Continuous-flow synthesis of carboxylic acids from alcohols platinum and silicon dioxide-catalyzed hydrogen peroxide oxidation.

A continuous-flow method for the direct oxidation of alcohols to carboxylic acids is reported, employing hydrogen peroxide (HO) and a platinum (Pt) catalyst within a flow reactor system. This approach allows for precise control over the contact time between the reactants and the catalyst, enabling optimization of reaction conditions. By analyzing the yields of both aldehydes and carboxylic acids as a function of weight hourly space velocity (WHSV), selective synthesis of carboxylic acids was achieved without the formation of corresponding aldehydes.

Exploration and development of molecule-based printed electronics materials: an integrated approach using experimental, computational, and data sciences.

The challenge in developing molecule-based electronic materials lies in the uncontrollable or unpredictable nature of their crystal structures, which are crucial for determining both electrical properties and thin-film formability. This review summarizes the findings of a research project focused on the systematic development of crystalline organic semiconductors (OSCs) and organic ferroelectrics by integrating experimental, computational, and data sciences. The key outcomes are as follows: 1) Data Science: We developed a method to identify promising materials from crystal structure databases, leading to the discovery of unique molecule-based ferroelectrics.

The Role of Polyamines in pH Regulation in the Extracellular Calcifying Medium of Scleractinian Coral Spats.

This study aims to elucidate a novel mechanism for elevating the pH within the calicoblastic extracellular calcifying medium (pH) of corals and demonstrate the potential contribution of calcifying organisms to CO sequestration. Departing from traditional models that attribute the increase in pH primarily to H expulsion via Ca-ATPase, we emphasize the significant role of polyamines. These ubiquitous biogenic amines conveyed by calicoblastic cells through polyamine transporters demonstrate a remarkable affinity for CO.

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.

Rapamycin administration causes a decrease in muscle contractile function and systemic glucose intolerance concomitant with reduced skeletal muscle Rictor, the mTORC2 component, expression independent of energy intake in young rats.

Emerging evidence suggests the potential of rapamycin, an antibiotic from Streptomyces hygroscopicus that functions as a mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitor, as a mimetic of caloric restriction (CR) for maintaining skeletal muscle health. Several studies showed that rapamycin administration (RAP) reduced appetite and energy intake. However, the physiological and molecular differences between RAP and CR in skeletal muscle are not fully understood.

Comprehensive analysis of the toxicity-related findings from repeated-dose subacute toxicity studies of industrial chemicals in male rats.

The demand for alternatives to animal testing has increased, but there has been no significant progress in developing alternatives for repeated-dose toxicity tests despite their importance in chemical risk assessment. A comprehensive analysis of existing toxicity studies is the first step toward understanding toxicity and developing alternatives. However, such an analysis has yet to be performed for industrial chemicals.

Geochemical insights and model optimisation for pilot-scale passive treatment of manganese and zinc in a legacy mine in Japan.

Elevated concentrations of manganese (Mn) and zinc (Zn) in water bodies can disrupt ecosystems and damage aquatic life. However, the mechanisms underlying the removal of Mn and Zn under dynamic conditions and the optimal hydraulic retention time (HRT) for passive treatment plants remain unclear. Here, a pilot-scale passive treatment system for the removal of Mn and Zn from legacy mine drainage in northern Japan is proposed; it was performed at circumneutral pH for 152 days.

Microwave Hall measurements using a circularly polarized dielectric cavity.

We have developed a circularly polarized dielectric rutile (TiO2) cavity with a high quality-factor that can generate circularly polarized microwaves from two orthogonal linearly polarized microwaves with a phase difference of ±π/2 using a hybrid coupler. Using this cavity, we have established a new methodology to measure the microwave Hall conductivity of a small single crystal of metal in the skin-depth region. Based on the cavity perturbation technique, we have shown that all components of the surface impedance tensor can be extracted under the application of a magnetic field by comparing the right- and left-handed circularly polarized modes.

Observation of biological and emulsion samples by newly developed three-dimensional impedance scanning electron microscopy.

Imaging at nanometre-scale resolution is indispensable for many scientific fields such as biology, chemistry, material science and nanotechnology. Scanning electron microscopes (SEM) are widely used as important tools for the nanometre-scale analysis of various samples. However, because of the vacuum inside the SEM, a typical analysis requires fixation of samples, a drying process, and staining with heavy metals.

Antiferromagnetic spin-torque diode effect in a kagome Weyl semimetal.

Spintronics based on ferromagnets has enabled the development of microwave oscillators and diodes. To achieve even faster operation, antiferromagnets hold great promise despite their challenging manipulation. So far, controlling antiferromagnetic order with microwave currents remains elusive.

A new cannabigerolic acid derivative and its unprenylated precursor produced through the reconstitution of cannabinoid biosynthesis in Streptomyces.

A new derivative of cannabigerolic acid, designated as iso-cannabigerolic acid (iso-CBGA), a member of the cannabinoid family, and its precursor iso-olivetolic acid (iso-OA) were discovered from the culture of the engineered Streptomyces avermitilis heterologously expressing the genes responsible for cannabigerolic acid biosynthesis. Structural determination revealed an iso-pentyl moiety, which may arise from the biosynthetic precursor pool present in S. avermitilis.

A transphyletic study of metazoan β-catenin protein complexes.

Beta-catenin is essential for diverse biological processes, such as body axis determination and cell differentiation, during metazoan embryonic development. Beta-catenin is thought to exert such functions through complexes formed with various proteins. Although β-catenin complex proteins have been identified in several bilaterians, little is known about the structural and functional properties of β-catenin complexes in early metazoan evolution.

Correction: Establishment and characterization of noro-VLP measurement by digital ELISA.

Correction for 'Establishment and characterization of noro-VLP measurement by digital ELISA' by Takema Hasegawa , , 2024, , 7089-7094, https://doi.org/10.1039/D4AY01012D.

Application of glucose to prepare Aspergillus oryzae koji as an adjunct to prevent rancidity in cheese products.

Koji made using Aspergillus oryzae shows potential for application as a cheese adjunct; however, flavor defects resulting from volatile free fatty acid (FFA) accumulation should be avoided. Hence, a modified glucose-containing whey solid medium was used to culture A. oryzae AHU 7139, and the triacylglycerol (TG) lipase activity and lipase gene (tglA and mdlB) expression were compared with those of a culture using a conventional whey solid medium.

Photochromism in the periodic nanospace of zeolite LTA by the transfer of photoexcited electrons of adsorbed Na atoms.

Cationic sodium (Na) clusters incorporated into a dehydrated Na-form LTA (Na-LTA) zeolite by the adsorption of Na atoms exhibit diamagnetism regardless of their adsorption amount. These clusters preferentially form in β-cages under the condition of dilute adsorption. In this study, photochromism was observed on the dilute Na-adsorbed Na-LTA, which showed a color change from yellow-green to dark blue-green at room temperature.

Neural Network Potential Molecular Dynamics Simulations of (La,Ce,Pr,Nd)(Mg,Zn,Pb,Cd,Ca,Sr,Ba)F.

Tysonite structure fluorides doped with divalent cations, represented by CeCaF, are a class of good F ion conductors together with fluorite-structured compounds. Computational understanding of the F conduction process is difficult because of the complicated interactions between three symmetrically distinct F sites and the experimentally observed change in the F diffusion mechanism slightly above room temperature, effectively making first-principles molecular dynamics (FP-MD) simulations, which are often conducted well above the transition temperature, useless when analyzing behavior below the transition point. Neural network potential (NNP) MD simulations showed that the F diffusion coefficient is higher when the divalent dopant cation size is similar to the trivalent cation size.

Giant Topological Hall Effect and Colossal Magnetoresistance in Heusler Ferromagnet near Room Temperature.

Colossal magnetoresistance (CMR) is an exotic phenomenon that allows for the efficient magnetic control of electrical resistivity and has attracted significant attention in condensed matter due to its potential for memory and spintronic applications. Heusler alloys are the subject of considerable interest in this context due to the electronic properties that result from the nontrivial band topology. Here, the observation of CMR near room temperature is reported in the shape memory Heusler alloy NiMnIn, which is attributed to the combined effects of magnetic field-induced martensite twin variant reorientation (MFIR) and magnetic field-induced structural phase transformation (MFIPT).

Taming Prolonged Ionic Drift-Diffusion Dynamics for Brain-Inspired Computation.

Recent advances in neural network-based computing have enabled human-like information processing in areas such as image classification and voice recognition. However, many neural networks run on conventional computers that operate at GHz clock frequency and consume considerable power compared to biological neural networks, such as human brains, which work with a much slower spiking rate. Although many electronic devices aiming to emulate the energy efficiency of biological neural networks have been explored, achieving long timescales while maintaining scalability remains an important challenge.

Photoreactions of the CH-SO Complex in a Low-Temperature Matrix Investigated by Infrared Spectroscopy and Density Functional Theory Calculations.

Ethylene and sulfur dioxide molecules were co-deposited on a CsI window at cryogenic temperature, and the photoproducts upon UV irradiation were observed using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The products were found to be UV wavelength-dependent; at shorter wavelengths (λ = 266 nm) one strong peak was observed while more than three peaks were identified at longer UV wavelengths (λ = 300 nm). Spectral features changed seamlessly along with UV wavelength.

Molecular Insights into the Inhibition of Lipid Accumulation in Hepatocytes by Unique Extracts of Ashwagandha.

We investigated the effect of purified withanolides and extracts derived from Ashwagandha on steatosis, the abnormal accumulation of fat that can lead to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Collaborator of ARF (CARF, also known as CDKN2AIP, a protein that regulates hepatic lipid metabolism, fat buildup, and liver damage) was used as an indicator. Six withanolides (Withaferin A, Withanone, Withanolide B, Withanoside IV, Withanoside V, and Withanostraminolide-12 deoxy) reversed the decrease in CARF caused by exposure to free fatty acids (FFAs) in liver-derived cells (HepG2 hepatocytes).

Mechanistic Insights into Oxygen-Independent DNA Photodegradation by Pheophorbide a: Implications for Future Photodynamic Therapy Applications.

This study explores the unique properties of Pheophorbide a (Phed a) in the photodegradation of G-quadruplex DNA under anoxic conditions, emphasizing its potential for photodynamic therapy (PDT) in hypoxic tumor environments. We used electron spin resonance (ESR), circular dichroism (CD), and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopies to assess the radical generation and DNA interaction capabilities of Phed a compared to Pyropheophorbide a (Pyro a) under both oxygenated and anoxic conditions. Our results reveal that Phed a effectively degrades G-quadruplex DNA in the absence of oxygen, whereas Pyro a does not.

A Brief Chronicle of Antibody Research and Technological Advances.

This review briefly traces the historical development of antibody research and related technologies. The path from early perceptions of immunity to the emergence of modern immunotherapy has been marked by pivotal discoveries and technological advances. Early insights into immunity led to the development of vaccination and serotherapy.