Curved graphene nanoribbons derived from tetrahydropyrene-based polyphenylenes one-pot K-region oxidation and Scholl cyclization.

Precise synthesis of graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) is of great interest to chemists and materials scientists because of their unique opto-electronic properties and potential applications in carbon-based nanoelectronics and spintronics. In addition to the tunable edge structure and width, introducing curvature in GNRs is a powerful structural feature for their chemi-physical property modification. Here, we report an efficient solution synthesis of the first pyrene-based GNR (PyGNR) with curved geometry one-pot K-region oxidation and Scholl cyclization of its corresponding well-soluble tetrahydropyrene-based polyphenylene precursor.

Communication of molecular fluorophores with other photoluminescence centres in carbon dots.

The establishment of structure-photoluminescence (PL) relationships remains an ultimate challenge in the field of carbon dots (CDs). It is now commonly understood that various structural domains may evolve during the preparation of CDs; nonetheless, we are still far from capturing the specific features that determine the overall PL of CDs. Although the core, surface and molecular states are usually considered the three main sources of PL, it is not known to which extent they interact and/or affect one another.

Moving past the challenges and misconceptions in urban adaptation research.

Although the field of urban evolutionary ecology has recently expanded, much progress has been made in identifying adaptations that arise as a result of selective pressures within these unique environments. However, as studies within urban environments have rapidly increased, researchers have recognized that there are challenges and opportunities in characterizing urban adaptation. Some of these challenges are a consequence of increased direct and indirect human influence, which compounds long-recognized issues with research on adaptive evolution more generally.

The RNA-Binding Landscape of HAX1 Protein Indicates Its Involvement in Translation and Ribosome Assembly.

HAX1 is a human protein with no known homologues or structural domains. Mutations in the gene cause severe congenital neutropenia through mechanisms that are poorly understood. Previous studies reported the RNA-binding capacity of HAX1, but the role of this binding in physiology and pathology remains unexplained.

Preserving avian blood and DNA sampled in the wild: A survey of personal experiences.

Collecting and storing biological material from wild animals in a way that does not deteriorate DNA quality for subsequent analyses is instrumental for research in ecology and evolution. Our aims were to gather reports on the effectiveness of methods commonly used by researchers for the field collection and long-term storage of blood samples and DNA extracts from wild birds. Personal experiences were collected with an online survey targeted specifically at researchers sampling wild birds.

Introducing SuFNucs: Sulfamoyl-Fluoride-Functionalized Nucleosides That Undergo Sulfur Fluoride Exchange Reaction.

The reaction between ribonucleosides and ex situ generated sulfonyl fluoride has been developed. The reaction takes place at the -NH groups of nucleobases, and the resulting nucleosides are equipped with a sulfamoyl fluoride moiety, dubbed SuFNucs. These species undergo a selective sulfur fluoride exchange (SuFEx) reaction with various amines, leading to sulfamide-functionalized derivatives of adenosine, guanosine, and cytidine (SulfamNucs).

Materials characterization of TiO nanotubes decorated by Au nanoparticles for photoelectrochemical applications.

The structural and chemical modification of TiO nanotubes (NTs) by the deposition of a well-controlled Au deposit was investigated using a combination of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy (STEM), Raman measurements, UV-Vis spectroscopy and photoelectrochemical investigations. The fabrication of the materials focused on two important factors: the deposition of Au nanoparticles (NPs) in UHV (ultra high vacuum) conditions (1-2 × 10 mbar) on TiO nanotubes (NTs) having a diameter of ∼110 nm, and modifying the electronic interaction between the TiO NTs and Au nanoparticles (NPs) with an average diameter of about 5 nm through the synergistic effects of SMSI (Strong Metal Support Interaction) and LSPR (Local Surface Plasmon Resonance). Due to the formation of unique places in the form of "hot spots", the proposed nanostructures proved to be photoactive in the UV-Vis range, where a characteristic gold plasmonic peak was observed at a wavelength of 580 nm.

Fluorinated Phosphoadenosine 5'-Phosphosulfate Analogues for Continuous Sulfotransferase Activity Monitoring and Inhibitor Screening by F NMR Spectroscopy.

Sulfotransferases (STs) are ubiquitous enzymes that participate in a vast number of biological processes involving sulfuryl group (SO) transfer. 3'-phosphoadenosine 5'-phosphosulfate (PAPS) is the universal ST cofactor, serving as the "active sulfate" source in cells. Herein, we report the synthesis of three fluorinated PAPS analogues that bear fluorine or trifluoromethyl substituents at the C2 or C8 positions of adenine and their evaluation as substitute cofactors that enable ST activity to be quantified and real-time-monitored by fluorine-19 nuclear magnetic resonance (F NMR) spectroscopy.

The Tien Shan vole (; Rodentia: Cricetidae) as a new species in the Late Pleistocene of Europe.

Grey voles (subgenus ) represent a complex of at least seven closely related and partly cryptic species. The range of these species extends from the Atlantic to the Altai Mountains, but most of them occur east of the Black Sea. Using ancient DNA analyses of the Late Pleistocene specimens, we identified a new mtDNA lineage of grey voles in Europe.

Socio-eco-evolutionary dynamics in cities.

Cities are uniquely complex systems regulated by interactions and feedbacks between nature and human society. Characteristics of human society-including culture, economics, technology and politics-underlie social patterns and activity, creating a heterogeneous environment that can influence and be influenced by both ecological and evolutionary processes. Increasing research on urban ecology and evolutionary biology has coincided with growing interest in eco-evolutionary dynamics, which encompasses the interactions and reciprocal feedbacks between evolution and ecology.

Growing in the city: Urban evolutionary ecology of avian growth rates.

Introduction: Rapid environmental change driven by urbanization offers a unique insight into the adaptive potential of urban-dwelling organisms. Urban-driven phenotypic differentiation is increasingly often demonstrated, but the impact of urbanization (here modelled as the percentage of impervious surface (ISA) around each nestbox) on offspring developmental rates and subsequent survival remains poorly understood. Furthermore, the role of selection on urban-driven phenotypic divergence was rarely investigated to date.

Monitoring Hydrogenation Reactions using Benchtop 2D NMR with Extraordinary Sensitivity and Spectral Resolution.

Low-field benchtop nuclear magnetic resonance (BT-NMR) spectrometers with Halbach magnets are being increasingly used in science and industry as cost-efficient tools for the monitoring of chemical reactions, including hydrogenation. However, their use of low-field magnets limits both resolution and sensitivity. In this paper, we show that it is possible to alleviate these two problems through the combination of parahydrogen-induced polarization (PHIP) and fast correlation spectroscopy with time-resolved non-uniform sampling (TR-NUS).

Enzyme kinetics in crowded solutions from isothermal titration calorimetry.

Isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) is a universal technique that directly measures the heat absorbed or released in a process. ITC is typically used to determine thermodynamic parameters of association of molecules without the need to label them. However, ITC is still rarely applied to study chemical reactions catalyzed by enzymes.

MicroRNA Analysis Using the Quantitative Real-Time PCR Reaction.

The analysis of microRNA expression patterns provides new insights into numerous cellular processes and their aberrances in diseases. Despite its potential pitfalls, the quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) is the most commonly used tool for microRNA profiling. The method requires extraction and quality analysis of RNA, which is further reverse transcribed using specific primers and used as a template in a qPCR reaction.

Great tits and the city: Distribution of genomic diversity and gene-environment associations along an urbanization gradient.

Urbanization is a growing concern challenging the evolutionary potential of wild populations by reducing genetic diversity and imposing new selection regimes affecting many key fitness traits. However, genomic footprints of urbanization have received little attention so far. Using RAD sequencing, we investigated the genomewide effects of urbanization on neutral and adaptive genomic diversity in 140 adult great tits collected in locations with contrasted urbanization levels (from a natural forest to highly urbanized areas of a city; Montpellier, France).

Self-Phase-Matched Second-Harmonic and White-Light Generation in a Biaxial Zinc Tungstate Single Crystal.

Second-order nonlinear optical materials are used to generate new frequencies by exploiting second-harmonic generation (SHG), a phenomenon where a nonlinear material generates light at double the optical frequency of the input beam. Maximum SHG is achieved when the pump and the generated waves are in phase, for example through birefringence in uniaxial crystals. However, applying these materials usually requires a complicated cutting procedure to yield a crystal with a particular orientation.

Predicting bird phenology from space: satellite-derived vegetation green-up signal uncovers spatial variation in phenological synchrony between birds and their environment.

Population-level studies of how tit species (Parus spp.) track the changing phenology of their caterpillar food source have provided a model system allowing inference into how populations can adjust to changing climates, but are often limited because they implicitly assume all individuals experience similar environments. Ecologists are increasingly using satellite-derived data to quantify aspects of animals' environments, but so far studies examining phenology have generally done so at large spatial scales.