Innovative Method for Reliable Measurement of PEM Water Electrolyzer Component Resistances.

Understanding the sheet resistance of porous electrodes is essential for improving the performance of polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) water electrolyzers and related technologies. Despite its importance, existing methods often fail to provide reliable and comprehensive data, especially for porous materials with complex morphologies and non-uniform thicknesses. This study introduces a robust and straightforward method for determining the sheet resistance of porous electrodes using a novel probe concept based on industrial printed circuit board (PCB) technology.

Cryo-EM analysis of complement C3 reveals a reversible major opening of the macroglobulin ring.

The C3 protein is the central molecule within the complement system and undergoes proteolytic activation to C3b in the presence of pathogens. Pattern-independent activation of C3 also occurs via hydrolysis, resulting in C3(HO), but the structural details of C3 hydrolysis remain elusive. Here we show that the conformation of the C3(HO) analog, C3MA, is indistinguishable from C3b.

Diving into Unknown Waters: Water-Soluble Clickable Au Nanoclusters Protected with N-Heterocyclic Carbenes for Bio-Medical Applications.

The use of gold nanoclusters in biomedical applications has been steadily increasing in recent years. However, water solubility is a key factor for these applications, and water-soluble gold nanoclusters are often difficult to isolate and susceptible to exchange or oxidation in vivo. Herein, we report the isolation of N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC)-protected atomically precise gold nanoclusters functionalized with triethylene glycol monomethyl ether groups.

Effective cancer immunotherapy combining mRNA-encoded bispecific antibodies that induce polyclonal T cell engagement and PD-L1-dependent 4-1BB costimulation.

Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitors have revolutionized cancer therapy, but many patients fail to respond or develop resistance, often due to reduced T cell activity. Costimulation via 4-1BB has emerged as a promising approach to enhance the effector function of antigen-primed T cells. Bispecific T cell-engaging (TCE) antibodies are an effective way to provide tumor-specific T cell receptor-mediated signaling to tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes.

Hierarchical MoS@NiFeCo-Mo(doped)-Layered Double Hydroxide Heterostructures as Efficient Alkaline Water Splitting (Photo)Electro-catalysts.

Designing cost-effective electrocatalysts with fast reaction kinetics and high stability is an outstanding challenge in green hydrogen generation through overall water splitting (OWS). Layered double hydroxide (LDH) heterostructure materials are promising candidates to catalyze both oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), the two OWS half-cell reactions. This work develops a facile hydrothermal route to synthesiz hierarchical heterostructure MoS@NiFeCo-LDH and MoS@NiFeCo-Mo(doped)-LDH electrocatalysts, which exhibit extremely good OER and HER performance as witnessed by their low IR-corrected overpotentials of 156 and 61 mV with at a current density of 10 mA cm under light assistance.

Large-scale screening identifies enzyme combinations that remove grown oral biofilm.

Bacteria in the oral cavity are responsible for the development of dental diseases such as caries and periodontitis, but it is becoming increasingly clear that the oral microbiome also benefits human health. Many oral care products on the market are antimicrobial, killing a large part of the oral microbiome but without removing the disease-causing biofilm. Instead, non-biocidal matrix-degrading enzymes may be used to selectively remove biofilm without harming the overall microbiome.

Control of Crystallization Pathways in the BiFeO-BiFeO System.

Bismuth ferrites, specifically perovskite-type BiFeO and mullite-type BiFeO, hold significant technological promise as catalysts, photovoltaics, and room-temperature multiferroics. However, challenges arise due to their frequent cocrystallization, particularly in the nanoregime, hindering the production of phase-pure materials. This study unveils a controlled sol-gel crystallization approach, elucidating the phase formation complexities in the bismuth ferrite oxide system by coupling thermochemical analysis and total scattering with pair distribution function analysis.

Unraveling the Stoichiometric Interactions and Synergism between Ligand-Protected Gold Nanoparticles and Proteins.

Nanomaterials that engage in well-defined and tunable interactions with proteins are pivotal for the development of advanced applications. Achieving a precise molecular-level understanding of nano-bio interactions is essential for establishing these interactions. However, such an understanding remains challenging and elusive.

Unveiling the enzymatic pathway of UMG-SP2 urethanase: insights into polyurethane degradation at the atomic level.

The recently discovered metagenomic urethanases UMG-SP1, UMG-SP2, and UMG-SP3 have emerged as promising tools to establish a bio-based recycling approach for polyurethane (PU) waste. These enzymes are capable of hydrolyzing urethane bonds in low molecular weight dicarbamates as well as in thermoplastic PU and the amide bond in polyamide employing a Ser-Ser -Lys triad for catalysis, similar to members of the amidase signature protein superfamily. Understanding the catalytic mechanism of these urethanases is crucial for enhancing their enzymatic activity and improving PU bio-recycling processes.

The therapeutic potential of circular RNAs.

Over the past decade, research into circular RNA (circRNA) has increased rapidly, and over the past few years, circRNA has emerged as a promising therapeutic platform. The regulatory functions of circRNAs, including their roles in templating protein translation and regulating protein and RNA functions, as well as their unique characteristics, such as increased stability and a favourable immunological profile compared with mRNAs, make them attractive candidates for RNA-based therapies. Here, we describe the properties of circRNAs, their therapeutic potential and technologies for their synthesis.

Direct View of Gate-Tunable Miniband Dispersion in Graphene Superlattices Near the Magic Twist Angle.

Superlattices from twisted graphene mono- and bilayer systems give rise to on-demand many-body states such as Mott insulators and unconventional superconductors. These phenomena are ascribed to a combination of flat bands and strong Coulomb interactions. However, a comprehensive understanding is lacking because the low-energy band structure strongly changes when an electric field is applied to vary the electron filling.

Structural basis of THC analog activity at the Cannabinoid 1 receptor.

Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the principal psychoactive compound derived from the cannabis plant Cannabis sativa and approved for emetic conditions, appetite stimulation and sleep apnea relief. THC's psychoactive actions are mediated primarily by the cannabinoid receptor CB. Here, we determine the cryo-EM structure of HU210, a THC analog and widely used tool compound, bound to CB and its primary transducer, G.

Artificially tagging tumors with nano-aluminum adjuvant-tethered antigen mRNA recruits and activates antigen-specific cytotoxic T cells for enhanced cancer immunotherapy.

T cell therapy for solid tumors faces significant challenges due to the immune off-target attack caused by the loss of tumor surface antigens and inactivation in acidic tumor microenvironment (TME). Herein, we developed a bifunctional immunomodulator (MO@NAL) by loading ovalbumin (OVA; model antigen) mRNA (mOVA) onto lysozyme-coated layered double hydroxide nano-aluminum adjuvant (NA). The NA's inherent alkalinity effectively neutralizes the excess acid within the TME and suppresses regulatory T cells, creating a favorable microenvironment to enhance cytotoxic T cell infiltration and activation in tumors.

Phosphine Oxide Indenoquinoline Derivatives: Synthesis and Biological Evaluation as Topoisomerase I Inhibitors and Antiproliferative Agents.

The synthesis of phosphorous indenoquinolines and their biological evaluation as topoisomerase 1 (TOP1) inhibitors and antiproliferative agents were performed. First, the preparation of new hybrid 5-indeno[2,1-]quinolines with a phosphine oxide group was performed by a two-step Povarov-type [4+2]-cycloaddition reaction between the corresponding phosphorated aldimines with indene in the presence of BF·EtO. Subsequent oxidation of the methylene present in the structure resulted in the corresponding indeno[2,1-]quinolin-7-one phosphine oxides .

The Cryo-EM structure of human CD163 bound to haptoglobin-hemoglobin reveals molecular mechanisms of hemoglobin scavenging.

CD163, a macrophage-specific receptor, plays a critical role in scavenging hemoglobin released during hemolysis, protecting against oxidative effects of heme iron. In the bloodstream, hemoglobin is bound by haptoglobin, leading to its immediate endocytosis by CD163. While haptoglobin's structure and function are well understood, CD163's structure and its interaction with the haptoglobin-hemoglobin complex have remained elusive.

Protective role of Angiogenin in muscle regeneration in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: Diagnostic and therapeutic implications.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neuromuscular disease with no effective treatments, in part caused by variations in progression and the absence of biomarkers. Mice carrying the SOD1G93A transgene with different genetic backgrounds show variable disease rates, reflecting the diversity of patients. While extensive research has been done on the involvement of the central nervous system, the role of skeletal muscle remains underexplored.

Vibronic Interactions in the Photoelectron Spectra of CAlGe: A Theoretical Study.

This study probes the vibronic interactions in the photoelectron spectra of CAlGe, exploring its six excited electronic states through an approach that combines the electronic structure calculations and the quantum nuclear dynamics. Central to this investigation is utilizing a model diabatic Hamiltonian, which allows for the exact evaluation of Hamiltonian parameters and fitting potential energy cuts (PECs). Notably, the analysis of these PECs uncovers pronounced nonadiabatic effects within the photoelectron spectra, emphasized by the presence of multiple conical intersections.

Efficient Direct Air Capture in Industrial Cooling Towers Mediated by Electrochemical CO Release.

Direct air capture (DAC) is a promising technology for mitigating global climate change but suffers from low efficiency, small scale, and high cost due to the dilute atmospheric CO, limited size of air contactors, and heat-driven CO release. Here, we propose combining DAC with widely used industrial cooling towers to extract CO from the air and using electrolysis to release the captured CO at room temperature. We first prepare a buffered absorbent solution consisting of sodium glycinate, glycine, and sodium chloride for effective CO capture from the air, solving the incompatibility problem of the cooling towers with conventional absorbents.

Photocatalytic Partial Water Oxidation Promoted by a Hydrogen Acceptor-Hydroxyl Mediator Couple.

Hydrogen peroxide (HO) is an important chemical in synthetic chemistry with huge demands. Photocatalytic synthesis of HO via oxygen reduction and water oxidation reactions (ORR and WOR) is considered as a promising and desirable solution for on-site applications. However, the efficiency of such a process is low due to the poor solubility of molecular oxygen and the rapid reverse reaction of hydroxyl radicals (OH) with hydrogen atoms (H).

Heterogeneity of the rearing environment enhances diversity of microbial communities in intensive farming.

Heterogeneity of the rearing environment in farmed animals can improve welfare and stocking success by enhancing natural behaviours, reducing stress, and decreasing pathogen occurrence. Although microbial diversity is often associated with well-being, their direct and indirect effects on health of farmed animals remain underexplored. We examined the impact of structural heterogeneity of aquaculture tanks on microbial communities in tank biofilm and fish gut microbiome.

pH-FISH: coupled microscale analysis of microbial identity and acid-base metabolism in complex biofilm samples.

Background: Correlative structural and chemical imaging of biofilms allows for the combined analysis of microbial identity and metabolism at the microscale. Here, we developed pH-FISH, a method that combines pH ratiometry with fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) in structurally intact biofilms for the coupled investigation of microbial acid metabolism and biofilm composition. Careful biofilm handling and modified sample preparation procedures for FISH allowed preservation of the three-dimensional biofilm structure throughout all processing and imaging steps.

Resilience and charge-dependent fibrillation of functional amyloid: Interactions of Pseudomonas biofilm-associated FapB and FapC amyloids.

FapC and FapB are biofilm-associated amyloids involved in the virulence of Pseudomonas and other bacteria. We herein demonstrate their exceptional thermal and chemical resilience, suggesting that their biofilm structures might withstand standard sterilization, thereby contributing to the persistence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections. Our findings also underscore the impact of environmental factors on functional amyloid in Pseudomonas (Fap) proteins, suggesting that orthologs in different Pseudomonas strains adapt to specific environments and roles.

Continuous Biosensing to Monitor Acute Systemic Inflammation, a Diagnostic Need for Therapeutic Guidance.

Continuous monitoring of acute inflammation can become a very important next step for guiding therapeutic interventions in severely ill patients. This Perspective discusses the current medical need for patients with acute inflammatory diseases and the potential of continuous biosensing technologies. First, we discuss biomarkers that could help to monitor the state of a patient with acute systemic inflammation based on theoretical studies and empirical data.