Effect of Fluoride Varnishes on Demineralization and Acid Resistance in Subsurface Demineralized Lesion Models.

This study aimed to clarify the effects of high-concentration fluoride varnish application on the inhibition of the progression of initial enamel caries. Remineralization capacity and acid resistance following high-concentration fluoride varnish application were compared with untreated models and models treated with fluoride mouthwash. Bovine enamel was used to create a model of initial enamel caries.

Complete genome sequence of JCM 31256.

We describe a complete genome sequence of JCM 31256. The genome consists of a single circular chromosome with a length of 3,090,452 base pairs and a GC content of 40.8%, and was predicted to contain 3,061 total genes, encoding for 2,907 proteins.

Intrinsic Temperature Dependence of Raman-Active Modes in Individual Isolated Single- and Double-Walled Carbon Nanotubes.

The intrinsic temperature dependence of Raman-active modes in carbon nanotubes (CNTs), particularly the radial breathing mode (RBM), has been a topic of a long-standing controversy. In this study, we prepared suspended individual CNTs to investigate how their Raman spectra depend on temperature and to understand the effects of environmental conditions on this dependency. We analyzed the intrinsic temperature dependence of the main Raman-active modes, including the RBM, the moiré-activated R feature, and the G-band in double-walled carbon nanotubes (DWCNT) and single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) after complete desorption of air.

A practical, biomimetic, one-pot synthesis of firefly luciferin.

The bioluminescence reaction of firefly luciferase with D-luciferin has become an indispensable imaging technique in modern biology and life science experiments, but the high cost of D-luciferin is limiting its further application. Here, we report a practical, one-pot synthesis of D-luciferin from p-benzoquinone (p-BQ), L-cysteine methyl ester and D-cysteine, with an overall yield of 46%. Our route, which is six steps in length and proceeds via 2-cyano-6-hydroxybenzothiazole, is inspired by the mechanistic study of our previously reported biomimetic, non-enzymatic, one-pot formation of L-luciferin from p-BQ and L-cysteine.

Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry Performance for the Measurement of Key Serum Minerals: A Comparative Study With Standard Quantification Methods.

Background: Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) is widely used for the accurate measurement of minerals. However, its application to serum essential mineral measurement has not been fully evaluated. The present study aimed to assess the performance of ICP-MS for serum minerals by comparing its measurements to those obtained using standard quantification methods.

Pulmonary inflammatory responses and retention dynamics of cellulose nanofibrils.

Cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) are advanced biomaterials valued for their strength, lightweight nature, and low thermal expansion, making them suitable for diverse industrial applications. However, their potential inhalation risks necessitate thorough safety evaluations. This study investigates the pulmonary inflammatory effects and retention of CNFs following intratracheal instillation in rats.

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.

Diversification of single-cell growth dynamics under starvation influences subsequent reproduction in a clonal bacterial population.

Most of the microbes in nature infrequently receive nutrients and are thus in slow- or non-growing states. How quickly they can resume their growth upon an influx of new resources is crucial to occupy environmental niches. Isogenic microbial populations are known to harbor only a fraction of cells with rapid growth resumption, yet little is known about the physiological characteristics of those cells and their emergence in the population.

Complete genome of the mutualistic symbiont AIST from a Japanese strain of the pea aphid .

The genome of National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), an obligate bacterial endosymbiont from a Japanese strain of the pea aphid , was determined. The genome sequence provides valuable information for comparative and evolutionary aspects of the intimate insect-microbe mutualism.

Transient charge carrier dynamics in organic solar cell devices studied by simultaneous optical and electric detection.

For the clarification of dynamics of photogenerated carriers in practical organic solar cell devices, we have developed a methodology to simultaneously acquire reflection-mode transient optical absorption (ΔA) and transient electric current (Δi) signals. For a typical polythiophene:fullerene bulk heterojunction solar cell device, both the ΔA and Δi signals due to the photogenerated carriers are characterized by the power-law decays of ∝t-α, which are interpreted by detrapping-limited recombination at earlier times than ∼1 μs and trap-free diffusion/drift at later times. Furthermore, we have succeeded in observing switching of the power index α for ΔA signals as well as for Δi signals; the time at which switching occurs indicates the extraction of carriers by electrodes (transit times).

The more random people's preference judgments are, the more they explore in gambling tasks.

Background: The decision-making process has been investigated separately in the context of externally guided decision-making (EDM, e.g., a gambling task) and internally guided decision-making (IDM, e.

Titanate-polyurethane-chitosan ternary nanocomposite as an efficient coating for steel against corrosion.

In this study, a titanate-polyurethane-chitosan ternary nanocomposite was prepared by physical mixing. Sodium titanate nanotubes (Na-TNTs) were prepared by the hydrothermal method, and chitosan was extracted from shrimp shell. Na-TNTs were mixed with polyurethane (PU) of different ratios by weight, and chitosan was added after optimization.

Hydrogenotrophic methanogens overwrite isotope signals of subsurface methane.

Methane, a greenhouse gas and energy source, is commonly studied using stable isotope signals as proxies for its formation processes. In subsurface environments, methane often exhibits equilibrium isotopic signals, but the equilibration process has never been demonstrated in the laboratory. We cocultured a hydrogenotrophic methanogen with an H-producing bacterium under conditions (55°C, 10 megapascals) simulating a methane-bearing subsurface.

Evaluating the performance of personality-based profiling in predicting physical activity.

Background: Profiling or clustering individuals based on personality and other characteristics is a common statistical approach used in marketing, medicine, and social sciences. This approach improves data simplicity, supports the implementation of a data-driven decision-making process, and guides intervention strategies, such as personalized care. However, the clustering process involves loss of information owing to the discretization of continuous variables.

Adverse effects of total phosphate load from the environment on the skeletal formation of coral juveniles.

Nitrogen's impact on corals has been widely studied, but the role of phosphate is often overlooked due to its low concentrations in seawater. Previous studies have suggested that phosphate can penetrate intercellular spaces to reach the extracellular calcifying medium (ECM), where it adsorbs onto skeletal surfaces and disrupts calcium carbonate crystallization, thereby inhibiting skeletal growth. Based on this mechanism, we hypothesized that skeletal growth inhibition depends not only on phosphate concentration but also on total phosphate load (flow volume × concentration).

Elucidation of the Co state with strong charge-transfer effects in charged LiCoO by resonant soft X-ray emission spectroscopy at the Co L edge.

To understand the electronic-structure change of LiCoO, a widely used cathode material in Li-ion batteries, during charge-discharge, we performed soft X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and resonant soft X-ray emission spectroscopy (RXES) of the Co L edge in combination with charge-transfer multiplet calculations. The RXES profile significantly changed for the charged state at 4.2 V Li/Li, corresponding to the oxidation reaction from a Co low-spin state for the initial state, while the XAS profile exhibited small changes.

Emerging technologies for single-cell glycomics.

Glycans are present on virtually all cellular surfaces and are important regulators of multicellular communications. Advances in single-cell omics technologies have revolutionized life science research by elucidating cellular heterogeneity through integrated multimodal analyses, providing a comprehensive view of cellular functions. However, dissecting the heterogeneity of glycans at the single-cell level has been challenging due to their structural complexity and unamplifiable nature.

Developing porous electrocatalysts to minimize overpotential for the oxygen evolution reaction.

The development of electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is one of the most critical issues for improving the efficiency of electrochemical water-splitting, which can produce green hydrogen energy without CO emissions. This review outlines the advances in the precise design of inorganic- and organic-based porous electrocatalysts, which are designed by various strategies, to catalyze the OER in the electrolytic cycle for efficient water-splitting. For developing high-performance electrocatalysts with low overpotentials, it is important to design a chemical composition that optimizes binding energy for an intermediate in the OER and allows the easy access of reactants to active sites depending on the porosity of electrocatalysts.

Optically Pumped and Electrically Switchable Microlaser Array Based on Elliptic Deformation and Q-Attenuation of Organic Droplet Oscillators.

Conventional laser panel displays are developed through the mass integration of electrically pumped lasers or through the incorporation of a beam steering system with an array of optically pumped lasers. Here a novel configuration of a laser panel display consisting of a non-steered pumping beam and an array of electrically Q-switchable lasers is reported. The laser oscillator consists of a robust, self-standing, and deformable minute droplet that emits laser through Whispering-Gallery Mode resonance when optically pumped.

Combination of 3 probiotics restores attenuated adult neurogenesis in germ-free mice.

Gut microbiota plays an important role in regulating brain function and adult neurogenesis. Although probiotics have recently been reported as effective against certain psychiatric disorders, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. In particular, the combination of 3 probiotic strains, Bacillus subtilis TO-A, Enterococcus faecium T-110, and Clostridium butyricum TO-A, hereafter referred to as ProB3, has been reported to potentially alleviate psychiatric symptoms in patients with schizophrenia.

Inter-tissue glycan heterogeneity: site-specific glycoform analysis of mouse tissue N-glycoproteomes using MS1-based glycopeptide detection method assisted by lectin microarray.

To understand the biological and pathological functions of protein glycosylation, the glycan heterogeneities for each glycosite in a single glycoprotein need to be elucidated depending on the type and status of cells. For this aim, a reliable strategy is needed to compare site-specific glycoforms of multiple glycoprotein samples in a comprehensive manner. To analyze this "inter-heterogeneity" of samples, we previously introduced an MS1-based glycopeptide detection method, "Glyco-RIDGE.

Formation of Poly-L-Lysine-Porphyrin Derivative Complex Exhibiting Diminished Dark Toxicity in Aqueous Solutions and High Photodynamic Activity.

Poly-L-lysine (PLL) displays a high solubilizing ability for hydrophobic guest molecules, and when in complexes with guest molecules, it exhibits a high intracellular uptake. However, its high cytotoxicity, originating from its cationic character, significantly limits its applications in biological and medicinal chemistry. In this study, the amount of free PLL in an aqueous solution of a PLL-porphyrin complex was immensely reduced, resulting in considerably lower dark toxicity than that of the free PLL.

Can NiFe-Layered-Double-Hydroxide Catalysts Suppress Carbon Corrosion in Electrochemical Oxygen Evolution?

Sustainable energy societies demand rechargeable batteries using ubiquitous-material electrodes of geopolitical-risk-free elements. We aim to develop low-overpotential oxygen-evolution-reaction (OER) catalysts that suppress carbon corrosion of gas-diffusion electrodes (GDEs) to realize two-electrode rechargeable Zn-air batteries (r-ZABs). Herein, single-walled-carbon-nanotube (SWNT) thin films are used as a scaffold for a benchmark OER catalyst, doping-free NiFe-layered double hydroxide (NiFeLDHs), operating in r-ZABs using alkali aqueous electrolytes.

Importance of Charge Balance for the Embedding of Zwitterionic Solutes in the Fragment Molecular Orbital Method.

Three new schemes of induced solvent charges for the auxiliary polarization formulation of the fragment molecular orbital method are proposed and compared to the original approach. It is found that the charge balance of the solute and solvent embeddings is crucial for maintaining a proper gap between occupied and virtual orbitals of fragments for zwitterionic systems in solution. The original instability is eliminated with the new scheme of fragment-specific solvent charges.

Deep mutational scanning-guided design of a high-affinity helix-loop-helix peptide targeting G-CSF receptor.

At present, mid-sized binding peptides have emerged as a new class of drug modalities. We have de novo designed a helix-loop-helix (HLH) peptide (MW: ∼4,500), constructed phage-displayed libraries, and screened the libraries against a variety of disease-related proteins to successfully obtain molecular-targeting HLH peptides. The next essential step in developing HLH peptides into therapeutics involves affinity engineering to optimize binding affinity and specificity.