The AtMC4 regulates the stem cell homeostasis in Arabidopsis by catalyzing the cleavage of AtLa1 protein in response to environmental hazards.

The AtLa1 protein is an RNA binding factor that initiates the translation of WUSCHEL (WUS) mRNA in Arabidopsis. The AtLa1 protein can regulate the stem cell homeostasis via the nuclear-to-cytoplasmic translocation in response to environmental hazards. However, the translocation mechanism of AtLa1 protein remains to be elucidated.

A Novel Method of Automatic Plant Species Identification Using Sparse Representation of Leaf Tooth Features.

Automatic species identification has many advantages over traditional species identification. Currently, most plant automatic identification methods focus on the features of leaf shape, venation and texture, which are promising for the identification of some plant species. However, leaf tooth, a feature commonly used in traditional species identification, is ignored.

AtLa1 protein initiates IRES-dependent translation of WUSCHEL mRNA and regulates the stem cell homeostasis of Arabidopsis in response to environmental hazards.

Plant stem cells are hypersensitive to environmental hazards throughout their life cycle, but the mechanism by which plants safeguard stem cell homeostasis in response to environmental hazards is largely unknown. The homeodomain transcription factor WUSCHEL (WUS) protein maintains the stem cell pool in the shoot apical meristem of Arabidopsis. Here, we demonstrate that the translation of WUS mRNA is directed by an internal ribosomal entry site (IRES) located in the 5'-untranslated region.

Surface grafting of electrospun fibers using ATRP and RAFT for the control of biointerfacial interactions.

Background: The ability to present signalling molecules within a low fouling 3D environment that mimics the extracellular matrix is an important goal for a range of biomedical applications, both in vitro and in vivo. Cell responses can be triggered by non-specific protein interactions occurring on the surface of a biomaterial, which is an undesirable process when studying specific receptor-ligand interactions. It is therefore useful to present specific ligands of interest to cell surface receptors in a 3D environment that minimizes non-specific interactions with biomolecules, such as proteins.

Graphene oxide nanoparticles for enhanced photothermal cancer cell therapy under the irradiation of a femtosecond laser beam.

Nano-sized graphene and graphene oxide (GO) are promising for biomedical applications, such as drug delivery and photothermal therapy of cancer. It is observed in this work that the ultrafast reduction of GO nanoparticles (GONs) with a femtosecond laser beam creates extensive microbubbling. To understand the surface chemistry of GONs on the microbubble formation, the GONs were reduced to remove most of the oxygen-containing groups to get reduced GONs (rGONs).

Acceleration effect of reduced graphene oxide on photoinduced synthesis of silver nanoparticles.

The photoinduced growth reaction of silver nanoparticles was accelerated by reduced graphene oxide (RGO) produced from graphene oxide (GO) during the light irradiation process in aqueous solution. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Raman spectroscopy demonstrated that RGO was generated in the photoinduced process. The acceleration effect of RGO was investigated through monitoring the extinction spectra of silver nanoparticles during the synthesis process.

Shape evolution of silver nanoplates through heating and photoinduction.

Shape conversions of silver nanoplates were realized by heating and subsequent light irradiation. The initial silver nanoprisms were transformed into silver nanodisks gradually in the process of heating, which was possibly achieved through dissolving and readsorption of silver atoms on the surface of silver nanoplates. Subsequently, under light irradiation, the heating induced silver nanodisks were reversed to silver nanoprisms in the same solution.

Reduced graphene oxide/ZnO composite: reusable adsorbent for pollutant management.

Reduced graphene oxide (RGO) coated with ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) was synthesized by a self-assembly and in situ photoreduction method, and then their application for removing organic pollutant from water was investigated. The RGO@ZnO composite nanomaterial has unique structural features including well-dispersed NPs on the surface and dense NPs loading. This composite exhibited a greatly improved Rhodamine B (RhB) adsorption capacity and an improved photocatalytic activity for degrading RhB compared to neat ZnO NPs.

Interfacing colloidal graphene oxide sheets with gold nanoparticles.

Aqueous solutions of graphene oxide (GO) and citrate-stabilised gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are two classic, negatively charged colloids. Using the surface plasmon resonance spectra of AuNPs as a probe, we illustrate how the two like-charged colloids interact with each other and in so doing, reveal the unique solution behaviour of GO. We demonstrate that the electrical double layer of the GO sheets in water plays a key role in controlling the interaction between GO and AuNPs, which displays a one-way gate effect.

Investigation on solvent casting films of surfactant-encapsulated clusters.

The surfactant-encapsulated cluster (SEC) composed of a hydrophobic dimethyl dioctadecyl ammonium (DODA) shell and an encapsulated hydrophilic polyoxoanion core can form casting films. The structure of the casting film is influenced by evaporation rates of organic solvent. When the casting films are prepared by slow evaporation of chloroform, the alkyl chains are considered to possess a partial interdigitation, and the interdigitated length is 1.

Fabrication of a covalently attached self-assembly multilayer film based on CdTe nanoparticles.

A precursor film has been fabricated from TGA (thiolglycolic acid)-stabilized CdTe nanoparticles and NDR (nitro-containing diazoresin) using electrostatic interactions and the standard layer-by-layer assembly method; covalent bonds are formed under ultraviolet irradiation. XPS provided evidence for the presence of CdTe nanoparticles within the polymer ultrathin films. UV-visible spectroscopy and FTIR spectroscopy provide evidence for the formation of a covalent linkage.

Surfactant encapsulated DNA: structure characterization and interaction with dye molecules in organic media.

The recognition of electrostatically-bound DNA-didodecyldimethylammonium (DNA-DDDA) complex by three dye molecules, acridine orange (AO), ethidium bromide (EB) and 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(4-N-methylpyridyl) porphyrin tetra(p-toluenesulfonate) (TMPyP) in organic media was investigated through 1H NMR, UV-vis, and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopies. When the organic solvent in which DNA-DDDA complex dissolves is changed from ethanol to chloroform, the adsorbed AO undergoes a reversible transformation from a monomer to a highly aggregated state at the interface between DNA and DDDA. EB also adsorbs at the interface between DNA and DDDA when EB interacts with the DNA-DDDA complex in organic media, but its existing state is independent of the used solvents.

Hydrogen-bonded 1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)ethylene and maleic acid.

The title compound (systematic name: 4,4'-ethylenedipyridinium dimaleate), C(12)H(12)N(2)(2+).2C(4)H(3)O(4)(-), is a 1:2 adduct of 1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)ethylene (BPE) and maleic acid (MA). The interaction between the two components in the molecular complex is due to intermolecular hydrogen bonding via an N(+)-H.