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Plant Dis 2022 May 17. Epub 2022 May 17.

Fujian Academy of Agricultural Sciences Institute of Plant Protection, 117863, Fuzhou, Fujian, China;

Sanqi (Panax notoginseng (Burk.) F. H. Read More

Nanoscale 2022 May 17. Epub 2022 May 17.

PCFM lab, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China.

Exploiting efficient electrochemiluminescent (ECL) luminogens is crucial for the development of high-performance ECL sensors. Herein, a kind of efficient luminogen (BTPEBT) consisting of benzothiadiazole (BTD) as an electron acceptor and tetraphenylethylene (TPE) as an electron donor was facilely synthesized through a one-step Suzuki reaction. BTPEBT showed typical aggregation-induced emission (AIE) effects with a high solid-state quantum yield of 69. Read More

Acta Biomater 2022 May 12. Epub 2022 May 12.

Liaoning Key Laboratory of Molecular Recognition and Imaging, School of Bioengineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116023, PR China. Electronic address:

The development of materials that selectively mediate the rolling of cancer cells is important for the high-throughput enrichment of high-speed cancer cells. Here we constructed a dense and stretched low molecular weight hyaluronic acid (HA)-modified surface to selectively promote the rolling of CD44-high cancer cells. The HA surface (calcium ion-regulated HA surface, Ca-rHA) was fabricated via a calcium ion-regulated method, where calcium ion incorporation induced the shrink of HA chains to achieve the highest reported grafting density of about 2. Read More

Polymers (Basel) 2022 Apr 21;14(9). Epub 2022 Apr 21.

Institute of Photonics & Bio-Medicine, School of Science, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai 200237, China.

Separation of dichlorobenzene (DCB) isomers with high purity by time- and energy-saving methods from their mixtures is still a great challenge in the fine chemical industry. Herein, silicalite-1 zeolites/polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) hybrid membranes (silicalite-1/PDMS) have been successfully fabricated on the porous polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) supports to first investigate the pervaporation separation properties of DCB isomers. The morphology and structure of the silicalite-1 zeolites and the silicalite-1/PDMS/PVDF hybrid membranes were characterized by XRD, FTIR, SEM and BET. Read More

Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2022 21;10:901507. Epub 2022 Apr 21.

College of Materials Science and Engineering, Institute of Marine Biobased Materials, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China.

Salinity-gradient directed osmotic energy between seawater and river water has been widely considered as a promising clean and renewable energy source, as there are numerous river estuaries on our planet. In the past few decades, reverse electrodialysis (RED) technique based on cation-selective membranes has been used as the key strategy to convert osmotic energy into electricity. From this aspect, developing high-efficiency anion-selective membranes will also have great potential for capturing osmotic energy, however, remains systematically unexplored. Read More

Mol Biol Cell 2022 May 5:mbcE22030098. Epub 2022 May 5.

Department of Cell & Systems Biology and the Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario M1C 1A4.

Osteoclasts are highly specialized, multinucleated cells responsible for the selective resorption of the dense, calcified bone matrix. Microtubules (MTs) contribute to the polarization and trafficking events involved in bone resorption by osteoclasts, however the origin of these elaborate arrays is less clear. Osteoclasts arise through cell fusion of precursor cells. Read More

Front Cell Neurosci 2022 15;16:887679. Epub 2022 Apr 15.

Department of Neuroscience, Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences, Perelman School for Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States.

Processing of contextual information during a new episodic event is crucial for learning and memory. Neuromodulation in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex plays an important role in the formation of associations between environmental cues and an aversive experience. Noradrenergic neurons in the locus coeruleus send dense projections to both regions, but their contribution to contextual associative learning has not been established. Read More

Nucleic Acids Res 2022 May;50(9):5047-5063

School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637551, Singapore.

Telomeres, the ends of linear chromosomes, are composed of repetitive DNA sequences, histones and a protein complex called shelterin. How DNA is packaged at telomeres is an outstanding question in the field with significant implications for human health and disease. Here, we studied the architecture of telomeres and their spatial association with other chromatin domains in different cell types using correlative light and electron microscopy. Read More

Cell Death Dis 2022 Apr 23;13(4):402. Epub 2022 Apr 23.

Institute of Sports Medicine Copenhagen, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Copenhagen University Hospital-Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg, Copenhagen, Denmark.

Tendons are vital collagen-dense specialized connective tissues transducing the force from skeletal muscle to the bone, thus enabling movement of the human body. Tendon cells adjust matrix turnover in response to physiological tissue loading and pathological overloading (tendinopathy). Nevertheless, the regulation of tendon matrix quality control is still poorly understood and the pathogenesis of tendinopathy is presently unsolved. Read More

Pharmaceutics 2022 Apr 3;14(4). Epub 2022 Apr 3.

Departamento Materiales y Producción Aeroespacial, ETSI Aeronáutica y del Espacio, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain.

The use of nanocarriers to deliver antitumor agents to solid tumors must overcome biological barriers in order to provide effective clinical responses. Once within the tumor, a nanocarrier should navigate into a dense extracellular matrix, overcoming intratumoral pressure to push it out of the diseased tissue. In recent years, a paradigm change has been proposed, shifting the target of nanomedicine from the tumoral cells to the immune system, in order to exploit the natural ability of this system to capture and interact with nanometric moieties. Read More

Polymers (Basel) 2022 Mar 31;14(7). Epub 2022 Mar 31.

Institute of Polymer Technology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Am Weichselgarten 10, 91058 Erlangen, Germany.

Powder Bed Fusion of Polymers (PBF-LB/P) is a layer-wise additive manufacturing process that predominantly relies on the quasi-isothermal processing of semi-crystalline polymers, inherently limiting the spectrum of polymers suitable for quasi-isothermal PBF. Within the present paper, a novel approach for extending the isothermal processing window towards significantly lower temperatures by applying the quasi-simultaneous laser-based exposure of fractal scan paths is proposed. The proposed approach is based on the temporal and spatial discretization of the melting and subsequent crystallization of semi-crystalline thermoplastics, hence allowing for the mesoscale compensation of crystallization shrinkage of distinct segments. Read More

Cureus 2022 Mar 4;14(3):e22846. Epub 2022 Mar 4.

Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Kota Kinabalu, MYS.

Xeropthalmia refers to a range of ocular symptoms caused by vitamin A deficiency (VAD), ranging from night blindness and Bitot's spots to corneal xerosis, ulceration, and keratomalacia, which can lead to blindness. We report two cases of xerophthalmia in children with intellectual disabilities. Ocular examination revealed generalized conjunctival xerosis, corneal xerosis, and dense superficial punctate keratopathy. Read More

J Biomol NMR 2022 Apr 10. Epub 2022 Apr 10.

Institute for Chemistry and Metabolomics, Centre for Structural and Cell Biology in Medicine, University of Lübeck, Ratzeburger Allee 160, 23562, Lübeck, Germany.

NMR spectroscopy allows the study of biomolecules in close-to-native conditions. Structural information can be inferred from the NMR spectra when an assignment is available. Protein assignment is usually a time-consuming task, being specially challenging in the case of large, supramolecular systems. Read More

Nat Commun 2022 04 1;13(1):1767. Epub 2022 Apr 1.

Department of Chemistry, The University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK.

Liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) of protein solutions is increasingly recognised as an important phenomenon in cell biology and biotechnology. However, opalescence and concentration fluctuations render LLPS difficult to study, particularly when characterising the kinetics of the phase transition and layer separation. Here, we demonstrate the use of a probe molecule trifluoroethanol (TFE) to characterise the kinetics of protein LLPS by NMR spectroscopy. Read More

Membranes (Basel) 2022 Mar 17;12(3). Epub 2022 Mar 17.

R&D Center for Membrane Technology and Department of Chemical Engineering, Chung Yuan Christian University, Taoyuan 32023, Taiwan.

Wastewater effluents containing high concentrations of dyes are highly toxic to the environment and aquatic organisms. Recycle and reuse of both water and dye in textile industries can save energy and costs. Thus, new materials are being explored to fabricate highly efficient nanofiltration membranes for fulfilling industrial needs. Read More

ACS Nano 2022 Mar 22. Epub 2022 Mar 22.

Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan.

Single-walled carbon nanotubes have been a candidate for outperforming silicon in ultrascaled transistors, but the realization of nanotube-based integrated circuits requires dense arrays of purely semiconducting species. In order to directly grow such nanotube arrays on wafers, control over kinetics and thermodynamics in tube-catalyst systems plays a key role, and further progress requires a comprehensive understanding of seemingly contradictory reports on the growth kinetics. Here, we propose a universal kinetic model that decomposes the growth rates of nanotubes into the adsorption and removal of carbon atoms on the catalysts, and we provide its quantitative verification by ethanol-based isotope labeling experiments. Read More

Front Physiol 2022 3;13:846732. Epub 2022 Mar 3.

Research Group Sequestration and Detoxification in Insects, Department of Insect Symbiosis, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany.

Many herbivorous insects exploit defense compounds produced by their host plants for protection against predators. Ingested plant defense compounds are absorbed the gut epithelium and stored in the body, a physiological process that is currently not well understood. Here, we investigated the absorption of plant defense compounds from the gut in the horseradish flea beetle, , a specialist herbivore known to selectively sequester glucosinolates from its brassicaceous host plants. Read More

Integr Org Biol 2022 10;4(1):obac006. Epub 2022 Feb 10.

Field Museum of Natural History, Negaunee Integrative Research Center, 1400 S DuSable Lake Shore Drive, Chicago IL 60605, USA.

The regionalization of the mammalian spinal column is an important evolutionary, developmental, and functional hallmark of the clade. Vertebral column regions are usually defined using transitions in external bone morphology, such as the presence of transverse foraminae or rib facets, or measurements of vertebral shape. Yet the internal structure of vertebrae, specifically the trabecular (spongy) bone, plays an important role in vertebral function, and is subject to the same variety of selective, functional, and developmental influences as external bone morphology. Read More

Int J Mol Sci 2022 Feb 25;23(5). Epub 2022 Feb 25.

MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK.

Although the separation of transcription and translation, mediated by the nuclear envelope, is the defining characteristic of Eukaryotes, the barrier between the nuclear and cytoplasmic compartments needs to be semipermeable to enable material to be moved between them. Moreover, each compartment needs to have a distinctive complement of macromolecules to mediate specific functions and so movement between them needs to be controlled. This is achieved through the selective active transport of macromolecules through the nuclear pores that stud the nuclear envelope, and which serve as a conduit between these compartments. Read More

Pathogens 2022 Feb 15;11(2). Epub 2022 Feb 15.

Department of Environmental Science, Policy & Management, University of California, 137 Mulford Hall, Berkeley, CA 94702, USA.

Epidemiological models are important for the understanding of disease progression in plants and for the design of control strategies. , the pathogen responsible for the disease known as Sudden Oak Death, causes lethal infection on several oaks but relies on California bay laurels for transmission. Here, repeated surveys of bay laurels and oaks indicated that bay laurel disease incidence was positively correlated with rainfall, bay laurel density, and an eastern aspect, and negatively correlated with bay laurel basal area. Read More

Brain Commun 2022 3;4(1):fcac024. Epub 2022 Feb 3.

IBS Center for Neuroscience Imaging Research, Sungkyunkwan University, Seobu-ro, 2066, Jangan-gu, Suwon, South Korea.

Mutations of the mitochondrial DNA are an important cause of inherited diseases that can severely affect the tissue's homeostasis and integrity. The m.3243A > G mutation is the most commonly observed across mitochondrial disorders and is linked to multisystemic complications, including cognitive deficits. Read More

PLoS Comput Biol 2022 02 17;18(2):e1009891. Epub 2022 Feb 17.

Neural Network Dynamics and Computation, Institute of Genetics, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.

Hippocampal sharp wave/ripple oscillations are a prominent pattern of collective activity, which consists of a strong overall increase of activity with superimposed (140 - 200 Hz) ripple oscillations. Despite its prominence and its experimentally demonstrated importance for memory consolidation, the mechanisms underlying its generation are to date not understood. Several models assume that recurrent networks of inhibitory cells alone can explain the generation and main characteristics of the ripple oscillations. Read More

Materials (Basel) 2022 Jan 18;15(3). Epub 2022 Jan 18.

Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Missouri University of Science and Technology, Rolla, MO 65409, USA.

The powder bed-based additive manufacturing (AM) process contains uncertainties in the powder spreading process and powder bed quality, leading to problems in repeatability and quality of the additively manufactured parts. This work focuses on identifying the uncertainty induced by particle size distribution (PSD) on powder flowability and the laser melting process, using Ti6Al4V as a model material. The flowability test results show that the effect of PSDs on flowability is not linear, rather the PSDs near dense packing ratios cause significant reductions in flowability (indicated by the increase in the avalanche angle and break energy of the powders measured by a revolution powder analyzer). Read More

Acta Pharm Sin B 2022 Jan 28;12(1):33-49. Epub 2021 Jul 28.

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA.

Metabolic homeostasis requires dynamic catabolic and anabolic processes. Autophagy, an intracellular lysosomal degradative pathway, can rewire cellular metabolism linking catabolic to anabolic processes and thus sustain homeostasis. This is especially relevant in the liver, a key metabolic organ that governs body energy metabolism. Read More

Environ Technol 2022 Feb 19:1-9. Epub 2022 Feb 19.

Faculty of Chemical Engineering, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, People's Republic of China.

The electroplating, electrolysis, and pickling industrial processes would generate numerous gas pollutes, acid mist, which could not be essentially diminished due to its synthesis mechanism and cause gaseous environmental pollution, equipment corrosion, and endanger workers' health. In this study, a facile, practical, and energy-saving acid mist suppression system was constructed by introducing a stacking microsphere matrix as a floating porous phase on the acid solution and not causing secondary pollution. The mechanism of this green acid mist suppression strategy mainly focused on size-selective blocking of acid mist droplets by dense stacking microsphere layer and dissipation of floating kinetic energy of bubbles in the acid mist. Read More

ISME J 2022 Jun 3;16(6):1502-1511. Epub 2022 Feb 3.

Microbiological Research Department, Yakult Central Institute, Kunitachi, Tokyo, Japan.

Prediction of individualized responses is one of biggest challenges in dietary intervention to modulate human gut microbiota. Bacterial interspecies competition for dietary factors should underlie the inter-subject heterogeneity of microbial responses. Microscale localization of bacterial species around intestinal food structures could provide direct evidence for understanding this, however, little information is currently available. Read More

ACS Cent Sci 2022 Jan 7;8(1):132-139. Epub 2022 Jan 7.

School of Chemistry, UNSW Sydney, Bedegal Country, New South Wales 2052, Australia.

The encapsulation of genetic polymers inside lipid bilayer compartments (vesicles) is a vital step in the emergence of cell-based life. However, even though acidic conditions promote many reactions required for generating prebiotic building blocks, prebiotically relevant lipids tend to form denser aggregates at acidic pHs rather than prebiotically useful vesicles that exhibit sufficient solute encapsulation. Here, we describe how dehydration/rehydration (DR) events, a prebiotically relevant physicochemical process known to promote polymerization reactions, can remodel dense lipid aggregates into thin-walled vesicles capable of RNA encapsulation even at acidic pHs. Read More

Methods Mol Biol 2022 ;2417:193-203

Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA.

Despite the important roles of neuropeptides in a variety of physiological processes, there still lacks a method to probe neuropeptide release events in vivo with satisfying temporal and spatial resolution. Neuropeptide Release Reporter (NPRR) was recently introduced as a novel genetically encoded indicator of neuropeptide release with a high temporal resolution and peptide specificity based on GCaMP molecule. Here we describe a method for using NPRR to image selective neuropeptide release at Drosophila neuromuscular junction in semi-dissected larvae. Read More

Methods Mol Biol 2022 ;2441:29-39

The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC, Australia.

Angiogenic vessel remodeling is a critical step in establishing a hierarchical vessel network. Vessel networks rapidly expand through angiogenesis in response to pro-angiogenic factors. This leads to an initially dense vessel network that requires selective regression of vessel branches to establish a hierarchical conduit for blood flow, a process known as pruning. Read More

J Clin Cardiol 2021 ;2(4):75-80

Department of Neuroscience, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington CT USA.

The electron-dense spherical granules found in the perinuclear region of atrial myocytes store and release both proatrial and probrain natriuretic peptides (proANP and proBNP, respectively). Mature ANP and BNP produce vasodilation and natriuresis and inhibit the renin-angiotensin and sympathetic nervous systems. Although neither ANP nor BNP is a-amidated, Peptidylglycine a-Amidating Monooxygenase (PAM), an integral membrane enzyme known to catalyze the a-amidation of peptidylglycine precursors, is the major atrial granule membrane protein. Read More