AC Magnetic Field.

We propose a method of activating an enzyme utilizing heat generation from ferromagnetic particles under an ac magnetic field. We immobilize α-amylase on the surface of ferromagnetic particles and analyze its activity. We find that when α-amylase/ferromagnetic particle hybrids, that is, ferromagnetic particles, on which α-amylase molecules are immobilized, are subjected to an ac magnetic field, the particles generate heat and as a result, α-amylase on the particles is heated up and activated.

Halorubrum gandharaense sp. nov., an alkaliphilic haloarchaeon from commercial rock salt.

A Gram-stain-negative, non-motile, pleomorphic rod-shaped, orange-red-pigmented, facultatively aerobic and haloalkaliphilic archaeon, strain MK13-1T, was isolated from commercial rock salt imported from Pakistan. The NaCl, pH and temperature ranges for growth of strain MK13-1T were 3.0-5.

A novel in chemico method to detect skin sensitizers in highly diluted reaction conditions.

The direct peptide reactivity assay (DPRA) is a simple and versatile alternative method for the evaluation of skin sensitization that involves the reaction of test chemicals with two peptides. However, this method requires concentrated solutions of test chemicals, and hydrophobic substances may not dissolve at the concentrations required. Furthermore, hydrophobic test chemicals may precipitate when added to the reaction solution.

Halocalculus aciditolerans gen. nov., sp. nov., an acid-tolerant haloarchaeon isolated from commercial salt.

Three halophilic archaeal strains, MH2-243-1(T), MH2-93-1 and MH2-91-1 were isolated from commercial salt samples from Japan, Australia, and Bolivia. Strain MH2-243-1(T) was able to grow in the presence of 12-30% (w/v) NaCl (optimum, 18% NaCl), at pH 4.5-7.

Halococcus agarilyticus sp. nov., an agar-degrading haloarchaeon isolated from commercial salt.

Two agar-degrading halophilic archaeal strains, 62 E(T) and 197 A, were isolated from commercial salt samples. Cells were non-motile cocci, approximately 1.2-2.

A pectate lyase from a deep subseafloor Georgenia muralis with unusual molecular characteristics.

A novel pectate lyase of a deep subseafloor bacterium, Georgenia muralis strain JAM 3H7-3 (JCM19733), was purified to homogeneity from a culture broth by an anion exchange chromatography, followed by heat treatment of the enzyme solution at 60 °C for 30 min, and a gel filtration in the presence of SDS. The purified enzyme (Pel-S2) had a molecular mass of ~51 kDa by SDS-PAGE and ~75 kDa by gel filtration. In contrast, without heat treatment, the purified enzyme in SDS sample buffer was found to consist of 23- and 23.

Highly thermostable and surfactant-activated chitinase from a subseafloor bacterium, Laceyella putida.

A novel chitinase (LpChiA) was purified to homogeneity from a culture of Laceyella putida JAM FM3001. LpChiA hydrolyzed colloidal chitin optimally at a pH of 4 in an acetate buffer and temperature of 75 ºC. The enzyme was remarkably stable to incubation at 70 ºC up to 1 h at pH 5.