Binuclear ruthenium complex linker length tunes DNA threading intercalation kinetics.

Binuclear ruthenium complexes have been investigated for potential DNA-targeted therapeutic and diagnostic applications. Studies of DNA threading intercalation, in which DNA base pairs must be broken for intercalation, have revealed means of optimizing a model binuclear ruthenium complex to obtain reversible DNA-ligand assemblies with the desired properties of high affinity and slow kinetics. Here, we used single-molecule force spectroscopy to study a binuclear ruthenium complex with a longer semi-rigid linker relative to the model complex.

Post-transcriptional cross- and auto-regulation buffer expression of the human RNA helicases and .

The Y-linked gene and its X-linked homolog survived the evolution of the human sex chromosomes from ordinary autosomes. encodes a multifunctional RNA helicase, with mutations causing developmental disorders and cancers. We find that, among X-linked genes with surviving Y homologs, is extraordinarily dosage sensitive.

Arginine Metabolism Reprogramming in Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA)-Induced Liver Injury.

Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) is a persistent pollutant that has gained worldwide attention, owing to its widespread presence in the environment. Previous studies have reported that PFOA upregulates lipid metabolism and is associated with liver injury in humans. However, when the fatty acid degradation pathway is activated, lipid accumulation still occurs, suggesting the presence of unknown pathways and mechanisms that remain to be elucidated.

Wood membrane: A sustainable electrochemical platform for enzyme-free and pretreatment-free monitoring uric acid in bodily fluids.

The detection of biomarkers is crucial for assessing disease status and progression. Uric acid (UA), a common biomarker in body fluids, plays an important role in the diagnosis and monitoring of conditions such as hyperuricemia, chronic kidney disease, and cardiovascular disease. However, the low concentration of UA in non-invasive body fluids, combined with numerous interfering substances, makes its detection challenging.

Dual-stage excitation source improves the analytical sensitivity of miniaturized optical emission spectrometer.

Miniaturized optical emission spectrometric (OES) devices based on various microplasma excitation sources provide a reliable tool for in-situ elemental analysis. The key to improving analytical performance is enhancing the excitation capability of the microplasma source in these devices. Here, dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) and point discharge (PD) technologies are combined to construct an enhanced dual-stage excitation source (called DBD-PD), which improves the overall excitation efficiency and OES signal sensitivity.

Analysis of the NMR Parameters Shielding and Spin-Spin Coupling Constants of Glycine Conformers.

In this study, we worked at the CCSD/aug-cc-pVTZ level to obtain the conformers of glycine in its neutral and zwitterionic forms in the gas and water phases. We then computed the NMR properties (spin-spin coupling constants and nuclear magnetic shieldings) at the SOPPA/aug-cc-pVTZ-J level. We attempt to elucidate the apparent discrepancy arising from two previous works by Valverde et al.

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.

Piezochromic Luminescence of Pyrene Derivatives Polymorphism around Excimer Forming Processs.

Pyrene aggregates, as classic luminescent materials, are of great interest from a scientific viewpoint owing to the development of optoelectronic materials. In this study, we designed a compound 1,4,5-triphenyl-2-(pyren-1-yl)-4,5-dihydro-1H-imidazole (IM-PY) which was achieved with two crystalline polymorphs (IMPY-G and IMPY-B). They exhibit the green emission and the blue emission, respectively, both with pyrene serving as the luminescent core.

The effect of nitrogen fertilization and the use of biostimulators on the chemical composition of grains of two varieties of corn (Zea mays L.).

The aim of the research was to determine the impact of the use of biostimulators and different nitrogen doses on the yield quality of two varieties of corn grown for grain. The field experiment was carried out in 2015-2017 on an individual farm located in north-eastern Poland (52°30'N and 22°26'E). The following factors were examined in the experiment: group I-two corn varieties: PR38N86 (280 FAO); P8400 (240 FAO) group II-four doses of nitrogen fertilization: control treatment-without nitrogen application (0 kg·ha-1 N) nitrogen doses-80 kg·ha-1 N, 120 kg·ha-1 N, 160 kg·ha-1 N, group III-four types of biostimulators used: (1) control treatment-without the use of a biostimulator, (2) biostimulator containing sodium ortho-nitrophenol, sodium para-nitrophenol, 5-nitroguaiacol sodium, (3) biostimulator containing potassium para-nitrophenolate, potassium ortho-nitrophenolate, potassium 5-nitrovacollate, (4) biostimulator containing molybdenum, zinc.

Patchiness of plankton ecosystem structure due to nutrient mixing along the shelf edge in the North Sea.

Mid-water column turbulence has been shown to cause elevated vertical nutrient flux at the shelf edge in the northeastern North Sea. Here, we demonstrate that phytoplankton communities in this region tend to be dominated by larger cells (estimated from percentage of chlorophyll captured on a 10 μm filter) than beyond the shelf edge. F/F (PSII electron transport capacity) corrected for photoinhibition in the surface layer correlated in this study with the percentage of chlorophyll captured on a 10 µm filter (assumed to be large cells), suggesting that the phytoplankton community was responding to increased nutrients in the euphotic zone by increasing photosynthetic efficiency and altering community composition.

Urea Chelation of I for High-Voltage Aqueous Zinc-Iodine Batteries.

The multielectron conversion electrochemistry of I/I/I enables high specific capacity and voltage in zinc-iodine batteries. Unfortunately, the I ions are thermodynamically unstable and are highly susceptible to hydrolysis. Current endeavors primarily focus on exploring interhalogen chemistry to activate the I/I couple.

Strategies to Stabilize Dalbavancin in Aqueous Solutions; Section-2: The Effects of 2 Hydroxypropyl-β-Cyclodextrin and Acetate Buffer with and Without Divalent Metal Ions.

The effect of 2-hydroxpropyl-β-cyclodextrin (2HPβCD) with or without divalent metal ions (Ca, Mg, and Zn) on the stability of dalbavancin in acetate buffer was investigated. Dalbavancin recovery from formulations with 2HPβCD and divalent metal ions after four weeks of storage at 5 °C and 55 °C was measured by RP-HPLC and HP-SEC; a longer-term study was carried out over six months at 5 °C, 25 °C, and 40 °C. Binding of 2HPβCD was characterized by isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR).

Phylogenetic inferences reveal multiple intra- and interhost genetic diversity among bat rabies viruses circulating in northeastern Brazil.

Background: Rabies, a lethal viral zoonotic disease, remains a significant global public health concern. In northeastern Brazil, in particular, its epidemiology is complex and dynamic, characterized by the presence of several reservoirs associated with human rabies infection.

Methods: This study, conducted from June 2022 to July 2023, was part of a passive epidemiological surveillance initiative under Brazil's National Rabies Surveillance Program.

Living plastics from plasticizer-assisted thermal molding of silk protein.

The pursuit of materials, particularly plastics, with a minimal ecological footprint throughout their circular lifecycle, is crucial for advancing sustainable materials development. Living materials composed of embedded yet active organisms can leverage endogenous biotic resources to achieve functional materials that align with sustainability goals. However, current living material systems face challenges such as weak mechanical properties, limited environmental adaptability, and restricted cellular functionality.

The molecular reach of antibodies crucially underpins their viral neutralisation capacity.

Key functions of antibodies, such as viral neutralisation, depend on high-affinity binding. However, viral neutralisation poorly correlates with antigen affinity for reasons that have been unclear. Here, we use a new mechanistic model of bivalent binding to study  >45 patient-isolated IgG1 antibodies interacting with SARS-CoV-2 RBD surfaces.

Development of CGS-15943 Adjunctives for the Disruption of Plasmid Maintenance in Multidrug Resistant .

Carbapenemase producing (CPEs) represent a group of multidrug resistant pathogens for which few, if any, therapeutics options remain available. CPEs generally harbor plasmids that encode resistance to last resort carbapenems and many other antibiotics. We previously performed a high throughput screen to identify compounds that can disrupt the maintenance and replication of resistance conferring plasmids through use of a synthetic screening plasmid introduced into K-12 cells.

A small molecule modified UiO series MOFs for simultaneous detection of Fe and Zn.

Iron and zinc are two metal ions with important roles in biology, industry and the environment, however, the excess or deficiency of both Fe and Zn can have negative effects on organisms and environment. Therefore, the development of efficient method for simultaneous detection of Fe and Zn provides timely information on metal content, simplifies operations and improves efficiency. In this work, a small molecule (COOH-BPEA) of recognizing Zn modified the four metal-organic-framework (MOF) (UiO-66-X(66, OH, NH and OH/NH)) was developed for the simultaneous detection of Fe and Zn.

Pigment granule architecture varies across yellow, red, and brown chromatophores in squid Doryteuthis pealeii.

Cephalopods produce dynamic colors and skin patterns for communication and camouflage via stratified networks of neuronally actuated yellow, red, and brown chromatophore organs, each filled with thousands of pigment granules. While compositional analysis of chromatophore granules in Doryteuthis pealeii reveals the pigments as ommochromes, the ultrastructural features of the granules and their effects on bulk coloration have not been explored. To investigate this, we isolated granules from specific colored chromatophores and imaged them using multiple modalities.

Impact of the clinically approved BTK inhibitors on the conformation of full-length BTK and analysis of the development of BTK resistance mutations in chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Inhibition of Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK) has proven to be highly effective in the treatment of B-cell malignancies such as chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), autoimmune disorders, and multiple sclerosis. Since the approval of the first BTK inhibitor (BTKi), Ibrutinib, several other inhibitors including Acalabrutinib, Zanubrutinib, Tirabrutinib, and Pirtobrutinib have been clinically approved. All are covalent active site inhibitors, with the exception of the reversible active site inhibitor Pirtobrutinib.

ZnO-Nafion assisted optical fiber dual-SPR biosensor for simultaneous detection of urea and uric acid concentrations.

A novel dual-parameter optical fiber biosensor based on surface plasmon resonance (SPR) for simultaneous measurement of urea and uric acid concentrations is proposed in this paper. Based on the principle of positive and negative electric combination, ZnO nanoparticles is selected as the matrix for immobilizing urease and uricase with selective recognition ability, which can also be used as a sensitizing material to increase the refractive index detection sensitivity of SPR by 22%. Then, Nafion ion exchange membrane was introduced to wrap the urea sensing area to avoid crosstalk caused by the overlap of adjacent sensing areas.

A Nanothermometer with a Microwave Thermal Effect for Sensing Cell Membrane Temperature and Measuring Microwave-Induced Thermal Gradient Distribution.

In microwave (MW) thermotherapy, it is challenging to regulate the temporal and spatial distribution of the temperature at the nanoscale. Herein, we report a nanothermometer for simultaneous MW heating and temperature distribution measurement. The nanothermometer was prepared by free radical polymerization with vinylbenzyl trimethylammonium chloride (VBTMACl) as the MW thermosensitizer and isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM) as the thermoresponsive unit, followed by anion exchange with fluorophore sodium 3-(4-(1,2,2-triphenylvinyl)phenoxy)propane-1-sulfonate (TPESONa).

In situ characterization of amine-forming enzymes shows altered oligomeric state.

Enzyme stability can be measured in a number of ways, including melting temperature, activity retention, and size analysis. However, these measurements are often conducted in an idealized storage buffer and not in the relevant enzymatic reaction media. Particularly for reactions that occur in alkaline, volatile, and high ionic strength media, typical analyses using differential scanning calorimetry, light scattering, and sodium dodecyl-sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis are not satisfactory to track the stability of these enzymes.

Uncovering ZnS growth behavior and morphology control for high-performance aqueous Zn-S batteries.

Aqueous Zn-S batteries provide competitive energy density for large-scale energy storage systems. However, the cathode active material exhibits poor electrical conductivity especially at the discharged state of ZnS. Its morphology generated in cells thus directly determines the cathode electrochemical activity.