Decoding the excited-state dynamics of carbonyl-containing carotenoids: Insights from the Ind series.

Carotenoids are naturally occurring pigments essential for both light-harvesting and photoprotection in photosynthetic processes. Among these, carbonyl-containing carotenoids exhibit distinctive excited state properties due to the presence of intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) in their excited states. In this study, we synthesized a novel family of carotenoid analogs with varying numbers of conjugated double bonds, denoted as the Ind series, and conducted femtosecond pump-probe spectroscopy on these molecules in both acetone and n-hexane.

Identification of unmet information needs among families of critically ill patients and their association with post-intensive care syndrome-family: protocol for a single-center cross-sectional study.

Background: Families of critically ill patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) need a variety of information about the patient. Meeting these information needs improves the quality of communication between the family and ICU staff, as well as reduces the risk of post-intensive care syndrome-family (PICS-F). However, information needs continue to be unmet, and information regarding which specific information needs are met or unmet is insufficient.

Raman and ATR-FTIR unmask crystallinity changes and carboxylate group and vinyl group accumulation in natural weathering polypropylene microplastics.

Naturally weathered polypropylene (NWPP) samples are useful for investigating the effects of various degradation factors that cannot be obtained in artificial laboratory experiments. In this study, NWPP samples were extracted from beach sediments (Ashiya, Hyogo, Japan). Raman and attenuated total reflection (ATR)-Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopies were used to analyze variations in the composition, crystallinity, orientation, and degradation of NWPP microplastics.

Engineering Cascade Bio-solar Cells Inspired by the Z-Scheme of Oxygenic Photosynthesis: Layered Chlorophyll and Bacterio-chlorophyll Derivatives.

The natural Z-scheme of oxygenic photosynthesis efficiently drives electron transfer from photosystem II (PSII) to photosystem I (PSI) via an electron transport chain, despite the lower energy levels of PSII. Inspired by this sophisticated mechanism, we present a layered cascade bio-solar cell (CBSC) that emulates the Z-scheme. In this design, chlorophyll derivatives (Chl) act as PSI analogs, while bacteriochlorophyll derivatives (BChl) serve as PSII analogs in the active layer.

Early Initiation of Bundle Sheath Cells During Leaf Development as Visualised by SCARECROW Expression in Dicotyledonous C Plants.

The C type of dicotyledonous plants exhibit a higher density of reticulate veins than the C type, with a nearly 1:1 ratio of mesophyll cells (MCs) to bundle sheath cells (BSCs). To understand how this C-type cell pattern is formed, we identified two SCARECROW (SCR) genes in C Flaveria bidentis, FbSCR1 and FbSCR2, that fully or partially complement the endodermal cell layer-defective phenotype of Arabidopsis scr mutant. We then created FbSCRs promoter β-glucuronidase reporter (GUS) lines of F.

Brain Abnormalities During Self-Referential Task in Subthreshold Depression: A Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Study.

Background and aim Subthreshold depression is a potential risk factor for major depressive disorder. Although the neurobiological mechanism underlying major depressive disorder is well-established, the mechanism underlying subthreshold depression has not yet been fully elucidated. We investigated the characteristics of brain abnormalities in participants with subthreshold depression using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) owing to its portability.

Orderly Arranged Cubic Quantum Dots along Supramolecular Templates of Naphthalenediimide Aggregates.

Precise control of assembled structures of quantum dots (QDs) is crucial for realizing the desired photophysical properties, but this remains challenging. Especially, the one-dimensional (1D) control is rare due to the nearly isotropic nature of QDs. Herein, we propose a novel strategy for controlling the 1D-arrangement range of cubic perovskite QDs in solution based on the morphological modification of a supramolecular polymer (SP) template.

DEAD/H Box 5 (DDX5) Augments E2F1-Induced Cell Death Independent of the Tumor Suppressor p53.

In almost all cancers, the p53 pathway is disabled and cancer cells survive. Hence, it is crucially important to induce cell death independent of p53 in the treatment of cancers. The transcription factor E2F1 is controlled by binding of the tumor suppressor pRB, and induces apoptosis by activating the gene, an upstream activator of p53, when deregulated from pRB by loss of pRB function.

A competitive dual-mode for tetracycline antibiotics sensing based on colorimetry and surface-enhanced Raman scattering.

Tetracycline antibiotics (TCs) are extensively used as broad-spectrum antimicrobials. However, their excessive use and misuse have led to serious accumulation in foods and environments, posing a significant threat to human health. To solve such public issue, we have designed a novel dual-mode detection method, integrating colorimetric sensing with surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) technology, for sensitive and rapid evaluation on TCs.

The role of anchoring information in judgments of learning.

This study examined informative and uninformative anchoring effects on judgments of learning (JOLs), focusing on two hypotheses: the optimistic/pessimistic and differential-scaling hypotheses. The optimistic/pessimistic hypothesis states that anchoring information changes subjective confidence in memory, whereas the differential-scaling hypothesis states that anchoring information elicits a scaling bias in the conversion process of subjective internal confidence into scale JOLs (i.e.

Simple and Rapid HPLC-ICP-MS Method for the Simultaneous Determination of Cr(III) and Cr(VI) by Combining a 2,6-Pyridinedicarboxylic Acid Pre-Complexation Treatment.

A simple and rapid analytical method was developed for the simultaneous determination of two chromium species, Cr(III) and Cr(VI), in the environmental waters by high-performance liquid chromatography-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (HPLC-ICP-MS). This study incorporated a chelating pretreatment with 2,6-pyridinedicarboxylic acid (PDCA) to convert Cr(III) species into a stable Cr(III)-PDCA anion complex, which was then separated from Cr(VI) oxyanion using an anion exchange column. Building on the fundamental analytical approach proposed by Shigeta .

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy: a half-century historical perspective.

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) has evolved significantly over fifty years into a powerful analytical technique. This review aims to achieve five main goals. (1) Providing a comprehensive history of SERS's discovery, its experimental and theoretical foundations, its connections to advances in nanoscience and plasmonics, and highlighting collective contributions of key pioneers.

Further exploration of the physicochemical nature of μ-bridge-relevant deprotonations the elucidation of four kinds of alditol complexes.

Single-crystal structures of four alditol complexes are presented. In LuCl/galactitol and ScCl/-inositol complexes, μ-bridge-relevant deprotonations were observed. The polarization from two rare earth ions in the μ-bridge activates the chemically inert OH and promotes deprotonation.

Elementary Exciton Processes of InP/ZnS Quantum Dots Under Applied Pressure.

In colloidal quantum dots (QDs), excitons are confined within nanoscale dimensions, and the relaxation of hot electrons occurs through Auger cooling. The behavior of hot electrons is evident under ambient pressure. Nanocrystal characteristics, including their size, are key to determining hot electron behavior because they serve as the stage.

Photoinduced B-H Arylation of N-Heterocyclic Carbene Boranes with Sulfonyl(hetero)arenes.

Arylborane complexes ligated by N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) can be synthesized by photoirradiation of a mixture of NHC-boranes and sulfonyl(hetero)arenes. The reaction occurs under mild and convenient conditions without any photocatalyst, which are realized by a radical chain mechanism involving NHC-boryl radicals and sulfonyl radicals. This reaction offered the opportunity to reveal the photophysical property of a 2-borylnaphtho[1,2-]thiazole derivative.

Factors Influencing Depressive Symptoms in the Post-COVID-19 Pandemic Period.

Background Mental health issues associated with the COVID-19 pandemic have been widely reported, with various influencing factors identified. However, factors affecting mental health in the post-pandemic period remain unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the factors influencing depressive symptoms during the COVID-19 post-pandemic period.