The mosquito evolves two types of prophenoloxidases with diversified functions.

Insect phenoloxidase, presented as an inactive precursor prophenoloxidase (PPO) in hemolymph, catalyzes melanin formation, which is involved in wound healing, pathogen killing, reversible oxygen collection during insect respiration, and cuticle and eggshell formation. Mosquitoes possess 9 to 16 PPO members across different genera, a number that is more than that found in other dipteran insects. However, the reasons for the redundancy of these PPOs and whether they have distinct biochemical properties and physiological functions remain unclear.

Analysis of RL electric circuits modeled by fractional Riccati IVP via Jacobi-Broyden Newton algorithm.

This paper focuses on modeling Resistor-Inductor (RL) electric circuits using a fractional Riccati initial value problem (IVP) framework. Conventional models frequently neglect the complex dynamics and memory effects intrinsic to actual RL circuits. This study aims to develop a more precise representation using a fractional-order Riccati model.

Creation of Piezoelectricity in Quadruple Perovskite Oxides by Harnessing Cation Defects and Their Application in Piezo-Photocatalysis.

Quadruple perovskite oxides have received extensive attention in electronics and catalysis, owing to their cation-ordering structure and intriguing physical properties. However, their repertoires still remain limited. In particular, piezoelectricity from quadruple perovskites has been rarely reported due to the frustrated symmetry-breaking transition in A-site-ordered perovskite structures, disabling their piezoelectric applications.

Oxygen-Passivated Sulfur Vacancies in Monolayer MoS for Enhanced Piezoelectricity.

Modern-day applications demand onboard electricity generation that can be achieved using piezoelectric phenomena. Reducing the dimensionality of materials is a pathway to enhancing the piezoelectric properties. Transition-metal dichalcogenides have been shown to exhibit high piezoelectricity.

A deoxyfluoroalkylation-aromatization strategy to access fluoroalkyl arenes.

Fluoroalkyl arenes (Ar-R) are valuable substructures present in several FDA-approved drugs, patents, agrochemicals, and materials, and complementary strategies that enable access to a broad spectrum of Ar-R compounds benefit these applied fields. Herein, we report a deoxyfluoroalkylation-aromatization strategy to convert cyclohexanones into broad-spectrum Ar-R containing compounds. Generally, the fluoroalkyl sources were activated to participate in a 1,2-addition reaction followed by aromatization in a sequence that contrasts more common preparations of these Ar-R compounds, such as (i) transition-metal catalyzed cross-coupling reactions of aryl electrophiles and nucleophiles, and (ii) radical fluoroalkylation reactions of C-H bonds of arenes.

A co-registration method to validate optical coherence tomography in the breast surgical cavity.

Breast-conserving surgery accompanied by adjuvant radiotherapy is the standard of care for patients with early-stage breast cancer. However, re-excision is reported in 20-30 % of cases, largely because of close or involved tumor margins in the specimen. Several intraoperative tumor margin assessment techniques have been proposed to overcome this issue, however, none have been widely adopted.

Effect of pre-treatment conditions on the electrochemical performance of hard carbon derived from bio-waste.

Sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) offer several advantages over traditional lithium-ion batteries, including a more uniform sodium distribution, lower-cost materials, and safer transportation options. A promising development in SIBs is the use of hard carbons as anode materials due to their low insertion voltage and larger interlayer spacing, which improve sodium-ion insertion. Traditionally, hard carbons are made from costly carbon sources, but recent advancements have focussed on using abundant bio-waste, like coffee grounds.

Biochar for ameliorating soil fertility and microbial diversity: From production to action of the black gold.

This article evaluated different production strategies, characteristics, and applications of biochar for ameliorating soil fertility and microbial diversity. The biochar production techniques are evolving, indicating that newer methods (including hydrothermal and retort carbonization) operate with minimum temperatures, yet resulting in high yields with significant improvements in different properties, including heating value, oxygen functionality, and carbon content, compared to the traditional methods. It has been found that the temperature, feedstock type, and moisture content play critical roles in the fabrication process.

Influence of Seven Ion Species on Osteogenic Differentiation of Mesenchymal Stem Cells Stimulated by Macrophages in Indirect and Direct Coculture Systems.

Implanted biomaterials release inorganic ions that trigger inflammatory responses, which recruit immune cells whose biochemical signals affect bone tissue regeneration. In this study, we evaluated how mouse macrophages (RAW264, RAW) and mesenchymal stem cells (KUSA-A1, MSCs) respond to seven types of ions (silicon, calcium, magnesium, zinc, strontium, copper, and cobalt) that reportedly stimulate cells related to bone formation. The collagen synthesis, alkaline phosphatase activity, and osteocalcin production of the MSCs varied by ion dose and type after culture in the secretome of RAW cells.

Predicting Color Development and Texture Changes in Tomatoes Treated With Hot Water and Exposed to High-Temperature Ethylene Using Support Vector Regression.

This study investigated the impacts of hot water treatment (HWT) at 50°C or 25°C for 5 min and high-temperature ethylene (HTE) exposure at varying temperatures (20°C, 30°C, or 35°C) and durations (24, 48, or 72 h) on the postharvest quality and antioxidant properties of mature green tomatoes (MG). Color changes, physicochemical characteristics, antioxidant compounds, and overall antioxidant ability were assessed. HWT increased β-carotene levels and oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) while preserving color metrics, despite later HTE exposure.

Biosynthesis of lactacystin as a proteasome inhibitor.

Lactacystin is an irreversible proteasome inhibitor isolated from Streptomyces lactacystinicus. Despite its importance for its biological activity, the biosynthesis of lactacystin remains unknown. In this study, we identified the lactacystin biosynthetic gene cluster by gene disruption and heterologous expression experiments.

A kurtosis-ESPRIT algorithm for RealTime stability assessment in droop controlled microgrids.

Although detailed analytical models for droop-controlled microgrids are available, they are computationally complex and do not consider real-time variations in microgrid parameters and operating conditions. This paper proposes Kurtosis-Estimation of Signal Parameters via Rotational Invariance Technique (ESPRIT) to identify the dominant modes in droop-controlled inverter-based microgrids (IBMGs) using local real-time measurements. In the proposed approach, a short-duration small disturbance is applied to the selected DG's active power droop gain, and then, the system's dominant modes are estimated from its local measurements.

Foot trajectory as a key factor for diverse gait patterns in quadruped robot locomotion.

Four-legged robots are becoming increasingly pivotal in navigating challenging environments, such as construction sites and disaster zones. While substantial progress in robotic mobility has been achieved using reinforcement learning techniques, quadruped animals exhibit superior agility by employing fundamentally different strategies. Bio-inspired controllers have been developed to replicate and understand biological locomotion strategies.

Enabling ultra-flexible inorganic thin-film-based thermoelectric devices by introducing nanoscale titanium layers.

Here, we design exotic interfaces within a flexible thermoelectric device, incorporating a polyimide substrate, Ti contact layer, Cu electrode, Ti barrier layer, and thermoelectric thin film. The device features 162 pairs of thin-film legs with high room-temperature performance, using p-BiSbTe and n-BiTeSe, with figure-of-merit values of 1.39 and 1.

First English article of Yagi-Uda antenna.

Herein, the first English article demonstrating the Yagi-Uda antenna is introduced. The article was originally published in the Proceedings of the Imperial Academy of Japan in 1926.

User Acceptance of a Home Robotic Assistant for Individuals With Physical Disabilities: Explorative Qualitative Study.

Background: Health care is shifting toward 5 proactive approaches: personalized, participatory, preventive, predictive, and precision-focused services (P5 medicine). This patient-centered care leverages technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI)-powered robots, which can personalize and enhance services for users with disabilities. These advancements are crucial given the World Health Organization's projection of a global shortage of up to 10 million health care workers by 2030.

Environmental assessment of formal and informal waste treatment of liquid crystal display (LCD) monitors.

In Santiago, Chile, 315,000 liquid crystal display (LCD) monitors are discarded annually. Of this amount, the formal sector of refurbishment and recycling manages only 5 %, creating the conditions for the emergence of informal management systems. This study provides the first comprehensive environmental and circularity assessment of monitor treatment across multiple impact categories, identifying trade-offs associated with formal and informal operations.

Hepatotoxicity of Three Common Liquid Crystal Monomers in : Differentiation of Actions Across Different Receptors and Pathways.

Liquid crystal monomers (LCMs) of different chemical structures were widely detected in various environmental matrices. However, their health risk evaluation is lacking. Herein, three representative LCMs were selected from 74 LCM candidates upon literature review and acute cytotoxicity evaluation, then were exposed to the three LCMs for 42 days at doses of 0.

Cathode Design Based on Nitrogen Redox and Linear Coordination of Cu Center for All-Solid-State Fluoride-Ion Batteries.

All-solid-state fluoride-ion batteries (FIBs) have attracted extensive attention as candidates for next-generation energy storage devices; however, promising cathodes with high energy density are still lacking. In this study, CuN is investigated as a cathode material for all-solid-state fluoride-ion batteries, which offers enough anionic vacancies around the 2-fold coordinated Cu center for F intercalation, thereby enabling a multielectron-transferred fluorination process. The contribution of both cationic and anionic redox to charge compensation, in particular, the generation of molecular nitrogen species in highly charged states, has been proved by several synchrotron-radiation-based spectroscopic technologies.

Comparing the malignant properties of parental and a knock-in version of HCT116 cell line expressing the CDK2-mutant of eukaryotic elongation factor 2 (eEF2).

Background: Modulation of protein synthesis according to the physiological cues is maintained through tight control of Eukaryotic Elongation Factor 2 (eEF2), whose unique translocase activity is essential for cell viability. Phosphorylation of eEF2 at its Thr56 residue inactivates this function in translation. In our previous study we reported a novel mode of post-translational modification that promotes higher efficiency in T56 phosphorylation.

Dextran stabilised hematite: a sustainable anode in aqueous electrolytes.

During the last decades, the use of innovative hybrid materials in energy storage devices has led to notable advances in the field. However, further enhancement of their electrochemical performance faces significant challenges nowadays, imposed by the materials used in the electrodes and the electrolyte. Such problems include the high solubility of both the organic and the inorganic anode components in the electrolyte as well as the limited intrinsic electronic conductivity and substantial volume variation of the materials during cycling.

Exploring the efficacy and constraints of platinum nanoparticles as adjuvant therapy in silicosis management.

Silicosis represents a formidable occupational lung pathology precipitated by the pulmonary assimilation of respirable crystalline silica particulates. This condition engenders a cascade of cellular oxidative stress via the activation of bioavailable silica, culminating in the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Such oxidative mechanisms lead to irrevocable pulmonary impairment.

4D-DIA Proteomics Uncovers New Insights into Host Salivary Response Following SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Infection.

Since late 2021, Omicron variants have dominated the epidemiological scenario as the most successful severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) sublineages, driving new and breakthrough infections globally over the past two years. In this study, we investigated for the first time the host salivary response of COVID-19 patients infected with Omicron variants (BA.1, BA.

Enhanced detection of Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) using a reduced graphene oxide field-effect transistor aptasensor.

Neurodegenerative diseases, characterized by the progressive deterioration of neuronal function and structure, pose significant global public health and economic challenges. Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF), a key regulator of neuroplasticity and neuronal survival, has emerged as a critical biomarker for various neurodegenerative and psychiatric disorders, including Alzheimer's disease. Traditional diagnostic methods, such as Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) and electrochemiluminescence (ECL) assays, face limitations in terms of sensitivity, stability, reproducibility, and cost-effectiveness.

Interlocked 2D Covalent Organic Frameworks from Overcrowded Nodes.

A challenging aspect in the synthesis of covalent organic frameworks (COFs) that goes beyond the framework's structure and topology is interpenetration, where two or more independent frameworks are mechanically interlocked with each other. Such interpenetrated or interlocked frameworks are commonly found in three-dimensional (3D) COFs with large pores. However, interlocked two-dimensional (2D) COFs are rarely seen in the literature, as 2D COF layers typically crystallize in stacks that maximize stabilization through π-stacking.